
The Art of Stealing a Scene
She practices her lines. And she asks me to help. She makes her point and then leans in to me and whispers loudly, “Now you say: You won’t get very far. I run faster than you.”
Her sing-song voice, precociously enunciating her carefully chosen verbiage. She tells me she stole three oranges as she adds, “You can’t catch me!” The patch-pockets of her pink floral dress bulge with tiny Clementines.
She exaggerates a giggle and pretends to run away.
All I can manage is smile at her spirited cleverness. And I just love all of her. Her spark. Her poise. Her talent. Her tenacity. Her creativity. And above all right now, her patience.
In this sixth hour of hanging out with Momma on a film set, I realize she has the stamina and resolve to work toward her goals even if it ultimately leads to disappointment.
What kid doesn’t like to pretend? But there’s a certain work-ethic involved in pretending-for reals. And ever since I began pursuing the charms of acting, she too decided she wanted to be an actress.
Now don’t read into this. I’m not interested in turning her into the next Shirley Temple, but I’m also definitely not into stiffling her dreams. This awareness of each other’s dreams is a respect for the healthy result of creative outlets and self-reflections.
But this isn’t an easy business — acting. Not many creative ventures are. It takes a particular kind of chutzpah. To love something for its own sake; to love the way it makes you feel to create, connect, collaborate, and commune. But to also be evaluated on skewed and various arbitrary metrics that are often beyond your control. To be required to bring all the goods, selflessly, repeatedly, without variation and sometimes with…but to also wait. To pour your heart, mind, soul into something only to be met with deafening silence, save for the beating and breaking of your own heart. She didn’t break. And in the long-haul pursuit of my own endeavors, against all the odds, neither will I.
But it’s certainly not easy. However, my daughter taught me an important lesson today. My efforts may not always be rewarded with a role but it is resilience and tenacity in the pursuit of creating ‘better’ that will always be its own ultimate prize.
Her pleasure came from possibility. Endless possibility. Raw and determined — she went for it. Her moment is always, now. 100% all in.
And I see how much farther she is than me. I see how much closer she is to the real deal than me. And in that moment her unhindered authenticity is truly so remarkable, I am in awe.
She has been my teacher these last five years and I will forever be grateful for all her lessons.
