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by Michael Abraham - Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 10:50 PM
Anyone in the world

Today Sanaa and I met in the Blackbox to practice the first two minutes of our scene! Before we met for rehearsal we both were feeling very anxious for presenting our work tomorrow. However, after rehearsing for a little less than an hour, we both left the black box feeling more confident than ever. Using this time we were able to make important decisions regarding the layout of our space, blocking, and the overall feeling of our scene. We had some trouble determining how to block our scene because there is little to no stage directions, but after a couple of trial and errors we figured out what may work! Contenting with trial and error is what also helped us to understand the direction and feeling our scene is calling for. Having this firm grasp on the overall theme of the scene made it easier for Sanaa and I to be fully present in our work. We are excited to show you all what we've been working on and hope you enjoy it! 

Associated Course: TH113-01/21SP

Comments

  • RDRyan Dyer - Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 10:42 AM
    I fully agree that determining space and blocking through minimal stage direction is super tricky. Mia and I are working through similar issues because our scene also has minimal direction. We both feel like we want to move around a bit but aren't exactly sure what this will look like yet. I'm excited to see what you guys come up with!
  • MBMia Bell - Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 7:12 PM
    Hey! Amazing Performance today!!! The work you put in really showed smile I can't wait to see your final performance
  • LWLibby Wiskind - Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 11:29 PM
    You guys did an amazing job! The stakes were so high and the tension was on point. So excited to see you perform again smile
  • IPIsabel Pichler - Wed, Apr 21, 2021, 9:38 AM
    From watching your two minutes, I think you did a great job with the blocking (and the scene)! I agree that it is difficult to navigate the space especially when there is such little direction, but I think the most helpful thing has been making little movements that help with grounding inside the space and makes things less awkward
 
by McKenzie Wingard - Monday, April 12, 2021, 3:27 PM
Anyone in the world

Our first rehearsal was over zoom last week and it was really fun! Although, at times reading body language through the computer was impossible which made pinch/ouch difficult to utilize at times. We've found this scene to be more difficult but also more fun than expected. We spent a lot of the time brainstorming about what we each really wanted with everything we said. We ended up changing our strategies from our original beat analysis a lot. We also tried to deal with the blocking of the scene, but it was hard! Because of zoom, but also because we're just sitting. There were many moments of random accent use and huge dramatization of the lines because we were trying really hard to up the awkwardness of the scene but sometimes it was just too awkward and the lines can be taken to become very silly. Anyways, we're looking forward to working on the full thing! After watching everyone's wonderful first showings last week we were so inspired and got really pumped to work on ours smile 

Associated Course: TH113-01/21SP

Comments

  • LSLauren Satterwhite - Tue, Apr 13, 2021, 1:31 PM
    You guys were great yesterday! Honestly I thought you guys have been rehearsing in person the entire time. Your scene is awkward but you both reacted nicely with your body. Keep up the good work!
  • MAMichael Abraham - Tue, Apr 13, 2021, 10:35 PM
    You guys did a great job in class on Monday! You guys played the awkward aspect of your scene very well!
  • MBMia Bell - Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 7:15 PM
    Y'all crushed it on Monday! Your pinch ouch was already phenomenal when you stepped into the scene, but developed SO much as you worked it!!!! I can't wait to see how y'all continue to progress smilesmilesmile
 
by Jonathan Newsome - Monday, April 12, 2021, 1:25 AM
Anyone in the world

So, this week Ziantae and I met twice outside of class to rehearse for our performance on Wednesday (Thursday and Sunday). It has been a little difficult to meet up and rehearse because Ziantae lives off campus and I live off, but we also have different class and extracurricular schedules. Well, we are still trying to meet as much as we can until our final performance. Looking at our rehearsals so far, I would say our biggest challenge is being able to assert the right the right relationship between the father and son. We are both trying to focus on our objectives, but sometimes it can make it harder to understand the way in which we should say a specific line. Also, another big challenge we are trying figure out is the movements within the scene and how to make them feel and look natural. Our scene is somewhat stagnate, so we are trying to figure out how to add texture and movement. With that being said, I would say, in terms of our lines for Wednesday, we are pretty much memorized, but we are still consistently going over the script. The process has been so much thus far, though!


Associated Course: TH113-01/21SP

Comments

  • MWMcKenzie Wingard - Mon, Apr 12, 2021, 3:31 PM
    Hello! Madisyn and I also were struggling with bringing in movement to a stagnant scene, but knowing you both I bet you'll figure it out beautifully smile Really looking forward to seeing the first 2 minutes!
  • SGSanaa Green - Tue, Apr 13, 2021, 12:08 PM
    Micheal and I also had a similar challenge to you all which is establishing the proper relationship between the mother and the son. With us doing the same scene, I agree that it is difficult trying to stay focused on our goals, but that draws upon another problem which is to understand how we can say a particular line and why the line was said in a particular way. Figuring out how to make the motions in the scene sound and look realistic is also something we share as well because with the scene being primarily stationary and not many sounds going on, it's difficult to make it natural and authentic without being awkward.
  • LSLauren Satterwhite - Tue, Apr 13, 2021, 1:28 PM
    I can totally relate to finding moments of movement and naturalness. Martin and I will be working on that probably up until our final performance. It's hard. I guess some advice for you is to keep in mind the exercise we did the other day outside with thinking about how distance can play a role in given circumstance. I noticed that I didn't feel as trapped in one spot whenever we were saying the lines from a distance. Especially that last part where you moved closer or farther depending on the intent with that you are saying. Status for guys is also going to be huge to work on. Inherently in one of your other performances together, I saw status with you two being performed but the given circumstance was that you guys were teammates. Keep playing around with how you say lines and think about parental figures in your life. Good luck tomorrow!
 
by Martin Lopez - Thursday, April 8, 2021, 4:39 PM
Anyone in the world
One of the challenges that we experienced in previous rehearsals was the mobility of our characters, since we realized that we were not moving at all and felt stuck to the "porch." Today we decided to address it by adding two chairs that we would use to change locations and talk. We worked on making moments less awkward since our scene includes a lot of silence and kisses😘(we are substituting the smooch). We got a lot of laughs out which from our perspective helps us to become more comfortable and authentic.

PS: if you are an upper classmate, would you mind gifting us two EMPTY beer bottles? 🍼

Thank you!
Lauren & Martin. 

Associated Course: TH113-01/21SP

Comments

  • MLMakana Laboy - Fri, Apr 9, 2021, 11:24 PM
    Love the ideas that you guys decided on! I think adding more to your set will add more activity within the scene as a whole. Also, I could definitely help you out with empty beer bottles!
  • SGSanaa Green - Tue, Apr 13, 2021, 11:59 AM
    I love that you were able to come up with alternatives for your scene instead of having awkwardness. I feel that in my scene we also have that same problem where the whole beginning of our scene is standstill and feels awkward to not have movement or actions for the text.

    In our text, we also have the use of drugs (cigarettes', and wine) which were trying to figure out how to incorporate that.
  • MAMichael Abraham - Tue, Apr 13, 2021, 10:39 PM
    I love this scene! You both do a good job bringing a funny feeling to a not so funny event. I am excited to see the final result after you guys change different aspects!
  • RDRyan Dyer - Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 10:56 AM
    Finding ways to change locations in the scene, or "having a place to go" like Madisyn has mentioned, is difficult I think! Especially if the scene seems like it takes splace in one specific location. I'm curious to see how you guys approach it. Haha and like Makana already offered, I can supply some empty bottles too if y'all still need it!
 
by Zoey Norling - Thursday, April 8, 2021, 9:46 AM
Anyone in the world

Libby and I have spent a lot of time looking into the relationship between Sam and Rose and asking ourselves how we can portray the complications between us. We love how subtle the tensions are between Sam and Rose at first, and how they grow in the scene, but struggled at first at understanding each of the characters given circumstances. Some things that really helped both of us better understand our characters have been the beat analysis and taking a moment before the scene starts to bring ourselves into the moment. 

The beat assignment clarified a lot of our emotions in the scene. We are constantly pulling each other in different directions in this moment of the play. There is a lot of confusion, passion, and frustration. Although our characters are confused, we realized that we needed to understand a bit why they were confused. Sitting down and talking about it was really helpful to the building of our work together. We also continued with memorizing lines and blocking out our movements. We will be sitting in two chairs for the scene, so we worked on how to make that feel fluid rather than rigid. Even though we are sitting, we worked on the subtle movements and bodily conversations between our characters. 

Overall, we discovered this week that this scene has so many subtleties and we began to engage with those more to feel more comfortable with our characters and each other. 


Associated Course: TH113-01/21SP

Comments

  • LSLauren Satterwhite - Fri, Apr 9, 2021, 10:36 PM
    I totally understand where you guys are coming from with the complicated feelings. My character, Catherine, changes objectives throughout this scene that Martin and I are performing. At first she wants to only be comforted but then she kind of likes Hal but then is reminded that she is at her father's funeral reception. These changes are hard to play for sure. I agree that the beat analysis definitely helped me realize where in the script my character's objectives change. I am glad you guys seem to be doing well though. Keep up the good work!
  • JNJonathan Newsome - Mon, Apr 12, 2021, 1:29 AM
    I feel like this is definitely relatable to Ziantae and I because we feel constantly confused on how to balance the passions and frustrations in our scene. I think we will take a note out of your book and sit down to talk more about how we are going to assert these things. Appreciate the post!
 
by Zoey Norling - Thursday, April 8, 2021, 9:45 AM
Anyone in the world

Libby and I have spent a lot of time looking into the relationship between Sam and Rose and asking ourselves how we can portray the complications between us. We love how subtle the tensions are between Sam and Rose at first, and how they grow in the scene, but struggled at first at understanding each of the characters given circumstances. Some things that really helped both of us better understand our characters have been the beat analysis and taking a moment before the scene starts to bring ourselves into the moment. 

The beat assignment clarified a lot of our emotions in the scene. We are constantly pulling each other in different directions in this moment of the play. There is a lot of confusion, passion, and frustration. Although our characters are confused, we realized that we needed to understand a bit why they were confused. Sitting down and talking about it was really helpful to the building of our work together. We also continued with memorizing lines and blocking out our movements. We will be sitting in two chairs for the scene, so we worked on how to make that feel fluid rather than rigid. Even though we are sitting, we worked on the subtle movements and bodily conversations between our characters. 

Overall, we discovered this week that this scene has so many subtleties and we began to engage with those more to feel more comfortable with our characters and each other. 

Comments

     
    by Sanaa Green - Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 10:02 PM
    Anyone in the world

    This week, my partner and I worked on analyzing the beats in our script and were able to write what each character was going for in each beat. I feel that although analyzing beats can be an easy concept, my partner and I had some conflict because there were times where I might have thought the shift of beat was changing and my partner did not and vise versa. Overall, we were able to identify where the main beats should take place. We also went through our script and learned a little bit more about each character and the given circumstance. This helped us to get more in the scene and to play the role of the character rather than just acting out the scene. Knowing more about each character and the given circumstance, makes the needs and wants of each character more clear is what we learned. Besides doing tableware with my partner this last week, we also practiced our script which I feel like we're having a hard time memorizing because of the specificity go the situation and because we need to practice more of being in the shoes of the character rather than just saying the lines. 

    Comments

       
      by Ryan Dyer - Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 10:42 AM
      Anyone in the world

      Mia and I met today at 8:10am in the blackbox for our first rehearsal session. Whew, it was a little early but this was only time that would work for both of our schedules! Initially, I couldn't get into the theatre, but then I quickly realized that I have swipe acess with my student ID. Crisis averted. 

      We began our session by discussing our set-up on stage and what props we might need for the performance. We don't have all of these things yet, but it was good to talk about and get on the same page moving forward. Then Mia did a cartwheel, and then so did I. It was exhilirating. Always imporant to get upside down imo.

      Once settled down, we began to rehearse our lines. We ran through our scene "off-book" right away just to see how far we could make it. We made it pretty far! However, it was clear that we needed to work on the lines more and also learn the beats together. For the rest of the rehearsal, we worked on finalizing our entrance, memorizing the lines, and discussing the crescendos of the scene together. I'm not sure we have all the lines down yet, but we are making solid progress. All in all, it was a useful and productive rehearsal. Hopefully the showing of our first two minutes goes well!

      Associated Course: TH113-01/21SP
      [ Modified: Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 11:04 AM ]

      Comments

      • Rebecca LingafelterRebecca Lingafelter - Wed, Apr 7, 2021, 11:44 AM
        Yayyy!
      • ZNZoey Norling - Thu, Apr 8, 2021, 9:49 AM
        Good to know that our swipes work for the black box! Libby and I have talked a bit about costumes/props, but that is definitely something we need to co-ordinate still too. Glad you were doing cartwheels while running lines that's sweet!
      • MLMartin Lopez - Thu, Apr 8, 2021, 4:50 PM
        Wait, I wanna do a cartwheel as well! Can you teach me? Lauren and I are also looking for our props and we just decided to add some more, are you both on the same boat? You both are amazing!
      • MBMia Bell - Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 7:35 PM
        @Martin YES
       
      by Elaine Kinsey - Wednesday, December 18, 2019, 4:20 PM
      Anyone in the world

      Wow, you guys! We finally did it! I'm so proud of everyone, and I'm also really proud of myself. Sometimes during performance I feel like it wasn't quite as good as the rehearsal, but I definitely felt like today was the best I had ever done with this scene. I'm especially proud of how disoriented and un-tethered I was able to act considering that Catherine has just finished a conversation with a hallucination of her dead father when this scene starts. I'm looking back and I'm also thinking about how much fun I had with you guys this semester. All of the silly exercises and games we would warm up with. I'm already getting nostalgic! Sometimes this class even felt more like an extra-curricular than an actual class. I had so much fun being here and I'm really going to miss being in a class with you all :'(

      Hope to see you around next year!

      -Elaine

      Associated Course: TH113-01/19FA

      Comments

         
        by Negasi Brown - Wednesday, December 18, 2019, 11:47 AM
        Anyone in the world

        Hi guys,

        I'm so excited to perform this scene today, Nathan and I spent some time rehearsing in the quadrangle, tightening up cut offs and timing of entrances. We also worked on some of the notes Rebecca gave us, so the scene is in pretty good shape. We are gonna work lines and stuff one more time to ensure we have the timing down and think about being grounding and playing the objective during the scene. This is the final strecth and it has been so exciting working with all of you this year in Rebecca's class.

        Have a good Winter break!

        This is Negasi, signing off.

        Associated Course: TH113-01/19FA

        Comments