Day 57
Sooooo happy right now! I sort of took it upon myself to organize a trip to the American College Theatre Festival in Amarillo today and tomorrow. Usually only people who are competing get to attend, but I really wanted to go, so I got APO to get money and we're getting to go. It's a week long conference, but we're only going for two days because they wouldn't give us excused absences for our theatre classes to go to a regional theatre festival. BULLSHIT. But that is for a later date to discuss.
Only me and another girl got to come on Friday, but it was totally worth it. We got to watch an original production called "Parking Lot Babies". It's a very modern piece about this young guy just trying to get by and his tough, pot smoking, crazy girl friend. I really enjoyed the script, but I thought the acting was a little weak. They had a lot of funny pop culture references (for example, they went on this 5 minute tangent about Oregon Trail, which was hilarious). Overall it was ok, but I was impressed that their school let them do the show. I'm not saying Tech won't let us do mature shows, but they wouldn't even consider doing a show like this. Which is sad, because it really cuts off this branch of theatre that could attract a really different audience than we normally do. But anyways...
We also got to take two different workshops. One was a fight choreography workshop. We learned how to stage slap, punch, pull hair, and choke. I learned all that in an hour and a half! Then the second one was called "The Lueger Method". It's a two-day one, with the second day being tomorrow. Today focused on the basics with body movement and voice work. It was really interesting. I'm curious to see what tomorrow entails.
It's insane to think that Tech didn't really encourage us to go to this. I asked for permission for our group to go and get excused absences for at least our theatre classes, and was shot down. Why would they not encourage us to do this? I mean, my God, I learned all the basic fight moves that I will ever need to know...and I never learned any at Tech! I'm also getting this alternative acting method...I'm gaining so much experience from this one day that I might never get at Tech. Not only is this making me a better actor, but I will come back knowing more and that will only help the department. Why wouldn't the department want that? I just don't understand, and it's frustrating as hell.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Day 56
I watched the second half of this documentary about Bretch and Maryl Streep's production of Mother Courage. It looks incredible, and only reaffirms my love for this woman. Here's some snippets from the documentary:
I watched the second half of this documentary about Bretch and Maryl Streep's production of Mother Courage. It looks incredible, and only reaffirms my love for this woman. Here's some snippets from the documentary:
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Day 54
FINALLY caught up with everything. Last week was a crazy whirlwind of busyness, but things are kind of slowing down again. So now that I'm officially caught up with everything...
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=df674667-721b-4991-9d12-0066cefb8696.html#ladies+sp+joannie+rochette
I watched this video today of a Canadian figure skater who's mother died two days before she had to perform her short program for the Olympics. She was tearing up while she was warming up, but when she got in the center to perform she pushed it all inside and smiled. She performed her routine, pretty much perfectly, and as soon as she finished she started crying. If I had been watching it alone, I would have cried too. It was just so raw and emotional and real. You could see the utter pain and anguish she was going through, but when it came time to perform, she hid it all for that performance. True professionalism.
I'm writing about this because I've been in a similar situation. Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with death and a performance, but something very similar. I won't go into detail, but there was a portion of my life when I was dealing with everything I knew basically falling apart in front of me. I was depressed and self-destructive. Needless to say, it wasn't the best part of my life. But thankfully, I was in a show during that time. If I hadn't been...well, I don't know what would have happened, but it wouldn't have been good. But I had the show to focus on, and that helped a bit.
When it got time to perform, this amazing thing happened. I did my normal thing, acting and all that jazz, but when it got to the last scene (which is uber emotional) it wasn't acting anymore. In that last scene I didn't have my bag of tricks or my isms...it was all me, in all my glory. The last scene had to deal with my character realizing how alone she is and she has to force the person she loves to come back home with her. And every night we performed, during that scene I dropped all my guards and let my emotions out. It was the best and the worst thing that could have happened it me. I buried all of my pain and anguish deep inside, because I wanted to be professional for the performance. So, like any normal person, it would come up at random moments, unhealthily. But with that scene, I was given the chance to unleash those emotions and purge everything out on that stage because it fit with the scene and the character. I got the chance to deal with everything without having to talk to anyone or make it a big deal. It was emotional purging at its finest.
And the funny thing is, I thought I was the only one who knew this. I had only told three people in the cast, but as others found out, they later told me that when they first heard it, and every night after, they knew that it was all real. A little too real maybe, lol
But, to tie it all together, people have tragedies in their lives, especially at the most inopportune times. But, sometimes you just have to bury it all and smile. And I think performing is one of the best ways to deal with it, because it forces you to focus on something different, or in my case be given the opportunity to deal with it in a different way.
To quote Judy Garland "Smile, though your heart is aching. Smile, even though it's breaking. Although there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by."
FINALLY caught up with everything. Last week was a crazy whirlwind of busyness, but things are kind of slowing down again. So now that I'm officially caught up with everything...
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=df674667-721b-4991-9d12-0066cefb8696.html#ladies+sp+joannie+rochette
I watched this video today of a Canadian figure skater who's mother died two days before she had to perform her short program for the Olympics. She was tearing up while she was warming up, but when she got in the center to perform she pushed it all inside and smiled. She performed her routine, pretty much perfectly, and as soon as she finished she started crying. If I had been watching it alone, I would have cried too. It was just so raw and emotional and real. You could see the utter pain and anguish she was going through, but when it came time to perform, she hid it all for that performance. True professionalism.
I'm writing about this because I've been in a similar situation. Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with death and a performance, but something very similar. I won't go into detail, but there was a portion of my life when I was dealing with everything I knew basically falling apart in front of me. I was depressed and self-destructive. Needless to say, it wasn't the best part of my life. But thankfully, I was in a show during that time. If I hadn't been...well, I don't know what would have happened, but it wouldn't have been good. But I had the show to focus on, and that helped a bit.
When it got time to perform, this amazing thing happened. I did my normal thing, acting and all that jazz, but when it got to the last scene (which is uber emotional) it wasn't acting anymore. In that last scene I didn't have my bag of tricks or my isms...it was all me, in all my glory. The last scene had to deal with my character realizing how alone she is and she has to force the person she loves to come back home with her. And every night we performed, during that scene I dropped all my guards and let my emotions out. It was the best and the worst thing that could have happened it me. I buried all of my pain and anguish deep inside, because I wanted to be professional for the performance. So, like any normal person, it would come up at random moments, unhealthily. But with that scene, I was given the chance to unleash those emotions and purge everything out on that stage because it fit with the scene and the character. I got the chance to deal with everything without having to talk to anyone or make it a big deal. It was emotional purging at its finest.
And the funny thing is, I thought I was the only one who knew this. I had only told three people in the cast, but as others found out, they later told me that when they first heard it, and every night after, they knew that it was all real. A little too real maybe, lol
But, to tie it all together, people have tragedies in their lives, especially at the most inopportune times. But, sometimes you just have to bury it all and smile. And I think performing is one of the best ways to deal with it, because it forces you to focus on something different, or in my case be given the opportunity to deal with it in a different way.
To quote Judy Garland "Smile, though your heart is aching. Smile, even though it's breaking. Although there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by."
Day 54
My character for RROAPS is developing. I'm starting to feel like Michelle is becoming a real character now and not just a caricature. It's been difficult because Michelle is almost three different "entities" for each different scene. The first scene, she plays the prostitute yet she is a cat ready to pounce on her prey. The second scene she plays warrior princess. Third scene she plays the princess falling apart. And all this happens within 20 pages. That's mighty difficult my friend!
But I think it's coming along. My biggest concern is trying to make Michelle real. I don't want her to be a stereotype of all these different things. I want her to be a real character that is going through a lot.
I feel confident with our progress though. We are already doing run-throughs of the show. We blocked the whole show last week and are pretty confident with what we have so far. As I have said before, I don't feel like I can truly act with a script in my hands, so next week will be interesting since we have to be off-book by then. But I'm hearing things from other plays in RROAPS, and they seem to be farther behind than we are. So I feel good about our spot. We are nowhere near ready, but we're slowly getting there.
My character for RROAPS is developing. I'm starting to feel like Michelle is becoming a real character now and not just a caricature. It's been difficult because Michelle is almost three different "entities" for each different scene. The first scene, she plays the prostitute yet she is a cat ready to pounce on her prey. The second scene she plays warrior princess. Third scene she plays the princess falling apart. And all this happens within 20 pages. That's mighty difficult my friend!
But I think it's coming along. My biggest concern is trying to make Michelle real. I don't want her to be a stereotype of all these different things. I want her to be a real character that is going through a lot.
I feel confident with our progress though. We are already doing run-throughs of the show. We blocked the whole show last week and are pretty confident with what we have so far. As I have said before, I don't feel like I can truly act with a script in my hands, so next week will be interesting since we have to be off-book by then. But I'm hearing things from other plays in RROAPS, and they seem to be farther behind than we are. So I feel good about our spot. We are nowhere near ready, but we're slowly getting there.
Day 53
So "The Night of CATologues" actually happened!! Yesterday!!! It was such a crazy whirl of an experience. We met 3 hours before the performance and basically created the whole show. There were 7 actors, including me, who participated. We did our monologue and then did little skits in between. It turned out really well! We had about 20 people come, including 3 older men who heard about it and drove from Plainview to see it. That's crazy!!!
It gets me on a different subject, but it's sad that there's not more theatre like this out here. Just random, experimental type theatre. yeah, we've got your plays at the regular theatre, but what about a different type of theatre? Like a place for original works or a performance of cat monologues? Now that Limelight is disappearing, I'm scared about what that means for Lubbock. We'll always have LCT and Tech and other theatres in the area to produce plays, but I don't want that to be the only theatre offered for Lubbock. I want all types of theatre and performance art to be available. I don't know where you can do it now without worrying about censorship.
I wish there could be that theatre safe haven again. Where you can try and perform almost anything and not worry about the consequences. I'm worried we won't find a place like that here ever again.
So "The Night of CATologues" actually happened!! Yesterday!!! It was such a crazy whirl of an experience. We met 3 hours before the performance and basically created the whole show. There were 7 actors, including me, who participated. We did our monologue and then did little skits in between. It turned out really well! We had about 20 people come, including 3 older men who heard about it and drove from Plainview to see it. That's crazy!!!
It gets me on a different subject, but it's sad that there's not more theatre like this out here. Just random, experimental type theatre. yeah, we've got your plays at the regular theatre, but what about a different type of theatre? Like a place for original works or a performance of cat monologues? Now that Limelight is disappearing, I'm scared about what that means for Lubbock. We'll always have LCT and Tech and other theatres in the area to produce plays, but I don't want that to be the only theatre offered for Lubbock. I want all types of theatre and performance art to be available. I don't know where you can do it now without worrying about censorship.
I wish there could be that theatre safe haven again. Where you can try and perform almost anything and not worry about the consequences. I'm worried we won't find a place like that here ever again.
Day 52
So, yesterday, in between rehearsals and performance for "24-Hour Play Festival", I got to perform at the Underwood Center Gala. It's a crazy random happenstance how that got to be, but, long story short, the guy who directed "Children of a Lesser God", which was a show I did in October, won this highly honored art award. The gala was celebrating him, another group who won the award, and the anniversary of the center. His wife asked me and the male lead in the show to perform little bits from the show as a surprise for him. It was a great honor to do it for him and a lot of up there artsy people in Lubbock.
But, it was so weird doing it. It's weird going back to a role that you've basically drained out of you. I haven't looked or thought about that part since we closed the show, so to go back to that character was quite an experience. When I was putting on the costume I wore during the run of the show, I thought "Wow....this is eerie!" And not only was going back to the role weird, but just remembering who I was then too. It's only been 4 months, but sooo much has changed for me, personally and professionally. I was a different person back then, even though it was just a short time ago. I could never capture the performance I gave for that show, because I could never recreate who I was at that moment. It was interesting to think about me then and now. I've changed, but so much for the better. You can't help but learn from all your experiences, and evolve from there.
I think this role is one of the few roles I would love to be able to play again. But not now. I would love to do it, like, 10 years from now. I'll be such a better actor then, and my portrayal would be so different. I think it'd be an interesting experience for me.
So, yesterday, in between rehearsals and performance for "24-Hour Play Festival", I got to perform at the Underwood Center Gala. It's a crazy random happenstance how that got to be, but, long story short, the guy who directed "Children of a Lesser God", which was a show I did in October, won this highly honored art award. The gala was celebrating him, another group who won the award, and the anniversary of the center. His wife asked me and the male lead in the show to perform little bits from the show as a surprise for him. It was a great honor to do it for him and a lot of up there artsy people in Lubbock.
But, it was so weird doing it. It's weird going back to a role that you've basically drained out of you. I haven't looked or thought about that part since we closed the show, so to go back to that character was quite an experience. When I was putting on the costume I wore during the run of the show, I thought "Wow....this is eerie!" And not only was going back to the role weird, but just remembering who I was then too. It's only been 4 months, but sooo much has changed for me, personally and professionally. I was a different person back then, even though it was just a short time ago. I could never capture the performance I gave for that show, because I could never recreate who I was at that moment. It was interesting to think about me then and now. I've changed, but so much for the better. You can't help but learn from all your experiences, and evolve from there.
I think this role is one of the few roles I would love to be able to play again. But not now. I would love to do it, like, 10 years from now. I'll be such a better actor then, and my portrayal would be so different. I think it'd be an interesting experience for me.
Day 51
It's days like today that remind me why I love theatre.
Today was the "24-Hour Play Festival" at Tech. It only comes once a year, and even though I was busy, I decided that I had so much fun last year, I wanted to get the chance to do it again. So I'm going to write about my experience with it, and give a little info about the process of it all. This will be a long blog, to make up for all the short ones, but it'll be worth it.
The night before, 7 playwrights met at 8pm and were given props and two cast members each and told to write a ten-minute play. They stayed up all night writing their plays and finished around 7 am. Then they met with 7 directors and discussed their ideas for the play. Then we, the actors, showed up at 8am Saturday morning and the day began.
For me, I found out my cast and playwright early on, as in that Friday night. I was super excited! Then that morning I found out that I was in the one drama out of 7 comedies. And I thought...DAMNIT! lol No one wants to be in the drama. You want to be in a high energy comedy since you only get 10 hour to rehearse it. You want it to be fun! So I was a little peeved at the fact. So we go into rehearsals for the show, and we read it once and I thought "Ok, I this is interesting." Then we read it again out loud and I thought "Ok...ok, this is good. I can make this work." It was then that I had to adjust my expectations for the day. This was going to be an in-depth drama acting exercise. I wasn't going to goof around and be silly. I was going to get psychological and philosophical. As soon as I adjusted, that's where everything started.
It became this really great acting experience. We had to drive into these characters and break down each scene and find our motivation and wants/needs. I never did anything like it before. I won't go into detail, because it was a general rehearsal process, but it was fantastic. We got about 8 hours of rehearsal time, then I had to head over to a gala to perform a bit from "Children of a Lesser God", but that's for a different blog.
I got back to the theatre around 8:15, and the show started at 8pm. Each show got the chance to perform in front of a packed audience. I rushed in and got into my homeless garb. I wanted a full out costume because even if we didn't have dirty makeup, I wanted people to look at me and think that I could legitimately be homeless. So we're about to go on, and we start setting up the stage for our show. As soon as I walk out onstage I hear some giggles from the audience. I could only assume people were thinking, "Oh God, Christina is dressed like a hobo...I wonder what crazy show they're doing."
And oh boy, were they in for a surprise!
We performed and it was...magical. By no means was it a perfect show, but for me, it felt fantastic. I actually got emotional during the performance, and I had a gross wipe away snot moment haha. But I was totally into it and feeling it. After the whole show, I had a couple of people come up to me and tell me that they teared up or cried after watching our show, which makes me feel incredible. Not only did I feel that emotion and portray it to an audience, I made them feel something deep from it. And our playwright was all raves about the show, which is all you can ask for. In all honesty, every show was fantastic. They all turned out so well. I think this night of theatre is one of the best performances I've seen in Lubbock since I've been here. It was that entertaining.
Afterward, I think everyone, including me, felt so rejuvenated. Everyone had a fantastic night. And for me, it only reminded me why I do what I do. The feeling you get after a night like that...there is just no comparison. I felt so accomplished and my artistic side felt complete again.
I'm glad for these moments. I just want to save them for those days where I question why I chose theatre as my profession. I wish I had more days like this, but when they come around I appreciate them even more since they are so scarce.
It's days like today that remind me why I love theatre.
Today was the "24-Hour Play Festival" at Tech. It only comes once a year, and even though I was busy, I decided that I had so much fun last year, I wanted to get the chance to do it again. So I'm going to write about my experience with it, and give a little info about the process of it all. This will be a long blog, to make up for all the short ones, but it'll be worth it.
The night before, 7 playwrights met at 8pm and were given props and two cast members each and told to write a ten-minute play. They stayed up all night writing their plays and finished around 7 am. Then they met with 7 directors and discussed their ideas for the play. Then we, the actors, showed up at 8am Saturday morning and the day began.
For me, I found out my cast and playwright early on, as in that Friday night. I was super excited! Then that morning I found out that I was in the one drama out of 7 comedies. And I thought...DAMNIT! lol No one wants to be in the drama. You want to be in a high energy comedy since you only get 10 hour to rehearse it. You want it to be fun! So I was a little peeved at the fact. So we go into rehearsals for the show, and we read it once and I thought "Ok, I this is interesting." Then we read it again out loud and I thought "Ok...ok, this is good. I can make this work." It was then that I had to adjust my expectations for the day. This was going to be an in-depth drama acting exercise. I wasn't going to goof around and be silly. I was going to get psychological and philosophical. As soon as I adjusted, that's where everything started.
It became this really great acting experience. We had to drive into these characters and break down each scene and find our motivation and wants/needs. I never did anything like it before. I won't go into detail, because it was a general rehearsal process, but it was fantastic. We got about 8 hours of rehearsal time, then I had to head over to a gala to perform a bit from "Children of a Lesser God", but that's for a different blog.
I got back to the theatre around 8:15, and the show started at 8pm. Each show got the chance to perform in front of a packed audience. I rushed in and got into my homeless garb. I wanted a full out costume because even if we didn't have dirty makeup, I wanted people to look at me and think that I could legitimately be homeless. So we're about to go on, and we start setting up the stage for our show. As soon as I walk out onstage I hear some giggles from the audience. I could only assume people were thinking, "Oh God, Christina is dressed like a hobo...I wonder what crazy show they're doing."
And oh boy, were they in for a surprise!
We performed and it was...magical. By no means was it a perfect show, but for me, it felt fantastic. I actually got emotional during the performance, and I had a gross wipe away snot moment haha. But I was totally into it and feeling it. After the whole show, I had a couple of people come up to me and tell me that they teared up or cried after watching our show, which makes me feel incredible. Not only did I feel that emotion and portray it to an audience, I made them feel something deep from it. And our playwright was all raves about the show, which is all you can ask for. In all honesty, every show was fantastic. They all turned out so well. I think this night of theatre is one of the best performances I've seen in Lubbock since I've been here. It was that entertaining.
Afterward, I think everyone, including me, felt so rejuvenated. Everyone had a fantastic night. And for me, it only reminded me why I do what I do. The feeling you get after a night like that...there is just no comparison. I felt so accomplished and my artistic side felt complete again.
I'm glad for these moments. I just want to save them for those days where I question why I chose theatre as my profession. I wish I had more days like this, but when they come around I appreciate them even more since they are so scarce.
Day 49
So next year's season was posted, which surprised the hell out of me because last year it didn't happen until after Spring Break. They didn't eve tell us they were going to announce it. So it just randomly appeared on the callboard today and shocked everyone. And, guess what??? No one's suggestions were in the season! Surprise Surprise! Thumbs down Tech, thumbs down.
The shows are a mixture of really awesome and "WTF???" shows. "Equus" would definitely be a WTF show. It's our classical play for the year, but everyone heard that it would be a Shakespeare show, so this one is quite a shocker. And the fact that there is nudity involved makes it even more interesting. I'm not sure how the general West Texas audience is going to react the full-frontal nudity, or if they'll even keep it in the show. We're also doing "Footloose" for our musical, which disappoints me a lot. When I think of "Footloose" I think of Kevin Bacon and horrible high school productions. We could have done so many other awesome musicals! Urinetown? Reefer Madness? [title of show]? Batboy? But let's do the 80's version of "Grease" that every big high school has done at least twice. Just disappointing.
Now, on the other hand, we're doing "Anton in Showbusiness" which is a 6 female only comedy. Three of those roles play multiple characters. This is my kind of show. This is the one show next year that I am going to work on to make. I will be really disappointed in myself if I don't.
I'm very anxious to see the lab season too. I feel like I really only have a legitimate shot at one mainstage show, maybe 2, so the lab shows are my only other chances. One of the shows I heard that might be considered would be super fun, so i hope that it gets chosen. It probably won't because it's kind of racy, but we'll see. I'm already ready for next year.
So next year's season was posted, which surprised the hell out of me because last year it didn't happen until after Spring Break. They didn't eve tell us they were going to announce it. So it just randomly appeared on the callboard today and shocked everyone. And, guess what??? No one's suggestions were in the season! Surprise Surprise! Thumbs down Tech, thumbs down.
The shows are a mixture of really awesome and "WTF???" shows. "Equus" would definitely be a WTF show. It's our classical play for the year, but everyone heard that it would be a Shakespeare show, so this one is quite a shocker. And the fact that there is nudity involved makes it even more interesting. I'm not sure how the general West Texas audience is going to react the full-frontal nudity, or if they'll even keep it in the show. We're also doing "Footloose" for our musical, which disappoints me a lot. When I think of "Footloose" I think of Kevin Bacon and horrible high school productions. We could have done so many other awesome musicals! Urinetown? Reefer Madness? [title of show]? Batboy? But let's do the 80's version of "Grease" that every big high school has done at least twice. Just disappointing.
Now, on the other hand, we're doing "Anton in Showbusiness" which is a 6 female only comedy. Three of those roles play multiple characters. This is my kind of show. This is the one show next year that I am going to work on to make. I will be really disappointed in myself if I don't.
I'm very anxious to see the lab season too. I feel like I really only have a legitimate shot at one mainstage show, maybe 2, so the lab shows are my only other chances. One of the shows I heard that might be considered would be super fun, so i hope that it gets chosen. It probably won't because it's kind of racy, but we'll see. I'm already ready for next year.
Day 48
I sometimes wonder where the line exists between keeping yourself involved and over committing yourself.
I am the master at walking along this line, as are a lot of people I know in the theatre world. It's very very rare that good actors aren't in multiple projects of varying degrees at one time. There's that mentality that good actors are always working in some sense, and I find that to be true a lot of the time. But I sometimes wonder how much is too much? Is there a point when you have to turn projects down because it would be too much to handle?
Last semester I almost lost balance on that line. I did waaaaay too many projects without a break, and I almost lost my mind. But I learned things from each project I was involved with, so I don't regret being involved with it. This semester is slowly turning into that again, except this time I'm doing other projects that don't really involve acting. I'm taking a more activities organizer role, especially with APO. I've started all these little projects that take as much work, if not more, than actually acting in a show. And me, being the perfectionist I am, has to finish everything that I start. So now I'm juggling a classes, a show, a film-like thing, APO, these activities, and a semi-social life. I'll have some moments where I just stop and ask myself why am I doing all this?
I know I need to say no sometimes, but I love this theatre thing too damn much. And I want to share my ideas and be involved as much as possible. Over-committing is part of the territory with theatre, and I'm not the only one who is in the situation. At least there are others who understand the stress and can sympathize.
I sometimes wonder where the line exists between keeping yourself involved and over committing yourself.
I am the master at walking along this line, as are a lot of people I know in the theatre world. It's very very rare that good actors aren't in multiple projects of varying degrees at one time. There's that mentality that good actors are always working in some sense, and I find that to be true a lot of the time. But I sometimes wonder how much is too much? Is there a point when you have to turn projects down because it would be too much to handle?
Last semester I almost lost balance on that line. I did waaaaay too many projects without a break, and I almost lost my mind. But I learned things from each project I was involved with, so I don't regret being involved with it. This semester is slowly turning into that again, except this time I'm doing other projects that don't really involve acting. I'm taking a more activities organizer role, especially with APO. I've started all these little projects that take as much work, if not more, than actually acting in a show. And me, being the perfectionist I am, has to finish everything that I start. So now I'm juggling a classes, a show, a film-like thing, APO, these activities, and a semi-social life. I'll have some moments where I just stop and ask myself why am I doing all this?
I know I need to say no sometimes, but I love this theatre thing too damn much. And I want to share my ideas and be involved as much as possible. Over-committing is part of the territory with theatre, and I'm not the only one who is in the situation. At least there are others who understand the stress and can sympathize.
Day 47
Being a prostitute is hard work.
We worked on blocking the first scene for the show in which I'm basically seducing this guy. There's a lot of movement, and kissing, and caressing, and smooth moves....it's just tiring. At the end of the rehearsal I was exhausted. I can't imagine what prostitutes must feel like when they have to do that as their job, lol
Blocking this scene also made me realize how utterly clumsy and awkward I am. I've gotten better than I was when I first started playing the whore roles. Experience helps you with that haha. But I'm still just not a sexy person. Every time I try to be sexy I feel like I'm just being a goof. I almost see myself as someone like Carol Burnett trying to be sexy. It just comes off as funny. My mind just tells me "Do this!" and it comes off as comedy more than seduction. It's all really a mindset though. I don't see myself as sexy in real life, so it doesn't translate to the stage at all.
I also started wondering what I'm going to wear for the show. Like, how does a prostitute who is really an alien warrior princess dress? And I have to take some clothes off, which I'm used to doing that on stage, but I'm not sure how everyone will react to that. The Tech audience is used to seeing dudes take off clothes, but not really women. I'm used to taking off clothes on stage now, which is a funny thing to say. Limelight prepared me for that. After you've been naked or partially naked onstage, nothing else really phases you. 10 page monologue? I can do it! You want me to juggle and breathe fire out of my nose? Pshaw! I've been in my skivvies in front of hundreds of people...I can tackle anything now!
Being a prostitute is hard work.
We worked on blocking the first scene for the show in which I'm basically seducing this guy. There's a lot of movement, and kissing, and caressing, and smooth moves....it's just tiring. At the end of the rehearsal I was exhausted. I can't imagine what prostitutes must feel like when they have to do that as their job, lol
Blocking this scene also made me realize how utterly clumsy and awkward I am. I've gotten better than I was when I first started playing the whore roles. Experience helps you with that haha. But I'm still just not a sexy person. Every time I try to be sexy I feel like I'm just being a goof. I almost see myself as someone like Carol Burnett trying to be sexy. It just comes off as funny. My mind just tells me "Do this!" and it comes off as comedy more than seduction. It's all really a mindset though. I don't see myself as sexy in real life, so it doesn't translate to the stage at all.
I also started wondering what I'm going to wear for the show. Like, how does a prostitute who is really an alien warrior princess dress? And I have to take some clothes off, which I'm used to doing that on stage, but I'm not sure how everyone will react to that. The Tech audience is used to seeing dudes take off clothes, but not really women. I'm used to taking off clothes on stage now, which is a funny thing to say. Limelight prepared me for that. After you've been naked or partially naked onstage, nothing else really phases you. 10 page monologue? I can do it! You want me to juggle and breathe fire out of my nose? Pshaw! I've been in my skivvies in front of hundreds of people...I can tackle anything now!
Day 46
Well, first rehearsal of the show is over with, and I still feel good. We got an updated version of the script and got the chance to read through it. I didn't realize how layered the show was. I read the semi-first version of it, and I guess I just focused on the comedy so much. There are some really great dramatic moments stuck in there too. This excites me a lot because I love getting the chance to work in a tragicomedy. At Tech I think (and partially know) that I'm pigeon-holed as a comedic actress. All the roles I've had or been considered for at Tech have been comedic. I haven't gotten the chance to do a dramatic role. That's why I love doing shows off campus because they don't know me as well, so they are more likely to give me a shot at a drama. I can do both, I promise you! But this show gives me the chance to do both, and I'm super excited about that! Maybe it'll show some people that I am capable of doing both.
On another note, let me just say how much I despise read-throughs. Not because of the actual act of reading through a script, because I think it's necessary for a cast together and actually hear the script read for the first time by the cast. I just don't like myself and read-throughs. I'm an avid believer that true acting doesn't happen until the script is out of your hands. Everything else is just laying a foundation for character and slowly building up to the point where you can act. A script is like a security blanket that holds you back from reaching that next level. So, while I like to hear the script read for the first time, I feel utterly useless saying these words without action or movement to go along with it. I don't feel motivation to say the lines except just to read it out loud. And I worry sometimes that people judge me by my read throughs and wonder why I'm even there. I don't let it get to me, but I just assume that happens.
I'm just not good at read-throughs. It's something I need to work on.
Well, first rehearsal of the show is over with, and I still feel good. We got an updated version of the script and got the chance to read through it. I didn't realize how layered the show was. I read the semi-first version of it, and I guess I just focused on the comedy so much. There are some really great dramatic moments stuck in there too. This excites me a lot because I love getting the chance to work in a tragicomedy. At Tech I think (and partially know) that I'm pigeon-holed as a comedic actress. All the roles I've had or been considered for at Tech have been comedic. I haven't gotten the chance to do a dramatic role. That's why I love doing shows off campus because they don't know me as well, so they are more likely to give me a shot at a drama. I can do both, I promise you! But this show gives me the chance to do both, and I'm super excited about that! Maybe it'll show some people that I am capable of doing both.
On another note, let me just say how much I despise read-throughs. Not because of the actual act of reading through a script, because I think it's necessary for a cast together and actually hear the script read for the first time by the cast. I just don't like myself and read-throughs. I'm an avid believer that true acting doesn't happen until the script is out of your hands. Everything else is just laying a foundation for character and slowly building up to the point where you can act. A script is like a security blanket that holds you back from reaching that next level. So, while I like to hear the script read for the first time, I feel utterly useless saying these words without action or movement to go along with it. I don't feel motivation to say the lines except just to read it out loud. And I worry sometimes that people judge me by my read throughs and wonder why I'm even there. I don't let it get to me, but I just assume that happens.
I'm just not good at read-throughs. It's something I need to work on.
Day 45
I'm ready to get back into the swing of things of a show. This is the first time in a year and a half that I've had this long of a break in between shows. I've always jumped from one show to another immediately, or with like a 1 or 2 week break. But, I really think I need this break. I've been going 100 mph for a while now, so to just have the time to breathe and enjoy staying home at night and actually having time for homework is refreshing.
But now I'm ready to go back to show-mode. I miss the rehearsal process, and how frustrating and fulfilling it is all at the same time. I'm really looking forward to this play, too. I've always had issues with one-acts. Every one-act that I've been in has had some fatal flaw to it. I usually get the shitty role, or sometimes I'll get a decent one but the direction or script is wonky. I just have a hate-hate relationship with one acts. But I'm cautiously optimistic about this one. I have a great role in a great script with a great director and great cast. All signs are pointing to yes. But we haven't started yet, so all of that could change. But right now I'm excited about this new show. We'll see how it goes, but I'm looking forward to it.
I'm ready to get back into the swing of things of a show. This is the first time in a year and a half that I've had this long of a break in between shows. I've always jumped from one show to another immediately, or with like a 1 or 2 week break. But, I really think I need this break. I've been going 100 mph for a while now, so to just have the time to breathe and enjoy staying home at night and actually having time for homework is refreshing.
But now I'm ready to go back to show-mode. I miss the rehearsal process, and how frustrating and fulfilling it is all at the same time. I'm really looking forward to this play, too. I've always had issues with one-acts. Every one-act that I've been in has had some fatal flaw to it. I usually get the shitty role, or sometimes I'll get a decent one but the direction or script is wonky. I just have a hate-hate relationship with one acts. But I'm cautiously optimistic about this one. I have a great role in a great script with a great director and great cast. All signs are pointing to yes. But we haven't started yet, so all of that could change. But right now I'm excited about this new show. We'll see how it goes, but I'm looking forward to it.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
"In no time we should have the most exciting theatre in the world.” - Robert Edmond Jones
Day 44
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/07/28/theater/20090728_NIGHT_SLIDESHOW_index.html?scp=97&sq=theater&st=m
Another geeky, NY Times article moment. I found this slideshow randomly while I was just surfing the site. It's about this show that was basically staged in the middle of a street. The audience members were in their cars and were given headphones or a radio station to be able to listen to what the actors were saying. How amazingly awesome is that???
I've been milling around the idea of doing something like that for a while now. Last summer, when I thought that I was going to be in Midland for the break, I thought about doing an outdoor show. My idea was to do "A Zoo Story" in an actual park. I love the idea of placing shows in the place that they are really set. I would kill to do "Midsummer Night's Dream" in a park with a bunch of trees and bushes and stuff. Or the Norman Conquests with "Round and Round the Garden" in a garden. I just would love to do a different type of theatrical experience for the theatre going audience. Maybe that's why I'm so into doing the whole Catalogue thing. I want to do something un-ordinary.
Maybe my senior year I can take on a project like that. I think I'm a fairly good director, but of course still learning. Doing something like this would be very interesting and different. I may put this in the back of my mind for a while until I have some time to do it.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/07/28/theater/20090728_NIGHT_SLIDESHOW_index.html?scp=97&sq=theater&st=m
Another geeky, NY Times article moment. I found this slideshow randomly while I was just surfing the site. It's about this show that was basically staged in the middle of a street. The audience members were in their cars and were given headphones or a radio station to be able to listen to what the actors were saying. How amazingly awesome is that???
I've been milling around the idea of doing something like that for a while now. Last summer, when I thought that I was going to be in Midland for the break, I thought about doing an outdoor show. My idea was to do "A Zoo Story" in an actual park. I love the idea of placing shows in the place that they are really set. I would kill to do "Midsummer Night's Dream" in a park with a bunch of trees and bushes and stuff. Or the Norman Conquests with "Round and Round the Garden" in a garden. I just would love to do a different type of theatrical experience for the theatre going audience. Maybe that's why I'm so into doing the whole Catalogue thing. I want to do something un-ordinary.
Maybe my senior year I can take on a project like that. I think I'm a fairly good director, but of course still learning. Doing something like this would be very interesting and different. I may put this in the back of my mind for a while until I have some time to do it.
“We have art to save ourselves from the truth.” - Friedrich Nietzsche
Day 43
I went to see the lab show tonight. I'm not going to critique it, because like I said before, I'm not going to "bad-mouth" actors, even if it could be helpful. But I'll talk about the whole idea of working with a new show.
I've had the lucky opportunity to work with a lot of new scripts. 7 to be exact. Which is really awesome. It is a blessing and a curse when getting to work with a new script. It's awesome because you get to create a role in its purest form. No one has touched it! You get to go in whatever direction you want to. And you set the standard for that part. Anybody that performs that role after you is just following in your footsteps, no matter how different they make the role. It's an amazing feeling to know. On the other hand, there's a lot of freedom that sometimes becomes overwhelming. There have been a couple of times where I hit a roadblock because I didn't know which direction to go with my character. There are so many possibilities and it gets to you sometimes.
I enjoy working with original scripts a lot. A lot more than doing classical plays, that's for sure. I suggest that every actor should work with an original script at least once in their career, and I think that if you are serious about acting you'll probably work on these projects more than once. It's a good acting experience.
I went to see the lab show tonight. I'm not going to critique it, because like I said before, I'm not going to "bad-mouth" actors, even if it could be helpful. But I'll talk about the whole idea of working with a new show.
I've had the lucky opportunity to work with a lot of new scripts. 7 to be exact. Which is really awesome. It is a blessing and a curse when getting to work with a new script. It's awesome because you get to create a role in its purest form. No one has touched it! You get to go in whatever direction you want to. And you set the standard for that part. Anybody that performs that role after you is just following in your footsteps, no matter how different they make the role. It's an amazing feeling to know. On the other hand, there's a lot of freedom that sometimes becomes overwhelming. There have been a couple of times where I hit a roadblock because I didn't know which direction to go with my character. There are so many possibilities and it gets to you sometimes.
I enjoy working with original scripts a lot. A lot more than doing classical plays, that's for sure. I suggest that every actor should work with an original script at least once in their career, and I think that if you are serious about acting you'll probably work on these projects more than once. It's a good acting experience.
"Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art"- Stanislavski
Day 42
Another interesting Theatre History conversation we had in class on Thursday. We started getting into Realism and Modernsim, and then we started discussing Stanislavski and his acting method. Our professor told us that this was pretty much the first time the acting method was written out and is the basis for modern acting today. It's interesting because our school is Stanislavski based. We are getting a little bit of Meisner, but good ole Stan is the main focus at this school. It was interesting to read his book last year for my previous princples II class. There's a lot of his info that is almost common sense stuff that you do while acting and don't even realize it. Then there's a lot of stuff, like how we basically have to re-learn how to do everything on a stage to make it natural. That's true though, because there are so many times that doing something like, eating a cookie can turn into a full out production when you're doing it in a show.
I enjoy The Method. If I had to categorize myself as a specific type of actor, it would be Method. I don't like to limit myself to that though. I really want to learn all the different styles. I like to take things that really work for me and use them, so I don't necessarily label myself as one specific style. We really don't get the chance to learn other styles,, which I think is a detriment to us in the long-run. I would give anything to just do a week with Viewpoints, or something like that. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the method, I just want to branch out sometimes.
Another interesting Theatre History conversation we had in class on Thursday. We started getting into Realism and Modernsim, and then we started discussing Stanislavski and his acting method. Our professor told us that this was pretty much the first time the acting method was written out and is the basis for modern acting today. It's interesting because our school is Stanislavski based. We are getting a little bit of Meisner, but good ole Stan is the main focus at this school. It was interesting to read his book last year for my previous princples II class. There's a lot of his info that is almost common sense stuff that you do while acting and don't even realize it. Then there's a lot of stuff, like how we basically have to re-learn how to do everything on a stage to make it natural. That's true though, because there are so many times that doing something like, eating a cookie can turn into a full out production when you're doing it in a show.
I enjoy The Method. If I had to categorize myself as a specific type of actor, it would be Method. I don't like to limit myself to that though. I really want to learn all the different styles. I like to take things that really work for me and use them, so I don't necessarily label myself as one specific style. We really don't get the chance to learn other styles,, which I think is a detriment to us in the long-run. I would give anything to just do a week with Viewpoints, or something like that. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the method, I just want to branch out sometimes.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
"As the purpose of comedy is to correct the vices of men, I see no reason why anyone should be exempt." -Moliere
Day 41
I'm not much of a classical theatre person. I haven't read or seen a lot of those types of plays, so I don't have any attachment to that type of theatre. I finally got the chance to read "The Miser" by Moliere and completely fell in love. I didn't realize how funny his plays are, or at least this one. There is the master/servant relationships within the play that make for a lot of funny scenes. Servants that try and rise up to surpass the master, and masters that are timid or just plain dumb. There's almost a vaudeville type style to this play. It could be very over-the-top and crazy at some moments. Almost a broad comedy, which I adore.
One thing I don't like, which is the case with a lot of classical plays, is the lack of female characters, or at least female characters with substance. When dealing with "The Miser", if you ask me what part I would like to play, I would probably list at least 3 male roles before saying any of the female characters. They are just so boring compared to all the guys in the show. It almost seems like they're just there for decoration, or to be idolized by the lead male character. This is why I don't suggest classical plays for the university to do, because for every one female character there are at least 3 male characters. I would love to watch, but I don't want to have to audition and almost dumb down the acting a little bit. But don't get me wrong, I'm not lessening the female roles. There still is a lot of acting involved, but not as complex as a lot of modern female roles today.
So, to conclude, thumbs up for Moliere, thumbs down for lack of good female roles, and thumbs up for theatre in general. Huzzah.
I'm not much of a classical theatre person. I haven't read or seen a lot of those types of plays, so I don't have any attachment to that type of theatre. I finally got the chance to read "The Miser" by Moliere and completely fell in love. I didn't realize how funny his plays are, or at least this one. There is the master/servant relationships within the play that make for a lot of funny scenes. Servants that try and rise up to surpass the master, and masters that are timid or just plain dumb. There's almost a vaudeville type style to this play. It could be very over-the-top and crazy at some moments. Almost a broad comedy, which I adore.
One thing I don't like, which is the case with a lot of classical plays, is the lack of female characters, or at least female characters with substance. When dealing with "The Miser", if you ask me what part I would like to play, I would probably list at least 3 male roles before saying any of the female characters. They are just so boring compared to all the guys in the show. It almost seems like they're just there for decoration, or to be idolized by the lead male character. This is why I don't suggest classical plays for the university to do, because for every one female character there are at least 3 male characters. I would love to watch, but I don't want to have to audition and almost dumb down the acting a little bit. But don't get me wrong, I'm not lessening the female roles. There still is a lot of acting involved, but not as complex as a lot of modern female roles today.
So, to conclude, thumbs up for Moliere, thumbs down for lack of good female roles, and thumbs up for theatre in general. Huzzah.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Huh, what a crazy random happenstance!
Day 40
I auditioned for Lubbock Moonlight Musicals tonight. I wasn't sure if I was going to or not. It's a little scary deciding what your summer could possibly be in early February. But I thought this would be a great shot at something that I really don't get to do anymore.
I used to consider myself a musical person. All through high school I did a couple of musicals at the community theatre. And I got really good parts. Then I got into college and that wasn't the case. I was a little shocked at first, but now I realize my limitations. I'm not a great singer. I can carry a tune and sell a song, but I'm never going to be on Broadway (for a musical, anyways :) ). I've really missed that part of my theatre/acting career. Musicals are what really brought me into considering theatre as my life quest. And, if you haven't already figured out, I am a musical junkie. I always wish that I could be in these musicals that I love so dearly. But I've accepted that I won't at the college level because I just don't have the singing chops to make it.
However, I do plan on being Miss Hannigan before I die. I don't care who I have to sleep with or kill, I will play that role eventually!
But anyways, I digress. The audition went very well. I sang my little heart out with my character actress song. They mentioned that I have a really impressive resume, which I think I do and I'm very proud of. And they talked about how they liked me in some of my previous work I've done at Tech and in the community. It pays to be crazy and do 50 bajillion shows at once because it only takes one for them to see and remember you.
Crazy random happenstance moment: The director asked me where I am originally from and what high school I went to. I told him and he replied "You don't remember me, do you?" I said no, and he proceeded to mention that he remembered me at Lee when they brought a performance series with a couple of opera singers who performed at the Lee auditorium. Then it hit me! I don't necessarily remember him, but I remember helping out with that. We got a full day off of school and got to help set up and watch the opera singers perform. The fact that he remembered that after six years is crazy random! Especially now that I have bangs! lol
So, crossing my fingers for some good results. I'm not expecting a lead of any kind. I would be extremely happy just to make it as an ensemble character. I'd just like to try something new for the summer. I want to be in a happy musical again!
I auditioned for Lubbock Moonlight Musicals tonight. I wasn't sure if I was going to or not. It's a little scary deciding what your summer could possibly be in early February. But I thought this would be a great shot at something that I really don't get to do anymore.
I used to consider myself a musical person. All through high school I did a couple of musicals at the community theatre. And I got really good parts. Then I got into college and that wasn't the case. I was a little shocked at first, but now I realize my limitations. I'm not a great singer. I can carry a tune and sell a song, but I'm never going to be on Broadway (for a musical, anyways :) ). I've really missed that part of my theatre/acting career. Musicals are what really brought me into considering theatre as my life quest. And, if you haven't already figured out, I am a musical junkie. I always wish that I could be in these musicals that I love so dearly. But I've accepted that I won't at the college level because I just don't have the singing chops to make it.
However, I do plan on being Miss Hannigan before I die. I don't care who I have to sleep with or kill, I will play that role eventually!
But anyways, I digress. The audition went very well. I sang my little heart out with my character actress song. They mentioned that I have a really impressive resume, which I think I do and I'm very proud of. And they talked about how they liked me in some of my previous work I've done at Tech and in the community. It pays to be crazy and do 50 bajillion shows at once because it only takes one for them to see and remember you.
Crazy random happenstance moment: The director asked me where I am originally from and what high school I went to. I told him and he replied "You don't remember me, do you?" I said no, and he proceeded to mention that he remembered me at Lee when they brought a performance series with a couple of opera singers who performed at the Lee auditorium. Then it hit me! I don't necessarily remember him, but I remember helping out with that. We got a full day off of school and got to help set up and watch the opera singers perform. The fact that he remembered that after six years is crazy random! Especially now that I have bangs! lol
So, crossing my fingers for some good results. I'm not expecting a lead of any kind. I would be extremely happy just to make it as an ensemble character. I'd just like to try something new for the summer. I want to be in a happy musical again!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Cause some days I think I'm dying, but I'm really only trying to get through...
Day 39
KL;DJF;AKJFAKDSFNCSINJMDLAKFDAK;FJKD;NFAKDJCNAKDFANFCJK!
That can best describe how my day went in Principles II today.
I don't normally get so frustrated in class, and if I do it's usually at myself. But today I just got so peeved. I don't know what it was.
Well, yes I do. I feel like I'm going to be "that bitchy girl" in class now. We're still doing the character scenes and after they are done the class gets to critique them. And all everybody is saying is good things. This was good, that was great, I liked this moment. There are only a few other critiques. And so, I want to help them out. They aren't going to learn anything from people telling them how good they were when there are things that didn't work. So I'm chiming in with negative critiques. Stuff that I saw that didn't work or didn't feel right. And so now I feel like I'm a bitch because I'm the only one that's saying anything bad!
But at the same time, I don't feel like a bitch. I have their best interest at heart. If I was a real bitch, I would just say mean things for the hell of it. I'm not. I'm giving them legitimate critiques that will help them out. Things that they may not have even noticed. I guess I'm frustrated because I came from another principles II class that wasn't afraid to be negative. If there was something that didn't work, someone would bring it up and we could discuss it. I guess I took that for granted. I guess it might be because about 85% of the class are freshmen or new students. Or maybe I'm just expecting too much out of them. I don't know.
I just want that mentality back. I want to be in a classroom environment where we can be completely honest with each other and learn and grow from that. If I suck, I want somebody to tell me that I suck. It may it me hard, but it would be a lot worse to not hear it and go through life thinking everything is fine. If you are going to do this acting thing for real, you are going to hear that and much worse from the outside world. If you can't take it, then find a new profession. I can take it. I want to hear it if it's true. BE HONEST!!!
I just want to grow as an actor, is that too much to ask???
KL;DJF;AKJFAKDSFNCSINJMDLAKFDAK;FJKD;NFAKDJCNAKDFANFCJK!
That can best describe how my day went in Principles II today.
I don't normally get so frustrated in class, and if I do it's usually at myself. But today I just got so peeved. I don't know what it was.
Well, yes I do. I feel like I'm going to be "that bitchy girl" in class now. We're still doing the character scenes and after they are done the class gets to critique them. And all everybody is saying is good things. This was good, that was great, I liked this moment. There are only a few other critiques. And so, I want to help them out. They aren't going to learn anything from people telling them how good they were when there are things that didn't work. So I'm chiming in with negative critiques. Stuff that I saw that didn't work or didn't feel right. And so now I feel like I'm a bitch because I'm the only one that's saying anything bad!
But at the same time, I don't feel like a bitch. I have their best interest at heart. If I was a real bitch, I would just say mean things for the hell of it. I'm not. I'm giving them legitimate critiques that will help them out. Things that they may not have even noticed. I guess I'm frustrated because I came from another principles II class that wasn't afraid to be negative. If there was something that didn't work, someone would bring it up and we could discuss it. I guess I took that for granted. I guess it might be because about 85% of the class are freshmen or new students. Or maybe I'm just expecting too much out of them. I don't know.
I just want that mentality back. I want to be in a classroom environment where we can be completely honest with each other and learn and grow from that. If I suck, I want somebody to tell me that I suck. It may it me hard, but it would be a lot worse to not hear it and go through life thinking everything is fine. If you are going to do this acting thing for real, you are going to hear that and much worse from the outside world. If you can't take it, then find a new profession. I can take it. I want to hear it if it's true. BE HONEST!!!
I just want to grow as an actor, is that too much to ask???
Ya we're gonna see a movie, starring everybody and me!
Day 38
Well, it actually happened. We started shooting scenes for "The Bard's Bane" today. And let me tell you, nothing makes me feel more like a fail actor then getting up in front of a camera. It's a completely different acting beast. And I realized that going in, but I guess I didn't know the true measure of it until we actually started acting.
We filmed a scene between my character, who is the secretary, and her boss, who owns the theatre. It was just a short, 2 1/2 pg scene, but it took us about 3 hours to film it. Grant it, we did have to basically create an office out of nothing, so that took a while. But there are so many little details that you have to take into consideration. You have to do the scene in sections, depending on camera angles and how much movement is involved in the scene. Then, on top of all that, you get to worry about your acting.
As I've said before, I'm a big, over-the-top actress, so toning stuff down is a little hard for me. I think I did a pretty good job after a while. I learned it's really all about being natural, but really thinking about everything that's going on. It's not like onstage where you can get away with just standing there and looking involved. The camera picks up eeeeeevvvvveeeeerrrrrrrryyyyyyyy little detail, so you can't half-ass your way through it. You have to be constantly listening and reacting. Which, you should probably being doing that in theatre too; but it's much easier to get away with not doing it.
I know I was probably really stiff at first because I had no idea what I was doing. I felt like I was in 7th grade again trying to get up onstage for the first time. But after we rehearsed a couple of times and did a couple of takes, I got more in the groove of everything. I'm interested to see how I look and sound on camera. I always hated watching myself on tape in dance recitals or past performance, so I bet this will be the same. I just pray that I don't suck hard core.
Well, it actually happened. We started shooting scenes for "The Bard's Bane" today. And let me tell you, nothing makes me feel more like a fail actor then getting up in front of a camera. It's a completely different acting beast. And I realized that going in, but I guess I didn't know the true measure of it until we actually started acting.
We filmed a scene between my character, who is the secretary, and her boss, who owns the theatre. It was just a short, 2 1/2 pg scene, but it took us about 3 hours to film it. Grant it, we did have to basically create an office out of nothing, so that took a while. But there are so many little details that you have to take into consideration. You have to do the scene in sections, depending on camera angles and how much movement is involved in the scene. Then, on top of all that, you get to worry about your acting.
As I've said before, I'm a big, over-the-top actress, so toning stuff down is a little hard for me. I think I did a pretty good job after a while. I learned it's really all about being natural, but really thinking about everything that's going on. It's not like onstage where you can get away with just standing there and looking involved. The camera picks up eeeeeevvvvveeeeerrrrrrrryyyyyyyy little detail, so you can't half-ass your way through it. You have to be constantly listening and reacting. Which, you should probably being doing that in theatre too; but it's much easier to get away with not doing it.
I know I was probably really stiff at first because I had no idea what I was doing. I felt like I was in 7th grade again trying to get up onstage for the first time. But after we rehearsed a couple of times and did a couple of takes, I got more in the groove of everything. I'm interested to see how I look and sound on camera. I always hated watching myself on tape in dance recitals or past performance, so I bet this will be the same. I just pray that I don't suck hard core.
I want to be a part of it, New York, New York!
Day 37
Well, I am pleased to inform you that I, Christina Jones, am officially booked to fly out to NYC over Spring Break!
HUZZAH!!
This whole idea started in August, when me and a friend of mine were eating at Ruby Tequila's and I was in a horrible place in my life. We decided that we were either going to NYC over spring break or the study abroad program they have through the school. So we discussed it and decided to try for NYC because it would be cheaper. We both have been there before and done the touristy things...Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, etc. But neither of us had seen a lot of the shows. I've seen Wicked twice and The Lion King, but I really wanted the chance to see more. So, our trip is completely dedicated to seeing shows. We are theatre majors after all.
So, besides paying for flight and hotel, most of our money is going to tickets for Broadway musicals. So far, we plan to see Next to Normal, Hair, A Little Night Music, God of Carnage, Rock of Ages, and The Adams Family. Which means I have the chance to be in the same room as Angela Lansberry, Catherine Zeta Jones, Lucy Lui, Nathan Lane, Jeff Daniels, Bebe Neuworth, Alice Ripley....OMG to the max!!!
So, needless to say I'm super pumped about this trip. Now that we've booked and paid for the flight makes it official. It still doesn't seem real, though. It probably won't hit me until we get on a plane that I'm making one of my dreams come true...going to New York City and only seeing musicals. It is truly heaven on Earth for me. So, more details to come!
Well, I am pleased to inform you that I, Christina Jones, am officially booked to fly out to NYC over Spring Break!
HUZZAH!!
This whole idea started in August, when me and a friend of mine were eating at Ruby Tequila's and I was in a horrible place in my life. We decided that we were either going to NYC over spring break or the study abroad program they have through the school. So we discussed it and decided to try for NYC because it would be cheaper. We both have been there before and done the touristy things...Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, etc. But neither of us had seen a lot of the shows. I've seen Wicked twice and The Lion King, but I really wanted the chance to see more. So, our trip is completely dedicated to seeing shows. We are theatre majors after all.
So, besides paying for flight and hotel, most of our money is going to tickets for Broadway musicals. So far, we plan to see Next to Normal, Hair, A Little Night Music, God of Carnage, Rock of Ages, and The Adams Family. Which means I have the chance to be in the same room as Angela Lansberry, Catherine Zeta Jones, Lucy Lui, Nathan Lane, Jeff Daniels, Bebe Neuworth, Alice Ripley....OMG to the max!!!
So, needless to say I'm super pumped about this trip. Now that we've booked and paid for the flight makes it official. It still doesn't seem real, though. It probably won't hit me until we get on a plane that I'm making one of my dreams come true...going to New York City and only seeing musicals. It is truly heaven on Earth for me. So, more details to come!
Tell us, where did we go right?
Day 36
I forgot to mention that I finally performed my character exercise for my principles II class on Wednesday. It was sort of a last minute deal, because we only had about 7 minutes left in the class, so he asked if anyone wanted to perform. I was in no way ready to go, just mindset wise, but my partner volunteered us to go. So we kind of half-assed our way through it. It was fine. We got through it and talked about it a bit before we were dismissed. Today we got to talk about it more in-depth.
I think I personally did very well with it. If I could have had more prep time with it, I could have dove a lot more into this guy's head. But I think with what I was given, I did a good job. My partner on the other hand...well, I won't go into that. I got a good critique from the class. They said they could see the thought process going on, that something was really bothering me. I've been working on that for me personally. I want to be onstage and for people to see the thought process going on rather than just a blank face. It gives the character more motivation. I also have been trying to go through those thought processes in my head while acting. I've gotten a lot better with it, but I know I still have a ways to go.
I really didn't get any negative critiques. I hate that. I want the bad critiques along with the good. I might have done some things that were good, but I know I did bad things too. I hate the fact that there are only a few people that will actually tell you if you sucked or something didn't work. My professor will sort of tell you, but not really full out. I'll go into more detail about this at a later date, I'm sure.
I forgot to mention that I finally performed my character exercise for my principles II class on Wednesday. It was sort of a last minute deal, because we only had about 7 minutes left in the class, so he asked if anyone wanted to perform. I was in no way ready to go, just mindset wise, but my partner volunteered us to go. So we kind of half-assed our way through it. It was fine. We got through it and talked about it a bit before we were dismissed. Today we got to talk about it more in-depth.
I think I personally did very well with it. If I could have had more prep time with it, I could have dove a lot more into this guy's head. But I think with what I was given, I did a good job. My partner on the other hand...well, I won't go into that. I got a good critique from the class. They said they could see the thought process going on, that something was really bothering me. I've been working on that for me personally. I want to be onstage and for people to see the thought process going on rather than just a blank face. It gives the character more motivation. I also have been trying to go through those thought processes in my head while acting. I've gotten a lot better with it, but I know I still have a ways to go.
I really didn't get any negative critiques. I hate that. I want the bad critiques along with the good. I might have done some things that were good, but I know I did bad things too. I hate the fact that there are only a few people that will actually tell you if you sucked or something didn't work. My professor will sort of tell you, but not really full out. I'll go into more detail about this at a later date, I'm sure.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Is that my little squirrel...with the bushy tail....and little beady eyes...and the pointy whiskers? Yes, I suppose it is...
Day 35
Geez, I'm finally caught up. I've been bad with these lately, I apologize to all of 3 readers.
We just read "A Doll's House" for my theatre history class, and before we took notes our professor showed us this video. I find it hilarious, and wanted to share it with you.
Geez, I'm finally caught up. I've been bad with these lately, I apologize to all of 3 readers.
We just read "A Doll's House" for my theatre history class, and before we took notes our professor showed us this video. I find it hilarious, and wanted to share it with you.
It's the Magical Mr. Mistoffilies!
Day 34
I'm really excited about an new project coming up really soon. Like within the next month. Back last year in my principles of acting two class, our professor wanted to show us that we can use anything as a monologue, just as long as it's awesome. So he found this magazine at Walmart that was all about cats. A little question and answer section about cat problems. So we took the answers and created given circumstances for them and performed them for the class. It was hilarious. Some of the situations people came up with were so funny and creative. We joked around that we should do them all together, like The Vagina Monologues. We wanted to, but no one ever got behind it and organized it.
Now that dream is coming to life.
I wanted to do something for a type of fundraiser for APO for banquet. We will official funding next year, but this year they are planning a big banquet which we may not be able to afford. So, I thought this would be perfect for us. It's something that won't cost anything to put on and would be hilarious to watch and be involved in. I've taken over the reigns to get it going and organized and planned. I'm really excited. If I can get everything into place, it could be a really neat performance. I'll have to update about it if it actually does happen. And of course, pictures will be included :)
I'm really excited about an new project coming up really soon. Like within the next month. Back last year in my principles of acting two class, our professor wanted to show us that we can use anything as a monologue, just as long as it's awesome. So he found this magazine at Walmart that was all about cats. A little question and answer section about cat problems. So we took the answers and created given circumstances for them and performed them for the class. It was hilarious. Some of the situations people came up with were so funny and creative. We joked around that we should do them all together, like The Vagina Monologues. We wanted to, but no one ever got behind it and organized it.
Now that dream is coming to life.
I wanted to do something for a type of fundraiser for APO for banquet. We will official funding next year, but this year they are planning a big banquet which we may not be able to afford. So, I thought this would be perfect for us. It's something that won't cost anything to put on and would be hilarious to watch and be involved in. I've taken over the reigns to get it going and organized and planned. I'm really excited. If I can get everything into place, it could be a really neat performance. I'll have to update about it if it actually does happen. And of course, pictures will be included :)
“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.” - Robert M. Hutchins
Day 33
I had to write an essay for my education class about teaching, since I'm getting an education minor and taking education classes. One of the questions was about why I think my field of teaching is important to a student's education. It's probably not the best because I wrote it in like 5 min, but it's got some good ideas. Here's what I wrote:
I think my area of teaching (theatre) is one of the best areas to truly educate children. Theatre isn’t tested on through a state standardized test. I, as a teacher, am not required to teach to any test. That, more than anything, gives me the freedom to teach what I feel would be most beneficial to my students. Theatre encompasses so many different areas of education, it’s astounding. You learn about history, science, music, art, English, math, and many, many more subjects through plays. It also is culturally informative because you get the chance to learn about different societies and cultures that are portrayed through different plays. Theatre also prepares students for the real world. You learn how to work with others, manage your time, be confident in what you do, deal with deadlines, and so many other things all through working on a play. Theatre not only educates the mind, it also educates the soul. You get to observe human behavior at its purest form and try to recreate it on a stage. You get to feel empathy for the fallen hero or rage for the evil villain. And through portraying different characters and observing others, you learn a lot about yourself as a person. Being a teenager is challenging enough, but when you are involved in theatre, you are given that extra time during the day to learn more about yourself that you didn’t know through taking a test or studying for an exam. Theatre can play a crucial role in the education of children.
So, there's my two cents about that :)
I had to write an essay for my education class about teaching, since I'm getting an education minor and taking education classes. One of the questions was about why I think my field of teaching is important to a student's education. It's probably not the best because I wrote it in like 5 min, but it's got some good ideas. Here's what I wrote:
I think my area of teaching (theatre) is one of the best areas to truly educate children. Theatre isn’t tested on through a state standardized test. I, as a teacher, am not required to teach to any test. That, more than anything, gives me the freedom to teach what I feel would be most beneficial to my students. Theatre encompasses so many different areas of education, it’s astounding. You learn about history, science, music, art, English, math, and many, many more subjects through plays. It also is culturally informative because you get the chance to learn about different societies and cultures that are portrayed through different plays. Theatre also prepares students for the real world. You learn how to work with others, manage your time, be confident in what you do, deal with deadlines, and so many other things all through working on a play. Theatre not only educates the mind, it also educates the soul. You get to observe human behavior at its purest form and try to recreate it on a stage. You get to feel empathy for the fallen hero or rage for the evil villain. And through portraying different characters and observing others, you learn a lot about yourself as a person. Being a teenager is challenging enough, but when you are involved in theatre, you are given that extra time during the day to learn more about yourself that you didn’t know through taking a test or studying for an exam. Theatre can play a crucial role in the education of children.
So, there's my two cents about that :)
I'm just a soul who's intentions are good...oh lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Day 32
I like people. I can deal with people of all personality types, usually. I'm patient and I don't have a bad temper, so I can deal with people. Angry people. Depressed people. People who don't have a clue. All kinds.
But, my dear friends, I cannot deal with people who don't care.
That is one of my pet peeves. You can be the biggest prick in the entire world (and I might get annoyed by that) but if you have a passion for what you are doing and try your hardest, then I can't fault you. I respect you for that. But if you don't have the drive, the passion, just the want to do something, then I don't want to deal with you.
The reason I say this is because I encountered a person like that today. I won't say the class because then it will be obvious who it was, so I'll just name this person Pat. I was partnered up with Pat for a certain activity that my class was doing. We were given instructions and then told to work on it. As soon as we were given time, Pat shut down and didn't say anything. Pat, apparently, wasn't engaged at all in the activity. Pat just wanted to leave. This infuriated me so much that I just shut down. I worked on what I needed to do in my head and wasn't worried about helping Pat at all. The fact that Pat didn't care about the class...I'm getting angry just thinking about.
This is my life and hopefully will be my career. I'm taking this class because I want to become a better actor and better understand the art of theatre. I know not everyone views it this way, but I would hope that if you are a declared theatre major or minor that you would give a rat's ass to some extent to learn about it and at least try. Why waste my time, the class's time, or even the professor's time? If you don't care, then don't show up. I just don't want to deal with people who don't care when I don't have to. I only have a year left here. I want to soak up every opportunity that I can. And I know I will be dealing with people like Pat for the rest of my life, but I wish they would just get a clue and stop wasting everyone's time!
*end of rant*
I like people. I can deal with people of all personality types, usually. I'm patient and I don't have a bad temper, so I can deal with people. Angry people. Depressed people. People who don't have a clue. All kinds.
But, my dear friends, I cannot deal with people who don't care.
That is one of my pet peeves. You can be the biggest prick in the entire world (and I might get annoyed by that) but if you have a passion for what you are doing and try your hardest, then I can't fault you. I respect you for that. But if you don't have the drive, the passion, just the want to do something, then I don't want to deal with you.
The reason I say this is because I encountered a person like that today. I won't say the class because then it will be obvious who it was, so I'll just name this person Pat. I was partnered up with Pat for a certain activity that my class was doing. We were given instructions and then told to work on it. As soon as we were given time, Pat shut down and didn't say anything. Pat, apparently, wasn't engaged at all in the activity. Pat just wanted to leave. This infuriated me so much that I just shut down. I worked on what I needed to do in my head and wasn't worried about helping Pat at all. The fact that Pat didn't care about the class...I'm getting angry just thinking about.
This is my life and hopefully will be my career. I'm taking this class because I want to become a better actor and better understand the art of theatre. I know not everyone views it this way, but I would hope that if you are a declared theatre major or minor that you would give a rat's ass to some extent to learn about it and at least try. Why waste my time, the class's time, or even the professor's time? If you don't care, then don't show up. I just don't want to deal with people who don't care when I don't have to. I only have a year left here. I want to soak up every opportunity that I can. And I know I will be dealing with people like Pat for the rest of my life, but I wish they would just get a clue and stop wasting everyone's time!
*end of rant*
Monday, February 1, 2010
Yes, everything is beautiful at the ballet
Day 31
I saw Dance Tech tonight. I always like getting to watch dance shows because the only ones I have seen in the past have been dance recitals, and that just isn't the same. Sometimes they're good, but you just watch them for the 4 year olds. Or at least I do. Dance Tech is actually a legitimate dance performance. And it made me wish I could appreciate dance more. I think it's the same reason I don't like watching "CATS". I just can't appreciate it. Don't get me wrong, I know what they do is rigorous. I'm taking dance classes and the stuff they can do just blows my mind.
Maybe it's just with modern. It's so abstract and out there. Sometimes I can get the message of what they're trying to say, but other times I have no idea what's going on. And sometimes the movement is so random and out there that it just makes me wonder why. I think I like stuff like ballet or tap because it's got a set of rules that have to be followed. I'm not a dancer, so it's hard for me to grasp what is considered good dancing and what isn't. I know what I like and think is good, but it's probably different dancing wise.
But another reason I love Dance Tech is because of the lights. The lighting design is always my favorite of the year. The lights really make the dances sparkle. They add so much to the performance.
I saw Dance Tech tonight. I always like getting to watch dance shows because the only ones I have seen in the past have been dance recitals, and that just isn't the same. Sometimes they're good, but you just watch them for the 4 year olds. Or at least I do. Dance Tech is actually a legitimate dance performance. And it made me wish I could appreciate dance more. I think it's the same reason I don't like watching "CATS". I just can't appreciate it. Don't get me wrong, I know what they do is rigorous. I'm taking dance classes and the stuff they can do just blows my mind.
Maybe it's just with modern. It's so abstract and out there. Sometimes I can get the message of what they're trying to say, but other times I have no idea what's going on. And sometimes the movement is so random and out there that it just makes me wonder why. I think I like stuff like ballet or tap because it's got a set of rules that have to be followed. I'm not a dancer, so it's hard for me to grasp what is considered good dancing and what isn't. I know what I like and think is good, but it's probably different dancing wise.
But another reason I love Dance Tech is because of the lights. The lighting design is always my favorite of the year. The lights really make the dances sparkle. They add so much to the performance.
"Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there."- Meryl Stree
Day 30
Again, the theatre geek inside me rages on. I found another slide show on the NY Times theatre site, this one about Laura Linney and some of her performances on the stage. There was one quote by the NYT critic about one of her performances that said
"A sorcerer named Laura Linney is performing an act of magic that happens only in live theater. She has rewritten a play without changing a word." — Ben Brantley.
Can you imagine any better critique as an actor? That makes me so jealous! Lol. I know I've talked to a few actor friends about classics vs. new works. I've had a really great opportunity with getting to work with a lot of new scripts. Probably more than a young actor like me should get to. But we were talking about how neat it is that you get to work with a new script with no preconceived notions in mind. You go in with a clean slate because it's never been done before. You can pretty much do whatever the hell you want. And I'll touch on this more at a later date, but you have that vs. doing a fairly well-known show. It's hard because sometimes you get a show like "Death of a Salesman" that has been done over and over again. You run into the problem as an actor of trying to make the part your own. I know for me when I read a script and analyze it and come up with ideas, I wonder if it's a me idea or if someone else already did that.
I know it;ll never be the same because every actor brings their own take on a character. and I personally believe that no matter what character, there is always a little bit of you in that character. You can't help it. Otherwise why would they cast you over random girl b? But I think it's a little bit more challenging to take a well-established character and make it your own. But when you get that chance and have someone note that it's a completely different take that's brilliant is always a plus. That quote inspires me a lot. It makes me want to work harder at a role. Or just as an actor in general. To strive to get a quote like that said about me.
Again, the theatre geek inside me rages on. I found another slide show on the NY Times theatre site, this one about Laura Linney and some of her performances on the stage. There was one quote by the NYT critic about one of her performances that said
"A sorcerer named Laura Linney is performing an act of magic that happens only in live theater. She has rewritten a play without changing a word." — Ben Brantley.
Can you imagine any better critique as an actor? That makes me so jealous! Lol. I know I've talked to a few actor friends about classics vs. new works. I've had a really great opportunity with getting to work with a lot of new scripts. Probably more than a young actor like me should get to. But we were talking about how neat it is that you get to work with a new script with no preconceived notions in mind. You go in with a clean slate because it's never been done before. You can pretty much do whatever the hell you want. And I'll touch on this more at a later date, but you have that vs. doing a fairly well-known show. It's hard because sometimes you get a show like "Death of a Salesman" that has been done over and over again. You run into the problem as an actor of trying to make the part your own. I know for me when I read a script and analyze it and come up with ideas, I wonder if it's a me idea or if someone else already did that.
I know it;ll never be the same because every actor brings their own take on a character. and I personally believe that no matter what character, there is always a little bit of you in that character. You can't help it. Otherwise why would they cast you over random girl b? But I think it's a little bit more challenging to take a well-established character and make it your own. But when you get that chance and have someone note that it's a completely different take that's brilliant is always a plus. That quote inspires me a lot. It makes me want to work harder at a role. Or just as an actor in general. To strive to get a quote like that said about me.
"Geez, I'd like to do that...I wonder if they get paid anything" - Liev Schrieber
Day 29
I'm a theatre nerd. To the extreme. Want to know why? When I get bored I go to the New York Times Theatre section online and just read the articles they have on random plays. They do this really neat thing where they'll interview an actor or playwright about a particular play they are doing at that time. Then they'll make a slideshow and put the audio from the interview with it. It's fascinating to watch and listen to. One that I just found is by Liev Schrieber. He is currently acting in a revival of Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge".
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/25/theater/20100125-liev-schreiber-multimedia/index.html
I've never read the play so I don't know exactly what it's about. I'm not a big Arthur Miller fan. I feel like his plays are formulaic a lot of the time. There's the father figure who is the backbone of the family, the wallowing mother who stays strong but will break at any instant there is weakness in the family, the son or other male who is troubled and reveals some deep secret, and the other random wilting flower girl. I like to read the plays by themselves, but when you read one after the other, it all kind of flows together, like dejavu. I probably can't talk, I'm just and undergrad and have read only a handful of his plays.
But, back to the interview. I really want to see his performance in the show because he is getting rave reviews, and this interview is just icing on the cake. He seems like an extremely intelligent actor. I won't get into this now, but I truly believe that the best actors are some of the smartest people in the world. I think you have to be smart to be a good actor. You have to take into account so many different aspects of a role on top of analyzing a script and so much more. Anybody can act. I really believe that any person can get on a stage an act. But the thing that separates a good actor from a bad one is intelligence. Now mind you, I know there are exceptions to the rule. There are some really good actors who are dumb as a rock and some really bad actors who have a PhD...I get that. But I find, more times than naught, the better actors are very well-roundedly smart.
Yes, I made up a word, deal with it :)
I'm a theatre nerd. To the extreme. Want to know why? When I get bored I go to the New York Times Theatre section online and just read the articles they have on random plays. They do this really neat thing where they'll interview an actor or playwright about a particular play they are doing at that time. Then they'll make a slideshow and put the audio from the interview with it. It's fascinating to watch and listen to. One that I just found is by Liev Schrieber. He is currently acting in a revival of Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge".
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/25/theater/20100125-liev-schreiber-multimedia/index.html
I've never read the play so I don't know exactly what it's about. I'm not a big Arthur Miller fan. I feel like his plays are formulaic a lot of the time. There's the father figure who is the backbone of the family, the wallowing mother who stays strong but will break at any instant there is weakness in the family, the son or other male who is troubled and reveals some deep secret, and the other random wilting flower girl. I like to read the plays by themselves, but when you read one after the other, it all kind of flows together, like dejavu. I probably can't talk, I'm just and undergrad and have read only a handful of his plays.
But, back to the interview. I really want to see his performance in the show because he is getting rave reviews, and this interview is just icing on the cake. He seems like an extremely intelligent actor. I won't get into this now, but I truly believe that the best actors are some of the smartest people in the world. I think you have to be smart to be a good actor. You have to take into account so many different aspects of a role on top of analyzing a script and so much more. Anybody can act. I really believe that any person can get on a stage an act. But the thing that separates a good actor from a bad one is intelligence. Now mind you, I know there are exceptions to the rule. There are some really good actors who are dumb as a rock and some really bad actors who have a PhD...I get that. But I find, more times than naught, the better actors are very well-roundedly smart.
Yes, I made up a word, deal with it :)
"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit"- Napoleon Hill
Day 28
I read an interesting play. It's called Woyzeck by Georg Büchner. After reading it, I didn't know what to think. It seemed very episodic, which I've noticed I'm not a fan of. I like things to connect in some form or fashion. I guess it's the human nature in me that looks for a purpose for everything. I think I also went into reading it thinking it was going to be something completely different. I read it for a theatre history class, and we were talking about 19th century theatre. I guess I was thinking it was going to be more melodrama in the stereotypical sense. Boy was I wrong lol.
After going through those thoughts, I started to actually think about the play. It was very depressing in the sense that it depicts this working class guy trying to get by in the world. He works for a Captain doing side-jobs and does clinical trials (basically) for a Doctor. He eventually goes insane and murders his mistress, only after getting beat up by this guy the mistress was flirting with. And all I could think is geez, can't this guy catch a break? But I can relate to this play a lot actually. No, I don't have a baby daddy that I want to stab to death, but just the simple fact of being a middle-class joe that can't catch a break. Ever. That has been the story of my life for the past school year and in my life. I overcome and overcome shit that life throws my way, and just when it seems like I'm getting back on my feet, something new has to appear and knock me back down.
I like this play a lot. It's not a happy-ending sort of tale. It depicts a human life, in all its "glory". It's sad, yes, but so true in many ways. So many people can relate to this. I know it was a reflection of society during that time in Germany, but the same could be said about society today in America. I see him almost as a German Willy Loman. Just trying to get by. And I guess that's all we can do. Just get by.
I read an interesting play. It's called Woyzeck by Georg Büchner. After reading it, I didn't know what to think. It seemed very episodic, which I've noticed I'm not a fan of. I like things to connect in some form or fashion. I guess it's the human nature in me that looks for a purpose for everything. I think I also went into reading it thinking it was going to be something completely different. I read it for a theatre history class, and we were talking about 19th century theatre. I guess I was thinking it was going to be more melodrama in the stereotypical sense. Boy was I wrong lol.
After going through those thoughts, I started to actually think about the play. It was very depressing in the sense that it depicts this working class guy trying to get by in the world. He works for a Captain doing side-jobs and does clinical trials (basically) for a Doctor. He eventually goes insane and murders his mistress, only after getting beat up by this guy the mistress was flirting with. And all I could think is geez, can't this guy catch a break? But I can relate to this play a lot actually. No, I don't have a baby daddy that I want to stab to death, but just the simple fact of being a middle-class joe that can't catch a break. Ever. That has been the story of my life for the past school year and in my life. I overcome and overcome shit that life throws my way, and just when it seems like I'm getting back on my feet, something new has to appear and knock me back down.
I like this play a lot. It's not a happy-ending sort of tale. It depicts a human life, in all its "glory". It's sad, yes, but so true in many ways. So many people can relate to this. I know it was a reflection of society during that time in Germany, but the same could be said about society today in America. I see him almost as a German Willy Loman. Just trying to get by. And I guess that's all we can do. Just get by.
Techies do it in the dark
Day 27
I am not a technical theatre person. I have come to realize that while being here at Tech. I wish I was a lot better at that side of the theatre world. I just never had that official training in high school. I was the actor. There was a big split down the middle between actors and technicians. They usually never crossed over. The closest I ever got to that side was basically making myself the props manager during UIL. Even my first year in college was like that. It wasn't until I got to Tech that I realized how little I knew about the technical world. It's so bizarre to me. Well, maybe not bizarre, but just uncharted territory.
I'm thankful for the practicums and principles classes they make us take, because otherwise I would never have the chance to learn about it. I know that I'm probably one of few who will say that they appreciate practicums. They are a pain in the ass and they take so much time out of your schedule, but I like it. It's gotten to the point where I won't volunteer for run-crews anymore. I don't want to learn how to sit in a greenroom and move a set piece once or do someone's hair. That's not going to help me learn. What will help me is getting to build a flat, or hang and focus a light in the lab. This is where I truly learn. And I appreciate that.
It's frustrating because I wish I could learn more. Or, better yet, I wish I could retain all the information that I'm getting. It's like using a different part of your brain that you don't really use that often. I get acting...in the general sense. Technical theatre, not so much. But I've gotten a lot better than I used to be. And I'm proud of that. I just yearn for more knowledge. Which really isn't anyone's fault but my own.
I am not a technical theatre person. I have come to realize that while being here at Tech. I wish I was a lot better at that side of the theatre world. I just never had that official training in high school. I was the actor. There was a big split down the middle between actors and technicians. They usually never crossed over. The closest I ever got to that side was basically making myself the props manager during UIL. Even my first year in college was like that. It wasn't until I got to Tech that I realized how little I knew about the technical world. It's so bizarre to me. Well, maybe not bizarre, but just uncharted territory.
I'm thankful for the practicums and principles classes they make us take, because otherwise I would never have the chance to learn about it. I know that I'm probably one of few who will say that they appreciate practicums. They are a pain in the ass and they take so much time out of your schedule, but I like it. It's gotten to the point where I won't volunteer for run-crews anymore. I don't want to learn how to sit in a greenroom and move a set piece once or do someone's hair. That's not going to help me learn. What will help me is getting to build a flat, or hang and focus a light in the lab. This is where I truly learn. And I appreciate that.
It's frustrating because I wish I could learn more. Or, better yet, I wish I could retain all the information that I'm getting. It's like using a different part of your brain that you don't really use that often. I get acting...in the general sense. Technical theatre, not so much. But I've gotten a lot better than I used to be. And I'm proud of that. I just yearn for more knowledge. Which really isn't anyone's fault but my own.
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About Me
- Actor365
- Lubbock, TX, United States
- Lover of theatre, musicals, friends, milk, reality tv, tap dancing, slurpees, and cuddling