All language subtitles for MasterClass LeVar Burton Teaches the Power of Storytelling - 02 Authentic Storytelling

[MUSIC PLAYING]

It hasn't been
all of that long

that I have been willing to
claim the title storyteller.

It's something that
I believe that I

have grown into over time.

There are so many different
ways of storytelling.

In my own career, I story tell
as an actor, as a director,

as a writer, as a producer, as a
podcaster, as a public speaker.

There's storytelling through
dance, through music,

through painting.

What being a
storyteller means to me

is one who is willing to take on
the responsibility of bringing

stories to the people.

I believe that the stories
that we tell one another

are the foundation
and set the parameters

for who we are as people.

We are continually telling
each other our stories.

What I do is tell stories
on a conscious level.

I'm always aware of the audience
that I'm in front of and what--

what the message is.

What's the purpose
for the story?

Is it to inform?

Is it to educate?

Is it to entertain?

Is it to enlighten?

There are so many
different outcomes

we can point ourselves to in
the process of storytelling.

But I think always the--

the uber purpose is for us to
gain some sort of information

mostly about ourselves
and the human condition.

Self-knowledge is key to finding
your authentic storytelling

nature.

Because you know, they
say as a-- as a writer,

write what you know.

As a storyteller, it is
essential to know oneself

in order to have
that authentic place

from which your story flows.

And the-- the good
ones, the great ones,

all know themselves incredibly
well and spend the time,

put in the work
necessary, to discover

all aspects of who they are,
the light as well as the dark,

right?

We have to be willing
to go on that journey

and discover things that we
may not like about ourselves,

but they are also a
part of who we are.

And we have to honor those
dark impulses as well.

There's shadow in everyone.

And storytellers know that.

They know that-- that the dark
is as important as the light.

And the journey of humanity
is about finding our way

through the darkness
toward the light.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The story of my life and--

and how it has shaped
the storyteller in me

I think is an interesting story.

Because if you
look at my career,

I've been able to portray human
experience through these vastly

different characters in hugely
disparate circumstances.

And being able to play those
characters successfully,

authentically, is where
the rubber meets the road.

What makes the difference is
the intention behind the story,

right?

What is it that you want to say?

And-- and where is it from
your personal experience that

lends credence, that
lends weight, gravitas,

reality to the story that
you're trying to tell?

Allowing your
personal experience

to be a part of
your storytelling

is what helps round out
your storytelling persona

because that's coming
from that, again,

that authentic place inside.

And authenticity is--
it's not automatic.

For most of us, discovering
our authentic selves

is, in fact, something
that we must practice.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I discovered theater arts
in the seminary at St. Pius.

We had a very strong
program for theater arts.

And the first play
I auditioned for

was Mister Roberts, play that
takes place on a Navy ship.

And I had one line.

My character's name was Reber.

And-- and it was only one
line, but I was hooked.

I was hooked by the atmosphere.

There was something
about the vibe

that was intoxicating to me.

It was all these
people coming together

from different disciplines,
right, sets, lighting,

costumes, props.

All of these
different disciplines

came together in the service
of telling this story,

and that's really
powerful for me.

And then, you know, when I
started my professional career,

I realized that as--

as a Black man, I couldn't just
make my living doing one thing,

right?

I'm not the sort of guy who
can do anything that he wants,

you know.

You look at, I don't know,
but people like Kevin Costner,

you know, white
males who just have

all of the opportunity
in the world.

I'm not that guy.

I've been able to
develop other skill

sets, other methods and
methodologies of storytelling.

It was on "Star Trek--

The Next Generation"
that I became

a director, a writer, and then
a producer, a public speaker.

I have developed all of these
modalities of storytelling

in part out of necessity because
I couldn't just do one thing

and make my living.

I had to diversify.

And I think that-- that artists
these days are aware of that,

that they need to do more than
simply be an actor, right?

Because as an artist
today, you have

to handle your own social media.

So you're telling
stories there every day.

I have been purposefully
exposed to all kinds

of stories throughout my life.

And I'm happy to say most
of them live inside of me.

And that's, you know, that's
sort of the magic of stories

that--

that we take them in, and they
become literally a part of us.

That's a really
powerful influence.

There-- there are few
influences that can

have that sort of impact on us.