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Has anyone seen my baseball bat?

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HELLO MESSAGE BOARD WORLD!

First, as a teacher to many accomplished Broadway performers, one thing I know is the profound level of vulnerability even the most accomplished artists must be in touch with to be a performing artist.

Many critics seem to disown their own vulnerability, such that their critiques are wounding to creative artists. People who disown their own vulnerability and don't know how to honor it within themselves often wound others without caring.

In my classes, I know how to hold performers to the absolutely highest standards without wounding them by my commentary. It seems many people haven't figured out how to do this yet. When more critics, teachers, and everyone in the entertainment world evolve to communicate with deep respect for the profound vulnerability involved in any creative process, the entertainment world will be a much better place...a person would not be vicious to an artist like Alice Ripley, triggering the hurt in her that caused her to have a rather unconscious moment.

But, Alice Ripley is not homophobic. The suggestion is absurd to me, as someone who knows plenty of people her know her intimately.

Anyone who doesn't understand that ALL OF US have bigoted, tribal aspects of our psyche doesn't get it.

Everyone has it in them. Whether they know it or not. I know it. And I'm proud of knowing myself so deeply.

As artists, we have to be in touch with, and access, a very wide range of our imaginations and ways of being in the world. It takes a profound level of Mastery, that no one can achieve all the time, to simultaneously have access to so much within ourselves, and manage it perfectly with everything we do and say.

We all have nazi parts, tribal parts, messianic parts, ashamed parts, confused parts, vulnerable parts, magical parts, and on and on...I often say when I'm working with my performers, "As an artist and conscious human being, the only difference between me and a psycho killer is I don't believe my psycho killer thoughts and act on them!" But, I sure have them...and every other kind of social, loving and anti-social thoughts and feelings I can! It's part of my job as a performer!

You can't be a brilliant performer without all this access...period.

Love to everyone. I love respectful, passionate debate.

- Jason B,
The Jason Bennett Actor's Workshop

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Updated On: 7/21/10 at 03:14 PM

I'm definitely raising my hand now!

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I know a girl named Jennipher. Her parents are automatically deemed assholes.

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