Honor Your Parents

I remember a few years back watching an interview with the then soon-to-be retiree, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees. He was asked how he managed to stay on the straight and narrow, avoiding temptation and the shenanigans so prevalent among sports stars. "I just never wanted to embarrass my parents," he said.

Whether we realize it or not we are ambassadors of the people who shaped us. Our actions embody the example and legacy of our parents, friends, and mentors. When we do right we honor them and signify we're grateful for the contribution they made to our lives.

Everyone makes mistakes and we're all deeply flawed. But by making the effort each day to thrive in all the important arenas of our life we set precedent for those behind us with the hope they may follow our lead long after we're gone.

Build on Who You Are

Tony-nominated director Diane Paulus once said to our class: "The more you build who you are as a person - how you educate yourself, how you identify, what interests you in the world, the issues you care about - all of those things will make you a better performer."

To my 20-something year self it was difficult to fully grasp the scope of her message. But as the years went on, and I began living a life and not just a career, her words began to resonate.

The characters I wanted to portray on stage were living breathing beings who cared deeply about human rights, politics, education, children, and poverty. They were three-dimensional people who weren't actors but citizens representing an idea, a possibility, a unique voice.

I discovered the only way I could even begin to understand the complicated nuances of their humanity was to start exploring my own. This required me to get up and out into the world rather than bury myself in the pages of a play or rely solely on my technical training.