Acting for Life By Deslie McClellan

“The purpose of theater is to lift the gaze heavenward, that we might glimpse the eternal . . . .”1

Our children are bombarded 24/7 with seductive stimuli and a plethora of voices indoctrinating them with deceptive premises and deceptive philosophies. In the schools and universities, they are no longer given the vocabulary of right and wrong or good and evil because moral absolutes are considered too judgmental. Those who presently control our country’s political, cultural, and academic institutions do not honor America’s Christian roots and the sacred truths they embody. Indeed, they are working feverishly to tear out those roots and destroy the very faith of our fathers.

Homeschoolers care deeply about education because they see it as the primary means, after family and church, to guide and build Godly character. They want their children to live beautiful lives that reflect noble impulses and the love of Christ. Teaching them to discern and withstand the onslaught of liberal ideas is fundamental.

So where does drama fit in to all of this?

We all know the benefits of theater. Drama improves oral language and reading skills, teaches a child to express himself confidently and joyfully before audiences, and helps to develop social skills that enable him to work creatively and professionally with people of all ages. For when children, parents, and grandparents (as well as local community thespians) all work together to play parts, make costumes, or build sets, it is a vibrant experience for everyone. There is something uniquely delightful about putting on a show, and all who are involved in the production experience a little bit of that delight. Indeed, there is no other activity that so effectively promotes personal creativity, intuition, initiative, and inspiration. And . . . everyone has a lot of fun!

Acting out a character from historical biography or classical literature allows the child to personally experience the virtue and/or evil of that character and his history. By his role-playing the young actor learns the consequences of free will choices in life—that which is the reward of virtue and that which is the harvest (or wages) of sin. Thus, acting teaches a child how to act in real life.

It also helps him see beyond the mere pageant of life. As Jaques tells us in Act 2, Scene 7 of Shakespeare’s As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players: / They have their exits and their entrances.” Life is a play, and we are all players. What matter the part one is assigned? What matter the hardship or the suffering? To play the part well, with joy and courage, humility and faith—that is the essential thing, whether the player wear a crown or motley. This is Shakespeare’s message to us. We play our role upon the stage of life to learn the lessons of right action, purifying our heart in the process so it can love, serve, and glorify God. In other words, the art of acting provides the liveliest and most compelling instruction for playing (and playing well) the game of life.

However, there is an even more wonderful benefit, if less tangible. Theater’s real impact derives from the fact that the art of acting is transformative. An actor has the ability to suffuse his art with a spiritual light that can profoundly influence the hearts of his listeners. There are countless stories testifying to this. I personally know of one professional British

actor whose performance of Hamlet so dramatically affected a political figure in his audience that the course of international politics was changed that night and thousands of lives saved as a direct consequence. On a humbler scale, the first time our theater staged The Secret Garden, I received letters from several audience members who witnessed how their hearts had been healed of old hatreds and resentments. One woman said she felt that her heart had undergone major surgery during the performance.

Most of our modern playwrights and actors delight in the exploration of man’s worst passions at the expense of cultivating what is pure in heart and morally uplifting. Few actors today provide a lucid and exalting theater experience either in stage performance or on the screen. Once upon a time, however, actors did comprehend their noble purpose. Artists of the distinguished repertory tradition such as Laurence Olivier, Ronald Colman, Greer Garson, Leslie Howard, Dame May Whitty, Robert Donat, Dame Gladys Cooper, Irene Dunne, and C. Aubrey Smith, as well as child stars like little Freddie Bartholomew, brought to their work the command and integrity of their own hearts and the belief that when art appeals to the highest and best in men, it is an irresistible appeal.

In his book A Rose for Mrs. Miniver, author Michael Troyan quotes 1942 Academy Award winner Greer Garson, when she addressed young actors: “Have faith in your star and follow your dream, not for any thought of fame or fortune, but simply because, as an actor, you can be a great and powerful influence for good. So much of what we see on the stage today is hopeless and despairing. Producers should have more courage. People will respond to stories with beauty, romance and idealism and happy endings. Films should speak to the best in us—of hope, courage, persistence in adversity, and generosity in triumph. . . . I think the mirror should be tilted slightly upward when it’s reflecting life—toward the cheerful, the tender, the compassionate, the brave, the funny, the encouraging—and not tilted down to the troubled vistas of conflict.”

Art should lend beauty and nobility to life. By bringing us in touch with the highest and best in ourselves, true art brings us in touch with the beauty of the divine. In a 1983 BBC television interview, actress Bette Davis said: “The terrible thing about acting today is that it’s all so real. You can sit on a street corner and see real people . . . . Acting is larger than life.” Theatrical life must be larger than life—brighter and more glorious. We go to the theater not to experience actuality but to transcend it. The mystery of the theater is the God-given beauty that He places in our hearts and minds. The goal of the artist is to find that beauty within and share it with his audience through his artistry, touching the beauty in their hearts and leaving his indelible forget-me-not in their lives.

I tell all my students that when, as an artist, you become a transparency for the noblest, purest, and most beautiful thoughts that uplift the heart, you are truly a star!

Deslie McClellan completed a teaching degree in speech and drama from the Trinity College of Music, London. With the dream of all young artists, she moved to Las Vegas in the mid-1970s, where she started the entertainment capital’s first repertory acting school. Later, she left the school in the hands of the repertory ensemble and moved to California, where she taught high school drama and English while furthering her studies in Montessori education. Her first book, ACTING MAGIC, is a 540-page comprehensive guide for directors and actor. Deslie lives in Pennsylvania with her husband; they have two adult children. You may contact Deslie at familyplayhouse@rcn.com

Endnotes:1. I inscribe every copy of my book, ACTING MAGIC, with these words. They are meant to remind teachers and directors of the potency of the dramatic arts for influencing good.

Copyright 2013, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the January 2013 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.