my reaction to “a raisin in the sun” act 1
i enjoyed how easy it was to picture the setting. I was able to imagine how there living conditions were like because she gave great details. Although there living conditions weren’t the best. They lived in a two bedroom apartment but they had such a big family. and they had to share their bathroom with there neighbors. so yeah i can see why they were so eager to have some money coming there way.
Ashley Rodriguez March 16. 2018
World Theatre Assignment
Questions: 1. who had the idea to wear costumes when telling there stories/plays?
2. if Bollywood is soon becoming or is the best here does Hollywood stand?
3. why is it hard to preserve traditional stories?
Two Body Gestures:
body gestures #1: My head pulled into the story as if i was intrigued. My head did a slight twist, My body pulled forward seeking something more. My posture was positioned in front of my laptop as i read more of the reading.
body gesture #2: my head did a slight lean towards my right, and as it was falling i picked up my right arm and raise my hand making a wave motion laying my elbow on my lap as i sat criss-cross apple sauce. i picked up my hand and laid it on my right cheek. creating a comfortable feeling.
Two sounds:
Sound #1: an inhale that fills up my lungs until it wont let in anymore air. but as i am filled up with enough air i pause causing to let out a yawn. allowing some of the air that i trapped in to spill out of my mouth. and once i am finished yawning i exhale a big flush sigh filled with a ton of air. sounding like a ballon that hasnt been tied up yet. “hugggggghhhhhhh”
Sound #2: letting in air from the tiny spaces of my teeth causing a pressure that a promotes a high pitch tone oozing from the tiny spaces in between my teeth. mimicking a tone that sounds like if you were to put your finger on top of a hoes with it water set on high
What’s an OER, you ask? Resources that are freely available, at no cost, with no copyright problems. In other words: enjoy to your heart’s content!
“Working in Theatre: Before the Show” — playlist with all kinds of interviews and such, by the American Theatre Wing — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3SpQoJozkQ&list=PL31C5F6C2FE17EB61
Very very brief reference to non-western theatre origins, types, and reasons — https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/9707-introduction-to-theatre/1/view
Theatrical Worlds, OER textbook w/ acting, directing, set design, costumes, lights — http://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/BookDetail.aspx?bookId=242
Free amazon kindle book on musical theatre auditions — https://www.amazon.com/Things-About-Musical-Theatre-Auditions-ebook/dp/B00HXY5LX2/ref=sr_1_18?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1390438684&sr=1-18&keywords=free+books
Beginning Costume Design and Instruction course — https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/music-and-theater-arts/21m-732-beginning-costume-design-and-construction-fall-2008/
Design for Theatre: Scenery — https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/music-and-theater-arts/21m-734-design-for-the-theater-scenery-spring-2005/
Lighting Design for the Theatre — https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/music-and-theater-arts/21m-734-lighting-design-for-the-theatre-fall-2003/
Technical Design: Scenery, Mechanisms, and Special Effects — https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/music-and-theater-arts/21m-735-technical-design-scenery-mechanisms-and-special-effects-spring-2004/
Classic Plot Structure — http://cf.linnbenton.edu/artcom/performing_arts/stoned/upload/Classical%20Plot%20Structure.pdf
This syllabus draft is your guide — your roadmap — to how our class will go this term. If you have questions about class logistics, this is the first document you should check. However, because I want you to contribute heavily to how our class operates and how we work together, this syllabus is also a draft, a living document: it will change throughout the term according to your needs and wants and suggestions.
You all have access to commenting directly on this document through google docs at the link below and I encourage you to do so throughout the term when you have suggestions, questions, edits, or insights.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17aUEJIcbOsQ0TmQvWBQHsU1hclmpO_3ezYgLh23DOls/edit?usp=sharing
If and when substantial you (or I) make substantial changes to this document, I’ll let you know in class and the updates will be posted on this page.
HUT 101: The Art of Theatre
Fridays, 1:00-4:25pm, C426
Professor Jay Polish
https://tinyurl.com/monologueasmt
Assignment # 1 — Monologue
For this first assignment, you will write a monologue of your own. We will engage in pre-writing exercises in class to help get you started with your topic. Through this monologue, you will both flex your own creative muscles and develop a deep understanding of monologue structure, history, tone, and delivery. You will be encouraged to perform this monologue during our class midterm celebration on Friday, April 20th.
Due Dates:
Friday, April 13th — Please post to the blog and bring a hard copy of your monologue rough draft (you will be peer reviewing them with your classmates). Include not only your monologue draft — which should take you about three minutes to perform (roughly 400 words) — but also please answer each of the following: What three things do you want to ask your peers about your work? What three things are your favorite about your monologue? What three things are you unsure of? What body gestures, facial expressions, vocal tones, and rhythms do you plan to use to perform your monologue? When? Why?
Friday, April 20th — Please post to the blog and bring a hard copy of your monologue to class, and be prepared to share it with your classmates. This sharing is not necessary for your grade (you are allowed to show red on your Personal Traffic Light!), but we are all going to be taking risks together, so perhaps you will feel inspired to perform it; if so, you should come prepared to do so. Try to have it as memorized as you can: memorization really helps the rhythm flow out better. In addition to your monologue, please write a brief reflective artists’ statement that addresses each of the following questions: What did you learn writing this monologue? What you didn’t learn? How you can use what you learned in the future? Did writing a monologue (as opposed to an essay) help you understand the place of monologues in theatre? If yes, how? If no, why not? How you think you could have pushed your writing and performance even further? What rhetorical choices did you make in your monologue — both with your words and with your body — and how did these choices advance the depth of your work? How did the process of peer review push your analysis forward? If it didn’t, why not? How can you and your partners conduct your peer reviews differently next time? What fresh rhetorical insights might you bring from this assignment into future assignments?
The video i chose to reflect on was “Working in the Theatre: Choreography”
Ashley Rodriguez
I clicked on this video expecting to see something that wouldn’t catch my attention. But i can honestly say i was wrong i found this video so entertaining. This video shined a light on the choreography side of theater. As the choreographer Camille A. Brown expressed her feelings on how in theater when dancing its very important not to find yourself worrying if your hitting every movement trying to “dance”. Although its important to make sure your on beat. The choreographer speaks on what truly is important in putting together a great show which is making sure to allow yourself to “FEEL” every single movement. So i appreciated this video because i learned something new.
This video was about two makeup artist in Broadway shows. The first one followed someone named Brian Strumwasser who worked with “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”. Brian focuses on the details it takes to change an actor into 17 different looks. The second part of the video followed Thelma Pollard who worked for “The Phantom of the Opera”. Thelma focused on the cast skin and the understanding of skin. It states under the video that the “cast replacement can continue to keep the life of a makeup artist on her feet eight time a week for over 28 years.” This is what keeps them working in this part of theater, the makeup and power behind it. All in all, there are many factors that make a character come to life.
When you post your assignments to the blog, this is where you will do it!
How, you might ask?
When you log into the course blog, you will see a plus sign (+) at the top of the page with the word “New” next to it. Click that to make a new post.
Then, it should lead you to a screen like the image below:
^^ Screenshot of the posting page on a logged-in WordPress account, highlighting the bottom right corner where you can select what category to put your post in.
The image is unfortunately blurry, but the red arrow and circle are hopefully helpful: when you’re adding a new post, in the bottom right side of the page, there should be a selection menu called “Categories.” Check the box that says “Assignments”, and your post will appear in the right place!
Please feel free to let me know if you have questions about this process.
| Date | Reading Due before Class | Writing Due before Class (Hard copies and post to course blog please) |
| Friday, March 2 | Introduction — Syllabus — Contract Grading | |
| Friday, March 9 |
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| Friday, March 16 |
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| Friday, March 23 |
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Post to blog a one paragraph response to the beginning of PLAY. |
| Friday, March 30 | No classes (spring break) [make sure you’re reading and writing for April 13th!] | |
| Friday, April 6 | No classes (spring break) [make sure you’re reading and writing for April 13th!] | |
| Friday, April 13 | Finish reading A Raisin in the Sun | Monologue Draft Due |
| Friday, April 20 | Monologue and Monologue Reflection Due | |
| Friday, April 27 |
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Post to blog a one paragraph response to the beginning of Anon(ymous). |
| Friday, May 4 | Anon(ymous)
Class tour of the Little Theatre |
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| Thursday, May 10 | Last day to officially withdraw from a course | |
| Friday, May 11 | Finish reading Anon(ymous) | |
| Friday, May 18 | Playwriting project | Playwriting Draft Due |
| Friday, May 25 | Collaborative project work | Playwriting Project Due with Recorded Reflection |
| Friday, June 1 | Collaborative project work | |
| Friday, June 8 | Last Day of Class — collaborative project presentations | Collaborative Project Presentation |
It is very important to me that our class is as accessible as possible for everyone in it. This means that if I’m ever using language that is not easily understandable, or am speaking too quickly, or am generally coming up short in my responsibility to help you learn the best you can, I always encourage you to let me know in any way that you can (saying something during class, notes, emails, in-person, etc.).
Additionally, if any factors you cannot control — public transportation availability/safety, family safety in the midst of changing immigration policies, etc. — are interfering with your ability to benefit from this class experience, know that there are many resources available to you through LaGuardia.
Some of these resources are housed at the Wellness Center (discussed below and linked here: http://www.laguardia.edu/WellnessCenter/) and others — including legal counseling, financial assistance, health care enrollment, etc. — can be accessed through Single Stop (linked here: http://www.laguardia.edu/singlestop/).
What can you access through Single Stop?
SINGLE STOP:
Single Stop USA has partnered with LaGuardia Community College to connect students with federal and state financial resources, and local community services to overcome financial barriers, stay in school and graduate. Single Stop provides financial assistance with daily living expenses, e.g. pay for doctor’s visits, medications, food, rent, utilities, child care, transportation and more! All of our services are free for LaGuardia students and their immediate family members.
Do I qualify for benefits?
If you answer “yes” to any of the questions below, you may qualify for additional financial services and/or benefits:
http://www.laguardia.edu/singlestop/#
You can also access free and confidential immigration assistance is available through CUNY Citizenship Now, linked here: http://www1.cuny.edu/sites/citizenship-now/ and CUNY CLEAR, linked here: http://www.cunyclear.org
In addition, dis/abilities — ranging from anxiety to chronic pain — often go un-discussed in classroom settings, but my goal for this class is to foster a generative learning environment for each student: if I am not succeeding at this, please let me know so that I can make the necessary changes. As I will repeat throughout the syllabus, if you anticipate needing any kind of modification to the class as structured, please let me know as soon as possible.
This includes the ability to draft a separate grading contract with me if you know that any component of the contract is going to be overly burdensome or impossible for you to achieve due to life circumstances or any dis/ability you might experience. Additionally, if you have a documented learning, sensory, physical, or other reason for needing any kind of special accommodation in this class, contact the The Wellness Center in room C-249, email WellnessCenter@lagcc.cuny.edu, and phone 718-482-5471. Please feel free to reach out to me for additional assistance.
