"To Be or Not to Be"...It's Not a Question

Because I talked about the basics of singing in my last post, I thought I would be fair and talk a little about the basics of acting in this one. I read up on some interesting techniques that actors use to make realistic characters when acting on stage.

For probably as long as professional acting has been around, rookie actors and actresses have longed to unlock the secrets behind great acting. For a long time, it was an art that couldn't be taught; no structure to be handed down through the generations of actors to come. That is, until the 1800s, when a Russian actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski developed a system of techniques that taught people the basics of acting.

"The Stanislavski System"

Through the powers of observation, Stani noticed that all good actors possessed certain characteristics that were apparent when they performed, namely:

• Relaxation. For actors to effectively portray their characters, and thus create realistic scenarios and worlds on the stage, they need to be completely comfortable with where they are, and what they're doing. This enables them to have freedom of movement, and greatly helps to project and express themselves vocally as well. They can't be stiff or frozen while on stage; the consequences could be extremely awkward, and the whole performance would collapse.
• Concentration and Observation. Actors must maintain what Stanislavski called a "circle of attention". Actors must focus all of their energies and imagination on a single other person or thing, to imagine that it's only them and that other thing or person on stage. Once they've got this down, they can expand their circle to eventually include the rest of the stage. This helps to place them into the world they are playing in, to focus on whatever is happening and not so much on the audience, so they won't be so self-conscious.
• Importance of Specifics. An actor must truly know the character they are portraying. They can't act imprecisely. They need to know specifically the ins and outs of their character--their quirks, habits, temperament and even ticks. They need to know the play, and how their character would react within its context. Examples of this would be how a frustrated man would brush his hair, or how he would nervously tug at his collar; if a woman was really excited about something she couldn't express, would she tap her fingers or bite her nails?
• Inner Truth. Actors must perceive everything that happens onstage during a performance as truth. Not just the concrete truth of events, but the truth of the inner world of a character, how they think and feel. One of the means that Stanislavski developed to achieve this inner truth was what he called the "magic if". With the "if", people could effectively imagine how they would react in practically any setting. "If it was really cold out and I was lost..." "If I was really hungry..." "If I was extremely happy..." "If I really wanted to persuade someone...How would I react?" This is a great tool that works wonders for actors.
• Action Onstage: What? Why? How? This is similar to being attentive to the importance of  specifics for a character. "What, why and how should my character react?" For example, Charlie Bucket (the main character in the play "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"), is opening (what?) a candy bar. He opens it (why?) to see if there is a golden ticket inside. And he opens it (how?) slowly and deliberately, because if there is one in the candy bar, he would be able to achieve his dream of meeting Wonka and touring his factory--his life would change.
• Through Line of a Role. Actors have to have what Stani called a "superobjective" of a character. They need to know what the main objective, purpose or motivation of a character is. This could help with the inner truth and specifics of a character, and how they react to the circumstances throughout the play. It insures that a character will maintain consistency. This is also called the "spine".
• Ensemble Playing. Finally, more often than not, an actor will have an ensemble of other main characters and background players to act with. Their challenge is to not lose the through line of their character, to "stop acting", as it were, whenever another actor has the attention on stage. They need to stay in character and act to the other actors, not just with them.

I thought that these techniques were very fascinating, and it makes perfect sense that they would be so effective for actors. Looking back at not only theatrical performances but also on-screen acting, I could see how they would use these techniques to truly develop a believable character, thus telling a compelling story.



Source:

Wilson, Edwin; Goldfarb, Alvin. Theatre, The Lively Art. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print. (Pages 100-103).

"The Hills are Alive!"

I've always loved the fine arts, particularly the performing arts. But for a while now, I've discovered that my favorite performance art is singing. Singing is a way to express oneself vocally, and there's something enchanting about it--not just upon hearing it but performing as well.

You might have noticed that I made a reference to the classic Broadway musical, The Sound of Music, in my title for this post--it's one of my favorite musicals. In 1965, a movie version of the musical was released. The star of the movie--Julie Andrews, who plays Maria-- is one of my favorite singers of all time. She is a professional, classically trained songstress, and as far as vocals go, she is my role model. Able to hit a wide range of notes with precision and grace, her abilities as a singer are amazing.

Maybe someday I can be trained to sing like that; well, maybe not as she can, but close enough. Becoming a singer requires years of training and exercising the vocal chords as well as the muscles used to sing. There are many types of sounds a singer could use, including jazz, pop, classical, rock, Broadway, etc. The tone and texture of one's voice within these categories could be varied as well--it all depends on what the singer wants to do, what they're best at, and what their employers want them to sound like. Once they've got their basic technique down, they can expand their vocal abilities and experiment with different sounds, and can even start training for voice acting (since they're closely related). But, before all of that, like I said, the basic techniques must be mastered.

Singing Fundamentals

There are a few things one must always remember to do when singing:

• Posture: Critical to singing success is posture. One must pay attention to the alignment of the head with the chest and the abdomen. From there, the singer could ensure that the air will flow correctly through the vocal chords and resonate in the correct places in the head. Incorrect posture could jeopardize the flow of air through the vocal chords, and therefore could be detrimental to the singing voice.
• Breathing: Breath control is vital for good singing. Singing coaches will always say to "sing from the diaphragm". The diaphragm is the muscle right on top of the stomach and below the lungs (as shown below). Singers also use the muscles in and around the ribcage and abdomen.
• Practice: Once posture and breathing is understood, and to exercise the muscles used to sing, including the vocal chords, singers must practice some vocal exercises. These are different sounds, tones and vowels to help with breathing, expanding the vocal range, and resonation. "Oohs" , "Aahs" and "Eee's" are popular vowels singers use to warm up, and there are countless variations. Mouth shape plays a role in this, and will also help to resonate. Another warm-up singers will do is sing their vowels through their lips, similar to a "raspberry". This will help to improve breath control and to achieve the proper resistance in the vocal chords.

(Above: An inside look into the parts of the throat and head that are used when singing. Below: A basic picture of the diaphragm. Photos courtesy of musicianwages.com)

 



The Next Level

What makes a singer a good singer? What stands out the most when they perform on stage? The notes that they can hit, and how well they can hit them. Some of the most famous songs on Broadway are those that involve high notes, and only top-notch singers can achieve them. Songs like "Bring Him Home" and "On My Own" from Les Miserables, or basically The Phantom of the Opera as a whole. How can a singer gain the ability to sing well in a high register? Here are some tips:

• Don't shout. Too many people think that singing louder will automatically win them the ability to sing well in a high register. This is not true, and can actually damage your voice and create an ethereal sound similar to a banshee or maybe a dying cat/whale. American Idol auditions have some great examples of this.
• Don't be so intense. This is similar to not shouting the notes. It's very important to begin singing softer when singing higher, so that the voice is not strained and breaks and cracks in the voice can be avoided. Eventually, one can start singing a bit more forcefully when the muscles in the vocal chords are used to properly singing in the higher register.
• Close in. When singers transition from chest voice (singing lower with the more natural voice) to head voice (singing higher or in "falsetto"), there is a point, called "the break", where they can only sing the high notes they need to hit by switching to their head voice. To make this transition as smooth as possible, they often need to change the vowels they use. "Ahs" tend to work best for the chest voice, while "Oohs", "Eee's" and "uhs" work better when singing higher. It just works better, to have the voice resonate in the right ways and to get maximum volume.
• Warm-ups. One of the singing warm-ups I've listed above was the "raspberry". Other exercises within this category include humming, or using "ngs" or "zzz's".
• From the top. Another great exercise is sliding down the vocal range from the highest point. Not only does this help with the transition through the break, but helps with lightening the voice when singing higher.

Whew! As you can see, there is a lot a singer must keep in mind when practicing and performing. Once they've got it down, they can really begin to have fun with singing, and incorporate it into other types of performance. It's partly how Broadway stars are born.


Sources:

"Finding Your Voice: The Basics of Singing". Musicianwages.com. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
http://www.musicianwages.com/basics-of-singing-for-non-singers/

"Hitting Those High Notes". Singing Advice. Backstage.com. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/singing/hitting-those-high-notes/

"How to Handle Vocal Breaks". Singing Advice. Backstage.com. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/singing/how-to-handle-vocal-breaks/

"Angela Michael Teaches Others How to Maximize Their Vocal Palette". Singing Advice. Backstage.com. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.
http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/singing/angela-michael-teaches-others-how-to-maximize-their-vocal-palette/

Lights, Camera...

Most people think of theatre in terms of the dramatic elements of a performance: The performers on the stage and whatever is going on in the play. But really, that's only about half of it. What would the performers do without the lights on the stage, or the music to dance or sing to--the things that are essential to them, in aiding them to their cues? And how would the audience be able to see the people on the stage properly, or just be able to enjoy a performance? The technical aspects of theatre are vital to a show's success. Stage crews and technicians work hard to make sure the performers get what they need, so that all goes smoothly on stage. But what does a career in technical theatre look like? Are bigger shows really better to work for?

Well, it depends on what position or type of job a technician would want to do. Although all technical work has some basic elements that apply to all technicians, Big shows and little shows tend to offer different things for different people. If a technician likes to be in charge of things, work alone, or work with many different aspects of theatre technology, then smaller productions would probably be better suited for them. On the other hand, if they are specialized in their work, or like to work as part of a team, then bigger-scale theater might be their thing. Also, in terms of job stability, working as part of a big production tends to be more stable than working as the head technician of a smaller production. So that's another thing to consider.

Basically, a career in technical theatre doesn't really tend to move up any ladder. It all really depends on what the person wants to do. But whatever they do, the importance of their role in creating a theatrical spectacle can't be underestimated.

Here's just a little look into what they do:

(Look at 2:50-4:20; a clip from the musical Les Miserables)

 

 

"Big show, little show--which one's right for you?" Backstage Whispers.

Thestage.co.uk. Web. 9 Sept. 2013.

 

http://www.thestage.co.uk/columns/backstage-whispers/2013/09/big-show-little-show-ones-right/

 

 

Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln-7Rhuy-Gg

This is Ballet

I read an article that I found on PlaybillArts.com that talked about some aspects of ballet that are a bit different now than they were 20 or so years ago. I thought it was fascinating how ballet has changed since that time, and the approach the dancers and their choreographers are taking to it now.

Ballet: A History

Ballet is a classic form of dance that originated during the Renaissance. In the 1800's, ballerinas adopted the basic things that are characteristic of dancers today: they started to dance on pointe--on the toes--and romantic tutus were worn (skirts of tulle fabric that went down to the calves). As ballet grew more and more prominent in Russia as a dance form, they developed a variation of ballet that kept the traditional ways of the dance, but with a few slight tweaks:

"Marius Petipa’s The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, by Petipa and Lev Ivanov, represent classical ballet in its grandest form. The main purpose was to display classical technique — pointe work, high extensions, precision of movement and turn-out (the outward rotation of the legs from the hip)—to the fullest. Complicated sequences that show off demanding steps, leaps and turns were choreographed into the story. The classical tutu, much shorter and stiffer than the romantic tutu, was introduced at this time to reveal a ballerina’s legs and the difficulty of her movements and footwork." (Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre).

Today, Russian ballet is the standard form of classical ballet that is taught in most dance institutions. The other variations of ballet are Neo-classical and contemporary. (There's some good information about ballet at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre website).

Ask a Dancer

 Marina Harss of Playbillarts.com recently interviewed ex-ballerina and now teacher at Ballet Academy East, Cheryl Yeager, and also two young soloists, Isabella Boylston and Yuriko Kajiya.

On being asked about the "dance boom" of the 80's, Yeager said that that was the time to dance, and people would know the dancers. Nowadays, people pretty much only know big dancers if they utilize the social network.When asked about ballet in Japan, Yuriko said that it is growing in popularity, even making it on everyday television. She says that there is actually more of it there, since their government supports it more. Concerning dance technique, Cheryl Yeager says that now too much attention is paid to it, and not enough on personal style. And the Internet now has a huge role in dancers' lives in that they can research different styles instead of necessarily having to be taught all of them. Also, she said that dancers nowadays pay way more attention to diet and health than they did back then. One dancer constantly ate McDonald's while on tour.

All three of these dancers have been trained by the accomplished Irina Kolpakova. As you can see, there are some big differences between dancing now and dancing a generation ago. The world of dance is exciting, and constantly evolving. But ballet is the one staple that will continue to move the hearts of dancers and audiences alike.

Sources:

"ABT: Then and Now". Features: Dance. Playbillarts.com. Web. 7 Aug. 2013.
http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/8789.html

"A Brief History of Ballet". pbt.org. Web.
http://www.pbt.org/community-engagement/brief-history-ballet

"Types and Styles of Ballet". pbt.org. Web.
http://www.pbt.org/community-engagement/types-and-styles-ballet

What's New Today for Matilda

Roald Dahl wrote many books, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox,  James and the Giant Peach, The BFG and Matilda. As a kid, there's a good chance you might have read one or many of his books, as they were and are very popular in children's literature. They are classics, and most of them have been interpreted into movies and plays. I myself was part of the ensemble for the Junior version of the musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in high school. That play based on Roald Dahl's novel is probably the most popular one. But there is one other that has made its mark on the stage--particularly, the Broadway stage.

It's likely you've heard of the 1996 movie Matilda, and maybe you've seen it. But did you know that it's also a current hit on the Broadway stage? Advertisements are everywhere on the Broadway site, and since it's back-to-school season, it's even bigger news. Why?

Well, the story centers around Matilda, a little girl who lives with her awful parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood. Unpleasant and not very smart, they boss and bully her around. But the home is only part of her troubles. Here's where the school part comes in. Every day of the school year, Matilda attends classes while having to be under the tyranny of the ruthless and terrible Miss Trunchbull. Luckily, her class happens to be taught by the sweetest teacher, Miss Honey. Matilda loves books and is extremely intelligent, and armed with her great imagination, she is determined to beat the odds and turn her life into something great.

The musical Matilda made its debut on Broadway on April 11 of this year. It is directed by Matthew Warchus with the score (music composition) by Tim Minchin. Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro all share the role of Matilda; Craig Bierko plays Miss Trunchbull; Jill Paice is the sweet Miss Honey; and Gabriel Ebert and Lesli Margherita play Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood. For being out on Broadway for only a short time, the play already has four Tony Awards: Best Book of a Musical, Best Featured Actor, Best Lighting Design, and Best Scenic Design. And starting this day, two actors--Craig Bierko and Jill Paice-- replace Bertie Carvel and Lauren Ward for the roles of Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey. So that's the big Matilda news for today. (Btw, the person who got the play's Tony Award for Best Featured Actor was Gabriel Ebert, who plays the role of Mr. Wormwood).

I wanted to write about this play this week because, as you know, it's back-to-school for a lot of kids out there. And even though a good number of them probably dread it like Matilda's classmates did, they can always make a point to do as Matilda did and try to make the best out of where they are, and where they're going.



Cites and Sources:

(Gilbert, Ryan. "Maggots, Rejoice! Tony Nominee Craig Bierko and Jill Paice Join the Company of Broadway's Matilda" Broadway.com/buzz. N.p., 3 Sept. 2013. Web. 3 Sept. 2013.)
http://www.broadway.com/buzz/171435/maggots-rejoice-tony-nominee-craig-bierko-and-jill-paice-join-the-company-of-broadways-matilda/

http://www.broadway.com/shows/matilda/

http://www.broadway.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117008/?ref_=sr_1

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001094/bio

The Theatre

What comes to mind when one thinks of theatre? The stage? The lights? Actors in fancy costumes? The drama? Well, sure theatre includes all of that, but it is much more.

There is so much that goes into the various forms of performance art than people might first think. Many professional performers have practiced their talents since they were children. Most ballerinas started taking dance classes at the ripe young age of four or five. Most singers and actors usually find that they enjoy singing and acting at a very young age as well, although in that particular area of theatre people can discover and develop their talents at different times. And it is a long road to becoming a professional dancer, singer or actor. It takes years of training and preparation, especially for dancing. To love the art is to love every little discipline one must endure, the every-day training and the time that is needed to spend on it. The performance itself should be like the icing on the cake.

So, as I've said before, in this blog I intend to explore the various elements of theatrical performance, both onstage and (hopefully) backstage as well.

Intro Post

So...blogging. I've never had a blog before, but I daresay I read enough of them to have a good idea of how to write one...hopefully.

As intimidating as all of this kind of is, I do think this is an interesting way of writing for class--it's better than constantly writing papers and taking tests. Maybe this will even be enjoyable once we've got the hang of it...But I am determined to stay cautiously optimistic.

I was really worried when I found out we had to choose a topic to write about for this whole semester. What to write about? Luckily, we are free to choose whatever topic we want, something that interests us. But as I've said, we can write about anything...So how do I choose? Well, after looking at some of those examples shown to us in class, I finally thought of something. I don't really feel like writing about my intended profession. But I like the arts--a lot. So, while sitting in class, I toyed around with some ideas for artsy topics in my head. It came down to theatre and interior design. I decided I wanted to blog about theatre. It's a good topic, I think, and there's bound to be enough news to speculate about. But, today I thought I could broaden my horizon a little. I would really like to blog about performing arts in general: singing, dancing and drama. So, I think that's what I'll do. Hopefully this will turn out to be a good blog, and I think I've made a good choice as to what topic to write about.