tempODYSSEY Review

This semester, ALTO (A Liberated Theatre Organization) put on the show tempOdyssey. I was really excited for this production, as I heard it was a really good storyline. tempOdyssey is about a woman named Genny (Baily Neil), who leaves her hometown to be a temp in another city. Genny believes herself to be a "goddess of death" of sorts, and urges her fellow temp (played by Jared Stovell) to stay away from her. He, smitten with his own idea of being untouchable, doesn't comply, and Genny ends up breaking his neck and killing him. The play is written very well, and really takes the audience on a journey that is not only hilarious, but thought-provoking.

I was really impressed by Jared Stovell in this show as what the text refers to as "Dead Body Boy". Jared was very impressive in his acting, simply because he played "normal" so well. He wasn't outrageous or weird, and the "normal" quality he portrayed in his character really helped the story go along smoothly and provide a nice contrast to Genny's character.

I found that while some actors in the show just played into the roles that they are often given and stayed in their "comfort zone", I was still impressed by the show and what it had to offer. I really enjoyed seeing this performance, and I really think this was an excellent choice for ALTO this year.

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Nest Review

Nest, by Bathsheba Doran, was produced by Skull & Dagger for their spring production. I found this to be an interesting choice, as I had never heard of it before. As Skull & Dagger’s Marketing officer, it was my job to get the word out about the production and market it, so I had to research the play and bring it to the light of the public. I read the play over winter break, and found the play to be very poignant and interesting. Nest centers around a young woman, Susanna Cox, who is the indentured servant of Jacob and Elizabeth Geer. Through a series of events, Jacob seduces Susanna and the two begin an intimate love affair. Susanna becomes pregnant, and as she copes with her frequent hallucinations, she also tries to cope with the situation.

I found the show to be an excellent choice for Skull & Dagger this year, as it wasn't just some "irrelevant story about American history." Director Chis Wollman chose some excellent motifs in the production of the play, and I found that they really helped make the story seem relevant and important for the audience. I have to say that I personally enjoyed the closing scene, in which the audience suddenly realizes that they are just in a theatre and that it was just a play.

I found the actors Ken Hodges (Mr. Drumble) and Jarret Addleman (Joe) to be rather exemplary in their acting. The two portrayed characters with a love for writing; Mr. Drumble a far more seasoned publisher, and Joe a up and coming writer looking for opportunity. The two had excellent chemistry in each and every scene. In addition, I found that they provided the necessary comic relief to the play, yet they didn't go so far as to overshadow the themes or the rest of the story.

Altogether, Nest had an amazing cast, and I felt that everyone did their parts with gusto, passion, and truth. I wasn't let down by a single person, and I truly felt it was a very strong performance.

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The Vagina Monologues - Reflection

This year I had the pleasure of working on The Vagina Monologues at San Diego State University. Working on the show was truly a life changing experience. I was given the monologue “My Angry Vagina” to perform, along with Jill Cepela. I had merely known of Jill before working on the show. It’s safe to say that we got really close really fast once production started. In addition to Jill, I found myself getting extremely close to the other girls in the cast. The entire cast was so tight-knit, it was so much fun to work on.

As an actor, I feel like Vagina Monologues really helped me grow. I was the youngest person in the cast, and at first I was extremely intimidated and nervous. Because of this, I found it harder to memorize and I said “line” unnecessarily during rehearsals. I knew the lines, however I would say “line” if I wasn’t sure what a line was so I wouldn’t look stupid. Also, I felt that I had to “one-up” everyone else in order for them to see that I deserved the role, seeing that I was younger than all of them. However, once I began to warm up to the other girls in the cast, I felt a lot less intimidated and pressured. I found that my being intimidated was extremely silly; I got cast for a reason, and that was because the production team thought I was a good actor.

Once I quit being so intimidated, I really felt my progress with my monologue flourish. I took my acting to new levels, and I really had a great experience with the whole performance. In addition, my eyes have been opened to the fact that I shouldn’t feel lower than other actors simply because of my age; age has nothing to do with it. It’s about how you practice your craft and how you perform. Working on The Vagina Monologues was truly a beautiful experience for me. It couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time in my life. I’ve really grown emotionally from the experience, and I think it helped me realize that I shouldn’t get down on myself for being the youngest person involved in anything.

Other than having a great time for myself, I really enjoyed working with the other women in the cast. We all became very close and we had such a great time working on the show. Gracie Lee Brown and her performance of “The Flood” was so well done. She managed to add the comedic relief to it perfectly, yet also retains its sadness. I also found Rachel Hoey’s performance of “Because He Liked to Look at it” very conversational and realistic. I was extremely proud of Gina Mauro, Courtney Enea, and Emily Gordon for taking on “My Vagina was my Village”. I had read that monologue during callbacks, and it was extremely hard for me to do. The three of them really conveyed their emotions just the right amount for the monologue. In addition, Jill Cepela, who also did “My Angry Vagina” with me was amazing! I loved working with her throughout the run of the show. Jill was really fun to work with, and she really helped me push myself to be better. (Not in a “I have to be better than you” way, but in a “I want to be as good as you are” way.)

Altogether, I loved working on this show. Everyone did such an amazing job acting, and I’m really proud of every girl in the cast that I had the wonderful opportunity to work with.

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