By Rachel M Carothers
Actors work incredibly hard. Really, incredibly hard.
We take classes, devour books and articles, watch professional performances, audition – face rejection, audition again, land a role, memorize lines, rehearse, rehearse some more, and when we’re fortunate we get cast in a show! Then comes the marathon of performing, sometimes up to 8 shows a week. Phew! Just thinking about it all is exhausting. It’s easy to get caught up in the grind and forget to enjoy the ride.
But here’s the thing: one of the most essential ingredients for great acting is fun.
Imagine trying to be creative when you’re bored, frustrated, or surrounded by people you don’t click with. That’s not how we work. We access our creativity best when we’re free to focus on the challenges at hand without any unnecessary distractions. That’s why we play games and embrace silliness, stretching our imaginations and pushing our limits. We create fully realized characters in made-up worlds, all under bright stage lights, for complete strangers, because it’s fulfilling and downright magical. Even the most intense, dark characters are born from spontaneous, bold ideas. We’re telling stories that matter, and honestly, we’d never make it through if we weren’t having fun along the way.
And let’s not forget about the audience. There’s something almost mystical about witnessing an actor having fun on stage or screen. As audience members, we’re invited to share in that joy. A performance infused with energy and creativity elevates the story, turning the moment into something we can truly feel. Our brains mirror the actor’s experience, and suddenly, we’re having fun in our seats, too.
What a gift it is – for us as performers and for our audience – when we remember that fun is at the heart of what we do.
