Hamlet doesn't exist
Tips, tricks, inspiration, and encouragement for storytellers of all stripes
Greetings from Sarasota—
A friend shared with me this week a cool video of legendary music producer Rick Rubin talking about point of view.
You can watch the entire clip HERE, but the gist is this:
If you give five different AI models the same training—say, everything on Google—and then ask them all the same question, all five will give you the same answer.
But if you give the same movie script to five different directors, you will get five very different films.
Because it all comes down to the storyteller’s point of view.
Shift from movies to stone. Give five sculptors equally sized chunks of marble. Tell them to sculpt Zeus. You’ll get five very different Zeuses.
I’ve said a similar thing to acting students.
There is no such thing as a perfect performance of Hamlet. Hamlet the character does not exist. Hamlet is just words on a page. Hamlet does not come to life until a flesh and blood actor gets on a stage and says the text aloud.
We all are Hamlet. Hamlet exists in every one of us.
So your goal as the actor playing Hamlet is not to channel some perfect, flawless performance that floats around in the ether. Your goal is to bring yourself to the role. To refract the lines and actions through your own voice and body and experience and emotional instincts.
I would point at every student in the room and say, “I could cast each of you as Hamlet, and if you played the role authentically and honestly, you would all be ‘right.’”
I am not advocating for artistic anarchy. The words themselves don’t change. “To be or not to be” is “To be or not to be,” just like for our imaginary quintets of directors and sculptors the script is the script and the marble is the marble.
But what each actor or director or sculptor does with their line or script or stone? Ah. There you have it. Point of view.
And it really can come down to simply which single word you choose to emphasize…
The Loose Cannon is (finally) back!
In classic “biting off more than you can chew” fashion, I launched The Loose Cannon back in April, and it’s been sitting there ever since, mocking me and my somehow ever-lengthening to-do list.
I’ve made it available to all, and I’ve just added a new short story.
To refresh—because it’s highly unlikely you remember what the heck The Loose Cannon even is—here’s what I’m up to…
The Loose Cannon is where I keep the fuse lit. Part workshop, part journal, part soapbox—this is where I set down the mantle of storycoach and let my storyteller self run free. You’ll find monologues, short fiction, shards of memoir, personal essays, and real-time responses to the world as it spins. These words may not always land where they’re “supposed” to, but they’ll always come from the heart.
So if you’re in the mood for a single-sitting short story, I offer you—
The Page&Stage Podcast
A reminder that my two podcasts—Page&Stage and 100 Plays—which bop into your inboxes on alternating Mondays, are taking a well-deserved dog days of summer break.
So for the next two Mondays, I’ll be sharing some archive dives and guest updates.
Come September 8, both podcasts will come boppin’ back.
In case you missed this past Monday’s archive dive, I pulled out a flip-the-script treat. I’m not only a host, I’m also a guest! And back in June of 2024, I joined the incredible Emily Sander on her Leveraging Leadership podcast.
Emily is an executive coach, expert on all things Chief of Staff, and will kick your butt at CrossFit.
You can learn more about Emily at her website: NextLevelCoaching
Here’s how Emily describes our episode together:
A Shakespearean Actor’s Guide To Chief Of Staff: Storytelling And Artistry with Jason Cannon
Jason Cannon is an accomplished theater actor, director, playwright, and producer turned author and storytelling coach. Jason shares insights from his experiences in theater - from "Ted Lasso" to Shakespeare, storytelling frames our perceptions. Understanding character arcs in dramas and real-life high-stake scenarios is key. Our narratives unfold in art and business alike, as we play the leads in our own stories.
If you prefer listening to YouTube viewing, hit the purple button below to go to the episode’s homepage, where you can take your pick of audio options.
Quick reminder that you are welcome to comment on this newsletter. I do my absolute best to respond to every comment, so if something I’ve offered above tickles that question/comment/complaint nerve in your reader-brain, I’d love to hear about it.
And if there’s a storytelling topic or issue you’d like me to address—writing, acting, directing, speaking, whatever—email me directly at jason@jasoncannon.art. If I don’t have a ready answer, I’ll make it my mission to go find one.
Thanks as always for reading, and have a great weekend—
Jason “2B or 2B” Cannon