Jessica's Blog

oh, so tired,…, work+school+tech week+household chores+mini social life= oh,so tired,…

things are coming together with the show. crew view was yesterday, some elements were added, more to come all week, the blocking got changed a little and our crew was our first little audience. i’m on the run but trying to be faithful to my little blog.

note on the show: this play is weird for me because i am only in act one so act two is just sitting around, waiting. at least i will have time to do homework once the show starts. hmm, i wonder if that will actually happen. it usually just turns into hanging out, chatting, analyzing my performance (putting myself down…), eating (of course, not in costume) and trying not to gossip… :)
off to get some coffee to make it through work. i guess if caffeine is my only drug and i’m almost a senior, i am doing alright.

Posted by Jessica at 12:18 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Ok, so we open in two weeks… ahhhh! Usually i am not nervous this early but the show’s still in rough shape. I think in an earlier entry i mentioned I was frustrated because of the speed of different individuals processes but Iwas trying to be optimistic that it would all even out eventually…
Well, it is getting there but something I didn’t think about, is that when you are at a point in rehearsal when it’s not about knowing lines or where you want to go but just playing and acting and other people aren’t there yet it can really be discouraging. Of course i still have a lot of work to do, since i have made a goal of being very precise with my work in this play, but it’s hard at the end of the night when you just can’t figure out what was wrong even though you’ve been giving one hundred percent.
Sometimes i get the feeling that I am one of the only ones in the castwho is truly enjoying this. Sure, it is hard work but it’s fun and fulfilling work- at least to me. I just ask myself why are people doing this, if they are dragging themselves to rehearsal and have a solemn face all night? I know that people have obstacles and struggles but something we learn very early in acting class is to leave your junk (the actual word has been watered down for blogging purposes) at the door.
I love acting. I love the performances but i also love the process. being creative and exchanging ideas, coming to a common demoninator with your scene partners and director on how to best tell the story. Sure, I am exhausted but I know why. Noone is being forced to act (except maybe the little kids in commercials with stage-moms pushing them towards their own unfulfilled dreams). But as Drew Kahn, one of our acting teachers always says, we are putting on plays, not “seriouses”.
No I’m not cheery all the time, no I don’t always have everything always figured out. But I can honestly say I am trying very hard. Sometimes I feel like the world is full of people who aren’t really putting everything into the things they do, including theatre. And that’s where it gets frustrating for me, knowing a project could be very good but watching it become mediocre because of a lack of commitment. Noone told me this blogging thing would become a therapeutic venting tool…. :)

Posted by Jessica at 12:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

So, I thought I’d take a few minutes and explain what I am going to school for. I will be recieving a B.A. in Theatre. My track is acting but our requirements cover many aspects of theatre. Script Analysis, Directing, and Technical Theatre to name a few. And then there are quite a few electives to choose from. I have taken some really interseting ones, like Stage Makeupand I hope to be able to take a Playwrighting class. Upper level acting classes are also considered electives for my track.

I was going to take another Advanced Acting class this semester, but it got moved to next semester because of a TV workshop that is going to become a regular part of it now. TV professionals come and teach it, so I guess it’s not in the budget to have it twice a year.

Speaking of workshops… we just got done with our yearly Improv Workshop! Tim Joyce teaches it. He graduated from here and then went on to train at Second City in Chicago, where he still lives and works. He’s a playwright,actor and standup comedian.
I took part in the workshop last year and had a blast. This time around it was just as much fun but I was also able to see what improvisational theatre can do to improve your basic acting skills. You really have to listen to your partner, stay super-focused and on your toes. Another thing I really like about it is that you get to be creative and use parts of your brain you can forget about in “normal” acitng.

At the end of the week we had a show. About 30 people showed up. The show, which consisted of spot scenes and different improv games, lasted about an hour and a half. Eight of us performed in it and I think the audience really liked it. We definitely had them laughing a lot. Sometimes the scenes don’t turn out to be that good but you learn that that’s ok. Tim told us that even professional troupes produce 30-40 % crap on an average night. I have a hard time forgetting mistakes that just happened and just moving on. I tend to analyze and brood over my mistakes, but it really doesn’t help any so it’s better to just focus on the next scene, otherwise you end up messing that one up too.
Ahhh, lessons for life….

Posted by Jessica at 04:56 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

So,i just got out of rehearsal… been at school since eight o’clock this morning and now the clock reads 9:46. BUT, I am not complaining, since this is what I signed up for! I love it. I feel energized and today was one of those days when I really understood what I’m in school for. Anyone who knows me, knows that sometimes my attitude can tend to be a little negative, especially towards school (funny I am blogging, huh?). I am anxious to get out there and try my luck, especially after reading Mamet’s ‘True and False…’

Today though I really am grateful for this experience. Working on ‘Le Liasions Dangereuses’ has opened up a whole new world to me. Although extremely uncomfortable somehow I would have loved to lived during that time. The whole emphasis on elegance and form, incredible conciousness and precision with the body… Doing the physical work is informing me about the way people were more then any research could from a book. Although I did enjoy reading up on the time immensely, somehow sitting at a table all laced up watching the women play piquet is more effective. I must say my neck and back are sore though. Our movement teacher said that a sign we’re doing it right, since our bodies are not accustomed to the posture and particular actions and stances.

I am having a blast. I may have possibly found a genre that I really like and fit in. Don’t get me wrong- I love contemporary plays but somehow there is such a challenge in finding truth while presenting the style in a piece like this.

Posted by Jessica at 12:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack