Acting

Everyday when we turn on the television it is full of shows, movies and sports. They are full of a variety of actors and athletes. Do you ever wonder why they get paid so much? If so you are probably like me and want to know why. Some of the reasons they are paid so are because they are the best at what they do, actors and athletes are in the public eye at all times, become spokespeople for brands, and risk their career playing or performing in sports. When you watch a movie in the movie…

Nora Helmer is a very complicated character despite the fact that at the beginning of this play it seems like quite the opposite. At the beginning of act one, Nora is whimsical and gleeful and very much like a child. She is very much living in a fantasy world or a doll’s house as the title of the play suggests. Nora has been taught since birth to be similar to a doll. Her father treated her as such in the past and so does her husband at the time the play takes place. However, once her illusion…

“Actors are agents of change. A film, a piece of theater, a piece of music, or a book can make a difference. It can change the world.” Quoted by Alan Rickman, Rickman reminds us how impactful this multimodal art form can be to the eye of the beholder. Emotion is a virtue when experiencing professional production, as actors can give and take this crucial sense, it seems to grow as they continue their role. Emotion is played by the actor but left for understanding by the audience. As stage right…

The Sparrow On Friday, November 18, 2016, my wife and I saw the 7:30 showing of The Sparrow, a play written by Chris Matthews, Jake Minton, and Nathan Allen. The play is about a high school girl (Emily) returning to her former school after a tragic accident in the second grade, in which she was the only survivor, forced her to move and attend a different school. Eventually it is revealed that Emily has super powers when she saves the popular cheerleader (Jenny) from falling from the school’s…

On December 7th, at 7:30pm, I attended It’s A Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play. Illinois State University’s adaptation of this classic film took place in the Center for the Performing Arts. The actors took the stage as members of a 1940s radio show, playing a multitude of characters depicted in the original film. Although vastly different from the cinema version, this adaptation was very successful due to the congruous 1940s costumes, the use of varied voices to portray numerous characters, and…

In November of 2016, I saw the play All in the Timing put on by the Wachusett Theatre Company.The play is comprised of a series of short skits, none having to do with next one. Some skits having to do with different time streams, washing machines, or monkeys, the play was very entertaining. The problem with plays that don’t have a cohesive plot is the transition from one skit to the next. But with the organization of the skits and well timed blackouts the transitions were seamless. One thing I…

Junot Diaz said that dismissing any opportunity for a person to be culturally represented turns them into a “monster” (goodreads.com). So, how does that apply to the media, specifically, Hollywood film? Recently there has been a growing outcry over the lack of complex minority experiences in award-winning films. As a result, more Black actors and actresses have been nominated in their respective categories. However, the same cannot be said for South Asians and Hispanics, who struggle to find…

While there were many great movies to choose from based off of the trailers presented, the movie that I would want to see the most would be John Wick 2. John Wick 2 caught my attention the most simply because I have already seen the first John Wick, the action in the movie is amazing, and Keanu Reeves is one of my favorite actors. The first John Wick was indeed a great action movie, so you would think the second movie would be worthy of wanting to see as well. The actors in the first movie…

The cast of Chicago Med is finally starting to get figured out and they have added an amazing new cast member. TV Line shared the news tonight that Julie Berman has joined the cast. Fans know her from the hit daytime show General Hospital. Julie played the part of Lulu Spencer up until 2013 when she left the show to do other things. Emme Rylan replaced her on the show as Lulu and is still playing the part today. Fans were very upset to see her go, but a lot of them will follow Julie to her new…

The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit The reading for the approach to the rehearsal process continues. The text discussed the importance of the director and their assistance and guidance during the rehearsal process by establishing the aesthetic. After the discussion on the “Method of Physical actions” we moved to a new discussion concerning “Active analysis.” I personally feel that a lot of the material covered from the reading was previously discussed. The text however notes a few differences in…