Classes

• Warm up exercises - movement, vocalization
• Oral Quiz - responses to reading assignment.
  • Competition (auditions, in performance)
  • Communication - The character doesn't know what is going to happen next, reactions must be genuine and fresh.
  • Experience compressed into moments, the kind of feelings that happen in real life must be generated spontaneously moment by moment and then left behind when the show is over.
  • Actors energy builds each others performance. Shared experience.

IMPRESSIONS - very reflective, they have really thought about the reading and are finding ways to apply it to their acting. Sharing personal experiences.

After the quiz the students perform an "endowment" exercise. Each has individually prepared a scene in which they "endow" objects with characteristics that the objects do not really have. An example is using a cold iron as if it is really hot, or drinking a hot drink with nothing in the cup. It is acting "as if." When an actor is onstage they must make the audience believe that the drink is really hot.

Several students take their turns today and I am impressed with the seriousness with which they view their peers performances. They really watch and find many details on which to comment. Their level of observation is really keen. They give helpful feedback and pick out specific details.

10/26
Makeup Class
with Sara Medina-Pape

in Dressing Room

• Worksheet and Handout
• Instructor talks about logistics of class and emphasizes that they will be working on makeup each class. Any comments made about a persons appearance should not be taken personally, it is just an evaluation for class purposes.
• Facial/Bone Structure Evaluation Exercise - students work in pairs to estimate facial proportions and determine face shape. They use the worksheet to compare features to an ideal standard. One student is seated in front of a mirror with their partner standing behind them. The standing partner evaluates seated partner, they make notes and then they switch places. After both have been evaluated the class shares their observations. Each person contributes whether they think the evaluation is accurate. Instructor makes comments and corrects errors in evaluations.

IMPRESSIONS - Students interact in very familiar and trusting ways, teasing and touching. They have to evaluate and touch each other's hair and face. They do this with little embarrassment or shyness. Most made positive comments about some aspect of their partners appearance. I can't imagine students in other types of classes doing this as easily as this group. The instructor and students are comfortable with each other. Much more than the average faculty and student relationship. One student worked with the instructor as a partner and they interacted very naturally.

Goals
Observations
   • Performances
   • Rehearsals
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   • Crew
   • Discussions