So I've had a couple of days to mull over what Saturday Night's performance was to me, and have let the jarring nature of it being our last performance of Twelfth Night settle in my body. These are my thoughts:
What a blast. We went up there, and we had ourselves a great time.
In Friday afternoon's performance I was more nervous than I've ever been, and it took a toll on my breathing/voice as well as my connection to the text/other actors on stage. Saturday Night's performance, however, I was relaxed, not really that nervous, but kind of riding a sort of calm wave. It struck me as odd that I wasn't nervous, and I started to get nervous about why I wasn't nervous, if you can believe that. When the audience started in, I told myself "these people love me, and I love them. I'm going to relish and endulge in that positive energy" and I think that made all the difference. Somehow telling myself that it was gonna go really well made it go really well. I think. Either way, my body and mind seemed to be on some sort of auto-pilot, in that I wasn't thinking about what I was doing, I was just doing it. My spirit, I suppose, knew what was going to happen, and how to make it work. It was a frightening and incredible experience at the same time, because I wasn!
't thinking to control what was going on, I was just, well, living. That is a very scary place for me to be because I have struggled with turning my brain off and just letting my instincts and work that I've done take me wherever they are going to take me. But it was in that span of "brain-dead" time that I was freed up to live, because I wasn't second guessing. The few times I was aware of what was going on, I fell out of it, and forgot my lines, or reverted back to old techniques. But it was by far the most comfortable and at ease I've ever felt on stage.
In short, it felt wonderful. I'm sad that I've had to let the play go, but the memories of the process of assembling Twelfth Night and working with you guys will stay with me forever. I learned more about myself and how I work in the last 6 weeks than most of the first 2 years of my training at CMU. I'm ever-grateful that I was privileged to enjoy such a rewarding, though at times challenging, experience.
What also felt really good was feeling like WE were doing something. WE were TELLING THE STORY. It wasn't about individual performances, it was about how WE could best come together to tell the best, most vivid, and most exciting story we could. And we succeeded. In a HUMONGOUS way.
I have tried, but still cannot drill the hole into my heart where the words live to express how I feel about these last few weeks so that I may share them with you.
All I can say is that we are all blessed.
Thanks, Thanks...and ever oft good terms.
-Nicolas Ducassi
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Viola's last blog
I can't believe it's over!!! I feel like after working so hard we should get at least a couple more shows! Saturday was definitely a different show than Friday for me. I felt more in control on Saturday, but I felt I was acting more on my impulse on Friday. I thought it was so interesting how much the audience's reactions and laughs differed from one night to the other. How much fun to have a completely different dynamic to work off of! Well, if I were a poet (or even a little bit articulate) I would write something gushy and beautiful right now to thank you all for the unmatchable experience we have had. However, I can't think of anything clever or extraordinarily pretty, so
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!
-Katie, the man version
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!
-Katie, the man version
Final Blog entry (single tear)
So there it is... we did it. its over... but im still quoting it. I had a blast in thie rehearsal process its great to be around such driven and professional people. this summer was challenging because some of the people i worked with were so unprofessional and its nice to come back and work with people who put in the work and mean it. The final show was very interesting. it went faster but felt slower on the whole for me. maybe thats ecause i was really trying to stay in it in my breaks so they felt longer but it was recieved differently the second time around. not worse by any means but different. I felt much better about the second show and i think that i summited Twelfth Night/ Sebastian on Saturday evening.
There is no way to explain what i felt without telling this story. In the middle of my first scene i only had one moment when i was really aware that the audience was there and that was right before i say "se is drowned allready sir with salt water though i seem to drown her eremembrance again with more" and i took a pause right before. and i distinctly remember COMPLETE silence and thinking... oh my god i have them. It was the most amazing feeling knowing that i was just a step ahead of the audience and they were really listening. That was a really nice moment and i was able to sink right back into the scene, because i knew what i was able to give that particular audience.
I'd like to talk a little bit about the fickle nature of an audience. Something i really learned about in this show is how quickly an audience can all of a sudden change how they feel about a character. In the "ayre" monologue the second day i fell off the bench because i went to quickly onto it. that little change, of me being on the bench to off the bench made them lose their concentration entirely because some of the people knew that i was supposed to be on the bench and from thaat point o i could tell they weren't listening as intently as they had been. They were wondering what i was going to do what Ross was going to do and whether Ross would be castrated by Matt Gray later. I just think its interesting that an audience can be so ready to join you in a monologue but if you miss your light or fall out of your light or screw up your blocking its over. They start to think about other things and you lose them.
I felt really good about all the other scenes in the show for me personally and i think that we set a bar for what the JPP's should be from now on. I think freshman and sophmores will hope to bring such a solid piece in front o fthe school next year and the year after. I loved working with this group and i'm glad i have a week to get ready for the next show. I hope that everyone continues to work hard and that we as a group continue to set a bar for what Carnegie Mellon School of Drama is and should continue to be.
All the Best,
Ross "Sebastian" Francis
There is no way to explain what i felt without telling this story. In the middle of my first scene i only had one moment when i was really aware that the audience was there and that was right before i say "se is drowned allready sir with salt water though i seem to drown her eremembrance again with more" and i took a pause right before. and i distinctly remember COMPLETE silence and thinking... oh my god i have them. It was the most amazing feeling knowing that i was just a step ahead of the audience and they were really listening. That was a really nice moment and i was able to sink right back into the scene, because i knew what i was able to give that particular audience.
I'd like to talk a little bit about the fickle nature of an audience. Something i really learned about in this show is how quickly an audience can all of a sudden change how they feel about a character. In the "ayre" monologue the second day i fell off the bench because i went to quickly onto it. that little change, of me being on the bench to off the bench made them lose their concentration entirely because some of the people knew that i was supposed to be on the bench and from thaat point o i could tell they weren't listening as intently as they had been. They were wondering what i was going to do what Ross was going to do and whether Ross would be castrated by Matt Gray later. I just think its interesting that an audience can be so ready to join you in a monologue but if you miss your light or fall out of your light or screw up your blocking its over. They start to think about other things and you lose them.
I felt really good about all the other scenes in the show for me personally and i think that we set a bar for what the JPP's should be from now on. I think freshman and sophmores will hope to bring such a solid piece in front o fthe school next year and the year after. I loved working with this group and i'm glad i have a week to get ready for the next show. I hope that everyone continues to work hard and that we as a group continue to set a bar for what Carnegie Mellon School of Drama is and should continue to be.
All the Best,
Ross "Sebastian" Francis
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Closing Nights thoughts from Feste
Congratulations one and all!
I thought that Saturday’s performance definitely buzzed of a different energy than on Friday. On opening night I think we were all really jazzed with nerves, and the audience (lots of actors and theatre people) knew it was our opening and were really empathetic and encouraging. On our closing night I think our nerves had settled a bit and the audience was not quite as vocal as they were on the first evening. I thought that we needed to pick up the pace of the show. Our start was slow but by the end of the second act I think we had established a comfortable pace. I had a few prop malfunctions (rope with Antonio) and missed words (Sir Topas scene). I definitely learned something from the interaction I was supposed to have with the rope and Antonio. I ended up placing the rope next to Jon-Michael as I exited but I SHOULD have stopped and tied his hands in it. Ah. I was so mad at myself after I left the stage, but I can say that I learned from it. I felt a little better vocally,!
but I was noticing that because I was focusing on filling the space I sometimes lost my thoughts, which weakened the text.
But I think the closing run was one of the best!
I so enjoyed working with every single one of you. This experience has been amazing…thank you for sharing your creative energies and talent! Congratulations!
-Amanda
I thought that Saturday’s performance definitely buzzed of a different energy than on Friday. On opening night I think we were all really jazzed with nerves, and the audience (lots of actors and theatre people) knew it was our opening and were really empathetic and encouraging. On our closing night I think our nerves had settled a bit and the audience was not quite as vocal as they were on the first evening. I thought that we needed to pick up the pace of the show. Our start was slow but by the end of the second act I think we had established a comfortable pace. I had a few prop malfunctions (rope with Antonio) and missed words (Sir Topas scene). I definitely learned something from the interaction I was supposed to have with the rope and Antonio. I ended up placing the rope next to Jon-Michael as I exited but I SHOULD have stopped and tied his hands in it. Ah. I was so mad at myself after I left the stage, but I can say that I learned from it. I felt a little better vocally,!
but I was noticing that because I was focusing on filling the space I sometimes lost my thoughts, which weakened the text.
But I think the closing run was one of the best!
I so enjoyed working with every single one of you. This experience has been amazing…thank you for sharing your creative energies and talent! Congratulations!
-Amanda
Let's make them cry...
We did.
Holy shit. We made them cry.
Our second performance of the show was one of the most illuminating and rewarding theatrical experiences I've had to date. I say this because, it was the first time I've ever performed for a group of people, where I didn't have the supercharge from having them there. As the show began I was really quite alarmed at how low my energy was, and got really scared that something was wrong, and I was going to forget something, or fall victim to some other horrifying turn of events.
When I got off stage after my first scene, John and I looked at each other very quizzically. We didn't say anything. I don't think we wanted to jinx it. I knew something was different but I didn't think it was bad. Just different. I knew I was going to have to redouble my efforts in specificity and listening to compensate for the absence of the manic audience buzz.
It never came. What did come to me however, was a complete reliance on the people I was on stage with. Without the buzz, all we had was our technique, and all the tools we'd learned over the past two years. We had to pick up our cues, stay in front of the audience, and keep playing actively. It seemed like I wasn't the only one thinking it either, because, whereas the first night, I thought it seemed like we kind of were getting tired towards the end, last night, it seemed like we were gaining momentum the more the show went on.
Another really interesting thing about last night, was I noticed, in an attempt to connect to the audience and "let them in" I was actually disconnecting from the people I was acting with. Thankfully I caught myself and redoubled my efforts to stay in the moment, but that was a very curious inclination I had. I wonder if I felt compelled to reach out extra hard because my internal energy was down. I tried to tell myself though, it really doesn't matter what we feel as actors. All that matters is what we make the audience feel. That's where I think a lot of our focus went as a company last night, and I think we had another really successful run because of it.
So, on the final night of JPP's, I was reminded how valuable and essentially applicable our training is, and I feel reassured that it will always be there to help me as I continue to learn and work as an actor. I was also reminded how crucial it is to remain with your scene partners at all times, and how heavily we have to rely on each other as a company. Because, like I said before, no matter how the show's going, it's not going to stop for any of us. So we have to really trust the text, our training, each other, and ourselves, and know that everything will work out.
It's kind of a lesson in neutrality. Kind of surrendering to the work that's been done and to the text that now lives in you and letting the moments create themselves rathering than us hammering them into shape. We don't know how the show is going to go from moment to moment, but if we trust ourselves and stay easy, the audience can trust us, too, and then the piece is allowed to affect them. All great art is truely rooted in ease.
So many lessons. So much medicine. So. So. Grateful.
Holy shit. We made them cry.
Our second performance of the show was one of the most illuminating and rewarding theatrical experiences I've had to date. I say this because, it was the first time I've ever performed for a group of people, where I didn't have the supercharge from having them there. As the show began I was really quite alarmed at how low my energy was, and got really scared that something was wrong, and I was going to forget something, or fall victim to some other horrifying turn of events.
When I got off stage after my first scene, John and I looked at each other very quizzically. We didn't say anything. I don't think we wanted to jinx it. I knew something was different but I didn't think it was bad. Just different. I knew I was going to have to redouble my efforts in specificity and listening to compensate for the absence of the manic audience buzz.
It never came. What did come to me however, was a complete reliance on the people I was on stage with. Without the buzz, all we had was our technique, and all the tools we'd learned over the past two years. We had to pick up our cues, stay in front of the audience, and keep playing actively. It seemed like I wasn't the only one thinking it either, because, whereas the first night, I thought it seemed like we kind of were getting tired towards the end, last night, it seemed like we were gaining momentum the more the show went on.
Another really interesting thing about last night, was I noticed, in an attempt to connect to the audience and "let them in" I was actually disconnecting from the people I was acting with. Thankfully I caught myself and redoubled my efforts to stay in the moment, but that was a very curious inclination I had. I wonder if I felt compelled to reach out extra hard because my internal energy was down. I tried to tell myself though, it really doesn't matter what we feel as actors. All that matters is what we make the audience feel. That's where I think a lot of our focus went as a company last night, and I think we had another really successful run because of it.
So, on the final night of JPP's, I was reminded how valuable and essentially applicable our training is, and I feel reassured that it will always be there to help me as I continue to learn and work as an actor. I was also reminded how crucial it is to remain with your scene partners at all times, and how heavily we have to rely on each other as a company. Because, like I said before, no matter how the show's going, it's not going to stop for any of us. So we have to really trust the text, our training, each other, and ourselves, and know that everything will work out.
It's kind of a lesson in neutrality. Kind of surrendering to the work that's been done and to the text that now lives in you and letting the moments create themselves rathering than us hammering them into shape. We don't know how the show is going to go from moment to moment, but if we trust ourselves and stay easy, the audience can trust us, too, and then the piece is allowed to affect them. All great art is truely rooted in ease.
So many lessons. So much medicine. So. So. Grateful.
When the image of it leaves me, I must run mad!
Friday night I did Shakespeare for almost a hundred people at one of the best drama schools in the nation. I must begin with a feeble attempt at articulating how unintelligibly thankful I am for that, and to have worked with such an incredible team of artists.
Although, we have yet to have an official acting class this year, I feel like I have a semester's worth of knowledge under my belt, just from the past four weeks. I have been acquainted with the turbid ebb and flow of misery in the rehearsal process, seen the amount of effort and dexterity required to adequately research a play, and STARTED to understand what it means to work specifically, and how essential it is when communicating to an audience.
I could practically write a novella from all the lessons I've learned throughout the process, but for the sake of brevity, I'll confine them to what I learned during the actual runs.
First Night:
The first performance was such a wild ride. From the time the house opened I was grappling with all the manic energy coursing through my body and knew that it would be something I would have to fight and harness in order to maintain my technical proficiency. I tried to put my energy into the text and into listening to what my castmates were saying rather than becoming wildly gesticulative and floppy.
The most interesting thing about the first run,though, to me, was how we all reacted when things went wrong. There were jokes that didn't always land, all kinds of prop and wardrobe malfunctions, and I knew it was because we were all teeming with that wild energy. There were also times though, when the audience laughed uproariously when we would never have expected them to, and learning the pace at which you have to move in order to allow the audience to laugh and enjoy themselves but not lose the momentum of the show was very valuable.
I also learned quite a bit about your duty as a cast member when you're not on stage. Rather than disappearing into the crossover or sittin down and checking out, I saw all my castmates waiting hungrily offstage for their next entrance, listening diligently, and sending out the most supportive energy we could muster. I remember Ross had an exit at one point after he'd had some trouble with an umbrella, and you could tell he was frustrated. He passed John and me, and we knew in our next scene we had to crank up the tempo and sharpness and pick our brother up. And when I had my drunk scene, I walked off feeling a bit frustrated because I felt like I had made a choice that was a bit gratuitous and not completely honest, but as I passed, I think it was Chelsea, I knew she was going to have me in our next scene. There was a great sense of ensemble backstage, and we would all celebrate each others' wins and offer support when things didn't go ideally. This was one of the things I !
am most proud of.
I also finally understood what it's like to perform an entire play and the STAMINA it requires to do it. I literally felt myself running out of gas towards the end of the play, but finding how you have to dig deep and keep giving the audience and your castmates what they deserve was a very enlightening lesson.
At the end of the first show, I realized, as many times as I'd heard it, THE SHOW MUST GO ON. Regardless of how I was feeling about my performance at a given moment or any extraneous circumstances, the story keeps going, and you can't stop telling it. You have to make sure the audience is getting the information they need at all times. Overall, the first show was a lesson in discipline, focus, tenacity, and selflessness; and one that I'll not soon forget.
Toby
Although, we have yet to have an official acting class this year, I feel like I have a semester's worth of knowledge under my belt, just from the past four weeks. I have been acquainted with the turbid ebb and flow of misery in the rehearsal process, seen the amount of effort and dexterity required to adequately research a play, and STARTED to understand what it means to work specifically, and how essential it is when communicating to an audience.
I could practically write a novella from all the lessons I've learned throughout the process, but for the sake of brevity, I'll confine them to what I learned during the actual runs.
First Night:
The first performance was such a wild ride. From the time the house opened I was grappling with all the manic energy coursing through my body and knew that it would be something I would have to fight and harness in order to maintain my technical proficiency. I tried to put my energy into the text and into listening to what my castmates were saying rather than becoming wildly gesticulative and floppy.
The most interesting thing about the first run,though, to me, was how we all reacted when things went wrong. There were jokes that didn't always land, all kinds of prop and wardrobe malfunctions, and I knew it was because we were all teeming with that wild energy. There were also times though, when the audience laughed uproariously when we would never have expected them to, and learning the pace at which you have to move in order to allow the audience to laugh and enjoy themselves but not lose the momentum of the show was very valuable.
I also learned quite a bit about your duty as a cast member when you're not on stage. Rather than disappearing into the crossover or sittin down and checking out, I saw all my castmates waiting hungrily offstage for their next entrance, listening diligently, and sending out the most supportive energy we could muster. I remember Ross had an exit at one point after he'd had some trouble with an umbrella, and you could tell he was frustrated. He passed John and me, and we knew in our next scene we had to crank up the tempo and sharpness and pick our brother up. And when I had my drunk scene, I walked off feeling a bit frustrated because I felt like I had made a choice that was a bit gratuitous and not completely honest, but as I passed, I think it was Chelsea, I knew she was going to have me in our next scene. There was a great sense of ensemble backstage, and we would all celebrate each others' wins and offer support when things didn't go ideally. This was one of the things I !
am most proud of.
I also finally understood what it's like to perform an entire play and the STAMINA it requires to do it. I literally felt myself running out of gas towards the end of the play, but finding how you have to dig deep and keep giving the audience and your castmates what they deserve was a very enlightening lesson.
At the end of the first show, I realized, as many times as I'd heard it, THE SHOW MUST GO ON. Regardless of how I was feeling about my performance at a given moment or any extraneous circumstances, the story keeps going, and you can't stop telling it. You have to make sure the audience is getting the information they need at all times. Overall, the first show was a lesson in discipline, focus, tenacity, and selflessness; and one that I'll not soon forget.
Toby
Last Night...
Last night was incredible. Bitter sweet, but amazing. I learned so much, just from that one last show – mainly, the importance of control. Last night I felt much more in control of my performance, I didn’t feel less free (I actually felt freer) but by just making my focus last night be on hearing the text word by word and discovering it moment by moment, all I had to do was respond. I felt that my prep yesterday helped ground me much more as well, I did my make-up earlier and ran through my script recalling past notes and really tasting the words in my mouth. Thank you all for an amazing experience!
- Bekie
- Bekie
Saturday, September 27, 2008
But that's all one...
I hope you all celebrated tonight.
I am sorry if I didnt see you after the show - it all was pretty mad with the changeover, etc.
But I am so grateful to all of you for such a wonderful way to spend five weeks. You all ended up with a show you should be all very proud of.
cast party next week - let me know which day works best for you
I HATE ending things like this.... I feel like curling up in a corner rather than try and sum up our experience.
So have a great night, one and all
much love
matt
I am sorry if I didnt see you after the show - it all was pretty mad with the changeover, etc.
But I am so grateful to all of you for such a wonderful way to spend five weeks. You all ended up with a show you should be all very proud of.
cast party next week - let me know which day works best for you
I HATE ending things like this.... I feel like curling up in a corner rather than try and sum up our experience.
So have a great night, one and all
much love
matt
Feste's thoughts about Friday
First, congratulations company! I am so grateful to be working with you all. I think points of success for us were in the “hand offs” of our scenes. We passed the baton really well tonight. I think the story was very clear for the audience…it seemed like they were with us throughout the whole play. Having a full audience was quite an experience for us all I think. I noticed that sometimes I would speak more speedily than was necessary. I felt like I just needed to get on and get off really quickly to keep the play moving.
Tonight was very informative for me. After the show, Joe gave me a few notes about my voice (similar to what Matt was saying). He says that I sometimes speak like I sing and place the resonance in the nose, so that when my back is to the audience it is hard to hear the words. SO…that’s something I need to work on. It’s a matter, I think, of letting the support come from a deeper place. Breathing into my whole self and not just my chest. I’ve always had issues with taking up space.
For the closing show I will do a more thorough warm-up to prepare. Also, I have a few added secret thoughts that I want to incorporate…mwahaha.
Congratulations everyone.
Tonight was very informative for me. After the show, Joe gave me a few notes about my voice (similar to what Matt was saying). He says that I sometimes speak like I sing and place the resonance in the nose, so that when my back is to the audience it is hard to hear the words. SO…that’s something I need to work on. It’s a matter, I think, of letting the support come from a deeper place. Breathing into my whole self and not just my chest. I’ve always had issues with taking up space.
For the closing show I will do a more thorough warm-up to prepare. Also, I have a few added secret thoughts that I want to incorporate…mwahaha.
Congratulations everyone.
Feste's Thursday Blog
So it’s Friday! Before we go up today I want to say to you all that I am honored to be working with such a creative and supportive group of actors, lovely musicians, amazing lighting designers, and a compelling director. This experience has taught me an enormous amount about playing with my fellow actors, working with the space, letting the lights in, behaving and acting with professionalism, trusting simplicity, understanding the importance of intention, and enjoying the process of a play. Thank you all for sharing your selves and talents. Let’s do this thing.
"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." - Oscar Wilde
"I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being." - Oscar Wilde
Opening Day...
Well, having not been in a show that was rehearsed for longer than a week in three years, I was pretty pumped. I'm not quite sure if I was nervous, or excited, or terrified, or what, but I was a little apprehensive about having an audience - especially one that is so close to the playing space.
One of the things I have been working on in the latter part this process was not thinking ahead to where I'm supposed to be next and what my next line is. I was so afraid of messing up that I was sacrificing spontaneity and being in the moment to assure I didn't drop a line. I promised myself that the last couple of rehearsals I would force myself to not think ahead and see what happened. I was terrified, however, to bring this to our opening performance. I wasn't sure how an audience would effect me. To my surprise, the audience didn't throw me nearly as much as I thought it would. After giving "what think you saylors?" to them, they became a part of the show. I was able to let go and be in the moment with my fellow actors rather than delivering a line and then prodding myself for the next one. It's actually kind of terrifying for me to do this, but extremely rewarding.
I also noticed at yesterday's performance a habit that I have. I very often exhale all of my energy and sometimes throw away impulses with it. It came to my attention yesterday when every time I exited the stage I gave a great big sigh/huff. Don has been giving me this note for a while now, but I never really understood what he meant until now.
My goal for yesterday's performance was to stay in the moment. For today, it is to keep that and to not push (as Matt was saying yesterday), but to give as much energy and resonance that is needed. Break a Leg all!
-Katie
One of the things I have been working on in the latter part this process was not thinking ahead to where I'm supposed to be next and what my next line is. I was so afraid of messing up that I was sacrificing spontaneity and being in the moment to assure I didn't drop a line. I promised myself that the last couple of rehearsals I would force myself to not think ahead and see what happened. I was terrified, however, to bring this to our opening performance. I wasn't sure how an audience would effect me. To my surprise, the audience didn't throw me nearly as much as I thought it would. After giving "what think you saylors?" to them, they became a part of the show. I was able to let go and be in the moment with my fellow actors rather than delivering a line and then prodding myself for the next one. It's actually kind of terrifying for me to do this, but extremely rewarding.
I also noticed at yesterday's performance a habit that I have. I very often exhale all of my energy and sometimes throw away impulses with it. It came to my attention yesterday when every time I exited the stage I gave a great big sigh/huff. Don has been giving me this note for a while now, but I never really understood what he meant until now.
My goal for yesterday's performance was to stay in the moment. For today, it is to keep that and to not push (as Matt was saying yesterday), but to give as much energy and resonance that is needed. Break a Leg all!
-Katie
Dear Diary
Yesterday we had our first performance of the show. Boy Howdy was it a trip. When the top light came up on me and I sat up my heart was in my throat. I couldn't really see the audience (because of the light) but you can bet your ass I could sense them. It felt like acting in a high pressure or high gravity vacuum (like Goku would train in on Dragonball Z). I was tremendously nervous and felt that my energy and voice were being highly affected by it. Even my equilibrium was thrown off: when I stood up onto the bench to talk to Feste I lost balance and almost fell off. Luckily I managed to catch myself and played it off as actually blocking. Yet, at no point during that first scene did I admit defeat to myself or the audience, rather I trucked through it as best to my ability. Suffice it to say that has been the most nervous I have ever been acting in my entire life. But after that I pulled my shit together and had a great time in my remaining scenes. I think we were lucky!
to have such a responsive and supportive audience, it'll be interesting to experience the dynamic change tonight. Overall I am very happy with the run and CANNOT wait to get another chance to do it again tonight and do the things better that I know I can do better.
-Frank
to have such a responsive and supportive audience, it'll be interesting to experience the dynamic change tonight. Overall I am very happy with the run and CANNOT wait to get another chance to do it again tonight and do the things better that I know I can do better.
-Frank
Toy's Workout
Toby's workout is called Fran.
It is a beast.
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_AmundsonHeavyFran.mov
It is a beast.
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_AmundsonHeavyFran.mov
The Summit
Check out this picture of the Hillary Step
http://classic.mountainzone.com/everest/photos2/45.stm
Everest: The Way to The Summit
The Western Cwm
See Western Cwm QTVR
Often called the "Valley of Silence," the Western Cwm is a broad, flat, gently undulating glacial valley basin terminating at the foot of the Lhotse Face. The central section is cut by massive lateral crevasses which bar entrance into the upper Western Cwm. In this section, climbers must cross to the far right, over to the base of Nuptse to a narrow passageway known as the Nuptse corner. From here, climbers have a stupendous view of the upper 8,000 feet of Everest -- the first glimpse of Everest's upper slopes since arriving at Base Camp. The last 5,000 feet on Everest, including its distinct black pyramid summit, are not visible from Base Camp. Contrary to what most people believe, some of the most difficult days on Everest are in the Western Cwm, when on a windless day it is desperately hot. Says David Breashears, "You literally pray for a puff of wind or a cloud to cover the sun so you can keep moving up to Advance Base Camp."
The Lhotse Face
See Camp III QTVR
The expansive western flank of Lhotse is called the Lhotse Face and is an unavoidable part of the traditional southeast route up Everest. Camp III sits about halfway up this ascending wall of glacial blue ice. From its bergshrund (base) to the top, the Lhotse Face rises some 3,700 feet, at 40 and 50-degree pitches with some occasional 80-degree bulges. The entire route is fixed with ropes, and climbers must get into the rhythmic movement of pulling and stepping up. Kicking steps, while lodging one's front points into the hard blue ice, is the predominant movement required for this unrelenting ascent up towards the South Col.
The Yellow Band
The sedimentary sandstone rock of the Yellow Band is a distinctive feature of the Lhotse Face which requires about 100 meters of rope to traverse it. This is the first rock a climber touches on the route up Everest. It becomes very obvious when one has reached this point in the climb -- one's crampons hit hard rock. The top of the yellow band is at 25,000 feet.
The Geneva Spur
Named by a Swiss expedition in 1952, the Geneva Spur is an anvil-shaped black rib of rock fixed with ropes so climbers can scramble up its steep snow-covered surface. The spur starts at about 24,000 feet. It is the last major hurdle before reaching the last camp on Everest.
The South Col
The site of the high camp, also known as Camp IV, this rock-strewn wind-swept saddle between Everest and Lhotse lies at 26,000 feet. Col is a Welsh word for saddle or pass. This location was named by the British Reconnaissance Expedition of 1921 which viewed it from a vantage point some seven miles away. Currently used by all expeditions as the high camp, it is still a demanding 3000-foot climb from here to the summit. Discarded expedition equipment litters the football field-sized area used for camp. At this elevation, all expedition and Sherpa members sleep with a low flow of oxygen except those wishing to attempt the summit "gas free." Fierce jet stream winds can demolish an uninhabited tent here in minutes so the expeditions do not erect their tents until they arrive.
The Southeast Ridge
The climbers reach the Southeast Ridge at 27,700 feet at a place known as "The Balcony." At this platform the climbers rest and admire the dawn light illuminating the peaks to the east and south. From here, the snow ridge rises 1,000 feet to the South Summit and gently arcs to the north. 400 feet below the South Summit, a series of rock steps often forces climbers to the east and into waist deep snow. This can often be the most strenuous and dangerous section of the climb, because the wind-deposited snow can be avalanche prone.
The South Summit
The climbers' first small victory of the day, the South Summit is a ping pong table-size dome of snow and ice at 28,700 feet. From here the climbers can obtain the view of the final obstacles ahead of them: the Cornice Traverse, the Hillary Step, and the final slopes to the summit. It is traditional to change oxygen bottles here so that one has a fresh bottle for the final ascent and return to the South Summit. If it's late in the day or the weather is deteriorating, this is the place to make the all-important decision to turn around.
The Cornice Traverse
A 400-foot long horizontal section of rock and wind-carved snow, this is easily the most intimidating section of the climb. Climbers must carefully traverse a knife-edge ridge of snow plastered to intermittent rocks. This is the most exposed section of the entire climb, and a misstep to the right would send a climber tumbling down the 10,000-foot Kangshung Face. A misstep to the left would send one careening 8,000 feet down the Southwest Face, were it not for the fixed ropes.
The Hillary Step
The most famous physical feature on Everest, the Hillary Step, at 28,750 feet, is a 40-foot spur of snow and ice. First climbed in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the Hillary Step is the last obstacle barring access to the gently angled summit slopes. Modern-day climbers use a fixed rope up here to ascend the Hillary Step. We marvel at Hillary and Tenzing's achievement in climbing this impressive mountaineering obstacle without fixed ropes and using what is now considered primitive ice climbing equipment.
The Summit
See QTVR View from the Summit
At 29,028 feet, the world's highest point is covered with an assortment of prayer flags, remnants of surveying equipment and other offerings from climbers (photographs of family members, prayer packets, and discarded oxygen bottles). Covering the area of a picnic table, the snow-covered summit slopes steeply away to the north, southwest, and east. Climbers take care to not venture too far to the east as the massive cornices overhang a 10,000-foot face. The 360-degree panorama takes in the Tibetan Plateau to the north, as well as the great Himalayan peaks of Kanchenjunga to the east, Makalu to the southeast, and Cho Oyu to the west. On a clear day, it seems as if one can see across half a continent. 150 feet below the summit, climbers heading down often collect small rocks as mementos of their climb.
Love, Toby
http://classic.mountainzone.com/everest/photos2/45.stm
Everest: The Way to The Summit
The Western Cwm
See Western Cwm QTVR
Often called the "Valley of Silence," the Western Cwm is a broad, flat, gently undulating glacial valley basin terminating at the foot of the Lhotse Face. The central section is cut by massive lateral crevasses which bar entrance into the upper Western Cwm. In this section, climbers must cross to the far right, over to the base of Nuptse to a narrow passageway known as the Nuptse corner. From here, climbers have a stupendous view of the upper 8,000 feet of Everest -- the first glimpse of Everest's upper slopes since arriving at Base Camp. The last 5,000 feet on Everest, including its distinct black pyramid summit, are not visible from Base Camp. Contrary to what most people believe, some of the most difficult days on Everest are in the Western Cwm, when on a windless day it is desperately hot. Says David Breashears, "You literally pray for a puff of wind or a cloud to cover the sun so you can keep moving up to Advance Base Camp."
The Lhotse Face
See Camp III QTVR
The expansive western flank of Lhotse is called the Lhotse Face and is an unavoidable part of the traditional southeast route up Everest. Camp III sits about halfway up this ascending wall of glacial blue ice. From its bergshrund (base) to the top, the Lhotse Face rises some 3,700 feet, at 40 and 50-degree pitches with some occasional 80-degree bulges. The entire route is fixed with ropes, and climbers must get into the rhythmic movement of pulling and stepping up. Kicking steps, while lodging one's front points into the hard blue ice, is the predominant movement required for this unrelenting ascent up towards the South Col.
The Yellow Band
The sedimentary sandstone rock of the Yellow Band is a distinctive feature of the Lhotse Face which requires about 100 meters of rope to traverse it. This is the first rock a climber touches on the route up Everest. It becomes very obvious when one has reached this point in the climb -- one's crampons hit hard rock. The top of the yellow band is at 25,000 feet.
The Geneva Spur
Named by a Swiss expedition in 1952, the Geneva Spur is an anvil-shaped black rib of rock fixed with ropes so climbers can scramble up its steep snow-covered surface. The spur starts at about 24,000 feet. It is the last major hurdle before reaching the last camp on Everest.
The South Col
The site of the high camp, also known as Camp IV, this rock-strewn wind-swept saddle between Everest and Lhotse lies at 26,000 feet. Col is a Welsh word for saddle or pass. This location was named by the British Reconnaissance Expedition of 1921 which viewed it from a vantage point some seven miles away. Currently used by all expeditions as the high camp, it is still a demanding 3000-foot climb from here to the summit. Discarded expedition equipment litters the football field-sized area used for camp. At this elevation, all expedition and Sherpa members sleep with a low flow of oxygen except those wishing to attempt the summit "gas free." Fierce jet stream winds can demolish an uninhabited tent here in minutes so the expeditions do not erect their tents until they arrive.
The Southeast Ridge
The climbers reach the Southeast Ridge at 27,700 feet at a place known as "The Balcony." At this platform the climbers rest and admire the dawn light illuminating the peaks to the east and south. From here, the snow ridge rises 1,000 feet to the South Summit and gently arcs to the north. 400 feet below the South Summit, a series of rock steps often forces climbers to the east and into waist deep snow. This can often be the most strenuous and dangerous section of the climb, because the wind-deposited snow can be avalanche prone.
The South Summit
The climbers' first small victory of the day, the South Summit is a ping pong table-size dome of snow and ice at 28,700 feet. From here the climbers can obtain the view of the final obstacles ahead of them: the Cornice Traverse, the Hillary Step, and the final slopes to the summit. It is traditional to change oxygen bottles here so that one has a fresh bottle for the final ascent and return to the South Summit. If it's late in the day or the weather is deteriorating, this is the place to make the all-important decision to turn around.
The Cornice Traverse
A 400-foot long horizontal section of rock and wind-carved snow, this is easily the most intimidating section of the climb. Climbers must carefully traverse a knife-edge ridge of snow plastered to intermittent rocks. This is the most exposed section of the entire climb, and a misstep to the right would send a climber tumbling down the 10,000-foot Kangshung Face. A misstep to the left would send one careening 8,000 feet down the Southwest Face, were it not for the fixed ropes.
The Hillary Step
The most famous physical feature on Everest, the Hillary Step, at 28,750 feet, is a 40-foot spur of snow and ice. First climbed in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the Hillary Step is the last obstacle barring access to the gently angled summit slopes. Modern-day climbers use a fixed rope up here to ascend the Hillary Step. We marvel at Hillary and Tenzing's achievement in climbing this impressive mountaineering obstacle without fixed ropes and using what is now considered primitive ice climbing equipment.
The Summit
See QTVR View from the Summit
At 29,028 feet, the world's highest point is covered with an assortment of prayer flags, remnants of surveying equipment and other offerings from climbers (photographs of family members, prayer packets, and discarded oxygen bottles). Covering the area of a picnic table, the snow-covered summit slopes steeply away to the north, southwest, and east. Climbers take care to not venture too far to the east as the massive cornices overhang a 10,000-foot face. The 360-degree panorama takes in the Tibetan Plateau to the north, as well as the great Himalayan peaks of Kanchenjunga to the east, Makalu to the southeast, and Cho Oyu to the west. On a clear day, it seems as if one can see across half a continent. 150 feet below the summit, climbers heading down often collect small rocks as mementos of their climb.
Love, Toby
About yesterday afternoon
I was really proud of us (ALL of us, actors musicians lighting designers and you as our director as well) for pulling off a very worthwhile show today. The audience was having a blast watching us, but I believe we stayed true to our characters and ourselves and did not play to the audience for laughs. But rather that we allowed that beautiful positive energy to feed us and breathe into our bodies as performers and characters.
About my own personal performance: I found myself more nervous than I've ever been for a show, in my entire life. And it was what you had talked about before, in that this battle is a battle with our own fear. And for the better part of 2 acts I was allowing that fear to win the battle. THAT's why I think I went soft during part of the letter speech and during some other scenes. It wasn't until Act III scene iv did that I was really able to drop all that away and fully live in everything. I by no means closed myself off or gave up, I just mean to say that the fear was having a bigger effect on myself that I had anticipated, for far longer that I thought it would. It was definitly a learning experience for me, in that I noticed what worked and what didn't work for me. I expected that being on stage while the audience came in would help allay and assuage any fears I had. What I found interesting was that it actually made me MORE nervous, because I...well I don't know why yet. !
I guess I allowed myself to get rattled a little bit by it, and feeling SO naked for what felt like upwards of a half hour (though I know it was little more than 10 minutes, if that). I'm feeling confident for tomorrow, having lived and loved for those 2 hours today. I must say, however, that that feeling after we had finished and we were taking our bows and changing after the show was over was one of the most incredible, jubilant, experiences of my life. I mean, top 5 man. Seriously. I've never had such fun.
So, thank you once again. People keep talking to me about the beautiful direction that was employed, people who don't even know who you are Matt, so that was pretty fantastic to hear as well. Because you, as Don send and I reiterate, were a fabulous leader, and brought us the water, and we have decided to slurp it up like the camels we are. Okay, that's enough with the ridiculous metaphors.
See You Tomorrow Mateys (Matties? Mates?) Whatever.
Ahoy, Let's hoist sail tomorrow into the bliss of beauty and story telling.
Bon Voyage,
The Madly Blessed Nicolas Ducassi
About my own personal performance: I found myself more nervous than I've ever been for a show, in my entire life. And it was what you had talked about before, in that this battle is a battle with our own fear. And for the better part of 2 acts I was allowing that fear to win the battle. THAT's why I think I went soft during part of the letter speech and during some other scenes. It wasn't until Act III scene iv did that I was really able to drop all that away and fully live in everything. I by no means closed myself off or gave up, I just mean to say that the fear was having a bigger effect on myself that I had anticipated, for far longer that I thought it would. It was definitly a learning experience for me, in that I noticed what worked and what didn't work for me. I expected that being on stage while the audience came in would help allay and assuage any fears I had. What I found interesting was that it actually made me MORE nervous, because I...well I don't know why yet. !
I guess I allowed myself to get rattled a little bit by it, and feeling SO naked for what felt like upwards of a half hour (though I know it was little more than 10 minutes, if that). I'm feeling confident for tomorrow, having lived and loved for those 2 hours today. I must say, however, that that feeling after we had finished and we were taking our bows and changing after the show was over was one of the most incredible, jubilant, experiences of my life. I mean, top 5 man. Seriously. I've never had such fun.
So, thank you once again. People keep talking to me about the beautiful direction that was employed, people who don't even know who you are Matt, so that was pretty fantastic to hear as well. Because you, as Don send and I reiterate, were a fabulous leader, and brought us the water, and we have decided to slurp it up like the camels we are. Okay, that's enough with the ridiculous metaphors.
See You Tomorrow Mateys (Matties? Mates?) Whatever.
Ahoy, Let's hoist sail tomorrow into the bliss of beauty and story telling.
Bon Voyage,
The Madly Blessed Nicolas Ducassi
Our first go...
Wow. Our first show> what a thrilling experience, but also an interesting one. I was not surprised that the audience received it so well. I think part of why it was received so well was because we truly were presenting a story. The story is the key. That being said, I do agree with Matt, I feel I lost a certain level of control in my performance last night. Not that I lost specificity, but that I maybe didn’t trust the audience quite enough. We did all let them in, and I did not feel intimidated by them at all, but maybe because I was so excited to share, I let that pull me out of my center. My goals for this night’s performance are to stay more grounded, stay as free as last night, as playful, as generous, but most importantly to tell this story with you guys, not forget the honest story. Lets break another leg tonight guys!!!
- Olivia :)
- Olivia :)
opening night.... thoughts after digesting
Yesterday was an absolute trip. I was so proud of our ensemble and that includes Olivia, Tom, Nick, Skye, Jordan, Sarah and of-course Matt. I know that today is going to be another mountain to climb but as long as we realize they're different people and that we have to make everything fresh we can absolutely do it again.
But, Last Night... I never expected to feel so detached as i did. The breaks between my first 3 scenes are absolutely fatal and i wasn't doing my job until i started the "ayre" monologue. Tonight i will strive to bridge that gap between scenes and connect Sebastians arch. I betrayed myself yesterday by getting upset at the role of Sebastian after the show. While this is human nature i had to have known it was going to happen. So i apologize to all of you. We have all put so much work into this and its not fair for me to be upset. I am going to wipe it clean today and do the work and most importantly tell the story.
The first ones in the bag now its just a matter of telling this beautiful story all over again. I know you will all be great and i promise i'll be there with you.
Love,
Ross
But, Last Night... I never expected to feel so detached as i did. The breaks between my first 3 scenes are absolutely fatal and i wasn't doing my job until i started the "ayre" monologue. Tonight i will strive to bridge that gap between scenes and connect Sebastians arch. I betrayed myself yesterday by getting upset at the role of Sebastian after the show. While this is human nature i had to have known it was going to happen. So i apologize to all of you. We have all put so much work into this and its not fair for me to be upset. I am going to wipe it clean today and do the work and most importantly tell the story.
The first ones in the bag now its just a matter of telling this beautiful story all over again. I know you will all be great and i promise i'll be there with you.
Love,
Ross
Thursday, September 25, 2008
To the Cast...
It is Thursday night, the night before we open. Today we did both a run thru with Matt and the band, followed in the evening by a company speed thru, with out Matt. The speed thru was somewhat successful – as a company we allowed ourselves the freedom to make bold, crazy silly choices that we might not otherwise make in order to play and stay free. This was good at the beginning, but as the run went on some company members lost focus. I think this is because it is really uncomfortable to find a place in which serious and silly, structure and abandon may coexist. However, it is exactly that which I think we, as actors must strive for.
I left tonight feeling incredibly grateful to be working with such a supportive, intuitive and brilliant cast of actors. I have rarely felt so excited and proud to tell a story as I am for tomorrow! I remember Matt sitting us down at the first rehearsal and telling us that the center of our process should be how fucking incredible this play is, and I think we have maintained that focus. I have fallen in love – and only wish we had a longer run to share our interpretation and discoveries of this tale. While there may be much better production’s of this show, more rehearsed, with greater budgets, and actual crews; what we have is so unique because it is a product of us – a combination of our minds, emotions, experiences – blood, sweat and definitely some tears. No matter how many times one or all of us goes on to do this production again (and we probably all will) it will never be the same! And it is this uniqueness that I know we will all honor and celebrate and share in our !
performances tomorrow afternoon and Saturday. Thank you guys for all ☺
- Olivia (BEKIE)
I left tonight feeling incredibly grateful to be working with such a supportive, intuitive and brilliant cast of actors. I have rarely felt so excited and proud to tell a story as I am for tomorrow! I remember Matt sitting us down at the first rehearsal and telling us that the center of our process should be how fucking incredible this play is, and I think we have maintained that focus. I have fallen in love – and only wish we had a longer run to share our interpretation and discoveries of this tale. While there may be much better production’s of this show, more rehearsed, with greater budgets, and actual crews; what we have is so unique because it is a product of us – a combination of our minds, emotions, experiences – blood, sweat and definitely some tears. No matter how many times one or all of us goes on to do this production again (and we probably all will) it will never be the same! And it is this uniqueness that I know we will all honor and celebrate and share in our !
performances tomorrow afternoon and Saturday. Thank you guys for all ☺
- Olivia (BEKIE)
In Honor of Our Last Night of Rehearsal
List of Things That Have Been Proven by Google to be Brutally Efficient:
1) Free Trial for Self-Defense Techniques in Jackson Heights
2) The Shadowmage Infiltrator in Magic the Gathering
3) The Flametongue Kavu in Magic the Gathering
4) The Trek Madone 6.9 Pro DA Bicycle
5) The Pittsburgh Steelers
6) The Swedish Death Metal Band "Scar Symmetry"
7) The Art of Corporate Soulcraft
8) The Chinese (According to some guy's blog)
9) The Official JPP Production of Twelfth Night (Not to be confused with October's Twelfth Night in the Park which did not make this coveted list)
10) The San Antonio Spurs
We are competing to be on a list of greats, ya'll. I had a wonderful time rehearsing with everybody today, and I cannot wait to share this show with whomever comes tomorrow and Saturday. Thank you all so much for such a wonderful, safe, supportive process, and rest well.
- John
1) Free Trial for Self-Defense Techniques in Jackson Heights
2) The Shadowmage Infiltrator in Magic the Gathering
3) The Flametongue Kavu in Magic the Gathering
4) The Trek Madone 6.9 Pro DA Bicycle
5) The Pittsburgh Steelers
6) The Swedish Death Metal Band "Scar Symmetry"
7) The Art of Corporate Soulcraft
8) The Chinese (According to some guy's blog)
9) The Official JPP Production of Twelfth Night (Not to be confused with October's Twelfth Night in the Park which did not make this coveted list)
10) The San Antonio Spurs
We are competing to be on a list of greats, ya'll. I had a wonderful time rehearsing with everybody today, and I cannot wait to share this show with whomever comes tomorrow and Saturday. Thank you all so much for such a wonderful, safe, supportive process, and rest well.
- John
To the cast and designers
I cannot really articulate how important and memorable this process has been for me to be a part of.
So
Instead, I'll let you all know that your work is in a really great place to share with the rest of the school. What I hope you have all got from this is the importance of keeping yourself on top of your game, no matter what the parameters of the project. High Budget, Low Budget or no Budget - you all must always be working at the crest of your training, instinct and intelligence.
Actors - I also hope you will continue to develop and foster relationships with lighting designers. They can be like OZ behind your character's curtain - pulling the levers that you dont need to, adding depth and layers to your work.
So tomorrow, demand the best from yourselves. And share that with the rest of the school. Try not to inflict yourselves on them. Hide the obstacles that you think are plaguing you (sickness, self doubt, proving yourself to a student/teacher, etc). No action has direction or life when sacrificed to an overbearing obstacle. Instead, remember why you like the play, like working with this company, like this school (tough sometimes, maybe) and like acting. Share that.
Above all, serve the story, speak with the audience and support your company members.
Because Im pretentious, Im now going to quote Shakespeare :
Just as Hamlet finally understands how simple, and yet deadly his mission is, Hamlet turns to Horatio and says:
"We defy augury; there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all."
Be ready
matt
So
Instead, I'll let you all know that your work is in a really great place to share with the rest of the school. What I hope you have all got from this is the importance of keeping yourself on top of your game, no matter what the parameters of the project. High Budget, Low Budget or no Budget - you all must always be working at the crest of your training, instinct and intelligence.
Actors - I also hope you will continue to develop and foster relationships with lighting designers. They can be like OZ behind your character's curtain - pulling the levers that you dont need to, adding depth and layers to your work.
So tomorrow, demand the best from yourselves. And share that with the rest of the school. Try not to inflict yourselves on them. Hide the obstacles that you think are plaguing you (sickness, self doubt, proving yourself to a student/teacher, etc). No action has direction or life when sacrificed to an overbearing obstacle. Instead, remember why you like the play, like working with this company, like this school (tough sometimes, maybe) and like acting. Share that.
Above all, serve the story, speak with the audience and support your company members.
Because Im pretentious, Im now going to quote Shakespeare :
Just as Hamlet finally understands how simple, and yet deadly his mission is, Hamlet turns to Horatio and says:
"We defy augury; there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all."
Be ready
matt
Shurtleff Once Said...
John Michael and i were having a bit of trouble with our first scene early on so we worked it a couple days ago and found that the problem was that i wasn't paying enough attention to him. the scene couldn't build because i wasn't looking at him. i would turn away from him and ignore him at times and the night after we worked it i went back to Shurtleff's audition and read this passage. thought it was interesting.
CHOOSING TO IGNORE YOUR PARTNER IS A BAD CHOICE!
We ignore someone because we dont like what he says! that means we wish he would sau something other then what we are hearing. that means we want him to change. the active of ignoring is to want the other person in the scene to change: to stop being what he is and become what we want him to be.
find out what you want you partner to change to, and make that your choice. make it specific.
CHOOSING TO IGNORE YOUR PARTNER IS A BAD CHOICE!
We ignore someone because we dont like what he says! that means we wish he would sau something other then what we are hearing. that means we want him to change. the active of ignoring is to want the other person in the scene to change: to stop being what he is and become what we want him to be.
find out what you want you partner to change to, and make that your choice. make it specific.
Last Night...
So I know that i've been talking to a couple of you primarily Hunter and Frank abot how i've been having trouble with this character because i'm either working too hard and i feel like I'm getting nowhere and i'm a week behind everyone. So i approached matt after rehearsal to have a a talk about it which was very good because Matt explained to me that the character doesn't really get caught up in the story of the play until the beginning of act 4 and the first two scenes he is in could be from a different play entirely. What i've been feeling is lonely and sort of like i'm not part of the story/ i'm a week behind. But what matt made clear to me was that i was just feeling what Sebastian is feeling.. Lonely and left behind. everyone he loves is gone and he is in this new uncharted territory that he does not know. I'm feeling alot better now and you ca all rest easy knowing that its him (sebastian) not me. or is sebastian me? dum dum DUMMMMMMMM!
The single greatest lesson
So Matt said something tonight that really struck me. During notes, he mentioned that one of the greatest tools an actor can have is empathy. It isn't even a tool; it's a life plan. That got me thinking a bit about how I approach characters. I always, consciously or subconsciously, have assumed that a character is something that can be "understood." This made me wonder if I view human beings in the same light. For it follows that if I were to give a character the full respect he or she deserves, I would have to give him or her the same respect I would give to any human being or loved one, especially if this is a character whom I hope to portray. And as I cannot say that I fully "understand" myself, how dare I presume to understand another human or, for that matter, a character in a play? For me to understand a character is for me to say that there is nothing left for him or her to offer me. I hope that this will never be the case.
I know it has been useful for me in the past to make the laundry lists of "things people say about me" and "things I say about myself" for the characters I approach, but I think this exercise only works as an observation. The moment my process becomes a quest for understanding, I think I am in serious trouble. A couple weeks ago in rehearsal, I expressed the frustration I had been feeling because I didn't understand "why" Andrew was in this script. I just couldn't figure out what he was doing in this play or where he fit in with this story as a whole. Thinking back on it, I am a bit embarrassed. While the argument could be made that I as an actor need to know more than my character does about the play, the fact of the matter is that I don't know why I am here. I don't know what my purpose is in my world. I know that I have friends, family, pets, enemies, loved ones, teachers, peers, and a bicycle, but I cannot even come close to venturing a "why" for all of this. Why should I expect anything different from a character?
So I guess for me the real lesson of last night was that I don't know why Andrew is in this play. But I do know who he loves and who he hates. I know who he merely likes and who frightens him. I know which characters confuse him and which ones comfort him. I know which conversations excite him and which ones bore him to tears. I don't understand Andrew, and I hope that I never will, but I can sure as hell empathize with him.
I know it has been useful for me in the past to make the laundry lists of "things people say about me" and "things I say about myself" for the characters I approach, but I think this exercise only works as an observation. The moment my process becomes a quest for understanding, I think I am in serious trouble. A couple weeks ago in rehearsal, I expressed the frustration I had been feeling because I didn't understand "why" Andrew was in this script. I just couldn't figure out what he was doing in this play or where he fit in with this story as a whole. Thinking back on it, I am a bit embarrassed. While the argument could be made that I as an actor need to know more than my character does about the play, the fact of the matter is that I don't know why I am here. I don't know what my purpose is in my world. I know that I have friends, family, pets, enemies, loved ones, teachers, peers, and a bicycle, but I cannot even come close to venturing a "why" for all of this. Why should I expect anything different from a character?
So I guess for me the real lesson of last night was that I don't know why Andrew is in this play. But I do know who he loves and who he hates. I know who he merely likes and who frightens him. I know which characters confuse him and which ones comfort him. I know which conversations excite him and which ones bore him to tears. I don't understand Andrew, and I hope that I never will, but I can sure as hell empathize with him.
Sir Andrew and I
What might happen if Sir Andrew and Viola could continue their fight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHMuzP8RTQQ&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZQhJwqxzuo
What they both wish they could do to each other:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omxmtMl-7MM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHMuzP8RTQQ&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZQhJwqxzuo
What they both wish they could do to each other:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omxmtMl-7MM&feature=related
Come Away Death
Something that I've been playing with since I started with Orsino's backstory is the significance of "Come Away Death." This is one element of my backstory that is very specific. What I've put together is that there was one servant that worked in my household when I was a child of about 7 or 8 who was my favorite servant. She was an older woman who served as a surrogate mother to me since my real mother was too busy with her Duchess duties. This servant woman used to sing "Come Away Death" to me when she would put me to bed so it brings back real emotions and memories since this woman was the closest thing I've had to a family thus far in my life. I know it's impossible to play all of that while I'm listening to the song but I thought it'd be interesting for you guys to all know what was going on for me during it.
-Frank
-Frank
A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Theater
Yesterdays run in the space was very hit and miss for me. There were moments where I was totally and completely "in" the show and other moments where all I could think of was "What's my next line?" or "Stop making that weird face!" One of the problems last night that gave me a solution (hopefully) for our next run was Act V. Throughout the process thus far, most of Act V has given me problems from what my state is at the top to the confusion/reveals section later. I have been having trouble with Viola's reactions to everything she is getting blamed for. Of coarse she is confused and of coarse she is upset, but as an actor, I have felt like I have been belaboring my reactions. I want to just argue with everybody and ask them what the hell they are talking about, but since I have no lines. . . no go. After thinking long and hard (and having an all of 30- second but oh, so helpful conversation with Amanda), I came to the conclusion that I don't really have to "do" anything - th!
at is, I don't need to huff and puff and repeatedly throw my hands in the air to get the point across that I don't know what is going on. I just need to try and figure out why everybody has suddenly turned against me, and there it is. Oh, how simple answers look after you have spent so much time thinking about them! I also realized that my stakes need to be much higher at the beginning of Act V. Orsino is finally going to talk to Olivia and not only am I head over heels, no turning back in love with him, but he has no idea that Olivia is in love with me! Really, Act V is a phenominal lesson for me in truthfully reacting when you have long sections where you have no text. Thanks a bunch Act V (insert wink and tooth shine here)!!!
- Katie
at is, I don't need to huff and puff and repeatedly throw my hands in the air to get the point across that I don't know what is going on. I just need to try and figure out why everybody has suddenly turned against me, and there it is. Oh, how simple answers look after you have spent so much time thinking about them! I also realized that my stakes need to be much higher at the beginning of Act V. Orsino is finally going to talk to Olivia and not only am I head over heels, no turning back in love with him, but he has no idea that Olivia is in love with me! Really, Act V is a phenominal lesson for me in truthfully reacting when you have long sections where you have no text. Thanks a bunch Act V (insert wink and tooth shine here)!!!
- Katie
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Character and Text
I've noticed something that I think would be useful to our company to hear.
Before Saturday's run, we had been talking about TEXT TEXT TEXT, and pushing the TEXT to communicate, and using the TEXT to move you, and that our characters are IN THE TEXT. Because of that, I think we placed our focus on the TEXT and not on "acting," that we were liberated and allowed to play more without even knowing it, or even trying, because we didn't know we were playing. When someone says "play more" in a scene or a show, it's hard to really know how to do that, because we you put so much focus on "playing" you stop knowing how to have fun, and then it just feels like work. BUT! It's like misdirection in magic, I think, in that the more you focus on the words, which are really the only thing that communicate character and the like, the more your body and mind is freed up to help express those emotions and character, because they naturally fall into place to support the text.
Instead of going "Malvolio walks like this and then he moves his hand like that" WHILE I'm on stage, if you focus on what the hell Malvolio is saying and who he's saying it to, the movement and mannerisms and everything else will rise to the occasion to support that communication. It's a beautiful thing. I think the voice work in Joe's class really highlights these thoughts.
In last night's final dress rehearsal, I think because of the new audience members being there, we weren't focused on text, we were so focused on acting, so the text maybe wasn't as strong, and though we thought if we focused on our "acting" and how our characters do things that it would be better, I found out, at least for myself, that it communicated far less.
Like Hamlet says, it's all about "words, words...words"
Before Saturday's run, we had been talking about TEXT TEXT TEXT, and pushing the TEXT to communicate, and using the TEXT to move you, and that our characters are IN THE TEXT. Because of that, I think we placed our focus on the TEXT and not on "acting," that we were liberated and allowed to play more without even knowing it, or even trying, because we didn't know we were playing. When someone says "play more" in a scene or a show, it's hard to really know how to do that, because we you put so much focus on "playing" you stop knowing how to have fun, and then it just feels like work. BUT! It's like misdirection in magic, I think, in that the more you focus on the words, which are really the only thing that communicate character and the like, the more your body and mind is freed up to help express those emotions and character, because they naturally fall into place to support the text.
Instead of going "Malvolio walks like this and then he moves his hand like that" WHILE I'm on stage, if you focus on what the hell Malvolio is saying and who he's saying it to, the movement and mannerisms and everything else will rise to the occasion to support that communication. It's a beautiful thing. I think the voice work in Joe's class really highlights these thoughts.
In last night's final dress rehearsal, I think because of the new audience members being there, we weren't focused on text, we were so focused on acting, so the text maybe wasn't as strong, and though we thought if we focused on our "acting" and how our characters do things that it would be better, I found out, at least for myself, that it communicated far less.
Like Hamlet says, it's all about "words, words...words"
"Go Off!" and "Come Knight!"
Alot of words to speak a simple idea. Oh well...
In terms of entrances and exits, I think there are valuable seconds being wasted between the ends of scenes and the beginnings of others that we can take advantage of. I've noticed that the lull creates pauses in the pace of the show, and that each new scene has to start at a place of static energy, rather than as a link in the chain of the show (pardon the bad metaphor). John Barton spoke about how it was difficult for him, when he directed the show, to create that sense of "seamlessness" from scene to scene, as many of the scenes that run back to back are quite different in style and tone. I wonder, however, about whether this is true. It was commented on a different director's RSC production of Twelfth Night, that instead of viewing the play in terms of comic moments and dramatic moments, it should be viewed instead of dramatic scenes laced with comedy and comedic scenes laced with dramatic weight, so that there is no separating the two. Viewing the play through this lens!
e will I think justify flowing the scenes into one another more.
In terms of executing this, what if we as a cast work on, when we see a scene end and the characters are exiting the stage, as soon as they've turned their backs, the next characters can jump right in. Remember, all of these events at many times are happening simultaneously, so to keep the continuity and the urgency moving, as well as the pace up, we can sort of overlap an ending and a beginning. Once a scene has ended, the audience is aware that is has ended, and if we give them no time to pause and stop between the scenes, we start building that snowball. I think of it like movies. There are no "blackouts" between every scene in a movie. Rather, they "cut" from one scene to the next, where as soon as one scene ends, we start immediately with another one, seeing new characters in a new environment. Think how much longer, and how much dramatic tension is lost, if after every scene we had a black screen, to allow us as audience members go "phew, that's over, on to the next bi!
t of business in a few seconds. NO! I think THAT will help us get ahead of the audience and make them catch up.
Lots of words to say: let's meld exits and entrances.
In terms of entrances and exits, I think there are valuable seconds being wasted between the ends of scenes and the beginnings of others that we can take advantage of. I've noticed that the lull creates pauses in the pace of the show, and that each new scene has to start at a place of static energy, rather than as a link in the chain of the show (pardon the bad metaphor). John Barton spoke about how it was difficult for him, when he directed the show, to create that sense of "seamlessness" from scene to scene, as many of the scenes that run back to back are quite different in style and tone. I wonder, however, about whether this is true. It was commented on a different director's RSC production of Twelfth Night, that instead of viewing the play in terms of comic moments and dramatic moments, it should be viewed instead of dramatic scenes laced with comedy and comedic scenes laced with dramatic weight, so that there is no separating the two. Viewing the play through this lens!
e will I think justify flowing the scenes into one another more.
In terms of executing this, what if we as a cast work on, when we see a scene end and the characters are exiting the stage, as soon as they've turned their backs, the next characters can jump right in. Remember, all of these events at many times are happening simultaneously, so to keep the continuity and the urgency moving, as well as the pace up, we can sort of overlap an ending and a beginning. Once a scene has ended, the audience is aware that is has ended, and if we give them no time to pause and stop between the scenes, we start building that snowball. I think of it like movies. There are no "blackouts" between every scene in a movie. Rather, they "cut" from one scene to the next, where as soon as one scene ends, we start immediately with another one, seeing new characters in a new environment. Think how much longer, and how much dramatic tension is lost, if after every scene we had a black screen, to allow us as audience members go "phew, that's over, on to the next bi!
t of business in a few seconds. NO! I think THAT will help us get ahead of the audience and make them catch up.
Lots of words to say: let's meld exits and entrances.
- Duke
In terms of entrances and exits, I think there are valuable seconds being wasted between the ends of scenes and the beginnings of others that we can take advantage of. I've noticed that the lull creates pauses in the pace of the show, and that each new scene has to start at a place of static energy, rather than as a link in the chain of the show (pardon the bad metaphor). John Barton spoke about how it was difficult for him, when he directed the show, to create that sense of "seamlessness" from scene to scene, as many of the scenes that run back to back are quite different in style and tone. I wonder, however, about whether this is true. It was commented on a different director's RSC production of Twelfth Night, that instead of viewing the play in terms of comic moments and dramatic moments, it should be viewed instead of dramatic scenes laced with comedy and comedic scenes laced with dramatic weight, so that there is no separating the two. Viewing the play through this lens!
e will I think justify flowing the scenes into one another more.
In terms of executing this, what if we as a cast work on, when we see a scene end and the characters are exiting the stage, as soon as they've turned their backs, the next characters can jump right in. Remember, all of these events at many times are happening simultaneously, so to keep the continuity and the urgency moving, as well as the pace up, we can sort of overlap an ending and a beginning. Once a scene has ended, the audience is aware that is has ended, and if we give them no time to pause and stop between the scenes, we start building that snowball. I think of it like movies. There are no "blackouts" between every scene in a movie. Rather, they "cut" from one scene to the next, where as soon as one scene ends, we start immediately with another one, seeing new characters in a new environment. Think how much longer, and how much dramatic tension is lost, if after every scene we had a black screen, to allow us as audience members go "phew, that's over, on to the next bi!
t of business in a few seconds. NO! I think THAT will help us get ahead of the audience and make them catch up.
Lots of words to say: let's meld exits and entrances.
In terms of entrances and exits, I think there are valuable seconds being wasted between the ends of scenes and the beginnings of others that we can take advantage of. I've noticed that the lull creates pauses in the pace of the show, and that each new scene has to start at a place of static energy, rather than as a link in the chain of the show (pardon the bad metaphor). John Barton spoke about how it was difficult for him, when he directed the show, to create that sense of "seamlessness" from scene to scene, as many of the scenes that run back to back are quite different in style and tone. I wonder, however, about whether this is true. It was commented on a different director's RSC production of Twelfth Night, that instead of viewing the play in terms of comic moments and dramatic moments, it should be viewed instead of dramatic scenes laced with comedy and comedic scenes laced with dramatic weight, so that there is no separating the two. Viewing the play through this lens!
e will I think justify flowing the scenes into one another more.
In terms of executing this, what if we as a cast work on, when we see a scene end and the characters are exiting the stage, as soon as they've turned their backs, the next characters can jump right in. Remember, all of these events at many times are happening simultaneously, so to keep the continuity and the urgency moving, as well as the pace up, we can sort of overlap an ending and a beginning. Once a scene has ended, the audience is aware that is has ended, and if we give them no time to pause and stop between the scenes, we start building that snowball. I think of it like movies. There are no "blackouts" between every scene in a movie. Rather, they "cut" from one scene to the next, where as soon as one scene ends, we start immediately with another one, seeing new characters in a new environment. Think how much longer, and how much dramatic tension is lost, if after every scene we had a black screen, to allow us as audience members go "phew, that's over, on to the next bi!
t of business in a few seconds. NO! I think THAT will help us get ahead of the audience and make them catch up.
Lots of words to say: let's meld exits and entrances.
- Duke
Lights (no camera), Action!
think we've been putting up some excellent work thus far in our few times in the space with full lights and costumes etc. The light has made a HUGE difference in my time in the show.
Specifically:
Observing who is highlighted in a scene and who is not in terms of the lighting, and trying to unearth why. For some scenes, especially the ones I'm in, to see why. In terms of the "come away death" scene, the spookiness of Valentine just simply sitting back and watching in faint light as Feste and Orsino and Cesario are highlighted keeps the tug and pull of Cesario and Valentine alive, and it really helps create the tether between Feste and Orsino that begins to fester (funny verb, eh?) in it.
I've noticed something pretty exciting as well, in that the moment we are in the space in the light in our costumes, it's like our "showtime" caps have been put on. Because no matter the lack of focus or whatnot in the runs in the studios, the minute our bodies sense the opportunity to truly perform, to let loose and live in the reasons we're pursuing this in the first place, to perform, it's like we just snap into "let's DO IT!" mode. Though we might not have "felt" as good about last night as we did about Saturday night, I think it may be a misconception, because feelings are useless in theater, it's the audience's reaction and understanding of it that makes a run better or worse. I spoke to Merrick today, who had no knowledge of Twelfth Night before the run, and asked him if he understood the play. He replied that he understood everything perfectly, from the plot of Olivia and Cesario and Orsino, to the subplots Sebastian and Antonio and Malvolio, Maria, Toby, and Andrew,!
to where Feste fit within the play's context. And he meant it.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm really wanting to get this in front of an audience. And I know that may be a naive feeling, but I think we're going to discover alot about ourselves, but more importantly the characters, when they (as characters) must go before a crowd and speak our hearts.
Let's do it.
- Duke
Specifically:
Observing who is highlighted in a scene and who is not in terms of the lighting, and trying to unearth why. For some scenes, especially the ones I'm in, to see why. In terms of the "come away death" scene, the spookiness of Valentine just simply sitting back and watching in faint light as Feste and Orsino and Cesario are highlighted keeps the tug and pull of Cesario and Valentine alive, and it really helps create the tether between Feste and Orsino that begins to fester (funny verb, eh?) in it.
I've noticed something pretty exciting as well, in that the moment we are in the space in the light in our costumes, it's like our "showtime" caps have been put on. Because no matter the lack of focus or whatnot in the runs in the studios, the minute our bodies sense the opportunity to truly perform, to let loose and live in the reasons we're pursuing this in the first place, to perform, it's like we just snap into "let's DO IT!" mode. Though we might not have "felt" as good about last night as we did about Saturday night, I think it may be a misconception, because feelings are useless in theater, it's the audience's reaction and understanding of it that makes a run better or worse. I spoke to Merrick today, who had no knowledge of Twelfth Night before the run, and asked him if he understood the play. He replied that he understood everything perfectly, from the plot of Olivia and Cesario and Orsino, to the subplots Sebastian and Antonio and Malvolio, Maria, Toby, and Andrew,!
to where Feste fit within the play's context. And he meant it.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm really wanting to get this in front of an audience. And I know that may be a naive feeling, but I think we're going to discover alot about ourselves, but more importantly the characters, when they (as characters) must go before a crowd and speak our hearts.
Let's do it.
- Duke
Let there be LIGHT!!!
I know we were given the ominous warning of, "If you have a good run, chances are it'll be followed by a poor run." But (personally) I think last night was off the chain (or ballin', if you will). And I think I need to attribute the bulk of last night's success to Jordan and Sarah who have done a tremendous job in such a short time with the lights for the show. Being lit by them made it so easy to manipulate the space and really find the control that I've been looking for. I know that I wouldn't have felt as grounded and sustained if it weren't for the viagra like effect the lighting design was having on me. So once again I would like to bow to them and give them my greatest thanks for making the play look so spectacular.
- Frank
- Frank
Alcohol...
Effects
Main article: Long-term effects of alcohol
The primary effect of alcoholism is to encourage the sufferer to drink at times and in amounts that are damaging to physical health. The secondary damage caused by an inability to control one's drinking manifests in many ways. Alcoholism also has a significant social costs to both the alcoholic and their family and friends. Alcoholics have a very high suicide rate with studies showing between 8% and 21% of alcoholics commit suicide. Alcoholism also has a significant adverse impact on mental health. The risk of alcoholics committing suicide has been determined to be 5080 times higher than the general public average.[25]
Physical health effects
It is common for a person suffering from alcoholism to drink well after physical health effects start to manifest. The physical health effects associated with alcohol consumption may include cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, epilepsy, polyneuropathy, alcoholic dementia, heart disease, increased chance of cancer, nutritional deficiencies, sexual dysfunction, and death from many sources.
Mental health effects
Long term misuse of alcohol can cause a wide range of mental health effects. Alcohol misuse is not only toxic to the body but also to brain function and thus psychological well being can be adversely affected by the long-term effects of alcohol misuse. Psychiatric disorders are common in alcoholics, especially anxiety and depression disorders, with as many as 25% of alcoholics presenting with severe psychiatric disturbances. Typically these psychiatric symptoms caused by alcohol misuse initially worsen during alcohol withdrawal but with abstinence these psychiatric symptoms typically gradually improve or disappear altogether.[26] Panic disorder can develop as a direct result of long term alcohol misuse. Panic disorder can also worsen or occur as part of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome.[27] Chronic alcohol misuse can cause panic disorder to develop or worsen an underlying panic disorder via distortion of the neurochemical system in the brain.[28]
Social effects
The social problems arising from alcoholism can be significant. Being drunk or hung over during work hours can result in loss of employment, which can lead to financial problems including the loss of living quarters. Drinking at inappropriate times, and behavior caused by reduced judgment, can lead to legal consequences, such as criminal charges for drunk driving or public disorder, or civil penalties for tortious behavior. An alcoholic's behavior and mental impairment while drunk can profoundly impact surrounding family and friends, possibly leading to marital conflict and divorce, or contributing to domestic violence. This can contribute to lasting damage to the emotional development of the alcoholic's children, even after they reach adulthood. The alcoholic could suffer from loss of respect from others who may see the problem as self-inflicted and easily avoided.
Alcohol withdrawal
Main article: Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
Alcohol withdrawal differs significantly from most other drugs because it can be directly fatal. Drugs which have a similar mechanism of action to alcohol also have a similar risk of causing death during withdrawal, including barbiturate and benzodiazepine withdrawal. For example it is extremely rare for heroin or cocaine withdrawal to be fatal. When people die from heroin or cocaine withdrawal they typically have serious underlying health problems which are made worse by the strain of acute withdrawal. An alcoholic however, who has no serious health issues has a significant risk of dying from the direct effects of withdrawal if it is not properly managed.
Alcohol's primary effect is the increase in stimulation of the GABAA receptor, promoting central nervous system depression. With repeated heavy consumption of alcohol, these receptors are desensitized and reduced in number, resulting in tolerance and physical dependence. Thus when alcohol is stopped, especially abruptly, the person's nervous system suffers from uncontrolled synapse firing. This can result in symptoms that include anxiety, life threatening seizures, delirium tremens and hallucinations, shakes and possible heart failure.
Acute withdrawal symptoms tend to subside after 1 - 3 weeks. Less severe symptoms (e.g. insomnia and anxiety) may continue as part of a post withdrawal syndrome gradually improving with abstinence for a year or more. Withdrawal symptoms begin to subside as the body and central nervous system makes adaptions to reverse tolerance and restore GABA function towards normal. Other neurotransmitter systems are involved, especially glutamate and NMDA.
Main article: Long-term effects of alcohol
The primary effect of alcoholism is to encourage the sufferer to drink at times and in amounts that are damaging to physical health. The secondary damage caused by an inability to control one's drinking manifests in many ways. Alcoholism also has a significant social costs to both the alcoholic and their family and friends. Alcoholics have a very high suicide rate with studies showing between 8% and 21% of alcoholics commit suicide. Alcoholism also has a significant adverse impact on mental health. The risk of alcoholics committing suicide has been determined to be 5080 times higher than the general public average.[25]
Physical health effects
It is common for a person suffering from alcoholism to drink well after physical health effects start to manifest. The physical health effects associated with alcohol consumption may include cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, epilepsy, polyneuropathy, alcoholic dementia, heart disease, increased chance of cancer, nutritional deficiencies, sexual dysfunction, and death from many sources.
Mental health effects
Long term misuse of alcohol can cause a wide range of mental health effects. Alcohol misuse is not only toxic to the body but also to brain function and thus psychological well being can be adversely affected by the long-term effects of alcohol misuse. Psychiatric disorders are common in alcoholics, especially anxiety and depression disorders, with as many as 25% of alcoholics presenting with severe psychiatric disturbances. Typically these psychiatric symptoms caused by alcohol misuse initially worsen during alcohol withdrawal but with abstinence these psychiatric symptoms typically gradually improve or disappear altogether.[26] Panic disorder can develop as a direct result of long term alcohol misuse. Panic disorder can also worsen or occur as part of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome.[27] Chronic alcohol misuse can cause panic disorder to develop or worsen an underlying panic disorder via distortion of the neurochemical system in the brain.[28]
Social effects
The social problems arising from alcoholism can be significant. Being drunk or hung over during work hours can result in loss of employment, which can lead to financial problems including the loss of living quarters. Drinking at inappropriate times, and behavior caused by reduced judgment, can lead to legal consequences, such as criminal charges for drunk driving or public disorder, or civil penalties for tortious behavior. An alcoholic's behavior and mental impairment while drunk can profoundly impact surrounding family and friends, possibly leading to marital conflict and divorce, or contributing to domestic violence. This can contribute to lasting damage to the emotional development of the alcoholic's children, even after they reach adulthood. The alcoholic could suffer from loss of respect from others who may see the problem as self-inflicted and easily avoided.
Alcohol withdrawal
Main article: Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
Alcohol withdrawal differs significantly from most other drugs because it can be directly fatal. Drugs which have a similar mechanism of action to alcohol also have a similar risk of causing death during withdrawal, including barbiturate and benzodiazepine withdrawal. For example it is extremely rare for heroin or cocaine withdrawal to be fatal. When people die from heroin or cocaine withdrawal they typically have serious underlying health problems which are made worse by the strain of acute withdrawal. An alcoholic however, who has no serious health issues has a significant risk of dying from the direct effects of withdrawal if it is not properly managed.
Alcohol's primary effect is the increase in stimulation of the GABAA receptor, promoting central nervous system depression. With repeated heavy consumption of alcohol, these receptors are desensitized and reduced in number, resulting in tolerance and physical dependence. Thus when alcohol is stopped, especially abruptly, the person's nervous system suffers from uncontrolled synapse firing. This can result in symptoms that include anxiety, life threatening seizures, delirium tremens and hallucinations, shakes and possible heart failure.
Acute withdrawal symptoms tend to subside after 1 - 3 weeks. Less severe symptoms (e.g. insomnia and anxiety) may continue as part of a post withdrawal syndrome gradually improving with abstinence for a year or more. Withdrawal symptoms begin to subside as the body and central nervous system makes adaptions to reverse tolerance and restore GABA function towards normal. Other neurotransmitter systems are involved, especially glutamate and NMDA.
Tuesday Night Lights
It's really very curious, the effect being in the space and having some semblance of an audience can do to you. I'm not necessarily saying it's good or bad, but it's always different, always interesting, and, admittedly, always enjoyable.
But just because I'm having a good time, doesn't mean I'm wholly confident in the work I'm doing. When I'm faced with a performance type situation, my adrenaline makes everything much sharper. I feel like I listen more keenly, and my kinesthetic response is much more acute and rapid. There are times though, when I feel like I get swept away in all this excitement, and while the vitality of my work skyrockets, I think sometimes, I sacrifice my discipline.
Throughout the run last night, I was very wary of reverting to old tricks of mine, especially since a particular issue mine has always been playing my energy and enthusiasm rather than my objectives and actions. I get like a dog chasing cars. I get really excited, lose ease and specificity, and become unavailable to the audience. I'm not precisely sure I was doing this last night, because I did feel like the majority of my reactions were rooted genuinely in my castmates (although some of these reactions may have been a bit grandiose for my own good), but it's something that I'm going to have to be careful of for the duration of my career. It's especially important (and difficult) playing Toby, because he's such a fun and bombastic character, but he also has his age and experience that has to restrain him a bit. I can't be some virile little frat boy. This is a man who still enjoys the hell out of a good time, but is also in the twilight of his "mortal act."
So, this sacrificing of ease and efficiency for energy is something that I will continue to pay close attention to.
Pacing was a big concern of mine, as well. Especially at the beginning of the show. When I was off stage, I knew I wanted to make my entrance and get things revved up and going, but I was nervous that I would make speed my objective, rather than my proper textual motivation. So I attempted (with a debatable amount of success) to let my objective inform the tempo, and let my need be the thing that propelled the text rather than, "I need to make this fast." This is actually something that I was discovering in Catherine's viewpoints class, when we were adjusting the tempo of our gestures. I found that when my gestures were either very fast or very slow, the stakes of the movement raised dramatically. I tried to apply this principle to the text, and will continue to do so over these final few rehearsals.
There was also a very specific moment in act III iv when I had Jon Michael on the ground and I actually realized that everyone was playing in that same elevated state, and all sorts of new and interesting choices were coming out of it. This was a great reminder for me that I'd have to be extra sensitive to my castmates, and reacting off what I'm given, because the adrenaline of a performance can inspire a new choice from any of us, and we have to be ready to receive anything, because these discoveries can take any given scene to a place we have yet to imagine it going. And that's when things can get really exciting.
So, like I said, it's very interesting what happens under the lights, and I'm very anxious to see where we can take this bad boy before Friday evening.
MOST IMPORTANTLY
I CANNOT ARTICULATE HOW MUCH I HAVE ENJOYED SHARING THIS PROCESS WITH ALL OF YOU. THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS OF SUCH STAGGERING ABILITY AND COMPASSION IS ONE I TAKE LIGHTLY, AND I MEAN THAT SINCERELY.
SO THANK YOU. UNTIL THE NEXT TIME!
Toby
But just because I'm having a good time, doesn't mean I'm wholly confident in the work I'm doing. When I'm faced with a performance type situation, my adrenaline makes everything much sharper. I feel like I listen more keenly, and my kinesthetic response is much more acute and rapid. There are times though, when I feel like I get swept away in all this excitement, and while the vitality of my work skyrockets, I think sometimes, I sacrifice my discipline.
Throughout the run last night, I was very wary of reverting to old tricks of mine, especially since a particular issue mine has always been playing my energy and enthusiasm rather than my objectives and actions. I get like a dog chasing cars. I get really excited, lose ease and specificity, and become unavailable to the audience. I'm not precisely sure I was doing this last night, because I did feel like the majority of my reactions were rooted genuinely in my castmates (although some of these reactions may have been a bit grandiose for my own good), but it's something that I'm going to have to be careful of for the duration of my career. It's especially important (and difficult) playing Toby, because he's such a fun and bombastic character, but he also has his age and experience that has to restrain him a bit. I can't be some virile little frat boy. This is a man who still enjoys the hell out of a good time, but is also in the twilight of his "mortal act."
So, this sacrificing of ease and efficiency for energy is something that I will continue to pay close attention to.
Pacing was a big concern of mine, as well. Especially at the beginning of the show. When I was off stage, I knew I wanted to make my entrance and get things revved up and going, but I was nervous that I would make speed my objective, rather than my proper textual motivation. So I attempted (with a debatable amount of success) to let my objective inform the tempo, and let my need be the thing that propelled the text rather than, "I need to make this fast." This is actually something that I was discovering in Catherine's viewpoints class, when we were adjusting the tempo of our gestures. I found that when my gestures were either very fast or very slow, the stakes of the movement raised dramatically. I tried to apply this principle to the text, and will continue to do so over these final few rehearsals.
There was also a very specific moment in act III iv when I had Jon Michael on the ground and I actually realized that everyone was playing in that same elevated state, and all sorts of new and interesting choices were coming out of it. This was a great reminder for me that I'd have to be extra sensitive to my castmates, and reacting off what I'm given, because the adrenaline of a performance can inspire a new choice from any of us, and we have to be ready to receive anything, because these discoveries can take any given scene to a place we have yet to imagine it going. And that's when things can get really exciting.
So, like I said, it's very interesting what happens under the lights, and I'm very anxious to see where we can take this bad boy before Friday evening.
MOST IMPORTANTLY
I CANNOT ARTICULATE HOW MUCH I HAVE ENJOYED SHARING THIS PROCESS WITH ALL OF YOU. THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS OF SUCH STAGGERING ABILITY AND COMPASSION IS ONE I TAKE LIGHTLY, AND I MEAN THAT SINCERELY.
SO THANK YOU. UNTIL THE NEXT TIME!
Toby
Bringing Forth Stomach Wind: What’s Normal
Belching after a large meal is a physiologically normal, indeed a necessary venting of air from the stomach. In some countries, nothing says thanks for the great meal like a resounding belch. And, says the IFFGD, belching even has comic associations as with Sir Toby Belch in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
By the way, Co-worker G just informed that she was, “Sir Toby Belch” for a high school play—years later. And given her current situation---how truly apropos.
When You Should Worry About Belching
Some people are plagued by sudden attacks of belching, which is intrusive and embarrassing. IFFGD says these folks are often convinced that the gas or air that is belched comes from the stomach---indicating an underlying gas-producing condition. But folks, that’s rarely the case.
What is it then?
All available evidence points to swallowed air as the source of the stomach gas and the perceived need to “bring it up.” (Source: IFFGD)
And there’s a word for this process of “bringing it up”: Aerophagia
Sure, air swallowing is normal. Did you know that newborns have no gas in their intestines until they take their first breath? Then the air shows up progressively down in the gut. It’s normal for the esophagus to contain some swallowed air. But if you have a disorder called achalasia, where the valve at the lower end of the esophagus (gullet) can’t relax, your stomach contains no gas at all. (Source: IFFGD)
Here's what happens when you swallow air:
1. When you inhale, the pressure in the esophagus (gullet) falls, drawing in air.
2. Deliberate inhalation against a willfully closed windpipe draws even more air into the esophagus. This air can be forced out again as pressure within the esophagus increases with exhalation. (Remember grossing out (or amusing) your family and friends with those “forced” rather baritone burps?—yep, this is how you did it!)
However, this action is beneficial to those who have lost their larynx (voice box) because of cancer: this learnable skill allows these people to generate esophageal speech. I think this is quite interesting! (Source: IFFGD)
Your welcome.
Love,
Toby
By the way, Co-worker G just informed that she was, “Sir Toby Belch” for a high school play—years later. And given her current situation---how truly apropos.
When You Should Worry About Belching
Some people are plagued by sudden attacks of belching, which is intrusive and embarrassing. IFFGD says these folks are often convinced that the gas or air that is belched comes from the stomach---indicating an underlying gas-producing condition. But folks, that’s rarely the case.
What is it then?
All available evidence points to swallowed air as the source of the stomach gas and the perceived need to “bring it up.” (Source: IFFGD)
And there’s a word for this process of “bringing it up”: Aerophagia
Sure, air swallowing is normal. Did you know that newborns have no gas in their intestines until they take their first breath? Then the air shows up progressively down in the gut. It’s normal for the esophagus to contain some swallowed air. But if you have a disorder called achalasia, where the valve at the lower end of the esophagus (gullet) can’t relax, your stomach contains no gas at all. (Source: IFFGD)
Here's what happens when you swallow air:
1. When you inhale, the pressure in the esophagus (gullet) falls, drawing in air.
2. Deliberate inhalation against a willfully closed windpipe draws even more air into the esophagus. This air can be forced out again as pressure within the esophagus increases with exhalation. (Remember grossing out (or amusing) your family and friends with those “forced” rather baritone burps?—yep, this is how you did it!)
However, this action is beneficial to those who have lost their larynx (voice box) because of cancer: this learnable skill allows these people to generate esophageal speech. I think this is quite interesting! (Source: IFFGD)
Your welcome.
Love,
Toby
Lord of the Dance
So tonight at rehearsal, Matt mentioned that we should all work on our songs and musical interludes so that we don’t freeze or lose specificity in front of an audience. I have been thinking a lot about the Welkin dance over the past few weeks, and I think I have finally come up with Sir Andrew’s mental image of himself both on and off the dance floor. The closest example I can find of this mental image comes in the shape of the incomparable Michael Flatley. Known to his friends only as the Great MF, Flatley has immortalized himself as the ever popular “Lord of the Dance.” Here are some images that can do no more than strive to capture his true greatness.
I have attached a compilation of Michael Flatley (AKA Sir Andrew) doing that which he does best. It is set to the music of the Scissor Sisters. The song is called “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing.” Pure wit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IAMsRk_y88
I have attached a compilation of Michael Flatley (AKA Sir Andrew) doing that which he does best. It is set to the music of the Scissor Sisters. The song is called “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing.” Pure wit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IAMsRk_y88
Feste's Fireside chat
After Saturday’s run in the space, I felt a lot better about the direction in which I am heading with Feste and my relationships with all of you. There is a kind of freedom I am finding through allowing myself to make bolder choices/use playful tactics. I do recognize, though, that there is much to be done before Friday! I made a list of all the things the rest of the faculty would say were they to watch the play at this point.
Don (as he has said) would encourage me to really have MORE fun with the language. Find and lift the important words. I think Barbara would recommend the chair exercise for the switching of thoughts, which goes along with a note I got from Matt about not dallying so long between emotional/tactic shifts. Making them sharper. I think if I did a mask exercise with Kaf I would find that my physical tactics are constantly shifting according to others’ desires and moods. A kind of chameleon. Mix of air and water. Quick like light air but changeable like water. They mix and you get carbonated water! Hm. Ingrid would recommend that I have more fun with this role and not let the serious-Amanda-who-needs-to-be-always-right-but-is-working-on-that get in the way. Gary would tell me to make sure I’m keeping my neck freer so I don’t strain (to find the light, I sometimes tip my head up and crunch my neck).
This week I will incorporate these thoughts and follow my objectives with playful freedom to play and interact with all of you!
Don (as he has said) would encourage me to really have MORE fun with the language. Find and lift the important words. I think Barbara would recommend the chair exercise for the switching of thoughts, which goes along with a note I got from Matt about not dallying so long between emotional/tactic shifts. Making them sharper. I think if I did a mask exercise with Kaf I would find that my physical tactics are constantly shifting according to others’ desires and moods. A kind of chameleon. Mix of air and water. Quick like light air but changeable like water. They mix and you get carbonated water! Hm. Ingrid would recommend that I have more fun with this role and not let the serious-Amanda-who-needs-to-be-always-right-but-is-working-on-that get in the way. Gary would tell me to make sure I’m keeping my neck freer so I don’t strain (to find the light, I sometimes tip my head up and crunch my neck).
This week I will incorporate these thoughts and follow my objectives with playful freedom to play and interact with all of you!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Id rather die than actually do this
An interesting idea/style choice we might be able to explore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhcF2NOtGNI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhcF2NOtGNI&feature=related
Some of Olivia's thoughts on the process thus far...
I just finished reading through all the past blogs for 12th Night, and I just need to say that it has been so exciting to see much of those notes come into fruition on Saturday. It has truly been a process, but Saturday was definitely the first time I began to free from text work and begin to understand Olivia's journey throughout the play - and how that journey does not halt even if she is not onstage. I think it is easy with a play like this one, in which there are so many seemingly "separate" mini plots to forget we are all doing one show - I know that I began to fall into that trap. But after Saturday, I realized I need to even more specifically mediate on how that aspects of the play I am not so directly involved in (ie. the Malvolio subplot) affect me and my journe
twins...?
Sebastian and Viola... twins
I was thinking of parallels of sebastian and Viola in the play and this is what i came up with
1) in both the ring speech and the ayre monologue they don't make a final decision they both leave it up to time or whatever. they present a problem and then sort of shrug it off and leave it for later.
2) they both take on new relationships as soon as losing the most important relationship to them... i.e. sebastian for Viola and Vic versa. they don't give themselves time to grieve they just slingshot into something else and put the death of their twin to the back of their head.
3) they fling themselves whole heartedly into split second decisions. When Viola decides to dress up like a man and when Sebastian say's he will go and then later marry Olivia.
4) they both have a sort of sexual relationship with both a man and a woman in the play. while Viola may not want to kiss Olivia she still plays a part in a homosexual relationship. While Sebastian has Anthonio.
I guess this shakespeare guy new what he was doing...
p.s. i'd like it to be known that these are my thoughts and not Katies... she may have completely different feelings about this.
I was thinking of parallels of sebastian and Viola in the play and this is what i came up with
1) in both the ring speech and the ayre monologue they don't make a final decision they both leave it up to time or whatever. they present a problem and then sort of shrug it off and leave it for later.
2) they both take on new relationships as soon as losing the most important relationship to them... i.e. sebastian for Viola and Vic versa. they don't give themselves time to grieve they just slingshot into something else and put the death of their twin to the back of their head.
3) they fling themselves whole heartedly into split second decisions. When Viola decides to dress up like a man and when Sebastian say's he will go and then later marry Olivia.
4) they both have a sort of sexual relationship with both a man and a woman in the play. while Viola may not want to kiss Olivia she still plays a part in a homosexual relationship. While Sebastian has Anthonio.
I guess this shakespeare guy new what he was doing...
p.s. i'd like it to be known that these are my thoughts and not Katies... she may have completely different feelings about this.
Andrew's Icons
Hey guys so I know a lot of you probably already have figured out which icons I have been using for Sir Andrew, but I found a nice compilation of my main icon (Buster Bluth) and thought I would post it. I also completely agree with Frank. Saturday's tech was so fun to watch. I was just bowled over by how many jokes came across which I had never really noticed before. And the gentler moments were astounding. You guys are rockstars. Can't wait to see everybody tonight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrfIjYACPU0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrfIjYACPU0
animals....
have been brooding over Penthiselea and incorporating those "holes" in the character Matt brought up last week.
My first thought was "well, what animal are you?" With my original textwork, I had tossed around the ideas of a raccoon or a hen, due to their mischievous qualities and nosy, squawking characteristics, respectively. I was thinking about these animals this weekend, and neither one seems appropriate now. While walking past the Carnegie Art Museum on Saturday night and gazing up at the bizarrely interesting animal footage they have projected onto the outside wall, I realized the footage at said moment was of a falcon and just went BINGO. :) The sharp, pointed features in falcons faces and beaks, and the majestic, mysterious quality they hold (similar to Maria's royalty) make a lot of sense to me.
Here are some nifty Peregrine falcon facts:
*"Adult falcons have thin tapered wings, which enable them to fly at high speed and to change direction rapidly." (This supports Maria's sharp mind and mental observation skills. Something I want to play with in rehearsals this week is just how attentive to detail Maria is.. is she obsessive about the space being tidy, for example? About Toby's clothes being unruffled and laying flat? etc..)
*"Falcons are renowned for their exceptional powers of vision; one species has been found to have a visual acuity of 2.6 times that of a normal human."
*"The name "peregrine" means wanderer." (Maria masks it well, but she truly is a wanderer, without many friends or close family. She is extremely lonely, but again, hides it well.)
*"Falcons are solitary animals living alone or in pairs. They mate for life." (Maria is trying to get Toby to settle down with her as her life partner, though he seems to be just out of reach in each scene.)
*"English playwright William Shakespeare was a falconry fan who introduced falconry terms into popular speech: the word "Hag" or "Haggard" is the term for a mature wild hawk or falcon." (Imagine that! I just liked this fact. :> )
*"An extremely clever and ambitious bird." (This is definitely Maria.)
Here is a video link:
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBdn-B7OjM0
My first thought was "well, what animal are you?" With my original textwork, I had tossed around the ideas of a raccoon or a hen, due to their mischievous qualities and nosy, squawking characteristics, respectively. I was thinking about these animals this weekend, and neither one seems appropriate now. While walking past the Carnegie Art Museum on Saturday night and gazing up at the bizarrely interesting animal footage they have projected onto the outside wall, I realized the footage at said moment was of a falcon and just went BINGO. :) The sharp, pointed features in falcons faces and beaks, and the majestic, mysterious quality they hold (similar to Maria's royalty) make a lot of sense to me.
Here are some nifty Peregrine falcon facts:
*"Adult falcons have thin tapered wings, which enable them to fly at high speed and to change direction rapidly." (This supports Maria's sharp mind and mental observation skills. Something I want to play with in rehearsals this week is just how attentive to detail Maria is.. is she obsessive about the space being tidy, for example? About Toby's clothes being unruffled and laying flat? etc..)
*"Falcons are renowned for their exceptional powers of vision; one species has been found to have a visual acuity of 2.6 times that of a normal human."
*"The name "peregrine" means wanderer." (Maria masks it well, but she truly is a wanderer, without many friends or close family. She is extremely lonely, but again, hides it well.)
*"Falcons are solitary animals living alone or in pairs. They mate for life." (Maria is trying to get Toby to settle down with her as her life partner, though he seems to be just out of reach in each scene.)
*"English playwright William Shakespeare was a falconry fan who introduced falconry terms into popular speech: the word "Hag" or "Haggard" is the term for a mature wild hawk or falcon." (Imagine that! I just liked this fact. :> )
*"An extremely clever and ambitious bird." (This is definitely Maria.)
Here is a video link:
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBdn-B7OjM0
Sunday, September 21, 2008
What you see...
Hello! Today I went to the library and watched all of the versions of Twelfth Night that I hadn't yet seen (including the ten minute silent version; thanks Beckie!) What I found were really clear examples of a lot of the stuff that we, as a cast, have been trying to focus on.
TIMING!! Most of the movies I watched today were not funny at all. I think I laughed once or twice when Sir Andrew would dance, but that was it. Many of the scenes were so slow that although I knew what was going on, I didn't care at all because I was bored!
Another thing that got me to go back and think and re-evaluate a lot of my choices, was the difference in stakes. In the best versions, every scene had high stakes, and it was so much fun to watch! In the other versions, some of the scenes were discounted and it made me wonder why they were included at all.
Perhaps the most helpful thing to hear was the words that the actors chose to stress. I know Matt has been talking about this a lot as well, but it is nice to hear it from someone outside of yourself or the company you have been working so closely with. Yes, the language sounded beautiful when the actors took their time and indulged each word, but the sense and importance were both lost. It was like the words had taken all of the actors hostage and wouldn't let them make any decisions in delivering them. Contrastingly, when the actor chose the most important words to get the sense across, the positive difference was amazing!
Just nice to see/hear some examples of what we have been striving for or fighting against.
-Viola
TIMING!! Most of the movies I watched today were not funny at all. I think I laughed once or twice when Sir Andrew would dance, but that was it. Many of the scenes were so slow that although I knew what was going on, I didn't care at all because I was bored!
Another thing that got me to go back and think and re-evaluate a lot of my choices, was the difference in stakes. In the best versions, every scene had high stakes, and it was so much fun to watch! In the other versions, some of the scenes were discounted and it made me wonder why they were included at all.
Perhaps the most helpful thing to hear was the words that the actors chose to stress. I know Matt has been talking about this a lot as well, but it is nice to hear it from someone outside of yourself or the company you have been working so closely with. Yes, the language sounded beautiful when the actors took their time and indulged each word, but the sense and importance were both lost. It was like the words had taken all of the actors hostage and wouldn't let them make any decisions in delivering them. Contrastingly, when the actor chose the most important words to get the sense across, the positive difference was amazing!
Just nice to see/hear some examples of what we have been striving for or fighting against.
-Viola
Notes
Hi
I know this is late in the day, but I thought Id share my notes from yesterday's run anyway.
All in all, I think the show stepped forward yesterday. You all look a lot less terrified of the play and characters. You are finding some nice ease in the moments.
My big note is now you need to play with one another WAY more. If somebody is living playfully in the moment, go with them. react to what they are giving you, not what you think they SHOULD be giving you?
Also, this play needs tightening up. You can often do in one moment what you take three moments to do.
Specifically:
everyone in the boat - use the sea. Look at it. Experience how it informs you...
Duke - careful when you move to Olivia on the boat : you looked like you LEFT the boat
Ross - when you leave with the mast, keep it in the physical world everyone else is playing with. I can see a slightly awkward actor moving to the curtain...
Frank - use your top light more for your first speech
Amanda - watch the Captain & VIola enter as you cross DSR to DSL at the end of I, i.
Katie - go even FURTHER for "...perchance he is not drowned". you KNOW he's dead.
Jon-Michael - dont show us all the props in the chest. Just search for what you're looking for.
Duke - forget that tray ever again and I'll remove your testicles. Without anesthetic.
John - you need a reaction to Toby's manipulation of the word 'Count'
Katie - what are you playing on "here comes the count"? I dont get it...
Katie - when pulling away from Orsino's jibes, at least have the THOUGHT that you could hit him for treating you this way
Amanda - Feste needs to move those benches FAST - he knows the play is still going. Think of the energy needed : Act 1 is almost over!
Duke - you werent ready in costume for Malvolio. Do you need someone to help you change?
Chelsea - anticipate your entrances into the space. We waited for you a bit...
Hunter - dont tap out the rhythm for when you sing "here we go...". Also, your drunkeness needs specificity and definition.
Katie - when you realize WHO Olivia is, get to your knees
Duke & Katie - careful of laboring the exit of Malvolio before Viola & Olivia have their first scene together.
KAtie - throw the paper you bring from Orsino in the air when you say "loyal cantons of contemned love".
Beckie - find some smiles/humor in your soliloquy about falling in love so quickly.
Amanda - come to furthest DS part of the bench (standing) for "Bring Me a Boat"
Katie -use your top light more for the Ring speech
Hunter - dont show me the bottle of wine on the 'cakes and ale' line. I know what you mean
Chelsea - can you try and give yourself two horns our of hair (like Bjork)?
John - Can Andrew have hidden his money that he gives to Toby somewhere in his costume?
KAtie - careful of grinning as soon as 'Come Away Death' scene starts. You DONT want to feel these things you do for Orsino.
Amanda - point to mae clear who you are talking to on "...make thy doublet of changeable taffeta"
Katie - USE the fact Orsino is changing in front of you. Desire is scary... And use the line 'Too well what women..." a bit more. It has a poignant echo for VIola.
Chelsea - FANTASTIC pace for your entrance about Malvolio in stockings... now you can play with her enthusiasm.
EVERYBODY ---- WE need SCROLLS!!!!
Duke, Toby and Andrew - "Revolve" is hard. Its all about exact timing. Make it work...
Duke - careful of funny walk being too artificial. WHY does he walk that way?
Duke - when you say "here is yet a postscript.." WAIT until after that phrase before you walk over the bench.
Chelsea and Hunter - when Maria says that yellow is a color Olivia abhors, TURN and see Andrew removing his shirt... But dont linger too long!
Amanda - the clock was MAGICAL!
CHelsea - "I know my lady will strike him" is EXCELLENT and EXCITING to her
JOn-Michael - perforem the action with the branch. Namely - HIDE.. just playfully
Ross & Jon-Michael - just point the umbrellas on "the Elephant", rather than tap swords... it doesnt work
REMEMBER - when Olivia realizes Malvolio has been duped by the letter, everyone find it funny AFTER she does...
see you tomorrow!
I know this is late in the day, but I thought Id share my notes from yesterday's run anyway.
All in all, I think the show stepped forward yesterday. You all look a lot less terrified of the play and characters. You are finding some nice ease in the moments.
My big note is now you need to play with one another WAY more. If somebody is living playfully in the moment, go with them. react to what they are giving you, not what you think they SHOULD be giving you?
Also, this play needs tightening up. You can often do in one moment what you take three moments to do.
Specifically:
everyone in the boat - use the sea. Look at it. Experience how it informs you...
Duke - careful when you move to Olivia on the boat : you looked like you LEFT the boat
Ross - when you leave with the mast, keep it in the physical world everyone else is playing with. I can see a slightly awkward actor moving to the curtain...
Frank - use your top light more for your first speech
Amanda - watch the Captain & VIola enter as you cross DSR to DSL at the end of I, i.
Katie - go even FURTHER for "...perchance he is not drowned". you KNOW he's dead.
Jon-Michael - dont show us all the props in the chest. Just search for what you're looking for.
Duke - forget that tray ever again and I'll remove your testicles. Without anesthetic.
John - you need a reaction to Toby's manipulation of the word 'Count'
Katie - what are you playing on "here comes the count"? I dont get it...
Katie - when pulling away from Orsino's jibes, at least have the THOUGHT that you could hit him for treating you this way
Amanda - Feste needs to move those benches FAST - he knows the play is still going. Think of the energy needed : Act 1 is almost over!
Duke - you werent ready in costume for Malvolio. Do you need someone to help you change?
Chelsea - anticipate your entrances into the space. We waited for you a bit...
Hunter - dont tap out the rhythm for when you sing "here we go...". Also, your drunkeness needs specificity and definition.
Katie - when you realize WHO Olivia is, get to your knees
Duke & Katie - careful of laboring the exit of Malvolio before Viola & Olivia have their first scene together.
KAtie - throw the paper you bring from Orsino in the air when you say "loyal cantons of contemned love".
Beckie - find some smiles/humor in your soliloquy about falling in love so quickly.
Amanda - come to furthest DS part of the bench (standing) for "Bring Me a Boat"
Katie -use your top light more for the Ring speech
Hunter - dont show me the bottle of wine on the 'cakes and ale' line. I know what you mean
Chelsea - can you try and give yourself two horns our of hair (like Bjork)?
John - Can Andrew have hidden his money that he gives to Toby somewhere in his costume?
KAtie - careful of grinning as soon as 'Come Away Death' scene starts. You DONT want to feel these things you do for Orsino.
Amanda - point to mae clear who you are talking to on "...make thy doublet of changeable taffeta"
Katie - USE the fact Orsino is changing in front of you. Desire is scary... And use the line 'Too well what women..." a bit more. It has a poignant echo for VIola.
Chelsea - FANTASTIC pace for your entrance about Malvolio in stockings... now you can play with her enthusiasm.
EVERYBODY ---- WE need SCROLLS!!!!
Duke, Toby and Andrew - "Revolve" is hard. Its all about exact timing. Make it work...
Duke - careful of funny walk being too artificial. WHY does he walk that way?
Duke - when you say "here is yet a postscript.." WAIT until after that phrase before you walk over the bench.
Chelsea and Hunter - when Maria says that yellow is a color Olivia abhors, TURN and see Andrew removing his shirt... But dont linger too long!
Amanda - the clock was MAGICAL!
CHelsea - "I know my lady will strike him" is EXCELLENT and EXCITING to her
JOn-Michael - perforem the action with the branch. Namely - HIDE.. just playfully
Ross & Jon-Michael - just point the umbrellas on "the Elephant", rather than tap swords... it doesnt work
REMEMBER - when Olivia realizes Malvolio has been duped by the letter, everyone find it funny AFTER she does...
see you tomorrow!
the Knight
Obviously a lot of the choices and the overall style are quite different from ours, but you talk about physical economy and brutal efficiency, and Sir Ralph Richardson doth indeed deliver.
You can tell that their choices are completely rooted in the text rather than extraneous physical choices. They let the text inform their bodies rather than the other way around, and you can see the rhythm of their speech manifested in their physicalities.
This video is part of a playlist the comprises the entire film. With Alec Guinness as Malvolio, it's definitely worth a peak.
Another thing, in the clip before this one, Sir Toby, in a bit of text cut from our production, goes on to list Andrew's credentials, and why he legitimately thinks he deserves Olivia's hand. I knew we had talked about it, but I forgot about that bit of text, since I've been dealing almost exlusively with our cut. Maybe I should go back and have a look for more goodies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gARfwgVE7k4
You can tell that their choices are completely rooted in the text rather than extraneous physical choices. They let the text inform their bodies rather than the other way around, and you can see the rhythm of their speech manifested in their physicalities.
This video is part of a playlist the comprises the entire film. With Alec Guinness as Malvolio, it's definitely worth a peak.
Another thing, in the clip before this one, Sir Toby, in a bit of text cut from our production, goes on to list Andrew's credentials, and why he legitimately thinks he deserves Olivia's hand. I knew we had talked about it, but I forgot about that bit of text, since I've been dealing almost exlusively with our cut. Maybe I should go back and have a look for more goodies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gARfwgVE7k4
wow... we have a play
After yesterday's rehearsal I (for the first time thus far) took an objective look at the work we've all been doing and had the realization, "Wow. We have a play."
I was very pleased with my own work yesterday, which is nice, but that feeling was exponentially increased while watching the rest of the cast work. Since I'm not in Acts III or IV I got to watch, and let me tell you, everyone is doing an incredible job. I'm seeing some subtlety and nuances in my classmates that I've never seen before and it's truly inspiring to watch. But above all, it is very clear that everyone in the cast has been putting SO MUCH WORK into this piece. Everyone is pulling their own weight and bringing new stuff to the table every rehearsal and it's amazing to be a part of. And when Duke pulled that banana out of his tights I almost shit my pants. I just wanted to let everyone know all of this because I'm grateful to be surrounded by such dedicated actors and a brilliant director (legitimate thought, not ass-kissing).
- Frank
I was very pleased with my own work yesterday, which is nice, but that feeling was exponentially increased while watching the rest of the cast work. Since I'm not in Acts III or IV I got to watch, and let me tell you, everyone is doing an incredible job. I'm seeing some subtlety and nuances in my classmates that I've never seen before and it's truly inspiring to watch. But above all, it is very clear that everyone in the cast has been putting SO MUCH WORK into this piece. Everyone is pulling their own weight and bringing new stuff to the table every rehearsal and it's amazing to be a part of. And when Duke pulled that banana out of his tights I almost shit my pants. I just wanted to let everyone know all of this because I'm grateful to be surrounded by such dedicated actors and a brilliant director (legitimate thought, not ass-kissing).
- Frank
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sir Mandy...
So there was an article in the New York Times about Mandy Patinkin (Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride) who is now playing Prospero at the Classic Stage Company. I know we have been grappling with being word-perfect with our text this week (and over the past few months, as well), and he had a quote in the article about what an undertaking it was for him to get the text into his mind and body:
'Memorizing the role, Mr. Patinkin said, was another challenge: "It took 10 weeks, three to four hours a day, walking all over the streets and in the park and the gym. Finally, I had the part of Prospero in my brain. And then I spent three months just walking around and thinking about it."'
So, yeah, I guess the bottom line is that this stuff takes wagon-loads of time and effort (at least for Mandy Patinkin). The article itself is pretty cool, as well, so I am attaching the link. See you all tonight!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/theater/14roth.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
- Sir Andrew
'Memorizing the role, Mr. Patinkin said, was another challenge: "It took 10 weeks, three to four hours a day, walking all over the streets and in the park and the gym. Finally, I had the part of Prospero in my brain. And then I spent three months just walking around and thinking about it."'
So, yeah, I guess the bottom line is that this stuff takes wagon-loads of time and effort (at least for Mandy Patinkin). The article itself is pretty cool, as well, so I am attaching the link. See you all tonight!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/theater/14roth.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
- Sir Andrew
Toby's penance
After I hit John in the mouth today, I figured I better find out where I'm really supposed to hit him.
Now we can all fashion our bodies into deadly weapons.
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0112643/english/safety_ppoints.htm#body
Now we can all fashion our bodies into deadly weapons.
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0112643/english/safety_ppoints.htm#body
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Feste’s findings
I have been thinking a lot lately about icons, images, and models for Feste. The haggard (a mature wild hawk or falcon) and the magician. I have been feeling a bit androgynous in rehearsals, trying to pay attention to carrying a male physique but I’ve been slipping into tactics that I think females use more often than males. I feel like a woman especially when acting as a more female figure toward Antonio in ‘Bring Me a Boat.’ It’s just an interesting thing to think about.
As I have been thinking about this image of a haggard I found this passage from Anne William’s “Art of Darkness”:
As the lovers prepare to depart, Porphyro declares the storm “Of haggard seeming but a boon indeed” (1. 344; my emphasis). The text of “La Belle Dame” shows that to Keats “haggard” is a word loaded with the wight of mortality, a mortality quite conventionally associated with the feminine: the Knight is called “so haggard and so woe-begone” (1. 6). The various meanings of “haggard” themselves reveal these feminine associations. Beneath the current senses of “thin and worn” and “emaciated” lie the obsolete ones of “wild-eyed,” “wantan,” “unchaste,” “intractable,” “willful.” And “hag,” the syllable buried in the word, is a harpy or witch, a female demon, a nightmare.
I have also attached this link for your viewing…please excuse the cheesy music and introduction, but I think that Feste’s inner energy is very haggard-like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7wsDhouus
I think his outer energy is very much like Edward Norton’s character in this clip from THE ILLUSIONIST. The sword trick is one that is playful and entertaining on the outside, but also has a tinge of truth and challenge underneath. It is a trick that Feste would love to share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgOnwRrfUuA&feature=related
As I have been thinking about this image of a haggard I found this passage from Anne William’s “Art of Darkness”:
As the lovers prepare to depart, Porphyro declares the storm “Of haggard seeming but a boon indeed” (1. 344; my emphasis). The text of “La Belle Dame” shows that to Keats “haggard” is a word loaded with the wight of mortality, a mortality quite conventionally associated with the feminine: the Knight is called “so haggard and so woe-begone” (1. 6). The various meanings of “haggard” themselves reveal these feminine associations. Beneath the current senses of “thin and worn” and “emaciated” lie the obsolete ones of “wild-eyed,” “wantan,” “unchaste,” “intractable,” “willful.” And “hag,” the syllable buried in the word, is a harpy or witch, a female demon, a nightmare.
I have also attached this link for your viewing…please excuse the cheesy music and introduction, but I think that Feste’s inner energy is very haggard-like.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7wsDhouus
I think his outer energy is very much like Edward Norton’s character in this clip from THE ILLUSIONIST. The sword trick is one that is playful and entertaining on the outside, but also has a tinge of truth and challenge underneath. It is a trick that Feste would love to share.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgOnwRrfUuA&feature=related
Monday, September 15, 2008
Observation exercise
Black Shirt Wearing John Cusak Look-Alike Man
So, yesterday I went to Ritter's and observed the above man. Here is what I found. . .
-takes up more space; isn't afraid to spread out over the whole booth
-Roaming Eyes: will look in the eye for a bit and then switches to looking right, left, or down quickly
-always either looked at people straight on or with chin tilted up (never "looking up" to them)
-less spacially polite; pounding on table to emphasize, gesturing with utensils
-always moving something, even if very slight; hardly ever FULLY still
-heel tap when sitting randomly, never more than one at a time
-almost always either chewing on a toothpick or moving lips or jaw very slightly
-not held anywhere; very loose when at rest
-rests with mouth open
-always adjusts hips when sitting down or changing positions
-uses his chin to communicate directions instead of pointing
-sometimes would sit with arms above head (right arm holding left wrist and left wrist facing up; both wrists resting on top of head)
-touch his nose with his thumb with rest of his hand in a fist
-uneven shoulders; not sitting straight
-completely confident air (status: equal or better than others at the table)
-don't always turn head to look, but cock it and use eyes instead
-leads from his belly
-sometimes sit with weight on outside of feet, sickled
-doesn't ever support his own weight with sitting up straight: always leaning on something (back against the wall, hand on thigh or bench, table)
-walking strides are wider (not longer)
-kicks a little forward before putting foot down when walking
-arms swing, very nonchalant: more lower arms than anything else
-one arm swings a little more than the other
So, yesterday I went to Ritter's and observed the above man. Here is what I found. . .
-takes up more space; isn't afraid to spread out over the whole booth
-Roaming Eyes: will look in the eye for a bit and then switches to looking right, left, or down quickly
-always either looked at people straight on or with chin tilted up (never "looking up" to them)
-less spacially polite; pounding on table to emphasize, gesturing with utensils
-always moving something, even if very slight; hardly ever FULLY still
-heel tap when sitting randomly, never more than one at a time
-almost always either chewing on a toothpick or moving lips or jaw very slightly
-not held anywhere; very loose when at rest
-rests with mouth open
-always adjusts hips when sitting down or changing positions
-uses his chin to communicate directions instead of pointing
-sometimes would sit with arms above head (right arm holding left wrist and left wrist facing up; both wrists resting on top of head)
-touch his nose with his thumb with rest of his hand in a fist
-uneven shoulders; not sitting straight
-completely confident air (status: equal or better than others at the table)
-don't always turn head to look, but cock it and use eyes instead
-leads from his belly
-sometimes sit with weight on outside of feet, sickled
-doesn't ever support his own weight with sitting up straight: always leaning on something (back against the wall, hand on thigh or bench, table)
-walking strides are wider (not longer)
-kicks a little forward before putting foot down when walking
-arms swing, very nonchalant: more lower arms than anything else
-one arm swings a little more than the other
from Sir Andrew,,,
Sir Toby and Sir Andrew Redux:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R65fWlSLoZo
Skip to 2:36 for Toby and Andrew.
Thanks, see you at rehearsal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R65fWlSLoZo
Skip to 2:36 for Toby and Andrew.
Thanks, see you at rehearsal.
Were we not born under Taurus
If I'm a man born under the sign of the bull, I figured I better figure out what implications it has.
Taurus, an earth sign, is the second sign of the Zodiac, ruled by the planet venus. It is a sign of strength and solidarity with great appreciation for sensual pleasures and a propensity for excess (cue alchoholism). Interestingly, Taurus is a sign of of great stability and discipline, which also yields great stubbornness. While, I've been somewhat broken of my discipline, the stubbornness is very apparent, "I'll drink to her as long as their is passage in my throat..."
S[eaking of throats, another interesting little tidbit: rather than governing legs and thighs, as I say in the first act, Taurus actually governs the throat, and Tauruses usually possess strong and pleasant voices, with immense appreciation for music and singing, "Lets a have a song!"
Tauruses also tend to be a bit materialistic and are quite dexterous in their pursuit of the good life.
Taureans passionate nature places great emphasis on fidelity and honor, and they make great and generous friends, though the rapport is oftentimes unspoken. They are often physically very strong and solidly builty, though they need to engage in consistent exercise to compensate for their somewhat indulgent nature.
Sounds like there's a lot of Toby in here to me, with a few discrepancies here and there (only stemming from his fall from grace, of course). It's interesting though to think about the kind of man I was before I retiring from the military...
Taurus, an earth sign, is the second sign of the Zodiac, ruled by the planet venus. It is a sign of strength and solidarity with great appreciation for sensual pleasures and a propensity for excess (cue alchoholism). Interestingly, Taurus is a sign of of great stability and discipline, which also yields great stubbornness. While, I've been somewhat broken of my discipline, the stubbornness is very apparent, "I'll drink to her as long as their is passage in my throat..."
S[eaking of throats, another interesting little tidbit: rather than governing legs and thighs, as I say in the first act, Taurus actually governs the throat, and Tauruses usually possess strong and pleasant voices, with immense appreciation for music and singing, "Lets a have a song!"
Tauruses also tend to be a bit materialistic and are quite dexterous in their pursuit of the good life.
Taureans passionate nature places great emphasis on fidelity and honor, and they make great and generous friends, though the rapport is oftentimes unspoken. They are often physically very strong and solidly builty, though they need to engage in consistent exercise to compensate for their somewhat indulgent nature.
Sounds like there's a lot of Toby in here to me, with a few discrepancies here and there (only stemming from his fall from grace, of course). It's interesting though to think about the kind of man I was before I retiring from the military...
HMMMMMMMMM
Lately i've been thinking alot about what Matt & Don said about not being specific with movement and sort of sloshing around stage. i realized the other day when we did a speed through that when i was completely focused on a person and playing with the text that my movements were specific, smooth and concentrated. I only moved when it was right... but i never changed any of my blocking and i noticed that in some places other peoples blocking looked right for the first time. I guess what im saying is that as an actor i tend to be in my head quite alot always running through my homework. its time to be secure with the work ( i dont mean stop working, i will continue to do homework) but as soon as i walk in i need to believe i have the character and that i can make choices as sebastian. Instead of rattling off my tactics in my head I know i need to work on focusing on my partner in the scene. I've heard Barbara say it before but havent really understood it before now that, the!
great actor makes his/ her partner look amazing. If you poor everything into somebody else you forget your self and ease comes with... ease...? I suppose this is just me rambling but i understand now why i never get scenes and parts until a couple days before its time for them to start. i dont let go of the work until the last second. without knowing i've been holding my self back. So starting now do the homework but stop thinking about it as soon as i jump on that stage.
HOOZAHHHH FOR EPIPHANIES!
Ross
great actor makes his/ her partner look amazing. If you poor everything into somebody else you forget your self and ease comes with... ease...? I suppose this is just me rambling but i understand now why i never get scenes and parts until a couple days before its time for them to start. i dont let go of the work until the last second. without knowing i've been holding my self back. So starting now do the homework but stop thinking about it as soon as i jump on that stage.
HOOZAHHHH FOR EPIPHANIES!
Ross
For everybody...
...but especially Viola
I found this article today ... and I think we have been already discussing a lot of the ideas they touch on. I just found it interesting how they frame the discussion in terms of aesthetic realism. I didn't really know much about Aesthetic Realism, and I still don't know much, but I am fascinated by the philosophies which were developed by the poet Eli Siegel. Wikipedia sums them up as the following: "-Beauty in art is the making one of opposites, such as order and freedom, logic and passion, strength and grace.
-Everyone's deepest desire is to like the world on an honest or accurate basis."
Anywho..... here's the article
The desire to have contempt—that is, to lessen the meaning of things in order to see one's self as superior--causes unhappiness and even insanity.
Passion and Control in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
By Ann Richards and Carol McCluer
In The Right of Aesthetic Realism to Be Known #212, titled “All the Arts,” Eli Siegel writes:
Feeling and craft are the greatest friends in all the arts; and these correspond to passion and control… Every art asks care from the person working in the art; and every art also asks for adequate feeling or passion.
We're studying how acting has these opposites again and again; and Aesthetic Realism is teaching us this new idea: that the answers to the questions people have everywhere daily are in the structure of the art we love.“ What should I be passionate about, if anything?” “Am I too cold, do I have enough feeling?” and “Why do I feel I’m all over the place, and don’t have control of my emotions?” are questions that torment women and men all over the world.
We studied a scene from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will; and through a lecture Eli Siegel gave on this play, we learned about ourselves and other people as we looked at two women--Viola and Olivia. We had the thrill of seeing how opposites in the drama tell us about ourselves.
Twelfth Night has been called Shakespeare’s Farewell to Comedy and was written about 1600. It is wild and subtle, surprising and right, passionate and controlled. The story involves three sets of characters who intermingle as in a mad, strange, happy dance.
In his lecture on the play, Eli Siegel said:
This play can be said to be a lot about self-love trying to be love.
There is Orsino, Duke of Illyria who thinks he is in love with Olivia. Olivia has shut her doors on society. She is in a self-proclaimed seven-year mourning over her brother’s death. Then there is Viola. She has been shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria--where all this takes place, by the way--and she is disguised as a boy named Cesario. She falls in love with Orsino; but not knowing she is a woman, Orsino engages Viola as his page, and sends her to woo Olivia for him. What a situation! There is enough feeling in all these people to make one dizzy; but Shakespeare controls it all.
The scene we are studying is Act I, Scene V, in which Viola, as Cesario, the boy page, is to deliver Orsino’s declaration of love to Olivia. The scene is an intricate mingling of passion and control. Viola is controlling her own passion for Orsino, and hiding her true identity. Olivia’s passion is all for herself; she is in a fight between boredom and interest, a bad kind of control and passion.
Olivia is dressed in black, with a veil over her head. She speaks about her body as though it were separate from herself. She shows how intensely a person can feel this world does not deserve her passion; and her control is really contempt:
Viola. Good madam, let me see your face.
Olivia. Look you, sir. Such a one I was this present.
I, Ann Richards, have been studying the Olivia tendency in myself since my first Aesthetic Realism consultation, to which I wore black. I said my emotions had control over me: I did not have control over them. My consultants asked me: “What is the emotion that you are most against? I said, “I get very sad. I can cry at the drop of a hat.” And they asked, “Do you in any way treasure your sadness? Do you think it’s charming? Do you think it makes you more sensitive than other people?”
Aesthetic Realism consultations teach a person how opposites can be in a beautiful relation in life. Hearing Aesthetic Realism criticism has enabled me to see where I was largely the source of my own pain and, to my amazement, I have been able to laugh at myself. My gratitude to Eli Siegel and my consultants for the changes in my life grows every day.
In the lecture on Twelfth Night, Mr. Siegel says of Viola:
Viola represents energy; energy likewise with gentleness.
Energy with gentleness is another way of saying passionate and controlled. Mr. Siegel continues:
Viola represents the outside world coming from the water to stir up both Orsino and Olivia. She represents that third something.
I, Carol McCluer, love the character of Viola and feel it is an honor to try to give form to her. She stands for the world as criticism and encouragement. It is she, disguised as the young man, Cesario, who criticizes Olivia’s containment and bad control; she tells it to her straight, and for the first time, Olivia feels really loved.
An actress known for her portrayal of Viola is Julia Marlowe, of early 20th century America. She was also known for her portrayal of Rosalind, another Shakespearean heroine who disguises herself as a boy in order to both hide and show her passion. Reading a biography of her and reviews of her performances has had a large effect on my study of the character. I think her interpretation of Viola as deeply feminine, yet more of an idea than a human being of flesh and blood, has affected actresses since then; and I know Julia Marlowe would have loved what Eli Siegel said about this role:
Shakespeare uses people as ideas and ideas as people.
Even though Orsino, whom Viola loves, has sent her to woo Olivia for him, Viola does not have ill will for Olivia. Instead, she feels passionately that if Olivia is the woman who can strengthen Orsino, that should be. Viola pities the weakness in Olivia and criticizes her roundly. She says, “I see you what you are; you are too proud.” She also sees a beautiful possibility in Olivia which affects Olivia deeply, but not in the way Viola expected. The fact is, Olivia falls in love with Viola! Mr. Siegel explains the sudden passion of Olivia, when he says:
If one thinks that the first time Olivia sees Viola she’s going to be so moved that she has to send after Viola and do this business with the ring--of course, that’s unbelievable. Ibsen would never do it. It’s unbelievable. But if you see Viola as a sudden idea, a sudden awareness, then it is beautiful, like a sudden change of music.
In Viola, Olivia sees a world worth her passion.
It is Viola whom Eli Siegel quotes in his essay The Ordinary Doom as showing the desire in people to be hidden and not known. Viola is beautiful because she comes to see this hiddenness as a mistake, and later in the play, she says: “Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness.” The trouble in my life has been that most of the time I felt, “Disguise, thou art wonderful!” I was asked kind and critical questions in my first consultation, such as: “Do you think you have a question about how much you want to show yourself as such?”
CMc: Yes.
Con: You smile. Do you also cry? Are your smiles and tears in the same world or different?
CMc: Different.
Con: Do you feel you’ve fooled people?
CMc: Yes.
Through studying Aesthetic Realism, we've been able to change. In The Right Of #212, Mr. Siegel writes:
Every person, too, is a constant mingling of life unshaped and of life possibly shaped. A person is an art problem, cherished and a little feared by himself.
We love studying acting from the Aesthetic Realism point of view, and learning about the relation of drama to life.
I found this article today ... and I think we have been already discussing a lot of the ideas they touch on. I just found it interesting how they frame the discussion in terms of aesthetic realism. I didn't really know much about Aesthetic Realism, and I still don't know much, but I am fascinated by the philosophies which were developed by the poet Eli Siegel. Wikipedia sums them up as the following: "-Beauty in art is the making one of opposites, such as order and freedom, logic and passion, strength and grace.
-Everyone's deepest desire is to like the world on an honest or accurate basis."
Anywho..... here's the article
The desire to have contempt—that is, to lessen the meaning of things in order to see one's self as superior--causes unhappiness and even insanity.
Passion and Control in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
By Ann Richards and Carol McCluer
In The Right of Aesthetic Realism to Be Known #212, titled “All the Arts,” Eli Siegel writes:
Feeling and craft are the greatest friends in all the arts; and these correspond to passion and control… Every art asks care from the person working in the art; and every art also asks for adequate feeling or passion.
We're studying how acting has these opposites again and again; and Aesthetic Realism is teaching us this new idea: that the answers to the questions people have everywhere daily are in the structure of the art we love.“ What should I be passionate about, if anything?” “Am I too cold, do I have enough feeling?” and “Why do I feel I’m all over the place, and don’t have control of my emotions?” are questions that torment women and men all over the world.
We studied a scene from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will; and through a lecture Eli Siegel gave on this play, we learned about ourselves and other people as we looked at two women--Viola and Olivia. We had the thrill of seeing how opposites in the drama tell us about ourselves.
Twelfth Night has been called Shakespeare’s Farewell to Comedy and was written about 1600. It is wild and subtle, surprising and right, passionate and controlled. The story involves three sets of characters who intermingle as in a mad, strange, happy dance.
In his lecture on the play, Eli Siegel said:
This play can be said to be a lot about self-love trying to be love.
There is Orsino, Duke of Illyria who thinks he is in love with Olivia. Olivia has shut her doors on society. She is in a self-proclaimed seven-year mourning over her brother’s death. Then there is Viola. She has been shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria--where all this takes place, by the way--and she is disguised as a boy named Cesario. She falls in love with Orsino; but not knowing she is a woman, Orsino engages Viola as his page, and sends her to woo Olivia for him. What a situation! There is enough feeling in all these people to make one dizzy; but Shakespeare controls it all.
The scene we are studying is Act I, Scene V, in which Viola, as Cesario, the boy page, is to deliver Orsino’s declaration of love to Olivia. The scene is an intricate mingling of passion and control. Viola is controlling her own passion for Orsino, and hiding her true identity. Olivia’s passion is all for herself; she is in a fight between boredom and interest, a bad kind of control and passion.
Olivia is dressed in black, with a veil over her head. She speaks about her body as though it were separate from herself. She shows how intensely a person can feel this world does not deserve her passion; and her control is really contempt:
Viola. Good madam, let me see your face.
Olivia. Look you, sir. Such a one I was this present.
I, Ann Richards, have been studying the Olivia tendency in myself since my first Aesthetic Realism consultation, to which I wore black. I said my emotions had control over me: I did not have control over them. My consultants asked me: “What is the emotion that you are most against? I said, “I get very sad. I can cry at the drop of a hat.” And they asked, “Do you in any way treasure your sadness? Do you think it’s charming? Do you think it makes you more sensitive than other people?”
Aesthetic Realism consultations teach a person how opposites can be in a beautiful relation in life. Hearing Aesthetic Realism criticism has enabled me to see where I was largely the source of my own pain and, to my amazement, I have been able to laugh at myself. My gratitude to Eli Siegel and my consultants for the changes in my life grows every day.
In the lecture on Twelfth Night, Mr. Siegel says of Viola:
Viola represents energy; energy likewise with gentleness.
Energy with gentleness is another way of saying passionate and controlled. Mr. Siegel continues:
Viola represents the outside world coming from the water to stir up both Orsino and Olivia. She represents that third something.
I, Carol McCluer, love the character of Viola and feel it is an honor to try to give form to her. She stands for the world as criticism and encouragement. It is she, disguised as the young man, Cesario, who criticizes Olivia’s containment and bad control; she tells it to her straight, and for the first time, Olivia feels really loved.
An actress known for her portrayal of Viola is Julia Marlowe, of early 20th century America. She was also known for her portrayal of Rosalind, another Shakespearean heroine who disguises herself as a boy in order to both hide and show her passion. Reading a biography of her and reviews of her performances has had a large effect on my study of the character. I think her interpretation of Viola as deeply feminine, yet more of an idea than a human being of flesh and blood, has affected actresses since then; and I know Julia Marlowe would have loved what Eli Siegel said about this role:
Shakespeare uses people as ideas and ideas as people.
Even though Orsino, whom Viola loves, has sent her to woo Olivia for him, Viola does not have ill will for Olivia. Instead, she feels passionately that if Olivia is the woman who can strengthen Orsino, that should be. Viola pities the weakness in Olivia and criticizes her roundly. She says, “I see you what you are; you are too proud.” She also sees a beautiful possibility in Olivia which affects Olivia deeply, but not in the way Viola expected. The fact is, Olivia falls in love with Viola! Mr. Siegel explains the sudden passion of Olivia, when he says:
If one thinks that the first time Olivia sees Viola she’s going to be so moved that she has to send after Viola and do this business with the ring--of course, that’s unbelievable. Ibsen would never do it. It’s unbelievable. But if you see Viola as a sudden idea, a sudden awareness, then it is beautiful, like a sudden change of music.
In Viola, Olivia sees a world worth her passion.
It is Viola whom Eli Siegel quotes in his essay The Ordinary Doom as showing the desire in people to be hidden and not known. Viola is beautiful because she comes to see this hiddenness as a mistake, and later in the play, she says: “Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness.” The trouble in my life has been that most of the time I felt, “Disguise, thou art wonderful!” I was asked kind and critical questions in my first consultation, such as: “Do you think you have a question about how much you want to show yourself as such?”
CMc: Yes.
Con: You smile. Do you also cry? Are your smiles and tears in the same world or different?
CMc: Different.
Con: Do you feel you’ve fooled people?
CMc: Yes.
Through studying Aesthetic Realism, we've been able to change. In The Right Of #212, Mr. Siegel writes:
Every person, too, is a constant mingling of life unshaped and of life possibly shaped. A person is an art problem, cherished and a little feared by himself.
We love studying acting from the Aesthetic Realism point of view, and learning about the relation of drama to life.
Orsino's 'Super' Objective
(Super as in "I'm Awesome")
I've been playing around with Orsino's super objective for a few weeks. It's slowly been changing from, "I want some one to love me" to a more specific, "I want some one to reciprocate the amount of love I have to give" to the unsuccessful, "I want some one to make me a sandwich." All of these ideas I've played with haven't felt really beneficial or strong or specific enough choices to really drive my intention throughout the play. But like a lightning bolt striking Sean Patrick Flannery in the film "Powder" I realized what my super objective is: "To have a family." This correlates perfectly with my back story being that of a boy who spent his life being raised by house servants and ascending to power before he became a man and grew to know his family. He sees Olivia for her status and beauty and believes that she is the perfect puzzle piece to fit in with his need for a family. By being with her he believes she can create the family he never had, because his servants (like !
that asshole Valentine) are not sufficient to what Orsino wants.
I've also included a picture of Paul Rudd when he played Orsino in Lincoln Center in 1999. I've included the picture for two reasons: the style of Paul Rudd's costume is eerily similar to my choice for my first scene, and I love Paul Rudd and one day would like to play his little brother in a film.
Best Blog Benefaction
Twelfth Night or...
What You Will
Sandbuggy
Impotent Umbrella
Andrew's Bent Stick
Get Your Tweed Dirty
Handling the Shuttlecock
Belching and Fadging
Grab Your Coin Pouch
Racquetball then Jazz
Wack Jack
Magic Theatre
Ellipses Question Mark
Running in the Rain and Long Walks on the Beach
Blowing Dolphins
It's Time to Make Some Bitches Laugh
What You Will
Sandbuggy
Impotent Umbrella
Andrew's Bent Stick
Get Your Tweed Dirty
Handling the Shuttlecock
Belching and Fadging
Grab Your Coin Pouch
Racquetball then Jazz
Wack Jack
Magic Theatre
Ellipses Question Mark
Running in the Rain and Long Walks on the Beach
Blowing Dolphins
It's Time to Make Some Bitches Laugh
Friday, September 12, 2008
missed connections
Goodnight My Somebody
I planned to be a writer someday but you already knew who you were. I was beautiful but too modest to possess the confidence that beauty permitted. You were strong and handsome and I treated you as if you were too good for me. I never said I loved you but I am sure you could see it when I looked at you and feel it when we kissed. Age and wisdom have taught me that your strength was my weakness and that very weakness was my downfall in your eyes.
For some reason I find it necessary to tell you now that I only seemed unsure of myself because I never fell for somebody as hard as I was falling for you. You never called that night we had plans. I never called you after that. It may have looked as if I were insecure, but at the absolute minimum I believe I deserve to be with somebody who wants to be with me. The fact that you didn't call me said all you had to say.
My suspicion is that you are married now. Since I have neither heard from nor pursued you since the last we met, it is strictly a suspicion. Still, somehow I know that you aren't happily involved with her, because you settled. She seemed normal and secure and after me, you thought she possessed the important qualities. The thing is, women looking for marriage know how to play the game. And women looking for a true relationship go into it as themselves. My cards were on the table and you tried to make me regret showing my hand. Now you think of me and fall asleep beside her.
I still plan to be a writer. You are still strong and handsome. I was never insecure and you know that now. If only once, I had fallen asleep in your arms, perhaps you wouldn't have let go
I planned to be a writer someday but you already knew who you were. I was beautiful but too modest to possess the confidence that beauty permitted. You were strong and handsome and I treated you as if you were too good for me. I never said I loved you but I am sure you could see it when I looked at you and feel it when we kissed. Age and wisdom have taught me that your strength was my weakness and that very weakness was my downfall in your eyes.
For some reason I find it necessary to tell you now that I only seemed unsure of myself because I never fell for somebody as hard as I was falling for you. You never called that night we had plans. I never called you after that. It may have looked as if I were insecure, but at the absolute minimum I believe I deserve to be with somebody who wants to be with me. The fact that you didn't call me said all you had to say.
My suspicion is that you are married now. Since I have neither heard from nor pursued you since the last we met, it is strictly a suspicion. Still, somehow I know that you aren't happily involved with her, because you settled. She seemed normal and secure and after me, you thought she possessed the important qualities. The thing is, women looking for marriage know how to play the game. And women looking for a true relationship go into it as themselves. My cards were on the table and you tried to make me regret showing my hand. Now you think of me and fall asleep beside her.
I still plan to be a writer. You are still strong and handsome. I was never insecure and you know that now. If only once, I had fallen asleep in your arms, perhaps you wouldn't have let go
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