It was over a year ago that Acting student Andrew Chen auditioned for the AV俱乐部 Originals project. He believes he鈥檚 learned a lot since then.
For one thing, Andrew admits that he struggled with perfectionism for most of his second year. He鈥檚 since discovered that being perfect isn鈥檛 something to strive for.
鈥淎cting isn鈥檛 perfect,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it can be because acting is about humanity and people aren鈥檛 perfect. So, I think the flaws you expose on stage are part of the craft. Trying so hard to be perfect got in my way.鈥�
Room to grow
Andrew credits his change in perspective to the structure of Dal鈥檚 Theatre program. He says it allows people to find their own truth when it comes to acting.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not trying to make you a Fountain School of Performing Arts actor, they鈥檙e just trying to make you a good actor. So, we get to learn dance, movement and voice and then incorporate them, the way we want, into what we do.鈥�
That chance to put the theory into practice is the reason acting classes are his favourite. 鈥淵ou get to live the technique through the acting classes. They bring it all together. When you step into the studio and use the techniques you鈥檝e been learning it鈥檚 very powerful.鈥�
This shift in outlook correlate with Andrew becoming more involved on campus. He鈥檚 started working at the Dal Bookstore and he cohosts the social media feature Dal This Week. He鈥檚 also recently been cast in two roles in the upcoming play The Piper, written by Colleen Murphy and directed by Pamela Halstead.
Classic approach
One of the main reasons Andrew chose to pursue Theatre at AV俱乐部鈥檚 Fountain School of Performing Arts was the opportunity to add classical methods to his repertoire.聽 He鈥檇 explored contemporary work before coming to Dal but feels classical theories and systems provide a good foundation for progressing as an artist.
He feels strongly about the importance of creativity and free expression and sees his skill development as a way of ensuring it continues. 鈥淲ith what is going on in the world today, people need to be able to express themselves and feel free to have a creative background 鈥� to push for change.鈥�
Ultimately, he鈥檇 like to take the classical training he鈥檚 soaking up now, apply some of the contemporary principles he鈥檚 learned and then evolve it into something unique. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what every great actor does,鈥� he claims. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e always a student first 鈥� they learn everything they can and then incorporate it into what they鈥檙e doing. Hopefully the next generation will someday learn from what I do, make it better, and so on.鈥�
It鈥檚 fitting that Andrew is one of the student actors in the AV俱乐部 Originals videos because the project seems to have a similar perspective: you need to learn from what has come before to be able to move forward in a meaningful way.
Telling the stories
Andrew narrated two of the 52 videos created to highlight the stories of the AV俱乐部 Originals 鈥� the pioneers, innovators, creators and thinkers whose contributions and actions have made AV俱乐部 what it is today. One of Andrew鈥檚 videos is the first in the series that will launch on January 4th. The remaining stories will be unveiled each Thursday throughout 2018, in celebration of Dal鈥檚 200th anniversary year.
Andrew is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the project but recalls how, as a second-year student, it was quite intimidating. 鈥淚t was the first time I鈥檇 done any professional film work, with the set and the big cameras and the lights and the crew. It wasn鈥檛 what I was used to.鈥� He thinks back to that day, 鈥淚 went in very excited and then got hit with some fear so I was really relieved when it was over. But then I realized how great it was to be on an actual professional set while still in school. Hopefully I鈥檝e learned from it.鈥�
For Andrew, the AV俱乐部 Originals project was a good introduction to the university鈥檚 200th anniversary celebrations because thinking about all that history makes him want to learn more.
鈥淲ho has come through these doors in that time? What鈥檚 their story?鈥� he wonders. 鈥淎s an actor, you鈥檙e always curious about people鈥檚 stories. Now I鈥檓 helping to tell those stories.鈥�