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Observations

THEA 130 – Observations

           All of my observations consist of when I am working at Starbucks a seeing what people say to what other people do, or what I do.

1)   When I was at register, this woman came up to buy a drink.  Naturally, I put on a smile to make the customer happy with the service.  I think my smile made her forget her name because when I asked her name she had no idea what her name was.  When she got home later she probably felt really embarrassed about that because it took her a full 30 seconds to figure out what her name was.

2)   Another observation was a social experiment I had in mind while I was working.  After I finished making someone’s drink, it was time to call the name out.  The name on the cup was “Denise”.  I took this opportunity to make a reference to a well known Key and Peele video and pronounced her name wrong as “Dee-nice”. I thought the person would think it is funny, but she actually was pretty mad.  She said that everyone makes that joke and I wasn’t original.  Well damn.

3)   My last observation happened recently when I was walking on El Cajon Blvd in the morning.  I saw this girl walking across the street from me and this homeless woman walking towards her.  The homeless woman began to scream at the girl “You dirty bitch” “you slut” “you whore”. The girl didn’t do anything about it and just ignored it.  Then when they met each other when they were walking toward each other, the homeless woman body slammed the girl.  I thought this was absurd.  After this, a woman comes up to the girl and asks her if the homeless woman touched her. Naturally, the girl nodded her head. So then the woman started to beat up the homeless lady.  I thought this was insane.  I don’t even know what happened after that but I thought this was a very interesting part of my day.

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The Zoo Story scene

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Rooster Scene

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Miss Saigon

THEA 130 – Week #13

Miss Saigon

           This musical is about an American soldier that fell in love with a girl in Japan when he was fighting over seas.  The beginning of the play is them falling in love, the middle is about him going away, and the end is about her trying to get their son to America.  This is a very sad play because at the end she kills herself.  I really did not see the reason why she had to do that.  But maybe if I actually saw an actress portray her reasoning on her decision I would understand more.  I think I can play the part of the soldier who falls in love with her.

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Godspell

THEA 130 – Week #12

Godspell

           I read the script for Godspell because I went out for an audition for it during this time.  I liked all of the parables and stories that it had.  I did not really like how adolescent the script was at some parts.  It seemed like a children’s guide to the holy bible.  However, I thought I could play Lamar very easily.  I also really like his song.  

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Complete Works of Shakespeare

THEA 130 – Week #11

Complete Works of Shakespeare

           I read this play because I heard we were doing it here at SDSU for a student ran production.  I thought it was very funny.  It is about three guys going through all of Shakespeare’s work together. I think I could play any of the parts in it.  Every part has their moment to show the audience that they are funny or can even recite some Shakespeare.  

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Roosters

THEA 130 – Week #10

Roosters

Roosters was a very good story and has a very good part for me.  The older brother, Hector, has daddy issues because his dad left home.  Since then his dad has gone to jail and now is coming back.  He does not trust his father because all his father cares about is his rooster that he enters in cock fights.  I think this is a good acting part for me because I have to be a good older brother to my sister, Angie, and still have to deal with my own problems with being a man and my father issues.  

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A Streetcar Named Desire

THEA 130 – Week #9

 A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

             This classic is about a woman named Blanche who is does not have anywhere to go except stay with her sister who she has not seen in years.  The play consists of Blanche dealing with her sisters husband and lying about her past. Throughout the play the husband, Stanley, hates Blanche and wants to know the truth.  He ends up finding out and raping her.  This show really does not have a good side, everyone is bad. If I were in this show, I would want to play Pablo.

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The Zoo Story

THEA 130 – Week #8

 The Zoo Story by Edward Albee

             The Zoo Story is a one-act play that takes place at a park bench in central park.  The whole play is between two middle-aged men.  Peter, who is older than Jerry, does not want to talk to Jerry but finds himself in a very long conversation.  Jerry entices Peter by telling him that he went to the zoo. Peter naturally wants to know why Jerry went to the zoo and why Jerry is telling him this.  Another factor that makes Peter forced to get into a conversation with Jerry is that Peter is a push over.  This means that whatever Jerry says, Peter will listen without trying to get away.  Peter does not want to be in this conversation but he is not assertive enough to say that he does not want to be in it.  I read this play because I am doing a scene from it in class with Jesse. I am playing Peter in this scene, but I feel I could play Jerry if I was given the opportunity.  

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A Dolls House

THEA 130 – Week #7

 A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen

             I saw this play in High School but I wanted to reread it because of all of the feminism themes being thrown around today. This play is about a house wife named Nora.  She is what you would call a trophy wife to her husband, Torvald.  The whole play consists of her running into problems that she has set for herself because she does not want to be a stay at home wife anymore.  By the end of the play she leaves her husband and her kids to become her own person. This is a very controversial ending in my eyes because she is abandoning her children but doing what she needs to do in order to be happy.  I don’t think I would want to be in this play but I do think it is an interesting story.

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A Lie Of The Mind

THEA 130 – Week #6

 A Lie Of The Mind by Sam Shephard

             This dark comedy by the one and only Sam Shephard is about the beauty of dysfunctional families.  After beating his wife to the point of brain damage, Jake runs away from and his family is looking for him.  Frankie is Jakes brother and the play consists of him with Beth and her family dealing with the hardships that have come with Jake’s actions. By the end of the play Beth and Jake find that they actually love each other, despite everything that has happened. If I were in this play I would want to be Frankie or Jake.

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Spring Awakening

THEA 130 – Week #5

 Spring Awakening by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik

             Spring Awakening is about a group of teenagers in Germany that go through normal teenage problems with growing up.  This rock musical is filled with teen angst and miscommunication with the older generation.  There is also themes of suicide and the burden that comes with it. Melchior is the main character and he gets Wendla pregnant, after he writes an essay that is all about sex. Melchior also deals with the issue of how his best friend committed suicide.  This puts a lot of dark shadow over the second half of the show.  I really enjoy this musical and would like to be in it someday.  If I were in it I would like to play Melchior.  

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Dog Sees God

THEA 130 – Week #4

 Dog Sees God by Bert V. Royal

             Dog Sees God is about all of the peanuts characters all grown up.  It starts out the play with a monologue from Charlie Brown.  I really enjoyed this monologue and think I could definitely perform it in the near future.  The monologue is CB writing to his pen pal, who never writes back, telling them that his dog Snoopy has died.  This monologue sets up the whole show in the sense that it brings all of the peanuts characters back together again.  We go through the play learning new things about the peanuts characters, realizing with age comes change: some good and some bad.  Writing a play about childhood characters that everyone in America knows and loves is a very good choice.  I really enjoyed this play because it had a good theme of growing up.  I felt the characters growing up and as I was reading it I felt myself growing up as well.  Having just lost my own dog this month, I really connected to that beginning monologue that CB had.  

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Next to Normal

THEA 130 – Week #3

 Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey

             Next to Normal is a modern day musical about a family going through a tough time because the mother is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  The title Next to Normal comes from how they are striving to be a normal family but really cannot because of their dysfunction.   The mother and father had a son when they were newly weds.  This son passed away when it was a baby, but the mother of the family never let go and let him grow up in her mind.  17 years later, she has to undergo shock therapy to forget about the son.  I had to read this musical because I was cast in a scene from it in my musical theatre class. I was casted as Henry, the boy friend of the daughter.  Marilyn Wallace played the daughter.  I really think there is a lot of good music for me in this musical because it really fits my voice.  I would probably be casted as Henry if I auditioned for it.  I hope to at least audition for it once in my life and maybe be part of the show.  

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Kiss of The Spiderwoman

THEA 130 – Week #2

 Kiss of the Spider Woman by Terrence McNally

             The Kiss of the Spider Woman was a very interesting musical.  I had to read it because I was cast in a scene from it in my musical theatre class. I was casted as Valentine and Colden Lamb was casted as Molina.  This musical is about those two characters being put together as cellmates in prison. Molina is a homosexual male who is in jail for being with a minor and Valentine is a heterosexual male who is in jail for being apart of a revolution.  During the duration of the musical, Molina becomes fond of Valentine and eventually falls in love with him.  By the end of the musical, they have an intense love scene.  It is left up to interpretation for why they got together. But I believe it is because they have similar views.  Molina believes in love and that if he has to suffer for his love, so be it.  Valentine on the other hand believes that all pain is endurable and it will all be worth it in the end.  I really think the musical has some good character work in it. I think I would be casted as Valentine because of my race.

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Dr. Faustus

THEA 130 – Week #1

Dr. Faustus Lights the Lights

           This play was a very hard and interesting read. I could not really understand what was going on in the script and I think it will help me to watch this show later this semester.  I really liked the part of the boy and the dog.  They were a great duo that gave innocence to the script.  I think I could play the boy if I did this show.

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