Mark Evans Studio

  The only thing constant is change I understand that for a lot of people, change can be challenging and can feel daunting and cause a lot of anxiety. The phrase ‘The only thing constant is change’  has become very mainstream these days. It can feel clichéd but I personally believe it’s a valuable motto that can remind us to stop resisting change and to consider it an adventure worth exploring. From the age of sixteen when I left home in North Wales to go train as a dancer, change has been a huge part of my life and I chose back then to lean into it as opposed to being afraid of it. To step into the vulnerability of an unexplored path with curiosity and courage as opposed to staying within the ‘perceived’ safety of what is familiar is thrilling to me. I think the global pandemic we all just went through proved that none of us is truly immune from change regardless of how much we try to resist it, so why not choose to love it.   The change of the season is upon us a...

  Get it done I am currently reading a book recommended by a student which is called ‘Unf*ck Yourself’ by Gary John Bishop. I’m only three chapters in but it centers around the way that we talk to ourselves and how productive or (usually) destructive those voices can be.  The types of examples he gives when talking about how we stress ourselves out more than needed are references to simple every days tasks: “I need to empty the dishwasher but I don’t have the motivation” “I need to send that email but I am not sure exactly what to say” “I need to get back to my friend about those dinner plans but I am not sure where to recommend” “I need to rehearse for that self tape but I’m nervous that I’m not good enough” These types of thoughts can loop over countless times. The way we talk to ourselves about these things on our to-do lists can make an individual item MUCH more of a big deal than is necessary. Instead of thinking over and over again about how you need to send that email…....

  You’ll never fully figure it out. A lecture I shared in one of my group classes last week was inspired by an episode of the podcast ‘Craft Sweat & Joy’ by Patsy Rodenburg.  In a conversation with the incredible acting teacher and director Larry Moss, Patsy tells a story about when her late husband was about to act in the final performance of a play he’d been touring with for three years.  He was standing in the wings and asked his co-star “are you relieved to be done after all this time?” and she responded “I feel like I’ve only just begun to understand the first scene” and then she stepped onto the stage.  Isn’t that wild?! But I get it. The reason I mention this to you is because I’ve been noticing for some time now, a general impatience among students to want to crack the code and conquer a scene with perfection in as little time as possible. I recommend a different approach to all of you. Do the work, analyze the script and be as prepared as possible, but, ...