ON ACTING: Sprezzatura
The Italians have a word: sprezzatura. It means the art that conceals art. It is the essence of elegant acting.
It is removing the scaffolding after completing the building. It is what defines a pro: great actors make it seem so easy that everyone thinks they can do it. It is Fred Astaire dancing. It is Mohamed Ali boxing: "floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee."
A famous American actor James Cagney once said it well: Acting is "learn your lines, don't bump into the furniture, and never get caught acting." It is sprezzatura, the art that conceals art.
It is removing the scaffolding after completing the building. It is what defines a pro: great actors make it seem so easy that everyone thinks they can do it. It is Fred Astaire dancing. It is Mohamed Ali boxing: "floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee."
A famous American actor James Cagney once said it well: Acting is "learn your lines, don't bump into the furniture, and never get caught acting." It is sprezzatura, the art that conceals art.
posted by Cliff Osmond at 9:22 PM
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