Molina has taught classes at Los Angeles’ New American Theatre, and one of the lessons he imparts on those lucky enough to attend his class is how to take ownership of roles. He explains, “I always tell my students: for the time and place that you occupy a role, that role is you and you are that role. It may well have been played a million times before you and it may well be played a million after you, but for this moment in time and space, you are it. And you must own it, it must be yours.”
Nonetheless, there is a difference in taking ownership of a role and overconfidence. Molina recalled an instance when after he completed a scene opposite an overconfident actor. In contrast, he reveals, “I’ve never, ever, ever – this might mean I’m not a very good actor, I don’t know – come off stage feeling successful. I’ve come off stage feeling good about what we did, but it’s always qualified by – ‘Tsk, didn’t quite get that, got a bit sloppy on that beat, could have come in a bit faster here, totally trod on my laugh there.’ There’s always stuff you can improve the next night and that’s the constant joy and the frustration of theatre.”
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