Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire

Another play that I decided to revisit after Acting 1 was Rabbit Hole. I felt that this play really lent itself to the world of acting classes, since there are so many good scenes and monologues in it.

Rabbit Hole is about Howie and Becca, a couple who lost their only son in a car accident. The two are trying to piece their lives together; Howie with his trying to stay in the past, and Becca trying to erase the past itself. The two are tragically lost in their lives, and their suffering relationship only hinders their attempts to regain control of their wold. The partial control they have is then thrown to the wind when Jason, the boy who hit their son, wants to contact them and talk to them.

I really find the character dynamics in this show to be really great. Each character is very well thought-out and planned, and they all lend themselves to the plot. The dialogue between them is also very realistic and interesting, and I would really like to see this show on the stage or see the film version of it, which is to be released later this year. (Starring Nicole Kidman as Becca and Aaron Eckhart as Howie.)

Since this show is female-heavy, I find that I could do pretty much any scene from the show, especially ones with Becca or Izzy (Becca's sister) in them.

Monologues
• Pg. 34 - Becca tells Howie how she's not trying to "erase" the memory of their son, Danny.
• Pg 42 - Becca tells Izzy about how she slapped a woman at the supermarket. The monologue is in pieces due to Izzy's interjections, but you could piece Becca's parts together with ease.
• Pg. 51 - Nat, Becca's mother, speaks of her pain with also having lost a child.

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Stop Kiss by Diana Son

So, after remembering that Rachel Dexter is doing her final monologue from Stop Kiss, I figured it wouldn't hurt to go back and read it, and take note of what I could use in the future, even though I read it in Acting 1. I have to say that going back did me some good, because this time I was actively searching for material as opposed to just reading a story.

Stop Kiss is the story of two women, Callie and Sara. Callie lives in New York, and she ends up sharing her apartment with Sara, a young teacher who has come from St. Louis to teach in the Bronx. The two become enamored with one another and fall in love, however they are fearful of the circumstances. When they finally break through their fear of social norms and share their first kiss, they are brutally attacked. Callie has minor injuries, but Sara is left in a coma.

The play, however, doesn't tell us this in chronological order. It makes the audience wonder about what happened and lets them piece together the story for themselves, but not in a distracting or annoying manner. The play explores the creation of relationships and the dispersal of them, and brings light to how one simple act can change everything from your physical state of being to the way you are viewed in your society.

I really wanted to read this play again so I could find some monologues or scenes that I could use in the future. I find that any scene with Sara or Callie in it would be good to use, which is most of the play. In sense of monologues, here are some that I feel I could use in the future:

• Pg. 28 - Callie recounts the attack she and Sara endured.
• Pg. 44 - Callie speaks to Sara, who is in a coma.

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A Piece of My Heart by Shirley Lauro

For my next play, I read A Piece of My Heart by Shirley Lauro. I was the prop designer for this show when I was in high school, so I decided to revisit the play. A Piece of My Heart chronicles the lives and experiences of six women during the Vietnam War. The women come from vastly different backgrounds, and provide insight to what was happening though a woman's eyes. Each character was crafted in such a way that there is a very small chance an audience member can't relate to at least one of them. The first act of the play focuses on the women and how they were each thrown into the war and sent to Vietnam, and the terrors that they saw and endured there. The second act then depicts how their lives are different afterwards; how they are viewed differently by their peers, and how they themselves have been changed or broken.

I find this play to be expertly executed. I find that plays or films about wars are either good or bad; there is no middleground. It must be perfectly executed in order for it to work. especially since there are people who really have experienced those emotions. A Piece of My Heart took six completely different women, and strung them together perfectly through a series of scenes where each of them became closer and closer to one another.

One character that I felt drawn to was MaryJo, a young, idealistic woman who goes to Vietnam with her band to perform for the troops and give them hope. All of MaryJo's monologues are very charismatic and sweet, and her turning point is when she talks about how she was raped by some of the men after her performances. In addition, I also liked Whitney's pieces within the play. Whitney is another young woman who joins the Red Cross and becomes a nurse. Whitney describes the horrors she sees, especially durring the Tet Offensive.

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Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

I read Waiting for Godot next. I have to say that this show was really hard to get through for me. the absurdist nature of the show and the writing made it difficult for me to really get enraptured by the text. I feel that if I were to have seen the show, it would have been a different story.

Waiting for Godot is the story of two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who are both waiting for a man named Godot. The two men often speak rather poetically to one another, and reference past events in their lives and time together almost lovingly. In the first act, their waiting is interrupted by a man, Pozzo, and his slave, Lucky. Pozzo seems to be a rather well-off character as opposed to his counterpart, however by the end of this scene Pozzo insists that it is Lucky who is running their relationship. Two two then leave Vladimir and Estragon, who continue their waiting. A boy soon shows up, who tells them that Godot will not show up that night. Saddened, Estragon and Vladimir say that they will come back tomorrow to wait.

The next night, Estragon and Vladimir continue their waiting, and once again open the scene with poetic speech and seemingly irrelevant banter. And, once again, Pozzo and Lucky show up, however this time Pozzo is blind and Lucky is dumb. Pozzo insists that they have never met before, leaving Vladimir and Estragon at a loss. After Pozzo and Lucky exit, the same boy shows up, and once again tells Vladimir and Estragon that Godot will not show up tonight, but will surely tomorrow. Vladimir and Estragon ask him if he was the same boy as yesterday, and the boy insists that he is not. The show closes on Estragon and Vladimir saying that they will leave, and the curtain falls on their stationary forms.

I really think that this show would be difficult to put on or work on for me, merely because it is so absurdist and poetic. I really love the text and the way it's written, however I cannot grasp how one would act in this production. I would love to see this play in the theatre, as I think it would be very entertaining and though-provoking.

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Labyrinth of Desire by Caridad Svich

So I finally printed out my script for Labyrinth of Desire, the season opener next school year. When I auditioned, I had skimmed the show for the "important parts", aka all the female characters, and had hardly read the other parts. I did this because I could only check out the script for an hour, so I figured I should just skim and get the general plot line rather than worry about all the minuscule ideas and not finish it. So, after a trip to the library, I finally printed it out and read through it.

The play centers around Florela, a young woman who's fiance, Alejandro, has left her to woo the daughter of a duchess (my character, Laura). Florela, mad with jealousy and love, decides to follow Alejandro and foil his chances of getting anywhere with Laura. Laura, on the other hand, is overwhelmed with love letters and suitors trying to win her hand in marriage, however nearly all of them are only after her mother's money. Through a series of events and masquerades, Florela and Laura fall in love with one another, and the show ends with Laura picking Florela as her bride.

I find the show to be rather interesting, both textually and in the storyline. The text is written almost classically, as it is very poetic and heightened. This show should be really interesting to work on as far as memorization goes. In addition, I think that this play showcases the themes tolerance and acceptance in a comical and "easy to digest" way for the audience. I really feel that it is important to make these themes easy for an audience to accept, especially if they don't agree. The show eases them into acceptance, and I feel that it is a really good strategy in writing.

Altogether, I'm really excited to start working on this show, and I feel that it will be a really good experience for me and my theatre career.

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We Wait: A Song Cycle in Two Parts by Thomas Hodges

Last semester, I had the pleasure of performing a first draft of We Wait by Thomas Hodges for Skull & Dagger's Night of One Acts. (Click here to watch some of the performances. - You have to be logged into facebok, then click the Wall tab.) It was such a fun experience to work on, and I loved every moment of it. A few weeks ago, Thomas sent me, along with some of the other performers (and some new ones!), a revised version of We Wait, now a two act play/ song cycle. I had never really had the time to read it until now, and it's been sitting on my list of things to read, since Thomas said he'd like to have the first read-through at the end of this month. So, I finally picked it up and read it.

Tears were welling up in my eyes by the end.

Thomas has an incredible talent for painting a vivid image and evoking emotion with words. He masterfully takes the audience on a journey through the stories of various individuals, and illustrates a different way of viewing the world. I have to say that even though Thomas is my friend, I would be just as moved even if he wasn't. He is so incredibly talented with everything he does.

With We Wait being a song cycle, I honestly didn't know all the melodies to all of the songs, however I feel that this didn't take away from my experience with the script at all. Some of the songs in it were used in the previous version, and a lot of them are new. I'm very excited to hear the melodies to the new songs and see who will be singing what.

Many of the monologues in We Wait are gorgeous, and one in particular struck my attention. The show opens on a character, The Poet, who throughout the play recites a poem in their journal. Thomas has told us that we would most likely be switching characters throughout the show, so The Poet is represented by more than one person. I really like the idea of multiple people being connected by a common ground, whether it be a personae or a poem. I find that in life, so many of us harbor the same fears or secrets, but none of us know it because we keep it under us. This shared text between multiple people is gorgeous, and I really love the way it connects the entire play together.

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Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet

Upon the recommendation of my boyfriend, I read Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet next, He loaned me his play, and after having it sit next to my computer as a reminder to read it, I picked it up and powered through it. I found it to be very interesting and intricate. The play is about Chicago real estate salesmen and their supervisor, all who are trying to make a buck and get out on top. In a "sales contest" of sorts, whoever earns the most wins a Cadillac, while the two that earn the least get fired. In the high stakes of the event, alliances are made and broken, and even theft of the "good leads" takes place, leaving all the characters suspect.

While there are no female roles in this show, I found it to be a very good play and I would love to see it performed. I find that with Mamet, you simply cannot understand every bit just by reading it, you have to see it performed and see the "tennis ball" of sorts go between each and every actor with their dialogue.

In addition, I feel that this show really depicts characters in realistic environments and circumstances, and shows the characters acting in realistic ways. I so often see or read shows that depict fanciful story lines or unrealistic dialogue, and this show was a really nice change from having read those.

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Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead by Burt V. Royal

I decided to read Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead by Bert V. Royal next. A local theatre company is putting it on this summer, so I figured I might as well read it. The play is a parody of sorts of "The Peanuts", but this time in their teenage years. The play starts off with CB (Charlie Brown, of course) and his sister who are mourning the loss of CB's dog to rabies. CB then goes on a spiritual quest of sorts, trying to figure out what life's purpose is and what happens after we die. The play then begins to focus more on the character Beethoven (Schroeder), who is a social outcast due to his assumed homosexuality and past family life. The play begins to centralize on tolerance and acceptance of different lifestyles, then ties the two themes together at the end in a monologue shared with all the characters.

I found this play to be very poignant in what it is conveying, and poetic in the sense that it captures truth in the lives of the characters and displays it perfectly in the dialogue. In addition, the play was humorous, yet still very thoughtful and serious when it needed to be. I found this to be a really interesting play.

There are several scenes and monologues I found that I could use in the future.

Scenes
• Pg. 14 - CB's Sister & Beethoven
• Pg. 15-17 - Tricia & Marcy
• Pg. 30-36 - CB and Van's Sister

Monologues
• Pg. 35 - Van's Sister talks of her abortion.

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Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare

Last semester I decided to buy the suggested books for my Acting 1 class as opposed to just the required ones. I never actually read any of them until now. I had gone into Six Degrees of Separation without expectations, and I found the play to be extremely well written. The beginning of the show reminds me of a farce, very witty and quick, and it slowly immerses the reader (or viewer) into the philosophical.

The basic premise of the play is a wealthy couple, the Kittredges, are entertaining a friend of theirs when a young man, Paul, comes in saying that he has been mugged. He is very obviously wounded, and they soon find that he is the son of a very famous actor, and he is also the friend of their children. The Kittredges become enamored with Paul and beg him to stay the night. Suprprisingly, the next morning they find him with a male prostitute, and the two 'intruders' hurriedly leave. The Kittredges soon find out that this same young man pulled the same act on family friends of theirs, and a doctor. As they try to assess how this fraud knows all of them, it soon turns out that perhaps he isn't a fraud at all. Perhaps there is something much more deep within him compelling him to fake his life.

In addition to making you think. the play is riddled with social commentary. At the beginning of the play, the Kittredges and their guest, who is from South Africa, discuss apartheid, and the rich, white Kittredges frequently refer to (who they assume at the time is) Paul's father as a "famous black actor." In addition, when Paul tells Ouisa (Mrs. Kittredge) that he wants her to take him to the police because he's afraid he'll be killed, and she responds with "I don't think they kill you", Paul, very seriously responds with "Mrs. Louisa Kittredge, I am black." I found these inclusions to be very intersting. They were all so subtle, so intricately laid out within the script that you barely notice them.

Within the play, I found several scenes and monologues I could use.

• Pg. 53 - Pg. 60 - Ouisa and Paul's last conversation
This scene takes place on the telephone, however it is staged with two spotlights on Ouisa and Paul facing one another on a black stage. The feeling in the scene completely changes from the beginning to the end. The whole scene is very moving and I'd love to get a chance to perform it.

• Pg. 45 - Ouisa
In this monologue, Ouisa explains how everyone on the planet is related to one another by six degrees of separation. Just six. It's an extremely thoughtful monologue.

• Pg. 61 - Ouisa
Here, Ouisa calls Flan (her husband) out on trying to essentially cut Paul of their lives. Ouisa had tried to reach out to Paul, however, Flan is merely brushing the experience off. This monologue is very passionate and I really like it a lot, I may use it for generals next semester.

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Rumors by Neil Simon

I originally did Rumors in high school, but I haven't touched the play in awhile so I figured I would read it again. This show is one of my favorites, and in my senior year of high school I had the pleasure of even playing my favorite character in a production of it. I figured since I've grown as an actor since then, I'd take a crack at it again.

Rumors opens with two characters: Ken Gorman and his wife, Chris (who I played). Ken and Chris are extremely frazzled and worried. It turns out that the couple was arriving for a dinner party, however the host seems to have shot himself in the ear, and his wife can't be found anywhere. Ken and Chris spend the duration of the first act hiding what happened from the arriving guests, in order to save their hosts from embarrassment, but eventually they all find out. In the second act, all the guests attempt to hide what happened from some police officers who arrived at the house because of a car accident that occured. The entire play is really comedic, and it's really a fun show.

• Pg. 9 - Pg. 16 - Chris and Ken
This is the opening scene of the show. I'd love to do this scene again with the knowledge that I have now.

• Pg. 22 - Pg. 27 - Claire and Lenny
The first couple to arrive is Claire and Lenny. Claire is very prissy and... Well the most stereotypical way I could describe her is a "Desperate Housewife"; she's in love with drama and gossip, but wants none of her own. The relationship between Claire and Lenny is really comical.

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Finer Noble Gases by Adam Rapp

Since my library book is near due, I figured I would read the last play in the book of plays by Adam Rapp. I found the play Finer Noble Gases to be very conversational and interesting, however it somewhat lacked in plotline or focus. However, this could have been intentional, if Rapp wanted to convey a "day in the life" sort of play.

The entire play takes place in the living room of a rock band and, in contrast of Faster, happens to be in one of the coldest spells of the year. Amidst drugs, public urination, and plots to steal televisions, Finer Noble Gases shows a typical day of these characters.

The dialogue between the main characters is gritty and uncensored, and while they seem to only speak to each other about trivial matters, Rapp has written it to expertly reveal their personalities and natures. In addition, once their neighbor, a character named Gray comes into the mix, you can see Rapp's true talent for juxtaposition. Gray is well-versed and articulate, and the dynamic between his character and the members of the band is truly striking.

Once again, as this is a male-dominated play (in fact there are no female roles) I could not pick any monologues or scenes for myself. All the characters are too masculine and mentioned as male, so I couldn't possibly be any of them unless some lines were cut out.

Even though I didn't find a monologue or a scene, I still found the play to be intriguing and for the most part well-written. I hope to read more of Rapp's work before the semester is over.

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Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl

Upon the recommendation of a friend, I decided to read Eurydice, by Sarah Ruhl. The play is a retelling of the myth of Eurydice and her husband Orpheus. Eurydice and Orpheus are madly and in love, and on their wedding day, an accident occurs resulting in Eurydice's death. Eurydice ends up in the underworld, where she eventually reconnects with her father. Meanwhile, Orpheus is determined to be united with Eurydice by any means necessary. The play ends tragically, but I won't spoil the ending for anyone. You should read it, it nearly made my cry.

Ruhl creates excellent imagery with her writing and innovative staging ideas, and I'd love to act in a production of this show one day.

With there being only one "female" role, any of the scenes with Eurydice are fair game. There's only really one monologue that she has, and it's pretty good.

• Act III, Scene 3. Pg. 410 (final part of final scene) - Eurydice's letter to Orpheus
The entire monologue had me nearly in tears as I was reading it. It's so emotional and... Ugh. I can't explain it. It's so poignant and genuine. I truly believe it. I really want a chance to perform it.

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Faster by Adam Rapp

Because I enjoyed Stone Cold Dead Serious so much, I decided to read some other plays Adam Rapp has written. I chose to read the play Faster. The play takes place in the city during one of the biggest heat waves the residents have ever encountered. The play focuses around three characters; Kitchin, Skram, and Stargyl.

All three are young men who live together in an abandoned basement, having been left by their parents, or otherwise. Kitchin, a some-what religious hip-hopper, seems to be the "brains of the operation", as he seems to disperse some of the chaos in their family unit. Skram is less level-headed, he brazenly speaks whatever comes to mind without censorship and manages to render the same lack of censorship with his actions. His character is more animalistic than human, which is all to apparent with the way he treats his younger brother, Stargyl. Stargyl is a sad character; he is a mute with limited mental stability, and while Kitchin seems to mother him the most, Stargyl's own brother berates and abuses him.

The interesting character dynamics here make an interesting beginning, but the show somewhat fell apart for me once the actual plotline kicked in. It turns out Kitchin and Skram have kidnapped a young girl, and are going to sell her to a man from Oswego. The young men anticipate to use the money for a car to get the three of them to New York and start new lives. However, the young girl ends up being somewhat of a martyr or a prophet, and when the man from Oswego arrives he reveals he is the devil himself. The show continues onwards with an apocalyptic feel, what with churches being burned down and swarms of flies. However the story seemed to fall flat. I was more interested in how the characters would react in the story rather than being captured by the story itself. I felt displaced.

While I know that as a woman, I couldn't play any of these roles, I was really drawn to Kitchin's character. If a production were to blind cast, I'd love to play that role. Kitchin was very down to earth, however he still had an edge.

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Stone Cold Dead Serious by Adam Rapp

I saw Stone Cold Dead Serious, by Adam Rapp, last year at state. It had been put on by Skull & Dagger and directed by Julio Jacobo, and I have to say it was one of the best plays I've ever seen. It moved me beyond words. It was one of those shows that you feel instead of merely observing it, and I loved every second. Because of this, I wanted to get the chance to read it for myself this time. It was definitely just as moving on paper as it was on stage.

The story of Stone Cold Dead Serious revolves around Wynn Ledbetter, whose family is far less than perfect. With a zombie father and a junkie sister, he tries to hold all his family ties together as his mother tries to hold their house together. Wynn is a bit of a computer nerd, and the story begins to move forward when he reveals that he's traveling to New York (with his online girlfriend, no less) to compete in a video game competition. The entire play is written so realistic and beautifully that by the scene of the actual competition, I was so into it that everything made perfect sense to me, even though it sounds far-fetched out of context. (If you saw the show or read the play, I'm sure you'd know what I mean.)

I was quite partial to Shaylee, Wynn's sister, in the play. Though she is the most "fucked up" character, she's incredibly human and real. Her character has so many levels and her lines just strike you to the core.

There were a few scenes that I really enjoyed and could use in the future.
(SPOILER ALERT)

• Act I, Scene 1. Pg. 12 - Wynn & Shaylee (The first scene with them in the play)
I enjoy this scene because it shows Shaylee at her core: She is a very "sister" like character, however her mentality has been so screwed up that she doesn't completely conduct herself as a kosher "sister" figure anymore. It shows that even tough she and Wynn haven't seen each other in a long time, they still have that sibling bond, no matter how much their minds may get messed up.

• Act II, Scene 2. Pg. 72 -Shaylee & Cliff (May continue with Linda as well.)
This scene takes place after Shaylee has tried to commit suicide. Shaylee and her father are sitting in the hospital room and have an exchange. After awhile, her mother comes in and joins in the conversation.

• Act II, Scene 3. Pg. 92 - Shaylee & Wynn
This is the final scene in the entire show, and it's so moving. In the scene, Shaylee visits Wynn in his hospital bed after his own attempt at suicide. Wynn can't speak because he is in so much pain, however the scene carries on the energy of both characters. It's incredibly poignant and deep. It's by far my favorite scene in the whole show.

I also found a monologue of Shaylee's that I really liked.

• Act II, Scene 3. Pg. 95
The monologue occurs in the final scene. Shaylee talks about turning her life around and staying clean. The whole monologue is really hopeful, almost childlike.

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The Zoo Story by Edward Albee

At the risk of looking like I'm copying Jon Wat and his blog, I figured I'd post my entry about The Zoo Story by Edward Albee since I finished it today. (What can I say Jon, you're a trend setter.) I've been really interested in reading this play because they're doing it for Juries this year. Yes, I do know there aren't any specific scenes or monologues I could do, seeing how I'm a woman and all, but the play was nevertheless amazing.

I'm not going to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read it yet, so I will say that The Zoo Story takes place in a park, and is essentially an exchange of words between Peter, a stable family man, and Jerry, a man who seems to be a few sandwiches short of a picnic. The way the play is written is very interesting, it's formal, yet conversational.

I hope to direct the final scene of the play one day, perhaps in Directing I or even for One Acts or something. The scene is so striking and amazing, I couldn't set the play down once I got to that point. (Seriously, I was hanging out with my boyfriend and he had to go do something, so I started reading The Zoo Story, and then I got to the "turning point" of the play. I didn't want to stop reading it at that point, and we ended up going out to lunch a few minutes later than we had originally planned. :P)

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The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman

After all this putting off, I've finally decided to start reading up on these plays I'm supposed to be reading. I basically made a list of plays I've been meaning to read and jumped right in.

For my first play, I decided to read The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman. I've been meaning to read this one for quite some time. My younger sister performed it (as Romaine and other characters) last semester at her high school, and it was a very moving piece.

I really wanted to read it because even though the high school actors were extremely professional and advanced, they had to cut out a lot due to what the school district said they could say.

I found the play to be just as moving in text as it was on stage. The Laramie Project chronicles the members of the Tectonic Theater Project interviewing selected members of the Laramie, Wyoming community regarding the incident when Matthew Shepard, a 21 year old college student, was brutally murdered because he was gay. The events they describe include memories of Matthew himself, the night of the murder, after Matthew's death, the trial of Matthew's murderers, and the aftermath. The play is mostly monologues, however there is a large opportunity for re-enacting events that the characters talk about.

I found a total of 4 monologues that I could use in the future.

• Pg. 31 - Romaine Patterson
In this monologue, Romaine speaks about Matthew and his qualities, everything from his nicknames to his interest in politics. This monologue strikes me because this could be played as if it were nostalgic and happy, and the ending line "...but not too smart on like common sense things." could then be played ominous and affected.

• Pg. 42 - Sherry Anderson
Sherry explains here how she knew one of the murderers, Russel Henderson. She tells how he was always a sweet guy, and how she can't believe how this could happen. The monologue has many emotional levels to it, and I'd love to perform it one day.

• Pg. 73 - Romaine Patterson
This monologue takes place in the scene with Fred Phelps (This guy: Click Here. And YES, he is referring to Matthew Shepard.) where she has rallied counter-protesters to his protest. She explains about "Angel Action" and what exactly they do. I find this monologue to be extremely inspirational, especially because I had the pleasure of seeing my sister perform this monologue in a very moving manner. I want to find my own way of making the same monologue just as evocative.

• Pg. 86 - Romaine Patterson
I feel that this monologue could be delivered very well. Romaine explains her future plans in contrast to her past dreams, in addition to Matthew serving as an inspiration of sorts. It's a very compelling monologue.

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