Hi everyone! Sorry I'm away -- I have an ear ache and there's nothing like that for making you feel rotten (unless it's a toothache)! I hope it all goes well and I will be back tomorrow!
Remember, journals are due today! Put them in the beige box on the piano.
C and D Blocks -- I would like to see whatever you have of the "After Liverpool" scenes tomorrow. Theatre Production: Have an idea for your sound and light show to pitch! A "pitch" is when you propose an idea for a producer -- you want to make it sound like something they want to see!
A Block -- Make sure your conflict mimes have a clear introduction -- we need to know who the characters are and where they are. It is best to use characters who know each other. Strangers can have conflicts but it isn't as interesting as conflicts between people who have a relationship of some sort.
See you all tomorrow.
Tuesday 30 April 2013
Friday 26 April 2013
A Block (Drama 8)
Journal #1: What should Ms. Kosar know about you? You can include experience you've had with acting, performing, public speaking, dance, etc. Are you experiencing stage fright? (Perfectly natural -- everyone has this to a greater or lesser extent. Some of the really great actors have lived with stage fright, but they keep performing! What does that say about how it feels if everything goes well?) You could also include experiences you've had with group work or teamwork, your expectations for the class, any skills or abilities you might have that will enhance our work in Drama and any other concerns or ideas you think are important to communicate to me.
We try to do improvisation on Fridays. Remember the first rule of improv is to ADVANCE THE SCENE. This is what Tina Fey (the star of "30 Rock" and former performer on "Saturday Night Live") has to say about this (and please excuse the language, but I'm quoting):
"The first rule of improvisation is AGREE. Always agree and SAY YES. When improvising, this means you are required to agree with whatever your partner has created. So if we're improvising and I say, "freeze! I have a gun!" and you say, "that's not a gun. That's your finger. You're pointing your finger at me," our improvised scene has ground to a halt. But if I say, "freeze! I have a gun!" and you say, "the gun I gave you for Christmas, you bastard!" then we have started a scene because we have agreed that my finger is in fact a Christmas gun."
Journal #1: What should Ms. Kosar know about you? You can include experience you've had with acting, performing, public speaking, dance, etc. Are you experiencing stage fright? (Perfectly natural -- everyone has this to a greater or lesser extent. Some of the really great actors have lived with stage fright, but they keep performing! What does that say about how it feels if everything goes well?) You could also include experiences you've had with group work or teamwork, your expectations for the class, any skills or abilities you might have that will enhance our work in Drama and any other concerns or ideas you think are important to communicate to me.
We try to do improvisation on Fridays. Remember the first rule of improv is to ADVANCE THE SCENE. This is what Tina Fey (the star of "30 Rock" and former performer on "Saturday Night Live") has to say about this (and please excuse the language, but I'm quoting):
"The first rule of improvisation is AGREE. Always agree and SAY YES. When improvising, this means you are required to agree with whatever your partner has created. So if we're improvising and I say, "freeze! I have a gun!" and you say, "that's not a gun. That's your finger. You're pointing your finger at me," our improvised scene has ground to a halt. But if I say, "freeze! I have a gun!" and you say, "the gun I gave you for Christmas, you bastard!" then we have started a scene because we have agreed that my finger is in fact a Christmas gun."
Drama 9/10, Theatre Production
Don't forget your heritage play journals! Some of you are still missing these and you will not remember enough about them to write them later. Time is of the essence!
Today's journal: In the metaphor scene, what was the assigned item for your group? What did it symbolize? What could it symbolize? (Think of other things that might have popped into the audience's mind.) What other metaphors (costumes, names, staging, etc.) did you attempt to use? (Theatre production -- choose one of the scenes you worked on.)
Please keep in mind that if you cannot be heard, your message will be lost. It is best to err in the "too loud" category rather than the "not loud enough" one. If there is sound to accompany your scene, that indicates that you must project your voice even more strongly than if your scene is not accompanied with sound.
Enjoy your weekend. See you all on Monday!
Don't forget your heritage play journals! Some of you are still missing these and you will not remember enough about them to write them later. Time is of the essence!
Today's journal: In the metaphor scene, what was the assigned item for your group? What did it symbolize? What could it symbolize? (Think of other things that might have popped into the audience's mind.) What other metaphors (costumes, names, staging, etc.) did you attempt to use? (Theatre production -- choose one of the scenes you worked on.)
Please keep in mind that if you cannot be heard, your message will be lost. It is best to err in the "too loud" category rather than the "not loud enough" one. If there is sound to accompany your scene, that indicates that you must project your voice even more strongly than if your scene is not accompanied with sound.
Enjoy your weekend. See you all on Monday!
Thursday 25 April 2013
April 25, 2013
Hi everyone! I performed my opening night of "Woman in Mind" tonight. It went quite well although in one scene my "husband" broke a glass and tried to pick up the pieces and cut himself and had to get first aid and my "daughter" and I had to chat away until he was able to come back on stage. It seemed like it was hours, but really only a few minutes. The thrills of live theatre!
Remember to bring pens and paper tomorrow for journals. C Block - we're going to finish your metaphor scenes, once and for all!
Hi everyone! I performed my opening night of "Woman in Mind" tonight. It went quite well although in one scene my "husband" broke a glass and tried to pick up the pieces and cut himself and had to get first aid and my "daughter" and I had to chat away until he was able to come back on stage. It seemed like it was hours, but really only a few minutes. The thrills of live theatre!
Remember to bring pens and paper tomorrow for journals. C Block - we're going to finish your metaphor scenes, once and for all!
Wednesday 24 April 2013
April 24, 2013
A Block: What should you remember when you mime something? Since you can't talk, you need to exaggerate your facial expressions and your gestures. Make sure you face the audience as much as possible. Remember, brevity is the soul of wit! (That's Shakespeare!)
This is the passage you're learning to recite:
All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances
And one man, in his time, plays many parts.
Make sure you really use your mouth to pronounce the words. Don't try to speak without using your lips -- not only will it be hard to understand, it will also look strange!
C Block: Be prepared to finish the metaphor plays tomorrow! Bring whatever you need from home. It is best to have something that (at the very least) resembles the item you've been assigned.
D Block: We will discuss your metaphor plays tomorrow!
This is the passage you're learning to recite:
All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances
And one man, in his time, plays many parts.
Make sure you really use your mouth to pronounce the words. Don't try to speak without using your lips -- not only will it be hard to understand, it will also look strange!
C Block: Be prepared to finish the metaphor plays tomorrow! Bring whatever you need from home. It is best to have something that (at the very least) resembles the item you've been assigned.
D Block: We will discuss your metaphor plays tomorrow!
Tuesday 23 April 2013
April 23, 2013
Did you know this is Shakespeare's birthday? I usually try to celebrate somehow, but I forgot today what with the play I'm in ("Woman in Mind" opening at the Evergreen Cultural Centre on April 25 and "The Sweet Life of Jack and Brody" at school.
Great metaphor plays today, Grades 9, 10 and Theatre Production! Now that you've seen how it works, think of the movies and plays you've seen and what messages the playwright, actors and director were trying to send through visual and symbolic means. Playing "spot the metaphor" can be fun! We'll see the rest of these tomorrow, although we'll have a short day because of parent-teacher interviews.
Great metaphor plays today, Grades 9, 10 and Theatre Production! Now that you've seen how it works, think of the movies and plays you've seen and what messages the playwright, actors and director were trying to send through visual and symbolic means. Playing "spot the metaphor" can be fun! We'll see the rest of these tomorrow, although we'll have a short day because of parent-teacher interviews.
A Block -- Drama 8: Remember! When miming, you can't speak or make any sounds. Think of ways to show something without using a prop! (Like a hat.) How do you act like you're wearing a hat when you aren't? Actors are good at observing the world around them and at noticing their own behavior. Put on a hat and see how it changes the way you act.
Monday 22 April 2013
April 22, 2013
Happy Earth Day, everyone!
Blocks C and D - We will see your metaphor scenes tomorrow. You had plenty of time to practice today, so they should be polished. Theatre production: Think about costumes that really communicate the message of the plays, including colour, location and time period.
A Block: Welcome to Drama 8! Remember, volunteering and taking creative risks are both good ways to learn in a course like Drama.
Happy Earth Day, everyone!
Blocks C and D - We will see your metaphor scenes tomorrow. You had plenty of time to practice today, so they should be polished. Theatre production: Think about costumes that really communicate the message of the plays, including colour, location and time period.
A Block: Welcome to Drama 8! Remember, volunteering and taking creative risks are both good ways to learn in a course like Drama.
Friday 19 April 2013
Hello to the bloggosphere!
My first post on my blog. Thanks to Ms. Matsuzaki for helping me get started.
I was using Edmodo but I got locked out, so I've decided to try this instead. I hope this will help me keep in touch with my students without any glitches, but if you know me, you know that glitches are the name of the game. But that's how we learn, right?
Block A: Goodbye to First Term Grade 8's. Your Aesop Fables plays were great and I appreciate all your hard work throughout the term.
Welcome to the new Grade 8's. I look forward to meeting you all. Make sure you bring a notebook and a pencil on Friday for journal writing!
Block C and D: Think about your object and what it might mean as a symbol. The lone chair in the middle of the stage says that someone is missing who is important to the other people in the play. It might mean that someone's presence is there even if they aren't physically there. Could that person have died? Or have left the family in the lurch? Think of ways to use symbols that communicate layers of meaning to your audience.
Journals: This is the current journal which is due! Write about your heritage project. What did you think it would be like? What was your vision? How did the final project compare to your vision? What did you personally contribute? How would you rate your contribution? Explain your answer.
Drama Club: Mark is setting up a facebook page for "The Steve Life of Jack and Brody". Make sure Mark has your coordinates. If you aren't on Facebook, then make sure you check the bulletin board outside the theatre for the rehearsal schedule. Don't miss rehearsals! We have a very short time to put this together and lots of people want to play your part. Next time we audition for a play (Midsummer Night's Dream and "The Wars of 1812") and you say you want a big part, if you've ditched rehearsals, that's a consideration!
Next week, we will miss Wednesday and Thursday for teacher interviews, so you get two days off to learn your lines! Remember, you can't really start acting until you GET RID OF YOUR SCRIPT!
I was using Edmodo but I got locked out, so I've decided to try this instead. I hope this will help me keep in touch with my students without any glitches, but if you know me, you know that glitches are the name of the game. But that's how we learn, right?
Block A: Goodbye to First Term Grade 8's. Your Aesop Fables plays were great and I appreciate all your hard work throughout the term.
Welcome to the new Grade 8's. I look forward to meeting you all. Make sure you bring a notebook and a pencil on Friday for journal writing!
Block C and D: Think about your object and what it might mean as a symbol. The lone chair in the middle of the stage says that someone is missing who is important to the other people in the play. It might mean that someone's presence is there even if they aren't physically there. Could that person have died? Or have left the family in the lurch? Think of ways to use symbols that communicate layers of meaning to your audience.
Journals: This is the current journal which is due! Write about your heritage project. What did you think it would be like? What was your vision? How did the final project compare to your vision? What did you personally contribute? How would you rate your contribution? Explain your answer.
Drama Club: Mark is setting up a facebook page for "The Steve Life of Jack and Brody". Make sure Mark has your coordinates. If you aren't on Facebook, then make sure you check the bulletin board outside the theatre for the rehearsal schedule. Don't miss rehearsals! We have a very short time to put this together and lots of people want to play your part. Next time we audition for a play (Midsummer Night's Dream and "The Wars of 1812") and you say you want a big part, if you've ditched rehearsals, that's a consideration!
Next week, we will miss Wednesday and Thursday for teacher interviews, so you get two days off to learn your lines! Remember, you can't really start acting until you GET RID OF YOUR SCRIPT!
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