Spheres & Space

This was a challenging lengthy read but I definitely learned a lot. I feel the concept of personal space is very dependent on each person individually. Especially when consider our differing personalities, interest and social norms. Unlike Danielle & Rachel, I’ve had very limited time with people from other cultures, but I entirely agree. The idea of people’s comfort level largely contributes from what is acceptable their culture.

When reading this, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman, one of which is physical touch. The premise of the book is that we each have varying way to express our emotional lives and best portray love. I believe some people are adamant believers in physical expressing their affection, which often includes having a very small personal space sphere and sometimes intruding on others. Others prefer to show their interest and affection in other ways.

There is research that proves children who are shown affection such as being held, hugged, kissed develop a healthier physical and emotional life. I think there is a lot more than social norms of any one culture that reinforces people’s comfort level.

Therefore, social norms aside, I believe it varies a lot more than we think in our culture.

I have friends, guys & girl friends alike that absolutely need a hug before they depart and I have friends who would rather not have anyone touch them. I think I’m in the middle, If I don’t know someone, I feel really uncomfortable sitting extremely close or giving hugs away, but If I have a strong emotional connection i.e. best friend, family, boyfriend, I find it imperative that we are close and hugs are given. I really dislike the stereotype, "I'm a theatre person, I have no space bubble", which I've heard so many times. Despite the fact we often work in confined spaces and are often more 'open' people, I don't think that disregards our spacial preferences. I am claustrophobic, so despite whether or not I love working intimately with other performers, I always personally have to consider that what makes myself & others comfortable.

Fun w Corsets

Hippolyta, Midsummer 2002, CSF

Not the right period for Rivals, but here are two pics of me in what Christae says correctly is *very* heavy dresses with corsets (once more than one!), in which I had to be articulate and/or agile. For fun. :)   ~Jenn

Peaseblossom, Midsummer 1995, CSF

Costume Collage

One thing I especially noticed about the female costumes is how incredibly heavy they must have been to wear. Yikes. Aside from mutilating their bodies with corsettes and crazy foot-wear, they were also carrying around yards and yards of fabric. No wonder they are often depicted sitting down... I wouldn't want to stand for long periods either!

Workout Log

Today after class, I worked out for about an hour at the gym in my dorm.
I did 15 mins of Cardio on the treadmill, 20 mins on the super circuit,15 on free weights and a 10 mins cool-down on the eliptical.

Rivals Tableaux

You all made some lovely tableaux today, class! Here they are:   ~Jenn

Spherical Sphery Spheres (And back-bone parentheses)

So have you ever screwed with people's personal space bubbles just to see how they work? I think it's pretty fascinating. I think it's kind of a misnomer to call them space bubbles, though. It's more like space-half-spheres, at least in America. I've walked right behind people without them noticing me or feel discomforted, as long as I'm quiet. But if i walk in front of them or beside them, they want to move further to the side, further ahead, or way further behind. I generally try not to push this one too much, as the result could easily be mace or pepper spray. thankfully, I'm one of the least intimidating looking people on the planet. But, there are other ways to experiment, such as when we willingly destroy the bubble, like in an elevator. Turning around to face the crowd totally screws up the half-sphere. Likewise, turning to face peoples eyes from any direction on the light rail totally screws with the half spheres.

I have also noticed that certain friends that I feel more comfortable with have more sphere to them. You can totally disrupt their space by waving your hand near their back, at least if they have decent spacial awareness. Try it out, theatre folk. The results are very amusing.

As for the sense spheres - that's really interesting. I've been tinkering with the idea of a growing and contracting range for my senses, but I never would have thought of it as a sphere, even though that makes sense. I have noticed that my own and people's ability to comprehend a sense changes drastically depending on environment, but I never thought it had to do with space as much as how much stimuli that particular sense had to process. The sad thing is, this just makes me want to screw with it to see how it works in people. Now the question is whether I start with friends, family, or innocent bystanders.

The vocal sphere makes perfect sense to me. I do notice that voices change radically due to space, besides other factors. I'm always amazed at how some people without any training at all can fill a room with their voice without any technological help.

So, posture. I totally dig the parenthesis argument, and I like the idea of no natural straight lines. I've also come to realize that I've been holding my legs in a slightly wrong position after looking at the diagrams. Which leads me to a question: Why do so many cultures have different postures? And what is the most "natural" posture? Even among the hunter-gatherer cultures still alive today, I notice that from tribe to tribe posture is way different.

Anywho...oh my I need to leave. Right, workout report: I didn't do anything this week. I felt kind of sick. Not a great excuse, but I'll try to make up for it in the coming week.

Bubbles!

I have to agree with Danielle... I too have lived in a different country and their bubble space is SO much smaller. You must have that "closeness" to everyone and if you do not, you are considered odd and you can be thought of as offensive. When I lived in Brasil, everyone speaks to you so much closer face to face. Even the proxemics of the way their cities are made reflect that. Street lanes are significantly smaller than they are here and so is their architecture. It is like the buildings are stacked on top of each other. You also must greet EVERYBODY with two kisses on the cheek. This was such a culture shock for me because I am actually a very reserved and introverted person. It seems like much of the world is like this. We are the ones that have the "spherical" issues here in America it seems. Because I lived in Brasil, I feel that I am able to communicate better to people because I had my "bubble" popped. You actually feel so much closer and understand people better when you don't form that wall.

Spherical surroundings and junk

I find it pretty interesting how much an environment can change the way a person feels between space as well as balancing lightness and darkness. The examples that i can think of are offices on campus but in regards to light and dark, some offices feel less welcoming without having a window versus the ones that do.

In dealing with space, i really prefer larger spaces when i am performing in particular. For example, (this is kinda weird) I have what i like to call vocal claustrophobia. Many times during vocal coachings, my instructor wants me to sing THROUGH him and oftentimes i find that i pull back a lot because i don't want to feel as though i am "yelling" at somebody by being so close and making a loud noise.

And in dealing with having a personal bubble: i feel that mine was popped long ago for good reason. What if you should be cast in a show and you have to confront or kiss somebody onstage? It is probably for the best that people become more comfortable with being around other humans. I find this issue so funny to watch especially when i am riding the bus. About 99% of the time, a person would rather have their own seat than sit next to a stranger. TERRIFYING!!!! There was an instance where i sat next to a man on the bus and it was near the front because i like getting off the bus quickly. I sat next to the man for about a minute, then he turned to me and told me to please move. "there are plenty of other seats. Please go away." I was appalled and confused and since then i have learned that every person's bubble or invisible wall is probably not the same as mine and i always ask the person if i may sit next to them on the bus from now on.

Workout log #4

This week I didn't do much working out except for the walking around on campus and downtown. i'll look to do more this coming week!

My Bubble

When reading the sphere section, I found it a little difficult to follow as well as understnad because it just seemed to jump into the reading without any introduction on what it was going to be about, so it was definitely a ride to go on lol. However, when I continued to read through it all, I could start to get a picture of how it applies to life and each person and their body with the surroundings as well as the physical aspect of the feeling of spheres. Personally I would call it my "bubble" and I do have a bubble that very few people are allowed into. When someone comes into my "bubble" or sphere that I do not know, I tend to get very uncomfortable, quiet and in somecases shut down and try to become invisible. When reading about the different types of spheres, I noticed that if im in a space and no one is around or everyone is quiet, I'll notice the different sounds that go on in the room and such. On a side note, when I was reading about the posture alignment, I found myself automatically sitting up straight and adjusting my shoulders and neck, which I thought was funny becuase everytime people around me or when I talk about or notice the posture of others, I'll automatically adjust myself.

Get out of my Sphere!

I found the notion of structural spheres a little difficult to grasp at first, but as I continued to read I began to apply the sphere-idea to everyday life and realized it does make a difference. It says in the reading that if a room is too small for your structural sphere, you may find it difficult to work in that space. I find that is true in the case of my bedroom; because I'm a busy person I tend to leave my room in various stages of neglect and untidiness. I get stressed out by the clutter in there, and even though the room is a relatively decent size and I have an area where I can study, I tend to feel imposed upon and prefer to do my homework on the couch in the more sparse living-room. Also, the question of inter-personal and emotional effects on the sphere is interesting to me. I am not surprised that confidence and happiness would make someone's sphere more extended and sadness and stress would cause people to shrink into themselves and therefore their sphere would shrink as well.

I also question the relationship between someone's culture and their projected sphere. I found, when living in France (and in Europe in general) people's "personal bubbles" appeared to be much smaller than my own, and they had no problem at all getting "all up on me" when I was in a public place (like a museum or restaurant) I felt slightly imposed upon, (even though I was aware that it was a cultural thing) yet they clearly did not feel as though they were imposing. So, I ask myself how cultural differences such as comfortable physical proximity between strangers effects someone's sphere.

I found experimenting with the auditory space sphere to be calming and interesting. I suddenly became aware of all the ticking clocks in my house and other sounds I would otherwise have ignored like the humming of the refrigerator or computer modem. After the experiment I  was able to "reel in my sphere" and go back to concentrating on other things. I've never actually tried to meditate before but the auditory sphere experiment felt to me like a meditative activity.

Workout Log

Sort of Spaced the logging...Oops...

Well I went to NY and did a TON of running around. I walked around Times Square and surrounding 7th Ave areas for about 5 hours on Sunday
Then, I walked around Greenwich Village on Monday for about 4hours
Rachel, Nicole & I are doing a cycling class- so I also did an INTENSE workout on Tuesday

Rivals Costumes

Here are the costume pieces I want you all to bring next week to class:

MEN
button-up shirt
scarf or tie
heels or dress shoes
belt for sword
bathrobe / big-skirted coat
vest
(long socks and short/rolled up pants if you can)

WOMEN
heels
skirt
corset/bodice (I'll have some available too)
fan / hanky

ALL
Please do your best to memorize your lines so we can work mostly movement.
Remember to make your character clothing collage for next week! You can post it here, as long as you have a device on which we can all look at it. See this post for ideas. By the way, the year for Rivals was 1775, not 1742 like I was saying. :)

ALSO: this link is extremely helpful for clothing images and background. Add this to your reading!

~Prof. Jenn

The Rivals... so silly

I do have to admit that I am actually really excited about my scene with Taylor. At first, it was just a matter of finding a scene that fit for two people, but now we have discovered that it is a hilarious scene that is incredibly silly. I can't wait to act this scene out. I am laughing just talking about it. Now as far as the movement of this period, I find it very difficult. I was not there last week so I got the crash course today. After walking around for 15 minutes or so with the "1740's" walk, I got so tired. My arms felt like they were about to fall off and my back felt hyperextended. It probably wasn't, it is just that I am so used to slouching, haha! Maybe doing this walking exercise will help me and my posture in the long run. Maybe I will start doing that daily and put it in my workout log lol! I just cannot imagine having 25 pounds of clothing on AND doing this walk/stance for hour on end! They must have been in fabulous shape back then! Now I know that "The Rivals" is a Comedy of Manners but part of me feels that it is actually a step above it in a way. I almost felt that it was a full exaggeration of Comedy of Manners and that is what made it so ridiculous. Does anyone else agree with me? I compare it to "The Importance of Being Earnest," and find that the dialogue and subtext in "The Rivals" requires more than the usual Comedy of Manners. But then when we acknowledged this play as having the Commedia characters, and then it hit me! This play is on character crack! I love it! There are still so many things that I am trying to figure out like Jacks strange personality, but I think all of the nonsense is starting to make sense... if you know what I mean ;) This next few weeks are going to be fun!

Stage Movement Gallery

I thought you guys might like to see a so-far-in-class picture gallery, so here 'tis.   ~Prof. Jenn

Workout Log.

Almost forgot.

Didn't do a lot this week, kind of fell behind due to crushing homework on other classes. So here's what I did:

I took a couple of hour-long walks while it was warm downtown.
I did a little in the way of lifting to move boxes of stuff out of my house.

I'll try to do a lot more this week. I need some stress relief in a major way.

Odd Rabbit, it.

As I'm certain you can tell by the lateness of my response, I have not allowed myself enough time for homework this week. That said, I'll try to make this quick.

I've heard of Malapropisms before, but I've never known the origin of the word. This character is freakin' awesome. I particularly like the idea of allegories on the beach of the Nile. Sir Anthony also has some quite amusing lines, and I love the making-amends scene between him and Captain Absolute (which really should be a superhero played by Nathan Fillion). The language threw me a bit. I've studied Elizabethan, Victorian, and Edwardian diction and slang, but this 18th century stuff had me scratching my head for a bit. That said, I'm kind of surprised at how much closer it feels to modern language than the vast majority of Victorian lit. Curious.

As for the chapters on movement, yes, indeed, there are very few American actors trained in how to move properly on stage. But I have to question the necessity for the vast majority of productions, given that the translation to the audience is what ultimately matters. I mean, I can see the wisdom in knowing how it's supposed to be done, but I question whether or not it's the right thing to do.

I totally agree with Potter on the idea of movement having to seem natural rather than be perfectly staged. It sticks out when I watch a rehearsal and the movement isn't right because something isn't connecting with an actor.

I really enjoyed the idea of creating movement based on metaphor. I'm coming to appreciate my training in writing more and more when I combine it with theatre. I think English is a fantastic tool box, but none of the tools get properly used until they're taken into different mediums. I used to think that in order to master many disciplines you had to perfect your form in each individually. I'm coming to understand it's a bit more like letting each one build on the other. Learning how to create stories helps me a lot in creating a persona for a single character, and the reverse is true as well.

Right. Brain's kind of dead now. G'morning, y'all.

Workout log #3

This week for my workouts, I continued doing yoga as well as some cardio. I am also eating better and my boyfriend and I are doing a cleanse of our whole body system so it should be interesting to see all the results. i did tweak my shoulder a little though, but am grateful that I can still move it!

Reading Responses to The Rivals and the movement for Actors reading

When I started reading the play The Rivals, the language threw me off almost immeadiately. However, after re-reading it a couple of times, I was able to understand what was going on in the story and found that I rather enjoyed it. I liked the characters that were introduced in the play, as well as the entangled love problems that all of them seemed to be facing. There were also parts in the various scenes that I had no idea what was going on- it could have been that fact of the language and how it was written, and I did catch myself falling asleep in some spots of the play. So who knows, may it was a combination of all three. I did find the duel preparations and how David was freaking out about the fight with the man. I wouldnt mind seeing t a tape of this play either, as I think it would make it a little easier to understand.

After reading the movement section, like others I was impressed with how may different dances there were as well as how they should be produced on stage in order to make them work with the writer's image, but also with the actors and the directors. I also found that the walking and the balancing and the sitting sections were good to with the little exercises and the explanations of why and how the men and women would be sitting in chairs to accomodate swords and their outfits in that time period. I haven't curtsied in forever either :)

The Rivals and movement for actors

So I had to give The Rivals a couple tries before it started to sink in. The language is ridiculously hard. There are some weird words and expressions that I still don't get. On closer examination, parts of it are actually a little funny. I wrote down three quotes that got a chuckle out of me.

1) pg. 3 (referring to the books Lydia wanted) "but Lady Slattern Lounger, who had just sent it home, had so soiled and dog's eared it, it wa'nt fit for a christian to read."
2) pg. 4 (referring to Beverly) "Nothing at all- But I don't know how it was, we had never had a quarrel, and, somehow I was afraid that he would never give me an oppurtunity."
3) pg. 6 Mrs. Malaprop: "I don't know any business you have to think at all- thought does not become a young woman."

These things are so fitting for how I think of comedy of manners. Ridiculous standard, and social rules, etc. The language is still tricky, and it's somewhat hard to read. I found that it helped immensly when I read it out loud. I think it will be fun to use movement with though.


The reading out of the movement book was pretty interesting. I had never really thought about how few masters of period dance there are. People do kind of assume that all choreographers can just do a dance and it will fit the era of the show. Dances way back in the 17th and 18th centuries would be harder to come across. Yet, even plays and musicals from the 40's and 50's require knowledge of the era. I was in Guys and Dolls this summer, and the kind of berlesque, jazzy dance is definitely different than today. I think our choreographer did a great job, but how was I to know if she had really done her research.
I also liked the idea of the 3 centers of the body for Shakespeare. I had never thought of it like this but it was a cool idea. If it's the mind, you could lead with your head..the heart and you can lead with you chest, or the sexual center could be leading with your pelvis. It could really change how you interpret a monologue. I haven't tried any of the exercises, but I will keep them in mind. I did actually write in some words for the sentences he wanted you to try. It's a cool idea to see what image your mind conjures up first and then run with it.

Free Play

This.

Workout Log

Hi kids,
Well yesterday (2/15) I continued this "hundred pushup" sequence my husband found. This time, it was 10/12/7/7/9 (or max).

Today I lifted weights and soaked in the hot tub. Same sequence of weights as last week, only this time it was 3 X 3 @ 90%. Whew! I plan the same for Friday (I also have a massage scheduled. Yay for living near the Massage School!

See you (in ARTS 271) Saturday!   ~Prof. Jenn

Had some technical difficulties

This past week, I also attended RMTA and as Rachel said, there was ample opportunity to people watch. This morning, we gathered in the Holiday Inn lobby, prior to auditions. Using the instructions from Exercise one, I conducted a surface scan. There were probably close to 50 people spread in various groups around the lobby, but initially the only person who caught my attention was a technician who was wrapping up microphones chords. He was wearing all stage blacks, so his clothing really didn’t account for much when he caught my attentions. He was using large gestures, but not speaking at all.

The person(s) that were least noticeable were a group of 3 sitting in a small circle, looking over a stage layout. They were dressed up in blacks and tans, and they were also very quiet, but the main reason they didn’t catch my attention was their lack of physical movement.

I would say the potency or intensity that the technician was doing his job was what gave him energy and drew me to him.

Exercise 2, I did when I was in a smaller group receiving instructions for the Musical Theatre Competition. I don’t exactly know if I was able to influence her to look at me more than anyone else. It was an odd experience, but I certainly intend to try it again at my auditions this weekend.

As for The Price is Right, I was equally disturbed by the behaviors of the models. Everything they do is exactly calculated and not much has changed since the beginning of the program, as I watched a few videos on Youtube from all the decades. They moved extremely smoothly in heels and their hand and body movements are very ridged, almost Barbie like. I realize the subjugation/ reinforced stereotype of woman as mindless objects who are simply there to be beautiful ‘set dressings’ isn’t going to change in advertising, but that is disturbing to seeing in began in the 1950’s.

Bowing, Sitting and Standing is Hard!

Today we learned how to bow, sit in chairs and stand up again as 1740s folk. We also did exercises in tableaux and distilling gestures. Here's a video of the students' beautiful distilled-gesture pieces. The gestures were from a series of words I got from an advanced movement class way back when I was in Acting school:

1 movement per:
------------------
Confusion
Grief
Compassion
Pretense
Wisdom

What would your gestures be?   ~Jenn

FYI...

Re: our work today visualizing corsetry and posture,

This.

Price is Right, and people watchin'

It's weird to watch these models caress and stroke the items. HA! They glide and are very smooth when they walk around. They definitely try to use motions that make toasters and blenders look super awesome and sheek. There is no potency in their movement. I noticed that moving in heels looks very natural on them. It reminds me how moving in all the 18th century clothing had to look natural and comfortable, when it most likely was not. It takes practice and pose to look nonchalant in heels. There is a grace and an ease that is so different from how people move in their every day lives. They definitely look happy and carefree, no other emotions. They are maintaining that image 100% of the time, which helps to showcase these items. I can almost picture putting the 18th century garb on them and having it fit quite well. I really like how they are having the models be vocal and talk now. It makes them seem like real people, which I personally find more attractive then robots. Although it seems like the easiest job ever, they do a remarkable job looking so freaking genuinly excited about these prodcuts, and not fake excited. No stove is that awesome, but they make you want it sooo bad.

Exercise one.
I think I will use a concert I attended as my observation. I got there pretty early so I had time to stand around and people watch. I naturally am just an observer of people, watching how people behave is endlessly interesting to me. I remember one man very vivdly. He was either slightly drunk or really trying to get noticed. The way he was dressed, the pitch and volume of his voice really made him stand out. Not to mention he shoved his way through the crowd with little regard for other people. He was there with his girlfriend who wasn't really noticeable standing next to him. So, he had a beard and was wearing a tan work jacket with casual pants and a scarf. Just the way he looked was enough to catch your eye. He wasn't neccassarily attractive, but striking rather. He voice was really loud and a little nasaly, and he was talking about himself pretty loudly. We had just gotten done hearing the opener and he was talking about his own music endeavors. He was noticeable because he was trying to be.
The girl who I found myself not noticing was standing a little ahead of me. She and her friend were taking photos and being excited. Her friend was quite noticeable because she had a glow about her. She look happy and fun and her facial features were interesting. She also reminded me of someone I know. She wasn't obnoxious like the other guy, but your eye was drawn to her. Her friend however isn't memorable at all. She was doing the exact same things as this girl, but I think she lacked a potency that her friend had. Her friend seemed very confident and steady. This girl just had a lighter aura about her.
I think if someone is standing in a crowd, just being comfortable and steady they are noticed. I've also noticed if somone is thinking about something very specific you notice them. Maybe because their energy is so focused, you feel a pull there. This crowd had a lot of young, kind of hip people all trying to make a splash. All the people I was standing around were interesting characters. Individuality is something that is accepted in this kinda crowd, so not many people were blending in. There were some very noticeable people. None so much as beard loud annoying guy though.

Workout log.

Worked out carrying boxes all over campus in the awful hellish snow on Tuesday. Not sure if that counts, but man it got me tired.

Worked out by doing ab crunches past couple days. Trying to get up to three sets of twenty a day, with each crunch lasting a minimum of three seconds. We'll see how that goes.

Workout log

I did work out at the gym last Saturday after class (whoo hoo big dreams!) And I did an hour long yogalates/cardio workout the day before yesterday. It has come to my attention that I desperately need more exercise.

The Price is Right is Creepy

I watched some of the classic 1980's Price is Right and those models scare me in all their plasticness. I was very quickly reminded of Barbie and Miss America. Is it just an American thing to be a stiff no-brained, big-haired beauty or is that something the rest of the world does too? Actually the Price is Right models may be scholars for all I know but I kept feeling like the point is for them to look cheap and easy, like dolls. When Bob Barker was "interviewing" them in one video, he didn't even stop to hear their response. The models in Deal or No Deal do the same thing too. I think the art of "blending in" but "standing out" is combined in the way the models act. They are not supposed to draw too much attention to themselves because they are presenting a product but at the same time they need to be nice to look at, for me this produces a sort of femmebot creepiness.

Anywho!

I decided to do Experiment 1 on the crowded lightrail. Most people keep to themselves but the person that stood out to me at first was a man on his cell phone who was announcing his side of the conversation loud and clear so everyone would know what he would be having for dinner that night and why his daughter didn't want to go to volleyball practice. I was beginning to fear that he may have had a prostate exam (or something else personal that everyone on the train didn't want to know about) to announce loudly. Clearly this man stood out because he was loud and obnoxious.
The second time around I noticed a younger guy, most likely an Auraria student who was keeping to himself and listening to headphones, but I could hear the music coming from his headphones which was a little distracting. It was nothing, however, compared to the man on his cellphone so that is probably why I overlooked him the first time. The person I noticed the least was a woman who was very quietly reading, she wasn't doing anything even remotely distracting and was sitting crammed next to a window so she wasn't directly near me either. She seemed a little mousy like she wanted to blend in or like she may have been shy, the guy with the headphones didn't appear shy and he also did not appear to care that his music was really loud. I don't even know about the guy on the cellphone. I don't think he realized he was shouting his business out to everyone.

For exercise 2 I was at Sam's Club where some lady had a popular BBQ sample stand where there were a few shoppers and she was explaining whatever the BBQ sauce and cooking method was to them. I felt kind of stupid "commanding her attention with my gaze" because she kept looking at me like I was perhaps just TOO interested in the BBQ. She stopped what she was saying to give me a sample. She probably just thought I was a creepy, hungry person. After I had my sample I sunk back into the small group of customers. I didn't exactly remain "willfully unknown and unseen" because it wasn't the ideal situation to do the experiment, but I got the gist of it.

Exercise 1, 2 and Price is Right

I work at Starbucks adn a lot of people come into the store that I am at as well groups that come in to sit down and just chat. I decided to do exercise 1 at work one day when the lobby and all the tables were really busy and all taken up. As i scanned the crowd, there were a couple people to choose from but the person that I noticed the most was a dad and his daughter. They had come in and were sitting down at a table enjoying a father daughter date or night out- what it looked like anywyas. What caught my eye was actually how loud the dad was talking about the plans that they should do for the night- should they cook pancakes or french toast and then if they should make chocolate chip ice-cream sandwiches. He seemed and acted like a very loving and doting and fun father and just listening to how animated he was about their night together made me want to join them for the festive night.

The person that didnt catch my attention was what I assumed was a college student. I guessed that because they were hunched over their laptop and had textbooks about the table and dressed in a sweater as well as a hat. He was very quiet and kept to himself and didnt make much movement as well. Would makes sense as to why I wouldnt pay much attention.

For exercise two, the eye contact part as well as getting the attention of a person or professor wasnt all the hard for me. In highschool one of my volleyball coaches trained us to look him as well as everyone else in the eye when they are talking, and especially when they are talking to you. Since then, I feel like I have had that instilled in me and can keep eye contact when needed. However, I also feel that I can make myself invisible and not really noticable when I dont want to be noticed.

The Price is Right:
When watching teh Price is Right, not only did I enjoy it- because it's a great show, better when Bob Barker was the host- but the games and people are fun to watch. When watching the models, I never noticed how precise their hands and gestures were when presenting the prizes. I also noticed how tight the clothes really were and the uber high heels. What I "loved" the most was how fake the smiles were. It does make sense to me though that they have to have that smile on the entire show. The models do have a hard job to be that precise and happy all the time with everything!

workout log #2

this week I decided to do some ab workouts as well as some cardio. I did that a couple days and the other days I did some yoga. I am hoping to continue the workout this coming next week too :)

The Price is Wrong, bitch.

But seriously, I have to agree with Rachel, the models are a bit on the creepy side. Here's a video I found that illustrates the point quite well in my opinion. I muted the audio, couldn't stand the song. Here's what I noticed (observations from multiple videos):
1. Holy Wrists, Batman. It's pretty amazing how they draw attention away from their bodies with their hands. Lots of slow, sweeping gestures while the wrists and hands make almost perfect-box shapes to illustrate the dimensions of the product being shown. Never pointing with a single finger, only those weird multi-digit gestures.
2. Smile-wide, smile-without-teeth, smile-wide. Repeated time and time again. I want their dentist.
3. While the movements are always exaggerated, they aren't particularly big. Every muscle twinge has an elevated "look at me" quality to it, even if it's just flicking a finger.

For the exercises, I watched people in the Tivoli atrium at lunch time and people on the quad near where the flagpole used to be. As Rachel, I noted that people who were telling stories were very eye-catching. I also noticed that some people as they walked were magnetic, and tended to pull my vision away from others. People who looked like they were in agony while attempting to do homework also had a noticeable quality. Conversely, people buried in homework I had to look for specifically to notice. I also noticed a set of two people talking in the atrium that got special attention because one was a notice-right-away guy while the other was a look-for-specifically-to-notice woman. He had a lot of...something. Not exactly stage presence, but maybe interest? He seemed to be really interested in whatever the woman was talking about, which made him very easy to pay attention to. She, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable every time he stopped talking...until about five minutes when he said something that got her to look surprised. And then she seemed to get a lot more relaxed, and her whole posture changed: shoulders untensed, eyes kept focused on the guy instead of darting around the room, back straightened up. She didn't smile, but she seemed relieved. I'm not sure if she became easier to notice, exactly, but it became a lot easier to pay attention to her.

I noticed emotions going with either set quite readily. Happier tended to be a lot more visible than sad. There were also angry expressions that were pretty easy to notice and sullen expressions that were harder to see. People with laptops seemed to just fade away into the woodwork, regardless of expression. On the quad, people who looked cold seemed to have the same aura, like they were closed off to the world.

Exercise two:
I didn't have a lot of trouble getting a professor's attention without speaking, lots of eye contact, lots of focus on what they were saying. That said, couldn't really get the "personal address" part of the assignment. I tried non-verbal communication with workshop partners in my English class as well, to similar results. Not a whole hell of a lot happened. As for trying to disappear into the crowd, I just couldn't do it. I even tried day-dreaming, but then I'd notice the professor was looking specifically at me to get my attention back on track. So this one...well, it didn't work.

Work-out log forth-coming.

Exercise One + TPIR

I have been up in Cheyenne, Wyoming for RMTA and have had plenty of chances to be in crowds. Last night, there was a little happy hour/social for all of the schools and I decided to do my scan there. There were approximately 50 people at this event and as I scanned the room, I found myself drawn to a guy who seemed to be in the middle of telling a story or something. He was animated and was using his whole body to communicate whatever message he was trying to deliver. He seemed to have a sense of confidence that really drew me in. I honestly wanted to go over and become one of his audience members but of course, I was not brave enough to do so. In theatre they say that movement draws attention which probably had something to do with me honing in on him but really I think it was the way that he was carrying himself. Then I thought maybe I was drawn to him because I thought he was attractive, but that was not the case. I do not like blonde guys. He was short too, so it wasn't like he stood out because he was physically taller.

The person that seemed invisible to me was a girl who maybe was upset about something. She was blonde as well. I guess I have something against blondes today or something :) She was actually sitting in a chair and was all alone. I thought that was interesting that she was the only one in the area and I hardly knew she was there. You would think that I would notice her first. She just seemed dead and pale. I felt really bad for her. I wanted to go up to a her and ask her what was wrong. She gave off hardly any energy even though she was wearing a hot pink shirt. It was as she was in lala land. I guess when you put yourself in a non-existant state, it communicates that to others subliminally.

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When I watch The Price is Right, I hate watching the girls that display all of the items. I feel that they are all so fake. It is like the Stepford Wives or something. It feels like they are forced to behave a certain way. It is like game show rape. Even though they are all very pretty women, they seem like they are caged up and put on display. They have to make sure they are on their best behavior and it is so obvious that it makes them look uncomfortable. They have fake smiles and their bodies are very stiff. Their physical body image is perfect and they are all pretty much blonde trophy wives. They use buoyant energy to float around especially when they use their hands. Everything is done very "Vanna White" style. Even though I keep bashing everything they do, I am so drawn to them. I can't keep my eyes off of them which is probably a ploy to get people to buy the crap they are displaying.

Workout Log

I thought I'd add my own Workout Log here too, so you can have me as an example (hopefully a good one!)

So this week (and pretty consistently all semester) I've been going and lifting weights (and soaking in the hot tub) MWF here in the Boulder 24 Hr Fitness. We've been doing a system my husband learned from a Metro weight training class. Here's how this session has rolled so far:

1) Speed: rowing machine
2) Legs: extension machine (my knees HATE this one!)
3) Chest: press machine
4) Arms: dips machine
5) Shoulders: a machine I call the "chicken wing"
6) Special Focus: decline abs (with a twist!)
7) Hot Tub Soak

Most of the machines are these cool things called "Hoist" which moves you around as you lift--it's kinda like a fitness amusement park! Oh, and we're planning on adding some martial arts training time Fridays, as I'm not jetting off to school that day. I'll keep you posted with any interesting techniques!

Anyway, that's my workout week (aside from all the walking I do being carless) -- I look forward to reading your Observation exercises before tomorrow!    ~Prof. Jenn

The Rivals

Some useful links for you:

The Rivals Wikipedia page 

The Rivals full script

Terrible quality video of one of my favorite actors in The Rivals

Picture Credit

Commedia

Here are our little Commedia plays from 2/5. Nice work, everyone!

Radiant Flute

I enjoyed reading both the article as well as the story. While reading both of the literature I began to think about how this related to me and my process in acting. I must say that with both I felt that I could connect with one on more than a level of just theatre, and the other I find new and exciting experiments to play with.

"The Prologue" was an enticing read about improv, creativity, and inspiration. Each one universal on any artistic medium ranging from music to drawing to theatre. I was able to relate with my acting process and how improv comes into play, not only when performing improv, but also when I get a script for the first time and I begin to find my character. There is the time when we first meet, and that is just reading the text over and over again, sitting down for lunch in a sense. Getting to know one another and seeing where this relationship may go. Then comes the honeymoon phase. This is where the improv and muse comes in. You play with each other and allow different emotions come into play and allow the script into yourself on a whole new level. Then after the honeymoon phase comes rehearsal and the need for commitment. Once I commit to how the work is performed, it is similar to the pen writing down music on a spread sheet. It was completely relatable to the process of embodying a character.

In reading about Bouyancy, Radiancy, Potency, and Inner-Involvement, I noticed that there is an experiment that could take place with all of this; something to try for character development. I noticed that the subjects take on chronological rhythm from beginning with nothing and building up to an emotional state to embody your character. After reading the lines, or even if I memorized the lines, take an afternoon and practice the exercises from the reading and what we learned in class and, exercise. I would like to see where this would take me when i have a character in mind. I want to see if there is a difference between using the exercises while developing, to the many other methods of character development I have picked up along the way in college.

I remember reading something that reminded me of the New Flute when I was a kid, but it wasn't until reading the homework that I really thought about the story being applicable to me. I think it's interesting that artists talk a lot about suffering for growth but that it's a release from the idea of suffering that can make you better at your craft, whatever it is.

The body works reading was interesting, because I think a lot of young actors begin to create buoyancy, radiance, and potency in a character without realizing they're doing it or how. The reading provided a definite physical process for how to create the illusion of these. It was harder to get lost in that while reading, but now it's something to keep in mind every time I do any physical character work.

It made me think of in class how everyone probably had a specific image or idea in mind to create these. It was cool how everyone took their own personality to create a feeling, but we all ended up with such similar movements and energies.

Reading #1

Wow. The Magic Flute was a beautiful addition to the idea of release that we are learning. I couldn’t be happier to be pairing this Stage Movement course with Speaking Voice in Performance. The synthesis between the two courses is incredible. The focus on the emotional elements of letting go is equally as important to the physical actualization. Dr. Wygant talked to us briefly about the emotional release we might feel and I feel I can apply that to movement as well.

I really enjoyed doing the exercises in the book and frankly I feel kind of nerdy saying this, but all three energies are things I constantly feel and am aware of, but have never really put a title to. As other’s have stated, buoyancy seems to the easiest to relate to. Which of us hasn’t felt that sense of floating in the tub or pool? I feel I can best relate to potency in a tangible form when people are arguing me. There is the deep sense of passion that boils deep in my core. I would say radiance feels ‘sparkly’ to me, but I have the hardest time connecting with this particular energy.

Hahaha… Danielle, I’m totally with you when envisioning things to help you feel things more specifically.Oddly enough, thinking of food/texture helps me… Whips Yogurt = Buoyancy, Pop Rocks= Radiance and Insanely Hot Sauce = Potency… I do this when I sing too… Totally works for me though.

Hahaha...I'm weird :)