Sunday, May 23, 2021

Knowing The Moment...

Though I majored in Theatre Scene Design, part of 
the curriculum also involved taking an Acting course, Costuming, Light Design, and Stage Management classes too, so one had a broad sense of Theatre.  Acting majors had to do this as well.  It actually turned out I was a damn good actress.  And a great Lighting Designer.  But for me, Theatre Scene Design is where my heart was and always has been.💕🎭

There is a very important thing we were taught in acting, and that is knowing the moment.  This also applies to those knowing when to act or not to act moments in our lives we encounter.  Because we all have those moments of decision.  

Yet sometimes we plunge forth, only the timing isn't right.  Then if we wait for the right timing, the moment goes sailing right by us.  If an actor misses the cue or isn't prepared, the whole play can flop.  So just knowing there IS a moment that is THE MOMENT can help us learn when to act or not.👍

However we shouldn't plunge forth into a moment of huge decision making when we are right smack in the midst of overwhelming emotions like grief, anger, envy, impatience, fear, or resentment.  Step back, take a deep breath, and wait a moment.

Remember everything happening NOW determines 
the FUTURE.  So try to gauge the pros and cons of this decision or that one.  You see the same timing vital to show business is vital to our decision making whether we act or not.👍

In my recent blog, "When My Surgeon Cried," I touched on the story about my second spine surgery two days before Christmas, when everything went wrong during surgery (none of this the fault of my surgeon), and I was paralyzed.  Thankfully though, there was still movement in my toes, so with my determination and a hard won battle, I again learned to walk over time.  What I didn't touch on, was why I made the decision to have the surgery done the week of Christmas in the first place.  This was major spine surgery.  Even if everything had gone right, I was still going to be in hospital well beyond the New Year holiday too.

In theatre, decisions are usually made on which productions will be done a year in advance or longer.  Sets are typically begun in the spring or sooner, for the following new season beginning in the fall of that year.  Often Christmas can be a slow time for the designers.  Wanting to lose as little time as necessary from my work, I had to make a critical decision for what was best.  

I had another concern too though.  Winters can be very unpredictable.  There was my dear Patches who at that time was only six months old.  During that same year we were in a severe drought, but I was bringing him through it.  I weighed my options.  Talked with other boarders, as well as both the Executive Director and Artistic Director of the theatre I was working for then.  
Thankfully I had their full support. 

So with the support of my theatre and my fellow boarders who assured me Patches would be taken care of as needed during the winter, my doctor and I went ahead and scheduled the spine surgery two days before Christmas.

I awoke in ICU on Christmas Day.  From there it took me nearly four months to get from bed to cane.  And six months without a cane.  By the time sets needed to be prepared for the following season I was able to do them, even while still using the cane at first.

Though things certainly did not go as planned during the surgery, because I had made myself step back and weigh everything before I acted, scheduling the surgery right before Christmas turned out to be the best decision for all regarding timing.  I knew my moment.

We have to learn to trust our instincts and be patient with knowing the moment.  But patience is not easy.  Believe me, I know.  Especially when faced with huge decisions.  Yet what IS patience, but using some restraint for just a bit like a gentle pulling back on the reins I did a thousand times through the decades?👍 

Knowing The Moment takes stepping outside of ourselves TO know The Moment and focus.  This is what actors do.

This is also what a Little Scene Designer learned on her challenging galloping journey too.🐎😃🐎💫























No comments:

Post a Comment