Meanwhile, something to amuse your spirits:
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| http://www.stickfigurehamlet.com/ |
Micah
"What do you read, my lord?" "Words, words, words."
Monday, October 15, 2012
Hello and A Stick Figure Hamlet!
No, I am not dead. I'm still thinking of Hamlet, in fact, I'll be directing the Ghost scene in a few weeks for a Fundraiser for WAX WINGS PRODUCTIONS! Weee! In the meantime, I have been in two shows, a third opening this week, so I am so ridiculously (happily) busy in Theatre! More soon, and maybe with this influx of Hamlet-ish thoughts, I can finish (finally) the play I started this blog with!
Meanwhile, something to amuse your spirits:
Enjoy!
Micah
Meanwhile, something to amuse your spirits:
Micah
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Shakespeare's Moments: Globe to Globe
My friend, Joelle, always brings the best things to my attention!
I am in a particular Shakespearean mood these past few days too as I have a call back for a production of Twelfth Night in a few days(!) and I have recently begun re-reading Contested Will by James Shapiro (the ultimate discussion of the Authorship Debate, a review of which, I will soon post about).
Anyway, so this is wicked cool: Public Radio Exchange (PRX) is hosting London's Globe Theater's multicultural celebration of Shakespeare this spring. The Globe has invited 37 theatre companies from around the world to produce Shakespeare's works employing specifically their cultural traditions and languages. Plays including: Titus Andronicus, Othello, Cymbeline and many more!
This is a celebration of the world's multi-cultured love of our Shakespeare! No other global celebration has ever taken place like this. Each theater presents their unique understanding of the plays and PRX brings insights into those performances to you! So take a listen!
Enjoy,
Micah
I am in a particular Shakespearean mood these past few days too as I have a call back for a production of Twelfth Night in a few days(!) and I have recently begun re-reading Contested Will by James Shapiro (the ultimate discussion of the Authorship Debate, a review of which, I will soon post about).
Anyway, so this is wicked cool: Public Radio Exchange (PRX) is hosting London's Globe Theater's multicultural celebration of Shakespeare this spring. The Globe has invited 37 theatre companies from around the world to produce Shakespeare's works employing specifically their cultural traditions and languages. Plays including: Titus Andronicus, Othello, Cymbeline and many more!
This is a celebration of the world's multi-cultured love of our Shakespeare! No other global celebration has ever taken place like this. Each theater presents their unique understanding of the plays and PRX brings insights into those performances to you! So take a listen!
Enjoy,
Micah
Monday, April 23, 2012
Happy Birthday Bill!
William Shakespeare, as you can tell, my favorite playwright turns ~448 years old today. This single author has not only completely changed our world of Literature, Art and Entertainment permanently forever, but has also effected the way we speak the English language, and the way we approach love, death, hatred, philosophy and other human experiences and ideas. His works have directly influenced my personal style of acting and literary conciousness and continue to do so even in my furthest-from-Shakespeare roles, and weirdest article perusals.
Whether it be sonnets or plays, I never tire of reading/studying Shakespeare.
I am continuosly surprised and inspired and it's a wonderful thing for an actor to be.
Happy Birthday, Billy-boy! You've made me a better actor, a bright-eyed storyteller, and a more curious person in general.
Whether it be sonnets or plays, I never tire of reading/studying Shakespeare.
I am continuosly surprised and inspired and it's a wonderful thing for an actor to be.
Happy Birthday, Billy-boy! You've made me a better actor, a bright-eyed storyteller, and a more curious person in general.
(I swear, we're going to get back to Hamlet, ASAP!). Meanwhile, I'll be getting myself a cupcake in Shakespeare's honor.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Shakespearean Sound
I came across this interesting article the other day and it really got me thinking: First of all, how do we really know what the accents and dialects of Shakespeare's time sounded like, and second does it actually make a difference in our acting of his works?
This article provided some neat sound clips of actors using the supposed accurate accents in some of Billy's more famous works like Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, my two favorites! But --- it doesn't actually give a source or shed light on the facts where we got this supposed accurate form of speaking Shakespeare as he himself would have heard it. So, that got me interested in finding more out about this process to finding the "right" accent.
I came across this cool blog, you should read it: Dialect Blog. It spoke of the various misconceptions people have about the way that Shakespeare's works should sound. Received Pronunciation or "RP" has been often described as the correct way, while others claim that Elizabethan speech must have sounded more like a standard American accent today. This blog asks the question: why do we bother with getting the accent exactly right? Why do we not perform Shakespeare in our native accents and modify them to agree with our characters? Ay! Therein lies that damn rub. We can get too concerned as actors in getting everything perfect. This is not possible. I, as well as many others, tend to have a problem with this. While I support doing your Shakespeare in your own accents, I think it is an interesting topic of discussion... so --- away I go again! Hello Google.
There's a whole website about it! : http://www.pronouncingshakespeare.com/. So, in my research (think 2 hours max on the googles) I was able to find little of the origin of Original Pronunciation or "OP." Original Pronunciation is best described as sounding like an english-irish accent. Here's a video of Kansas University in association with David Crystal's first production using OP to hear an example:
My best guess is that it was derived from the spelling and grammatical clues drawn from the original scripts (or the best copies we have of them). This is so intriguing for die-hard bard fans like me, to hear what we think is the closest to what it might have sounded to be an audience member at the Globe back in Elizabethan England. But on the other hand, I am a strong believer in creating your Shakespeare Characters from yourself. I think it's silly for actors in America to do Shakespeare plays and sonnets in RP British accents, and vice versa for British or any other nationality of actor. Your characters are alive from you with your voice. Unless you have to change your tonality for status or vocal injuries of characters, I think it should be your voice coming from your Lady Macbeth's mouth. Your Hotspur's war-cry. You're Puck's giggle.
That being said, this is truly fascinating, and I would love to workshop it and read more about OP. What do you think about accents, dialects and general tonality when it comes to Shakespeare, or any other character you are portraying? Have you ever had to drastically alter your voice (excluding different accents) in tone?
Best,
Micah
This article provided some neat sound clips of actors using the supposed accurate accents in some of Billy's more famous works like Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, my two favorites! But --- it doesn't actually give a source or shed light on the facts where we got this supposed accurate form of speaking Shakespeare as he himself would have heard it. So, that got me interested in finding more out about this process to finding the "right" accent.
I came across this cool blog, you should read it: Dialect Blog. It spoke of the various misconceptions people have about the way that Shakespeare's works should sound. Received Pronunciation or "RP" has been often described as the correct way, while others claim that Elizabethan speech must have sounded more like a standard American accent today. This blog asks the question: why do we bother with getting the accent exactly right? Why do we not perform Shakespeare in our native accents and modify them to agree with our characters? Ay! Therein lies that damn rub. We can get too concerned as actors in getting everything perfect. This is not possible. I, as well as many others, tend to have a problem with this. While I support doing your Shakespeare in your own accents, I think it is an interesting topic of discussion... so --- away I go again! Hello Google.
There's a whole website about it! : http://www.pronouncingshakespeare.com/. So, in my research (think 2 hours max on the googles) I was able to find little of the origin of Original Pronunciation or "OP." Original Pronunciation is best described as sounding like an english-irish accent. Here's a video of Kansas University in association with David Crystal's first production using OP to hear an example:
My best guess is that it was derived from the spelling and grammatical clues drawn from the original scripts (or the best copies we have of them). This is so intriguing for die-hard bard fans like me, to hear what we think is the closest to what it might have sounded to be an audience member at the Globe back in Elizabethan England. But on the other hand, I am a strong believer in creating your Shakespeare Characters from yourself. I think it's silly for actors in America to do Shakespeare plays and sonnets in RP British accents, and vice versa for British or any other nationality of actor. Your characters are alive from you with your voice. Unless you have to change your tonality for status or vocal injuries of characters, I think it should be your voice coming from your Lady Macbeth's mouth. Your Hotspur's war-cry. You're Puck's giggle.
That being said, this is truly fascinating, and I would love to workshop it and read more about OP. What do you think about accents, dialects and general tonality when it comes to Shakespeare, or any other character you are portraying? Have you ever had to drastically alter your voice (excluding different accents) in tone?
Best,
Micah
Friday, February 24, 2012
Wax Wings Productions
Oh boy, here we go. So -- Remember how I have a Theatre Company? Well, from the cast of Titus Andronicus was born a sister company to Full Contact Theater, of which I am a founding member. Now, you might be thinking; Why two companies? Isn't that complicated? And the truth is yes, yes it is. It's a lot. But each company has its own spirit and seperate artistic goals, both of which I very much want to be a part of. Which is why I find myself a proud parent of two theatre companies. I will work just as passionately for each, and dedicate as much as I can to each. (FCTC is currently quiet until this fall, and WWP is buzzing with a play that I am production managing).
That being said...what is this strange new company. Well, we are Wax Wings Productions. We are a couple of passionate theatre fiends seeking to "hold the mirror up to nature" as it were. Basically, we are all fascinated with the rise and decline of human experiences, emotions, reactions, and so forth. The name 'Wax Wings' is derived from the Greek myth of Icarus. Basically, a father son tale in which Icarus and his father try to escape their imprisonment in King Minos' palace. Icarus' father fashions himself and his son a pair of wings made from wax. He instructs his son not to fly too close to the sun or sea; but of course, overcome with the joy of flight, Icarus flies too close to the sun and his wings melt plunging him into the sea. This myth represents for us the rise and extreme joy of humanity and the subsequent decline of the same.
Right now, as I have said we are hard at work on The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Giurgis. It opens Saturday March 24th 7pm , and runs Sunday March 25th 2pm. Wednesday March 28th 7pm, Friday March 30th 7pm, Saturday March 31st, 7pm, and Sunday April 1st 2pm. I'm the Production Manager and couldn't be more thrilled for the production. It's going to be a wonderful show, and we are working now to raise funding for it. To donate, please click here. And to see more information, please see our website: http://www.waxwingsproductions.webs.com/. (Shameless plugs, my apologies).
I'll be sure to delve more into the world of running theatre companies, and I hope to have many more stories to share with our upcoming projects!
Best,
Micah
That being said...what is this strange new company. Well, we are Wax Wings Productions. We are a couple of passionate theatre fiends seeking to "hold the mirror up to nature" as it were. Basically, we are all fascinated with the rise and decline of human experiences, emotions, reactions, and so forth. The name 'Wax Wings' is derived from the Greek myth of Icarus. Basically, a father son tale in which Icarus and his father try to escape their imprisonment in King Minos' palace. Icarus' father fashions himself and his son a pair of wings made from wax. He instructs his son not to fly too close to the sun or sea; but of course, overcome with the joy of flight, Icarus flies too close to the sun and his wings melt plunging him into the sea. This myth represents for us the rise and extreme joy of humanity and the subsequent decline of the same.
Right now, as I have said we are hard at work on The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Giurgis. It opens Saturday March 24th 7pm , and runs Sunday March 25th 2pm. Wednesday March 28th 7pm, Friday March 30th 7pm, Saturday March 31st, 7pm, and Sunday April 1st 2pm. I'm the Production Manager and couldn't be more thrilled for the production. It's going to be a wonderful show, and we are working now to raise funding for it. To donate, please click here. And to see more information, please see our website: http://www.waxwingsproductions.webs.com/. (Shameless plugs, my apologies).
I'll be sure to delve more into the world of running theatre companies, and I hope to have many more stories to share with our upcoming projects!
Best,
Micah
Monday, January 30, 2012
On Having Bad Auditions...
Yup. Those things exist, and they happen all the time. Like for me. I just came home from what was, in my opinion, not a strong audition for me. It's not that I didn't feel prepared (I had played that monologue at least 3 dozen times). It's not that I was overly nervous, or late, or whatever. And it was certainly nothing that my auditioners ever could have done. It just went poorly for me. I wasn't comfortable or confident, I flubbed my lines for no reason, and didn't make interesting choices. An off night.
I'm OK with having these off nights, but it is hard every now and then to stomach them, and to not slip into a Sneaky Hate Spiral (haha - check that out) when that happens. But, I'm going to go back to this: an audition is just another chance to act in front of people. Sometimes it ends there. Sometimes, you get to move forward and perhaps even work on a role from that. And then, sometimes you don't. It's often difficult to remember this, especially fresh out of a production with nothing set in stone on the horizon, as I am situated right now. But I had the chance to act tonight, and I will have the chance to act again. I'm going to endeavor to keep that in mind as I prepare for more auditions.
Every chance to act, to perform or to create is a gift. It seems like a more positive way to approach the business of auditioning, which is often a nerve-wracking process for both actors and directors alike. But it is intrinsically part of our theatrical world. And, in order to be our best, we should embrace it in the most positive attitude we can. We all fly and we all fall. It's just a matter of picking one's self up, as the saying goes. And that's where I'm at tonight!
Best,
Micah
I'm OK with having these off nights, but it is hard every now and then to stomach them, and to not slip into a Sneaky Hate Spiral (haha - check that out) when that happens. But, I'm going to go back to this: an audition is just another chance to act in front of people. Sometimes it ends there. Sometimes, you get to move forward and perhaps even work on a role from that. And then, sometimes you don't. It's often difficult to remember this, especially fresh out of a production with nothing set in stone on the horizon, as I am situated right now. But I had the chance to act tonight, and I will have the chance to act again. I'm going to endeavor to keep that in mind as I prepare for more auditions.
Every chance to act, to perform or to create is a gift. It seems like a more positive way to approach the business of auditioning, which is often a nerve-wracking process for both actors and directors alike. But it is intrinsically part of our theatrical world. And, in order to be our best, we should embrace it in the most positive attitude we can. We all fly and we all fall. It's just a matter of picking one's self up, as the saying goes. And that's where I'm at tonight!
Best,
Micah
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Belle
Hello all, checking in after my schedule is finally looking a little more free! I want to dedicate a brief post to the character, Belle, I just played in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It was a wonderful time in a story that really touches my heart. It's driven by human experience and emotions and the relationships that one can experience in life. For that reason, it will always be my favorite Christmas story!
Belle's story intertwines with Ebenezer Scrooge's past. She meets him before he becomes obsessed with preserving a fortune, when he is full of hope. It was an incredible joy to play that. We usually think of Ebenezer Scrooge in his present form; miserly and cold. But in the scene at the Fezziwig Warehouse, we get to see him in his youth. I think Belle represents this time for him. The time that he lost when he devoted everything to prospering financially.
She really loves Young Ebenezer, so the heartbreak is tangible for her when she has to let him go. It was a challenge for me to find the pure sincerity of her actions. I wanted to be angry with Scrooge for not fighting for me, I wanted to get petulant, but my wonderful director showed me that all that Belle says and does in the "breakup" scene is done purely for love. The line even reads; "I release you with a full heart for the love of the man you once were. May you be happy in the life you have chosen." Needless to say, finding the pain after this discovery wasn't difficult.
I spoke briefly before about the joy I have felt in this project, and I do not want to seem redundant but there really was something magical about being a part of this story. I am so proud of this story and the excellent cast and director I worked with to be able to tell it. It was a wonderful run and I think we brought joy and warmth to the audience as well as ourselves. It was an honor to portray a character with such a big heart. I will cherish it always.
Belle's story intertwines with Ebenezer Scrooge's past. She meets him before he becomes obsessed with preserving a fortune, when he is full of hope. It was an incredible joy to play that. We usually think of Ebenezer Scrooge in his present form; miserly and cold. But in the scene at the Fezziwig Warehouse, we get to see him in his youth. I think Belle represents this time for him. The time that he lost when he devoted everything to prospering financially.
She really loves Young Ebenezer, so the heartbreak is tangible for her when she has to let him go. It was a challenge for me to find the pure sincerity of her actions. I wanted to be angry with Scrooge for not fighting for me, I wanted to get petulant, but my wonderful director showed me that all that Belle says and does in the "breakup" scene is done purely for love. The line even reads; "I release you with a full heart for the love of the man you once were. May you be happy in the life you have chosen." Needless to say, finding the pain after this discovery wasn't difficult.
I spoke briefly before about the joy I have felt in this project, and I do not want to seem redundant but there really was something magical about being a part of this story. I am so proud of this story and the excellent cast and director I worked with to be able to tell it. It was a wonderful run and I think we brought joy and warmth to the audience as well as ourselves. It was an honor to portray a character with such a big heart. I will cherish it always.
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| ©2011 Erb Photography Hanover Theatre December 2011 |
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| ©2011 Erb Photography Hanover Theatre December 2011 |
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| ©2011 Erb Photography Hanover Theatre December 2011 |
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| Dancing at the Christmas Party at Fezziwig's! |
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| We ladies having a cute moment before the second act in the dressing rooms |
Best,
Micah
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