Acting 1- Using the Body

After delving deep into the character's mind and working hard to put across the right messages without being emotionally manipulative, we have now been spending time discussing how to use the voice and body in the most effective way in order to help the character. First, we discussed a lot about the voice. Much of the things we discussed were things I learned in vocal pedagogy as a singer, but it was good to recap and hear things from a different perspective.

Breathing was the first thing we discussed. I feel that is something I need to work on both in my singing and in my acting. I have a difficult time remembering to breathe! I loved the definition our teacher pointed out, that to breathe in means: to inspire. You are literally nourishing your body spirit and inspiring it for whatever needs to be done. As an actor, it is so essential to focus on and learn to breathe correctly. We are forced to breathe natural while under pressure and provide sufficient lung capacity for specific activities and that can be rather difficult. Breath is certainly something that should be studied and analyzed in order to improve the ability of an actor.

Along with breath, an actor should consider learning about, analyzing, and improving resonance, and diction. Resonance is the resounding of vocal sounds. This is what helps us with making any sounds at all. We have three main resonators in our body when it comes to the voice: pharyngeal (throat), oral (mouth), and nasal (nose). The space in these resonators is always changing and it is important to be aware and effective when using them. In order to improve resonance, one must consider relaxation, posture, and a relaxed jaw, creating open access to the articulators.

Diction is another important aspect that must be considered in acting. Without good diction, it doesn't matter much what you say because no one will be able to understand you. In other words, resonance helps others hear you and diction helps other understand you. "Voice produces sound, speech produces language." There are 40 available phonemes or recognizable sounds. It is important to study them and the pronunciation so we can open our ears to regionalisms and create a more realistic character through that.

Play Review- Five Women Wearing the Same Dress

Before attending this play, I had no information regarding the plot or subject matter. All I knew was that it had something to do with a wedding and that it was funny. Needless to say, The show was nothing like I imagined. I don't think I was prepared for the serious topics discussed throughout the show. I do, however, feel that it was very well done and I appreciate that humor was a part of it.

It was quite interesting to see the different aspects of acting that were portrayed by each performer. One that I noticed, in particular, was trust. Because of the serious nature of the topic matter, trust was an enormously important acting condition to portray. I noticed this most especially with the character of Meredith played by Lauren Paige Hoover. Her character is in a rather vulnerable position. She is determined to project to the others that she has everything put together and is grown up enough to be a part of their conversations and such, but she has a moment in the show where that has to completely crumble down. She has a moment when she tells about her childhood experience where she becomes completely "naked" and vulnerable. This was a beautiful moment and it was portrayed rather well. Each performer in their turn used a great deal of exuberance and discipline in their acting. You could see the freedom of expression in their performances and the committed preparation of each one.

I loved the specificity of the choices each performer portrayed as well. Each character was so different with very different objectives, and each responded in very specific yet different ways, yet they all were there for each other and seemed to fit together as a whole.

One of the most energetic performers in this show was Abigail-Rose Nakken playing the part of Mindy. Mindy was a character that was different yet perhaps the most normal of all the characters. She had an objective of fitting into a world that doesn't accept her lesbian ways. She uses excellent tactics of showing everybody that she can be herself in such a world regardless of what other think of her.

There were so many political and serious social themes in this show that required the viewer to look at their own lives and views. It was very well done and I would recommend viewing it with an open heart and mind.

Acting 1- The big WHY: GOTE

As I have mentioned previously, the principles of acting can often be applied to everyday life. This holds true with the recent lesson we had on GOTE. GOTE is an acronym for GOAL, OTHER, TACTICS, and EXPECTATIONS. In order to understand a character, scene or show enough to act it out believably, it is important to go through this acronym and delve deep into the situation. As in every life situation, you (or your character) has a specific goal or need, someone whom you are interacting with, about or for, certain tactics used in order to accomplish that goal, and expectations of the outcome of these tactics.

This concept seems simple at first. It all makes sense. However, applying it to a situation can be tricky at times because so many of these things run hand in hand and it can be difficult to distinguish specifically which is which. For my monologue, the one from Death of a Salesman, I had a difficult time distinguishing these different aspects because my other would be Willy, who is dead. I need him to understand what he has done to me by committing suicide. I need to understand why he abandoned me like that, especially when our debts are finally about to be paid. All my marriage I have been defending him and standing by him through thick and thin. I, like him, believed that if we just had a bit more material advantage than we would be better off. So when he killed himself right when things were looking up, I was utterly hurt and confused. 

My goal, therefore, would be to make him understand what he has done to me and then perhaps I will be able to understand why he did it. My tactics would be to plead and then shame him. My expectations, that I will somehow feel better and be able to move on. It was difficult to decide on a specific expectation because my other is dead and can't really help me move on. I guess, in a way, I am also praying to God, knowing that I am going to need help from another source, or perhaps I am thinking too deep into it. 

Either way, delving into this monologue even deeper, using the GOTE sheet, has helped me to understand better what my character needs and wants. Why she is talking to the grave of her dead husband, why she keeps telling him that she doesn't understand and that she can't cry. Sometimes I think it would be helpful if we stepped back in life and went through these steps during situations that may be difficult to comprehend. That way, we would have a lot less confusion and emotional manipulation going around.