Romeo & Juliet

I have not performed on a stage in years. In my high school career, Romeo & Juliet was my first school production (not counting our class-produced performance of The Good Soul of Szechuan) and from it I have garnered experiences and knowledge that I never would have otherwise.

I had studied IB Theatre at higher level for over a year, participated in numerous workshops from a variety of people, but I had never had an opportunity in which to make use of what I learned. My role as Lady Capulet and just being a part of the Romeo & Juliet cast gave me a chance to change that.

I never knew how exhilarating it was to perform. I had never even imagined it. However, the feeling I experienced once I completed the play was astounding. I don't think that I have ever felt such a sense of accomplishment. The other more experienced members of the cast tell me that they have never been so close after a play before, and I don't doubt it - the sense of camaraderie and trust that we built up is amazing. I have gotten to know people I could never have known without this experience.

And I am grateful.

I had always thought of myself as a girl that lacks commitment. I have countless personal projects I had started but never completed. However, I've learned from Romeo & Juliet that I thought wrong. If I put my heart into it and have people supporting me, and if I make the time to try, I can accomplish amazing things. I can persevere and complete something. I can finish a project and make something great.

I have learned so much about myself and just creativity and cooperation in general.

Guest Speaker: David

• Student of Mrs. Moon during the time of the R&J Movie (DiCaprio, 1996)
• The decision process of a director
• brings a world to life
• willing something into existence
• Tische School of Film
• don't necessarily have to go to a school for film; need dedication and determination to learn and train, however
• school is for the people that you meet and the portfolio
• Competitive work environment
• come prepared to set

Before : "THIS WILL BE THE GREATEST THING EVER!"

Later...: "oh my god I just hope it doesn't fail" <-truer words have never been said

• Art is an emotional process. It's natural. -Mrs. Moon
• "You have to finish it" - this is one of the most important aspect of anything, especially art; screenplays, writing, anything. Finish it. Finish it. Finish it.
• It is a miracle that good movies exist.
• "They almost perfected film-making... and then sound came."
• ((Trampolines are always great))

RI - Elements and Notes

• You can include images
• Parenthetical references
• Make every word count
• The more specific, the better
• ((Grotowski's philosophies are fascinating))
• Notes Below the Cut

What The Body Does Not Remember

Firstly, I will express how much regret I have for being unable to watch this performance. The idea of the human body and its reflexes and the unconscious tension - TBC listening to class

IPP: Why Scriptwriting?

My dream is that one day, the characters I create can be real to someone else.

After all, they are already real to me, so I can't help but hope that someone else - complete strangers to me - will one day love them as much as I do. I have written for five years now, and I've always written with one intent: to have the characters that are so real to me to be real to someone else as well.

I have wanted to complete writing a play, ever since my first Scriptwriting Frenzy attempt back in 2009. I never did succeed writing a 100 page play in 30 days, but it was the process that was memorable. I've imagined for a long time now what sheer satisfaction I would feel should I ever complete a work.

I think this IPP is the time for me to do so.

Though I was enjoying myself back then, I was also a child - I wrote for the fun of it, but I wasn't truly driven by passion, nor did I have any knowledge to aid me in the process. Now that I am a student of IBH Theatre, I have read several different plays, seen numerous different performances, and more than ever, I am passionate.

I want to write a play, put the ideas in my head down on paper, and have the characters I create live and die in a world of my creation.

I am a writer, after all.
It's what I do.

Workshops with the Experts

Daniel Foley

• There is so much I've learned from my brief encounter with Mr. Foley, particularly when it came to performing Shakespeare. I tried to keep his lessons in mind during the performance of Romeo & Juliet.
• The importance of vocalization; warm-ups, enunciation, and projection
• The musicality of Shakespearean language
• Awareness of the body; especially in physical scene
• the safety of the partner(s) is of the highest priority, above all else
• it is all in the effect produced, not the actual means; no need to actually punch someone to make something seem realistic
• hair pulling; slap; punch
• basic stick-fighting

Chad Austin

• A unique personality; I took notes on his character for future reference.
• Of the lessons he gave, I found particular value in his 'interview' exercise
• first impression is important
• it is very difficult to be yourself and confident
• nerves come when you least expect them, so always be prepared

TPPP Outline

WORK IN PROGRESS

Mark Hill

• [get picture from Mrs. Moon]
• spacial relations; Anne Bogart and Tadashi Suzuki
• experience with Butou theatre and the spirituality of it
• differences between western theatre (vocalization; centered higher up; positive space) and oriental theatre (physical; centered lower down; negative space)
• the importance of an ensemble; peripheral vision
• dynamic stillness; counterpoint, etc.

The Pillowman

• first experience with post-modernism
• very raw, surreal, and disturbing
• fascinated me as a scriptwriter

The Odyssey

Mother Courage and her Children / Bertolt Brecht

Good Soul of Szechuan

• First experience with production elements; newfound appreciation
• Learned about dramaturgy; its importance in a play; a new interest
• Learned about lighting; learned about different types of lighting and how lighting can so affect atmosphere
• Difficulty balancing practicality and ideas

Bunraku Theatre

Commedia del Arte

Romeo and Juliet

• first major production in high school
• enlightening and thrilling experience
• called upon lessons with Mark Hill (on Anne Bogart and Tadashi Suzuki) in reference to spacial relations, physicality, and the ensemble
• called upon workshops with Daniel Foley on Shakespearean language and vocalization
• a demonstration of how theatre evolves with time; the themes in Shakespeare are universal and timeless, so even set in a different setting, it is relevant and plausible.

Shadowland

• an inspiration to me
• an example of theatre that evolves; theatre ant technology
• physicality of the show
• Reminiscent of Suzuki in that every moment is aesthetically beautiful

Salar de Uyuni

• theatre is a world that reflects and changes with the world around it
• a world that reflects me, and everything I do causes ripples in the world around me
• it is ephemeral and never stops changing - in the Salar de Uyuni, the sky changes, and it is reflected in the water; everything on the flat is reflected and every movement of the wind or a step causes ripples in the environment.
• theatre is reflective, changing, and beautiful.