Romeo and Juliet

I am very upset for two main reasons.

1. It's over. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Finally got to experiment with Shakespeare and met so many great people. I can't even begin to describe how closely knit the cast got this year. You know, some seniors keep saying "why can't time move faster? Why can't high school just end already?" They obviously are not a part of the theatre department. I keep want to extend my time at SFS as much as possible. It is filled with wonderful people and wonderful experiences that I want to prolong any time I have with them as much as possible. Really going to miss this in college. I'm not going to be one of those people that can't leave high school behind though. I'm just going to make sure that the memories I make here won't be looked at with regret, but happiness.
2. My face wasn't on the poster nor was it on the ticket. I have a beautiful face and it therefore deserves to be seen by other people. I guess Christian deserved his five minutes of SFS fame though. I'll let you have this one Chris. I'll let you have this one.

Over the past few weeks, I have been a part of Romeo and Juliet. Let me tell you, it wasn't an easy ride. It was packed with bumps and sneak turns, but at the end, I think this play is the one I'm most proud of and the one I've grown the most fond with. That's right. It beats Judas. This blog will focus on my experiences with Mercutio.

As an actor, I've learned so much from my experiences with this cast and with this production. I had the joy of playing what many would argue to be the best character in this play to act as, Mercutio. And I would have to agree with them. He's certainly different. Really different. I don't know exactly how do describe him. Capricious in nature for sure. A genius. A joker. A sardonic drunkard? A boy who has faced some terrible things, but covers it up with wit and genius? Those are just some ways I would describe Mercutio.

I was definitely insecure playing this guy. I mean he's supposed to be the smartest guy like in all of Shakespeare's plays. Some people say that Mercutio had to die midway because if his presence remained till the very end, the focus would shift from Romeo to Mercutio. This is speaking from the literary aspect - I'm not saying that I would have outshined Christian or anything. He's a greater acting force than me any day I think. I

mean, I just think he's one of those people that was born to act on stage or the theatre. I've been seeing a lot of movies nowadays and I feel like he's better than so many young actors. He reminds me of a young DiCaprio. If you ever read this Christian, you better pursue theatre or film in the future man. Rooting for you! Rooting for all those in our class! :)

Back on track - my process with Mercutio... It took a while. I would say it took up to maybe the last two weeks? I just couldn't wrap my hands around who this character was and to be frank, I did not enjoy the performances of either Mercutio in the two films I saw. He also wasn't a character that I know on a personal basis. I don't know any geniuses personally who were tortured as children and views everyone else on a platform below them. I mean I guess I know some overly arrogant people that think they're too good for the world, but they're usually the biggest bimbos the world has to offer. Humility children. Humility.

How I got to the character was with much guidance from peers and from Mrs. Moon. I have in my notes that he's maybe not the most secure person in the world. There are traces of deep pain and insecurity in Mercutio that is covered by a layer of confidence - see the dilemma? And I would like to think that he has bi-polar syndrome, maybe which is funny to the audience? He was truly hard to grapple with, but such a great experience to play.

I mean, I'm still not content with my portrayal of Mercutio looking back on it even though random people came up to me and lauded my performance (have to have a little bit of arrogance mixed in with the humility right?). I actually didn't understand why I warranted praise though; that was not what I was expecting. I was expecting to be swallowed up by my death and ultimately overlooked because of the immense talent of both Christian and Georgia. Still confused because I truly believe that I did not do justice to the character; he's such an amazing character. I mean I thought I did well, but not to the extents that I was complimented. It may have been due to the genius of Mercutio.

I think a part of my discontentedness with my character was because I didn't necessarily feel like I
became him at many points during the play nor when I was actually playing him did I feel like I had a lot of intention. I would contemplate how to say a line or a word and what action I wanted to do with the phrase for long periods of time in my bathtub (where I get all my memorization and notes done), but during the actual process, my mind fogged up and all that came out of my mouth was words with no meaning behind them. I mean it wasn't like this all the time; I guess I was just disappointed I didn't implement my thoughts to action. I think saying it out loud during my rehearsal time at home would have helped. I mean I did say things out loud, but more whispered them and never went full out. I'm really insecure surprisingly. I would never ask my family or anyone for that matter to run lines with unless it was for the sole purpose of memorizing lines and not the intonations. I guess that's something I should change for next time.

At the end of the day, I felt that I should be much more emotionally involved in my character. I mean I saw people like Daniel and Christian who left the stage drenched in tears and sweat because they were so invested in the emotion they were exhibiting. Maybe our acting styles are different, but I would like to someday venture into some intense emotion on stage. And I think I'd be able to. I think I would just need to spend more time reflecting on my own character and the character I'd be depicting. But at the same time, I don't think Mercutio would have been a person to be extremely emotional about his own death. I think he would more be frustrated that his entire life - filled with endless possibility - had just ended. So in many ways, I think reflecting on it now, I did a pretty good job, just not one that I'm extremely content with.

I was extremely glad that we did Shakespeare this performance. The language is mesmerizing and I think every actor should experiment with Shakespeare at least once in his life to understand rhythm and poetry in language. Shakespeare's language and words are poetry and by maintaining a melodious rhythm and tempo through it, it's such a spectacle. As an actor, I've learned so much about my own ways of acting, tempo, musicality in the script, subtext... It was such a great experience for me.

As for the cast bonding, I've never felt so depressed after a show ending and coming together with these talented underclassmen has been something like a miracle. So much of the time, seniors like to put themselves on a pedestal saying "I'm way better than you." This year, there was none of that and I think we were the most welcoming seniors I have ever seen. I guess I'm biased, but I truly believe that.

This production finally had an immense impact on my passion and love for theatre. I mean I always loved it, but now I've cultivated a love for it that makes me consider theatre in my future life. Maybe not for my future career, but definitely for further study and involvement. It's such a special thing and with the arts dwindling perhaps especially in theatre, I think we should fight to keep it alive. SFS, stop putting your focus on sports and academics and try looking at the arts as a major part of students' lives for a change.

Though a painful journey, it was such an immensely rewarding one.

To leave, here's a video of our teaser and some scorched moments:

• When Sarah sings -- anytime she sings.
• Sabrina's enraged argument for why Romeo must die. Sabrina's reaction to her daughter's death.
• The balcony scene - such love in the two.
• Juliet's exercise monologue as well as her monologue before she takes her potion. Georgia's a force.
• Christian and Annie's scene after he finds out he was expelled from Verona.
• Christian's fight with Sammy
• The girls when they yell 변태, 미친놈 to David.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7LJrlJOh0E&feature=share&list=TLgtOcfmO95-gNcYz_YoTeHoEcNKfiOFz7

David's visit -- Film and Theatre

• How to get to film? Ideas start formulating from the age of 13; desire to involve himself into art. Loved immersing himself into art -- costumes especially.
• As a filmmaker, he can interweave all his diverse passions of art into one.
• Authorship of film. Who is responsible for the making of films?
• What is a director?
• What decisions does he make?
• Film school is good for building a reel (portfolio) and making connections with peers interested in the same field. -- Interesting, because Nancy Kim said the exact same thing for her time at University of Toronto for theatre. She ended up making partnerships with directors, actors and made a team to pursue her interest in arts.
• Problem with arts education -- you can't teach people to be a great artist. That's for life to shape. You need life experience to make films or art.
• You don't have to do art in college to pursue it and vice versa. You can major in film or theatre, but be a businessman. You bring in the elements and knowledge from the arts and incorporate it into your profession.
• Film is problem solving! This is what Gary Card said about his art.
• Director -- Making the artistic vision; cinematographer -- camera work; production designer -- the physical devising of the world;
• He has been a camera assistant; director's assistant; sound;
• Before it starts, you have fantastical visions, and then during the process -- depths of despair. You have to suffer deeply during the process in order for the final product to be satisfying and successful in the arts. The arts are not a neat process.
• "You just have to finish it." "Come to the table and stay at the table."
• Output is needed in order to be an artist.
• The fact that good movies actually exist is a miracle. A film is so difficult to produce. It's mind-boggling how good films are made.
• Directing is such a collaborative art. Give creative restrictions. Create a scheme. Create a space where you can let the artists explore and create - best outcomes.
• Be ready to be on set. I guess the same can be said for theatre. Am I right?
• Rather have haters than someone say "nice job" or "that was a 'nice' video." It's exciting.

RI

Three prongs:

1. The practitioner or theatre form
2. The aspect of it
3. Scene from a specific play and how it applies.

Things you notice about the RIs:

1. Writing style is formal and to the point - does not linger on the subject of the practitioner or type, but goes straight into the play.
2. 2500 words --
3. Quotes on every page.
4. Illustrations! They are very visual.
5. Related themes/ideas and weaves in the play throughout.
6. Annotated bibliography (10-15)

BTB: What The Body Does Not Remember

“The intensity of moments when you don’t have a choice, when other things decide for you, like falling in love, or the second before the accident that has to happen; suddenly they appear, with no introduction, important for me because of their extremeness rather than for the significance to be given to them. The decision to use this as a basic material for a theatrical composition is at least a paradoxical challenge, considering a theatrical event as repeatable and controllable. Perhaps when all is said and done, the body doesn’t remember either and everything is a subtle illusion of lack which helps to define or exhaust the game.” Wim Vandekeybus
I actually went to see the show so I will definitely be giving more insight on it later -- will write up on the weekend. I guess what I have to say for now is that the concept -- so interesting and that the actors take a risk by putting themselves through the capriciousness of their piece.

Why Directing?

I'm not exactly one hundred percent sure how to answer this question as I'm sure my views will change and deepen as we progress through our IB Theatre Arts play this year! Right now, I think in a broad sense, a director oversees and orchestrates a production come into fruition. He/she does this by devising a mis en scene or an artistic vision to unify different aspects of production - lighting, set design, music etc. The director acts as the glue of the production, helping these elements coalesce into a new world the audience can venture into. Why directing? I remember Mrs. Moon handed us a sheet detailing the devising of a play through the use of creating new universes or worlds. Directing is the map bringing different lands together to form a new world.

TPPP Outline

1. Pina Bausch

• What is dance? Is it theatre? Is it sport?
• Sparked the interest of physical theatre and conveying message through movement.
• There are some things inexpressible through words, so we use the language of movement to convey certain messages.
• The importance of set in her pieces and lighting in her pieces.
• Diverse philosophies she employs.

2. Mark Hill

• Anne Bogart and Tadashi Suzuki
• Very intentional movements
• Spatial awareness
• 7 Levels of Energy
• Viewpoints --
• Very different from Pina Bausch in many regards, but there are many similarities (Butoh)
• Grotesque beauty
• Western vs. Eastern
• Hara vs. The Sky
• We have the western and then we have the eastern and then sometimes we have a mixture of both.

3. Andong - Korean Masked Dance (T'alchum)

• A much more different approach to physical theatre than Pina Bausch or Butoh.
• Rather than flowing movements, has more to do with characterization.
• Unification of IB class
• Satirical nature
• Improvisation nature; playing off of the audience.

4. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot

• One of the most meaningful experiences -- So many important questions
• Now that I'm thinking about it, the first /play/ I've been in.
• So many important questions; learned more about myself as a person.
• Utilized lessons learned from Mark Hill and thought of ways of how I could characterize El-Fayoumy with movement (Pina Bausch)
• Development as an actor.

5. Commedia

• Striking similarities between Korean T'alchum
• Characterizations
• Satire of the society - reflects the society

6. Good Soul of Szechuan

• Mis en scene
• Use of everything we've learned thus far and apply it to the play.
• Artistic process
• Production elements coming together
• The experience of the production elements - something not familiar to
• Actually building the set, putting the lights up
• Lighting -- The importance it bears in a production
• The attempt to do a Brecht play and the sacrifices we had to make to uphold his theatrical style

7. Mother Courage (Bertolt Brecht)

• The movie we saw also bolstered everything previously stated about the production elements, but more than that helped us understand Brecht truly.
• A different acting style than that of Stanislavski, but still passionate nonetheless.
• Meryl Streep is awesome.

8. The Tempest

• Studied postmodernism
• Helped so much with Romeo and Juliet
• How the actors transcended the language barrier and communicated with their bodies and vocal expressions.
• Also set in modern day like Romeo and Juliet
• Staging, so interesting, gives inspiration to future plays to direct.
• Music added so much to the play and so did lighting.
• What can you use from this play to other plays in the future?
• Elements of Anne Bogart, Commedia, T'alchum

9. Romeo and Juliet

• Rhythm and musicality
• Shakespeare's language
• Communication through movement - essential
• Character development
• Commedia and T'alchum
• Again, Mark Hill's lessons.
• OMG THE TEMPEST.
• You as an actor -- There are those who method act and then there are those who don't.

10. Philippines Service Through Theatre

• Theatre as a catalyst for change.
• Sparks a sort of confidence.
• First experience with workshops.
• Used Commedia, Korean T'alchum, Anne Bogart and Rasa boxes
• Everything learned in theatre.
• How to promote yourself in a positive light.

11. Water

• Explained in former blog post

The Crucible

Arthur Miller

• Death of a Salesman, The Crucible
• Was married to Marilyn Monroe
• Cynical; middle-class citizens being harmed, social justice
• Witch Hunt, Antisemitism, Red Scare, again and again, history repeats itself ; Miller lived familiar to all this fear.
• Miller found motivation in the liberals who wanted to oppose the violation of civil rights during the Red Scare Interrogations but were too fearful to attempt.
• In 1951, Miller wrote a screenplay called "The Hook", about union corruption on the Brooklyn waterfront.
• Harry Cohn, the director showed the script to the FBI
• Cohn then told Miller to change the threatening and murdering gangsters in the script into Communists instead.
• Miller refused, and Cohn sent him this condemning telegram: "The minute we try to make the script pro-American, you pull out."
• It is hard to let go of our belief that society must somehow make sense. Our unwillingness to believe that society is condemning and harming innocent people drives us to internally deny and ignore the evidence that is there.

Mccarthyism

• The practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. It also means "the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism."

"As with most humans, panic sleeps in one unlighted corner of my soul." I'd just like to take a moment to appreciate Miller's skill with language.

Analysis of The Crucible
*Notes in book; taken from Sabrina's page.

• Idea; The Special World (create a planet)
• Dialogue/Anything in PoMo
• Roots
• Given Circumstances
• Polar Attitudes (pendulum of change)
• beliefs
• prejudices
• perception
• tolerance
• assumptions
• Previous Action
• Dramatic Action of the Characters
• Character Development
• Archetypes
• Reactions
• Speech patterns
• Motivations
• Etc. etc. etc.
• The Crucible
• Religious beliefs
• Environmental situation
• Social environment
• Political environment
• Economic situation
• Geographic position
• Time