Performing "working" at I-Poly

So far, this month has been a busy one for me. I have been so busy of model assembly and final performances at my Mentorship, but nothing can compare to my independent component 1. As soon as thanksgiving break was over, the drama team went straight to work. it was the week of the performance and and everyone, including me, have to stay long hours on Monday and Tuesday to do the last dress rehearsals before the performance on Wednesday. During the last rehearsals, My drama teacher, Mr. Hogan, went through every scene of act 1 and 2 to make sure everyone had there lines down and all of the big choreography went well. During that time, many of the actors make some mistakes and we have to work on one particularly scene to get it right. As for me, Hogan told me that I just needed slow down my monologue since I speech so fast when it comes to presenting to someone and work a little bit more my movements of building blocks. Luckily I was getting a little bit help from my speech teacher name Diana Jimenez to help me to work on my speaking skill during my lunch time on couple of Thursdays for the last few months, which help me a lot.

Anyway, After long hours of dress rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday. The day of the performance finally came. Almost everyone one was nervous of how the play would go and Hogan told everyone that we work so hard on this and wish us luck. As soon as the play begin, I felt so much energy within me that I could do anything on stage. During the performance, every scene went very well, including the choreography scenes. When they got to my monologue scene, I felt little bit nervous at first but when I began, every line I said came out naturally for me since I was practicing my monologue a lot for the last few months. After the performance. Everyone was glad that the show went very well and everyone in the audience love it.  We then perform it again on Thursday and Saturday and it went better than I thought. Many people of the audience were giving complements to the drama team  for putting an outstanding performance. There were even some, including Mrs Ortega, who were complementing and congratulating me on my performance, which made me really happy. Even though the play is over, the drama team will be performing it again in March at the Fullerton Festival , which I can not wait for. This will give me and the others in the drama team the time to make performance even better.

Everyone is busy to get everything done before the next day of the performance. As you can see, you can see Shoemaker working really hard to get the truck prop done and it was a lot of work for him. Luckily he had help.

On the last day of the dress rehearsal, Hogan was giving some points to everyone to see if any of us needs to improve something in our scene and giving us notes of what to expect tomorrow for the performance.

Everyone on the stage was doing pretty well and the way we were singing was awesome, I couldn't believe that we can sing really good on the performance seen we kind of sing horrible during rehearsals. But everything went well.

This is the scene where I do my monologue as a stone mason.while pretending to build a wall out of brinks. The way of the position I was in, it kind  look like I was doing a hamlet scene of to be or not to be, which is kind of funny because I did a monologue of it last year. 

This was technically the ending scene of the show. This was the the difficult one for us for this scene, since we only practice it only a few weeks before the play, but before you know, it turn out very well at the end.

Another Picture of me doing my monologue.

This was the scene of end of act one where everyone comes in together to sing the song called 'If I could've been"

This was the pamphlet of our play that was given to everyone who came to the play.

Final Performances of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever."

During the weekends of December, My Mentor, Paul Larson, and the whole group of the play had been busy of working and performing the play that they had been working on in the last two months. They made sure that everything went smoothly during the play and everyone new exactly what they were doing. As for me, I pretty much stay back stage to see if they need any help, but most of the crew got everything under control. Not only that, I was able to observe the actors getting ready before going on stage and what they need to do. Some of the actors, including My mentor's assistant directors, Dona Rice And Lisa Lanier, gave me some helpful acting tips that I can use to do better in my acting skills and help me to answers my EQ later on. Finally on 12/21, which was the last performance of the play, my mentor decide to let me be up in the light booth to see a better view of the play. During the performance, I get to see how well the actors were doing on stage and by the looks of it, they have really improve a lot ever since the rehearsals. I did notice that some of the actors forgot to say a few lines that I remember during the rehearsals and one of the actors sound sick, since that actor was sick, but they kept going on through the play and didn't stop which really amazes me of how actors would continue on and act like nothing happen and the audience will never know, which is all part of being an actor.  What really hit me was at the end of the scene where they talk about what Christmas is really all about and it hit me right in the heart and I kind of feel a little emotion of how well the actors were describing of what Christmas is all about. After that, everyone congratulate one another and my Mentor gave a speech to everyone of how well they have done since the last two and a hal months  and wish  us a merry Christmas. Even though the play is over, I am going to continue on helping the chino community theater to get more better understanding of acting and learn more from my mentor who is willing to help me to continue in the theater.

Just to let you know, I was unable to take picture of the performance of the play, but luckily my Mentor was happy enough to send me some pictures of the performances of the play that were taken by professional photographers that he hired, so yeah that was pretty awesome of him for doing this for me.

Usually before they perform, it is tradition for the whole team of the play to gather round to form a circle to do what my mentor call it the "energy circle". what it is that everyone forms a circle and hold hands. My Mentor dose is that he starts the energy circle by squeezing the the left hand of the person that s next of to him and continues to do the same thing to the other. once everyone heads gets there hand squeeze and comes back to my mentor, everyone lift up there hands to the air and make a screams to cheer everyone up. My mentor told me that the purpose of doing this is to fell everyone energy so that way they'll have the confidence to do better on stage. 

My Mentor gave a few points of what to do during the performance and not to be worry if the performance doesn't go well. And he also said the most important thing while doing a play is to have fun, which made everyone cheer up.

Evryone in the light booth, including my mentor who is wearing the red shirt< are making sure that all sound and lights are working fined before the performance begins.

Looking down of the audience and it looks like its a full house.

This is suppose to be act 1 scene 1 where these two actors playing two characters name Alice (left) and maxine (right) who were complaining about the trouble making kids called the Herdmans who cause a lot of trouble in the neighborhood. The way they were speaking to one another makes the audience believe that they are actually complaining. 

This Act 1 scene 6 where the Heardmans plan to make the Christmas Pageant with there own ideas, which could lead to disaster. I like it how they were presenting to the audience without turning there backs and make it look like they are huddling together to share there ideas.

This is one of the scene of act 1 where the adults were worrying about that the heardmans are in the play and might ruin it. I like it how the way they were expressing how they feel and look like they are miserable and concern, which is good acting since they they want the audience to believe.

This was the ending of the play where every actor comes out to the stage to bow down to the audience and here the audience applauding to them. If you are wondering what they are doing, they are waving to the audience.

During 15 minutes of intermission, My mentor, who is the one with the red shirt, perform a ukulele Christmas songs with a group of people he was working with for a while. It true of what some of the people in the theater told me, he is a very talented man. 

On the next day after the the last performance on 12/21. I help my mentor and the team to take down all of the sets of the play since there was another play that will be needing the stage soon.

This is the posters of the play which turn out really great. I'm sure going to miss the people I work with in this play and made friends, but I am going to continue helping the theater and hopefully see some of the people I work with and make new friends.

Final rehearsal week, aka "tech week"

This whole week has been busy for me, especially my mentor and the people who have been working on this production for the last two months. This week, they had been getting things ready on their final dress rehearsal for the very first performance on this Saturday. What they been doing is that they been running threw all the scene of act 1 and 2 non stop. Not only that, I also been observing the the tech team who were working really hard and knowing when to hit the ques of the scenes that they need to be ready for. This week has been a little bit stress for my mentor, since he is in charge of the actors and the tech team, but he is luckily to have a team that works well with him. I am very surprise of how well the actors have been doing. They kept improving every week to make sure that this production turns out significant. Sure there were some problems with some of the actors, but in this theater, everyone works as a team no matter what and I am looking forward to see how this play will turn out on their first performance on Saturday night.

This where my mentor's producer name Lisa will be during the play. She is in charge in the back stage to make sure that the actors know when they need to be up in stage during the performance. not only that, she also stays connect to the tech team through microphones so she can tell then when to hit the ques on a specific scene. 

This suppose to be the waiting area for actors who are up next for the scene while the rest of the actors stay in the green room until they are called to be in the waiting area before their scene comes up.

During the last few rehearsal, I got be on top of the booth with the tech team to see ho they're doing. As you can see, Jon is making sure all the lights ques ready before the performance.

Seeing one of the scene that some actors were practicing on while I was in the tech booth.

While I was in the tech booth, I get to see the rehearsal a better view from here and it looks a lit better for me then seeing them in the audience seats.

My Mentor's assistant director was telling the actors some rules that they need to know before they can perform their first performance on Saturday.  

My Mentor wanted the actors to practice there ending scene so it can bring a lot of enthusiasm to the audience. It was little bit rough in the beginning, but after a few tries, they got it down.  

After the final dress rehearsal, my Mentor and his assistant director were giving a few commendation and recommendation to each actor and giving some good points to everyone who work so hard on this production for the last two months. 

This is pretty much the green room. This is where the actors get ready for the performance that they 'll soon perform on stage. Its a little bit crowed it in this area, but its a lot bigger than you think.

Helping stage construction

During the weekends of 11/16-11/17 and 11/23-11/24, I was helping my mentor and the stage crew building the sets for the play at the chino community theater. How this help with my project is that my mentor told me that a great way for actor to do a better performance on stage is to know there stage. I understood what he met. This explain how he knows so much about theater, he started as an actor,then work his way to build sets on stage and do light technician. I had a lot of fun helping them build sets and I even get test out the stage lights a little bit. Jon shoemaker was there as well, since he also doing mentorship there, which was really cool because he and I had a lot of fun together of helping the community theater team finish building the sets on stage.

Everyone getting ready to build props for the stage

Me and Jon Shoemaker were assign to sand off the shelf and the cabinets to get rid off the old stains. 

It looks easy, but trust me its a lot harder then you thinks

The hardest part was the corners, and it took me and Jon to get rid of the stains about an hour.

After the shelf was finish, me and Jon move on to the cabinets. I was working on sides and the base while Jon was working on the doors of the cabinets. 

The left one is all ready sanded while the right one isn't sand off yet, so yeah you can see the difference.

Everyone who were here to help were very busy  to get the stage done on time.

Me and Jon got to paint the new staining of the shelf that we just finish sanding off.

Painting the shell was cool, except I got some of the paint on my right hand and couldn't get it off for the next few days, since it wasn't normal paint.

The next weekend, the stage is almost finish, the team just needed finish a few more things in the stage. I got to paint some spots that need to be paint over including the red benches  

Seeing the tech team, including Jon shoemaker, working on the stage light and programming the timing of the lights.. I even got to test the lights for a while, which was a cool experience. 

Seeing my mentor yelling the ques for the tech team to know when to  turn on lights on a specific spots on a specific timing. 

Blog 9: EQ

Content

1.  Rule of 3 criteria

• Provide a framework for studies (It calls for breadth and depth of research, Is not a yes/no question)
• Takes a stance (Allows you to argue some point, Cannot be a recitation of facts or a list)
•  Format (It is specific, The wording makes sense)

"I reviewed the rules of three for writing an EQ."

2.  Review the following EQs and

• Tell us if it meets the rule of 3 criteria.
• Tell why it does or why it doesn't

 a.  What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?

Clearly it is asking what is the key ways to lose weight. This can go into dept of research of finding ways of losing weight, whether its diet, exercising, diets pills or etc.  It can also make a stance of which one works best of losing weight or which one isn't and the format looks fine. So I believe this EQ dose fit with the rule of 3 criteria.

 b.  What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?

I believe that this EQ is little bit too simple. Its clearly asking how to find the person guilty in a crime case and usually the answer would be finding evidences. The format is okay but don't I see this EQ of making a stance of ways to convict the crime subject for a crime cases. if this EQ was asking finding the best ways to find evidences to convict the crime subject, it would work. So I believe this doesn't fit with the rule of 3 criteria.
 c.  What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?

Its clearly stating what is important for the hairstylist to give what the customer wants.
It kind of dose meet the rules of 3 criteria because as I said before, it clearly stating what it is asking. It can also make a stance since hairstylist need to try different techniques of hair styling and can see which one is the best. I am not sure if it can go into depth of research because it asking how to make the customer satisfies with the hair styles that they make. So I have to say that this doesn't really fit with the rule of 3 criteria.

 d.  How can an Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?

This EQ dose fit to the rule of 3 criteria because this is asking of ways to treat a disease that last a long time period. This requires a lot of research of finding different types of treatments for chronic pain. This EQ can also make a stance of which treatment is the best one for chronic pain and can make comparison or difference between different treatments. And lastly, clearly stating of which treatment can the Anesthesiologist, who is the expert of dealing with long period disease, best utilize for chronic pain. So I believe this EQ it dose fit with the rule of 3 criteria.

3.  Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.

"Which type of techniques or methods can an actor best utilize to prepare a role to engage the audience's attention?"

Two first days of mentorship

On October 12th and 13th was the beginning production of Chino Community Theater Called "The Best Christmas Ever" and it was also the day they begin audition. I came on the 12th to ask Paul Larson,who was the director of this production, if he can be my mentor. I was afraid if he said no, since he didn't respond my e-mails that I have been sending for a while, but I still wanted to ask him in person because many people, that I talk to in the theater during the summer, told me that he was a great person to work with. So I went up to him before the audition began but turn out he actually knew me. I ask him how he knew me and he told me that some of the staff had told him about me when I came to the theater during the summer for acting class and for summer mentorship. I was surprise that some of the people I talk to during summer had told him about me. I ask if he can be my mentor and he said that he was gladly to do so. He told me I can get started by helping him with the audition on that day. He introduce me to his crew, who were helping him, and he appointed me to organize the audition forms for actors who wanted to try out. I was glad to do so.

The next day, Paul ask me to assist him during the second day of audition to see how the actors would try out in a audition. During the audition, He introduce his whole team to the actors who were trying out. But what caught me by surprise is that he introduce me to the actors and told them what I'll be doing here during the production. Not only that, he appoint me as the assistant producer, which I was very surprise. At the end of the audition, I thank him for letting me doing this and he told me that he is glad that I choose him as my mentor and he is hoping that I will fun of doing this, which I am.

Right now, I am helping out with whatever he needs me to do, but in the mean time, I am just observing him working with actors and see how he helping actors to practice better and improve there skills before the performance on December. I am looking forward of how this production will go and I am glad to be part of the team.

Helping out by organizing the audition forms for actors who wanted to try out.

My mentor gave me the script of the play to see what the play is about.

Observing my Mentor, Paul Larson, and his team looking over the audition forms and were choosing actors who were good enough to be in the play.

Blog 8: Research and Working EQ

1.  What is your working EQ?

My working EQ is:

 "What types of techniques can an actor utilize for an entertaining and quality performance on stage?"

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ? Please write the answer in thesis format.

My possible answer for my working EQ is:

• Able to utilize the body, the voice, and the psychological together as a key tool to perform significantly on stage.

3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ? 


My important source would be Source # 8 a, b, and c, which is " Alexander Technique: An Acting Approach" by Sarah A. Baker. The reason why is because the article talks about how actors can deal with their body, vocal skill, their mind, and show how actors can use all three of them together to perform better on stage.

4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you volunteering, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

My Mentor is Paul Larson, who is the director of the next Chino Community Theatre production called "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" ;which I will be helping with, and also the founder of the theatre. This mentorship is going to help me with my working EQ because I will be working with actors for a while. Which means I will get to see how they are able to practices roles in a short time and how they practice to be their characters by themselves or with other actors before they are ready to perform.

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

For my  first independent component, I am planning on working with the drama team at i-Poly on a musical play called "Working". The drama team is planning to preform it on December and plan on taking it to the annual Fullerton Festival on March 2014 to compete against other drama teams throughout the state. I am actually in the play which I will be playing a small role in one scene doing a medium monologue. And also, I'm going to be one of the backup singers in a couple of scene of the show.  

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

What I'm pretty much going to do is take pictures on the days when I have rehearsal with the drama team and describe of what I have done and how much I have improve my role during that day. I will also help with whatever drama needs me to do when I am not rehearsing. 

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

What I am going to do is see what type of  acting technique I mostly use to practice for a role. I am also going to try different techniques to see which one helps me the most. This going to help me understand more of how I am able to do roles that can be hard to do in a short time and how actors are able to pull off a good performance on stage.

4.  Post a log on the right hand side of your blog near your mentorship log and call it the independent component 1 log.

Independent Component 1 Log

A Midsummer Night's Dream Play

Last night, I went with twenty other students from drama class to the Cal Poly Studio Theatre to watch a Famous William Shakespeare's play called "A Midsummer Night's Dreams", which was directed by Sam Robinson. While watching the play, I was amazed how the actors were able to make me and the audience feel like we were part of the story  and how well they were able to play the roles with long monologues and do a lot of movements in a small stage.

After the play, me and the other drama students were able to stay to ask questions to the director and the actors.  Few other people from the audience did asks how long did they work on the play. The director said that they were working on this for six month but only had eight rehearsals, but the reason why was everyone was busy with their own things, but every actor of the play made a commitment to practice their lines every single day, even they didn't had a lot of  rehearsals. The director also told us that at the end, every actor fulfilled their commitment, which really surprise me a lot.

 I was able to ask one question to the actors which was "Was it easy to play a role of your character that could the opposite of yourself". One of the actors did told me that some roles can relate to them but some can be the opposite. But they told me that being an actor is to be able to express your self in a whole new view. Its also to expand yourself with different roles to make the audience believe that your this character.

This play in Cal Poly Studio Theatre help me to understand a little bit more of my topic and reminded me why I love doing acting. I see these actors having fun of what they do to make this play entertaining and have the audience to enjoy the play. I am just glad I pick this topic and I will continue to learn more of my topic for this year senior project.

Here are some of the picture I took from last night. Sadly, I wasn't allow to take pictures during the performance, but was able to take some of the stage before the play started. Plus I was able to take a picture with one of the main actors of the play, which was awesome. But most important, I had a lot of fun.

 Waiting for the play to started in the hour.

The ticket of the play with the seat number in the bottom right.

A sign stand of the play that was right next to the entrance. 

The place where I saw the play in Cal Poly.

Pretty much a small stage where the audience can watch the play in two sides.

Had a few props in the stage.

There were couple of cloths hanging above the stage to add some effects with the stage lights.

Get to take a picture with this awesome actor, which by away was the audience's most favorite actor during the play.