Assignment 6 Amelia Caldwell

Our presentation was successful. We made sure to memorize our lines, and for the most part we had no problems recalling which line came next. I feel as though we all did a good job with each of our characters, however we were way too quite. I could hear myself and the characters of Lady Bracknell, Dr. Chasuble, and Algernon just fine but I had a hard time hearing Jack's lines both while performing and watching the video. Some of the characters could have used more development, both Jack and Miss Prism could have been better performed. The props we used were good, and we did an adequate job at spacing. Because of the set we did not have a lot of room to work with, however we probably could have done a better job. Overall though we did a pretty good job presenting our scene.
By performing this I can now better understand the irony of the play. I also acknowledge that performing is very difficult and should not be taken lightly.

Eliza Jane Schaeffer Assignment 6

I think my group did a pretty smashing job with out Importance of Being Earnest skit. We chose the section where Jack and Algernon were eating muffins and Cecily and Gwendolen were watching. I thought Weiran and I did a pretty good job of fake arguing, although we probably should have eaten more muffins to make it more accurate. I discovered it is very hard to eat and deliver your lines at the same time-- something I did not know before. We also could have done British accents. We stayed in character pretty well, I think.

There was a bit of awkwardness when Weiran and my's part was over because it was quiet and we had to walk to the front of the stage and I went the wrong way at first. But once McKenna and Emily started speaking, the focus was on them and Weiran and I got into position. McKenna and Emily did a fabulous job with their mannerisms and their accents, I think. You could really get a sense of the characters' personalities from listening to them.

We could have done a better job using the space during the part when all the characters are together. We should have been a little bit closer together and facing the audience more, etc. But, again, overall I think we did an excellent job. I was really proud of us. I had a lot more fun than I thought I would, and now I really appreciate actors who can eat and stay in character at the same time.

Jamie Smith Assignment 6

Our group’s performance successfully conveyed the humor and ideas in “The Importance of Being Earnest,” but it could have more fully captured the essence of the play by being more dramatic.

Jack’s character was played well; his character developed and reacted to questions and responses from Gwendolen and Lady Bracknell. Gwendolen didn’t have as much of a presence as she was portrayed to have in the written version of the play, partly do to lack of projection, but her character was identifiable. Lady Bracknell’s character was very successfully conveyed through her body language and projection. All of the characters stayed in character throughout the performance, and lines were all delivered uniformly in character. We were well prepared, with our lines memorized and props that modernized the play while adding humor.

Space could have been used more fully, although much of the space was used through Jack’s pacing, Gwendolen’s exit, and Lady Bracknell’s entrance. All of the lines were memorized, which helped the performance stay in tone and flow nicely. The characters could’ve interacted more with each other, showing more dramatic reactions to lines and absurd occurrences. One specific example of this would be when Jack proposed to Gwendolen, the characters could have been more dramatic and excited over their engagement.

The performance of this play helped me more fully understand the context of the text. Costumes and accents brought to life some semblance of the Victorian society, allowing me to grasp more wholly the irony and humor within the context of when it was written.

Assignment 6 Rena Childers

           I feel that overall our performance was good. Julia’s character development with the constant pacing and nervous behavior was a very nice representation of Jack’s character. Jamie and I created fewer mannerisms for our characters, which could have improved our performance as a whole. Jamie did a very nice job staying in character, only breaking character once when a line was missed. I believe I stayed in character most of the time, until I forgot my line. Jamie kept her British accent the entire time, adding to the realness of the situation. I maintained my accent most of the time, but a few words were said out of character. I tried to project as much as I could in hopes that the audience could hear each line. My group as a whole was very prepared, with only a few mistakes. We agreed from the beginning to memorize our scripts so that we would be fully prepared.

            My so-called “acting” career began as a timid three years old. I par summer camps at Lexington Children’s Theater growing up, and this has influenced my love for theater. I am not a comedic person; however, I always find it very interesting to test my comfort zone. Acting in front of groups whom I do not know is easy for me, but acting in front of my peers is a completely different story. Being involving in a comedic show allows me to gain more confidence in the area. I also feel that by having to learn lines from the play and having to develop mannerisms for our characters allows us to gain a clearer understanding of the writing. We are forced to look past just our chosen scene into the story as a whole to understand our characters’ mindsets. I found this exercise extremely unique and wholistic.

McKenna Elliott Assignment 6

My performance group for The Importance of Being Earnest consisted of Eliza Jane, Emily, Weiran, and myself. The scene that we chose to perform was the muffin scene and the confrontation following it.

Overall, I feel that my group did a good job of developing our characters. During the muffin scene between Jack and Algernon, Eliza Jane delivered the comedy accurately when portraying Algernon, as did Weiran. Their encounter was very genuine and they were able to stay in character without giggling throughout it (as I probably would have done). Emily and I also delivered our lines well, making the newfound friendship of our characters seem honest and true. I feel as though I kept up Gwendolen's uppity-ness and snobbiness by delivering my lines matter-of-factly, but I could have done a better job of being the airhead that Gwendolen is. Each of us projected loud enough for the audience to hear at all times, although I would say that there were times when each of us could have used more expression. Before performing, we all knew our lines proficiently enough to not even take a script with us onstage, which I didn't see with all the groups, so I would say we were more prepared than other groups. I knew all my lines but I did accidentally freeze up for a few seconds towards the end, but carried on without help from someone with a script. Starting our scene, Jack and Algernon (Weiran and Eliza Jane) were in the center discussing the muffins while Gwendolen and Cecily (Emily and I) were watching from the side, making use of the stage and not making the performance symmetrical until we all met up in the front middle of the stage for our confrontation. Our props positively enhanced our performance. We actually had muffins and then used cookies as a teacake substitute, and each of us wore costumes that differentiated us from the other characters. For example, Emily and I wore our prom dresses to show that we were Gwendolen and Cecily, and Eliza Jane and Weiran wore clothes to make it obvious that they were Jack and Algernon.

Performing this allowed the humor come to life, and I was able to enjoy the play more than I was when I just read it on paper. I was able to see that despite the fact that this play is not modern, the comedic lines were still funny today. Also, seeing the performances cleared up the sort of confusing ending for me, and I enjoyed the plot a lot more. After this experience, I've realized that acting isn't as easy as it looks, and there are a lot of factors that go into a "good" performance.

Assignment 6 - Weiran Liu

Our group performed the scene where Cecily and Gwendolen discover the boys' secrets and are angry at them. This scene has comic tension and a lot of situational comedy as well. Eliza Jane captured Algernon's easy going manner and peculiar needs that poke at Jack's nerves. The relationship between Algernon and Jack was quickly established as similar to that of bickering brothers. I attempted to portray Algernon as being a nervous individual through pacing and rubbing of the forehead as a reflection of anxiety. McKenna depicted Cecily as inexperienced in these types of situations through her excitement towards the pursuit by Algernon. Emily showed Gwendolen's poised nature through her eye contact and elderly sister manner towards Cecily.

Overall we stayed in character and didn't get distracted by the audience or each other. We spoke clearly and made sure we spoke loud enough for the audience to hear. McKenna and Emily did well to maintain their British accent- something Eliza Jane and I could have done. All of our lines were memorized and in the order of our script. We could have improved on our transitions between scenes, but made use of the whole stage and brought appropriate props to enhance the scene. Another detail we could have worked on was to turn more towards the audience in certain parts.

In trying to get in character for Algernon I tried to put myself in his situation. I was close to marrying the love of my life, only to have everything foiled by a friend who is nothing but difficult. I had to try to understand his frustration while also depicting his pettiness - such as fighting over the muffins. The pettiness, however, is what added to the comic effect of the scene, and in acting it out I realized it more than when I had read the play.

Assignment 6- Silvia Todorova

Meagan and I choose the opening scene of the play. I played Lane and Jack and Meagan played Algernon. Algernon and Jack are characters that are wealthy socialites so when we played those characters we tried to act a little snobby and hold our heads higher. For example, I was acting really judgmental towards Algernon when I was playing Jack especially when I mentioned that Algy was always eating. I was worried we wouldn’t be able to stay in character and get distracted, but I think we did a pretty good job of not loosing character.  As Lane, the manservant, I tried to show that Algernon was the boss and that Lane worked for him so stood behind Megan so she could show her authority. I wish we would have done English accents to add more character to our roles, but I felt like we projected our voices and tried not to turn our backs to the audience. We chose to sit at an angle so we could face each other and the audience at the same time. We could have used the stage more then we did, we didn’t really walk around much we just sat at the table and read our lines. I felt that we used good props and costumes that added to the over all presentation of our scene.

I was really nervous to preform this because I’ve never had to act out anything in front of an audience. It went a lot better than I was expecting and as I was not as nervous once we got started, I actually enjoyed it. I don’t see myself having an acting career in the future, but this experience has made me feel more comfortable with acting. Acting it out helped me understand the comedy better because I got to practice the lines and add mannerisms too them. I’m also glad I went and saw the play at UK because it was a lot easier to understand the comedy when real people were acting it out and I wasn’t just reading the lines of all the characters on my own. 

assignment 6-logan cox

i thought my groups performance went very well. I think we developed our characters very thoroughly and nicely. we all invested a lot into our character so it would be a good performance. we all stayed in character well the whole time because we invested ourselves 100% into the performance. we projected our voices for the most part and could be heard easily. all of us but Kaitlyn used a British accent which helped make it more funny and original. we used some space on the stage but we could have used more. we used out area well and the props well. Mark and Charlie were the most prepared because the memorized their lines while Kaitlyn and I did not get a chance to. so Kaitlyn and I could have been more prepared. We performed well overall. our accents and funny nature made the play funny which made it better. we could have memorized our lines and all dresses up to make it better.
my performance helped me understand the satirical and comical nature of the play that I didn't get just from reading it. I also improved on my acting skills and awareness on a stage.

MLA Help for Critical Lens Paper

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Assignment 6

Write a review of your group's performance. Be sure to address character development (including mannerisms), focus (ability to stay in character), voice (articulation, expression, projection), space (use of stage area and props), preparedness, and overall presentation. Dissect the performance to pinpoint what made it successful and areas that could have been improved.

Conclude your review by explaining what your own performance added to your experience of the text and to your understanding of the comedy. You may also talk about your understanding of acting.

Please make the post title "Assignment 6" and your name.
ex: Assignment 6: Nathan Spalding

Due Wednesday evening by 11:59 pm.

2nd Hour Playlist:
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Sample Paper and Resources for Lit Crit

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Biographical Information - Interpreter of Maladies

Jhumpa Lahiri

uJhumpa Lahiri (full name Nilanjana Sudheshna Lahiri) was
born in 1967 in London, England to Indian parents. The family
nickname “Jhumpa” stuck because her teachers found it easier
 to pronounce.

uAt age two, her family moved to the U.S. and she grew up in Kingston, Rhode Island.

uShe has a B.A. in English from Barnard College, and an M.A. in English, M.F.A. in Creative Writing, M.A. in Comparative Literature, and a Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies from Boston University.

uIn 2001, she married Alberto Vourvoulias-Bush (now Senior Editor of TIME Latin America). They have two sons.
uLahiri lived in Rome, Italy for the last three years and just recently returned to the U.S.

uWhen Lahiri grew up in the 1970s, Indian culture was not as common in America as it is now (no Indian restaurants, no Indians represented in television, etc.).

uWhen she was young, her family took many trips back to India to visit relatives.

uGrowing up, she felt very isolated and rejected by her peers because of her differences.

uLahiri struggled with the strain between her family’s culture and American culture, and never truly accepted an American identity, even after four decades of living in the U.S. Moving to Italy gave her a new identity she never found in Indian or American culture. 

Literary Contributions

Short story collections:

uInterpreter of Maladies (1999)- winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, consists of nine short stories, examines the culture and identity of Indian Americans

uUnaccustomed Earth (2008)- also depicts the lives of Indian Americans

Novels:

uThe Namesake (2003)-  explores the issue of conflicting cultures in the lives of two Indian immigrants and their son

uThe Lowland (2013)- tells the story of two Indian brothers and the aftermath of one of them moving to the United States 

Sources

 n          Biography.com Editors. “Jhumpa Lahiri Biography.” Biography.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 14 Oct. 2015

             "Books." Jhumpa Lahiri. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2015. <http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/jhumpalahiri/>. 

             Inskeep, Steve. “Jhumpa Lahiri’s Struggle to Feel American.” NPR. NPR, 25 Nov. 2008. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

             Tayler, Christopher. “Change and Loss.” The Guardian. 20 June 2008. Web. 14 Oct. 2015

Assignment 5: Jesse Konopka

Honestly, I have never given what I would do with my life much thought. Change scares me, as does the future in general. All I know is that I enjoy the sciences, mathematics, and physics. Maybe I will be an engineer? Maybe I will be a physicist? Who knows? All I know is that I have to make it through today to even get close to there. But, since this abstract hypothetical question poses the question, I will just go with engineer. I would go to college, get a few degrees, live my life, find a job as an engineer. That is about it. Since I am making this up on the spot I ca not really come up with a detailed plan for it all. The purpose behind it would be a weird mixture of personal enjoyment and personal income. The thing I am most interested in studying is theoretical physics, but to be honest I do not want that to be a career. It would ruin it for me. Work and fun should not mix, no matter what anyone says.

Assignment 5: Mia Alexander

I have always been the person with a million back up plans in life. I always plan for failure. When I was about 7, I planned on being a wedding planner because I loved weddings, like every other young girl. But people tend to give you looks like "Are you serious?" once you're about 15 and still aspiring to be a wedding planner. So, up until sophomore year, I had that one goal and then I began thinking of alternatives: accountant, lawyer, teacher, etc. Now, I want to be either a pediatrician or pharmacist. I love the subjects that challenge me the most. I have always struggled the most in my science class but gravitated toward the STEM field. It must be my subconscious ambition to be an all-around person that is somewhat good at every subject. I'm not sure but I want to pursue a career in my weakest subject area. I plan to go to a top university that hopefully offers me some type of financial aid, graduate, and look for a job in Seattle, Washington. Along the way, I want to find myself and open up to more people. It typically takes me quite awhile to be vulnerable and receptive to new people and o hope that after graduation I will have found out who I am supposed to be in this world and have formed stable enough friendships. I want to be the "grand balancer" who can manage their life without so much stress. I want to double major in biology and physics and minor in Spanish. Then, I want to study abroad for a year in Spain. Next, I would like to learn French somewhere along the way and travel to Paris and help with the Rotary program, if it still exists. Ultimately, I've planned my life around self-fulfillment, but I really desire a stable life that I can bring children into, Lord willing. I just love children and I know how a rough childhood really impacts your older years. I have mentally built a future for not only me, but my family !!

Olivia McCrary Assignment 5

As expected, I am not entirely sure about my future career.  I have never been one of those people who has always known exactly what they want to do. I suppose it is just another flaw in my personality- the thought of having to choose just one job makes me cringe. I like nothing about the idea of doing one thing, only one thing, until I die, or retire. I grew up believing that I would be doomed unless I chose a practical career. This accounts for my persistent procrastation of thinking about college and careers. I have never had any interest in being a doctor, or lawyer, or whatever my parents said would be a good use of my academic skill.  

I know vaguely what I want to do in life, and that doesn’t equate to just one job. I know I want to do something creative. I want to be a writer of some sort, a film director, a photographer, an occasional painter and musician. I can't choose just one. Depending on my mood, my ideas may take the form of a poem, they may eventually become a painting, or they may simply remain fragments of song lyrics, hidden in a notebook. Though I may not have much of a plan, I know that despite whatever job I may have, I need to create. It's the only thing that I feel brings meaning to my existence. 

In addition to the arts, I would love to study media, communications, international relations, and forensics. I might want to have a job in government. I don’t like the idea of choosing, settling on just one thing. I want possibilities.

On a different note, I plan on studying business or marketing in college as a major. If possible, I will double major in business and film. I may minor in sociology or psychology, specifically something like criminology or forensic psychology. I am quite fascinated by the human mind- I want my art to be both an expression and exploration of human nature.

I've never had a precise plan for my life. Ever since I was a child, I have always wanted my life to be an adventure. Maybe I’m naïve. Oprah Winfrey once said, “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” I’m just another dreamer.

Jeb Brumley Assignment 5

When I grow up I want to be an engineer of some sort. Today there is a growing need for engineers and many different types of engineering positions that need to be filled. Throughout my years in school, i have always been the most interested in my math classes and have been able to understand math more easily than other subjects. I plan to major in an engineering or be in an engineering program in college in hopes of becoming better equipped to work in an engineering field after I finish college. This would allow me to have a steady income as soon as I graduate. If something changes in the next couple of years and I decide I don't want to be an engineer I would want to be an entrepreneur and businessman. I grew up watching my dad grow a business and have gained interest in that field.

Charlie Blondell - Assignment 5

One question that has withstood my complete childhood and early adulthood: what would you like to be when you grow up? Unfortunately, I have never had a keen interest in just one are; I have been interested in all, but also seen myself becoming bored in every occupation that crossed my mind. That is until I tilted my head towards the cinematic arts. The idea of a motion picture itself astounds me, and to use this to tell a story? All while using perfectly orchestrated techniques to line up at the right time? It's near perfect beauty. This beauty is what has attracted me to the industry. I aspire to be in the production of movies, possibly as a cinematographer. I plan to make these dreams a reality by studying film in college and then moving to Los Angeles, Atlanta, or possibly Vancouver to pursue work in actual studios. 

Tora Sellers Assignment 5

                Frankly, I am still unsure what I would like to do with the rest of my life. In particular, the issue that presses me the most is that of citizenship and residence. Being half Japanese, I must decide by the time I graduate college which country’s citizenship I want to keep, and where I want to spend the rest of my life. In order to do that, I need to first decide what I want to do for a living. Ideally, I want to be in the film industry. I have heard countless times that to be in the film industry, I should move to Los Angeles and learn from the experts. But since finding my national identity is so important, both spiritually and legally, I have decided to graduate high school a semester early and move to Japan for college. But recently, I have begun to seriously consider dropping out of college. I simply don’t see myself in education for much longer. I feel that my time is better spent in the workforce. So I might go to college in Japan for two years, and if I like it, I’ll stay. If not, I could choose to remain an American citizen, move to California, and start the rest of my life making film, which has always been my biggest dream.  

Lucas Soard- Assignment 5

It think like most kids, I was changing my mind daily about what I wanted to be when I grew up. A pilot, an “army-man”, a pro football player, or whatever I felt like on that particular day. But reality hits and we have to make decisions. I’ve tried assessing my strengths. I’m pretty good at everything, but great at nothing. Which is a fine balance to have in school, and I’ve never really struggled at any particular school subject. But when it comes to finding a career, I’ve found it’s hard to focus on one area. The only thing that can truly hold my interest is sports. I’ve given my best shot at the pro athlete gig, but it turns out that I run as if there’s a piano strapped to my back. Could athletic trainer be a possibility? Well, not one, but two of our school athletic trainers have told me not to follow in their footsteps. So what do I do?

                Writing currently holds my interest. The sports column is often described as the thing that “sells copies” of newspapers, but generally newspaper columns are overly structured and frankly, boring.  I’ve found the most interesting sports pieces, at least for me, are detailed, long form stories that approach sports from a more analytical and thoughtful approach. Fivethirtyeight.com is a wonderful example of this, taking predictive models, algorithms, and many other wonderful math creations usually restricted to the business world, and applying them to the world of sports. Wonderful writers at Grantland.com, such as Bill Barnwell and Robert Mays have been successful in this as well.

I’ve also met and become good friends with two men who deal in scouting high school players for college athletics. Scouts.com, rivals.com, and many other sites like those would allow me to not only analyze players, but write thoughtful and analytical judgements that can influence how schools and the general public view these athletes and their growing star. 

assignment 5 vincent pisacano

I honestly have no idea what I want to do when I grow up. I could see myself doing a lot of things and being interested in a lot of fields, such as law or politics or healthcare. If I had to choose my career path right now, I would probably be a lawyer. I am naturally argumentative, and it is kind of in my blood (both of my parents are lawyers). If i want to achieve this goal, a lot needs to happen. For one, I need to go to a good college, and probably major in english or law or something of that nature. then after maintaining good grades from wherever I went to college I would have to go to law school. The rest I would have to figure out on my own. The job would hopefully be something that I love doing, my parents would hopefully be proud of me, and it doesn't hurt that a lawyer has a pretty decent salary.

Julia Wilson Assignment 5

When I grow up I want to work in video production. I have always had a love for filming and video editing and have developed this skill on my own. I think I could take these skills and do well in the industry. I'm also very interested in Psychology. I took a Psychology class Sophomore year and ever since then the subject has fascinated me. I hope to blend Psychology and video production into a career in television. I could use my knowledge of Psychology to understand how audiences perceive media and use this to create content that leaves a positive mark. I hope to achieve this by double majoring in Media Communication and Psychology. I also want to participate in the Disney College Program which will give me connection in the Disney company and could create an easy pathway for the career I want. I know a specific job, but if I could find my place somewhere in this field I know I will be happy.

Rena Childers Assignment 5

As a kindergartener I studied French. Although the term study is used liberally here, I received some basic information about the language. While other kids excelled in Science and Math, I did so in French. The moment I learned a new expression I would race home and try it out on my mother. What I didn’t realize until recently is that I still do the exact same thing. The language excites me in a way no other subject can. The idea of communicating with someone completely different from oneself is wildly appealing. This, along with my love for travel, helped focus my interests in the national/international field. For a while this manifested itself in American government and politics, and I wanted to be a senator. After I considered how I would fare in a dog-eat-dog debate, I shied away from the idea. Next I wanted to be secretary of state, because of my admiration for Hillary. But I quickly realized I would face the same obstacles. Finally I landed on the state department. Diplomatic work is some of the most important to our nations survival. Without the support of surrounding countries, we could not thrive as a nation. With this in mind, I determined that I would like to work in French-speaking Africa, tackling education and women’s rights reforms. I plan to make this a reality by attending a selective, challenging college and taking part in many study abroad and internships.

Silvia Todorova assignment 5

My dream is to be a doctor. I've always had an interest in medicine and how the body works. I like math and science and I  do better in those classes then English or social studies. It takes a lot of hard work and time to become a doctor but it's something that I have wanted since I was little. 

I plan on majoring in biology in college to prepare for med school. After my residency I would love to be able to work with Doctors Without Borders to offer medical assistance in 3rd world countries. Doing this would also help me save up money to pay off my school loans. I really love kids and in very good with them so I want to be a pediatrician