The Opening...
So, where to begin something like this...
Perhaps it's a silly way to begin, but I still feel like a beginner in this craft so bear with me... I use the 5 W's to begin thinking about a role and it's 'greatest needs' and to start figuring him out. Let's see if that will give us a start here.
WHO am I? I call myself Kostya, after Stanislavski's fictional character through whom his teachings are relaied, however, I've provided plenty of information that people should be able to easily identify me, if they really cared.
WHAT am I? Ted (Swetz, my professor,) always asks us "What Are We Most?" when we're preparing a role... helpful tool, I've found. But what am I most? I think I am mostly a dedicated and determined student of acting...and of theatre in general. I'm far from understanding fully-- much less mastering-- the secrets of acting, but I hope to discover something through this. I'm a theatre major as well as a human development major (which really just translates to 'clinical pysch major' or 'a psych student who hates the science/research'). I'm Production Manager of D.C. Players, a campus community theatre group, as well as a techie, singer, dancer and whatever else I'm called to be for the sake of the stage. I'm a young man, obviously, as well as a son to two loving-- though often not completly accepting-- parents (we'll deal with this eventually, I'm sure) and a brother, I'm a boyfriend and lover to a lovely young woman (that's right, I said I Love Her, Goddamn It!) and as you can see, a dork. I'm a Christian (though I hate organized religion), a moderate, a Democrat, a Dog Person, a Pro-Choicer, a drinker, a Non-Smoker, an Idealist, a Rebel, a Bohemian, a Rude Boy (That means I like ska music), a bit of a Beatnik, and a Dreamer. I'm sure there's more, but the sillyness need not continue...
WHERE am I? Physically? I'm in a chair, in my room, in my house, in my hometown in upstate New York aboiut an hour north of the city, in the United States, in the Western Hemisphere of the planet Earth, in the Solar System, in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, in the Universe, in the Mind of God (a la "Our Town" for you who don't get the reference). Hypothetically, I'm at a crux... I've decided I want to pursue psychology and blend in the principles of theatre in my personal approach, see where it leads me. However, I'm still so posessed with the need to be on the stage, but realize that I'm simply lacking in what I need: strong technique. I think it's a bit of laziness in my commitment to the craft that's kept me from really realizing and utilizing the tools I know. Thus I've been reflecting, trying to realize them as I prepare for auditions coming up for next semester's shows.
WHEN am I? Well here's an easy one. I'm in the 13th minute of the first hour of August 4th, 2005. =D
WHY am I? I'm doing this because I hope to find in an online form more use for it; by knowing I'm not the only one who will read it, maybe I'll be more persuaded to read it over myself and reflect. I'm doing it in an attempt to hold myself accountable for my artistic growth, and motivate myself to kick it into gear. I've got all the stuff I need, I just need to use it.
HOW am I? I'm great thanks, how are you?
Haha, ah, the old forgotten add-on to the 5W formula... 5W+H. How what, though? How do I hope to reach my goals? By writing here, of course, and keeping myself active.
So there you have it, I think... a pretty good beginning to what I hope--and know--will be an exciting search. William Ball said that the most important thing about getting a character or role is understanding their greatest needs. This is how An Actor Prepares.
Perhaps it's a silly way to begin, but I still feel like a beginner in this craft so bear with me... I use the 5 W's to begin thinking about a role and it's 'greatest needs' and to start figuring him out. Let's see if that will give us a start here.
WHO am I? I call myself Kostya, after Stanislavski's fictional character through whom his teachings are relaied, however, I've provided plenty of information that people should be able to easily identify me, if they really cared.
WHAT am I? Ted (Swetz, my professor,) always asks us "What Are We Most?" when we're preparing a role... helpful tool, I've found. But what am I most? I think I am mostly a dedicated and determined student of acting...and of theatre in general. I'm far from understanding fully-- much less mastering-- the secrets of acting, but I hope to discover something through this. I'm a theatre major as well as a human development major (which really just translates to 'clinical pysch major' or 'a psych student who hates the science/research'). I'm Production Manager of D.C. Players, a campus community theatre group, as well as a techie, singer, dancer and whatever else I'm called to be for the sake of the stage. I'm a young man, obviously, as well as a son to two loving-- though often not completly accepting-- parents (we'll deal with this eventually, I'm sure) and a brother, I'm a boyfriend and lover to a lovely young woman (that's right, I said I Love Her, Goddamn It!) and as you can see, a dork. I'm a Christian (though I hate organized religion), a moderate, a Democrat, a Dog Person, a Pro-Choicer, a drinker, a Non-Smoker, an Idealist, a Rebel, a Bohemian, a Rude Boy (That means I like ska music), a bit of a Beatnik, and a Dreamer. I'm sure there's more, but the sillyness need not continue...
WHERE am I? Physically? I'm in a chair, in my room, in my house, in my hometown in upstate New York aboiut an hour north of the city, in the United States, in the Western Hemisphere of the planet Earth, in the Solar System, in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, in the Universe, in the Mind of God (a la "Our Town" for you who don't get the reference). Hypothetically, I'm at a crux... I've decided I want to pursue psychology and blend in the principles of theatre in my personal approach, see where it leads me. However, I'm still so posessed with the need to be on the stage, but realize that I'm simply lacking in what I need: strong technique. I think it's a bit of laziness in my commitment to the craft that's kept me from really realizing and utilizing the tools I know. Thus I've been reflecting, trying to realize them as I prepare for auditions coming up for next semester's shows.
WHEN am I? Well here's an easy one. I'm in the 13th minute of the first hour of August 4th, 2005. =D
WHY am I? I'm doing this because I hope to find in an online form more use for it; by knowing I'm not the only one who will read it, maybe I'll be more persuaded to read it over myself and reflect. I'm doing it in an attempt to hold myself accountable for my artistic growth, and motivate myself to kick it into gear. I've got all the stuff I need, I just need to use it.
HOW am I? I'm great thanks, how are you?
Haha, ah, the old forgotten add-on to the 5W formula... 5W+H. How what, though? How do I hope to reach my goals? By writing here, of course, and keeping myself active.
So there you have it, I think... a pretty good beginning to what I hope--and know--will be an exciting search. William Ball said that the most important thing about getting a character or role is understanding their greatest needs. This is how An Actor Prepares.