Curtains open. Lights turn on.  The spotlight is on you.

Living life and being human means every day you are putting on a new mask and following a script.  Some of us aim to just survive the day as part of the set, as an extra, whilst others strive to get the lead role. Yet once in a while, when there is a crack in the facade our worst fears happen: someone will see who we really are. Someone will see what is happening behind the scenes and discover that you are indeed a vulnerable human being. Someone will see what you are like when the lights are down, curtains are shut. As Shakespeare says:

'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances' - As You Like It; William Shakespeare

If life is equal to acting, what draws people to want to become actresses and actors? Is it the opportunity to escape into a different, fantasy world where magic occurs and happy endings might exist? Or maybe, as India Jean-Jaques said, 'Acting is one of those that you can never get bored of, because you constantly have an opportunity to be in a completely different reality from your own.' She began to act in commercials first and her first proper job was in a film called 'Beyond the Lights' in 2014, playing actor Minnie Driver's daughter. Yet there is no difference between acting as a different character for a play or film, than just putting on a mask every day of our lives, a film that never ends until the credits roll in, aiming to please critics and satisfy society. When I suggested this, India replied ' I think it's so appealing to play pretend as a career. The thing with acting is it's not so restrained so it’s the opposite as you do not have to conform to society so strictly. You can simply let go of any inhibitions and fully immerse yourself in a role.’

Yet what makes acting realistic whether on stage or in daily life, is the parts of you that slips between the cracks and into the person you are trying to be. 'Acting a character is finding the part of you that is closest to the character and I feel like that's the thing that enables you to come as close as you can to interpreting what a character is thinking and feeling.'

What if though, for once, we all stop wearing our masks, and the only time someone pretends to be someone else is for the sake of acting. Of course, this will never happen. But what would it be like if it did: would the world be better? No more sugar coated compliments, just bland honesty. Or would everyone being who they are make the world worse?

By Yii-Ling Deng

Newstead Wood School