Saw an invite on Facebook yesterday to participate in workshopping a play today, so I signed up and went. We spent seven hours looking at/reading language, doing group movement exercises, working out harmonies in a song, doing a read-thru and then a discussion of the script, and what we discovered, and then working out some specific movement to feel out sections of the script...basically, taking the words off of the page and seeing what they looked like when you physicalized/vocalized them. There were three of us (I think) that were neither cast nor crew for the show, but everyone more-or-less participated in all aspects of the process. It helps to get everyone on the same page, and also to see the process, and the work involved with each element it takes to put a show together. For me, having had my foot out of the process for the past 2 1/2 months, today was a godsend for experience. I learned new ways of looking at character and movement; some historical, song-learning techniques; history, use of language, etc. I'm glad they were open to letting me participate (it turned out that I do know a cast-member, but walking into the room this morning, I knew no one.) I know it's not all that common to get this experience while working on a show, totally depends on the director and/or the budget, so, I'm grateful to have been a part of this one.
Went to the third night of 14/48 Mixed Tape last night. (Plays from past 14/48 shows were selected by the public(?), and then the four directors got to each choose seven to direct and cast from them.) Last night seemed to be broadly played for laughs, and the audience enjoyed it. My favorite plays were the more serious ones, felt like the actors dug a little deeper, with the exception of "21 Run" by Matt Smith, which was sorta' humorous in a dejected way. A man is celebrating his 21rst birthday all alone because his best friend forgot him, and he doesn't actually seem to have any friends, and Jason Harber brought moments of vulnerability to that, especially when he starts taking 21 shots in his living room, all alone. Ben Burris played his imaginary Ninja Armadillo friend, and he was wonderful. Hannah Mootz and Trick Danneker in "Pause Rest Worship" by Heidi Heimarck also brought a lot of depth to a mother who gave up her child (and then apparently went to prison for a while) and her boy who has grown up not knowing her, only she visits the roadside chapel where she gave him up, once-a-year to pray for him. And my favorite was Mark Fullerton in "Bliss Potetntial" by Scotto Moore, about an aging, ecstasy-addicted, rockstar who grants a no-holds-barred interview to a rock journalist. He was lovely. He brought much vulnerability and subtlety to that character. All directed by Paul Budraitis. I could only afford to go to one night, (have tuition and rent due).
I have no closing thoughts, so I'll leave that hanging then.
Showing posts with label Workshop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Workshop. Show all posts
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
More to think about
Henceforth get thee away! Reading Shakespeare on the bus, and now am thinking to myself in Elizabethan English which is both amusing and a little annoying-and yes, that's the best sentence I could come up with after verses of mistaken identity, accusations of sorcery, and servants taking the blame for every last misunderstanding. (And yes, had I begun sooner, I might've written this post that way...maybe next time.) Not actually sure why it stayed in my brain so long. "Comedy of Errors." Not sure if I will use a monologue from this or go back to "Othello." (I am inconsistent with punctuation. I know it.) They are with the Abbess now, but I haven't finished it.
Went to a cold-reading workshop. Will try to find more opportunities. I just need to do it, and I like having the feedback. I need to get over my self-consciousness, let myself to flirt with text (been an issue before), and figure out why I'm shutting down my impulses before I even know they exist, or at least how to stop doing this. It was an issue all last year in Meisner as well. Has not always been, nor has my squelching emotions. I need to take the judgement off of these things (of myself). I wasn't always like this, I used to be pretty fiery (not always the best choice in life, granted), but within the past several years I haven't been. It's not like that was ever particularly safe at any point, so why the sudden stop? If not always helpful in life, it would be useful in theatre; I'd like to get it back.
If I can get past the self-consciousness (making a boring choice? a dumb choice? a foolish choice?), maybe I can learn a foreign language, too...well, a lot of things. It held me back there as well. So much of this is boldness. Pushing out as far as you can to see what too far is, and where you can come back to. ("Make big shapes I can move in."-Rilke, my mantra for taking chances.) Need to be brave enough to be a fool. To look like a fool. To sound like a fool. To actually do it, out loud and, not just in my head. Thinking is not the same as doing.
No risk and nothing ever changes.
Went to a cold-reading workshop. Will try to find more opportunities. I just need to do it, and I like having the feedback. I need to get over my self-consciousness, let myself to flirt with text (been an issue before), and figure out why I'm shutting down my impulses before I even know they exist, or at least how to stop doing this. It was an issue all last year in Meisner as well. Has not always been, nor has my squelching emotions. I need to take the judgement off of these things (of myself). I wasn't always like this, I used to be pretty fiery (not always the best choice in life, granted), but within the past several years I haven't been. It's not like that was ever particularly safe at any point, so why the sudden stop? If not always helpful in life, it would be useful in theatre; I'd like to get it back.
If I can get past the self-consciousness (making a boring choice? a dumb choice? a foolish choice?), maybe I can learn a foreign language, too...well, a lot of things. It held me back there as well. So much of this is boldness. Pushing out as far as you can to see what too far is, and where you can come back to. ("Make big shapes I can move in."-Rilke, my mantra for taking chances.) Need to be brave enough to be a fool. To look like a fool. To sound like a fool. To actually do it, out loud and, not just in my head. Thinking is not the same as doing.
No risk and nothing ever changes.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
New things
I don't recall it raining this afternoon, nor earlier tonight, yet when I walked home just now after getting out of the house to get some writing done, the ground was quite wet.
I keep spilling things this week: a burrito's contents on my bed (we don't have a dining room); a rotting plum exploded on my pants as I was carrying the compost outside; my water bottle leaked half of it's contents all over my bag, through my workout clothes, and all over my library book earlier today; and I just spilled the drink I was attempting to drink all over my journal. I had to wear the clothes anyway, because I needed to. At least wearing them, helped them to dry out some. And I really should take a shower, but my feet aren't all that dirty, since we wore socks in class.
So, I'm taking this Suzuki intensive so that I can do the drop-in classes, and get some physical theatre practice in. I walked in with a little anxiety, not sure what to expect, I've had a couple short exposures to Suzuki (in Biomechanics, as well as a friend who had studied with him-Tadashi Suzuki-who led a brief movement workshop.) Mostly I remember stomping, and that hurting the bottom of my feet. Oh, and getting tired. But it was the plies almost did me in today, not the stomping, and then my back was also killing me. Kinda' amazing how you also use the lower back when you engage your core. It's mostly lower body work, with the upper body being relaxed, yet engaged, and an expressionless face. Anyway, my quads were suffering. By the end, I think all my big muscles had gone into a state of fatigue. It's gonna be hard to do stairs tomorrow. I was shaky for a couple of hours after. Ate, too. It's funny what uses up the glycogen stores; I didn't feel like it was all that strenuous, and yet we were all working up a sweat.
I had run up to the instructor last week at another event, and probably made an ass of myself, but I'd wanted to ask him about the class. He remembered me. There are a lot of things I need to work on (focus, centering, groundedness) and this will be good for all of those. I like that he's pointing the lack of these out, because I need it. These forms are simple, but precise, and in that, also difficult to master. You have to figure out how your body does what is being asked of it. It's not a way we typically move.
There are only four people in the class. I keep hearing that casting directors are saying they want actors to have voice and movement, but it seems difficult to get these classes to reach a high enough enrollment to run. They keep getting cancelled at Freehold. I'm glad this one is running with only four students. I want the training.
I keep spilling things this week: a burrito's contents on my bed (we don't have a dining room); a rotting plum exploded on my pants as I was carrying the compost outside; my water bottle leaked half of it's contents all over my bag, through my workout clothes, and all over my library book earlier today; and I just spilled the drink I was attempting to drink all over my journal. I had to wear the clothes anyway, because I needed to. At least wearing them, helped them to dry out some. And I really should take a shower, but my feet aren't all that dirty, since we wore socks in class.
So, I'm taking this Suzuki intensive so that I can do the drop-in classes, and get some physical theatre practice in. I walked in with a little anxiety, not sure what to expect, I've had a couple short exposures to Suzuki (in Biomechanics, as well as a friend who had studied with him-Tadashi Suzuki-who led a brief movement workshop.) Mostly I remember stomping, and that hurting the bottom of my feet. Oh, and getting tired. But it was the plies almost did me in today, not the stomping, and then my back was also killing me. Kinda' amazing how you also use the lower back when you engage your core. It's mostly lower body work, with the upper body being relaxed, yet engaged, and an expressionless face. Anyway, my quads were suffering. By the end, I think all my big muscles had gone into a state of fatigue. It's gonna be hard to do stairs tomorrow. I was shaky for a couple of hours after. Ate, too. It's funny what uses up the glycogen stores; I didn't feel like it was all that strenuous, and yet we were all working up a sweat.
I had run up to the instructor last week at another event, and probably made an ass of myself, but I'd wanted to ask him about the class. He remembered me. There are a lot of things I need to work on (focus, centering, groundedness) and this will be good for all of those. I like that he's pointing the lack of these out, because I need it. These forms are simple, but precise, and in that, also difficult to master. You have to figure out how your body does what is being asked of it. It's not a way we typically move.
There are only four people in the class. I keep hearing that casting directors are saying they want actors to have voice and movement, but it seems difficult to get these classes to reach a high enough enrollment to run. They keep getting cancelled at Freehold. I'm glad this one is running with only four students. I want the training.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Waiting
Waiting to find out when and where rehearsal is and slightly freaking out about being without a place to live (will have to put everything in storage and couch surf...I don't like doing it, I feel like it can put a strain on relationships. In general, it makes me feel too needy, but am beyond grateful that the option exists. I have good people in my life. I know this.) The thing is, I've worked for the State for the past 14 years. I work full time. I'm at the top of my pay scale (which admittedly, is not particularly high) and I can't find a place to live. There are alot of people who make less than I do, we are all competing for a dwindling supply of affordability. Studios are around $800-1000. Someone showing a house told me he'd met close to 100 people. I have to find someone that wants me to live there. I probably could have moved into that house, but it's not a safe neighborhood at night, and there was dog crap everywhere, hard to avoid stepping in it if you went outside, which is really off-putting to me and it's just a sign of a lack of responsibility that makes me wonder how it translates day to day. Maybe not at all, maybe a lot. Send out more contacts. (The place I looked at yesterday was in a great location, though dirty (that's not a deal-breaker), but I haven't heard back since I called the landlord last night.) With the exception of being a bit of a fridge hog, I'm a good catch as a housemate, and that's something I can reign in, and my good qualities (responsible, friendly, fair, pay bills on time, good conversationalist, I like people, etc.) more than make up for that.
Better things. I got someone to take over the compost coordination at the garden and I took on a different project, more responsibility but it doesn't involve as much of strain on my wrist. And the performance workshop earlier today was great. One of the exercises was similar to one we did on the very first day of Meisner. Where someone tells a story for 45 seconds, and then someone else goes up and tells what they heard, including any physicality that stood out, and then the original person re-did it today (in Meisner we did a longer version, each person speaking for two minutes, and then a full two-minute playback by an observer) including the emphasis of any gestures that may have been picked up by the other people (we had two or three people doing a playback for each storyteller.) I think it's an Anna Deavere Smith exercise. We also did an exercise where we each told a 30-second story about our favorite picture of our self, and then with each proceeding round, re-told our story using elements of other people's stories, and then interrupting "that's a beautiful story, but in my picture..." It was good. Always helpful to actually do something as opposed to getting lost in my head thinking about it and making up catastrophes or whatever. All of which made me think again about the idea that you cannot play the end of something, even if you know how it ends, you have to live in the moment. If you play the end, you never take chances. Sure it might end badly, but you get something out of it anyway, and it could be the most true, beautiful, wonderful experience if you let it be, but you're so afraid of (or anticipating) the ending that you never start. And that's true in life as well as on the stage. You have to take a chance on what's in front of you now. You have to connect to what's going on right now, not what might happen. (I am often caught here.) The concept's been coming up in class now that we are working more with text.
The last thing was the actual game of "Winners and Losers." We ran out of time before I got to go. I was slightly afraid to go, but also disappointed that I didn't get to experience it, though at least they used a few of my ideas. One of my former teachers was a participant in the workshop, made me slightly self-conscious, he's at a much further level than I am, and I am at times, intimidated. Wanted to say, "hi" but stupidly didn't because I couldn't make eye contact (which felt deliberate) and didn't feel like being pushy (sometimes we joke around, sometimes we ignore each other. That's equally my fault and I wish it weren't. Sad truth, I frustrate myself sometimes, I can usually talk to almost anyone.) Sat next to him and was in a group with him, too. Kinda' wanted to debate him in the game, but also intimidated there as well: he really plays to win. (Which was the point.) I would've liked to have seen if I could have stood up to it, I wasn't sure. And now I don't know. (And I kinda' feel like the loser in the game since I didn't play.)
Need to do something, call, rehearse...pack.
Later. As far as rehearsals go, it's like I've never seen a script before. Too distracted, need to really spend some time with this. Get the bad out of the system. We'll meet again before we do these again. Next class is a long active meditation and the nursery rhyme thing. Oh, I should practice for that.
Cheers.
Better things. I got someone to take over the compost coordination at the garden and I took on a different project, more responsibility but it doesn't involve as much of strain on my wrist. And the performance workshop earlier today was great. One of the exercises was similar to one we did on the very first day of Meisner. Where someone tells a story for 45 seconds, and then someone else goes up and tells what they heard, including any physicality that stood out, and then the original person re-did it today (in Meisner we did a longer version, each person speaking for two minutes, and then a full two-minute playback by an observer) including the emphasis of any gestures that may have been picked up by the other people (we had two or three people doing a playback for each storyteller.) I think it's an Anna Deavere Smith exercise. We also did an exercise where we each told a 30-second story about our favorite picture of our self, and then with each proceeding round, re-told our story using elements of other people's stories, and then interrupting "that's a beautiful story, but in my picture..." It was good. Always helpful to actually do something as opposed to getting lost in my head thinking about it and making up catastrophes or whatever. All of which made me think again about the idea that you cannot play the end of something, even if you know how it ends, you have to live in the moment. If you play the end, you never take chances. Sure it might end badly, but you get something out of it anyway, and it could be the most true, beautiful, wonderful experience if you let it be, but you're so afraid of (or anticipating) the ending that you never start. And that's true in life as well as on the stage. You have to take a chance on what's in front of you now. You have to connect to what's going on right now, not what might happen. (I am often caught here.) The concept's been coming up in class now that we are working more with text.
The last thing was the actual game of "Winners and Losers." We ran out of time before I got to go. I was slightly afraid to go, but also disappointed that I didn't get to experience it, though at least they used a few of my ideas. One of my former teachers was a participant in the workshop, made me slightly self-conscious, he's at a much further level than I am, and I am at times, intimidated. Wanted to say, "hi" but stupidly didn't because I couldn't make eye contact (which felt deliberate) and didn't feel like being pushy (sometimes we joke around, sometimes we ignore each other. That's equally my fault and I wish it weren't. Sad truth, I frustrate myself sometimes, I can usually talk to almost anyone.) Sat next to him and was in a group with him, too. Kinda' wanted to debate him in the game, but also intimidated there as well: he really plays to win. (Which was the point.) I would've liked to have seen if I could have stood up to it, I wasn't sure. And now I don't know. (And I kinda' feel like the loser in the game since I didn't play.)
Need to do something, call, rehearse...pack.
Later. As far as rehearsals go, it's like I've never seen a script before. Too distracted, need to really spend some time with this. Get the bad out of the system. We'll meet again before we do these again. Next class is a long active meditation and the nursery rhyme thing. Oh, I should practice for that.
Cheers.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Circus
Cold out. Chilled from waiting for the bus, entertained myself by singing a Swedish Christmas song out loud while I waited (there wasn't anyone else at the stop.) Surprised myself by knowing all of the lyrics. I'm still cold.
Went to a circus workshop after work tonight, with an Australian performance group called Circa. It was fun and incredibly generous. Only 1 1/2 hours, but it was free. We spent an hour learning some improv "language" in pairs, and then split the group in half and had one group watch as the other one improv'd in the space. It's the tools they use to put a piece together. I have a ticket for tomorrow night, excited to see what they do. Also excited that I have something to share with the clown group I go to, stuff we can learn and practice. I wasn't sure if I should sign up for the workshop, the invite was ambiguous about how much experience you needed (turned out you didn't need any, just a willingness to participate), but one of the dance professors convinced me to go, in fact, she emailed them...I'm glad I listened to her. I finally signed up yesterday. Originally, it was only open to ticket holders, but I think with so many students out of town, they opened it to the general public. As it was there were only 24 of us, including the performers.
I have a coaching session tomorrow morning, so need to get my monologue memorized, it is mostly, but I want help shaping it, so I need it off book. It's pretty short, 52 seconds last time we timed it. It was originally for the general auditions (I had two minutes total to work with), but I didn't end up doing it. Most auditions seem to use sides (from scripts). I should work with her on that, too.
No closer on deciding on the living situation. Mañana.
Here's a tree picture.
Went to a circus workshop after work tonight, with an Australian performance group called Circa. It was fun and incredibly generous. Only 1 1/2 hours, but it was free. We spent an hour learning some improv "language" in pairs, and then split the group in half and had one group watch as the other one improv'd in the space. It's the tools they use to put a piece together. I have a ticket for tomorrow night, excited to see what they do. Also excited that I have something to share with the clown group I go to, stuff we can learn and practice. I wasn't sure if I should sign up for the workshop, the invite was ambiguous about how much experience you needed (turned out you didn't need any, just a willingness to participate), but one of the dance professors convinced me to go, in fact, she emailed them...I'm glad I listened to her. I finally signed up yesterday. Originally, it was only open to ticket holders, but I think with so many students out of town, they opened it to the general public. As it was there were only 24 of us, including the performers.
I have a coaching session tomorrow morning, so need to get my monologue memorized, it is mostly, but I want help shaping it, so I need it off book. It's pretty short, 52 seconds last time we timed it. It was originally for the general auditions (I had two minutes total to work with), but I didn't end up doing it. Most auditions seem to use sides (from scripts). I should work with her on that, too.
No closer on deciding on the living situation. Mañana.
Here's a tree picture.
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| 5:30 Light/L Herlevi 2014 |
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