A Petrifying Improv Session

I was struck by various unfamiliar emotions yesterday, during our STAC improv session. Based on my recent studies of evil character roles, this was ultimately a large step forward for a happy guy like me. I realize now that walking across the stage in the beginning was helpful in building a character I hadn't planned in advance. I chose a grumpy old soldier towards the beginning, which evolved into a frustrated middle-aged man desperate to seek his son. I don't know if this happened to anyone else, but as I was sitting in the audience, I began to black out a bit, lose my sense of self-awareness, and tune out all of the good in my heart. Everything in my mind was focused on finding that damn thing I lost! Actually rising from my seat, pushing through the other students made my frustration rise, along with the anticipation to find my son. Honestly, I started to picture Daniel Day Lewis' villainous features and mannerisms as Luke started to interview each of us. I may have planned a little too much only because I wasn't used to these type of character traits.

The big step for me was not thinking so much in Douglas' mind, but more within the characters body. During my first few questions, I was devastated and anxious to leave that auditorium in search of my son. I couldn't even look up at the speaker because I was petrified to admit a mistake, I personally didn't make. Where was this wall (shielding my real emotions) coming from? When I finally did look up at Luke, I saw him as a stranger searching through my abstract past as if he didn't know me at all. The anger built because he was blocking me from getting to what I wanted and I felt that he was validating my (or my character's) sense of helplessness. Then, I began to feel my eyes get red because I was no longer able to grasp onto a happy memory, or a familiar face, or a common setting. The emotion didn't feel like acting at all because I wasn't thinking of anything else but what I yearned for. Lizzie and I agreed, it was a struggle to get out of character towards the end of our interviews. Usually when I act, I become so distracted by the audience or characters on stage that my mind becomes focused on impressing, rather then character awareness. I still continue to search for the simplest strategies (like this one) that help reverse my usual character roles and master the art of emotional expression without trying too hard.

Songwriting Potential Activity: Created by Douglas Fabian

SOO... I was searching through my Itunes library today, while strumming on guitar, and humming various melodies in my head. Suddenly, I was struck by lightning.... no! I thought of a quick writing strategy that I decided to test on a blank piece of blog paper...

First, take about three or four lyrics from one of your favorite songs (one that potentially "speaks to you") and write those lyrics out. My lyrics, "A Beautiful Mess" were taken from one of Jason Mraz's originals.

Now, I take these lyrics, put them on the top of the paper and start a poem without that much brain work (let emotions guide the writing):

Beautiful Mess

you are inching towards my core

Partnered with distress

you erase your sensible path

leaving a speck left to laugh

Do you indulge in masks?

Do you bare what words make you tear?

I'm surrounded now by your skill

fascinated by your strategy

we're here, we're always here

We just keep on waiting for your sound to be heard

______________________________________

Analyze your poem for a minute...

Next, I took my favorite line from this poem and started another, and so on...

To take it one step further, I tried turning this poem into a new song, with a total different melody and rhythm. It transforms the meaning. I really hope you can all give this a shot! It's fun, especially with an instrument nearby.

I find that this activity is really intriguing. The artist isn't just sitting down and writing a poem out of the blue, he/she must take lyrics that can be related to and combine those lyrics with inner expression and emotion. We all put our trust in music to take over our minds, so why not let music have a mind of its own and analyze our inner-self. Try it out!

A JOYful Workshop

This afternoon at 2:35 PM, all of the confident STACies in Joy's acting workshop packed up their monologues with unhappy grins, eagerly rushing to snap a picture with the well accepted instructor. I was one of these disappointed students capturing the memory because our time with this talented actress, who we barely got to know, was officially over. Anyone in that workshop can agree with me when I say that Joy is extremely confident in her field of work and has total respect for aspiring actors and actresses. She sustains an eloquent persona and constantly emits positive energy in her tone of voice, her mannerisms, and her unique personality. Handling constructive criticism professionally, Joy took her time in focusing on our characters and pointed out anything minor that we could fix in our pieces. For example, Joy would constantly enforce breath placement within our monologues to avoid tension and reduce the distraction of our nerves. At the same time, Joy would leave us thinking about the characters depth and the general subtext of our prepared monologues. The most effective strategy I picked up from this workshop, was to let the character have a purpose for everything he says, not just for the opening lines. This purpose will come from focusing on someone in front of you that has extreme significance in the subject of the monologue.

I admire Joy's availability, her dedication to each member of the group, and her ability to recognize our specific talents.

Overall, The workshop was extremely productive and captivating; however, it would have been better to have at least four more days with Joy because most of our time with her seemed rushed. She is such a knowledgeable actress, and if the workshops weren't so rushed, we could have grown even farther in the monologues and character study. I possibly could have tackled the other monologue I prepared. I think I speak for the whole group when I say, "Joy is welcome again anytime!"

I would also really enjoy making the documentary about Joy, portraying all of these unique qualities.