Film critic and author Marya E. Gates joins Michael to explore perhaps the simplest, most influential direction ever given to an actor: "Be natural."

The phrase is associated with pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché, who posted the reminder in her New Jersey studio more than a century ago. As one of cinema's earliest storytellers, Guy-Blaché helped establish film as a distinct art form, separate from the theatrical traditions that shaped many of its first performers.

From Guy-Blaché's silent shorts to the work of Greta Garbo, Janet Gaynor, John Garfield, Nicolas Cage, and Lupita Nyong'o, Michael and Marya examine what "natural" acting really means, and why some of the most truthful screen performances can also be the most stylized.

Links:
-"Cinema Her Way" | Marya E. Gates
https://maryaegates.com/cinemaherway/

-Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché | VOD
https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/be-natural-the-untold-story-of-alice-guy-blache

-There is one Murnau, Borzage, and Fox Box available on Amazon… for $1,336.

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