Long lost blog greetings to you, and welcome to those who are new!
Between now and Wednesday, April 4th, I would like you to do the following (read through instructions before doing - it's like following a recipe):
1. When you have a block of 20 minutes, sit down and watch your two monologues. Watch each one AT LEAST twice.
On the second viewing, be sure and write down any tactics you think you see yourself executing (don't go back to your GOTA sheet - this will work better if you view it without refreshing your memory).
2. Respond to the following prompts by commenting to this post. REMEMBER NOT TO USE YOUR LAST NAME!! You should take about 5 minutes to consider each prompt, and about 5 minutes to write your response. PLEASE PROOFREAD and EDIT!!
a. Briefly describe what tactics you think you executed in each monologue, compared to how many you may have actually set out on your GOTA.
b. Do you think your monologues were substantially different? Why or why not?
c. (Take a little longer on this one . . . and be honest - I assess on honesty, not on "right" answers.) What are some steps you could take to improve your execution of tactics? What steps would you take in the future to keep from getting caught in a "rut" of how you perform a monologue?
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ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa - Thanks for your feedback. Memorizing certainly does help - it really is the foundation of everything else because you can't play around with your tactics and work on them until you know your lines! Next time . . . As you can see from the other replies, I'm looking for a bit deeper level of reflection, so if you have time please share a bit more in relation to the prompt.
DeleteA. I used much fewer tactics than I had, I had the same tone the whole way through, and I didn't have a focal point. I only really used one tactic and that was, remember your lines. I didn't do that very well. I think next time I will spend more time in memorizing and work on changing my goals and tactics.
DeleteB. Yes and No, Yes, because I went ditsy in one and "depressed" in another, but that didn't make them substantially different only slightly. No, because in both of them I was equally nervous and just wanted to get it over with.
C. I could spend more time memorizing, so that I am more prepared. I could also make my tactics a bit more interesting. Practicing in front of people before the performance might help as well. I got caught in that I need to stick to what is obviously happening, and instead I should have just used my imagination and gone with it.
A.In the first monologue I executed all of my tactics but some were stronger than others and the beat change was not very distinct. Accommodate,force,rationalize,sunshine and coo were good but they blended more than I wanted. I felt like persuade and assure were shown but not as clearly as I wanted. In the second monologue I executed the first two tactics Disneyland and Befriend. After that I felt I got wrapped up in the lines and lost goals and tactics. In the end I recovered and “Lyled” him.3/6
ReplyDeleteB.I think my monologues had very different beginnings. In the first I was warm and fuzzy but in the second I looked like I was hiding something. The middles I think were similar when I was fully immersed in my first character and didn’t show obvious tactics. I felt like I cared to much in the second one which is not what my character would do. In the end they gained the power and distinction they had in the beginning.
C.Next time I perform a monologue I want to work with a person. I think I need someone to tell me if I am accurately executing my tactics. It is hard to perform and judge myself at the same time. I would want a day to work on the monologue after the workshop with classmates. Working with my mom who didn’t know the assignment was hard. After the fact Anne brought up a smart idea of recording a video of myself and watching it. Next time I want to try that because it sounds like a good solution for practicing by myself.
Annie
Annie - good reflection! I think it would be a great idea to use video to help us. Having someone else watch the video with you is helpful, too, in the same way that you need other eyes to help you edit writing because our brain knows what we're trying to do so often it can see it when it isn't there!
Delete(If that makes sense . . . )
A. I executed at least five of the ten tactics I set out to execute in my first monologue. It was difficult to go back and watch my monologue and designate a name to each tactic I executed. I could tell there was a switch but it was difficult to tell exactly what it was. The tactics I identified were broader than my original tactics. I noticed that I begged, enlightened, commanded, guilted, and dismissed; however I missed out on: pop, schmooze, pinch, smooth, affront, taunt, and amaze. In my second monologue I completed at least five of the nine tactics I set out to execute. I think my tactic changes were more distinct in my second monologue than in my first. The tactics I executed were: guilt, enlighten, teach, smooth, and pinch. The tactics I planned were: command, shock, rally, teach, toddler, grovel, thread, stroke, and poke. I am proud of how well I executed my tactics. I think the changes between tactics were obvious and the tactics themselves worked well within the monologue.
ReplyDeleteB. I believe that my monologues were different. I think my character choices went in different directions in each monologue and that the tactics I chose were specific to my character choice. The Isabella in my first monologue was smart, witty and brave, while the Isabella in my second monologue was strong, kind, and shy. Most importantly I think that both of my character choices made sense within the play.
C. In the future I would play around with my tactics more before putting them down on paper. I would keep trying new things even though I liked my tactic choices. All in all I think I would have more fun. I was so stressed by the idea of tactics that I forgot to enjoy myself and play around with my character. I once had a director who told me that the most important traits an actor can have are to be childish, play around and enjoy themselves. Although we need to take theatre seriously, we can often benefit from having fun on stage.
Anne
Good reflections and thank you for your clean, clear writing! I agree that the sense of play is SUPER important, and that is what the rehearsal process should be about - playing around and discovering tactics and what work. Not in a formal "Oh this is a tactic I want to use" sort of way, but just playing around and seeing what works, and then developing it.
DeleteIn version one I saw myself executing tactics such as, nagging, slapping, and irritating. Instead of brig individual tactics it was more of a mesh of simply being "snappy". In my GOTA I had a larger variety of tactics and emotional connection planned for my monologue.
ReplyDeleteB. My monologues were different in the way of tone but similar is the way I executed them. The started off strong in the way of tactics at first, then it blends together and becomes very boring. Both versions had this structure but had a different tone. Example: version one was more angry or attitude-ish while version two was more sweet and vulnerable.
C. In the future for performing monologues I should take more time to get comfortable reading out loud. I block myself off emotionally while practicing out of nervousness, do i I worked more on executing and actually "doing" something to the person I'm addressing I will see more results. Also, when piece starts to get lengthy I should add more beats so I don't start to mesh the whole thing together.
A: In the first monologue, it appeared like my character was nervous and attempting to tell a story. My tactics seamed to all blend together. It looked like I performed; entertain, bewilder, contemplate and rush as my tactics. I could really expand more on making each new idea different to keep the monologue fresh, new and interesting. In the second, I gave the tense and bitter feeling I was going for. Although my initial tactics where unclear, the monologue flowed in a progressive motion of angry. My tactics were almost indistinct between the others. Disturb and hammer where my two tactics I brought out the best. I need to really focus on the mood swings that really give my character the realistic spark of crazy I am looking for.
ReplyDeleteB: The two different emotions I presented where very different. My tone of voice in particular is what made this two distinct in how they make the audience feel. My body movement and stance needs some work because they were both very similar. I have to focus on how my character is physically getting the point across. The various set of tactics for each where obvious in their own unique ways. I could however work on really contrasting the two between calm and nervous versus explosive and unpredictable.
C: What I need to do to enhance the variety of my tactics is to really isolate each line and spend more time on what I want to get done. I want to make each new phrase apparent by giving it a specific action I need to be doing with both my voice and body. Practicing it more intently each time will benefit in the overall outcome of how my scenes looks to the audience and how well I feel I am doing on it. I need to be more comfortable in the set guidelines of my monologue and how to perform it, but also be whiling to try it differently and expand on the theatrical boundaries I have for my character’s persona.
-Pierce
Pierce, thank you very much for the level of reflection you put into this. You really demonstrate great growth and awareness. Watching the video has helped you see things that are impossible to notice on our own when we perform, and I think your ideas on how to work on the areas you want to strengthen are fantastic.
DeleteGreat work!!
A: For my first monologue, the tactics that I was able to portray the best were dare, befriend, hammer and "HA-ing". My original tactics were not very clear. They were there, but I was unable to figurer out what they were and they were not very specific. In my second monologue I definately look like im hailing a taxi, so that worked out. Other tactics that I feel I accomplished were:gnaw, overwhelm and beg. However, I belive my begghing though it was there, it was very weak and could have used some fine tuneing. Overall I think my tactics could have been more defined and focused.
ReplyDeleteB: I feel like there is a difference in character in the two monologues, but the tactics felt the same as I went over the videos. There were some parts were it looked only a tad bit different, almost like my goals were completetly the same at certain parts. The only thing that seperated them was my difference in character and how they interacted with the (invisible) people in my scene.
C: The first theing I would do is control my body. I have to start with that one because it was so distracting watching my self do the same hand gestures over and over again. After the body is under control, i would really work on adjusting into my characters shoes so that I can understand how she or he feels about the situation at hand. I need to work on making my tactics sizzle and pop in clarity and dynamics. Sure, I had alot of energy, but i need to learn to tone it down and "go with the flow". To keep from getting "caught in a rut", i would try to do something new everytime I ran through my monologue. Even if it was just one thing like walking in a circle instead of in a straight line. Something that would keep it fresh and entertaining for both the audiance and for me. I think by trying out new tactics, even ones that dont make sense, i might be able to come up with something about my character and about the scene.
Clara
Clara, excellent reflections and insights! I like your ideas with respect to keeping things fresh - it harkens back to Anne's comments about maintaining our sense of play on stage. I think you do an excellent job of choosing/creating tactics that are playful and interesting as well.
DeleteI think watching the video has also been helpful for you - there are so many little tics we have, both vocal and physical, that we don't ever see and they can wind up detracting from our power on stage. It's great to be mindful of them so we can let them out only when they help us!
Great job!
A. In both monologues, I executed the first 2 that I had originally set. I had 10 for each monologue but I kind of threw them out the window as soon as I started. I was super nervous to perform because I couldn't always remember my tactics, or they weren't working with the way I was performing them. I like how my monologues turned out, but it wasn't the tactics that was helping it. They just made me nervous because I wasn't always clear on where I was changing tactics and when to change them. That would have come from better rehearsing, I think that seeing everyone workshop screwed me up a little bit because I wasn't necessarily focusing on myself and what I had to do with the characters.
ReplyDeleteB. Yes, but it's because they felt different to me. They look only slightly different to me but when I was performing them they felt like polar opposites because of how I had set up the background to each character.
C. Rehearse more than I did and not worrying about having a "right" tactic. I was too caught up in what was staying true to the character that the playwright had created, and not the character that I was creating.
before i actually post anything, i simply need to point out that none of the computers i have tried using for this have worked properly, so this is all from memory.
ReplyDeleteA.i used a grand total of three tactics for each of my monologues, and i should think that i executed them well, due to their complete and utter simplicity, and semi-wide variation between them.
B.they were very different, because one was a fairy king; and the other was a self harming mental patient, who i named (in my head) "Sally the emperor of yellow flowers, no purple, wait have i been talking to a corpse this whole time?"
C.i could probably have written out more detail on my various characters then i did, in fact for Sally the emperor of yellow flowers, no purple, wait have i been talking to a corpse this whole time? i didn't even outline him whatsoever.
I can't get either to work, so I have to work from memory and how I remember feeling while I preformed.
ReplyDeleteA. My tactics were based around emotional responses that I wanted from the other person, like sympathy and comfort. In my first monologue, I wanted more sympathy and comfort so I wanted to appear pathetic, kind of like a kicked puppy.For my second one, I wanted to appear casual about the circumstances and not to seem like I needed the support from others, so I tried tactics like "cheerleader peppy" and "business like".
B. From what I recall, I don't think they were any different, mostly because I got extremely nervous which made me forget everything and mumble the entire time. If I was more confident with myself, I think there may have been a stark contrast between the two.
C. For improving my tactics, it probably would've been better if I had tried several different ones per version, kind of like trial and error. For the two of them, I tried that some but I had a lot of difficulty with the tactics and trying the make them "flow". One thing I could do over all to improve is a lot more practice, not looking at the audience and preforming more since I'm for some reason still shy about performing in front of people I know.
Allie
My mom put these blocs on the router to keep me from having fun after suspension. all Mp4(video files are blocked)
ReplyDeleteMemory time.(Like almost everyone on here)
A.In the first 17 seconds of my monologue I had 4 beats in the first and 3 in the second
In the first seventeen seconds I executed the tactics to all what I wanted but after that the next 7 Went quite terribly. it turned into a mush of emotions and sounded the she insecurity for the rest of the time. #2 I felt was better in the first part because of the background that went with it. I had an easier time connecting with the character and my beats went a little smoother until the end because most of my focus was designated towards remembering.
B. In the beginning they seemed different because of the different tactics. i.e. Bragging vs. Awaken. But after the first 20 some-odd seconds i had to focus on remembering my lines and that was my; for lack of a better term "demise"
C.Instead of Staying up later farcing these GOTA,s and lines down my throat i would have an easier time getting the lines down and from there putting my effort into the GOTA's.
<3 Rainshine
A. I feel like I executedthe first couple of tactics pretty well. But as my monologue went on, it got alittle frantic and slightly sloppy. Maybe that was just how I was feeling inside. I had bout eight or nine in each monologue and I think I effectively executed about four.It could possibly have been the fact that I kept forgetting that one line in the middle that messed me up.
ReplyDeleteB. In my first monologue, I was going for the type of cancer patient that deals with their disease by using sarcasm and cutting remarks to make people feel sorry for me. I'm not sure if that's a thing. So my tactics were to slap, poke, prod, stab, etc.The second version was more of a person who wants everyone to think everything is just dandy despite having cancer. A few of my tactics were to comfort and reassure as well as tickle (which didn't really work out very well).
C. To Improve on my execution of tactics, I probaly could've spent more time really getting the lines drilled into my brain so I could avoid forgetting them, thus forgetting my tactics. I don't feel like a few of my tactics resonated with me like they should've. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out how to tickle people with my words. At least not without looking like a complete psychopath. So in the future, I'd probably work harder on memorization and picking tactics that wworked better for me.
Christian
A) Well after painfully watching my self attempting the monolouges, I probably executed a couple of tatics. Then as my I saw that I was getting more nervous, and shaky. Then my mind was going blank and froze a couple times.
ReplyDeleteB) Both of my monolouges weren't much different. They had a little of a difference in the beginning, but later into near middle to the end it kinda seemed a little similar.
C) I could have done better. Practice my lines out loud more often, have a family member or a friend help me with my tatics and memorizing. I also probably should have experimented more. As for the nerves, but not look at any body and picture nobody there...
Patience M.
A)My first monologue had some tactic shifts, but it seemed like I was just switching back and forth from calm preparing, to raising my voice a bit (not good at shouting, but there wasn't even a trace of tactical shift in my second monologue.
ReplyDeleteB)Parts were very similar, but overall, there were quite a few noticeable differences between my two monologues.
C)After reviewing my monologues, I realize that I should have spent more time rehearsing, and creating tactics (especially my second monologue), and I didn't capture my characters anger in my first monologue, and I should have simply practiced shouting.
Chase
Austin S.
ReplyDeletea. In the first variation, I felt I executed a piercing tactic, along with a bruising tactic in the middle. My beginning seemed to lack an objective, but I think they became clearer as the monologue went on. In the second there was an execution of serenading and in the middle an execution of shocking. I feel there was an aspect of coaxing as well in the end.
b. My monologues had different feels. Body language could have been exaggerated more to create a bigger difference, but I feel that the character choices had a good amount of variation. In the first I created a character that was bitter from her past, and acted out to show that she was no longer weak. In the second I portrayed someone who never left her childhood and acted out necessity for closure and attention.
c. Working with character development a little more might be beneficial. When I have a stronger character, I feel my tactics and objectives become much clearer to the audience. Building a foundation, a past, adds to the scene and creates a dynamic event. To improve execution, it may help to execute the tactics without the lines, to get a feel for what emotion is coming across, and then add the script in after. Or vice versa. It would be fun to play around with different ways to approach the piece.
A) tactics are always hard for me. But i saw some jabbing and some whining in there!
ReplyDeleteB) Honestly, i think they could have been much more different. I didn't execute the tactics i had practiced as well as i had hoped. i feel like the vocals and facial expressions were very similar, which didn't help with tactic execution.
C)I think i probably should have practiced more first off... But i feel like i should have tried more extreme changes in my monologues, even if it didnt make any sense, because i always can tone it back from extremes.
-Alex
A)It is defineatly difficult to fine tactics from the other end. Two that stood out to me were "beguile" and "drain".
ReplyDeleteB)I fealt that my monoluges had their oun personalities. Sure there were things here and their that were simmilar, but nothing to extreem.
C)As I watched myself, I coulden't help but think that my body language could have better exemplified the charactor I chose to portray. It is certenly different to watch yourself from the audiance.
-Maxwell