I don't quite know what it was this evening that possessed me to get back on here, but I realize I haven't done that since the first post. So, I decided that I could grace the blog with a little update and substance.
Spring Semester is going (I daresay) infinitely better than Fall semester did. My classes have been more engaging, work is going well, and I've had a certain spark in my creativity as an artist and actor. I thought I would take a little time to discuss some things that have happened to me lately that are beginning to affect the way I am viewing the world and it's influence on me.
Intellectually speaking, I like to think I am a bit of an education buff. School has always been likable and important to me, and this semester one class in particular has reminded me of that: history. My history class so far has been an incredible experience, and I continue to learn more about myself every day because of it. My professor (Dr. Clybor, in the off-chance anyone cares for his name) has done a very good job in making his students care about what they are learning, and more importantly, what they think about what they learn. I most note today's discussion we had about socialism in that I truly began to realize where I stand politically/religiously, and why. More and more I am learning that I am a thinker that would have done well during the Enlightenment. I believe in equality (both social and economic), separation of church and state, governments as a social contract between state and citizen, the list goes on. But today's topic of socialism made me honestly think that I am one - no, not the socialist that today's uninformed masses see as terrorism-loving communists, but a socialist that sees a problem with the world and wants to see social change and a constant fight to make society better. I could probably talk for hours about what my being a bit socialist means, but I personally don't care too much for political and ideological banter - it causes too much contention in the world already.
While there is not a lot to say about my work (my "real" job, not my acting career), I do want to note quickly that I am still enjoying it, and that I find it rewarding in that I have truly come to appreciate people who work low-paying, low-appreciation jobs. Do I wish pay were better? Of course, I have bills to pay. However, I don't ever dread going to work. But I digress, on to a topic I can discuss more.
Now onto the topic where I could talk for pages upon pages, and will (it is the point of this blog, after all). My artistry has been sparked as of late. I had an epiphany not too long ago thanks to my movement class (Camille is doing wonders for me) where things just clicked. I was sick of this slump in my performing that I had been trapped in. The epiphany was this: Why does my age, class rank, or amount of training mean that I am any less capable, talented, and prepared than any of my colleagues? For a little back story here, we were doing some creative work with monologues in class (naturally I was working on an Iago piece I've chosen for my BFA audition at the end of March), and we were performing them in front of the class. Of course, the more confident upperclassmen got right up and volunteered to do theirs, and something in my mind just commanded me to jump up and follow them. It was a truly surreal moment when I did my piece and felt like I had finally truly connected to it. I've been working on this one for months now, and it always felt as if some piece was missing. But I got up and did it, connected with my character and myself, and the two just meshed. It was then that the epiphany dawned on me. I had a taste of what I can do, and now I'm never going to stop having my fill of my own capabilities.
I should give thanks to my colleagues within the theatre department, without your confidence and, I'll admit it, slight intimidation factor, I would not have realized what I am here to do - to become great. I believe I have locked on to the best talents of the people I work around, and am quickly learning to take them, adapt them to myself and become an even better performer. They say to steal from the best, but I believe you should steal the best from everyone. My fear of a certain Head of Acting has certainly sparked my drive as well, which has been a blessing in disguise. It is strange, but I haven't had such a desire to impress anyone for a long time. She has ignited that with me, and I am attempting to keep it running whenever I can. My career insists that I be charming, driven, memorable, and hardworking (yes, I'm an artistic prostitute, essentially) and I am currently evaluating where I stand on those things.
I could ramble on more and go into detail about my acting work lately, but I have decided that sharing whatever artistic secrets I may harbor, can stay with me until I am in danger of not performing again. Call it selfish, but while I have it, my technique and talent stay with me.
Josh
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Monday, November 7, 2011
A Place to Think
At first I couldn't quite believe that I was finally caving and making a blog for myself. But lately I've been thinking that, with everything going on in my life - career, relationship, friends, school, etc. I needed a place where I could come and put down my thoughts and findings. I'm hoping that this blog will do that for me.
I guess the most forefront thing on my mind at the present moment is my acting career. I've been in a strange slump for quite some time. I've had no stage time all semester other than a production of Waiting for Godot (where our biggest audience was thirteen people...), and I've felt like I am just going through the motions with classes I am taking. With the exception of my Movement for Actors class, I have felt that my professors are not teaching me any technique or giving any enlightening information. All this frustration has lead me to do a little soul-searching, and self-evaluation of the concepts of theatre and what makes actors tick onstage...
Acting is living truthfully in an imaginary circumstance. That is what I have been taught on more than one occasion over the past couple of years. I've wanted to know what that phrase truly meant. Why say it that way if it could just as easily be defined as "pretend like you are this character?" I've started my evaluation of the modern actor by means of looking at the actor's body.
I've gone to the theater many times and it seems that, whenever an actor doesn't seem in tune with their body in space, no matter how much professional training or equity points they may have, their performance will seem shallow to me. I believe the body is an integral part in an actor's being truthful. In his writings, Tadashi Suzuki speaks of the noh theatre as a completely unique and honest artform in that the actors are constantly engaged with the space around them. He says that this immense energy and awareness comes from the feet. The noh stage is designed so that actors can use their feet in many ways, and be constantly aware of their feet. I've taken this note and started applying it to my every day life and my life on the stage. What sort of messages am I sending to people through the way my feet are connecting with the earth around me? Am I paying attention to my feet while performing?
As an ex-martial artist, I was once incredibly attuned to my feet and hands. Studying Taekwondo, or, the way of the hand and foot, I certainly gained an awareness to how important your feet are. Evolutionarily speaking, the feet are of a vital importance to humans. If we lose a foot, we are in grave danger of losing life itself. This urgency of the feet can certainly be applied to the stage I think. After all, a character would be nothing without their feet either. If I were to play Iago (who is a dream role of mine, I might add), walking around without an intense amount of energy surging through my feet, even my whole being, into the the earth and the space around me, I could have no hope of effectively playing the strength of the role. Iago is an interesting character to me in respect to the energy that he must give. As an actor, I of course must be giving my energy to the others on stage, but if Iago were to willingly give everything to the other characters, he would have been foiled at the very mention of his schemes. He is an intricate character to me in the sense that, he must give off several different forms of energy, several qualities. I must give to the actors, and Iago must avoid the other characters, yet give to the audience.
I plan on looking more into the character of Iago as I explore more ideas and techniques of how to make a performance truly real. How to live truthfully in the imaginary circumstance.
Josh
I guess the most forefront thing on my mind at the present moment is my acting career. I've been in a strange slump for quite some time. I've had no stage time all semester other than a production of Waiting for Godot (where our biggest audience was thirteen people...), and I've felt like I am just going through the motions with classes I am taking. With the exception of my Movement for Actors class, I have felt that my professors are not teaching me any technique or giving any enlightening information. All this frustration has lead me to do a little soul-searching, and self-evaluation of the concepts of theatre and what makes actors tick onstage...
Acting is living truthfully in an imaginary circumstance. That is what I have been taught on more than one occasion over the past couple of years. I've wanted to know what that phrase truly meant. Why say it that way if it could just as easily be defined as "pretend like you are this character?" I've started my evaluation of the modern actor by means of looking at the actor's body.
I've gone to the theater many times and it seems that, whenever an actor doesn't seem in tune with their body in space, no matter how much professional training or equity points they may have, their performance will seem shallow to me. I believe the body is an integral part in an actor's being truthful. In his writings, Tadashi Suzuki speaks of the noh theatre as a completely unique and honest artform in that the actors are constantly engaged with the space around them. He says that this immense energy and awareness comes from the feet. The noh stage is designed so that actors can use their feet in many ways, and be constantly aware of their feet. I've taken this note and started applying it to my every day life and my life on the stage. What sort of messages am I sending to people through the way my feet are connecting with the earth around me? Am I paying attention to my feet while performing?
As an ex-martial artist, I was once incredibly attuned to my feet and hands. Studying Taekwondo, or, the way of the hand and foot, I certainly gained an awareness to how important your feet are. Evolutionarily speaking, the feet are of a vital importance to humans. If we lose a foot, we are in grave danger of losing life itself. This urgency of the feet can certainly be applied to the stage I think. After all, a character would be nothing without their feet either. If I were to play Iago (who is a dream role of mine, I might add), walking around without an intense amount of energy surging through my feet, even my whole being, into the the earth and the space around me, I could have no hope of effectively playing the strength of the role. Iago is an interesting character to me in respect to the energy that he must give. As an actor, I of course must be giving my energy to the others on stage, but if Iago were to willingly give everything to the other characters, he would have been foiled at the very mention of his schemes. He is an intricate character to me in the sense that, he must give off several different forms of energy, several qualities. I must give to the actors, and Iago must avoid the other characters, yet give to the audience.
I plan on looking more into the character of Iago as I explore more ideas and techniques of how to make a performance truly real. How to live truthfully in the imaginary circumstance.
Josh
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