Question of the Day: Have you ever successfully played a prank on someone or had a prank played on you? If not, think of someone who would be good to fool -- how would you fool them?
The only time I was really successful was one year when I told my husband (who I woke up from a sound sleep) that there was a fox in the back yard. He was really excited and jumped up and ran to the window to see it and then I merrily said, "April Fool!" and he was SO DISAPPOINTED! He had been so excited at the prospect of seeing a wild fox right in our yard and then his hopes were dashed to hear "April fool!" I haven't ever wanted to fool anyone since. I always feel so badly about having disappointed him.
Warm-up: How many four (or more) letter words can you make out of the name "Shakespeare"? Give yourself two minutes and see how many you get. This is a warm-up that gets you thinking!
Hope you are having fun with the little projects I gave you. We had a staff meeting today to talk about where we are going next. There is still not much information from the Ministry of Education and no one knows when we will be back to normal school. The district has decided to survey students and see how many of you have access to different forms of technology -- make sure you fill in the survey because that is supposed to help things get rolling.
Any thoughts about what you could contribute to the yearbook about your pandemic experience?
Tuesday 31 March 2020
Monday 30 March 2020
How to Survive This
For Tuesday, March 31:
Question of the day: How is "social isolation" going for you? Are you isolating yourself? (My answer -- I am isolating myself and it is going quite well. I like to be alone quite a bit, and I enjoy reading and writing and watching old (and new) movies on tv. Many of my neighbours have dogs so we all get out every day and talk even though we stand at a distance from each other. My sons are here and we have dinner together every evening but for the most part, they are doing their own things as well (not with other people, though -- we are not socializing outside of the house at all). Today, I had several "zoom" conferences with other teachers and I feel quite tired now!
Warmup: Stand straight, hands loosely hanging to your sides. Breathe in through your mouth, out through your nose (for about ten breaths). Shake your hands to make sure they aren't clenched. Flex your shoulders, pull down on your shoulder blades and then relax them. Turn your head gently to right and left.
Slowly bend over from your hips. Try to lengthen your spine but don't tense. When you are as far down as you can get, shake your head slowly and make sure your hands remain loose.
Your neck should also be loose. Slowly come up, one vertebra at a time. Your head should come up last. Keep breathing throughout.
Slowly stretch to the sky, tip-toes, fingers reaching. Keep breathing. Stretch with every muscle to the sky. Then slowly back to standing, hands loosely hanging. This is a good physical warmup and helps you relax.
*******
One of my video conferences was with the Fine and Performing Arts teachers. Mr. Akselrod would like you to think about ideas you could put in the yearbook based on your lives under the isolation orders of the pandemic. This is a worldwide event and the yearbook should reflect your experiences. He is interested in images, poetry, drawings, scenes -- think about what you would like to see in the pages about this topic.
Here is a terrific poem by the writer, Barbara Kingsolver (author of The Poisonwood Bible, The Lacuna, and Flight Behavior among others):
How to Survive This
O misery. Imperfect
universe of days stretched out
ahead, the string of pearls
and drops of venom on the web
losses of heart, of life
and limb, news of the worst:
Remind me again
the day will come
when I look back amazed
at the waste of sorry salt
when I had no more than this
to cry about.
Now I lay me down.
I'm not there yet.
Question of the day: How is "social isolation" going for you? Are you isolating yourself? (My answer -- I am isolating myself and it is going quite well. I like to be alone quite a bit, and I enjoy reading and writing and watching old (and new) movies on tv. Many of my neighbours have dogs so we all get out every day and talk even though we stand at a distance from each other. My sons are here and we have dinner together every evening but for the most part, they are doing their own things as well (not with other people, though -- we are not socializing outside of the house at all). Today, I had several "zoom" conferences with other teachers and I feel quite tired now!
Warmup: Stand straight, hands loosely hanging to your sides. Breathe in through your mouth, out through your nose (for about ten breaths). Shake your hands to make sure they aren't clenched. Flex your shoulders, pull down on your shoulder blades and then relax them. Turn your head gently to right and left.
Slowly bend over from your hips. Try to lengthen your spine but don't tense. When you are as far down as you can get, shake your head slowly and make sure your hands remain loose.
Your neck should also be loose. Slowly come up, one vertebra at a time. Your head should come up last. Keep breathing throughout.
Slowly stretch to the sky, tip-toes, fingers reaching. Keep breathing. Stretch with every muscle to the sky. Then slowly back to standing, hands loosely hanging. This is a good physical warmup and helps you relax.
*******
One of my video conferences was with the Fine and Performing Arts teachers. Mr. Akselrod would like you to think about ideas you could put in the yearbook based on your lives under the isolation orders of the pandemic. This is a worldwide event and the yearbook should reflect your experiences. He is interested in images, poetry, drawings, scenes -- think about what you would like to see in the pages about this topic.
Here is a terrific poem by the writer, Barbara Kingsolver (author of The Poisonwood Bible, The Lacuna, and Flight Behavior among others):
How to Survive This
O misery. Imperfect
universe of days stretched out
ahead, the string of pearls
and drops of venom on the web
losses of heart, of life
and limb, news of the worst:
Remind me again
the day will come
when I look back amazed
at the waste of sorry salt
when I had no more than this
to cry about.
Now I lay me down.
I'm not there yet.
Sunday 29 March 2020
Distance Learning
I hope everyone realizes that this blog is a good place to look if you want to attend Drama class at a distance. I am not sure how to communicate with all of you (my son's school district surveyed us to see if we all have access to computers, smartphones, ipads, etc., but I don't think Richmond has done that yet.) I hope this won't go on for too long, but just in case any of you are bored with all the free time you've experienced, here are some things to keep you going until we figure out the next steps. (That is supposed to happen this week.)
For Monday, March 30:
Question of the day: What is something you learned over March break? Here are some answers from me. I learned a lot about the coronavirus. I learned that you can do virtual tours of lots of great museums and art galleries around the world. I learned that you can see productions from the Globe theatre on line. I learned that it is really hard to get rid of ants in your house!
Warm-up: Sit quietly in your room or outside or anywhere. Give yourself two minutes of you not making any noise (you can set an alarm). After the two minutes, list out the sounds you heard. (This exercise is good for concentration and for sensory awareness.)
Theatre Production 11: Watch the short clip from the movie, "Citizen Kane" (the clip is on you-tube and is listed as "Citizen Kane - Famous Last Words" http://j.mp/2jlHFgl). What images, set pieces and props stick out for you?
With the music and the lighting, what would you predict the movie would be about? (If you've seen the movie already, try to imagine you haven't.)
Kane says "rosebud". That's his last word. The movie tries to find out what "rosebud" means to him. What would your guess be?
(This movie is on every "greatest movie of all time" list, so it would be worth your while to see the whole thing. It's a great story and there are lots of terrific performances and it really changed cinema in a lot of important ways and it's lots of fun to watch.)
Drama 9/10: You are supposed to make two public service videos. You have access to any actors and artists (like musicians) you want (in the class or even famous ones). The first video is for young children and you want them to learn how to properly wash their hands. Firstly, what do you need to know? Secondly, how can you communicate that to children under 10? The second video is for elderly people. You want to show them the importance of social distancing. What do you need to know? How do you communicate this to seniors?
You could write a script of your videos and try to plan out all the details.
Drama 8: Mime exercise.
1. Observe yourself doing some ordinary task (like making toast, for example).
2. Mime the same task - pay close attention to detail (how you hold the knife, whether the butter gets on your fingers, what is the difference between spreading butter or jam or peanut butter or cream cheese - in this time of hyper-awareness of germs, would you lick your fingers?)
3. Play some music. Do the mime again and see if the mood of the music affects your mime. You could try different styles of music and see how your mime changes.
Everyone: The above projects will take a little time. I just wanted to give you something interesting to do over the next few days. If I were doing this, I would keep a diary of what I did, but I am not sure what is expected of you (or me) at this strange time, so spend about forty minutes on these exercises and then see what you want to do.
I'll post a question of the day and a warmup each day this week and hope that you are engaged in the above activities. Feel free to email me or comment here if you like.
For Monday, March 30:
Question of the day: What is something you learned over March break? Here are some answers from me. I learned a lot about the coronavirus. I learned that you can do virtual tours of lots of great museums and art galleries around the world. I learned that you can see productions from the Globe theatre on line. I learned that it is really hard to get rid of ants in your house!
Warm-up: Sit quietly in your room or outside or anywhere. Give yourself two minutes of you not making any noise (you can set an alarm). After the two minutes, list out the sounds you heard. (This exercise is good for concentration and for sensory awareness.)
Theatre Production 11: Watch the short clip from the movie, "Citizen Kane" (the clip is on you-tube and is listed as "Citizen Kane - Famous Last Words" http://j.mp/2jlHFgl). What images, set pieces and props stick out for you?
With the music and the lighting, what would you predict the movie would be about? (If you've seen the movie already, try to imagine you haven't.)
Kane says "rosebud". That's his last word. The movie tries to find out what "rosebud" means to him. What would your guess be?
(This movie is on every "greatest movie of all time" list, so it would be worth your while to see the whole thing. It's a great story and there are lots of terrific performances and it really changed cinema in a lot of important ways and it's lots of fun to watch.)
Drama 9/10: You are supposed to make two public service videos. You have access to any actors and artists (like musicians) you want (in the class or even famous ones). The first video is for young children and you want them to learn how to properly wash their hands. Firstly, what do you need to know? Secondly, how can you communicate that to children under 10? The second video is for elderly people. You want to show them the importance of social distancing. What do you need to know? How do you communicate this to seniors?
You could write a script of your videos and try to plan out all the details.
Drama 8: Mime exercise.
1. Observe yourself doing some ordinary task (like making toast, for example).
2. Mime the same task - pay close attention to detail (how you hold the knife, whether the butter gets on your fingers, what is the difference between spreading butter or jam or peanut butter or cream cheese - in this time of hyper-awareness of germs, would you lick your fingers?)
3. Play some music. Do the mime again and see if the mood of the music affects your mime. You could try different styles of music and see how your mime changes.
Everyone: The above projects will take a little time. I just wanted to give you something interesting to do over the next few days. If I were doing this, I would keep a diary of what I did, but I am not sure what is expected of you (or me) at this strange time, so spend about forty minutes on these exercises and then see what you want to do.
I'll post a question of the day and a warmup each day this week and hope that you are engaged in the above activities. Feel free to email me or comment here if you like.
Friday 27 March 2020
Happy World Theatre Day!
You say a theatre is "dark" when it is closed and many theatres are dark these days, because the coronavirus has made us isolate ourselves in order to protect people in our community. The theatre needs community because, unlike other forms of drama, it requires people there both on stage and in the audience, sharing the experience. To me (and obviously I am biased), it is the most glorious art form for that very reason. It is a shared experience. Everyone who works on the play works together. They face challenges and they overcome them. Every show is only as good as the weakest link. You rise to the occasion. You figure out solutions to a myriad of problems. And then the audience comes in and together you make something happen. They laugh and the people on stage hear it and love it and want more of it and work harder to get it.
One time, I played Lady Macbeth in a small theatre and the guy who was playing Macbeth staggered on stage after having killed Duncan and his hands and face were covered in blood and I was close enough to see a lady in the first row recoil when she saw him. It was fantastic, because it was a real, honest reaction to the story and the horror of it and also to the fact that she was right there and might have thought that somehow the blood would get on her clothes. You can't get that in a movie, or on tv, or with Netflix.
I was in a production of "The Playboy of the Western World" (written by J.M. Synge) in university. I played Pegeen and the play starts with me, alone on stage, figuring out what I need for my wedding dress. I had worked hard to master the accent and it was a big role for me and I was really excited. I would sit on stage before the curtain went up and hear the audience talking and then quieting down as the lights went down and the curtain started to move. These were some of the most supreme moments of my life -- a great play, a great role, me -- young and full of ambition and hope for the future. On opening night, there was a guy in the front row and he laughed all through my opening monologue, which was not remotely funny in my mind. I went backstage at the interval and of course, my acting teacher (who I loved and revered) said the old saw, "if they laugh, it's a comedy".
We are still not sure what next week or the weeks that follow will hold for us. As most of you know, I really like school and would like to get back to class as soon as possible, but I also usually wish for just a few more days of holidays right at the end of the allotted time, so this year, it looks like I will get my wish. I will try to keep you on the drama class track through this blog if we try to go with online learning, so keep checking in with me.
Here's a bit of a poem that says something to us in these days of uncertainty and upset:
The People Will Live On
by Carl Sandburg
The people will live on.
The learning and blundering people will live on.
They will be tricked and sold and again sold
And go back to the nourishing earth for rootholds,
The people so peculiar in renewal and comeback,
You can't laugh off their capacity to take it.
The mammoth rests between his cyclonic dramas.
The people so often sleepy, weary, enigmatic,
is a vast huddle with many units saying:
"I earn my living,
I make enough to get by
and it takes all my time.
If I had more time
I could do more for myself
and maybe for others.
I could read and study
and talk things over
and find out about things.
It takes time.
I wish I had the time.
The rest is great, too, but you can look it up. But if you wish you had more time, here you go. Read, study, find out about something that you're curious about. See if anyone needs your help. If you can't think of something to find out about, look up Carl Sandburg. He was a very interesting guy and a very successful writer and poet. You could memorize this bit of the poem. Learning things by heart is great exercise for your brain.
Happy World Theatre Day!
Monday 23 March 2020
No news is not necessarily good news . . .
We received a letter from the Ministry of Education and the union, but they still don't really know what we should expect next week. They continue to tell us to try our best to enjoy our spring break and not worry too much about what lies ahead, so that is the message I am sending on to you. Do as much as you can to relax and take it easy and sleep in and all those things you said you wanted to do over spring break and let next week take care of itself. If you are involved in "Ripper", you should learn your lines as you were told to do! You want to be ready when we do get back.
I am reading Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron. It is a huge book full of stories told by ten young people who leave Florence and go to the countryside to avoid the ravages of the plague (it was written in 1348). This is before the time of tv or the internet, so they decide that each of them will tell a story based on a theme chosen by the "king or queen" of the day (each of them gets a turn as the ruler). Just like nowadays, with you edgy young folks, many of the stories are quite shocking and some are very funny and some are violent, but it is interesting to see what each person does with their assigned theme. I am trying to write something similar in play form, but I am not much for creating things of a shocking nature. Maybe, as I soldier through, I will ask for suggestions of stories from you guys!
After all that great spring weather, we are getting rain today. This is the time when, all of a sudden, everything turns green! One of my favourite times of year. Even though all of us are practicing social distancing, the New York Times points out that birds don't care about that and it suggests watching some geese or ducks enjoying themselves as a way to de-stress. Daisy and I walked to the creek this morning and we were sorry to accidentally disturb some ducks who had decided to paddle there. When we came over the little rise at the front of the creek, the male duck made himself very tall to see who we were, and when he realized that we were not to be trusted (although I assured him we were), he and his mate flew off.
Take care of yourselves! I hope I will see all of you very soon.
I am reading Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron. It is a huge book full of stories told by ten young people who leave Florence and go to the countryside to avoid the ravages of the plague (it was written in 1348). This is before the time of tv or the internet, so they decide that each of them will tell a story based on a theme chosen by the "king or queen" of the day (each of them gets a turn as the ruler). Just like nowadays, with you edgy young folks, many of the stories are quite shocking and some are very funny and some are violent, but it is interesting to see what each person does with their assigned theme. I am trying to write something similar in play form, but I am not much for creating things of a shocking nature. Maybe, as I soldier through, I will ask for suggestions of stories from you guys!
After all that great spring weather, we are getting rain today. This is the time when, all of a sudden, everything turns green! One of my favourite times of year. Even though all of us are practicing social distancing, the New York Times points out that birds don't care about that and it suggests watching some geese or ducks enjoying themselves as a way to de-stress. Daisy and I walked to the creek this morning and we were sorry to accidentally disturb some ducks who had decided to paddle there. When we came over the little rise at the front of the creek, the male duck made himself very tall to see who we were, and when he realized that we were not to be trusted (although I assured him we were), he and his mate flew off.
Take care of yourselves! I hope I will see all of you very soon.
Thursday 19 March 2020
Monologue Madness!
Here's something to do if you're missing Drama! Pioneer Drama Service is a reputable company that supplies scripts and drama books to teachers and anyone who is interested in doing a scripted play. When I was an actor, I usually had about 10 monologues in my head at any given time (maybe more) -- some funny, some serious, some "classic" (like our buddy, Shakespeare) and some "modern" (for me that would be Tennessee Williams, but for you guys it could be David Mamet or Michel Tremblay or Trey Anthony or David French, or even stuff from tv or film). Some tips? Always look for some humour in a monologue, even if it's serious. People usually see a joke, even if it's on them. Play the opposites. If you love the other person, think of how dangerous it is to tell them so! Try doing the monologue with no movement at all and see how that plays. Then methodically add movement. See what happens. If it's supposed to be funny, see if you can do it all very seriously. Ask yourself why the character is telling this story.
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Tuesday 17 March 2020
Closed right down!
By now, you will have heard that school are closed for the next while -- we don't know when they will reopen. As you all know, I am quite fond of school and was dismayed to hear that we will not be back to normal after spring break. At this point, we don't know anything else. I think the people who run things will be discussing it over spring break and making their decisions according to the science and the doctors. I hope it will not be a long time away, but they have said that those of you on a path to graduate will graduate and those of you who are passing will go on to the next grade. They have also said that they will be communicating with post-secondary institutions and advising them of our situation, and of course, this is not isolated to BC or Richmond -- everyone in the world is dealing with the same problem.
I will post any information I get as I get it, but at this point, you just need to try to enjoy your spring break and not think about any of it too much. There is nothing we can do about it anyway.
I will post any information I get as I get it, but at this point, you just need to try to enjoy your spring break and not think about any of it too much. There is nothing we can do about it anyway.
Did not see this coming
No, I did not. I am a pretty optimistic person and although I realize that a virus that is spreading like this is a huge problem, I did not imagine that we would find ourselves with all these responses to the contagion. I went for my usual grocery shop on Saturday, and the store was absolutely crammed with people with full grocery carts and the toilet paper aisle was empty. (I am not sure I understand why toilet paper is the thing people think they need more than anything else. I could understand if it was soap, because that is our best weapon against the virus, or beans, because they keep and are a staple food, but the toilet paper grab is beyond me.)
Also on Saturday, my friend and I went to our usual Aquafit class and the pool was quite empty and there were very few people there for the class. It seemed rather spooky to be in the pool without a lot of little kids splashing around. So far, the community centres and pools are still open out here.
It is scary when you see the number of cases on a graph but I think we need to remember that there are only around a hundred cases in BC and only four people have died. It is terrible that people are sick and tragic that some have died, of course, but the numbers do not make me feel panic. We have a good health system and our government officials are listening to doctors and scientists and we need to listen to them and wash our hands and cough into our sleeves and not touch our faces and not gather in large groups and hope for the best. I think a positive attitude is helpful in challenging times.
It's a good time for reading (I finished The Yellow House last night so I can start on The Decameron and Albert Camus's The Plague would also be a topical book for these days), spring cleaning, learning how to cook something or bake, doing something creative (I am thinking a play based on The Decameron, in which a group of modern Canadian teens leave Vancouver and go to their grandmother's cabin to escape the coronavirus, would be good -- I've started it already -- the theatre will have guards dressed like "grim reapers" but in those medical suits we see with the non-touch temperature takers {whatever those are called}) -- maybe during the play, the guards could be alerted that someone's temperature has gone up and they could take the person out of the theatre!)
Anyway, I hope you are all enjoying the pleasant weather after our rainy winter and that you are finding things to do and getting good amounts of sleep and taking care of yourselves and washing your hands (it is amazing to read about the power of soap and water). No matter what troubles we face, the world is a beautiful place!
Also on Saturday, my friend and I went to our usual Aquafit class and the pool was quite empty and there were very few people there for the class. It seemed rather spooky to be in the pool without a lot of little kids splashing around. So far, the community centres and pools are still open out here.
It is scary when you see the number of cases on a graph but I think we need to remember that there are only around a hundred cases in BC and only four people have died. It is terrible that people are sick and tragic that some have died, of course, but the numbers do not make me feel panic. We have a good health system and our government officials are listening to doctors and scientists and we need to listen to them and wash our hands and cough into our sleeves and not touch our faces and not gather in large groups and hope for the best. I think a positive attitude is helpful in challenging times.
It's a good time for reading (I finished The Yellow House last night so I can start on The Decameron and Albert Camus's The Plague would also be a topical book for these days), spring cleaning, learning how to cook something or bake, doing something creative (I am thinking a play based on The Decameron, in which a group of modern Canadian teens leave Vancouver and go to their grandmother's cabin to escape the coronavirus, would be good -- I've started it already -- the theatre will have guards dressed like "grim reapers" but in those medical suits we see with the non-touch temperature takers {whatever those are called}) -- maybe during the play, the guards could be alerted that someone's temperature has gone up and they could take the person out of the theatre!)
Anyway, I hope you are all enjoying the pleasant weather after our rainy winter and that you are finding things to do and getting good amounts of sleep and taking care of yourselves and washing your hands (it is amazing to read about the power of soap and water). No matter what troubles we face, the world is a beautiful place!
Monday 16 March 2020
Spring is springing!
I hope you're enjoying your first day of spring break. It is a strange feeling with the many closures for the coronavirus, but the weather is lovely and a nice walk is always in order. You can go out and walk along the water's edge and listen to the birds and smell the fresh air, and it's all free! My crocuses are up in the backyard and that always makes me feel optimistic.
I have a "to do" list for the holidays and I've told many of you that a list is helpful in a campaign against procrastination. I read this morning that procrastination is more an emotional problem than motivation or scheduling or organization and that's why my particular listing techniques might help. I always put a variety of things on my list, like to read a certain book I'm interested in (something I want to do), and then clean the bathroom (which is easy to do) and then things like calling the plumber to fix our sink in the basement (I don't like to call people or use the phone, in general) and my income tax (which fills me with ennui and is hard and takes a long time). Then I always have the pleasure of ticking things off the list, even if I haven't done the hard or unpleasant things.
On my list this break was see "Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again." at UBC. A couple of our alums were involved in the production and I was eager to see it. Unfortunately, it closed early because UBC is going online while the COVID19 emergency is happening. But FORUNATELY, I was able to see it on closing night (Saturday). The performance was so full of life and so energetic and I was so glad to have been able to see it. It is a thought-provoking play about what a mess we've made of the world, especially with regard to women's issues, but don't get the idea that it isn't fully engaging as theatre, too. It was very funny and edgy and made the audience sit up in its seat (when you walked into the theatre, the actors were on stage warming up and they actually acknowledged us and waved and made eye contact -- even for an old "break the fourth wall" kind of actor like me, it was a bit unnerving, which is just what you want.) There was a lot of fun word play and a variety of well-played characters who were funny and also recognizable and relatable. I have been thinking about it since I saw it and wishing I could have a discussion about it with the playwright, because I would like to hear what she thinks about what it all says, and obviously, that is a great outcome for a play which really wants to shake up your worldview.
Anyway, I hope you are getting lots of sleep (which many of you sorely need). I am reading a book right now that I don't like (The Yellow House by Sarah Broom) but I am determined to finish it, and then I'm going to reread The Decameron, which is about ten young people who flee Florence during an outbreak of the plague and head for the countryside -- sounds rather appropriate for these days, right?
I have a "to do" list for the holidays and I've told many of you that a list is helpful in a campaign against procrastination. I read this morning that procrastination is more an emotional problem than motivation or scheduling or organization and that's why my particular listing techniques might help. I always put a variety of things on my list, like to read a certain book I'm interested in (something I want to do), and then clean the bathroom (which is easy to do) and then things like calling the plumber to fix our sink in the basement (I don't like to call people or use the phone, in general) and my income tax (which fills me with ennui and is hard and takes a long time). Then I always have the pleasure of ticking things off the list, even if I haven't done the hard or unpleasant things.
Anyway, I hope you are getting lots of sleep (which many of you sorely need). I am reading a book right now that I don't like (The Yellow House by Sarah Broom) but I am determined to finish it, and then I'm going to reread The Decameron, which is about ten young people who flee Florence during an outbreak of the plague and head for the countryside -- sounds rather appropriate for these days, right?
Tuesday 10 March 2020
Women in Film and Television
As part of my prize package for winning the BC Drama Teacher of the Year (thanks for all of those who voted for me!), I got eight tickets to the Women in Film and Television Film Festival which was held last week in Vancouver. There are lots of films to see and of course, eight tickets just scratches the surface. For those of you who made films for the WAG Film Festival, there were lots of "shorts" featured and maybe some day one of you will have your film showcased at a film festival!
I saw a variety of features and it was great fun. I didn't love all the films, but they were challenging in different ways and it was great to see films about dystopias and historical events and different places in the world, all through the eyes of people who were compelled to tell the stories.
These were my favourite films:
"A First Farewell" (directed by Lina Wang) was a film about the Uighurs, who are an ethnic minority in China and central Asia. It was a lovely film that focused on the rural world in which the Uighurs live with vast expanses of land and sky and the hard work of farming and the hopes and dreams of two families. It was beautiful and gave me a chance to see a different world from the hustle bustle of our world.
"The Rabbit House" (directed by Valeria Selinger) was set in Argentina during the "dirty war" in which the military junta in Argentina hunted down and "disappeared" Peronists and leftists who defied the agenda of the military. It is a horrible story and many of the members of the junta are in jail for war crimes after having been found responsible for torturing and killing many of Argentina's citizens.
"Black Conflux" (directed by Nicole Dorsey) was set in Newfoundland in the 1980's and is about how the lives of a disillusioned girl and a disconnected guy converge. I loved the performances and the writing and also how the director used natural scenes as metaphors for what was happening in the lives of the people.
It is exciting to see things like this taking place in our city. I wouldn't have known about it without having received the tickets and am so grateful to have been able to go and see the world through the eyes of these talented women.
I saw a variety of features and it was great fun. I didn't love all the films, but they were challenging in different ways and it was great to see films about dystopias and historical events and different places in the world, all through the eyes of people who were compelled to tell the stories.
These were my favourite films:
"A First Farewell" (directed by Lina Wang) was a film about the Uighurs, who are an ethnic minority in China and central Asia. It was a lovely film that focused on the rural world in which the Uighurs live with vast expanses of land and sky and the hard work of farming and the hopes and dreams of two families. It was beautiful and gave me a chance to see a different world from the hustle bustle of our world.
"The Rabbit House" (directed by Valeria Selinger) was set in Argentina during the "dirty war" in which the military junta in Argentina hunted down and "disappeared" Peronists and leftists who defied the agenda of the military. It is a horrible story and many of the members of the junta are in jail for war crimes after having been found responsible for torturing and killing many of Argentina's citizens.
"Black Conflux" (directed by Nicole Dorsey) was set in Newfoundland in the 1980's and is about how the lives of a disillusioned girl and a disconnected guy converge. I loved the performances and the writing and also how the director used natural scenes as metaphors for what was happening in the lives of the people.
It is exciting to see things like this taking place in our city. I wouldn't have known about it without having received the tickets and am so grateful to have been able to go and see the world through the eyes of these talented women.
Friday 6 March 2020
Thinking makes it so
Grade 9/10: Write about your first presentation for the heritage plays, in terms of your own performance. What went well? What needed work or improvement? When you redo the performance, how will you make it better?
Grade 8: Which lesson from the Aesop stories do you need to learn? Explain why.
What are you thinking of talking about for the show and tell?
Theatre Production 11: Prop project. (Handout) Which prop have you chosen? Why is it important in the play?
Grade 8: Which lesson from the Aesop stories do you need to learn? Explain why.
What are you thinking of talking about for the show and tell?
Theatre Production 11: Prop project. (Handout) Which prop have you chosen? Why is it important in the play?
Monday 2 March 2020
Show and Tell!
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SHOW AND TELL:
You should be preparing your "show and tell" speeches! Practice your speech OUT LOUD and make sure you have two minutes of material! This is very important. It should not be more than two minutes (more is not better) and it should not be less than two minutes.
You will stand centre stage and not fidget! You will appear to be confident. You may use cue cards, or even have your whole speech written out, but you must make eye contact with the audience. You must speak clearly and make sure I can hear you and understand you from the back of the theatre. Think about communicating to the audience. Tell them a story that features your item. Showing the item is not enough!
You may speak about anything you like, but if it is not allowed at school, you will have to show a photo or picture of it.
You MUST not start the speech with "so" or end it with "yeah". Think of a joke or a quotation or a question to start things out and then at the end come to a conclusion -- "this is what I learned", "this is why this thing is so important to me", "as you can see, it is important to 'look before you leap'. Something like that.
Use something that inspires a story to tell. Just describing the item will not engage your audience. That's the basis of theatre - a good story. We've talked at length about how the plot line works -- that will help you here. If you are interested in the story, we will be, too, so choose something that inspires a good story.
This is a chance for you to demonstrate that you are a good public speaker! Make sure you have TWO MINUTES of material. Don't speak too fast!
You should be preparing your "show and tell" speeches! Practice your speech OUT LOUD and make sure you have two minutes of material! This is very important. It should not be more than two minutes (more is not better) and it should not be less than two minutes.
You will stand centre stage and not fidget! You will appear to be confident. You may use cue cards, or even have your whole speech written out, but you must make eye contact with the audience. You must speak clearly and make sure I can hear you and understand you from the back of the theatre. Think about communicating to the audience. Tell them a story that features your item. Showing the item is not enough!
You may speak about anything you like, but if it is not allowed at school, you will have to show a photo or picture of it.
You MUST not start the speech with "so" or end it with "yeah". Think of a joke or a quotation or a question to start things out and then at the end come to a conclusion -- "this is what I learned", "this is why this thing is so important to me", "as you can see, it is important to 'look before you leap'. Something like that.
Use something that inspires a story to tell. Just describing the item will not engage your audience. That's the basis of theatre - a good story. We've talked at length about how the plot line works -- that will help you here. If you are interested in the story, we will be, too, so choose something that inspires a good story.
This is a chance for you to demonstrate that you are a good public speaker! Make sure you have TWO MINUTES of material. Don't speak too fast!
We will present our speeches on April 7, 8 and 9.
Sunday 1 March 2020
Thanks!
I was notified on Thursday that I have been named "BC Drama Teacher of the Year" (!) and that the way the organization (Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Art, Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver International Film Festival, and Women in Film and Television Vancouver) chooses the recipient is by students writing in and nominating their teacher. The person who told me I had been chosen sent me some really nice comments from some of you which touched me a great deal. As most of you know, I work quite hard, but often, I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and I wonder if I'm doing things properly and if I'm helping or hindering and although this won't allay those concerns, it is really nice to be nominated by my students and to receive all the great prizes (two passes to the VIFF, tickets to Arts Club performances, tickets to the WIFT film festival and an award given out at the end of next month). Apparently, I can have students at the gala which is at 7 on March 31, so if any of you (past and present) are interested in attending let me know and I can arrange it.
Thank you to all of you who thought of me and of course, thank you to those of you who show up every day (or most of the days!) and take creative risks and get up on stage and share your ideas and try to do what is best for your group or for the play and to all of you who like Drama (which we all know is a terrific learning ground for life skills)! My new mantra seems to be "never doubt the ability of the theatre to change lives".
Thank you to all of you who thought of me and of course, thank you to those of you who show up every day (or most of the days!) and take creative risks and get up on stage and share your ideas and try to do what is best for your group or for the play and to all of you who like Drama (which we all know is a terrific learning ground for life skills)! My new mantra seems to be "never doubt the ability of the theatre to change lives".
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