Endgame background

• Originally written in French
• Translated into English by the author
• More authentic translation
• "humorous portrayal of death"= interesting dynamic
• After reading the script, it did not seem humorous, I am interested in seeing how that plays out on stage
• Beckett had a bleak background
• Also possible influence of Irish theater?
• "The Dead" had a very ominous theme despite being about a party
• also lacked a concrete theme
• Beckett's absurdist theater is not about symbolism 
• but can't it be interpreted that way?
• I think the show is full of unintentional symbolism, but we should not read too far into the lines
• ESPECIALLy because he translated it himself to insure nothing was lost in translation
• "People are afraid of Beckett" is very interesting
• he wrote shows for more than a crowd

Goodbye!!

This semester was long, although I had a lot of fun, and definitely approved over the course of this class. 

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. 

The Past is Now Another Land...

           I performed my audition peice (The Past Is Now Another Land from Aida) Tuesday, with, admittedly, some major flaws. For one thing, I hadn't really practiced in about a week, which threw me off balance, causing the rest of my issues... but overall, I did okay. There are some things I regret doing, but that is common for me to think. In my opinion, my singing wasn't the problem - most of me issues are rooted in my posture and body language. 

          I think I would give myself an A/A-. I felt as though I did do well on the signing part, but not quite as well as I could've... and as I did, before break. My voice wasn't as prepared as it could be, I was shaky on the lyrics and hadn't listened to the song in such a long time that some pitches were difficult to find. As always, I still need to work on singing the right pitch - it's something I have always struggled with. However, I did meet my goal of improving on pitch, just not quite as well as I would have liked... but hey, there's always next time!

          The part of the performance that I am actually concerned about is the choreography. Movement and dancing were never my favorite things to do growing up, because I am tall and can sometimes be awkward. My rule is that if you give me a dance routine, and show me how to do it, with practice I will be able to perform it well. Unfortunately, this rule doesn't apply when I'm singing a song and trying to make the silence less noticeable by walking from one side of the stage to another, "choreographing" it by myself with no trained dancers in front of me. On the other hand, the song I chose was more of a stand and sing type peice, but I still feel as though I should have included more movement. This was one of the leading causes of my consideration for an A-  

          On the topic of movement, but unlike in a way unlike dancers, my facial features and expressions are something I am extremely proud of. I smiled when remembering the good times, looked angry when I was mad and let my face fall when I was upset... well at least, I tried. This was honestly, to me, well done. Like I say every time, I could have done better, but I'm actually really happy with my facial expressions. 

          Ever since I started performing, I have always been insecure about how I sounded, and the way I looked. Did it sound off, or was I holding myself awkwardly? Nonetheless, I definitely did meet many of my goals, because I managed to stay reletively on pitch, and I chose a song that was different for me, yet actually had meaning. I still need to work on many things, but I did improve. Don't they say that's what counts, anyways?  

Thanks for reading! 

Sam Weed. 

The Inside Story on Daniel Radcliffe and Liza Minellli

Daniel Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe, as a kid, acted in various school plays and other small performances until he landed a role as the young David Copperfield in - you guessed it - David Copperfield! He then went on to perform other smaller parts, like Mark Pendel in The Tailor of Panama. There, famous actress Jamie Lee Curtis pointed out to his mother, Marcia Gresham, that he might be able to play Harry Potter in the upcoming movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. (Biography). His parents, at first, didn’t want him to audition for it. However, he ended up meeting Chris Columbus, the director of the movie, and his audition proved that he was destined for the role. (Daniel Jacob Radcliffe)

Radcliffe’s mom is a casting director, his father a literary agent. This may have helped him to grow famous so quickly, but his acting skills helped as well. That being said, he was only 11 when cast as Potter - something that is extremely impressive. After the outstanding box office hit Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone turned out to be, he was granted instant fame - his face was known to all. He continued his works with the other seven movies, but decided to broaden his horizons and go to Broadway in 2008, playing Alan Strang in Equus. He then returned to the stage in 2011 as J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. (Daniel Radcliffe).

His success can teach other about how anything is possible - you can be famous in the film world and on stage. We can also learn from him that it can be difficult to shake a role once you’ve played it - he is still internationally known as “the kid who played Harry Potter”. He is now working extra hard to be known for more than that.

Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli is a famous actress, the daughter of Judy Garland. She started acting when she was in her teenage years, at first with her famous mother. She struggled to get out of her mother’s shadow - but she had the talent, and she made it. She had all the connections, which helped a lot with her career. Her father was a director in Hollywood, and obviously her mother was in many movies. In addition, after her parents divorced her Garland married a producer. (Liza Minnelli)

She gave up on school, going to New York to pursue her dreams. She was in the off-Broadway production Best Foot Forward, and her first leading role was in 1965, the lead role in Flora, The Red Menace. From there, her career flew - she is now an extremely recognizable actress. (Liza Minnelli)

Although Liza Minnelli isn’t the best example for how to get into musical theater with less connections, she does teach an epic example of how to get out of a shadow. If she didn’t go out there and give it her all, she could have ended up as “Judy Garland’s daughter - the one who can sing.” In Broadway, you have to make a name for yourself.

Works Cited

"Biography." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

"Daniel Jacob Radcliffe." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

"Daniel Radcliffe." Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014

"Liza Minnelli." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.

Bust or Broadway?? Wait, that's not it...

    Watching the series Broadway or Bust was a very educational experience for the class as a whole. We were able to see a prolonged audition process, and see critiques and advice we could apply to our own future auditions.  Everybody involved was a professional, many worked at nyu or had been involved with broadway productions. This was serious - more serious than anything we had ever experienced before, and watching it was a great way to see what else we could be exposed too.

    I personally found that I could relate to a lot of the people in the show. I found that i couldn’t entirely relate to just one character. In some ways, I could relate to Evan - around showtime, or even before auditions, I get nervous - before, I think i might be ready, but the bad stuff comes right before showtime. That has been getting better with the more shows I do, but I still get very nervous before a big audition. On the other hand, unlike Evan, my first thought after an audition isn’t about how well I did, if anything it’s the opposite. I feel like I did terribly, and have always been afraid if I think about it the other way I might get a worse part, or not one at all. In other ways, I can relate to Josh. He seemed like the only one who really understood the pressure, why the choreographer was being so hard on them. Josh saw the stress and the high expectations and tried as hard as he could to meet them, which payed off in the end. However, he didn't really show much improvement - he had his song from the start and he went with it, which isn't something I consider relatable.

          The actor's auditions taught me a lot I could later apply to my own peice. For starters, I saw what worked, and what didn't stand out to the judges. I also learned that a good audition is one that stands out to the judges - they remembered the names of some, the ones they put in the finals, but anybody else was "song girl/boy". However, they remembered Evan, Josh, and other talented people. This can be applied in my own peice by trying as hard as I can to be unique, while still being the character I am portraying.

          In addition, I saw how difficult life can be on Broadway - rehearsal after rehearsal, non stop singing and dancing, and a lot of stress. Many, many people broke down during the long dance practices and other situations. Although I'm still not sure if I want to be on Broadway or not, I do know that if I am going to go into the arts I should expect stress levels like these - and I have to be ready to not break down. Watching how others just pushed through it helped me to understand how to cope with these issues, so I can be better prepared for the future.

         Overall, it was an interesting show that helped us all with many issues, and it's something I would definitely recommend to people new in the show business, or anybody who's just interested in that kind of thing!

Aida and the Audition

For our next and (I believe) final project, we are each doing an audition piece. This can be a song, a monologue, or a choreographed dance. Although most of us are doing a song from a musical, there is somebody doing a monologue and another doing a dance. This gives us an opportunity to showcase our strengths, because we have a wide range of choices.

I need to work on my vocal range and also my pitch. If I’m in the right mood, and feel the right way, I can have a wide range, able to sing soprano to tenor if needed. But there are often, especially more recently, times where my voice isn’t at its strongest. This is probably due to stress, lack of my lessons, and also breathing issues. Since I haven’t been to a lesson in a few months, I have stopped really working on my voice. In CATS, we don’t warm up with air exercises and using the diaphragm like I once did, and I have a harder time using my chest voice over my head or throat voice. (When I can use my chest voice, I can sing a lot better than when I’m not). I also need to work on pitch. I know that I have a tendency to sink below the pitch, usually a little flat. I am working on singing clearer and higher to avoid that happening.

My strengths lie in the alto range. When it comes to singing lower notes, I am stronger and can therefore demonstrate that strength. As an actress, I have to tell the story with my movements, and tell the audience a story with my movement and words.

I would like to do a song from Aida. The music for Aida was written by Elton John, so there is rock influence along with musical theater. I think this can show a director that I have a versatile voice, because I can sing rock, blues, jazz, and songs from musicals. This will also give me a chance to show the power in my voice - the stage presence it provides. However, since this is not a classic musical song, I will not be able to demonstrate a gentler tone of my voice - this song would not work if I was trying out for Annie. This also can show the weakness of my flexible range because it can go very high, and also quite low.

The music from Aida is a challenge. It requires extreme presence, feeling, and motivation, things I may need to work on. Nonetheless, as stated before, it will allow me to show a powerful voice and my lower range as well as some high ones.

I will need to pull of my audition piece as close to flawlessly as possible. The rock notes need to be strong, and the calmer parts still filled with emotion. I will need to leave everything i have out on the stage, to show that this is something I am dedicated to - This is to demonstrate my talents, and work on my weaknesses.

Final Scenes

Bo and Pattie - http://youtu.be/JB1xE569zIs

Rosa and Maria - http://youtu.be/PUuo0jyd-28