Thursday, June 26, 2008

ACTOR ONLINE DIARY POST TWO by ERI

The rehearsals has run pretty smoothly lately.
And i'm still finding way to improve from each and every rehearsals.
I know, there's no performance that is 100% / perfectly shown on stage.
There will be hiccups here and there, no matter what.
We will try our best to complete the whole performance(s) without hiccups! =)

i have faith in each and everyone of us.. and I can't wait for the tech-week.. wooots!

so let's work harder together people...
we want to perform with no regrets =P

13 days left to Opening night

I AM A POSTER PEOPLE-PLEASER, PEOPLE!


it'sssssssssssssssssss me again! Batsheba or Zalikha or Ika or Menggelabah, whatever name of mine that tickles your fancy..

Oh, only God knows how f*@$#$* hard it was to create the poster for All in the Timing! ONLY GOD KNOWS, I SWEAR! after weeks of bloody mental masturbating, pinjam-ing weighty Art books from the library (sometimes using Soni's card, Eri's Card, a junior's card, another friend's card- yes, i do not have a library card and i am THAT shameless to beg other people's library card to pinjam great, helpful books..) and doing thorough research on the net for illustrations to inspire my artistic side, i have finally came up with one! Alhamdulillah, one job is done. Now, i just have to distribute the posters.

It took me three days just to draw it out. Well not exactly like 72 hours but a really long time to get it done, nonetheless. The problem was, i'm doing a poster on a comedic play and me as Zalikha (Batsheba or Menggelabah), being so damn used to drawing out or designing things that are 'beautiful' instead of drawing funny stuff, I was tearing my hair out, whining, mental-masturbating, praying, asking for everyone's opinions and at times, even sobbing. The biggest stress on why I was so pressured of doing this poster was because two of my past work for my school-production posters (The Abandoned Space and Sunway Off-Off Broadway) were somehow dare i say, terribly popular. I guess I was comparing too f$%&$^ much with what i've done, before doing this one when deep down i completely know that i can't even compare it cos all of them were of different genres! The Abandoned Space was fantasy, Sunway Off- Off Broadway was well, broadway and a bit more minimalistic and All in the Timing is crazily comedic. And yeah, it would be fantastic if i could play with colour but due to given circumstances, i can't.

To me, it bites when people don't say anything about your work, or don't like it, or think that it could be better or even say something like "It's good stuff but not compared to your previous ones". I don't know how those artists survive out there without receiving a compliment or two once in a while. Hats off for them though. While acting can be harder to judge, i don't think so a picture or a poster is that hard to judge. You either like it or you don't- the first impression counts, most of the time, at least. Yes, guys, i do want people to like my work. and not just like it but be blown away by it. Yes people, i've been drawing, scribbling, colouring, painting, 'collage-ing' for the past 21 years of my life and i am daring enough to say that i'm a f&^$%^ People-Pleaser when it comes to poster-design or any fine arts work for that matter. And i know that it's partially a bad thing.

Anyway, lemme share with you peeps a pointer or two. (You can accept it or not, i'm not here to be didactic. .;) When doing anything at all- choosing a car, scuplting, poster-designing, what have you-it is important to bear in mind that ART IS SUBJECTIVE. i know this has been said to death but well, it really is. I had a dozen of sketches before i finally settled for the final draft for All in the Timing and before that, i was asking people around on their perceptions of my sketch ideas and trust me, EVERYONE HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA! sErIoUsLy! two of my friends might like the first idea very much but a junior would say blatantly to me" Nope, Zalikha, this one is ugly." i was like huh? as if i wasn't indecisive enough, the whole process just got me more perplexed! (yes, aaron, too many cooks obviously spoil the broth) and there were even times when a friend might like an idea which i thought was so- obviously- not- going- to- be- used-because-it's-so-lame/uncreative/too complex idea. Phew! All i know is that you can't please everybody. (Wait, aren't i being ironic here???) When you are assigned to do design things, yes, you have to follow what your boss wants but don't ever forget that; whether you like it or not, you have to put your own sense of aesthetics too. yes, balancing your own sense of what you think might work but at the same time be adaptable to the job.

BIG FAT SIGH.

anyway, hope the poster is not too bad.

come to this how, guys! it's for free!
come and book the tickets at 012-350 0626/012-6324657

the naked truth,
batsheba

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Let the Countdown Begin...

Hello, it's been a while hasn't it? I am proud to announce that opening night will be in exactly 14 days time! Believe me... we will be committed to working our butts off to pull off a show that everyone will remember (in a good way, of course!). So come watch it!

Friday, June 20, 2008

I'm just wondering....

Is there reading this?

Just a thought... just a thought...

oh and I'm Aaron btw. Don't mind me.





Ooor.

Alan Strang Gives Some Advice

Hello there...it's me, the essentric, horse-loving, farm boy, Alan Strang from Equus (My friends call me Bryant). Acting in Equus was a HUGE challenge for me. All of it would have been another fling if it weren't for Melissa, our director.

Now, as you can see, my friends and I are performing a series of comedic short plays by David Ives. I am involved in two of them, as an actor, and my lovely Eri and I are working together on the set (I assure you...we will blow your socks off).

Now for the advice part...
A very good teacher once told me,
You need three things in this world if you want to be a good, successful actor:
1. Passion
2. Talent
3. Luck

In my opinion, you just need two: Passion and Luck.
As an aspiring actor, I am very passionate about theatre and film, and it is this same passion that has kept me going about being a successful actor one day. It is the most important of the three. Without it, you will not last long.
Luck...well...you just need it to meet the right people, to give the right impressions, to grasp the right oppurtunities...etc...
Talent...yea...kinda important. It is a lot easier to do anything if you have the talent for it. There are some things you can't acquire through skill and practice alone, but if you have passion and a good amount of acting skills, you'll get pretty far.

Ok, a little extra some'in some'in for you theatre goers out there:
1. You don't have to be EXACTLY like your character if you can't. You just have to understand that people like that exist, and of course you have to know why they do what they do.
2. If opening night went well, chances are it will get to your head on the second night. Don't let it! Treat every performance like it is your last. You can only get better, not worse.

Well...so much for my rambling. I hope you guys will come and watch us perform. Performance dates are 11th-13th of July, at 8.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and 3pm on Sunday. Oh, it will be peformed at Sunway University College's Roof Top Theatre, 4th Floor.
Now, I know what you're thinking. "I'll try to make it if I can...I guess."
Wrong! You will!
#1. It's a comedy.
#2. It's free!
#3. It took me a long time to write this.
#4. It's free! :)

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Up & Comming ~ Obstacles & Challenges

Hello, it is me Mark. Thought I would drop a few words. Today I kind of ran into a brick wall. It is very difficult to keep giving as an actor when you are not being interacted with. I find that this struggle is quite a lot to deal with however I also realize it is a wall I have to leap to make this show happen. I think the issues we are dealing with are so close to home that it almost makes me wonder why I say the things I say when I talk to anyone. It is quite provocative to my own thoughts, as such I think it will be quite intricate to weave this tapestry onto the stage. I am looking forward to giving it my best so that the show will leave an impression upon its viewers. Will drop in some thoughts now and then.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

oh mY God! iT's Me AgaIN!!

Yo!

It Is SAd ThAT We had tO LeT gO OF 'A SinGULaR KinDa gUY' Due tO thE giVeN cIrCuMsTaNcES WE Are iN...bUt HOPefULLy, MaYbE aDRiAn Can pERfOrM EVen bEttER WiTH The tWo pIECES THaT hE's In RiGHt NoW.

i HAve oBSERvED The paRtiCUlar PERsON FOr MY CHarActer (THe oNe I mEntionED BeFOre iN My PASt bLoG BeNeaTh) ANd mAn, wHAt An ExPeRIenCE! ReAllY! I nEvER ExPeCTeD iT tO TuRN OuT AnYthInG LiKe it! BeCoS YOu seE, mE And 'X' Are nOt ClOse friENDS aND We oBvIOUsLY Don't GET ALonG wIth eaCH oTHer BuT tHaT NiGHT WE DiD bECoS ShE wAS 'EXtrA- hAppY' (iF YoU rECEIVE mY MeANINg...;P) and mAN, i Can't HelP bUT tO sMilE To mYseLF wHenEvER I THInk AbOUt It nOW. i DIdN't Get MuCH ThaT i CaN Use fOR mY 'BeTTy' ChaRacTer bUT WeLL, I hAD Fun AnD u GOttA exPerIMenT To KNOw WhaT WoRKs fOr yoUr cHarACTer...
AnD i'LL nevER sToP.

SiNcE mY chaRACTer, BettY LoVes FaULknER, i am cUrRENTLY tRyIng TO EnDuRE ReadiNG 'THE SOund ANd tHe FuRY' AnD gOOd lOrd, i iT's sUch A pAiNfuL rEAd! I woNdER hOw mY cHarACTER bETTTy AND biLL, My sCene PaRtnER (PlAYEd BY BRYant) cOULD aCtUALLy LOvE thE 'GORGEOUs pRoSE', 'All thE pSyChOLIGIcAL unDERStANdINg'and hOw fAuLknER EXplOres THe sUbJeCt oF 'hUMaN eXisTEnCE' In tHe Book. I mEan, wHy Is It EVeN CAllED 'THE sOUNd ANd THE fuRY'? sO aBstRACt ANd JaRRIng! bUt WeLL, I'vE reAD oNLy thE fiRST sIX pAGes SO far And MaybE iF i JusT reAD A LittlE bIT mORE, tHAn i wOulD UNderSTanD whERE fAulKNER iS COming FRom...AnD wHere BEtty AnD bILL ARe CoMInG frOM...WhO knOws?

yEaH, stAY TUnED gUYs For MoRE! oH, yES, I am fInAllY DonE wITH thE pRESS kiT! i JusT hAve To seNd IT aLL ouT to THe mEDia! PheW!

oI, siApA cAkAp PerFOrMIng ANd PuBlIcIty ni SEnAng?

D NAked tRuTH,
bAtSheBa/ zALikHa

Thursday, June 12, 2008

BACK IN TIME!

Allow me to bring you back through memory lane... it all started in March 2006 when we were still young & "innocent"...


That is Tim on the far left followed by Mark, Erica, Bryant, Liyana, Aaron, Me and of course Zalikha.

Through many thick and thins, we managed to survive each other over the years and gotten closer as well.

This is us 2 and a half years later. Tim and Liyana left us along the way but we had a new addition to the group which I personally count her as a blessing. It's ALL In THE TIMING that Eri joined us.
With all the knowledge, skills and techniques we've acquired over our stint here at the Department of Performance + Media, we're staging our final production together as a group
before parting our seperate ways.
Here's a toast to all of us. MARCH 06' INTAKE!
Cheers!



Wednesday, June 11, 2008

ACTOR ONLINE DIARY POST ONE by ERI

I'm pretty sure that you've heard of EQUUS that is performed by us, the Mar 06 students, last month. (thanks for those who came and watch us. really, thank you!)

Here we are again to present you, an upcoming performance titled ALL IN THE TIMING (is a collection of three selected absurd one play act - English Made Simple, Sure Thing and The Philadelphia) that is going to be stage at the same venue, same cast members, BUT different themes, different way of story telling, different genre, and different setting.

I must say that I really do enjoy working with these people. I had fun in the rehearsals especially during improvisation games, explore stuff together, came early to college to brain storm together with my partner, and I learn alot from them during production meetings. Of course, there are still lots of work need to be done and we are not stopping here yet. We will not simply stop doing things until the show ends, we promise. We will make sure everyone is on the same page/right track :P tee hee hee

and oh, by the way, I'm acting in two short plays; English Made Simple as Jill and The Philadelphia as Waitress. (!!) Hrmmm... sounds hard but nothing is easy right, even if I was told to act one role instead of two? arhhh.... Do your best, Eri! *cheers


p/s: thanks ika for setting up the blog!

*hugs and kisses!*

signing off,
your so-so actor/blogger


Related post/pages:

- Facebook | All In The Timing

Sunday, June 8, 2008

The Director Has Her Say...

It is time at last for the director to have her say on this blog! (Evil laughter echoes throughout the realm of blogger!) Everyone's been working hard and giving their all to make this production happen which I am truly thankful for. I have been enjoying the rehearsal processes and am excited to see where it will lead us at the end of our journey.

I actually chose the four short plays from the anthology 'All in the Timing' because there was a universal theme running through them. Also, I really wanted a play that is accessible to the audiences. After all, isn't it a theatre practitioners goal to make theatre more accessible to the public not just in terms of the venue and ticket prices but also in the choice of scripts and performances?

The current goal for the rehearsal process now is to find the core meaning of the play and lay down the basic structure before we layer it with the theoretical nuances found within the text and its structure. It's really lovely working on a comedic piece because we have so much fun in the process. Mind you, comedy is the hardest style to pull off especially in theatre so we have our challenges cut out for us!

So fingers crossed, we hope to accomplish what we set out to do. And as director, I can only hope that I succeed in helping everyone grow as we go on with this journey.

Friday, June 6, 2008

PuBLiCiTY and My SNEEEAky PLan...

Hello EVERYBODY!

Now, we are about to enter the third week of rehearsal! WOOO!!!

tHERe is A cerTAIN, ContiNuous anXiety that RunS on UnDeRNEATh My SkIN ANd it Even Keeps on AppeARING in My NIghTMARES!! yES, i'M cOMPLETELY SERious! I tear MY HAir OuT tHINKING it daY and nIghT, exPLORING tHIS fOREIGN tERRITORY and IT is....
P-U-B-L-I-C-I-T-Y! aaAAAaaAAAAaaaaaAARRRGggghhhHH!!!

aNd The worst thiNg Is ....I sTill FeEL LiKE I'M DOINg NothinG Much....I meAN, tHE AMOunT oF work Is A ToweRING oNE aND i DOn'T EvEN kNOW which tO tACKLe firSt! anD dAHLAH tu I'm Handling tHE pOSTERS as Well....ANd acTing in ALL-I-THE-TIMING...(But IT's okaY, i'M Not ComplaiNINg The Amount Of Work- EvERyone iS Beezee TOO...)

bUt BAck TO mY LiL' PublicitY StorY, tHANk God, MY FRiends PullEd Me baCk To the GrouNd TeLiinG Me tHat I ShoULD Take alL Of thiS SteP By STeP..LiKe AdriAN saiD "GO BACK TO BASICS". sO, I pULLED ANd reLEAsED a HUGe bReATH, aND FOR nOw I sHALL oNLY focUS oN PresS Kit ANd PoSTER. EsPecIALLY tHE PREss Kit FiRst. YeS, befOre DeaLing wITH the PhOtos, ThE cALLING UP/ eMAILIng oF severaL OthER MedIA, thePriNting, The 'LaNTIk-ing' oF mY pOssIbLE AssistanTS, tHe PoSTER-Run, The InTerviews- Phew!!!Let's Get dOWn To BasiCS for Now...-PreSS kIT fIRST!!!

aS fOR mY cHARacTER, i'M PlANNiNg oF DoIng sOmEthinG sNeAky....i have FOunD My mUse, SomeonE To sTuDY -A FrIEnD'S SisteR,- tO CreatE The CharACter of BetTY...tHE tHIng Is....I dOn'T rEally Gel with hER aND iF i were TO TeLL hER StRAIGhtfOrwarDly To Her That " Hey, , I'M PlAying ThE bitcHY YeT cleVER BettY iN ALL IN THE TIMING, yoU Think It would Be OKay If I Just Hang OUt wITH yOU A bit tO sTuDy You- yoUR gESTures, YouR Walk, yOur PacinG yAddA yadda CoS yOu arE sO mUcH LiKe HeR?" I thInk THat wouLd Make her sUPer cOnScIOUS. sO i have PlotteD oUt SoMETHIng wiTH her SISter, >D, thAT I coMe Over To tHEIR pLace aND obSErVe Her, TaLK tO Her ANd STuff (DoN'T wORRY, i Won'T 'SEkoDeNG' Her WhILe She's Taking a ShoWER!) WiTHOUT hER KNoWINg ThAT i'm ObsErving! tEEheehee! I'll UpDaTe YoU pEEPs wiTh What hAPPENs nEXT..Oh, hOw exCiting!

sO LoNG fOr Now! Will WrItE mOre nExT Week!

the naked truth,
batsheba a.k.a zalikha

THE FIRST...

What a priveledge it is to be the FIRST to taint this blog (chuckles)!

We have been developing our pieces over the weeks and also discovering gems and ideas along the way. It's been fun rehearsing with Erica (Ms. Director) who is constantly introducing various games and methods to carry out our pieces, making them fresh & glossy.

Part of our research process includes sitting down as an ensemble laughfing our arses off to Who's Line Is It Anyway and Mr. Bean. That's rite.... BEAN!

I do see the production taking some form and heading to a particular direction and I'm just excited to see what happens in the weeks to come.

Waiter?