Krik Krak Research

Biography: 
--Edwidge Danticat was born on January 19, 1969, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Her parents, fleeing the oppressive regimes of François Duvalier and son Jean-Claude, settled New York, while she and younger sibling André stayed behind
--After years of back and forth correspondence, Danticat and her brother were able to come to the States, being reunited with their parents and meeting two new siblings they didn’t know. 
--Danticat started to hone her craft as a writer during her adolescence.
--Over the years, Danticat has penned a variety of fiction and non-fiction, chronicling the lives of Haitian citizens and creating vivid, unflinching portrayals of injustice. She followed Breath, Eyes, Memory with 1995’s Krik? Krak!, a collection of 10 stories

Haiti timeline and Haiti's fight and gain of independence:

1804 - Haiti becomes independent; former slave Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares himself emperor. 

1806 - Dessalines assassinated and Haiti divided into a black-controlled north and a mulatto-ruled south 

1818-43 - Pierre Boyer unifies Haiti, but excludes blacks from power. 

1915 - US invades Haiti following black-mulatto friction, which it thought endangered its property and investments in the country. 

1934 - US withdraws troops from Haiti, but maintains fiscal control until 1947.

1956 - Voodoo physician Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier seizes power in military coup and is elected president a year later.

1964 - Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship with the help of the Tontons Macoutes militia. 

1971 - Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, or "Baby Doc", who also declares himself president-for-life. 

1986 - Baby Doc flees Haiti in the wake of mounting popular discontent and is replaced by Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy as head of a governing council. 

1988 - Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Prosper Avril, who installs a civilian government under military control.

1990 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected president in Haiti's first free and peaceful polls. 

1991 - Aristide ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Raoul Cedras, triggering sanctions by the US and the Organisation of American States. 

1994 - Military regime relinquishes power in the face of an imminent US invasion; US forces oversee a transition to a civilian government; Aristide returns.

1995 - UN peacekeepers begin to replace US troops; Aristide supporters win parliamentary elections 

Rene Preval, from Aristide's Lavalas party, is elected in December to replace Aristide as president. 

1997-99 - Serious political deadlock; new government named. 

1999 - Preval declares that parliament's term has expired and begins ruling by decree following a series of disagreements with deputies.

2000 November - Aristide elected president for a second non-consecutive term, amid allegations of irregularities. 

2001 July - Presidential spokesman accuses former army officers of trying to overthrow the government after armed men attack three locations, killing four police officers. 

2001 December - 30 armed men try to seize the National Palace in an apparent coup attempt; 12 people are killed in the raid, which the government blames on former army members. 

2002 July - Haiti is approved as a full member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) trade bloc. 

2003 April - Voodoo recognised as a religion, on a par with other faiths.

2004 January-February - Celebrations marking 200 years of independence turn into uprising against President Aristide, who is forced into exile. An interim government takes over. 

late 2004 - Rising levels of deadly political and gang violence in the capital; armed gangs loyal to former President Aristide are said to be responsible for many killings. 

2005 April - Prominent rebel leader Ravix Remissainthe is killed by police in the capital. 

2006 February - General elections, the first since former President Aristide was overthrown in 2004. Rene Preval is declared the winner of the presidential vote after a deal is reached over spoiled ballot papers. 

2006 June - A democratically-elected government headed by Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis takes office. 

Toussaint L'Ouverture: 

--Born in 1743, Bréda, near Cap-Français, Saint-Domingue Haiti and died April 7, 1803, Fort-de-Joux, France

--Leader of the Haitian independence movement during the French Revolution. 

--Emancipated the slaves and negotiated for the French colony on Hispaniola, Saint-Domingue and later Haiti, to be governed, briefly, by black former slaves as a French protectorate.

Dutty Boukman:

--Dutty Boukman was an African man, enslaved in Haiti, who was one of the most visible early leaders of the Haitian Revolution

--Born in Jamaica 

--Died in 1791

Dominican Massacre 1937:

--Under the brutal regime of the Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, in the fall of 1937, up to as many 20,000 Haitians were massacred, many in the most horrific ways by Dominican soldiers and civilians wielding machetes, bayonets and rifles.

--The mass slaughter has since been known as the Parsley Massacre. In a test to identify who was Haitian, Dominican border guards would ask people to pronounce the word “perejil” (Spanish for “parsley”). Haitians, who spoke French and Creole, could not pronounce the word properly and often paid for this phonetic inability with their lives.

--Occurred over five days 

Rafael Trujillo:

--Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, nicknamed El Jefe, was a Dominican politician and soldier, who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961.

--It has been estimated that Trujillo was responsible for the deaths of more than 50,000 people, including possibly as many as 10,000 in the Parsley massacre.

Voodoo:

--Voodoo is a religion that originates in Africa. In the Americas and the Caribbean, it is thought to be a combination of various African, Catholic and Native American traditions. It is practiced around the world but there is no accurate count of how many people are Voodooists. Voodoo has no scripture or world authority.

--Vodouists believe in a distant and unknowable Supreme Creator, Bondye (derived from the French term Bon Dieu, meaning "good God"). According to Vodouists, Bondye does not intercede in human affairs, and thus they direct their worship toward spirits subservient to Bondye

--In order to navigate daily life, vodouists cultivate personal relationships with the loa through the presentation of offerings, the creation of personal altars and devotional objects, and participation in elaborate ceremonies of music, dance, and spirit possession.

Duvalier:

--François Duvalier, also known as Papa Doc, was the President of Haiti from 1957 to 1971. He was elected president in 1957 on a populist and black nationalist platform and successfully thwarted a coup d’état in 1958.

--His rule, based on a purged military, a rural militia known as the Tonton Macoute, and the use of cult of personality, resulted in the murder of 30,000 to 60,000 Haitians and the exile of many more.

Tonton Macoute:

--Duvalier authorized the Tontons Macoutes to commit systematic violence and human rights abuses to suppress political opposition. 

--They were responsible for unknown numbers of murders and rapes in Haiti. Political opponents often disappeared overnight, or were sometimes attacked in broad daylight. 

--Tontons Macoutes stoned and burned people alive. Many times they put the corpses of their victims on display, often hung in trees for everyone to see and take as warnings against opposition.

-- Family members who tried to remove the bodies for proper burial often disappeared themselves. Anyone who challenged the MVSN risked assassination. 

--Their unrestrained state terrorism was accompanied by corruption, extortion and personal aggrandizement among the leadership. The victims of Tontons Macoutes could range from a woman in the poorest of neighborhoods who had previously supported an opposing politician to a businessman who refused to comply with extortion threats 

--The Tontons Macoutes murdered between 30,000 and 60,000 Haitians.

Jean Claude Duvalier:

--President of Haiti from 1971 until his overthrow by a popular uprising in 1986. He succeeded his father François "Papa Doc" Duvalier as the ruler of Haiti after the latter's death in 1971.

--Thousands of Haitians were killed or tortured, and hundreds of thousands fled the country during his presidency. He maintained a notoriously lavish lifestyle  while poverty among his people remained the most widespread of any country in the Western Hemisphere.

Notes from Krik? Krak!

Outline + Pre-writing work (Before Final Draft #2)

---Thesis: 3 Things to focus on throughout paper

Body Language, eye contact, facial expression(?) or lines

---Body Language:

Coming forward and backwards

Testing boundaries

Personifying their love

Juliet = woman? 

Metaphorical battle 

Vulnerability through movement 

---Eye Contact:

Eyes speak louder than words

Use to combat body 

How do the eyes change with/without the body

Eyes = window to the soul 

How it helps with Juliet's transformation 

---Delivering Lines:

Language and emotions lead the actions

Different tones used and why

Difference between vulnerable and powerful 

How words translate between the lovers and why it is important/necessary 

Why lines and dialogue tie into body lang and eye contact 

Analyze the vulnerable line and explain use of tone

---Crux of My Scene

Moment where Juliet becomes woman

Why all of the different features came together perfectly during that moment

How important it was to deliver clearly and analyze what is necessary for that moment

Why Romeo allowed Juliet to have the upper hand throughout the scene 

Importance of body language throughout 

---Reflection 

Stagnant

Why it was difficult with the movements

Why it was a learning experience playing all parts

Juliet as an overall character plus analysis of her 

If I could do this over again I would...

Overall it was... 

Notes: 

Use quotes!

Lit analysis = more

Finish conclusion + last two body 

Full Draft #2

Romeo and Juliet is a vibrant and play by William Shakespeare that encompases a newfound passion facing the trials of status, circumstances, and “             “. Juliet is a character who transforms throughout the story, firstly representing an exaggerated version of a naive and innocent girl. After reworking Act II Scene II, I was able to delve into my interpretation of why Juliet reacts the way she does in each moment, as well as her raw personality and perspective. Portraying Juliet in this scene helped me to understand the details of her relationship, as well as how it transformed her as a character. With my interpretation of this scene, I was able to portray Juliet’s emergence and hesitation to become a woman through body language, eye contact, and deliverance of lines.

When reading and interpreting this scene of Romeo and Juliet, I recognized Juliet as a character battling with confliction. At the beginning of the story Juliet seems young and new to the love that is presented in front of her. By the end of the play she has stepped away from what has binded her by manifesting independence, and ultimately letting her soul chase the love that she craves. Meeting Romeo is the catalyst that drives Juliet into her ambivalence and emergence. I believe the crux of the play is when Juliet steps out onto the balcony, allowing herself to confess her love to Romeo. But in my analysis, the crux of Act II Scene II is when Juliet allows Romeo to take her hand and finally touch her, revealing that she truly wants to pursue their love, defining the goal for the rest of the play.

From the start of working with this scene, I felt that Juliet had a strong sense of back and forth feelings. It was important that I was able to show how Juliet juggles with the idea of independence in her mind. This scene allows the audience to understand Juliet’s specific feelings, since they are revealed in her lines. There are many moments where Romeo has to reassure Juliet, and make her feel comfortable, possibly making Romeo insecure in the beginning. When thinking about my performance, I wanted to emphasise the idea that Juliet never questions her feelings love, but her own abilities with the obstacles around her. There are many variables that Juliet considers and battles with until she ultimately makes the decision to trust, stepping away from her doubts, and leaving them behind.

The two protagonists are dancers in their metaphorical battle of trust and vulnerability. They react and interact with each other, testing the willingness to push boundaries. Romeo and Juliet create distance and closeness to each other with their words, demonstrating the emotional uphill battle through their language. When Juliet says “If they do see thee, they will murder thee.” (act. scene.) she promotes the start of negative imagery towards giving in to her love, pushing Romeo to make multiple attempts at winning her over.

When blocking this scene, I wanted to highlight the importance of offering and retreating the body. Romeo was set up downstage right, and Juliet downstage left. The characters were standing next to one another throughout the whole scene, moving away and towards each other depending on what was necessary for each moment. When Juliet said anything negative or doubted the circumstances of their relationship, I took a step back. When anything positive was portrayed or said of their love or willingness to be together, there would be a step taken forward. I put a lot of emphasis on Juliet’s hesitation throughout most of the scene, making the few moments she steps forward more obvious to the audience.

Juliet battles with her feelings of reluctance throughout the scene. There are many moments when Romeo willingly illustrates his love without hesitation and attempts to convince Juliet that their love is stronger than anything that can keep them from one another. With all of the inside feelings that Juliet faces of becoming independent, Romeo never falters to convince her that he is willing to give all of himself to her. The vulnerable way that Romeo reacts puts Juliet in a position to make the decision of what their relationship will be. This tips the scale for Juliet, weighing her more towards the idea of possibility, rather than questioning “what if?”

When bringing the moments to life, as well as the back and forth motion, I wanted there to be a clear offering of the body. When Juliet was in the midst of vetting Romeo’s effect on her future, he gave her multiple opportunities to completely agree to their love. Romeo reached out his hand to Juliet, as if he was asking for her trust, and at the same time reassuring his love to her through language. Juliet does not take his hand on two separate instances, stepping away from him when he offers it. This created an anticipation for the audience, waiting for Juliet to offer herself in the same way that Romeo was.

When going in depth of the scene, I realized that many of Romeo and Juliet’s

responses to one another were quick and natural. Both of the characters allowed themselves to be raw and revealing. I found that Juliet was less poised in her vocalization, defying the stiff nature that is usually expected of her. She reacted to Romeo’s affirmations of love in short, quick bursts when she was questioning it, as well as long, drawn out proclamations when she accepted it.

In my performance, it was crucial that my eyes spoke as loud as my words.

Even though the body was moving a certain way, the eyes could be telling a different story. Juliet knew she was in love with Romeo throughout the scene, so my quick reactions of stepping away from Romeo were combatted by where I was looking. Throughout most of the scene Juliet dances with the idea of their love, but never falters to keep a gaze, fully confronting Romeo with her eyes, and testing him on how much he will sacrifice. When Juliet says “O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon…. Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.” (Act. Scene. Line.) I stepped away from Romeo, but kept my eyes on him, watching for how he would react.

When interpreting how I should deliver Juliet’s lines, I found that her word choice defines the tone she should be using while speaking them. It is obvious that Juliet comes from high status based on her deliverance of language during colloquy throughout the play. The way Juliet reacts to Romeo when she is unsure versus when she is confident though, helped me to understand the underlying emotions that pair with her dialogue. When Juliet says “If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully; or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won, I’ll frown and be perverse…” (act. Scene. line.) it is important that the line is not said with exuding confidence, being that Juliet is in a more vulnerable place.

When performing, I attempted to deliver my lines with exaggeration on what is necessary to support my body language. When Juliet was nervous, I spoke with an apprehensive tone, slowing my words down. I wanted it to seem like Juliet was thinking about what to say before she revealed her feelings, which showed a reflective and tense nature. When she transitioned and let the strain off of her inner feelings, it was important that there was a clear release in her voice. I spoke in an accepting and light tone, as if Juliet lost the war against her veiled independence.

The crux of my performance was in Juliet’s last lines of the scene, which were edited as

“Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?

My bounty is as boundless as the sea,

My love as deep; the more I give to thee,

The more I have, for both are infinite.

Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.

If that thy bent of love be honorable,

Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,

By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,

Parting is such a sweet sorrow,

That I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.” (act. Scene. line.)

Juliet refuses to accept Romeo’s offer of love multiple times when he vulnerably reaches his hand for hers. She would not take his hand throughout the scene, dancing with his emotions, and testing his trustworthiness. When Juliet says “the more I give to thee…” she puts her hand out to Romeo, defying who she is demanded to be, and turning towards her own future and decisions. The deliverance of this line was extremely important to what I created for this scene. The movement I put between the two characters and the suspense of Juliet’s personal peril was resolved in that moment. This scene is one piece out of an overcasting complete story. It was necessary to highlight the significance of the moment, as well as open a pathway for the rest of the lover’s journey.

Overall I feel that being able to bring this scene to life has taught me an immense amount, as I was able to complete all of the steps that go into creating a performance. I learned about what it means to create a dynamic between two characters that goes beyond their lines, which has helped me grow as an actress. The most difficult aspect of the performance was making sure that the blocking did not look stagnant and dull. If I could do this scene over again, I would have the characters step closer and further from each other much more. There were lines when I would stand stationary, creating a sluggish feel for my character. Being able to look back and see the final performance allowed me to see my ideas come to life from a different perspective. There are many layers that go into creating a full performance, and I am fortunate that I was able to bring to life a dynamic character with an intriguing story. Juliet never falters to be a compelling and powerful character. She enunciates herself as an individual, and by doing so creates an empowering relationship. Focusing on body language, eye contact, and dictation has helped me to develop Juliet as a full persona, rather than a character in one scene. Juliet goes through an overwhelming change as a character, and it was important when creating the performance to understand all the aspects of her personality, and reasoning behind her choices. Once I analyzed Juliet in more depth, I was able to make decisions as an actor that helped me portray her in a more realistic way.

Draft #2

Warning: This is not done, I still need to finish my two other performance topics (eye contact, facial expression.) as well as the reflection piece. I completely re-wrote my second draft from my first, so this is still a work in progress. :)

Romeo and Juliet is a vibrant and play by William Shakespeare that encompases a newfound passion facing the trials of status, circumstances, and “             “. Juliet is a character who transforms throughout the story, firstly representing an exaggerated version of a naive and innocent girl. After reworking Act II Scene II, I was able to delve into my interpretation of why Juliet reacts the way she does in each moment, as well as her raw personality and perspective. Portraying Juliet in this scene helped me to understand the details of her relationship, as well as how it transformed her as a character. With my interpretation of this scene, I was able to portray Juliet’s emergence and hesitation to become a woman through body language, eye contact, and facial expression.

When reading and interpreting this scene of Romeo and Juliet, I recognized Juliet as a character battling with confliction. At the beginning of the story Juliet seems young and new to the love that is presented in front of her. By the end of the play she has stepped away from what has binded her by manifesting independence, and ultimately letting her soul chase the love that she craves. Meeting Romeo is the catalyst that drives Juliet into her ambivalence and emergence. I believe the crux of the play is when Juliet steps out onto the balcony, allowing herself to confess her love to Romeo. But in my analysis, the crux of Act II Scene II is when Juliet allows Romeo to take her hand and finally touch her, revealing that she truly wants to pursue their love, defining the goal for the rest of the play.

From the start of working with this scene, I felt that Juliet had a strong sense of back and forth feelings. It was important that I was able to show how Juliet juggles with the idea of independence in her mind. This scene allows the audience to understand Juliet’s specific feelings, since they are revealed in her lines. There are many moments where Romeo has to reassure Juliet, and make her feel comfortable, possibly making Romeo insecure in the beginning. When thinking about my performance, I wanted to emphasise the idea that Juliet never questions her feelings love, but her own abilities with the obstacles around her. There are many variables that Juliet considers and battles with until she ultimately makes the decision to trust, stepping away from her doubts, and leaving them behind.

The two protagonists are dancers in their metaphorical battle of trust and vulnerability. They react and interact with each other, testing the willingness to push boundaries. Romeo and Juliet create distance and closeness to each other with their words, demonstrating the emotional uphill battle through their language. When Juliet says “If they do see thee, they will murder thee.” (act. scene.) she promotes the start of negative imagery towards giving in to her love, pushing Romeo to make multiple attempts at winning her over.

When blocking this scene, I wanted to highlight the importance of offering and retreating the body. Romeo was set up downstage right, and Juliet downstage left. The characters were standing next to one another throughout the whole scene, moving away and towards each other depending on what was necessary for each moment. When Juliet said anything negative or doubted the circumstances of their relationship, I took a step back. When anything positive was portrayed or said of their love or willingness to be together, there would be a step taken forward. I put a lot of emphasis on Juliet’s hesitation throughout most of the scene, making the few moments she steps forward more obvious to the audience.

Juliet battles with her feelings of reluctance throughout the scene. There are many moments when Romeo willingly illustrates his love without hesitation and attempts to convince Juliet that their love is stronger than anything that can keep them from one another. With all of the inside feelings that Juliet faces of becoming independent, Romeo never falters to convince her that he is willing to give all of himself to her. The vulnerable way that Romeo reacts puts Juliet in a position to make the decision of what their relationship will be. This tips the scale for Juliet, weighing her more towards the idea of possibility, rather than questioning “what if?”

When bringing the moments to life, as well as the back and forth motion, I wanted there to be a clear offering of the body. When Juliet was in the midst of vetting Romeo’s effect on her future, he gave her multiple opportunities to completely agree to their love. Romeo reached out his hand to Juliet, as if he was asking for her trust, and at the same time reassuring his love to her through language. Juliet does not take his hand on two separate instances, stepping away from him when he offers it. This created an anticipation for the audience, waiting for Juliet to offer herself in the same way that Romeo was.

Sample paper grading

Sample paper 1:
Criteria A- 3/5
Criteria B- 4/10
Criteria C- 1/5

Irrelevant first paragraph including historical information about Shakespeare and a thesis that does not focus on the student's own work. Second paragraph gives backstory of Richard III, but is poorly written with no structure. Instead of giving a setting for the quote, the author puts unnecessary information instead. Analyses eight quotes repetitively without giving information as to what they did on stage. The stage directions were nice, and the last few paragraphs were helpful to understand how the scene was blocked. The first 3 to 4 pages though, were distracting and poorly executed. This paper was written like a first draft, clearly showing that there was no editing involved. Too many spelling and grammatical errors took away from the paper, as well as how the author did not focus enough on his/her own character, and explained the whole group as well as their significances.

Sample paper 2:
Criteria A- 4/5
Criteria B- 8/10
Criteria C- 5/5

Throughout the paper the author is extremely focused on their own character, keeping their ideas on track. Gives background that is necessary for successful explanation of scene and acting choices. There were three different scenes performed that included three different clear focuses for the character. The difference between lit analysis and performance got a bit confusing towards the middle of the paper, since the author at first did lit analysis and then mixed the two sections together. There was an extremely large and tedious amount of deeply analyzing Ophelia's lines and reasonings behind them. The author's writing was clean and organized, without including any unnecessary information to distract from the criteria. There were many quotes, but they were justified and explained, which made them relevant. The conclusion could have been layer out more if the author had a larger word count, but overall everything was summed up nicely.

Draft 1 of paper

WHAT I NEED:

-Explain Romeo kneeling etc.

-Go in more depth of actions I did

-Get rid of all the story description

-Maybe focus in on certain aspects of the acting instead of going through the story-line

-Change my whole paper ughhhhh.

-Make a real thesis statement

-Finish the paper

-Do a conclusion

-Finish parts 1 and 2 of the paper

Warning- this paper is very bad. I though it was off to a good start but it was not. I hope to improve once I get feedback and spend more time organizing.

Romeo and Juliet, the vibrant and engaging play by William Shakespeare, has become a classic story today. Juliet is a character who transforms throughout the story. She represents an exaggerated version of a naive and curious teenage girl. After reworking Act II Scene II, I was able to delve into my interpretation of why Juliet reacts the way she does in each moment, as well as her raw personality and perspective. The scene I worked on allowed me to study Juliet in a stage of extreme longing and fascination for her counterpart Romeo. Portraying Juliet in this scene helped me to understand the details of her relationship, as well as how it is able to escalate quickly over a short amount of time. The balcony scene is a crucial point in the story, revealing the moment that defines what Juliet’s goal will be for the rest of the play: Being with Romeo regardless of what stands in her way. I tried to display a clear exchange and depart between Juliet and her counterpart through emotional responses.

The first moments of the scene, Juliet believes she is alone and reveals her feelings towards Romeo. What Juliet says in the few seconds she is by herself was important to me because it is the first time the audience can understand how she feels after only seeing Romeo a short time before. She is clearly invested and already devastated over the fact that she loves someone she cannot be with. The play moves quickly, so being able to clearly establish the relationship and circumstances of the characters from the beginning of the scene was crucial.

In my performance I attempted to display Juliet’s longing for Romeo by looking out into the distance, as if she was waiting for him to hear her call. I also paced back and forth to portray the nervous energy Juliet felt for loving someone she should not. When delivering the line of “Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo…” I wanted the Juliet to seem maddened and fixated with the idea of Romeo. Since she saw him, Juliet has only thought about her love. It was important that she was interpreted as discontented without him, to make the exchange between the lovers much more satisfying. I spoke the lines in a querulous and fretful manner, dictating a sense of nervousness and almost defeat that I was alone.

As Juliet is in her own thoughts, frustrated about Romeo, she gets startled by his visit to her in the night. This is the moment that starts the anticipation for an exchange between the characters. I got a sense that Juliet was both excited and apprehensive to see Romeo. She expresses fear and concern until he assures her that his love is enough to keep him from being captured.

I blocked the scene so the characters were standing next to one another throughout the whole scene, moving away and towards each other depending on what each line calls for. (Romeo standing downstage right and Juliet downstage left.) I wanted my mannerisms and emotions to stand out as much as possible when Juliet starts to hear Romeo’s voice. I stepped away from the sound to stage right, and put a shaking hand out to guard myself from whoever was in front of me, as well as to tell Romeo to leave before he gets caught after he revealed himself. After this moment was when Juliet’s manner changed from denounced, to excitable and nervous. (talk about when romeo puts his hand out and kneels(?) and she takes away)

Juliet is embarrassed that Romeo heard her confess her love to him. She makes it clear she needs him to pronounce his love if it is true as well. When he vowed to her by “yonder blessed moon…” I stepped back with distaste and turned away from him as I explain why that upsets me. My face was tilted up and my hands thrown aggressively to my side, with a newly gained confidence. When Juliet tells him to swear by his own self, I turn back towards Romeo and kneel with him lovingly, as if the couple is going through a year’s worth of an up-and-down relationship in five minutes.

I edited Juliet’s final line to avoid the monotonous manner of the lovers’ last moments together.

“Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?

My bounty is as boundless as the sea,

My love as deep; the more I give to thee the,

the more I have for both are infinite.

Three words, dear Romeo, good night indeed.

If thy bent of love be honorable,

Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,

By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,

Parting is such a sweet sorrow,

That I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.”

These lines were where I wanted the exchange between the two characters to occur. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is very new and fragile, but also aggressive and fast paced. When I delivered these lines I felt that in order for the end of the scene to be believable, Juliet needed to be sure of herself. When I say “the more I give to thee, the more I have…” I finally reach my hand out and let Romeo take it. As if she is assuring him that she craves his love as much as he does hers. I delivered these lines as if I was happily confessing myself to Romeo, saying each line with a subtle smile, and turning my body completely towards him.

Grading example paper 3

A- Analysis of Lit
3/5
Re-explained the whole scene

B- performance choices made
6/10
Little performance choices- was not descriptive

C- Writing
4/5
Formatted poorly

Thesis

I tried to display a clear exchange and depart between Juliet and her counterpart through emotional responses.

Scene Reflection

After finally filming the balcony scene, I believe that I have grown as both a director and an actor. I am not used to watching myself act, so being able to play back the performance has allowed me to reflect on mistakes that I had not even realize I was making. Overall I believe that the scene went well, but there is always room to improve. I was able to memorize all of my lines in the end, and I only missed a line at the end of the scene, which was an improvement from the beginning of the filming process. Filming lasted much longer than I had expected. Since I was giving myself specific blocking and goals during the scene, it made me turn into a perfectionist. It took many tries and changes to get the scene to it's last draft. There will little things that made me frustrated, and once we started filming it was easy for me to get flustered, since I knew that I would have to look over the video later and reflect on it.

I believe that I could have used more emotion and hand gestures, or even moved around more. Once I watched the video over, everything about the scene feels dulled. I thought I was acting almost to the point where it could have been over-the-top. I was wrong though, since the scene looks awkward and uncomfortable. I feel like the scene would have been more put together if we were able to film it in a definite place, with costumes, and maybe a prop or two. I did not think that I needed to include those things, but now I realize that I needed to be more organized and strict in planning and the final filming. I am thankful that this scene was more of a practice for the IB, since there were difficulties with my original partner and filling in his character. It turned out much better than I thought it would once Lindsay stepped in, and I appreciated how patient she was throughout the process.

I believe that I portrayed my character well throughout the performance since I understood what Juliet was saying. It was difficult at first to choose the right emotions since I did not fully grasp the details of the script. Once I was able to highlight the correct emotions on my script and practice with it, I was able to adapt my ideas to fit what was necessary for the scene and my character. In my head I knew exactly what was going on, but I do not know if the audience would feel the same way. I felt like my emotions were choppy and inconsistent throughout the scene. This could have been because I was nervous about them, but I am not completely sure. I understand now that I need to be extremely specific in how I deliver each line and gesture. They have to stay sharp and consistent, or else they look confused and wishy washy. I am glad I got the opportunity to perform this scene and reflect on what I felt went well and what did not. I have grown immensely as an actor since I do not usually go back and look at what I did right and wrong in a final performance. I believe this will help me when I act in the future, and I hope to improve.

Bushnell: Warriors Don't Cry

Warriors Don't Cry was a one-woman show adapted from a memoir of the same name by
Dr. Melba Pattillo Beals. The performance was clever, captivating, and different than I expected. I had no idea what the show would be about prior to seeing it, so learning that it would be a one-woman show did not appeal to me. I expected choppy, over the top scenes that would be too funny to take seriously. Once I saw the actress take hold of each character and display each moment in such a distinct way, I felt compelled to understand her protagonist's story. 

The message was one that comes easy to understand for me. I was never confused, and the plot was clear with an obvious begging and conclusion. As a growing actor, seeing one person take on so many roles was a stepping-stone for learning about theatre. I always imagined it seeming goofy, and it was quite the opposite. It was serious and made the story even more interesting as more characters piled up. There was a moment where I felt like it was a little monotonous for the actress to go back and forth again and again in scenes that were moving very quickly. Overall though, this was an intriguing performance that made me appreciate this kind of show more than I thought I would. 

Balcony scene performance

https://youtu.be/CfdqmDC0ARQ

Fall play review

The Varsity Players performed James Joyce's "The Dead". The play was creative and fun in ways that I did not expect. I had not heard of the play prior to seeing the play, so the story was completely new to me. Overall the performance was portrayed very well by all the characters, but the story itself fell short for me. I did not fully understand what the goal of the play was, or what the character's motives were. Every character had their own, definable personalities, which helped identify which character was who. It was difficult for me though, to understand why they played the role they did, and what affect they had on those around them.

I enjoyed how the black box was set up, with four different sections for the audience. This provided some breathing space for the actors as well as the audience members. The costumes and props were completely relevant to the show, and the musical aspect of the play was new and entertaining. For the most part, the story was pretty light and fun, with some darker aspects mixed in. When I heard the play was going to be a "tragic comedy", I did not think that could be achieved. I was completely proven wrong. I wish I would have known the story before watching it because I feel like I would have enjoyed the play more if I did not have to try to piece the storyline together.

Overall, I enjoyed the show and how the actors portrayed the characters. I was glad that I attended and I did not expect to appreciate the style of the stage, as well as the blocking throughout the whole show. The musical parts of the play made the story more upbeat and lively, and the dinner party scenes were executed very realistically.

Log #3

Since my partner has left this week, my schedule has changed and been conformed to fit my project for the time that I have to work on it. This week has been about the discovery of my character and memorization. It has been difficult thinking about not having my partner with me for my finalizations of the scene, though it has allowed me to branch out into a deeper analysis of my character to understand how an why she reacts to the events that take place around her. Mrs. Guarino has agreed to help me with my scene and possibly play Romeo, which means that I will need to get the blocking down to exactly what will take place.

I feel that up to this point the scene has grown immensely, and it is daunting but true that there is so much more work that can be done to improve it. I was able to correct the original blocking and try to understand the exchange between the two characters during the scene. I feel more comfortable with the extra movements that were added, and I believe that even more movement could be included if necessary. I have learned a lot about myself as an actor through this process as well as a director. I loved having the ability to edit and cut what I needed from a scene, and shape it to be what I had envisioned in my mind.

This week I worked hard on memorizing my lines completely. It was easier working by myself to complete this process since I could focus on my separate parts. At one point I needed someone to read back my partners lines so I knew when to say what, but overall I feel that it was not too difficult to get my lines down. I feel like I learned and used new and more efficient techniques to memorize my lines than I have in the past. My scene felt daunting and long at first, but after I memorized it I realized that I have so much more freedom now when I work on my scene. I can hopefully get the emotional aspect of my character to a more clean-cut point now that I am not focusing on holding a script.

I have not been able to run through my scene this week so far, but I hope that in the next two days I am able to progress and perfect what I need to for the final cut. I feel like I have used this time to get comfortable with my character and the lines that I will need to recite. When I put new ideas to the test, I hope that everything comes out to portray what the scene demands. I do not have a perfect idea of what the final scene will look like, but I believe that with the circumstances, I am set up to succeed, even if it does not come out to what I envision it being like.

At first I imagined Juliet being a more submissive and hesitant character throughout this scene, but the more I performed that way, the weirder I felt. I realized that even though Romeo and Juliet face obstacles and are aware of them, the scene portrays the moment when Juliet is able to completely confess her love and exchange her true feelings with Romeo. I feel like I have been performing her part as if she does not even want to be with Romeo! I believe that Juliet needs to be more out front and emotional with her lines, but not necessarily "over the top." I hope with enough effort, I can find a balance between the character and the scene she is faced with.

Log #2

This week has been dedicated to getting my scene to be the most finalized it can. After finding out my partner would be leaving before the final performance is due, we had to make changes to our assignment. The new goal was to get as much done before he is gone. We accomplished a lot in the week and our scene evolved into something different than what I had envisioned. I originally hoped that the scene would be less confrontational, but as we progressed into the details of blocking, I realized that it would not be enough to stand stationary.

Before this week my partner and I tried to read through the finalized script to get a feel for what emotions would be portrayed. Once we worked in the black box though, I realized that my partner was having a lot of difficulty feeling comfortable with an audience. This caused him to speak in monotone and not have awareness for any natural gestures that would go with his character. After we performed for the first time on monday, we were able to start making changes for the better since we had feedback from our peers. I realized that I was over-acting in comparison to him during our performance, so for the next two days we worked on finding a balance.

Mrs. Guarino offered a theatre game that benefited us greatly. Bad Acting is a technique where actors over-act to the point that their performance is cheesy or bad. This helps actors who are nervous or unsure gain a sense of strong presence, which they can later tone down for the real performance. I believe that this helped both my partner and I to get into a more comfortable state. I think we both felt more prepared and willing to go outside of our comfort zones.

When we highlighted our lines to distinguish what emotions we would be using for each line, I found it much more helpful than reading off of my normal script. Since I color-coded all of the emotions my character uses, I realized how important it is for my partner and I to be on the same level as far as how big or small we portray our characters.

After we finalized how we were going to read the script, we had to establish what the blocking would look like. We ran through the scene a few times with stagnant, non-confrontational movements. The scene felt dry and dull. There needed to be more gestures, and more importantly, an exchange between the two characters. They are supposed to be falling in love, and we had not shown that in our body language at all. Today we were able to work with Mrs. Guarino to figure out how make the characters connect during the scene. I believe that we worked hard this week and I hope that the scene can progress even more as more time passes.

In class blog post

what did you learn?
How are you applying it to the work you Re doing now

I learned quite a lot from my peers in class, especially on Konstantin Stanislavski and Uta Hagen. I have never taken an acting class, so everything I learned was very new and informative. Stanislavski taught actors to not exaggerate and to stay natural. Sometimes a character is meant to be over the top, but if you are interpreting someone who has a normal appearance, it is important to stay true to real feelings, and to know how to improv in a way that would connect your character to real life. He explained how actors must know and understand the backstory of who the yard trying to portray. I also thought his three main ideas, super-objective, stage action, and suspension of disbelief were all very important to making your character seem believable. Uta Hagen believed that actors need to learn why their character does what they do. She believes that every actor needs to completely strip down their character to portray them in the best way (even down to what clothes they are wearing.) Hagen believed that you need to take your character out of the crisis they are in, in order to know how they would really react to every situation that can come against them. She understood that actors needed to know the world of the play they are in, so they can see the big and small picture, like how I need think of Verona, Italy as a whole, but also the building and specific place my character is in at an exact moment. I believe that in order for me to really embrace Juliet as a character, I need to understand her thought process and reasoning for how she reacts. I believe that the two acting teachers gave insight that will allow me to go into greater depth of my character that I would not have before I learned about all the different techniques. I would have exaggerated much more if I did not know that it looks more fake than putting in my own ideas for how I think my character would react.

Prop, costume, and blocking ideas

-Modern costume (all black)
Romeo: black pants and a black shirt, maybe a black jacket, black shoes (hair normal)
Juliet: black dress(?) or black shirt and pants (more feminine than Romeo) black shoes, hair down

-Props
I do not think we will need any props, but Romeo could possibly bring flowers for Juliet(?)
Completely empty space, maybe a square taped off around Juliet (since she is not leaving her area/"balcony"

-Lighting
Spotlight on both of them, softer, white.
As Romeo moves the light will not have to move with him since it will stay over the whole stGe the entire time
Lights will go out at the end of the scene

Blocking:
-Romeo and Juliet enter before the lights come up
-They are frozen until Romeo breaks a couple seconds after the lights come up and begin to say his lines
-Juliet downstage right facing the audience
-Romeo upstate left facing Juliet/audience
-As the two speak of their obstacles to be together, Romeo moves further away from Juliet
-As the two speak of their love for each other, Romeo moves closer to Juliet
-Juliet is stuck in her area/box/balcony, not able to move to or away from Romeo-- she struggles with -this/is annoyed with the fact that she is contained
-Juliet tries to leave her area during a few lines, but in a mime-like manner, she is not able to
-Romeo and Juliet go back to how they started (frozen again) with a different expression on their faces than when they started (maybe happier?)

Performance Log #1

After meeting with my partner to go over the scene and our characters, I believe that we came to an understanding where we can now go more in depth of the blocking and characterization. My partner and I edited the lines of the first balcony scene between the two protagonists. After reading through the first edit aloud, we decided to cut it down and put certain lines in areas where they make more sense to both the character's motives and the audience's understanding. When we first looked at the lines, it seemed very daunting to memorize everything. I decided to cut the scene in four parts, so we could dissect each moment and understand how the character's should be feeling as well as what they should be doing. It was much easier to discuss each line and memorize them when they were cut up in sections for us to focus on.

I have many ideas for blocking the scene. My partner and I decided that we should portray the balcony scene in a modern time period, with simplistic costumes and mannerisms. One of my ideas for blocking the scene is to have Juliet downstage left facing forward, and Romeo upstage right facing Juliet. I want to highlight the idea of how far apart the two families are, as well as how intimate the moment is for the two romantics. This could be accomplished by having the characters move closer and further apart as Romeo and Juliet have conversation about family and other obstacles they are facing to be together. We have not tried the whole scene out with the blocking, but I believe as we get more into the scene, we will be able to tweak and perfect where Romeo and Juliet will be placed and how they will move and react.

As I have been reading through lines with my partner, I have been able to get more accustomed to how they react to certain lines, and how we work together as actors. After reading through the same lines a few times, I noticed that as my partner gets more comfortable and memorized, he is able to automatically add in his natural emotions to each line. He started to take pauses at certain places, and say his lines in a more precise and passionate way. Once my partner achieves that place of comfort with the lines, I am able to change how I react to mine as well. I can speak based on both of our manners, and change my emotional response based on how we are both interpreting each moment.

As we progress into more depth of blocking the scene, I believe that it will be easier to be efficient during practice, and have a better view of how the the scene will turn out overall. As we start to finish blocking the beginning, we will be able to change and come up with new ideas, as well as develop our presentation of the characters.

(This is information based on all of tuesday's class and the classes before it)