Hippolytus (Classical Acting)

At the start of the semester, our Classical Acting class took on a very interesting project called Hippolytus. This was a very condensed version of the play and total it took about 30 minutes or so.

We started by learning this hunting chant in Latin. Which was quite difficult but actually really cool. As we started to piece this show together, it became very apparent that it was not going to be staged like a normal play. We had different people playing the characters and the layout was different (we sat on each side of our playing space while the scene took place). Being a part of this really opened my eyes to the creative liberties you can take with a piece of theatre. I never would have thought to stage it that way or direct it that way. But it was a valuable lesson to learn.

First of all, you never have to stick to the realms of "traditional theatre". It was fun to play all the different characters at different times and to watch this story unfold.

Second, never underestimate the power of using your voice or simple objects to create sound and add atmosphere. In several scenes we used wooden staves or our voices or the rims of wine glasses. Each item added a different effect to the scene at hand. On top of that, it was really neat to work together as a class to come up with the sounds and work through the scene transitions.

At first I was worried that no one would be able to follow the story line, but we had a small audience for our final performance and they assured us that they were able to follow everything. They knew who was who and what was goin on. It just goes to show that I think we assume our audiences don't really pay attention. But that's really not true. Our Audiences can follow story lines without everything being spelled out for them.

The other really neat thing about Hippolytus, was the struggle against time. We were challenged to move as slowly as possible across the room while continuing to fight for something. That exercise has always been one of my favorites that we do in Professor Bugg's classes. After that, he went on to explain that that is the feeling we had to infuse into all the Hippolytus scenes.

And he was right.

We had to consciously think about how slow we could move and then do everything even slower than that. At times I found myself kind of bored with the idea, but when I really stopped to watch and think about, it is truly fascinating. In this world where everything moves so quickly and is instantaneous, how often do we slow down and think about every muscle in our body and how it is moving and responding and reacting to our environment. By forcing us to slow down, we really got to focus on what it means for the whole body to be engaged.

I will admit that I don't think I quite grasped it as a whole; I think I was still moving too fast, but I was mostly laying down on the hard ground on my hip. Which, right after hip surgery, made things pretty difficult. So I moved as slowly as I could, but I bet I could move slower now.

Theatrical Truth (Classical Acting)

This semester I am taking a classical acting class. I was a little hesitant because "classical acting" has always equaled "boring" in my mind. I don't really know why or how that connection was made...

Anyhow.

Right from the start I could tell that I was going to enjoy this class. We immediately started talking about all the different aspects of theatre and "what is style?". The thing that stood out to me the most from that conversation though was this quote:

"The most important thing about  acting is honesty. If you can fake that, you've got it made"

And that quote sparked the question: "What is theatrical truth?".

I've been thinking about these two phrases for a while, trying to come up with my own definition or sense of what they mean and I believe I have come to a conclusion.

Honesty or truth in theatre comes from the performance of the actor. It means that in an emotional scene, the audience is convinced by the emotions that are being played. However, if the actor loses control, they lose the audience. You see, the audience is drawn in by the struggle; by the fight against the emotions we are feeling.

My sophomore year, my high school put on "The Phantom of the Opera". Which was such an incredible experience. However, at the very end of the show, "it's over now the music of the night...", the guy who was playing the Phantom always got really emotional, to the point of tears. I remember at the end of that particular rehearsal, my director stood up from the audience and yelled, "you can't cry! The audience still has to be able to understand you!". I didn't really understand why he would yell that. I thought that it was a powerful performance.

However, 7 years of school and training later, I know exactly why he yelled that. It is so much more powerful for an audience to feel the tension of the struggle. The audience wants to empathize with an actor, not sympathize.

So what is theatrical truth?

Theatrical truth comes from the way you go about sharing a story; from the way you play a character.

It comes from honestly fighting against the emotions and displaying them in a way that the audience will understand. It's finding the breathing pattern that will make it sound like you are overly emotional or crying without actually losing control on stage.

In almost every way it truly is "fake it till you make it". Which is ironic if you think about it.

<3: CourtneyRae<3

DirectingOne

This semester I was super excited to take a directing class. I've always felt that I had a good grasp of blocking. I spent time in middle and high school blocking my own scenes and blocking for region and state and I've always felt that I have good instincts. So I was really looking forward to actually taking a directing class and learning more about making pictures and varrying pathways and creating interesting blocking. 

But this class did not turn out to be that.

Instead, I had a professor who was insanely busy and gone for half of the semester. I had a professor who put our class on the back butner. We had one--count it! one--directing assignment that was somehow dragged out through the whole semester. We were assigned to a group (3 members total) and each of us directed one 2-4 minute scene. And somehow, getting through all of those took the whole semester. And now my final is directing a 10 minute play. And I will be graded on how I directed this play. 

Now tell me, 

How am i supposed to feel prepared for this final?

How is he supposed to grade me fairly based on the one directing experience I've technically had in his class? 

<3: CourtneyRae<3

Know Your Craft

Sooo....I have this fun problem. I'm studying theatre. I'm hoping to perform and to teach eventually. 

But I don't know anything about anything. 

I don't know actors or playwrites or shows or anything about anything. 

Which makes for some awkward situations. People will bring up shows and performances and I don't know what they are talkinga bout. 

So. 
I decided that this summer I'm going to read plays and listen to shows and learn about performers and performances. I want to learn more about this beautiful art form so that I can be an informed member of this community. 

I don't have a clue where to start and I'm a bit overwhelmed. But, I believe that it's important to know what it is I am actually doing. 

So. 
I'm off to know my craft. 

<3: CourtneyRae<3

Invisible Instruments

I have a beautiful instrument. 
And It's not visible to me. 
I can hear it. 
Sometimes I can even feel it. 
But I can't see it. 

yep. 
It's my 
Voice. 

This year I have worked so hard on  placement and expanding my range and I really feel like I am leaps and bounds ahead of where I was last year. I'm proud of where I am even though I am still full of doubts and questions of "Does this acutally sound good? Is this actually healthy? Can I actually do this for the rest of my life?"

In Rent Melinda gave me the Season of Love solo. And at the very of the song, my solo jumps from a C5 to a High C (C6) which has been waaaaay out of my range until this past semester. And as I've been practicing (my butt of mind you) I can confidently say that that note is in my pocket. It may not be super strong or have a lot of ring or vibratto to it, but it's there. 

Until I step on stage and sing my solo. 
Then it's gone. 
Just
gone. 

And I'm getting so sick of it! 

Tonight was opening night (another entry in and of itself:) and I was stoked. I knew I had my solo, I was determined to just enjoy it and live in it. Because guess what? 

When we're all rocking out at the end of the show during bows, I can hit it just fine. It's totally fine! So I thought, "maybe I just get too worried during the first one and the second one is easier because we're all rocking out". So tonight I let go. I didn't feel nervous or scared or anything. I was having a blast and I was so excited and then

I took a breath to hit my high notes and nothing came out.
Just a crack in my voice. 
And a dry throat. 

And then, from the distance, a small and shallow high C finally found its way to my voice. 

I get so frustrated when stuff like this happens. And maybe that's part of it. Idk. I really don't know what happened tonight and I don't know what to do about it. I  feel like I'm letting the whole cast down and worst of all: Melinda. Our incredible director who has been right there alongside us through this whole process. And that's the worst feeling in the whole world.

It would be so much easier if I could just see my instrument. If I could see my vocal chords and how things are being placed and moving around...it's so hard not to be able to see what's going on.

I guess I'll keep you posted on how things go...

<3: CourtneyRae<3

The Feud

I'm on a soap box, be prepared.

Tonight during our final dress rehearsal for Rent we have a new guitarist. Who is apparantly a vocal major. Who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut and keep his opinions to himself.

We were just called to places for act two and I was standing backstage, right behind the band, and I hear his voice come through the wall of the set, "I'm a vocal major and I know that's damaging her vocal chords. Ya it sounds great but it's so bad for her vocal chords."

And I start fuming.

First of all: NEVER and I repeat NEVER smack talk anyone that you are working with when there is any possibility that they could hear you! I'm not saying you can't have an opinion, because you can. I have mine, you're free to have yours. But it is a rookie mistake to make and it pissed me off.

Second: you haven't been with us for the WHOLE FREAKING REHEARSAL PROGRESS! we work our butts off making sure everything is healthy and placed correctly and match the style of the show.

Third (and here's the point): Can we please stop the feud between voice and musical theatre majors!? We are all studying the voice with a goal of healthy performance in mind. Just because YOU aren't singing musical theatre doesn't mean that you don't know anything about singing. But just because WE are singing more genre's and styles than just choir or opera doesn't mean that we are blowing out our vocal chords!? Honestly people!

Oooh it makes me so angry when the voice majors walk around with their noses in the air acting like what we do is mediocre and a "lesser art". Both styles are full of technique and hard work and why can't we all just acknowledge that we are all out to enjoy performing and sharing talents??

<3: CourtneyRae<3

Spitfire Grill

This last week we held auditions for next fall semester's shows (Twelfth Night and The Spitfire Grill) and they went great=] I didn't end up auditioning for Twelfth  Night, but I did audition for Spitfire.

Originally I was going to sing "You Love Who You Love" from Bonnie and Clyde. But then, out of nowhere, I had a feeling that I needed to sing "The Edge of Night" from Lord of the Rings. Technically, it's not from a musical. However, a handful of years ago, the first LOTR did come out as a musical. So I figured it would be close enough plus it fit the style perfectly. The only issue was that it's technically an accappella song. So, the day before, I spent an hour writing some simple chords to go with it. Maybe a bit taboo, but I felt very strongly that I needed to sing this song so I did whatever it took. 

Anyhow...

I talked to Melinda (who will be directing it) and I told her that I wanted to be Percy more than anything. So I asked her what she needed to see from me and she told me that I needed to be unapologetically myself. Percy is a nitty-gritty "take me or leave me" kind of character. Which I am not. Which I already knew. 

So, I walked into my audition with "The Edge of Night" and a monologue from "Rabbit Hole" as Izzy. It was an excellent audition and I felt really confident about the whole thing. 

Callbacks were the next day (Saturday) and I was stoked to see that I had been called back for Percy. I was also called back for Shelby. Shelby is essentially me. If we're being honest. She is compassionate and kind and accepting. I felt like I could pull her out of my pocket. Percy on the other hand, felt like a challenge and I was looking forward to a challenge. 

Callbacks went so good. During the actul event, it was a waiting game, which is always rough. But, I practiced each piece for Percy as well as Shelby and waited my turn to sing. 

When the Percy's were finally called in, Tammi, Jordyn, Bella, Sara, and I all went into the room. Melinda told us straight out that she knew all of us could wail and that that was why we were called back. She then went on to say that she wanted this song (ring around the moon) to all about storytelling. So most of us did that. I felt really good about my performance and Melinda sent us out to work on the next piece (shine). To be honest, this piece shook my donfidence. We didn't have a lot of time to work on it and I wasn't super familiar with this piece. I tried my best, but my nerves got the best of me. And I knew that it showed. 

After everyone sang Shine, Melinda had Jordyn and Sara go out and work on Colors of Paradise as Percy and had the rest of us work on Shelby's number. 

I loved the song we sang for Shelby and I tried my best to stay confident and tell this story as honestly as I could. The funny thing was that I was singing Shelby's piece, Wild Bird, I could feel how well this characters voice fit into mine. I could feel this character saying hello and whispering to me how well I could fit this character. It was sort of an out of body experience. 

After that, the rest of the girls were excused and Tammi and I were asked to prepare Colors of Paradise as Shelby. And to be honest, I was disappointed. Mostly because I felt like, once again, I hadn't showcased the confidence that was required. I felt that I had come across timid even though I tried really hard to fight it. 

As the afternoon wore on, the four of us girls that were left switched off singing Colors of Paradise, and then the classic line up ;)

That weekend was agonizing, waiting for the cast lists to go up. Of course I was doubting myself, thinking that I hadn't done enough and that it didn't matter that I was going to be a senior. I thought for sure Jordyn was going to be cast in Twelfth Night which automatically meant that Sara was going to be Percy and Tammi was going to be Shelby. 

Don't ask me why. 

But then I kept arguing that there was no way Sara, a going-to-be sophmore would get cast over two going-to-be seniors...but honestly you never really know. So then I thought it was going to be Tammi as Percy and myself as Shelby. Or that maybe, if I was lucky, i would be Percy. 

Well, turns out I was wrong. 
About everything. 

Jordyn wasn't cast in Twelfth. 
She was cast as Percy. 
And I was cast as Shelby. 

I was so excited. 
I AM so excited=] This cast is made up of: Jordyn, myself, Carly, Bailey, Trent, Sawyer, and Brandon. It's going to be incredible. 

But Tammi wasn't cast in anything. 
And it broke my heart. 

So I immediately felt guilty for being excited. 

But that night at rehearsal, Tammi gave me a big hug and it meant a lot to me that she would do that. And I felt a little better. 

I was reminded how important support from your friends really is. And I was reminded how grateful I am to actually be able to say that I have real friends now. 

When I got home from rehearsal, I sat around and waited for a few minutes for Kollin to get back from work (I had told him earlier that day) so we could go to Applebee's to celebrate and get some food. And then Kollin walked in the door with a bag of Sweedish Fish and a "Congratulations". 

And I was reminded how important Kollin's support is to me. Having someone who loves me and wants to spend the rest of his life with me and still support me through all the craziness that Theatre is...it's incredible. 

"There are enough people in this world to tell you no. Don't be one of them." My high school theatre teacher told us that. It was a quote from someone famous that he couldn't remember, but it's stuck with me ever since...it serves as a reminder that in this business?? We have to stick together and support each other in the work that we are doing. 

<3: CourtneyRae<3