Week 3

The third week, or what I'm going to call Marathon Week, finally came to a close! This week we finished our classes with Yo-el and Paul and had a few incredible master classes. Why Marathon Week? This all happened in four days. Are we all like Meb Keflezighi now?

I'll start at the beginning of the week. We had a master class with Kerry O'Malley, or Olivia in Twelfth night. She had us do an exercise where we all said our names, hometowns, lineage, and "I am the center of the universe." Harder than it sounds. It was presence work at it's finest. She told us that every character believes they are the center of the universe when they are onstage. Just like everyone is the protagonist of their own story, with or without an ego.

It's not just about being present when you're speaking, but also when you're being watched. I studied Viewpoints with Mary Overlie at Tisch, and she had us sit in chairs without even saying a word. How to let other people watch and let other people listen. That's what Kyle W. Porter was talking about in his interview.

We also had a masterclass on auditioning with Marianna Bassham, or Viola in Twelfth Night. We all got to present monologues while other Apprentices watched. It's always helpful watching others in the audition setting. I sometimes forget what actors even look like when you're sitting behind the table.

For me, I loved our improv masterclass with Larry Coen. I love how we started by going back to the basics of improv, aka theater games. It's really the perfect place to start. I've taken improv classes in NYC and performed at the PIT, and Larry's approach was so appropriate. For me, improv is less about saying the right thing, but more about having the courage to get up there anyways. I definitely failed for most of the masterclass, but without practice, there's no way I'd ever become comfortable doing it.

We also started Yoga for the Actor this week. Get ready for some flexible and centered Apprentices.

And how can I forget, Eugene O'Neill with Beth Wynstra. Long Days Journey Into Night was one of the first plays I had to analyze in high school and I remember the experience so vividly. The autobiographical nature of the play shocked me. Not only did we learn about Eugene O'Neill's troubled past, we also got to step inside scenes from Abortion, The Web, and Ile. We also had fun with memes. (Thanks http://eugmemeoneill.tumblr.com/)

We finished the week off with auditions for the Apprentice production of Much Ado About Nothing. We're about to head into a new part of the program, which I think we're all excited and ready for.

Experience of the week? In Paul's voice class, I got to share my voice pictures. I learned that honesty is crucial not only for the actor, but also for the listener. If you can't listen to others honestly, how can you ever honestly listen to yourself.

On a separate note, can you believe the end of this week marks the halfway point?

CC