In rehearsal for my upcoming show, God of Carnage, I have been thinking seriously about the nature of tactics, the device used to achieve the character's overall goal in each scene and in the entire play. I remember in my drama classes in college and acting books hearing these words which at the time seemed obscure and difficult to comprehend. But, now with, for a lack of a better term "hands-on" experience, I am starting to see the meaning of such terminology.
I have heard from various comic actors and actresses that comedy is more difficult than drama, however, the emphasis on "living truthfully in the given circumstances" still applies and, in fact, should be even more emphasized. Whether it be a satire, a slapstick, or a darker comedy (as in the case of the current production), the point is to not play the laughs or even to play the words to force the joke or, furthermore, to play the emotion, but, as always in acting, to play the character's intent truthfully and with focus of their entire goal.
The dramatically trained actress that I am, (in college I was given scenes from such plays as "The Seagull" by Anton Chekov and Macbeth by that English chap) and one who dwelves deeply into the backstory and psychology of each of my characters ( as seen by previous blogs) I have found that these personal resources still apply in preparation for comedy. In my current work, I sat down with my script and listed each of the tactics for each line with the intent of reaching my character's overall ambitions.
Thanks for the Memories production of "God of Carnage" opens October 3rd at 8:00 pm at Oak Street Dance Studios in Ashland, OR. The show stars Mark Schneider, Barbara Rains, Chris Perme, and Lia Dugal. It is directed by Obed Medina. Thanks for the Memories is a new theatre company founded by Peter Wickliffe.
https://www.facebook.com/events/552250238207967/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming
http://tftmtheatre.com/index.html
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
Meet Annette Raleigh
My name is Annette Raleigh. I was born Annette Ann Stevenson. I am, at present, 35 years old, married to Alan Raleigh, 39, with one son, Benjamin and a step son.
I
was born and raised in Upper Manhattan, the youngest of 6 children in
a very devout Catholic family. I spent my formative years in
Catholic schools, where I privately rebelled by smoking cigarettes
behind the gym and occasionally drinking with friends on Friday
night. But, mainly I was a good girl and these bad girl moments were
few and far between, mostly I towed the line, afraid of stirring up
the water or more likely my father's abuse. I was raised primarily
watching my mother submit to my father's undermining, masochistic
behavior and was determined to not allow myself to go down that path,
while being groomed in the appropriate behavior for a woman in
today's society.
I
went to college and studied business and finance, determined to be an
independent businesswoman and break free from the path of the rest of
the women in my family. But, along the way, I discovered boys,
having gone to an all-girls school all my life, and started dating
frequently, with a variety of guys. It was then that I met Alan, who
was a first year law student at the college I attended. I was a
senior about to graduate.
Alan
was older than I by four years, putting him at 28 and me at 24 when
we met. I was overwhelmed by his charm and sense of humor, the
twinkle in his blue eyes melted my heart. He had been briefly
married before, while in college, now divorced, and with a child from
that marriage. We started dating, fell in love, and then...oops, I
found myself pregnant. Since our plan was already to get married, we
were forced to bring that on faster due to the request of my devout
parents...a child out of wedlock, no way! Due to this, I developed a
keen sense of the appropriate, more than ever before, and the need to
hide my true self.
Eight
months after my marriage, I gave birth to our only child, a son named
Benjamin after my husband's late grandfather. It was a difficult
pregnancy for me and thus was warned about the dangers of having
another one. Due to this, I became rather over-protective of my son
and perhaps coddled him a bit too much.
While
Alan finished graduate school and all that entailed, I was the main
bread winner working at a local bank specifically focusing in wealth
management, but once he graduated and got a job at a local law firm,
quickly rising in the ranks at the office, I gave up my job, due to
Alan's insistence and my parents dominance, and became a stay at home
mom. I accepted this, secretly begrudgingly, telling myself I would
go back to work in a few years when Benjamin was older. We fell into
a pattern, acceptable wealthy family roles, to keep up the
appearances while on the inside things were quickly corroding. At
least, I had my son.
When
Benjamin comes home one day, in tears, and tell me of his assault, I
am at once horrified and shocked. I didn't raise my son for that,
but upon hearing his eleven year old reasoning, I start to regain my
position of defending him, at all cost. As we head over to address
the situation with the other boy's parents, I see this as my last
chance to really engage Alan in the parenting of our child and thus
save our marriage.
At
first glance, I am terrified of the impending situation and of
meeting the Novaks and struggle to maintain the appearance of happy
successful thriving family and, more importantly, that of a devoted
mother. But, with the rapid fire of assault by Veronica and,
partially, by Michael, coupled by, once again, Alan's lack of
presence in the situation, brings about my exterior cracks as years
of restraining my true self and feelings start to come forth.
With
the fact, that my marriage may be ending, I realize that all I have
left is my dignity as a woman and mother and that of my child, my
Benjamin.
Find out what happens October 3rd at 8 pm, opening night of Thanks for the Memories production of "God of Carnage". The show runs through October 19th, with Friday and Saturday performances at 8 pm and a Sunday matinee at 2 pm. The show is written by Yasmina Reza. This production is directed by Obed Medina.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
7 Days of Gratitude, Day 7--Final Day!
7 Days of Gratitude, Day 7--Final Day!
1.) finding my character for the first time for God Of Carnage, it was such a thrilling feeling & awesome discovery
2.) getting to know my new cast & director, new friends, through this process
3.) the restlessness I feel for change
4.) financial stability, of sorts
5.) watching parts of my family, (cousins, Aunt, sister) challenge each other on facebook with the ALS ice bucket challenge
6.) the fact that I have yet to be challenged
7.) that where I was is not where I am & that things keep getting better & better
8.) the adorable way Tansy looked at me just now
9.) our personal collection of sock monkeys, including sock monkey hats, & people who made them for us
10.) for August because 7 years after the fact its been a really good one, amazing, in fact
11.) for good books that stick with you long after you have finished them
12.) for the 12th doctor because his time officially begins
1.) finding my character for the first time for God Of Carnage, it was such a thrilling feeling & awesome discovery
2.) getting to know my new cast & director, new friends, through this process
3.) the restlessness I feel for change
4.) financial stability, of sorts
5.) watching parts of my family, (cousins, Aunt, sister) challenge each other on facebook with the ALS ice bucket challenge
6.) the fact that I have yet to be challenged
7.) that where I was is not where I am & that things keep getting better & better
8.) the adorable way Tansy looked at me just now
9.) our personal collection of sock monkeys, including sock monkey hats, & people who made them for us
10.) for August because 7 years after the fact its been a really good one, amazing, in fact
11.) for good books that stick with you long after you have finished them
12.) for the 12th doctor because his time officially begins
Friday, August 22, 2014
7 Days of Gratitude, Day 6
7 Days of Gratitude, Day 6
1.) the ability to not stress too much about money
2.) faith in the darkness or difficult times
3.) the places I have come from, where I was, I no longer am which gives me hope that I won't be where I am for too long
4.) for the ocean
5.) for my Barnstormers' family
6.) for my work, a way of making money that is within my schedule or my choice of when to work
7.) my ability to listen to the spirit's leading & obey, even when it doesn't make one bit of sense
8.) for love. all types.
9.) for my friends, once again, both new & old. Too many to count.
10.) for the times that things were confusing or hard or when people tried to push me down or control me or told me I couldn't or shouldn't, because I got back up & tried again & kept going
11.) for that one week or so I lived in Medford, even though rough circumstances, it was a new beginning & an interesting experience
12.) for gains & losses, "he giveth & taketh away"
1.) the ability to not stress too much about money
2.) faith in the darkness or difficult times
3.) the places I have come from, where I was, I no longer am which gives me hope that I won't be where I am for too long
4.) for the ocean
5.) for my Barnstormers' family
6.) for my work, a way of making money that is within my schedule or my choice of when to work
7.) my ability to listen to the spirit's leading & obey, even when it doesn't make one bit of sense
8.) for love. all types.
9.) for my friends, once again, both new & old. Too many to count.
10.) for the times that things were confusing or hard or when people tried to push me down or control me or told me I couldn't or shouldn't, because I got back up & tried again & kept going
11.) for that one week or so I lived in Medford, even though rough circumstances, it was a new beginning & an interesting experience
12.) for gains & losses, "he giveth & taketh away"
Thursday, August 21, 2014
7 Days of Gratitude, Day Five
7 Days of Gratitude, Day Five
1.) for my home, its comfortable & safe, both of which are vastly important to me & for my well-being
2.) for the new show & the challenge it brings
3.) for Rogue Community College, it holds a good energy & a warm place in my heart
4.) for the breakdowns I've had, because I've gotten up again & been stronger for it
5.) for lies that were told to me because of them I found my truth
6.) for Robin Downward, for some reason, either way, its kind of funny
7.) for Chloe', Vanessa, & the new friends who rallied around me with love & so much laughter during this last year
8.) for Doniella, well, obviously
9.) for the fact that I don't have children (& won't ever), its so much easier to have a cat
10.) for people like my boyfriend, Michael, Chloe', & Koiwu, who make me laugh harder than anyone else
11.) for Paxil, because even though its causing some disturbances emotionally I am starting to feel better
12.) for Royce because he taught me to be "so happy its thursday" & for the Doctor in all his regenerations
1.) for my home, its comfortable & safe, both of which are vastly important to me & for my well-being
2.) for the new show & the challenge it brings
3.) for Rogue Community College, it holds a good energy & a warm place in my heart
4.) for the breakdowns I've had, because I've gotten up again & been stronger for it
5.) for lies that were told to me because of them I found my truth
6.) for Robin Downward, for some reason, either way, its kind of funny
7.) for Chloe', Vanessa, & the new friends who rallied around me with love & so much laughter during this last year
8.) for Doniella, well, obviously
9.) for the fact that I don't have children (& won't ever), its so much easier to have a cat
10.) for people like my boyfriend, Michael, Chloe', & Koiwu, who make me laugh harder than anyone else
11.) for Paxil, because even though its causing some disturbances emotionally I am starting to feel better
12.) for Royce because he taught me to be "so happy its thursday" & for the Doctor in all his regenerations
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
7 Days of Gratitude, Day Four
7 Days of Gratitude, Day Four
1.) oddly enough for my sleep-deprived, foggy brain for its an exercise in focus & endurance & because it came about as an example of my knowledge of self-care
2.) for the roofers banging on my roof, distracting & frustrating to me, they deserve some love~for their efforts & for the very fact that they are a cause of such annoyance without really meaning to (they are just doing their job) & I am sure I will be very thankful for their work done later on, especially during the rainy season
3.) for my friend, Ruth Wire, because she's epic & because at her glorious advanced age she is still trying to better herself as a person and an actor/writer
4.) for my very talented, self-directed boyfriend, Michael & for watching him film his final scenes last night. It was epically beautiful.
5.) for the new friends I met through that experience the last few nights
6.) for black Virgin Marys & other inside jokes, with new friends, random people & old friends
7.) for Tinseltown because they show Doctor Who
8.) for how amazing it is that Doctor Who is a world-wide phenomenon & a cult-icon & for Stephen Moffat because I personally think he is amazing & he needs some love & doesn't get it
9.) for writers because if we didn't have them the world wouldn't exist
10.) for auditions, which are the equivalent of job interviews for normal people (See: Muggles), but an extremely more gut-wrenching & emotionally charged
11.) for genuine people who say what they mean, mean what they say
12.) for good healthy partners of my friends who treat them how they should be treated
1.) oddly enough for my sleep-deprived, foggy brain for its an exercise in focus & endurance & because it came about as an example of my knowledge of self-care
2.) for the roofers banging on my roof, distracting & frustrating to me, they deserve some love~for their efforts & for the very fact that they are a cause of such annoyance without really meaning to (they are just doing their job) & I am sure I will be very thankful for their work done later on, especially during the rainy season
3.) for my friend, Ruth Wire, because she's epic & because at her glorious advanced age she is still trying to better herself as a person and an actor/writer
4.) for my very talented, self-directed boyfriend, Michael & for watching him film his final scenes last night. It was epically beautiful.
5.) for the new friends I met through that experience the last few nights
6.) for black Virgin Marys & other inside jokes, with new friends, random people & old friends
7.) for Tinseltown because they show Doctor Who
8.) for how amazing it is that Doctor Who is a world-wide phenomenon & a cult-icon & for Stephen Moffat because I personally think he is amazing & he needs some love & doesn't get it
9.) for writers because if we didn't have them the world wouldn't exist
10.) for auditions, which are the equivalent of job interviews for normal people (See: Muggles), but an extremely more gut-wrenching & emotionally charged
11.) for genuine people who say what they mean, mean what they say
12.) for good healthy partners of my friends who treat them how they should be treated
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
7 Days of Gratitude, Day Three
7 Days of Gratitude, Day Three
1.) for hunger & the ability to fill my belly with good food & the availability of choices that I have
2.) for my financial process & steps towards independence & wealth
3.) for finding people, randomly & otherwise, who believe in me & tell me in so many ways to keep trying & following my dreams
4.) for divine appointments
5.) for Tansy, who is sometimes sweet because she wants my food & is sometimes sweet because she just is
6.) for classic movie stars, like Lauren Bacall, who defined Hollywood as a place of true acting as an art & as a place of ethics (not true anymore) who, in a sense, did it because they love it & we all seem to hold onto, pine for that era today
7.) for the slight randomness of meeting a Hollywood producer & LA actor on a street corner in Ashland at 11:00 at night, sitting on the sidewalk, doing cement yoga, talking about black Virgin Marys, the pope, Italian food which caused my mouth to water & my tummy to rumble, & a crazy cult leader from the 1970s who lived in Oregon
8.) for old memories that are good even when later on those relationships went sour & for a new life with new memories shared & made
9.) for inside jokes
10.) for the donkey who got fed yesterday
11.) for all the old crushes & lovers who "got away"
12.) for Eckhart Tolle & more importantly for the new ways I am starting to understand the divine (which isn't really new) & for the healing its bringing to my soul & heart
1.) for hunger & the ability to fill my belly with good food & the availability of choices that I have
2.) for my financial process & steps towards independence & wealth
3.) for finding people, randomly & otherwise, who believe in me & tell me in so many ways to keep trying & following my dreams
4.) for divine appointments
5.) for Tansy, who is sometimes sweet because she wants my food & is sometimes sweet because she just is
6.) for classic movie stars, like Lauren Bacall, who defined Hollywood as a place of true acting as an art & as a place of ethics (not true anymore) who, in a sense, did it because they love it & we all seem to hold onto, pine for that era today
7.) for the slight randomness of meeting a Hollywood producer & LA actor on a street corner in Ashland at 11:00 at night, sitting on the sidewalk, doing cement yoga, talking about black Virgin Marys, the pope, Italian food which caused my mouth to water & my tummy to rumble, & a crazy cult leader from the 1970s who lived in Oregon
8.) for old memories that are good even when later on those relationships went sour & for a new life with new memories shared & made
9.) for inside jokes
10.) for the donkey who got fed yesterday
11.) for all the old crushes & lovers who "got away"
12.) for Eckhart Tolle & more importantly for the new ways I am starting to understand the divine (which isn't really new) & for the healing its bringing to my soul & heart
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