Studying our Parts

Imagine you were cast to play the role of legendary baseball player Babe Ruth in a biography of his life. You could simply follow the script, reading out what is written. How much better, though, to study Babe Ruth himself—to learn his speech pattern, mannerisms, and so forth. 

The result would surely be a more compelling performance! Now, suppose you were cast to play the role of Babe Ruth not in a biography, but a fictional account of him living and playing today. This would surely require you to learn as much about Babe…