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.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
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.
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.
Friday, November 11, 2016
Thursday, November 10, 2016
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
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.
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.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
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.
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.
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