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.