Express and Reflect
The first time I ever auditioned for a play was when I was in sixth grade. The play was going to be Alice and Wonderland and I was nervous, eager, anxious, and excited to audition. I had no previous experience in acting, however I did have friends who actively participated in theatre and repeatedly expressed their love for theatre. So, I decided to give drama a try. When auditions started I was antsy in anticipation, waiting for my turn to audition. When it was finally my turn, I fully embraced the character I had to portray for auditions, the Red Queen. After I was finished, I was immediately asked about any prior acting experience. I simply replied, “none,” shocking the audition committee. Although I didn’t receive a role
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Those who participate in theatre are generally self-confident, as in theatre a person must be or become comfortable in front of a group of people in order to perform. Generally, a person usually lacks self-confidence when they are afraid of the mistakes they may make in front of other people. However, in theatre you are able to learn to become comfortable with yourself and the mistakes that you make, as you are able to recognize that everyone makes mistakes and that nobody is perfect. This is a result of directors encouraging their cast to experiment with their characters, which usually results in a lot of unsuccessful attempts at accents, expressions, and body movements. Taking risks in theatre and performing for an audience allows a person to trust their ideas and abilities. The confidence gained in drama applies to school, career, and life. Nevertheless, theatre allows for people to experience their slipups in an environment where blunders are accepted and encouraged. In a theatre environment a person learns to accept their mistakes and comes to terms with the fact that mistakes will forever be a part of their lives, resulting in life long
All my life I have always wanted to feel that I was a part of something. However, I was not about to get up on the stage and make a fool of myself on stage. Therefore I joined stage crew for our fall play ¨The Odd Couple" during my sophomore year. This was a huge step for me, since I had never really been involved in something after school. Now, I secretly love everything about theatre and it is one of my true passions, but you will never find me reciting lines. Being able to work behind the scenes in theatre is one of my major interests
I became interested in becoming a actor. My 8th grade year I joined the drama club with my friend Craig. We auditioned for a play called Isolation. The director stated he was only going to choose 11 good actors because the play is going to be used for the UIL competition. A week later the drama club director posted who all made cuts. I was in such disbelief when I found out that I made the cut to become one of the main characters in the play. I played a character name Tad in the play. The play was about four friends who broke into a school gym in became locked inside of it. While in the gym the one of the characters killed two of his friends and himself. It was an excellent play. I stayed after school daily to ensure I knew my lines out of the script. I would even go home and have my mom to go over the script with me. I felt well prepared about the play. Two days before we performed the play at UIL, we performed it for the school. I was nervous to see so many people in the audience but that didn't stop me from performing well. After the play there were many of my friends and teachers approaching me telling how good I
Firstly, theatre allows the actors to connect with the audience on a whole new level. With movies, only certain people appear on screen, even with others in a scene. Alternatively, theatre provides many other people and objects to look at during long dialogues. Because of how the sounds and actors surround an audience, allowing them to feel included in the scene, the passion emitted by the actor creates a powerful connection with the audience.
Acting is seen in your everyday life, whether it be on a tv, in a movie theatre, on a stage, or even in person! Acting goes as far back as 500 B.C. when it was used for the same thing it is today, entertainment. It still goes by the same basic rules, yet it has changed some. I’ve always loved the thought of being an actress on the big stage, so I thought this would be the perfect time to figure out if this is what I really want, or possibly make me want it even more.
Like a juggler of sentiment, an actor must be flexible on stage. He must be quick in reacting, but deliberate in emoting. He must have extraordinary imagination, and resolute justification. The actor’s profession is not an easy one, but is an art that crosses the aesthetic barrier and reaches an audience. He knows there is a difference between the truth of life and the truth of the theatre. The actor must communicate on the highest level. The actor must be a master of both words and ideas.
Another fact which provides the survival of the art form of theatre lies in the very nature of mankind: its inner voyeuristic drive. The desire to watch other people dealing with their conflicts and fates challenges as well as reinforces values and the morality of society. As human beings we are learning by examples from others and our own experiences. What better place therefore than the theatre to form for ourselves an idea of life and its consequences? An inviting and exciting opportunity to watch believable stories and situations as they could happen in real life, showing us a bit better the truth of our nature. Even children can be seen to be acting out stories and learn from the consequences of their actions: The hero survives and the baddy dies! Apart from being philosophical and educational it can be also very entertaining. And so is the theatre: If comedy is the form in which we see the weakness and faults of others and accept them, then tragedy is the form in which we see ourselves and hopefully try to change. In both forms, we learn in an entertaining way something of the road to survival - in comedy we learn compromise, and in tragedy we learn what happens when there is no space for compromise.
The phrase “actions speak louder than words” has never been more true in the short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”. This short story, by Gabriel Marquez, is one that points a magnifying glass toward human nature through strong characterization. Though Gabriel Marquez does not provide extremely detailed physical descriptions of his characters, other than the very old man, he does paint the characters through their actions and not their thought processes. In this story Gabriel Marquez uses the very old man as a catalyst for the development of Pelayo, Elisenda, their child, and Father Gonzaga’s characters mainly through their actions.
I listened for the Chorus Director to call my name on stage, I thought back to my first audition ever... It was 4th grade, we were performing Beauty and the Beast. I wanted the role of Babette, more than anything, and I was excited to try out. My audition was great... Or so I thought. I didn’t get the role of Babette, I got some forgettable two-line role. I went home that afternoon and cried my heart out while lying on the kitchen floor. Not knowing how to express my emotions any other way; I vowed never again to try out for anything…
Most do not give theatre a chance, but they do find that theatre takes even the most unwilling soul and transforms itself into a mirror of the human condition. I will never forget why I do this. Truly, I say, my goal is to wake up every morning loving what I do-the arts. I will never forget the seventh grade students I had to supervise and the complete, utter chaos in the room while I did so; until I suddenly said, “We’re going to play a game where everyone guesses each others’ talents!” The silence that fell upon the room confirmed the need for the soul to be seen, to be heard, to be acknowledged, and theatre acknowledges everyone, whether you’re wrong, right, evil, or good-it captures the entire human persona. Those students were fully invested in learning each other, and this touched us all. When an actor is able to touch someone, he or she has not used witchcraft or magicians’ folly but the magic of theatre which requires the soul. When someone can identify with a character, they can connect with a person who is that character, wants to be that character, or has been that
Before theater class, I had some experience in performance, both before large audiences nationally and internationally. However, my experience was quite different from theater in that my performances with the Young Voice of Colorado was predominantly singing, with an occasional silent acting role, with the added distinction of being a
The survival of theatre lies in the very nature of humankind: its inner voyeuristic drive. The desire to watch other people dealing with their conflicts and fates challenges as well as reinforces values and the morality of society. The theatre provides an exciting opportunity to watch stories and situations as if they were real life, showing us the truth of our nature.
Mel Brooks said, “Hope for the best. Expect the worst. The world’s a stage. We’re Unrehearsed.” Brooks was not wrong in pointing out that the world is a stage. Brooks did not say that the world is a film, or a painting, or a comic book strip. The world is a stage, and theatre – barring ozone depletion – is our best representation of the human race on this earth. The theatre – and subsequently acting – has existed and functioned as a societal common place dating as far back as to nearly the start of recorded history. The theatre is said to be the most realistic art form, serving as the closest thing to an accurate depiction of human life. The visceral stage is only feet away from the viewer and the art is happening in real-time, by living humans, in the flesh. Of course, the most effective and realistic aspect of the theatre is acting. Acting is an art, skill, and profession that has continuously progressed and evolved since the evolution of the theatre. It could be said that this progression took on an almost linear path of augmented development, or at least up until the advent of the twentieth century. This linear progression has exponentially developed, profoundly expanding over the last hundred years. Most of the “recent” growth in the acting field can be attributed to Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio. At the helm of the Actors Studio, Strasberg revolutionized depth in acting and has had a lasting affect, forever changing actors’ training and their quality of work.
Fast forward to 7th grade and I’m 12 years old, in my first acting class ever. I’m timid, confused, and incredibly self-conscious, so I prefer to keep to myself, therefore, I don’t like talking in front of people in fear that they’ll judge me. Then my teacher says we’ll be auditioning for parts in our Christmas play. My heart skips a beat and I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. This isn’t like dancing, where you let the dance moves speak for you, this is a whole different ball game. We’re handed the script and I
Personal statement Being able to connect with an audience through a performance has been something that has fascinated me from an early age. It interests me to see how an actor can make the audience amused and involved them in what they are watching, I have always wanted and inspired to be part of this. Drama has played a big part in my life and has also had a great influence on building my confidence, being able to act has helped me evolve as a person who is able to understand others in more depth. Through acting I have been able to express myself in many varied ways by playing various characters. The feeling of being part of something that is bursting with enthusiasm and energy gives me a profound level of achievement and I would love to be given the chance to be able to gain more knowledge and experience of the subject and advance in my own personal skills.
“Acting is not about being someone different. It’s finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.” ― Meryl Streep. I love exploring and gaining knowledge about the beautiful craft of acting. During my journey of being an actor, I notice there are two types of actors: stage and film. Stage and film actors are different in their times of rehearsal, their relationship with an audience, and their emotional challenges.