Burn

https://youtu.be/ON3_5tp-gkY  Thank you, Mrs. G, for an incredible year!!

End of the Year Reflection and Hamilton

While I didn't managed to complete all of. My goals, I am thrilled with my progress in this course. In the beginning of this semester, I didn't expect to do half of the things that I have completed. I would never have imagined that I would be able to direct and teach a song from Hamilton, let alone being able to work with people who were so enthusiastic about it.

I believe that I was challenged in this course by having the task of being a student director. I think that hardest part about being a student director is trying to get other students to take you seriously and to pay attention to the direction you give. For example, I struggled with trying to get people to stay off their phones or in their spots when directing the Hamilton number. While at times it is frustrating, I learned how important it is to stay patient and to be assertive at the same time. It's hard to balance these two, but if you can, it will make you a great director who people respect.

I loved being a part of this class. It taught me how to act through body language, how to give proper and clear instruction, and how to work with others. Most of all, I think that this course really taught me how to compromise in acting. It is important to hear everyone's suggestions, and therefore, as an actor, you have to find a balance between what you want and what they want to do in a scene. In the end, your scene will be better due to collaboration.

I am going to miss being in an acting class next year. While I am excited for IB Literature and Performance, I will miss our acting classes and working alongside such talented classmates.

https://youtu.be/5tq3EzyA-WE

Theatre Review and Final Project Proposal

I loved being a part of “Comedy Tonight”! My favorite moments from the show was when Jack threw the baby swans and of course when I got to be Hilliary and Mr. McBreen. Being able to play real people really helped me work on my character acting. It made me be more aware of Mr. Mcbreen’s mannerisms and his accent in class, and it made me even watch the way he walked.

Every single person that I worked with was amazing and extremely talented. I loved getting the experience of being a student director and I hope that I have the opportunity to do it again in the future. It gave me a new perspective on theatre, one of which I loved.

In addition to student directing, I loved being able to collaborate with Grace, John and Mrs. Guarino. When you share ideas, and work with each other’s opinions, it allows you to create a unique scene and it teaches you to be patient.

Each scene had great blocking, comedic delivery, and most of all, wonderful energy! That was what I loved the most about the show. Every moment that an actor had the stage, they managed to maintain a wonderful and a very high level of energy- much like the energy we saw on “School of Rock”. I thought that many students had great diction, and enunciation. Backstage, everyone was quiet and excited to perform. It was wonderful to be surrounded by such energetic people.

Performing in this show was one of the highlights of my year! It was a great experience and I will not forget it. I really appreciate Mrs. Monahan’s and Mrs. Guarino’s dedication and patience with this show as well. I look forward to doing theatre again next year, and working with more wonderful casts.



For my final project, I chose to perform “Burn” from Hamilton. I love how many emotions the character Eliza portrays in this song and how touching her performance is in the show. Because I respect the actress who plays her, I feel very passionate about doing this song. I hope it goes well!

ALEXANDER HAMILTON

At first, I was nervous and excited with the idea of having our class tackle the opening number from Hamilton. While I knew how much I loved the song, I assumed that it would not be right for our class and that they would dread doing this piece. So naturally, imagine my relief, and surprise when every kept begging to work on the number, to go over rapping parts, and to dance!

I do think that this was partly due to the number being completely different from anything that we have done in our class so far. While some members of our class were more comfortable than others when it came to singing, I really think that every single person did a phenomenal job performing. Everybody was eager to learning the music and dancing, and this made me feel like a great director.

If I were to do something like this again, I would try to do more of a ‘mini-audition’ day. That way I could learn what everyone’s preferences are, how they act when singing, and who would want a solo. While I love my casting choices (mostly because I was able to see new sides of people and their abilities with musical theatre), I can't help but feel that some people who did not get solos should have.

Another thing that I wish we had done was character development. While Hamilton is a complicated story with complex stories, I wonder if people would have acted differently on stage knowing more of who their character was/is.

Doing choreography is extremely challenging, especially for the first time. While at times it was hard to get everyone to focus, I respect everyone’s dedication to learning my on the spot dance moves. More personally, I was so exhilarated when I realized that I would have to choreograph this number. I don't think of myself as a good dancer, let alone coordinated, and it is something that I have always wanted to get better at. Even though my dance moves were not sophisticated I had a wonderful time creating them. Even more so, I loved getting input from everyone in class. It made me feel as though people were engaged in our number and that they cared about what they were doing on stage.

Despite dancing, the rapping is BY FAR the hardest part to this number, especially because of its rhythms, and subject matter. Going into this project I knew that it would be difficult for those unfamiliar with this musical (even though I play it out loud. Every. Day. In. Class.). Naturally, I was surprised again. People came into class the day after we did the first run though and were memorized. MEMORIZED! It took me so long to learn the lines to the first number and to say the least I was stunned by everyone’s ability to learn the lyrics so quickly.

Overall, I had an amazing time teaching everyone this number. Evenmore, I am so happy that everyone loves the music and dance moves. The enthusiasm that they show every day is so inspirational!

Inception Evaluation

I think that John's scene came out very well. The movie clearly showed everybody in class's hard work and proved that all of our hard work has paid off. I do think that it is important to note just how hard John has worked for this scene. From picking it, doing filming, staging and even having to fill in last minute for Ryan, I really admire John's dedication to making this movie. All of his hard work really shows what a great director and actor he is. In addition to John, everyone was able to memorize their lines in an efficient and timely manner, and they were able to get into their characters. We has a great cast for this movie; each person did an awesome job!

One part that I was pleased with in my performance was my posture. I know this might seem simple to some, but it has always been something that I have struggled with in the past. Sure, it would have been nice if John and I could have filmed the scene in one take, but I was more pleased than disappointed with our scene.

Another part of the movie that I thought was well done were the choices of locations. Having the variety in the movie made it more visually captivating and interesting. I also really enjoyed how everybody’s lines were clear and perfectly picked up by the ipad. Therefore the audience did not miss out on anyone’s lines and could clearly follow the plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed being in this scene and watching the final result. It was a great experience and although the material was challenging at times, I am happy that I was able to be a part of it and to watch it all come together. Again, it is clear that all of John’s hard work really did pay off, and because of it, his scene was greatly executed.

Inception: A Reflection

I loved watching John’s Inception scene come together. Because I have never seen the movie, I found the scene to be interesting, even if they were confusing at first. Because I did not know the plot of the movie, the characters, or any of the scenes, I found it hard to develop my character. I did watch the scenes that Mal was in, however I only found out little about her. However I know that performing in this scene was great experience.

Inception is an incredibly complicated movie. Therefore I found it very hard to memorize my lines. I could hardly understand what my character was actually talking about. Because of this it made it hard for me to memorize my part. When I was struggling in the beginning of learning the scene, I found great strategies that helped me memorize my lines. Even though it is simple and sounds basic, I found that going over one line over and over again while gradually adding another really helped me. I learned that now I have a clever and helpful way to make me learn my scene.

One thing that I would change if we did this scene again would be to stage it earlier and run through it more. I strongly believe that staging a scene helps actors to “get into” their performance. It creates a more serious and formal environment, one where actors become accustom to their final actions. For example, every time I had run through the scene with John/Ryan we were in the hallway, and each time the scene stayed at the same emotional level: calm and collected. Yet when on stage (while we were filming), John was able to get into the scene and at one moment he flipped from very calm to yelling. While this created a natural reaction from me, I didn't know how to deliver my next line. If we had gone over the scene on stage more often, I would have tried to focus on how we could have raised the energy.

However I was very pleased with our final performance and look forward to seeing how the overarching scenes will look all together. 

Character Development: Mal

In order to fully and personally develop my character for “Inception”, I have refrained from seeing the movie. When I think about my character Mal, I think mostly about her presence in the scene. I think of her as a constant dream like character. While she is present in the moment and is serious in her scene, she is able to act very calmly. I think that if I were to portray this in my scene, it will allow the scene to maintain its tense feeling, while giving an in depth look at Mal and how she reacts. In order to do this, I have thought about her posture and actions during this scene. It is hard for me to know fully what I want to do in the scene physically because we have not staged it yet. However I have thought of possible things that I can do to present my character as relaxed as possible during a passionate scene. For example, I thought that I might start sitting, and as the scene gets more heated, eventually I could stand, or lean toward Ryan (depending if he is sitting across from me). Once we do stage the scene, it will be more helpful in figuring out how I want to present my character and her body language. Another aspect of Mal that I have to portray is how sure she is of herself. The whole point of this scene is Mal trying to convince Dom to choose the reality that she is in. Through this, I feel that deep down she is desperate, but that she doesn't want Dom to know how she is really feeling. That being said, I want to pick out certain lines in the script that my character can immediately get more passionate about when delivering them. 

"Fridge" Scene

Even though John and I work very well together and completed some of the goals I set for this scene, I was overall disappointed with my performance for the “Fridge” scene. After we ran through the first take and I received feedback, I felt confused with who my character was. Prior to our performance, we had discussed in class that my character was a shy girl who was flirty with Bruce (in an innocence manner). I felt that. I had the attitude of my character the way that I wanted it, however once Ryan told me to hold back more, I felt as though I did not know who I was trying to portray. As a result, when we filmed the second and final take I became too focused on being more shy and not enough on projection and thinking of my lines. I think it is extremely important to take suggestions from classmates seriously, however I became too focused on trying to change my character. I would have benefited if I had received the advice earlier, and could have worked on it and practiced my scene differently.

If John and I had been able to memorize our lines more, our scene would have been much better than it was. To be honest, I am disappointed with how this scene turned out. When I first read the script, I loved the scene because of it's quirkiness and how cute the characters acted with each other. If I could go back and work harder on the scene I would. I would pay more attention to the blocking, my projection, character development (although I personally really like what I originally thought of my character), and would work on memorization.

I was, however, very impressed with everyone else's scenes that I was able to see him before he had to leave the rest of the week. I think each group's performance stood out and were each different i their own way.

In the future, I would like to begin receiving more notes in person from my classmates. I think that when notes are given in person ahead of time, people are able to understand them better and describe them more efficiently to the actors on stage.

I hope that my next performance will be better than this previous one. Hopefully I will have more time to review notes, to memorize lines and to focus on blocking. 

Mamma Mia

Mamma Mia

Sam: Cade Roberts

Donna: Abigail Zuckert

Bill: John Jiang

Harry: Jack Palmer

Sophie: Maggie Guarino-Treir

Sky: Ryan Kim

Rosie: Gianna 

Tanya: Zola 

Lisa: Wiebke Leser

Allie: Rachel Wallace

The Box

John and I are are really good friends and we are both very comfortable around each other. Because of this, I think that hardest thing that we will have to accomplish is creating an awkward chemistry between us. This scene is really about two young people who seem to be nervous because of their feelings for one another. I think that because John and I are extremely friendly with one another, it will be a challenge to not act that way in a scene where both of us like each other.

I think in order to achieve this, John and I will have to focus on the delivery of our lines and we will have to create awkward pauses in our lines. In addition, I think that my body language will play a key role in creating an awkward and innocent atmosphere. Since John is mostly covered by the box, I am going to have to really focus more on my stance, my facial expression, and my body movements.

When I read this scene, I could clearly visualize it in my head. I was able to see the basement where the scene takes place and each of the characters when they were talking to each other. It is very well written, The subject matter adorable, and at the same it’s quirky. I like that not everything in the scene is answered, for example why Bruce is in the box at all. But what I liked most about the scene is that it is not dramatic, but it still manages to cover a delicate subject. Every scene that I have done lately is very intense (“No Country For Old Men”, “The Great Gatsby”, Fantastic Mr. Fox”) and in every one, I portray someone who is older and is dealing with difficult circumstances. However when it comes to this scene, I am able to play someone who still young enough to never have had to deal with a major situation.

I really look forward to doing this scene with John because we have not had the chance to act together yet. I think that we will work well together and that we will create an awesome scene.

The Great Gatsby: Relfection

This scene required a great amount of dedication, especially when it came to blocking. Therefore it is no surprise that what I took most out of my experience from performing this scene is learning that the more effort you put into the physical aspect of the scene, the better it will turn out.

Even though Jack, Ryan, and I put a lot of effort into this scene, it felt very last minute to me. This is probably due to having many distracting factors occurring outside of D Period Acting Class. This includes "Once On This Island" and both Ryan and myself missing class due to being sick. I would have liked to rehearse the scene more on set, so then we could have been more sure of our blocking. As far as lines are concerned, I feel although each of us managed to memorize them very quickly. To be truthful, I was not able to pay as much time as I hoped to memorizing the scene because of other activities, but I feel that I was still able to remember each of my lines.

When I watched the original videos that we took in class, I felt that our scene was lacking in emotion and had awkward blocking. Throughout the duration of skit it lacked reaction and was too monotone. It would quickly climax when Ryan's character, Gatsby, had his outburst, however it took too long to grow intense. Ryan and I were able to meet and discuss this outside of class and I feel that doing that helped us a lot. We took notes on our performance and what we could do to improve it. In the end, I feel as though every note that we made was taken into consideration. We began to emphasize different words when delivering our lines and used multiple vocal tones. When it came to blocking, we did use the extra day in class to work on it, and it was truly worth every single minute.

Another strategy that I used to help the energy in our scene was to think more about who my character was. I wanted to develop my personal story for who Daisy was, and how she got to where she was in that scene. I feel that this helped me understand what emotions I wanted to express in the scene. This is a challenging scene to play Daisy in because of her lack of lines. There is a lot tension between Tom and Jay, not to mention important and hostile language, to it was important to develop facial expressions and movements to perform to show (instead of tell) the audience how my character was feeling.

Unfortunately, because I missed two days of school due to illness, I was unable to see the final result of the other group's scenes. I was, however, able to see them rehearse in class and I know that if I am able to see the video of their skits that they will be great.

Link to video: https://youtu.be/A_M0_RhkNcU

Once on this Island

Participating in "Once in this Island" will be one of the memories most important to me as I look back on my high school career. Throughout countless music, blocking, and dance rehearsals, I gradually fell in love with the show and everyone in my cast acting beside me. I have friends who have participated in "Once on this Island" and when asked about it, all they say is how much they loved being in it. Before we started the process of putting the show together, I couldn't understand them to the full extent that I do now. I will miss working being a part of this show, but I know that through all of our hard work to present it, I am a better performer.

One of my favorite elements from the show was the outstanding music. Every year I become more amazed with the performance of the Pit, and every year they’re hard work clearly pays off. In addition, the majority of comments that I receive from audience members is how much they have loved the live music and thought how well they all performed.

About two days before we were scheduled to perform, it seemed like the majority of the cast was hit with a virus. That being said, not one person lacked in energy in rehearsal or the performances. We were all supportive of each other, whether we were sharing honey for thousands of cups of tea, or volunteering to be a swing, like wiebke did for the ballroom dancing scene.  

In addition to supporting one another, we were able to adapt in unpredictable situations. When we were in the middle of a performance and waited for a lightning sound cue to move to our next positions, we stayed calm and held our poses. As actors, this was extremely well done. We hadn’t had to practice adapting to mistakes in rehearsals, so I feel as though we really did a great job.  

Next, our scenery was beautifully done. The hand-painted background was so beautiful. I loved how the visuals depicted of the difference between the two classes by having both types of homes, and had many colorful types of wildlife. In addition, this scenery caused most of the viewers attention to fall on the performers,, and it did not distract from any of the performance. Overall, it was very well executed.

Again, I will miss being a part of “Once on this Island”. It was a phenomenal experience and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of it. Like I said before, it made me be a better actor, singer, and dancer.  

The Great Gatsby Script

DAISY 
Open another window.

ice spilt off from a hunk as a
hot, it has been filled with to cool it. Gatsby, Tom, Nick, a thin sheen of perspiration.

NICK
There aren't any more.
DAISY
Then telephone for an axe...
TOM
Forget about the heat. You make it
worse by crabbing about it.
GATSBY
Why not let her alone, old sport?
TOM
That's a great expression of yours,
isn't it?
GATSBY What is?
Tom turns to Gatsby...
TOM
'Old sport'. Where'd you pick it
up?
DAISY
Now see here, Tom; if you're going
to make personal remarks I won't stay here one minute.
Gatsby's foot beats a restless tattoo; Tom eyes him suddenly.
TOM
Mr. Gatsby, I understand you're an
Oxford man.
GATSBY No, not exactly.

100.

TOM
I understand you went to
TOM
Sure; the man in the pink suit went
to Oxford!
DAISY Tom...!
Gatsby stands.
GATSBY (slow, intense)
I told you I went there.
TOM
I heard you, but I'd like to know
when.
GATSBY
You’d like to know when....? It was
in nineteen-nineteen, I only stayed five months. That's why I can't exactly call myself an Oxford man.
Tom glances around to see if the others mirror his disbelief. But they are all looking at Gatsby.
GATSBY (CONT’D)
You see, it was an opportunity they
gave to some of the officers who actually fought in the war.
Nick can’t help but smile.
NICK (V.O.)
I wanted to get up and slap Gatsby
on the back.
DAISY
I'll make you a drink Tom, then you
won't seem so stupid to yourself... But Tom’s not done yet.

Oh yes, Oxford.
Yes - I
Tom's laugh is incredulous and insulting.

GATSBY went there.

101.

TOM
Wait a minute, I want to ask Mr.
Gatsby one more question.
GATSBY
Go on. Please Mr. Buchanan, go on.
TOM
What kind of a row are you trying
to cause in my house anyhow?
They are out in the open at last and Gatsby is content.
DAISY
He isn't causing a row; you're
causing a row. Please have a little self-control!
TOM
Self-control! I suppose the latest
thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife? Well, if that's the idea you can count me out... See, nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions and next you know they'll throw everything overboard and we’ll have intermarriage between black and white!
JORDAN
We’re all white here, Tom.
GATSBY
Your wife doesn't love you. She's
never loved you. She loves me!
TOM
You must be crazy.
GATSBY
No, old sport. See, she never loved
you... She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting. It was a terrible, terrible mistake, but in her heart she never loved anyone but me!
JORDAN We should go...
GATSBY
Daisy and I have nothing to hide...

102.

DAISY
Jay let’s go, please...!
TOM Sit down Daisy!
GATSBY (reassuring)
Yes, Daisy, please sit down.
Tom's voice gropes unsuccessfully for the paternal note.
TOM
What's been going on? I want to
hear all about it.
GATSBY
I just told you what's been going
on; its been going on for five years...!
Tom turns to Daisy sharply.
TOM
You've been seeing him for five
years?
GATSBY
Not seeing. No, we couldn't; but
both of us loved each other all that time, old sport, and you didn't know. I used to laugh sometimes, to think that you didn't know...
TOM
Oh - that's all; you're crazy! I
can't speak about what happened five years ago, because I didn't know Daisy then - but I'll be damned if I see how you got within a mile of her unless you brought the groceries to the back door. But all the rest of that's a god-damned lie. Daisy loved me when she married me and she loves me now.
Tom starts to make himself a drink...

103.

No...

GATSBY

TOM
She does, though... And what's
more, I love Daisy too. Once in a while I go off on a spree, but I always come back, and in my heart I love her all the time...
DAISY You’re revolting...
Daisy’s voice drops an octave lower, filling the room with thrilling scorn...
DAISY (CONT’D)
Do you know why we left Chicago...? I'm surprised they didn't treat you
to the story of that little spree. Gatsby walks over and stands beside Daisy.
GATSBY
That's all over now. Just tell him
the truth, that you never loved him; and all this... all this pain will be wiped out forever.
Daisy looks at Gatsby blindly.
DAISY
Why, how could I love him,
possibly?
GATSBY You never loved him.
Daisy hesitates; too late, she realizes what she is doing.
DAISY
I never loved him.
GATSBY That’s right...
TOM Not at Kapiolani?

104.

DAISY

No.
Not that day I carried you down from the Punch Bowl to keep your shoes dry...? Daisy? Never?

TOM
(a husky tenderness)

DAISY Please don’t.
TOM Daisy...
Her voice is cold, but the anger is gone.
DAISY There, Jay.
She trembles as she looks to Gatsby...
DAISY (CONT’D)
You want too much! I love you now;
isn't that enough? I can't help what's past.
(begins to sob)
I did love him once; but I loved you too.
GATSBY
(shocked, uncomprehending)
You loved me too?
TOM (savage)
Even that's a lie. She didn't know you were alive. There are things between Daisy and me that you'll never know, things that neither of us can ever forget.
The words seem to bite physically into Gatsby.
GATSBY
I want to speak to Daisy alone.
She's all excited now...
DAISY
Even alone I can't say I never
loved Tom. It wouldn't be true.
TOM
Of course it wouldn't.
Daisy turns to her husband.
DAISY
As if it mattered to you.

105.

TOM
Of course it matters. I'm going to
take better care of you from now on.
GATSBY
You're not taking care of her any
more! Daisy's leaving you.
TOM Nonsense.
DAISY
(with visible effort)
I am, though.
TOM
She's not leaving me; and certainly
not for a common swindler!
Tom's words suddenly lean down over Gatsby.
TOM (CONT’D)
Mr. Gatsby, who exactly are you
anyhow? You see, I have made a small investigation into your affairs... You're one of Meyer Wolfsheim’s bunch.
Tom turns to the others and speaks rapidly.
TOM (CONT’D)
See, he and this Wolfsheim bought
up a lot of 'drug stores' and sold bootlegged alcohol over the counter!
GATSBY
What about it, old sport?
TOM
Don’t call me ‘old sport!’ This
drug store business is just small change compared to the bonds stunt you and Wolfsheim have got going on now.
GATSBY
Well your friend Walter Chase isn’t
too proud to come in on it.

106.

TOM
I’ve been giving that some thought.
How does a reputable banker like Walter Chase find himself up to his eyeballs in debt to a little kike like Wolfsheim?
GATSBY
It’s called ‘greed,’ old sport.
TOM
That’s right; you’ve got half of
Wall Street out there swilling your free booze at that fun park every weekend...
(to Nick)
I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to drag you in...
Nick looks away sharply. Tom registers this.
TOM (CONT’D) My God, he has...
GATSBY
He’s got nothing to do with--
TOM
With your little racket...
(to Daisy)
Daisy... Can’t you see who this guy is? With his house and his parties and his fancy clothes; he’s just a front for Wolfsheim, a gangster, to get his claws into respectable folk like Walter...!
GATSBY
(a vicious sneer)
The only respectable thing about you, old sport, is your money, that’s it, and now I’ve just as much as you; so that means we’re equal!!
Tom smiles with smug, condescending scorn.
TOM
Oh no, no, we’re different; I am,
(gesturing at Nick and Jordan)
They are...
(now at Daisy)
She is;
(MORE)

107.

TOM (CONT'D)
we’re all different from you - we
were born different, it’s in our blood, and nothing you do, or say, or steal or dream up, can ever change that... And a girl like Daisy will never...!
Gatsby explodes with terrifying rage.
GATSBY
SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUTTT UP!!!!
Shock jolts the room. We float toward Gatsby. His rage-filled eyes stare into the void, as, with all his willpower, he restrains himself from ripping Tom apart...
NICK (V.O)
Gatsby looked, in that moment... as
if he had “killed a man.” Tom snorts a dismissive laugh.
TOM
That’s right Mr. Gatsby, show us
those fine Oxford manners...
Gatsby recovers and turns to Diasy, who is trembling in the corner, on the verge of tears.
DAISY
My sincerest apologies. I... I seem
to have lost my temper.
Struggling for self control, Gatsby turns toward her as if Tom suddenly no longer exists.
GATSBY
Daisy darling... None of this has
any consequence. Don’t listen to him Daisy.
Daisy blanches; Gatsby, now desperate, babbles incoherently.
GATSBY (CONT’D)
We’re going back to Louisville to
be married. Then we’re going to live together in our house; it’s-- 

Monologue Process Reflection

At first, I was excited and nervous to help other students with their monologues. I didn’t want to be overbearing with suggestions, but at the same time, I wanted to offer helpful advice. My group was great to work with and and each April, William, and Robert’s pieces turned out really well.

A challenge that I faced working with my group was having them be focused on each other and thinking and being open to what they could improve upon. If I could do this project again, I would want to make sure that everyone was fully listening and watching each other, ready to give others advice and offer opinions on their pieces. I would also like them to be open to more change and collaboration with their pieces. I think that if an actor is not open to other’s suggestions (not just the director, but also other actors’) their piece will improve and change. However if they are close minded and only focus on their ideas, there is not a lot of room for improvement. That being said, it is vital that actors don't take criticism personally. When people suggest ways to change a monologue, it is often just helpful advice and is not meant to be a hurtful comment. In addition, as an actor, I feel that it is important to be open to new strategies and exercises. When I tried to have my group try a vocal exercise to learn about projection, a few people went along with it, but others struggled because it was a new experience. It is hard to try new, odd things, especially when you are in a group, but if you are able to focus on the exercise it will only help you and your technique.

My group did very well learning and memorizing their pieces in a timely manner. About three days after they had picked their piece, many of them started to practice off book, barely missing a line. I was happy because we were able to focus on body and facial movements, as well as vocal differentiation. My group also did a great job at encouraging one another, and showing each other support by giving back positive feedback and helpful advice. 

I learned in this process that many people have great ideas about what to do in their piece. It is helpful to ask them vague questions such as, “Who are you?” or “Where/what are you doing?” to get them to really think about their character development and to form their piece. Watching everyone on our class develop a monologue was a unique experience, one that I really loved.

The Longest Flight

When it was assigned and throughout the remainder of the project, I was excited to create another silent movie! I think that this experience helped me learn more about my fellow students in my class and what was the best way to direct them in a group. While at first it was hard to think of a plot, my group immediately starting to brain-storm great ideas. Our group worked well together and everyone’s ideas were heard in the process. While at times it would have been nice to have help with editing the film, I think our group did a great job creating a this film. I also think our final version came wonderful thanks to the great acting and fun music it contained.

I think that when people enter their first acting class/ acting experience it can hard to step out of your comfort zone. With a silent film, this is key, and can be especially hard. My group excelled at this. Josh and Robert were more than willing to have food or water thrown on to them and they were even excited about it! This let the group really have fun with the film and even develop more of a funny story. This being said, it was very hard to capture the food spilling and it was challenging learning the right way to stage it. I wish that we could have had more of a set too, because I think as an audience it might be confusing at first that the set was supposed to be an airplane. We ran through it many times (and then even had to redo the actual take of the food spilling) and no one gave up or got frustrated. We all maintained patience and helped each other to get the perfect shot.

I think the other group did an amazing job putting together their movie as well. I loved their final version; it was funny and captivating. Like our group, I could see that everyone was willing to go above and beyond their comfort zone. I thought that the storyline was well planned and it was captivating at the same time. I especially loved seeing the boys in training making fun of what they were supposed to do, it added a lot of comedy with only a few motions. Also, I loved that both of our films had something in common: a boy in drag. In both films, it added tons of humor to the plot! Overall, they did a fantastic job!  

I think I did a good job on keeping my group organized and on track. I want to work on my filming skills, though. I think the takes looked a little shaky, probably due to me laughing! In addition, I want to work on making sure that everyone is comfortable with what we are doing. I loved being able to create another silent film and I loved being able to participate in it by doing a different role (directing). I look forward to the next projects.

Little Bit About Me!

Theater really is my passion, so when Ms. Anderson informed me that there was an acting class being offered, I immediately signed up for two semesters of it. I have always been involved in theater by participating in out of school plays, summer theater programs, school productions, workshops, seeing on and off-Broadway productions, competing in contests for theater and singing and by taking individual lessons and classes for acting, dancing, and singing. However, I had only ever taken pone acting class, and I think that it didn’t really help me as an actor. I had been wanting to take an acting class, but because I attend boarding school and work on the weekends, I never really had time for a class. Now, I extremely excited to be a part of both acting classes this year.

This is my Musical Theater Elective that I have been a part of at Portsmouth Academy of Performing Arts Camp for six years!

I am most excited to take this class again because I will be able to participate from a different perspective. I have never really directed and have only had minor acting coaching experience. I think that it is important to learn all aspects of theater to be a good actor. I have had experience on tech, crew, on stage, but never directing. I am so excited to be able to learn how to do this and look forward to growing as an actor.

That being said, my there goals are:

1. 1. I want to learn how to direct acting scenes in a productive manner (and hopefully, not come off overbearing to my fellow students.)
2. 2. I would love to do a dramatic scene from a classical work (ex. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Shakespeare, etc.)
3. 3. I would like to participate in a one on one tragic scene (with possibly learning how to stage cry).
4. 4. I want to become more of my character.

I mostly want to accomplish these goals because they are all something that I have never done in theater and I believe that I can better myself by learning how to complete them. I also set these goals because while they are challenging, I believe that they are realistic enough to accomplish. Last semester, I had simpler goals, so I wanted to create new goals that would push me and require more effort. I think that these goals can also help me when I audition for future summer programs, performances, and activities.

I think my most important goal is number four. As an actor, my greatest fear is constantly acting same, even when playing various characters. If I can achieve number four, I think that I will be able to prevent this. In addition, it will no doubt help me perform more naturally. For example, whenever I think of playing Asaka, I think of who she is and how she might use her body language, react to certain lines, etc. Thinking about this also helps me act in singing when learning how to play this role. I think that number four will be the most crucial in helping be a better actor in Once On This Island and in future shows.

I look forward to being a part of this acting class and to having a great second semester.