Careers in Theatre

http://www.actingbiz.com/articles/first_steps_to_becoming_an_actor.php

I tried to look into some careers in the theatre that I would find interesting and/or fun. But the only thing I could see myself actually pursuing is acting. I found many articles that all said roughly the same thing; you need a good agent, you need acting classes, go to countless auditions. But I picked this article to share because I think it is one of the most realistic ones. This article explains that there are so set rules on how to become an actor. He explains that it's not difficult to be an actor, the difficult part is getting started. You have to sell yourself and make yourself presentable to all agents. After that, you need to start going to casting calls and grab the attention of all the people on the board. If you appeal to them you are more likely to get jobs. I know that pursuing a career in acting is one of the hardest things to do. For example, a doctor goes to school and learns how to treat patients; a lawyer goes to school and learns how to defend you; a teacher goes to school to learn subjects so that they can teach you in return; but an actor can go to school as well, but then needs to take additional classes, get an agent, go to auditions, take on a part-time job to make a little money, and after all of this they are still not guaranteed a job. It is a really risky business to get into but if it is something you love, there is nothing that should get in your way. But, you have to be extremely dedicated

I just want to say that whatever career choice you guys chose, I hope you go straight towards it and don't let anyone stop you. Whether it be acting, directing, stage managing, lighting director, choreographer, etc. I wish you all the best of luck!!!

RENT

RENT was by far the best show I have ever seen, or will ever see, in my entire life!!!!! After seeing the play twice, the movie to me seems like only a pathetic attempt to recount this amazing story. I think the reason people like it so much is because the music isn't your typical Broadway-type music with big dance sequences, each song has a meaning and a purpose for each of the characters. Also Jonathan Larson tackled a subject that many would have shied away from... AIDS. I think that people need to see RENT because it gives a look into the way that people actually live; it doesn't sugar coat anything for you. Productions that are out of the box turn out to be some of the best shows ever. Had RENT followed the same format as stereotypical musicals (Angel survived, they were all healed of AIDS, Mark and Maureen got back together, etc) then the show's message wouldn't have been conveyed at all!!!!!!
This musical shows people to live each day as your last and to appreciate life as it is.
Always remember... NO DAY BUT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pivotal shows

This first link is an article showing how big of an impact RENT had on the world.
http://www.angelfire.com/in2/everythingisrent/articles/newsweek4.html

http://www.angelfire.com/in2/everythingisrent/jon.html

"Rent is about a community celebrating life, in the face of death and AIDS, at the turn of the century."
That was Jonathon Larson's summation of RENT. I think the reason RENT was such a pivotal show was based on more than the fact that they tackled serious subjects. I think it had to do more with the music. Larson loved the theatre, but he didn't like the fact that Broadway was still using flashy songs and bright dance numbers. He believed that the music featured in musicals should be modern music that anybody would enjoy to listen to. He felt that people, like himself, would enjoy and appreciate the theatre more if they actually could stand the music being played. The second link explains why he wrote RENT and why he wrote it the way he did. Larson related to the story he wrote because he and his friends were living the life he wrote about. So, it was one thing for these events to happen in real life, but for someone to write about it and turn it into a musical to the whole world could peek into that lifestyle was another thing.

my costume and make-up plot???

In this blog we were supposed to write about how we feel about our costume and our make-up plot. But I haven't gotten either. I have no clue what my make-up is supposed to be. Am I going to have a darker color like I usually use when I'm on stage?? Am I going to have a lighter color because I'm supposed to be dead and transparent?? Or am I going to have ANY make-up on??
All I know about my costume is that it's supposed to be white, because all the Ancestors will be in white. I also know that the costume will be long enough so that it doesn't show my arms or legs. But, other than that I have no clue. Sydney will have a button up shirt with black tie things and a long skirt, Tisa will be wearing a long old-fashioned-looking dress, and Bethany will be wearing a robe. But nothing for me!! Ms. Kris was talking about giving me what she was going to give Andrew, but was not certain. His costume was a white shirt and pajama pants (can you say "comfortable!!") But, nothing was written in stone (sorry I had to do it!). I'm not sure than my costume will help with my character very much. I do hope I'm wrong and that it does help because I could use some serious help!! I don't think it will help because it is basically a white robe... how is that supposed to help me be more sarcastic and uncaring!?!
If someone knows how a white robe can be portrayed as sarcastic then please comment this and let me know, or at least tell me on Monday!!!

Shrek the Musical

Shrek the Musical uses make-up as a central part of the story. No make-up, no Shrek, no story, no show... that's how important make-up is for Shrek the Musical. But it is not like a show such as Cats where all the characters rely on make-up, in this one only one character relies on make-up, but the make-up is central to the show. If you go to this link you can see pictures and videos of Shrek's make-up.
http://www.broadway.com/Shrek-The-Musical/broadway_show/559922
His make-up gives the whole reason why he is feared and ridiculed, which is the whole point of Shrek!! And also some of the pictures show the citizens of Duloc, and they too have special make-up, thought not as severe as Shrek. They must be made to look doll-like, so have extremely rosy cheeks and their lips are bright red... even the guys!!
I think make-up isn't that important to our play. I don't think ALL the characters need to be made to look Chinese because that's not important to the play itself. The main people looking Chinese should be the Fa family and the Bridesmaids because those are the main people who wear traditional Chinese clothing. But, it wouldn't hurt if all the characters' make-up was Chinese, I just think it isn't crucial to the show as it is crucial to Shrek.

Finishing Touches

There is more to theatre than just acting and directing. Imagine if you went to see the Lion King and you see a bunch of people jumping around... in their regular everyday clothes without any choreography, make-up, props, costumes, or a set???? Yeah, that would be a pretty BAD show!! To make a show work you need more than just actors and directors; you need to have people that will labor and make the set, find and sew costumes, choreograph a dance, and so much more. What would have happened if we went and saw STOMP and that show was produced without a choreographer!! WOW!! Or if the people in charge of the set had not went out and found those interesting pieces!! That show would be nothing compared to what it was when we saw it.
I think all the technical aspects of our show are coming together well. We have most of the costumes and we also have the cherry blossom tree painted. My favorite costumes are the bridesmaids' because they are imported from China and they look really cute on all of the girls! The main problem area I find in our show is that we have only 3 days left to put on the show; before we have an actual audience. And I still have no costume, the stones aren't hung, the set such as the stone Mushu stands on aren't ready. But, after High School Musical I believe that anything can happen in a short period of time, so there is definitely hope for us.
But if any of the set pieces were missing, or the lighting was not right, or the sound cues were off that would distract from the actors on stage and the story unfolding. So, I really hope that everything comes together nicely.

Reaction to Peter Pan!!

Peter Pan was amazing!! I had extremely low expectations for it because a.) I had never liked the movie or the music and b.) the last production I saw at that theatre was a completer flop. So, it could be that the reason I loved it so much was because my expectations were so low, or simply because it was a really good show. There were a few things that I didn't like though; for example Peter Pan had at least 2 visible tattoos, which is not something you find commonly on a child who doesn't want to grow up. I think they could have at least used make up to cover them. Another thing I didn't like was Tinker Bell, she was just a green shadow-like fairy that always faced one direction; so it looked like she was flying backwards at times. I would have made Tinker Bell a simple yellow dot or circle, that way it wouldn't make a difference which direction she was moving. I also did not like the make-up they used on Hook, it seemed as if they tried to make him look scary, but it just made him look weird. I did love the set though. The colors in the children's room was different and unique, and other set pieces such as Peter Pan's house and the forest really stood out. I also liked the Indians dances, even though it seemed weird that they were randomly dancing in the forest when they could be doing something productive...
I think this show did great with the lighting. They took full advantage of the fact that this show is supposed to be magical by the lighting they used. They didn't simply use different colors, they also used different designs that were reflected on the parts of the stage that there was magic or that Peter Pan was entering in. So, this show only strengthened my love for the lighting used in theatre.

LIGHTING!!! vidoes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRPLYeefo5E&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud21pqKeSuw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ62X6HeStg&feature=related

I included these three videos in my discussion of lighting because they emphasize my point that lighting is an important aspect of the theatre. The 1st video is a scene from Wicked; this video seems to have such small lighting changes, yet they affect the scene with something as small as changing the color of the floor!!! Whenever a mood or a thought is changed on stage the lighting changes with it. This type of lighting supports what the actors are trying to do as they make the audience feel what their character is feeling.
The second video is more of a concert-like lighting plot. But, I included it because it is more intense than the first one. The lights are all over the place and they are constantly moving is all directions. This lighting may not be good for every play, but it is definitely a way to grab the attention of an audience.
You never really understand how important lighting is until there isn't any lighting. That's why I included the 3rd video. I understand that these people aren't professionals, but I believe that with a lighting design, this performance could have went up a few notches. These videos really helped me understand that lighting should definitely be present, but it should also be consistent with the scene and also be unique. So, trying to achieve all of these things in every show is tough!! But I would definitely take on this challenge and try to master it.

Set Day

I've always loved set day, but only to a certain extent. I enjoy cleaning the wood, taking out the trash, pulling things apart, painting or spray painting things, and even cutting the Styrofoam; but I do not like to actually build things. For example, the people who will build the Smokey Joe's platforms, I am extremely appreciative of them because building is not my favorite part. But, I have done it before and I will do it in the future if I am needed, but I would rather not do it if at all possible. So, set day was good for me because it wasn't anything too big to handle. I believe the set will play a humongous part in this play because a.) we use it for levels, b.) the ancestors and Mushu are constantly on the platforms. and c.) it gives variety rather than just your usual set. I believe the technical thing that will play the most part in Mulan is the lighting. First of all, without the lights we would be in the dark; second of all, when the ancestors use their "powers" to help Mulan there is going to be cool lighting there; and also with the avalanche scene there should definitely be some cool lighting. So, I believe the lighting will the most important technical part of the play because it changes as moods and situations change. But the sound also plays an important part because without it the audience wouldn't be able to hear us!! So, I guess every technical aspect of the theatre is equally important!!!
But, I think I would rather learn more about lighting.

Reaction to STOMP

OK, let me start off by saying that STOMP was AMAZING!!!! They should change the name of the show to "AWESOME"!! I was expecting to be blown away by the beats and the movements, but the show blew me away with so much more. I loved how the actors didn't have lines or even a plot, yet they still each had individual unique characters. I also loved how the show started; at first people didn't know if the sweeping was part of the show or if it was simply a last minute clean up (or at least that's what I was thinking). The beats were so cool, I can.t imagine how long it would take to choreograph something like that or to come up with those beats. I loved meeting the performers. It showed us the difference between them and their "characters". Also it allowed us to hear their reaction to their own show and their lives on tour. I was so mad when their manager made us leave, but I was glad I got to experience a talk-back.
I didn't really notice any elements from Kabuki or Greek theatre, but I'm sure there were some small elements of both.

I think STOMP made me realize that your character is who you make it. Each person in the show had a unique character made by themselves, and that made the show that much better. So now I know that my character, Hong, can only go as far as I let it; which is what Mrs. Laura has been telling us about our character only being words on a paper. If I restrict my character in any way, I am penalizing the show as an entirity.

Greek Theatre

http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/Theater.html

This site was really helpful in my search for information about ancient Greek theatre. It has different sections where you can search for different information. I already knew a little about Greek theatre, so this was sort of a review for me. The stage was like an arena where the audience sat and looked down at the show; there was a chorus who sang what was going on; and there is usually an Exodus where you learn the moral of the story at the end. But I did not know, and I was interested in the fact, that the cast of Greek theatre consisted of a chorus and only three actors; no matter how many speaking parts there were they only used three actors by making them change costumes or masks to change their character. I thought that was interesting because in modern theatre casts range from numbers as low 2 actors to as grand as 50 actors.
I would have loved to go to a traditional Greek theatre performance. I believe Greek theatre would have interested me way more than the traditional Kabuki theatre would have. Kabuki seems to be more of a slower paced show with actions that are far fetched, while Greek theatre seems to be more realistic. I believe that more modern theatres around the world derived from Greek theatre more than they derived from Kabuki, even some elements are still used from Kabuki.

Kabuki Theatre

Let me first start off by saying that I would definitely not want to attend Kabuki theatre in ancient Japan. I always thought that Kabuki theatre was an elaborate dance with fire and dragons and lots of dark scenes. But, it actually isn't anything like I thought it would be. All of the videos I found of Japanese Kabuki theatre were really boring. But, being as it was traditional in Japan, I might have seen one show just for the experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW_MO1i7YcA
This video is an example of all of the elements of the Kabuki theatre: they show the traditional make-up, fans, wigs, and costumes. The man in the video makes extremely weird faces and when he speaks it sounds as if he is trying to sing. Also his costume seems way to big on him.
But, I guess I could sit through a live Kabuki performance just to have the experience and for an educational purpose, but definitely not for recreation.

The Story of Fa Mulan

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art29756.asp

I really liked this website because it didn't just give the story that is known by Disney, where Mulan goes to war and when she returns she is praised and falls in love with the captian. It tells of the poem that originated in China. This site points out that Mulan went to war and fought long and hard; but when she returned she resumed her position as the girl of the family. I realized that she knew her place, even when it seemed wrong to everyone else. Before the war she did the chores of the lady, but when her father needed her she took on the role of the man, and when she returned home she immediately knew she was needed back as the womanly role.

Lets Learn More About this Theatre Stuff: 2

As I was searching for research sites, I found a bunch of sites that spoke about specific shows. But I wanted to share a general look at musical theatre, not just one show. So, I finally found a website that touched everyone point that I was looking for.
http://www.musicals101.com/musical.htm
This site shares information on what makes a musical successful, where musical theatre descends from, and gives exact definitions to better one's understanding of the technical aspects of the theatre. There are also links in case you don't find what you are looking for. This website has confirmed many things that I have already learned in the 3 days of this program; for example, one of the things you must have to make a great musical is courage, which is what Ms. Tracy has been saying about taking risks. This site also confirms what I have always been taught about the Greek theatre and the Italian Commedia Dell'Arte origins.
This site did not change any of my perceptions of the theatre, except that I can now appreciate how important theatre was to people as a way of entertainment back then, whereas people nowadays have become less appreciative of the work the theatre does.

Let's Learn More About this Theatre Stuff: 1

As you know from the "Name Game" I am Larissa Gonzalez. This will be my 3rd summer doing this program. But, I still have alot to learn. In this course I expect to acheive a better voice, a better stage presence, and new skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
The audition for Mulan Jr. made me extremely nervous. And at first I was not happy with my part, but after I re-read the script for my part, I realized that it was a good role. It was something I have never done before and I am looking forward to this new experience.
Mulan Jr. would be my 6th time performing on stage, my 5th show, and my 4th play, but I already feel like the stage is my haven. I just hope that everyone in this program will fall in love with theatre like I have. And I hope that everyone, including, me gains so much from this experience.