Productivity

Thursdays class was very productive. Though Tricia and I have been working on the scene on our own, it is always so much different with an audience. I wish we had has our props though. BTW, when are we suppossed to have those?
Also, Threesome was a lot of fun. ( That is a really weird sentance.) It was cool to see people's creativity come out when they were comming up with words. And, unlike the ABC game, there were not as many long pauses. Yeah!

threesome

I really enjoyed the new activity we did today- Threesome! Inspite of the name lol i really enjoyed the improv aspect of the game! i also thought that the group work is so good! i think that it is really beneficial to all groups to see what you need to think about especially with the action words.

Actions

Today in class I was realizing that deciding the actions of every line may be a little difficult. I was getting an action and a quality confused. I think I am beginning to understand that an action is something that you can do to someone else. I will definitely need to look in a thesaurus. Until receiving this assignment I never knew how many things actors have to think about. I used to think that acting was just memorizing lines. This class has taught me that there are soooooooo many other things that actors must do in order to be good.

Thursday Nov. 20

It amazes me how much of a story can come out of a few simple lines, how one slight chance in an actor's tone of voice or movement can make such a difference and add so much to a line. I understood today how a play is never finished. There is always something more that can be done in order to make it better. When watching the skits today it was evident that there was improvement since the first time that those individuals did their skits. There was more movement and emphasis on the lines, however, it was not over the top. It seems like because the people who went knew their lines better it allowed them to not focus on what they were saying as much as their actions and actually believing that they were "in the scene". I am excited to see how everyone does on their final.

Tuesday

As usual, it was interesting to watch the other groups' skits. A couple people got to go see what was in the prop room and I hear that it has a lot of good stuff. It will be nice to add props to our skits. Given the circumstances, it was nice to be able to get some of the written stuff done as well. I feel that Tuesday was a very productive class.

Once again I liked to watch the skits on our late Tuesday, I think that what we are doing now is probably a suitable way to end the course. I know we have more working on them to come, and I wonder what else we will be doing to finish out the year. I am also very pleased that snow is on the ground and I hope it remains until I am no longer pleased.

Tuesday's "Late" Class

I would have to agree with Juan dealing with people staying and working on the assignment. I figured that most of the class was going to leave, but no one left. I think it is probably because the class is so fun that no one would want to miss out on that experience.

In a few weeks we won't get to have that class anymore and we will have to be back to boring old text books and assignments that involved research and blah... its a shame that the class is coming to an end. I get to go to the play tomorrow, so hopefully it is good.

I finally practiced my skit with Hallie in front of the class on Tuesday and it was super helpful. It's really nice to get outside suggestions and input on our scene. I was pretty unsure of how to handle certain parts but now I feel way more comfortable with everything. I can't wait to practice again and I'm pretty excited to see how our final version of the skit turns out.

On Tuesday even through the circumstances was odd, it was a good opportunity for us to practice on our scene was plus. I especially like how everyone stayed in class and decided to get better on their lines. This takes a lot discipline knowing we had a chance to leave but stayed to enhance our skills and talents. This is what it takes in the real world while trying to accomplish tasks, objectives and goals. Thumbs up to everyone in the class, PEACE.
P.S. glad Fabio got there in one piece.

Skit's

I thought it was helpful to see the other group go that had our same lines. It was interesting to see what kind of twist they put on the dialog and compare it to what we were doing. I think that it is definitely easier once you have had a chance to run through it in class and get feedback from Fabio. It is really important that you know what you are doing for each line and how you are supposed to portray yourself because it makes for a much better seen when you actually have purpose in your lines and your not just saying them. Once you are certain what you are doing it just give the skit more emphasis and not so much just two people conversing lines back and forth.

I was glad Ryan and I finally got the chance to do our scene in class. It was the first time that we actually got to act it out. It nice to get feedback for our performance. The way I need to act is a little different from how I act in real life. I'm usually pretty quiet and don't raise my voice. That's why I was a little monotone the other day. But it felt so good when I raised my voice and said, "Good Lord." I was kind of suprised by everyone's reaction. It looked like Ryan took a step back when I said it. Hopefully, I can continue doing the same thing the next time I do the scene.

Skits

I think it is really interesting to watch everyone work on their skits. I like to see how people can start with one idea and it be completely changed by the end of their practice time. It is so nice that we can perform these ahead of time and receive guidance. Watching everyone else even helps me think of things I should do in my skit. I thought it was cool to see how the way a person says a line can completely change the tone of the skit. When Bill was saying his "Good Lord" line monotone it was not very effective. However, when he changed the way he said that line, it really enhanced the skit. I am excited to watch the other people's skits tomorrow! :)

class on thursday

in class on thursday i thought it was going to be easy to do my skit after watching all the others before me ! boy was i wrong , i thought i could do all the things i wanted to do when i practiced it but i forgot to do alot of things. like act all hyper and annoying. i thought the amount of annoyingness i was giving was enough but it wasnt. its really hard to take something you can do very well by yourself , to in front of an audiance, by doing those in class it really hepls us out on what the audiance looks for in a skit and how detailed we sould be.

Tuesday

It has been really interesting watching other people do their scenes. In class i got to go up to the prop room. After seeing the options we have to work with i have been able to picture what the scene is actually going to look like. By being able to visualize the scene it makes it a lot easier to practice and to image how the scene will actually play out during finals.

Skit at FCA

Last night at FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), some students from AU put on a mini-skit. It is funny because every time there is a skit or anything to do with acting, I am always analyzing their actions. I can not just simply sit there and enjoy the skit because of my experience with acting, even though it is extremely limited. The skit consisted of about seven or eight individuals. There was not any talking in the skit, but rather just actions, signs with words on them, and music in the background. I think that because no one talked in the skit, it made more of an impact of everyone watching. Everyone watching seemed to have their eyes glued to the people in the skit. They did a pretty good job actually. I would have been so nervous to go up in front of a large group of my peers and participate in a skit, so I give them a lot of credit.

Tuesday, November18

I get so excited to come to class to work on our scenes and to see other people's scenes. I feel like when we watch the other scenes it is like watching a movie. Every one's storyline is so exciting. I think that working on the scenes has once again opened my eyes to how hard acting really is. There are so many ways to say a single word and each way gives the sentence a completely new meaning. I think it is fun to play around with the way to say different words and to see which way fits into the script. This is probably the only time I will ever say this, but... I can't wait for our final!

chewsday

today we started a little late but still prettymuch did the same things that we have been. It was pretty neat seeing the other group with the same script because it gave us a variety of options for how to interpret the words. Although we obviously are not going to copy it exactly, the different ways to say things was nice to see. I am excited to see all of the scenes on the final day because it seems like everyone is working really hard.

Props

A few of us went to the prop room today and it made me think about what the scenes will be like with actual props. In class we don't do a lot of activities involving things, so it will be interesting to see what the addtition of props will do to the scenes.
By the way, the prop room is really creepy. It looks like the perfect place to set a horror movie!

scenes

today's class was very helpful in determining how to go about the scene! i really enjoyed the repetition and new ideas t try each time! i feel like everyone else is probably bored of watching the same scene for 30min but i think that it is very beneficial to all groups not just the one that is being worked with

Scenes

I was very sick this past Thursday so I was not able to make it to class. But I am sure the groups who went did a great job! So far I am enjoying this project especially because we get to see the progress that each group makes. Watching these scenes makes me realize how much everyone has progressed since the beginning of the semester. It is great to see everyone applying techniques they have learned from this class into these scenes. The final outcome, I think, is going to be wonderful!

Acting

I thought that it was very beneficial for us to go in front of the class last week and run through our lines. We had a story made up, but the one we came up with in class I like much better. I think it is best that you have a run through like this because it allows you to see just how you feel in front of everybody and how you are going to say your lines. I think that it is important to know what kind of way you are saying your lines and how you are supposed to act accordingly. I think our act will be a lot better since we did the run through in class.

I'm kind of anxious to see how my scene is going to work out today in class. I haven't gone yet, so I'm curious to see how it goes and hear what feedback we get. I think that it has benefitted Ryan and I to see the other group with the same lines go before us, even though we are doing a little different of a setting. And as for the ABC game, it's starting to get very boring. It's a fun game, but the fun gets taken away when people pause for a few seconds to think of something to say. I think it might be easier to do if we were given a scene and we didn't start with the letter "A."

ABC game

I still really like this exercise. Even though its challenging i found that the second time the words seem to come faster to me. I still think we should have played frog detective for Rhea though. Also i am really enjoying watch the skits. It is interesting the story line that all the different groups has come up with just from the lines. I also feel that this helps everyone because in each group Fabio point out something different and tells whats good or what can be fixed. I feel that by doing this Fabio is really helping us prepare for our final and make it less stressful on us.

ABC Game

My first thoughts, and pretty much my only thoughts, on the ABC game is boring. I mean it is interesting to watch people squirm out of the letters, but the long pauses causes me to lose track of what is even going on. I think it would be more entertaining if we had done it numerous times before and everyone knew a bunch of words to start a sentence off with like Quick for Q.

As for the final scene acting skit thing, it really was fun practicing it. Although that whole zapping thing made little sense to me, the rest was pretty fun and enjoyable.

I still really like that we are doing these skits. I love how we pay attention to detail and can change what our character is doing to create the most drama for the situation. The somewhat extreme situations that are coming out of these unlabeled scenes are fun to watch and I am looking forward to when everyone performs the finished product.

Class

I thought that each group that went on thur did a really good job. I think as time goes on the groups will get better because of the fact that you get to hear all the tips that the teacher is giving us. I think that he is very helpful and that he makes it seem like its not hard and give me confidence when im up performing. I think that once I work on it more I will be ready for the final. I hope that everyone feels the same and that everyone thinks he is as helpful. I hope everyone is doing well and I still encourage those who have not gone to go.

class on hursday

in class on Thursday Aaron and Ryan Did a really good job on their scene. they were really believable with most of their actions and body language. i thought if they had all the props they needed i think they would of made a great video. they had i think one o the best scenes in the class, but i think everyone is buying into the scenes and doing very well.

I also went to see Crimes of the Heart over the weekend. I was so surprised at how small the theater was! I was very impressed though by most of the cast members. One of the actors was no very good though, I definitely noticed him trying to portray emotion rather than just doing it...which we learned was a big no no. Over all though it was a really good play and as always I was impressed by the actors simply for the fact that I have trouble getting up in front of just our class to do a silly exercise and here they are doing a play that's a few hours long and completely immersing themselves in their character.

On Thursday during our activity I had to do the activity with Ryan, I find it hard sometimes to concentrate while being partners. Because in my view he has the ability to make me laugh like a Jim Carey type. With Ryan using more body language than verbal contents, most of the time. However I was disappointed a little when we could not do the wiz game or frog detective as a class. I do not like the letter game. I am looking forward to class on Tuesday to view the rest of class scenes and how Fabio will respond on their actions and storylines.
Peace.

Crimes of the Heart

I went to see Crimes of the Heart on Saturday and it was pretty good. Very different from the crucible too. Even though I've been here fro three years, before this class I never attended any of the theater productions here. I was always too busy or something. But now i will definitly make more of an effort to get out and see them.

It was a hit!

Just as Paige explained, we teach at an after school program. We had time left over yesterday so we played the ABC game with our four girls. I did not know how they would respond to this activity, and I thought it may be too difficult for them. Boy was I wrong! A few of the girls were better than a lot of us in class. They got so into this activity. We did it for over an hour and when it was time to go, they were bummed because they wanted to keep doing the activity. As we kept doing the activity, we all got better. At the end, a few of the girls were even acting out the scenes. I realized that their imaginations were better than mine. For example, when we were coming up with relationships, one of the girls came up with a goldfish and a cat. This relationship turned out to be one of the funniest. It was so nice to have a back-up activity we could do that does not require any materials, well except for me who needs the alphabet written somewhere :) It was really fun to see how they the girls responded to this activity.

The ABC Game

The ABC game is a great way for students to think and be creative. After playing again on Thursday morning, Rhea and I thought that it would be a good activity to use with our students. We teach together at Eastview Elementary school. We have four fifth grade girls that we work with in an after school program called Learning Club. Yesterday was our last day to actually be with the girls on our own because next Tuesday is our celebration with everyone. Therefore, Rhea and I thought that we would do something fun with the girls. The ABC game came to our mind because it helps the students with thinking and processing at a faster pace. The girls absolutely loved the game! We literally played it for an hour and the girls didn't want Learning Club to be over because they just wanted to keep on playing. It was interesting to see what relationships they came up with and how well they were able to think of things to say starting with the specfic letters in the alphabet. The girls came up with some pretty intersting relationships other than the original sisters, mother/daughter, and friends. Some of my favorites were a monkey and banana, cat and goldfish, cop and robber, and Miss Romito and Miss Davidson. Basaed off of the way our students are academically when it comes to processing information, Rhea and I were easily able to tell who would excell and who would struggle with this activity. However, it was beneficial and fun for everyone.

scenec scenes

I was a little disappointed that we couldn't think of a good enough scene for class today, I hope that we can make it awesome by the final... I saw the lay today and I liked it a lot. It was very dramatic with a few comedic parts that I liked. I liked that the actors were right next to you in the studio theater and that we could see the action! better. I thought all of the actors were pretty great and liked that the cast seemed to really work well together. overall I really enjoyed the play.

Thursday, November 13

Today we did the ABC exercise again. I still feel like this exercise is quite difficult. I think we could all do this activity if we didn't feel like we were on the spot. After Tuesday's class I played this game with my friends and it seemed much easier. I really enjoy seeing other people's scenes. I feel like I learn so much from the feedback. As other people present I really get into their story and I want to know what happens next. I think it is so interesting that we can take a simple scene with no direction and make it into a complex storyline. Everyone in the class is so creative, it is interesting when they present because it is always something different.

ABC

I thought that the exercise we did on Tuesday with the alphabet was really fun. I found it hard to come up with what to say right on the spot, I caught myself thinking about a few before I would just blurt it out. I think that maybe by doing that exercise it can help actors be able to get out their words faster and not get stumped on what they are supposed to say. I think that the groups that went on Tuesday did rather well with their projects. I think it is important to know what your doing and how you are going to say things.

ABC

I enjoyed playing the alphabet game in the beginning of class. I watched the guys on whose line do it plenty of times and was excited to actually do it myself. The one thing that I noticed was that it is a lot harder when you are doing it compared to when you watch it. Fabio and Brianna did a very good job keeping up the flow. I think it would be more helpful if we were given a scene to work with like they do on Whose Line. And Juan, you have a lot of work to do if you want to beat me at whiz bang haha

Tuesday

Hmm... I wasn't there on Tuesday because I forgot to put the volume on my cell phone on anything other than silent. I woke up and had breakfast and then did the blog. Afterward, I laid down to take a nap and then I woke up around 9:50 and was wondering what happened. Anyway, I missed class so I have no idea if I am suppose to post much of anything or what on here. I guess my lesson to learn on the day was that you should always have volume on your cell phone when taking a nap.

Tuesday

On Tuesday in class I agree with everyone else that the alphabet exercise was fun. After watching Fabio and Briana it didn't seem it would be that challenging but it was. It was a lot easier to think of words when you were sitting down and watching but once you get up all the words seem to leave your head. I agree with Juan that this exercise could be used in many different setting. Also I enjoyed watching Paige and Renee's scene because I thought it was rather funny.

my turn!!!

So me and my partner went on tue and I did not think that we needed that much work. He gave us a lot of ideas that helped so much. I really suggest that people go as soon as they can and don't worry about him ripping you apart. It will really help you in the end and he give you a lot of good ideas. I hope every one is having good luck with everything and I would really suggest to go tomorrow if you can.

class on tuesday was really fun . i liked that excercise with the alphabet , which you had to start a sentence with the letter of the alphabet. i caused you to think fast well try and think fast hahah!! i thought it was good to help everyone one with things that happen unexpectedly on stage . so i think we should do that again because some of the sentences that were made up were so funny. oh and p.s I WON !!!!!! hahah

On Tuesday I enjoy the activity which we had to pick a word that starts with a letter in our conversation with our partner was really funny, cool and interesting. After leaving the class my mind started to think about all the letters I was struggling with and how I came up with words for them later. This activity can be used for many different things example like an ice breaker at camp or work. There were a lot of funny moments but also a lot that was learned, I missed the Wiz game, (bring it back) I want to beat bill, HAHAHAHAAHAHa. Peace

I guess unlike most of the class, I am much more excited about these skits than I am the new game we played. Every one that has gone so far has had so much potential, I think, to be thoroughly fun to watch. I am also already surprised at how diverse the little plots are, how people can come up with things so different. The alphabet game was fun though.

Improv

Along with everyone else, I loved the improvisation game we did at the beginning of class on Tuesday. At first, I was a little hesitant and thought it would be too difficult. Once I got up in front of the class, it was not as bad as I had anticipated. I thought it was so funny to hear people's stories that they made up going through every letter in the alphabet. I have never done this game before, but I thought it was so fun and entertaining. I think this game would be fun to use in my classroom some day. This activity would help two students work together to create a story. The children would also be able to work on expanding their vocabulary with this game. This was one of my favorite introduction activities we have done all year. :)

Abc

I loved the alaphbet game today in class. At first I thought i was screwed, but if i just didn't think about it too hard and let things come out naturally I was fine. Really, that is what we are suppossed to be doing all the time in class, so once again, our exercises parallel our long term goals. What a surprise.

ABC

I loved the ABC activity we did today in class!! i think that improv is awesome and also hilarious!! i thought that this was a great activity because it allowed us to be  creative as well as have fun!! I think it was also a nice change from wiz-bang! I think that game is getting a little old so it was nice to have a change of pace!

abcdefg...

I liked the alphabet game today, I think that is will be necessary to play this game all the time. I also liked the scenes that we had today, especially the one with Renee the creeper. I think people generally like creeper people because we all know them. I like to see the other groups because it gives me idea on how desperate I need to make my own scene. I realize that when there is death divorce or money involved, things are more interesting. I am going to see the Crimes of the Heart on Thursday and I'm more excited to see this one than the crucible because my roommate is reading it and says it is really good. thats all I have to say

Tues: Improv and Skits

Today's class was a lot of fun and extremely interesting once again. The improv alphabet game at the beginning of class was great. After seeing this activity on "Who's Line is it Anyway" and watching a few groups go, I thought that it was going to be easier than it really was. When other groups were going, I could think of what to say right away, but when it came to my turn, I totally froze and couldn't think of any words that started with specific letters and still made sense. I was disappointed in myself. I thought that I was more quick whitted than that. ha. However, I feel like this is one of the types of activities that would get easier the more you do it. I really enjoyed that game and hope that we do it more often in class now.

I also benefited from practicing our skits. Since Renee and I went today, I was really able to see how our skit was coming together. I like the lines that we got and what we made it into. It has a twist of comedy to it which I like. I thought that it was easier to remember my lines once Renee was actually talking to me and we were in an "office setup". The words came more naturally, however, I obviously have a lot to work on. I now see why people enjoy theater. It can really be a lot of fun acting like a completely different person and do things that you would normally not be caught doing.

I think being able to see the first to groups go on Thursday gave me a good feel of what to expect. I didn't realize just how much we had to think about when we are up there doing our scene. You first have to remember your lines, but then you have come up with actions that fit with what is going on. To me that's the hardest part about this. But once we come up with the actions and practice them a couple of times, we'll be fine.

Class

I think that by watching other perform their parts it will really help my group in coming up with how to say what we are trying to say and to bring more drama into our little skit. I thought that the people who went last Thursday did quite well and the only thing that I hope doesn't happen when I get up is that I forget my lines. I think that it is also very important with what tone and just how you say your lines because it can give your line a whole new meaning and put more emphasis on it as well.

Scenes

I definitely got some helpful hints from Thursday's class. It was also nice to see what some of the groups have come up with. It is interesting how two groups can come up with two completely different interpretation for the same script. That is one of the most exciting parts of doing these scenes. It will be interesting to develop our scene.

Skits

After Thursday's class, I think most of us have a better understanding of what we are suppose to do for our final. I did not think too much about the actions and what effect they may bring to the scene. You could tell a huge difference between before and after actions were included. It will be interesting to see what people have for today's class.

Them Skitz

I thought that the first two groups that went last Thursday were really good, especially for the first groups that went. They were better than I expected (not that I expected them to be bad), and everyone seems to be pretty relaxed and willing to try things, which I think will make for fun skits. I hope what Aaron and I are doing isn't turrible.

Excited for the skits

I've really liked pretty much everything we've done so far in this class. But i'm pumped to start our skits. The skits we saw on Thursday were really good but I guess I didn't realize how many small details and crazy little things went into developing our skits. I was not prepared for how many questions we were going to be asked about our skits and our background and what not but I guess every little detail realy does matter. I met with my partner and we figured out our skit and our relationship and what not and I'm pretty excited about it....it should be fun.

i really likes watching the class act out their scenes. i think we are actually putting everything we have learned throughout this semester to good use. i liked brittany and juan's i think they did a really nice job , they were very believeable. when brittany wanst smiling hahah. i just hope i am able to do it half as good as they did. but i am interested in seeing all the other scenes.

excerise

During the exercise on Thursday I was really into it, I think my partner was too. I think going first gives us an edge on how to better prepare for the next time around. I thought we did an outstanding job performing as the first group. I thought it would be more painful than what it actually was. I also learned a lot from just doing it, rather than coming up with the whole scenario at that time, I thought it was real helpful how Fabio would generate my character right on the spot but also giving my character his personality, qualities, and individuality; Marvelous!, peace with chicken grease.

Thursday

I really enjoyed presenting our scene in class Thursday. Although i was nervous and felt really unprepared it didn't go over as bad as i thought it would. It also helped to understand what was going on in our scene. We had met one time before doing it and talked about what the situation was going to be, but actually being in front of the class helped to play the scene out. It also helped because we got lots of pointers to work on, such as what actions we were doing at certain lines. Also it helped to fill in missing details about the situation that we had not previously thought of. Overall i feel that this helped me a lot and will continue to help prepare me for the final.

Presenting our scene

I really enjoyed presenting our scene on Thursday. I was really nervous about performing in front of the class; I think this was because the scene was not something we were told to do, we made up the storyline. Being up in front of the class just reinforced the fact that acting is so much harder than I thought. I am so glad that we had the opportunity to go first because we now know what to change and how to do that. I think our scene is coming along nicely and I am excited about performing at the end of the semester.

scenes

I thought that Thursdays class was very helpful in that it described what exactly we need to think about and how we use actions in our scenes.  I think that working like this for each group is going to be unbelievable beneficial to all groups! I think that the first group that went did a great job and it felt like they really knew what they were doing and knew their lines!

First Scenes

I thought that Thursday's class was so helpful. Watching the other groups perform their skits and the feedback they received was very beneficial. Before this class, I had not taken into considerations many of the questions that were asked to the two groups. I was only focusing on knowing my lines for Thursday. I realized I need to begin thinking about all of the details. I thought it was incredible that although people have simple lines, an entire story can be constructed just by actions and tone of voice.

Final Scene- take #1

I am glad that Tricia and I ended up doing our scene today. I think we have a good start, but it was nice to get feed-back early on in the process. When we rehearsed we mainly just ran the lines and came up with a preliminary idea of what our scene is about and who our characters are. It was odd that going into it the one thing that I was sure of was that I knew the lines. But once we were prompted to think more about our situation and who our characters were, I started to forget the lines. ugh. Oh, well. I have a month to learn the lines and I am beginning to realize that they are not really the important part.

scenerific

I liked class today because the groups that went had original storyline to go with the seemingly boring dialog. I am glad I did not go today because I memorized the lines but looking at the drama that is expected I now realize that our story needs a little work. I liked thinking of verbs that the lines were said with and think I might need a dictionary. I am excited to see what kinds of scenes the other groups come up with.

Scenes

I think that today was one of my favorite classes this semester. I thought that it was really interesting how just a few lines could be made into an entire story. I was also surprised at how much planning and background information goes into such a short skit. I think my favorite part about putting on a skit is deciding what types of props are appropriate to use. I always have loved to decorate and such so I think that it is the artsy side of me, but I really get excited that we get to have props for our final. How many props are typically used for a skit? Like what is an appropriate amount so that they are not distracting to the audience?

Class Tuesday

I thought that the exeercise we did in class on tuesday was rather interesting because you had to pay attention to what other's were doing so you could add something to the machine or whatever it was. I found it hard to come up with things to do after more and more people went. I think that acting out in a play can be the same because if you don't know whats going on around you, when you act your part it could be way off from what you are supposed to be doing or even how you are supposed to be feeling. When we were pulling the objects out of the blob I noticed that the people who did well were the ones who slowed down and and thought about their object more and when you do that it becomes more real and believable.

Tuesday was fine, I think that the substance method we are using is probably a good thing, because it is such a sandbox. I think it is good that we don't go into it thinking that we have to do anything or thinking about what we want to do, so we are more spontaneous and creative because we are just going with what we feel like and what the other person feels like. I suppose that's cool.

Tuesday’s exercise was very interesting because I could get or act out in the way he wanted. This was the first time I felt some type of frustration on any of these activities we do in class. Did I hide it well? HAHAHAHA. I am looking forward to today’s activity, let see how well we do?

Substance Mirror

I liked the substance mirror exercise. It introduced new concepts and incorporates some concepts we have learned in the past. It seems to be very similar to what we have done in the past except, when dealing with the substance, it is more lenient. This can be easy for some and challenging for others. Because you and your partner are handling something that is not necessarily in a set position all the time, you can do a lot of different experimentation. You need to mirror you partner, but you do not always have to be exact because you are handling the substance. Also, the fact that we do not know what the substance can do and are discovering just that gives us a lot of leniency in our actions.

NEW

I am very excited for Thur class because I am excited to see how everyone does with their scene. I agree with Bill i do think that everyone has improved and I think that everyone will do well on their scene. I am glad that we will be getting feedback from the teacher because I think that we will all need it and I think that it will be very interesting on thur.

I think everyone has improved a lot during the semester and the substance exercise shows just how far everyone has come. Everyone seems to have a better understanding of how to act. I remember the first couple classes when we did the watching a sporting event exercise. Everyone was doing way to much and doing the wrong things. But now, everyone is keeping everything simple and it really makes a difference. I'm curious to see how it goes once we start getting into dialogue and be able to speak and act at the same time.

Tuesday Class

Compared to last week when we first started the substance exercises I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable. I still am not sure what this substance is that we are working with though. I also find it interesting that when we first started doing 'exploring the substance with a partner' that we all seemed to be mirroring our partner, but in a different way than before because you just go with it, no discussion. I'm with Abby on the machine exercise. I enjoyed this exercise much more when we were part of the machine, but i do understand why you are having us do this exercise

New Mirror

It is interesting how we already did activities similar to what we are doing now in class. Although this time around, it seems a lot easier since we have already done it at one point or another. I think there is less of a fear factor as well since we are getting more used to being in front of the class. I however, think it is harder with the substance in the scene because both parties have to make the substance appear to be the same... which may create even more issues.

Anyway, I have more homework to do tonight than I have had all semester, so I am going to get started... see you all bright and early.

I agree with Hallie about how cool it is that we all automatically incorporate things into our exercises that we learned earlier in the semester without even thinking about it now. I wasn't a huge fan of building the machine in class...although it was funny trying to guess what parts people where putting on. I much prefer to actually BE the parts of the machine...that was hilarious. I excited about the final project though, it should be really fun and I hope I can get my creative juices flowing and come up with a good background story.

Defining a space

Out of all the exercises we did on Tuesday, I enjoyed when we try to figure out what characteristics define a space. It really gets me to think about the minute details that are in each space which make them unique. I thought that the time we did the yard and park was easier than the office and den. Right away when we started with the yard and park lists I was trying to think of how they are different. I could think of plenty of similarities, but I was focusing on their differences. For our final exam, I have been thinking of locations where our dialogue could be and how we will define the space.

The substance exercise we did again on Tuesday, is by far, not my favorite exercise but i understand how it enables us to show everything we have learned thus far in the semester.  I think its really cool how we do a lot of things we have been taught without even thinking about doing them!!

Nov. 4

In class today we continued working with substance. I think it is interesting how something so odd can help us so much with our acting. The substance allows us to apply all of the things we have already learned in class without us even knowing we are doing them. When working with the substance we move slower and we concentrate on size, weight, and shape. I am so excited to start working with actual dialogue in class. I think this will be very fun and interesting.

super tuesday

Today we did quick activities with the substance. My understanding of the point of the substance is, that is is just to just get us to pay attention to the grip and the handling and the weight of the object. There probably aren't situations much that it is actually necessary to pull crap out of goo but the thought process that we are learning is what we should have been doing the whole time when handling objects. We pay more attention to weight and mass if we go slower, which the substance gets us to work on. That's all I got.

I was not in class on tue. ( yeah for skip days!) but I'm sure it was as fun as it always is.
I am really excited for our final projects. It could be really fun to see how we apply all that we have learned into a real scene. It could also crash and burn and be not so good if we do not prepare correctly, but I'm trying to look on the bright side. I'm sure everyone's scenes will be awesome.

Substance Continued...

Recently I have felt like the activities we are doing with substance are extremely repetitive. Though, compared to when we started acting for non-majors, everyone seems a lot more comfortable. Personally, I feel like I am much more comfortable than I was at the beginning of the semester. When we have to do "strange" activities, the class just seems to go with the flow instead of questioning what we are doing. We figure there is some kind of purpose even though we may not have any idea what that is. I am wondering though where these substance activities fall into play.

Substances and Such

What I found with the exercises we did on Thursday was that they seemed so simple that it was hard. You'd think it would be easy to go up there and pretend you are holding that substance but you really do need to put a lot of imagination and focus into what you are doing if you want it to look real. It is a truly a lot more complex than I had initially thought.

In other news, I am excited for our final performances. It will be cool to see what everyone comes up with and particularly the differences in the groups doing the same ones. I'm excited to see how each group interprets their scene.

something

In class on thur I was a little lost at first because I was not there on tue but I think I caught on quickly. When he told me to go first I had no idea what I was doing, I was a little confused. Then when I told him I was not there and I sat out a few people I understood what was going on. I think the exersice was very interesting and I did not have any problems with it. Sometimes I have to think about what to do befor I do it but with this one I just got up there and imagined holding something sticky and cold. So it was fun I enjoyed it.

Thursday

I think I have figured out the purpose of the "substance" exercise. It might be to make us be able to imagine things are real so later we can act more realistic on stage. I seem to have more of a problem with this exercise because I have a hard time thinking there is something there when I have never seen or have no guidelines. I guess that makes little or no sense of why that would effect my acting, but it does.

I enjoy the exercise on Thursday because it was challenging and different; my substance was money that bends. Looking forward to this week and how we as a class will add on to what we have been experiencing thus far. I missed a week of class due to some family matters in New York, but I don’t feel that I am far behind in this class, am l? I thought it was pretty interesting to get our one page script and make more of it than what it is, without changing a word; this will be a great challenge. At least I got a cool partner to help raise my grade!!!HAHAHAHAHA. Peace

I still really don't completely understand the substance thing. I kind of feel like its easier than the other more specific things, like eating or carrying things, but I don't know why. I also for some reason think that it will help us be more comfortable, probably because I feel like we are doing things that we've always been doing but it seems easier because of the substance stuff. I guess I just don't know how. Maybe it helps us create things or somethin'

class thursday

i think we are all gettin so much better with all the aspects of acting. in class on thursday it was very interesting because we were just acting out in so many randome places. i mean i didnt kno what was i was supposed to do in a dryer haha. but after i got sum guidence it wasnt that hard. when we were doing the substance exercise sumtimes i actually thought there was a substance there , but it didnt last long, but the point is it happend.

Class

I though that the exercise we did in class last tuesday was a little weird. I was definitely so relaxes that i think i dosed off for a second. I was trying to figure out what it had to do with acting and i think that it makes you more loose and relaxed when your trying to act. I thought that the exercise helped me be able to just wing it and not think about what i was about to do. I think that is the key in good acting that you don't think you just do.

Go crazy

I think another reason why we are doing this exercise is not only to learn about space but to learn to let go and let our imaginations take over and be creative. Paige said that she doesn't know how this is making us better because everyone is doing the same motions. But when our teacher went out there he did like 5 different things that were nothing like what anyone else did. He told us that the substance could do ANYTHING we wanted it to and we all kept it in a little ball or stretched it out a tiny bit. If we would all just go crazy then I bet we would get some really cool uses out of that substance. However, this is easier said than done because I had a lot of trouble thinking of things to do with the substance until he went out there....I really need to work on getting my creative juices flowing.

Thursday was a little weird. Like in some of the other posts, I didn't really understand the substance exercise that we did in class. I had no idea what I was doing when I went up in front of the class. I just started moving my hands around in some weird motion. And I guess I did something right. Unless, Fabio just wanted me to sit down. I found it a lot easier when I was feeling the invisible substance when there was another person up there with me. I curious to see what we do in class this week.

October 30th

We did more work with substance today. I liked the substance exercise we did. I think that we are all getting so much better and we work together better. I am still confused about why we did this exercise, but if I had to guess I would say that the purpose of this exercise is to allow us to be more aware of ourselves and the space in between us as actors on a stage. When we did the exercise we had to pay attention to space and the movement of our partner. We had to utilize the space and react to our partners. The more exercises with the substance that we do, the more confused and curious I become.

Substance

I find these substance activities to be rather interesting. I find them interesting because i really don't know what the substance is. I thought i had some idea but after the exercise in Thursday class i have no idea. I agree with Paige that we all seem to just copy motions that people before us have already done but I think its because none of us really understand this exercise yet. Even though it seems confusing I am interested in finding out what the substance is and how it these exercises will make us better actors.

Substance

I am extremely curious as to why we are doing these substance activities. I thought that I had an idea, however, I became more confused after class on Thursday. Also, I feel like once a couple of people do the activity, everyone after them simply reenacts what was already done. People seem to be imitating instead of acting and sometimes it is hard to tell a difference. However, everyone does the same motions. I do not know how these substance activities are helping us become better actors/actresses but am interested and ready to find out.

Thursdays class

Thursdays class was a little interesting with us dealing with our own substances, however,  i do agree with Rhea in that im not really sure what the point of dealing with these substances is but hopefully we will figure that out during tuesdays class.  Im really excited about our final performances i think it'll be really funny what people come up with in their scenes!!!

10.30,08

After Thursday's class, I am still wondering what the purpose is of the substance activity. I am hoping that we will find out or discover the purpose of it soon! I am struggling a little bit with this activity. Like Professor Polanco said, I need to buy into the fact that I am really touching this substance. I did not really believe that I was feeling a substance when I was in front of the class. I thought it was a lot easier when we paired up. I guess I felt more comfortable because I was not up in front of the class by myself. I was actually thinking that there was a substance between my partner and me. I can't wait to see what Tuesday's class has in store for us and this substance.

substance abuse

Class Thursday seemed kind of slow paced. Maybe it was because of the beginning we were talking about the final project. Speaking of, Teddy, if you read this, I am your partner and I have your paper to memorize my Thursday. Anyway, after that when we were doing the manipulating the substance it seemed very relaxed. Nobody really could say anything because whose to say that you were manipulating the stuff wrong. It seemed like people just were doing what they thought they should. Maybe we were all still zonked out from Tuesday's meditation but we all just seemed not up to our best. maybe that's just me. Maybe next time we get to find out what the substance is... rotten jello perhaps

A matter of time

One of the things that I am having problems with when ever i do any exercise is dealing with how long it should take me to do any one action. As a musician I am trained to do things for a certain amount of time and then move on to the next thing. It is weird to 1. decided for myself how long I am going to do something and 2. make that decision based on how something feels. I thought that maybe I needed to concentrate more and pay more attention to what I was doing, but the more I analyze what I am doing the worse it gets. I'm guessing I need to do the reverse and just react without thinking , but that is really, really hard for me.

The Substance

The exercise we did on Tuesday was very interesting. I actually found myself feeling very relaxed and even a bit loopy after. I feel like the whole idea of this exercise is to be very aware of your body while you are moving on stage. If you can get your mind to this place while acting, your acting will become more relaxed naturally. Also, this exercise helped to focus my mind a lot. I am interested to see where this exercise will take us.

relaxation

in class on tuesday when we did that relaxation and visualization exercise , it helped me out alot., because once a year our team does that just to clear our head. this exercise helps me out so much. you can actually feel like you are falling into the floor. i do that everyday before i wake up four about 10 minutes, and it helps me with what i have to do that day. i think everyone should do that at least once a week because most people get to stressed out with homework and stuff and then end up getting sick and other stuff. this is a big release and helps alot.

I was not in class on Tue. because I was sick but it sounded like most of you enjoyed the exercise and thought it really interesting. I wish I could have been a part of it because I have been very stressed this week! I hope we do something as Interesting today in class!

relax exercise

For the exercise on Tuesday, I thought it was exciting that an instructor use a mediation tactic to have the class be aware of the situation or environment. I was tired and seemed sleepy for the first part of class but after doing this exercise I felt relaxed and less stress with a little kick in my step. Usually I do something like this by myself with no one around; it was quite different (not just one’s own energy but several others energy) with the whole class. Looking forward and curious to what he has to say on this exercise and how we can use this in class. Peace,
Juan

Sleep Exercise

So I would have to say Bill was right on his post. The exercise actually made me more tired than relaxed... I was trying to stay awake for the most part until he said "not to try to resist it." I thought it was weird imagining that my body was losing the tension to the floor. I guess for us black and white accounting people that becomes difficult. I have no idea what this has to do with acting other than maybe being more used to your surroundings.

I agree with Ryan Yoder's post. I have also done exercises similar to this but never experienced "the substance." I have no idea how we are going to incorporate the substance in to our next class period but it should be pretty interesting. Overall I liked the exercise we did in class...it was relaxing for most of the time but after a while my butt and lower back started to hurt from laying on the floor, and I know I was supposed to be pushing the tension away but clearly I was doing it wrong becaus eit still hurt lol. However, I did feel pretty loose and relaxed when it was over and we were walking around the room.