Elizabethan Theater

What I has shocked me the most about Elizabethan Theater is the advancements in technology.  In this era was when trap doors, people "flying" in ropes, and many other effects were introduced and done efficiently.  Before, theater was done in public places where set manipulation was very limited and the audience was usually not controlled.  Now actual theaters were made so people would actually pay to see different shows.  The actors and the spectators took this more seriously.  The audience if they didn't like the play they would throw stuff at the actors and if they thought that a monologue was really good, they would clap and ask for an encore.  What I thought was really cool was that the theater didn't have a ceiling, so they could use fireworks and lights that could be really impressive and attract attention to people that were not necessarily at the theater in that particular moment.  The name Elizabethan Theater seems unfair because Queen Elizabeth did not like theater, but it really flourished when she was in power.  Theater was so popular that the Queen could not ban it because it would make the population unhappy. 

Frankenstein

This play seems very interesting and I am excited to audition for it!  This could be another great experience since I may not be able to be in plays in the future and I should enjoy them when I have the chance to do so.  I haven't really seen a clear vision about it after the first time I read it, but I have an interesting idea on what to do with the lights and the set.  For the lights I was thinking one of those lights that go on and off very fast and seem that what is going on is in stop-motion.  This would make the "coming to life scene" very dramatic.  Also, I would also would like a lot of sparks and sound effects to go with it.  Since the stage is not that big I was thinking in making the floor area part of the stage.  The floor are (where the seniors sit at assemblies) should be Elizabeth's house and the doors on the sides should be where Dr. Hellstrom and Henry come in.  The stage it self could be Victor's lab, it would be good since there is a lot of space to move for the characters and for the equipment.  This would help the mood of the scenes.  As for the part I could do, I am not so sure.  Gorgo would fit well with my zani experience, but maybe I can do another character so I can try different characters and have a balance.

TGAF

The performance on TGAF I considered it to be an epic fail.  It was not rehearsed enough and we had the inconvenience of not having Isabella on stage.  This was good practice to see what Pedro, Pinto and I could come up in basically 10 minutes, but it didn't work out that well.  I tried to be as physical and loud as possible, but the crowd was making too much noise and not paying attention.  This distracted me a lot, but it is good that I have lived through it so I can deal with it in the future.  The worst part of it all was when the MYP Students came in and started following us because they didn't know what to do.  The positive thing is that I am now going to SAAC AGRENTINAAA!

Comedia

After the performance we did on "Vincenzo and Elena" I believe that my knowledge on Comedia has increased drastically.  Since I was a Zani character, it was important for me to interact with the audience and use physical movements.  It all depends on the body.  The stance, the walk, the purpose, the emotion, and everything has to be portrayed through the body since your face is covered in a mask.  The performance went alright, but think I did a solid job.  The thing that I can improve on is the interaction with the audience since I only did it briefly.  In other words, in the performance, I pestered the audience but I never really reacted to what the audience said to me both verbally and non verbally.  This was great practice for the SAAC auditions.

John Malkovich

After watching the play I wasn't impressed by the performance's hype, but I did like it.  I was surprised that everyone that I talked to disliked it and thought it was crap.  I do agree that the blocking wasn't great and the opera was way too long, but I did like John Malkovich's acting was great and he was very funny.  People may say that I may not know much about theater and John Malkovich and the truth is... I don't.  I wasn't very familiar with John Malkovich before this performance and I consider myself a person that enjoys watching theater.  I don't really have the experience or the 'theater greatness' to criticize a play that I was entertained by.  For all the time that I was there I was entertained and in general I thought that it was a good but not great performance.

Fools Reflection

After bowing in front of the audience on Saturday night I realized that the play was over.  It was an interesting feeling because even though I was happy of the outcome, I am sad that it is over.  Honestly, it was something in my life that had wanted to do, but I never had the chance to do so.  I can finally say that I did this and I am happy that for once in my life I did something that I truly wanted.  I have always had a passion for theater, but I have always second guessed myself.  Am I not good enough? What will others think of me?  A lot of my friends were surprised when I joined the play since they didn't know that I liked it and they thought I only took the course for an easy grade.  However, I really like theater and it was nice to do something that I truly enjoyed even if my friends didn't like it.  Why would I care?  As for the play itself, I was really surprised that it went the way it did.  By the end of the last rehearsal I wasn't sure if it was going to be funny or not because I had seen the play so many times that it became boring.  What was key for me was to practice with my hair and costume because I could practice my walk and stance, which was something I wasn't able to do before since I wasn't used to walking around with a cape.  Honestly, Thursday was my favorite day because I was so surprised that it went that well and even though I believe my Saturday performance was better, Thursday was a special day for me.  It was special because of the nerves and it was my first time on stage on a actual play and when everyone laughed at me, the feeling was priceless.  Friday was the day that I least liked since that was when I was feeling sick.  I didn't go to school that day and just after the performance I went to the bathroom to throw up.  My voice was lost, the audience didn't laugh as much as the first night, and although the performance wasn't bad, that night was hell for me.  Finally came Saturday, which was the best dramatic performance I have had in my life.  I didn't have a voice, but I managed to pull it through since my character was funnier with the lower voice.  Although my best performance was on Saturday, that Thursday night will be one of those moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life. 

final monologue presentation reflection

Nicholas Arnovitz

Reflection

            Although I wasn’t delighted with the idea of the combined monologue, I believe that the performance went very well.  I think it went well since we practiced a lot before the performance and saw each other perform individually, so we both got feedback from both the teacher and the partner.  Also, since we worked together two years ago in a short scene called “Long Island Iced-Tea” I think that help since we already have some experience together.  I was surprised that there were a lot of people since I thought that there were going to be many workshops and presentations going on.  I was very nervous at first, but in the end it was good for me since it is a preview of what the play audience is going to be like.  In the end the most important thing was to practice in front of each other since it gave us confidence and we told each other what we should work on.  I am very glad I could be a part of GIN through theatre since it’s a worldwide event.   I think that our combined monologue stood out since it was the longest and was different to all the others because of how mine started and how we both “interrupted” each other.