You've Got Mail

Tennis and acting, as with most things in life, can be broken down into two basic tasks:  sending and receiving.  Like life, because there are so many other things that you could focus on, it is sometimes deceptively hard (or easy) to focus on the task at hand.  When you strike a ball, your focus is on nothing but the point of contact (until you've finished your follow-through).  In other words, you are focused only on sending.  Once you've sent the ball, you then focus on receiving:  you split-step when your opponent contacts the ball.  Likewise, in acting, when you deliver a line, you focus only on the specific intention behind the words you send; and when you're done:  listen (and allow yourself to take whatever they give you).  Indeed, you must always do both.  Because if you stop sending or receiving, you'll lose connection with your scene partner and, in turn, the audience, and you'll lose connection with the ball.  So next time you step onto the stage or a tennis court, focus on simply sending and receiving...and you'll relish the moment when you've got mail! 

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