Tuesday, October 14

I finished my first notebook full of class notes on Friday and have started a new one. Considering that I only have 4 classes, and one of my classes is very difficult to take notes during (Movement), it's pretty insane that I've gotten through one already. But I can't help it. There are just so many things that I want to remember. And it's not even just about being a good student. It's not about grades. It's about really learning the material and trying to have as much of it recorded as I possibly can. I love these classes so very much, and I don't want to miss a thing.


MOVEMENT
I finally talked a little with my professor about the weird pains I've been having. I told her about how my intercostals (rib-connecting muscles) cramped up after Rib Swing. I told her about how my right calf and thigh have been cramping up all weekend. She suggested that I do some "cross body stretching" in order to try to relieve it. I might end up meeting with her assistant over lunch tomorrow. She also recommended that I go see a masseuse. I'd MUCH rather get acupuncture done, but she thinks I should try that second... Is it weird that I'd rather have needles stuck in me than have someone touch me? (Wait; don't answer that.)


VOICE
Today we focused on front tremors in preparation for our exam on Thursday. These are Cobra, Bow, and Camel-Arch (it would normally also include Arm position, but we're not being tested on that one until we learn Standing tremors). These have been three of my most dreaded positions. But today they were alright. I think the reason I hate Cobra is that when I get a tremor, I'm terrified that I'm going to drop myself and face-plant into the mat. It's hard to give myself over to it fully. But I did get a tremor there today. I also got the biggest tremor that I've ever gotten in The Bow, which was exciting.

Camel-Arch still wasn't doing anything for me whatsoever, so I asked my professor if I could modify it by putting my hands on the floor instead of on my ankles when I bent back (see here for a picture of what it usually looks like). I showed her, and she said I could try it, but she thought I was leaning too far back. The energy in this is supposed to go forward out of your sternum. So I asked if I could put my hands on my calves instead of my ankles. I showed that to her, and she approved. And you know what? Suddenly, I LOVE the Camel-Arch! I don't think I could get a tremor in that position to save my life, but it completely opens up my breathing. I felt like the air in the room changed consistencies into something more breathable. It was unbelievable.

I guess my professor was right when she said to keep revisiting the tremors you don't like. You really can find new things in them.


STUDENT REP
Today was the day that we got information about the Equity Membership Candidacy program, and I'm STOKED! Basically, actors have their own union, called Actors Equity Association. Getting in is kind of a pain, but I will now officially be earning points towards getting in. By the time I graduate from here, I will be in the union, which is something that most graduate programs cannot offer. Some people in my class are already in EMC and have points built up, but this is brand new for me. It's so exciting!


ACTING
When I got to class, there were no chairs set up in our usual configuration. So we all just started playing an impromptu game with a ball. Sort of a cross between "dodge ball" and "monkey in the middle". I didn't really understand if there were rules or not... Our professor came upon this spectacle, and turns the ball passing into an exercise in giving and receiving (Have I mentioned that my acting professor is a genius? Because he is).

After that, we spent the rest of the afternoon doing the silent etudes (which rarely end up being silent... but they start off that way). Before you begin, you're supposed to "delete" (or "forget") that they have to be silent, and that something is going to happen that will cause a change in the relationship.

I think the most important thing I got from the etudes today came out of one with Iceman and Killer. When the silent scene started, it felt like they were brothers. As it evolved, it started feeling like Iceman was a father and Killer was his son. By the end, it seemed obvious to me that Iceman was some sort of counselor or therapist trying to help Killer with his problems. The relationship had three distinct forms before either said a word.

The lesson in this is that relationships are living, developing things. Status changes during the course of a conversation, like a rollercoaster. There are times when a son has status equal to his father... and that's not wrong. It's part of the truth of the scene.

We also discussed the difference between premeditation in these exercises and truly following impulses. If moves are calculated, then they're not coming out of an artistic center. If you're planning what you do before you do it, then you're in your head, and you're not truly living.

The last two etudes of the day were between me and Big Show. Both of them involved sexual tension. As our acting professor mentioned before, often something that doesn't get closure in the first etude will come out again in the second.

The entire time we were doing the second etude, I KNEW that he was going to kiss me before the scene ended. So my impulse was to play it a little hard-to-get. Because I knew it would happen, I was NOT going to initiate it; I didn't have to... or so I thought. I was just waiting for him to kiss me. But we never did. When the scene ended (after a very long, game-filled etude), we were staring into each others eyes with our foreheads and noses touching. We never quite completed that kiss. Despite that, what came out of the etude felt incredibly exciting and intense. It showed us that sometimes beating around the bush is more interesting than diving right in. (Although I think some of our classmates had been rooting for the kiss to happen and were disappointed that it didn't... heck, I was a little disappointed myself. There was so much build up!)


ANALYSIS
In both A Doll House and The Wild Duck, there are examples of how Ibsen manipulates the audience into believing that one thing will happen, and then providing them with something else entirely. This is mostly a result of the characters having shifting motivations.

We also discussed how the symbolism within the play has to do entirely with the psychology of the characters. It shows us their opinions on things. It has very little to do with the expectations of the audience. It doesn't matter what a "wild duck" means to the audience. It doesn't even matter what it meant to Ibsen. What matters is how the different characters interpret it.


In general, I was really proud of my class today. We definitely put a lot of our plan to become a better ensemble into action today, and we had success with it. I hope we can keep it up.