Delusion Springs Eternal

One of the fascinating things about acting is that the actor is the art and the artist in the same moment. On top of this, acting is an art that only exists in the instant that it is happening, and then is gone, only to exist again for a moment at each subsequent performance. (There are those who would claim that movies refute this, but I'd argue that a motion picture isn't one performance, it's bits and pieces of many performances, or "takes," selected and assembled by an editor, usually in a completely different order from how they were filmed.) The result is that among artists the actor is the least objective about his own work. Denial runs rampant in acting schools. Psychologists tell us that denial isn't simply a conscious choice to ignore an uncomfortable truth, it's a complete inability to see it. Thus, inept wannabees continue their migration to Hollywood armed with stacks of photos and resumes, look for agents, and shell out their hard earned bartending tips to teachers all too willing to take them. Teacher to student: "Your character is supposed to be angry, but I didn't see even a trace of anger in your performance." Student to teacher: "I don't understand, I was feeling angry." The envelope please.