Comedy of Errors

1. In "The Comedy of Errors", the Shakespearean play was performed, but had a modern twist on it when it came to the costumes, music, and set. When looking at the stage from the traditonal theater, you could see the layout of a small town or villege on the stage, which didn't necessarily look Elizabethean, and the costumes were very bright and colorful. Both sets of twins wore bright orange and purple suits, while the sisters wore bright blue and green dresses. Even the characters wigs were brightly colored and matched their costumes! I really liked this twist on the traditional Shakespearean play, because it made the play a lot more interesting to me. I also loved the modern music that was played throughout the play, because it modernized the play even more, which is sometimes difficult to do with a work by Shakespeare.

2. This play takes place in the mid 1500's, and the author is William Shakespeare. The paly write lived in the 16th century in England.

3. In "The Comedy of Errors", the play opens by setting the tone for the rest of the play. Two sets of twins become seperated from their respective twin during a storm in which one set goes with the father, and one with the mother. The actual action of the play begins with one set of twins, Antipholous and Dromio, in the town. Both twin in each set is dressed identically, and the mayhem ensues. Throughout the play, both Dromio's and Antipholous's confuse each other and everyone else in the town, including the sisters Adriana and Luciana, who both repeatedly speak to the different twins. The action finally resolves when mother and father are reunited in the town, and the two sets of twins are brought together, which is when everyone begins to realize what had been happening throughout the day.

Phantom of the Opera

Describe

The Phantom of the Opera is a powerful story that is centered around the Paris Opera House in 1870, with occasional flash-forwards to the characters in the current year of 1919. The main character, Christine Daae, is a young dancer for the opera house, who has the opportunity to sing for the new owners once the Opera House is sold. She astounds them, and quickly becomes the star of the opera, much to the dismay of the current star, La Carlotta. When she performs on opening night, her former childhood love Raoul notices her, and comes to find her after the show. Little does he know, but when he leaves her dressing room, the "phantom" comes to her room and takes her away to the underground layers of the opera. He has been watching her and coaching her since she was a little girl, since he lives and basically rules the opera house, and is very obviously in love with her. The story continues in a rapid fire way, with many different obstacles occuring for the Phantom, including Christine falling back into love with Raoul and leaving him behind. Between deaths at the phantoms hand, and threatening letters and other omens sent to members of the opera, the Phantom makes no mistake in informing the patrons that he means buisness, and things will be carried out in his ideal method. In the end, the Phantom allows Christine to leave for her life with Raoul after a brief struggle between the two suitors in the dungeons of the Opera House.
.

Analyze

I think that there was a lot of symbolism in the Phantom of the Opera, which added to the mystery that the opera constantly alluded. The camera angle and camera shots were very dramatic, because they jumped from item to item and and created the allure of a mystery. The music was the most important aspect of the movie most noteably, since it was an Opera. Throughout the entire film, you could always detect the tone, and anticipate what was coming next, simply by listening to the score. The Phantom's desire to hide himself, both with the mask and with covering all of the mirrors in his chamber, show that he was ashamed of his appearance, since it had been the cause of his grief and agony for so long.

Interpret

Although the story of the Phantom of the Opera may come across and being a love story, it is so much more than that. The struggle between the Phantom and Raoul depicts a classic battle between dominant male characters, while La Carlotta losing her role to Christine Daae shows the struggle for an older performer to keep up with newer and younger talent. Although the opera was set in the late 19th century, the themes it portrayed can still radiate with younger and newer viewers.

Evaluate
I think that the Phantom of the Opera is a great work, and was as great in the movie and it was everytime that I have seen it performed on Broadway. The singing was superb, the musical score was phenomenal, the special effects fit perfectly with everything that was taking place in the film, and the actors portrayed the characters in a great manner.

Opera Assignment

 1. Opera is a classical western tradition where performers combine dramatic scenes with a musical score. Opera includes all the aspects of a spoken play, such as costume, speaking lines, and even dancing, but the addition of the musical score makes it much more dramatic and sets is differences from other types of theater. Light opera, or comic opera, has a much less dramatic nature than a regular opera, and typically has a happier ending as well. Musical theater is very similar to opera, because it contains dialogue along with musical numbers, but it differs because equal importance is given to both the music and the dialogue and other workings of the play.

2.Fully training someone to have an operatic voice takes many years, and requires an education similar to that of a college education. Singers have to spend years with a teacher learning how to to use the resonance space in your pharynx to give a fuller sound, and also how to amplify their voice so it reaches the back of a crowded opera house, since microphones are not used in opera. Someone with a fully trained operatic voice is less likely to end up in a doctors office with vocal problems, because they are trained the correct way to sing without overworking themselves.

3. La Boheme is one of the most popular operas by Puccini, and has since become a standard in the Italian opera circuit. The opera is about a seamstress and a poet that fall in love, but the poet wishes to eventually leave the seamstress because of her overly flirtatious ways. Unfortunately for the poet, the seamstress is also gravely ill, so he feels too guilty to leave her in her time of need. The poet actually feels guilty because he thinks their time together worsened her condition, since the turmoil that their relationship went through.

Theater Assignment #7

1. A proscenium stage is the most common in theater, and is a very traditional stage. In this type of setting, the audience sits on one side of the stage and looks directly at it, while the other three sides remain hidden by the performers and stage crews. Thrust stages are pretty similar, except they have an additional platform or area of the stage that continues and allows the audience to sit on three sides of the stage. Thrust stages allow there to be more intamacy between the actors and audience members, but still allows the convience of the backstage area that the proscenium also has.

2. The fly gallery of a theater is the system of lines, rigging, pulleys, and counterweights that allow the stage crew to quickly and efficently raise curtains and other props out of the audience's view into the fly loft above the stage. Fly gallery's are most common in proscenium theater's because they are designed to house the additional area needed hold the rigging and props. These fly gallery's contain fly systems that are either manual or automated, depending on the theater.

3. A scrim is thin piece of material that can be used in a couple different ways in the theater. One way is in lighting, because when placed over different lights in different fashions, scrims can create many different and interesting lighting effects. It is also used on stage to create a thin but transparent veil between the actors in front of it, and the scene behind them. For example, in The Nutcracker, the audience can see the christmas scene in the living room through the scrim, while the young girl is standing in front of it pretending that she is peeking through a crack in the door. It can also be painted to simply allow a silhouete to take place behind it.

Big Apple Art Event

1. The dancer counts a 6 count while they are dancing the Carolina shag.

2.

You can tell by first glance that the Big Apple is an older building, and that it was built to be something other than a dance club. There is slight Greek revival that you can see, such as the peaked top of the building and the doric columns right outside the front door. The Big Apple was originally the House of Peace Synagogue, which was later converted into a "juke joint" called the Big Apple Night Club. Three students from the University of South Carolina were interested in the music they heard when driving by one night, and repeatedly brought their friends to the club, even though they were not allowed to participate and had to sit on the balcony. The club was later transformed into a hall that now hosts all sorts of occasions such as dance lessons, weddings, rehersals, and other functions.

3. The shag is a dance in which the upper body and arms remain relatively still while the legs do fancy kicks and footwork. It is similar to the Carolina jitterbug, which as an 8 count, but it relatively slower, with the shag using a 6 count. The shag originated in cities throughout North and South Carolina, with the term shag actually being coined at Carolina Beach, North Carolina. It is a descendent of the "Little Apple", which was started in Columbia by the same 3 boys that were interested in the music at the Big Apple Club. The shag is extememly relevant to South Carolina, because without the Little Apple that was started in Columbia, and the Carolina Jitterbug, the shag may not have even developed. Shagging is still popular in South Carolina not only for adults, but also for young adults. I know in my sorority here at USC, we shag dance at all of our functions, because it is so much fun!

Columbia Museum of Art Event

Describe the Photograph:

-The photo was about 5x3 feet, so it was pretty large.

-The photo was courtesy of Charles Peterson, who also owns the photograph.

-The photo depicts fans crowd-surfing and slam dancing in a mosh pit at a grunge concert in Seattle in 1991.

-As you can see, this photograph was shot in black and white.

Analyze the Photograph:

-The photo is about fans in a mosh pit at a concert, and it was trying to depict the insanity and intesnity that goes along with it.

-The people are dancing to the grunge music, crowd-surfing, and slam dancing at a concert.

-The subjects in the photograph are wearing t-shirts, jeans, plaid shirts, and other "grunge" type attire.

-This photo reveals the insanity of the crowd and the type of people that attend grunge concerts. The photographer had to throw himself right into the insanity of the moment in order to capture such a powerful shot. He said that he had spent a lot of time during his youth stage diving and slam dancing, so he knew how to react to the culture.

Assignment #6 - Dance

1. The baroque period occured between 1600 and 1750, and was based on different art, music, dance, and architectural flourishes and interpretations. In baroque dance, exagerated movements, drama, and grandeour characterized the period. Elaborate music and performance were used during this time, and dancers were not afraid to be self-confident and portary emotional exuberance. Some composers during this time were Johann Sebastian Bach, Jean-Baptiste Lully, and Henry Purcell, and you can tell the dramatic movement of this time period through their music.

2. People dance as a way to express themselves, because even though there are specific forms of dance, you can truly dance any way that you wish. People also dance for a variety of other reasons however, such as for exercise, like in zumba classes the the gym, for tradition, such as the first dance at a wedding, and for performance, such as at a concert. Most people simply dance for fun though, because you never truly need a reason to simply let loose and just dance.

             

3. One non-western dance form is a ballroom dance, the argentine tango. It is known as a social dance, composed in 4/4 measurments. The argentine tango movements are much more varied than typical ballroom tango, and has a clear, distinctive, repeditivte beat. This tango relies heavily on improvistation, and the dancers have to use their emotions, and the emotion of the music, to create movement.



Film Art Event

The Kings Speech

The establishing shot in The Kings Speech was very powerful, and stood out a lot to me. The microphone predominantly in the forefront of the shot, with action going on in the background, made it clear that the microphone was an important symbol. The time period, 1925, was also set by the phrase that played at the very beginning of the film.

There were very interesting camera angles used in this film, which made it stand out a lot to me. The was that the microphone was typically the focus of the shot whenever it was present, with the action and people behind it, made the point of the film stand out a lot. The speeches were the entire purpose of the film, and the microphone personified that. The sharp jumps from shot to shot also stood out, because instead of a smooth panning transition from person to person, the camera would sharply jump from face to face.

The story line was very different from others, and was very powerful. Bertie, played by Colin Firth, was the second son of George V and was never intended to be the King, which was a good thing because he had a stutter that greatly handicapped him. His wife, Elizabeth, tried to help him by hiring multiple speech coaches, but nothing seemed to help Bertie. It wasn't until Lionel was introduced that there was a change in his speech. Bertie's brother, however, decided that he didn't want to be King, which left Bertie to become King George VI. One of the most moving scenes in the film was when Bertie had to give his speech on the eve of World War II, which is what the film had been building up to the entire time. There were many scenes that i felt uncomfortable during though, such as the first speech scene when Bertie could not even formulate words during his speech because his stutter was so horrible. I could not even imagine how embarrassing it would be.

Colin Firth was amazing in his role as George VI. I believed him wholeheartedly, because you could really feel his pain as he struggled though his speech problem, while simultaneously trying to cope with becoming the King of England. Helena Bonham Carter also did an outstanding job of playing Elizabeth, because it felt like she was really there supporting her husband through his struggles.

The music was one of the most convincing parts of the film, because every scene had the perfect soundtrack. For the more dramatic scenes, the gradual swelling of music up to the climax was very moving, and for the more emotional scenes, the relaxed music did a great job. One of the most impressive musical accompaniments in the film was the Beethoven that joined in the scene where Bertie had to give a speech on the eve of World War II.

I would describe the genre of this film as a drama. Although there were a few comical moments, the entire film focused on Bertie's dramatic and sometimes painful struggle to get over his disability.

From this film I derived the message that it is possible to improve yourself and overcome obstacles that stand in your way, if you really try hard enough and persevere.

Assignment #5 - Music

1. Many will try to categorize jazz as "smooth" and "easy listening", and while it is at times smooth, jazz is so much more than background music. Jazz is full of blues, rhythm, and improvisation. Jazz music originated in southern American cities, such as New Orleans, due to African and European blues and ragtime influences. Jazz is very unique to Americans because it was created by everyday Americans. It is also very unique to the African American culture because it developed out of blues and other spiritual music. After the great migration, the new form of music was expanded out of the south and introduced to cities across the United States, and jazz became increasingly popular. Jazz is still extremely popular today, and jazz festivals and other events are held quite often.

2. In Peter and the Wolf, Peter is portrayed by the string instruments, the duck is played by the oboe, the wolf is played by the french horns, the bird is played by the flute, Grandfather is played by the bassoon, and the Hunters are played by the timpani.

3. Classical is difficult to describe, because there are so many different aspects to it. Typically, classical music includes an orchestra, which makes it distinct to the listener. Classical music is very complex, but there are a few that has mastered it and can be considered true classical composers. Ludwig Van Beethoven is one of the first composers that I think of when asked about classical music, and his pieces such as the Ninth symphony, which includes "Ode to Joy", and his easily recognizable Fifth symphony, make him an icon and true legend. Mozart and Bach are also great classical composers, but I personally love Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, because he composed two of my favorite classical ballets, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. The music from these two are very easily distinguished, and remain popular still many years later.

Assignment #4 - Architecture

1.

2. I absolutely love South Quadrangle. I walk by it every day on my way to class and can't help but admire it every time. The Ionic columns are noticeable right away, since the top of the column is curled and more detailed than the Doric columns, but not nearly as ornate as the Corinthian columns. The building also features arches however, seen in the center of the photograph in between the staircases and beneath the level that features the columns.

3. The building is definitely a Greek revival, which the ionic columns and the multiple pediments clearly reveal, but there is also a slight Art Nouveau feel to it. The glass windows that make up the arch at the base and top of the building, allow the building, which has such a Greek feel to it, to become slightly more modern. I love everything about South Quadrangle, because the architecture is so admirable.

Assignment #3 Aesthetics and movies

1.

I enjoy eating ice cream. I like taking the metal scoop and digging into the soft, white ice cream in the flimsy, cardboard carton, then putting the scoops into a tall, frosty sundae glass. After the ice cream is in the glass, I pour the rich, dark brown hot fudge on top, watching as is is slowly slides down the sides of the glass. As the chocolate is settling, covering the ice cream, I slowly spray whipped cream on top, making sure the swirl doesn't fall over. The finishing touch finally goes on top; a rich, ripe, perfect red cherry with a long stem sticking straight up. I admire the perfectness of the sundae before grabbing a long handled spoon and digging in.

2.



2. When  Pavarotti was singing "Nessum Dorma", I wasn't really sure about what I was feeling, because there was such a mixture of emotions that the song evoked. The long notes in the song created the feeling of passion and also tension, and I could tell that the singer was extremely passionate about what he was singing about. The long, held out notes that Pavarotti sang made me draw the long, steady lines in the picture. The tear drops represent the sadness that I thought Pavarotti was feeling.

3. The establishing shot in the movie is one of the most important aspects of the film, because it creates the mood that the entire film will follow. The first thing you see when the film begins is the establishing shot, whether it is a camera panning scenery, shots of different items in an apartment, or a steady camera shot with people bustling around in the forefront. The purpose of the establishing shot is to create a feeling and set the scene for the entire film that will follow. As viewers, the establishing shot tells us how the movie will pan out, and what we should almost come to expect of the rest of the film. I think that the establishing shot is extremely important, because without it the film could go in any direction, and we the viewer wouldn't really have any aspect of what direction it is going to take. The establishing shot can essentially make or break the entire film.   

Assignment #2

Fluency is very important in creativity because it expresses the importance of generating many ideas, which leads to flexibility. Flexibility is taking those many ideas and turning them into many different ideas. It can also be having many different perspectives. Originality is generating unusual ideas in art, such as "thinking outside the box", in order to allow your art to stand out from others. Elaboration is adding details to ideas in order to improve them. This can be going back to a painting after you've finished and adding a new color, or taking a simple story and adding embellishment to the story line.

In the Feldman Method, you have to use a couple different approaches to criticize the art.

First, you must describe the art by asking yourself questions such as "Who is the artist?", "What is the medium?" (Whether it is a painting, print, or dance), "How big is the work of art?", and "What are the characteristics of the work of art?”

Then, you must analyze the art by using elements and principles to further describe the work of art. For example, you can describe the texture in the painting, the shape of the sculpture, or the form in the print.

After this, you must interpret the art by asking yourself "What does this work of art mean?". You can do this by seeing if the artist was creating a metaphor, or describing the feeling that the art gives you as the viewer. You can also try to interpret whether the art has an alternate meaning, such as a social or historical viewpoint.

Finally, you have to evaluate. This can be very simply answered by whether or not you like the art. If so, why do you like it? What did you like about the artists technique? Or if not, what didn't you like about the art? After you evaluate, you are through the Feldman Method of Art Criticism.

Assignment #1 - Biographical Statement

a. Yes i have made art, but only in art classes throughout school, and also in my photography classes in high school. My favorite type of art is photography, because you can do so many different things with it. You can show an entire story without using any words though photography.


b. Yes, i have done some small art projects in art class in school, but i have never actually done a large art project, such as painting or sculpting.

c. I have been to the Met in New York City, and other museum's in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. My favorite by far was the Met though, because i was completely immersed in the art while i was there. I know it seems a bit cliche, but being in a museum where so many others have been to observe some of the best artists in the world made me feel like i was taking part in something great.

d. I have been to Broadway many times in New York City, and i absolutely love it. Phantom of the Opera is my favorite by far, i have seen it 3 different times. There is just something about the music and the story line that i cannot get enough of. I have also seen The Lion King, Wicked, West Side Story, and Mama Mia.

e. I LOVE to dance, it's probably one of my favorite things to do. Every time that i am out with my friends are there is music playing, i can't help myself but to dance. It is so easy to just express myself and let out frustration.

f. I can learn the most in the easiest way by having hands on experience. It is really difficult for me to learn by simply listening to lectures, or just reading the textbook.

g. I am taking this class because it is required for my major.

h. When i watch Phantom of the Opera, i am moved beyond words. When the opening number starts and the music starts to waft out into the theater, and then the story lines begins, I cannot seem to look away. No matter how many times that i watch the play, i never get bored by it.

 

i. I am inspired by a couple different things, but mostly music. Whenever i listen to music it is easy for my to start thinking about everything, and easy to think of things that i want to express.

j. I think that some movies can be a form of art, but not all of them by any means. I have seen a few that you can tell were made in the desire to be considered art, but most comedies are not art. I do not think that video games are a form of art, and only a few comic books can be considered art.

k. I think that is open to interpretation. What one person thinks is art, may not seem like art to another. I know that when i see paint flung against a canvas in no particular pattern or design, I do not consider it to be a form of art, but there are some that think this is a beautiful work of art and should be displayed in museums.

l. We usually debate whether the song sounds like anything else we have heard, because it is so easy to, without meaning to, rip off another similar song. I love listening to music that gets caught in my head, because then i find myself singing the song over and over and really listening to the words and meaning of the lyrics.

m. I think the best movie that I saw in 2010 was The Black Swan. I had to go to an out of the way theater, because i saw it during the limited release, but I was amazed by the acting, the directing, and how powerful the film was. Natalie Portman deserves an Oscar for her role, because you can tell that she threw herself into that role and devoted everything to making it perfect.

n. I think an art film is one that hasn't been affected by "Hollywood" standards, such as having famous, well known celebrities in it, or having to live up to certain ideals.

o. As i am typing this blog I have a play list playing, with songs such as "Stereo Love" by Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina, "Pon de Floor" by Major Lazer, and "Like We Used To" by A Rocket to the Moon. I have a wide variety of music on my iPod, because I love pretty much every type of music.