Margi's thoughts on acting

Now, I know I'm far, far, far from the best actress to ever tread the boards, and I certainly don't have any Boleslavsky, Hagen or Chekhov level of insight into the craft. But I just wanted to give the young actors of the world a few words of advice:

1. Your voice does not need to go up at the end of every sentence to prove you are inflecting and emoting. Not every line of dialogue is a question, my children.

2. Shaking/gyrating your head as you speak or squinting does not necessarily indicate emotional connection with or concern for the other character in your scene. Try to indicate concern ... by actually feeling concern!

3. Ladies, try not to always thrust your hips out to either side while standing on stage. I know, I'm guilty of doing this too, especially with book in hand before a character has really been developed. But not every character you read is - uh muh gaw - the type to stand like she's at a bar in her fabulously tight jeans and sexy boots.

4. Gentlemen, if you're gay and you're reading for a straight role, for god's sake, butch it up! If you're straight and reading for a gay role, play it exactly as you would any other part.

5. Have energy, and remember that, most likely, every character you play actually has a personality.

Thank you. And good luck in your careers.