Spilling on... NRT present: A Raisin in the Sun

AN AFRICAN QUEEN!

From September to November, I work on a show called "A Raisin in the Sun," with No Refund Theater (NRT) and let me tell you... it was the hardest two months of my life.

I remember the auditions like it was yesterday. It was the second week of school and I was this timid freshman coming with only a small hope of being cast in the play. Just days before, I had forgotten the words  to both my song and monologue for a different audition. I wasn't in the best of spirits. Lucky for me, this audition wasn't supposed to be memorize, but lucky for me, I spent a week looking over the monologue.

I was eyeing the role of Beneatha (Bennie). She was the smart girl of her family who wasn't afraid to speak her mind, even if it upset her conservative mother. Many girls wanted this role and many were called back for it, me among them. The thing is, I wasn't even expecting a callback, or even a big role, just a small glimmer of hope that I wasn't a lost cause.

Callbacks came and went and I hoped for the best. My best friend from high school who is an Acting B.A. texted me the next morning in all caps, letting me know I won the role. I screamed. Well, more like squealed (I live in a supplemental). I immediately called my mom to tell her the news, and she was happy too since she had listened to me cry on the phone just days before. 

The director of the show, Ben Sereda, is probably the most interesting person I've ever met. He's a man-child. I'll explain. He has this mustache that makes him look very old, yet when he shaves it, he looks like a nine year old. It's quite funny. Anyway, Ben helped me develop more confidence in myself over the next few months, and when I cried and thought I wasn't good enough, he told me that he casted me at auditions because I made an impression. I was shocked of course because I had the lowest self-esteem.

The show got underway with the longest of rehearsal hours. It was draining. There were a lot of lines to memorize, and its one of the shows you cannot simply make up bullshit and get away with it. We spent a good month memorizing the entire thing. It paid off.

By showtime, we had morphed into our characters, prepared to give NRT the best show its ever seen. The audiences loved it! We were out of breath by the end of the near 3 hour show. We gave it all we had.

Since the show, many people have come up to me to personally congratulate me. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. All that hard work went towards something.

At the NRT Winter Formal Awards, we won Best Show and a Penn State alumni saw the show and was so impressed that he wrote this piece in the Collegian:

Spilling On... My English 15S Experience

1. Wow, I cannot believe it's over. English 15S turned out to be one of my most favorite classes. I loved that I could write creatively throughout the semester, something that I was not allowed to do since elementary school. Writing has been such an important part of my life. I've kept a diary since 1st or 2nd grade and I've written various short stories and attempted novels. It was so great getting back into a creative space and not just analyze a text for what a teacher demands it to be. Writing makes me feel at home, and I truly felt at home in this class.

Initially, I was hesitant about my first semester at Penn State because I HATE large classes. I don't like feeling like a spec. It's nice when you can actually get to know your professor, and know they have time for each and every person. Over time, I found my niche and really took off in this class. Writing my memoir turned out to be a much more emotional experience than I intended, and maybe that was good - to really lose yourself in class. Truth is, I don't like writing stories about myself especially since middle school and high school weren't so enjoyable for me.

Now that I'm leaning towards Creative Writing and Film majors, I'm glad that I was able to improve my writing and editing in this class. I cannot wait to jump into my Intro to Creative Writing class next semester, and I truly thank Sheila for doing such a great job with this class so that I can go in with confidence.

Outside of class, I was involved with a group called No Refund Theater. I performed in the play, "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry as Beneatha. It was a nearly 3 hour play, but the director and cast were incredibly talented, and it made for an incredible freshman year experience. Rehearsals ran past midnight, and sometimes nearly 2 in the morning. It was sweat, blood, and tears. I don't know how I managed to keep up with sleep and school. Thank God for Winter Break! I'll need the time to cool down.

Hopefully, I can get started on my film aspirations after break! The watch list on eLion is a very cruel thing.

2. BlogComments

 http://mopbtcb.blogspot.com/2012/09/natures-way.html?showComment=1349062232331#c3088363124407958558
 http://emj5129.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-first-experience-with-art-at-penn.html?showComment=1349062518092#c8533178178443396850
 http://pbandkelly122.blogspot.com/2012/09/palmer-museum-of-art-bibutsu.html?showComment=1349062718403#c849928290647648498
http://scribblesndsuch.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-flower-y-english-class.html?showComment=1349708512183#c3372437821421254386
 http://satisfyyourbordom.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-beautiful-arboretum.html?showComment=1349708990958#c7414472210653834091
http://showmetheartspa.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html
http://cuesandcommissions.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-end-unless-there-is-lesser-quality.html?showComment=1355954623910#c7344749315911776945
http://austinluboff.blogspot.com/p/about-me_6.html?showComment=1355954812645
http://mopbtcb.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-social-failure_3.html?showComment=1355955297011#c3232414376008464719

http://kristinajoelle.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html?showComment=1355955665316

Spilling On... One Direction

In what direction do five gay guys walk? Yeah you've heard the joke.

One Direction.

The British-Irish boyband that made waves in the USA last fall is arguably the biggest group in the world at the moment. Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson all tried out as solo contestants in 2010 on the British X-Factor and were made into a group by the infamous Simon Cowell. The rest, of course, is history.

One Direction is best known for their smash hit "What Makes You Beautiful" from their platinum selling debut, Up All Night. Their sophomore album, Take Me Home, went on to go number 1 in more than thirty five countries.

They are an attractive quintet. The girls go wild for them everywhere they go. We watch their every move. Their relationships cause  a tabloid frenzy. Most are well acquainted with baby-faced womanizer, Harry Styles, and the long list of older women he woos. However, I'm not here to gossip.

A notable piece missing from One Direction coverage, is the analysis of their talent itself. What do we think of their voices? Who is likely to breakout and have the big solo career, a la Justin Timberlake? What can we expect from them (musically) in the future?

Well, beware fans, I am about to give my honest opinion of each group member.

 Liam Payne 

I know, most people would expect me to break Harry down first since he is the press favorite, but I am deciding on Liam for multiple reasons.He is above and beyond the most talented member of the group. I applaud the Huffington Post for being one of the few news outlets to tell the truth. Look to see "Most Talented" Liam initially tried out for the X Factor in 2008 at the tender age of 14. He got yeses from all judges and had a great voice to work with, but was not ready to be in the spotlight. He returned in 2010 at age 16 to sing Michael Buble's version of "Cry Me A River" at auditions and received a standing ovation. I was impressed, he could've been something respectable. Check out his solo videos on YouTube.

Unfortunately, music mogul, Simon Cowell only saw dollar signs and put him in a group with four other not so great singers, forming One Direction. Liam carried the vocals throughout the live shows, and frankly, without him, One Direction would've be toast. He has a wide range, hitting the lowest notes and the highest with a strong falsetto, and a well-supported, warm, emotive arm voice that rarely wavers on pitch. Recently, the group has been decreasing his vocal role and I do not believe it has worked to their benefit. We haven't seen him sing a song by himself in two years, and rightfully so. He'd show up the others. He is my choice for breakout star. 

Harry Styles

Oh, Harry. He's the tabloid favorite. He has made his mark around town, flirting up a storm with women twice his age. Cougars everywhere are going crazy over the floppy haired, barely legal singer. He has the charisma, but does he have the vocal ability? Harry has a raspy voice that was likable at One Directions' Judge's Homes performance on the X Factor. He had a good solo audition... However, the weaknesses in his voice gradually came to show. He is not very pleasant to listen to live and had an awful time getting down his solo in "What Makes You Beautiful." Maybe he should spend more time on his voice and less on the ladies.

Niall Horan

Niall is also a fan favorite. He's the Irish one of the bunch. His accent and laidback personality make him quite likable. His audition wasn't very great. There weren't major pitch problems, just a clear lack of training since the notes weren't supported. Fortunately for him, his fun personality makes up for his vocal flaws.

Zayn Malik

Zayn is a polarizing figure among the fanbase. Most will agree that he is best looking, but his vocals are highly disputed. I will come out and say I am no fan of his voice. His "runs" are excessive and often pitchy. They attempt to cover up the lack of breath support he has while singing. I could never see him having a solo career. In my opinion, his audition was terrible, and I continue to wonder how and why he got through to the next round.

Louis Tomlinson

Then there's Louis. Oh Louis. As nice as a person he seems, he can't sing. His audition was ear-splitting. The pitch was way off and his tone was incredibly nasal. No person in his right mind would've let him through based on that. This made me question Simon Cowell's integrity.

Yeah, that was pretty harsh, but it was about time someone tells it like it is. Attractive people should not get an easy pass on talent. Many tween girls will still believe that some of them are the best singers on the planet. So why doesn't the press talk about their talent, rather than their looks?

Unlike past boybands, One Direction has insisted on keeping things "equal" while also suppressing the the vocal talents of their strongest member.

Spilling on... In Red & Brown Water

Penn State School of Theater presents a dramatic coming of age story by rising playwright Tarell Alvin. In The Red and Brown Water is set in the Louisiana Projects, centered on a girl named Oya who longed to be a runner, but due to unforseen circumstances, her life opportunities were cut short. She is courted by two men, Elegba (a womanizer & a vain young man who joins the military) and Ogun Size (a timid young man who has a stutter). Oya must choose between a tumultuous life with a man to whom she's attracted to or a stable life with a man she is not in love with.

In The Red and Brown Water displayed a wonderful sense of community. The relationships between characters were well thought out and beautifully developed. Most notably, Oya has strong relationships with every member of the community. Her neighbors are like family, and each of them play a role in her life. The decision to morph Louisiana Projects into an ancient African setting in which every cast member wore the simplest clothing, gave more emphasis on characterization. The audience also gets a sense that the Projects could be compared to an African village where tribes were dominant and kinship was important.

The production benefited from strong acting and character development from each and every actor. Dre Parker shined as Oya. She embodied her character both mentally and physically. Her Oya was quite complex, she was naive, confused, and even assertive at times. The audience could feel her pain and identify with her. Also, Christian Thompson gave a superb performance as Elegba. He made his narcissistic character quite believable, but was also keen on not making him a stock character. Stori Ayers as Elegua brought massive amounts of comic relief. She milked every line she had on stage and was a pure pleasure to watch. Her "cougar" chemistry with Christian was extremely funny.

The ensemble of dancers and singers must be recognized. They remained in character the entire time and were on queue perfectly. The dancing was incredible -  Quilan Arnold's breakdancing was jawdropping.

The only criticism I have would be the introduction of characters. Some names could not be heard, so, it was a bit hard to follow the story at times.

This is not my first time seeing a live performance, but it was my first time seeing a producting from The School of Theater. I am involved in student run theater groups, No Refund Theatre and Thespians which are low-tech/budget, so, I was pleasantly surprised to see the wonderful technical work done on this show. It looked professional. Seeing this show has encouraged me to attend more productions from The School of Theatre.

Bravo!

Spilling on... Good Will Hunting [Review]

Director: Gus Van Sant
Writers: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon
Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, Stellan Skarsgad
Length: 126 minutes

"So this is a Harvard bar, huh? I thought there'd be equations and shit on the wall." – says loveable Chuckie Sulivan in the 1997 Academy Award winning, Good Will Hunting.

Good Will Hunting is no typical self-discovery film, thanks to the smart team behind it, will also win both your heart and your mind.

Future A-list actors, Matt Damon, mostly known for the successful Bourne series, and Ben Affleck, an acclaimed director and former husband of Jennifer Lopez, who grew up two blocks away from each other in Cambridge, Massachuesetts use their love of working class Boston to bring the film  to life.

Good Will Hunting follows the story of a genius, high school drop-out, Will Hunting (Damon), a janitor at the prestigious Machuessetts Institute of Technology, a school full of geniuses. Outside work, he has a close-knit group of friends from childhood, the closest being charismatic Chuckie Sullivan (Affleck).

One day, Field Medal winning, Professor Lambeau (Skarsgad) challenges his students to solve a difficult equation. In a turn of events, it is Will who solves it first. The professor seeks out the solver’s identity disovers Will, and bails him out of jail and avoids assault charges ,mentors him in mathematics, and requires him to see a therapist. After many failed attempts in finding someone able to get through to Will, the professor turns to his old college friend, Sean McGuire (Robin Williams), a community college professor, with whom he has had a tense relationship filled of jealousy and resentment. In the meantime, Will falls in love with a charming British Harvard student (Minnie Diver) who is willing to love him despite all his flaws and troubles.

Sean, a widower, is also dealing with numerous personal problems while breaking through to Will. In the beginning, he and Will have a tumultuous relationship filled with witty exchanges, anger, and tears. Eventually both men open up and form an unbreakable bond, leading to Will to accept his exceptional gifts, let go of his past troubles, and live his life to the fullest.

Good Will Hunting benefits from exceptional efforts from both the actors and those behind the scenes. Kudos goes to the excellent Affleck-Damon writing team (the Academy Award winners for Best Original Screenplay) and the actors for creating such an emotional, engaging story with copious amounts of realism. The moments of comedy and drama were delivered with balance and sincerity.

Two specific moments stood out. The first being Chuckie’s passionate monologue to Will, a harsh, but caring demand that Will leave the working class life and put to use the gifts that others are not as luck to have. The second was an emotional therapy session in which Sean assures Will, “It’s not your fault,” breaking the emotional barrier with best man hug a person can imagine.

Damon, Williams, and Driver all received nominations at the Academy Awards for their roles, with Williams winning Best Supporting Actor. In addition, the film was nominated for Best Picture, Director, Song, Original Music Score, and Film Editing.

This film contains strong language, but his highly recommended! 

Spilling on... the H.O. Botanical Gardens

Take a minute to absorb...

Nature. So peaceful, so beautiful... But why do we feel so separated from it? In our current day and age of technology, trees go days without hugs. They must be feeling lonely.

On Monday, I took my first trip to the H.O. Botanical Gardens located at the Arboretum. I have to admit, I probably would have never stepped foot inside if I wasn't required too. I'm certain that many students are ignorant of its very existence.

Let me first start off and say that the Botanical Gardens are absolutely gorgeous! The brightly colored flowers, the nicely decorated ponds, and the lushes green gave off a peaceful air that could calm almost any person's mood upon entrance. The place is visually entrancing and is quite hard to look away or not appreciate it. I applaud the the hard work done by the caretakers every day to keep the gardens looking effortlessly beautiful.

My favorite place was the large leafy arch that stood before the sunflower fields with a wooden bench below. This reminded me of an iconic scene from a movie in which one would expect a lover's embrace or just a cute pose. I was tempted to have someone photograph me right there, but I felt too awkward.

I have not been to many places like the Botanical Gardens. From my previous experience, only a few trips to landscaping shops could even slightly resemble the gardens. They lacked the tranquility and appreciation of the gardens as they were constantly packed with obnoxious new home owners.

This is the kind of place I would not take a group of friends. Personally, I think the gardens are meant for self reflection, meaning, it's a journey that I recommended taking alone. Other people will distract you from attaining peace and you will always feel self conscious about how you or another person reacts to the scenery.

Even if you aren't a huge nature freak, I would still recommend going. We could all use a break from the hussle and bussle from everyday life and the urge to take out our smartphones. You don't even need to stay there for hours. Take a good 10 minutes to walk around and absorb everything. In no time it'll turn that frown upside down!

Spilling on... Art

"San Gennaro" by Louis Finson

Made from 1610-12
Painting type: Oil on canvas

DESCRIPTION
The painting, of Flemish origins, depicts what looks like a bishop, dressed in traditional clothing, gesturing to a dead human head laying on the table in front of him. The bishopis wearing white robes, a brown cape, and a gold mitre (the bishop hat). The human head has a dark, strange, and spiky looking object sticking out from its neck. It's identity is unknown. On the table are two bottles of unknown liquids.

TIME
The painting must have been made during the Renaissance (as the dates suggest). During this time, the Catholic Church still held a monopoly over society. However, new ideas were forming that challenged the Church's very principles as well as its power. This particular painting possibly shows the head of a man who dared to challenge the church and makes a religious and political statement: Nobody messes with the Catholic Church.

FEELINGS
This painting caught my eye upon first glance. It's shocking depiction of a human head could only make me wonder "why?" I was quite taken aback that the head was lying on the table nonchalantly. In addition, the smug look on the preacher's face disturbed me because he seemed to have no regard for the dead person's head. I felt like his expression dehumanized the person and gestured, hands open, towards the head as if it was a pitiful. In addition, I felt that the bishop was presenting the head as an example of "what could happen to you if you don't..." The bishop's tilted head and cold, condescending expression reveal that the he is in no which way sorry for the dead man and his family and is asserting the wavering power that the Catholic Church has over society.

THE ARTIST
The artist, Louis Finson, has been known for religious-themed paintings which were on high demand for the wealthy. His actual views on religion are unknown given there is not a lot of information available on his life. His most well known painting is the Allegory of the Elements (1611) which depicts four naked people, male and female, tangled and struggling.

POSSIBLE MEANING
Whether or not Louis Finson sided with the church is unknown based on his skimpy biographies. However, the painting works as a warning to those who do not align with the church. Finson could speak on the Church's side and claim that the institution is ultimate and nobody should dare challenge it's power or else this (the dead human head) could happen to you too.

On the other hand, Finson may protest the Church's authority by showing the bishop's callous regard for those who fail to accept the institution. It could be a sign to those not in favor of the Church's rule to rebel, seeing what has happened to the dead man.

MY VISIT TO THE MUSEUM
The Palmer museum was quite a relaxing place to be because the walls were painted with nice, cool, colors which let the artwork speak for itself. Personally, I am not a huge fan of paintings. It's not that I don't like, but I haven't come to understand the true meanings behind many pieces of art. I tend to visit museums with artifacts from the past. I wasn't particularly inspired by the artwork at Palmer, so, I probably won't go back. Most of the works were nice to look at, but I couldn't take away much in the end. I guess
I'm kind of biased since I lived right outside of Washington, D.C. for 6 years, so, I got to experience the many wonderful museums that city had to offer. The Newseum was my favorite by far. If you get the chance to visit DC, I totally recommend going there! It's a true experience.

 CHECK IT OUT - Newseum website