Farewell

Bye bye to this iteration of Stage Movement. This blog will now go to sleep till the next time I teach this course. Have a great summer and Fall, everyone!   ~Prof. Jenn

Here are the final performances. The lighting isn't the best and some of The Sneetches stuff was a little out of frame, sorry about that. But here it is if you want to see them!

Another Seussian Tableau

Creative Movement 2

My favorite three questions were the following:

1. Range of Movement- range of movement is the limits of oneself in terms of stretching their body to its fullest and smallest in terms of space, length, height, and mobility.  It is also a way of establishing oneself in his/her ability to be emotional available and mentally focused.  Anything can affect the range of a person, whether that is stress, illness, physical pain, etc.  The ways that a person can move in order to allow diversity is by finding that neutral standing and walking position while moving.  If an actor can be as neutral as possible then the ways in which they can change are almost unlimited.

4. Body Awareness- Throughout the process of this class I definitely feel more comfortable with most of my body.  I feel like I understand how expressive I can be with the simplest of movements.  The only thing that I still feel like I am not completely comfortable with is the physical limitations of my hamstrings.  Despite that fact I still feel like everything that has to do with movement can relate to the awareness of feeling.  For example, if you walk around the room and move with a frantic, radiant energy it will more than likely you make you feel hyper or worried or similar emotions.  If you walk around the room in a slump with potent energy it can make you feel tired or irritated.


18. Application- All of this knowledge of stage movement is crucial to my professional life and personal life.  The reasons being that as an actor, you want to be able to have as much movement ability physically, emotionally, and mentally so that you will stand apart from all of the other actors that you are competing against.  In personal life it is crucial because it allows you to figure out how other people are trying to communicate to you even if they are not saying anything to you.  It also makes it so you are aware of how you are using body language when contacting another person.  Someone might think you are being aggressive if you are puffing your chest at them.  Since I have the knowledge of that movement portraying that emotion I could make sure to change that.

Creative Movement Questions

http://sixxnine.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/project-london/

I love watching others move because I now realize all the ways that I move differently from others. I play a game while I’m at the library now to watch people and figure out which plane they move on while they are walking and what part of their body they lead with. I have discovered that some of my favorite goofy friends move with very little inhibition and that is part of why I enjoy spending time with them.

 I am able to have fun moving and investigating who I am and I have enjoyed every minute of the variety of new movement types I have been introduced to.  However, my favorite part of this class has been the privilege of getting to see more of who people are and how we can relate to each other through movement.

1.       My answer for this question is the one that has probably changed the most. Although I am still a little shy, I think that my movement more clearly expresses my feelings, philosophy and inner creative forces than it did at the beginning of the semester. I don’t naturally have a very bold movement style and I don’t necessarily stand out but my movement does mostly express who I am.

Creative Movement Questions 2

So I kept a lot of my original answers but I added in things at the end of most of them with updated thoughts at the end of the semester.

Seeing Others: For the most part I see other people move pretty fluidly. Obviously there are some people who have problems with their movement way more than the average person, but for the most part people move smoothly in regards to who they are. This semester I have noticed that more people around me move in interesting ways. I think that since I have been introduced to different movements people make I have been able to pick them out better.

Openness and Availability: For the most part I am open minded and able to try new things. There are times where I am reluctant to change my ways, but I will usually still listen to other opinions/options. This semester I have tried more new things and have opened myself up more to new friendships. Normally I am hesitant to put myself out there with new people but this semester I just decided to go for it with a couple new people and it was totally worth it.

Creative Play: Yes I am able to have fun while figuring out life. There are times when darkness creeps in but for the most part it is relatively easy to enjoy the people and things around me. As I get to know people better I find myself opening up more and not caring about trivial things. I have noticed that more people are drawn to me when I do that.

Expressiveness: It is not so easy to express myself through movement alone. I can do it but usually it takes effort if it is something I consciously want to express. Then there are other times that I wear my heart on my sleeve and it is obvious what I am feeling based on my body movements and expressions.

photo credit: Jenn Boughn

Creative Movement for Mel

1. Range in movement is how far your body can move within your own limits.  Fear, personal image, and ignorance does cause limited range in movement.  Some ways of moving would be how tall you stand, how you walk, and even what part of your body ends up leading.

2. Movement in others looks as if they can be stiff, loose, or just there.  This is seen when observing certain individuals who allow themselves to move rather than be tight all the time.  A lot of the movement I noticed is restricted to the shoulders and the torso.  The arms are a little more free and so are the legs most of the time.  The exercises that freed up the physical systems are the ones where we just walked normally and then gradually started to walk in a neutral position.  This one is also used for inhibiting the movements because of when we get into a different persons type of walk or something, it keeps us restricted.

3. I can move more neutrally so that I may show others how to walk and hopefully they will catch on so that they can have a better type of walk that works for them. If you move your shoulders inward, that cuts off communication for anyone else whereas if you held upright and were open, that would be more of an invitation for conversation.

Movement Questions... like 3 of them... yeah

Eli Stewart

05-09-2014

Stage Movement

Prof. Jenn Boughn

Creative Movement Questions

·         Spontaneity: Am I locked in categorical habit patterns of movement or am I able to react freely?

For the most part, when I do scenes or become a specific character, I try to discover the way they would walk based off of their given circumstances. However, they started out very generalized. I am able to focus more on specifics now, simple things like how they walk (side to side, up and down, etc.) or the pace at which they move.

·         Musicality and Rhythm: What is my rhythm habitually? Can I adapt to other pulses, phrasings, tempos?

My rhythm tends to be slower and more casual than the general person. I speak and walk with purpose. Other tempos, pulses, etc. come naturally to me because I have a strong internal rhythm.

·         Tension and Release: Am I holding? Am I letting go? Where am I too tight or too loose to move with integrity and clarity? How do I let go or be more precise?

I can be pretty tense at times. I knew of tension in my shoulders and lower back at the beginning of the semester. I have stretches that I do to let that tension go. I also discovered over the course of the semester that I have jaw tension as well, which is related to the tension in my shoulders. Simple stretches can be done to relieve  that as well. Once I have released said tension, I am able to move well, with integrity and clarity, but if I have not given these places attention, that is when my movement suffers.

Creative Movement Questions Pt. 2

Range of Movement: Physical range of movement has to do with the different planes an actors body can “physically” move in space. We colored these planes of movement in our coloring books the first week of class; frontal, transverse, cross, median, sagittal, and coronal. I think that emotional range of movement refers to the spectrum of feelings/emotions that an actor has experienced and can tap into in order to help influence a character/performance. Mental range of movement has to to with the actors personal beliefs about themselves. If an actor does not  think they can remember all their lines, hit the high notes, or do a cartwheel on stage then they have a mental road block. They don’t have a good mental range of movement. If the actor can have a greater emotional, physical and mental range of movement and not bring any personal “baggage” into their performance, then they can fully commit and bring that character/performance to a higher level of truth and believably. 

Seeing Others: When we see an actor/character who is walking with a hunched back, tense shoulders and neck, and breathing fast and shallow. They are communicating information to us/the audience about themselves. This person may be stressed out, in poor health, low statues, or just feeling down that day. But we see their body language and we fill in the blanks accordingly. On the other hand, if we see an actor/character who is standing up strait, allowing their shoulder muscles to be relaxed and not pulling everything out of whack, and allowing their lungs to take in calmer deeper breathes we perceive this actor/character as having high social statues. Simple core exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups mixed with stretching and maybe a little cardio can be extremely helpful for an actor to achieve better physicality that will communicate positive qualities about themselves/a character via body language. And also, the pain is not necessarily where the problem is. Little side story, I was on the track team in high school and ended up tearing my meniscus. The pain was in my knee, but it was because of the funky way I was running on the edge of my foot that was the source of the problem. Certain muscles in my leg would have to over compensate for the way I would run. My quadriceps muscle got so tight that it was pulling my knee cap into my meniscus. So when I would run the knee cap would be rubbing my joint and causing it to become inflamed and eventually tear.

Body Awareness: I feel very aware of my legs and knees. As I mentioned in the story above I have had a knee injury in the past, and all the physical therapy I had to do to get better has made me hyper aware of this part of my body. I think I don’t take care of my neck and shoulders enough. It is a place that I carry a lot of tension and stress. It is something that I have to be really mindful of and take extra care to not bring this stress and tension to a character who’s supposed to be care free and happy.

 Creative Play: I think that the best example of creative play is when we did the clown Olympics. My clown revealed himself more and more the more I interacted with the other clowns. Having to interact to the other clown characters made me internalize my feelings more and question how I represented my character’s feelings through pure physically and no words.

 

Final Post

Seeing others: I am much more able to notice movement in others now. Especially in a stage environment. I was at a choir concert at my sister's high school and was thinking "COMMIT! STOP SLOUCHING!!! THIS SONG IS FUNNY HOLD YOURSELF AS SUCH!!!!"
Flexibility: I feel less flexible now than at the beginning of the semester, I think it is due to illness and stress. For some reason I am infinitely more stressed this semester than last, and I am holding it in my upper body. I should be able to improve that on my own though.
Creative Play: I feel much more open to play and trust myself. This class was a very safe environment to do weird things and learn what I'm capable of coming up with. I've developed a great ability to emulate  a character quickly to help the internal.

I'll email you tonight for further reduced credit with the rest of the list..... My email doesn't work on my iPad with campus wifi. Sorry :-//
Aaand sorry that I forgot to do this post when it was due...

                                          http://www.jellymuffin.com/images/im_sorry/

Creative Movement Questions, Round 2

Here are my three favorite questions/answers. The answers in black are my original answers from the beginning of the semester, the ones is red are my current answers/ updated thoughts.

Relating to others:

Our gestures and proximity can affect others. Being too close can be uncomfortable for some as can standing face to face.  Open arms with palms up is a way to invite someone in or portray your information in a positive way. Crossed arms or downward movement can look closed off or bring the energy down.

Moving can produce distance or closeness just by turning the body. Facing away from someone, no matter how close you are creates a feeling of distance.

Engagement and follow through:

It all depends on the activity.  I do like to try new things and sometimes I find that they are not right for me. I will usually know this almost immediately and remove myself from the activity.  If I chose to continue something new, it means that I am enjoying it and I will go all-in and stick with it ‘til the end.

At this point, I am 100% down with the follow through.  Many changes are afoot in my life and I think they are showing in my stage presence as well. I could work on my engagement for sure. I have been letting life stress interfere with how present I am in class. Sorry guys.

Tension and release:

Good question. Depends on the day and the task.

When I don’t know my lines, I am stressed and this shows in my movement.  I can not find a way to be loose if I am uncomfortable because I don’t know what I am supposed to be saying.

Big Brag Tableau

The Big Brag

Here is what I could find about the original cover, or what I think it is.

It was originally placed in the Red Books Magazine in December of 1950.  It was only two pages and was the seventh book listed.

Snee Snee Did You Say Sneetches?

...what Kalond and I were singing last week:

Clown Olympics

Group 1 (Darcy, Kayla, and Rachel):

I really feel like this group a great job in terms of using as many actions as possible.  The group really took charge in demonstrating what clowning was in a technical sense.  Personally I felt that it was a little long, but I enjoyed it.  One thing that I did not understand was the miming conversation that Darcy and Rachel had after Kayla decided to quit.

Group 2 (Eli, JD, Jess):

This group was very successful when it came to clowning through the physicality.  Each of the members knew exactly what kind of clown (or person) they were portraying, and they allowed the hats to illustrate those characters for us as well.  One of my favorite parts was when Jess was doing the relay race, when Eli did his shot-put, and when JD tried to catch his body from the fall on the map.  I think I enjoyed these parts because those are the moments when the characters really seemed to be set in stone.  There was a point towards the Mid-End where the energy dropped a bit, but the group picked it back up.

Group 3 (Melissa and me):

I think that my group did a great job of telling a story.  One of the things that I could have improved on was incorporating more clowning actions into my routine.  We had them in the story, but it was mostly Melissa who had the actions.  In a way it worked for our characters, but I still feel as though I could have done more.  I did enjoy our length though.

Clownlympics

JD, Jess, Eli
I loved this. There was something very classic about the way they set up the entire scene. JD always seems to have a strong, hilarious character (Comedia del arte HOHOHOHO.... or however you would spell that laugh lol) and everything was timed well. I agree Eli could have committed more to the bit where he took a really long time to throw the discus and as the person doing the drumroll I got sick of that bit more quickly than everyone else ;)

Melissa and Kalond

I appreciated the spin they took on this, seeing as it's hard to have an olympic event with only two people that could hold a story/audience. Not gonna lie, I'm not sure if it was because I was exhausted but I missed the burglary thing. Once Jenn said that was what they did I needed Jess to use the triangle for MY realization lol. Very well done.

Ours

I was pleased with our clownlympics. When Darcy and Rachel came up with the idea of a dog show I was so on board for it. The only downfall was we originally planned on using stuffed animals to be our pets, and the gag would have been that they couldn't have performed because they were, in fact, stuffed animals. So we kind of threw together another opening that we could have fine tuned if we had more time to think about it. Prance, skip, run, Captain Kirk, army crawl, ausomble, sisson, full spin, forward roll, side roll, cartwheel, tuck jump, bridge, crucifix roll.

Clownlympics

Eli, JD, Jess
I thought they had a great opening. The physical characters were really strong for all three of them. I could tell who these characters where just by how they walked, which was great. I thought the part where Eli threw the heavy ball and it landed only a few feet away was really funny. Also the relay race was pretty great.

Kalond, Mel
This was an interesting story line. I liked how they went with a robbery as their "sport" in this situation. The story was easy to follow along. I liked how the chemistry between the two characters created some great give and take moments.

Me, Kayla, Darcy
I really loved our story line. Our beginning could have been longer to better establish what was going on. A comment was made that I could have embraced my winning of the dog award more instead of being sad because I'm actually a human. In hindsight I agree. If I had to do the scene over I would make that change. The stunts we used: prance, skip, run, ausomble, sisson, full spin, forward roll, side roll, cartwheel, bridge, Captain Kirk fall, tuck jump, crucifix roll, bridge, and army crawl.

http://images2.sina.com/english/life/p/2010/1023/6295bbd9eba6b7d21d37cdcbc3f05d7b.jpg

Funny Gymnastics "Clown" Paul Hunt

Hey everyone! Here are the funny gymnastic videos I was talking about in class! The guys name is Paul Hunt. There are multiple videos on YouTube but these are my favorites.

1) Uneven Bars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q52axiiPeQ

2) Beam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LslN0nwQNg

3) Floor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBPjhB9d3jc

Clownlympics

Hey everyone!
Today in class we did the clownlympics which was so much fun to watch and perform!!!  Each group had something different, but they all were pretty specific when it came to their event.  The first group was a dog show type event where each person had a dog and they did their little bit, every one different than the other.  I loved the fact that we got to play music with them because we added to their intensity.  I saw a lot of different movements with each person and felt it was appropriate amount with what the circumstances were.  The second group did another event with running and a shotput.  Eli was so funny when he just wouldn't throw the lead ball, which added to the whole experience.  Each person was unique and different and it was really cool how whoever wasn't actually doing the event was rooting on the other person.  The last group was Kalond and I.  We definitely did something way different and did a bank robbery.  This was a lot of fun and the music I felt worked with us rather than us working with the music.  Kalond and I had a different dynamic than everyone that worked very well, especially with the follow the leader mentality.  The movements we did were pike, side roll, prancing, backward fall, sisson, and assemble.  This was really fun to do with Kalond and I was totally into this piece 100%!

Video Reactions

Hey guys!
I really liked all of these videos and I noticed that even though every person is different, they all make specific gestures and everyone had a type of unity that worked really well for their character in the realm of clowning.  When it came to Mr. Bean, I loved his use of the drum set and how it slammed on top of his hand.  This worked really well with the traditional clowning due to the fact that it's a simple task to not let the symbols slam on you, but clowns normally kind of mess that common sense up.  Marcel's clown, however, looked very animated and totally different than Mr. Bean's.  I noticed that he used more of his entire body with what he was doing rather than emulating what an object was.  I really felt this worked great and I loved the differences each video had, especially with these two, but the major similarities they had as well.

Video Reactions

Personal Reaction:

The strength some of these people have is crazy! The amount of control they have over their bodies requires serious muscle. I laughed at a lot of these, I grew up with physical comedy (Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, mostly :P) so I am a huge fan. Each was very distinct in their own style, which I enjoyed the variety as well.

Professional Reaction:

I think it's easy to forget that miming is a form of clowning, because people recognize it as its own art rather than thinking of all clowns when it is mentioned. Each clown had a very distinct character and story that went with the character, and each story was very well performed. Rowan Atkinson is very good at doing the unexpected methods of problem solving from our reading. And who doesn't love Mr Bean?

http://www.theplace2.ru/photos/Rowan-Atkinson-md2030/pic-328333.html

Clowning

Personal reaction: I really feel like after reading what a clown actually does for a routine that it seems silly for people to have such a fear of clowns.  When a lot of people hear the word clown today they do not think of actors who use physical comedy or anything about that nature.  Generally they picture horror movies and/or that story "My Cousin It," I think it was called.  Clowns are supposed to be funny not scary, and I never knew there were distinctions between different types of clowns.

Professional reaction: After the reading on what the different kinds of clowns there were and what the history of the clown was, one of the things that stood out to me was the mention of the name Marcel Marceau.  This name caught my attention because a year ago I was in a one act at Metro that had to deal with a mime, and my character tried to reference Marcel to my friend in order to give an example of what a mime actually did.  I find this interesting because for some reason I never really tied the act of miming as clowning.  They were generally separate categories for me, but now I see that miming is a form of clowning.

Clowining Videos

Rowan Atkinson
I love Rowan Atkinson. I was first introduced to him many years ago by my parents. He is hilarious. His facial features are probably one of my favorite things he does in his comedy. In this video I loved how he used his body and pantomimed this huge drum solo that kept going awry.

Marcel Marceau
This one was weird. It was fine when he first started changing masks from one facial expression to the other but after that it just got weird. I did not laugh at all during this performance. Personally I don't know why anyone would want to pay money to see this performed. I understand that he was telling a story and I guess it was cool how he kept changing his body posture based on the mask used but over all it was just weird.

Bill Irwin
This guy had pretty good control of his body. I liked the part where he was dancing and making his foot dance but then his foot just kept on dancing off the stage making the rest of his body follow. The hat tricks were also pretty cool. I cracked up when he shot the gun after he turned his dancing into a karate battle. I think that his height really worked for his character, especially with the costume because it just made the character look like he had long awkward limbs, but it worked.

Jeff Wills
First of all that mustache is hilarious. This was an impressive show of body strength. The use of the two curtain things was really creative. I didn't really find this video that funny. I mean the only funny part was when he did that high pitched scream when he thought he was going to fall.

http://www.theplace2.ru/archive/rowan_atkinson/img/RowanAtkinson4.jpg

Clowning Videos

I was inspired (and intimidated) by these videos and got some ideas for our Clownlympics performance from them. Rowan Atkinson has a great sense of play and reminds me of an overgrown kid in this drum skit.  He kept his drum set very clear and his movements precise. I was impressed by how well the drummer matched his movements during the performance (even though I'm sure it was all choreographed).

The first thing I noticed about Marcel Marceau was how beautifully he moved his hands - it could be a dance! He established each mask well in terms of where they each were and I liked that the scene built and by the end he was using his entire body to match each mask.  Something that made his performance easy to follow was how consistent his 'neutral' face was in between the masks.

Bill Irwin had a wonderful style of movement that was free, agile, and exact. I particularly enjoyed his hat moves - it is now my life ambition to learn how to do that forward-spring-into-the-hat move if it's the last thing I do (which it probably would be).  He squished and expanded very well too, I thought, and his physical comedy style reminded me a lot of Dick Van Dyke.

For Jeff Wills, my eye was immediately drawn to his handlebar mustache.  The concept for the piece was original and very clever and he used a great balance of looking slightly out of control but still safe enough that the audience was never too concerned about him falling, and being concerned for someone's safety makes things decidedly less funny. I've never seen aerial dance used as a comedic tool and I thought it was really fun.

http://www.theplace2.ru/photos/Rowan-Atkinson-md2030/pic-377550.html

Video Response

While I didn’t think anything Rowan Atkinson did was funny, I could “see” the drum set. I would not have been able to “see” it if he didn’t have a very clear picture in his head.

Marcel Marceau’s piece is what I think of when I think of classic clowning and miming. Something I would like to avoid looking like at all costs. Also, there was something going on with his costume in the crotch area that kept bringing my eye back to his twig-n-berries. Another thing I want to avoid at all costs.

When it comes to the Bill Irwin clip, I see why you like him so much Jenn. It was funny and he has complete control over his body. He was doing very difficult moves and making them look effortless. I also helps that there was dancing in the clip, you know how I’m bias in that department.

I found the Jeff Wills clip very interesting.  I do enjoy watching the arial performers, but a lot of times they look so clumsy in-between each move.  I think it was a great idea to make an arial fabric act into a comedy. So I guess what I’m getting from these videos is that any comedic physical performance can be called clowning. 

 Clowns Ex Machina. Photo by Vanessa Lenz.     http://circusnow.org/causes/clowns-ex-machina/

Clowning Vids For Homework

Here are the vids I'd like you to view for your reading response:

1.) Rowan Atkinson


2.) Marcel Marceau


3.) Bill Irwin


*Note: I took a class from Bill Irwin in Physical Comedy back in the day. I pretty much worship him. 4.) Jeff Wills (this is a WIP piece, FYI)

Be A Clown & Ch 3

Be A Clown

I did not realize there was that much information on clowns. It was interesting that clowns could basically be split into three types. I was also surprised about how much thought should be put into finding the right clown hat. I never thought I would be reading something about how to think like a clown. I have to say it is different. I see how a lot of it could be translated into normal acting, especially the part about comedic timing. There are a lot of different takes that can be done. Most of the time when I watch someone doing one of these takes I will laugh or at the very least chuckle a bit.

Ch. 3

I don't think I would normally do any of these stretches during a warm up, but it does make sense to do these ones for the particular tasks that follow in the chapter. It is weird reading about how each of the rolls and falls happen. It is usually easier for me to watch someone do the task and then copy what they did. Basically this chapter covered the movements we have already learnt in class so it wasn't interesting to me to read.

Ringling Bros Circus Clowns

http://media.arkansasonline.com/img/photos/2012/05/31/resized_99265-ringling-bros-circus-clowns_51-15879_t1000.JPG?cc6fa094ad523b984325c7879220d3883a443e7f

Bein a Clown

I found this reading incredibly interesting. I had no idea there were detailed categories of clowns, which is silly now that I think about it. It was also very interesting to find out that someone can be a clown without the makeup, I always just figured they were "clownish" in personality. Also, I'm wearing a Lucille Ball shirt right now. So that was fun for me.
I would love to find a way to tone down every take for all forms of acting, they all make me laugh just thinking about them. Too bad a triple take is too over the top... for regular theatre I mean.

http://www.ibtimes.com/we-still-love-lucy-after-100-years-839963

Clowning!!!

Hey all!
So I found the excerpts about clowning were really interesting.  Normally, I picture clowns as being all the same, but in this reading I found that there are different types of clowns and how they are portrayed.  It has the elements of Commedia in the way of having specific characters for specific clowns.  I feel that this idea is closely involved with mime and how they do things as well.




https://www.google.com/search?q=clown&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=encrU8PCJNSyygH3jYGQBw&ved=0CDgQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=667#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=uxWdx6pIjgcDnM%253A%3BYE-LUDVAlvtJpM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmedia.heavy.com%252Fmedia%252F2012%252F10%252FKryptKiddiesClowns.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.heavy.com%252Fcomedy%252F2012%252F10%252Fthe-20-creepiest-clowns%252F%3B600%3B450

Be a Clown and Stage Combat Chapter 3

Be a Clown

Be a Clown was a fun chapter to read and I really enjoyed the wacky pictures.  I had no idea clown hats were such a big part of the clown character -- I learned a lot.  I can see how a clown hat and costume would fill out the type of clown character you want to portray.  Indicating what you are doing and thinking while performing as a clown is important (which is quite different from acting when you definitely don't want to indicate). Something I'm looking forward to learning about is comic timing with just movement because it sounds like a challenge to find the exact right moment to hit a joke/gag.  After reading about the spit take I decided to try it and just ended up spitting out a mouth full of water onto the floor instead of spraying it (whoops).  The chapter inspired me to watch a Steve Martin movie and to go out and find my destined clown hat.

Stage Combat - Taihenjutsu

As I read through this chapter, I realized that some of what was making my backward rolls more difficult was that I forgot to use my core muscles which probably would have helped. :) Bridge tag sounds like a really excellent warm up and I suggest that we play that in class soon. My rolls all traveled pretty far last week and this week I would like to try rolling a much shorter distance.  The chapter was a good reminder for proper techniques when we do each of our rolls and falls and such because while I was reading, I realized that a couple of my rolls and falls had gotten a little sloppy already. I failed Ninja IQ test #1 and #2 the first time I tried them…not quite sure how that happened with the pictures demonstrating it. The main points were to fall, roll, jump, and move safely and quietly and to come down on your meat, not your bones. Also, that buddies can help you maintain proper technique and can spot you. 

I included the picture of the handstand because I aspire to someday be able to do one.

http://www.lottje.de/zeichnungen04.html 

Be a Clown & Chapter 3

Photo taken at the Mexico City Clown Convention.  http://clikhear.palmbeachpost.com/2012/world-nation/south-america/laughter-is-a-serious-matter-at-mexico-city-clown-convention/


I thought I was going to be hard pressed to find an image of a clown that I liked, but there it was, right on google.  If you have a second to follow the link and take a look you will find several other very well done, airbrushed looking clowns.  Personally I find this much more appealing than the classic grease paint look.

Be A Clown Response:
I would be lost if I were to try to "become a clown" on my own.  I believe that starting with some costume pieces that you identify with is a great way to start. Before the reading, I did not realize that clowns had types and categories. It makes sense once you think about it.  How could a happy clown be in the same category as a sad clown? I would have liked to read some more examples of comic timing, something I think a lot of actors struggle with. I know I need to have it, but how do I get it?

I think clowning could help any actor in their theatrical training.  I believe it is always good to study as many forms of performance as possible. Clowning could help with an actor's comedic style by the actor either using the knowledge or consciously choosing to not be like a clown.

Chapter 3:

In the warm-up section, I particularly liked the visual of holding caterpillars in your hand and trying not to crush them while you smack your thighs.  When it came to the roll section, "stop, drop and roll" struck me as a great way to remember to get low and to pay attention to what you are doing. The fall section was a great description of what were have been doing in class.

 There were some really good wrist stretches in there later on as well that I have not done before.  I'm always excited to learn a new stretch! Overall I really enjoyed how easy this chapter was to read and how I could easily picture "holding a pizza" box up by my ear and see exactly where my hand should be, not to mention the helpful pictures.

The Rivals

Melissa and Rachel:

Overall this scene was great, the only thing was Rachel became breathless while running around and I began to lose dialogue. They held their postures appropriately and didn't run into inaccuracies with potential costume pieces (It's easy to forget skirts, etc) due to their blocking, which I thought was smart. The way Melissa was sitting on that couch probably would have been hilarious on a more accurate set piece when she tried to get up. I totally loved the way  Rachel was reacting to Melissa's squeals, they weren't even words anymore haha.

JD and Kalond:

There were huge strides from the both of them character-wise since the preview, especially in JD's performance. They held themselves very well, and adjusted to the fact that their swords had been forgotten. They still carried on as if they were there. The build in tension was great at the end, from both Kalond's character and JD's. Though a part of me still wanted JD to be bigger from the beginning.

Darcy and I:

I was pleased with our scene, though for some reason the word 'prudence' completely disagreed with me in the moment. We tended to forget our skirts and stand close to each other in rehearsal, but I think we overcame that in the final performance. I just wish we could have rehearsed with fans more and added our 'fan language'!


http://www.stageandcinema.com/2012/10/29/the-rivals-actors-gang/

Rivals Scene Review

Kayla (Lydia) & Darcy (Julia)

Kayla forgot some words during the performance but when she stopped to remember them she stayed in character which was good. She also remembered to keep her arms up to account for her "dress" being to big. Darcy did a pretty good job of that as well. The blocking for the scene where Lydia was chasing Julia around to get her to listen to her was well done. I think more stage business could have been done so weren't just sitting or standing next to each other not moving. Overall it was really well done.

Kalond (Absolute) & JD (Sr. Anthony Absolute)

It was an interesting idea for Absolute not to move at all during his fathers rant/aside. JD had pretty good posture for a rich old man. He was fidgeting with his robe belt so I think if he had some stage business to keep his hands occupied that would have been good. When JD was describing Lydia he had great facial reactions to what he was doing. Kalond also responded to the description well. Kalond did a really good job of keeping a straight posture even though he didn't have a corset on.

Melissa (Lydia) & Me (Lucy)

I think our scene went pretty well. I should have delivered my lines in a steady way instead of high pitched and frantic. I think the props we used were really good. Melissa did a really good job of acting like a frantic spoiled rich girl. The status difference between our characters was established early on and maintained throughout our scene. I think our blocking was pretty good as well.

http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/193/471/193471539_640.jpg

Rivals Review

Hey everyone!!
So everything that I am writing now was written down last week in my notebook, just as an FYI.
Darcy and Kayla: This scene is a lot different than the scene I did as Lydia.  I didn't think to have Lydia portrayed this way. I noticed the scene was suspenseful and comical.
Mine and Rachael's: I feel we did a pretty good job with timing, how we got the message across, and how we portrayed each character.
Kalond and JD's: I noticed their interaction worked very well.  I really liked JD's idea of the woman as well as how he was able to get so upset right after it.



http://www.old-lewesians.org.uk/barbicans/rivals33.jpg

The Rivals (Review)

Scene 1: Melissa and Rachel

Areas of Success: I saw that the blocking really demonstrated the relationship well.  I felt that the scene had a good amount of energy and pace.

Area to Improve: I had a hard time understanding what was being said.  At times the emotions over-powered the language.  The section when Rachel was reading out all of the books felt like it was dragging; it did not build up.

Scene 2: Kayla and Darcy

Areas of Success: I felt like both partners really filled out the costumes they were wearing and made them real (stayed true to the limitations of the period clothing).  It was clear to me where the scene had taken place.  Congrats to Kayla for staying into character even when the lines went away.

Area to Improve: The blocking was strong, but it looked a bit wandering.  Darcy had one eye for the whole performance.

Scene 3: JD and I

Areas of Success: We had a good understanding of the asides to the audience, and we allowed the scene to build to a climax.

Area to Improve: Some of our movements started to become less motivated and more "showy."

Such Lovely Tableaux

Good job on your Rivals scenes, everyone (well, almost everyone--can't wait to see Jess and Eli)!

Stage Movement Blog Posts.

Movement for Actors 119-152

Personal Response:

First of all I already feel myself agreeing with the reading.  I feel that it is very important for actors to be taking movement classes and dance classes.  Movement is just as much of an important tool for an actor to sharpen as everything else.  I do not think people realize that the actor is an athlete as well.  I think that it would be very useful to learn period dance techniques.  So many of the plays that are redone and will continue to be performed are those famous period plays; i.e. Shakespeare, Moliere, Lorca, etc.  One of the things I enjoyed the most was the fact that the Potter mentioned that if the actors are uncomfortable the audience will be as well.  I like this because most audience members feed off of what an actor gives and vice versa, and an actor should be able to make that connection with the audience in order for them to have a great experience.  I like the dance exercises, but I somewhat feel like I’m from a Jane Austin book.  I also found it interesting that Potter said to use Shakespeare.  I think that for beginning actors I do not see how they would be able to handle the language personally, but it does allow the body to feel the words and authenticate some gestures.

 

Professional Response:

Potter is an extremely knowledgeable theatre goer.  I would say that I agree with many of her points; particularly those establishing the importance of teaching actors how to move and let the words roll off their tongue.  I hope that more and more schools will put more attention in acting programs and expand to movement and period styles.

 

 

 

Movement for Actors 27-35

Personal Response:

Whenever I used to think of the word still I imagined just watching the most slowly paced, boring play in the world.  Now that I have been engaging in theatre and learning more about it I have realized that still does not mean boring, and that it was the actors who just were not living in the moment truthfully.  I cannot believe I didn’t know what a tableaux was…

 

Professional Response:

I can honestly say now that I enjoy silent moments.  There are moments that appear on stage where the characters are not moving or speaking can be even more fascinating than if they were.  There are numerous of possibilities in displaying human emotion and communication with just a stance or position.  It forces actors to realize there are more options out there just waiting for them to grasp at it.

 

The Rivals

Personal Response:

I feel like I have no idea what is going on.  I think I need to just make myself focus and reread the play.  There are so many relationships going on in this play.  I think that it is interesting that many period plays, such as this, have mainly to do with numerous love triangles between people.  I guess it just goes to show that people never really change, although time may.

 

Professional Response:

Plays such as The Rival would be more understood through acting it out rather than reading it.  The language of the play requires to be spoken out loud.  It helps tell the mood and status of each character very well.

 

 

 

The Price is Right

Personal Response:

The funny thing about the “The Price is Right” is that I would have never thought anything of the models being there to show off the new merchandise.  It was only until I became aware of how those women were being used where I noticed how ridiculous it was.  Well after watching an episode from the 1971, I believe, it was worse than I had remembered.  All of the girls were wearing the exact same outfit, and moved as if they were made out of plastic.

 

Professional Response:

I find it interesting that the models being used for this TV show were put in a position where they almost seemed to be included in the showcase.  It makes me feel better to know that women are free to not have to resort to just being someone to look at.  As a society we are continuing to grow.  In connection with the style of movement I can see how it would directly correlate with our period scenes.  The movement is very deliberate and yet elegant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costume Ideas

Personal Response:

My costume ideas seem to be a little over the top.  The first thing that came to my mind was this ridiculous red navy-like jacket with a long tail.  Then I pictured myself wearing gray tights with raised black boots.  I carried a saber on my left hip and I had the biggest puffy sleeves hanging out of the arms of my jacket.  But then I also pictured a feather hat and a Shakespearean turtleneck.  I don’t know why, but anything remotely renaissance-y, period piece automatically moves me to Elizabethan.

 

Professional Response:

I think that due to what I actually have access to my costume will be limited to what I had thought of.  I have decided that I am going to wear tight black pants with them rolled to my knees, with the longest socks that I have to go over my knees.  This is not really a replacement for tights, but it will have to do.  I will wear a white-buttoned up shirt because it will keep my neck in place and I will throw on a robe and tie for the jacket.  I would just have to come up with shoes.