Blog 21: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
“I, Danielle Mariano, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
(b) My source is Chino Community Theater, the program "QLab", The Great American Trailer Park: The Musical by David Nehls and Betsy Kelso

(c) Sound Tech for "The Great American Trailer Park: The Musical (I put it as part of my mentorship.)

(d) I got the technical side of theater to the max. I learned how to program lighting cues into the system to activate on the spot and program sound bits into a program called Qlab and figure out how to effectively use it. I also ran one of the three main spotlights for the show and got a 2 hour lesson on how to properly spot someone. It's the first time I've worked anything so technical in theater before. Even as a stage manager, I never really had to work with technology, just organizational skills. It's also my first actual "job" in theater. It's also my first musical.

INTERPRETIVE
This job was actually the most stressful part of my senior topic. I had absolutely NO IDEA what I was doing. I learned how to do sound and spotlight on the fly. The beauty of live theater. I got yelled at multiple times by the musical director, Josh Himes, for not getting the levels right, or not getting the timing right, or pressing the wrong button and activating the wrong cue, and holding the rehearsal back. I came two to three hours earlier every day to learn from Bruce on recording, Paul Larson on QLab, spotting from Alex Huie, and it was exhausting.

The creation of the set. I am currently in the lighting and sound booth as they worked. Julie, the house manager on the left and Bruce Hutchings on the ladder to the right. Bruce is the main artist and set design and he is CRAZY good at it. Like that trailer on the left. All painted. That wood wall on the right trailer? PAINTED. How does one art? 

Making all my marking on my cues when Gabriel B. pointed out I've been writing "que" instead of "cue." Joan Rivers sound what. It was a long day. 

The program for the show. Hey hey, if you ever want to see it. It's at Chino Community Theater. You guys should totally go and see it. 

Look look! There's my name under Sound Board Operator and Spotlight Operators. :D 

Applied

This play actually solidified my final answer being "Cohesive Vision". The play consists of a three man live band, seven cast members, one main director, one musical director, one choreographer, two costumers, and four stage crew members. We had to constantly talk to each other in order for this play to be successful. I had to talk to every single cast member so we were consistent on cue signals for the sounds. 

All of the crew had to sit down with the cast and make sure all of them knew their choreography so the spotlights could follow them. If not, the choreographer had to step in and teach them. One actor decided to do something different without telling anyone (That's actually my first answer in action) and she threw the sound cue off, which threw the actors off, which threw the lighting off. The domino effect. 

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

• Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.

I'm helping Hogan with coaching the elective play, "New Kids at Vampire High". 

• Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.

The rehearsals only take place in elective and will run until May. Assuming we rehearse EVERY elective period until May (we don't actually have a date set for opening), about 27-ish rehearsals. (I rounded.) With elective being an hour to an hour and a half long, 34 hours. Add the hell week tech and dress rehearsals which are about 4 hours long each, 42 hours. And then the 3 shows which run about an hour and a half, 46.5 hours. 

... Wow, I need a life.  

• How does your independent study component relate to your working EQ?

As of right now, I would like to say I'm pretty well trained in performing as well as stage crew. (ie lights, sound, stage manager, stage hand.) The only thing I've never done before is coaching/directing. Not only is it part of theatrical performance, it's probably one of the most important parts. I think it's essential that I get a good hands on experience to make a good decision on my answer for my EQ. 

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

• LITERAL

(a) I, Danielle Mariano, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

(b) "The Lady of the House" By Jim Brochu 

      Joseph Hogan - Director

(c) Click here for digital spreadsheet!

(d) I basically played the role of Evelyn Sosnowski in "The Lady of the House". I had to attend all the rehearsals, memorize all my lines and learn all my cues, blocking, and costuming and props and perform with 24 others on our show week in December. 

• INTERPRETIVE

Defend my work? Unfortunately, I don't have my program anymore.... Hmm. Well, preparing for a play isn't easy nor is it fast. Only professionals can really pull off quality plays in a short time. Rehearsal time easily outweighs the amount of time we perform to people. I have put my highlighted script in my research binder, and it takes a while to memorize lines, cues of others then add it with other's pace and timing to make it seem natural. I tried to watch others while I wasn't onstage to see how others perform. I've never really done that before but it really makes a difference. This easily resulted in more than 30 hours of work. 

Since I forget to take pictures of the play since I'm on stage or preparing for another scene, most of these aren't mine.  

The very beginning when we first added blocking. (We all still had to have scripts in our hand)

Halfway through the play. All the wood to make the set is back there still. (We're total procrastinators. We didn't start the set until like two weeks before.)

Tech rehearsal with lights and sound during Hell Week. I think we finally had a play at that time. 

Sorry for the flattering unflattering picture Natalie but during the play, Elijah actually takes a picture of her during the play with my camera. 

• APPLIED

For the first time, I tried to watch others as they performed onstage. Normally, I didn't really care if it wasn't me. (Actors are selfish.) I even took some mental notes. Dean Nolan for instance is known for his "Batman" voice when things get serious. As I watched him do the phone scene with Natalie Najera, I realized he gets really close to her face to make her really uncomfortable. I never noticed that before and it wasn't something that Mr. Hogan told him to do. He just does it. It added the extra level of seriousness to the play. Little things. Things that aren't written but inferred. Maybe not even inferred. You just, do it. People say even I do things that I don't notice when I'm in a certain character. As Bert last year for "All My Sons" (Great play), I flapped my arms a lot more to resemble a small child. And it adds to the natural feel of the play. It gave the foundation of my First Answer.

Blog 10: Senior Project Update

• What are you currently doing in your independent component?

Well, we're two weeks away from the opening of our play, "The Lady of the House". We are all kind of scrambling to get everything done in time. With costumes, make-up, hair, lighting, sound, OUR LINES, there is a bunch of stuff to do and not a lot of time left to do it. Even with rehearsing six hours a week, it doesn't seem like enough. I've worked closely with Mr. Hogan, our director, Gabriel Barreras, our stage manager, and the other actors. This is the first play from iPoly that has a wide range of actors, the one with the sea of lines (Natalie Najera-lead), to our ensemble cast. We are currently on our tech rehearsals and dress rehearsals that can run up to four hours a day. Regardless whether or not we think we're ready, we'll get it done. Onward to the four hour rehearsals!

Or we'll die trying. 

• What is a recent piece of research (article, interview, or audio-visual) that have you reviewed you would say was significant in helping you understand where to go next in your senior topic? 

It would have to be my mentorship at Chino Community Theatre. My mentor has been a director for decades and runs agent workshops. We had a two hour conversation on how to get into the professional acting business- how to get an agent, how to do my resume, skills you should have. It opened up another possibility I haven't considered researching for my senior topic.  

• Provide evidence from your independent component or the piece of research as something you recently did. 

One of the many rehearsals for Independent Component. 

Act II Scene 1.

Photo curiosity of Teo Cristanto. (Thanks Teo!) 

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Plan Approval

• Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component. 

I plan on using iPoly's fall play for my independent component or leading improv so we can improve for Fullerton Festival in Spring. If I can, possibly perform in a play outside of school. Although, that's significantly harder to get into due to the fact that the amount of competition increases. I'm scared of the intense-ness of other performers...
All of them are different types of theatrical performance, improv is just without the use of a script. (One less thing to keep track of.) I'm fairly active in both it would be easy and fun for me to do. 

• Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.

iPoly's fall play rehearsal schedule in itself will fulfill my 30 hours. It's basically my senior year. I rehearse 3 days a week, from 3:15-5:15 until the beginning of December. If everything goes according to schedule, 50 hours worth of rehearsal. During the week of December, we extend to dress and tech rehearsal which go from 4pm to 8pm. 58 hours. Then the four two-hour performances themselves, for a total of at least 66 hours. 

Woo rehearsals.

Improv will be a little harder to get hours. I'm one of the co-captains for this year's improv team and it comes in two parts. Part one: Rehearsal every thursday from 3:15-5:15 on average. If I take the due date of February 1st, we'll have approximately 15 rehearsals which lead up to 30 hours. Part 2: I meet with Rachel Wampler, the other co-captain once a week for about an hour to arrange that week's rehearsal. So all that together totals up to around 45 hours. Give or take a few because our meeting times vary. 

Woo more rehearsals.

• How does your independent study component relate to your working EQ?

Well, my working EQ is "What is the most important aspect/factor to becoming a successful performer?" or something along those lines. In a way, I'll have to look at the role of a performer in a different way than I normally do. For the past few years, I just found MY character and did MY lines. This year, I'll have to broaden my vision. It's not just me performing, everyone else that sets foot on stage is in the same position I'm in. I kinda have to figure out how we, as a cohesive unit, consider ourselves successful performers. I'll work my way up from there.