It was a horrible disappointment to have the redhead roundup end in failure. Although I put a lot of effort into recruitment and reminders, only one person showed up on the day. In spite of the bad turn out, I learned how to really put myself out there and not be so afraid to approach people, and was also reminded that sometimes? Being a student relying on other students is tough.
It was not, however, a total loss. I had a lot of fun conversing with Matt and think there is great audio to use for my podcast. We discussed a lot of redhead myths at length, taking a full hour just to chat and record.
There is still so much to be done for this project. Having more time to complete things is a huge relief for me. I don't think that I have slacked this semester, but I do think that I approached the project with the sense that I would already know what to do and get it done quickly. Instead I discovered that putting together a podcast with no prior experience is tricky! There are a lot of factors that go into forming an episode, gathering audio and editing, and without any established template to work from - a lot of creative energy and research required.
This week and Thanksgiving break will be spent adding all the finishing touches, of which there are SEVERAL. Making sure the music fits the way I would like it to, cutting down on interview time if necessary, making sure each episode has around the same running time, and posting everything to the web. Although I've worked on this as I've gone along, I know it won't be a short and easy thing.
One surprising moment in the week? Finally hearing back from the ragtime performer about the Redhead Rag music I wanted to use for the podcast. It is entirely possible that he will be sending me an mp3 recording of the music to add in. Hopefully he will be more prompt with it this time.
Still busy, but fun busy. I'm glad I made the decision to try something new!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
a Scottish play and no mention of Brigadoon
Watching Saturday night's performance of Macbeth was incredibly similar to watching a foreign film with only a slight grasp on the conversational language. I desperately longed for subtitles. Every so often I'd be able to pick out a word or phrase, make a connection, and grasp that someone was dead and someone wanted revenge or felt remorse about murder and so on. Mostly I just liked the sword fighting.
There were some things that already biased me against the play, that is true. One was that I have a dislike of Shakespeare's tragedies and much prefer the comedies, and even if people laughed at points during the performance, I have a feeling that it wasn't at any intended comedic moments. Another was that the play lasted for two and a half hours without even the shortest intermission. In the age of 140 characters, sound bites, and "multi-tasking" - it's a bit difficult to keep up the attention span. It would have been much easier accomplished if I understood half of what was occurring at any given moment.
The worst was when the guy seated behind me started reciting a monologue of Macbeth's loudly and at a different pace than the actor. I appreciate a theater enthusiast but that was a bit much. Eventually someone shushed him, but how rude!
For all my complaining, I could appreciate the quality and the effort that went into the performance itself. I loved that they stayed true to what would be a Shakespearean performance - minimalistic sets but with big energy, music that suited the time period, even the language and mannerisms were carefully thought out and executed. It was also a great way to look back on what was the birth of so many common expressions we have today. OUT DAMN SPOT! and something wicked this way comes, just to name a few.
CULTURAL EVENT 02
There were some things that already biased me against the play, that is true. One was that I have a dislike of Shakespeare's tragedies and much prefer the comedies, and even if people laughed at points during the performance, I have a feeling that it wasn't at any intended comedic moments. Another was that the play lasted for two and a half hours without even the shortest intermission. In the age of 140 characters, sound bites, and "multi-tasking" - it's a bit difficult to keep up the attention span. It would have been much easier accomplished if I understood half of what was occurring at any given moment.
The worst was when the guy seated behind me started reciting a monologue of Macbeth's loudly and at a different pace than the actor. I appreciate a theater enthusiast but that was a bit much. Eventually someone shushed him, but how rude!
For all my complaining, I could appreciate the quality and the effort that went into the performance itself. I loved that they stayed true to what would be a Shakespearean performance - minimalistic sets but with big energy, music that suited the time period, even the language and mannerisms were carefully thought out and executed. It was also a great way to look back on what was the birth of so many common expressions we have today. OUT DAMN SPOT! and something wicked this way comes, just to name a few.
can now certainly get some satisfaction
The first thing that stood out for me about Thursday night's performance of In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) was a sense of nostalgia. Not because I've ever been diagnosed with hysteria, or suspected love and science couldn't co-exist, but because of the routine I got into in my freshman year of college. Every other week I had to attend a play performance for my Playwriting II course. Some were large scale productions in prominent theaters on Broad Street (Philadelphia). Others took place with minimal sets in a room above a restaurant that sold nothing but crepes (and the crepes were delicious). That year I discovered just how much I enjoyed seeing a play with only a few other people around, with the actors so close they might as well be sitting with you at your dinner table.
In the Next Room really felt like you were in an intimate space. Although the theater was pleasantly crowded - I like to see a full house in support of the arts - there was no sense of grandeur. It suited the content of the play, which focused not so much on the invention of the vibrator, but the period of misunderstanding in the upper classes about love and sexual gratification in the 1800's. The wet nurse, for example, understood more about intercourse than the aristocratic women, who thought of sex merely as a man's need and a means for reproduction.
Big sets, dance numbers, and multiple cast members weren't necessary. The emotion of the play was the important thing, with the humor acting as a relief system. I admit it was pretty uncomfortable to watch women act out an orgasm every couple of minutes surrounded by strangers. It kind of made me wonder what it was like for the first audience to ever watch When Harry Met Sally. It was the jokes, the hilarious expressions on the faces of the actors as the new experiences changed things up for them, that made all the discomfort worth it.
I felt as if the entire audience loosened up their corsets and let the message sink in. Love is a much happier thing if both parties get a little somethin' somethin' out of it (and that includes same sex relationships too!).
CULTURAL EVENT 01
In the Next Room really felt like you were in an intimate space. Although the theater was pleasantly crowded - I like to see a full house in support of the arts - there was no sense of grandeur. It suited the content of the play, which focused not so much on the invention of the vibrator, but the period of misunderstanding in the upper classes about love and sexual gratification in the 1800's. The wet nurse, for example, understood more about intercourse than the aristocratic women, who thought of sex merely as a man's need and a means for reproduction.
Big sets, dance numbers, and multiple cast members weren't necessary. The emotion of the play was the important thing, with the humor acting as a relief system. I admit it was pretty uncomfortable to watch women act out an orgasm every couple of minutes surrounded by strangers. It kind of made me wonder what it was like for the first audience to ever watch When Harry Met Sally. It was the jokes, the hilarious expressions on the faces of the actors as the new experiences changed things up for them, that made all the discomfort worth it.
I felt as if the entire audience loosened up their corsets and let the message sink in. Love is a much happier thing if both parties get a little somethin' somethin' out of it (and that includes same sex relationships too!).
Sunday, November 6, 2011
lighting a fire beneath my chats
This week is going to be madness, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. All the pieces of my project are finally starting to come together. There is still a lot to be done, but I'm enjoying the work. This week's tasks include finishing all audio recording, wrapping up each podcast episode, the tri-fold board, and getting the website up.
WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT
This week I managed to --
WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORT
This week I managed to --
- Complete the set-up of a conference room for my redhead roundup. Emailed all those I'd previously recruited with the time and date, but plan to find a few more people before the interview.
- Collected audio for other segments of the podcast and organized them in garageband. Made many a person sign a release form.
- Registered a domain name, secured a webhost for the website.
- Watched Lynda.com videos to learn more about WordPress.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)