Theater Musing Series

"Theater Musing Series" is actually a video series I created when I was a sophomore at MSU but just came up with a title for it now. These are a series of videos in which I was musing about something in the theater field and decided to interview someone from MSU to get more insight on it.

The "From the Vault" portion of the titles of these episodes so far refers to the fact that these are old videos that have existed before on Facebook and have just now been uploaded to YouTube. They are from specific blog posts on here and I had uploaded them to my Facebook page then because I didn't have a YouTube channel at the time. I had been debating about doing this for a while and so I finally decided to dedicate today to it. They are going to stay on my Facebook page, but I decided to upload them to YouTube as well to give them a broader audience. I might add to this series in the future.

As for my other Facebook videos, I may or may not upload them to YouTube as well. As for me continuing to upload videos onto the Facebook page, I am yet to determine this.

For my "Taking it One 'Stef' at a Time" Facebook videos, click here.

For my "Theater Musing Series" on YouTube, click here.

Discussing Theatrical Nudity with Professor and Director Susan Kerner

Hiya, folks!

This semester I am taking a course called "Introduction to the Theatrical Medium" with Professor Susan Kerner. Susan has directed performances at Montclair State University such as Arcadia and The Grapes of Wrath and is currently directing Stage Door, which will be premiering at the Alexander Kasser Theater this upcoming November.

If you remember from my "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments" installment of The Grapes of Wrath, I discuss the play's usage of nudity and the extra artistic element it brings to the stage. I had been wanting to discuss this topic with the actors, which I still might do, but thought of the idea this past week to discuss it with the director herself, beings though she is my professor this semester.

Click here to view our interview. Enjoy! :)

Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments: Albert Herring

Albert Herring-May 2011-Alexander Kasser Theater

Okay so here we are at the final show of the Spring 2011 semester, and it just so happens to be an opera. The story is set in England at the beginning of the 20th century and surrounds a group of people who are suggested to be Catholic because of their search for a female virgin to be this year's "Queen of the May" for their May Day festival. To me, this seems to be connected to what us Roman Catholics celebrate as a May Crowning, which is a ceremony when we honor the Virgin Mary by crowning a statue of her. This takes place in May, which is the month of Mary, and ironically enough the opera played at Kasser on May 2 and 3.

If you want a visual of what I am talking about, click here. This is a video of this year's May Crowning at my parish, Holy Family. I took it special for this post.

This is a slideshow I found of the performance on May 2. I saw the May 3 performance, which was different cast, but the video still gives you a good idea of what the opera looked like.

Now that you know some brief religious background I have noticed in Albert Herring, here are it's Awkward Sexual Moments.

"The Female Sex is Soiled": After the council discusses every female in town who is in the running to be "Queen of the May," only to discover that every single one has already been deflowered, they lose hope in the female race. Therefore, they begin to sing "The female sex is soiled" repetitively in a very droll manner. Both my mother and I were in the audience and this part offended us, but in two very different and interesting ways.

Because all of these girls aren't virgins, their final resort is the only male virgin in town, Albert Herring. My mother finds this concept offensive because she feels that the female sex is portrayed in a very degrading manner here. "Not one girl was a virgin out of all of them so they had to a retreat to a guy? That's a disgrace to women." It suggests that the female sex as a whole isn't very virtuous, or, I guess, sexually honorable, which doesn't say much about women back during the time Albert Herring takes place.

However, though I do agree with my mother's point, I see the degrading of the female sex in this scene in a different way. The opera makes the women's sexualities out to be a tragedy. They make it seem so dark and depressing that women have sex instead of celebrating the expression of female sexuality. This part is so satirically dramatic, as if it's completely horrible that women have their own sex lives and that it is shameful, that I found myself actually laughing as I watched it, questioning why it is such a big deal.

"Bounce me High, Bounce me Low": There are these three adolescent kids in the opera who play this game in which they stand in a circle and bounce a ball to each other and chant these very words: "Bounce me high, bounce me low, bounce me up to Jericho. Bounce me slow, bounce me quick, bounce me to Arithmetic." Then they rhythmically clap their hands and rotate their circle. 

I know it's not intended to be, but this chant sounds kind of sexual. It's kind of funny to think about. Read it again and you'll see what I mean.

Previously: The Agee/Evans Project

Okay...announcement time. 

This might be my very last "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments" post. Notice how I say "might." If I am inspired enough I will write them again. I don't really want to stop something with which I have been consistent. 

The thing is, they're not interesting me as much as they used to. When I wrote the originals, I was on winter break and wrote them to be productive and was excited to write them. Even though I enjoyed writing them this summer as well, they felt kind of forced this time. I was working on articles this summer and plus I came up with other post ideas so I couldn't really place my full focus on them. I felt obligated to complete them because I promised them, so I kind of made them an unnecessary task that I brought on myself.

Like I said, I might continue it, but I just want to warn you to be prepared that this may be the last one. I just want to move on to other things. Thank you so much for reading them and I am so glad that I wrote them for you!

However, on a happier note, I am looking forward to the 2011/2012 season of Peak Performances at MSU! :)

Celebrating National Dance Day July 2011!

Last year my favorite TV show, FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance," (SYTYCD) invented a special day dedicated to dance called "National Dance Day," which now takes place the last Saturday of every July. I didn't do much for the very first one, so this year I really wanted to celebrate with my friends.

l-r: Janis, Cara, Me, Lauren

My friends Lauren, Janis, Cara, and I worked really hard to choreograph and perform two routines in three hours. I am so proud of what we accomplished! None of us often do things like this, so we realized what choreographers and dancers have to go through to prepare and perform routines, thus causing us to respect and appreciate these artists even more! I felt so healthy as well, and the exercise derived from dance is something National Dance Day tries to promote. I really like how it is a fun way to get in shape.

I'm actually considering using our dances as part of my morning workout routine!

Thank you so much to my friends and our families for putting together such a fun time for us all! Thank you also to the creator of National Dance Day Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of "So You Think You Can Dance" and founder of the Dizzy Feet Foundation, and to all those who recognize National Dance Day as a national holiday. I really admire how a lot of people celebrate National Dance Day in so many different ways.

Dance and the arts is something we should all truly appreciate, so I'm really happy that National Dance Day exists to give it the credit it deserves. :)

Happy National Dance Day Everyone! :D

Click here to see our original routines and some "behind the scenes" material! I love our creativity! :D I chose "It Was All in Your Mind" by Wade Robson because I had first heard it on SYTYCD for a group routine in Season 3 and then Twitch from Season 4 did a solo to it so I have been wanting to choreograph a routine to it myself. I often listen to it and love how unique and intricate it sounds! The beginning of our "Party Rock Anthem" routine is roughly based on the July 2011 National Dance Day choreography of Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo. I figured that since "Party Rock Anthem" seemed to be the theme song for this year's National Dance Day, we should use it and some of their choreography as well so it wasn't like we totally didn't acknowledge it. We could've learned their routine along with the others created specifically for National Dance Day, but we decided to test our skills and do our own thing. :)

I also want to point out that I got the top I wore today at the So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2011 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ! It says "dance" written all over it vertically in different colors, the word "DANCE" written in huge gray letters towards the left, and also has the So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2011 logo on the bottom left! And, it's a V-neck and I love V-necks! I wore it special for today!

Happy National Dance Day Everyone! Hope you all enjoyed it! I know we were very happy and excited celebrating today! It was a blast and one of the best days of my life! We were all looking forward to this day and are already looking forward to next year!

Finally! My First Paying Writing Gig of the Summer and of the Year! :D

Last night, Saturday July 9, I was given the opportunity to attend the very entertaining premiere of William Shakespeare's Timon of Athens at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison, New Jersey to review it for Madison Patch. This is my debut article for that particular Patch site and I am very proud of it!

Here you can watch the promotional video of the play:

Another reason why I was so anxious to see it, which is how I heard about the show in the first place, is that my friend Lena Chilingerian is in it! This is her first Equity performance after graduating from Montclair State University this past May. You may remember when I wrote about her in my piece about Ma Joad. I finally was able to do a video interview with her, which you can view here! :)

Finally, without further to do, check out my article! :D

Reflections about...Arcadia on Broadway Performance Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 8 PM

It finally happened. I finally got to see Arcadia on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theater! I had been looking forward to it and was so excited about it when the day finally came. When we got to the theater, I was so thrilled and in awe to actually be there. It made it real for me. We had really nice seats as well. Because my father had helped me out with the contest, I decided to invite him along to have the other ticket and also considered it as part of my Father's Day gift to him. It was time well spent with him. :)

I really loved the play! The cast, crew, scenery, and music all put together made for a very nice production. As opposed to when I first saw it, which was my freshman year of college for a class in the Alexander Kasser Theater itself, I found myself understanding it more. (In fact, the Ethel Barrymore Theater reminds me a bit of Kasser due to its shape and size.) This time around I had already done my research, read it, and learned more about it, so I wasn't completely clueless. Let's be honest. The play has a tendency to be confusing lol. However, it also has a tendency to be very intelligent as well, which I really appreciate and why I like the play in the first place! What is interesting as well is that I was able to compare and contrast the production on Broadway to the one at my school, and in many ways it was similar, thus bringing back memories. :)

What was really admirable was the enthusiasm of the actors. They were so passionate about their characters' intentions and also seemed more relaxed and at ease with each other than what I recall seeing in my school's production. For example, the characters of Hannah Jarvis and Bernard Nightingale sport this rivalry and in many ways I considered Bernard the villain of the story because of how I have seen him portrayed and described and what he says and does in the play. At times I thought they hated each other because of their differing beliefs and personalities and how the often butt heads. However, this time around, Lia Williams and Billy Crudup, who each portrayed Hannah and Bernard respectively, seemed to still argue about their respective beliefs but were more friendly about it. They often laughed and were extremely lighthearted. Even the "insults," didn't seem to sting as much. When one seemed to fail, the other one showed compassion. Hannah didn't belittle Bernard's every move in a way that made her seem condescending and Bernard wasn't as harsh with his critiques. They both wanted to see the other succeed and joked and bantered in a way that friends would, not enemies.

Even when it comes to the relationship between Bernard and Chloe, Bernard was a little more likable in the Broadway version. At the end when Bernard was about to leave, he and Chloe parted on okay terms after he revealed to her that she will not return to London with him. However, in Montclair's production, they included an act that isn't in the script. In Montclair's Arcadia, Chloe slapped Bernard for his rejection because he acted more inconsiderate of her feelings, which is another reason why I feel that the characters' relationships with each other was more on the rocks in the Montclair version than in the Broadway version. It was an interesting addition and I liked it for being unique, don't get me wrong, but it definitely makes a difference when it comes to how one perceives the relationships between characters. It certainly adds a different aura to the final outcome and what you witness on the stage.

I also found myself liking Valentine, played by Raul Esparza, more this time around. Allow me to remind you that I am an English major and Valentine's field is in the mathematics and science department, so obviously I wouldn't connect much with him as I do with other characters. Upon first meeting Valentine, I did not understand him or his purpose in the play at all considering his work while Hannah and Bernard focus more on literature and history. I didn't see the connection, and once I did, I still didn't fully understand what Thomasina discovered, which is what Valentine eventually determines. Don't give me credit though. I still don't now after seeing it on Broadway. I just kind of get it better now than I did. Regardless, I liked Valentine on Broadway because he was so laid back and comical at the same time. I probably understand him a bit better now too, which helps.

What was really cool was finally seeing the show live after seeing clips of it on YouTube. There's something about seeing a show live and seeing performers right there in front of you. It's like, "They are real!" (I feel the same way anytime I attend a "So You Think You Can Dance" Tour lol.) It also gave me a chance to reminisce about my freshman year when I first saw the play with friends and had to write a response paper about the show (which I am thinking about sharing on this blog). It was actually the first show I saw at the Alexander Kasser Theater as a student at MSU, which itself had a magnificent cast, crew, scenery, and music as well, so it is one of my fonder college memories, the main reason why I wanted to attend the Broadway production so badly. :)

Oh yeah, and did I mention that THE MERYL STREEP WAS THERE THE SAME NIGHT I WAS??? She and her daughter were there to support her other daughter Grace Gummer, who played Chloe. That woman is a New Jersey legend and one of my favorite actresses so I am so honored to have been in the same theater with her at the same time! It was funny because when I saw her before the show started walking in with her ticket I thought she looked familiar but it didn't dawn on me right away. Then I was like, "Oh my gosh, that's Meryl Streep!" People were getting her autograph during intermission but I wanted to take a picture with her after the show and perhaps talk with her and do one of my video interviews. But, sadly, she left during curtain call and I wasn't able to find her. Regardless, she was still there, sat a few rows in front of us and on the aisle like us, and walked right by me at one point!

Just in case you don't believe me, I provided you with the status update on the Arcadia on Broadway Facebook page about Meryl Streep's presence to prove it to you. (I edited it for privacy reasons.)












The last point I'd like to make is that I really like the theme music as well. It's so cheery and catchy! It gets stuck in your head, but you don't mind. ;) It is actually the background music of this video and is played at the beginning, middle, and end of the show.

I don't often visit the city, which is surprising considering my theatrical self, because I often like to stick to theaters in New Jersey considering on this side of the river there is not as much hustle and bustle. However, Arcadia and New York City has inspired me to try to see more shows. It is exciting there, after all. In fact, next week I am going to be seeing Jersey Boys with my friend Lauren and her family, so I will probably reflect on that performance as well. :)

I even have some multimedia content for you! Click here to see the numerous photos I took. For the documentary film I took of my experience, which includes ferry rides and Sardi's Restaurant and Grill, please click here.

Thank you so much to the marketing team at Arcadia on Broadway for creating the "My Arcadia Photo Upload Contest" and to all those who liked the photo! I had been interested in seeing the Broadway play since I first heard about it and when it first premiered, and had also wanted to see another production of it since I saw it at school, so I am extremely grateful for being able to see it before it closed. It was a really close call too, because I saw the play only a few days before the last showing. :D 

dis connect Promotional Video

Promotional Poster in Memorial Auditorium

During my sophomore year at Montclair State University I have befriended senior English and Theater Studies major Amanda Schott. She is the Assistant Director of the upcoming Peak Performance dis connect, which is a brand new original production, more specifically the senior BA Theater Studies project, about our use of technology. It is premiering in the L. Howard Fox Studio Theatre next Thursday. The idea for a play like this had to have happened sooner or later considering how technology is so prominent in our lives nowadays haha.

Because Amanda has been trying to promote the show via Facebook (ironically), I decided to help her by making this promotional video, starring Amanda herself. In it she discusses the background of dis connect, what she wants the audience to take with them from the performance, etc. Interestingly she talks about how our generation, Generation Y, is mainly affected by technology. I can vouch for that. Here I am promoting a production trying to convey that very message by using my Canon camera, MacBook Pro, Facebook, Blogspot, and YouTube.



Also, here is a preview of the show, which is discussed in my interview with Amanda. (Contains some choice language):

If you want more details, please check out this Facebook event. For even more details and ticket information, please click here.

If you are in the Montclair area, please come check out dis connect. Good luck to the cast and crew! It promises to be a very memorable show!

One on One Time with Actress Corinne Chandler

Hello faithful readers! Today (well rather this evening) I have a real treat for you.

Photo taken by me :)

You may recall that in both the Sweeney Todd and The Rimers of Eldrich parts of my series "Peak Performances and their Awkward Sexual Moments," I discussed the use of rape scenes in theater and how I don't think it is such a good idea to have the actual act portrayed onstage for it may affect audience members in a negative way.

It just so happens that this semester I am taking a class with Corinne Chandler (http://corinnechandler.com/), a senior Acting major at Montclair State University, who played Eva in The Rimers of Eldritch in the L. Howard Fox Theatre, who if you remember is the young girl who was about to be raped by her counterpart Robert. I thought it would be interesting to get her point of view on the subject in a video interview. Plus, this is my very first video upload (that is my own video) to this blog. Yay visuals!

It was a pretty interesting discussion and Corinne makes a lot of good points. Enjoy! Click here to see the video.

Just as a side note: *Spoiler Alert* I keep referring to Corinne's scene as a "rape scene." This is not entirely correct. It is more so an attempted rape scene because Skelly comes to Eva's rescue before the deed occurs.

If you are in the Montclair area, please come check out Corinne and the rest of the cast of The Grapes of Wrath this upcoming March at the Alexander Kasser Theater at Montclair State University! We are all looking forward to it, Corinne! Click here for details: The Grapes of Wrath Tickets and Info.

Thanks again to Corinne for taking the time to speak with me! :)