I am very excited. We are having a full dress rehearsal tonight. I think. Did I mention I am excited!!!! We have the whole show down now. It is a really different and powerful show. I really hope people come to see it. I am sure I have grown a lot as an actress during this process. Especially in physically establishing relationship with other actors. I can so touch another person now without any awkwardness. That is something small, but it is something that I would not have been comfortable with before going on this Viewpoints journey. There are a few things I am still working on, one of them being not leaving my light until it is completely gone out. For some reason, I think it is a vunerability issue, as soon as I say my line in the monologue session, I want to return to my spot with the rest of the group. I am supposed to stand there until my light goes out completely.
Oh and speaking of things this show has me doing that are outside of my comfort zone. I run a lot in this show. Literally run! Running is something I tend to not participate in, except for The Viewpoints Project, I do.
I want to write about an amazing journey I took a few nights ago in one of our rehearsals, but I will do that in the highlights post that I will do after the show is over.
That's all for now. :D)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Viewpoints Project: Recap and thoughts on our first two rehearsals.
First of all, let me start out by saying that I love this show. I am grateful to be of something that I can already tell is so much bigger than the actors who are performing it. Things are starting to gel, and it is so much fun. Let's recap.
First Night Rehearsal:
We worked the opening number of our show. I can't say a lot. Wouldn't want to ruin it for the audience or anything, but I will say this. By the end of it there is a lot of heavy breathing. It's quite a work out. We start out "explaining" the viewpoints, which is really cool. I actually have a line in the explanation. A line that I goofed on tonight, but that is okay because I am going to make sure that I get it right next time. :D)
The thing with doing a highly physical show, is that it helps if you are highly physically fit, or at the very least, standardly physically fit. I am working on the standardly physically fit thing. I think that by the end of the show, I should have it down. :D) By the grace of God, I have been able to keep up with everyone for the most part. There I am very grateful.
Second Night Rehearsal:
This happened tonight. Well, technically it happened last night. I regress. Rehearsal tonight was wonderful. We worked with a new piece of music that we are incorporating into the show. We did the imaging exercise where we close our eyes and listen to the music and see where it sits in our hearts. Mine was very interesting. This is what I saw.
1. A forest with lots of trees. It was deep and thick, lush and green.
2. A less dense area of trees, a path, a clearing with a lake to the side.
3. Rolling green plains, with a few trees splashed here and there.
4. Tall rounded hills and wide lime green valleys.
5. A procession of people entering a dark castle. (Not sure how I got to this image. It was just suddenly there with the music change.)
So those are the things that I saw while listening to this particular piece of music. The first feeling I got from the music was the desire to hide. I never acted on that desire though, because when I started to move that desire was not the first thing.
We explored the music with open viewpoints first, but then Chris gave us some guidelines. We were all supposed to bring a chair on stage. And where ever we sat our chair, there would be a spot light. We were only allowed to move within that pool of light surrounding the chair. This was our lot in the piece unless he came and touched our shoulder. For some reason I really wanted the restriction so I was praying that he would not touch me. But he did. He did say that while we could move if we were touched we did not have to move.
I took all the images that I saw, and I endowed the chair with all those images, making it a symbol of my journey. So I stayed with the chair, moving with the music, exploring shape, duration, and architecture. And I was so focused on the chair that I did not notice that one of my classmates had taken to exploring repetition of what I was doing. It actually intrigued me enough to get me to leave my exploration of the chair to take a closer look at what she was doing. We had a moment with her and another of my cast mates that Chris really liked. I thought it was interesting too.
Throughout the night we explored different things with and without the chair. I am looking forward to seeing what this section will look like when it is solidified. :D) Can't wait to start new sessions as well. :D)
That's all for now.
First Night Rehearsal:
We worked the opening number of our show. I can't say a lot. Wouldn't want to ruin it for the audience or anything, but I will say this. By the end of it there is a lot of heavy breathing. It's quite a work out. We start out "explaining" the viewpoints, which is really cool. I actually have a line in the explanation. A line that I goofed on tonight, but that is okay because I am going to make sure that I get it right next time. :D)
The thing with doing a highly physical show, is that it helps if you are highly physically fit, or at the very least, standardly physically fit. I am working on the standardly physically fit thing. I think that by the end of the show, I should have it down. :D) By the grace of God, I have been able to keep up with everyone for the most part. There I am very grateful.
Second Night Rehearsal:
This happened tonight. Well, technically it happened last night. I regress. Rehearsal tonight was wonderful. We worked with a new piece of music that we are incorporating into the show. We did the imaging exercise where we close our eyes and listen to the music and see where it sits in our hearts. Mine was very interesting. This is what I saw.
1. A forest with lots of trees. It was deep and thick, lush and green.
2. A less dense area of trees, a path, a clearing with a lake to the side.
3. Rolling green plains, with a few trees splashed here and there.
4. Tall rounded hills and wide lime green valleys.
5. A procession of people entering a dark castle. (Not sure how I got to this image. It was just suddenly there with the music change.)
So those are the things that I saw while listening to this particular piece of music. The first feeling I got from the music was the desire to hide. I never acted on that desire though, because when I started to move that desire was not the first thing.
We explored the music with open viewpoints first, but then Chris gave us some guidelines. We were all supposed to bring a chair on stage. And where ever we sat our chair, there would be a spot light. We were only allowed to move within that pool of light surrounding the chair. This was our lot in the piece unless he came and touched our shoulder. For some reason I really wanted the restriction so I was praying that he would not touch me. But he did. He did say that while we could move if we were touched we did not have to move.
I took all the images that I saw, and I endowed the chair with all those images, making it a symbol of my journey. So I stayed with the chair, moving with the music, exploring shape, duration, and architecture. And I was so focused on the chair that I did not notice that one of my classmates had taken to exploring repetition of what I was doing. It actually intrigued me enough to get me to leave my exploration of the chair to take a closer look at what she was doing. We had a moment with her and another of my cast mates that Chris really liked. I thought it was interesting too.
Throughout the night we explored different things with and without the chair. I am looking forward to seeing what this section will look like when it is solidified. :D) Can't wait to start new sessions as well. :D)
That's all for now.
Monday, April 5, 2010
GOTTA LOVE A READTHROUGH!!!!
Tonight before my Viewpoints rehearsal, we are having a read through for Lily's Plastic Purple Purse. I am very excited about this read through. Because I am expecting this is to be an amazingly fun role.
My First Night Rehearsal for The Viewpoints Project
Tonight we are having our first night rehearsal for The Viewpoints Project: And That's Why I'm Not God. I am very excited because we are going to stage the opening for the show. I have no idea what we will be using from what we have done in class, but I am very excited to find out. I will know more later, but this is a little update about where we are in the process of getting ready for the show.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse
Last week I found out that I got the part of Grammy, Lily's grandmother in the Playhouse Theatre's: The Playhouse Playground Series production of Lily's Purple Plastic Purse. This will be my first show "acting" with Playhouse. I am very excited. Right now I am eagerly awaiting the rehearsal schedule. The show will happen a week or two after we finish The Veiwpoints Project, so I am going to be really busy and loving every minute of it. YAY!!!! More to come as I learn more.
The Viewpoints Project:: Intro
Viewpoints is a physical acting technique created by Ann Bogart. There are nine viewpoints:
1. Time (How fast you move on a scale of one to ten. One being standing still, ten being top speed.)
2. Duration (How long you do something)
3. Spatial Relationship (How close or how far away you can get to/from someone within your acting space.)
4. Shape (What shapes can you make in the space)
5. Architecture (What is in the space with you.)
6. Kinesthetic Response: Reacting to stimuli in the space (this could be music, someone clapping loud in your ear, etc.)
7. Gesture (making gestures)
8. Topography
9. Repetition (doing what someone else is doing)
The first time I experienced a Viewpoints session, I fell in love with it. It was during a rehearsal for ORU Theatre's Hamlet production. It was so much fun. Ever since then I have been wanting to do more. This year, I got the opportunity to be a part of a show we are doing called The Viewpoints project. The show is also a class, so I have been in class with all my fellow cast members, the stage manager and asm, and the director since January. It has been amazing. I feel like I am growing physically as an actor. I seriously felt myself being more comfortable on stage during my Musical Theatre recital, and I think that is partially because of this class. Also probably because I am taking Meisner again this semester. Anyway, we are starting to put together the show now, and I am hoping to get here more often to post some of the things I am learning and discovering during this process. :D
1. Time (How fast you move on a scale of one to ten. One being standing still, ten being top speed.)
2. Duration (How long you do something)
3. Spatial Relationship (How close or how far away you can get to/from someone within your acting space.)
4. Shape (What shapes can you make in the space)
5. Architecture (What is in the space with you.)
6. Kinesthetic Response: Reacting to stimuli in the space (this could be music, someone clapping loud in your ear, etc.)
7. Gesture (making gestures)
8. Topography
9. Repetition (doing what someone else is doing)
The first time I experienced a Viewpoints session, I fell in love with it. It was during a rehearsal for ORU Theatre's Hamlet production. It was so much fun. Ever since then I have been wanting to do more. This year, I got the opportunity to be a part of a show we are doing called The Viewpoints project. The show is also a class, so I have been in class with all my fellow cast members, the stage manager and asm, and the director since January. It has been amazing. I feel like I am growing physically as an actor. I seriously felt myself being more comfortable on stage during my Musical Theatre recital, and I think that is partially because of this class. Also probably because I am taking Meisner again this semester. Anyway, we are starting to put together the show now, and I am hoping to get here more often to post some of the things I am learning and discovering during this process. :D
Friday, January 29, 2010
Image work for MidSummer Night's Dream
In our seminar class this semester, we are focusing on auditioning. For my classic piece I have chosen a monologue from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The monologue goes as follows:
What, can you do me greater harm than hate?
Hate me? Wherefore? O Me!
What news, My Love?
Am I not Hermia?
Are you not Lysander?
I am as fair now as I was erewhile.
Since night you loved me, yet since night you left me.
Why then - you left me - Oh the gods forbid!
In earnest, shall I say?
I am not halfway as connected as I need to be before my audition next Thursday. So I am doing a few things to get ready. I have already cast my Lysander.
I am starting by doing some image work for the aforementioned night:
The grass in the meadow is about ankle high, lush, and green. I can feel it on my toes as I walk easily though the blades. Lysander is right behind me, his strong hands gently on my waist. He smells good. I can smell him over all the other smells around me. I smell him over the grass, the flowers, the crisp night air. I feel complete, secure. "Let's stop here," he says to me as he tightens his grip on my waist like a masterful rider, pulling the reins of his prize mare. I immediately respond, stopping in my tracks and turning to look into his beautiful green eyes. "Right here, my love?" I whisper.
He nods, as he kisses my forehead and begins to set up camp. When we are settled, I sit down in the grass and he sits right next to me. We look at each other. His tunic leaves his shoulders exposed. His biceps intrigue me. I kiss them, trace them with my finger, and then lay my head on his shoulder.
"This is true bliss," I tell him. He shifts a little, gently pulls my chin up, and places his lips over mine. As if tasting his favorite ripened fruit, he begins to sample me. I don't ever want him to stop. I am slipping deeper into a flood of desire for more of everything that is him.
"Lysander, wait!" I say suddenly. He looks a little confused. I kiss him sweetly but swiftly before I explain. "We are very close to ruining my virtue, my love. I think we need some distance."
He looks at me with sincere eyes and says, "Hermia, your very presence satisfies me completely, and I do want more of you. But I will not destroy your virtue. We will be married tomorrow, and I will have my way with you then. Sleep well my love and dream of me. I will love you forever."
What, can you do me greater harm than hate?
Hate me? Wherefore? O Me!
What news, My Love?
Am I not Hermia?
Are you not Lysander?
I am as fair now as I was erewhile.
Since night you loved me, yet since night you left me.
Why then - you left me - Oh the gods forbid!
In earnest, shall I say?
I am not halfway as connected as I need to be before my audition next Thursday. So I am doing a few things to get ready. I have already cast my Lysander.
I am starting by doing some image work for the aforementioned night:
The grass in the meadow is about ankle high, lush, and green. I can feel it on my toes as I walk easily though the blades. Lysander is right behind me, his strong hands gently on my waist. He smells good. I can smell him over all the other smells around me. I smell him over the grass, the flowers, the crisp night air. I feel complete, secure. "Let's stop here," he says to me as he tightens his grip on my waist like a masterful rider, pulling the reins of his prize mare. I immediately respond, stopping in my tracks and turning to look into his beautiful green eyes. "Right here, my love?" I whisper.
He nods, as he kisses my forehead and begins to set up camp. When we are settled, I sit down in the grass and he sits right next to me. We look at each other. His tunic leaves his shoulders exposed. His biceps intrigue me. I kiss them, trace them with my finger, and then lay my head on his shoulder.
"This is true bliss," I tell him. He shifts a little, gently pulls my chin up, and places his lips over mine. As if tasting his favorite ripened fruit, he begins to sample me. I don't ever want him to stop. I am slipping deeper into a flood of desire for more of everything that is him.
"Lysander, wait!" I say suddenly. He looks a little confused. I kiss him sweetly but swiftly before I explain. "We are very close to ruining my virtue, my love. I think we need some distance."
He looks at me with sincere eyes and says, "Hermia, your very presence satisfies me completely, and I do want more of you. But I will not destroy your virtue. We will be married tomorrow, and I will have my way with you then. Sleep well my love and dream of me. I will love you forever."
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