[from a presentation on acting at a conference for psychotherapists] Plays and films are like those huge medieval stained glass windows. An incredible amount of labor and craftsmanship go into them -- from everyone, the writers, directors, crews, actors -- but all that preparation is toward the moment when the light shines through all that craftsmanship. The light is the story. That's the magical, intangible part. Why the heck does the audience cry or get excited when they watch? They're just seeing a bunch of actors standing around, surrounded by plywood, reciting words they've memorized. It's the story. It's all there to serve the story.