Saturday, September 11

Fundraising
Our first fundraiser was a book sale on Monday, and it was a HUGE success! Tons of people donated books (thank you!), and we had tons of people shopping and buying books as well (thank you!). All-the-Way and I made some baked goods to sell as well. It went so well that we might end up doing another one later in the year.


Antigone Now
9 of us are in a play called Antigone Now. We just got our scripts, and we had a bit of homework to turn in. We had to answer questions about who our characters are and what drives us. The Chorus (which includes me) also had to say whose side we think we're on. We just got some feedback from the Director (who also directed us in Machinal last year). We start rehearsals next Friday. I can't wait to get going!

I also had my first costume fitting on Friday. I love costume fittings. I pose every time they take a picture of me in a new outfit. The people in the costume shop seem to get a kick out of that. I love trying everything on, and trying to figure out how my character might grow into that look. So much fun.


Intro to Equity
Instead of our regular class this week, a stage manager who is working at the Rep came to talk with us about Actors' Equity Association. We're all EMC (Equity Membership Candidates) right now, and we will all have acquired enough "weeks" to be Equity eligible when we graduate in May.

The SM came with a handout for us! And she had tons of great tips. Here's some of what she had to say...

• Actors' Equity Association - http://www.ActorsEquity.org
- Document Library has every form, code, agreement, and rule. If you have a question about AEA, you can likely find the answer here.
- Casting Call lists upcoming auditions and requests for Photos and Résumés (She said it's unlikely that we'll actually get work from something posted on the website, but it couldn't hurt to know what's going on and stay informed.)
- Member Benefits will link you up with all EYE member perks, from discount gym memberships and car rentals to VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). You can get your taxes done for FREE by people who are trained by the IRS to know all the ins and outs of filing taxes specifically for actors. (And we can write off crazy things... even manicures and pedicures!)

• READ your contracts! Every contract is different. Hold the theatre accountable for what's in your contract, and don't let them get away with anything illegal. (Check rules in the Document Library)
- Also, sometimes there are hidden perks. At our theatre, most contracts get to ship things for free. Take advantage of stuff like that!

• Actors' Federal Credit Union - http://www.ActorsFCU.org
- Great online banking features (which are helpful to actors, as we move around a lot)
- Members qualify for home, car, and small loans for computers, headshots, medical expenses (even plastic surgery!)
- Has reciprocity with other credit unions

• Actors' Fund - http://www.ActorsFund.org
- Al Hirschfeld Free Clinic (FREE flu shots!)
- Subsidized housing for people in the entertainment industry
- Day Job counseling and training
- Conrad Cantzen Shoe Fund (Actors can get reimbursed for up to $40 for shoes every year! Which, if you shop like me, means FREE SHOES!)


Good rules to know...
- Be on time! If you're running late, call or text your stage manager. It's better for you to call them than for them to have to call you.
- We work for 55 minutes then take a 5 minute break OR work for 1 hour 20 minutes and then take a 10 minute break.
- When you work a Straight-6 hour day, you have to take at least one 20 minute break.
- The Rep works on a "LORT (League of Regional Theatres) C Rep" contract. Actors are allowed 48 hours of rehearsal + additional time for costume fittings each week. We work mostly "8 out of 10s" (meaning that we will rehearse for 8 hours over the span of 10. Usually it's in two 4-hour chunks with a 2-hour break. That's a long lunch break, but it's because of the nature of the Rep: we might be working on a completely different show after our break, so the longer break helps us to be prepared for that mentally.) We also work two "10 out of 12s" per show during tech week (musicals have three "10 out of 12s).
- Costume fittings have to be scheduled directly before or after rehearsal or during the rehearsal day for all Equity actors. (That means that all the students -- who are not Equity yet -- get stuck with the not-so-great fitting times.)
- Prop and Costume requests need to go through the Stage Manager.
- The Equity Deputy is the representative of the cast. The Deputy is elected in the AEA meeting on the first day of rehearsal. If there is a problem (of any kind), go to your Stage Manager first. If the problem is not resolved, then go to the Deputy, who will most likely talk to the SM, and then go to the appropriate administrator. (She recommended that at some point early in our career we take on the job of Deputy. It's daunting, but it really helps you learn about the union. And she says it usually ends up being a fairly easy job.)
- Also voted on in the AEA meeting is the length of the meal break, and if the company will work Straight-6s. The meal break can be 1 hour, 1 hour 30 minutes, or 2 hours.

Tuesday, December 16

I'm stressed about my understudy whatnot...

The version of The Imaginary Invalid is basically a musical. I've mostly learned the choreography and music for the Prologue, and the choreography for the epilogue. But the lyrics for the Epilogue are in this weird fake Latin, and I haven't gotten far with that. I think I only have one scene really memorized.

This is scary. Why? Because this show opens January 2. And I have to be ready to go on Opening Night. And if I'm not, I could lose my Equity Membership Candidate points. EEK!

Especially scary: I'm going out of town for Christmas, and will be missing three days of rehearsal for BOTH shows that I'm understudying.


I don't have ANYTHING memorized for Winter's Tale yet. I've just written down blocking. It doesn't open until January 23, so I'm not as worried. And everything I say is in iambic pentameter, which is easier to memorize (for me) than normal text. So even though I have some chunks of text (including a really hardcore monologue), I'm not too worried on it... yet.


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So I've decided that since my schoolmates' performances are already on YouTube, there's really no harm in linking to them.

Please keep in mind when viewing that this is a program for Acting, not for musical theatre. And while some of these people do have lovely voices, the majority of us are not singers. On top of that, we didn't work on the actual music at all. This workshop was not about trying to sing well; it was about trying to act well while having the distraction/obstacle/medium of music.

We also did not have blocking -- with the exception of Two-Shots-Up -- as we were going with whatever we felt in the moment. This explains, for example, why I look like such an idiot for the majority of my song... And why one of my schoolmates awesomely jumped on furniture, one took off a jacket, and one took off her shoes.

Many of my schoolmates were just as scared about this as I was. So in the fact that we all made it through without crying or fainting, I count us successful. I hope that you, dear readers, will do the same.

1st Years:
"Being Alive" from Company (D-Train)
"Cadillac Car" from Dreamgirls (Thrill)
"I Can't Do It Alone" from Chicago (Two-Shots-Up)
"Lonely Room" from Oklahoma! (O.D.)
"Maria" from West Side Story (Iceman)
"Quiet" from Foward: A New Musical (All-the-Way)
"Stranger to the Rain" from Children of Eden (Me)
"Stop and See Me" from Weird Romance (Wifey)
"Things Behind the Sun" by Nick Drake (Big Show)

2nd Years:
"A Call from the Vatican" from Nine
"Dawn's Song" from Not Exactly Romeo
"Don't Say Nothing Bad about My Dad" from The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World
"How Did I End up Here" from Romance, Romance
"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" by Elton John
"If I Didn't Believe in You" from The Last 5 Years
"I'm Not That Smart" from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
"The Man That Got Away" from A Star Is Born
"My Dogs" from Elegies: A Song Cycle
"Stars and the Moon" from Songs for a New World

Tuesday, November 25

Movement
We spent class going over what we're going to do in our showing. It's a relatively choreographed docket. I wish it were a little more slap-dash, but I'm sure it'll be fine.


Voice
Our showing is tomorrow, but I don't think anyone is nervous about it. We're each doing a tremor position (with all the positions we've learned being represented), and each saying a line of speech from our consonant exam (my line is "Amidst the mists and coldest frosts").

We made more progress on "Twinkle, Twinkle", and now have done the first two lines of it. It sounds lame, I'm sure, but it feels like major progress.


Acting
I did both of my scenes (with D-Train and with Thrill) today, and I thought they went pretty well. Except that my head whacked against the floor really hard during my one with D-Train, making me cry and giving me a wicked headache for the rest of class... But aside from that, it went well.


Analysis
My Something You Did group presented today, and I think we did a tremendous job. Of course, I may be biased. I baked oatmeal cookies for the occasion (as they're mentioned in the script a couple of times). I think I'm starting to get a handle on what my professor wants in terms of our analysis.

But man, I am SO CONFUSED on what the climax of a play is now. The definition we're using in this class is in direct conflict with what I learned in undergrad. And frankly, I far prefer my undergrad definition. It makes so much more sense to me. The idea that a climax can come in the middle of the play (as opposed to in the final scene) just seems wrong. *shrugs* Oh well.


Understudying
Today was the first day of rehearsals for both The Imaginary Invalid and The Winter's Tale, both of which I'm an understudy for. I was unable to attend the Invalid rehearsal, as it was during the class day. I did, however, attend the Winter's Tale read-through (along with 9 other members of my class). It feels so great to be in a rehearsal room again. I didn't even get to do anything (aside from follow along in my script), and it was still great. I don't remember the last time I was in a production that had actual table-work involved (actually, I do... 2006).


EMC
Most exciting news of the week: I got my Equity Membership Candidate card in the mail today. And I had this strange moment of realization in my kitchen as I read the letter that came with it... I'm going to be a professional actor. Me. That's going to be my job. My real, actual job.

I don't know why this should've surprised me, but it did. It's incredible. I'm not doing this for fun anymore. I'm not doing it as a hobby. I'm doing it as a profession. As a career. And that's an unbelievable feeling.

I am a proud member of the EMC! :)

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.