Role-Playing
“Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.”
Practice
Practice Role-Playing:
Role-Play Neighborhood Scenarios.
Practice potential conflicts through imaginary situations.Consider Another Perspective.
Before reacting, consider the question: What might this person want?Practice Being Present.
Rehearse being fully present to the individual in the situation like an actor being fully present to their scene partners.
Role-playing, commonly associated with acting and theater, can be a powerful tool for cultivating connection and understanding with our neighbors. Through the practice of creatively entering an imaginary situation, we can begin to build the necessary skills to respond to challenging interactions.
Caitlyn Kraemer, who has performed in theatre productions on Broadway and on national tours, shared at the foundation of acting is a single question you ask about the character in any scene: “What do I want?” This is known as the character’s objective. Role-playing allows us to pause and ask about our neighbor, “What does this person want?” and “How are they trying to get it?” In our everyday interactions with neighbors, coworkers, and others in our communities, we too often assume their intentions without considering their perspective. Role-playing allows us the space to reflect on their motivations and rehearse a more empathetic response.
A beautiful definition of acting Caitlyn shared in our conversation was from acting teacher Sanford Meisner, “Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” Role-playing provides an imaginary platform to learn how to better respond to real life circumstances. Rather than reacting impulsively to a neighbor who plays their music too loud, neglects yard maintenance, or fails to shovel their sidewalk in the winter, role-playing allows a “dress-rehearsal” of how we want to respond with less reactivity. By role-playing potential conflicts, we can prepare ourselves to respond with more care in real life.
Caitlyn continued, a fundamental principle of acting is learning how to give your full attention to who you are sharing the stage. “You're training yourself to be present even if the circumstances are imaginary.” When we engage in role-playing, we cultivate attentiveness to those around us. “You're training your mind and your heart and your body to show up and be fully present,” shared Caitlyn. “I think being able to truly see and truly hear other human beings is such a gift and translates to any aspect of life.” By practicing role-playing we increase our awareness and emotional presence to interact meaningfully with those in our neighborhoods and communities.
Role-playing can be much more than a theatric or artistic exercise. It is a creative practice in learning to listen, be present, and respond with care to our neighbors and neighborhoods.
Thank you to Caitlyn Kraemer for her conversation and contribution to this article.
