May 3, 2013

Hi everyone!  My earache has moved into my throat!  All that comes out at this point is a croaking noise!  Not good!  We should have a mime day in class when nobody talks at all and just mimes everything.  I did think about doing that today, but then just decided it would be best to lie in bed and rest.  My window looks out into a forest and I can hear the birds singing and see butterflies -- very good for what ails a person.



A Block: Journal:  What is your experience with working in groups?  Are you good at it?  What skills can you bring to a group to help it work smoothly?  Would you say you are a good leader?  What qualities do you have that makes you a good leader?  Or that make you a good group member.

Next week, some of you will be gone to Strathcona.  It looks like you will have great weather for your trip.  I hope you all have a wonderful time.  Please try to be ready to recite "All the world's a stage" when you get back.

Next week, we'll be putting together a play using mime and tableau.  It will be based on a fairy tale.  Strathcona travellers, I think it would be a good idea if you worked together on this.  Choose a fairy tale that uses everyone in your group and think of how you could mime the story.  You will need to use three tableaus within the mimed story -- one at the beginning, one at a climatic moment and one at the "happily ever after".  Think of music that would help enhance the atmosphere of your story.

C and D Blocks:  Actors, I want to see your first scenes of "After Liverpool" on Monday.  The "dress rehearsals" we saw yesterday came off with varying levels of success, but you could all do better.  Think about the subtext of the scene (what your character is thinking, but not saying) and how you can show that to the audience.  It is important for an actor to think about what he wants in each scene.  That gives your scenes, scripted or improvised, a sense of direction -- you're advancing the scene by keeping that in mind.  That is what I want you to write about in your journal.  Don't tell me you don't know what your character wants.  It is up to you as an actor to figure that out.  Use your imagination!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Make sure you get outside -- it's going to be beautiful!