Before September, I thought my acting ability was at it's peak, that I was the best I could be. Clearly, I was wrong. I have improved on and learned that there is always more to work on, that you are never done getting better. For example, before Mrs. Guarino I never really thought about the backstory of my character - I just went with what the script supplied me. However, in this class, I quickly learned that the script doesn't have all the answers, and although some directors treat it like the holy grail it is often actually much less than that.
Back in September, I set goals for myself. I wanted to have more emotion, and to speak slower when onstage and singing. There have been numerous improvements in all those categories. Firstly, my emotion is 10x better than it was when I started this class. I still can't cry on demand, but moments that are supposed to be depressing are, where before they were often just slightly saddening. I learned this from a lot of the scene work we did. Getting criticism from others, and getting advice from Mrs. Guarino really taught me what to do right and what I was already doing wrong. Pacing, for example, can help show anxiety.
Another something that I, as an actor, have always had problems with is the speed at which I talk. I tend to be excited and talk to fast, making it difficult to understand what I'm saying or doing in the performance. This is something I feel I have improved on in a major way. Mrs. Guarino taught us about diction and annunciation, things I had already known about but never really considered. She helped us all to be more clear when performing.
I think I managed to meet all of these goals because I had the desire to. Sometimes in a class, you can feel a strict separation between the teacher and the students, which can lead to a lack of motivation for the students and therefore less progress over time. In acting, I made friends. We all talked about everything, laughed about everything, and comforted each other when it was needed. If I didn't feel that connection, I probably wouldn't have felt as comfortable as I did and would not have made so much progress.
The moment I am the most proud of was not in this class, but it was as a result. Without my acting class, I wouldn't have gotten the part of Leaf in The Twenty Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Even if I had gotten the part, I would not have been able to play him the way I can now. Of course, he still needs work, and the play still needs a lot of work, but it was a major achievement for me.
Overall, I can take away one lesson from Mrs. Guarino, Lexi, Jemimah, Lindsay, and Maddie - never stop improving, and finding new ways to do old things. They have all helped me to improve as a person and as an actor, and I hope I have done the same for them. This class has led to bonds between people, that I hope will never break. So to them - thank you.
