Today's Reflection

In Acting Workshop II today, my partner and I worked on our role scores and our resolution. We found that putting the Melodramatic point at the end would work the best. Also, we put our silent beat at the point where Estragon falls asleep and Vladimir tries to make him up.

Reflection for Wednesday

On Wednesday, Dylan and I continued to add elements to our scene. We perfected our commedia bit in the opening lines of the scene and also worked creating space work to establish where we are (we're in a house trying to rob it). Also, we worked on our physical movement to set the relationship between us.

Today's Relfection (May 15, 2012)

My acting partner, Dylan, and I really finalized our scene today. We established that the "commedia" element is a small cheerleading bit. (it would make more sense if you saw it) Also, we found out that we could change the line "I dont know, a willow" and make it have a different meaning. Thirdly, we fit the stage combat element into the scene though meaningful deviation. I try to distract Dylan from a game he is playing and he slaps me in return. Finally, we put the silent beat at the end of the piece to really add the drama.

Reflection on Tuesday's Waiting for Godot Workshop

Due to the unsuccessful rehearsal on Monday, our group had to change our idea to two survivors of a world apocalypse. A majority of the world's trees have been destroyed and the two of us, paranoid citizens of what was the United States, find one of the remaining trees. Our boss, Godot, has told us not to do anything with said tree because he can duplicate it and possible save other survivors from lack of air. During the class period, we noticed that it was really hard to portray two people in a post-apocalyptic world, so we had to scrap that idea.

Waiting for Godot Relfection- Thursday

In our "Waiting for Godot" scene, my partner and I decided that we could portray the willow tree as a tall lamp. Our characters were two young children trying to go to bed, but our parent Godot, hasn't turned the bright light off yet. This obstruction is keeping us from going to sleep due to the brightness and we are unable to go to sleep until Godot turns it off. To pass the time away, we tried to play games but we grew too tired. During the workshop, our teacher told us that changing the tree to the lamp post would not work. Also, we were informed that acting tired would also make the audience tired, making it an unsuccessful portrail.

Wednesday's Rehearsal Reflection

Today, my partner and I worked on finalizing our stage combat and improv scene. When going over our improv scene, we realized that we needed more comedic moments in the conversation. We added some puns to jab at the audience with and also a silly moment. In our rehearsal period, I really really committed myself to becoming a true "Pedrolino." By doing this, I found out that I could use some stupidity because of the slumped alignment and head initiation core, often associated with a dumb servant or subordinate. This being our last rehearsal until the final performance tomorrow, we will be reviewing our stage combat form and technique as well as our improve so that our scene is top-notch.

Reflection on Tuesday's Rehearsal

On Tuesday, my partner and I were given the time rehearse for our final performance on Thursday. In the Borendo Music Center, we worked on adding form to our stage combat and made some choices regarding our improv before the stage combat. With the improvisation, we chose to add some elements of comedy including elements of three. We learned that we needed to be bigger in the delivering of lines to that our characters are fully portrayed. Learning from past rehearsal's and teacher's comments, we used the method of rolling with the punches and going through the scene and then later discussing and adding other elements to it. In our next rehearsal, we plan to work on our stage combat and perfect our improv.

Stage Combat/Commedia Dell'Arte Reflection

Throughout this week, our class has been focusing on adding a Commedia Dell'Arte scene to allow us to segway into our stage combat scene. So far, my partner and I have been successful in creating a scene where the structure of Commedia Dell'Arte can be seen. Our time may have been used to our benefit to a better extent if we had not spent most of our time talking about the scene and fixing it. We should have done improv in the scene to then later reflect on it.

Relating Commedia Dell'Arte to Modern Comedy

This weekend I watched the show "Modern Family," and found elements of old Commedia Dell'Arte in it. First I found the exaggerating element when the women of the Dunphey house are having their periods and are over exaggerating on every action and on every obstacle that faces them. Secondly, I found the ill-timedness element when Mitchel is preparing a big party for Cams 40th, or 10th becasue he was born on a leap day, birthday party. The party is an homage to the movie The Wizard of Oz and Mitchel goes all out. Unfortunately, Cam's family home in Missouri has been hit with a devastating tornado, which is a main part in the movie. Later in that same scene, I found an element of three where Mitchel is given three alternative themes to the party and says no to the first two and then yes to the last because he has two hours until guests arrive.

Card Improv

The focus of one of our classes this week was improv using inspiration from two measly cards. We were each given two cards, found a suitable partner whose cards could mesh together with ours, and we were to make two scenes, with inspiration with the four cards. A major challenge we were faced with in the duration of the exercise was that we were not allowed to discuss, only roll with the punches. After the conclusion of the scene, we were allowed to tweak it to perfection.

One problem that I had in the progression in my scene was that I was unable to stop and revise a mistake or a negation from my partner. I had to keep going, and play on with what I had and give more for my partner to play off on. Also, questions were not allowed in the scenes at all, which was yet another obstacle. Actors should only use declarative statements in scenes so that's what we had to do. Finally, creating a sufficient amount of space work in scenes was pretty difficult. Despite all the challenges in the exercise, I enjoyed it and got a lot from it.

Exercise Review

In class on Friday, we played a game that envolved responding and reacting to an idea a partner gave us. The set up of the game went as follows, two lines facing each other and when it was time to go, one person from one of the line would grab a topic card, and the other person would be their partner. For example, if Billy picks a card and it says "salad tongs," he could associate that with a barbeque and could play of that. His partner, Joe, would have to respond to Billy's spacework and lines. This exercise really helped me with my improvisational skills and my quick thinking. Some of my cards were hard in the moment of the exercises, but when I thought about it, they were actually really easy. Also, we played wordball, a game of quick-thing word associations. This was a huge help in the progress of the exercise because it contributed to your rapid feedback to words and phrases.

Favorite Scene

In the movie The Other Guys there contains a scene that I really enjoy. It takes place in the NYPD office with Mark Wallberg and Will Ferell. When Mark is trying to offend Will, he explains that is he was in a different food group then he was, he would eat him. He used the example of lion and a tuna. His exact words were"Even if you weren't in my food chain, I would go out of my way to attack you. If I were a lion and you were a tuna, i would swim into the middle of the ocean and eat you!" This scene in the movie was fulle of hilarity and stupidity which equated to a very funny scene. Towards the end, Mark splashed a hot cup of coffee on Will and the scene was through. I thought that this almost made the scene and finished it perfectly. 

Favorite Character

One of my favorite television shows is called "The Big Bang Theory." This hilarious comedy about four physicists working at a university has a character that I absolutley love and is name is Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, Sheldon for short. His humor is very dry and whitty and he lives with a fellow scientist and friend Leonard. As he goes about his life in the show, he has very distinct ways of meandering and going about that are key to think about in the portrail of him. First, his vocal choices are very sharp and precise and are to the point. He doesn't speak with a "California Accent," which is ironic because he lives in Pasadena. Also, he is always standing upright and never slouched. One could say that his poture is one of royalty and he looks as though he is full of himself, which he is. Finally, his face is usually the same, straight and looking intently at the speaker or the listener. Their are only brief moments in where he will laugh briefly, smile, and return to his generic face

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