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Excerpts
from forthcoming book:
Fellini
had all the appearance and presence of a very simpatico man of the people.
He was warmhearted and simple in his daily communications with others
and cordial to the constant calls of his admirers. Under his casual
and normalizing Romanesque presence Fellini manifested a world of profundity
and understanding of the human condition and -- least known to most
in spite of its appearing in brilliant flashes and in grotesque symbols
in many of his films -- he had an astounding intellectual intuition
of esoteric realities and a vast, refreshing spiritual vision. His understanding of the magical power to be evoked in the synergy of a cast of actors supported by film technicians all collaborating in the art of making a movie was key to his free directing style and his teaching actors to think and become immersed in the reality of roles. He understood that it was energy and enthusiasm generated by sharing a collective creative process that made motion pictures the principal and most powerful art of the Modern Age.
The
artist, whether a poet, singer, dancer, actor, musician, writer, or
craftsman, invests first in himself/herself and follows his/her love
for his/her chosen art. In many cases more than one art fills the life
of the artist. Dedicated artists soon intuitively discover that as they
perfect their art, after much work and even pain propelled by love of
it, gradually and sometimes suddenly a luminous quality, an inner well
being, enters their life and with it a profound understanding of life
itself. This understanding becomes the very wine the artist produces
and feels compelled to offer others so they may become "inebriated,"
even if for a moment only in a theater, while reading a book, by hearing
a song, and share the artist's vision of life's potential for perfection.
Learning
to act frees our power for self expression. By gradually learning to
express feelings in the interpretation of a role, a power is developed
inside of us that can unleash joyful enthusiasm not only for this great
art but for the infinite dimensions of life itself. Part
of the actor's work is to train the will so that the personality can
break out of all self imposed limitations born of fear and illusion
about the human condition. Only in a fearless state do we become fully
empowered to manifest what is best in ourselves. That is when we can
fully share and enjoy life with others.
We
hear often the question: "What's new?" and life responds,
"I am always new! Haven't you noticed?" Acting
is the art of conscious renewal. Some of the greatest actors are known
to have experienced the sudden "awareness of awareness, "
what in the traditional Japanese "No" and "Kabuki"
theatre is known as the "Zen of acting." The
profound transformation called "renewal" is best grasped by
those who, facing the shock of imminent death, are suddenly reprieved
and literally given a new lease on life. That is when human awareness
fully awakes and experiences a rebirth and a full restoration of a sense
of proportions: eyes see better, ears hear more sharply, and all sensations
become deeply real as they were when we first entered life and had no
questions yet. We tend to forget the cyclic aspects of life, even though we are taught the lesson of cyclical repetition daily with the rise and setting of the sun and with each season, and by the four directions rotating around the axis of high and low.
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