“Wrestling the Ape”
The title of this musing sounds like a metaphor. It probably is, though in this case it’s also somewhat literal. To that end, I worked with a mechanical ape in a short film last week and, as predicted, he was a source of endless fascination while providing an interesting challenge in not being upstaged too badly.
To the metaphoric end, “wrestling the ape” could represent any type of challenge. In my case, ape and ape coincided, and the metaphor arose in having to deliver the emotional part of my performance in the fifteenth hour of the last day while sick. I could see the challenge looming, and it weighed about 600 pounds.
But what stunned me is how relatively easily I was able to push this proverbial monkey to the ground. I don’t claim to have necessarily delivered a prize-winning performance, but in a mere seconds I was able to take myself where I wanted – to fear, to anger, to frustration, to resolve, to courage, to levity, whatever was asked or needed.
I felt like silly putty in my own hands, free to mold and shape my performance however desired. And I have no doubt whatsoever that the reason for this is rooted in my meditative practice. The same awareness cultivated in everyday practice was suddenly and starkly ready to be used on my professional life, as if walls had dropped and seas had parted and all that was left was for me to walk wherever I pleased. (Yes, I’m fond of mixing metaphors. I think it’s a wholly underrated art. Like a science, really.)
So, to the world and life, I say bring your apes. I’m ready. Give me your biggest challenges. My mind gets clearer and stronger every day. And to my fellow actors I say, meditate, meditate, meditate. Trust me on this one.
For the Mineralava Musings, as always.
