Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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I was wrong

Until recently I had little respect for acting. My line was that all actors have to do is say words written for them by someone else and prance about making believe. Plus the few actors I’d met had been, um, how do I put this? Not the smartest people in the world. (Not all of them! Not, you!) But most of them.

However, going on tour has changed my opinion. TOTALLY.

Basically what I did for the last two weeks in Michigan, Ohio, and then Kansas City, Missouri was get up and perform in front of audiences ranging from 5 to 200. And I did it between two and six times a day.

It was shockingly hard. Astonishingly so. One of the most exhausting things I’ve ever done. Why did no one warn me?!

Yet I did was play myself. Talk about my books, answer questions. Doesn’t sound like much, does it? I can’t imagine what it’s like getting up night after night on stage pretending to be someone else. Or doing it take after take in front of cameras.

My tour gave me a glimpse of how hard acting must be.

Don’t get me wrong: touring was heaps of fun. I now also have a glimmer of understanding of why people want to be actors. The energy you get from an engaged audience is amazing. I can see how it could get addictive.

So there you have it. I was wrong. I take it all back. Acting is hard. I sure couldn’t do it.

Posted by Justine at 0:00, 15 October 2008 under Book tour, Cons & Other Gatherings, How To Ditch Your Fairy, New York City/USA | 3 Comments »

Comments

  1. Asta Says:

    Acting is really hard – true. But the hardest thing an actor can do is be herself in front of an audience. Playing a character is a comfortable disguise – they’re not really looking at you or responding to you as a person. Which is why actors can easily be extremely shy.

    October 15th, 2008 at 7:43 AM

  2. Patrick Says:

    I think you should try answering all of your questions as if you were Scott. THEN you would be ACTING!

    October 15th, 2008 at 9:18 AM

  3. Hillary! Says:

    If it’s a play…ugh. I love acting, but each time I’m in a play I have a different symptom. Most people are lucky, they only lose their voice for a day, some vomit over and over, I had a friend who would pee every five minutes. Me, oh no! I had something different each time, one time it was a rash on my eyes, another time bronchitis, and then their were the hives! But the adrenaline rush! Man making all those people laugh! and giggle! and gasp! All that pain is worth it. ANd then there’s the after party. But Asta is right, it’s harder to be your self in front of a lot of people. I could never do that, I’d rather play a fallen angel.

    October 15th, 2008 at 12:40 PM

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