Overall I felt that my oral went better than I expected it to go, although I did have a lot of mistakes and bumps through my process. This project was very fun to complete, and I really enjoyed going out of my comfort zone to complete a task that made me analyze the characters. I am usually pretty good at reflections, and I enjoy doing them, but the oral was much more difficult for me than the actual performance. I think this was more difficult because of time management, and planning. It was hard for me to pre-plan what I was going to say, since I would have rather liked to just talk. During my oral I was so caught up in the requirements for it, that I was slipping up, and having to catch myself during other ideas. It didn't feel natural to me, since I wrote everything I wanted to say prior, and then had to break it down into notes, and remember the whole original idea from the note. I think it is important to reflect and break down my work, but I don't feel that this oral gave me a better understanding of my project. Speaking about it and trying to justify everything made my ideas more confusing to me.
My partner and I really didn't block our piece or movements, we did almost everything naturally. This probably made our scene stagnant, but we moved by what we were saying to each other. Having to go back and justify this was harder than I thought it would be, and that is where I struggled the most with my oral. I was not able to fully grasp relating my movements back to character development or my ideas without feeling like I was going out of the 'performance' topic of my oral. I enjoyed speaking about the technical part of my work, and how my ideas formed though, which helped me to understand how I could have improved on my story. If I were to do this over again, I would give myself more time to plan. It was difficult for me to do my oral over, since the first one accidentally got deleted. I feel like this was a good learning experience for me to understand how the oral presentations work, and what I can do next time to improve.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Monday, March 27, 2017
Written Draft of Oral
1) intro
I chose this story because I feel that it allowed my partner and I a lot of freedom and potential to add on to the existing ideas. Throughout The Children of The Sea, I felt that there was tension between the two characters, since they are only writing to each other. This story had a rich emphasis on how the dialogue was formed between the two characters. Each character knew one another, but there was a strong and binding barrier between the two, that helped readers stay attached to their interactions. I loved how the characters seemed both conflicted, but sure of their choices. There was strong imagery throughout this story created by the words of the characters. This story was lively, but tedious, revolving around separation. The Children of The Sea is imaginative and dream-like. It is written with a whimsical air, while also highlighting a vivid and poetic vision of hurt and suffrage. The story moves quickly, with transitions between characters, but the details and style in which it is written levels out the active story with a meticulous fix on expression and phraseology.
2) vision
I wanted to break the barrier between the two characters, and allow the audience a sense of resolution to the many unanswered questions posed throughout the story. My partner and I chose to add on new ending to the story to create a new realm of life for the characters, and allow them to bring their written imagery to life. I wanted to keep the highlighted themes alive, such as chaos/suffering, desire to escape and everlasting love. With my ending, I also wanted to create new themes, such as inevitable death, greed, acceptance/rebirth and reunion. I wanted to keep the characters with the same personalities and opinions about their challenges, while shedding light on what could happen if the story went deeper. I wanted the whimsical tone of the author's writing to encapsulate my story, which caused for the creation of a very striking way for the characters to meet. With the amount of style and symbolism throughout the original story, I felt that there was no other way for the characters break the crux of their story and meet unless it was in a profound and unusual way.
3) literary features
I wanted to shed light on the back-and-forth dialogue between the characters, and put it to action in real time. I asked myself: how would the characters really react to each other in person? Do they feel the same way about all the same things? What if they disagreed? It was tough to really dissect each character, and decide who really thought what. In my eyes, they could both be heroes, but each needed a unique niche that was holding them back. We struggled to come up with a prominent climax for our scene, since the story left us with so many options. I felt as if the author created the allusion that both the characters were in complete agreeable with one another, and were on the same page, and it took me awhile to really grasp that they were not reading each other's letters. Once I realized that they were not responding to each other, but to themselves in their writing, I knew there needed to be a conflict between them. Since the author allowed them to balance on their own, when I had the two characters met for the first time, I wanted the status they felt between one another, as well as their original thoughts about each other to be turned on their heads.
4) what you specifically did in your performance to achieve that -- you can talk about staging and relationship with your scene partner a bit but you must reflect A LOT on your specific acting choices, techniques
My partner and I performed in a black box theatre, and used props and lighting to help us deliver our script. In my performance I made sure to raise and lower my voice to show my emotional state and growing anger throughout the scene. My body language changed from comfortable to tense throughout the scene, since my character goes through many changes in his emotional state. I tried to make my body into harder angles facing my partner so it seemed like I was frustrated with her specifically. I would turn out when I was showing frustration towards myself. Eye contact was crucial throughout our performance because it showed what the characters were thinking regardless to whether they said their emotions or thoughts. I looked out past my partner if I was thinking about my past or future, and I would look to the ground or the opposite side of my partner if I was discussing my own actions or faults. This helped to give a bigger impact when I was facing and looking at my partner, since she could then use my actions to give a starting point for her counter-actions/lines.
5) what was successful/what you could have done differently
I feel that my partner and I could have shown a deeper-rooted reason behind our character's actions. I feel that we portrayed our script well on stage, but we could have gone deeper into our idea and process of writing to create a more established and matured idea. I did not feel that we gave our bigger and more dense idea justice, since we did not have enough time to fully understand the new world we created for our characters, causing their dialogue to be based on their older, and more surfaced thoughts and opinions.
I chose this story because I feel that it allowed my partner and I a lot of freedom and potential to add on to the existing ideas. Throughout The Children of The Sea, I felt that there was tension between the two characters, since they are only writing to each other. This story had a rich emphasis on how the dialogue was formed between the two characters. Each character knew one another, but there was a strong and binding barrier between the two, that helped readers stay attached to their interactions. I loved how the characters seemed both conflicted, but sure of their choices. There was strong imagery throughout this story created by the words of the characters. This story was lively, but tedious, revolving around separation. The Children of The Sea is imaginative and dream-like. It is written with a whimsical air, while also highlighting a vivid and poetic vision of hurt and suffrage. The story moves quickly, with transitions between characters, but the details and style in which it is written levels out the active story with a meticulous fix on expression and phraseology.
2) vision
I wanted to break the barrier between the two characters, and allow the audience a sense of resolution to the many unanswered questions posed throughout the story. My partner and I chose to add on new ending to the story to create a new realm of life for the characters, and allow them to bring their written imagery to life. I wanted to keep the highlighted themes alive, such as chaos/suffering, desire to escape and everlasting love. With my ending, I also wanted to create new themes, such as inevitable death, greed, acceptance/rebirth and reunion. I wanted to keep the characters with the same personalities and opinions about their challenges, while shedding light on what could happen if the story went deeper. I wanted the whimsical tone of the author's writing to encapsulate my story, which caused for the creation of a very striking way for the characters to meet. With the amount of style and symbolism throughout the original story, I felt that there was no other way for the characters break the crux of their story and meet unless it was in a profound and unusual way.
3) literary features
I wanted to shed light on the back-and-forth dialogue between the characters, and put it to action in real time. I asked myself: how would the characters really react to each other in person? Do they feel the same way about all the same things? What if they disagreed? It was tough to really dissect each character, and decide who really thought what. In my eyes, they could both be heroes, but each needed a unique niche that was holding them back. We struggled to come up with a prominent climax for our scene, since the story left us with so many options. I felt as if the author created the allusion that both the characters were in complete agreeable with one another, and were on the same page, and it took me awhile to really grasp that they were not reading each other's letters. Once I realized that they were not responding to each other, but to themselves in their writing, I knew there needed to be a conflict between them. Since the author allowed them to balance on their own, when I had the two characters met for the first time, I wanted the status they felt between one another, as well as their original thoughts about each other to be turned on their heads.
4) what you specifically did in your performance to achieve that -- you can talk about staging and relationship with your scene partner a bit but you must reflect A LOT on your specific acting choices, techniques
My partner and I performed in a black box theatre, and used props and lighting to help us deliver our script. In my performance I made sure to raise and lower my voice to show my emotional state and growing anger throughout the scene. My body language changed from comfortable to tense throughout the scene, since my character goes through many changes in his emotional state. I tried to make my body into harder angles facing my partner so it seemed like I was frustrated with her specifically. I would turn out when I was showing frustration towards myself. Eye contact was crucial throughout our performance because it showed what the characters were thinking regardless to whether they said their emotions or thoughts. I looked out past my partner if I was thinking about my past or future, and I would look to the ground or the opposite side of my partner if I was discussing my own actions or faults. This helped to give a bigger impact when I was facing and looking at my partner, since she could then use my actions to give a starting point for her counter-actions/lines.
5) what was successful/what you could have done differently
I feel that my partner and I could have shown a deeper-rooted reason behind our character's actions. I feel that we portrayed our script well on stage, but we could have gone deeper into our idea and process of writing to create a more established and matured idea. I did not feel that we gave our bigger and more dense idea justice, since we did not have enough time to fully understand the new world we created for our characters, causing their dialogue to be based on their older, and more surfaced thoughts and opinions.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Reflection of Final
I am very proud of how the overall performance turned out. Veronika and I worked very hard to achieve the outcome that we did. Our progress from start to finish was very extensive, and I had no idea that the outcome would be as it turned out. I feel that my partner Veronika and I worked very well together, and we both wanted to be successful. Both of us were determined from the start, to get the performance where we thought it needed to be. I believe that having a parter with the same work ethic and determination helped us to achieve a goal.
I am glad that we split up the roles the way we did because Veronika grew so much as an actress with her role. Both of the characters were very dynamic in their own ways, and I worried at first that Veronika and I would not be able to portray all of the inside emotions of our characters. I feel that by working together to bounce off of each other's emotions, we were able to show how our characters felt about each other, as well as what they were separately dealing with. Memorization was key with this script since what the characters were saying was not exactly simple. I thought that if we did not have everything exactly down, that our ideas and motions would not get delivered successfully. Even though we did not get everything perfect for the final performance, we both embraced the roles enough that even if the lines were not perfect, we understood how the characters would act and what kind of things they would say. It was kind of funny how after the performance we both knew that we personally messed up a few lines, but had no idea that each other did! I would have never known that Veronika was not saying the perfect line because she portrayed the character so well.
I fell that our script was at the best place it could have been. We worked very hard to make it feel dreamlike, similar to Krik? Krak!. I wanted to make sure that what we were writing sounded like an add on to the author's original writing. I do not know if we completely achieved this, but I do feel that we were very successful in bringing a complicated idea to life. I worried that it would not be understandable, and the whole idea would come off as confusing. I believe that we portrayed a more whimsical idea, while also keeping the characters real and true to who they were in their original stories. Using lighting and props helped us to get our ideas across onstage.
As an growing performer, I am very glad that I was able to write and direct what I was acting in. I was able to experience a whole new side of putting a performance together. I have a new appreciation for those who spend time mastering lighting, and everyone who works backstage with sets and changing scenes. Doing everything with one other person on stage made me realize how complicated putting on productions can be, especially those that have more that a few scene changes! I loved working with another person to complete a goal we were both passionate towards. If I could do this assignment over again, I would start going over scene changes/lighting/props much sooner than we did. I feel that if Veronika and I were more comfortable with what we were doing on stage with the furniture and where we were placed under the spotlights, we could have been completely focused on our characters instead of the possible technical errors.
I am glad that we split up the roles the way we did because Veronika grew so much as an actress with her role. Both of the characters were very dynamic in their own ways, and I worried at first that Veronika and I would not be able to portray all of the inside emotions of our characters. I feel that by working together to bounce off of each other's emotions, we were able to show how our characters felt about each other, as well as what they were separately dealing with. Memorization was key with this script since what the characters were saying was not exactly simple. I thought that if we did not have everything exactly down, that our ideas and motions would not get delivered successfully. Even though we did not get everything perfect for the final performance, we both embraced the roles enough that even if the lines were not perfect, we understood how the characters would act and what kind of things they would say. It was kind of funny how after the performance we both knew that we personally messed up a few lines, but had no idea that each other did! I would have never known that Veronika was not saying the perfect line because she portrayed the character so well.
I fell that our script was at the best place it could have been. We worked very hard to make it feel dreamlike, similar to Krik? Krak!. I wanted to make sure that what we were writing sounded like an add on to the author's original writing. I do not know if we completely achieved this, but I do feel that we were very successful in bringing a complicated idea to life. I worried that it would not be understandable, and the whole idea would come off as confusing. I believe that we portrayed a more whimsical idea, while also keeping the characters real and true to who they were in their original stories. Using lighting and props helped us to get our ideas across onstage.
As an growing performer, I am very glad that I was able to write and direct what I was acting in. I was able to experience a whole new side of putting a performance together. I have a new appreciation for those who spend time mastering lighting, and everyone who works backstage with sets and changing scenes. Doing everything with one other person on stage made me realize how complicated putting on productions can be, especially those that have more that a few scene changes! I loved working with another person to complete a goal we were both passionate towards. If I could do this assignment over again, I would start going over scene changes/lighting/props much sooner than we did. I feel that if Veronika and I were more comfortable with what we were doing on stage with the furniture and where we were placed under the spotlights, we could have been completely focused on our characters instead of the possible technical errors.
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