The Greatest Speech Ever Made

Shared with me by my dear friend, filmmaker Alessio Cappelletti- currently working on a film project entitled For Peace. 

MFA Acting Week 2 Redux

HOW have three full weeks already passed? I'm a bit behind- here's a week 2 recap! 

Monday 9/5 

No Classes

Tuesday 9/6

Voice- We focused on the anatomy of the vocal mechanism and had a discussion on the components of an effective vocal warmup and its purpose- to free the instrument and facilitate effective breathing and emotional connection, allowing access to a free, responsible, authentic and connected voice. 

Speech- Consonants! Wahoo! We learned all 26 consonant sounds, where they're made in the mouth, what type of sound they are (stop-plosive, fricative, glide, affricate, nasal or lateral) and the corresponding script and print IPA symbols. 

Wednesday 9/7

Movement- In addition to our continued exploration of the foundation of the Alexander Technique, we did an exercise to discover the true locations of our joints (vs. where we perceive our joints to be). We were asked by our teacher to observe our repertoire of movement patterns without judgment.  

Acting- We shared our experiences from our sensory observation assignment and then did a simple improv exercise. Person A sat on stage while person B left the room. B returned with a relationship and objective, and A was only allowed to respond to B's words and behavior- A was not allowed to contribute any new information. It was interesting to explore simply listening and being affected. 

Thursday 9/8

Voice- We brought our monologues in to workshop from a vocal perspective. My classical piece from Sophocles' Electra is a powerful and emotional piece- unfortunately I have a tendency of holding vocally in heightened situations- releasing this completely changed my monologue in a wonderful way. We also had a short discussion on the idea that nothing in an actor is compartmentalized- it is impossible to allow disconnect and a lack of integration in our training- everything is related (voice, breath, physicality, emotion...). 

Speech- Speech is an essence of identity and is not something training will or should change about someone. We train our speech to be able to make a choice- we increase our range and sharpen our instrument to be able to meet the demands of the text when we are called upon to do so, but there is truly no right or wrong way to speak as an individual, there are only shades of effectiveness- did it work? Did my audience believe me? We also discussed the power of certain sounds found in the English language and the impact they have on the listener. 

Kinetics- This class focused on the elements of the theatre visual, including line, form, mass, color, texture and space. We did some exciting exercises exploring the manipulation of a shape (our bodies) to evoke different reactions in ourselves and our audiences. 

This week was special because in addition to our classes, we had prep (Friday), auditions (Saturday) and callbacks (Sunday) for Eurydice- one of the fall productions that needed to add a few castmembers. (Brooklyn College tries not to cast MFA Actors in their first semester so that we have an opportunity to acclimate- fall shows are usually cast in the spring and then filled in with new students.)

Relaxing on campus with classmates Andrea and Sarah after auditions. 

I also had the opportunity to see an absolutely stunning production of The Little Mermaid by the Glass Bandits Theatre Company in McCarren Park with my classmates Aaron, Patrick, Jeremy and Jeremy's wife Laura. The puppet work was flawless, the a capella vocals were haunting and the piece moved swiftly- every detail was simply and perfectly attended to. And it was free. Awesome!

Stay tuned for Week 3's recap!

In case you missed it, check out Week 1 here. 

Cheap Improv Classes!

CHEAP IMPROV!
Mind The Art Entertainment proudly offers some of the cheapest and most HIGH QUALITY improv training in the city! Sign up with a friend and you both get 20% off! Only $93 for 5 sessions, Tuesdays starting 10/11, including an open performance on the 6th week. -Are you somebody that has seen some improv and thought “Hey, I would like to try some of that there stuff right there.”? -Are you an acting type person who wants to expand their repertoire of things you’re good at and want to be able to bring to the table to make you more marketable and successful in this the hardest of professions? -Are you a non-actor who wants to beef-up your confidence level, learn how to relax and just have fun and play with other people? -Have you wanted to do improv but were scared away by the high sticker price of some of the improv training in the city? -Are you scared of improv? Then perhaps these classes are for you.  LEVEL 1: For the beginner and those with no formal training. Learn the basics of how to free yourself up and think like an improviser.  Runs: 5 weeks, culminating in a class show on the sixth week. Tuesday nights starting October 11th Time: 5:30pm-7:30pm on the aforementioned Tuesdays.  Class show to be at 7pm on November 15th LEVEL 2: For the improviser who wants to rise to the next level. Improve your level of play, listening and understanding. Focus on long-form improv and creating real, believable characters in hilarious circumstances. Runs: 5 weeks, culminating in a class show on the sixth week. Tuesday nights starting October 11th Time: 8:00pm-10:00pm on the aforementioned Tuesdays.  Class show to be at 9pm on November 15th Register at www.mindtheartentertainment.com YOUR TEACHER IS JOE KURTZ: Joe is a founding board member of Mind The Art Entertainment and is the director of their Acting Division. He studied improv at iO (formerly Improv Olympic) in Chicago, IL and is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Some of Joe’s teachers include T.J. Jagodowski (T.J. and Dave), Peter Gwinn (writer for The Colbert Report and author of Group Improvisation) and Charna Halpern (author of Truth in Comedy and Art by Committee). Joe has been teaching improv for the past couple of years while appearing in numerous productions through the city. His play, Die, premiered last year at LaMaMa E.T.C. Testimonials from previous students: "Joe is such a pleasure to have as an improv coach. He really lets us explore at our own pace, but at the same time, really helps us get away from our usual habits, to explore it in a different way. He makes it such a fun space to work in, and I’m so glad to have him once a week to help me not think and just go crazy and let go. It really helps me with my everyday auditions as well!" – Ashley C. Williams (star of the “The Human Centipede”) "Joe is a wonderfully creative flexible and patient instructor. He makes his classroom a completely safe space to explore your craft and get back to the basics of acting. His improv workshops are a rare jewel and asset for anyone interested in building theatrical flexibility and confidence."- Ariana Paganetti (Off-Broadway producer)

Auditions in the AM, Audience in the PM

Yesterday AM the MFA and BFA actors (along with a few BA students) auditioned for the remaining roles in one of Brooklyn College's fall productions. Usually, BC casts the fall shows in the spring and tries to avoid casting first semester MFA students (so as not to overload us), but there are a few openings in Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice, so we all went in to show our work and introduce ourself both to the faculty and student directors. 

Auditions went well! Afterwards, I spent some time relaxing on campus with my fellow female 1st year cohorts- Andrea and Sarah! 

 

Last night, I schlepped across Brooklyn (quite the arduous task, as my regular train wasn't running- I DEFINITELY got my workout in for the day) to see the Glass Bandits Theatre Company's production of The Little Mermaid (Hans Christian Andersen style, NOT Michael Eisner style). They set up a bare-bones stage in the middle of the park- I brought a blanket and arrived early for a front-row seat!

I was joined by my MFA Acting classmate Jeremy and his beautiful wife, Laura!

And two other classmates- Aaron and Patrick (as seen in my latest beach excursion). 

From L to R- myself, Aaron, Patrick and Jeremy- evidently we can't get enough of each other, as we spend all day, every day, together in class and STILL socialize on the weekends... :)

The Little Mermaid was absolutely breathtaking. A solid ensemble cast provided gorgeous and haunting a capella vocals, mesmerizing puppet work and a heartfelt and honest portrayal of a story that is often watered down to make it less tragic. The choreography was perfection. The lighting (something you wouldn't think you'd notice in a park) was perfection. The direction was... perfection. I adored EVERY detail of this well thought out production, as did all of my cohorts. Bravo! 

And now... I'm off to callbacks from yesterday's auditions for Brooklyn College's production of Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice. They're seeing myself and a few other females to fill in some small parts that weren't cast last fall, but a few of my classmates are up for the male lead! Send good vibes! :)

MFA Acting- Week One Recap

It's here! It's happening! Wait- WHAT? We already finished our first week? Wow. That was fast.

The Brooklyn College MFA Acting Class of 2013- from L to R- Patrick, Jeremy, Jonny, Aaron, myself, Andrea and Sarah. 

As I've said many, many times before, I'm so thrilled, honored and humbled to be here. My classmates are talented, dedicated and very unique. My professors are passionate about their work and committed to our development as performers. The program focuses on our individual development and growth as unique artists with unique voices. 

Week two begins tomorrow! Insane! Here's an incredibly un-detailed and oversimplified recap of week one- hopefully I'll have time to share more specifics in the coming weeks!

Voice

We've begun to study the voice from both an anatomical and a holistic viewpoint. We're starting to learn what components in the body are used to create vocal sounds, what the role of the voice is in an actor's craft and the incredible importance of the breath in vocal production. 

-Actors need discipline to be free. 

-We are our instruments. 

-Our voices are our most intimate expressions of ourselves.

Diction and Dialect

In this course we've begun breaking down what speech is- the use of specific sounds, pitch, inflection and emphasis which we use to communicate. We've begun to develop a warmup which engages all the physical components of speech including our tongues, lips, jaws, soft palates, faces, etc. 

-There is no one proper way to speak, except clearly and effectively. 

Movement/Alexander Technique

Our first class focused a lot on becoming aware of and being present with our bodies while moving. We had the opportunity to move organically while telling a story and then were asked to follow someone else's movements while telling the same story- it was interesting to experience and study a foreign movement pattern while telling a familiar story. 

-Can you observe yourself without judgement?

Acting

Much of our discussion centered around the idea of of being curious and aware but existing comfortably without answers- it's ok to not always know why or how something is in this exact moment, so long as we're aware. We also spoke about the intimate and vulnerable sides of acting, and how important these things are to creativity. Lastly, we focused our attention on a performer's energy and how vital it is to the work we do. 

-The only way you can create is to be open to the energy of other actors. 

-Let yourself be without answers.

Kinetics/ Analysis

Our first class was focused on the idea of the theatre as a living art- the audience is present for both the inspiration and the creation as they exist in live time. 

-The theatre is a place for seeing, an auditorium is a place for hearing, and acting is the doing of a deed (which is where kinetics come into play). 

Improv

 Updates/ Thoughts yet to come- the hurricane and Labor Day have cancelled two Mondays in a row, so we've not yet had an improv class.

MFA Acting Orientation

I'm bracing myself for a weekend of reading, writing and running from Hurricane Irene, but before we're evacuated (true story- I live in the coastal evacuation zone- in a basement), I wanted to share some thoughts from yesterday's orientation at Brooklyn College!

First on the schedule was a meeting with the head of our department. We talked a bit about what to expect on this journey, got our schedules and went over our first assignments. My program is very small- there are seven first year MFA actors (including myself) and 7 second years. The second years came for an informal Q & A and we got to know each other a bit, which was wonderful. They were so kind and welcoming and helped relieve a lot of our anxiety about starting school. I feel very blessed to be a part of such a supportive group!

Next we attended a department-wide orientation (where we got to meet the MFA Directors, Designers, Dramaturgs and Theatre Managment students). It was inspiring and a bit humbling to meet everyone and hear a bit about their story. Our department seems to have students representing every continent, many states, all ages and backgrounds- each of us brought together by our love of and dedication to the theatre. It's a powerful thing to sit amongst so many others and hear what they've been through to get to this point. Additionally, we learned that Brooklyn College's Theatre program has been ranked 14th in the country by the Princeton Review. 

I went out with some of my classmates and fellow theatre department friends last night- it was wonderful to get to know everyone better! 

I'm currently finishing up/ tweaking a few assignments for next week, including a writing piece about the story of my voice and some general assessments of where I am right now as an actor. As soon as I'm happy with them, I'll be sharing pieces of the assignments on this blog. Check back soon!

'Twas the Night Before Orientation...

Tomorrow is Orientation, and then on Friday, I begin my first day of MFA Acting studies at Brooklyn College.

Deep breaths. 

I'm thrilled to get started, but a bit nervous about the unknown.