[nabs-l] Taking acting classes

Sat Nov 26 21:09:11 UTC 2011

I'm=20pretty=20good=20at=20acting-only=20problem=20is=20moving=20around=20a=
nd=20
finding=20which=20exact=20spot=20to=20go=20to=20in=20a=20play-was=20interes=
ted=20in=20
drama=20but=20my=20aide=20thought=20it=20might=20be=20too=20visual=20and=20=
choq=20was=20the=20
better=20place=20to=20go
Vejas

=20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20"Ashley=20Bramlett"=20<bookwormahb at earthlink.net
To:=20"National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list"=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Sat,=2026=20Nov=202011=2016:02:17=20-0500
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20Taking=20acting=20classes

Hi=20Bridgit,

I=20like=20your=20idea=20of=20becoming=20familiar=20=20with=20the=20set.=20=
=20Yeah=20you're=20
right=20that
stage=20sets=20are=20supposed=20to=20be=20set=20up=20the=20same=20way=20eac=
h=20time.=20=20So=20
it=E2=80=99s=20a
matter=20of=20memory=20then=20and=20familiarity.=20=20Now=20that=20I=20thin=
k=20of=20it,=20I=20
did=20use=20my
cane=20on=20stage=20a=20little=20in=20high=20school=20drama=20class=20while=
=20
rehearsing.

What=20do=20you=20mean=20by=20performance-based=20classes?=20How=20is=20tha=
t=20
different=20than
theatre=20class?
Facial=20expressions=20are=20=20vital=20to=20acting;=20but=20this=20wasn't=
=20an=20issue=20
for=20me.=20=20I
think,=20and=20hope,=20I=20looked=20expressive=20as=20my=20voice=20was.
We=20did=20body=20exercises=20to=20warm=20up,=20but=20I=20don't=20remember=
=20doing=20face=20
exercises.
Of=20course,=20I=20only=20took=20acting=201=20though.

You=20said

"When=20running=20lines,=20you=20may=20say=20the=20same=20word,=20or=20phra=
se,=20over=20
and=20over
in=20order=20to=20capture=20the=20proper=20tone=20and=20inflection."
I=20assume=20you=20did=20this=20in=20practice/rehearsals.

This=20makes=20me=20interested=20in=20trying=20it.=20=20Maybe=20I=20should=
=20audition=20
for=20a
community=20play=20or=20my=20community=20college=20play.

Ashley

-----Original=20Message-----
From:=20Bridgit=20Pollpeter
Sent:=20Monday,=20November=2021,=202011=204:21=20PM
To:=20nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject:=20[nabs-l]=20Taking=20acting=20classes

Ashley,

I=20was=20sighted=20when=20I=20minored=20in=20theatre,=20but=20I=20took=20a=
=20couple=20of
performance-based=20classes=20while=20in=20my=20second=20go-around=20with=20=

university.
I=20know=20we=20have=20several=20blind=20theatre=20majors=20here=20though.=
=20=20I=20
memorized=20my
lines=20with=20JAWS-=20I=20have=20a=20good=20retention=20with=20my=20short-=
term=20
memory.=20=20If
you=20do=20an=20entire=20play,=20though,=20I=20think=20it=20would=20be=20be=
st=20to=20have=20a
Braille=20copy=20of=20the=20script.

I=20did=20some=20directing,=20which=20I=20love.=20=20I=20helped=20direct=20=
a=20few=20scenes=20
for=20a
class=20even=20though=20I=20wasn't=20registered=20for=20it.=20=20The=20inst=
ructor=20
also=20taught
another=20class=20that=20I=20was=20enrolled=20in,=20and=20she=20asked=20if=
=20I=20would=20be
willing=20to=20help=20direct=20in=20her=20other=20class.=20=20I=20mostly=20=
referred=20to=20
my
computer=20for=20the=20script=20and=20my=20notes.=20=20I=20had=20specific=20=
ideas=20for=20
the=20set,
costuming=20and=20actors.=20=20It=20helped=20to=20go=20in=20already=20prepa=
red,=20not=20
trying=20to
figure=20things=20out=20as=20we=20went=20along.

You=20could=20use=20your=20cane=20on=20stage,=20but=20if=20you're=20not=20s=
uppose=20to=20be=20
blind,
it=20may=20look=20a=20little=20odd=20to=20the=20audience.=20=20Perhaps=20yo=
u=20could=20grow=20
very
familiar=20with=20the=20set=20so=20you=20could=20walk=20around=20safely.=20=
=20Stage=20
sets=20are
suppose=20to=20be=20set=20up=20the=20exact=20way=20each=20time,=20so=20if=20=
you=20were=20
accustomed
to=20it,=20it=20would=20make=20maneuvering=20around=20it=20a=20bit=20more=20=
easy,=20and=20
you
could=20leave=20your=20cane=20off=20stage=20so=20when=20done,=20you=20had=20=
your=20cane=20
to=20get
around=20with.

Facial=20expression=20is=20a=20vital=20part=20of=20the=20acting=20process.=
=20=20You=20
want=20to
convey=20the=20right=20emotions=20and=20characteristics=20connected=20with=
=20a
character.=20=20We=20would=20do=20face=20exercises=20along=20with=20body=20=
exercises=20
to=20warm
up,=20and=20loosen=20things=20up.=20=20Whether=20stage=20acting=20or=20acti=
ng=20for=20
film=20and
television,=20using=20appropriate=20facial=20expressions,=20and=20being=20
expressive
in=20general,=20is=20very=20important.=20=20When=20acting,=20you=20create=20=
specific
expressions,=20movements,=20inflections,=20tones,=20etc.=20=20Every=20littl=
e=20
detail=20is
disected=20and=20explored,=20then=20the=20actor=20constructs=20the=20charac=
ter,
cognitive=20of=20each=20movement,=20each=20expression=20and=20how=20each=20=
word=20is=20
said.
When=20running=20lines,=20you=20may=20say=20the=20same=20word,=20or=20phras=
e,=20over=20
and=20over
in=20order=20to=20capture=20the=20proper=20tone=20and=20inflection.

The=20voice=20is=20probably=20the=20most=20important=20aspect=20of=20theatr=
e=20
because=20tone
can=20convey=20and=20imply=20a=20lot.=20=20I=20was=20in=20a=20local=20theat=
re's=20play,=20The
Outsiders,=20and=20we=20wore=20face=20masks=20so=20our=20performance=20was=
=20
dependent=20on
the=20voice=20and=20body=20movement.=20=20We=20had=20to=20convey=20so=20muc=
h=20with=20voice=20
and
body.

Sincerely,
Bridgit=20Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read=20my=20blog=20at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

"History=20is=20not=20what=20happened;=20history=20is=20what=20was=20writte=
n=20down."
The=20Expected=20One-=20Kathleen=20McGowan

Message:=2015
Date:=20Sun,=2020=20Nov=202011=2016:43:22=20-0500
From:=20"Ashley=20Bramlett"=20<bookwormahb at earthlink.net
To:=20"National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list"
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Subject:=20[nabs-l]=20taking=20acting=20classes
Message-ID:=20<A29CB5F9B0F141EDB5CCB4FC5C090B09 at OwnerPC
Content-Type:=20text/plain;=20charset=3D"utf-8"

Hi=20all,

What=20Bridgit=20said=20about=20acting=20class=20brought=20back=20memories.=

She=20said
?Acting,=20at=20least=20stage=20acting,=20pays=20a=20lot=20of=20attention=20=
to
body=20movement=20and=20facial=20expressions.=20=20Voice=20is=20also=20extr=
emely=20
important.
Taking=20an=20acting=20class=20can=20assist=20with=20more=20natural=20body=
=20
movements,=20but
be=20aware=20that=20in=20an=20acting=20class,=20you'll=20be=20expected=20to=
=20perform=20
in=20front
of=20your=20peers,=20being=20judged.=20=20If=20you=20can't=20handle=20const=
ructive=20
criticism,
or=20are=20extremely=20introverted,=20an=20acting=20class=20may=20not=20be=
=20the=20best
option.=20=20Even=20in=20a=20more=20informal=20acting=20class,=20you=20will=
=20have=20to=20
perform
monologues=20and=20duets=20and=20group=20scenes.?

Bridgit,=20you=20have=20a=20minor=20in=20theatre;=20I=20haven?t=20met=20a=20=
blind=20
person=20who
did=20that=20before.=20=20Of=20course=20you=20were=20sighted,=20so=20can=20=
draw=20upon=20
your
experience=20learning=20facial=20expressions=20and=20visual=20expressions.=
=20=20
Did=20you
braille=20the=20script=20for=20memorizing=20it?=20I=20cannot=20memorize=20b=
y=20
listening
except=20for=20song=20lyrics!=20I?m=20wondering=20how=20a=20blind=20actor=20=
would=20
move
around=20the=20stage=20safely.=20=20I=20mean=20you=20have=20obstacles=20up=
=20there=20and=20
won?t
have=20your=20cane=20since=20you?re=20another=20character.=20=20I=20just=20=
depended=20
on=20my
vision.=20=20Interesting=20that=20Bridgit=20says=20acting=20class=20pays=20=
a=20lot=20of
attention=20to
body=20movement=20and=20facial=20expressions.=20=20I=20don?t=20recall=20tha=
t=20
happening.=20=20We
did=20focus=20on=20=20voice=20though;=20like=20volume,=20tone=20and=20expre=
ssion.

I=20took=20acting=20in=20high=20school=20and=20the=20teacher=20was=20very=20=
easy.=20=20I=20
did=20not
learn=20much=20from=20it.=20=20We=20spent=20too=20much=20time=20watching=20=
movies=20
rather=20than
acting.=20=20But=20I=20won?t=20forget=20our=20final=20where=20we=20had=20to=
=20do=20a=20
monologue.
That=20was=20hard!=20I=20prefered=20working=20with=20a=20partner=20because=
=20their=20
words
clued=20me=20into=20what=20I=20had=20to=20say.

In=20college,=20I=20also=20took=20acting.=20=20We=20did=20=20a=20number=20o=
f=20things.=20=20
They=20ranged
from=20partner=20work=20acting=20scenes,=20improvization,=20something=20lik=
e=20
sherades
where=20you=20stand=20in=20front=20of=20everyone=20and=20pretend=20to=20do=
=20a=20day=20
activity,
and=20of=20course=20actual=20acting=20with=20small=20groups=20or=20a=20part=
ner.=20=20We=20
did
warmups=20to=20=20loosen=20up;=20the=20instructor=20was=20very=20accomodati=
ng=20and=20
showed
me=20these=20stretches=20and=20exercises.=20=20I=20enjoyed=20it.=20=20Our=20=
acting=20
exercises
revolved=20around=20sensory=20awareness,=20and=20a=20lot=20of=20this=20was=
=20not=20
visual.=20=20A
few=20were=20visual=20exercises=20which=20we=20adapted;=20like=20mimicking=
=20what=20
someone
did=20with=20their=20hands.=20=20She=20stressed=20to=20be=20aware=20of=20al=
l=20your=20
senses=20and
surroundings.=20=20For=20instance,=20we=20did=20an=20exercise=20that=20you=
=20
responded=20to
someone?s=20tone.=20=20Another=20was=20where=20you=20simply=20went=20and=20=
touched=20a
classmate?s=20hand.=20=20She=20guided=20us=20in=20what=20to=20observe.=20=20=
Was=20it=20
rough=20or
soft?=20Rinkled=20or=20smooth?=20Boney?=20I=20guessed=20the=20guy=20I=20tou=
ched=20was=20
athletic
due=20to=20his=20large=20muscular=20hands,=20and=20If=20I=20remember=20corr=
ectly,=20I=20
was
right.

She=20did=20say=20you=20had=20to=20show=20expression,=20but=20not=20just=20=
facial=20
expressions,
but=20expressions=20and=20movement=20with=20your=20whole=20body.=20=20We=20=
were=20
definitely
judged=20on=20our=20performance=20by=20peers=20and=20the=20instructor=20who=
=20herself=20
was=20an
actress.=20=20Still,=20it=20was=20fun.=20=20She=20never=20said=20anything=20=
about=20me=20
needing=20to
be=20visually=20expressive,=20so=20maybe=20I=20was=20expressive=20enough=20=
as=20my=20
girl
characters,=20or=20maybe=20it=20didn?t=20occur=20to=20her=20to=20say=20anyt=
hing.=20=20Oh,=20
we=20did
not=20watch=20movies=20either.=20=20So,=20I=20got=20a=20lot=20out=20of=20th=
e=20class.

For=20the=20acting=20scenes,=20I=20asked=20the=20school=20to=20braille=20th=
em.=20=20I=20got=20
an=20A=20in
the=20class.

Ashley

_______________________________________________
nabs-l=20mailing=20list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To=20unsubscribe,=20change=20your=20list=20options=20or=20get=20your=20acco=
unt=20info=20
for
nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%4
0earthlink.net

_______________________________________________
nabs-l=20mailing=20list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To=20unsubscribe,=20change=20your=20list=20options=20or=20get=20your=20acco=
unt=20info=20
for=20nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/brlsurfer%40g
mail.com