First off, a quick review of my latest adventures:
1) Booked room for my first days in New York. I also already have a ticket to the theater for the day after my arrival. I'm going with Emily.
2) Dentist. Not fun. Two more appointments till the crown is ready.
3) Had last (very productive) singing lesson. Also saw my teacher sing in a concert. Goes without saying, she was awesome. Delivered two Mozarts (lovely, very touching performance of the first one), habanera from Carmen and a Spanish song. Amazing.
4) Explored Alexander technique again. Only 3 sessions (lack of time), but my back needed it. Learned some stuff I can practice on my own.
5) Goodbye party for fellow blogger Natalie, who goes back to Florida. I'm meeting her tomorrow. I also have a dinner meeting with my high school friends that very day. And I might see another teacher today. So, too many goodbyes this week. Knot in stomach, exitement, sadness... weird emotional state.
6) Vacation getting closer. I'll go unwind in the South for the holidays. Sad to say they'll be interupted by a visit to the dentist, but a girl can't have it all.
Brief review of my crazy lifestyle over.
Before I leave you guys, I want to wish the happiest of happy holidays to my readers! And a wonderful, adventure-filled 2011! May the new year be awesome. Cheers!
martes, 21 de diciembre de 2010
sábado, 11 de diciembre de 2010
Help Adler
If any artistic project deserves a grant, that's the Stella Adler Outreach Division. Education is a right, even if in practice it ends up being more of a privilege. By providing quality education to underserved NYC youth for free, the Studio makes its contribution to a more fair world. It also opens new posibilities to the teens that attend, making a positive impact on their lives.
You can find out more about the Outreach Division, their work, and the experiences of their students on their website and blog.
So, if I have convinced you, do take a minute and vote using the widget on the right. Or find the link on the Studio's Facebook page. Vote daily through December and help spread the word!
You can find out more about the Outreach Division, their work, and the experiences of their students on their website and blog.
So, if I have convinced you, do take a minute and vote using the widget on the right. Or find the link on the Studio's Facebook page. Vote daily through December and help spread the word!
viernes, 10 de diciembre de 2010
Where am I now again?
Hhhhmmmm... where to begin? The past few weeks have been, well, intense. To put it in a nutshell, my most recent achievements are: 1) writing a presentation for a scholarship and handing it in, 2) cashing in from my translations and 3) buying my plane ticket. I'm definitely burnt out, but finally things seem to be falling into place. It's all starting to take shape, and boy am I grateful for it. It's defenitely helping my peace of mind.
Now that I'm temporarily away from the burocratic madness, I can go back to my routines and brush up my speech (which I'll show on my first day of class). I can also look for a place to stay. The actual search will of course start once I'm in New York again, but I'm already asking everyone I know if they know someone looking for a roommate.
It's a strange life, being at home for the last weeks. I want to be in the moment as much as I can, and yet I must think about (and plan for) the near future. I squeeze meetings with friends I won't see for months among preparations for January. I also keep in touch with my friends in New York, some of whom give a hand with various things. I try to be around for everyone here, and still my head seems to be partly there already. The most similar thing to being in two places at the same time is probably this.
Now that I'm temporarily away from the burocratic madness, I can go back to my routines and brush up my speech (which I'll show on my first day of class). I can also look for a place to stay. The actual search will of course start once I'm in New York again, but I'm already asking everyone I know if they know someone looking for a roommate.
It's a strange life, being at home for the last weeks. I want to be in the moment as much as I can, and yet I must think about (and plan for) the near future. I squeeze meetings with friends I won't see for months among preparations for January. I also keep in touch with my friends in New York, some of whom give a hand with various things. I try to be around for everyone here, and still my head seems to be partly there already. The most similar thing to being in two places at the same time is probably this.
jueves, 2 de diciembre de 2010
Hey folks!
See the lovely widget floating on the right?
Stella Adler's Outreach Division needs daily votes to qualify for a $50,000 grant from Pespsi. The grant will allow them to continue training low-income teenagers for free :) It's the school's way to making education, in this case in the arts, available to everyone.
Voting is on till December 31! To learn more about the Outreach Division, click here. It takes less than a minute!
Stella Adler's Outreach Division needs daily votes to qualify for a $50,000 grant from Pespsi. The grant will allow them to continue training low-income teenagers for free :) It's the school's way to making education, in this case in the arts, available to everyone.
Voting is on till December 31! To learn more about the Outreach Division, click here. It takes less than a minute!
jueves, 25 de noviembre de 2010
Some Thanksgiving Thoughts
Happy Thanksgiving!!
My country is Catholic, so we don't celebrate it. Nonetheless, I figured that when it comes down to gratefulness, today is as good a day as any.
Lately, my life feels more like a secretary's than like an actress's. All I do most of the time is write emails, write for scholarships, research online, ask questions over the phone... I'm not complaining, but why deny it, moving countries is A LOT of work. And in the midst of the burocratic whirlwind, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the objective, and start wondering why I'm doing it all in the first place.
Luckily, when writing about the school for one of my scholarships, I found a reminder. "The need of a young actor to act is stronger than an intelligent nonprofessional can comprehend. (...) The theatre is different from most other professions because it requires its dedicated practitioners to struggle toward a brutally honest, creative way of life." In so many words, Stella Adler brought me back to my objective. The words wrung so true within me that I was deeply moved. I strongly recommend reading the whole article in the school's About, which you can find here.
So among many other things, I'm grateful for the inspiration, and for having found an artistic home, even if on the other end of the continent. I'm of course grateful for my health, my wonderful and ever supportive friends and family, and for the chance of pursuing a profession I love. Last but not least I'm also very grateful for the success encountered by my loved ones. I could quote many examples, but I'll just leave a shoutout to my sister, who is starting to pursue her own career as an animated film director. You can view her lovely designs here.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
My country is Catholic, so we don't celebrate it. Nonetheless, I figured that when it comes down to gratefulness, today is as good a day as any.
Lately, my life feels more like a secretary's than like an actress's. All I do most of the time is write emails, write for scholarships, research online, ask questions over the phone... I'm not complaining, but why deny it, moving countries is A LOT of work. And in the midst of the burocratic whirlwind, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the objective, and start wondering why I'm doing it all in the first place.
Luckily, when writing about the school for one of my scholarships, I found a reminder. "The need of a young actor to act is stronger than an intelligent nonprofessional can comprehend. (...) The theatre is different from most other professions because it requires its dedicated practitioners to struggle toward a brutally honest, creative way of life." In so many words, Stella Adler brought me back to my objective. The words wrung so true within me that I was deeply moved. I strongly recommend reading the whole article in the school's About, which you can find here.
So among many other things, I'm grateful for the inspiration, and for having found an artistic home, even if on the other end of the continent. I'm of course grateful for my health, my wonderful and ever supportive friends and family, and for the chance of pursuing a profession I love. Last but not least I'm also very grateful for the success encountered by my loved ones. I could quote many examples, but I'll just leave a shoutout to my sister, who is starting to pursue her own career as an animated film director. You can view her lovely designs here.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
sábado, 13 de noviembre de 2010
The travel photographer
My much loved friend and former classmate Emily published some pics I took during my travels in her lovely blog, Travel and Toil. To have a look, and get to know her cool blog, click here! Enjoy, and have a great weekend everyone!
miércoles, 3 de noviembre de 2010
Bonus!
Tigre, Province of Buenos Aires. The building used to be a hotel and is now a fine arts museum. If there is one thing I love about my country, is how the sky is so BLUE. This is what it looked like last Sunday.
viernes, 1 de octubre de 2010
Results
It's been a very busy week in my survival job- but I have results to report!
Firstly, I finished my singing teacher hunt. I found a working singer who teaches affordable lessons only 10 blocks from home. She is experienced, well trained, and teaches a modern technique that will come very handy for my acting too. Ever noticed how opera singers are now good actors too, and move about the stage (and even dance or do other physically demanding actions) as opposed to standing motionless and delivering the song? Well, that's her approach. Plus, her criteria is very much in line with that of my voice teacher at Adler, so it will be enormously helpful in preparing me for next year.
Secondly, last Saturday I tried my hand at teaching voice for the first time. Here's how it happened: when I returned from Adler, I met up with a former acting teacher who was curious about what I had learned there. I proudly told her my adventures, with particular emphasis in my discoveries in voice and speech. She then went on to offer me the chance of teaching her students one class. Needless to say, I accepted. I visited her class to see her students working (most of them are former classmates). I prepared my class, and taught it last Saturday.
It was scary at first, but I held my own, managed to convey most of what I wanted to, and ended up being treated like an expert by my former classmates. Seeing their change of perception of me was certainly interesting. Moreover, teaching helped me assess what I know, and become aware of what I need to improve. I managed to make corrections and answer everything I was asked, and arrived at the conclusion that I'll be a good voice teacher when I know 3 times more than what I know now. It motivated me to study more music and practice my vocal warm-ups. Needless to say, being in class in a different role helped me understand and appreciate my teachers even more. Tomorrow I have to teach my last lesson (yeah, don't ask me how it happened, but one lesson became two).
Other than that, I had to turn down auditions due to conflicts with my trip. What they say is true, as soon as you book a trip auditions start appearing out of the blue.
My life is basically upside down. There are many unanswered questions regarding how I'll make my trip happen. I'm exhausted but I have to keep going. There are many challenges to be faced, and I'm thrilled to have to face them. I'm proud of my growth and independence. And I can confidently promise that there are many more adventures to come.
Firstly, I finished my singing teacher hunt. I found a working singer who teaches affordable lessons only 10 blocks from home. She is experienced, well trained, and teaches a modern technique that will come very handy for my acting too. Ever noticed how opera singers are now good actors too, and move about the stage (and even dance or do other physically demanding actions) as opposed to standing motionless and delivering the song? Well, that's her approach. Plus, her criteria is very much in line with that of my voice teacher at Adler, so it will be enormously helpful in preparing me for next year.
Secondly, last Saturday I tried my hand at teaching voice for the first time. Here's how it happened: when I returned from Adler, I met up with a former acting teacher who was curious about what I had learned there. I proudly told her my adventures, with particular emphasis in my discoveries in voice and speech. She then went on to offer me the chance of teaching her students one class. Needless to say, I accepted. I visited her class to see her students working (most of them are former classmates). I prepared my class, and taught it last Saturday.
It was scary at first, but I held my own, managed to convey most of what I wanted to, and ended up being treated like an expert by my former classmates. Seeing their change of perception of me was certainly interesting. Moreover, teaching helped me assess what I know, and become aware of what I need to improve. I managed to make corrections and answer everything I was asked, and arrived at the conclusion that I'll be a good voice teacher when I know 3 times more than what I know now. It motivated me to study more music and practice my vocal warm-ups. Needless to say, being in class in a different role helped me understand and appreciate my teachers even more. Tomorrow I have to teach my last lesson (yeah, don't ask me how it happened, but one lesson became two).
Other than that, I had to turn down auditions due to conflicts with my trip. What they say is true, as soon as you book a trip auditions start appearing out of the blue.
My life is basically upside down. There are many unanswered questions regarding how I'll make my trip happen. I'm exhausted but I have to keep going. There are many challenges to be faced, and I'm thrilled to have to face them. I'm proud of my growth and independence. And I can confidently promise that there are many more adventures to come.
lunes, 20 de septiembre de 2010
The hunt is ON
First things first: I know I have new readers, so, whether you follow this blog regularly, drop by occasionally or just arrived here by chance, welcome! I'm very happy to have you. And for my "old" readers, thanks for sticking around, I'm very happy to have you also.
So, now to business: The hunt is ON. The hunt for what, you'll be wondering. Answer: I'm looking for a new singing teacher. I know some will think this is insanity, since not so long ago I was happy with the one I had, and anyway I'll be back in New York sooner than not. To cut a very long story short, I'll say that, before going to Adler, I was beginning to feel disatisfied (and even frustrated) with my classes. And voice classes at Adler were simply a revelation for me. I regained my motivation, discovered new possiblities, boosted my self-confidence, fell in love with voice work once again... so, why would I want my old classes back?
Hence, I asked recommendations from every singer/regie/musical person I know. I researched online. I made a few phone calls. Tomorrow I'm meeting one teacher, and another next week. I have two other possibilities I'm not so wild about, but may still resort to.
Anyway, I'm amazed by how, even in a city as musical as Buenos Aires (home to the famed Colón theatre), once I got very specific as to my goals and needs, my options narrowed enormously. Some teachers I felt taught way to many things (and we all know what the say about Jack of all Trades). Some didn't look professional enough. Others I discarded after hearing on the phone (sounded like the same type of teacher I used to have). But, if this is the corollary to my feeling empowered, knowledgeable and self-confident, so be it. I should say that, when I find the perfect match, my growth is going to be exponential.
So, now to business: The hunt is ON. The hunt for what, you'll be wondering. Answer: I'm looking for a new singing teacher. I know some will think this is insanity, since not so long ago I was happy with the one I had, and anyway I'll be back in New York sooner than not. To cut a very long story short, I'll say that, before going to Adler, I was beginning to feel disatisfied (and even frustrated) with my classes. And voice classes at Adler were simply a revelation for me. I regained my motivation, discovered new possiblities, boosted my self-confidence, fell in love with voice work once again... so, why would I want my old classes back?
Hence, I asked recommendations from every singer/regie/musical person I know. I researched online. I made a few phone calls. Tomorrow I'm meeting one teacher, and another next week. I have two other possibilities I'm not so wild about, but may still resort to.
Anyway, I'm amazed by how, even in a city as musical as Buenos Aires (home to the famed Colón theatre), once I got very specific as to my goals and needs, my options narrowed enormously. Some teachers I felt taught way to many things (and we all know what the say about Jack of all Trades). Some didn't look professional enough. Others I discarded after hearing on the phone (sounded like the same type of teacher I used to have). But, if this is the corollary to my feeling empowered, knowledgeable and self-confident, so be it. I should say that, when I find the perfect match, my growth is going to be exponential.
jueves, 9 de septiembre de 2010
Positive
Today I spent stressful hours filling forms for my new visa, and then went to the dentist only to find out that that old root canal thing I had a few months ago was badly done, and I might end up needing surgery. However, I also decided to review my notes from the Chekhov intensive. My God where those classes good! Looking at them, I could hardly believe that I was actually lucky enough to be there. And, regardless of whether or not I go back, being accepted into the conservatory is such a huge thing. I feel as though I'd won an award.
Those notes were the fuel I needed not to lose heart and keep working to make it happen. Positive thinking (coupled with actual action) brings positive results.
Those notes were the fuel I needed not to lose heart and keep working to make it happen. Positive thinking (coupled with actual action) brings positive results.
jueves, 2 de septiembre de 2010
Transition
I'm begining to fear that this blog will become a bore. All I've been doing lately is making enquiries regarding my new visa and scholarships and ways of funding my studies. This is keeping me very busy.
Other than that, I've been catching up with the friends I haven't seen in the past two months, and staying in touch with the new friends I made in NYC.
I have a new obsession (or rather, an old obsession has gained new vigor): voice and speech. Yes! My classes at Stella have been so wonderful, that now I feel super motivated and practice my exercises every day. I feel self confident and happy about my voice work. Actually, I'm now in the search of a new singing teacher, since I confirmed that lately I wasn't agreeing with my previous one. I'm also planning to learn to read at first sight. I feel so inspired.
I don't wanna say much yet, but I'll have more updates regarding voice real soon. I'm applying all my creativity in order to make in to New York next year. I still don't know how I'm gonna manage, but I know I will. See you soon again NYC...
Other than that, I've been catching up with the friends I haven't seen in the past two months, and staying in touch with the new friends I made in NYC.
I have a new obsession (or rather, an old obsession has gained new vigor): voice and speech. Yes! My classes at Stella have been so wonderful, that now I feel super motivated and practice my exercises every day. I feel self confident and happy about my voice work. Actually, I'm now in the search of a new singing teacher, since I confirmed that lately I wasn't agreeing with my previous one. I'm also planning to learn to read at first sight. I feel so inspired.
I don't wanna say much yet, but I'll have more updates regarding voice real soon. I'm applying all my creativity in order to make in to New York next year. I still don't know how I'm gonna manage, but I know I will. See you soon again NYC...
lunes, 23 de agosto de 2010
Back in Buenos Aires
Dear Readers,
Whatever happened to my discipline? Once again, it took me an age to write. The past weeks have been busy indeed! Not only has my schedule been insane, it was also like living in an emotional rollercoaster.
My last week at Adler was pretty successful in terms of my lessons. Actually, after some good work at a scene I was having trouble with, my teacher came over to shake my hand- I felt so PROUD. My audition went well too, and actually, the day after I got back to Argentina, I received an invitation to join the Evening Conservatory at Stella in 2011. I felt happier than I can say.
Right now, I'm once again thinking about visas, but also about scholarships, grants, and, in other words, anything that could finance my trip. I'm also trying to rest since I'm still exhausted.
Being at Adler for two months has been a true blessing. In class, I met actors from all over the world. The faculty was incredible too. And above all, I'm moved at how welcoming and supportive of me they all were. And by the fact that they want me back. I still don't know how I'll manage, but I have to make it there again in January.
Whatever happened to my discipline? Once again, it took me an age to write. The past weeks have been busy indeed! Not only has my schedule been insane, it was also like living in an emotional rollercoaster.
My last week at Adler was pretty successful in terms of my lessons. Actually, after some good work at a scene I was having trouble with, my teacher came over to shake my hand- I felt so PROUD. My audition went well too, and actually, the day after I got back to Argentina, I received an invitation to join the Evening Conservatory at Stella in 2011. I felt happier than I can say.
Right now, I'm once again thinking about visas, but also about scholarships, grants, and, in other words, anything that could finance my trip. I'm also trying to rest since I'm still exhausted.
Being at Adler for two months has been a true blessing. In class, I met actors from all over the world. The faculty was incredible too. And above all, I'm moved at how welcoming and supportive of me they all were. And by the fact that they want me back. I still don't know how I'll manage, but I have to make it there again in January.
domingo, 1 de agosto de 2010
In the blogosphere again
Hey! Do you guys remember me? It's been a while, huh? I seriously meant to write, but the past weeks have been somewhat complicated, what with flying to Argentina for the weekend and such...
I survived though. And I'm still profitting from my classes at Stella, and getting to know my awesome classmates and teachers better. I'm learning so much and having a wonderful time! So much so, that before this adventure comes to a close, I'm already planning the next one: I'm applying for the Conservatory here at Adler. If I were accepted and found finance for this new manifestation of my madness, I would move to NYC for the next 2 years, starting on January 2011. It's still a far fetched possibility, but it sounds pretty good, huh?
So, in practical terms, this means that aside from my new Chekhov scene, I'm preparing 2 new audition speeches (one Shakespeare, one Tennessee Williams)... for asap. I love both of them, and they both resonate with me, so I know I can do a good job. So my last 2 weeks here in NYC (can't believe my trip is almost over) will find me EXTRA busy.
On a different note, I can't quite express my gratefulness to my classmates and teachers for making my time at Adler so productive, inspiring, and fun, and for making me feel so welcome. And even when there's lots of people in Argentina I'm dying to see, I'm gonna have trouble taking the plane back!
I survived though. And I'm still profitting from my classes at Stella, and getting to know my awesome classmates and teachers better. I'm learning so much and having a wonderful time! So much so, that before this adventure comes to a close, I'm already planning the next one: I'm applying for the Conservatory here at Adler. If I were accepted and found finance for this new manifestation of my madness, I would move to NYC for the next 2 years, starting on January 2011. It's still a far fetched possibility, but it sounds pretty good, huh?
So, in practical terms, this means that aside from my new Chekhov scene, I'm preparing 2 new audition speeches (one Shakespeare, one Tennessee Williams)... for asap. I love both of them, and they both resonate with me, so I know I can do a good job. So my last 2 weeks here in NYC (can't believe my trip is almost over) will find me EXTRA busy.
On a different note, I can't quite express my gratefulness to my classmates and teachers for making my time at Adler so productive, inspiring, and fun, and for making me feel so welcome. And even when there's lots of people in Argentina I'm dying to see, I'm gonna have trouble taking the plane back!
jueves, 15 de julio de 2010
Chekhovland
Hello all!
My first week at the Chekhov intensive has already gone by, and I must say, I'm really, really happy. The group I'm in is really interesting because there's people from all over the world, so one of the things I like the most is the chance to enrich myself by meeting actors from different cultures.
Another thing I'm loving about this workshop is that we are really doing a thorough investigation of the context in which Chekhov's plays take place. Also, all the classes seem to be perfectly articulated so that they complement one another.
The Williams monologue went well. I was nervous but I managed to take my time and be in the moment, so it must have been good. And today, I read my first scene, and I had so much fun. I'm playing Natasha from The Three Sisters. I'm feeling optimistic about it. The scene is a bit of a strech for me, because I never get to play characters that are considered vulgar. I tend to play classier, better behaved characters. So it is a nice change.
Tomorrow night I'm flying to BA for the weekend, due to a family issue. However, I'll be back on Monday, ready to go on with my classes!!
My first week at the Chekhov intensive has already gone by, and I must say, I'm really, really happy. The group I'm in is really interesting because there's people from all over the world, so one of the things I like the most is the chance to enrich myself by meeting actors from different cultures.
Another thing I'm loving about this workshop is that we are really doing a thorough investigation of the context in which Chekhov's plays take place. Also, all the classes seem to be perfectly articulated so that they complement one another.
The Williams monologue went well. I was nervous but I managed to take my time and be in the moment, so it must have been good. And today, I read my first scene, and I had so much fun. I'm playing Natasha from The Three Sisters. I'm feeling optimistic about it. The scene is a bit of a strech for me, because I never get to play characters that are considered vulgar. I tend to play classier, better behaved characters. So it is a nice change.
Tomorrow night I'm flying to BA for the weekend, due to a family issue. However, I'll be back on Monday, ready to go on with my classes!!
domingo, 11 de julio de 2010
Tomorrow!
The Chekhov Intensive begins... well yes, exactly when the title indicates! I'm so excited!! I don't know anything so far, except that I'll have to do my Williams speech again. I'm a bit nervous. But I went through it yesterday and today and it works fine, so I should do all right.
A few updates on the past week: On Thursday I saw The Winter's Tale at the Delacorte theatre. The play was really good, very well acted. I liked Marianne Jean Baptiste in particular (she plays Paulina). Seeing the play in the midst of the park is really beautifil, particullarly the way the light changes as it gets darker. And being able to see such a wonderful play with an awesome cast for free is indeed a privilege. Those who can, by all means go!
Yesterday I did a scene from Knocked Up. It was FUN!
A few updates on the past week: On Thursday I saw The Winter's Tale at the Delacorte theatre. The play was really good, very well acted. I liked Marianne Jean Baptiste in particular (she plays Paulina). Seeing the play in the midst of the park is really beautifil, particullarly the way the light changes as it gets darker. And being able to see such a wonderful play with an awesome cast for free is indeed a privilege. Those who can, by all means go!
Yesterday I did a scene from Knocked Up. It was FUN!
miércoles, 7 de julio de 2010
What are you made of?
I've meant to write before, but I didn't because... insert list of valid excuses here. I'm sure you're not interested, so let's get down to what counts, shall we?
I'm philosophical today... When you spend time on your own, as I am doing now, getting down to thinking is inevitable. Almost a month has gone by since I arrived (time flyies), so it makes sense to draw some conclusions.
If this trip has done anything for me, is make me see who I am. When you have to make desitions on your own every day, you discover (or confirm) differnt aspects of your personality. To anyone wanting to know what they are made of, I suggest that they pack their stuff and take a plane (or bus) somewhere. You don't need to do like I did and go to the opposite end of the continent. But the fact of starting a new life somewhere, even if only for a short while, will certainly be illuminating. Scary? Sometimes. Exciting? Always.
I'm learning and growing up all the time. I'm proud of me, because I've come this far. I'm also very greatful for how people are accepting me here. If NYC is not the most foreigner friendly city on Earth, it's certainly in the top 10. So far, everywhere I've been I've always felt welcome. The difference is that here people don't treat you like a guest. So that really helps make me feel home.
On a different note, I'm a very proud big sister today, because my sibling had her last class and is now only a thesis away from graduating as an animated film director. I saw a still of one of her shorts, and it looks so professional. Congrats, kiddo!!
I'm philosophical today... When you spend time on your own, as I am doing now, getting down to thinking is inevitable. Almost a month has gone by since I arrived (time flyies), so it makes sense to draw some conclusions.
If this trip has done anything for me, is make me see who I am. When you have to make desitions on your own every day, you discover (or confirm) differnt aspects of your personality. To anyone wanting to know what they are made of, I suggest that they pack their stuff and take a plane (or bus) somewhere. You don't need to do like I did and go to the opposite end of the continent. But the fact of starting a new life somewhere, even if only for a short while, will certainly be illuminating. Scary? Sometimes. Exciting? Always.
I'm learning and growing up all the time. I'm proud of me, because I've come this far. I'm also very greatful for how people are accepting me here. If NYC is not the most foreigner friendly city on Earth, it's certainly in the top 10. So far, everywhere I've been I've always felt welcome. The difference is that here people don't treat you like a guest. So that really helps make me feel home.
On a different note, I'm a very proud big sister today, because my sibling had her last class and is now only a thesis away from graduating as an animated film director. I saw a still of one of her shorts, and it looks so professional. Congrats, kiddo!!
martes, 29 de junio de 2010
Acting, lots of books, and the Doctor
Today I decided to face facts and go to the Doctor again. The ankle certainly is better, but it is still swollen and I can't use the ankle brace anymore because now that it's hotter I sweat more so it gives me a rash. Corollary: now I have a pill for after lunch. The bump should be completely gone by next week.
The doctor who saw me was the same from last time, so it's almost like I have a doctor in NYC. Don't you totally belong somewhere if you have a doctor there?
Health issues aside, on Saturday we acted in class for the first time. I got a scene as a 17 year old (hahahahaha!!!!) upper middle class girl who was hanging out with her friends before school. We shot it in a small square close to the Studio, and it was fun! And, for all the room for improvement, it really looks good. And also I got to know 3 of my classmates better.
On Sunday I had a consultation meeting for some coaching I'll very likely do. It went really well, so I'm looking forward to it. And then I watched the match against Mexico. It's the first one I watch, and it was a great game. Oh, and I also went to the MET in the morning.
I've also been buying way too many books. Ok, some of them are for my sister. But even putting those aside, I still have a huge reading pile. That is so typical of me. But, like I told my Mum on the phone today, I'm gonna read all that and learn a lot. Which, like she pointed out, is no news since that's I'm always doing. I got books on Stella, on self-management, on acting Shakespeare, and a few plays... So I'm getting down to my own intensive reading program.
So far, this trip is proving highly productive. Can't wait for the Chekhov intensive to begin. A great week to you all!!
The doctor who saw me was the same from last time, so it's almost like I have a doctor in NYC. Don't you totally belong somewhere if you have a doctor there?
Health issues aside, on Saturday we acted in class for the first time. I got a scene as a 17 year old (hahahahaha!!!!) upper middle class girl who was hanging out with her friends before school. We shot it in a small square close to the Studio, and it was fun! And, for all the room for improvement, it really looks good. And also I got to know 3 of my classmates better.
On Sunday I had a consultation meeting for some coaching I'll very likely do. It went really well, so I'm looking forward to it. And then I watched the match against Mexico. It's the first one I watch, and it was a great game. Oh, and I also went to the MET in the morning.
I've also been buying way too many books. Ok, some of them are for my sister. But even putting those aside, I still have a huge reading pile. That is so typical of me. But, like I told my Mum on the phone today, I'm gonna read all that and learn a lot. Which, like she pointed out, is no news since that's I'm always doing. I got books on Stella, on self-management, on acting Shakespeare, and a few plays... So I'm getting down to my own intensive reading program.
So far, this trip is proving highly productive. Can't wait for the Chekhov intensive to begin. A great week to you all!!
viernes, 25 de junio de 2010
Period of adjustment
I spent most of the last few days becoming familiar with my new neighbourhood, running errands and such. I also rested my foot; the lump is colourless almost gone by now (Note that I said almost. That should give you an idea of how big it was.). I've been to the Neue Gallery, which is the only museum I could see so far. Needless to say, I loved it. And today, I'm going to MOMA.
That said, I'm getting a bit tired of my pseudo hollidays. Don't get me wrong, I love sight seeing and I could wander aimlessly through New York for the rest of my life. But the truth is, I want to get down to work. Or to study. I've already had my summer hollidays in December/January (southern hemisphere summer), I already rested from the frenzy of getting ready to come here... But my wish will be granted soon: tomorrow I have acting for the screen, the day after I have a meeting for some career coaching, and anyway, it's not like the Chekhov intensive is so far away in time either. I'm ready for the action!!!!
That said, I'm getting a bit tired of my pseudo hollidays. Don't get me wrong, I love sight seeing and I could wander aimlessly through New York for the rest of my life. But the truth is, I want to get down to work. Or to study. I've already had my summer hollidays in December/January (southern hemisphere summer), I already rested from the frenzy of getting ready to come here... But my wish will be granted soon: tomorrow I have acting for the screen, the day after I have a meeting for some career coaching, and anyway, it's not like the Chekhov intensive is so far away in time either. I'm ready for the action!!!!
martes, 22 de junio de 2010
Long Way Go Down
I went to the play, and I must say, it is really, really good!! It is living proof that serious social issues can be treated comically, without compromising the message. Hilarious and shocking at times, the play is very well performed by the four actors, who convey an ample range of emotions and present characters with multiple layers. The characters are deeply flawed, and yet lovable; perhaps all the more because of their obvious imperfections. The play has good rythm, and the mise-en- scéne is interesting too.
The play deals with issues such as illegal immigration, racism, cultural differences, love, and loyalty, among others. The story is surprising, somewhat absurd at times, ironical, violent, and yet somehow, in the end, you feel good about it. Amusing and thought provoking don't necessarily go hand in hand, but in this case, they do.
There are only four performances left, so, to those who can, I strongly recommend that you see it. Tickets cost $18, which as far as I know is pretty accessible for NYC. This is the first time I go to the theatre in this city, and I'm more than satisfied. Would see again!
Visit the studio's website to learn more about the play (www.stellaadler.com).
The play deals with issues such as illegal immigration, racism, cultural differences, love, and loyalty, among others. The story is surprising, somewhat absurd at times, ironical, violent, and yet somehow, in the end, you feel good about it. Amusing and thought provoking don't necessarily go hand in hand, but in this case, they do.
There are only four performances left, so, to those who can, I strongly recommend that you see it. Tickets cost $18, which as far as I know is pretty accessible for NYC. This is the first time I go to the theatre in this city, and I'm more than satisfied. Would see again!
Visit the studio's website to learn more about the play (www.stellaadler.com).
lunes, 21 de junio de 2010
Two important things have happened this weekend: 1) I had my first class and 2) I moved away from the hostel into an appartment, where I'll live for the rest of my stay.
Class. Wow! I can't even remember the last time I'd been so inspired by hearing a teacher speak. Or when a class (even an only theoretical one) had been that good. Plus, my on-camera class will teach me exactly what I need to learn! Each class, will show up and be given a scene, which we'll prepare on the spot! Each week, we get a different scene and a different partner. By the end of the course, we can get the scenes if we ask for them.
As for the apt, it is lovely and luminous, and it's only 13 blocks away from the Studio. I had to go up 4 flights of steps with my suitcase (and a lousy foot), but it wasn't that terrible, and now that I'm here, it does seem like a brilliant choice. The apt is beautifully decorated and homey, and, so far, my roomate's been really nice.
I'm going to the theatre today. I got a free ticket to a play, so I definitely want to take advantage of it and see the NYC theatre scene! Will recommend if good. A great week to you all!!
Class. Wow! I can't even remember the last time I'd been so inspired by hearing a teacher speak. Or when a class (even an only theoretical one) had been that good. Plus, my on-camera class will teach me exactly what I need to learn! Each class, will show up and be given a scene, which we'll prepare on the spot! Each week, we get a different scene and a different partner. By the end of the course, we can get the scenes if we ask for them.
As for the apt, it is lovely and luminous, and it's only 13 blocks away from the Studio. I had to go up 4 flights of steps with my suitcase (and a lousy foot), but it wasn't that terrible, and now that I'm here, it does seem like a brilliant choice. The apt is beautifully decorated and homey, and, so far, my roomate's been really nice.
I'm going to the theatre today. I got a free ticket to a play, so I definitely want to take advantage of it and see the NYC theatre scene! Will recommend if good. A great week to you all!!
jueves, 17 de junio de 2010
A week in NYC
Happy one week anniversary, New York City! Each day that goes by, I'm less distrustive and more in love.
So what have I been doing this past week? Basically, walking a lot to get to know the neighbouhoods well; and appartment hunting. I almost have a place to stay in a very cool area.
I met a friend of my friend Natalie yesterday, which was a bit of a relief because, so far, the only familiar face I'd seen was that of Jean Reno, and I can't claim the acquaintance.
My first class at Stella Adler is on Saturday.
I'm a regular (fake) New Yorker by now. I've already run all sorts of errands, been to the post office, and even to the doctor... Yep, yesterday I had this stupid accident: a lady and I bumped into each other. She was carrying a small suitcase and I somehow tripped over it. I didn't fall, but I gave a bit of a jump and landed somewhat awkwardly. The result: a pretty big lump on my right ankle. I had it x-rayed today, but the bones are fine. I have to wear an ankle brace, and the thing will be back to normal in around a week.
I'm eating all sorts of healthy things, particularly red fruits, so I'm gonna be super antioxidated. I already look some 5 years younger than my actual age, so I'm wondering if I'll look like a child now. Anyway, it's funny that here food is either super organic, colorant free, etc, or downright full of oil and potentially stomach-destroying. I haven't found anything in between yet.
I also noticed that I'm really small. Ok, I had remarked on that before. But here, where women are generally a bit taller (and consequently, bigger), I look smaller still. Not like I have a problem with that, but whenever I try on cloths, I notice.
So far, I find NYC super confortable. New Yorkers are polite, really calm and even laid back, which suits me perfectly because, Latin though I am, I'm super laid back myself. For some reason, I feel as though I'd been here forever, but in a good way. And at the same time, the city just won't stop surprising me.
So what have I been doing this past week? Basically, walking a lot to get to know the neighbouhoods well; and appartment hunting. I almost have a place to stay in a very cool area.
I met a friend of my friend Natalie yesterday, which was a bit of a relief because, so far, the only familiar face I'd seen was that of Jean Reno, and I can't claim the acquaintance.
My first class at Stella Adler is on Saturday.
I'm a regular (fake) New Yorker by now. I've already run all sorts of errands, been to the post office, and even to the doctor... Yep, yesterday I had this stupid accident: a lady and I bumped into each other. She was carrying a small suitcase and I somehow tripped over it. I didn't fall, but I gave a bit of a jump and landed somewhat awkwardly. The result: a pretty big lump on my right ankle. I had it x-rayed today, but the bones are fine. I have to wear an ankle brace, and the thing will be back to normal in around a week.
I'm eating all sorts of healthy things, particularly red fruits, so I'm gonna be super antioxidated. I already look some 5 years younger than my actual age, so I'm wondering if I'll look like a child now. Anyway, it's funny that here food is either super organic, colorant free, etc, or downright full of oil and potentially stomach-destroying. I haven't found anything in between yet.
I also noticed that I'm really small. Ok, I had remarked on that before. But here, where women are generally a bit taller (and consequently, bigger), I look smaller still. Not like I have a problem with that, but whenever I try on cloths, I notice.
So far, I find NYC super confortable. New Yorkers are polite, really calm and even laid back, which suits me perfectly because, Latin though I am, I'm super laid back myself. For some reason, I feel as though I'd been here forever, but in a good way. And at the same time, the city just won't stop surprising me.
jueves, 10 de junio de 2010
It's a small world after all
Finally, it happened: I'm in New York!!
The flight lasted 10 hours. Clearing customs took 1 hour, and finally getting to the hostel, about 2 more. Guess what? Check in started at 2 p.m., so since I arrived at 10 a.m., I had plenty of time to kill.
I was a bit stressed at first, because after a practically sleepless night due to turbulence, I knew I needed to sleep, rather than wander around an unknown city. Therefore, I applied a maybe excessive amount of caution when I left the hostel. I simply took the road the shuttle had taken, and headed towards Columbus Circle. However, I soon realized that getting around here is really easy, and relaxed.
Oh, and guess what? When I was in the shuttle, reaching New York in some really low trafic, I saw a van painted with the Argentine flag, which said "Go World Champions 1986"! And the first statue I saw on Central Park was... José de San Martín's! What? I actually looked twice, certain that I had made a mistake. But indeed I hadn't, and the equestrian statue was that of my country's most important national hero. I was immediately overcome by a wave of patriotism, and seeing the unexpected familiar symbol was quite moving.
I later found out that the statue was a present from the city of Buenos Aires to the City of New York, made in 1950. Close by are the statues of Latin American independence heroes José Martí and Simón Bolívar.
Isn't it crazy to literally cross a continent, only to stumble upon something so familiar? Oh, and by the way, everyone speaks Spanish here. I spoke both languages in almost equal amounts. Polyglot at large...
The flight lasted 10 hours. Clearing customs took 1 hour, and finally getting to the hostel, about 2 more. Guess what? Check in started at 2 p.m., so since I arrived at 10 a.m., I had plenty of time to kill.
I was a bit stressed at first, because after a practically sleepless night due to turbulence, I knew I needed to sleep, rather than wander around an unknown city. Therefore, I applied a maybe excessive amount of caution when I left the hostel. I simply took the road the shuttle had taken, and headed towards Columbus Circle. However, I soon realized that getting around here is really easy, and relaxed.
Oh, and guess what? When I was in the shuttle, reaching New York in some really low trafic, I saw a van painted with the Argentine flag, which said "Go World Champions 1986"! And the first statue I saw on Central Park was... José de San Martín's! What? I actually looked twice, certain that I had made a mistake. But indeed I hadn't, and the equestrian statue was that of my country's most important national hero. I was immediately overcome by a wave of patriotism, and seeing the unexpected familiar symbol was quite moving.
I later found out that the statue was a present from the city of Buenos Aires to the City of New York, made in 1950. Close by are the statues of Latin American independence heroes José Martí and Simón Bolívar.
Isn't it crazy to literally cross a continent, only to stumble upon something so familiar? Oh, and by the way, everyone speaks Spanish here. I spoke both languages in almost equal amounts. Polyglot at large...
miércoles, 9 de junio de 2010
Flying away
Guess where I'm blogging from? Yep, Ezeiza international airport. While my compatriots take photos with the Argentine flag, in one of the many World Cup fever demonstrations currently taking place, I kill time before my flight leaves for NYC.
I'm actually going to miss the whole World Cup craze, since as far as I know people aren't that mad about soccer in the USA. I'll be so busy with my NYC life, that in terms of what will be going on here in Buenos Aires, it'll be as though I'd gone to a parallel dimension.
As I drink my shake surrounded by my family, I can't help thinking that the imaginary New York will soon be replaced by the real one. Is NYC really the city that never sleeps? Can you make it anywhere if you make it there? I'm bound to find out soon. Next post from New York City!
I'm actually going to miss the whole World Cup craze, since as far as I know people aren't that mad about soccer in the USA. I'll be so busy with my NYC life, that in terms of what will be going on here in Buenos Aires, it'll be as though I'd gone to a parallel dimension.
As I drink my shake surrounded by my family, I can't help thinking that the imaginary New York will soon be replaced by the real one. Is NYC really the city that never sleeps? Can you make it anywhere if you make it there? I'm bound to find out soon. Next post from New York City!
lunes, 7 de junio de 2010
Packing
At last! I'm only 2 days away from my flight.
I'm packing.
I'm doing last mintue errands.
I'm not going crazy (but excitement is on the rise).
I'm constantly trying to remember what else I have to do (and the to do list never seems to end).
New York is so close I can almost touch it. I know the places I'll be seeing. The lenght of the subway ride from my lodgings to Adler. I have a whole bunch of virtual NYC acquaintances thanks to the awesome Natalie Kristine (thx Natalie!!). All this doesn't change the fact that I'm going to the unknown. And that I'm leaving everything and everyone behind. But change is good. I'm sure this trip with add a lot to my growth, both as an artist and as a human beign. I'm ready to board the plane.
I'm packing.
I'm doing last mintue errands.
I'm not going crazy (but excitement is on the rise).
I'm constantly trying to remember what else I have to do (and the to do list never seems to end).
New York is so close I can almost touch it. I know the places I'll be seeing. The lenght of the subway ride from my lodgings to Adler. I have a whole bunch of virtual NYC acquaintances thanks to the awesome Natalie Kristine (thx Natalie!!). All this doesn't change the fact that I'm going to the unknown. And that I'm leaving everything and everyone behind. But change is good. I'm sure this trip with add a lot to my growth, both as an artist and as a human beign. I'm ready to board the plane.
jueves, 3 de junio de 2010
Look at this campaign
This is a campaign I heard about today, for American girls to help teenage girls in developing countries have access to education, health, and participation in their communities. Access to these oportunities will have a direct impact on their lives, and indirectly, in those of their families and communities.With almost half of 1.2 billion young people being adolescent girls, most of whom grow up in developing countries, the importance of granting those girls a future becomes evident. I'd love to participate in this campaign, but apparently only the US can. Will find out. However, those who qualify can learn more by visiting the website or clicking here.
martes, 1 de junio de 2010
Trip frenzy
I'm not ashamed to admit that I had totally underestimated the effort organizing this trip would take. I had previously organized a few trips, including my 15 days in Europe... but there was no way I could have forseen the amount of work I ended up doing this time. In what refers to accomodation, for instance, I must have changed plans at least a dozen times.
However, now that things have started to fall into place (or not, depending on the perspective you choose), I feel a strange relaxation. It often happens to me that, when I really stress out over something, I eventually reach a point where I can't worry about it any more. That happens regardless of whether I found a solution. I remember feeling super calm at exams while everyone surrounding me was possesed by a nervous frenzy, checking notes and asking last minute questions. I seem to have reached that yogi state of mind now.
My plane ticket is bought. I know where I'll stay the first week (and possibly have something for the rest of my stay too). I even know how to go from the airport to the hostel, and from the hostel to Adler as well. I also know I'll go to Washington D.C. at some yet to be defined time. So there's certainty and uncertainty.
Now, all that's left for me to do is get health insurance and pack. Tomorrow I'll be exactly one week away from taking that plane. Breathe...
However, now that things have started to fall into place (or not, depending on the perspective you choose), I feel a strange relaxation. It often happens to me that, when I really stress out over something, I eventually reach a point where I can't worry about it any more. That happens regardless of whether I found a solution. I remember feeling super calm at exams while everyone surrounding me was possesed by a nervous frenzy, checking notes and asking last minute questions. I seem to have reached that yogi state of mind now.
My plane ticket is bought. I know where I'll stay the first week (and possibly have something for the rest of my stay too). I even know how to go from the airport to the hostel, and from the hostel to Adler as well. I also know I'll go to Washington D.C. at some yet to be defined time. So there's certainty and uncertainty.
Now, all that's left for me to do is get health insurance and pack. Tomorrow I'll be exactly one week away from taking that plane. Breathe...
domingo, 23 de mayo de 2010
Almost there
Yesterday I ticked an item off my to do list when I bought my plane ticket in the morning. I love it when dreams become tangible! Yep, they actually gave me a physical plane ticket... I can't believe it, but in my country American Airlines has no web check in. Strange... but who cares? I have a plane ticket, yay!!
Other than that, I had a very productive singing lesson and met up with a friend. Emerging from the pre trip madness for a few hours was nice. It is hard to believe how time-consuming organizing a trip can be. But, thanks to the holiday due to my country's 200th anniversary, I can at least sleep more in the morning before I carry on with the bookings/inquiries/preparations, etc.
NYC gets closer and closer...
Other than that, I had a very productive singing lesson and met up with a friend. Emerging from the pre trip madness for a few hours was nice. It is hard to believe how time-consuming organizing a trip can be. But, thanks to the holiday due to my country's 200th anniversary, I can at least sleep more in the morning before I carry on with the bookings/inquiries/preparations, etc.
NYC gets closer and closer...
martes, 18 de mayo de 2010
Results!
Remember the video audition I prepared about a month ago? Well, I just heard that I'M ACCEPTED INTO THE CHEKHOV INTENSIVE at Stella Adler! I'd actually auditioned for the Adler technique intensive, but it was cancelled, so they're offering me a place in this course instead. By the way, the studio's executive director, who wrote the email, wrote that they had "very much enjoyed" my audition. :D
I'm SO haPpY!! I wish I could write more, but I can barely think anything other than how happy I am. Will blog more coherently tomorrow. Hope you're all having a great week.
I'm SO haPpY!! I wish I could write more, but I can barely think anything other than how happy I am. Will blog more coherently tomorrow. Hope you're all having a great week.
viernes, 14 de mayo de 2010
Fresh project!
Yesterday I started working on a new project: a script. I'd been wanting to write one for a while, but could never get round to it. I had a bunch of good ideas, but I couldn't turn them into anything concrete. However, yesterday I came up with this idea and got down to writing. And when I write fiction, I write FAST!! I don't know why, it's just like one thing flows after the other, until I get to the point where I run out of ideas.
I basically started writing from a character name I'd come up with ages ago, and a theme I thought matched her. I wrote a bunch of scenes, and also lots of notes on whatever ideas I got about my characters. By the end of the day, I had an almost finished script. I showed it my soon-to-graduate filmmaker sister. I expected her to be really harsh on me, but she actually thought it was good! She made a bunch of good observations, and I added a few things.
Today I didn't work on it all day because I've been out. I met a new friend for lunch, and then went to postural re education (getting better...). But when I finally made it back home, I gave my script another read, and I really liked it! I suppose it helps that I have a lot of fun writing it. And I feel like I really know my characters. It still needs work, of course. But I'm surprised at how easily it's coming, since I'd never writen for the screen before. Self producing could be closer than I'd thought!
I basically started writing from a character name I'd come up with ages ago, and a theme I thought matched her. I wrote a bunch of scenes, and also lots of notes on whatever ideas I got about my characters. By the end of the day, I had an almost finished script. I showed it my soon-to-graduate filmmaker sister. I expected her to be really harsh on me, but she actually thought it was good! She made a bunch of good observations, and I added a few things.
Today I didn't work on it all day because I've been out. I met a new friend for lunch, and then went to postural re education (getting better...). But when I finally made it back home, I gave my script another read, and I really liked it! I suppose it helps that I have a lot of fun writing it. And I feel like I really know my characters. It still needs work, of course. But I'm surprised at how easily it's coming, since I'd never writen for the screen before. Self producing could be closer than I'd thought!
martes, 11 de mayo de 2010
Now on Twitter
Yep! Whoever feels like it, can now follow me on Twitter: @marianaacts
I opened the account today and I'm loving the thing. Lots of useful info, simple to use... and fun, too!
I opened the account today and I'm loving the thing. Lots of useful info, simple to use... and fun, too!
sábado, 17 de abril de 2010
I need some sleep...
My Tennesse Williams adventure left me exhausted for the rest of the week. I had a few moments of pointless stress due to my envelope, which for some misterious reason was delayed for ages in Memphis. Eventually, it reached New York, exactly a day and a half after its expected arrival time. The point is, it made it there safely, I payed my audition fee and now have to wait for their desition. I also payed the fee for my on-camera class, so my attending it is a fact now.
Most part of last week was spent getting back into my routine. I had my classes, and slept well in order to compensate for the past weekend's madness. Hence the lack of posts.
Tomorrow I'm finally going to the play I was invited to an age ago by a former classmate! I haven't been to the theatre for a while (not good), and the play is an version of Strindberg which certainly promises to be interesting. On Monday I have a meeting with the organizers of a film festival. I don't want to say much now, but I'll keep you posted. I'm really looking forward to next week.
Most part of last week was spent getting back into my routine. I had my classes, and slept well in order to compensate for the past weekend's madness. Hence the lack of posts.
Tomorrow I'm finally going to the play I was invited to an age ago by a former classmate! I haven't been to the theatre for a while (not good), and the play is an version of Strindberg which certainly promises to be interesting. On Monday I have a meeting with the organizers of a film festival. I don't want to say much now, but I'll keep you posted. I'm really looking forward to next week.
lunes, 12 de abril de 2010
Inches, Williams, and other stories
What a weekend! I had some funny idea I'd be able to post every day, but it was downright impossible. So here are the updates:
What on Earth is an inch?
On Friday, I spent a fair amount of time doing résumé feng shui (Bonnie Gillespie jargon) and converting units to the imperial system. I had to figure out how big was 8x10. I had to convert my height and weight to feet and pounds. I suppose I have American format materials now...
Williams revisited
I met up with Flavia on Saturday at five. I won't ever be able to explain how wonderful she is. We worked for two hours, with two small breaks in between. The speech never went better. At a given moment it became so natural, I was surprised at how easy it felt! I suppose I have William's brilliant writing to thank for that. I felt I could go on saying it forever. But when we finally decided to stop working, I realized I was exhausted.
We were both satisfied and happy with the results. Flavia said she realized Williams had been a good choice. She also payed me a huge compliment when she said that, after saying the speech a few times, the images I had were reflected in the words. She also pointed out that preparing the audition gave me a notion of the results I could achieve in so little time.
After that I went home, had dinner (boy, was I starved) and collapsed in bed. I can barely imagine how I would have felt if I had acted the whole play.
In the editing room
So, on Sunday, I woke up and viewed all my videos as I drunk my tea. I agreed with Flavia on which two or three were the best. But to help me decide, I asked my sister (animated film student) to look at my pre selection. After seeing the first on, she said, "It looks as if it had actually happened to you". She doesn't pay compliments too liberaly, so I was blown away. After she watched them all we decided on which to send, taking into account both the acting and the technical aspects. Then she got down to editing.
The editing didn't go as easily as I had imagined. She had to make a few attempts before she could actually get good results in changing the video format. By the end of the long hours spent at it, she was on the right track to becoming the new Thelma Schoonmaker. She slated it, burnt it to a dvd, and we checked it on all the computers at hand. By the end of the day I'd heard myself say the speech so many times that I couldn't stand it anymore. It was a relief when, after dinner, I watched the last part of the Millenium saga. It was the closest thing to unwinding I got in the whole week.
Getting it sent
You'll probably imagine that, once I had all my materials, it was only a question of putting them in an envelope and calling FedEx. No. I mean, yes, that's what I did... but when they picked it up they told me that since I was sending a dvd I needed a proforma stating it's commercial value, or I could have problems at customs. What? Why didn't they tell me over the phone? I must have been about to cry. Luckily the guy had a form I could fill in stating the contents of the package and commercial value (he told me to write $1). Anyhow, the thing is probably on its way to New York now. Wish me luck...
What on Earth is an inch?
On Friday, I spent a fair amount of time doing résumé feng shui (Bonnie Gillespie jargon) and converting units to the imperial system. I had to figure out how big was 8x10. I had to convert my height and weight to feet and pounds. I suppose I have American format materials now...
Williams revisited
I met up with Flavia on Saturday at five. I won't ever be able to explain how wonderful she is. We worked for two hours, with two small breaks in between. The speech never went better. At a given moment it became so natural, I was surprised at how easy it felt! I suppose I have William's brilliant writing to thank for that. I felt I could go on saying it forever. But when we finally decided to stop working, I realized I was exhausted.
We were both satisfied and happy with the results. Flavia said she realized Williams had been a good choice. She also payed me a huge compliment when she said that, after saying the speech a few times, the images I had were reflected in the words. She also pointed out that preparing the audition gave me a notion of the results I could achieve in so little time.
After that I went home, had dinner (boy, was I starved) and collapsed in bed. I can barely imagine how I would have felt if I had acted the whole play.
In the editing room
So, on Sunday, I woke up and viewed all my videos as I drunk my tea. I agreed with Flavia on which two or three were the best. But to help me decide, I asked my sister (animated film student) to look at my pre selection. After seeing the first on, she said, "It looks as if it had actually happened to you". She doesn't pay compliments too liberaly, so I was blown away. After she watched them all we decided on which to send, taking into account both the acting and the technical aspects. Then she got down to editing.
The editing didn't go as easily as I had imagined. She had to make a few attempts before she could actually get good results in changing the video format. By the end of the long hours spent at it, she was on the right track to becoming the new Thelma Schoonmaker. She slated it, burnt it to a dvd, and we checked it on all the computers at hand. By the end of the day I'd heard myself say the speech so many times that I couldn't stand it anymore. It was a relief when, after dinner, I watched the last part of the Millenium saga. It was the closest thing to unwinding I got in the whole week.
Getting it sent
You'll probably imagine that, once I had all my materials, it was only a question of putting them in an envelope and calling FedEx. No. I mean, yes, that's what I did... but when they picked it up they told me that since I was sending a dvd I needed a proforma stating it's commercial value, or I could have problems at customs. What? Why didn't they tell me over the phone? I must have been about to cry. Luckily the guy had a form I could fill in stating the contents of the package and commercial value (he told me to write $1). Anyhow, the thing is probably on its way to New York now. Wish me luck...
viernes, 9 de abril de 2010
Trust
I have to admit that the day I ran over town looking for the plays, renting the movie and all, I didn't sleep all that well. I was partly relieved I had found the monologue and learnt it, but I still had to get some decent (or better) acting out of it in less than a week! And I also needed a new coach, since the one I was working on was now too busy to be able to help.
When I woke up the following day, I thought, "I don't depend on this course to make my trip a success. It'll be great experience anyway." This thought did a lot for my peace of mind. But above all what helped was that I found a coach in a former classmate of mine, who studied teaching and directing. She loved the monologue and thought it could work.
I continued working on my lines, and when I had memorized it to the point that I could act it a bit, I found that I had plenty of images. Yesterday, I met up with her, feeling considerably more self confident. She had brought some music to use as an excercise. There is something terribly soothing about working with Flavia. She is so calm and self confident that you automatically relax and trust her. Plus, she liked my work and trusted it would get better. I was surprised at how easy the monologue came out. I left for my dance lesson feeling actually good about it.
I think that, the less time you have to prepare, the more it helps to act as though you had all the time in the world. Devoting some time to merely trying out things with my speech, even if I knew I wouldn't use them later, did wonders for me. In the sense that I was working with a former classmate, with whom I share the training but also the way in which we see theatre, it was a bit like coming home for me. I hadn't trained with anyone from my school since graduation, and it was a beautiful feeling. And Williams was a great choice, because I've read a lot of his plays and more importantly trained on them for an entire semester.
So tomorrow I'll meet her again for some additional rehearsal and to shoot the speech. Then it will be a matter of burning a DVD and sending it to New York. By then it won't depend on me anymore. Right now, I'm blissed that this process has been a pleasant and enriching one, and regardless of the results I'm looking forward to tomorrow just for the sake of acting a beautiful speech by a wonderful playwright. You can keep your fingers crossed for me though.
When I woke up the following day, I thought, "I don't depend on this course to make my trip a success. It'll be great experience anyway." This thought did a lot for my peace of mind. But above all what helped was that I found a coach in a former classmate of mine, who studied teaching and directing. She loved the monologue and thought it could work.
I continued working on my lines, and when I had memorized it to the point that I could act it a bit, I found that I had plenty of images. Yesterday, I met up with her, feeling considerably more self confident. She had brought some music to use as an excercise. There is something terribly soothing about working with Flavia. She is so calm and self confident that you automatically relax and trust her. Plus, she liked my work and trusted it would get better. I was surprised at how easy the monologue came out. I left for my dance lesson feeling actually good about it.
I think that, the less time you have to prepare, the more it helps to act as though you had all the time in the world. Devoting some time to merely trying out things with my speech, even if I knew I wouldn't use them later, did wonders for me. In the sense that I was working with a former classmate, with whom I share the training but also the way in which we see theatre, it was a bit like coming home for me. I hadn't trained with anyone from my school since graduation, and it was a beautiful feeling. And Williams was a great choice, because I've read a lot of his plays and more importantly trained on them for an entire semester.
So tomorrow I'll meet her again for some additional rehearsal and to shoot the speech. Then it will be a matter of burning a DVD and sending it to New York. By then it won't depend on me anymore. Right now, I'm blissed that this process has been a pleasant and enriching one, and regardless of the results I'm looking forward to tomorrow just for the sake of acting a beautiful speech by a wonderful playwright. You can keep your fingers crossed for me though.
lunes, 5 de abril de 2010
Looking for Tennesse Williams
I went to the Lincoln library, called two bookstores that sell only books in English and guess what? none had what I was looking for. I couldn't believe it, especially since one of my options was Suddenly, last summer. Hardly a rarity, right? There was a moment when I almost cried. Then I remembered that the film version of the play was available at Blockbuster. To cut a long story short, I rented it, spoted the speech I wanted and wrote it down. Now I'm in the memorizing process. Happy ending.
As a part of my preparation, I decided to watch again two videos I found on You Tube a while ago. They are excerpts from the American Theatre Wing seminar Interpreting Tennesse Williams, with the casts of The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar... The reason why I love, love, LOVE these, is that you can learn a lot about William's work, from the actors point of view. Plus, its a pleasure to hear them speak with such passion about the playwright and about their craft. I strongly recommend seeing them, whether you are working on Williams or not. The links here and here.
Some quotes I liked, found inspiring or identified with:
"(...) until the play is over you are on this track, you are on this ride. And all you have to do is just open your heart and give yourself up to it, and it's constructed in such a way (...) it encompasses you and as long as you don't resist it delivers you where you have to go." Jessica Lange
"(...) the end of the day, it's just listen and respond, and listen and respond, and then it's exciting for the audience because they're seeing something that might not be perfect but is actually happening." Natasha Richardson
"He's so specific about the bahaviour and what happens in the scene, and yet I still feel like I can bring everything of myself to this guy." John C. Reilly
"The extraordinary thing about Williams is that the poetry and the beauty is so muscular, it's three-dimensional, it's not aery fairy... at all, and that is just flesh and blood, and pain and sex, and all of those things..." Natasha Richardson
As a part of my preparation, I decided to watch again two videos I found on You Tube a while ago. They are excerpts from the American Theatre Wing seminar Interpreting Tennesse Williams, with the casts of The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar... The reason why I love, love, LOVE these, is that you can learn a lot about William's work, from the actors point of view. Plus, its a pleasure to hear them speak with such passion about the playwright and about their craft. I strongly recommend seeing them, whether you are working on Williams or not. The links here and here.
Some quotes I liked, found inspiring or identified with:
"(...) until the play is over you are on this track, you are on this ride. And all you have to do is just open your heart and give yourself up to it, and it's constructed in such a way (...) it encompasses you and as long as you don't resist it delivers you where you have to go." Jessica Lange
"(...) the end of the day, it's just listen and respond, and listen and respond, and then it's exciting for the audience because they're seeing something that might not be perfect but is actually happening." Natasha Richardson
"He's so specific about the bahaviour and what happens in the scene, and yet I still feel like I can bring everything of myself to this guy." John C. Reilly
"The extraordinary thing about Williams is that the poetry and the beauty is so muscular, it's three-dimensional, it's not aery fairy... at all, and that is just flesh and blood, and pain and sex, and all of those things..." Natasha Richardson
sábado, 3 de abril de 2010
I'm back!
I'm finally feeling better. I spent practically all Wednesday in bed. I barely talked. By Friday, I could talk normally without much pain or cough. It hasn't been my best Easter holiday, but I did read Le Pére Goriot and saw a couple of good movies (Branagh's Henry V and Millenium Part 1: Men who hate women).
That said, I have news regarding my trip. The first one, that I found a new course I want to apply for, but it needs a contemporary monologue. I was working on Shakespeare... so I'm switching to Tennesse Williams fast. By the way, other than his most famous plays, I can't find any plays by him in English! All bookstores have books by Williams, but in Spanish. Luckily, my Mum had an enlightened moment yesterday and said: "go to the Lincoln library!" I didn't even know that library existed. So that's where I'm headed for, on Monday.
Monday is also the day when the dates for my on-camera class get announced! Consequently, I'm close to an equally loved and hated stage previous to my trip: booking accomodation, flights, paying courses, making adjustments to my budget, etc. I have some experience in this, since I've travelled to Europe alone and occasionally make bookings at my survival job. It's not hard, but it's exhausting! There's all that stress of checking and double checking, looking for better prices and whatnot, and you ALWAYS seem to forget something and realize when you thought you were through. Looking at the bright side, with every aspect of the trip I solve, I feel it getting closer... I can hardly wait!
PS: Happy Easter!
That said, I have news regarding my trip. The first one, that I found a new course I want to apply for, but it needs a contemporary monologue. I was working on Shakespeare... so I'm switching to Tennesse Williams fast. By the way, other than his most famous plays, I can't find any plays by him in English! All bookstores have books by Williams, but in Spanish. Luckily, my Mum had an enlightened moment yesterday and said: "go to the Lincoln library!" I didn't even know that library existed. So that's where I'm headed for, on Monday.
Monday is also the day when the dates for my on-camera class get announced! Consequently, I'm close to an equally loved and hated stage previous to my trip: booking accomodation, flights, paying courses, making adjustments to my budget, etc. I have some experience in this, since I've travelled to Europe alone and occasionally make bookings at my survival job. It's not hard, but it's exhausting! There's all that stress of checking and double checking, looking for better prices and whatnot, and you ALWAYS seem to forget something and realize when you thought you were through. Looking at the bright side, with every aspect of the trip I solve, I feel it getting closer... I can hardly wait!
PS: Happy Easter!
miércoles, 31 de marzo de 2010
It's oh so quiet...
On monday I had coaching for my monologue, and no sooner I started moving around and speaking, guess what? the cough was back. My coach was a bit concerned. My throat hurt. So yesterday, after my French phonetics class, I headed for the doctor. It seems that I caught some virus and my throat and lungs are a bit swollen. It's nothing to worry about, and it will be gone in a few days. But I need some vocal rest. No monologues, no singing, little speaking... and rest in the Easter holidays! I didn't have 1 free day the past weekend, so now I'll compensate. It's good to be have free time to enjoy... in silence.
lunes, 29 de marzo de 2010
A good critique
Thank you, Bonnie Gillespie, for the cool critique of my blog @ The Actor's Voice!!
In case you wonder what I'm talking about, Bonnie reviewed websites for her column in Showfax. Here's what she said about the very blog you're reading:
"Mariana is loving her blog. "It has a sense of purpose... some sense of brand," she told me. And that's when an actor blog is a good thing. It's focused and interesting to read, not just a bunch of disjointed ramblings. Yay!"
By the way, I strongly recommend anyone who's about to create a website, to have a look at the article. It has good recommendations and there's a visual with very clear examples. And, above all, you get to see the C.D.'s point of view. You can see the column here.
In case you wonder what I'm talking about, Bonnie reviewed websites for her column in Showfax. Here's what she said about the very blog you're reading:
"Mariana is loving her blog. "It has a sense of purpose... some sense of brand," she told me. And that's when an actor blog is a good thing. It's focused and interesting to read, not just a bunch of disjointed ramblings. Yay!"
By the way, I strongly recommend anyone who's about to create a website, to have a look at the article. It has good recommendations and there's a visual with very clear examples. And, above all, you get to see the C.D.'s point of view. You can see the column here.
domingo, 28 de marzo de 2010
Flash Mob
I'm back from the flashmob*, and, guess what? Bouncing balls in a busy commercial street is FUN! At first, there was hardly any reaction. As though bouncing balls in the middle of the street was an everyday thing! Luckily, when they did, the pedestrians reacted well, so we just played with green and red balls in the street for about 10 minutes. And lots of kids joined us. It was kind of crazy... And, being in the heat of the action, it is hard for me to make any observations. The organizers will send feedback, so I'll have a more global perspective on how it all worked out. There will be a video, which I'll be able to either post here or have a link.
It was certainly an interesting experience. I do recommend anyone who gets the chance to participate in one, to give it a shot.
*Flash mob (or flashmob) is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and pointless act for a brief time, then quickly disperse. (wikipedia)
It was certainly an interesting experience. I do recommend anyone who gets the chance to participate in one, to give it a shot.
*Flash mob (or flashmob) is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and pointless act for a brief time, then quickly disperse. (wikipedia)
All good things
Two posts today! I tried to fit it all into one, but it was a mess, ergo, a second post.
The happiness is back! Ok, it was never actually gone, but I've spent last week in a thoughtful/sore throat mood (whatever the latter is). A few things I'm happy about:
I'm happy about the outcome of the free Alexander technique class, which I had yesterday. I had an unexpected source of joy in the teacher's praise. She actually thought I had some previous training, due to how easily I could follow her instructions. When we finished, she said it had been a pleasure working with me. So it just seems that all my efforts to have a better posture and relax my shoulders are finally paying off! I had had a chance to prove it when my dance teacher, who hadn't seem me in 2 years, told me I looked taller. I knew it simply wasn't possible, but she insisted till I figured it might be the postural reeducation. She stated that it totally showed and went "You look great!" This is a HUGE achievment for me, because I had previously tried real hard to get rid of the tension, to little or no results. So at last!
I'm happy to see what a long way I've come. When I started drama school I was so shy, that it is quite something that I managed to graduate. I was reminded of this yesterday, when by chance I met a girl from high school. I still have a very long way to go, but so far it's been an amazing journey.
I'm happy acting just keeps on getting easier for me. It just seems to flow naturally. It hasn't always been this way. I'm happy to have a technique I can trust.
I'm happy to be going to New York. Especially since, now that my technique is stronger, I feel I'll really profit from those workshops.
I'm happy I have auditions for two shorts. One of them I learnt about today, and the audition is... tomorrow! I've just read the script, it's got a few dramatic moments, so I'll get down to business and prepare in less than a day. I can connect to the material so I think I have a good chance.
I'm happy to have so much to blog about.
I could probably keep on finding reasons for being happy, and I'm certain I'm forgetting a few. But this post can't last forever. Anyhow, I'm feeling optimistic so I know there are more good things on the way. And consequently, more posts!
The happiness is back! Ok, it was never actually gone, but I've spent last week in a thoughtful/sore throat mood (whatever the latter is). A few things I'm happy about:
I'm happy about the outcome of the free Alexander technique class, which I had yesterday. I had an unexpected source of joy in the teacher's praise. She actually thought I had some previous training, due to how easily I could follow her instructions. When we finished, she said it had been a pleasure working with me. So it just seems that all my efforts to have a better posture and relax my shoulders are finally paying off! I had had a chance to prove it when my dance teacher, who hadn't seem me in 2 years, told me I looked taller. I knew it simply wasn't possible, but she insisted till I figured it might be the postural reeducation. She stated that it totally showed and went "You look great!" This is a HUGE achievment for me, because I had previously tried real hard to get rid of the tension, to little or no results. So at last!
I'm happy to see what a long way I've come. When I started drama school I was so shy, that it is quite something that I managed to graduate. I was reminded of this yesterday, when by chance I met a girl from high school. I still have a very long way to go, but so far it's been an amazing journey.
I'm happy acting just keeps on getting easier for me. It just seems to flow naturally. It hasn't always been this way. I'm happy to have a technique I can trust.
I'm happy to be going to New York. Especially since, now that my technique is stronger, I feel I'll really profit from those workshops.
I'm happy I have auditions for two shorts. One of them I learnt about today, and the audition is... tomorrow! I've just read the script, it's got a few dramatic moments, so I'll get down to business and prepare in less than a day. I can connect to the material so I think I have a good chance.
I'm happy to have so much to blog about.
I could probably keep on finding reasons for being happy, and I'm certain I'm forgetting a few. But this post can't last forever. Anyhow, I'm feeling optimistic so I know there are more good things on the way. And consequently, more posts!
sábado, 27 de marzo de 2010
Happy World Theatre Day
To all the actors, directors, writers, musicians, technicians, makeup artists, cds, etc, happy theatre day! I believe that, for those who, like me, are madly passionate about the theatre, every day is theatre day. But it's great to have an official day to celebrate.
Today I had my audition for the diapers commercial. It was quite badly organized, so I had to wait for about an hour in a crowded room full of babies, parents, grandparents... The casting department was on the verge of their patience, so it's a good thing I chose not to go in the afternoon. There were only two other actresses fot the same role as me (incidentally, both wearing white. The background also happened to be white.). When I entered the room I got a wee bit nervous. Not enough to blow it, since actually I did fine, but with more relaxation I would've done better. I wish it had been more fun but it wasn't a bad experience.
I just found out I was preselected for a film but I turned it down. It included various full nudity scenes, and I'm not ready for that. Plus, it wasn't specified in the breakdown (or I wouldn't have submitted myself). Also, I read a summery of the film and thought it was hideous! I mean, it was really violent and the ending was downright absurd. I really want to gain on-camera experience and build a reel, but it's not like I'll do anything I'm not 100% ok with. And this definitely didn't feel like something I'd be proud to show.
My Alexander technique class starts in two hours. In the meantime, I'll work on my monologue a bit. I'm feeling much better but I still cough and have a sore throat. The morning was grey but the sun's out now, so flashmob tomorrow! Happy World Theatre Day to all!!!
Today I had my audition for the diapers commercial. It was quite badly organized, so I had to wait for about an hour in a crowded room full of babies, parents, grandparents... The casting department was on the verge of their patience, so it's a good thing I chose not to go in the afternoon. There were only two other actresses fot the same role as me (incidentally, both wearing white. The background also happened to be white.). When I entered the room I got a wee bit nervous. Not enough to blow it, since actually I did fine, but with more relaxation I would've done better. I wish it had been more fun but it wasn't a bad experience.
I just found out I was preselected for a film but I turned it down. It included various full nudity scenes, and I'm not ready for that. Plus, it wasn't specified in the breakdown (or I wouldn't have submitted myself). Also, I read a summery of the film and thought it was hideous! I mean, it was really violent and the ending was downright absurd. I really want to gain on-camera experience and build a reel, but it's not like I'll do anything I'm not 100% ok with. And this definitely didn't feel like something I'd be proud to show.
My Alexander technique class starts in two hours. In the meantime, I'll work on my monologue a bit. I'm feeling much better but I still cough and have a sore throat. The morning was grey but the sun's out now, so flashmob tomorrow! Happy World Theatre Day to all!!!
viernes, 26 de marzo de 2010
Field work
Tomorrow I have an audition for a commercial for a well known diapers brand. My instructions are to dress as a cool young mom, and wear light colours. I got the general idea, but since I wanted a walk, I took a small tour of my neighbourhood in order to observe a few cool young mothers. I went to the supermarket, and also looked through the windows of the toy stores and kid's clothing shops. The results of my field work:
- Young mothers generally wear flat shoes (so they can easily run after their kids).
- They keep their hair away from their faces.
- They don't use anything superfluous (such as necklaces and other accessories).
- They carry mid-size to big handbags (so they can carry all those things their kids may suddenly need).
- They love white! (but I'm obviously not wearing to the audition)
- They go through life in an alert attitude and have an ability to focus on various things at the same time (for instance, paying a bill, getting the goods and checking that the kids don't dart off).
jueves, 25 de marzo de 2010
Take a break & move on
Yesterday was a holiday in my country, although the circumstances that originated it make it hardly a festive occasion. We remember the beginning of the last military government, which started on March 24th 1976 and ended in 1983. We remember the 30,000 people that "disappeared" during those years, the people who still don't know their actual parents because they were expropiated from them as babies... and hopefully we appreciate that, however flawed, a democratic government is always preferable.
Besides giving the above a thought, I had planned on devoting my free day to my monologue. But I turned out to be ill. I caught a cold on Monday, which caused me to finish my singing lesson early due to a bad cough. I also missed my French phonetics class, since voice work was implied. Conclusion: my body didn't agree with my plan, so I ended up resting. And today also. I took a nap in the afternoon, and feel a bit better.
I do hope I'll feel better tomorrow. I've got new ideas for my monologue that I want to try out. And I think I've got an audition for a commercial in a few days (I'm expecting a call to schedule it). And the flashmob is on Sunday, since we expect fine weather. And a few other things are coming up. No time to miss my theatre group, luckily. Moving on...
Besides giving the above a thought, I had planned on devoting my free day to my monologue. But I turned out to be ill. I caught a cold on Monday, which caused me to finish my singing lesson early due to a bad cough. I also missed my French phonetics class, since voice work was implied. Conclusion: my body didn't agree with my plan, so I ended up resting. And today also. I took a nap in the afternoon, and feel a bit better.
I do hope I'll feel better tomorrow. I've got new ideas for my monologue that I want to try out. And I think I've got an audition for a commercial in a few days (I'm expecting a call to schedule it). And the flashmob is on Sunday, since we expect fine weather. And a few other things are coming up. No time to miss my theatre group, luckily. Moving on...
domingo, 21 de marzo de 2010
The results
Luckily the flashmob was postponed, because it is raining quite hard, and it doesn't look like it will clear before 4 p.m.
Did I quit? Well, more or less. As I left for the meeting, I suddenly feared my desition was a bit rash. So, after they told some news, I plucked up my courage and said, "I don't know what to do. I'd thought I'd come here and quit." Then I proceeded to explain why. As I did, I encountered absolut silence, which gave me a notion that quitting (and my reasons for doing so) was not an altogether wild idea. They all agreed with me, some excuses/apologies were made... But since after that we left for the party, (and on good terms, too) I'm not sure whether they thought I quit or not. I'll realize soon, though. Anyway, if they didn't, I'll think about it and decide.
After the meeting we headed for a party/fest that took place at a student's residence. I did a monologue I had learned with Andrea a while ago. It went great! That's something, considering I had only had one rehearsal after root canal, and my mouth was still partly numb due to the anesthesia. The girl who helped me prepare (Luz) had some good ideas for the mise en scène. I'd never shown it to an audience before, but it worked just fine. It is strange to address a lot of people holding glasses of beer (they weren't drunk yet, luckily), but I could connect with them, they laughed, and I got a good round of applause and cheers when I was through.
Another funny detail was that since the place wasn't a theatre, I had to change in a shed and rely on Tamara for makeup, since I had no mirror. I must have been quite a sight, because when Luz came to see if I was ready she laughed her head off. Hopefully, I'll be able to see a picture.
Did I quit? Well, more or less. As I left for the meeting, I suddenly feared my desition was a bit rash. So, after they told some news, I plucked up my courage and said, "I don't know what to do. I'd thought I'd come here and quit." Then I proceeded to explain why. As I did, I encountered absolut silence, which gave me a notion that quitting (and my reasons for doing so) was not an altogether wild idea. They all agreed with me, some excuses/apologies were made... But since after that we left for the party, (and on good terms, too) I'm not sure whether they thought I quit or not. I'll realize soon, though. Anyway, if they didn't, I'll think about it and decide.
After the meeting we headed for a party/fest that took place at a student's residence. I did a monologue I had learned with Andrea a while ago. It went great! That's something, considering I had only had one rehearsal after root canal, and my mouth was still partly numb due to the anesthesia. The girl who helped me prepare (Luz) had some good ideas for the mise en scène. I'd never shown it to an audience before, but it worked just fine. It is strange to address a lot of people holding glasses of beer (they weren't drunk yet, luckily), but I could connect with them, they laughed, and I got a good round of applause and cheers when I was through.
Another funny detail was that since the place wasn't a theatre, I had to change in a shed and rely on Tamara for makeup, since I had no mirror. I must have been quite a sight, because when Luz came to see if I was ready she laughed her head off. Hopefully, I'll be able to see a picture.
martes, 9 de marzo de 2010
Independence
My favourite type of acting class is the one that doesn't solve it all for you. The one in which the teacher provides you with some tools, but then gives you an excersise to solve on your own. The beauty of the process is being able to discover something by your self.
I already told you that I'm not in acting class right now, and won't be till N.Y.C. I'm currently working on an audition speech for some of the courses I'll take there. I want to get some coaching, but since both my coach and I have crazy schedules, I'll work the speech mostly on my own and meet with her once or twice. So once more I have the chance to explore on my own a bit, and have my coach's point of view then.
Not having a yearly acting course can feel a bit lonely, but it can be empowering, too. After all, my growth as an actress has never been more up to me!
I already told you that I'm not in acting class right now, and won't be till N.Y.C. I'm currently working on an audition speech for some of the courses I'll take there. I want to get some coaching, but since both my coach and I have crazy schedules, I'll work the speech mostly on my own and meet with her once or twice. So once more I have the chance to explore on my own a bit, and have my coach's point of view then.
Not having a yearly acting course can feel a bit lonely, but it can be empowering, too. After all, my growth as an actress has never been more up to me!
viernes, 5 de marzo de 2010
NYC, one step closer
Today I got my visa!! It was a looong process but it's done! Well, almost: my passport with the visa on it will reach me next week. But what matters is that now my much desired trip is practically a fact.My appointment was at 10 a.m. I had been warned that the whole thing would last three hours at most, so before I left home I picked a novel from my bookshelves, thinking I would spend the whole time reading. I made it on time, and had to queue on the pavement, under the hot summer sun and the gaze of Abraham Lincoln (some posters displaying Lincoln's achievements had been placed on the bars). Reading at this stage was a guaranteed headache, since the sun hit me right on the head, so I decided not to. At that point, all I wanted was not to enter the building, but to reach the shade of the tree close to the door. That finally happened and eventually I was admitted in. By then, one full hour had gone by.
On entering the building, I underwent an airport style routine, and then headed to another building, where they took my fingerprints and interviewed me. In the interval between fingerprints and the interview, I managed to read a bit, but not as much as I had imagined I would. The actual interview was just going to a counter, handing my passport and form, showing my letter of admission to my course and answering a few rouitne questions. Must have took 5 minutes at most. At that stage, I started feeling that my brain had got somewhat sticky... When I heard that they were accepting my visa request, I could hardly believe that was all. Funnily, time seemed to fly inside the building, but actually another 50 minutes had gone by.
All that was left for me to do then was hand a slip in the DHL stand. That implied queueing for another 15 minutes, this time under a semi transluscent roof that only partially screened the sun. That done, I finally headed home with slightly reddened shoulders and sticky brains... and my visa approval, of course!
lunes, 1 de marzo de 2010
Getting better
A few things I'm working on in order to improve my skills:
Monologue: It's actually an audition piece for one of my New York courses. It's also my first video audition! And this seems to be monologue year: I trained on one with a fellow actress about a month ago (and got pretty amazing results) and the play I'm soon to start rehearsing is a monologue, too.
Singing: I've been taking lessons for years, but I'm with this coach for about 8 months now. It was so worth the change. In these few months I've learnt more than in all those years! I'm currently working on my voice's timbre (wikipedia: "the quality of a musical note or sound that distinguishes different types of sound production").
Postural re-education: Ok, this is not too artistic. But I had to get rid of the pain and the tension! And acquire a better posture too. It's basically kinesiology and streching out. It is working so far! I already feel more relaxed and the straight back makes me look taller :)
Mise-en-scène and production: This is the only annual course I'm taking because the work is individual and the teacher doesn't mind my disappearing for a few months, since I can actually continue working and e-mail her my work. Truth be told, so far I find the course boring. But I hope to learn a lot of useful things, so I'm not dropping out. I'll need those skills to self-produce!
I'll probably address each of these aspects separately in the near future. Have a great week!
Monologue: It's actually an audition piece for one of my New York courses. It's also my first video audition! And this seems to be monologue year: I trained on one with a fellow actress about a month ago (and got pretty amazing results) and the play I'm soon to start rehearsing is a monologue, too.
Singing: I've been taking lessons for years, but I'm with this coach for about 8 months now. It was so worth the change. In these few months I've learnt more than in all those years! I'm currently working on my voice's timbre (wikipedia: "the quality of a musical note or sound that distinguishes different types of sound production").
Postural re-education: Ok, this is not too artistic. But I had to get rid of the pain and the tension! And acquire a better posture too. It's basically kinesiology and streching out. It is working so far! I already feel more relaxed and the straight back makes me look taller :)
Mise-en-scène and production: This is the only annual course I'm taking because the work is individual and the teacher doesn't mind my disappearing for a few months, since I can actually continue working and e-mail her my work. Truth be told, so far I find the course boring. But I hope to learn a lot of useful things, so I'm not dropping out. I'll need those skills to self-produce!
I'll probably address each of these aspects separately in the near future. Have a great week!
domingo, 28 de febrero de 2010
Made me happy...
Last week I received email from two classmates from a course I attended last year. The latter was an acting class centred in Hamlet. It was an investigation class, so there was a lot of reading and improvised work on our characters. As you can possibly imagine, I worked on Ophelia.
But I'm moving away from my point. Back to it, then. The first email was from a classmate who also played Ophelia, so we worked closely together. She wanted to know how my life was going, about my trip to NY, if there was a chance that we take classes together again... I wasn't expecting email of this sort at all.
The second email was from an actress who played Gertrude, who is now working on a play by Strindberg which opens soon. It was basically an invitation to the play, but it was directed to me specifically (as oposed to the classic mass mailing).
Neither of these classmates is a friend, so I'm glad that they make a point of staying in touch with me and that they want to work with me again and see my work. It may appear to be something small to blog about, but those really made my day when I received them.
Note: I forgot to mention that I was also invited to join the ensamble in a musical! That was from the choreographer with whom I worked on The Rocky Horror Show last year. She is now working in another play and invited the whole cast of Rocky... to participate. I had to decline because of scheduling conflicts, but once again, it is a great joy that people want to work with me again!
But I'm moving away from my point. Back to it, then. The first email was from a classmate who also played Ophelia, so we worked closely together. She wanted to know how my life was going, about my trip to NY, if there was a chance that we take classes together again... I wasn't expecting email of this sort at all.
The second email was from an actress who played Gertrude, who is now working on a play by Strindberg which opens soon. It was basically an invitation to the play, but it was directed to me specifically (as oposed to the classic mass mailing).
Neither of these classmates is a friend, so I'm glad that they make a point of staying in touch with me and that they want to work with me again and see my work. It may appear to be something small to blog about, but those really made my day when I received them.
Note: I forgot to mention that I was also invited to join the ensamble in a musical! That was from the choreographer with whom I worked on The Rocky Horror Show last year. She is now working in another play and invited the whole cast of Rocky... to participate. I had to decline because of scheduling conflicts, but once again, it is a great joy that people want to work with me again!
domingo, 21 de febrero de 2010
Welcome!
For those who found this blog via my Spanish blog, this is not a translation. Of course, some content from the other blog might end up here, and vice versa; but this blog has content of it's own.
Why an English version? Well, it's a long story, but to keep it short, two things happened: 1) my Spanish blog ended up being linked to one of Bonnie Gillespie's Your Turn columns, and 2) Back Stage included my headshot and a few of my opinions on theatre books in an article; so I figured that in case anyone clicked on the link or googled me as a result of reading the article I'd better have some content in English. Plus, it's always fun to share my views and experiences with new readers.
So, what can you expect to find here? Basically, my thoughts on acting, my experiences in the profession and the classes I take, stuff I find inspiring, my adventures in my upcoming trip to NY... and whatever else I decide to share.
About me
I was born (and still live) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am basically theatre trained and graduated two years ago. This is a special year for me, because for the first time since I graduated I have no time for full year acting lessons. This is because of the plays I'm rehearsing. And because of my two month trip to New York, too. The purpose of the latter is of course training, and also to experience a different way of working. I'm positive this year will bring many good things, and I hope those who decide to follow this blog will find my journey as exciting and enjoyable as I do.
Why an English version? Well, it's a long story, but to keep it short, two things happened: 1) my Spanish blog ended up being linked to one of Bonnie Gillespie's Your Turn columns, and 2) Back Stage included my headshot and a few of my opinions on theatre books in an article; so I figured that in case anyone clicked on the link or googled me as a result of reading the article I'd better have some content in English. Plus, it's always fun to share my views and experiences with new readers.
So, what can you expect to find here? Basically, my thoughts on acting, my experiences in the profession and the classes I take, stuff I find inspiring, my adventures in my upcoming trip to NY... and whatever else I decide to share.
About me
I was born (and still live) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I am basically theatre trained and graduated two years ago. This is a special year for me, because for the first time since I graduated I have no time for full year acting lessons. This is because of the plays I'm rehearsing. And because of my two month trip to New York, too. The purpose of the latter is of course training, and also to experience a different way of working. I'm positive this year will bring many good things, and I hope those who decide to follow this blog will find my journey as exciting and enjoyable as I do.
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