Theater to My Major/Minor!

As a psychology major I like to take courses that go hand-in- hand with psychology. Sociology is something that has always interested me because it fascinating learning about the human psyche and how it functions but it’s also interesting to learn how the cultures that influence how the human psych functions. I believe that theater play an enormous role in the lives of children/adults and should continue to do so at any cost necessary. One day I would like to go into the field of Developmental/Child psychology and I think that children need this extra curriculum activity in their early development to help them explore the world around them and to also help they expand their cognitive abilities. Theater is a great way to expose children to the world; its way for them to have fun while learning at the same time without them knowing it. One thing about children is that when they are being forced to learn, they tend to take less of an interest in whatever is being taught. But with theater the children will be learning about the productions in movies, music, and plays while at the same time the children can actively play a part in what they are learning about. Like the saying one becomes what they do, when we expose children to theater at an early age it will help stop discrimination and ethnic/racial inequality in the world. For example, countries like Africa, China, Japan, India, and some others have significantly played a role in the development and growth of theater. By teaching the children that other cultures other than their own have impacted the world will help them accept other people of other cultures with arms wide open. As a child in school I was always afraid to talk in front of my peers. I feel that I got over that fear mostly by being forced to work in small groups and interacting with my peers. By introducing theater to children while they are still in their developmental stage, they will be more self orientated and outgoing later on in life. This is due to the fact that in theater it requires one to act out scenes and put themselves in the shoes of the characters they are playing. This will be great for a child who is very shy and afraid to interact with others; if theater wasn’t available for a shy child, that child could later on in the future be anti-social or be afraid of interacting with others because they never got a chance to build up their self confidence. In the future, I plan to use theater in my work place as much as possible to give the children a way to express themselves to me by using actions and words together. Some children who have been neglected or abused find it hard to be them selves in society without feeling like an outcast; I will incorporate theatre into therapeutic sessions in the form of role playing and other activities. For example, as a child many children like to pretend play or reenact what they see around them; by doing this I will be able to help the children conquer their obstacles with ease while showing them a good time. I want my patients to feel comfortable enough to perform in front of one another and know that they can all help each other in triumphing over their shortcomings/ barriers. There is also the history part of theater that we are learning about during this class. This is also important for children to learn about even though they may not be able to understand a lot of it until later on in life, they can still learn some of the general vocabulary words and things like that. It is important to try to get children interested in something at an early age because when you are young you tend to have more synapse connections in thebrain that you would as an adolescence. In conclusion, I think theater is a very powerful/useful tool in the teachings of children about the world. 

Concluding Statement

I think it's safe to say that taking this course is something that I never would have thought I would have enjoyed as much as I did. During these couple weeks that I’ve spent in the course I’ve learned so many things about theater and how it has influence our society than I assumed I would. I really didn’t have high expectations entering this course but as I’m leaving now, I’m leaving with a greater knowledge about theater than I once had before. When I came into this course, I had a simple goal of just passing the course and not really having tan interest of gaining anything out of it. But as I started doing the course work I soon realized that theater was not as boring as I perceived it to be. I discovered that theater has many foundations in other areas that interested me such as to my everyday life and my community. It has been an intense semester that has involved many ups and downs for me. But, looking back on what has been completed, I am proud of the work that I have accomplished and the new experiences that I gained. Completing this course turned out to be very rewarding because I got a chance to learn about the cultural heritage and history of other countries that I never thought really impacted the world of theater. This experience has also made me value things that I have overlooked in the past. For example, Kathakali is something that originated from the cultures of India; the other day when I was in psychology 310, we were discussing about the development of children and how it varies from culture to culture. Since I remembered this from my readings I participated in the discussion and many of my classmates including the teacher were surprised at what Kathakali was because they never heard about it before. It felt good telling my psy 310 class about Kathakali, I felt so smart and I sat through the rest of the period with a big smile on my face. There have also been little bits of knowledge that are present within my conversations with other people that I was unaware that I knew. Its ironic that I am walking away from this course with more knowledge of theater and its relations than even I am aware of. I have linked many aspects of theater to movies, film directors, and music videos than I thought possible. I feel that the major turning point for me in this course was that we were required to view a live theatrical production. I had always been interested in theater, yet never really had the drive to develop that interest into a hobby or passion, however, this course required me to change that aspect of my life. I was required to get out of my comfort zone and experience something rather new and exciting. It put everything I had been learning about into action. I also noticed that I entered this course unsure of how I would do, if I would pass or fail, and worried about accomplishing my goals. I walked in basically as someone with no prior experience in theater and I feel a certain level of confidence in myself that was not present beforehand. I am happy of this change in the way I view the world aorund me now. The confidence I gained for theater also reflects other areas of my personality.This class as a whole really inspired me to appreciate theater. It was a fun and also enjoyable experience. As this course ends, I have learned so much about myself that I though I would. I learned to appreciate the beauty of the world and the different elements that it brings to help mold our society. I’ve also learned that I’m a procrastinator who waits until the last minute to get things done. Realizing this about myself will really help me change for ways and become a better individual and student. I can honestly say that i came into this course with nothing and left with so much more.

Theater to My Life!

Music is something that I adore; music to me is a form of expression. It describes my mood, character, and most importantly me. During this course I have learned numerous of things about how theater relates to music. Music jut like theater is an art form; you can see it, hear it, and feel it. Most of the time when I listen to music depending on my mood, I always feel the urge to dance, sing along, and bob my head to the beat and the words. Whenever I listen to music on my iPod or watch the music videos on TV/Internet, I feel a sense on connection between me and the song. I never really thought of music videos as live performance until I entered this course. Many of the music videos that I see contain a set design, lights, and costumes; which are all the same things that can be found within theater. When I see a music video the thing that really grabs my attention is the location where the video takes place and the wardrobe. Just the other day as I was watching MTV, Usher’s OMG music video had me in total awe. The video had this disco theme to it, with different colorful light flicking and beaming in different directions. The lights were not the only thing that caught my attention but how the light that beamed off of his clothes would give his jewelry and his appearance a more appealing look. Just like in theater the setting, lights, and customs all compliment each other. As with a theatrical production, the designers need to make a scene that goes along with what the artist wants to portray about a song. The clothes that the artist wears is very important too, it shows how they want to be perceived. Similar to theater, in music videos the technical director must make sure all equipment is properly hooked up and the lighting is complementary to the songs and show. The acting that is done by artists is slightly different than that of actor of theater. In music videos the artist rehearses a song and the choreography; while in a theatrical setting the actors must follow a script which is usually longer than five minutes which is the length of most music videos.

Another thing that I can relate to theater is my life. My role as a daughter, friend, best friend, cousin, sister, grand daughter, and girlfriend is something that ties closely with theater. In theater each character is assigned one or more roles and is expected to play that part, which is kind of like what I do everyday. My roles that I play differ from person to person; how I would interact with my friends is not the same way I would interact with my boyfriend or family. With my family I tend to not tell them everything whereas with my boyfriend or my best friend I do so. Just like in theater I know my different roles and I play them well.

Broadway

New York is known for its Broadway; it’s no surprise that this weekend there are numerous of productions to choose from. Many of the productions include Memphis, The Addams Family, Come Fly Away, Chicago, Wicked, Everyday Rapture, Promises Promises, Avenue Q, Million Dollar Quartet, Blue Man Group, A Little Night Music, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins, Billy Elliott, and many others. As you can see, there are all types that range from a variety of categories. If you wanted to see a show there are many ways in which one can purchase tickets, online, over the phone, and the box office. However people have been known is buy them from an ad in the newspaper, or from scalpers on the street. I find that online is the easiest and cheapest way to buy tickets because it’s convenient for everybody. There are many websites that sell tickets and you can compare prices all from your computer. If the tickets are bought over the phone, it’s likely that you’ll get the ticket but it will most likely be at full price. Its best to buy the tickets at the box office because there might be discount offered for certain shows.

If I was going to see a Broadway show I would want to see Wicked because I heard so many positive things about it but never got a chance to see it. The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorite movies as a child. I would like to see it reenacted from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North. Since Wicked is mainly placed in a land of magic, I think it would be quite interesting to see how they bring it to life. I would be a sight to see how they will make the witches fly and how realistic the costume design for the witches and the other characters will be. Wicked has broken box office records all around the world. In 2004 the musical was nominated for ten Tony Awards. The show has also won six Drama Desk Awards and one Olivier Award.

The Addams Family is a popular musical that is based off of the show Addams Family. I think that the Addams Family is the hottest show right now because I know that many of us can recall watching the show as a child. I personally think its great when a childhood show like the Addams Family is turned into a play or musical because it allows you to reminisce about those childhood days and enjoy the play/musical as an adult without feeling guilty about being a big kid. The musical takes a whole new spin to the characters; it’s the same characters that we love and grew up with but will a more different approach. The Addams Family opened up on April 30, 2010 but due to their huge success the show will now do a national tour starting September 2011.

Theater Profile

The famous Benedum Center for the Performing Arts located in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania is one of the most beautiful theaters I have ever visited. Being from Philadelphia I usually don’t get a chance to explore other surroundings other than that of my roots. In March I had the chance of staying with one of my girlfriends from Pittsburgh for the weekend. Since I had never been to Pittsburg I was very anxious to see what it had to offer. As we were riding through Oakland, my friend’s father became my personal tour guide; he pointed out many historical landmarks, other must see places, and last but not least the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. The first thing that I noticed when I walked into the Benedum Center was the art work; it gave of this vibe of sophistication and elegance like that of which you get when you walk into a nicely decorated Catholic Church. I was very amazed at the gorgeous crystal chandeliers, torches, and sconces throughout the theater.

The Grand Lobby’s mirrors, woodwork, and marbles are all original. I must say that the breathe taking sight in the Benedum Center is the original main chandelier which weighs 4,700 pounds, is 20 feet high, and 12 feet wide. Before being known as the Benedum Center it was previously known as the Stanley Theatre. The name change came about after Claude Worthington Benedum donated the most amount of money to the restoration of the theater. The center opened on Friday, September 25, 1987, with a show called purely Pittsburgh. It was written by Dan Langen and produced by Mandy Levine. The entire show contained composers from Pittsburgh and performers who were connected to Pittsburgh in some sort of way. There are a few upcoming events worth watching such as Hairspray, Oliver!, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, and Young Frankenstein. As you can see, the Benedum hosts a wide arrange of different productions, from strictly music, to musicals, to plays. After visiting the Benedum Center I became fascinated with everything it has to offer. I think the reason why I loved visiting the Benedum Center so much was that it was nothing like any of the performing centers that I have seen in Philadelphia. Getting a chance to grasp the beautiful sight of something new was really rewarding. I remember how dark and quiet it was before the show started, and that we were seated right on the edge of the balcony. I was so excited because I thought we had the best view of the stage. I can recall wondering if the people down below me could see me as I watched them play, because of how bright the lights seemed every time I looked back at them. The Benedum has been registered with the National Trust for Historic Places, and was named the "Number One Auditorium in the U.S," by Billboard Magazine. I didn’t really find anything about internships or available jobs at the Benedum Center but I’m sure there are some if one was to visit or call them.

Set Design

The Color Purple is a musical based on the novel The Color Purple. It's a captivating story that takes place in 1930s of Georgia. The theme for the musical will center about the structures in the south which are usually spaced out lands, fields, and churches.For Act I of the musical, the setting of the musical will take place inside a small church with rows of benches and a cross at the alter.

For the scenes that take place at the house of Cecil and Mr. will be very simple. I will only focus on the outside of the house, the kitchen, and the bedroom. For the outside view I will use bushes with cotton balls hanging on them to capture the conception that the stage is a cotton field.

The dancing scenes in the musical are another aspect of the musical that I think brings a lot of enlightenment to the audience. For the juke jive and blues scenes, the setting will consist of a dimly light background which will most likely be a navy blue color to give a more realistic effect of the evening time. The setting will also have trees and vines to capture the concept that the juke jive spot takes place in a secluded area in the woods.

For what I think in one of the most important and moving scenes in the musical is the church dinner scene where Cecil tells Mister that she is leaving. For this scene the set design will consist of a dining table with southern cooked meals such as fried chicken, grits, smoked turkey, greens, corn, rice, gravy, cornbread, peach cobbler, and a pitcher of water. This will really help the audience capture the feel that it's Sunday dinner after church. i know many people like myself can relate to this scene because its something that my family use to do too after Sunday church. By being that sense of reality to the viewers they will feel more drawn in into the scene.

Stage Lighting

The Lion King is a beautiful musical that truly captures the African culture and takes it to new heights. Many of the scenes in the Lion King are different from one another; from serious tribal scenes to relaxed dancing scenes. For the tribal scenes that consist of vigorous dancing with a lot emotion, I would use Fresnel lanterns at the top and for backlight. By using Fresnel lanterns for these scenes I will be able to capture the actors body movements by creating silhouettes. I will also use sidelighting from the Fresnel lanterns to highlight the dancers' legs. To grasp the emotion of the scenes I will use gel to create saturated colors to bring the scenes to life. I want my audience to feel like they themselves are apart of the production.

I would also use Ellipsoidal Lighting to allow me to change the softness of the light reflected by the unit by changing the amount of distance between the reflector and the lens. I will also be able to change the pattern of the light with the use of gels. The beam of light that can be projected onto a specific character is great for signaling individual parts in the musical. For example, the use of Ellipsoidal lighting would be perfect for the part when Nala tells Simba about the condition of the destroyed Pride Lands. It will grasp the audience's undivided attention onto the two characters as it captures the emotions and the seriousness of the moment.

I would use PAR Lamps (parabolic aluminated reflectors) for special effects light from different angles when I'm trying to make color washes. By using PAR Lamps it will make certain scenes in the musical such as the standing men more appealing to the eye. The effects that will be projected will leave the audience in total awe. The use of PAR lamps would be great for the scene when Simba climbs onto Pride Rock and looks out to his kingdom as the new King of Pride Rock, while the animals in the kingdom welcome Simba, Nala, and their newborn cub.