Sunday, December 9, 2007
Studio Session
Our studio session was the last one in class, and therefore we had to be the most prepared. I was very nervous about the lines because any time i am given more then 4 lines to memorize i start to worry about whether or not i will be able to remember them. I often get caught up in my head with trying to remember lines and wind up not listening to Gaby's character at all. I think i did slightly better with this in class, especially after our first run through of it and after receiving feedback from the class and Jon. I was unsure whether or not the minimal physical score we had would detract from our scene, but the class said it was ok since the text was engaging. Working with my dramatic action helped to keep my energy, interest, and focus up in the scene. I enjoyed trying different tactics with Gaby's character in order to get what my character wants out from her. Playing around with different intonations and pauses makes the dramatic action more apparent. While we continue rehearsals i will continue to experiment with different tactics in speech and movement, and hopefully i will settle on some before our Work in Progress performance on Tuesday.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Final scene performance
It's coming along. However, my performance of Adine in 'The Dispute' is far from complete. I know I still need to do a lot of work on it. When Anna and I practiced in front of the class, I was nervous at first, but it turned out to be A LOT of help. I learned that I need to remember to fully embody each moment, and go all out with it. The challenge that goes with that, however, is that I have to figure out how to do this and not throw the through line of my character's journey and of the scene out the window. I find it hard to connect everything while performing or 'doing' each moment one at a time. I also need to focus my physical intention, and make every movement purposeful. It seems so hard to do, however, when we don't have Jon to remind us and tell us what we are doing wrong while practicing.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Studio Session!
Since we began working on the studio sessions, I’ve seen a lot of our acting training from the semester being combined, bringing all the little pieces together at last. When it came to our scene from ‘The Dispute,’ my weakness is obviously my voice and my ability to embody the intention of the scene. With my voice, it is difficult because I suppose my voice comes most naturally in a higher register. It feels odd trying to pitch down. I feel like I lose the ability to show emotion because it seems that everything I say is rather flat. Sure, it may be more understandable, but I believe the new obstacle is being able to infuse that with emotion. I think I’m improving when it comes to projecting, although I must say I did not notice a change in how I spoke once I took my choker off. But hey, if it makes everything think I’m louder, then I guess I’ll go with it. As for embodying the character and the scene, it is true that I totally understand the arch of the story. However, I have a hard time getting my thoughts out physically. Give me pen and paper or a computer and I can tell you what it all means in minutes, but put me up on a stage and my English major side rears its ugly head – I read. I know what I’m thinking and what I want to do, but it doesn’t come out. However, I’m hoping that once I am completely solid and no longer fumble with ANY of my lines, I will hopefully be able to focus solely on physical specificity because I will no longer be fiddling with a script in my hands.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Studio Session
We have just begun our studio sessions for class last Friday for our final project. Being the first to go in these sessions was a bit daunting at first, being that my knowledge of my chracter and the story had not gotten to where I wanted it to be. However, once the learning in class began, I realized that it was okay to be so early in the rehersal process. I was given many valuable tips from both the teacher and the other students. I still find that my main concern is with the externalization of my character. After finishing this session, I was happy to find that it was, in a way, more effective to have the session that early in the process, so that I could find out my more noticable errors in my performace and have ample time to fix them.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Self Reflection
1. Name and briefly discuss the most significant lesson you learned about acting from the 365 Project.
One thing that I learned in the 365 project was that silence and stillness can be as effective and powerful as any dialog. When I first read the script for the second constant, I was a bit turned off by it, as I didn't see how simply standing in one spot could be a performance, or at least one which could convey a message. However, when I actually got to my location that morning and began performing, I found that not only could stillness and silence have an effect, but that it had an effect upon me as well. I stood there just looking out into the cold morning, then felt compelled to close my eyes. I didn't know how long I would have them closed, until I suddenly felt the warmth of the sun on my back, telling me that I had been in my mourning stance long enough.
2. Discuss how you can deepen this lesson with your final Acting I project.
In the final project, this silence can be used very effectively to build tension between the characters. While I am not acting alone in this piece, I think that the silence, and only talking when I really do feel that warmth will help the scene flow and make sense.
3. Name your most effective acting moment in 365. How was it effective and what were you doing in terms of technique to make it effective?
I think the most effective moment was the beginning of Sin Collector, when I sat on the wall with the newspaper and mug, not saying anything, and looking at Laura putting mirrors in her jacket. I just felt that I was really present in the scene, as I really wanted to work on focusing energy, and I think my energy was very well focused. The extended silence worked great with the scene, allowing for the audience not to be distracted by lines. I felt their focus the whole time. It really helped start that play on the right foot and helped the characters connect to each other and the audience.
4. Discuss how you can deepen your technique in working on your final Acting I project.
In the final project, I think that the attachment to a character who represents a significant other can be very well shown through silence. The energy which is focused at the other is enough to give the audience a clue as to what is going on. I can see myself really milking the silences and making much eye contact to build the relationship and help to give the audience a true sense of the atmosphere.
5. What is the most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity in your 365 performances? If you could go back into rehearsal, how might you address this element in order to make your performance more effective?
In the Puja Play, I did not focus my energy very well. It may have been the fact that we did not rehearse the play much, or that I was distracted by the environment and the process of getting there and setting up, but I did not feel quite attached to the play. The play could have been performed so well, but it did not live up to its full potential. My movements did not have much purpose behind them, such as the belly rubbing, and my lines did not encompass the scene at all.
One thing that I learned in the 365 project was that silence and stillness can be as effective and powerful as any dialog. When I first read the script for the second constant, I was a bit turned off by it, as I didn't see how simply standing in one spot could be a performance, or at least one which could convey a message. However, when I actually got to my location that morning and began performing, I found that not only could stillness and silence have an effect, but that it had an effect upon me as well. I stood there just looking out into the cold morning, then felt compelled to close my eyes. I didn't know how long I would have them closed, until I suddenly felt the warmth of the sun on my back, telling me that I had been in my mourning stance long enough.
2. Discuss how you can deepen this lesson with your final Acting I project.
In the final project, this silence can be used very effectively to build tension between the characters. While I am not acting alone in this piece, I think that the silence, and only talking when I really do feel that warmth will help the scene flow and make sense.
3. Name your most effective acting moment in 365. How was it effective and what were you doing in terms of technique to make it effective?
I think the most effective moment was the beginning of Sin Collector, when I sat on the wall with the newspaper and mug, not saying anything, and looking at Laura putting mirrors in her jacket. I just felt that I was really present in the scene, as I really wanted to work on focusing energy, and I think my energy was very well focused. The extended silence worked great with the scene, allowing for the audience not to be distracted by lines. I felt their focus the whole time. It really helped start that play on the right foot and helped the characters connect to each other and the audience.
4. Discuss how you can deepen your technique in working on your final Acting I project.
In the final project, I think that the attachment to a character who represents a significant other can be very well shown through silence. The energy which is focused at the other is enough to give the audience a clue as to what is going on. I can see myself really milking the silences and making much eye contact to build the relationship and help to give the audience a true sense of the atmosphere.
5. What is the most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity in your 365 performances? If you could go back into rehearsal, how might you address this element in order to make your performance more effective?
In the Puja Play, I did not focus my energy very well. It may have been the fact that we did not rehearse the play much, or that I was distracted by the environment and the process of getting there and setting up, but I did not feel quite attached to the play. The play could have been performed so well, but it did not live up to its full potential. My movements did not have much purpose behind them, such as the belly rubbing, and my lines did not encompass the scene at all.
Monday, November 19, 2007
365 Self Reflection
1. The most significant lesson I have learned from the 365 project would have to be that I still need work on completely embodying the character externally. I'm sure the cold weather played a factor, but I would be lying to myself I said that was the only restraint. I think that having one of my first true acting experiences be such a public performance definitely set a high challenge for myself, but I think it has had a long-lasting effect on my approach to acting in the future. Though I may not have performed as well as I had hoped, I think the result after the fact has increased my range as an actor.
2. I think I can deepen this lesson for my final project by looking more at the actual character I am portraying than just the lines and my relationship with the other character(s). I think line memorization should take a more minor role on my mind than in previous performances, so that I can better focus on embpdying the character through my performance and not just internally.
3. I believe my most effective acting moment in 365 was my stillness after my sin collection in Sin Collector. Though it was probably one of the more unnoticed moments in all of the performances, it was the one time where I truly felt emotions and was able to convey them. My stillness underneath the tree in the dark played off of architecture, shape, tempo and my spatial relationship with the two main characters of the play.
4. I think I tend to lose my focus from the character I am portraying and instead overly assert my focus externally to lines and blocking, creating my usually stoic posture and facial expression during performances. I think with the amount of focus I have at my disposal, I can really use it internally to stimulate more emotion in my acting.
5. My greatest weakness still remains to convey externally what I am feeling internally. I truly feel what I believe the character would be feeling, but I am not able to clue the audience in just yet. If I could go back to rehersal, I think I would do well to take myself out of the character that I am studying.
2. I think I can deepen this lesson for my final project by looking more at the actual character I am portraying than just the lines and my relationship with the other character(s). I think line memorization should take a more minor role on my mind than in previous performances, so that I can better focus on embpdying the character through my performance and not just internally.
3. I believe my most effective acting moment in 365 was my stillness after my sin collection in Sin Collector. Though it was probably one of the more unnoticed moments in all of the performances, it was the one time where I truly felt emotions and was able to convey them. My stillness underneath the tree in the dark played off of architecture, shape, tempo and my spatial relationship with the two main characters of the play.
4. I think I tend to lose my focus from the character I am portraying and instead overly assert my focus externally to lines and blocking, creating my usually stoic posture and facial expression during performances. I think with the amount of focus I have at my disposal, I can really use it internally to stimulate more emotion in my acting.
5. My greatest weakness still remains to convey externally what I am feeling internally. I truly feel what I believe the character would be feeling, but I am not able to clue the audience in just yet. If I could go back to rehersal, I think I would do well to take myself out of the character that I am studying.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Self-Reflection
1. Name and briefly discuss the most significant lesson you learned about acting from the 365 Project.
One lesson I have learned from 365 is that, when performing, you need to keep up your awareness of everything around – including those in the scene as well as your audience. Going off of kinesthetic response and using your peripheral vision, I feel like I’ve become more aware of how to take everything in as well as concentrate better on a scene.
2. Discuss how you can deepen this lesson with your final Acting I project.
Often times, when I’m doing a scene, I either get caught up in what I’m doing or get distracted by what is going on with the audience. With my final scene, there are multiple asides, which I think will allow me to integrate what I’m doing on stage with how I interact with the audience. I can continue to address my scene partner while also being aware that there are people watching and work there presence into my performance if I so decide to.
3. Name your most effective acting moment in 365. How was it effective and what were you doing in terms of technique to make it effective?
I suppose my most effective acting moment, or at least the moment when I felt most in character and comfortable, was during 7-11. With the over-exaggerated mockery of the scene, I felt that I could be silly and move about with my scene partners and work off of their energy while also keeping in character. Also, I liked the way I had to do the little scene within the scene twice, changing the way I used my voice to convey different emotions.
4. Discuss how you can deepen your technique in working on your final Acting I project.
With the final scene, I think I can finally concentrate and focus more on how I say my words and how they affect my physical action. My final scene is significant within the context of the play, but also still rather silly in the grand scheme of things. Being a comedy of manners, I feel that I can go in many silly directions with my character and explore her different possible emotions.
5. What is the most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity in your 365 performances? If you could go back into rehearsal, how might you address this element in order to make your performance more effective?
One thing that I know is a problem is my small voice. During rehearsal, everyone told me I needed to speak up so any audience member who was further away would be able to hear me. The thing is, is that I thought I was, but apparently it wasn’t successful. I guess what seems loud to me actually isn’t. So, I suppose the next time, if I need to really raise my voice, I should use a voice that sounds like I’m yelling at the top of my lungs to me and get my full breath support behind it because maybe that will be the desired level for my audience. Perhaps by using Vera's techniques, I can come up with a way to speak that not only seems loud to me, but my audience as well.
One lesson I have learned from 365 is that, when performing, you need to keep up your awareness of everything around – including those in the scene as well as your audience. Going off of kinesthetic response and using your peripheral vision, I feel like I’ve become more aware of how to take everything in as well as concentrate better on a scene.
2. Discuss how you can deepen this lesson with your final Acting I project.
Often times, when I’m doing a scene, I either get caught up in what I’m doing or get distracted by what is going on with the audience. With my final scene, there are multiple asides, which I think will allow me to integrate what I’m doing on stage with how I interact with the audience. I can continue to address my scene partner while also being aware that there are people watching and work there presence into my performance if I so decide to.
3. Name your most effective acting moment in 365. How was it effective and what were you doing in terms of technique to make it effective?
I suppose my most effective acting moment, or at least the moment when I felt most in character and comfortable, was during 7-11. With the over-exaggerated mockery of the scene, I felt that I could be silly and move about with my scene partners and work off of their energy while also keeping in character. Also, I liked the way I had to do the little scene within the scene twice, changing the way I used my voice to convey different emotions.
4. Discuss how you can deepen your technique in working on your final Acting I project.
With the final scene, I think I can finally concentrate and focus more on how I say my words and how they affect my physical action. My final scene is significant within the context of the play, but also still rather silly in the grand scheme of things. Being a comedy of manners, I feel that I can go in many silly directions with my character and explore her different possible emotions.
5. What is the most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity in your 365 performances? If you could go back into rehearsal, how might you address this element in order to make your performance more effective?
One thing that I know is a problem is my small voice. During rehearsal, everyone told me I needed to speak up so any audience member who was further away would be able to hear me. The thing is, is that I thought I was, but apparently it wasn’t successful. I guess what seems loud to me actually isn’t. So, I suppose the next time, if I need to really raise my voice, I should use a voice that sounds like I’m yelling at the top of my lungs to me and get my full breath support behind it because maybe that will be the desired level for my audience. Perhaps by using Vera's techniques, I can come up with a way to speak that not only seems loud to me, but my audience as well.
personal performance response
1. The most important lesson I learned about acting was the significance of the audience and the impact of them. Because these were site specific and because a good portion of the student body did not understand this was going on, the audience was radically different than an audience who has willingly paid to come see a performance in a theatre. I found it very difficult to perform in front of people who clearly did not know about the 365 project and were simply trying to get to their next class. The times when people did come to watch, whether it was the class or friends, just exemplified how acting can be affected by the reaction of the audience. For example, during my first performance of the 3rd Constant I simply shut everyone out because I was in possibly the busiest area of campus at the busiest time and frankly, I just felt frustrated and silly. And it is difficult to make me feel silly.
2. In my final Acting project, I would like to make sure that I only let the audience impact me positively. I have a feeling there will be a good amount of people I know who will come to watch, whether it be friends or staff, and I know this will make me nervous and I will want to shut them out for the entirety of the performance. It will be difficult to do, but I would like to try to take the energy of the audience and put it into my performance.
3. I actually thought my most effective acting moment was probably in 7-11. I felt the most present in that play because I really enjoyed the character and the playfulness of the piece. I do not think I slipped in and out of character, which I did in Intermission when people asked us about the piece. I think my gestures, vocal specificity, and spatial relationships were the most apparent in 7-11.
4. For my final project I would like to be much more specific with my gestures and the spatial relationship with my scene partner since we will have a very minimal set.
5. My most apparent weakness throughout the performances was just the fact that I was not entirely comfortable performing for an audience that did not always know they were watching a performance. Because of this I was often not focused on the play or my scene partners. This was particularly exemplified in Intermission since people blatantly asked us what was going on while we were performing. I wound up letting Kira address all of these questions because I was not sure how to handle it. I felt bad ignoring all of these people but I also didn’t know what to do without breaking character and fully explaining what was going on. If we could go back in time, I would have possibly rehearsed this more in the actual space so I could get used to the atmosphere of confusion. I also would have liked to make it much more clear that we were doing a play, because we never put up a sign or made an announcement or anything of that nature. I think that would have helped me and the audience quite a bit.
2. In my final Acting project, I would like to make sure that I only let the audience impact me positively. I have a feeling there will be a good amount of people I know who will come to watch, whether it be friends or staff, and I know this will make me nervous and I will want to shut them out for the entirety of the performance. It will be difficult to do, but I would like to try to take the energy of the audience and put it into my performance.
3. I actually thought my most effective acting moment was probably in 7-11. I felt the most present in that play because I really enjoyed the character and the playfulness of the piece. I do not think I slipped in and out of character, which I did in Intermission when people asked us about the piece. I think my gestures, vocal specificity, and spatial relationships were the most apparent in 7-11.
4. For my final project I would like to be much more specific with my gestures and the spatial relationship with my scene partner since we will have a very minimal set.
5. My most apparent weakness throughout the performances was just the fact that I was not entirely comfortable performing for an audience that did not always know they were watching a performance. Because of this I was often not focused on the play or my scene partners. This was particularly exemplified in Intermission since people blatantly asked us what was going on while we were performing. I wound up letting Kira address all of these questions because I was not sure how to handle it. I felt bad ignoring all of these people but I also didn’t know what to do without breaking character and fully explaining what was going on. If we could go back in time, I would have possibly rehearsed this more in the actual space so I could get used to the atmosphere of confusion. I also would have liked to make it much more clear that we were doing a play, because we never put up a sign or made an announcement or anything of that nature. I think that would have helped me and the audience quite a bit.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
365
Performances:
1. Which play performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
I think I enjoyed Jayson and Kira's performance in the quad the most. Jayson's attitude in the play was so happy and joyful, using this to interact very well with the people walking by. The whole point of putting on the plays throughout campus was to make more people aware of theater, and I think his performance really exemplified this goal. Kira coming into the scene seemed so realistic, and while the costumes and location of the play did not quite gel with the dialog, it was still quite easy to follow and believe. The location was an excellent point, as not only did the splitting paths lead to more people walking by the performance, but it also represented how many directions the play itself could be taken, giving it so many opportunities for growth and discovery.
2. Whose performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
Jen Martin's constant in the Loyola commons was another quality piece, as she also was able to utilize the space very well, using her actions to completely divert everyone in the room's attention off of whatever work they were working on and solely upon her for that minute or so of constant motion. She was entirely focused upon her task, which really helped the audience focus as well. Her first time performing it, the striking use of time was awesome, as she was rushing through all her actions, then when she was getting water, she could not speed up that element, as it only comes out at one speed. The yelling of Yatzee at the end also was a great end to what had been an entirely vocally silent performance.
3. Consider the technique of the performer named in #2. Name and discuss a strength in their acting technique that supported their performance.
The use of duration was quite pronounced, as all of this constant were limited in time limit, with the performers trying to get so much in in such a short period of time. However, as I stated above, the slowing down for pouring of water made the performance for me. The rest of her performance was really supported by her focus on the duration of each action, helping us focus on them as well.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
Tom's constant in Jon's office was the first performance which I watched, so I had nothing to really relate it to, but looking back, it was a great start to my week. He really seemed focused on the goal of accomplishing the 365 tasks, and the focus on getting ready for the day, doing workouts and such, gave the scene a very specific feel. I was able to follow his thought process very easily amidst so much movement.
Laura, in the performance with me in 9-11, playing the child with the blocks, which was so innocent, then blowing the kiss which toppled Sarah and I was very powerful. Innocence knocking down such strong figures is an amazing image for me, and I can only assume for those in the audience as well.
In 7-11, I loved Stacy's performance as the guru person in the midst of all the crazy students. She radiated knowledge in the play, and it was totally believable that the other characters in the play would come to her, as she held so much information. He character was very specific in mannerisms from the start and she never fell out of character.
Anna in 7-11 as well as a great performance. Her lines which she delievered were superb, as every time they made me laugh. Her mannerisms of a 7-11 worker were very comical, yet she was also able to transform the second time it was performed.
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Tom: choose a better location. Your piece was excellent, but find a place where more than 3 or 4 people can watch. I liked the small space, as it forced you to work hard, but open space also lets you have more options.
Laura: Try not to use so much physical movement. You have great energy and it could be focused more. I have the same problem, so i have to always focus on not directing my energy elsewhere.
Stacy: Work on projecting your lines more from the diaphragm. Outside, it was somewhat hard for me to always catch what you were saying. Projection is key for allowing the audience to key in more.
Anna: More of a specific shape and movement could be helpful for you in performance, as it will allow for you to key in on your internal emotions, thus affecting your physical performance as well.
1. Which play performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
I think I enjoyed Jayson and Kira's performance in the quad the most. Jayson's attitude in the play was so happy and joyful, using this to interact very well with the people walking by. The whole point of putting on the plays throughout campus was to make more people aware of theater, and I think his performance really exemplified this goal. Kira coming into the scene seemed so realistic, and while the costumes and location of the play did not quite gel with the dialog, it was still quite easy to follow and believe. The location was an excellent point, as not only did the splitting paths lead to more people walking by the performance, but it also represented how many directions the play itself could be taken, giving it so many opportunities for growth and discovery.
2. Whose performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
Jen Martin's constant in the Loyola commons was another quality piece, as she also was able to utilize the space very well, using her actions to completely divert everyone in the room's attention off of whatever work they were working on and solely upon her for that minute or so of constant motion. She was entirely focused upon her task, which really helped the audience focus as well. Her first time performing it, the striking use of time was awesome, as she was rushing through all her actions, then when she was getting water, she could not speed up that element, as it only comes out at one speed. The yelling of Yatzee at the end also was a great end to what had been an entirely vocally silent performance.
3. Consider the technique of the performer named in #2. Name and discuss a strength in their acting technique that supported their performance.
The use of duration was quite pronounced, as all of this constant were limited in time limit, with the performers trying to get so much in in such a short period of time. However, as I stated above, the slowing down for pouring of water made the performance for me. The rest of her performance was really supported by her focus on the duration of each action, helping us focus on them as well.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
Tom's constant in Jon's office was the first performance which I watched, so I had nothing to really relate it to, but looking back, it was a great start to my week. He really seemed focused on the goal of accomplishing the 365 tasks, and the focus on getting ready for the day, doing workouts and such, gave the scene a very specific feel. I was able to follow his thought process very easily amidst so much movement.
Laura, in the performance with me in 9-11, playing the child with the blocks, which was so innocent, then blowing the kiss which toppled Sarah and I was very powerful. Innocence knocking down such strong figures is an amazing image for me, and I can only assume for those in the audience as well.
In 7-11, I loved Stacy's performance as the guru person in the midst of all the crazy students. She radiated knowledge in the play, and it was totally believable that the other characters in the play would come to her, as she held so much information. He character was very specific in mannerisms from the start and she never fell out of character.
Anna in 7-11 as well as a great performance. Her lines which she delievered were superb, as every time they made me laugh. Her mannerisms of a 7-11 worker were very comical, yet she was also able to transform the second time it was performed.
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Tom: choose a better location. Your piece was excellent, but find a place where more than 3 or 4 people can watch. I liked the small space, as it forced you to work hard, but open space also lets you have more options.
Laura: Try not to use so much physical movement. You have great energy and it could be focused more. I have the same problem, so i have to always focus on not directing my energy elsewhere.
Stacy: Work on projecting your lines more from the diaphragm. Outside, it was somewhat hard for me to always catch what you were saying. Projection is key for allowing the audience to key in more.
Anna: More of a specific shape and movement could be helpful for you in performance, as it will allow for you to key in on your internal emotions, thus affecting your physical performance as well.
Monday, November 12, 2007
365
1. I think the play that impacted me the most was Kira and Jayson’s play in the quad. It made me happy to watch Jayson happily sitting there looking around incredulously at the world, eating his chips. It was such a simple activity but it drew me in and held my attention fully. I fully believed that he could have been sitting there for a year, and that Kira is just totally exasperated by him. I loved their use of duration. I kept wondering when someone was going to come out and every time I thought someone was coming, another few minutes would pass. This just added to the intrigue. Overall I thought it was a very engaging and entertaining performance.
2. Sarah Gatti’s performance of a tower repeating “nein” impacted me the most, because I felt drawn towards her despite the other activity. This is not because she was overpowering the scene, but because she embodied the emotion so well. Her voice was well controlled, and increased in volume and intensity when necessary, and her facial expression and body language exemplified the arc of the story. Watching her made me feel anxious and uneasy, which to me, means she was successful in portraying her character.
3. A strength Gatti has is her ability to strongly connect to the audience no matter how large or small her role is in a scene. Her eye contact with the audience is great and her energy pulls you into the performance. She is always fully present throughout the duration of her scene and she is able to embody strong, as well as subtle, emotions with ease.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
Anna- I really enjoyed Anna in 7-11, when we all watched the scene with her and Carolyn. Specifically what stands out to me is the way she says her last line “don’t you try to make a fool out of me” with such love. It was funny because it poked fun at the situation without distracting the audience or losing the actual love in it.
Laura- I loved that Laura pulled out footie pajamas and slowly puts on slippers and a fuzzy bathrobe. It was very endearing and humorous despite the situation they were in. I saw he character as the somewhat crazy, but harmless, bag lady you occasionally see who is just entirely ok with herself and her situation. I think she was fully committed to her character and that is what made it work.
Jeremy- I thought Jeremy did a great job as a tower in 9-11. His vocal, breathing, and physical work helped sustain the consistent ‘nein”s that his character had to do throughout the entirety of the performance. He and Gatti were synched up in intensity and duration and it really added to the performance
Tom- I liked your portrayal of the role in Sin Collector. Even though you sat still for the majority of the performance, i still think you were engaging. And your interaction with laura was very believable due to your reactions. I think you were very focused on your tasks and that showed through and created a dynamic performance
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Anna- The main thing that I think you really need to focus on is your vocal support. You naturally have a rather small voice and it was very hard to hear you at points. Your performances are otherwise successful, but we all lose a little bit when we cannot hear you deliver your lines.
Laura- I really liked seeing you get annoyed in the play with Allison, because you did it well, and I feel like you often portray characters that are a bit dreamy or happy-go-lucky. I would like to see you in more serious roles because I think you would really be successful in them.
Jeremy- I agree with some of the previous comments. You do tend to go the funny route, which I think is great, but it would be interesting to see you do a serious role as well. Often your characters call for a sense of humor, so I don’t know if that’s really a weakness or not…but I would still like to see you portray a dramatic role.
Tom- I think you have great timing with your delivery, I would suggest that you also focus a little more on your vocals. I think you slip in and out of it sometimes, but if you could keep up a consistently strong voice I think your performances would be even better.
2. Sarah Gatti’s performance of a tower repeating “nein” impacted me the most, because I felt drawn towards her despite the other activity. This is not because she was overpowering the scene, but because she embodied the emotion so well. Her voice was well controlled, and increased in volume and intensity when necessary, and her facial expression and body language exemplified the arc of the story. Watching her made me feel anxious and uneasy, which to me, means she was successful in portraying her character.
3. A strength Gatti has is her ability to strongly connect to the audience no matter how large or small her role is in a scene. Her eye contact with the audience is great and her energy pulls you into the performance. She is always fully present throughout the duration of her scene and she is able to embody strong, as well as subtle, emotions with ease.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
Anna- I really enjoyed Anna in 7-11, when we all watched the scene with her and Carolyn. Specifically what stands out to me is the way she says her last line “don’t you try to make a fool out of me” with such love. It was funny because it poked fun at the situation without distracting the audience or losing the actual love in it.
Laura- I loved that Laura pulled out footie pajamas and slowly puts on slippers and a fuzzy bathrobe. It was very endearing and humorous despite the situation they were in. I saw he character as the somewhat crazy, but harmless, bag lady you occasionally see who is just entirely ok with herself and her situation. I think she was fully committed to her character and that is what made it work.
Jeremy- I thought Jeremy did a great job as a tower in 9-11. His vocal, breathing, and physical work helped sustain the consistent ‘nein”s that his character had to do throughout the entirety of the performance. He and Gatti were synched up in intensity and duration and it really added to the performance
Tom- I liked your portrayal of the role in Sin Collector. Even though you sat still for the majority of the performance, i still think you were engaging. And your interaction with laura was very believable due to your reactions. I think you were very focused on your tasks and that showed through and created a dynamic performance
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Anna- The main thing that I think you really need to focus on is your vocal support. You naturally have a rather small voice and it was very hard to hear you at points. Your performances are otherwise successful, but we all lose a little bit when we cannot hear you deliver your lines.
Laura- I really liked seeing you get annoyed in the play with Allison, because you did it well, and I feel like you often portray characters that are a bit dreamy or happy-go-lucky. I would like to see you in more serious roles because I think you would really be successful in them.
Jeremy- I agree with some of the previous comments. You do tend to go the funny route, which I think is great, but it would be interesting to see you do a serious role as well. Often your characters call for a sense of humor, so I don’t know if that’s really a weakness or not…but I would still like to see you portray a dramatic role.
Tom- I think you have great timing with your delivery, I would suggest that you also focus a little more on your vocals. I think you slip in and out of it sometimes, but if you could keep up a consistently strong voice I think your performances would be even better.
1. Which play performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
Jason and Keira's performance of 1st constant was my favorite. I think that I appreciated it so much because I also perfomred the 1st constant with Allison, and I just found it so difficult to make sense of the play and perform it with meaning. I know it's true that you appreciate something more when you have experienced the difficulty of doing it yourself. For example, most people will not appreciate the talent of an exceptional bass player as well as another bass player will. So, having experience with the performance myself, I was so impressed with their rendition of it! I actually liked it a lot better than mine :). Having practiced it as a comedic scence, the reality and sense of despair with which they performed it made me go, wow.
2. Whose performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
Keira's performances in 1st constant, and also in All Good Things... impacted me the most. Again, I think this is true especially because I also performed both of the roles that she did in these 2 scenes, and I loved to see how she took something that I found so difficult to work with, and transformed it into believable, profound characters. While I think that I took a comedic approach in both scenes, she really dug deep into the possible reality and seriousness of the performed situations.
3. Name and discuss a strength in their acting technique that supported their performance.
Keira used a lot of prolonged silences to display the pure emotion of her characters. She didn't rush the scene, and over-exaggerate shape or motion or any of the viewpoints--I think that less was more.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
Tom- his reacting after looking in the mirror in Sin Collector; I thought he did a good job physically conveying the weight of sin.
Jeremy- the moment when he and Laura stare at eachother in Sin Collector; in this case less was more.
Anna- when she says "Don't you try and make a fool of me!" the first time in 7-11. I literally laughed each time I heard her say that! I guess it was because her voice sounded so small and sweet that it reminded me of a little kid getting mad.
Stacey- her facially expression after she tells Gabby in 7-11 what her sound is. She subtley conveys that she thinks her class is weird without being obvious, which makes it even funnier.
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Tom- I thought he could have projected his character more in Intermission.
Jeremy- I agree with Anna that he could stray from the funny character more.
Anna- She has a small voice, like me, and could project more.
Stacey- I always find her to be funny, maybe she could try a really really serious role.
Jason and Keira's performance of 1st constant was my favorite. I think that I appreciated it so much because I also perfomred the 1st constant with Allison, and I just found it so difficult to make sense of the play and perform it with meaning. I know it's true that you appreciate something more when you have experienced the difficulty of doing it yourself. For example, most people will not appreciate the talent of an exceptional bass player as well as another bass player will. So, having experience with the performance myself, I was so impressed with their rendition of it! I actually liked it a lot better than mine :). Having practiced it as a comedic scence, the reality and sense of despair with which they performed it made me go, wow.
2. Whose performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
Keira's performances in 1st constant, and also in All Good Things... impacted me the most. Again, I think this is true especially because I also performed both of the roles that she did in these 2 scenes, and I loved to see how she took something that I found so difficult to work with, and transformed it into believable, profound characters. While I think that I took a comedic approach in both scenes, she really dug deep into the possible reality and seriousness of the performed situations.
3. Name and discuss a strength in their acting technique that supported their performance.
Keira used a lot of prolonged silences to display the pure emotion of her characters. She didn't rush the scene, and over-exaggerate shape or motion or any of the viewpoints--I think that less was more.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
Tom- his reacting after looking in the mirror in Sin Collector; I thought he did a good job physically conveying the weight of sin.
Jeremy- the moment when he and Laura stare at eachother in Sin Collector; in this case less was more.
Anna- when she says "Don't you try and make a fool of me!" the first time in 7-11. I literally laughed each time I heard her say that! I guess it was because her voice sounded so small and sweet that it reminded me of a little kid getting mad.
Stacey- her facially expression after she tells Gabby in 7-11 what her sound is. She subtley conveys that she thinks her class is weird without being obvious, which makes it even funnier.
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Tom- I thought he could have projected his character more in Intermission.
Jeremy- I agree with Anna that he could stray from the funny character more.
Anna- She has a small voice, like me, and could project more.
Stacey- I always find her to be funny, maybe she could try a really really serious role.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Peer Reflection.
1.Which play performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
Jayson and Kira’s first constant impacted me most. With their combined emotion, plus the well-chosen site, one could feel the bleakness of their situation just by looking at them. They didn’t even really need words. The whole entire play just made me sad in the way they interpreted it, which is probably why it was so good. Between facial expressions and using the crumpled up newspapers as props, I actually felt like I was watching two homeless people trying to keep warm and sleep in the only way they knew how.
2. Whose performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
I would Kira’s performance in that play was the one that impacted me the most. From the moment she came into sight, you could feel her sadness and desperation. You could tell that she didn’t want to admit that her life had come down to sleeping against a building, under a pile of newspapers simply by her hesitant walk over to Jayson and her multiple pauses and looks to the sky. Also, the fact that she pulled out a real toothbrush and toothpaste and began brushing her teeth right there was the biggest indication that she was new to this life and was still reluctant to let go of all she once had.
3. Consider the technique of the performer named in #2. Name and discuss a strength in their acting technique that supported their performance.
Kira is really strong when it comes to subtly showing emotion, but still laying it all out on the table for everyone to see. Slightly hidden by her hood, you could still see her distress in her eyes and in her walk. So much of her movement, in fact, conveyed reluctance. I found her choice in wearing a hood also signified her reluctance to show the world who she was and what she had become. Every decision she made in movement and attire aided her performance so much that she physically conveyed the story so well; I don’t believe we even needed to hear them speak.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
Jeremy – I would say Jeremy’s best performance moment was the instance when he and Sarah collapsed in “9-11”. Having worked on that play and knowing the thought process of that part, his collapse was a simple choice that held much meaning, and was quite symbolic and moving.
Tom – I think Tom’s strongest moment was during “Intermission” when we all had seven minutes to do whatever we wanted. I could tell that he was fully committed to his character and held it all the way through, even though it was quite a long period of downtime during which he could have lost his momentum.
Stacey – I absolutely loved Stacey’s role in “7-11”. She has a way with facial expressions and pulling off simple lines in a hilarious manner. She looked so excited and happy the second time we broke out in our sounds that we all had to try and divert our eyes from coming in contact with her face because she was just being so goofy and funny.
Laura Y. – Laura has a knack for the adorable. She was funny when she came out of the bushes during her first constant and then proceeded to pull on her footie pajamas while getting cozy on the bench. She looked so comfortable and truly in character because, from her happy facial expression, she appeared really at ease and at home on the bench.
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Jeremy – Jeremy has a tendency to do everything in a comedic way because that is what he excels at. However, I think he had a real chance to be very serious during “9-11,” but I feel that it did not show until the end. His voice always fell below Sarah’s, so I think next time he is in a situation such as that, he needs to invest as much emotion as possible because I believe he can project his voice and feelings further.
For the other three, the only weakness I can conjure up falls along the same lines as my suggestion for Jeremy – they need to project a bit more. I found all of them turning their backs to the audience at times, which allows their scene partners to hear them fine, but it’s not very conducive to having others hear them. Next time, I think the best idea would be to cheat out a little more when saying a line so that way everyone can hear what is being said.
Jayson and Kira’s first constant impacted me most. With their combined emotion, plus the well-chosen site, one could feel the bleakness of their situation just by looking at them. They didn’t even really need words. The whole entire play just made me sad in the way they interpreted it, which is probably why it was so good. Between facial expressions and using the crumpled up newspapers as props, I actually felt like I was watching two homeless people trying to keep warm and sleep in the only way they knew how.
2. Whose performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
I would Kira’s performance in that play was the one that impacted me the most. From the moment she came into sight, you could feel her sadness and desperation. You could tell that she didn’t want to admit that her life had come down to sleeping against a building, under a pile of newspapers simply by her hesitant walk over to Jayson and her multiple pauses and looks to the sky. Also, the fact that she pulled out a real toothbrush and toothpaste and began brushing her teeth right there was the biggest indication that she was new to this life and was still reluctant to let go of all she once had.
3. Consider the technique of the performer named in #2. Name and discuss a strength in their acting technique that supported their performance.
Kira is really strong when it comes to subtly showing emotion, but still laying it all out on the table for everyone to see. Slightly hidden by her hood, you could still see her distress in her eyes and in her walk. So much of her movement, in fact, conveyed reluctance. I found her choice in wearing a hood also signified her reluctance to show the world who she was and what she had become. Every decision she made in movement and attire aided her performance so much that she physically conveyed the story so well; I don’t believe we even needed to hear them speak.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
Jeremy – I would say Jeremy’s best performance moment was the instance when he and Sarah collapsed in “9-11”. Having worked on that play and knowing the thought process of that part, his collapse was a simple choice that held much meaning, and was quite symbolic and moving.
Tom – I think Tom’s strongest moment was during “Intermission” when we all had seven minutes to do whatever we wanted. I could tell that he was fully committed to his character and held it all the way through, even though it was quite a long period of downtime during which he could have lost his momentum.
Stacey – I absolutely loved Stacey’s role in “7-11”. She has a way with facial expressions and pulling off simple lines in a hilarious manner. She looked so excited and happy the second time we broke out in our sounds that we all had to try and divert our eyes from coming in contact with her face because she was just being so goofy and funny.
Laura Y. – Laura has a knack for the adorable. She was funny when she came out of the bushes during her first constant and then proceeded to pull on her footie pajamas while getting cozy on the bench. She looked so comfortable and truly in character because, from her happy facial expression, she appeared really at ease and at home on the bench.
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Jeremy – Jeremy has a tendency to do everything in a comedic way because that is what he excels at. However, I think he had a real chance to be very serious during “9-11,” but I feel that it did not show until the end. His voice always fell below Sarah’s, so I think next time he is in a situation such as that, he needs to invest as much emotion as possible because I believe he can project his voice and feelings further.
For the other three, the only weakness I can conjure up falls along the same lines as my suggestion for Jeremy – they need to project a bit more. I found all of them turning their backs to the audience at times, which allows their scene partners to hear them fine, but it’s not very conducive to having others hear them. Next time, I think the best idea would be to cheat out a little more when saying a line so that way everyone can hear what is being said.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
365 response
Thanks for your 365 performances!
I'd like you to respond to the following questions for this week's and next week's blog posts. If you've already posted this week then I will count that for another week (even a week you've missed).
Please do the peer response this week while your memories are freshest. Next week please reflect on your own performance. I'm going to include both sets of questions below. If you want to begin commenting on your own performance this week and continue next week, you're welcome to do that. These posts are to be honest, generous, specific, challenging, succinct, and thorough in directly answering the questions. Stick to the questions. If you have additional responses to 365 please put them in a different post.
Spread the word about the en masse performance on Monday, November 12. Please provide encouragement, clarity, and leadership to help make this an excellent "finale" to 365.
Thank you for your hard work on 365.
Jon
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Peer reflection (this week)
1. Which play performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
2. Whose performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
3. Consider the technique of the performer named in #2. Name and discuss a strength in their acting technique that supported their performance.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Self reflection (next week)
1. Name and briefly discuss the most significant lesson you learned about acting from the 365 Project.
2. Discuss how you can deepen this lesson with your final Acting I project.
3. Name your most effective acting moment in 365. How was it effective and what were you doing in terms of technique to make it effective?
4. Discuss how you can deepen your technique in working on your final Acting I project.
5. What is the most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity in your 365 performances? If you could go back into rehearsal, how might you address this element in order to make your performance more effective?
I'd like you to respond to the following questions for this week's and next week's blog posts. If you've already posted this week then I will count that for another week (even a week you've missed).
Please do the peer response this week while your memories are freshest. Next week please reflect on your own performance. I'm going to include both sets of questions below. If you want to begin commenting on your own performance this week and continue next week, you're welcome to do that. These posts are to be honest, generous, specific, challenging, succinct, and thorough in directly answering the questions. Stick to the questions. If you have additional responses to 365 please put them in a different post.
Spread the word about the en masse performance on Monday, November 12. Please provide encouragement, clarity, and leadership to help make this an excellent "finale" to 365.
Thank you for your hard work on 365.
Jon
-----
Peer reflection (this week)
1. Which play performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
2. Whose performance impacted you the most? How did it impact you and why?
3. Consider the technique of the performer named in #2. Name and discuss a strength in their acting technique that supported their performance.
4. Consider each member of your blog group. For each member, name their "best" performance moment (experienced by you) and briefly discuss what they were doing in terms of technique that allowed that moment to be effective acting.
5. Consider each member of your blog group. Imagine that you've been hired to shore up their most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity. Name it and make the most helpful suggestion you can to aid them.
Self reflection (next week)
1. Name and briefly discuss the most significant lesson you learned about acting from the 365 Project.
2. Discuss how you can deepen this lesson with your final Acting I project.
3. Name your most effective acting moment in 365. How was it effective and what were you doing in terms of technique to make it effective?
4. Discuss how you can deepen your technique in working on your final Acting I project.
5. What is the most apparent weakness, unanswered challenge or missed opportunity in your 365 performances? If you could go back into rehearsal, how might you address this element in order to make your performance more effective?
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Collaboration
With the exception of the third constant, collaboration has played a major role in the development of the proformances I have done for 365. It's a great instrument to have others putting in their input into the project because it provides various views that ultimately culminate into the final performance. When we first read our plays, I am sure there were many different ideas going through our minds. When we were finally put into groups with one another. It allowed us to focus on a specific number of plays and collaborate to create a performance. 365 has given us a great idea of collaboraton from a general standpoint in that the constants allow us to find ourselves in the work while ones like Sin Collector and Puja Play put a small, tight group of people together to form the performance. Then there are the bigger plays like 9/11, 7-11 and Intermission which have many people forced to work together on a collaborative performance. They many levels of collaboration offered in these plays has had a very positive effect on my acting as a whole.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Collaboration in 365
SO, collaboration. For 365 there was varying levels for me, as it ranged from the 2nd constant, for which I collaborated solely with myself, to 9/11, which involved 5 other actors. However, for each of the plays, while other actors were involved, some distance was between myself and them. For Puja Play, Colleen and I both created separate actions and movements for ourselves, so that when we met, the ideas we were sharing easily were accepted and we could quickly move on to rehearsing our play. Not much collaboration was needed, as virtually the entire play had been worked out in each others minds. For 9/11, the collaboration was also quite different. I pretty much concentrated on working with Sarah, as she and I are the twin towers. We do interact with the otehr actors, but we are also somewhat separate from them. Sarah and I would primarily work on our physical score, and I would not really concentrate on what the other actors were doing, until it came to the point when we would respond to what they were saying. This did lead to some problems when we rehearsed before the class, as it was only then when we realized that no one could hear the other actors over Sarah and I, and that we were taking the focus off them. However, we did share feedback on each others physical scores, as Sarah and I worked off the feedback on how we should position ourselves at the end when we fall, as well as giving some advice on where the other actors might position themselves to the best effect. For Sin Collector, I really worked with Laura only, only recommending that Tom position himself closer to the bridge. Laura was the only one I physically worked with, so we primarily worked on our movements together, as she worked with Tom on theirs. For the 2nd constant, the only collaboration which occurred was with other members of the class who were performing the same play, asking them what their ideas for locations were. These conversations proved very helpful though, as they helped me find my location, as well as a good time to perform them. The biggest problem which arose from the collaborations was not clashing of ideas, which happened only once or twice, but was just meeting to collaborate. However, when the meeting did occur, they went very smoothly.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
365 in class
As everyone has said, it's been very difficult getting everyone together for rehearsals, especially for the two i am in (7-11 and Intermission) since they are both large groups of people. We had spoken about it and gotten together to try to run through it and block it out in the small amount of time we had available. We ran into a lot of trouble deciphering the meaning of our play, which cut into our rehearsal time significantly. Though we agreed on most of the aspects of the play, it turns out that we had interpreted it differently than perhaps it was supposed to be understood.
The rehearsal in class helped cut through some of the confusion, and allowed us to focus more on our characters and their tasks. I think after discussing it with the class, each of us were able to be more specific and it should be much easier to create the scene now. I am curious to see if anyone pays attention or understands when we do it at Jazzman's. Actually, i do think it is entirely neccessary in the case of a lot of these plays to make it clear that a performance is going on; whether it be a sign, a designated area, or some noise , i think we need to alert people or they will just be confused . I don't know if we have yet determined how we are going to "announce" the Intermission, but if we do not i personally do not think most people passing by will feel invited to watch.
The rehearsal process has been stressful , but interesting...so now it is time to see how it all pans out..
The rehearsal in class helped cut through some of the confusion, and allowed us to focus more on our characters and their tasks. I think after discussing it with the class, each of us were able to be more specific and it should be much easier to create the scene now. I am curious to see if anyone pays attention or understands when we do it at Jazzman's. Actually, i do think it is entirely neccessary in the case of a lot of these plays to make it clear that a performance is going on; whether it be a sign, a designated area, or some noise , i think we need to alert people or they will just be confused . I don't know if we have yet determined how we are going to "announce" the Intermission, but if we do not i personally do not think most people passing by will feel invited to watch.
The rehearsal process has been stressful , but interesting...so now it is time to see how it all pans out..
Saturday, November 3, 2007
On Site Performing.
I can tell you right now, I’m still having mixed feelings about 365. It’s interesting, different, confusing – a million things rolled into one. But the one thing that I can definitely say I love about it is the fact that we are performing on site… NO theatre whatsoever. That is the most attractive aspect. I love performing around campus and utilizing the spaces we already have instead of having to create our own sets. I love the challenge of finding spots that would best suit the world of our plays. And, what I love most of all, is catching people off guard. I love rehearsing on site and having unsuspecting passersby wonder what is going on. Some stop and pay attention, others look at us like we’re insane, especially in the case of 7-11. When we first rehearsed in the traffic circle, and we began running around humming our specific sounds, people across the street were stopping and turning to watch us, as if we were crazy kids who needed strait jackets or something. That’s what made it SO fun! No one understood what was going on because seeing performance out of the typical theatre space is completely unexpected, especially at a school like Fairfield, which is what will always stand out most in my mind when thinking about the 365 experience.
Monday, October 29, 2007
PPL
So the PPL session last Tuesday was my favorite on to this point. Maybe it was just because all the previous sessions are coming together so there is less instruction, or maybe the change in location really helped. Right when i got into the space, I began moving around, working with the architecture while looking at the pictures. My form gradually changed as I began walking around, and soon people were following me and copying my shape. In the Pepsico, I never have the urge to start PPL stuff before we even start. The pictures we were instructed to look at also helped me really shape myself when I had to. The picture I picked was of broken columns scattered across a hill, with dark clouds looming over head. I think the contrast of the broken vs standing columns was very striking, as well as the dark clouds which were quite foreboding. This picture made it very easy for me to find dynamic positions when I had to. I also was able to be more comfortable on the carpet vs the hard Pepsico floor, so various positions were able to be maintained for a longer period of time as well as with more comfort. The group part was slightly strange, as a number of us were grouped together, performing many of the same movements.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Taking Time.
Since we started work on 365, I have felt a little more challenged than I have been in acting all semester. Maybe it’s the stress of trying to coordinate all our schedules that has really made it tough, but I feel like I am being spread too thin. I feel like we are too scattered and trying to accomplish too much at once. Being involved with so many short plays at once, I feel like we are spending more time trying to find a few minutes here and there to meet with each other than actually trying to understand what it is we’re supposed to be conveying to our audience. We spend more time fixated on blocking than deciphering intention. Being such short plays, it takes a much more focused reading to fully understand what the playwright’s meaning may be. However, we have so many we must not only interpret ourselves, but we must also come up with a collective sense of what we want to portray, and with the difficulty of finding a rehearsal time that satisfies everyone’s schedule, that’s near next to impossible. If not for that, I think we could make this the most interesting and creative thing Fairfield has ever seen. I want to put so much time and effort into each piece, but no matter how much I concentrate, I will simply be dissatisfied in some way or another because I feel like my whole self and attention will be unwillingly divided between all the plays. So my main challenge and goal as of right now is to be fully present and embody each of my characters to the fullest extent.
Friday, October 26, 2007
365
The process of putting together the various plays for 365 Plays/365 Days has been a very interesting and new experience for me as an actor. Being fairly new to acting in general, I believe there is an extra challenge for me to accomplish what I wish to through this project. THough tough, I believe this series of plays that we will be able to push my limits as a performer and become comfortable with acting in front of people who I may or may not now in a public space. This prject will also help in opening up my level of creativity through the use of many factors to contribute to the overall feel of the play. These include time of day, location, custom and the performance itself. I feel that is important to grow creatively as well as just in acting out a creation and this project will help me keep focus on both aspects in the future.
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