Carol, a female college student, privately meets with her male professor. She is concerned about failing the class. She is frustrated because she doesn’t understand the professor’s overly verbose lectures.
At first the professor (John) is callous with her, but when she explains that she feels incompetent, he expresses empathy for her. Because he “likes her,” he bends the rules and decides to give her an “A” if she agrees to meet with him to discuss the material, one on one.
During most of Act One, the teacher is abrupt, interruptive, and distracted by continual phone calls about real estate problems. When the student does get a chance to speak, it is difficult for her to express herself clearly. Their conversation becomes personal and sometimes upsetting. He touches her shoulder on several occasions, urging her to sit down or to remain in the office.
Finally, she is about to confess something deeply personal, but the phone rings yet again and she never discloses her secret. An unknown amount of time passes (probably a few days), and John meets with Carol again. However, it is not to discuss education or philosophy. The student has written a formal complaint about the professor’s behavior. She feels that the instructor was lewd and sexist. Also, she claims that his physical contact was a form of sexual harassment. Interestingly, Carol is now very well spoken. She criticizes him with great clarity and mounting hostility.
The teacher is astounded that his previous conversation was interpreted in such an offensive way. Despite John’s protests and explanations, Carol is unwilling to believe that his intentions were good. When she decides to leave, he holds her back. She becomes scared and rushes out the door, calling for help. During their final confrontation, the professor is packing up his office. He has been fired. Perhaps because he is a glutton for punishment, he invites the student back to make sense out of why she destroyed his career. Carol has now become even more powerful. She spends much of the scene pointing out her instructor’s many flaws. She declares she is not out for revenge; instead she has been prompted by “her group” to take these measures.At this point, John explodes and begins beating her mercilessly as the curtain falls.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Performance Analysis: Serra High School's Hamlet
I just got home from seeing Serra High School's production of Hamlet. This is the third Shakespearean play I have seen the Serra theatre program produce; previously I attended their performances of As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet, and I was severely disappointed by both shows. Thus, I was expecting tonight's show to be equally terrible. However, I was pleasantly surprised. While this was certainly not a great production of Hamlet, there were moments of inspiration which made the show at times rather enjoyable.
The titular role was played by Jeff Thomson, a friend of mine whose performances have always been a diamond in the rough in the otherwise dismal Serra theatre program. However, in this case I think he was in over his head. There is a reason why Hamlet is considered the ultimate role for a serious actor. The role requires an incredible level of emotional depth and subtlety, things which Thomson just doesn't have enough of. Thomson is a very strong comedic actor, and his comedic talents shined in this show; however, Hamlet is not a comedy, and Thomson often inserted humorous meaning into lines that are supposed to be played seriously. In the most tense and emotionally stirring moments of the show - Hamlet's confrontations with Gertrude and Ophelia, the ending scene - Thomson shined, suddenly finding the truth behind the character.
There were a few other standout performances. Brianna Terrel played a captivatingly disturbed Ophelia. Nate Adams was very good as Laertes, his believable brotherly affection towards Ophelia making him one of the only sympathetic characters in this performance. Bao Do, as the First Player, turned a minor part into a show-stealing performance, relishing the theatricality and boisterousness of the role to great effect.
These standouts, though, were not enough to redeem the show's overall lack of effort, professionalism, and serious approach to Shakespeare's work. King Claudius, rather than being sinister and arrogant, was played by Riku Wade as a pretty nice and reasonable guy. Queen Gertrude was butchered even worse; Elizabeth Mills discharged the role with the one-note, deadpan, pouty angst of Kristen Stewart, sapping the emotional energy and tension from every scene she was a part of. It was really impossible to care about anything that was going on, since the principal antagonists were so dull and empty. This and the general lack of diction exhibited by the entire cast made the show difficult to follow and even harder to care about.
The titular role was played by Jeff Thomson, a friend of mine whose performances have always been a diamond in the rough in the otherwise dismal Serra theatre program. However, in this case I think he was in over his head. There is a reason why Hamlet is considered the ultimate role for a serious actor. The role requires an incredible level of emotional depth and subtlety, things which Thomson just doesn't have enough of. Thomson is a very strong comedic actor, and his comedic talents shined in this show; however, Hamlet is not a comedy, and Thomson often inserted humorous meaning into lines that are supposed to be played seriously. In the most tense and emotionally stirring moments of the show - Hamlet's confrontations with Gertrude and Ophelia, the ending scene - Thomson shined, suddenly finding the truth behind the character.
There were a few other standout performances. Brianna Terrel played a captivatingly disturbed Ophelia. Nate Adams was very good as Laertes, his believable brotherly affection towards Ophelia making him one of the only sympathetic characters in this performance. Bao Do, as the First Player, turned a minor part into a show-stealing performance, relishing the theatricality and boisterousness of the role to great effect.
These standouts, though, were not enough to redeem the show's overall lack of effort, professionalism, and serious approach to Shakespeare's work. King Claudius, rather than being sinister and arrogant, was played by Riku Wade as a pretty nice and reasonable guy. Queen Gertrude was butchered even worse; Elizabeth Mills discharged the role with the one-note, deadpan, pouty angst of Kristen Stewart, sapping the emotional energy and tension from every scene she was a part of. It was really impossible to care about anything that was going on, since the principal antagonists were so dull and empty. This and the general lack of diction exhibited by the entire cast made the show difficult to follow and even harder to care about.
Production Analysis: Little Women
SDSU's production of Little Women The Musical was, in all honesty, a disappointing end to the semester. I found the play to be bland and forgettable. I was originally set to stage crew the show, but due to a scheduling issue I was unable to. Maybe if I had been involved in the show I would have had a better experience with it, but as an audience member I was underwhelmed.
I have few negative things to say about the acting. Overall, I felt that the actors discharged their roles with gusto, enthusiasm, and talent. Kati, in the lead role as Jo March, was effervescent and endearing. She captured the eager, plucky attitude of the character well. Rafi Cedeño was amusing, if not fully believable, as the crotchety Mr. Lawrence. Tommy Vendafreddo was lovable as the chipper romantic Lead, Laurie, and his wonderful singing voice was a highlight of the show. Michelle Tymich's performance as the jealous and juvenile Amy was impressive, especially considering that she took on the role only two weeks before the show opened. I especially enjoyed Tim Allen as the uptight but loving Professor Bhaer. Allen, in addition to looking the part (and having a dashingly powerful surname), has a gift for playing the awkward nice guy who finishes first in the end. When he and Jo end up together, gangly dudes like me have a silent moment of vicarious triumph. The real standout performer of the show, though, was Cassie Abate as Beth. She deftly juxtaposed external fragility with inner strength, and she consistently came off as loving and hopeful. Her final scene was the most powerful moment of the show.
However, the talented actors were working with a really mediocre script. The plot is formulaic and forgettable; I understand that it is based on a novel which is very popular and considered a classic, but to me it was totally dull. Worse than the script was the music. Bland and unmemorable, the score lacked any standout numbers. The songs all served merely as tools to advance the plot, and have no self-contained value outside of the show. The hallmark of any great musical is that a person who has never seen the show could still buy the cast recording, listen to the music, and love it. This is not the case for Little Women. I understand why the show was not successful on Broadway, and though I can see its value for high school productions I think the SDSU Musical Theatre program is of too high a caliber to perform such a lame show.
I have few negative things to say about the acting. Overall, I felt that the actors discharged their roles with gusto, enthusiasm, and talent. Kati, in the lead role as Jo March, was effervescent and endearing. She captured the eager, plucky attitude of the character well. Rafi Cedeño was amusing, if not fully believable, as the crotchety Mr. Lawrence. Tommy Vendafreddo was lovable as the chipper romantic Lead, Laurie, and his wonderful singing voice was a highlight of the show. Michelle Tymich's performance as the jealous and juvenile Amy was impressive, especially considering that she took on the role only two weeks before the show opened. I especially enjoyed Tim Allen as the uptight but loving Professor Bhaer. Allen, in addition to looking the part (and having a dashingly powerful surname), has a gift for playing the awkward nice guy who finishes first in the end. When he and Jo end up together, gangly dudes like me have a silent moment of vicarious triumph. The real standout performer of the show, though, was Cassie Abate as Beth. She deftly juxtaposed external fragility with inner strength, and she consistently came off as loving and hopeful. Her final scene was the most powerful moment of the show.
However, the talented actors were working with a really mediocre script. The plot is formulaic and forgettable; I understand that it is based on a novel which is very popular and considered a classic, but to me it was totally dull. Worse than the script was the music. Bland and unmemorable, the score lacked any standout numbers. The songs all served merely as tools to advance the plot, and have no self-contained value outside of the show. The hallmark of any great musical is that a person who has never seen the show could still buy the cast recording, listen to the music, and love it. This is not the case for Little Women. I understand why the show was not successful on Broadway, and though I can see its value for high school productions I think the SDSU Musical Theatre program is of too high a caliber to perform such a lame show.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Response: Freeing The Natural Voice
Kristin Linklater's Freeing The Natural Voice is basically a step-by-step manual for realizing the full potential of the human voice. It offers a series of exercises and pieces of advice designed to help actors increase their breath control, vocal range, and emotive capacity. I first picked up this book for my Voice Acting class last year, and I found it extremely helpful. At the time, I already had very well-developed breath control because of the four years I spent in marching band in high school. However, this semester I decided to revisit the book because I have found my breath control totally out of whack. Using the lessons and exercises taught in this book I have been able to begin my efforts to regain the superb breath control I once had.
Linklater's whole philosophy and approach towards expanding the voice is based on the idea that the tensions and idiosyncrasies that every person picks up throughout the course of our day-to-day lives are the worst enemy of the optimal voice. In order to develop one's voice to its full potential, once must first focus on eliminating those tensions. This can be achieved through a series of carefully targeted vocal exercises, many of which are laid out in this book.
The exercises are designed to stretch out the spine, open the throat, relax the diaphragm, and direct the voice to its optimal vocal positions. They are especially useful because they rely on imagery; they ask participants to picture the voice in a variety of ways which, though anatomically misleading, help put the voice in ways that feel correct. For example, even though breath is drawn in and out of the lungs, which are in the chest, Linklater asks readers to try to use breath to fill the abdomen and pelvic cavity; though in an anatomical sense this is impossible, picturing the voice in this way inspires the readers to take very deep and expansive breaths instead of the shallow breaths most people take during their everyday lives.
Since I am, as a general rule, a very tense, stiff, and physically idiosyncratic person, this book was tailor-made for people like me. In high school the exercises I did in marching band allowed me to cultivate a very strong and relaxed voice, with excellent diaphragmatic support; however, since graduating I have stopped doing vocal and physical exercises, and my breath control has suffered dramatically. Though I still have a strong and loud voice, it is no longer supported by a healthy breath control. My hectic schedule during this semester limited my ability to commit to the regimen suggested by this book, but when I did have a chance to perform some of the exercises I found them remarkably helpful. After doing the stretch and relaxation exercises, I found that my voice dropped significantly, to its natural pitch, and the tension I usually feel in my shoulders, neck, and back was dramatically reduced. If I can make it so that they way I feel after these exercises is the way I feel all the time, my vocal abilities can reach a level I have never experienced before.
I plan to commit fully to following Linklater's exercise regimen over the summer. By the time I return to SDSU next year, I will have developed my voice so that I can blow all of you away at generals!
Linklater's whole philosophy and approach towards expanding the voice is based on the idea that the tensions and idiosyncrasies that every person picks up throughout the course of our day-to-day lives are the worst enemy of the optimal voice. In order to develop one's voice to its full potential, once must first focus on eliminating those tensions. This can be achieved through a series of carefully targeted vocal exercises, many of which are laid out in this book.
The exercises are designed to stretch out the spine, open the throat, relax the diaphragm, and direct the voice to its optimal vocal positions. They are especially useful because they rely on imagery; they ask participants to picture the voice in a variety of ways which, though anatomically misleading, help put the voice in ways that feel correct. For example, even though breath is drawn in and out of the lungs, which are in the chest, Linklater asks readers to try to use breath to fill the abdomen and pelvic cavity; though in an anatomical sense this is impossible, picturing the voice in this way inspires the readers to take very deep and expansive breaths instead of the shallow breaths most people take during their everyday lives.
Since I am, as a general rule, a very tense, stiff, and physically idiosyncratic person, this book was tailor-made for people like me. In high school the exercises I did in marching band allowed me to cultivate a very strong and relaxed voice, with excellent diaphragmatic support; however, since graduating I have stopped doing vocal and physical exercises, and my breath control has suffered dramatically. Though I still have a strong and loud voice, it is no longer supported by a healthy breath control. My hectic schedule during this semester limited my ability to commit to the regimen suggested by this book, but when I did have a chance to perform some of the exercises I found them remarkably helpful. After doing the stretch and relaxation exercises, I found that my voice dropped significantly, to its natural pitch, and the tension I usually feel in my shoulders, neck, and back was dramatically reduced. If I can make it so that they way I feel after these exercises is the way I feel all the time, my vocal abilities can reach a level I have never experienced before.
I plan to commit fully to following Linklater's exercise regimen over the summer. By the time I return to SDSU next year, I will have developed my voice so that I can blow all of you away at generals!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Play Synopsis: Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe
Doctor Faustus, a well-respected German scholar, grows dissatisfied with the limits of traditional forms of knowledge—logic, medicine, law, and religion—and decides that he wants to learn to practice magic. His friends Valdes and Cornelius instruct him in the black arts, and he begins his new career as a magician by summoning up Mephastophilis, a devil. Despite Mephastophilis’s warnings about the horrors of hell, Faustus tells the devil to return to his master, Lucifer, with an offer of Faustus’s soul in exchange for twenty-four years of service from Mephastophilis. Meanwhile, Wagner, Faustus’s servant, has picked up some magical ability and uses it to press a clown named Robin into his service.
Mephastophilis returns to Faustus with word that Lucifer has accepted Faustus’s offer. Faustus experiences some misgivings and wonders if he should repent and save his soul; in the end, though, he agrees to the deal, signing it with his blood. As soon as he does so, the words “Homo fuge,” Latin for “O man, fly,” appear branded on his arm. Faustus again has second thoughts, but Mephastophilis bestows rich gifts on him and gives him a book of spells to learn. Later, Mephastophilis answers all of his questions about the nature of the world, refusing to answer only when Faustus asks him who made the universe. This refusal prompts yet another bout of misgivings in Faustus, but Mephastophilis and Lucifer bring in personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins to prance about in front of Faustus, and he is impressed enough to quiet his doubts.
Armed with his new powers and attended by Mephastophilis, Faustus begins to travel. He goes to the pope’s court in Rome, makes himself invisible, and plays a series of tricks. He disrupts the pope’s banquet by stealing food and boxing the pope’s ears. Following this incident, he travels through the courts of Europe, with his fame spreading as he goes. Eventually, he is invited to the court of the German emperor, Charles V (the enemy of the pope), who asks Faustus to allow him to see Alexander the Great, the famed fourth-century b.c. Macedonian king and conqueror. Faustus conjures up an image of Alexander, and Charles is suitably impressed. A knight scoffs at Faustus’s powers, and Faustus chastises him by making antlers sprout from his head. Furious, the knight vows revenge.
Meanwhile, Robin, Wagner’s clown, has picked up some magic on his own, and with his fellow stablehand, Rafe, he undergoes a number of comic misadventures. At one point, he manages to summon Mephastophilis, who threatens to turn Robin and Rafe into animals (or perhaps even does transform them; the text isn’t clear) to punish them for their foolishness.
Faustus then goes on with his travels, playing a trick on a horse-courser along the way. Faustus sells him a horse that turns into a heap of straw when ridden into a river. Eventually, Faustus is invited to the court of the Duke of Vanholt, where he performs various feats. The horse-courser shows up there, along with Robin, a man named Dick (Rafe in the A text), and various others who have fallen victim to Faustus’s trickery. But Faustus casts spells on them and sends them on their way, to the amusement of the duke and duchess.
As the twenty-four years of his deal with Lucifer come to a close, Faustus begins to dread his impending death. He has Mephastophilis call up Helen of Troy, the famous beauty from the ancient world, and uses her presence to impress a group of scholars. An old man urges Faustus to repent, but Faustus drives him away. Faustus summons Helen again and exclaims rapturously about her beauty. But time is growing short. Faustus tells the scholars about his pact, and they are horror-stricken and resolve to pray for him. On the final night before the expiration of the twenty-four years, Faustus is overcome by fear and remorse. He begs for mercy, but it is too late. At midnight, a host of devils appears and carries his soul off to hell. In the morning, the scholars find Faustus’s limbs and decide to hold a funeral fo
Mephastophilis returns to Faustus with word that Lucifer has accepted Faustus’s offer. Faustus experiences some misgivings and wonders if he should repent and save his soul; in the end, though, he agrees to the deal, signing it with his blood. As soon as he does so, the words “Homo fuge,” Latin for “O man, fly,” appear branded on his arm. Faustus again has second thoughts, but Mephastophilis bestows rich gifts on him and gives him a book of spells to learn. Later, Mephastophilis answers all of his questions about the nature of the world, refusing to answer only when Faustus asks him who made the universe. This refusal prompts yet another bout of misgivings in Faustus, but Mephastophilis and Lucifer bring in personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins to prance about in front of Faustus, and he is impressed enough to quiet his doubts.
Armed with his new powers and attended by Mephastophilis, Faustus begins to travel. He goes to the pope’s court in Rome, makes himself invisible, and plays a series of tricks. He disrupts the pope’s banquet by stealing food and boxing the pope’s ears. Following this incident, he travels through the courts of Europe, with his fame spreading as he goes. Eventually, he is invited to the court of the German emperor, Charles V (the enemy of the pope), who asks Faustus to allow him to see Alexander the Great, the famed fourth-century b.c. Macedonian king and conqueror. Faustus conjures up an image of Alexander, and Charles is suitably impressed. A knight scoffs at Faustus’s powers, and Faustus chastises him by making antlers sprout from his head. Furious, the knight vows revenge.
Meanwhile, Robin, Wagner’s clown, has picked up some magic on his own, and with his fellow stablehand, Rafe, he undergoes a number of comic misadventures. At one point, he manages to summon Mephastophilis, who threatens to turn Robin and Rafe into animals (or perhaps even does transform them; the text isn’t clear) to punish them for their foolishness.
Faustus then goes on with his travels, playing a trick on a horse-courser along the way. Faustus sells him a horse that turns into a heap of straw when ridden into a river. Eventually, Faustus is invited to the court of the Duke of Vanholt, where he performs various feats. The horse-courser shows up there, along with Robin, a man named Dick (Rafe in the A text), and various others who have fallen victim to Faustus’s trickery. But Faustus casts spells on them and sends them on their way, to the amusement of the duke and duchess.
As the twenty-four years of his deal with Lucifer come to a close, Faustus begins to dread his impending death. He has Mephastophilis call up Helen of Troy, the famous beauty from the ancient world, and uses her presence to impress a group of scholars. An old man urges Faustus to repent, but Faustus drives him away. Faustus summons Helen again and exclaims rapturously about her beauty. But time is growing short. Faustus tells the scholars about his pact, and they are horror-stricken and resolve to pray for him. On the final night before the expiration of the twenty-four years, Faustus is overcome by fear and remorse. He begs for mercy, but it is too late. At midnight, a host of devils appears and carries his soul off to hell. In the morning, the scholars find Faustus’s limbs and decide to hold a funeral fo
Scene Process Paper
Play Analysis
The play begins with Frankie and Johnny, two coworkers, having just had sex. Throughout the rest of the play, intense and straightforward Johnny attempts to convince hesitant and isolated Frankie that they are destined for something deeper and more real than just casual sex. Johnny is in love with Frankie and convinced that they are soulmates; Frankie has given up on finding love, and she is intimidated and overwhelmed by Johnny's passionate overtures. However, by the time the curtain has gone down at the end of the play, Johnny's heart-on-his-sleeve earnestness has won Frankie's heart, and the play ends the same way it began, with the two lovers in each other's arms.
Character Arc
As the character description at the beginning of the play states, Johnny's best feature is his personality, and he works at it. From the outset of the play it is clear that he loves to talk at length about almost any topic, and that he is extremely open about his feelings. His intense personality and frankness are overwhelming to Frankie, but he is nothing if not persistent. This is likely not the first woman to whom Johnny has made these sorts of passionate overtures, and he seems to be a person who chronically tries too hard in most aspects of his life. He wears his heart on his sleeve, which is bizarre for Frankie as they have only been on one date. He tries various tactics and approaches to winning Frankie over, and it is obvious that he is attempting to be what he thinks she wants him to be. His exuberance hides a deep insecurity, which is slowly revealed throughout the course of the play. His lack of education, his unremarkable appearance, his scarred hands and his tendency to talk too much are all aspects of himself about which Johnny is ashamed. Johnny is very intelligent, and he carries around a dictionary and a Shakespeare collection in order to educate himself (or at least to project the appearance of being educated). However, Johnny is also courageous. He confesses his love to Frankie, and even though she is horrified, he is unfazed. When he calls the radio station they've been listening to to make a romantic request for Frankie, and in the process tells the DJ the touching story of the night's events, it appears that Frankie has finally given in to his advances. As they prepare to make love, Johnny reveals that he is forty-eight years old; clearly Johnny feels as though he is running out of time to find love, and he sees in Frankie a chance to solidify a real future before it's too late. Act One ends with the couple making love. However, Act Two opens with the couple taking a "momentary hiatus" after Johnny failed to rise to the occasion. They get to talking about suicide, and Johnny admits that he sometimes feels so isolated from the people around him that he contemplates killing himself. He goes on to reveal that he is a divorcee with two kids, spent two years in a New Jersey prison for forgery, and used to have a drinking problem. He begins to cry when he tells Frankie about the first time he went to visit his kids after the divorce. He and Frankie then begin to get intimate, but after he asks her to go down on him and she refuses, they erupt into an argument. Johnny is almost ready to storm out of the apartment, but instead he gives one last eloquent, romantic monologue. Frankie is so moved that they end the play in each other's arms listening to "The Clair De Lune" as the sun rises. Johnny's persistence and earnest courage have carried the day, and he has found a true connection just when he feared it was too late.
Character Objectives
In the scene Miku and I performed, Johnny wants to get Frankie to believe that they are meant to be together. His active verbs are persuade, emphasize, and grow closer to Frankie. Johnny sees that Frankie is starting to get cold feet, and he wants to find a way to get her to see that he is indeed what she is looking for. Near the end of the scene, Johnny is trying to set up the perfect moment, and muster up the courage, to express his deepest romantic feelings to Frankie.
Rehearsal Process
Our first formal rehearsal of this scene was in class. We got about half-way through the scene before one of us flubbed a line (probably me, but I don't remember) and Peter stopped us. The scene went okay for out first time doing it, but we were definitely visibly uncertain about the text and the blocking. We got the comments that I expected to get; Miku was told to work on her diction, and I was told to work on making the character of Johnny more masculine, more grown up, and less like myself. We had our work cut out for us.
Our second rehearsal was with Rafi. We focused a lot on blocking. The table Miku and I were sitting at during the rehearsal was rather long, and the distance between us made it difficult for the intimacy and closeness of the characters to come across. Rafi suggested that in order to fix this issue I should gradually find ways to inch closer to her throughout the course of the scene, so that by the end I am very close to her for my big confession. This rehearsal was really useful for us. Even though we later ended up scrapping a lot of the blocking we created that day, we kept the chemistry and the playfulness we developed during our meeting with Rafi.
Our third rehearsal was with Peter, and this was probably the one where we developed most of the ideas we ended up using in our final performance. Before this rehearsal we had been sitting at a large table, but the spacial restrictions of Peter's office forced us to use his couch instead. This ended up being fantastic for us, because it forced us to be very close to each other for the entire scene. The chemistry which had been so sorely lacking up to this point was suddenly created out of necessity. By this time, Miku and I had been doing a lot of independent practice, so we had memorized all of our lines and made a lot of progress on our characterizations. This allowed us, with Peter's help, to fine-tune a lot of physical choices we were making.
Final Performance
Our final performance went pretty well, I think. While doing the scene, I definitely felt a little bit disconnected from Miku when we were performing the scene; however, by the end I think the scene came together nicely. There were a few unexpected curveballs thrown my way during the scene: the sandwich that Miku bought me had mayonnaise and olives in it - both of which I detest - so I ended up having to mime taking bites of it. Also, Miku ended up handing me an imaginary salt shaker in the scene, which I was not anticipating. Having never worked with the space object before in our rehearsals, I had no idea what to do with it. When the scene was over, a couple students pointed out that I had forgotten about the salt shaker during the scene and "dropped it", which was a totally fair criticism. My fellow students also criticized my gestures (dammit!) and my voice, which was apparently too high-pitched. They really seemed to love Miku, though, and everyone complimented us on our chemistry. This was odd since I actually felt visibly detached from her through most of the scene, but I was glad to hear that it didn't come off that way to the audience. Peter told me that physically I still had not created a defined character, and urged me to work tirelessly next semester on my ability to create characters physically. I'm really going to need to step it up next semester. The last thing in the world I want is for people to think that I'm not working hard at what I do. I am very frustrated that as of yet I have not been able to drop my little quirks that make me me. Next semester, though... next semester!!!
The play begins with Frankie and Johnny, two coworkers, having just had sex. Throughout the rest of the play, intense and straightforward Johnny attempts to convince hesitant and isolated Frankie that they are destined for something deeper and more real than just casual sex. Johnny is in love with Frankie and convinced that they are soulmates; Frankie has given up on finding love, and she is intimidated and overwhelmed by Johnny's passionate overtures. However, by the time the curtain has gone down at the end of the play, Johnny's heart-on-his-sleeve earnestness has won Frankie's heart, and the play ends the same way it began, with the two lovers in each other's arms.
Character Arc
As the character description at the beginning of the play states, Johnny's best feature is his personality, and he works at it. From the outset of the play it is clear that he loves to talk at length about almost any topic, and that he is extremely open about his feelings. His intense personality and frankness are overwhelming to Frankie, but he is nothing if not persistent. This is likely not the first woman to whom Johnny has made these sorts of passionate overtures, and he seems to be a person who chronically tries too hard in most aspects of his life. He wears his heart on his sleeve, which is bizarre for Frankie as they have only been on one date. He tries various tactics and approaches to winning Frankie over, and it is obvious that he is attempting to be what he thinks she wants him to be. His exuberance hides a deep insecurity, which is slowly revealed throughout the course of the play. His lack of education, his unremarkable appearance, his scarred hands and his tendency to talk too much are all aspects of himself about which Johnny is ashamed. Johnny is very intelligent, and he carries around a dictionary and a Shakespeare collection in order to educate himself (or at least to project the appearance of being educated). However, Johnny is also courageous. He confesses his love to Frankie, and even though she is horrified, he is unfazed. When he calls the radio station they've been listening to to make a romantic request for Frankie, and in the process tells the DJ the touching story of the night's events, it appears that Frankie has finally given in to his advances. As they prepare to make love, Johnny reveals that he is forty-eight years old; clearly Johnny feels as though he is running out of time to find love, and he sees in Frankie a chance to solidify a real future before it's too late. Act One ends with the couple making love. However, Act Two opens with the couple taking a "momentary hiatus" after Johnny failed to rise to the occasion. They get to talking about suicide, and Johnny admits that he sometimes feels so isolated from the people around him that he contemplates killing himself. He goes on to reveal that he is a divorcee with two kids, spent two years in a New Jersey prison for forgery, and used to have a drinking problem. He begins to cry when he tells Frankie about the first time he went to visit his kids after the divorce. He and Frankie then begin to get intimate, but after he asks her to go down on him and she refuses, they erupt into an argument. Johnny is almost ready to storm out of the apartment, but instead he gives one last eloquent, romantic monologue. Frankie is so moved that they end the play in each other's arms listening to "The Clair De Lune" as the sun rises. Johnny's persistence and earnest courage have carried the day, and he has found a true connection just when he feared it was too late.
Character Objectives
In the scene Miku and I performed, Johnny wants to get Frankie to believe that they are meant to be together. His active verbs are persuade, emphasize, and grow closer to Frankie. Johnny sees that Frankie is starting to get cold feet, and he wants to find a way to get her to see that he is indeed what she is looking for. Near the end of the scene, Johnny is trying to set up the perfect moment, and muster up the courage, to express his deepest romantic feelings to Frankie.
Rehearsal Process
Our first formal rehearsal of this scene was in class. We got about half-way through the scene before one of us flubbed a line (probably me, but I don't remember) and Peter stopped us. The scene went okay for out first time doing it, but we were definitely visibly uncertain about the text and the blocking. We got the comments that I expected to get; Miku was told to work on her diction, and I was told to work on making the character of Johnny more masculine, more grown up, and less like myself. We had our work cut out for us.
Our second rehearsal was with Rafi. We focused a lot on blocking. The table Miku and I were sitting at during the rehearsal was rather long, and the distance between us made it difficult for the intimacy and closeness of the characters to come across. Rafi suggested that in order to fix this issue I should gradually find ways to inch closer to her throughout the course of the scene, so that by the end I am very close to her for my big confession. This rehearsal was really useful for us. Even though we later ended up scrapping a lot of the blocking we created that day, we kept the chemistry and the playfulness we developed during our meeting with Rafi.
Our third rehearsal was with Peter, and this was probably the one where we developed most of the ideas we ended up using in our final performance. Before this rehearsal we had been sitting at a large table, but the spacial restrictions of Peter's office forced us to use his couch instead. This ended up being fantastic for us, because it forced us to be very close to each other for the entire scene. The chemistry which had been so sorely lacking up to this point was suddenly created out of necessity. By this time, Miku and I had been doing a lot of independent practice, so we had memorized all of our lines and made a lot of progress on our characterizations. This allowed us, with Peter's help, to fine-tune a lot of physical choices we were making.
Final Performance
Our final performance went pretty well, I think. While doing the scene, I definitely felt a little bit disconnected from Miku when we were performing the scene; however, by the end I think the scene came together nicely. There were a few unexpected curveballs thrown my way during the scene: the sandwich that Miku bought me had mayonnaise and olives in it - both of which I detest - so I ended up having to mime taking bites of it. Also, Miku ended up handing me an imaginary salt shaker in the scene, which I was not anticipating. Having never worked with the space object before in our rehearsals, I had no idea what to do with it. When the scene was over, a couple students pointed out that I had forgotten about the salt shaker during the scene and "dropped it", which was a totally fair criticism. My fellow students also criticized my gestures (dammit!) and my voice, which was apparently too high-pitched. They really seemed to love Miku, though, and everyone complimented us on our chemistry. This was odd since I actually felt visibly detached from her through most of the scene, but I was glad to hear that it didn't come off that way to the audience. Peter told me that physically I still had not created a defined character, and urged me to work tirelessly next semester on my ability to create characters physically. I'm really going to need to step it up next semester. The last thing in the world I want is for people to think that I'm not working hard at what I do. I am very frustrated that as of yet I have not been able to drop my little quirks that make me me. Next semester, though... next semester!!!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Final Scene Performance Critiques
Allie and Kalei:
-Your chemistry was good as friends, but I didn't feel romantic tension
-Card game seemed unmotivated
+Seemed really conversational, which was a good thing
Anna and Adam:
+Adam, I really saw the stiffness this time, which was great
+Anna, you seemed really confrontational and aggressive
-Blocking seemed formulaic and uncreative
-Characters could have been more theatrical (This is comedy, guys!)
Sammie and Morgan:
-Characters were only half-realized: I needed more of a contrast
+The funny moments were played well
-Seemed scripted
Miku and Shane:
-Shane, your handsomeness was distracting
-Miku, you should have bought Shane a sandwich without mayonnaise, since mayonnaise is grody
+Performance was stellar, sure to win a Tony
In all honesty, I thought our performance was really good considering where we started. If I could do the scene over, I would certainly focus on lowering the pitch of my voice and being more conscious of my gestures - my usual areas of struggle - but I have no regrets about the scene we presented to the class.
Hayley and Sean:
-Blocking was really bad; Sean was upstaged for the entire scene
-Scene seemed disjointed, like you were doing two different scenes
Ari and Nadia:
+Energy level was good
+Relationship was clearly established
-Vocally repetitive
Danny and Ariele:
-I wanted to see more physical comedy, higher energy
-Ariele, your hat made it difficult to see your face sometimes
+A lot of funny moments
Jeremy and Jessica:
+Blocking was great
-Jeremy, your voice was monotonous and seemed forced
+Jessica, your energy carried the scene
Gabriel and Rossana:
+Gabriel, good frantic energy
-You two were using the same drug, but it seemed to speed Gabriel up and slow Rossana down
-Rossana, look for more vocal choices
-You two were too separated for most of the scene
Bronte and Vi:
-Vi, your character should be more sympathetic; she really cares about Katherine, but you seemed cold
-Blocking was corny
-Everything seemed really repetitive
-Your chemistry was good as friends, but I didn't feel romantic tension
-Card game seemed unmotivated
+Seemed really conversational, which was a good thing
Anna and Adam:
+Adam, I really saw the stiffness this time, which was great
+Anna, you seemed really confrontational and aggressive
-Blocking seemed formulaic and uncreative
-Characters could have been more theatrical (This is comedy, guys!)
Sammie and Morgan:
-Characters were only half-realized: I needed more of a contrast
+The funny moments were played well
-Seemed scripted
Miku and Shane:
-Shane, your handsomeness was distracting
-Miku, you should have bought Shane a sandwich without mayonnaise, since mayonnaise is grody
+Performance was stellar, sure to win a Tony
In all honesty, I thought our performance was really good considering where we started. If I could do the scene over, I would certainly focus on lowering the pitch of my voice and being more conscious of my gestures - my usual areas of struggle - but I have no regrets about the scene we presented to the class.
Hayley and Sean:
-Blocking was really bad; Sean was upstaged for the entire scene
-Scene seemed disjointed, like you were doing two different scenes
Ari and Nadia:
+Energy level was good
+Relationship was clearly established
-Vocally repetitive
Danny and Ariele:
-I wanted to see more physical comedy, higher energy
-Ariele, your hat made it difficult to see your face sometimes
+A lot of funny moments
Jeremy and Jessica:
+Blocking was great
-Jeremy, your voice was monotonous and seemed forced
+Jessica, your energy carried the scene
Gabriel and Rossana:
+Gabriel, good frantic energy
-You two were using the same drug, but it seemed to speed Gabriel up and slow Rossana down
-Rossana, look for more vocal choices
-You two were too separated for most of the scene
Bronte and Vi:
-Vi, your character should be more sympathetic; she really cares about Katherine, but you seemed cold
-Blocking was corny
-Everything seemed really repetitive
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Play Synopsis: Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
When Miku presented a scene from this play for us to perform for our final, I had never heard of it. I had read snippets of a few of McNally's other works, so I knew of his talent with language. When I read the scene we ended up performing, I was once again impressed by his ability to make a play engaging using little more than dialogue and characterization. This play takes place all in one location - Frankie's apartment - and has very little in the way of plot or action. However, the play is very interesting and enjoyable because of the endearing characters and their struggle to find a long-lasting connection.
The play begins with Frankie and Johnny, two coworkers, having just had sex. Throughout the rest of the play, intense and straightforward Johnny attempts to convince hesitant and isolated Frankie that they are destined for something deeper and more real than just casual sex. Johnny is in love with Frankie and convinced that they are soulmates; Frankie has given up on finding love, and she is intimidated and overwhelmed by Johnny's passionate overtures. However, by the time the curtain has gone down at the end of the play, Johnny's heart-on-his-sleeve earnestness has won Frankie's heart, and the play ends the same way it began, with the two lovers in each other's arms.
The play begins with Frankie and Johnny, two coworkers, having just had sex. Throughout the rest of the play, intense and straightforward Johnny attempts to convince hesitant and isolated Frankie that they are destined for something deeper and more real than just casual sex. Johnny is in love with Frankie and convinced that they are soulmates; Frankie has given up on finding love, and she is intimidated and overwhelmed by Johnny's passionate overtures. However, by the time the curtain has gone down at the end of the play, Johnny's heart-on-his-sleeve earnestness has won Frankie's heart, and the play ends the same way it began, with the two lovers in each other's arms.
Play Synopsis: The Merry Wives Of Windsor
I am a huge fan of William Shakespeare's works - particularly the comedies - and one of his most hilarious plays is The Merry Wives of Windsor. One of only four Shakespearean plays considered to be an original work (rather than a retelling of a previously-told story), Merry Wives is also the most middle-class of Shakespeare's plays. It takes place in a provincial town, and all of its characters are average denizens of Windsor. There are no dukes, queens, fairies or Roman generals in this play; rather, its broad and accessible humor and endearing working-class characters makes Merry Wives among the most enjoyable for contemporary audiences.
The play begins with Justice Robert Shallow, Master Abraham Slender, and the foolish Welsh pastor Sir Hugh Evans discussing Sir John Falstaff. Slender is angry with Falstaff, by whom he has been insulted and disrespected in various ways. However, the conversation quickly moves to a discussion of Anne Page, a young woman with whom Slender is enamored. The three men arrive at the home of Master Page, Anne's father, and after a confrontation with Falstaff the men enter the house.
Meanwhile, Falstaff and his men have settled at the local Garter Inn. Falstaff lays out his plan to seduce two local women - Mistress Ford and Mistress Page (Anne's mother and the wife of Master Page) - in order to get at their husbands' money. Falstaff sends his servants Pistol and Nim to deliver his romantic letters to the women; however, the two men plot instead to reveal Falstaff's intentions to Masters Page and Ford.
Master Slender's servant, Simple, has a conversation with Mistress Quickly, the servant of the local physician, Dr. Caius. Quickly agrees to speak favorably about Slender to Anne Page. Dr. Caius enters; he is a Frenchman with a ridiculous accent. When he learns of Slender's plans, he is angered; Caius, too, is in love with Anne Page, and when he learns that Simple was sent by Sir Hugh Evans he challenges the Welshman to a duel. Later, Fenton enters; he is a young man of high birth, who is also in love with Anne Page.
Meanwhile, at the Page household, Mrs. Page has received Falstaff's letter. She can't believe that Falstaff could be so bold as to try to seduce her. When Mrs. Ford shows up with an identical letter, the two women decide to lead Falstaff on in order to humiliate him. At the same time, Pistol and Nim are revealing Falstaff's plans to Mr. Page and Mr. Ford; Page scoffs at the thought of his wife cheating on him, but Ford is racked by jealousy and worries that his wife will be unfaithful.
Later, at the Garter Inn, Quickly delivers a letter to Falstaff from Mistresses Ford and Page. In it, Mrs. Ford lets on that her husband will be out of the house the next day, and invites Falstaff to come over. Mrs. Page has not been able to get her husband out, so she will contact Falstaff at a later date. Next, Mr. Ford enters in disguise. Introducing himself to Falstaff as "Brooke", Ford tells Falstaff that he has tried to seduce Mrs. Ford but that she has rebuffed him out of loyalty to her husband. "Brooke" asks Falstaff to seduce the woman, so that in the future she will not have an excuse to turn "Brooke" down. Falstaff assures "Brooke" that he already has a date lined up with Mrs. Ford tomorrow morning. Alone, Ford is distraught that his wife has agreed to cheat on him.
Meanwhile, Caius awaits Evans for their duel. They meet and prepare to fight, but the bystanders, including Masters Page and Ford, take their weapons. The two men get to talking, and decide that this whole disagreement is the fault of the Host of the Garter Inn. The three men believe that the Host is scorning them because of their foreign accents; they decide to get back at him. (Later in the play they succeed in this endeavour by disguising themselves as German lords and stealing three of the Host's horses.) On the way back from the fight, the men discuss marriage options for Anne Page. Mr. Page reveals that he favors Slender, but his wife prefers Caius.
Falstaff has arrived at Mrs. Ford's house, but he hides when Mrs. page arrives and announces the imminent arrival of Mr. Ford. Falstaff begs the two women to help him escape. They hide him in a laundry basket; as Mr. Ford shows up, his wife's servants take out the laundry and dump it, Falstaff and all, in the river.
Anne Page meets with Fenton, and the two express their love for each other. Slender, Quickly and Shallow show up. Slender attempts to make romantic overtures to Anne, but ends up babbling incoherently. Meanwhile, Quickly tells Fenton that despite Anne's parents' dismissal of him, she prefers Fenton for Anne.
Falstaff returns to the Fords' house. Once again, Mrs. Page enters to warn of Mr. Ford's approach. Falstaff refuses to be taken out with the laundry again, so this time they disguise him by dressing him up as the fat aunt of one of her servants. When Mr. Ford arrives, he is outraged; he hates the fat aunt, and he chases Falstaff away with a beating. Satisfied that their scheme has run its course, the two women let their husbands in on how everything has played out. Ford apologizes for his unfounded jealousy, and they all decide to work together to publicly humiliate Falstaff. Their plan is as such: Mrs. Ford will invite Falstaff for a rendezvous in the local allegedly haunted woods. The Fords and the Pages will dress their children up as ghosts and evil spirits to terrify Falstaff.
At the Garter Inn, Fenton talks to the Host about a letter he has received from Anne Page. She tells him of her parents' plot to embarrass Falstaff, and reveals that her parents want to use the chaos of the occasion as an opportunity for their respectively-preferred suitors to elope with her. She is to wear a specifically-colored outfit, so that her suitor can identify her. However, she plans to elope with Fenton that night.
Falstaff arrives in the wood, and the children all jump out in their monstrous disguises and frighten Falstaff. Once they have scared him sufficiently, they leave and Page and Ford enter. As they admonish Falstaff for his lustiness, they wonder where Anne is. Slender and Caius show up and reveal that they have each eloped with a young boy dressed in Anne's clothing. Anne and Fenton enter and reveal that they have just gotten married. Her parents realize that they should have listened to their daughters' desire, and everyone departs to the Page house for dinner.
The play begins with Justice Robert Shallow, Master Abraham Slender, and the foolish Welsh pastor Sir Hugh Evans discussing Sir John Falstaff. Slender is angry with Falstaff, by whom he has been insulted and disrespected in various ways. However, the conversation quickly moves to a discussion of Anne Page, a young woman with whom Slender is enamored. The three men arrive at the home of Master Page, Anne's father, and after a confrontation with Falstaff the men enter the house.
Meanwhile, Falstaff and his men have settled at the local Garter Inn. Falstaff lays out his plan to seduce two local women - Mistress Ford and Mistress Page (Anne's mother and the wife of Master Page) - in order to get at their husbands' money. Falstaff sends his servants Pistol and Nim to deliver his romantic letters to the women; however, the two men plot instead to reveal Falstaff's intentions to Masters Page and Ford.
Master Slender's servant, Simple, has a conversation with Mistress Quickly, the servant of the local physician, Dr. Caius. Quickly agrees to speak favorably about Slender to Anne Page. Dr. Caius enters; he is a Frenchman with a ridiculous accent. When he learns of Slender's plans, he is angered; Caius, too, is in love with Anne Page, and when he learns that Simple was sent by Sir Hugh Evans he challenges the Welshman to a duel. Later, Fenton enters; he is a young man of high birth, who is also in love with Anne Page.
Meanwhile, at the Page household, Mrs. Page has received Falstaff's letter. She can't believe that Falstaff could be so bold as to try to seduce her. When Mrs. Ford shows up with an identical letter, the two women decide to lead Falstaff on in order to humiliate him. At the same time, Pistol and Nim are revealing Falstaff's plans to Mr. Page and Mr. Ford; Page scoffs at the thought of his wife cheating on him, but Ford is racked by jealousy and worries that his wife will be unfaithful.
Later, at the Garter Inn, Quickly delivers a letter to Falstaff from Mistresses Ford and Page. In it, Mrs. Ford lets on that her husband will be out of the house the next day, and invites Falstaff to come over. Mrs. Page has not been able to get her husband out, so she will contact Falstaff at a later date. Next, Mr. Ford enters in disguise. Introducing himself to Falstaff as "Brooke", Ford tells Falstaff that he has tried to seduce Mrs. Ford but that she has rebuffed him out of loyalty to her husband. "Brooke" asks Falstaff to seduce the woman, so that in the future she will not have an excuse to turn "Brooke" down. Falstaff assures "Brooke" that he already has a date lined up with Mrs. Ford tomorrow morning. Alone, Ford is distraught that his wife has agreed to cheat on him.
Meanwhile, Caius awaits Evans for their duel. They meet and prepare to fight, but the bystanders, including Masters Page and Ford, take their weapons. The two men get to talking, and decide that this whole disagreement is the fault of the Host of the Garter Inn. The three men believe that the Host is scorning them because of their foreign accents; they decide to get back at him. (Later in the play they succeed in this endeavour by disguising themselves as German lords and stealing three of the Host's horses.) On the way back from the fight, the men discuss marriage options for Anne Page. Mr. Page reveals that he favors Slender, but his wife prefers Caius.
Falstaff has arrived at Mrs. Ford's house, but he hides when Mrs. page arrives and announces the imminent arrival of Mr. Ford. Falstaff begs the two women to help him escape. They hide him in a laundry basket; as Mr. Ford shows up, his wife's servants take out the laundry and dump it, Falstaff and all, in the river.
Anne Page meets with Fenton, and the two express their love for each other. Slender, Quickly and Shallow show up. Slender attempts to make romantic overtures to Anne, but ends up babbling incoherently. Meanwhile, Quickly tells Fenton that despite Anne's parents' dismissal of him, she prefers Fenton for Anne.
Falstaff returns to the Fords' house. Once again, Mrs. Page enters to warn of Mr. Ford's approach. Falstaff refuses to be taken out with the laundry again, so this time they disguise him by dressing him up as the fat aunt of one of her servants. When Mr. Ford arrives, he is outraged; he hates the fat aunt, and he chases Falstaff away with a beating. Satisfied that their scheme has run its course, the two women let their husbands in on how everything has played out. Ford apologizes for his unfounded jealousy, and they all decide to work together to publicly humiliate Falstaff. Their plan is as such: Mrs. Ford will invite Falstaff for a rendezvous in the local allegedly haunted woods. The Fords and the Pages will dress their children up as ghosts and evil spirits to terrify Falstaff.
At the Garter Inn, Fenton talks to the Host about a letter he has received from Anne Page. She tells him of her parents' plot to embarrass Falstaff, and reveals that her parents want to use the chaos of the occasion as an opportunity for their respectively-preferred suitors to elope with her. She is to wear a specifically-colored outfit, so that her suitor can identify her. However, she plans to elope with Fenton that night.
Falstaff arrives in the wood, and the children all jump out in their monstrous disguises and frighten Falstaff. Once they have scared him sufficiently, they leave and Page and Ford enter. As they admonish Falstaff for his lustiness, they wonder where Anne is. Slender and Caius show up and reveal that they have each eloped with a young boy dressed in Anne's clothing. Anne and Fenton enter and reveal that they have just gotten married. Her parents realize that they should have listened to their daughters' desire, and everyone departs to the Page house for dinner.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Monologue Process Paper
Play Analysis
"The setting is a slightly seedy neighborhood bar in the Bronx, where a group of regulars (who all happen to be the same age - thirty-two) seek relief from the disappointments and tedium of the outside world. The first to arrive is Denise Savage, a perennial loner who announces that she is still a virgin but would like to remedy the situation. She is joined by an old school friend, Linda Rotunda, whose problem has been the opposite - too many lovers (and illegitimate children) - but who is now fearful that her current boyfriend, Tony Aronica, is losing interest in her. Shortly thereafter, macho Tony comes bursting in and announces that he is leaving her to pursue "ugly girls" - girls who have read books and can teach him something. Linda is desolate. Denise, seeing an advantage, makes a play for Tony, and the action quickens, moving swiftly from zany comedy to tense confrontation which requires the muscle and mediating skills of the taciturn bartender, Murk, who, heretofore, had been content to keep the glasses filled, including that of his mixed-up girlfriend, April, a failed nun who is also a classmate of the others. In the end tensions subside, Linda recaptures Tony, Murk proposes to April, and only Denise remains as she was - still in the limbo of loneliness from which she so desperately wants to escape.
Savage In Limbo is a play about dreams, about escape, and about the benefits - and dangers - of falling into a routine. Throughout the course of the play, Denise urges the other characters to break free from the monotony of their lives; one by one, though, they decide to take action in order to maintain the status quo of their lives. At the end, Denise, who tried so hard to make a change, is the only one left in the same position she had been in at the start.
Character Arc
When Tony first shows up, he is desperate to alter the dead-end trajectory of his life. He has had a shocking revelation: after having sex with an ugly girl who lectured him about the Soviet Union, he has decided to leave Linda and pursue girls who can offer him intellectual satisfaction. He feels guilty about breaking Linda's heart, but he knows that he has reached a point in his life where he is unable to achieve real fulfillment without a drastic change in his approach to women. His life up to this point has been dedicated to the hunt for sexual conquests, and he is afraid that he's got nothing else in his arsenal to offer women. When Denise makes advances on him, he is genuinely intrigued by her proposition; she is the polar opposite of the girls he has always gone for, and he recognizes the opportunity to make a welcome fundamental change. However, when Linda and Denise start fighting over him, he becomes very confused, conflicted, and guilty. Seeing Linda passionately fight to stay with him rekindles his affection for her. When she tells him that he fathered one of her illegitimate children, he makes the difficult, but mature decision to stay with Linda and help raise the kid. Though he has certainly not completed his transformation - her refuses to marry Linda for fear of being overly tied down - he has taken a huge step in the right direction.
Character Objective
In this monologue, Tony is trying to justify to Linda why he has chosen to break up with her. He hopes that by telling her the story of the event which caused his revelation, he can show her why it is so important to him. He needs her to understand the reasons for her decision; he feels bad for hurting her, and he wants to let her down softly. Additionally, he has not actually verbally articulated his feelings to anyone about this event before, so he is also justifying it to himself.
Rehearsal Analysis
My first time working this monologue was in class. That day, the class went outside to the grassy area behind the Don Powell. I was the first person to work my monologue, so I had the lamentable distinction of being everyone's introduction to Peter Cirino's approach to working monologues. I had come very unprepared, having only recently memorized the monologue and having never actually worked it physically; thus, I was extremely nervous throughout the whole process. I found myself feeling extremely imprisoned by Peter's outside-in approach to monologues; I did not feel that the statue I had picked was appropriate for Tony as a character, and I was totally confused regarding how to reconcile this disconnect. I quickly found myself very frustrated by the process. I walked up in front of the class, delivered my slate, got through about ten (very laborious) seconds of my monologue, and then Peter stopped me and asked me to do my slate again. The next fifteen minutes were spent repeating my slate and the first sentence of my monologue over and over. Each time I got more frustrated and more discouraged, because I just wanted to do my monologue and let the class see what it was about, and instead I had to run my slate and first beat into the ground. Peter wanted to see a clearly defined physical shift between my slate and my first beat; I was not able to produce a satisfactory change, which made me very embarrassed. I felt that this sort of rote work should have been done in private and not in front of the whole class. At one point Peter called Jessica up to touch me sensually while I delivered my monologue; this was very awkward for me. I understand what he was trying to accomplish by doing so, but I didn't get out of it what I was supposed to. Overall, this whole first rehearsal was so radically different than my usual monologue process that I was overwhelmed and totally out of my element.
My second rehearsal was worlds better. I met privately with Rafi. Having had several days since the first rehearsal to think about the monologue some more and work some ideas on my own, I felt very prepared for this meeting. At the start of the meeting, Rafi told me to sit down at a table across from him. He told me to deliver the monologue without any sort of "acting" and just tell it to him like I was telling a story to one of my friends. I launched right into the monologue, and got all the way through it without interruption. The whole time Rafi was reacting positively, laughing at the funny moments and generally appearing engaged and like he was enjoying listening. After I was done, he told me, with a huge smile, that he thought it was so good he almost wanted to tell me to leave right then and there. This was so encouraging to me, and made me feel great. I felt that I had done a really good job, and I was so happy that he agreed. He commended how honestly and naturally I had done the monologue, and told me I'm really talented. I'm not usually a person who needs a lot of praise or compliments, but after the dismal experience of my first rehearsal I really needed some reaffirmation. Rafi then told me to stand up and do the monologue again standing; I was a little worried, since when I am standing I tend to stiffen up and start gesturing unnecessarily with my hands. However, when I did the monologue this time I felt relaxed and confident, which made for a good performance. Rafi commended me again for my sincerity, and then the meeting was over. This short meeting was so vastly different than my first rehearsal, and was exactly the sort of positive experience I needed.
My third rehearsal was in front of the class again, and this time I came into it with my head held high, without any nerves or tension. When I was doing the monologue, I felt as though I was doing a good job. When I was done, I didn't receive any notes, which was disappointing.
Performance Analysis
For my final performance, I was feeling really confident. I finished the monologue feeling pretty good about how I'd done. However, I did end up receiving some criticism. Jeremy told me that my physicality was really weak, and that he just saw Shane up there instead of a character. He brought up my eternal arch-nemesis: my right hand, with which I gesticulate excessively when I act. Allie was less critical; she told me that she enjoyed the moment when I address Linda by name, saying she found that moment surprising and interesting. Rafi said that he was happy to see that the honesty that had so impressed him in our private meeting had come through in my final performance. However, he said that my slate was not professional enough; this was something about which I had never thought, and I was glad that he brought it to my attention. Peter complimented my vocal strength and the natural quality of my monologue, but he seconded the criticism of my unconnected gesturing and physical stiffness. I agreed fully with the criticisms; this has been a consistent problem for me throughout my acting education, so it was unsurprising to hear. Peter told me that if I could just get my physicality to catch up with my voice and my acting sensibilities, I could be a very strong actor. Hopefully the next time he sees me perform, I will have taken his comments and made the necessary changes to impress him!
"The setting is a slightly seedy neighborhood bar in the Bronx, where a group of regulars (who all happen to be the same age - thirty-two) seek relief from the disappointments and tedium of the outside world. The first to arrive is Denise Savage, a perennial loner who announces that she is still a virgin but would like to remedy the situation. She is joined by an old school friend, Linda Rotunda, whose problem has been the opposite - too many lovers (and illegitimate children) - but who is now fearful that her current boyfriend, Tony Aronica, is losing interest in her. Shortly thereafter, macho Tony comes bursting in and announces that he is leaving her to pursue "ugly girls" - girls who have read books and can teach him something. Linda is desolate. Denise, seeing an advantage, makes a play for Tony, and the action quickens, moving swiftly from zany comedy to tense confrontation which requires the muscle and mediating skills of the taciturn bartender, Murk, who, heretofore, had been content to keep the glasses filled, including that of his mixed-up girlfriend, April, a failed nun who is also a classmate of the others. In the end tensions subside, Linda recaptures Tony, Murk proposes to April, and only Denise remains as she was - still in the limbo of loneliness from which she so desperately wants to escape.
Savage In Limbo is a play about dreams, about escape, and about the benefits - and dangers - of falling into a routine. Throughout the course of the play, Denise urges the other characters to break free from the monotony of their lives; one by one, though, they decide to take action in order to maintain the status quo of their lives. At the end, Denise, who tried so hard to make a change, is the only one left in the same position she had been in at the start.
Character Arc
When Tony first shows up, he is desperate to alter the dead-end trajectory of his life. He has had a shocking revelation: after having sex with an ugly girl who lectured him about the Soviet Union, he has decided to leave Linda and pursue girls who can offer him intellectual satisfaction. He feels guilty about breaking Linda's heart, but he knows that he has reached a point in his life where he is unable to achieve real fulfillment without a drastic change in his approach to women. His life up to this point has been dedicated to the hunt for sexual conquests, and he is afraid that he's got nothing else in his arsenal to offer women. When Denise makes advances on him, he is genuinely intrigued by her proposition; she is the polar opposite of the girls he has always gone for, and he recognizes the opportunity to make a welcome fundamental change. However, when Linda and Denise start fighting over him, he becomes very confused, conflicted, and guilty. Seeing Linda passionately fight to stay with him rekindles his affection for her. When she tells him that he fathered one of her illegitimate children, he makes the difficult, but mature decision to stay with Linda and help raise the kid. Though he has certainly not completed his transformation - her refuses to marry Linda for fear of being overly tied down - he has taken a huge step in the right direction.
Character Objective
In this monologue, Tony is trying to justify to Linda why he has chosen to break up with her. He hopes that by telling her the story of the event which caused his revelation, he can show her why it is so important to him. He needs her to understand the reasons for her decision; he feels bad for hurting her, and he wants to let her down softly. Additionally, he has not actually verbally articulated his feelings to anyone about this event before, so he is also justifying it to himself.
Rehearsal Analysis
My first time working this monologue was in class. That day, the class went outside to the grassy area behind the Don Powell. I was the first person to work my monologue, so I had the lamentable distinction of being everyone's introduction to Peter Cirino's approach to working monologues. I had come very unprepared, having only recently memorized the monologue and having never actually worked it physically; thus, I was extremely nervous throughout the whole process. I found myself feeling extremely imprisoned by Peter's outside-in approach to monologues; I did not feel that the statue I had picked was appropriate for Tony as a character, and I was totally confused regarding how to reconcile this disconnect. I quickly found myself very frustrated by the process. I walked up in front of the class, delivered my slate, got through about ten (very laborious) seconds of my monologue, and then Peter stopped me and asked me to do my slate again. The next fifteen minutes were spent repeating my slate and the first sentence of my monologue over and over. Each time I got more frustrated and more discouraged, because I just wanted to do my monologue and let the class see what it was about, and instead I had to run my slate and first beat into the ground. Peter wanted to see a clearly defined physical shift between my slate and my first beat; I was not able to produce a satisfactory change, which made me very embarrassed. I felt that this sort of rote work should have been done in private and not in front of the whole class. At one point Peter called Jessica up to touch me sensually while I delivered my monologue; this was very awkward for me. I understand what he was trying to accomplish by doing so, but I didn't get out of it what I was supposed to. Overall, this whole first rehearsal was so radically different than my usual monologue process that I was overwhelmed and totally out of my element.
My second rehearsal was worlds better. I met privately with Rafi. Having had several days since the first rehearsal to think about the monologue some more and work some ideas on my own, I felt very prepared for this meeting. At the start of the meeting, Rafi told me to sit down at a table across from him. He told me to deliver the monologue without any sort of "acting" and just tell it to him like I was telling a story to one of my friends. I launched right into the monologue, and got all the way through it without interruption. The whole time Rafi was reacting positively, laughing at the funny moments and generally appearing engaged and like he was enjoying listening. After I was done, he told me, with a huge smile, that he thought it was so good he almost wanted to tell me to leave right then and there. This was so encouraging to me, and made me feel great. I felt that I had done a really good job, and I was so happy that he agreed. He commended how honestly and naturally I had done the monologue, and told me I'm really talented. I'm not usually a person who needs a lot of praise or compliments, but after the dismal experience of my first rehearsal I really needed some reaffirmation. Rafi then told me to stand up and do the monologue again standing; I was a little worried, since when I am standing I tend to stiffen up and start gesturing unnecessarily with my hands. However, when I did the monologue this time I felt relaxed and confident, which made for a good performance. Rafi commended me again for my sincerity, and then the meeting was over. This short meeting was so vastly different than my first rehearsal, and was exactly the sort of positive experience I needed.
My third rehearsal was in front of the class again, and this time I came into it with my head held high, without any nerves or tension. When I was doing the monologue, I felt as though I was doing a good job. When I was done, I didn't receive any notes, which was disappointing.
Performance Analysis
For my final performance, I was feeling really confident. I finished the monologue feeling pretty good about how I'd done. However, I did end up receiving some criticism. Jeremy told me that my physicality was really weak, and that he just saw Shane up there instead of a character. He brought up my eternal arch-nemesis: my right hand, with which I gesticulate excessively when I act. Allie was less critical; she told me that she enjoyed the moment when I address Linda by name, saying she found that moment surprising and interesting. Rafi said that he was happy to see that the honesty that had so impressed him in our private meeting had come through in my final performance. However, he said that my slate was not professional enough; this was something about which I had never thought, and I was glad that he brought it to my attention. Peter complimented my vocal strength and the natural quality of my monologue, but he seconded the criticism of my unconnected gesturing and physical stiffness. I agreed fully with the criticisms; this has been a consistent problem for me throughout my acting education, so it was unsurprising to hear. Peter told me that if I could just get my physicality to catch up with my voice and my acting sensibilities, I could be a very strong actor. Hopefully the next time he sees me perform, I will have taken his comments and made the necessary changes to impress him!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Play Synopsis: Cloud Nine
I, like several of my classmates, am currently reading Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine in our Script Analysis class. This play is wonderfully subversive, pushing the boundaries of modern sexual norms and playing with taboos in order to raise readers and audience members' awareness of their own sexual pruderies. The play juxtaposes Victorian patriarchal morality with contemporary mores, asking audiences to examine whether the two are really all that different.
Clive, his wife Betty, son Edward, daughter Victoria, mother-in- law Maud, governess Ellen and servant Joshua welcome the audience to his African home with a song paying tribute to England. Out of the song, the action of the play begins quickly. Clive returns home after spending the day managing the troubles among local tribes. Betty greets him and they swap stories about their days' experiences. When Clive learns that Joshua has been rude to Betty, he scolds Joshua. After this scolding, Clive greets the rest of his family, asking his children about their daily activities. After some pleasant discussion, the family welcomes Harry Bagley and Mrs. Saunders. Harry, an explorer, visits the family between expeditions. Mrs. Saunders, a widow, arrives exhausted, seeking protection from the natives. Betty and Harry flirt, revealing their attraction for one another. Later, Harry asks Joshua to have sex with him, and they leave for the barn together.
Clive chases Mrs. Saunders away from the house, and, after a brief argument, performs oral sex on her. To escape suspicion, they quickly return to the family's Christmas picnic, where Clive toasts the Queen. Clive and Harry toss a ball with Edward until Clive becomes frustrated with Edward's clumsiness. The game of ball gives way to a game of hide and seek, during which Edward and Harry reveal that they have a sexual history. Edward hopes to rekindle this relationship, but Harry is hesitant to approve. Meanwhile, Ellen professes her love for Betty. Betty, still smitten with Harry, dismisses Ellen's comments as ridiculous.
Later, Clive and the men flog the natives as the women wait inside the house. Mrs. Saunders, disapproving, leaves to find out what exactly the men are doing. Ellen becomes angry with Edward for playing with a doll and slaps him. When Clive returns from the flogging, Edward apologizes for playing with the doll and asks his father for forgiveness. When all but Betty and Clive leave for the verandah, Clive tells Betty that he knows about her affair with Harry. He lectures her on the necessity to resist lust, and then he forgives her.
As tension grows among the natives, Clive finds a moment alone with Harry to tell Harry about the increasing dangers. Harry makes a pass at Clive, and Clive reacts with horror, offended by Harry's homosexuality. Seeking a cure for Harry's perversity, Clive attempts to marry Harry to Mrs. Saunders. She refuses the offer. News that Joshua's parents have been killed by British troops distracts Clive momentarily, as he offers his condolences to Joshua. When Clive turns his attention back to Harry, he forces an engagement between Harry and Ellen. At the wedding party that follows, Mrs. Saunders announces that she is leaving, but before she can exit, Clive kisses her, prompting a fight between Mrs. Saunders and Betty. Disgusted at Mrs. Saunders behavior, Clive kicks her out of the house. When Clive goes to toast the newly engaged couple, Joshua raises a gun to shoot Clive. Edward sees this action, but does not warn Clive.
Roughly one hundred years later, Victoria appears in a London park on a winter afternoon with Lin and Lin's daughter Cathy. When Cathy exits to play elsewhere, Lin informs Victoria that she is a lesbian, and she asks Victoria to go to a movie with her. Edward, now a gardener, joins the two women, followed by Betty, who rambles at length about raising children. Betty also mentions that she is considering leaving Clive. Betty lets Cathy play with her jewelry. (Note: For the second act of the play, which takes place in London, actors switch roles. For instance, Betty in London is played by a different actor than Betty in Africa.
In the spring, Edward's lover Gerry comes to the park, where they argue about Gerry's lack of commitment. Gerry tells the audience about an affair he had with a stranger on a train. Victoria returns to the park with her husband Martin, who speaks at length about sex and his desire to please Victoria. Lin enters when Martin leaves and tells Victoria that her brother, a soldier, has died in Belfast. When Lin and Cathy get into a fight, they lose track of Victoria's son Tommy. A brief panic ensues before they find him. Gerry and Edward return, and Gerry breaks up with Edward.
Later, on a summer night, Lin, Victoria, and Edward come to the park to hold a ceremony for a sex goddess. Martin arrives, looking for Victoria, and they pull him into the beginnings of an orgy. Moments later, Lin's dead brother appears and relates the experience of his service in the army. Lin collapses when her brother disappears. Characters from Africa begin to make brief appearances, interacting with the London characters.
By late summer, Lin, Victoria, and Edward have moved in together. Betty has rediscovered the joy of masturbation. Gerry and Edward reconcile and make plans to go out some time. On a trip to get ice cream, the Dead Hand Gang assaults Cathy, bloodying her nose. Martin and Lin fight over who was supposed to be looking after Cathy. All but Gerry and Betty leave. In her discussion with Gerry, Betty comes to terms with the fact that Edward is homosexual. Betty from Africa returns and embraces the new Betty.
Clive, his wife Betty, son Edward, daughter Victoria, mother-in- law Maud, governess Ellen and servant Joshua welcome the audience to his African home with a song paying tribute to England. Out of the song, the action of the play begins quickly. Clive returns home after spending the day managing the troubles among local tribes. Betty greets him and they swap stories about their days' experiences. When Clive learns that Joshua has been rude to Betty, he scolds Joshua. After this scolding, Clive greets the rest of his family, asking his children about their daily activities. After some pleasant discussion, the family welcomes Harry Bagley and Mrs. Saunders. Harry, an explorer, visits the family between expeditions. Mrs. Saunders, a widow, arrives exhausted, seeking protection from the natives. Betty and Harry flirt, revealing their attraction for one another. Later, Harry asks Joshua to have sex with him, and they leave for the barn together.
Clive chases Mrs. Saunders away from the house, and, after a brief argument, performs oral sex on her. To escape suspicion, they quickly return to the family's Christmas picnic, where Clive toasts the Queen. Clive and Harry toss a ball with Edward until Clive becomes frustrated with Edward's clumsiness. The game of ball gives way to a game of hide and seek, during which Edward and Harry reveal that they have a sexual history. Edward hopes to rekindle this relationship, but Harry is hesitant to approve. Meanwhile, Ellen professes her love for Betty. Betty, still smitten with Harry, dismisses Ellen's comments as ridiculous.
Later, Clive and the men flog the natives as the women wait inside the house. Mrs. Saunders, disapproving, leaves to find out what exactly the men are doing. Ellen becomes angry with Edward for playing with a doll and slaps him. When Clive returns from the flogging, Edward apologizes for playing with the doll and asks his father for forgiveness. When all but Betty and Clive leave for the verandah, Clive tells Betty that he knows about her affair with Harry. He lectures her on the necessity to resist lust, and then he forgives her.
As tension grows among the natives, Clive finds a moment alone with Harry to tell Harry about the increasing dangers. Harry makes a pass at Clive, and Clive reacts with horror, offended by Harry's homosexuality. Seeking a cure for Harry's perversity, Clive attempts to marry Harry to Mrs. Saunders. She refuses the offer. News that Joshua's parents have been killed by British troops distracts Clive momentarily, as he offers his condolences to Joshua. When Clive turns his attention back to Harry, he forces an engagement between Harry and Ellen. At the wedding party that follows, Mrs. Saunders announces that she is leaving, but before she can exit, Clive kisses her, prompting a fight between Mrs. Saunders and Betty. Disgusted at Mrs. Saunders behavior, Clive kicks her out of the house. When Clive goes to toast the newly engaged couple, Joshua raises a gun to shoot Clive. Edward sees this action, but does not warn Clive.
Roughly one hundred years later, Victoria appears in a London park on a winter afternoon with Lin and Lin's daughter Cathy. When Cathy exits to play elsewhere, Lin informs Victoria that she is a lesbian, and she asks Victoria to go to a movie with her. Edward, now a gardener, joins the two women, followed by Betty, who rambles at length about raising children. Betty also mentions that she is considering leaving Clive. Betty lets Cathy play with her jewelry. (Note: For the second act of the play, which takes place in London, actors switch roles. For instance, Betty in London is played by a different actor than Betty in Africa.
In the spring, Edward's lover Gerry comes to the park, where they argue about Gerry's lack of commitment. Gerry tells the audience about an affair he had with a stranger on a train. Victoria returns to the park with her husband Martin, who speaks at length about sex and his desire to please Victoria. Lin enters when Martin leaves and tells Victoria that her brother, a soldier, has died in Belfast. When Lin and Cathy get into a fight, they lose track of Victoria's son Tommy. A brief panic ensues before they find him. Gerry and Edward return, and Gerry breaks up with Edward.
Later, on a summer night, Lin, Victoria, and Edward come to the park to hold a ceremony for a sex goddess. Martin arrives, looking for Victoria, and they pull him into the beginnings of an orgy. Moments later, Lin's dead brother appears and relates the experience of his service in the army. Lin collapses when her brother disappears. Characters from Africa begin to make brief appearances, interacting with the London characters.
By late summer, Lin, Victoria, and Edward have moved in together. Betty has rediscovered the joy of masturbation. Gerry and Edward reconcile and make plans to go out some time. On a trip to get ice cream, the Dead Hand Gang assaults Cathy, bloodying her nose. Martin and Lin fight over who was supposed to be looking after Cathy. All but Gerry and Betty leave. In her discussion with Gerry, Betty comes to terms with the fact that Edward is homosexual. Betty from Africa returns and embraces the new Betty.
Play Synopsis: And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None is one of the most successful and often-performed murder mysteries of all time. Though I heard of the novel/play years ago, I had never read it or seen it performed until earlier this week when I attended a performance of the play at my alma mater, Madison High School. The production was one of the worst things I have seen in my life, and is two hours and six dollars I will never get back. However, as abysmal as the acting was, the plot of the play, in the hands of capable performers, is a chilling and suspenseful mystery of the highest caliber.
Eight people, all strangers to each other, are invited to Indian Island, off the English coast. Vera Claythorne, a former governess, thinks she has been hired as a secretary; Philip Lombard, an adventurer, and William Blore, an ex-detective, think they have been hired to look out for trouble over the weekend; Dr. Armstrong thinks he has been hired to look after the wife of the island’s owner. Emily Brent, General Macarthur, Tony Marston, and Judge Wargrave think they are going to visit old friends.
When they arrive on the island, the guests are greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, the butler and housekeeper, who report that the host, someone they call Mr. Owen, will not arrive until the next day. That evening, as all the guests gather in the drawing room after an excellent dinner, they hear a recorded voice accusing each of them of a specific murder committed in the past and never uncovered. They compare notes and realize that none of them, including the servants, knows “Mr. Owen,” which suggests that they were brought here according to someone’s strange plan.
As they discuss what to do, Tony Marston chokes on poisoned whiskey and dies. Frightened, the party retreats to bed, where almost everyone is plagued by guilt and memories of their crimes. Vera Claythorne notices the similarity between the death of Marston and the first verse of a nursery rhyme, “Ten Little Indians,” that hangs in each bedroom.
The next morning the guests find that Mrs. Rogers apparently died in her sleep. The guests hope to leave that morning, but the boat that regularly delivers supplies to the island does not show up. Blore, Lombard, and Armstrong decide that the deaths must have been murders and determine to scour the island in search of the mysterious Mr. Owen. They find no one, however. Meanwhile, the oldest guest, General Macarthur, feels sure he is going to die and goes to look out at the ocean. Before lunch, Dr. Armstrong finds the general dead of a blow to the head.
The remaining guests meet to discuss their situation. They decide that one of them must be the killer. Many make vague accusations, but Judge Wargrave reminds them that the existing evidence suggests any of them could be the killer. Afternoon and dinner pass restlessly, and everyone goes to bed, locking his or her door before doing so. The next morning, they find that Rogers has been killed while chopping wood in preparation for breakfast. At this point, the guests feel sure the murders are being carried out according to the dictates of the nursery rhyme. Also, they realize that the dining-room table initially featured ten Indian figures, but with each death one of the figures disappears.
After breakfast, Emily Brent feels slightly giddy, and she remains alone at the table for a while. She is soon found dead, her neck having been injected with poison. At this point, Wargrave initiates an organized search of everyone’s belongings, and anything that could be used as a weapon is locked away. The remaining guests sit together, passing time and casting suspicious looks at each other. Finally, Vera goes to take a bath, but she is startled by a piece of seaweed hanging from her ceiling and cries out. Blore, Lombard, and Armstrong run to help her, only to return downstairs to find Wargrave draped in a curtain that resembles courtroom robes and bearing a red mark on his forehead. Armstrong examines the body and reports that Wargrave has been shot in the head.
That night, Blore hears footsteps in the hall; upon checking, he finds that Armstrong is not in his room. Blore and Lombard search for Armstrong, but they cannot find him anywhere in the house or on the island. When they return from searching, they discover another Indian figure missing from the table.
Vera, Lombard, and Blore go outside, resolving to stay in the safety of the open land. Blore decides to go back into the house to get food. The other two hear a crash, and they find someone has pushed a statue out of a second-story window, killing Blore as he approached the house. Vera and Lombard retreat to the shore, where they find Armstrong’s drowned body on the beach. Convinced that Lombard is the killer, Vera steals Lombard’s gun and shoots him. She returns to her bedroom to rest, happy to have survived. But upon finding a noose waiting for her in her room, she feels a strange compulsion to enact the last line of the nursery rhyme, and hangs herself.
The mystery baffles the police until a manuscript in a bottle is found. The late Judge Wargrave wrote the manuscript explaining that he planned the murders because he wanted to punish those whose crimes are not punishable under law. Wargrave frankly admits to his own lust for blood and pleasure in seeing the guilty punished. When a doctor told Wargrave he was dying, he decided to die in a blaze, instead of letting his life trickle away. He discusses how he chose his victims and how he did away with Marston, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, Macarthur, and Emily Brent. Wargrave then describes how he tricked Dr. Armstrong into helping him fake his own death, promising to meet the doctor by the cliffs to discuss a plan. When Armstrong arrived, Wargrave pushed him over the edge into the sea, then returned to the house and pretended to be dead. His ruse enabled him to dispose of the rest of the guests without drawing their suspicion. Once Vera hanged herself on a noose that he prepared for her, Wargrave planned to shoot himself in such a way that his body would fall onto the bed as if it had been laid there. Thus, he hoped, the police would find ten dead bodies on an empty island.
Eight people, all strangers to each other, are invited to Indian Island, off the English coast. Vera Claythorne, a former governess, thinks she has been hired as a secretary; Philip Lombard, an adventurer, and William Blore, an ex-detective, think they have been hired to look out for trouble over the weekend; Dr. Armstrong thinks he has been hired to look after the wife of the island’s owner. Emily Brent, General Macarthur, Tony Marston, and Judge Wargrave think they are going to visit old friends.
When they arrive on the island, the guests are greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, the butler and housekeeper, who report that the host, someone they call Mr. Owen, will not arrive until the next day. That evening, as all the guests gather in the drawing room after an excellent dinner, they hear a recorded voice accusing each of them of a specific murder committed in the past and never uncovered. They compare notes and realize that none of them, including the servants, knows “Mr. Owen,” which suggests that they were brought here according to someone’s strange plan.
As they discuss what to do, Tony Marston chokes on poisoned whiskey and dies. Frightened, the party retreats to bed, where almost everyone is plagued by guilt and memories of their crimes. Vera Claythorne notices the similarity between the death of Marston and the first verse of a nursery rhyme, “Ten Little Indians,” that hangs in each bedroom.
The next morning the guests find that Mrs. Rogers apparently died in her sleep. The guests hope to leave that morning, but the boat that regularly delivers supplies to the island does not show up. Blore, Lombard, and Armstrong decide that the deaths must have been murders and determine to scour the island in search of the mysterious Mr. Owen. They find no one, however. Meanwhile, the oldest guest, General Macarthur, feels sure he is going to die and goes to look out at the ocean. Before lunch, Dr. Armstrong finds the general dead of a blow to the head.
The remaining guests meet to discuss their situation. They decide that one of them must be the killer. Many make vague accusations, but Judge Wargrave reminds them that the existing evidence suggests any of them could be the killer. Afternoon and dinner pass restlessly, and everyone goes to bed, locking his or her door before doing so. The next morning, they find that Rogers has been killed while chopping wood in preparation for breakfast. At this point, the guests feel sure the murders are being carried out according to the dictates of the nursery rhyme. Also, they realize that the dining-room table initially featured ten Indian figures, but with each death one of the figures disappears.
After breakfast, Emily Brent feels slightly giddy, and she remains alone at the table for a while. She is soon found dead, her neck having been injected with poison. At this point, Wargrave initiates an organized search of everyone’s belongings, and anything that could be used as a weapon is locked away. The remaining guests sit together, passing time and casting suspicious looks at each other. Finally, Vera goes to take a bath, but she is startled by a piece of seaweed hanging from her ceiling and cries out. Blore, Lombard, and Armstrong run to help her, only to return downstairs to find Wargrave draped in a curtain that resembles courtroom robes and bearing a red mark on his forehead. Armstrong examines the body and reports that Wargrave has been shot in the head.
That night, Blore hears footsteps in the hall; upon checking, he finds that Armstrong is not in his room. Blore and Lombard search for Armstrong, but they cannot find him anywhere in the house or on the island. When they return from searching, they discover another Indian figure missing from the table.
Vera, Lombard, and Blore go outside, resolving to stay in the safety of the open land. Blore decides to go back into the house to get food. The other two hear a crash, and they find someone has pushed a statue out of a second-story window, killing Blore as he approached the house. Vera and Lombard retreat to the shore, where they find Armstrong’s drowned body on the beach. Convinced that Lombard is the killer, Vera steals Lombard’s gun and shoots him. She returns to her bedroom to rest, happy to have survived. But upon finding a noose waiting for her in her room, she feels a strange compulsion to enact the last line of the nursery rhyme, and hangs herself.
The mystery baffles the police until a manuscript in a bottle is found. The late Judge Wargrave wrote the manuscript explaining that he planned the murders because he wanted to punish those whose crimes are not punishable under law. Wargrave frankly admits to his own lust for blood and pleasure in seeing the guilty punished. When a doctor told Wargrave he was dying, he decided to die in a blaze, instead of letting his life trickle away. He discusses how he chose his victims and how he did away with Marston, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, Macarthur, and Emily Brent. Wargrave then describes how he tricked Dr. Armstrong into helping him fake his own death, promising to meet the doctor by the cliffs to discuss a plan. When Armstrong arrived, Wargrave pushed him over the edge into the sea, then returned to the house and pretended to be dead. His ruse enabled him to dispose of the rest of the guests without drawing their suspicion. Once Vera hanged herself on a noose that he prepared for her, Wargrave planned to shoot himself in such a way that his body would fall onto the bed as if it had been laid there. Thus, he hoped, the police would find ten dead bodies on an empty island.
Play Synopsis: The Marriage Of Bette And Boo
Christopher Durang is one of the masters of modern dark comedy, and his acidic and ironic style is at its pinnacle in The Marriage of Bette and Boo. This semi-autobiographical play deals with the pain of living in a broken and dysfunctional family. Durang, who also played the character of Matt in the original run of the show, deftly paints a grotesque and hilarious caricature of his own family, in which alcoholism and mental illness tore apart the marriages of his parents and grandparents. The characters are disturbingly blithe, dealing with issue like stillborn infants and abusive relationships with a chipper sense of irony and ignorance. The play centers around Bette and Boo, who at the outset of the play have just gotten married. Bette, though a grown woman, has the thought processes of a child. Boo is a problem drinker whose alcoholism worsens throughout the play until it tears apart the titular marriage. The entire play is punctuated by narration and commentary from Durang's author surrogate, Matt (nicknamed Skippy by his mother after her favorite film). Matt tells the story like a memory play, much like Tennessee Williams' Tom in The Glass Menagerie, and his bitter and matter-of-fact discussion of the issues adds to the play's overall irony. The chronology of the play is erratic and elliptical, migrating between various periods in the life of Bette, Boo, Matt, and the sordid ensemble of ancillary characters within the extended families. The underlying linear storyline follows the marriage through Bette's multiple stillbirths (a result of a condition called erythroblastosis fetalis), the gradual erosion of her marriage to Boo due to his drinking, and the subsequent alienation of Matt from both of his parents. The play ends with Bette's death; though most of the play maintains a detached and ironic tone, the end does offer a glimpse into the real emotional toll its events took on Matt/Durang and the other characters of the play.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Monologue Critiques
Sammie Davis:
-Excellent, confident slate and great transition to first beat
-Great dynamics
-Really good physical shift! I was very impressed. Your gestures were subtle and very suggestive
-You seemed emotionally invested in the piece.
-Your point of focus was confusing at first
Miku Kodaka:
-Slate was rushed, and first beat was confusing
-No eye contact at first
-Great physicality and emotional tension
-Your diction is definitely improving
Rossana De Leon:
-Great use of facial expressions
-Seemed forced and "monologue-y"
-I couldn't see a distinct physical characterization
Allie Boettcher:
-Slate was a little too intense
-Good physical shift
-Unclear focus
-Dynamic inflection
Jessica Christman:
-Awkward transition from slate to monologue
-Great characters (mom and dad)
-Seemed a little monologue-y, not honest
-Great use of space
Danny Andrews:
-Interesting physical choice (diagonal in chair)
-A little too fast
-Lower your vocal pitch - levels!!!
-Nice extended button
Bronte D'Acquisto:
-Great transition
-Good focus
-Great physicality
-Your vocal pattern was a bit repetitive
-Try not being so angry the whole time - subtlety!
Anna Krieg:
-Vocal pattern very repetitive
-Seemed dishonest
-Great at the end
-Try to end on a serious note
Hayley Greenbauer:
-Transition between slate and start of monologue was way too long
-Great vocal inflection
-Great point of focus
-Seemed a bit short
Sean O'Hara:
-Slate seemed unrehearsed and uncertain
-Stop squinting and open your eyes/face!
-Unconnected gestures
-Not believable
-Spasmodic characterization worked
Kalei Boyer:
-Strong character voice
-Remember that you're playing a character - Mrs. Clackett - within the monologue!
-Good vocal performance
Gabriel Cornejo:
-Slate seemed uncertain
-Great use of space
-Too much silence
-2nd half way better than first
-Believable
Morgan Craig:
-Excellent moments ("WHO THE FUCK?!", etc.)
-Great dynamics/levels
-Great character
-Try actually walking out at the end
Jeremy Davies:
-A little too deadpan at times
-Really commit to the gloves story
-Hand off of your belly!
-Good pacing
Vi Phan:
-Your volume needs a lot of work
-Great character voice!
-Really funny
Aeriel Colbert:
-Hilarious!
-Interesting physical choice
-Work on your diction
-Great arc
Ariele Alon:
-Move your point of focus to center
-Be more panicked
-More energy
-Too one-note
Nadia Nowak-Leight:
-You seemed like you were in a commercial
-Good physicality
-Repetitive
-Phony
-Good point of focus
-Excellent, confident slate and great transition to first beat
-Great dynamics
-Really good physical shift! I was very impressed. Your gestures were subtle and very suggestive
-You seemed emotionally invested in the piece.
-Your point of focus was confusing at first
Miku Kodaka:
-Slate was rushed, and first beat was confusing
-No eye contact at first
-Great physicality and emotional tension
-Your diction is definitely improving
Rossana De Leon:
-Great use of facial expressions
-Seemed forced and "monologue-y"
-I couldn't see a distinct physical characterization
Allie Boettcher:
-Slate was a little too intense
-Good physical shift
-Unclear focus
-Dynamic inflection
Jessica Christman:
-Awkward transition from slate to monologue
-Great characters (mom and dad)
-Seemed a little monologue-y, not honest
-Great use of space
Danny Andrews:
-Interesting physical choice (diagonal in chair)
-A little too fast
-Lower your vocal pitch - levels!!!
-Nice extended button
Bronte D'Acquisto:
-Great transition
-Good focus
-Great physicality
-Your vocal pattern was a bit repetitive
-Try not being so angry the whole time - subtlety!
Anna Krieg:
-Vocal pattern very repetitive
-Seemed dishonest
-Great at the end
-Try to end on a serious note
Hayley Greenbauer:
-Transition between slate and start of monologue was way too long
-Great vocal inflection
-Great point of focus
-Seemed a bit short
Sean O'Hara:
-Slate seemed unrehearsed and uncertain
-Stop squinting and open your eyes/face!
-Unconnected gestures
-Not believable
-Spasmodic characterization worked
Kalei Boyer:
-Strong character voice
-Remember that you're playing a character - Mrs. Clackett - within the monologue!
-Good vocal performance
Gabriel Cornejo:
-Slate seemed uncertain
-Great use of space
-Too much silence
-2nd half way better than first
-Believable
Morgan Craig:
-Excellent moments ("WHO THE FUCK?!", etc.)
-Great dynamics/levels
-Great character
-Try actually walking out at the end
Jeremy Davies:
-A little too deadpan at times
-Really commit to the gloves story
-Hand off of your belly!
-Good pacing
Vi Phan:
-Your volume needs a lot of work
-Great character voice!
-Really funny
Aeriel Colbert:
-Hilarious!
-Interesting physical choice
-Work on your diction
-Great arc
Ariele Alon:
-Move your point of focus to center
-Be more panicked
-More energy
-Too one-note
Nadia Nowak-Leight:
-You seemed like you were in a commercial
-Good physicality
-Repetitive
-Phony
-Good point of focus
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Play Synopsis: Glengarry Glen Ross
I decided to start my weekly reading of plays off with David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross. I had read and seen some of Mamet's work before, and I love his distinctive style of dialogue and gritty, difficult characters. Since Glengarry Glen Ross is considered by many to be Mamet's best work, I was excited to read the play and see what all the fuss is about. While I found the plot a bit disappointing, the characteristic "Mamet-speak" used by the characters was top-notch and made the play extremely compelling to read.
The play begins with put-upon real estate salesman Shelly Levene desperately exhorting his office manager John Williamson to give him the "Glengarry leads," a list of names of potential clients for the sale of expensive properties. When Williamson demands cash in advance, Levene is unable to produce the money and leaves empty-handed.
In the next scene, two salesman from the same company, Dave Moss and George Aaronow, are discussing their recent struggles to maintain the office's sales quota. Moss hatches a plot which would require Aaronow to burglarize the office, steal sales leads, and sell the leads to a competing company. Aaronow wants no part of the plan, but Moss intimidates him into agreement.
Meanwhile, the company's best salesman, the charismatic and ruthless Rick Roma, is delivering a long and spectacular monologue to an enraptured customer named James Lingk. Roma's manipulative sales tactics leave Lingk hypnotized into purchasing some undesirable real estate.
Act II opens in the office after the burglary has been discovered. A police detective, Baylen, is interrogating the office's employees to finger the perpetrator of the crime. Roma storms in, furious after hearing of the robbery because he fears that the proof of his sale to Lingk has been lost; this would prevent him from exceeding the sales threshold to win a Cadillac in the company's sales competition. However, he is reassured by Williamson that the sale was closed the night before. Minutes later, Levene bursts excitedly into the office and triumphantly explains that he has made a large and lucrative sale to a couple named Bruce and Harriet Nyborg. Soon, Lingk walks into the office, begging to speak with Roma about the previous day's sale. Roma pretends that Levene is a doctor named Ray Morton, whom Roma must rush to the airport post-haste. Roma nearly manages to escape out of the door when Lingk exclaims that his wife has demanded that he cancel the sale. Roma unsuccessfully tries to hoodwink Lingk into believing that he can cancel the sale later. Roma is called into the other room to interview with Baylen, and Williamson explain to Lingk that, contrary to Roma's assertions, his contract has already been processed by the bank. Roma, furious, storms off to his interrogation. When Levene insults Williamson for making something up, Williamson asks Levene how he knows that the contract had not actually been delivered. The only way Levene could have known this is if he himself perpetrated the robbery. Levene confesses that he and Moss planned and executed the break-in. Levene frantically begs Williamson not to fire him, trying to use his recent Nyborg sale as leverage, but Williamson explains that the Nyborgs are notorious deadbeats whose check certainly will not clear. Roma then exits the interview with Baylen and explains that he and Levene are now business partners - meaning that Roma now keeps 100% of his own commissions and 50% of Levene's as well.
The play begins with put-upon real estate salesman Shelly Levene desperately exhorting his office manager John Williamson to give him the "Glengarry leads," a list of names of potential clients for the sale of expensive properties. When Williamson demands cash in advance, Levene is unable to produce the money and leaves empty-handed.
In the next scene, two salesman from the same company, Dave Moss and George Aaronow, are discussing their recent struggles to maintain the office's sales quota. Moss hatches a plot which would require Aaronow to burglarize the office, steal sales leads, and sell the leads to a competing company. Aaronow wants no part of the plan, but Moss intimidates him into agreement.
Meanwhile, the company's best salesman, the charismatic and ruthless Rick Roma, is delivering a long and spectacular monologue to an enraptured customer named James Lingk. Roma's manipulative sales tactics leave Lingk hypnotized into purchasing some undesirable real estate.
Act II opens in the office after the burglary has been discovered. A police detective, Baylen, is interrogating the office's employees to finger the perpetrator of the crime. Roma storms in, furious after hearing of the robbery because he fears that the proof of his sale to Lingk has been lost; this would prevent him from exceeding the sales threshold to win a Cadillac in the company's sales competition. However, he is reassured by Williamson that the sale was closed the night before. Minutes later, Levene bursts excitedly into the office and triumphantly explains that he has made a large and lucrative sale to a couple named Bruce and Harriet Nyborg. Soon, Lingk walks into the office, begging to speak with Roma about the previous day's sale. Roma pretends that Levene is a doctor named Ray Morton, whom Roma must rush to the airport post-haste. Roma nearly manages to escape out of the door when Lingk exclaims that his wife has demanded that he cancel the sale. Roma unsuccessfully tries to hoodwink Lingk into believing that he can cancel the sale later. Roma is called into the other room to interview with Baylen, and Williamson explain to Lingk that, contrary to Roma's assertions, his contract has already been processed by the bank. Roma, furious, storms off to his interrogation. When Levene insults Williamson for making something up, Williamson asks Levene how he knows that the contract had not actually been delivered. The only way Levene could have known this is if he himself perpetrated the robbery. Levene confesses that he and Moss planned and executed the break-in. Levene frantically begs Williamson not to fire him, trying to use his recent Nyborg sale as leverage, but Williamson explains that the Nyborgs are notorious deadbeats whose check certainly will not clear. Roma then exits the interview with Baylen and explains that he and Levene are now business partners - meaning that Roma now keeps 100% of his own commissions and 50% of Levene's as well.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Symphony of Clouds, by Margaret Larlham
SDSU's Symphony of Clouds, an original piece written and directed by the department's own Margaret Larlham, is an amusing and educational glimpse into the early formative years of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's life. The show is intended for young audiences, and attempts to teach children about this influential artist in an engaging and interactive manner. While the show did not resonate powerfully for me personally, as I already knew most of the information presented and am above the age of eight years old, I was still impressed by the show's visual presentation and innovative treatment of Mozart's music.
The set was pretty, if not spectacular. The costumes, however, were quite stunning, and helped to establish the whimsically historical world of the play. The music of the play was, of course, immaculate; the show managed to present Mozart's music in a way which was educational but still emphasized the beauty and timelessness of his compositions.
From an actor's perspective, the show was forgettable. David Armstrong offered a strong performance as Mozart's stuffy but loving father. Sunny Smith's dual performance as the Empress and as Mozart's mother was commendable, as her over-the-top German accent and animated characterization made her perfect for a children's play. However, Jon Wat's performance as the boy Mozart was flat and forgettable. His energy level stayed consistently lacking, and his childlike affectations seemed forced and overly-calculated. Overall, the show served its purpose as children's infotainment, but college-age audiences are not likely to remember the show.
The set was pretty, if not spectacular. The costumes, however, were quite stunning, and helped to establish the whimsically historical world of the play. The music of the play was, of course, immaculate; the show managed to present Mozart's music in a way which was educational but still emphasized the beauty and timelessness of his compositions.
From an actor's perspective, the show was forgettable. David Armstrong offered a strong performance as Mozart's stuffy but loving father. Sunny Smith's dual performance as the Empress and as Mozart's mother was commendable, as her over-the-top German accent and animated characterization made her perfect for a children's play. However, Jon Wat's performance as the boy Mozart was flat and forgettable. His energy level stayed consistently lacking, and his childlike affectations seemed forced and overly-calculated. Overall, the show served its purpose as children's infotainment, but college-age audiences are not likely to remember the show.
Eurydice, by Sarah Ruhl
SDSU's production of Eurydice was stirring from the perspective of an audience member and impressive from the point of view of an actor. Sarah Ruhl's interpretation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is whimsical and permeated by a magical atmosphere, but at its core it is a tragic, yet hopeful, tale about the relationship between a girl and her father.
The actors in the production discharged their roles ably and with a clear understanding of the spirit and intent of the play. Sophie Ethridge played the titular role brilliantly; she captured Eurydice's naiveté and youthfulness through her effervescent physical presence; however, she truly shined during the play's emotionally tense and tragic moments, projecting the fragility and sadness of the character in a natural and evocative manner.
Shane Blackburn, as Eurydice's Father, was extremely endearing. His outward jolliness was underscored by an inner sadness and sense of loss. His most powerful moments came when he performed his various acts of paternal selflessness for Eurydice. In particular, his stoic and methodical approach to building the room out of string highlighted his fatherly presence and made for a very touching moment.
The real champion of the show, though, from an acting perspective, was Chris Wollman. In typical form, he made every moment rhapsodically memorable through his knack for characterization. His Nasty Interesting Stranger was disturbingly sinister, and his Lord of the Underworld, in contrast, was humorously over-the-top. His performance definitely stands as the memorable centerpiece to a similarly memorable show.
The actors in the production discharged their roles ably and with a clear understanding of the spirit and intent of the play. Sophie Ethridge played the titular role brilliantly; she captured Eurydice's naiveté and youthfulness through her effervescent physical presence; however, she truly shined during the play's emotionally tense and tragic moments, projecting the fragility and sadness of the character in a natural and evocative manner.
Shane Blackburn, as Eurydice's Father, was extremely endearing. His outward jolliness was underscored by an inner sadness and sense of loss. His most powerful moments came when he performed his various acts of paternal selflessness for Eurydice. In particular, his stoic and methodical approach to building the room out of string highlighted his fatherly presence and made for a very touching moment.
The real champion of the show, though, from an acting perspective, was Chris Wollman. In typical form, he made every moment rhapsodically memorable through his knack for characterization. His Nasty Interesting Stranger was disturbingly sinister, and his Lord of the Underworld, in contrast, was humorously over-the-top. His performance definitely stands as the memorable centerpiece to a similarly memorable show.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
My thoughts on this class so far...
The fact that I am beginning this journal four days before its due date should indicate to you right away my approach to this class. Here is a brief collection of musings about my experience up to this point in Peter Cirino's Acting II class:
- Like most acting classes I have taken, I have viewed this class as an opportunity to practice acting and to challenge myself as an actor by trying new techniques and unfamiliar approaches to my craft. Also like previous acting classes, I have resented the volume of written work expected from us by the teacher. While I certainly appreciate the value of reading and attending plays with an analytical and critical eye, I believe that actually being made to write about it takes away precious time that could be used for practicing scenes and memorizing monologues. This resentment, coupled with my characteristic lack of personal organization, has caused me to fall desperately behind on my journal. Let it be known that I have been analyzing plays and productions all semester, and that I simply have not bothered to write down my observations as was asked of me.
- I definitely believe that this class will offer me many opportunities for improvement as an actor. While I am still struggling to understand the "outside-in" approach to acting advocated by Peter Cirino (make a statue, then adapt the spirit of your monologue and your character to encompass the statue's physicality), I believe that any approach which emphasizes physicality will prove helpful to me. I am an extremely verbal actor, focusing heavily on the vocal nuances and deeper psychological motivations behind a character's words; however, I tend not to be conscious of what I'm doing with my hands and body at any given point onstage. This causes me to default to my natural physicality, which, as my fellow students in Acting II witnessed today, involves a lot of unmotivated gesticulating with my hands. Peter's approach to acting, which emphasizes being conscious of one's physicality at all times, may prove invaluable in helping me to grow as a physical actor.
- There are a few things which I hope to gain from this class:
- A more active control over my physical presence onstage and my ability to physically inhabit a character convincingly.
- A restoration of my own self-confidence. Though in high school I had no shortage of self-esteem or belief in my abilities as an actor, in college I have found myself racked with self-doubt and insecurity. By the end of this class, I hope to have grown measurably as an actor to the extent that I will feel the same pride in myself as an actor that I did when I took the final bow of my high-school acting career.
- A greater knowledge of how to get started in the acting business. As of right now I have at best a vague idea of what I need to do to actually launch a career in acting. By practicing the process of auditioning and by asking many questions, I hope to leave this class with a concrete plan of action in regards to becoming a working actor.
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