Individual update

Individual update due -- Post on your blog what you have been working on, how it's going, what else you need to do to improve your project -- 300 words. Prepare to present your ideas in class as well.

        Recently, I have been working on the memorization of the script for my group and writing music for Nan and Aaron's group.  I believe that my group's performance is pretty solid.  I like David and David's performance.  One David acts mom, nagging and having the mood all the time; and the other David act Eric, always being honest and patient.  What we need is the practice with light and music, and we might record the video next week.  Besides it, I should practice my pronunciation of words.  I hope that I can speak each word loudly and clearly.  If it is possible, I would love to have some Haitian Accent.  I am also considering adding or deleting the music, but since we haven't practiced with music, I will make the decision after the performance tomorrow.  For the prop, we are not going to use teddy bear and tear it apart.  We will only tear the teddy bear on the real recording day.  Therefore, for tomorrow, we will cut one teddy bear so that we can tear it apart easily on the performance day.  That is a risk, but I think we can do it well.  The last challenge is moving the triangle.  It is not difficult to move a triangle, but moving the triangle without showing my hands and moving the triangle in the right position would be a problem to me.  I will practice moving the triangles next.

        For Nan and Aaron's project, I was thinking about writing the measures that can cue the singers. It is challenging writing music for performance with singer singing, but I really enjoy it.  Actually, I am also thinking about whether to change the instrumentation's accompaniment style for one of the songs they sing.  I am also worried about the tempo because sometimes there are not enough measures for performers to get used to the music's tempo.  Another challenge is the cooperation when the performance date comes.  I will be the person that controls the sound effect and music for them.  I should ensure the music comes in at the right time.  I hope my music can match their performance, and we need a lot of practices.

Proposal

1. What is working:
   David Wang:
   • The scene changes; like when should I go on the stage and when should I leave the stage.
   • The tone in voice(emotion expression); the emotion is spread to the audience during the performance.
   • The relationship between characters; by looking our performance, audience can easily understand that I am Caroline’s fiancé.
   • Some subtle movements(the giggles for example)
   David Dai:
   • The position that I have to stand during the scene
   • Emotion expression, like increase the volume, add more body language, and have facial expression.
   • I need to memorize the lines well, in order to not forget. I also have to pay attention on other’s lines
   • Practice more on how to be a mom
   Grace Sun:
   • The relationship is showed clearly.
   • I should pay more attention on the arm movement
   • Not so sure what a real Haitian’s life.  The figure of Caroline can be good, but I’m going to check out the haitian americans accents and their lifestyles in free time to make the character more real.
   • The emotion change is good.
   
   
   Personal Improvements (Plans)
   David Wang:
   • Lines’ memorization(1/9--1/11)
   • Need to add more body movements(1/14--1/18)
   • Working on the acting with music(1/21--1/25)
   • The voice needs to be louder. In the video I can barely hear my voice.
   • Figuring out how to connect my acting with other characters. How to make the performance look naturally and smoothly. (1/14--1/18)
   David Dai:
   • (1.9-1.10) memorize the lines
   • (1.11-1.13) memorize the position that I have to stand
   • (1.14-18) practice on performance, try to practice on express the emotions
   • (1.21-1.25)practice with two teammates be familiar with the whole play, prepare for the final recording
   Grace Sun:
   1. Before 1/11(1/13):  
   1. Modify all the lines and print the scripts.
   2. Buy two teddy bears
   3. Work on Aaron & Nan’s music composition (Print out the 1st draft)
   2. 1/14--1/18:
   1. The improvement of memorization and pronunciation.
   2. Practice more on moving triangle
   3. Modify and record the music compositions  (print out 2nd draft)
   3. 1/21--1/25:
   1. Do rest of music compositions
   2. Fully prepared the performance
   Group Plans
   1. 1/8--1/11 Music Marking Check:  We are going to figure out the best time that music start and the time the music ends.(timing of music)
   2. 1/14--1/18: Stage and tech practice (Most works should be done), and especially the scene change should be practiced.
   1. 1/14--1/16: Check all lines.  Figure out the cues. Practice by lines
   2. 1/17--1/18: Go over the whole play as many times as possible.
   3. 1/21--1/25: Preparations and Recording

Oral Presentation

 
1.  Caroline's Wedding
Our performance is the adaptation of Caroline's Wedding from Krik?Krak! written by Edwidge Danticat.  The story is described in Grace's view, who is the big sister of Caroline.  She discussed her confusion of identity.  Caroline is only a supporting character in the story, so we want to explore her strugglings between her mom and Erik, between American identity and Haitian identity.

2. Adaptation
 Our performance shows the struggling and biggest conflict happened before the wedding, and we want to show the changes in each person's thought of their identities.  Our adaptation is pretty similar to the original story, except the story is mainly focused on the relationship between Erik, Caroline, and Caroline's mother.  Grace does not show up in our adaptation.  Instead, a teddy bear is introduced in our adaptation.  We regard it as an American symbol.  In the adaptation, Erik gave Caroline a teddy bear as Christmas gift, and Caroline loves it so much that she holds it all the time.

3. Analysis of the character
I acted Caroline in the performance.  In the relationship with her mother, Caroline's mother cannot accept the truth of being part of the United States.  Even though she is living in the United States, she thinks she is still a Haitian who wants to keep this identity.  This thought brings me as Caroline a lot of troubles.  Acting Caroline made me think of her childhood.  Caroline was born in the United States so she would have not questioned herself as a legal United citizen.  However, when her mother kept intervening her life, telling her that she is still a Haitian, it might trouble and confuse her.  Therefore, Caroline is so sure who she is and what she wants, yet she is not sure that her thought is completely correct.  Caroline wants to confirm that she is right, and that is why the teddy bear, one of the representatives of the culture in the United States, plays an important role for her.  Caroline needs this symbol to prove everyone and herself that she is an American.  In addition, the teddy bear is a gift that her fiance, Eric, sent to her, so she likes it and wants to build a connection to Eric.  Eric is also an immigrant, but he is totally different from Caroline.  Caroline is the second generation in the United States but still has the struggle in her heart; Eric is the first generation in the United States but living without questions.  In a conclusion, the second reason she loves teddy bear is that the desire to live with Eric or live like Eric.  This adaption for me is to show a transition of Caroline's thought of herself.  I decided to create Caroline to be naive and a little bit soft at the beginning of the performance, so I had petty actions, such as jogging, many facial expressions when saying the lines, and unsteady tone when saying the lines.  I wanted to show that she is not confident enough to speak her voice out loud in the first monologue.  In the scene that the biggest conflict happened between mom and Caroline, I shouted to mom and intentionally broke my voice.  The breaking voice can bring the scene more dramatic and can highlight Caroline's anger even more.  Teddy bear is the important symbol of her American identity, and now the teddy bear is teared up.  The accident pushes her to change, so this big scene I was shocked, and then I screamed, shouted so that I can show my lost, pain, and anger.  I like this decision.  At the end of the scene, the moment before the wedding, I dressed up and said my monologue in a stable tone and a bit heavier voice.  I spoke the end monologue more slowly compared to my last monologue because Caroline grows.  She does not need teddy bear anymore.  The first monologue is like a diary that I only speak to myself due to lack of confidence, but the last monologue is more like a speech that I project my voice so that everyone can hear me and understand me.  I did this comparison clearly, and I like it a lot.
 
4. The production and Improvement.
I was in the process of writing script, and I added two monologues at the beginning and the end of the performance to show a big change of Caroline.  I want to use the two monologues to show that Caroline is changing from a soft, naive, not confident little girl, who needs someone to support her, to a strong, independent woman, who is ready to build a family and gain happiness by herself.

For the other parts of the production, we did not use too many props.  The moving triangle can be our the most interesting scene change.  After the argument between Caroline and mom, Erik comes to the house and try to solve the problems, but mom keeps him out of the house.  The moving triangle happens here to separate the stage to half.  We did not set the stage by lighting on and lighting off to show the view outside and inside the house, because we intend to imply both views.  When the triangle shifts to the stage right, Erik is on the center, telling his story to Mom.  It is like a monologue, but it's also an attempt to communicate and convince Mom.  Because of the moving triangle, while Erik gives the speech, mom is standing out of the light, but she is still on the stage.  She did not clearly leave the stage so it can leave the imagination to the audience whether she is listening.  She might hear Erik's words, but she might be still too paronoid to listen to Erik. People do not know the reaction that mom has until the stage is given to mom next.  The lighting is a little dim and in an orange color, which shows a warm environment but also somehow could make the audience feel tired or tedious.  If we can improve this project, I would love to try a full white light.

Teddy bear is not important anymore, because Eric and Caroline's mom approvement replace the position.