Welcome to The Throughline
The throughline was a concept first suggested by the renown 20th century Russian acting coach, Konstantin Stanislavski, to mean an anchor or a spine that guides
When father and son Canadian comedy duo, Dan and Eugene Levy, had an idea for a “riches-to-rags” comedy, they didn’t just develop characters -- they developed lives. From the show’s inception, they knew exactly where they wanted to be in season 6. (They also knew the story would end). The genius of crafting a story from start to finish allowed them to present an array of personalities with fully fledged backstories and futures. Schitt’s Creek became one of the most cherished comedies of the decade because we became intimately connected to, and invested in, a cast of characters who had a life beyond each 30-minute segment.
To give a fictional character life beyond what we see in each episode is to anchor the actor with a throughline. The throughline was a concept first suggested by the renown 20th century Russian acting coach, Konstantin Stanislavski, to mean an anchor or a spine that guides a character through a performance. Stanislavski knew the story becomes so much richer when the character is rooted to something bigger than the single scene at hand. The throughline has become a term synonymous with “thread,” as in the set of innate talents, curiosities, passions, and interests that guide us forward with joy and enthusiasm instead of obligation and drudgery.
This serves to ground the portrayal of the figure they’re bringing to life. If Catherine O’Hara merely acted as an extravagant, over-the-top, disgruntled rich lady-turned-motel resident, we (the audience) would not have fallen in love with her the way we did. What in the world do we ordinary folk have in common with such a grandiose character as Moira in Schitt’s Creek? Absolutely nothing if this is all we see her as. Yet when O’Hara embodies the deeper Moira with a throughline, her desires, motives, and actions always make sense to the viewer. Her outrageous antics are ever-surprising on one level, yet entirely consistent with the person the audience relies on her to be. This we can relate to. The story of a family that suddenly loses everything and ends up living in a motel in town they purchased as a joke is only the backdrop for the delicious unpacking of more complex relationships and personalities.
Konstantin Sergeievich Stanislavski likely would not have appreciated the iconic one-liners such as, “Ew, David!” or “I’m more into the wine, not the label,” but he would have appreciated the centuries-old “system” of acting for which he deserves credit.
The truth is there are days we all wish we had a director giving us cues, reminding us what to say, and mapping out our stories. But most of us would go crazy within a few minutes of living out such an inflexible script. The tension between the dread of uncertainty and the boredom of predictability is real. We don’t need our lives to be directed; we need a direction that’s within. We need to become familiar with our own throughline.
I so love this concept that it was almost the title of a book I've just co-authored (coming winter 2025!)
As an education and career guide, I’ve spent the last decade helping to shepherd people back to their throughline to find their happy place. Here you’ll find stories, observations, and advice that speak to whatever fork in the road your facing and help you grab hold of that invisible thread once more.