The second week of rehearsal went by in a flash and included successes and challenges. Heidi worked with student artists on getting a deep grasp of the story, characters and timeline of events of Julius Caesar. They worked in the Studio One theater and blocked the entire play. Emily gave the class a voice and speech workout and the most diligent artists employed their skills immediately, warming up in the hallways before class time. Carlos saw the ensemble grow in leaps and bounds but thought the students needed much more foundational work in order to use their physical, vocal, intellectual and imaginative instruments to their full potential in performance. For the first half of the week Carlos worked with some artists in the student lounge while others were in the studio rehearsing. This unanticipated opportunity allowed cast members to gain a deeper understanding of the kind of theatrical courage and boldness that is necessary onstage.
While breakthroughs and advancements were celebrated, there were also some setbacks. One key actor lost his right to be in the cast because of a series of late-nesses and absences. He was replaced by a fellow actor who is stepping up to learn the role quickly. Carlos and Heidi impressed upon the rest of the cast how vital it is to behave like a professional and not like a student. With five short weeks of rehearsal, the dedication, commitment and professionalism of every single cast member is needed in order to make this project a success. Another challenge was a limit of space and class time. Carlos' classes in the student lounge had a great affect, but they were given on a voluntary basis in a transitory location. Funding for the program would result in more classes, more vigorous training and more rehearsal hours.
Over all, the creative team was very impressed with the high level of work delivered by the ensemble. Student-artists were on time, enthusiastic about learning and rehearsing and making self-discoveries at an inspiring rate.
So, we ask the ensemble: what are you learning about yourself as an artist? What are you learning about yourself as a human being? What skills and aspects of your personality are strong/ helpful to you in this process? Have you encountered any personal challenges in the process, and, if so, how are you working through them?
This week I had some challanges. We learned about how to present ourself physcialy as our character when you enter a scene. Since I am character who is a person of authority, I had to walk stright with my head held high. And it was a challange to take away my SWAG. The more and more we rehearse this play, I grasps a deeper understanding of it. Im learning how jeliousy and the need of power. Can affect someones life so deeply, it can drive to plot against someone, even their own friend.
ReplyDeleteIn the last week, I felt I had some challenges with voice, speech and understanding what's going on in the play. We learned how to present our characters when we enter to the stage. For me to memorize the lines is getting more easily and I'm feeling comfortable with understanding my lines. I don't know about others but I feeling like I'm having fun in every rehearsal.
ReplyDeleteDuring my time at Stella Adler i wasnt too sure about what i was going to encounter but now i feel, that ALL my teachers and peers are Helpful, and are helping me learn new things everyday. I really love it here and recommend this place to anyone who's interested in the field of acting.
ReplyDeleteR.M.
My Stella Adler experience so far has been great. :) I have been enjoying every moment of the summer outreach program. I learned a lot about voice and speec and i also learned how to trust my fellow actors. Thanks for everything :)
ReplyDeleteJayde
Week two: completed. You know, they say "You learn something new everyday". Even as an actor, you're always learning. During the second week, we worked more on voice and speech. What I've learned was that, in order to get on stage and perform your roll, you first need to understand the meaning and reasons to your lines, rather than just reciting a bunch of words. I know this because of The Stella Adler Studio. And I'm sure anybody interested in attending would enjoy it just as much as I do.
ReplyDelete2nd Week was a little bit of a challenge for me. I started the role of Brutus on the second half of the week for the second half of the play. It was a little difficult getting into character at first, I don't usually have a soldier mentality about things so I had to work on poise, voice, and getting into his mindset.
ReplyDelete-LT
I am learning that i can go much further than i think i can go. And i have to be willing to go there. I am learnig that i have to be mor comfertable with who i am and what type of person i am. My willingness and exceptence of others aloows me to grow by my own hel and the help of others. The main trouble i encountered was the fact that i second gues every thing i do on stage so it looks like i am dancing around on stage. And i am learning that i have to just do what my gut feeling tells me i should do.
ReplyDeleteWELL FOR ME THIS IS REALLY A BIG DEAL BECAUSE DURING THAT 4 WEEKS I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THEATER,I USED TO THINK IT WAS ALL ABOUT FILM BUT OBVIOUSLY I WAS WRONG,ANOTHER THING IS THAT I WAS LUCKY TO MEET SUCH WONDERFUL PEOPLE SUCH AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE PROGRAM AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE PLAY AND ALSO MY SCENE PARTNERS ESPECIALLY ANGELICA :).
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