This And That

Wow, class was great yesterday. A couple of the bits in Stage Combat played very well. A forward roll, which I just incorporated, and a better knap (a knap is the sound you or your partner makes, often with a slap, to give a blow its sound) and reaction for when my face is thrown to the ground. I loved hearing the gasps from the class audience when we did the face slam.

In acting we ran our MacBeth scene, and it went very well. I'm getting past the stage of stultifying intimidation when working on Shakespeare, and really enjoying the work and the text. We had great session, getting at some great stuff which really affected our classmates watching -- in a good way.

I went on about this in more detail in my class journal, more of a process, education, and philosophical related exploration. Something to remind me later, either as an actor, or possibly further in the future as a teacher.

Here, I think I'll talk more about how it affects my current state of mind and such, which will bring up some different philosophizing. You've likely noticed this quarter has been eating me alive with all the new challenges. Plus a rather rough spot at work, due to some extra duties and Murphy driven timing for process changes for those duties. I suspect I've lost most of my readers, but since I've never thought a site meter was something I wanted to worry about, so I can't back it up except a vague feeling the number of comments has declined.

It is nice indeed to have work that is heavily complimented by your classmates. What is even nicer is when it is a result of the work itself, and not a propitious scene. The last couple assignments have been juicy and especially challenging for me. In beginning classes I was generally assigned roles which were not a big stretch. At that point it was appropriate, as I was finding my feet. Pursuing progressively advanced training and productions has been quite a journey towards not only opening myself up more, but becoming more professional in my approach. These indicators are a big deal for me personally as well as professionally.

Synergism. The growth in being able to open more parts of myself to the art and the growth in approaching it more professionally have fed on each other. I have a long ways to go, but for the first time I'm developing an approach that will keep me moving forward on a path. I'll still take classes and workshops, but that feeling of being adrift when left to my own devices is fading. How can I tell when I am immersed in intensive training? For me there is not a clear demarcation between working in study in production settings. There is a difference, but they overlap in a way I've not seen in any of my education or training outside theatre. This merging of the academic and 'real' worlds is part of what enthralls me.

So, back to the original premise for this post. I feel terrific. The technical and professional skills I'd wanted to get from this program are beginning to pop. I know it will take at least a couple years to assimilate it all, but to feel results already has been great. It sure helps keep me out of that mode of "I'll not give up.", which I am so familiar with, and puts you in rather a numb place. Also, I'm finding that my acting skills are improving more than I expected. The very stuff I've studied up to this point, and particularly in classes like Meisner. That is a boon I hadn't expected. If I'd thought about it, I would have, as action, objective, needs, desires, intention, and such are always just below the surface, and a big part of our instructor's process.

I know that things will feel bleak again at some point, and it these moments of excitement which keep it going. Those in between times too, even more so as they are more perilous than the valleys. That area between the peaks and valleys is the home of complacency. These experiences reinforce the desire and perceived advantage for having and pursuing a process. For me, getting away from the complacent place is perhaps the biggest challenge.