What do you believe were your three best attributes before beginning the MFA?
Personal:
1. A strong sense of who I am, what I do well, what I can work on, how I'm castable, and how I fit into this industry.
2. A sense of adventure and being open to new things.
3. A pretty good understanding of what it means to be an "adult."
Theory or Research-Based:
1. Historical and literary analysis.
2. How to research and create solid research questions.
3. Ongoing education, even though I haven't been "in class" since 2009.
Practical:
1. Taking direction and collaborating with a director.
2. Strong singer and very comfortable acting a song.
3. A good ear and ability to learn accents.
Are they still the same nearly five months later? If not, what do you believe they are now?
Personal:
1. All have improved-- a stronger sense of self and ambition, and how to use that momentum to motivate myself forward. I am learning to be nicer to myself as I work through challenges.
2. Continually improving-- seeking adventures that also reinforce what I'm learning in school.
3. HUGE steps forward, as I live alone, have to commute, and take care of a real house, but learning how to prioritize and when it's OK to give myself a break (or not!).
Theory or Research-Based:
1. Better than ever at historical and literary analysis with a renewed passion in these areas.
2. Ongoing improvement in researching and what's important to my specific questions.
3. I'm thrilled with how I've been able to supplement my education-- seeing dozens of plays, visiting relevant locations, visiting museums and special exhibitions, etc.
Practical:
1. I have improved in direction and collaboration, but have also started to learn when to trust myself.
2. Much improved voice work in general, even though I feel like I'm "starting over" with new singing techniques-- applying improvements between classes (what I do with Francoise helps with singing, etc.)
3. I have been receiving quite good feedback, which excites me in moving forward with my thesis ideas.
Is there a specific experience or example that supports the self-perceptions?
I feel myself improving. I'm having many more frequent "penny dropping" moments, I receive feedback that supports the perceptions I have of myself from tutors and peers, and I'm not afraid to TRY.
Are there additional activities, research or otherwise, outside the MFA programme, that have helped with the work you are undertaking?
IN SPADES. My exposure to dozens of theatre spaces in the UK has been invaluable, as have the plays I have seen in them. Specifically this term, seeing plays at Shakespeare's Globe improved in every way my workshop in that space, being able to compare staging of Shakespeare there with the RSC, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, and other stages in London spark questions about adaptability, physical and vocal requirements for the actors, design, and how all these elements leads to a successful production or not. I've also made an effort to see Restoration plays (or plays about this time period and the Georgian era), which have completely influenced my application of what how we're focused this term. I can directly see how actors utilize in their performances the exact same training I'm receiving, how I can improve and why I need to, how the actor I'm watching could improve and why, an appreciation for the places plays were originally performed and the circumstances under which they were originally produced. Nearly my entire focus in my time away from school is taking advantage of where I am to reinforce what I'm learning and take me even further.
On a scale 1-10, how are you managing your own learning development?
I think, 7. I can always do more, and feel I have improved in doing more even in the few weeks since Term 2 started, but I feel very confident in the direction my education is going. I take complete ownership over my education. I would like to continue doing more practical work on my own time, but I do feel like I take good advantage of applying new training in other classes, so I recognize that I am taking advantage of my time outside specific sessions-- which is also connecting the dots between different emphases. I'm proud of the work I'm doing and the efforts I make on tasks for which we "aren't being graded." I value the fact that every aspect of what we do in school is connected and improvement in area will lead to improvement in another. I look forward to becoming an even better scholar and actor.
Practical:
1. I have improved in direction and collaboration, but have also started to learn when to trust myself.
2. Much improved voice work in general, even though I feel like I'm "starting over" with new singing techniques-- applying improvements between classes (what I do with Francoise helps with singing, etc.)
3. I have been receiving quite good feedback, which excites me in moving forward with my thesis ideas.
Is there a specific experience or example that supports the self-perceptions?
I feel myself improving. I'm having many more frequent "penny dropping" moments, I receive feedback that supports the perceptions I have of myself from tutors and peers, and I'm not afraid to TRY.
Are there additional activities, research or otherwise, outside the MFA programme, that have helped with the work you are undertaking?
IN SPADES. My exposure to dozens of theatre spaces in the UK has been invaluable, as have the plays I have seen in them. Specifically this term, seeing plays at Shakespeare's Globe improved in every way my workshop in that space, being able to compare staging of Shakespeare there with the RSC, the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, and other stages in London spark questions about adaptability, physical and vocal requirements for the actors, design, and how all these elements leads to a successful production or not. I've also made an effort to see Restoration plays (or plays about this time period and the Georgian era), which have completely influenced my application of what how we're focused this term. I can directly see how actors utilize in their performances the exact same training I'm receiving, how I can improve and why I need to, how the actor I'm watching could improve and why, an appreciation for the places plays were originally performed and the circumstances under which they were originally produced. Nearly my entire focus in my time away from school is taking advantage of where I am to reinforce what I'm learning and take me even further.
On a scale 1-10, how are you managing your own learning development?
I think, 7. I can always do more, and feel I have improved in doing more even in the few weeks since Term 2 started, but I feel very confident in the direction my education is going. I take complete ownership over my education. I would like to continue doing more practical work on my own time, but I do feel like I take good advantage of applying new training in other classes, so I recognize that I am taking advantage of my time outside specific sessions-- which is also connecting the dots between different emphases. I'm proud of the work I'm doing and the efforts I make on tasks for which we "aren't being graded." I value the fact that every aspect of what we do in school is connected and improvement in area will lead to improvement in another. I look forward to becoming an even better scholar and actor.
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