For all the heady talk around Shakespeare and the theatrical art form in general, sometimes a simpler perspective can be refreshing.
It is my hope that these combined essays of a class of NYC 5th graders may serve as a palette cleanser for those of us who may at times be guilty of taking the theatrical arts (or ourselves) a bit too seriously.
Instead of huffing and puffing over the difficulties of navigating the modern online Acting landscape or lamenting the loss of the classic black and white head shot and the charming simplicity of the old Hollywood studio system, perhaps we actors can take a moment to appreciate just how far we've come. Gone are the days of townspeople chasing thespians to the municipal outskirts in order to protect their children from the "Acting bug" (otherwise know as "The Plague"). And though females who choose to participate in this creative endeavor may be subject to any number of humiliations and objectifications as such, these 11 year olds encourage us to take note of just how much women have to be grateful for, i.e. "Hey, at least you're allowed in the room!"
As these adorably naive 5th graders confidently proclaim, nowadays acting is *easy* and once you've learned your lines (given the benefit of the "Entire script!" -- rather than just your character's sides) all you'll have to do is show up, and it's only a matter of time before bags of money will begin raining down on your wigged head.