Final Post

How do I plan to use what I learned from my book on my midterm performance? Well for starters everything that I have written about has basically been preparing me for this performance. Everything that I've learned and read through the pages of Respect For Acting by Uta Hagen. What she has written has enhanced my love for theatre and my passion for it. I take into account all her lesson, the many on emotions and imagination and visualizing your surrounding. For my monologue I definitely take all of her lessons and use them especially the fourth wall, by doing this I am able to forget the audience and surround myself in the scene that is unfolding right before my eyes. I hope to always remember everything that I have learned and I of course will always have my book and now this blog with all of my thoughts on this wonderful and inspiring book that has in so many ways, helped be become a better actor.
:) <3

Free Write

Talking to yourself, we all do it, or am I the only one. Well if you don't talk to yourself when you are stressing over something or studying (I always study aloud) then you should realize every time you practice a monologue or rehearse lines you are in fact have a one way conversation with yourself :)Not only with practicing a monologue but also when performing one. You have to take into account that you character might be talking to themselves. We all do it, actually it is said the we talk to ourselves more than anyone else, it must be a fact for it was on the back of my herbal essence shampoo bottle :) While we all do, it proves to be effective while rehearsing lines. Nobody really wants to review lines with someone before they've even studied them. You say them aloud, change the undertones, switch around the emphasis of this word and that. You make sure you have it memorized and then of course you move to blocking. Talking to yourself to review lines or actually while you perform is completely normal, you of course just have to make sure you don't have an audience or they may find you a little on the mental side., but of course who isn’t?

Free Write

A problem that all actors face in knowing what happens next. Everyone knows that you shouldn't anticipate but you cannot help it. Seeing ass you have all of your lines memorized and you blocking down, it seems to be rather difficult to have you scene feel and look natural to the audience but to you as well. Sure in life we think ahead and have expectations on what we hope will happen someday but of course we never truly know what exactly the next day will bring us. Similar aspects are in theatre everyday, sure the sound cues is supposed to happen at the end of this line. What if it never comes, you always have to expect the unexpected while still acting natural, always being on your toes has many pros and cons. Firstly you shall be ready for when your partner forgets their line but what if you become so anxious and so full of anticipation that it begins to show. That right there can completely ruin this character that you have spent awhile building up all in just mere seconds. Always be ready to improvise and always be ready to cover mistakes up.

Is this book fueling you passion for theatre?

'Respect For Acting' by Uta Hagen truly is feuling my passion. I absolutley love reading this book for she describes all acpects of acting into such immense detail that it really helps you visualze what she states. Her chapters are very thoughtfully placed, to really start you off slow and steady then the chapters require more attentiveness and study. She explains the many methods of acting and what is needed mentally to perform them. The book then discusses your first rehearsal and memorizing lines also going into the various obstacles you have to think about when developing you character. So much goes into just performing one scene and she helps you orgainze and sort out everything you need to accomplish to perform this scene . I feel more reassured when I read this book that my knowledge of acting and theatre is growing more and more each day and I cannot wait to go back to the bookstore to purchase a few more of her books and books on theatre as well.

Imagining

This week we were told to do another Free Write so I am going to write about a very simple aspect for all of use when we were young and naive, and that is to imagine. Sure we all had imaginary friends, or was I the only one, well her name was Ghostie. As you can tell by the name she was a ghost, or yeah I was very creative. :) but that is besides the point, the point is that it came so natural and easy for me to imagine her there because I was a very shy little girl so I only had a handful of friends. She would go on trips with me and for awhile was the only person I could talk to. When acting on stage you cannot just say these lines and sort think :Oh yeah I am outside and it's sunny." You truly have to visualize all your surroundings, and those objects or people that are influencing your behavior and your reaction.

Free Write

The obstacle. You need to know the exact purpose of everything around you, right? Well why not know what the point of this being there and another actor saying this. You need to justify your obstacles. Determine why they stand in your way. Who is against me? What's against me? Ask yourself these questions on the objects surrounding you and the actors that engage you in dialogue and blocking. Take an example;
1. Character: You are a perfectionist but you are fearful of failure. Now try to set a perfect table.
2. Your Past: Now you have a pampered life surrounded by servants and have never set a table before. Or you come from a slum and have only recently joined the middle class. You aren't certain of th proper plcement of flatware, dushes, glasses and napkins.
3. Time: You only have five minutes in which to do it.
4. The objects: The dishes are elegant and borrowed. Or they are chipped, cheap, don't match, or there aren't enough to go around.
5. Circumstances: Your husban is asleep in the next room. The dinner is a surprise, and you don't want him to hear you.
6. The relationship: The guests are your husband's employers or relatives. They are very fussy and you need to impress them.
7. Place: The room is small, and the table hasn't enough space for the number of settings you regquire,
8. Wheather: There's a heat wave or a cold snap. No airconditioner. Broken furnace.

Thinking

Ever realize that when attempting to leave to go out to buy groceries and you are putting your bag over your shoulder you do it unconsciously. Your mind is on the groceries that you will have to be picking up, you are making sure you remember everything that you need for the upcoming week you do not realize it but it usually does not cross your mind that you are putting on your bag. A similar event happens everyday with various situations, the problem though is you cannot allow this to happen whilst on stage. The very moment you step onto the stage clear away all destructive distractions, because they can easily effect your performance. You have to be focused and completely aware of your surroundings. Similar to driving when you have to change lanes. Think about what is going on around you and what exactly you are doing. You would not perform a scene without knowing the blocking and the lines. In Respect for Acting there is a whole chapter dedicated to purely Thinking, just by reading it I feel so much more knowledgeable about the many aspects of theatre.