The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

As we opened up on Thursday, the nerves of our first performance were in everyone, but than we all thought about it. This play is meant to be funny, and have fun, make people laugh and laugh ourselves at the same time. And most importantly have the energy that makes the audience breathless. When I went on stage the nerves flew away. I realized that this is what I love to do, and if I miss up, who cares, I am pretty sure no one in the audience will know.

I realized throughout this production and especially this week, I understood that teamwork is a must in a ensemble. This performance depends on everyone and as long as gave your 150% and your team did as well, everything will look perfect. And we worked hard and the end result went up and beyound my own expectation and I am sure everyone elses. The audience worked with us through the participation to understanding our subtle jokes. All in all, this production was a complete blast. I loved working on it, and my only dissappointment is that i wont be able to to perform it again.

But I really excited to be able to direct The Little Prince with Julie. She has a really really creative side and I know that together we can make this production one of the best, and that is really hard compared to what we just did. But I believe that it is possible. We will put our heart and mind into this production and make it a memorable one. And I already have ideas in my mind as to how we should produce this.

I have loved this show (The Complete Works) and the people who made it so wonderful, and I really hope that The Little Prince will match this incredible production.

It's SHOW TIME

This week we have practcing our play, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). I am trying really hard to work on my weak points, such as being loud (projection) and atriculating when saying everything. But what I have the hardest time with is catching breath and not knowing when to put a pause in my beginning monolouge. I tend to get tired and my voice cracks when i do the beginning. I realize it happens because my voice is losing strength because I am unable to catch my breath.

I am trying really hard to ad pauses and slow down my monolouge so can breath. Along with that I am having two other parts in the intro. I have to be been for a part when I am talking about the children and how they should fend for themselves. Being mean is the toughest challenge for me. I try my hardest to be mean but than I end up breaking character or it doesnt sound mean at all. I think I should just forget about trying and be mean.

And what is hard is when i have to praise Mayra went she is 'preaching to the crowd'. I think the character should go all out, but going all out is a tougher challenge. How to act like that when I am saying those lines confuses me. I think I am doing it completely wrong because i really dont know how to do it right. It might take more time for me to graasp this concept.

I think this play will be amazing! Everything will fall in place in the end, just like it always does. And the tech/dress rehearsals that are coming up will help as well. I hoping for the best for this show and i really want it to work out, for our director, Sam. Our teacher, Ms. Langess and our entire class. Hoping.

SUZUKI - Time to Pose

                                              http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/09/20/detoxifying-yoga-workout/

No longer using our feet when learning about SUZUKI we learned a more tedious task. That is how to hold a position. We first started off with a human "V" where the legs and upper torso suspended in the air. It took a very hard strain on your abdomen, however I tried to hardest to keep my body up. I tried to move pass the pain and take the pain as a challenge but it was hard to overpass it, than we had to add text into the position which is even harder. I could not manage to concentrate on the text and keeping my body up. I ended losing my position even when i had someone holding me, or i would fumble with the words that i had to say.

After the whole "V" shaped posture we got to choose our own positions and this was more easier than the "V". When we did our own position i was more comfortable and acceptable to me. It was easier for me to find my equilibrium when doing this and able to hold my entire body up because i was in control of the position i was in. 

Than once again we added the text and i was able to say without fumbling but i could not find my vocal space, which has always been a problem for me. Each time I tried to raise my volume and was not able to match everyone else vocal power. Than when rehearing i listened to how strong my voice could get and i realized that it was really weak. And every time i would raise my volume my voice would end up cracking a little. I found out what i really needed to work on. I hope SUZUKI will help me concentrate on my voice and make it louder. 

SUZUKI

Suzuki is the idea of slow and sustain movement or fast and consistent movements. But what caught my eye in Suzuki is the relationship it had with Viola Spolin, a actress we have previously learned about. When doing Suzuki we laid upon the floor quietly and felt the air around us keeping in mind how our body is positioned with the air. From the tip of our toes to the last strand of air. Although it may have been relaxing and allowed us to get in touch with out inner nature, or rather nature itself, it did provide a connection to Viola Spolin.

The first exercise we did when doing Viola Spolin, we placed our hand in front of us in mid air and closed our eyes. Ms. Langess told us what to feel, and we felt. And what I remembered with this specific exercise is feeling the air around our hand, and how our hand communes with the air. This little idea connected back when we did this similar exercise when dealing with Suzuki, even if Suzuki is to get in touch with nature, and Spolin's idea of living in the moment. 

Also, when learning Suzuki I read a quote that he used that stuck out very well. 

"When such a group is able to function, it wields considerable power...". 

This idea relates back to basic Suzuki exercises, such as when all of us had to stomp our feet on the floor. When we were all synchronized the effect of power and balance was very strong and powerful but if one person was off beat it diminished it. It relates to the quote, the idea of a group functioning well together leads to better and more stronger end results. 

This is what I believe to be an ensemble. Working together in harmony to attain I really good end result, and all the plays we have performed have been ensemble pieces which allows our plays to be powerful and strong. 

Viola Spolin......The Godmother of IMPROV

Viola Spolin is known for fun and interesting improv games, but they also have a hidden meaning behind them that teaches a lesson about characterization, understanding, intuition, physicalization, spontaneity, audience, transformation. And from doing one of her improv games in class I have learned some things about

characterization and physicalization.

As we did the activity in class about forming your own space, it was necessary for you to make sure you visualized the space in your head and than applied to your surroundings, meaning you indirectly physcialized it.

As walked about our created space in the class, many other students (who were now in their own world, space, or universe) interfered with your surroundings, causing a rift to happen between your 'physical space', and as a normal person in your particular area, you would flinch, wince, and get worried for them if they collide with wall, walked on walked. 

As this happened, I kind of felt that my understanding of the physical around me was getting more prominent, I understood the nooks and crooks of the area that I inhabited. This helped on the grander scale. That if on stage there is an area where something should be, and is still not there, than I would be more careful to maintain that area of the object and not collide with.

Next, when we now where able to interact with the people around us, it helped me understand my character. For example, i was near a tree taking pictures when I noticed a 'someone' near the water, as my characters reaction, I went near her, trying to save because I believed she was committing suicide. This not only helped me characterize my character to be able to understand it better but I made an inference about the lady i was saving, and made up a characterization on my head of her. 

This gives a better understanding that when on stage and you have a conversation with another character, you learn what type of person you are playing, a mean one, nice one, perky one, or even the gloomy one. But another bonus point is that you have the chance to learn, or characterize the character you are talking to, is she my best friend, is he someone I like, or is she a random lady i am helping so she doesn't commit suicide. 

This exercise that we did in class helped a lot on the grander scale, and Viola Spolin has many great techniques.