1，​MIDTERM ESSAY for 500 wrods 2，Stream-of-consciousness paper for 600 wrods THA105

1，MIDTERM ESSAY: THA105

Please write an essay (of about 500 words) or provide short answers that address some (or all) of the following questions:

Compared to the start of the semester, do you think you have made any progress in your acting?
How have your thoughts about what it means “TO ACT” changed?
Can you define or describe what GOOD ACTING is? What are the elements that make up a strong performance?
What aspects of the techniques we have worked on so far do you feel you want to work on in your final scene?
What areas do you feel you need to improve on?
What is your strategy for maintaining a good work ethic in the final scene, when you are going to be working with a scene partner?
What has been your favorite aspect of the class so far? What aspect of your own performance are you most proud of?
What assignment did you feel you did best on?
Have you disappointed yourself in any of the assignments? How are you going to ensure that doesn’t happen with the final scene?
Is the professor helping you learn to think critically about acting?
Any other comments about the class are welcome.

In your answer(s), please remember that THE FOUNDATION OF ACTING IS THE REALITY OF DOING, as Sanford Meisner would say. It is not your job as an actor to produce emotions in yourself, it is to produce emotions in others: your scene partner(s) and by extension, the audience. In your essay, please use vocabulary terms we’ve discussed in class, including Objective, Tactic, Action, Obstacles, Substitution, Given Circumstances, Subtext, etc.

This essay is worth up to 5 points in your final grade, so please answer it truthfully and thoughtfully. You may think through your performances in each assignment so far to help gauge your progress and areas that need improvement.

This essay is due on Friday, October 4 by 5PM.

Please submit two ways: Through the ASSIGNMENTS tab on blackboard as an MS WORD doc, and also in PRINT form in class on Monday October 7.

2，

“Who Am I?” (stream of consciousness character assignment)

Attached Files:

• Who Am I — assignment.pdf (256.521 KB)

Re-read the play from which your scene originates, do research on your character to know WHO you are, WHERE you are, WHAT you are DOING, what your OBJECTIVE is, and what you WANT.

WHO AM I? Stream-of-consciousness paper – 5 points
Students will write 600-750 words answering the following questions in the voice of their character: “Who am I?” “Where/when am I?” “What am I doing?” “What do I want most out of life in general?” “What is my objective in this scene?” “How do I want to make the other person feel?” “What am I most afraid of?” “What are the five most important events of my character’s life?”

• The first thing to do is REREAD THE PLAY from which your scene is drawn… the ENTIRE PLAY!
• When reviewing the play, pay careful attention to EVERYTHING YOUR CHARACTER SAYS and EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID ABOUT HER/HIM. This is called “mining the script.” Note the setting (time, place, historical period) and the general world of the play. Use your senses: what does the world of the play look/feel/smell/taste/sound like from your character’s point of view?
• What is your character’s opinion about the other characters in the play?
• What are the 5 MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS of your character’s life before the play starts (you may invent some of these, but they should be in keeping with the world of the play, and if the play mentions them, so should you)?
• What is your character’s SUPER OBJECTIVE?
• What does your character most WANT?
• What does your character most FEAR?
• What does your character dream about?
• What is the most important thing to your character?
• Your response to these questions should be about 2 pages, or 600 words, and should include AS MANY DETAILS AS POSSIBLE FROM THE PLAY about your character. It should be written in the first person (using “I” and “me” as your pronouns), NOT the 3rd person (“she” or “he”), as if you are speaking with your character’s voice. It is very important that these essays be written with the pronoun “I”, as if you were speaking in the voice of your character. Responses not done in this way will not get credit, and will be returned for rewrite.
• This assignment is worth 5 points of your final grade.