Saturday, July 10, 2010

Leaving NYC

10th July

Well right now I am sitting in Newark airport waiting to board the plane that is taking me home! Yesterday I had a lot of mixed emotions part of me wanted to stay because I have met amazing and talented people here but the other part just wants to see my family and Paul. We had some final assessements in our classes and the commerical one was a little difficult. We had to do this toothpaste commerical and read it off of a cue card I think I did ok but I dont think I would have booked the commerical. In acting we had to do our scene, I don't think Carol like us much that time. I just got a feeling that she thought the scene was stale and boring but I did everything she asked of me and hopefully it changed my performance. After lunch we had movement and we had to do our final viewpoint session. I love doing these and I find it such a rewarding experience. We then had voice and had to perform our mr suess poem and our romeo and juliet scene. Im so shocked I got through the grip top sock poem because for the whole of thursday night it just wouldnt stay in my head! it very annoying but it came out better than I expected and I suprised myself with it. After class we headed down for the harbour cruise! the cruise was good but I just kept thinking noooo! after this I have to say goodbye to people. So we were on the subway going back to the dorms and victor had to get off at a different stop because he doesnt stay in the dorms so we all say goodbye then he jumps off the train! I just felt devasted! it was such a horrible feeling! We get back to the dorms and Liza is all packed up ready to go! and I was like I cant deal with this! but she wasnt leaving until 4am so I decided to start packing then have some sleep and walk with her and Cassy round to subway. I wish I hadnt done this! I really hate saying goodbye! The tears had started and I couldnt stop them. So we headed back to the dorms and went for a small amount of sleep before I woke up and told more people from my room goodbye! I was getting better I tried cry this time so I managed to pull it together! I went up and finished packing up the room and cleaned the bathroom. Me and alton were leaving at 12pm for the airport because we were taking the train to Newark so Im doing in lobby with all my stuff and now I have to say goodbye to maria, matt and mimi. I had got the subway every morning with these people and mimi was the first person I met here. It was super tough, Mimi just brust into tears and I couldnt hold it in anymore! I couldnt believe that in the short space of a month I had grown so attached to these people and I am truly going miss every single one of them!
This experience has been truly amazing, I have met new friends that I know I will keep in touch with. I know that within this short month my skills have improved and changed for the better and I am still suprised that I managed to live in New York for a month! That is an achievement in itself! Well I better hurry up and finish this because my battery is going to run out!
Goodbye New York City! You truly are a delicious apple!
Thank you to everyone who has helped me on my journey! I will never forget any of you!
Thanks to everyone who had read my story! I hope you enjoyed it!

Good luck everyone!

Love
Jen
xxx

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Last Week of Class!

Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th July

As I woke up on Tuesday I realised that this was my last Tuesday in New York City and that this time next I would at home and have started back at work. That fact truly depressed me!
Anyway Cassy slept in our room last night because her air conditioner was broken and it was a very hot night! Walking to class from the subway I realised that it felt very hot and there is usually a change of temperature from down in the subway to up in street but that morning there was no difference.
To start our day we had improvisaition. We didnt get to play our usual came of whoosh! which I was extermley dissappointed about but we started off with a new thing. Three people went up, one was the person in the shop and the other two were customers. We were given what kind of shop it was then we did a scene. We had to do it again the exact same way but this time with a different emotion. It was rather interesting because we got given haunted so that was rather funny! We then headed to our next class which was film and Tv basics. This class we got to film a soap opera scene that our teacher had wrote. The scene was just basically making fun of soap operas with all the regularly cliches! So was a camera man! which was exciting! I got to zoom in and everything! so once we had filmed that Todd went onto give us words of advice and gave us a system on how we can be successful!
When I went outside for lunch was soooo hot that I walked just one block and I was sweating a ridiclous amount! We then checked the interent and it was 102 degrees! I was like thank god for air conditioning We had stage combat after lunch! and we just came up with a new fight with a different partner. My partner wasnt feeling very well so we didnt do it full out which was a little gutting but it couldnt be helped! Then onto voice and we started work on shakespeare!
Once we got back to the dorms I got changed and headed off the the gym! I felt so much better afterwards!
Today we started off with commerical class, we had to work on this toothpaste script which was interesting and very wordy but I think everyone got it in the end! It was then onto acting which I was dreading because I really didnt want our scene to get ripped apart so we get up and our teacher wanted us to improv the first part before we started our lines. So Im doing it and then I find myself that Im crying, it was really strange! and then the scene just came out much easier. Our teacher really liked our work and said that my why and fact sheet for my character was excellant! so after it I felt much better and relieved that she liked it!
After lunch we headed to movement to practice our viewpoints for our test on friday. So it was good just to practice before we get graded on friday. We then moved onto voice and worked more on language in shakespeare. Tonight I just headed to the gym and watched some tv!
so I only have three days left here and that does make me sad but I am ready to come home!
Excited!
Speak to you all soon!

Jen
xxx

Last Weekend in NYC!

Hello everyone!,
well here I am writing up the events of my last weekend in the awesome place that is the big apple!
Saturday was when I was determinded to see West Side Story! so I got up after having a very long lie in and made my way into manhattan! I just went straight to the theatre and got a ticket for $45 so I was happy and really looking forward to the show! I then came back to the dorms and got ready and then me and Sasha headed out for the show! Sasha was determinded she was a McDonalds so we went to the one in Times Square. I felt proper american after eating it and slightly fatter! It funny because when we were eating there was a guy asleep at the table next to us but he was dressed up as Micheal Jackson and I all I could think was he isnt dead he is just taking a nap in McDonalds!
We go to the theatre and climbing hundreds of stairs to get to our seat! it was really high up and steep so I didnt really like peering over the egde! but you could see everything on the stage so I wasnt bothered at all! The dancing in the show was amazing! it was very much like the film and used moves form it. I thought that guy that played tony had an amazing voice! he sang with no effort! I did like the Maria but I do think she could have acted a little better and spoke louder! even with a mic I could hardly hear her! But when the whole cast came together in the gym hall scene, which is my favourite, it was electric! the stage just came alive!
This show is definitly one of my favourite musicals in the classic catergory! I could see a lot of stage combat in the rumble and I was like I can do that! and that!
After the show I just came back to the dorms and watched a film on tv and headed to bed!
On sunday it was 4th of july so not a lot of things were open but I didnt really have any plans but me and Liza decided to go to Forever 21 and do some shopping! I freaking love that shop! I think we spent about two hours in there! then we just headed home! we went down the promenade to watch the fireworks but it turns out they were on the other side of the island so we couldnt see them! I was gutted! I was like noooooooo! Ive never experienced indepenance day before!
After that I just went back to the room and went to sleep! it was so hot over the weekend and it just seemed to knock the life out of me!
On monday me, mimi and cassy headed to Coney Island! This time is was quiet and we could get right down the beach this time! I felt that it was much hotter so I was suffereing a little bit! After spending some time there we headed back. We made a stop at bath and body works so I could pick a present! We had Monday off school because it was a holiday weekend! It felt really strange because I kept thinking that the Tuesday was a Monday totally confused me!
So that was my last weekend in NYC! I am gutted that I will be going home and leaving this amazing city behind but I am looking forward to coming back to normal things like food I know, Money I know and most importantly my bed! The one I have here is very uncomfortable! Just cant wait to see some familar and loving faces!
Speak to you all soon!
Love
Jen
xx

Saturday, July 3, 2010

The rest of the third week

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Hello everyone sorry I havent written the last part of the week up Ive been a tad busy!
Ok so Wednesday came around and we started off with improvisation class. We started with the usual came of whoosh! and then moved on scenes! In the scenes we had to establish the where and make it come alive! This was a little challenging but we all managed it! It was then onto film and tv basics where filmed the last scene! and then Todd taught us about voice overs! this was really fun to do because we were doing examples from the radio! The first one was for a telephone company and the second one was for chocolate covered cheesecake bites! it was really funny to do and I tried out my american accent and Todd really like it so that was a bonus!
After lunch we had stage combat and this time we put together a combination of the moves we had learned to make up a fight scene! it was soooo much fun. My partner was victor and we came up with an amazing fight! it was acctually really hard work and I was proper tried after it but it was so much fun! Stage combat is defo one of my favourite classes! We then had voice class, we did our usual warm up and we then had to present our voice poems to the class. I had chosen a red red rose by Robert Burns. When I said the poem I was fine and then Sarah said have you got someone in mind and I said yes and then she said where are they and when I went to answer her I started to cry! it was really bizarre I didnt go up there to cry but when I thought about how long it was until I had been home and seen paul and my family I just got so emotional! Sarah wanted me to say the poem again with thinking about this person in mind so I did it but it was struggle and then she wanted me to say Ill be home soon! I never thought I would be able to cry like that but I did and now I know that if I need to cry I can! I felt like I had achieved something in that class and I felt proud of myself!
Thursday started off with commerical class and it was about tasting food and conveying the taste on camera! it was acctually quite hard but I managed it even though it took me about 4 trys! we had to pretend that we were eating chicken wings and our line was wow it tastes great! it was a bit cheesy but it was good fun! we then moved on to acting class and we had to present our scenes to Carol, we were all dreading this because the homework she had give us was so hard! I brought all my props but we ran out of time so we didnt get to do our scene! after lunch we had movement and we were just exploring the view points more and doing more group improvisations which are a litte confusing but are fun! Our last class was voice and we just watched the rest of the voice poems. On thursday night I had to read over a list of film terms for our taste on friday.
So improvisation on friday was a little difficult because we had to talk in jibberish in different accents, italian, japanese, swedish and french! I was kinda rubbish at this but I managed to get through it. In film and tv basics we get our test and realised that it is a joke and all the answers didnt really make sense! it was a little annoying because I read over all the terms! we then watched one flew over the coocoos nest! I had seen it before it was really good but a tad messed up! After lunch we had stage combat and we leanred how to roll then pull out a gun and shot! it was really fun because at the end flick our hair which was by far my favourite bit! then we learned how to throw someone into an object! This class sounds sinister but it so much fun!
We then headed to voice to find that we had to lead our own warm up which was interesting to see what I could remember and what I found most useful. Sarah then told us that we were going to Union square park to do poems which was a little daunting because the park was really busy and people were stopping to listen! Once class was over we all headed back to the dorms. Me mimi and cassy went out for dinner and we went to a place called five guys its a fast food shop with burgers and to be fair it was the best burger I have ever had in my life! then me and mimi got ready to out for drinks! Having a few drinks with people from my group was really nice!
Well its saturday and tonight Im heading out to see west side story! I'm really excited it should be a really good show!
well I better go and get ready!
speak to you all soon!
Love
Jen
xxx

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Start of the Third Week

Monday 28th and Tuesdat 29th June

Waking up after trying to do that homework was hellish! I was soooo tried but I evetunally pulled myself together and got myself to school. So we started with Improvisation which was really funny we did this game called gameshow so there was four guests and host and each was an expert in a given field. So I was given amphibians so I chose to be Hamish Macdougall who was an expert in The Loch Ness monster. It was funny because some people didnt have a clue about who Nessie was. So after the crucial Scottish lesson we headed for Film and Tv basics. I was the director of photography for one of the scenes and this was interesting because I had to decide the shots and decide what camera was being used. It was acctually quite difficult because you had to make sure that each actors face was on screen. I love this class because you really get a sense of what it would be like on a set. After lunch we had stage combat and today we learned how to kick someone and kick them in the face! it was awesome! I a killing machine! We then moved onto lunch that went quick for a change we had to go into partners and massage our shoulders legs and arms it was really relaxing. So we came home to finish the damm homework for acting! it was acctually taking soooooo long eventually I just gave up and went to bed.
If I thought that Monday was hellish well getting up on tuesday was even worse! I just couldnt get up and I was so comfortable for a change! Starting with Commerical class today was good but we ran out of time before we got to me! but It was good to watch everyone else.
We then headed onto acting which I was dreading, we got into our pairs and went over our lines doing different actions and this then proved that I didnt really know my lines! I got through the class and we ended with wearing blindfolds touching peoples favourite objects it was a bit werid but I got through it. After lunch we had movements and we carried on exploring the viewpoints which was interesting because it is a werid sensation when other peoples movement effects your own movements. We then moved onto voice which was all about tounge twisters which I just couldnt do. So after class I was hanging around the school waiting for my audition for the proffessional programme. I think my audition went ok but you just never know Im just going to have to wait and see!
well I think thats all that really happened from the last couple of days nothing too exciting!
speak to you all soon!
Love
Jen
xxx

Second Weekend in the Big Apple

Saturday 26th and Sunday the 27th June

Hello everyone sorry it has taken me ages to write my advenutres since Friday I have had loads of homework that I had to do for acting! Totally swapped!
So our plan on Saturday was to go and get student rush tickets for Promises, Promise but by the time we get to the theatre they had none left but we were told to come back tomorrow for 12pm and we will be able to get them. We were near Times square so we headed down there and came across the most amazing shop in the world, Forever 21. It is huge it has four floors and is like primark but the clothes are at H&M standards! I think we spent about an hour in half in there! I didnt buy anything because I am being sensible and seeing what my finances are like before I go mental! but there some proper nice stuff! I just wanted the whole accessory section! Once Mimi and Liza had made their purchases we headed to the Starbucks and I got a mocha frappucino which I am totally obessed with! Liza then met up with people from her class and we headed up to Central Park to meet Maria, Cassy and Evann. Once we got there we just went mental taking loads of pictures and fooling around! Once the fashion shoot was over Cassy took us to this cafe called Alice's Teacup. It was a themed alice in wonderland cafe which was amazing inside! I had the apple and cinamon tea with a chocolate and cranberry scone and a blueberry and lemon scone. It was all so yummy! and I got a whole tea pot to myself. After our yummy tea we headed to back to times square. We headed to Victoria Secrets and went along 34th street. It got to a point that our feet were so tried we couldnt take anymore and headed for the subway!
Once back in the dorms we just watched some tv and headed to bed.
On sunday me and Liza got up super early to make sure we were in the ticket cue for Promises, Promises to guarentee tickets! With our ticket purchased we met up with Liza's brother and headed for something to eat. We went into a really nice pizza place and stuffed our face! After lunch I headed off to explore while Liza took her brother on a tour. So when I exploring I came across a really cool shop which I cannot state on here because a certain someone will read this and know what I got him! by the time I had wondered around in this shop it was time to head back to the theatre to meet liza. Well the show was amazing! The opening sequence was really well done, it was the overture playing then dancers appearing in spots dancing in a 1940's style. The customers were so colourful and everyone on the stage had excellant energy. Sean Hayes a.k.a jack from will and grace was really funny and suprisley had a good voice. I think the music could have been better but the story,acting, dancing and singing were song so I could easliy forgive that. Then Kristin stepped on stage! I was like yesssssss! she was really good in this show but the role didnt stretch her but I dont think she was aiming for that. So I waitin at the stage door thinking I need to get this autograph now! and I can hear a scream so I know she is out so I just my way up to the front and was like can you sign this for me! she is tiny I think she is smaller than me! I really wanted a picture but I think that would have been pushing it!
Walking away content with my autograph I headed back to the subway to go home and start my hellish homework!
That homework took so long and I got to a point when I didnt know what I was writing and all the words were blurry, but eventually I got it done and headed for a much needed sleep!
So that was my second weekend all done and dusted! I cant believe I have been here for two weeks now it has went in so quick and I don't really want to come home well I do to see everyone! but I could live in New York forever. I dont think my mum wants to hear that!
I truly heart NY!
Love
Jen
xxx

Saturday, June 26, 2010

So here has was happened since wednesday!

Wednesday 23rd, Thursday 24th and Friday 25th.

Hello everyone, sorry I havent updated this for this for 3 days I have been super busy with lots of homework I had to do for acting class. Right well lets start with Wednesday. So we had commerical class first today we were doing a telephone network commerical. What we had to do was using MOS(minus opticial sound) we had to come from a hard first day at a new job and your appartment still wasnt unpacked, so you were tried looked around thinking oh no look at this and then the phone would ring, you were to say hello? oh hello mum. I think mine was ok but there was definitley some better than mine!
We then moved onto acting. In class today me and Matt had to get up and perform our improvisation using the relationship we had explored in our homework and pick an activity we could do at our setting of the Brooklyn promenade. So I was kinda dreading this a little bit because I didnt want it to turn out cringe! so we did our scene and our activity was eating apples and drinking some juice. Carol I think liked it because she said that my intention was clear and that she really liked the activity so that made me feel a little better about it. We then went and had lunch.
After lunch we had movement and this time we were exploring floor pattern, duration and spacial relationships from the 9 viewpoints. So what we did was in small groups we went up and walked around the room as if we were on a grid, we had to explore our speed but walking at our fastest and then walking at our slowest. This was an interesting class I enjoyed it.
We then went onto voice. This class on wednesday was hard for me because we exercising our tounges and using the middle of tounge to stretch it all the way down to the root. We had to place the tip of our tounge against our bottom teeth then using the middle of our tounge stretch it out! After a will this exercise made me feel really sick and sarah, our teacher, said that this is because with my accent I use the back of my tounge a lot and stretching it like that makes me think I am going to be sick, so it was fair to say that this class was pleasent for me today!
After class we went around to the drama bookshop because we had to read two plays for acting class by wednesday. We them email to us so I just printed out one of them to read and then borrowed mimi's. This shop was amazing! I think they had nearly every play in the world in that shop! Ill be definitly going back there!
Ok now onto to thursday, Our first class today was improvisation we started with our usual warm up of playing word ball and wooossssh! We then went up in pairs and we had to desribe and use the where. My scene was we were in a car show room and mimi was my partner. I think we did ok but tom, our teacher, said we didnt use our where enough which I do think was true.
We then had film and tv basics and it was mine and autumns turn to do our scene. So we had rehearsed our scene but we then had a director who would decided what he felt was right. The process did feel a little long but it was only because the director of photography has to work out the camera shots, what camera is being used and when do the cameras change. It was interesting watching it back and to see if all come together.
We then had our lunch.
After lunch we had stage combat. This is by far my favourite class. Today we learned how to do a proper cartwheel, but before that we did some intensive stretches. These were extermely painful but they were safe and there no way that we could hurt ourselves. One stretch was we were sitting on the floor with the bottom of our feet touching then when you breath out your partner would push your knees to the ground. When you got the point you couldnt go any more you would slowly count to 10 then release. It was agony! but I did learn how to cartwheel properly!
Our last class was voice and it was more work with the tounge but this time I didnt feel sick!
That night I was reading like a madman because I had to get both plays finished by friday! I also had to write a biography on each playwright and a paragraph on what I learned in class. So it was fair to say all my brain wanted was sleep when I was done.
Friday came and our first class was commerical. This time our task was quaker oats, oatmeal. We had to go up in a couple boy and girl and act out a breakfast scene in your new home. It was going to have no sound but you were to speak to make it look real. Well me and victor went up and I think we were pretty rubbish! I just wanted to laugh the whole time! but it was fun watching everyones tape back!
It was acting straight after commerical class and we had a test to sit about one of the plays. I thought I knew the play turns out no! I didnt no the answer to the first question! but as it went along I did know some of the answers. So after that we were giving a piece of text and carol was going to teach us how to memorise it properly without us planning how were going to see say it and with no intention! I was feeling really tried and since we were just sitting listening I could feel myself drifting off so throughout the whole class I batteling to stay awake. But thankfully we got on our feet and I woken up! We then got blind folded but carol wants us to explore our senses with was werid but it was amazing how you knew where you were going in the room because of your memory.
After lunch we movement. This time we were exploring gesture and shape. This was a good class because we got to make up different shapes with our bodies and then put them all together in one big shape which looked amazing!
It was then onto voice class and this sarah was showing us another way how to memorise. Her method was to use your spine but going into a cat position then rounding your spine. It was interesting to try out both methods and to see which one worked better.
Last night me, cassy, mimi and autumn went shopping along 34th street. We went into H&M, forever 21 and victoria secrets and finished with a very nice starbucks. I had a moch frappicino which is a cold one and it was amazing! I think I might be addictived!
Well today Im hoping to get a ticket to see promises promises. Ill write about it tonight if I am successful!

Speak to you all soon!
Love
Jenxx