According to UCLA alumnus Ron Marasco, inspiration is not found studying at an old desk behind closed doors. It’s found in the everyday experiences and activities that occur outside the didactic realm.
Keeping with this philosophy, Marasco was not only inspired for his new book, “Notes to an Actor,” by his time on campus but also by his experience in theater, television and film.
With a doctorate in Theater History from UCLA, Marasco has plenty of experience on the subject of acting. His knowledge of other seemingly unrelated subjects, however, has been equally important to his writing, as there’s always something exquisite to be found in the insignificant.
“I think of myself as a jeweler, I try to take a lot of little diamonds from all over the place. Things that many people have said, sometimes it’s something someone said in a bar, and sometimes it’s something that was said by a great master,” he said.
Because he pulls material from many encounters in his life, Marasco does not consider himself as belonging to any one profession but rather aims to explore various interests through his work.
Besides writing, acting and directing, he also has become intrigued by “creative teaching.” Marasco, a theater professor at Loyola Marymount makes sure lessons are tailor-made to fit his students or the readers of his new book by offering them an inside look into the acting world.
“I think I’m someone who would rather know how the magic trick is done than just watch the magic show,” Marasco said. “And I do think that’s what part of teaching is, creative teaching anyway,” he said.
While “Notes to an Actor” has received rave reviews from big shots like Kirk Douglas, Neve Campbell and Colin Hanks, it is still, at its core, a book for students. Marasco wrote the book because he feels most students interested in acting usually avoid reading about the subject.
“Students buy acting books, and they just don’t read them because they think they’re long, and they don’t cut to the chase and get to the point quickly … Actors want to get to the point quickly. By the time you say it they’re already up doing it, so don’t take too long to say it,” he said.
Taya Kenny, a second-year theater student, feels that students don’t always read acting books because there are a number of different approaches to studying the craft.
“There’s so many different ways of acting and because of that there’s so many different types of books that really you just need to feel everything out to see what works for you,” she said. “You’re not going to use a book on realism for a farce, Greek, Roman or Shakespeare type of play.”
With directly titled chapters like “Perspective,” “Talent” and “Greatness,” the sections provide helpful quotes and examples on each subject from films and personal experiences.
“Actors want the secrets, and they want it fast, and they want it in a very blunt way … They want a little cue, a little prompt, a little help to get better and then they want to get up and do it,” he said. “I didn’t think any acting books were written for that.”
Kenny finds that the individual nature of acting means the guidelines of a book can be difficult to follow.
“Acting is such a personal thing, it’s not a one-size-fits-all-type subject, you have to find there’s so much material on it, there’s so many techniques that you really just need to use what works for you,” Kenny said.
Although Marasco’s life remains very busy, when it comes to writing, Marasco insists on taking a more laid-back approach.
“I have a very sloppy way of working. I just walk around thinking, talking, having coffee for a few years. And then it just morphs into a form. I think I write a book to capture it in form,” Marasco said. “It really is a way to have all of these things that you’ve been saving up and put somewhere. I think writing is like making a scrapbook.”
This method is fitting since “Notes to an Actor” is sprinkled with quotes from everyone from Burt Reynolds to Ernest Hemingway.
Marasco’s ability to find magnificence in the mundane speaks to the creativity he feels students need to find in their own lives whether they are actors, writers, photographers or scientists.
“Creativity is catching things and knowing what to catch,” he said. “All kinds of things happen all the time, and I think when you look at it that way, there’s something worthwhile writing down.”