Acting Cultural Event Report

The set used for Vernon God Little was highly symbolic and simplistic; when we walked into the theatre we could visually see that there were flowers, cards and memorable items attached on the audiences seats above our heads, which already created a sombre atmosphere around the theatre.

Family friendly, heart tugging, hilarious, energy filled, Matilda the Musical does it all in this unbelievable performance and is a must see for everyone. The humor is perfect for all ages and will have everyone laughing, but at the same time still has little remarks that go over the kid's head. Matilda the Musical is currently playing in the beautiful Cambridge Theatre in London’s West End and the set and special of effects of the Matilda are a little unnecessary at times, but still impressive nonetheless. This show will have you laughing and talking about the performance for days to come!

The overt neglect of her prodigal intellect experienced by Matilda leaves her feeling misunderstood and an outsider in her family which differs from the perceived neglect which leaves Coraline struggling with her sense of self. Born to parents described as “gormless” (Dahl 4), Matilda is both blessed and cursed with a prodigal intellect. Causing Matilda to crave knowledge, it is her intellect that leads her at the age of “four years and three months” (9), to defy her parents and everyday walk to the library. Matilda admits to this neglect to Mrs. Phelps, the librarian, when she tells her of her mother, “She doesn’t encourage reading books. Nor does my father” (10). With this statement Matilda shows how her parents have neglected to foster her intellect. Matilda’s eagerness to digest information, and the fact that the only book in the Wormwood home is her mother’s cookbook, elaborates how she differs from her parents.

I’ve adored theatre for as long as I can remember. From writing plays throughout elementary school, to being involved in Drama Club in middle school, to performing in community theatre in high school, and to visiting the theatre as often as I could from the very beginning, theatre has always been a part of my life. Every aspect of it engages me: the directors working to bring their vision of the show’s scenes, choreography, or music to life, the actors transforming into different characters through their expression of dialogue, song, or dance, the costumers and set-builders transporting the audience into the setting and time period with their artistry, the backstage tech and crew working quickly and precisely to keep the show flowing to curtain call, and the orchestra bringing the show to life through music. There is nothing like the experience of live theatre, both as a member of the audience and as a member of the cast and crew.

Theatre has evolved over the many years. As it has grown, it moved to include more diverse performers, crew, producers, and audiences. This is an exploration of the expansion of diverse theatre.

One of the main magic’s of the theatre is for the audience to go into it unaware of what they will see, and exit with a whole new view in mind. This is still possible in jukebox musicals even if the audience member is familiar with some of the songs. Songs, text, and all literature can be interpreted in different ways based on the individual. Theatre is meant for all different people to enjoy. Some may like going to a show featuring songs that their favorite artists wrote or that speak to a memorable time of their life. It becomes a discussion about how the audience can relate to the characters.

Graduating from the Acting program courses is bittersweet and as it draws to a close there are a few things I want to reflect on regarding Acting in general as well as people who have made this experience worth every minute. This semester was a major growth spurt in terms of Acting, and I’ve worked to improve my confidence level and volume especially while working in “The Audition”. However, I still have some trouble really dropping myself into a moment or character without getting somewhat distracted or out of focus. I think in the long run this will get easier the more experience I have, and it mostly just requires more practice. I aim to keep in mind that an actor’s work is never done, and just like a person of any other profession, there’s always room for improvement.

Built in 1855 the Longstreet Theater on Greene Street at the University of South Carolina is one of its oldest buildings. Completed two years later than predicted, it was supposed to be a college hall. However, it was first used as a military hospital during the civil war, and then as an arsenal and armory, before being remodeled into a theater house in 1976. Resembling a Roman temple, the theater has four stories; one of which is underground, with access to the surface by an elevator. The theater room is circular, with a “theater in the round” stage that allows the audience to get a full view of what is happening. Nevertheless, in some situations the stage is made into a temporary “thrust stage” according to need. Moreover, the room was dark

The 20th Century was home to many important events in history, one of the most memorable being The Great Depression. Unemployment was at an all time high, businesses were forced to shut down, and suicide rates were through the roof. New York City was no exception. 213 of it’s 253 theaters were forced to close, putting hundreds of thousands of theater people out of work. In these devastating times, a hopeless yet admirable organization known as the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) was created by request of President Roosevelt. Originally created to preserve music and art, this project consumed government funds, was plagued by censorship, and was blatantly biased in social issues, with the end result being far from it’s original goal.

Over the course of approximately one-hundred years there has been a discernible metamorphosis within the realm of African-American cinema. African-Americans have overcome the heavy weight of oppression in forms such as of politics, citizenship and most importantly equal human rights. One of the most evident forms that were withheld from African-Americans came in the structure of the performing arts; specifically film. The common population did not allow blacks to drink from the same water fountain let alone share the same television waves or stage. But over time the strength of the expectant black actors and actresses overwhelmed the majority force to stop blacks from appearing on film. For the longest time the performing arts were

African American Theatre has a very dynamic and rich entity which comes from ancient Egyptian practices, and the African background of Greek legends contributed by Shakespeare. While black theatre was in its early stages, plays echoed of the lives they were living. Black American artists were constructing and preforming plays for mixed audiences as early as 1821. The dance and rhythm black people inherited caught the eyes of European audiences. Black theatre involves all sorts of black tradition with ancient stories, mythology, dances, music, and rich practices. It also contributed to the formation of America’s musical comedy acts. Social restrictions that

Sticking to the wall, she keeps her eyes on the ceiling to try and find any hidden security cameras like he had shown her before. Once she decides that it’s all clear, she makes her move; feet discreetly moving her down the hall. Teeth bite into her bottom lip as the nervousness racks her petite frame while her brain is swimming in a swamp of thoughts.

There is no theatre without an audience. The audience is as much a part of the playmaking experience as the artists—so how do we incorporate them more actively into what we do? We must work with them – and I’ve learned, in so doing,

Starting off my group tried to use the list of movement vocabulary. That didn’t work out so instead we decided to focus on what our theme or story would be. Eventually we settled on two topics, unrequited love and love at first sight.

Rituals and theater, which are both cultural performances, have similarities such as serving the purpose of entertaining teaching the audience, belief from audiencce, use of props, use of space, and repesentaion. Since during this time period many commoners did not know how to read, the church had to present these rituals in order to teach them about events in the bible like the Crucification of Jesus Christ. Similaritly, a play will serve the purpose to teach the audience a certain idea that the playwright believes is necessary for the audience members, the audience vary depending on the time this play was written, to learn or understand. Unlike a play, which has no certain time frame to be perform, a ritual is perform during certain time of the liturgical year; for example, the passion of the cross