The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon - Self Review

Recently, iPoly drama club put on their fall show called The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon which I took part in. The show had an amazing turnout and was one of the best shows we have put on since I was a freshman. This show consisted of an ensemble cast, which means we all had many parts in the show. I thought it would be a good idea to asses my own acting to strengthen my take on acting and performance.

Overall, I thought I did a spectacular job in most aspects of my acting, movement, and voice especially since the last show I had to act with a really bad headache.
Here are my individual struggles and accomplishments for each part I had:

"Girl"
Although it sounds like a very small part, "Girl" was one of my biggest parts in the show. This character took part in a story where she sold her soul to an "Enchantress", the "Devil", and "Rumplestiltskin" to gain riches and have a child. The story progresses and she marries a prince and has a child who just so happens to be "Rapunzel". The three forces of darkness then return to take "Rapunzel" and "Girl" ignorantly lets the "Enchantress" take her away.

This character was very simple to play. She is very ignorant, dumbfounded, and a bit sassy. What I think really made this character successful was my facial expressions and reactions. Since I didn't have too many clever or funny lines that the audience would like, I had to make my character really big and fun.

"Gretel"
This is the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel, only with a modern twist. "Hansel" was a teenage smoker and "Gretel" was a teenager trying not to succumb into peer pressure.

I really enjoyed this scene not only because my scene partner and I worked really well together, but because of the way we had to present the scene. Since in the scene the narrator states this story as "teen angst meets horror movie", we were directed to perform the scene as if we were in a cheesy drama flick. It was a lot of fun since we didn't have to act as serious as we would for a drama, we just had to make it funny for the audience. The hardest part about this scene was probably keeping myself from laughing, especially since my scene partner was wearing lederhosen and the audience participation was really funny.

"Giant"
This character was very simple. It was an offstage voice so I didn't have to do much. However, considering my small size and higher pitched voice, the giant voice was so incredibly difficult to make.

"Narrator"
I was the narrator for the beginning of act 2, Snow White. I especially loved this role because I think it fit me very well. However, my scene partners and I had a lot of issues with this scene. Not necessarily because of me, but because of others in the scene. This was a struggle because we had to have multiple extra rehearsals just to go over that one scene. Even if the rehearsals were tiring, we really improved over all and became one of the stronger scenes.

Southern Girls - Play Review

A Bit of Background
After going to watch Julius Caesar with my drama elective, the producer, Linda Bisesti, had invited us to go watch her production of Southern Girls up at the Cal Poly Main Stage Theatre. This play is about 6 childhood friends (3 white and 3 black) that grow up during 1950s-1990s Alabama and how they grow apart in these times of race issues. It was a very powerful play that I thought really brought into light that our racial problems aren't that different from those harsh times.

Changes
After the show, we were allowed to stay for a Q&A session with the entire cast and crew. Something that the director had mentioned was that she had to cut a lot because it was too sentimental and unnecessary. I thought that this change was a really big risk because it made the play less interesting. I felt as if she tried too hard on trying to make a point about how America can't talk about race, instead of portraying the story. This was my (and many others of the drama elective) concern with the show because it didn't feel as if the play gave us any closure with the characters. It seems as if they only got so far but didn't say what happened after.

Acting
I don't have any complaints with most of the actors. At first I thought they had put on excellent performances, which they did. However, after a discussion with my drama elective, I did notice that their portrayals of the characters came off a bit stereotypical.

I had no issues with the actresses who played June Adele-Taylor (Jasmine Mosebar), Wanda Sue Johnson (Kapri Enjoli Margary), and Ruth Hurdle (Ajouraye D. Jefferson). These women put on excellent performances and I really enjoyed their characters and their acting in general.

The stereotypical characters that I saw was the weak (Charlotte Cecil Martin, played by Samantha Girod), the angry (Naomi Hurdle, played by Janeth Garcia), and the racist (Dolly Granger Jackson, played by Ashley Tello). Although these women did put on great performances, their characters were just not there. For Charlotte, I felt as if she was always weak and never got any character development which didn't add to the story. Naomi was very angry all the time and did have character development, but I don't think she portrayed it effectively. Dolly was just always a racist. She was nothing but a racist until her very last scene.

Two things that I believe really hurt these actresses are that maybe a lot of their great scenes were cut out and that the director didn't allow them to cry. Not allowing the actresses to cry was a really huge risk and choice to make especially in such a sentimental play as this. I believe that not crying took away from the characters and that it really all goes back to the director wanting to make a point and not the story of the play.

Technical (Lighting, Sound, Set, and Costume Design)
Not having a lot of experience with tech, I think that the sound and set were well used. The costumes weren't anything special either, they were just true to the time period.

The set I thought was a little plain but very clever. Having the split stage really gave that feel of separation. Making the white platform higher than the black gave that subtle hint that the white are definitely higher than the black during that time period.

In Conclusion
Cal Poly's production of Southern Girls was very influential on America's racial problems. However, this did make the story a lot less impactful. The acting was excellent but was held back by some very risky choices made by the director. Overall, it was a good play with some very deep messages that really get you to think: "Can America really talk about race?".

EQ

1. Review

• I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

2. Review the following EQ's and tell us if they meet the rule of three and why they do or do not.

• What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?
• This EQ does follow the rule of three.
• It allows for more research in different methods, benefits, and consequences to healthy weight loss.
• The answer can be based on facts but also on opinion which allows the person to take a stance (pick sides).
• The question is clear and specific in what it is asking for.
• What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
• This EQ does follow the rule of three.
• This question allows for more research on various parts of criminal investigations, convictions, and their processes.
• This answer can be viewed from multiple points that allow the person to take a stance.
• The question in very clear and specific to what it's asking.
• What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?
• This EQ does not follow the rule of three.
• It allows for further research into different hairstyles, psychological satisfaction on deciding on a hairstyle, and customer satisfaction.
• The answer can have different stances because a topic such as hairstyles can be very opinionated.
• The question doesn't seem to be specific enough and can have a very broad range of answers.
• How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
• This EQ does not follow the rule of three.
• It allows for more research on the general topic on chronic pain and curing it.
• The answer seems that it would be heavily relied on facts and can't really be argued against.
• The question is clear and specific.

3. Based on your review of the rule of three and your experience with assessing four EQ's, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.

• What is the most effective method a theatre actor/actress can use to best build character?

Lesson 1 Reflection

1. Positive Statement:

• What are you most proud of in your Lesson 1 Presentation and why?
• I was really proud of my hook because I feel as if I got everyone's attention after having to go through all of the lessons. It was also a lot of fun and a lot different than what everyone else did.

2. Questions to Consider:

• What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 1 Presentation?
• P
• Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 1 component contract.
• I believe I accomplished all of the P requirements for this lesson. I didn't really go above and beyond, other than having a very different hook from everyone else.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 1?

• My hook worked very effectively. I also think that I got my point across really well with strong examples.

4. What didn't work? What would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 1?

• I would have relaxed a lot more and talked slower. Although rehearsing beforehand really helped, the nervousness overpowered my preparedness and I think that that didn't allow me to present as strongly as I would have.

A Glace at Improv

This past Thursday (Oct. 24) was the IPoly Recruitment Night. Besides all of the grade presentations, parent presentations, club booths, and dance performances, I was up in Mr. Hogan's room with the rest of the improv team. We performed improv for 2 straight hours in front of big and small audiences. It was very tiring, but we all felt really great about how we performed afterwards. Our improv team did a spectacular job at the recruitment night performance. This performance made me want to make my extra blog post about some basics of improv.

Improv is simply acting without a script. It really forces you to use quick-thinking, movement, cooperation, and imagination/creativity. In a way, improv is like one big game of pretend with a couple of restrictions. Although it is a lot of fun, there are rules. Some basic rules are as follows:

• Don't ask questions
• This basically "skips your turn" to add more to the scene
• Don't deny
• This prevents any new ideas to be added to the scene
• Use the "Yes, and..." rule
• Actor 1: "Hey Jimmy! You're riding an elephant!"
• Actor 2: "Yes Jack, I am riding an elephant and I am taking a trip to the Grand Canyon!"
• Don't just stay in one spot
• Movement catches the audience's attention
• Make sure you contribute to the scene
• If you don't contribute, why even be on stage?
• Don't talk over each other
• If we can't hear what anyone is saying, then why there be a scene at all?

There are many forms of improv. These forms can range from basic scenes, to guessing games, to improv games. Some games are as follows:

• Guessing Games
• Late for Work
• Complaint Department
• Murder
• Dating Game
• Improv Games
• Emotional Party
• Advice Panel
• Superheroes
• Genre Replay
• New Choice
• Pocket Lines
• Freeze

Here is one example from "Whose Line is it Anyway", a show where all they do is improv. In this video, they play the improv game, superheroes.

Another form of improv is something like what "Improv Everywhere" does. It is more planned out, but it is still considered a sort of improv.

Improv is definitely a lot of fun. And not only can it be entertaining, but it boosts your confidence, volume, and public speaking skills. I think that improv is an essential thing for anyone going into theatre to experience. It can also be a great past time and an exercise for anyone who wants to improve on any skills improv has to offer.

Blog 8 - Research and Working EQ

1. What is your working EQ?

• What are the best ways an actor/actress can effectively build character to engage their audience?

2. What is a possible answer to your working EQ?

• What are the best ways an actor/actress can effectively build character to engage their audience?
• By thoroughly researching and reading over the script to find the basic facts about the character, to then be able to use the imagination to build on the basic facts.

3. What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?

• "Stella Adler: The Art of Acting" has been extremely helpful. This book is a compilation of Stella Adler's (one of the most important theatre teachers in american theatre history) lessons/teachings. Her methods are very insightful and very trustworthy since she studied under the great Constantin Stanislavsky.

4. Who is your mentor, or where are you doing your mentorship, and how does what you're doing relate to your EQ?

• My mentor is Julian C. White, a college theatre professor at CalPoly Pomona. He is not only a professor, but also an actor and director. My mentorship relates to my EQ because by helping with with all of the plays he's working on, I will gain more knowledge on many aspects of the world of acting. One of these aspects is character building effectively.

Julius Caesar - Play Review

A Bit of Background
Today I was lucky enough to watch the show I have been helping with most of my summer. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is the tragedy of the great roman emperor Julius Caesar and his story of political take down by conspirators from his own senate. I found Southern California Shakespeare Festival's (SCSF) production a very effective and entertaining adaptation of Shakespeare's original work. Although many changes were made, the ideas were executed effectively both in the acting and technicalities.

Changes
The major change from William Shakespeare's original production was that Julius Caesar was played by a woman and was consistently a woman throughout the play. In the program, the director gives a reason for this:

"A woman as Caesar? Because they play gives us a picture of order disrupted by something 'different' and away from predisposed conditions." -Josh Machamer, Director

Not only was Caesar played by a woman, but some of the senate members were also played by women. This was to help make the play give off a 20/21st century feel.

Another change was that Caesar died not only once, but three times throughout the play. Once at the beginning, once in the middle, and the big finale at the end. This change really impacted the flow of the play because it made the small almost death scenes lead up to the final intense stabbing scene of the great Caesar.

Were these changes effective? I believe they were. These changes not only made the play more enjoyable, but it made it more understandable for the audience. Having this specific play be understandable for the audience is extremely important because Shakespeare is incredibly difficult to understand if it is not performed effectively. By making these changes, the play was more enjoyable altogether.

Acting
I thought the actors did an exceptional job of portraying their characters effectively. I was able to recognize each personality of each character. Some examples of this were Octavius Caesar (Nathaniel Aktsin-Johnson), Trebonius (Michael T. Kachingwe), Marcus Brutus (Robert Shields), and Cassius (Matthew Reidy). These actors really showed their character without even having to know any background on them. By doing this, the play becomes easier to understand for the audience which makes it more enjoyable.

Marcus Brutus and Cassius were both extremely strong characters which were played extremely well by their actors Robert Shields and Michael Reidy. One of my favorite scenes was when both of their characters are fighting and I could really feel the tension between them. They did an extraordinary job and I had fun watching them perform. However, the actor that really stood out to me was Sam Robinson who played the Soothsayer. His character was so captivating with his riddles and way of words and he made the play very enjoyable. Not only did his character clarify the play, but he also did an exceptional job just being extremely entertaining. He did a splendid job and was by far my favorite character from the entire show.

Technical (Lighting, Sound, Set, and Costume Design)
Not having very much experience with lighting, sound, set, or costumes, I only really know that I very much enjoyed the technicalities.

The lighting and sound gave the play a very dramatic and tragic mood. Knowing that this play was a tragedy, I think that the lights and sound were effectively used to give off to the audience the melodramatic tone of Shakespeare's tragedy. The set design was also cleverly made. By having one huge void in the middle, it represented that each character would go through madness.

The costumes were all set to the 20/21st century, consisting of suits, ties, and all types of formal clothing. Although the costumes were pretty bland, there were two costumes that really stood out to me. One was the Soothsayer's costume which I thought was fun and stood out. The costume consisted of pants with multiple patches, a rope for a belt, a striped shirt with a ridiculous vest, a coat with patches, and a bowler hat with flowers and patches to top it all off. It was very important for this costume to stand out since it did belong to the narrator. The other costume that caught my attention was the costumes for the war scenes. The actors wore blood stained shirts which were significant to show the change from classy senators, to wild barbarians after the murder.

In Conclusion
SCSF's production of Julius Caesar to me was enjoyable, effective, and engaging. It provided the understanding that the audience needs to enjoy the play completely. It also had amazing actors that were perfect for their roles and portrayed their characters effectively. The technicalities were also very helpful to give the play its proper tone and engaging. It was a wonderful experience to watch the actors I have gotten to know during the time I was able to work with them perform onstage and I hope to be able to do it again.

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

• I plan to use the upcoming play at iPoly for my independent component. Auditions took place  September 10 and I was cast into it. This consists of multiple rehearsals leading up to the performances themselves. The rehearsals start from simply reading through the play, to blocking, and running through the entire show multiple times in a day. These rehearsals are Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00-5:30PM and would allow me to fulfill my requirement of 30 hours.

2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

• I not only have my script for the play itself, but I will be able to take pictures/video throughout the process of the play. The final piece of evidence I will be able to provide is the product itself, the show.

3. Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic more in depth.

• Being in this play will give me a great exploration of my topic because I am going through the entire acting process for a play. I will be doing what every actor does, such as memorizing lines and blocking, taking directions from the director, and many other things that an actor needs to do to make a truly great show.

4. Update your Senior Project Hours log.

• My Senior Project Hours Log can be found on the right hand side of my blog or the following link:
• Senior Project Hours

Blog 6 - Second Interview Preparation

1. Who is your mentor and where do they work?

• My mentor is named Julian White and he is the theatre professor at CalPoly Pomona and is an active theatre actor and director.

2. What five questions will you ask them about your background?

• Where did you study theatre and did you study anything besides theatre there?
• Did you participate in any other sort of theatre outside of college, if so, what were they and how did they help you with theatre?
• When you teach theatre, what do you want your students to get out of it?
• What was your "journey" to becoming a theatre actor/professor like?
• What drew your attention to the theatre business?

Blog 5 - Mentorship Reflection

1. Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship.

• Finding my mentorship for me was very simple since I have connections with theatre. Being in the Young Scholars Program, I decided to take Introduction to Acting as my Spring 2014 class. I grew to really enjoy this class and I thought my professor was a great actor and instructor so I decided to ask him to be my mentor. When I asked he said he would love to and he told me that he was going to be in a production of Julius Cesar and he could mentor me there.

2. What has been your most important article you have read so far and why?

• The most important article I have read so far is called "Character Building and What Makes a Truly Great Actor" by Dee Cannon and Lee Gardner. This article was very important to me because it gave me one of the most important aspects of theatre acting and why it was so important. It was a very beneficial article because it even went into great detail on how to character build effectively. To learn more about this article, go to my extra blog post called "Character Building is Very Very VERY Important!"

Character Building is Very Very VERY Important!

While doing my research on some theatre techniques that would benefit my senior project, I came across a very informational article that said that building character is one of the most important aspects to becoming a great actor. According to Lyn Gardner and Dee Cannon in their article "Character Building and What Makes A Truly Great Actor", there are 10 steps/questions to build character effectively.

Building character effectively according to the article means "becoming a fully realised three-dimensional character, with a rich backstory...the character you play is truthful and not a cliche, a caricature, a thin external representation of someone who barely resembles a human being...what you say is real and that you're not reciting, spouting or commenting."

1. Who am I?

• You should know your character as well as you know yourself. This can be done through:
• A good script
• Research details
• Use the imagination

2. Where am I?

• Establish a relationship with your environment, props, and stage pieces.
• Also make sure to know about the geography, for it can change the way your character acts.

3. When is it?

• Seasons can change the way a character acts.
• Modern physicality cannot be brought into an earlier time period.

4. Where have I just come from?

• Work out what your has been doing, where they've been.
• Find the state of being and always know your previous circumstances.

5. What do I want?

• Find your character's intention, motivation, or action.
• Have a life on stage and have purpose for walking and talking.
• Otherwise you will be "just acting" which is fake.

6. Why do I want it?

• Always have a strong justification for your actions, which will give your character a strong motivation.
• This is to make the character more real, and also because plays have a heightened version of reality.

7. Why do I want it now?

• You must know why your motivation has to be right now.
• Gives your character an immediacy that is crucial in acting.

8. What will happen if I don't get it now?

• The stakes should always be high and the consequences of not getting what you want should be very important to you.

9. How will I get what I want by doing what?

• Work out how you are trying to affect the other person with what you are saying.
• "Action" your script
• For every change in though, you need a transitive verb.
• Think about how you can affect the other character by your tone.

10. What must I overcome?

• Outer Obstacle
• Resistance to obtaining your action.
• Inner Obstacle
• Inner Conflict
• There must always be a problem you are trying to overcome.

Blog 4 - Interview Preparation

1. Who do you plan to interview?

• I plan to interview my mentor Julian White since he is an experienced actor in a variety of different play genres. He is also the theatre professor at CalPoly Pomona with credentials in theatre.

2. What additional questions do you plan to ask?

• 5 Required Interview Questions
• I'm interested in studying theatre acting. What can you tell me about it?
• From your perspective, what could I study that would be significant?
• Who else would you recommend I talk to?
• What kinds of places or activities do you recommend I do for the mentorship component?
• What books should I read in this field?
• Why did you want to become a theatre professor?
• What do you love about your profession?
• What do you think makes a successful actor?
• How can an actor successfully engage his/her audience?
• In what ways can an actor improve to become more engaging?
• What is a good pathway for someone who wants to go into the theatre business as an actor?

Blog 3 - Topic Choice and Working EQ

1. List your topic.

• Theatre Acting

2. Write a question that helps to focus your research this month.

• What are the best ways an actor/actress can effectively build character to engage their audience?

3. Post the working bibliography (WB) on the right hand side of the blog so everyone can see it.

• My working bibliography can be found on the right side of my blog.
• It can also be found in the link below.
• Working Bibliography

Summer Mentorship Component

1. Make a log of the specific hours and description of your duties.

• The link below will direct you to my Summer Mentorship Log on Google Docs Spreadsheets
• Mentorship Log

2. What is the contact name and number of where you volunteered?

• Name
• Julian White
• Contact Number
• CalPoly Office Phone
• (909)869-3953

3. What questions were raised because of the 10 hour experience?

• Are some warm-ups more effective than others depending on the type of play you are doing?
• What are some other effective methods of reading through a play?
• When talking about a play, what are some important aspects to bring up?
• When performing Shakespeare, what are some methods of making his plays more enjoyable to take part in?

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

• I gained knowledge on how actors can work together and bond through simple things like talks, warm-ups, and read throughs. From experience, I know how important it should be to be able to get along with your fellow actors and this mentorship showed me how to do that. This knowledge can even let me apply it to my own theatre group.

5. What is your senior project topic going to be? How did what you did help you choose a topic?

• My senior project topic is going to be Theatre Acting. Being around theatre since freshman year and being able to get this mentorship experience this summer, theatre acting is something I want to look into a lot more. This mentorship has shown me that there is a lot more to theatre than what I think I know, and I want to gain more knowledge about doing what I love.

2-Hour Presentations

1. What presentations did you see?

• Archaeology - Garcia, Alicia
• Gracie Jiu Jitsu - Posada, Bryan
• Photography Galleries - Bravo, Viviana
• Forensic Science - Castellanos, Arianna
• Video Game Graphic Design - Montoya, Patrick
• Graphic Design - Mira, Nathan
• Music Performance - Torres, Samantha
• Acting - Lara, Erika
• Surfing - Soapes, Garett
• Theatre Tech - Shoemaker, Johnathan
• Medical Missionary - Baron, RJ
• Animal Adoption - Arreaga, Briana
• Hip Hop Dance Choreography - Patena, Mark
• Theatre Acting - Rios, Gustavo
• Party Planning - Nunez, Leslie
• Animal Care - Zavala, Daisy

2. What questions do you have that haven't been answered about the senior project?

• What are the independent components?
• How many sources do you need to mention in total throughout the presentation

3. What has the most important part of the senior project based on what you are seeing in the 2-hour presentations?

• Making time
• Engaging the audience
• Keeping them interested
• Referring back to your EQ so people know how your information is meaningful
• Citing sources

4. What topic are you considering doing and why?

• Forensic Science
• I want to do this because the topic is really interesting to me. I am planning on going into this field in college and my future career so it will be really good for me to become an expert in this before college. I began getting interested in forensic science after watching the show "Bones" which fascinated me. I also want to be part of the whole crime-solving process to try and bring justice to the world.

5. What are you doing for your summer mentorship?

• I am currently unsure of what I am going to do. I am currently looking for a mentor in this field. If I cannot find one then I may switch my topic to either Musical Theatre or Music Therapy.