Playing For Keeps

My dad grew up during the Depression. Times were brutal for a lot of families back then. His dad barely made enough money to keep the family clothed and fed; but they survived.

Some of my favorite memories are the stories about the games they played when he was a child. Since they didn't have any money, the kids became very creative. Discarded items somehow would wind up being important parts of many toy collections. For instance, old snuff bottles were one of my dad's favorite "vehicles" to drive. They didn't have Hot Wheels, so they used what they could find. My dad drove a snuff bottle. My uncle Carl drove a brick.



One of the games that he told me about has left a lasting impact on me, namely, marbles. No, I don't play marbles today. I've actually only played the game a few times...when I was growing up...and only with my dad. I believe the game that we played was called "Ringer". The players would draw a circle to start. Then they'd place some of their marbles in the center and take turns trying to knock the other guy's marbles out of the ring. My dad told me that you had to be very careful which marbles you placed in the circle because some guys would "play for keeps". In other words, if your opponent knocked your marble out of the circle, they could keep your marble. So you didn't put one of your prized marbles in the ring...unless you were willing to risk losing it. That made a huge impression on me.



I now use that terminology to refer to acting. I want people to walk away from one of my performances saying, "That guy plays for keeps." I'm not doing it just for fun...even though I usually have a ton of fun acting. I want to be so intense with my performance that it leaves a lasting impression.

Interestingly, tonight I thought about marbles when I realized one of my favorite TV characters, "Holly Flax" from "The Office", was played by an actress, Amy Ryan, who also had an Oscar-nominated role in a movie that I recently watched. If you're an "Office" fan, check out "Gone Baby Gone". I would post a snippet from Youtube on my blog, but the movie is laced with profanity, so beware. Ryan completely immerses herself into the role of the kidnapped child's mother. The transformation from her TV character to the other was so different that it's mind-boggling. She totally convinced me in both roles. She's "playing for keeps" and I salute her.

So, wrapping this up, I guess I would recommend that whenever you're doing what you love, play for keeps. Be willing to risk it all because the reward will be great if you win. If you lose, so be it. It's a much better feeling to give 100% and lose, than it is to win in a halfhearted effort. There's no prize for lackluster performances.

And finally, realize that if you're ever on stage with me, you may have the sensation that you're playing Ringer. It's true, really it is. Lots of folks have already told me that working with me made them feel like they'd lost their marbles.