Check out a short screenplay called "Klondike" it's awesome. Click on over to the monologue and script section
End of Line
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Terrence the Turtle Travels Through Time and Tunnels
Tonight there turned two turnips that told the tools therein to turn Turkey's troops to twist things tensely tomorrow. Luckily locusts let lumberjacks locate Liverpool's lead leading lasting lashings limiting lamentations.
Albee the Racist Dragon
Long time no post, and I have something to say.
Let me start by saying that Karli Cadel might be the best student director I've worked with here at SDSU so far, and I am so pumped I get to work with her again for the Juries. If you don't know what the Juries is...too bad. Basically Karli is directing a 12 minute scene for a bunch of big-wig theatre professionals.
Play, Playwright?
Zoo Story, Edward Albee.
I have not read any Albee plays before, but after reading Zoo story it is now one of my favorites. If you haven't read the play DO IT BEFORE YOU FINISH READING THIS POST. or read my post then read the play then come back and read my post again because I will not attempt to explain the play in any depth. The play isn't very long either, only like 40 pages.
On with the good stuff:
The character Jerry, whom (who?) I will be playing, is one of the most interesting and complex characters I've come across. Basically, Jerry strikes up a conversation with the only other character in the play, Peter, and over the course of their interaction Jerry purposefully riles Peter up to the point where (spoiler alert) Peter stabs Jerry and kills him. The crazy confusing thing about this is Jerry willing dies, and is happy too.
Character analysis for the win
You HAVE to read the play and see for yourself how weird Jerry's life has been. What drives him to go to the zoo? why does he have a four page monologue about a dog? What sane man would make Peter fight him over a bench and kill him? I have my reasons. Read it and come up with your own.
The point?
The POINT my dear Watson, is that there few things I enjoy more than learning how different people think, reason and behave. I believe the most important prerequisite to being a good actor is the ability to truly understand people. If you can understand the reasons behind a persons actions you will be able to mimic their emotions. Doing the character analysis for Jerry reminded me how much I love the complexities of why people are who they are.
End of Line
Let me start by saying that Karli Cadel might be the best student director I've worked with here at SDSU so far, and I am so pumped I get to work with her again for the Juries. If you don't know what the Juries is...too bad. Basically Karli is directing a 12 minute scene for a bunch of big-wig theatre professionals.
Play, Playwright?
Zoo Story, Edward Albee.
I have not read any Albee plays before, but after reading Zoo story it is now one of my favorites. If you haven't read the play DO IT BEFORE YOU FINISH READING THIS POST. or read my post then read the play then come back and read my post again because I will not attempt to explain the play in any depth. The play isn't very long either, only like 40 pages.
On with the good stuff:
The character Jerry, whom (who?) I will be playing, is one of the most interesting and complex characters I've come across. Basically, Jerry strikes up a conversation with the only other character in the play, Peter, and over the course of their interaction Jerry purposefully riles Peter up to the point where (spoiler alert) Peter stabs Jerry and kills him. The crazy confusing thing about this is Jerry willing dies, and is happy too.
Character analysis for the win
You HAVE to read the play and see for yourself how weird Jerry's life has been. What drives him to go to the zoo? why does he have a four page monologue about a dog? What sane man would make Peter fight him over a bench and kill him? I have my reasons. Read it and come up with your own.
The point?
The POINT my dear Watson, is that there few things I enjoy more than learning how different people think, reason and behave. I believe the most important prerequisite to being a good actor is the ability to truly understand people. If you can understand the reasons behind a persons actions you will be able to mimic their emotions. Doing the character analysis for Jerry reminded me how much I love the complexities of why people are who they are.
End of Line
Sunday, February 14, 2010
I love theatre
People will tell you that as an actor there is this place you sometimes go to that is kind of like a euphoric state of being. Some of my professors have described it as an out of body experience. I have heard people say that they go on stage and forget they were performing because they were so "into" it. I think these are different descriptions for the same thing: the best acting experience you can have.
I had that the other day while performing Dear Harvey in Utah. I have never felt so emotionally connected to a show or character before in my life, and DH is so important to me for so many different reasons. But there was a specific incident that made the message of Harvey Milk really hit home. This incident combined with newly discovered trains of thought equipped me to come this place I have never experience before.
I believe that the actors greatest tool is experience. Without experience, how can we recreate the actions and emotions of a character whose life we are portraying? I'm not saying I'm a method actor, but some form of experience is needed.
During the whole show on friday I had this energy that was completely new and unique. I was really excited about the new space we were working in, the audience had maybe the most positive energy of any audience I've performed for, and everything I wrote about earlier made this show special. I felt so connected to my character that by the time I reached my last monologue I couldn't help but burst into tears. My last monologue is about both sorrow and hope, and all my experiences concerning the show culminated into a raw and genuine feeling that I wish I could recreate every show.
I don't know if I made any sense explaining that, but everyone else felt the change in me too. Multiple people came up to me and said that was the best time I've done that last monologue and one person specifically commented how something was different about me that show. Like I embodied Stuart Milk. That was the greatest compliment I've ever received.
Anyway that is all for now. I had to at least try to describe my experience with words. Also Peter Cirino forced me to make this blog.
I had that the other day while performing Dear Harvey in Utah. I have never felt so emotionally connected to a show or character before in my life, and DH is so important to me for so many different reasons. But there was a specific incident that made the message of Harvey Milk really hit home. This incident combined with newly discovered trains of thought equipped me to come this place I have never experience before.
I believe that the actors greatest tool is experience. Without experience, how can we recreate the actions and emotions of a character whose life we are portraying? I'm not saying I'm a method actor, but some form of experience is needed.
During the whole show on friday I had this energy that was completely new and unique. I was really excited about the new space we were working in, the audience had maybe the most positive energy of any audience I've performed for, and everything I wrote about earlier made this show special. I felt so connected to my character that by the time I reached my last monologue I couldn't help but burst into tears. My last monologue is about both sorrow and hope, and all my experiences concerning the show culminated into a raw and genuine feeling that I wish I could recreate every show.
I don't know if I made any sense explaining that, but everyone else felt the change in me too. Multiple people came up to me and said that was the best time I've done that last monologue and one person specifically commented how something was different about me that show. Like I embodied Stuart Milk. That was the greatest compliment I've ever received.
Anyway that is all for now. I had to at least try to describe my experience with words. Also Peter Cirino forced me to make this blog.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
February 2nd: A Day to Remember
Update on the artistic life of Jon Wat. We started blocking Tom, Huck and Jim. I am currently memorizing my lines. I'm in a pretty good place in terms of character development I think. I'm still reading Huck Finn to get a grasp on the personality of Huck, but I am still working on ideas for his physicality.
hopefully it works out.
also revisiting Dear Harvey. GOING TO UTAH NEXT WEDNESDAY!
on an unrelated note. Zombieland came out on dvd today. I got it. I love it. You should love it too.
hopefully it works out.
also revisiting Dear Harvey. GOING TO UTAH NEXT WEDNESDAY!
on an unrelated note. Zombieland came out on dvd today. I got it. I love it. You should love it too.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Huck Finn
That's right blog readers. I got cast as Huck Finn in the Mark Twain tribute play "Tom, Huck and Jim". Bradley Sattler is playing Tom and Deandre Clay is playing Jim (all acting 2 students). So basically Peter's Acting 2 class kicked ass and took all the title characters.
I'm super excited, just finished reading the script and can not wait for rehearsals to start.
I'll be blogging about my process.
yay
I'm super excited, just finished reading the script and can not wait for rehearsals to start.
I'll be blogging about my process.
yay
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Axiom and Neurosis
What is Axiom and Neurosis? if you're a smart cookie you would guess it's the title of something because of the capital letters.
Axiom: a statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true
Neurosis: a relatively mild mental illness that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms of stress (depression, anxiety, obsessive behavior, hypochondria) but not a radical loss of touch with reality. Compare with psychosis .
apt names for a superhero and a not-so-super-villain. I found a clip of a Neurosis monologue. It took forever and a day to upload so you better enjoy
Axiom: a statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true
Neurosis: a relatively mild mental illness that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms of stress (depression, anxiety, obsessive behavior, hypochondria) but not a radical loss of touch with reality. Compare with psychosis .
apt names for a superhero and a not-so-super-villain. I found a clip of a Neurosis monologue. It took forever and a day to upload so you better enjoy
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