IP: Rehearsal Schedule

Independent Project - Calendar

November 6th - IP Calendar Due

November 10th - Finish reading The Tempest

November 11th - Finish watching The Tempest

November 12th - Have a scene picked from The Tempest

November 13th - Talk to Leila

November 15th - Create a rehearsal calendar and give it to Leila

November 26th - IP Journal Due

November 27th - Have the piece choreographed

December 3rd - Begin rehearsing with Leila

December 7th - IP Journal Due

January 3rd - IP Individual Meetings

January 7th - IP Individual Meetings

January 8th - Have the piece finished

January 10th - IP Production Meeting

January 14th-18th - IP Tech Week

January 18th - IP Showcase

Towards a Performance

*The ability to interpret something. How we frame something in theatre to allow the audience to look for meaning within it.*

1. Raw Materials (devising)

2. Shaping (performance concept)

Practice: 
        Kathakali Theatre


Play: 
        The Progency of Krishna by Mandavappalli Ittiraricha Menon


Aspects of Practice:

• Based on themes from Hindu mythology (the Ramayana and the Mahabharata).

• Elaborate make up code.

• A highly developed language of gesture, through which the artist can convey whole sentences and stories.

• Included five elements of "fine arts": natyam (expression), nrithyam (dance), mudras (enactment), geetha (song) and vadyam (instrumental accompaniment).

• "The training and body language were influenced by the techniques of Kalarippayattu (a martial art)".

• Royal Patronage.

• Characters are classified into five groups (Pacha, Kathi, Thadi, Kari and Minukku)

• The make up is different depending on the group.

• Categorized according to their nature.

• 18 additional characters who have distinct make up.

• The dancers wear large head dresses.

• The style of singing is called Sopaanam.

• The orchestra provides the background to the dancing and serves as a highly expressive special effects team.

Aspects of Play:

• Hindu Mythology

• Royal Patronage

• Character Classification (nature, make up etc.)

Possible Focus:

• Hindi Mythology (Scenes 6-11)

• Royal Patronage (Scene 1)

Possible Research Question:

• How is Hindi Mythology used to create a more relatable and understandable circumstance in Scenes 9-11 of The Progency of Krishna by Mandavappalli Ittiraricha Menon?

Kathakali Theatre - My Sources

Websites:

http://www.indiavideo.org/kathakali/

http://www.artindia.net/kathakali.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/C006203/cgi-bin/stories.cgi?article=mc&section=dance/classical/kathakali&frame=parent

http://www.saigan.com/heritage/dance/dhan5.htm

http://ccrtindia.gov.in/kathakali.php

Books:

Kathakali: The Art of the Non-worldly – D. Appukuttan Nair, K. Ayyappa Paniker

Kathakali – Sadanam Balakrishnan

Kathakali dance-drama – Phillip b. Zarrilli

Kathakali: Narrowed Aspects

• The make up and how it is used to depict a stock character/character classification.

• The use of the orchestra to support the background of the dancing.

• The use of gestures to recite a sentence/tell a story.

Kathakali Theatre: Important Aspects

• A colourful dance-drama.

• Based on themes from Hindu mythology (the Ramayana and the Mahabharata).

• Elaborate make up code.

• A highly developed language of gesture, through which the artist can convey whole sentences and stories.

• Included five elements of "fine arts": natyam (expression), nrithyam (dance), mudras (enactment), geetha (song) and vadyam (instrumental accompaniment).

• "The training and body language were influenced by the techniques of Kalarippayattu (a martial art)".

• Ramanattam is divided into 8 sections and is performed within 8 days.

• Royal Patronage.

• Characters are classified into five groups.

• The make up is different depending on the group.

• Categorized according to their nature.

• The classifications are Pacha, Kathi, Thadi, Kari and Minukku.

• 18 additional characters who have distinct make up.

• The dancers wear large head dresses.

• Contours of the face are extended with moulded lime.

• The style of singing is called Sopaanam.

• The orchestra provides the background to the dancing and serves as a highly expressive special effects team.

Kathakali Theatre

http://www.indiavideo.org/kathakali/

http://www.artindia.net/kathakali.html

Noh Theatre: Possible aspects for RI

7. The Noh play is acted by the protagonist (the Shite), the supporting character (Waki) and the followers (Tsure).

9. The role of the chorus is to chant the lines of the main performer in a falsetto pitch while he performs a dance.

10. The Shite wears a precious mask and a traditional brocade costume.

13. The ha section is subdivided into its own introduction, development and climax.

14. A rhythmic Kuse dance is performed as the third part of the ha. The play then ends with a lively dance.

16. Masks play an important part in Noh Theatre.

24. Scenery like objects are used on the Noh stage.

26. Scenery like objects are used to represent a mountain, a mound, a group of trees, a small shrine, a thatched hut, a cart or wagon, a boat, a well.

29. A platform is used to depict a throne, a dance stage or a bridge.

31. Hand props include: straw hats, umbrellas, fans, Buddhist rosaries, mirrors, letters, swords, daggers, drums and incense.

32. An enclosed rame is used on stage to allow actors to appear or disappear suddenly.

35. The hayashi orchestra is a four-beat "shibyoshi" orchestra, referring to a flute, a small hand drum, a large hand drum and a floor drum.

38. The present style of stage is a copy of a theatre built by the Shogyn in Edo Castle during the Tokugawa Period.

41. Performances are presented with Nature providing the lighting and sound effects.

44. The acting area is a made up of four sections: the main stage, the upstage area, the porch-like area stage left and the bridge like structure leading off at an angle on stage right.

47. The main stage protrudes out into the audience and is supported by four wooden pillars.

55. The only scenery is the back wall on which is painted a pine tree.

58. The side wall is decorated with paintings of young bamboo trees.

60. The chorus and stage assistants enter and leave through this small sliding door.

62. The performer must gauge his acting to be effective not only in heigh and width, but also in depth.

70. The shite-bashira is the actor's home base.

80. Acting on the hashi-gakari is always performed behind one or other of the pine trees. This they are very important guideposts in the staging of a Noh play.

84. The speed and rhythm of raising the curtain determine the mood and set the scene in the imagination of audience and performers.

87. In the past an official in charge of the shrine would enter the stage by these steps to announce the play.
                - 88) Servants of generals would use these steps to convey gifts.

96. Music is made up of three elements - vocal: woodwind and percussion.

97. Concrete cones with sand in the bottom are used  to create the special effect of the dancers' stamping feet.

99. Nohis is highly stylized masked music drama centred around dance as its main element.

101. All aspects are severely simplified and refined to the highest possible degree, resulting in a single concentrated effect.

104. Wake roles fall into three distinct categories - ministers, priests, common ment. The Wake is always human and never a ghost, demon god or woman.

105. The Waki does not wear makeup or mask.

106. The Shite portrays all imaginable characters including old men, gods, mighty warriors, women, ghosts and animals.

107. The actor's mask will depict thinness, disappointment, advanced age and blindness. If the character is healthy and middle-aged the Shite wears no mask.

108. When no mask is used the face is kept immobile and expressionless.

109. Humanity is concealed to reveal the pure poetic form through body and movement.

110. Noh Dance is a closed, controlled, sedate dance of the soul, closely related to the stage it is danced upon.

Research Investigation

Stages:
    HL & SL - 

• Undertake personal dramaturgical research.
• Select a specific aspect of a play or theatre piece from the chosen theatrical practice.
• Formulate a research question to answer.
• Collect, edit and present research.

    HL only - 

• Write a critique of the sources used in the research investigation.

Content & Format:

1. Presented in an essay format.
2. Supporting visual and textual material.
3. HL must write between 2,000 and 2,500 words.
4. Visual documentation and/or textual references.
5. Formal in nature.
6. Should be clearly set out as a research investigation (that is, titles, sourced and attributed).
7. Consult a range of sources.

Other:

1. Must adopt a directorial perspective.
2. Write a rationale, outline and detailed description of proposal for staging a performance.
3. Should include written work, scenarios, images, storyboards etc.
4. Appropriate visual materials.

Year Two

             As I enter year two of the IB Theatre HL course, I reflect back to when I first started last August. My whole perception on theatre and this course have changed completely. It has definitely been a reality shock for me. I was under the impression that this course would come easily to me, and although I was aware of the workload, I didn't think it would be hard succeed. However, I was completely wrong.

            This course is in no way similar to what I had initially expected. The concept of being an ensemble seemed straightforward. However, it was an extremely difficult and lengthy task. In theatre I was very naïve in terms of what was going on underneath the surface of our ensemble. I was under the impression that we all liked each other, and that although we weren’t all best friends, we were able to work together and be friendly to one another. I was completely wrong about that. There was a lot of tension and underlying drama that I was unaware of. Therefore, when the big fights began, I was extremely surprised.

            Aside from learning what a true ensemble is, what I have learned so far in IB Theatre, is that what I originally thought was good isn’t good enough. I have always put in a good amount of effort into my work. However, in order to succeed in theatre, the amount of effort one must put in needs to be above the average. I would work hard on assignments and turn them in expecting to get a 6 or a 7 and I would get a 4. I have always struggled with depth and the ability to analyze something. This has been my biggest downfall so far. However, I am starting to get better.

            The thing I have enjoyed most so far is also what I consider to have been the most challenging. The IB Theatre Showcase, Lost Luggage, although an enjoyable and rewarding experience, was extremely stressful. The time constrains and pressure that we were all under made it very difficult to process by the end of the eight weeks. There were moments when we would become counter-productive and get very snappy with each other. We had to remind each other that getting snappy and having drama wasn’t going to get us anywhere, considering the whole point of the eight weeks was to become an ensemble, not to destroy all relationships within the ensemble.

            This year I am looking forward to the independent project. I probably won’t end up devising, but I am considering researching a style of theatre. I am excited to pick something that interests me and create something based on it. I have considered researching stage make up or costumes. I thought that it might be cool if I chose make up, to research traditional stage make up from different cultures, and then test them out on different members of the ensemble. I would then display them during the showcase.

            For the final year of IB Theatre, I am most apprehensive about all of the assessments. Last year coming into the course, I wasn’t as nervous because I thought I could easily get good grades because it’s work that I enjoy. However, I quickly learned that despite enjoying the work I was doing, good grades in theatre are difficult to come by. There are a lot of skills required, such as the ability to analyze and go in depth about something. This year, I am scared that what I think is good work won’t be good enough to get the grades that I aim for.           

           

            Over the past year in IB Theatre, our ensemble has covered many of the core component requirements. We have covered text-based and non text-based studies such as our unit on Commedia dell’Arte and the Theatre vs. Oppression work we did with Jennifer Hartley etc. We have also studied isms such as Feminism, Dadaism, Realism etc. Another key component we have covered has been taking on different production roles. A lot of emphasis has been put on the roles within a production, aside from the performers. I was a performer in “Beauty in the Beast” and I helped a bit with make up in “Alice in Wonderland”. This year I hope to be a performer in “Avenue Q”, and then assistant direct the Middle School Production of “Snow”.

            After completing the first year of IB Theatre, I think that the nature/purpose of theatre is not just for audience enjoyment, but also for oneself. Theatre gives you the chance to explore a different person and a different persons perspective. You dive into a different world for a few hours. It is relieving for those people who find that they might need an escape. The audience too can find a relief from watching theatre. If the actors do their job well, they should be creating an alternate world for the audience members to immerse themselves within. The purpose is to ultimately make it as beneficial of a experience for the audience members, as it is for the actors, and visa versa.

            Any student who aspires to do well would ultimately want the best possible grade. Therefore, ultimately, I would obviously want a 7 in theatre. However, I feel like that would be a bit over my head. I ended up with a 5 last year and I understand why that it is. Like I said previously, the standards for this course are above the average. Therefore, extra effort has to be put in in order to succeed. However, I don’t want to end up with a 5 in IB Theatre. Although a 5 is a good grade, I would be thrilled if I got a 6. I mean a 7 would be amazing, but I would be very happy receiving a 6.

            To conclude, I enter year two of IB Theatre finding myself more prepared in terms of what lies ahead. I understand that the average isn’t going to get me more than a 4, and I am extremely motivated to get a 6 by the end of the course. This is going to require a lot of practice in depth and analysis.

Are you not entertained?

Although Mr. Warren gets frustrated with us at times..he knows we're pretty funny :)

 http://howdoiputthisgently.tumblr.com/post/23759615392

This Year..

This year as an IB Theatre student has taught me that sucess isn't just an individual strength. I have gone through my entire life frequently doing this for myself (acedemically speaking). I mean I planned an entire prom by myself, I planned the junior side of powderpuff by myself, when put into group projects I often do most of the project myself. This is the way that it has always been and I wasn't familiar with anything different. I wasn't even comfortable with it to be completely honest. But theatre has shown me that I don't need to do everything by myself and that by doing everything myself, it not only affects me, but it also affects the ensemble. Everyone needs to be committed to the ensemble in order for it to work and it took our class the majority of the school year to figure that out. A lot of times when we would get in a fight or do something to hurt the ensemble, we were more concerned with what Mr. Warren thought of us, than our harm to eachother.

Mr. Warren used to see just the ensemble that was in his class. He didn't really see what happened on facebook. we didn't even really see us outside of the classroom. Since Jennifer came, we have been my together than ever. Mr. Warren can see everything that goes on in our group just by seeing how we interact with eachother..although i'm not sure he really wants to see/hear half of the things he does from us. However, the general jist - despite our capability of becoming easily distracted, and despite being obnoxiously loud - is that we have moved past the petty fights that we once had. Those fights seem almost insignificant due to how far we've come. We are an ensemble and this fact will make theatre next year a lot more enjoyable.

Choosing a Moment

For our TPP we had to choose a significant moment from our year in IB theatre. It had to be a moment that changed how we viewed ourselves and perhaps even the ensemble. Initially I wanted to talk about my monologue in the showcase. It was an interesting experience for me because when I wrote the monologue, I didn't know that it was going to be included in the showcase. I thought (for some reason) that Jennifer was just interested in getting to know the students she would be working with the for the next eight weeks (or however many weeks it was). Being able to talk about something so personal, not only to me but also to my family, was a significant step in my role as a theatre student. I had so many doubts about performing the monologue because it brings attention to a part of my life that not a lot of people know, and it would be uncomfortable for my mum and stepdad. I wanted to talk about the process of becoming comfortable performing this monologue and how it changed me as a theatre student. However, Mr. Warren said that it was too symbolic. I wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that but he said that I didn't make enough connections to what I had learned in theatre. He said it was more of a personal experience than one that theatre taught me. Therefore, I had to change my event. I decided to go with something more simple like "The Creation of an Ensemble". This monologue was more of a step-by-step process of becoming a theatre ensemble. More specifically, my role in and my take on the experience.

Depth has never been my strong suit academically. I had always struggled going above and beyond what is know as "superficial". Especially in my essay writing. I also struggled with this for this piece. My initial monologue about my monologue in the showcase was quite long and a lot more in depth than my one about becoming an ensemble. Perhaps this is because the first one was more of a personal fear that I had to overcome, while the latter was more general. I really want to work on my ability to go in depth. I am not exactly sure how to go about this. However, I have struggled being in depth in many of my classes and I have managed to fix the issue in all of them, with the exception of theatre. I suppose this is because theatre isn't an "acedemic" class. We aren't learning from textbooks or being assigned "busy work". The work we do in theatre is work that a lot of the time we - as students - "opt" to do. Success in theatre relies on the effort that one puts into it.

The uncomfortable Monologue.

When Jennifer first arrived, she asked us to write a journal entry titled "Who am I?". At the time, we were ignorant to the fact that details from these entries were going to be used for our showcase monologues. Therefore, I took the assignment seriously and wrote about a personal event in my life the shaped me. My dad. 


When I received the script and I realized that the story about my dad was in there, I had mixed feelings. Part of me wanted to go through with it because it really is a significant part of who I am and no one really knows about it. However, knowing that my stepdad would be in the audience made me really uncomfortable. My stepdad has raised me as his daughter since I was 5. He has financially supported me and welcomed me into his family. He is who I consider to be my father, despite the fact that we're not biologically related. I was worried that I would offend him by talking about my dad and how what happened with my dad affected me. 


What was in my monologue wasn't the whole story. There are other details that I chose not include because they didn't relate to the fact that the event shaped my fear of abandonment. If I had gone on to go into detail, I would have refused to perform the monologue.


In the end, I went through with it. I warned my mum and my stepdad beforehand about the monologue however, I don't think my stepdad fully understood what would be in it. As I was performing it he felt awkward because a lot of the audience members knew who he was. He and my mother sprinted out of the theatre after the performance.


Despite my stepdad, people who knew me were very touched by my monologue. Those audience members who didn't know me or personal details about me, were unaware that my monologue was a true story. However, those who knew me well (one of my friends and my best friends mother), were brought to tears because they knew that it was a true story.

Now that it's over..

Now that the I look on back on the process of creating the showcase, I understand why Jennifer had us do things a certain way. By putting responsibility on us and forcing us to work together to create a great show for the enjoyment of others, we were able to put any differences aside and cooperate. There were obvious hiccups throughout the journey. For example, the ensembles dismissal of anything I had to say or when I missed 2 dance rehearsals. However, as we got to tech week, all hiccups were sorted out and became irrelevant. They became something to move passed.


I have found all year that whenever I contribute to a discussion, my comments go unnoticed. It isn't until I actually say "Hey you guys are accusing me of not contributing and here are countless examples of when I have contributed and you are completely dismissing what I have to say!". At that point they realized that I did contribute, but my contributions were still dismissed. It seemed like nothing I had to say was good enough. I planned a flashmob to bring us closer together and to get us to work on something together outside of class. Although some members of the ensemble loved my idea, a lot of them didn't think there was a point to it. A lot of this dismissal built up during the year until it just reached the point where I was completely unmotivated to do anything. 


I am good at organizing things. I organize events and that's one of my biggest strengths. I planned this years prom by myself and also the junior side of this years powderpuff game. When I was assigned costumes I put a lot of work into organizing what everyone had to wear. I initiated skype calls with the two Julia's. However, as they are recognized for putting in my effort than I do, despite the fact that I did essentially everything, they got most of the credit. I ordered costumes that we couldn't get from school and paid for them myself. I also harassed everyone to bring in their costumes. I did have help looking for costumes from the costume department at school so I wasn't completely alone for that task but I did do a lot of the work myself and that is a responsibility that I took on because I enjoy organizing things. I am not complaining for having to do most of the work. I just felt disheartened by receiving little credit in comparison to my group members. 


One of the most important lessons that I learned throughout the showcase process was to work with other people and not do everything by myself. With the dancing, I felt almost superior to other members of the ensemble because I knew that I could learn the steps quickly. The first rehearsal was originally scheduled for 2:30 which was fine because I got out of my dance class at 2. However, the time of the rehearsal was changed to 2 while I was in my dance class and as a result, I was blamed for being late  (despite the fact that I had a prior commitment that originally didn't conflict). There were two rehearsals after that that I missed due to inability to get rides. I knew that that wasn't a valid excuse but I made irrational decisions in the spur of the moment. However, at the time I thought that I could catch up separately. I had to learn that my not being there affected other members of the ensemble.


The showcase was a wake up call for our ensemble. We recognized our weaknesses and were able to work on them. As a result we are all really close in and outside of class.

Showcase: Costumes

As we have yet to find out the actual story for our showcase, it is difficult to come up with any costume ideas. However, I have two ideas that we can use regardless of the story because they are flexible and can relate to anything that we do.

The first idea I had was for everyone to dress as their stereotype. As the purpose and I guess "theme" of the play is cultural stereotypes, we can't go wrong with having everyone dress as their stereotype. At the same time, stereotypes can be very entertaining. The good part about this idea is that a lot of costumes/cultural clothing that we may need, will most likely be available in either the costume department at school or in an ensemble members wardrobe at home. Therefore, we most likely wouldn't have to spend a lot of money. The only problem with this idea is that there will be a lot of dancing and it may not be easy to dance in all of the "stereotype costumes".

The second idea was actually suggested to me by Ivanna and together we developed it and finalized it to what it is now. The idea is to have each ensemble member in a different colour t shirt, black shorts, black converse and tye dye knee high socks that are the same colour as their t shirt. This idea is easy to move in and will therefore not cause any problems/restraints when it comes to the dancing. Another good thing about this idea is that it is so "open ended" that it can relate to any direction that the play goes. We made a list of all of the ensemble members and the colours that they would be. We chose the colours based on personality.

Ivanna - Green

Tegan - Aqua Blue

Emily C. - Orange

Julia H. - Purple

Julia S. - Lilac

Leah B. - Navy Blue

Connor - Gray

Tristan - Red

Aaron - White

Lorenzo - Yellow

Alejandro - undecided

Amazon has all of the t shirts and socks that we would need for this idea and they are all relatively cheap. The t shirts would be the one below. It comes in every colour that we would need it.

The socks would be the socks in the image below. These too come in every colour that we would need.

All together this would cost about $170.00 to get all of the t shirts and the socks. This is assuming that all girls and guys have a pair of black shorts. However, I am assuming that they do because it is a pretty standard thing to have and they should definitely get some if they don't just for personal/everyday use. I am also assuming that all girls and guys have a pair of black converse. I am pretty sure that all of the girls do. However, I also think that there are some in the costume department at AIS that we might be able to borrow.

In terms of the t shirts, they would most likely be fine for the guys. However, girls could spice them up a bit and maybe do a one shoulder thing or something like that. They are like the t shirts that we get for the musical every year. They are just standard/classic t shirts.

I have shared these two ideas with the other members of the costume committee (Julia Henry and Julia Schlicht) and they like them.

What is a Brit's first impression of the US?

When British people think of the US, they think superficial and fat. The opinion and common perception of the US is that it is this big consumer that is over materialized and as a result is very fake. 


A lot of the US consists of advertisements and shopping and money. Whereas in somewhere like England that is a bit smaller and a bit more quaint, those aspects are not the top priority. A big thing that Brit's have trouble understanding is the concept of fake christmas trees. Fake christmas trees that can be reused every year are becoming more and more popular in the US. Real christmas trees aren't actually that common anymore. My family obviously still buys real trees because we are English and it is what we have always done. However, I actually can't think of any American's off of the top of my head that has a real christmas tree.


Another common perception that the UK has of the US is obesity. Due to the large amount of fast food, processed food, factory farms etc., there is a very high rate of diabetes and obesity. However, Brit's take this data and do what the American's do with the teeth stereotype. We generalize it and assume that everyone in America is extremely overweight.


There are also a lot of cultural stereotypes that the UK consider. For example, there are the ditsy blondes, the rednecks, the gangsters and then the cowboys. Because America is so large and is divided into different states, we don't assume that everyone is culturally the same. However, we do over stereotype people and it can often come across as insulting. For example, we may assume that everyone in the south has a gun, or that every African American woman was pregnant at 15 etc.

What is an American's first impression of the UK?

When American's first visit the UK they basically think that there is all this hype about a country that actually sucks. They think that it is too small and depressing and they feel claustrophobic and stuck when they visit. 


Another common perception of the UK is it's cold and rainy weather and short days. It takes a lot of searching for someone who isn't British to find the beauty of the UK. Although the fashion and the food and the people are always talked about, when American's get there, they have trouble getting past the weather to find what everyone talks about being so great. Unless they are in the center of London, American's feel that visiting England is a waste of time.


Another common stereotype that American's consider when visiting England is teeth. Stereotypically, British people have terribly crooked and horrible teeth. I am obviously not in that situation because I got braces when I moved to the states. However, a lot of people in England don't get braces, and as a result, they end up with bad teeth. Although this is a stereotype that is partially, it is too generalized. I, as a Brit, know many people in England that don't have terrible teeth. Obviously I know a lot of people who do, but that stereotype, doesn't relate to everyone in England. 

Monologue: Who do I want to be in the future based off of my Stereotype?

So I was the popular cheerleader in high school and I always said that I wanted to go to my state school (UGA), get a job in communications and then get married and become one of the real housewives. I mean..I had to go to college, if I didn't go to college I would become a hobo and no guy would ever want to marry me. SO! I decided I wanted to go to college, get a degree and then not have to use it and just get married. 


Having children was just not an option. I just couldn't risk losing my figure..I mean this baby has to be maintained. I can't just eat chips everyday and expect to stay super thin with a nice butt. I mean we have to be realistic here. I have to exercise and cheerlead and eat healthy!!..this includes lots of fruit smoothies! So yeah. No babies for me. And whoever I marry has to accept that. But obviously he will because if it means he gets to keep my figure he can't exactly complain.


I wanted to be a real housewife who could cook and clean and be the "ideal" wife. However, that wasn't exactly how my life turned out. I didn't end up getting into UGA..or any good university for that matter. Apparently they don't accept you if you don't get good grades..I mean how was I supposed to know that?! I just thought that if I kept my figure and my cheerleading..i'd be good to go. But I guess now. So I had to take a gap year and apply for Georgia State the following year. I mean it's not the best school but it's still college. I got my communications degree but I wasn't married by the time I graduated. So I actually had to look for a job. I never even considered that I would have to actually use my degree. The job hunt wasn't a big success. The only job I could get was at hooters..but they said my boobs were too small so I had to get a boob job and then come back and fill out an application. So I went from a B to a large C/small D. Apparently it was an acceptable size so I got the job.


So now..i'm working at hooters with these unnecessarily large boobs that hurt my back! I still have my figure but i'm not dating anyone..at least not seriously.. Life just isn't what I expected it to be.

Who do I want to be in the future?

In the future I hope to be a very successful person. After graduating from a good university in the States (Wake Forest, College of Charleston, Elon) I hope to have enough dance experience to be accepted in a dance company. Preferably a contemporary ballet company. Obviously a dancer can't dance professionally forever. There will come a time when - similar to athletes - they become to old to perform as well as the younger dancers. At this time, some dancers choose to settle down and start a family and some become dance teachers at a dance studio. I however, want to use the communications degree that I earn in University to get a job in either Public Relations or Events Management. Preferably I would have a job at a strictly PR or Events company. However, being the head of PR or Events in another more general company (e.g. a news company etc.) wouldn't be too bad either.


After my dancing career has finished and my Communications degree has become, this will be the time when I would start to think about family. Not necessarily finding a husband because I will never stop being in relationships and finding that person I want to be with for the rest of my life, even during university and my career as a dancer. I may already be married by the time my dancing career is over. However, once I am in a more stable job (my job in communications), I will be at the place to think about starting a family. I am not sure whether I will want kids in the future. A husband and someone I love and want to share the rest of my life with is enough for me. However, depending on our situation and his feelings, if we decide together that we may want children then we can try. If I had children I would want one or two. However, more than two would probably be too much to handle. I am not necessarily bothered about whether we adopt or conceive. It would be nice to conceive at least one of my children. However, there are fears and risks that come with that. Maybe when the time comes I won't be as nervous. I'm sure that if I got pregnant while married and in a stable environment I would be perfectly happy and excited.


There are things apart from my career and family that I want to accomplish in my life. I want to have pets. Not necessarily hamsters and fish and other small pets. I love dogs. I know that I would definitely want a dalmatians. I think dalmatians are cute and adorable. I have wanted dalmatians ever since I saw 101 dalmatians when I was a little girl. So I would want at least one dalmatian. However, I also want my dalmatian to have puppies. Therefore, I may end up getting her a "companion". Honestly, the whole concept of the two dalmatians and their two owners falling in love in 101 Dalmatians is adorable and obviously an ideal situation. However, I think that is a bit to out there. I just love dalmatians and it doesn't matter if my husband has a dalmatian or not.


I want to adopt and sponsor a Dolphin. There are a lot of dolphins that are endangered and I have loved Dolphins since I was a little girl. I went to Discovery Cove in Orlando when I was 8 and I got to swim with Dolphins. The Dolphin I swam with was called Rose which was extremely coincidental because my middle name is Rose. She was covered in scars. Therefore, I assume she was rescued or had experienced something prior to coming to Discovery Cove. I don't think any Dolphins should be put in a situation where there are endangered or at risk of getting hurt. Therefore, I would want to adopt a Dolphin and protect it from harm. There are these Dolphins that are found only in Zealand called Hector's Dolphins that I did a project on when I was in Primary School. They are extremely endangered and if it was possible, I would like to adopt one of them as well. They are unique due to their colour and the shape of their dorsal fin. Unlike most Dolphins with a pointed dorsal fin, Hector's Dolphins have a rounded dorsal fin. 


Finally, I hope to maintain a healthy and active life. My family has a history of eating disorders and diabetes and heart problems. Therefore, the reality of that has been solidified into my brain over time. It is important to me that my family and I remain healthy and active to avoid any diseases that could occur from obesity or lack of physical exercise. 

TPPP: Commedia dell'Arte

Just incase the original file I sent you doesn't work, or if you haven't gotten around to grading it yet and don't want to dig through all of your emails to find it, I uploaded my TPPP to youtube and you can access it through this link. I tried to upload it straight to my blog but after waiting four hours for it to upload, it never did. Luckily I have a youtube account that I use for school projects that I was able to upload it to (after doing some research and managing to unblock the time constraints on uploads. I can now upload videos that are longer than 15 minutes.). So incase you want an easier way to view my TPPP, here it is:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXI8kHc04fk&context=C457e69bADvjVQa1PpcFMMIc4mOy5nJD7kpJamuSdQinToyobJnSs= 

Notes for my TPPP: Commedia dell'Arte

HL and SL:

• Realizing a performance, the devising and rehearsal techniques and the technical elements of the production.

The use of stock characters as a basis for the performance. They gave us something to work with as apposed to starting from scratch. Even if we didn't yet have a script, we knew which stock characters we were using and could base our script around those characters and their specific traits. Similarly, a lot of the technical elements we used were based off of the stock characters as well (e.g. their walks, lazzi's etc.)

• Technical skills developed throughout the course and the abilities and aptitude they have gained.

I now have the ability to recognize Stock Characters in other situations, mostly fairy tales (e.g. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White). I have always loved fairy tales and I am now able to critique and analyze them in a different way in comparison to just watching them and loving the innocence of them. 

• Critical response to their own work and the work of others.

If I am watching another Commedia piece, I am able to identify stock characters and take mental notes on certain aspects of the characters they are using or if there is something they could improve on. 

• Effect of the performance on the spectators and the context in which it was received.

The spectators of our performance had the same knowledge of Commedia as we did. Therefore, it wasn't  a case of being critiqued by an audience that was superior to us. One of our main goals in the performance was to highlight specific Lazzi's that we used. As I was backstage when a lot of them were being performed, I couldn't necessarily tell if they were being recognized. However, due to the laugher, I assume they were.

HL only:

• Research and planning processed involved in realizing the performance.

As a group we decided to go with a more traditional story. Therefore, we focussed on the story of 'forbidden love' (e.g. Romeo and Juliet) and filled it with Lazzi's (e.g. Pantalone losing his money). This gave us the opportunity to focus more on the character traits and humor of the performance, as apposed to spending all of our time writing a completely original idea.

• Making and justifying aesthetic and practical choices.

Practical choices like Brighella's many jobs, and Capitano's role as detective were always justified in our process. In typical Commedia plays, Brighella always plays the role of a working class employee. However, for our specific performance, we decided to give her many jobs. This worked due to the fact that she is always a working class employee, and because at the same time, she was stealing Pantalone's money. Another choice such as Capitano's role as detective, was justified by his superior character traits. 

• How effectively concepts were realized on stage.

The main aspects of our play that we wanted to be noticed with the Lazzi's. For example, at the beginning of the play we had Brighella's stick her butt in Pantalone's face while she was shining his shoes/reaching for the money in his money sack, between her legs.

• Theories, research and practical exploration.

When devising our piece we had to take into account the stock characters and their traditional character traits. It is as if we had freedom, but at the same time we had certain rules that we had to follow. For example, there was Pantalone and his walk and money sack, Capitano and his walk, Brighella and Arlecchino and their high voices, the lovers and their drama etc.

• Source Materials.

A lot of what we incorporated in the play were concepts that we had either learned from ISTA or discussed in class. However, a lot of it came from Vince who not only gave most of us (myself included) a commedia workshop at the ISTA conference, but also came to Atlanta to perform for us, his commedia piece. 

SHOWCASE!

As one of the costume designers for the 11th Grade showcase I am determined to make everyone look fabulous!! Our showcase is on language and cultural identity so I think we should have everyone dressed to represent their cultures. 


England
America
Mexico
Jamaica
African American
Philippines
Colombia 
Germany
Asia