New Years Resolutions 1955

 A young actress, trying to get a better grip on her chosen career, once sat down and wrote a list of New Year's resolutions. She wanted motivation for the twelve months ahead. The last year had been very succesful  and she wanted the same, or more, for the coming year.

Here was the list she wrote

Must have the discipline to do the following

 z  go to class,  on my own,  without fail

x go as often as possible to observe Strasberg's other private classes

g never miss my actors studio session

v work whenever possible on class assignments, and always keep working on the acting classes

u start attending Clurman lectures, also Lee Strasberg's director's lectures at the theatre wing- enquire about both

l keep looking around me, only much more so,  observing,  but  not only myself but others and everything- take things (it) for what they (it's) are worth

y must make a striong effort to work on current problems and phobias that out of  my past has arisen- making much much much more more more  more more more more effort in my analysis. And  be there always on time with no excuses ever for being late.

w if possible take at least one  class at university- in literature

o  follow RCA thing through

p  try to find someone to take dancing from - body work, creative

t  take care of my instrument  - personally and bodily - exercise

 try to enjoy myself when i can, i'll be miserable enough as it is,

 These are the words of course, of Marilyn Monroe.

At our writers' group we do a New Year's list of where we'd like to be next year, what we'd like to achieve, or what we'd like to avoid. And, sometimes, we make a list of what we'd like another writer to o achieve ( finish the book ),  or avoid ( stop starting another book before this one is finished!).  The listt of the writer seems much more clear cut than the list of the actress, after all,  it's there in our fingertips and in our keyboards.  And that's there is to it.

Or is it?

Caro Ramsay