The stories were different, but the core was the same.
Actors who make excuses.

As a director you never want to give a note and hear back five minutes full of reasons why your actor couldn’t, cannot and won’t be able to take that note.

As an actor you do not want to be put in a spot where your fellow thespian will come up with a series of arguments that will try to prove why he or she is not where he or she should be, while you are.

As a teacher you do not want to hear your students telling you they won’t be able to do, hear, feel, and listen…because they had to do, hear, feel, and listen to something else.

Excuses are something you have to learn to step away in this art (and in life as well, but again for me this craft is my life).

Excuses just show that you won’t listen, that you won’t put yourself out there, that you won’t make yourself vulnerable, and That will just block you as an actor.

Actors have to listen; it’s one of the most important things! If they close up, if they are not able to take criticism they won’t grow, they will only get that far and “that” far is very close.

I remember plenty of times when I was giving a direction to an actor and even before finishing my point I would hear “Yeah, yeah I know, I know that but…” and that to me is a red flag. You knew it already? So why am I here giving you this note?...

Listen!...and grow!

Be humble and ask what you don’t understand, That will make you a stronger, deeper actor and human being.

I love learning new things, I feel so thankful when someone is sharing something I’m not familiar with!
We never stop learning and we should never feel like we are done, like we arrived.

Eduardo De Filippo used to say “Gli esami non finiscono mai” “ Exams never end” and he was so very right!

Throw away those excuses and be ready to learn and become a fuller artist, the difference will be so very profound.

“He who excuses himself accuses himself.”  (Gabriel Meurier)