The "Day" is coming

https://youtu.be/_NTZhff3D6E

Since my freshman year I have been thinking when is the day I will be going to college, and now the day is almost in front of me. However, I got nervous and I don't want to go now. I feel like I am so not ready or I just want to stay here forever in this Acting class and our little black box theater. I finished another monologue which will also be my audition piece and fall play. I had a lot pressure before I do this final take, and I still feel like there are many things I can improve on, such as positions, pace, words focusing and body language.

From last class’ notes I changed my facial expressions and pace, and it had improved today’s production a lot, but it’s still not enough. The first thing I noticed is that I did not have a good positioning on stage. Because this will be in the fall play, I have to think how will I be able to position myself so I can make everyone feel almost the equal amount emotion from me. It will be one of the most important scene in the whole play, so where and how I present myself to the audience will be so effective. Another important thing I need to work on is my pace and words focusing, and I tried my best to fix it today, but I failed. I still had too many unnecessary stops and extra words emphases. For example, I stopped at like a girl then I said that’s all I remembered thinking which was so bad because it will be much more smoother. The last thing I want to fix is my body language which can be super helpful to the character. For intense, a college professor wouldn’t jump around; a high school student would’t move in a fancy way like Dr. Sacco and John Jiang wouldn’t leave VdP. That’s part of the thing I still need to put in as part of the character, so audience will have a better understanding of the character.

I hope by the “day” coming I will have this monologue 100% ready to go and make them all feel extremely sad! So far it was a great start of senior year, and I hope I can keep it up for the rest of the year!

Reflection

Last week I was still not so familiar with the script, so I was thinking a lot about my lines which influence my pace and emotion changes. Also my facial expression was a off the pace with my body movement and blocking. Another thing I realized that was the way I call Gretta my wife which is the most important word in this monologue,and it showed up 3 times. These three times can be perfect changing emotion point and dramatic pause. The last thing I noticed was my pronunciation and interactions. I didn't pronounce few words very clear, such as Esctacy. I also didn't have a good interaction withthe audience which should be the important part of the play. Along with my study about the character I will come up with more detail about this character, such as the breath the anger expression and move speed and physical condition 

It's been a long way!

Last week I started my last year’s journey at Cheshire Academy, when I look back in time I couldn’t help myself to say:” Wow, It’s been a long way!” I am now on my senior way to college which kind freaked my out at last summer, but now all I can feel is enjoying this journey, instead of being worried about the ending. I cannot how many times I have taken this acting class with Guarino. However, I always feel it’s the first time I am taking this class because I am changing and my point of view is changing. Today, as an actor I have accomplished so many things, and all I want is keep challenging and improve more and more.

I was the student who didn’t know what is monologue; I was the student who didn’t know theater at all; I was also the student who was too scared to speak. However, now I am taking the lead role in my school’s fall production The Dead. When I saw the cast list, I told myself that:” John you cannot screw up this time, and you better do your best!”. I confess that I wanted this opportunity so much, and I was also so worried that I might mass this up. Anyway, this week during acting class, I found another new thing. I thought my character development can be just general things and emotions. However, I was so wrong because the emotion and characteristic I gave to the character is so not real! Why it’s not real because our characteristics and emotions are from what we experienced which are all our memories without memory we are just robots reading lines with different tones. When Ms. Guarino asked me to write down character’s story, at that moment in my head all the picture and scene about this character were keeping appearing in my head. That was the moment I knew that why it was so hard to be in the character!

I am Mr. Darling, Curly, Trump, Mr. Dykeman, Gabriel and John Jiang. What makes these characters different was the story they have and memories they carried inside! They can be looking the same but audience can tell they are all different characters. I believe that this year I will finish with all great memories and make John Jiang this character even better!

Character

I am talking to the audience with all other prople behind me.

I am old around late 40's a Doctor in college has two kids and relationship with my wife hasn't been so well recently. Nice in suit.

At annule Christmas party before dinner when everyone's dancing and singing 

I want to find my love back and also curious and angry about my wife is probably having an affair because I see when she sang that song, she looked so young and lovely and being loved. However, I can tell it wasn't for me at all, and it all happened after she saw Micheal. She is the most beautiful woman I have even met and I love her so much that I can never see her with any other guys at all! When we first time met, that day I knew that I was in love with her, and that was the day I told myself that I had to marry her! I did and It was the most important and wonderful thing ever happened in my whole life! I still remember the the first time I kissed her under the moon on the beach; I can still feel our heart drum beating like a harmony; Every time I shut my eyes I can see her beautiful face which has been the first thing I see every morning over 20 years. However, now she is standing there singing beautifully than she even sang and it is for a no body from no where called Michael! Who is he?

I feel bad for the party and my relationship. And I feel this party is waste of time and kind want to end it, but with my wife's singing I want to gain her love back!

Proposal

September - December 18 weeks total

First Week: Open a digital portfolio and choose a serious monologue and a comedic monologue

Second Week: Finish chosen monologues and planning a directing piece + music piece

3rd-5th Week: Finish the directing and music work. Then choose two two person dialogue one comedic and one dramatic

6th-7th Week: Finish these two dialogues. Start working on live audition piece. Picking at least 4 different kinds of monologues includes comedy, tragedy, Shakspheare and serious one.

8th-12th Week: Mainly focus on the audition pieces

13th-15th Week: Working on some audition pieces again( The one which I don’t do well on), and Writing practice essays about theater.

It’s more than just individual work!

Again here we are at this time of the year. Last year at exactly this time I learned a new thing called theater, and until now I am still learning new things about it with my daily experience. Even though this the third time I take Acting class, but this class can always bring me something new. In this semester, I had my first two directing experience in class, and these two are the one I learned from the most. The first one was a silent movie, and second was Inception. I personally want to say that these two project gave me one of the most important lessons which is “It’s more than just individual work!”. Before I had the experience being a director, I thought a great actor can carry a show. However, I have to say that I was so wrong about about a show.

A show is never simple enough that a individual actor can carry it, even if it is monologue because you always need different perspectives and analysis to help you to build a character. However, a show is much harder than a monologue because a show requires a group of people to work together. I have to say that director need to see and hear everything about a performance. When I was doing the silent movie, I wrote the theme on my own which I would change if I can do it again because my opinion might not be the best fit for my cast. Then I made the same mistake again in the second project. I chose a piece which is very serious and complex, and most of our classmates didn’t have much acting experience before, so they didn’t have big interest when we were doing it. As a director I should always know what is the best fit for everyone in the show. If I can make some changes, I would choose a comedy piece instead of Inception because whenever Robert and Josh are doing a comedy scene, their energy is just so high. I will carry what I learned in this class, and I will make my future productions better and better

After I learned from this, and I experienced more in the spring play. I still remember that I complain to Ms. Guarino about how people were not there at the rehearsal. However, Ms. Guarino told me that to calm down and there are always ways to solve the problem. The result was that we did a good job in the spring show together. Even though we made some mistakes, a cast together saved the show. More importantly I have experience most of the work in theater, and I wish I can know more next year. I have to say this year was a wonderful year, and I learned a lot. I cannot wait for next year which will be my senior year. I wish that we will keep exploring together to find more shinning stars on stage under the spot light!

YOU ARE SAFE!!!

This year went by so fast, and I didn’t even had a chance to stop and see all the wonderful moments, but I have them all in my mind which I will never forget! Comedy Tonight is the show that I was a director, a singer and a actor, and I was also Mr. Trump, Mr. Dykeman and the latte boy! This was the longest play that I ever did which was a three hours one, but this is also the one I love the most because we put this show together and we succeed! From the first cast audition till the opening night, every one of us had giving huge amount of ideas and effort to this play, and I have to say that not only audiences but also us had so much fun! Of cause this was also the hardest one I did because many different reasons, but I think only one thing was the most important one that is put everything together!

When we were planing this play, we saw individual pieces first and we thought we are in a great shape. However, later during the rehearsals we found out that we offer missing people and forgetting lines. Anyhow, as usual we made the final production amazing! I truly learned a lot about how to put things together this time because this time I had to act, direct, improve and sing which basically covered everything except tec crew, so it was a hard time! My last directing experience taught me that I have to keep my eyes on everyone all the time, but I was also been watching by other directors. Three weeks before the opening night I remember that I complained about the progress but Ms. Guarino told to not worry about it because that is what theater looks like. I trusted her, and the result turned out great. I guess when the time is coming everyone just start to get everything together, so directing is never a one person or group job; it's always a job for everyone, and that is how we put on a show!

I cannot think anything but wanting to have one more chance to have another show! I cannot say latte without saying it out! I cannot say “you are safe!” without sounding like Mr. Dykeman! And I cannot forget the name Penalope! Thank everyone who gave me such a awesome experience, and I wish all the senior the best in their college life, and I hope we will present more and more amazing show next year!