Today, I received a very exciting email. The University of Guelph has officially received my application, which means that I can now start making myself look good through essays. Two were senior essays that is just work that I did in the Spring of 2013; I knew I was holding onto them for something. The third is a statement about research goals that can only be 600 words.
Directing research, what I'm applying for, is a type of research that really can't be put into words, which means that there's A LOT of explanation. For example, I want to put on "Macbeth" for an audience in a way that will make it real for them.
How? By using a thrust stage to bring the action to the audience, rather than the other way around. The thrust is so named because it thrusts out into the audience. The style of staging is called three-quarter staging, literally playing to three sides of a four side stage, meaning that, at any one time, a person watching the action is also watching another person watching the action and the former person. If done correctly, this type of staging allows for a complete immersion in the story as the audience is transported to whatever place the story takes them.
The entire story could use this three-quarter style and not lose any of it's emotional intensity, but audiences need help picturing the scene sometimes. If the budget allows, I would like the thrust to be attached to a proscenium stage. Proscenium stages are stages where the audience is seated on one side of the stage. The style of staging, rather than being called one-quarter, is simply called proscenium style staging. This is, in my opinion, the simplest way to set a scene, since there are not audience members around the stage; simply keeping the actors in front of the scenery provides for a clear view of them. One can think of it as a television screen. There is only a two-dimensional space to worry about when critiquing what an audience sees, rather than the three dimensions of the thrust.
Incredibly, that was over 200 words. Only six of those paragraphs and I'm over the limit. I haven't even gotten to the part about how I would pull off that ghost scene (hint; there are multiple actors).
I was cornered by Kris one day and asked, "Are you leaving us?" in the tone Kris uses for anger, both real and mocking.
I explained that it was not for sure yet and I needed to wait until they got back to me.
"When are you leaving?"
Again, I tried to explain that it wasn't for sure; that if I wasn't accepted I would stay at Archive.
"When will you know?"
Probably sometime in March.
This is part of the reason that I love my job. In addition to getting to work in a theatre every day, it is incredibly apparent that my boss and coworkers care about me as a person, not just as a nameless worker (shoutout to Survey Sampling International).
This is what has been added to my plate today in addition to all of the Santa costumes that need TLC. That and the realization that the cotton shirts are shrinking like mad and I'll have to pull new ones.
Directing research, what I'm applying for, is a type of research that really can't be put into words, which means that there's A LOT of explanation. For example, I want to put on "Macbeth" for an audience in a way that will make it real for them.
How? By using a thrust stage to bring the action to the audience, rather than the other way around. The thrust is so named because it thrusts out into the audience. The style of staging is called three-quarter staging, literally playing to three sides of a four side stage, meaning that, at any one time, a person watching the action is also watching another person watching the action and the former person. If done correctly, this type of staging allows for a complete immersion in the story as the audience is transported to whatever place the story takes them.
The entire story could use this three-quarter style and not lose any of it's emotional intensity, but audiences need help picturing the scene sometimes. If the budget allows, I would like the thrust to be attached to a proscenium stage. Proscenium stages are stages where the audience is seated on one side of the stage. The style of staging, rather than being called one-quarter, is simply called proscenium style staging. This is, in my opinion, the simplest way to set a scene, since there are not audience members around the stage; simply keeping the actors in front of the scenery provides for a clear view of them. One can think of it as a television screen. There is only a two-dimensional space to worry about when critiquing what an audience sees, rather than the three dimensions of the thrust.
Incredibly, that was over 200 words. Only six of those paragraphs and I'm over the limit. I haven't even gotten to the part about how I would pull off that ghost scene (hint; there are multiple actors).
I was cornered by Kris one day and asked, "Are you leaving us?" in the tone Kris uses for anger, both real and mocking.
I explained that it was not for sure yet and I needed to wait until they got back to me.
"When are you leaving?"
Again, I tried to explain that it wasn't for sure; that if I wasn't accepted I would stay at Archive.
"When will you know?"
Probably sometime in March.
This is part of the reason that I love my job. In addition to getting to work in a theatre every day, it is incredibly apparent that my boss and coworkers care about me as a person, not just as a nameless worker (shoutout to Survey Sampling International).
This is what has been added to my plate today in addition to all of the Santa costumes that need TLC. That and the realization that the cotton shirts are shrinking like mad and I'll have to pull new ones.
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