This was the advice given to me by my favorite and long time acting teacher Cliff Osmond.
So on Valentine’s day I will pass this wonderful insight along to all my actor friends: look for the love in the material that you are working on. Whether you are doing scene work in class, or in an audition situation, or you have been cast in a play and are developing your character, look for the love.
Sometimes the love is obvious although it manifests in many forms. There are other times, because of what may be going on in a given scene (or monologue) filled with conflict, love may seem to be nowhere in sight. It’s there, keep looking.
If you didn’t care, if you didn’t love, why would you even be fighting? Wouldn’t you just walk away? And we don’t always say what we mean anyway. Find the love. Play the love.
Love makes every story richer, every character more intriguing.
My add on to my acting teacher’s wisdom: The Passion Translation says it beautifully… “There are three things that remain: faith, hope and love – yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.” (I Corinthians 13:13)