Friday, January 23, 2009

master class

Happy Friday everybody!! Actually, it wasn't to begin with, but it ended on a really good note, because of my last class today. We have these master classes that spring up every once in a while that are taught by professionals in the field. So at 3:45 this afternoon, I was sitting listening to... none other than Fiona Shaw.

For those that don't know, Fiona Shaw is a really famous Irish actress, she's been in all sorts of stuff including Black Dahlia, and the Harry Potters (Aunt Petunia). Oddly enough, she was also in Super Mario Bros.

So she came in and did a workshop with us. First we talked about text, primarily Shakespeare. She made a really interesting point about the connection between the cynicism of the 21 century and the growing problem in actors of trusting the text, or believing what's said. Although there's no proof, naturally, it is interesting that as we start questioning authority more, we stop taking what's said at dace value. This is not a bad thing, consider new reports and warped facts. However, it also means that when we talk about things that are connceptually difficult to put into words, we don't, and it comes out "he was just so.... omigod." It's interesting.

The second half of her workshop was looking at people's monologues and critiquing/helping them. I was one of the four who got to go. This was a little nerve wracking when I realized halfway through that I was doing a speech from a play she'd been in, "Richard III", Lady Anne, but it was a good learning experiance, she gave me lots of new ideas to try. I'm glad I was brave enough to put up my hand.

2 comments:

  1. Yay, that's so cool! I am, as ever, infinitely jealous :)

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  2. I don't understand the third paragraph. There's a cause (cynicism) and an effect (he's just so ... omigod), but I don't understand how to get from cynicism to being unable to communicate.

    As for the fourth paragraph, yesterday I got to read "Praise Song for the Day", Elizabeth Alexander's Inauguration speech, in my first Jeff Shotts class. I also wrote down a quote, which will be sent to you via airmail, because I felt like I should share the English quotes after all these years of receiving them.

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