Last week was one of the most exhausting weeks of my life. I had a lot of lines to memorize, and classes to worry about, a poster to tweak, meetings to attend, a fight/movement scene to choreograph, and my sanity to hold onto.
I wasn't having trouble juggling, so much as I was having trouble staying aware and excited. I had a blast in rehearsals, but come Thursday I was really ready for the weekend. Many of the girls in my class went on their first professional auditions last week, and I was feeling a little like I was running behind again. It's so easy to get into a funk when the future seems so precarious. But then something happens that makes me realize how lucky I am to be doing what I am doing, and to be surrounded by such amazing and creative people.
This week, it was simply watching the beginning of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and being helped by so many different people to get my lines down. I've had nothing but encouragement about the show, and even when I'm tired of rehearsing after a long week, I still know how lucky I am to be given such an opportunity. I love working with the talented cast, and I learn something new every night. By Friday night I almost felt like I knew what to do with my hands in at least 60% of my scenes.
Progress.
Saturday I choreographed my piece in the upcoming combat show. The writer of the piece and I decided that it wasn't necessary to include combat because the piece is about empowering women in a different way. Now, I was excited to choreograph a fight scene, and I have little experience in other areas. But somehow, I came up with a few ideas, proposed them to the writer, and I choreographed the piece with success! I'm proud of the ladies involved, because there was a lot of experimentation going on. We spent a good 20 minutes trying to figure out a safe way to do an epic trust fall line. It felt great to be a part of something bigger than myself, and be collaborating in such a free environment. I think it was the most fun part of my week!
Saturday night we had a Schindler's List viewing party. My cast mate John suggested I watch the movie since I hadn't seen it. It was one of those movies I'd been meaning to watch for quite some time. However, the library only had it on VHS, and though we happen to have a VHS player, the sound quality was slightly lower than I expected. I only made it most of the way through the first tape (yes, there are two tapes) before I ran out of time. My classmates were throwing a party we wanted to go to, so we stopped watching and went to the party. I got to see some people I hadn't seen in a while, and I had a lot of fun catching up.
I've also decided to take the advice I was given last night and I will attend some auditions in Kansas City later this semester for experience. I never thought about auditioning, since I don't want to live in KC, but there's no harm in testing my skills and gaining some experience. I'm actually really excited at the prospect.
Now, you may be wondering at the title of this post. On Friday, I had Professor D's Acting for Film class and we listened to some of the girls' experiences auditioning. They all talked about how they expected more people at their auditions, and how some of the places clearly were only casting people they knew or had previously worked with. Then Professor D made us do an experiment. He handed everyone a piece of candy or fruit or some sort of snack and then made us give it a value of 1-10, with 10 being the best. Then he told us we could trade if we wanted to. I originally received 6 boxes of raisins. I hate raisins. I rated them as 1. I traded for conversation hearts, because there was only 1 person who really wanted the raisins. Professor D went around again, and asked us the value of our new snacks. I rated mine a 2.
Then he told us that we had just practiced capitalism, but more importantly, it was a metaphor for our future. We are the snack. Our job is to market ourselves to directors, and casting directors, and producers. And all of these people will value us differently. Some will think we're the best candy ever, and some will think we're disgusting. But all of that is out of our control. Professor D wanted to remind us that there are some things in life we cannot change. We can only be the best candy we can be. We can train ourselves, we can meet people who will help us, and we can be nice to everyone we work with. Everything else is out of our control. He told us that some people may feel undervalued here, at college. But when we get out into the real world, people will see us differently. There will be different competition and different stakes, and the only thing we should worry about is being the best that we can be.
It was a really inspirational talk. Looking back at my time here, I've been cast twice a year. That's good, compared to most. But I've always known that it didn't mean I was better than anyone, necessarily, but just that I was more right for a part out of the people in my pool. I have a lot of friends here who feel constantly undervalued, and they're all incredibly talented and intelligent. It was nice to hear a professor acknowledge this situation, and tell us that our lives will not be a reflection of the experiences we've had here. I hope to be successful in the future. I know though, that success is measured in different ways, and that, even if I might be talented to some people, I could easily never make a career out of this. The only thing I can do is put my heart into working hard and bettering myself, and hope that one day I'm lucky enough to say I've made a difference.
I have homework to complete, and lines to remember. Until next time!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
In the Land of Women
I've been doing a horrendous job of keeping up with this blog. I really should be updating everyday because I'm in a show, and these are the times to keep a very specific acting journal. Obviously, I need to step up my game.
So, rehearsal this week has been great! I go in every day and have so much fun! I was off book for Act 1 by Monday, but we were still blocking Act 2. By Tuesday we had completed the show! We ran Act 1 off book, and Director B worked through it with us. She corrected some character choices and gave us a lot of things to think about. We did a lot of moment work, meaning that we cleaned up the action between our lines.
She's been pretty hard on the underclassmen about slowing down and having better diction. But they're strong actors, and they're doing a great job of taking her direction and making it work. I'm proud of them for not being completely overwhelmed. I remember when I was in my first show, which was ironically with Director B, and she was really hard on me. She pushes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to make bigger choices. She's specific about interpretation and she gives you the tools to match the upperclassmen. Already, this show has improved so much.
I'm still not completely off book for Act 2. It's so long. Longer than Act 1. It's a very disorienting act for me, because I hardly leave the stage, and sometimes I can't remember what scene I have next, because there are so many time lapses in the play. The scenes don't always flow well, and so it's difficult for me to keep track of where they are. I know once I get it down though, I'll be fine. And I'm working hard to get completely off book! The deadline is tomorrow, but I like to beat the deadline.
I'm having a blast working with such a large cast. I realized, belatedly, that I haven't worked with a large cast since The Laramie Project ! All my casts since then have been 5 people or less. Everyone's doing a great job, and it's been fun to build new relationships on stage and off.
Crew watch is already next Friday! I can't believe it's happening so fast. Time flies when you're in a show. And I've been put in charge of designing the headshot/biography board, so I've been thinking about that a lot too. I have my first major assignment due in Creating Online Media on Tuesday. I have to turn in a mock up design of my website. It's really hard, because there's so many things I want to try that I don't think we'll learn how to code. So I have to keep it simple.
I've also been busy with the off the wall Women Fight Against. It's a combat show that I'm helping to choreograph. I have the large end number, and it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun, but my deadline is Saturday so I hope my creative juices start flowing soon. I finished the poster for the upcoming Warehouse show. I need to get it finalized and approved before sending it off to the printers, but I'm well on my way to being stress free on the PR end of things.
Comedy class has been going well. I found a great comedic monologue that really fits my style and I performed it in class last time. I got a great response from it and I think I'll be using it at the Midwest Auditions, and maybe even the next show here. Acting for Film has been very educational as well. We learned last class about creating a relationship with your scene partner, especially when they can't be there. We were given slips of paper that had relationships on them like 'the obnoxious delivery guy' and 'the emo kid' and we had to endow a spot on a wall with those characteristics and deliver a line of dialogue to it. It was a lot of fun.
All in all, there's a lot of things I'm thinking about that I would love to blog about, but I haven't had much time to make them into cohesive ideas that I would feel comfortable sharing. Hopefully the next post will include something of the kind.
So, rehearsal this week has been great! I go in every day and have so much fun! I was off book for Act 1 by Monday, but we were still blocking Act 2. By Tuesday we had completed the show! We ran Act 1 off book, and Director B worked through it with us. She corrected some character choices and gave us a lot of things to think about. We did a lot of moment work, meaning that we cleaned up the action between our lines.
She's been pretty hard on the underclassmen about slowing down and having better diction. But they're strong actors, and they're doing a great job of taking her direction and making it work. I'm proud of them for not being completely overwhelmed. I remember when I was in my first show, which was ironically with Director B, and she was really hard on me. She pushes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to make bigger choices. She's specific about interpretation and she gives you the tools to match the upperclassmen. Already, this show has improved so much.
I'm still not completely off book for Act 2. It's so long. Longer than Act 1. It's a very disorienting act for me, because I hardly leave the stage, and sometimes I can't remember what scene I have next, because there are so many time lapses in the play. The scenes don't always flow well, and so it's difficult for me to keep track of where they are. I know once I get it down though, I'll be fine. And I'm working hard to get completely off book! The deadline is tomorrow, but I like to beat the deadline.
I'm having a blast working with such a large cast. I realized, belatedly, that I haven't worked with a large cast since The Laramie Project ! All my casts since then have been 5 people or less. Everyone's doing a great job, and it's been fun to build new relationships on stage and off.
Crew watch is already next Friday! I can't believe it's happening so fast. Time flies when you're in a show. And I've been put in charge of designing the headshot/biography board, so I've been thinking about that a lot too. I have my first major assignment due in Creating Online Media on Tuesday. I have to turn in a mock up design of my website. It's really hard, because there's so many things I want to try that I don't think we'll learn how to code. So I have to keep it simple.
I've also been busy with the off the wall Women Fight Against. It's a combat show that I'm helping to choreograph. I have the large end number, and it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun, but my deadline is Saturday so I hope my creative juices start flowing soon. I finished the poster for the upcoming Warehouse show. I need to get it finalized and approved before sending it off to the printers, but I'm well on my way to being stress free on the PR end of things.
Comedy class has been going well. I found a great comedic monologue that really fits my style and I performed it in class last time. I got a great response from it and I think I'll be using it at the Midwest Auditions, and maybe even the next show here. Acting for Film has been very educational as well. We learned last class about creating a relationship with your scene partner, especially when they can't be there. We were given slips of paper that had relationships on them like 'the obnoxious delivery guy' and 'the emo kid' and we had to endow a spot on a wall with those characteristics and deliver a line of dialogue to it. It was a lot of fun.
All in all, there's a lot of things I'm thinking about that I would love to blog about, but I haven't had much time to make them into cohesive ideas that I would feel comfortable sharing. Hopefully the next post will include something of the kind.
Friday, January 21, 2011
When You're Behind, You Catch Up
It's been a whirlwind around here this week, yet I feel as if it's gone in slow motion.
I worked on my memorization over the weekend, and I put together a 5 joke set for comedy class that I was extremely nervous about.
Tuesday's Comedy class went very well! Everyone's material was great and most of us had worked in a through line so the set was tied together. Professor L was impressed, and she told us our next assignment would be to personalize it. We needed to come into Thursday's class with a personal funny story. It could be a memory of an embarrassing moment, or just a comedic situation.
I was even more nervous about this assignment, and I had to get my best friend to remind me of all the funny moments in my life. I couldn't seem to remember any of them. I finally settled on the slightly less politically correct story of my fear of homeless people after a run in I had in Dallas with my friend Erik. Professor L wanted us to push out of the safe zone a little, and I felt like this story did that more than if I had talked about boys. I have so many great boy stories. Those will have to wait for another time.
Professor L really seemed to enjoy our personal stories. She laughed so hard she cried at some of them, and by the end of the class everyone felt much more comfortable about the idea of stand-up comedy, I think.
I'm definitely getting more excited about this class. I feel stronger knowing that I'm out of my comfort zone and that I'm still pushing myself to do my best. These are the kind of classes that teach the most, because they can teach me about myself, and they can teach me technique. I'll definitely be looking into some sort of comedy class when I'm in the professional world. Also, it feels great to not constantly be doing dramatic things!
Creating online media is going to be a really fun class, I can tell. I've seen examples of some of the students websites from the past, and they look great! They're fresh, clean, and professional. I can't wait to learn to code! We've been going over xhtml, and we're going to set up our websites next class. I was supposed to have class Thursday (yesterday), but it snowed 10 inches the night before and my teacher couldn't make it to school.
We really thought we might have a snow day, for once. It started snowing hard during the afternoon rehearsal on Wednesday, and so Director B canceled night rehearsal. She told us that if they canceled school that we would have to make up the rehearsal on Saturday. I'm really glad we had rehearsal last night instead, because now my weekend is free!
Rehearsal has been going great! We finished blocking Act 1 on Wednesday (after 3 days, love professional time), and we've moved onto blocking Act 2. We'll be off book Act 1 by Monday, and I'm already there! I'll be spending my weekend working more on character and interpretation. We're getting some of the main cast together this weekend so we can work together on our lines and interpretation. I'm really looking forward to that. This particular cast meshes really well together, and I think it might turn out to be my favorite experience yet at college.
Director B has been in great spirits, and has been very patient with correcting our dialects. The upper years have it in their bones more than the lower years, but even we mess it up sometimes. It's been a really fostering environment, and I've had a lovely time so far. The best rehearsals are the ones where you feel free enough to make choices (or mistakes as we call them most of the time). Director B has a very specific style, too. This is my third show working with her, and it was nice to come in knowing how she ran the show. She gives blocking the first week, and when you're blocking everything has to be done specifically as she's told you. Then once the cast is off-book, she allows you to make artistic decisions regarding your character. If you want to change a movement pattern, she'll let you decide what you like best. I enjoy her method, because it starts with structure, and then it allows you to grow into it.
The best thing about my college, I think, is having the opportunity to work with so many different directors. I've gotten to experience the way that many directors choose to work, and that is my preparation for the real world.
Speaking of the real world, the title of this blog post is referring to my growing worry that I'm going to run out of time to prepare myself for life after college. All of my classmates who weren't cast have been working on their auditions and headshots for the upcoming Midwest regional auditions, as well as finding internships and auditions in their chosen future cities. I come home from rehearsal and I work on getting my lines down, then on my homework (which thankfully hasn't been too much), or on my Warehouse advertisements. I know that 3 weeks from now is not too late to start. And I'm certainly not complaining about being cast, because I wouldn't trade that at all. However, I'm definitely working hard to remember that I can't get completely caught up in this show and forget that there are preparations to be made.
Speaking of preparation, I've given my verbal agreement to work somewhere this summer. I won't put any details here until things are finalized, but I did a lot of considering this past weekend, and I finally decided that this job was the best job for me right now. I'm very excited about it, and I'm looking forward to sharing the details later!
So this weekend looks like it's going to see some more snow, as well as the beginning of next week. Maybe I'll be able to sneak out and get some groceries, and maybe I'll just order in food this weekend.
I have Box Office and my first voice lesson today, which should both be a blast! I'm really enjoying working in the Box Office, and I've been put in charge of the headshot/biography board, which is really cool! I've got Acting for Film and Dramatic Lit today, as well. Acting for Film is looking like it's going to be a very educational class, and I'm excited to learn all the things I never knew about how difficult it is to act on camera. Wish me luck!
And before I go, here's a picture!
Besides the creepy eyes, which one day when I have time I'll fix in photoshop, isn't he just the cutest darn thing you ever saw?
I worked on my memorization over the weekend, and I put together a 5 joke set for comedy class that I was extremely nervous about.
Tuesday's Comedy class went very well! Everyone's material was great and most of us had worked in a through line so the set was tied together. Professor L was impressed, and she told us our next assignment would be to personalize it. We needed to come into Thursday's class with a personal funny story. It could be a memory of an embarrassing moment, or just a comedic situation.
I was even more nervous about this assignment, and I had to get my best friend to remind me of all the funny moments in my life. I couldn't seem to remember any of them. I finally settled on the slightly less politically correct story of my fear of homeless people after a run in I had in Dallas with my friend Erik. Professor L wanted us to push out of the safe zone a little, and I felt like this story did that more than if I had talked about boys. I have so many great boy stories. Those will have to wait for another time.
Professor L really seemed to enjoy our personal stories. She laughed so hard she cried at some of them, and by the end of the class everyone felt much more comfortable about the idea of stand-up comedy, I think.
I'm definitely getting more excited about this class. I feel stronger knowing that I'm out of my comfort zone and that I'm still pushing myself to do my best. These are the kind of classes that teach the most, because they can teach me about myself, and they can teach me technique. I'll definitely be looking into some sort of comedy class when I'm in the professional world. Also, it feels great to not constantly be doing dramatic things!
Creating online media is going to be a really fun class, I can tell. I've seen examples of some of the students websites from the past, and they look great! They're fresh, clean, and professional. I can't wait to learn to code! We've been going over xhtml, and we're going to set up our websites next class. I was supposed to have class Thursday (yesterday), but it snowed 10 inches the night before and my teacher couldn't make it to school.
We really thought we might have a snow day, for once. It started snowing hard during the afternoon rehearsal on Wednesday, and so Director B canceled night rehearsal. She told us that if they canceled school that we would have to make up the rehearsal on Saturday. I'm really glad we had rehearsal last night instead, because now my weekend is free!
Rehearsal has been going great! We finished blocking Act 1 on Wednesday (after 3 days, love professional time), and we've moved onto blocking Act 2. We'll be off book Act 1 by Monday, and I'm already there! I'll be spending my weekend working more on character and interpretation. We're getting some of the main cast together this weekend so we can work together on our lines and interpretation. I'm really looking forward to that. This particular cast meshes really well together, and I think it might turn out to be my favorite experience yet at college.
Director B has been in great spirits, and has been very patient with correcting our dialects. The upper years have it in their bones more than the lower years, but even we mess it up sometimes. It's been a really fostering environment, and I've had a lovely time so far. The best rehearsals are the ones where you feel free enough to make choices (or mistakes as we call them most of the time). Director B has a very specific style, too. This is my third show working with her, and it was nice to come in knowing how she ran the show. She gives blocking the first week, and when you're blocking everything has to be done specifically as she's told you. Then once the cast is off-book, she allows you to make artistic decisions regarding your character. If you want to change a movement pattern, she'll let you decide what you like best. I enjoy her method, because it starts with structure, and then it allows you to grow into it.
The best thing about my college, I think, is having the opportunity to work with so many different directors. I've gotten to experience the way that many directors choose to work, and that is my preparation for the real world.
Speaking of the real world, the title of this blog post is referring to my growing worry that I'm going to run out of time to prepare myself for life after college. All of my classmates who weren't cast have been working on their auditions and headshots for the upcoming Midwest regional auditions, as well as finding internships and auditions in their chosen future cities. I come home from rehearsal and I work on getting my lines down, then on my homework (which thankfully hasn't been too much), or on my Warehouse advertisements. I know that 3 weeks from now is not too late to start. And I'm certainly not complaining about being cast, because I wouldn't trade that at all. However, I'm definitely working hard to remember that I can't get completely caught up in this show and forget that there are preparations to be made.
Speaking of preparation, I've given my verbal agreement to work somewhere this summer. I won't put any details here until things are finalized, but I did a lot of considering this past weekend, and I finally decided that this job was the best job for me right now. I'm very excited about it, and I'm looking forward to sharing the details later!
So this weekend looks like it's going to see some more snow, as well as the beginning of next week. Maybe I'll be able to sneak out and get some groceries, and maybe I'll just order in food this weekend.
I have Box Office and my first voice lesson today, which should both be a blast! I'm really enjoying working in the Box Office, and I've been put in charge of the headshot/biography board, which is really cool! I've got Acting for Film and Dramatic Lit today, as well. Acting for Film is looking like it's going to be a very educational class, and I'm excited to learn all the things I never knew about how difficult it is to act on camera. Wish me luck!
And before I go, here's a picture!
Besides the creepy eyes, which one day when I have time I'll fix in photoshop, isn't he just the cutest darn thing you ever saw?
Thursday, January 13, 2011
I'm Walking on Sunshine
I'm not even sure where to begin. My break was crammed full of family and friends, and a lot of lessons. I'm a student of life, what can I say? I got to spend a lot of time with family in Florida, where I let myself unwind and relax for the first time since May. By the time I got back home I was ready to juggle my friends and my homework.
It was a really odd sensation, knowing that this was the last significant break of my college experience. It was the last time I would be visiting home and seeing all these people that I grew up with while I didn't have any real world responsibility on my plate. The next time I go back, I won't technically live there anymore (unless I happen to need to work at home for 6 months to save up those elusive funds that will help me move to a large city and jump start this crazy career plan). And one year from now, all of my friends won't technically live there either. Real life is starting now, and it's just a whirlwind trying to emotionally and mentally keep up with all the new opportunities and ideas that are coming my way.
I had a lot of fun with my friends, and I realized this break how lucky I am to have such a large group of people that support me and each other. We've been together so long, and it gives me hope that we can continue to keep our friendships strong as we go our separate ways in life.
I saved some friendships that I was losing. I gained piece of mind. And I learned a lot this break about how to deal with situations that are out of my control. There's only so much a person can do, and the rest is up to others. I also learned that some things never change. I feel like a different person every time I come home, but that doesn't mean that I should expect others to be different. And it certainly doesn't mean that relationships always change or evolve.
Anyway, break was short lived and it relaxed me just enough to prepare me for this last semester ahead of me. I spent the week before school started back up preparing my monologue, and touring Kaitie around my hometown when she came to visit. We had the opportunity to speak to the high schoolers in the beginning theatre classes. I was surprised at how interested they were in what we had to say. They asked great questions about getting over stage fright, how to pick the right college for you, and about why theatre is important. Kaitie and I performed our monologue packages for them as well. I was surprised at myself because I wasn't nervous to perform in front of them, and it didn't occur to me until later that it was the first acting my old teacher had seen me do since high school. I think he enjoyed it, which was nice. And he had nothing but beautiful things to say about me to his classes, which made me even more grateful that I came from such an amazing place. My theatre background is so different than most of my classmates, and I've truly started to appreciate that.
The theatre productions class was preparing their competition play, The Importance of Being Earnest. The teacher asked if we would mind giving advice about the dialect to her class. We went through a couple drills, and somehow I ended up performing for them as well. They also had great questions about college, and about college theatre, and theatre in the real world. I felt really influential, because I was able to tell them important things that I wish someone had told me in high school about what I was getting myself into. They have so much ahead of them, and my high school brings out so many talented individuals that understand hard work and what it's like to be part of a family. They have so many great things ahead of them, and I believe they're going to be great! I wish them all the success in the world.
I realized that that would be the last visit to the high school where I would know the students. The seniors were the freshmen when I graduated, so the next time I go back, I won't personally know anyone. Scary.
So I tripped back to college on Sunday in the crazy snowy weather. (Side Note: we have gotten so much snow! And apparently we might get more this weekend. I'm not sure I can handle this. I was pretty sure my limit was receiving an email about ways to prevent frostbite). I cleaned up my apartment Monday and made sure I had my monologue down pat. I also saw Black Swan on Monday night, and it was phenomenal. I found the movie scary as a performer, because it showcases the worst about being an artist. It delves into the pressure and competition of wanting and performing a role, as well as the need to be perfect and the constant need to be noticed or validated by your peers and superiors for your talent. I also found the idea of transforming into your role a scary concept, because it can happen so easily if you don't keep yourself under control. I've experienced slight versions of this. During Rabbit Hole when I never had a break from my character because of the work hours and the rehearsal process, I was horrible to my friends at Boji. The character of Becca was so lost and desperate to find her way back to normal, and I definitely lashed out at people in real life while I was struggling to understand her. The movie just reinforced for me how important it is to understand the concept of losing yourself in a role as an acting method.
Tuesday was the first day of classes. I was introduced to the various great comics of our time and before in my Acting for Comedy class. We spoke about what is funny to our generation, and the ways that comedy has changed over the years. Yesterday in the class, we delivered one liners and practiced landing a joke. Our assignment for next class is to come in with a 5 joke set for a stand up routine. I'm freaking out about this class because I've never thought of myself as particularly funny. However, my mindset for this semester is to have no fear. It doesn't matter if I'm not good at it, it only matters that I try to do my best work every time I get up there. I'm terrified as well, because Professor L (the teacher of the class and the director of the upcoming and last mainstage show Clean House) has told us that the auditions for her show for certain characters will including a standup routine or the telling of jokes. I better prepare myself.
The thing about comedy is that it makes you so vulnerable in a different way than drama. You have to put yourself out there and hope for an audible response. ...Words cannot express how I feel about this.
I also had Creating Online Media. The professor explained that this class will be about creating a website using Photoshop and Dreamweaver. Sound familiar? It did to me, because that's what I spent last semester teaching myself. Imagine my surprise. But I decided to keep the class and not drop it because I'm going to get to learn how to code my own site, instead of build it using a template, and that is knowledge I just can't pass up!
Monday afternoon I performed my monologue for Sense and Sensibility auditions. I felt great about it! I used the techniques I learned last semester in the monologue class. I had action all the way throughout, so there was a forward motion to the words I was saying, and I made it very conversational. Director B (also Professor B who has taught me Theatre History, Greek Acting, and Monologues for anyone who cares to put a letter with a class) told me that I would be called back and that she would be having me read for the character Elinor. I was excited because that was the character I was most interested in.
On Wednesdays I only have one class at noon--Dramatic Lit. Dramatic Literature is just going to be reading great plays and giving presentations on them. Nothing too different from last semester's Shakespeare Lit class. It's going to be fun, but not terribly exciting.
Wednesday afternoon I had callbacks. First I read with Megan, a 2nd year on the Warehouse Board who I've never had the opportunity to work with. I was so excited! We read a great Elinor/Lucy scene that Professor B said she really enjoyed. She gave me another Elinor scene to read with Erin as the mother. I love reading with Erin because we build really well off of each other. I also hadn't had the chance to work with her since Acting III and The Laramie Project. We had an even better read than my first one, and after we were done Director B took our scripts and said, "We better stop there; you can't get any better than that."
Callbacks are always my favorite part of the audition process. I came back to the room feeling like I had done the best audition I'd ever done at college. I worked so hard to fit a specific character, which honestly isn't something I'd done before. Usually I try to fit as many characters as I can so that way a director sees that I can adapt easily to roles. But this time I chose a part and I fought for it. I was proud of my night, but a little terrified because I had finally put myself out there. It's so easy to handle rejection when you tell yourself that you don't care if you get cast. I've been using that method since I got to college. This was the first time I truly told myself that I wanted a role and I knew I would be upset if I didn't get cast.
To my surprise and absolute happiness I did get cast! As Elinor! I couldn't be more excited to work with the talented cast that was also picked. There are so many people that I haven't had the pleasure to work with yet this year, especially the men because I haven't been on the mainstage yet this year. I'm especially excited to work with my 'love interest' because he's a first year boy in his first main role and we're going to have a blast! There's a swing cast that gets a Thursday performance, as well. At our read through last night, the main cast switched off reading with the swing cast so everyone had the opportunity to flesh out their characters and get a feel for the words.
A period piece is always a little slow going at first, because the language is easy to trip over. I'm excited to see this show pick up. Sometime this weekend, some of the cast is going to get together and watch the mini-series of the Masterpiece Classic as character research. I love cast bonding.
Oddly enough I have no rehearsal today, and Monday is a holiday so no rehearsal then either. I have a long four days to help me start memorizing. I also need to spend a lot of time this weekend working on my PR poster for the next Warehouse show which auditions next week: The Young and the Fair. Also this weekend are auditions for our 2 off the walls: the combat show Women Fight Against and the sketch/student written 33 in 66. A busy, busy weekend for sure. Today is my first day of Acting for the Camera, and I'm excited to be back in the classroom with Professor D.
So, all in all, I had a fabulous break with my amazing family and friends. I learned a lot of great life lessons and a lot about myself as a person. I've freaked out about my future (did I forget to mention that part). I've become excited about my future (there, that's better). And I've gotten cast. Great start to my last semester? Yes!
It was a really odd sensation, knowing that this was the last significant break of my college experience. It was the last time I would be visiting home and seeing all these people that I grew up with while I didn't have any real world responsibility on my plate. The next time I go back, I won't technically live there anymore (unless I happen to need to work at home for 6 months to save up those elusive funds that will help me move to a large city and jump start this crazy career plan). And one year from now, all of my friends won't technically live there either. Real life is starting now, and it's just a whirlwind trying to emotionally and mentally keep up with all the new opportunities and ideas that are coming my way.
I had a lot of fun with my friends, and I realized this break how lucky I am to have such a large group of people that support me and each other. We've been together so long, and it gives me hope that we can continue to keep our friendships strong as we go our separate ways in life.
I saved some friendships that I was losing. I gained piece of mind. And I learned a lot this break about how to deal with situations that are out of my control. There's only so much a person can do, and the rest is up to others. I also learned that some things never change. I feel like a different person every time I come home, but that doesn't mean that I should expect others to be different. And it certainly doesn't mean that relationships always change or evolve.
Anyway, break was short lived and it relaxed me just enough to prepare me for this last semester ahead of me. I spent the week before school started back up preparing my monologue, and touring Kaitie around my hometown when she came to visit. We had the opportunity to speak to the high schoolers in the beginning theatre classes. I was surprised at how interested they were in what we had to say. They asked great questions about getting over stage fright, how to pick the right college for you, and about why theatre is important. Kaitie and I performed our monologue packages for them as well. I was surprised at myself because I wasn't nervous to perform in front of them, and it didn't occur to me until later that it was the first acting my old teacher had seen me do since high school. I think he enjoyed it, which was nice. And he had nothing but beautiful things to say about me to his classes, which made me even more grateful that I came from such an amazing place. My theatre background is so different than most of my classmates, and I've truly started to appreciate that.
The theatre productions class was preparing their competition play, The Importance of Being Earnest. The teacher asked if we would mind giving advice about the dialect to her class. We went through a couple drills, and somehow I ended up performing for them as well. They also had great questions about college, and about college theatre, and theatre in the real world. I felt really influential, because I was able to tell them important things that I wish someone had told me in high school about what I was getting myself into. They have so much ahead of them, and my high school brings out so many talented individuals that understand hard work and what it's like to be part of a family. They have so many great things ahead of them, and I believe they're going to be great! I wish them all the success in the world.
I realized that that would be the last visit to the high school where I would know the students. The seniors were the freshmen when I graduated, so the next time I go back, I won't personally know anyone. Scary.
So I tripped back to college on Sunday in the crazy snowy weather. (Side Note: we have gotten so much snow! And apparently we might get more this weekend. I'm not sure I can handle this. I was pretty sure my limit was receiving an email about ways to prevent frostbite). I cleaned up my apartment Monday and made sure I had my monologue down pat. I also saw Black Swan on Monday night, and it was phenomenal. I found the movie scary as a performer, because it showcases the worst about being an artist. It delves into the pressure and competition of wanting and performing a role, as well as the need to be perfect and the constant need to be noticed or validated by your peers and superiors for your talent. I also found the idea of transforming into your role a scary concept, because it can happen so easily if you don't keep yourself under control. I've experienced slight versions of this. During Rabbit Hole when I never had a break from my character because of the work hours and the rehearsal process, I was horrible to my friends at Boji. The character of Becca was so lost and desperate to find her way back to normal, and I definitely lashed out at people in real life while I was struggling to understand her. The movie just reinforced for me how important it is to understand the concept of losing yourself in a role as an acting method.
Tuesday was the first day of classes. I was introduced to the various great comics of our time and before in my Acting for Comedy class. We spoke about what is funny to our generation, and the ways that comedy has changed over the years. Yesterday in the class, we delivered one liners and practiced landing a joke. Our assignment for next class is to come in with a 5 joke set for a stand up routine. I'm freaking out about this class because I've never thought of myself as particularly funny. However, my mindset for this semester is to have no fear. It doesn't matter if I'm not good at it, it only matters that I try to do my best work every time I get up there. I'm terrified as well, because Professor L (the teacher of the class and the director of the upcoming and last mainstage show Clean House) has told us that the auditions for her show for certain characters will including a standup routine or the telling of jokes. I better prepare myself.
The thing about comedy is that it makes you so vulnerable in a different way than drama. You have to put yourself out there and hope for an audible response. ...Words cannot express how I feel about this.
I also had Creating Online Media. The professor explained that this class will be about creating a website using Photoshop and Dreamweaver. Sound familiar? It did to me, because that's what I spent last semester teaching myself. Imagine my surprise. But I decided to keep the class and not drop it because I'm going to get to learn how to code my own site, instead of build it using a template, and that is knowledge I just can't pass up!
Monday afternoon I performed my monologue for Sense and Sensibility auditions. I felt great about it! I used the techniques I learned last semester in the monologue class. I had action all the way throughout, so there was a forward motion to the words I was saying, and I made it very conversational. Director B (also Professor B who has taught me Theatre History, Greek Acting, and Monologues for anyone who cares to put a letter with a class) told me that I would be called back and that she would be having me read for the character Elinor. I was excited because that was the character I was most interested in.
On Wednesdays I only have one class at noon--Dramatic Lit. Dramatic Literature is just going to be reading great plays and giving presentations on them. Nothing too different from last semester's Shakespeare Lit class. It's going to be fun, but not terribly exciting.
Wednesday afternoon I had callbacks. First I read with Megan, a 2nd year on the Warehouse Board who I've never had the opportunity to work with. I was so excited! We read a great Elinor/Lucy scene that Professor B said she really enjoyed. She gave me another Elinor scene to read with Erin as the mother. I love reading with Erin because we build really well off of each other. I also hadn't had the chance to work with her since Acting III and The Laramie Project. We had an even better read than my first one, and after we were done Director B took our scripts and said, "We better stop there; you can't get any better than that."
Callbacks are always my favorite part of the audition process. I came back to the room feeling like I had done the best audition I'd ever done at college. I worked so hard to fit a specific character, which honestly isn't something I'd done before. Usually I try to fit as many characters as I can so that way a director sees that I can adapt easily to roles. But this time I chose a part and I fought for it. I was proud of my night, but a little terrified because I had finally put myself out there. It's so easy to handle rejection when you tell yourself that you don't care if you get cast. I've been using that method since I got to college. This was the first time I truly told myself that I wanted a role and I knew I would be upset if I didn't get cast.
To my surprise and absolute happiness I did get cast! As Elinor! I couldn't be more excited to work with the talented cast that was also picked. There are so many people that I haven't had the pleasure to work with yet this year, especially the men because I haven't been on the mainstage yet this year. I'm especially excited to work with my 'love interest' because he's a first year boy in his first main role and we're going to have a blast! There's a swing cast that gets a Thursday performance, as well. At our read through last night, the main cast switched off reading with the swing cast so everyone had the opportunity to flesh out their characters and get a feel for the words.
A period piece is always a little slow going at first, because the language is easy to trip over. I'm excited to see this show pick up. Sometime this weekend, some of the cast is going to get together and watch the mini-series of the Masterpiece Classic as character research. I love cast bonding.
Oddly enough I have no rehearsal today, and Monday is a holiday so no rehearsal then either. I have a long four days to help me start memorizing. I also need to spend a lot of time this weekend working on my PR poster for the next Warehouse show which auditions next week: The Young and the Fair. Also this weekend are auditions for our 2 off the walls: the combat show Women Fight Against and the sketch/student written 33 in 66. A busy, busy weekend for sure. Today is my first day of Acting for the Camera, and I'm excited to be back in the classroom with Professor D.
So, all in all, I had a fabulous break with my amazing family and friends. I learned a lot of great life lessons and a lot about myself as a person. I've freaked out about my future (did I forget to mention that part). I've become excited about my future (there, that's better). And I've gotten cast. Great start to my last semester? Yes!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Home Sweet Home
It's so nice to be home after being away so long--minus of course Thanksgiving break which was really so short that it doesn't even count in the grand scheme of things. I'm enjoying the warmer weather, though apparently it supposed to get warmer just as we're leaving for Florida, where, ironically, it's supposed to be cooler. Alas, I cannot escape winter this year. Lucky for me I've got awesome warm clothes, and I rarely have to go outside if I choose not to. (The previously typed comment easily defines much of modern American Society's blase attitude towards our wealth. I would like to say that I am very thankful for all my warm clothes and for having the choice to stay inside where it is warm.)
I went Christmas shopping with the family yesterday, which was fun. Mom never enjoys shopping, or Christmas, really, but secretly she enjoys the rest of us enjoying Christmas, which really means that she enjoys Christmas because it makes us happy.
I seem to be in the odd condition this morning of writing in circular logic. To continue with more oddities, I'd like to express my interest in the fact that I tend to use many exclamation points in my writing. Now, something about exclamation points really attracts me. They can be so happy and exciting and they give energy to my words. At the same time, the over-abundance of exclamation points can give a reader the impression that I'm yelling or possibly on a caffeine kick induced by too much theatre and not enough adrenaline. I'd like to take this time to assure my readers that while I do partake in too much theatre, I do not happen to enjoy many beverages that include caffeine because I have a healthy affliction for carbonation and the taste of coffee. This means that all of my exclamation marks are used with the best of intentions and only because I like to express my excitement for all things 'me-related', 'theatre-related', and 'future-related'.
In the future it is probable that I will post about my abundant use of parentheses to define my illogical and un-interpretable inner thoughts.
Have a very Happy Holidays!
I went Christmas shopping with the family yesterday, which was fun. Mom never enjoys shopping, or Christmas, really, but secretly she enjoys the rest of us enjoying Christmas, which really means that she enjoys Christmas because it makes us happy.
I seem to be in the odd condition this morning of writing in circular logic. To continue with more oddities, I'd like to express my interest in the fact that I tend to use many exclamation points in my writing. Now, something about exclamation points really attracts me. They can be so happy and exciting and they give energy to my words. At the same time, the over-abundance of exclamation points can give a reader the impression that I'm yelling or possibly on a caffeine kick induced by too much theatre and not enough adrenaline. I'd like to take this time to assure my readers that while I do partake in too much theatre, I do not happen to enjoy many beverages that include caffeine because I have a healthy affliction for carbonation and the taste of coffee. This means that all of my exclamation marks are used with the best of intentions and only because I like to express my excitement for all things 'me-related', 'theatre-related', and 'future-related'.
In the future it is probable that I will post about my abundant use of parentheses to define my illogical and un-interpretable inner thoughts.
Have a very Happy Holidays!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The End is Near
Yesterday was so packed, I realized I had to write another post to cover all the important things that happened to me.
I had my final Nuts and Bolts class in the morning. We all turned in our Created Content projects and our Notebooks full of notes. Professor D gave us a small quiz over the New York Times, which we're supposed to read every day of our lives because that's what a proper theatre professional would do to stay aware of their world. It was an extra credit quiz...and I got more right than I thought I would, so--win. Then he had some of the girls show their created content projects. One was a scrapbook (because people pay to have others scrapbook their lives (Mom--good side job.)). Another was a bag designed and built specifically for a stage manager and all their needs. Some were websites, and after I saw those I was really proud of myself for building my own, and I think I made the right decision to do it that way.
Then Professor D told us we were going to watch our TV auditions in full, but what he really pulled up were our STI auditions! My first summer at college we were required to audition with a contemporary monologue and a monologue pre-1900s. They were to be contrasting pieces done in 3 minutes. Of course no one stayed in the time limit because either we didn't know what preparation was or because for some incredibly insane reason we thought it would be great to make ourselves memorize really long new material.
Honestly, watching them I was so proud of my class. Sometimes we watch the underclassmen and we think 'Wow, I remember when I was that untrained'. But even at STI, for the most part, I thought my class showed so much natural talent and willingness to work through a challenge. I was proud to be part of such a talented and dedicated class. I've gotten to work with them on so many things, and my experience at college is only because of these amazing men and women and what they can do. We all had little ticks, and it was amazing to see how much we've grown in this short year and a half. It feels like it's been a century since we went to STI. My semesters here are so full of new techniques that I can hardly remember a time when I didn't know not to stand in neutral or how to score a script.
Yesterday I became so thankful for the education I've received. After watching our auditions, Professor D told us that he knew his class had been about how hard this industry is, but now was the time to tell us how wonderful it is. He told us that we are truly doing God's work. He said we have the ability and the opportunity to hold a mirror up to human nature every day so that people see themselves in our work and recognize something that they haven't before. We get to change people, and affect the world. We make a difference and we're an important part of this world. He told us that at any time, if we decide that we don't want to act anymore, or if this life isn't what we want any longer, that we should never feel as if we have wasted these years at college or our years in the professional world. We will have impacted people and we will have grown as people. The skills I've learned at school can be applied to almost any area in any industry. I understand community, teamwork, how to deal with people in stressful situations, time management, hardware skills, and memorization. I have intellect and the ability to adapt under stress. All these things would benefit me in any line of work (minus maybe the hardware skills).
Professor D also expressed that this line of work is hard, really hard. It's hard to take rejection on a daily basis, especially when it's out of your control. It's hard to be unemployed for long stretches of time. He told us there are only 4 things you can control: Your look, Your attitude, Your drive, and Your preparation. Everything else we shouldn't worry about, because it's out of our control. And that's hard to do.
It's hard to have a day job that you don't find as inspiring. However, he told us that what we do takes courage. Courage because it's hard. Courage because we put ourselves out there, and take ourselves to the emotional places that most people wish they could go, but never let themselves. But most of all, he said, we get to do what everyone else wants to do, but didn't have the courage to do. We get to act. Everyone loved doing plays in high school, but most people never pursue it. He told us there are 110,000 actors in a world of over 8 million people. Very few people do our job. But that also means that if we ever decide to do something different--it's OK. Those other 7,890,000 aren't wrong--and they're happy too.
Professor said that if there is one thing he hoped he taught us, it would be to never be a jerk. Life is too short and the world is too small to be a jerk. And have other hobbies. Not living outside theatre will never make you a better artist and it will kill your soul. And never hate what you do. If we ever find ourselves in a position where we don't enjoy getting up every morning and acting, then we shouldn't be doing it anymore.
There were tears after this speech. Watching how far we've come as a class and then hearing Professor D encourage us to do what we've been working so hard for was really inspiring.
Then of course, Professor B had to go and do the same thing after our Monologue Final was complete. My monologue went really well. Not to repeat myself for the umpteenth time on this blog--but I was really proud of my class period. We had split the class in halves, and my period went yesterday while the other half watched. Everyone had made their package adaptable to the space and to what a real audition would be like. We used a chair if we needed, and nothing else. Everyone had killed their little habits and gave really powerful performances. Afterwards, we talked about what was successful and the comments we wanted to make about individual pieces. There was definitely a different energy between the class periods. I thought that everyone had packages that really showcased who they are as performers right now. They all played to their strengths. We laughed because we all still tend to run a little lengthy even after all this time. We were all individuals, no one seemed like anyone else. I was really surprised by this and it made me understand how hard a casting director's job must be. However, Professor B told us that that is what she accomplished through this class. For the most part, people blend together in an audition, and she was proud to say we were all different. Professor B went around and commented on all our packages. She told me that mine was sophisticated and urbane--just like me. She told me I always seem slightly older than my years and that my package truly showed me as a performer and that it was a very strong package. She believed I'd found the perfect pieces. Of course, I would only take these pieces to a very specific audition, not a children's audition or anything, but it was very nice to hear. I performed The Provoked Wife by John Vanbrugh and Ron Bobby had too big a Heart by Rolin Jones. I think my Midwest package will have to be slightly different depending on who I want to cater to.
We also talked about how much everyone has improved. Professor B challenged us to never forget what we've learned through this class and return to our old habits. She actually made the comment that she knows it's easy to forget the things we learn in class, but that made me realize something. I think the reason I've had such a great education at this institution is that everything I've learned I've been able to apply almost immediately, whether it's in another class or in a play I'm rehearsing or performing. It all blends together so it's almost difficult to forget it. I know I'm not as polished as I was when I first learned certain techniques, but they're still living in the back of my mind if I need to pull them out. I'm very proud to say that.
The P-Tech show afterwards was really awesome. I enjoyed it very much, and all the performances were great. It was just another experience of the day where we realized how far we've come in such a short time.
By the end of this semester I have had my last classes with Professor R and Professor B. That's so weird. We said a lot of goodbyes in class to Rhea and Sarah who graduated at semester. If yesterday was anything to go by, I think they're feeling inspired and courageous enough to move forward with their lives.
I had my final Nuts and Bolts class in the morning. We all turned in our Created Content projects and our Notebooks full of notes. Professor D gave us a small quiz over the New York Times, which we're supposed to read every day of our lives because that's what a proper theatre professional would do to stay aware of their world. It was an extra credit quiz...and I got more right than I thought I would, so--win. Then he had some of the girls show their created content projects. One was a scrapbook (because people pay to have others scrapbook their lives (Mom--good side job.)). Another was a bag designed and built specifically for a stage manager and all their needs. Some were websites, and after I saw those I was really proud of myself for building my own, and I think I made the right decision to do it that way.
Then Professor D told us we were going to watch our TV auditions in full, but what he really pulled up were our STI auditions! My first summer at college we were required to audition with a contemporary monologue and a monologue pre-1900s. They were to be contrasting pieces done in 3 minutes. Of course no one stayed in the time limit because either we didn't know what preparation was or because for some incredibly insane reason we thought it would be great to make ourselves memorize really long new material.
Honestly, watching them I was so proud of my class. Sometimes we watch the underclassmen and we think 'Wow, I remember when I was that untrained'. But even at STI, for the most part, I thought my class showed so much natural talent and willingness to work through a challenge. I was proud to be part of such a talented and dedicated class. I've gotten to work with them on so many things, and my experience at college is only because of these amazing men and women and what they can do. We all had little ticks, and it was amazing to see how much we've grown in this short year and a half. It feels like it's been a century since we went to STI. My semesters here are so full of new techniques that I can hardly remember a time when I didn't know not to stand in neutral or how to score a script.
Yesterday I became so thankful for the education I've received. After watching our auditions, Professor D told us that he knew his class had been about how hard this industry is, but now was the time to tell us how wonderful it is. He told us that we are truly doing God's work. He said we have the ability and the opportunity to hold a mirror up to human nature every day so that people see themselves in our work and recognize something that they haven't before. We get to change people, and affect the world. We make a difference and we're an important part of this world. He told us that at any time, if we decide that we don't want to act anymore, or if this life isn't what we want any longer, that we should never feel as if we have wasted these years at college or our years in the professional world. We will have impacted people and we will have grown as people. The skills I've learned at school can be applied to almost any area in any industry. I understand community, teamwork, how to deal with people in stressful situations, time management, hardware skills, and memorization. I have intellect and the ability to adapt under stress. All these things would benefit me in any line of work (minus maybe the hardware skills).
Professor D also expressed that this line of work is hard, really hard. It's hard to take rejection on a daily basis, especially when it's out of your control. It's hard to be unemployed for long stretches of time. He told us there are only 4 things you can control: Your look, Your attitude, Your drive, and Your preparation. Everything else we shouldn't worry about, because it's out of our control. And that's hard to do.
It's hard to have a day job that you don't find as inspiring. However, he told us that what we do takes courage. Courage because it's hard. Courage because we put ourselves out there, and take ourselves to the emotional places that most people wish they could go, but never let themselves. But most of all, he said, we get to do what everyone else wants to do, but didn't have the courage to do. We get to act. Everyone loved doing plays in high school, but most people never pursue it. He told us there are 110,000 actors in a world of over 8 million people. Very few people do our job. But that also means that if we ever decide to do something different--it's OK. Those other 7,890,000 aren't wrong--and they're happy too.
Professor said that if there is one thing he hoped he taught us, it would be to never be a jerk. Life is too short and the world is too small to be a jerk. And have other hobbies. Not living outside theatre will never make you a better artist and it will kill your soul. And never hate what you do. If we ever find ourselves in a position where we don't enjoy getting up every morning and acting, then we shouldn't be doing it anymore.
There were tears after this speech. Watching how far we've come as a class and then hearing Professor D encourage us to do what we've been working so hard for was really inspiring.
Then of course, Professor B had to go and do the same thing after our Monologue Final was complete. My monologue went really well. Not to repeat myself for the umpteenth time on this blog--but I was really proud of my class period. We had split the class in halves, and my period went yesterday while the other half watched. Everyone had made their package adaptable to the space and to what a real audition would be like. We used a chair if we needed, and nothing else. Everyone had killed their little habits and gave really powerful performances. Afterwards, we talked about what was successful and the comments we wanted to make about individual pieces. There was definitely a different energy between the class periods. I thought that everyone had packages that really showcased who they are as performers right now. They all played to their strengths. We laughed because we all still tend to run a little lengthy even after all this time. We were all individuals, no one seemed like anyone else. I was really surprised by this and it made me understand how hard a casting director's job must be. However, Professor B told us that that is what she accomplished through this class. For the most part, people blend together in an audition, and she was proud to say we were all different. Professor B went around and commented on all our packages. She told me that mine was sophisticated and urbane--just like me. She told me I always seem slightly older than my years and that my package truly showed me as a performer and that it was a very strong package. She believed I'd found the perfect pieces. Of course, I would only take these pieces to a very specific audition, not a children's audition or anything, but it was very nice to hear. I performed The Provoked Wife by John Vanbrugh and Ron Bobby had too big a Heart by Rolin Jones. I think my Midwest package will have to be slightly different depending on who I want to cater to.
We also talked about how much everyone has improved. Professor B challenged us to never forget what we've learned through this class and return to our old habits. She actually made the comment that she knows it's easy to forget the things we learn in class, but that made me realize something. I think the reason I've had such a great education at this institution is that everything I've learned I've been able to apply almost immediately, whether it's in another class or in a play I'm rehearsing or performing. It all blends together so it's almost difficult to forget it. I know I'm not as polished as I was when I first learned certain techniques, but they're still living in the back of my mind if I need to pull them out. I'm very proud to say that.
The P-Tech show afterwards was really awesome. I enjoyed it very much, and all the performances were great. It was just another experience of the day where we realized how far we've come in such a short time.
By the end of this semester I have had my last classes with Professor R and Professor B. That's so weird. We said a lot of goodbyes in class to Rhea and Sarah who graduated at semester. If yesterday was anything to go by, I think they're feeling inspired and courageous enough to move forward with their lives.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Down the Rabbit Hole
Finals week is the mystical time of the year when nobody sleeps and everyone says ridiculous things. Thankfully, it's almost over.
Friday I had my Shakespeare final. Everyone performed their final scenes for the class. It felt kind of like Shakespeare on tour because every scene was in a different location. My scene was in the basement of senior hall. We were proud of the final product. It turned out really creepy and slightly too realistic in the death department for some people when we strangled the Duke of Clarence. Professor R really enjoyed it and he told us that the death scene was the best we'd done it yet! Everyone's scenes went really well. They had all chosen great cuts from the plays that were really interesting to watch. The best ones were the ones where the location added to the experience, I thought.
Over the weekend I finished up my website, studied for my Global Ethics final, and prepared my Jury songs. The weekend actually seemed pretty long for once. We had an awesome Christmas party Saturday night where I dressed as a Grecian Christmas Tree with the help of my amazing friends and some significant others. Unfortunately for you, I don't happen to have any pictures of the event or my costume, so you'll just have to imagine the most creative and beautiful Christmas tree you can. And then multiply that by 10.
I also attended the Senior Dance Concert. The dancers have a 3 year program here like the Theatre Majors, so my friends from first year were the choreographers for this concert. I have to say, out of the senior dance concerts I've seen in my 3 years, this was my favorite. It was beautifully done and the lighting designs were all really creative. Last year I lighting designed for the Senior Dance concert, which in retrospect, was a lot of fun. They really did a grat job this year though, and I loved every dance.
I had an 8am final rehearsal for the directing scene I was acting in Monday morning. It went very smoothly and the director was happy with it. I went to my Voice Jury at 1:30 and sang my song. One day, I'll be much better at that song. Yesterday was not that day. Suffice to say that the voice professors were proud of my progress. Something I learned: Next time, I know that I should act my song. I wasn't sure of the protocol, but I asked afterwards and they told me I should definitely act it if I could. I should have just done it anyway but C'EST LA VIE!
Global Ethics was not nearly as difficult as midterms. I have a feeling he gave us an easy out. However, there were a couple questions that I guessed, which fits accordingly with the 'Sascha can never get full points on any assignment in Global Ethics' policy that was instated at the beginning of the semester. However, I did get full points on my final dilemma which was like the best Christmas present ever! It was like I accomplished the impossible, I wanted to wear my graded paper around school for the day but I figured that would be bragging, inappropriate, and Professor T made us give our papers back, so it would have been impossible. Instead I just took away the experience of being part of a class that made a real difference and taught me more about the meaning of education than any other class I've ever taken. Thanks Professor T.
I performed my directing scene with Katie Mac and we had a grand old time. Director was very proud of his final product and we had a great time acting in a surrealist piece. All the directing scenes last night went very well. It was interesting to watch the difference in the scenes from this year, and from my class last year. This year many people chose outside actors, or more first year actors. Last year, we chose to act in each other's scenes, and some third years joined in. I think the quality of directing is probably equally matched in most ways, and even though the acting was wanting in some areas, there were so many first years that gained so much experience. They had the opportunity to act in front of their peers, work with more experience actors, and be taught by great directors. There were a lot of stand out projects last night. I think my favorite was definitely a scene that was written by the girl who directed it. She brought in outside actors, and they were great! I was so impressed by her scene! She has a great future ahead of her.
After directing scenes the first half of our Monologue Class performed. It was great to watch all the people we hadn't seen all year do their work. I loved it, and some people have really great potential packages. I think what most of us will take away from this final though, is that we don't like our packages. And that's even better because it means you know yourself and what you want. I perform tonight with the rest of the class. After that is the P-Tech show--which I can't wait to see. It's going to be so good.
Today I have my Nuts and Bolts final, which consists of turning in our notes for the semester (which I did on Friday) and giving him our created content, which I already finished. Then tonight I have monologues, which I'm completely prepared for. What an easy day! Tomorrow is my last final--Shakespeare Lit--and then it's home for winter break!
I AM SO EXCITED.
I'm going to watch so many movies this break. Rabbit Hole is out in select theatres, and I have to see it. I'm going to bawl the whole time. The Tempest is out, and that's a must see. So many movies from the festival strip are being released over break, and those are my favorites usually. I really want to see Blue Valentine. Actually, I want to see just about every movie that's being released over break. Good thing I'll have that mystical thing called free time.
Now that I've used the word mystical twice in this incredibly long post--I'll let you go.
Friday I had my Shakespeare final. Everyone performed their final scenes for the class. It felt kind of like Shakespeare on tour because every scene was in a different location. My scene was in the basement of senior hall. We were proud of the final product. It turned out really creepy and slightly too realistic in the death department for some people when we strangled the Duke of Clarence. Professor R really enjoyed it and he told us that the death scene was the best we'd done it yet! Everyone's scenes went really well. They had all chosen great cuts from the plays that were really interesting to watch. The best ones were the ones where the location added to the experience, I thought.
Over the weekend I finished up my website, studied for my Global Ethics final, and prepared my Jury songs. The weekend actually seemed pretty long for once. We had an awesome Christmas party Saturday night where I dressed as a Grecian Christmas Tree with the help of my amazing friends and some significant others. Unfortunately for you, I don't happen to have any pictures of the event or my costume, so you'll just have to imagine the most creative and beautiful Christmas tree you can. And then multiply that by 10.
I also attended the Senior Dance Concert. The dancers have a 3 year program here like the Theatre Majors, so my friends from first year were the choreographers for this concert. I have to say, out of the senior dance concerts I've seen in my 3 years, this was my favorite. It was beautifully done and the lighting designs were all really creative. Last year I lighting designed for the Senior Dance concert, which in retrospect, was a lot of fun. They really did a grat job this year though, and I loved every dance.
I had an 8am final rehearsal for the directing scene I was acting in Monday morning. It went very smoothly and the director was happy with it. I went to my Voice Jury at 1:30 and sang my song. One day, I'll be much better at that song. Yesterday was not that day. Suffice to say that the voice professors were proud of my progress. Something I learned: Next time, I know that I should act my song. I wasn't sure of the protocol, but I asked afterwards and they told me I should definitely act it if I could. I should have just done it anyway but C'EST LA VIE!
Global Ethics was not nearly as difficult as midterms. I have a feeling he gave us an easy out. However, there were a couple questions that I guessed, which fits accordingly with the 'Sascha can never get full points on any assignment in Global Ethics' policy that was instated at the beginning of the semester. However, I did get full points on my final dilemma which was like the best Christmas present ever! It was like I accomplished the impossible, I wanted to wear my graded paper around school for the day but I figured that would be bragging, inappropriate, and Professor T made us give our papers back, so it would have been impossible. Instead I just took away the experience of being part of a class that made a real difference and taught me more about the meaning of education than any other class I've ever taken. Thanks Professor T.
I performed my directing scene with Katie Mac and we had a grand old time. Director was very proud of his final product and we had a great time acting in a surrealist piece. All the directing scenes last night went very well. It was interesting to watch the difference in the scenes from this year, and from my class last year. This year many people chose outside actors, or more first year actors. Last year, we chose to act in each other's scenes, and some third years joined in. I think the quality of directing is probably equally matched in most ways, and even though the acting was wanting in some areas, there were so many first years that gained so much experience. They had the opportunity to act in front of their peers, work with more experience actors, and be taught by great directors. There were a lot of stand out projects last night. I think my favorite was definitely a scene that was written by the girl who directed it. She brought in outside actors, and they were great! I was so impressed by her scene! She has a great future ahead of her.
After directing scenes the first half of our Monologue Class performed. It was great to watch all the people we hadn't seen all year do their work. I loved it, and some people have really great potential packages. I think what most of us will take away from this final though, is that we don't like our packages. And that's even better because it means you know yourself and what you want. I perform tonight with the rest of the class. After that is the P-Tech show--which I can't wait to see. It's going to be so good.
Today I have my Nuts and Bolts final, which consists of turning in our notes for the semester (which I did on Friday) and giving him our created content, which I already finished. Then tonight I have monologues, which I'm completely prepared for. What an easy day! Tomorrow is my last final--Shakespeare Lit--and then it's home for winter break!
I AM SO EXCITED.
I'm going to watch so many movies this break. Rabbit Hole is out in select theatres, and I have to see it. I'm going to bawl the whole time. The Tempest is out, and that's a must see. So many movies from the festival strip are being released over break, and those are my favorites usually. I really want to see Blue Valentine. Actually, I want to see just about every movie that's being released over break. Good thing I'll have that mystical thing called free time.
Now that I've used the word mystical twice in this incredibly long post--I'll let you go.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
I straighten my hair because I'm serious
That's a lovely quote from one of my favorite shows, Greek.
Wow, I've been gone for a while! But I'm back and ready to fill in the world.
So, I had a beautiful Thanksgiving vacation working on homework, spending time with family and friends, and relaxing for the first time since Boji.
I came back to school refreshed and ready to speed through the last 3 weeks. Monday I had a 10 page paper due in Shakespeare Lit about the morality of the East vs. the West in Antony and Cleopatra both in Shakespeare's time and at the time the actual events took place. It was crazy to write because it was hard to find historical evidence, but I got it done and presented it to the class on Wednesday. I received an A, which is all I could ask for.
Tuesday we worked on 'On-Camera' auditions in Nuts and Bolts. I volunteered to read a scene in class and it was a lot of fun. Thursday we did mock auditions with sides that we had 2 days to memorize and prepare. I watched my audition on Friday and Professor D said I did very well, especially in a technical sense. However, I didn't think there was anything that stood out about my audition, and that's the key to getting cast. You have to be interesting and special. So, for a first time it was a productive audition, but I'm very excited for next semester when I get to learn how to do it better.
I learned that occasionally I make my eyes too large, or move my eyebrows too much. I think my 'listening' face is bland, personally, so I'm going to work on that. I also need to learn to make bigger choices for my characters. It's difficult to know how big is too big when on camera, because I don't have enough experience yet.
Wednesday I performed my dramatic contemporary monologue for Professor B in our last monologue class. I did a good job, and she told me I could definitely add it too a package. This Wednesday we have to go in and tell her the package we'd like to perform for our final. We pick two contrasting monologues that show off our personality and ability best. I'm thinking I might do my Restoration (18th century) comedic and my contemporary dramatic. Professor B encouraged us to stick with contemporary because that's what we're most likely to be cast as for a while, because that's where most of the work is for younger actors. Good advice!
We also had a Warehouse Board meeting to decide which director would receive the 'Off-the-Wall' Slot. Once a year, we allow an outside director to perform in the Warehouse space, but we have to listen to presentations to make sure that their vision fits with our vision for the Warehouse. It was a close call, and all the presentations were great. Erin ended up winning. Her idea was 'Women Fight Against', which is a show based on combat and monologues and sketches where women will fight against different people, situations, and ideals. It's going to be really cool!
I watched my commercial audition on Wednesday, and Professor D showed me some things I need to work on. He told me that when you finish an audition you should always keep your eyes on the camera, don't look back up at the casting director. That leaves them wanting more when they watch the tape. He also told me that it's always interesting to watch someone push through mistakes. I messed up one of my takes, but I kept going, and he said that's exactly what you should always do. Personally, I didn't enjoy commercial auditions because of the improvisation, and because I didn't have a strong relationship with the product, but I know now how to do better with them in the future.
Watching myself on camera is an interesting experience. I rarely think I look good, I either appear bored or too excited, and I'm unaware of how to make my personality come across. However, I look forward to learning everything I can about film acting. Even though I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm having a great time figuring it out. I recently shot another film scene for the film acting practicum I'm taking. It was a scene written by my student director, and it all took place inside a car, which we drove around a parking garage for the entire shoot. It was interesting to be so close to the camera for the entire shoot, and to focus not only on the things in the car, but on the cars outside of my car (because I was looking for a car). Kylie drove the car, so she had to work on saying her lines and being an attentive driver. She thought it was very difficult, and we had a near collision. This is, I'm sure, why car scenes in TV and Film take place in a car that is NOT moving. Stay on the safe side--don't act and drive.
Thursday after the TV auditions, my Ethics class was cancelled. I went out to lunch with Gillian, and then spent the rest of the day working on designing my personal acting website. It's coming along quite nicely, if I do say so. I've spent a total of 15 hours in the past week watching videos and figuring out my new programs through trial and error. I got some Adobe software over the break: Dreamweaver and Photoshop. I've built and designed my own template and entrance page, and now I just need to link the rest of my pages. I'll have it up and running soon if everything goes smoothly! While I've enjoyed creating it, it's still only a first try and I can tell that I'll be redesigning it over winter break just for fun. It has to be better the second time, right?
I had Shakespeare rehearsal Friday morning. Professor R watched our Richard III scene and gave us some great pointers. We're performing it in the basement of Senior Hall, which is dark, leaky, and loud with old machinery. We're working hard to be louder than our surroundings, and we've brought in our own light and we're playing it like an interrogation scene. I'm really excited about it, and I think it's going to be great. We dressed the scene on Monday and Professor R has mostly technical things to point out. He told us to watch our dramatic pauses and helped with some interpretation issues. I've really enjoyed this class this semester and I'm sad to be nearly done with it. It's been so much fun to work on classic material, and I think I've found I have a passion for it. I would love to do more classics in my future, or possibly earn a graduate degree in classical acting.
Kaitie and I watched Macbeth (1979) with Ian Mckellen and Judi Dench last night. It was so good! The set (or lack thereof) was weird and the lighting was distracting, but I understand it was a stylistic choice. What I loved was the acting. Mckellen and Dench are some of the most renown actors in the world, and they're so respected in England for their work in the arts. I could list the credentials but they would be too long. But if you're interested you should look them up.
I also saw Meet me in St. Louis this weekend, and it was great! It must be a 'last year in college' thing, but I feel so proud at every performance I've attended this year. I've grown with my class and we've been through so much; I feel so much pride every time one of them is cast and they have the opportunity to light up the stage. I remember 1st year and STI when we were so fresh and mold-able. Everyone has come so far and learned so much. Everyone did such a great job, and the characters were so heartwarming and charming. I might go see it again, I liked it so much!
Our auditions for Sense and Sensibility were supposed to be Monday, so I prepared my monologue over the weekend. However, Professor B (the director) has moved them to January, so I have some more time to prepare, I guess. It's one less thing on the plate, that's for sure.
My directing scene is completely blocked, and now I need to memorize it. We perform Sunday. I think my last day should be Wednesday, and then I'm on the road again!
Wow, I've been gone for a while! But I'm back and ready to fill in the world.
So, I had a beautiful Thanksgiving vacation working on homework, spending time with family and friends, and relaxing for the first time since Boji.
I came back to school refreshed and ready to speed through the last 3 weeks. Monday I had a 10 page paper due in Shakespeare Lit about the morality of the East vs. the West in Antony and Cleopatra both in Shakespeare's time and at the time the actual events took place. It was crazy to write because it was hard to find historical evidence, but I got it done and presented it to the class on Wednesday. I received an A, which is all I could ask for.
Tuesday we worked on 'On-Camera' auditions in Nuts and Bolts. I volunteered to read a scene in class and it was a lot of fun. Thursday we did mock auditions with sides that we had 2 days to memorize and prepare. I watched my audition on Friday and Professor D said I did very well, especially in a technical sense. However, I didn't think there was anything that stood out about my audition, and that's the key to getting cast. You have to be interesting and special. So, for a first time it was a productive audition, but I'm very excited for next semester when I get to learn how to do it better.
I learned that occasionally I make my eyes too large, or move my eyebrows too much. I think my 'listening' face is bland, personally, so I'm going to work on that. I also need to learn to make bigger choices for my characters. It's difficult to know how big is too big when on camera, because I don't have enough experience yet.
Wednesday I performed my dramatic contemporary monologue for Professor B in our last monologue class. I did a good job, and she told me I could definitely add it too a package. This Wednesday we have to go in and tell her the package we'd like to perform for our final. We pick two contrasting monologues that show off our personality and ability best. I'm thinking I might do my Restoration (18th century) comedic and my contemporary dramatic. Professor B encouraged us to stick with contemporary because that's what we're most likely to be cast as for a while, because that's where most of the work is for younger actors. Good advice!
We also had a Warehouse Board meeting to decide which director would receive the 'Off-the-Wall' Slot. Once a year, we allow an outside director to perform in the Warehouse space, but we have to listen to presentations to make sure that their vision fits with our vision for the Warehouse. It was a close call, and all the presentations were great. Erin ended up winning. Her idea was 'Women Fight Against', which is a show based on combat and monologues and sketches where women will fight against different people, situations, and ideals. It's going to be really cool!
I watched my commercial audition on Wednesday, and Professor D showed me some things I need to work on. He told me that when you finish an audition you should always keep your eyes on the camera, don't look back up at the casting director. That leaves them wanting more when they watch the tape. He also told me that it's always interesting to watch someone push through mistakes. I messed up one of my takes, but I kept going, and he said that's exactly what you should always do. Personally, I didn't enjoy commercial auditions because of the improvisation, and because I didn't have a strong relationship with the product, but I know now how to do better with them in the future.
Watching myself on camera is an interesting experience. I rarely think I look good, I either appear bored or too excited, and I'm unaware of how to make my personality come across. However, I look forward to learning everything I can about film acting. Even though I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm having a great time figuring it out. I recently shot another film scene for the film acting practicum I'm taking. It was a scene written by my student director, and it all took place inside a car, which we drove around a parking garage for the entire shoot. It was interesting to be so close to the camera for the entire shoot, and to focus not only on the things in the car, but on the cars outside of my car (because I was looking for a car). Kylie drove the car, so she had to work on saying her lines and being an attentive driver. She thought it was very difficult, and we had a near collision. This is, I'm sure, why car scenes in TV and Film take place in a car that is NOT moving. Stay on the safe side--don't act and drive.
Thursday after the TV auditions, my Ethics class was cancelled. I went out to lunch with Gillian, and then spent the rest of the day working on designing my personal acting website. It's coming along quite nicely, if I do say so. I've spent a total of 15 hours in the past week watching videos and figuring out my new programs through trial and error. I got some Adobe software over the break: Dreamweaver and Photoshop. I've built and designed my own template and entrance page, and now I just need to link the rest of my pages. I'll have it up and running soon if everything goes smoothly! While I've enjoyed creating it, it's still only a first try and I can tell that I'll be redesigning it over winter break just for fun. It has to be better the second time, right?
I had Shakespeare rehearsal Friday morning. Professor R watched our Richard III scene and gave us some great pointers. We're performing it in the basement of Senior Hall, which is dark, leaky, and loud with old machinery. We're working hard to be louder than our surroundings, and we've brought in our own light and we're playing it like an interrogation scene. I'm really excited about it, and I think it's going to be great. We dressed the scene on Monday and Professor R has mostly technical things to point out. He told us to watch our dramatic pauses and helped with some interpretation issues. I've really enjoyed this class this semester and I'm sad to be nearly done with it. It's been so much fun to work on classic material, and I think I've found I have a passion for it. I would love to do more classics in my future, or possibly earn a graduate degree in classical acting.
Kaitie and I watched Macbeth (1979) with Ian Mckellen and Judi Dench last night. It was so good! The set (or lack thereof) was weird and the lighting was distracting, but I understand it was a stylistic choice. What I loved was the acting. Mckellen and Dench are some of the most renown actors in the world, and they're so respected in England for their work in the arts. I could list the credentials but they would be too long. But if you're interested you should look them up.
I also saw Meet me in St. Louis this weekend, and it was great! It must be a 'last year in college' thing, but I feel so proud at every performance I've attended this year. I've grown with my class and we've been through so much; I feel so much pride every time one of them is cast and they have the opportunity to light up the stage. I remember 1st year and STI when we were so fresh and mold-able. Everyone has come so far and learned so much. Everyone did such a great job, and the characters were so heartwarming and charming. I might go see it again, I liked it so much!
Our auditions for Sense and Sensibility were supposed to be Monday, so I prepared my monologue over the weekend. However, Professor B (the director) has moved them to January, so I have some more time to prepare, I guess. It's one less thing on the plate, that's for sure.
My directing scene is completely blocked, and now I need to memorize it. We perform Sunday. I think my last day should be Wednesday, and then I'm on the road again!
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