Assignment 6 Julia Wilson

Overall, I think my group gave a very well-done performance. We rehearsed the scene multiple times with blocking before our performance and were able to deliver it without using a script. I momentarily forgot one line, bur overall I succeeded in memorizing and delivering my lines. All three of us easily managed to stay in character the entire time. An extra layer of difficulty was added to the performance by trying to make it humorous. I had to use specific inflection on some words in order to generate a comedic effect. Projection came easy as I am typically a very loud talker. Mannerisms I used that helped to develop my character include pacing back and forth, putting my hands behind my back, and looking around frantically when my character was stressed. Rena was exceptionally good at adding more to her character, such as when she started hyperventilating when my character stated that he was born in a handbag. We also utilized props including a top hat, rolling suitcase, and a pen/notebook. This made the scene more realistic and easier to follow. One aspect that I found especially hard in the performance was blocking. We used a simple setup of a few chairs pushed together to create a couch. All blocking including getting up from and sitting down on the couch. At one point my character gets up from the couch and starts pacing back and forth. This was hard because I had to continue staying open to the audience as I walked back and forth. I think memorizing our lines and using props added to our performance, however it could have been improved by adding a wider variety of blocking.

This experience has further emphasized to me that comedy is not easy. If you don't pick up on the moments in the script that are supposed to be comedic and deliver them with the right inflection, the effect will not come through. Acting is also far more difficult than I thought. Memorizing lines is hard enough but it becomes extra difficult when you have to not only remember your lines, but stay engaged with your fellow actors and do the correct blocking. This performance helped me understand The Importance of Being Earnest on a much deeper level because I had to put myself in the shoes of the characters.