In the famous words of Williams Shakespeare, the world is a stage and we all are actors.
Coming from a theatre background, there was a constant for us which is not that much in the cooperate world as more of bureaucracy rules the cooperate world.
In the theatre world, we were constantly advised to challenge major roles we wanted to play.
Major roles were mostly given to assumed strong actors based on previous performances and here we are being advised to challenge these roles.
It means that a year 1 student with the courage and right mindset can challenge a final year student or a graduate on same role and get it.
Wow!!!
Did it come by mere wishing?
No!
Never!!!
To be able to challenge this major role you must –
1. Know the lines i.e. memorizing the script and most times you already have your role, so you have to know your own lines in the script and the lines of the person you wish to challenge.
2. Know their blockings i.e knowing their movement round the stage.
3. Add you uniqueness and be better than them i.e a subtle way of asking you what you are bring to the table… You know the lines, you know the blockings and your competitors know the same thing, their must be something different about you for you to take over the role.
And these rules follows sequentially as listed.
It was not much of a big deal then yet two major things were achieved from my deduction.
1. The pride of being indispensable is punctured in the major character as he realizes that there are people willing to take up his role as swift as a finger snap and this encourages them to always put their best foot and rehearse extra to avoid being beaten by a waiting competitor.
2. New talents are discovered, although sometimes the competitors do not get the major role as desired in that particular production, yet they have set themselves above their peers as worthy of major roles in the next production.
Did you get the drift?
This principle is applicable to life!
The major roles you are challenging in life are likened to your visions and aspirations and just like the year one student who is willing to challenge the final year student in this game, take up the bull by the horn!
Don’t let esteem play a fast one on you!
What you are scared of is equally scared of you.
How is these roles challenged?
Know the script – Knowing the script entails knowing the full story, mastering your lines and mastering the lines of your competitors.
Yes!
Know the vision you are pursuing, do a background search on people who have succeed in that path and how the succeed in it. Know their story not for imitation but to place yourself on the right course and while pursuing their course gain mastery on where you are at the present because what has been learnt where you are might be what will distinguish you from the rest. Imitation is not the goal, the goal is to gain mastery and be outstanding.
Know the Blockings- Blockings are the paths the actor walks on the stage to have an Oscar performance i.e from down stage to up stage and centre stage…
As you have known your vision and what it entails, study the paths of your predecessors or contemporaries. What other relevant skills did the add to their skill set. Learn their mistakes too, it’s part of your blockings to avoid being blocked! There is a constant path for every vision and if you must succeed in that vision you are pursuing you must get conversant with that path.
Know your Prompts- Prompts are things that motivates your actions to start and stop. As you pursue your vision be conversant with your prompts in life so you don’t over play your roles. This is where planning and prioritizing of needs comes in. What are things you should totally stop, what are things you should start doing, what are things you should do less and what are things you should do more.
Master you prompts in the pursuit of your vision!
Do your Personal Rehersals before the General Rehersals- The general rehearsals is not for people challenging new roles to rehearse the role. No! The general rehearsal is for the original actors of the role to rehearse. Those challenging the role are called in the general rehearsal to see if they already know what the original actors know, meaning they are expected to have learnt the script, get the blockings and gestures outside at home or during their free time.
Does that make sense to you?
The world is not really interested in the process except their is someone underscoring you to take that part. The world wants to see result, therefore, the responsibility lies on you to deprive yourself of immediate pleasures, be awake while others are sleeping, research while others are playing. Treasure your time and maximize it in building. That is your personal rehearsals, then come to the world’s general rehearsal and show them that you have built mastery through your personal development and ready to take up the challenge.
Finally Add your Uniqueness – Remember where we started from right? There are already people who by strength of previous performances have gotten these role you are admiring and all these other things you have put in place have been equally put in place by them. What will distinguish you is to add your uniqueness to it. There is something you have that makes you unique, study yourself and find out your strong point, add it to you vision and watch the world watch in amazement the wonderful actor you’ve become.
Remember as earlier mentioned you might not get the major role as you seek in that production but you have set yourself apart from the rest as someone ready to fill-up a space at every slightest opportunity and trustworthy to take up a major role in the next production. So is it in life, you might not get the vision and aspirations immediately but keep repeating and enhancing the process until the spotlight shines on you.
The world is your stage and we are waiting for your outstanding performance!
