Marcus Corrothers

I think that writing and acting are incredible companions to one another. A lot of acting is about surrendering yourself to the circumstances. As actors, our job is to bring things on the page to life. Writing is a different challenge altogether. It’s about creating the illusion of life where there once was nothing. Acting is a very submissive experience in every sense of the word. Even in our careers, we’re oftentimes put at the mercy of the people around us, and even more so at the mercy of the stories we’re telling. This can be very troubling when some people treat us like we’re dispensable.

For me, writing is a means of regaining control of the narrative. It retains a lot of the vulnerability that acting has, but it allows you a different kind of freedom. Like acting, I think writing is most effective when it is deeply rooted in things that feel personal and human. Many professors I’ve had in the past have noted that the more personal a piece of writing is to you, the more it tends to resonate with other people. People are always going to be eager to connect with the humanity inside of all of us. This kind of vulnerability can oftentimes be terrifying. Sometimes, some of the stories we tell tend to grow out of our own control or we don’t tell them in a way that conveys the message that we were attempting to share. 

But I think that these mediums have a lot to teach us about each other. Whether you’re acting or writing, reading scripts is essential. When writing, you can ask yourself important questions like “Would this sound natural to say?” or “What is this character really trying to achieve here?” Many of the same questions that you might use for character work can be reverse engineered into the writing process. This also can go the other way around. When acting, you might find yourself asking, “What role does this scene play in the overall narrative?” I think that writing gives you a strong grasp of the world you’re creating, and acting gives you a powerful connection to the individual. Combined, this can create powerful stories. It’s no wonder that some of the most powerful stories and creators we’re seeing today straddle both worlds, as well as expanding their repertoire to include producing, directing, etc. 

Create Your Own Material [a workshop within the Stonestreet residency] was the perfect opportunity for me to be able to handle all of the different aspects of production. Writing, casting, directing, acting, and editing are all open to you when you have the opportunity to create something in this class. It’s a perfect opportunity to dip your toes in the water in areas you might be unfamiliar with. It can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, but it definitely gives you a strong appreciation for the work that we see and how much time and effort go into creating them. It also gives you a chance to expand your interests and try some things that you probably haven’t done before.

Ultimately, the more ways you find to explore the human condition, the better your ability to express that humanity in meaningful ways.