I have been called a character more than once in my life. Many times by my mother. I think she meant I was full of life and a little off the wall. Someone she enjoyed watching, even though she found some of the things I was doing strange. I always took it as a compliment. I may have just been weird. Whichever, I was just trying to be myself.
Over the past year I have gotten involved with the drama department at my church. I am currently rehearsing for my next show with them. The character I get to play is selfish and sneaky. Not traits I want to emulate in my own life, but it is fun to play the character, knowing that good wins in the end.
This summer I played a different character. I got the awesome gift of playing Maurice in Beauty and the Beast. I have been watching this story for almost 30 years now. I thought I knew that character well. He is an oddball, but lovable. As it turns out, I got to dive a lot deeper into what it meant to be him, which was more than I would have expected.
Maurice is an eccentric inventor. He is extremely smart, but a bit absent minded. He is a widower that is doing his best to raise a strong daughter who can think for herself, but also be part of a strong family. He works hard and provides for his daughter. However, he misses his wife dearly. He knows love and loss. He is a very interesting and admirable character.
What does that word mean?
Character (noun) – the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.
I think it is fitting that we call the subjects in stories characters. They give us pictures of traits and actions that we can either emulate or avoid. The show us positive and negative ways to be. They give us a picture to aspire to.
There are many things in Maurice’s character that I admire. One that I will highlight. When he daughter was in danger, he went to every length to rescue her. Though he was not successful, he was willing to pour out every ounce of himself to accomplish it. That is a character trait I want to have.
David Willis 