At the moment, I’m lucky enough to be doing a Meisner acting course with the Impulse Theatre Company. Yes, I know…an opera singer doing acting lessons and acting with impulse?! Can this really be? Well, all I can say, is this is a new age of singing.

Anyway, we had a talk, recently, about the difference between an impulsive actor vs. an emotional actor. I’d much rather be the former than the later, as emotions can get me really stuck in myself and my own gunk. It’s not that being an impulsive actor has no emotions, but I find it much easier to leave them at the end of the exercise or song or performance. I mean, I don’t carry it off stage with me, which has been a problem at times, or I’ve had the experience where I’ve been having a lot of emotion, but those listening haven’t had the same experience or I carry something from my personal life onto stage.

What I’m finding…

I’m finding a way to let my emotions out, wherever they come from and not try to judge them in my work. This means that I don’t get stuck in what I think it should be, could be or would be.

Also, I’ve found what I now call no man’s land, it’s the place between where I am off stage and then walk on stage. I cross it and work at not dragging any ’emotions’ from 1 side to the other. Creating a safer and more fun place to work from.

My last concert was very different. I just went with ‘the impulses’ and it went really well. There were no wrongs or rights there was just the moment – the impulse – Fantastic!

So opera singers – act!