My first ever time participating in a musical production at Severn has just come to a close, and I have lots of thoughts!
First, I was thrilled with what a success it was! Everyone seemed to really enjoy it, and the performances all went smoothly.
Second, I discovered that I really want to do more singing; I have always loved to sing for fun around the house and such, but I really enjoy it, and I want to do more of it, and I wish I had done more like this previously.
I also found a talent at using tools; I built houses with a charity organization over the summer so I was familiar with using power tools, and I really actually enjoyed building the set for the play. It is quite an empowering feeling being able to accomplish something like that. I felt very capable and empowered, and it was surprisingly fun.
There were less fun moments of this production, however, most notably the weeks leading up to the show when I would spend more than 12 hours at school on weekdays and only slightly less on the weekends. I definitely did not enjoy keeping up with an increasingly hectic schedule with decreasing amounts of sleep. There was a period of a few days in a row where I got 4 hours of sleep each night.
Probably the best part of the musical was getting to know people from all different groups and grades that I normally would not have interacted with. I really appreciate how incredibly talented many of the cast members are, and how people are very different, often better, than I would have expected them to be.
Overall, I had a great experience and I'm sad its over. I would have loved to have done this more times throughout high school, too.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Life Update #1
It's Tuesday, 1:02 pm and I'm writing this life update as fast as I can. My computer is precariously stacked on top of my chemistry bider and calc books which I have been trying, with little success, to make progress in.
You see, I am so frantic because I just organized my agenda and now I know exactly how busy my week is going to be. Within the next three days I will take two tests, participate in a class debate in Spanish, complete AP style calc questions on a subject that, to put mildly, I do not understand a bit, do the AP physics online long answer questions, and, of course, write my two blogs and my Angels in America essay. And that all is just the homework that teachers have put on mysevern by this time- no doubt, there will be more.
Well, why don't I just use my ample free time after school to get ahead? Why don't I manage my hours upon hours of free time more wisely so that I don't end up with an overwhelming amount of homework? I would answer with another question: What free time?
Coming out of the musical, I thought my days of spending more than 12 hours at school were over, but, alas, I was mistaken. Yesterday, I woke up early and left my house around 7:15 to take my sister to walk the dog she is watching while her owner is on vacation and make it to school by 7:35. After a strenuous school day which culminated in my near avoidance of falling asleep during math class, I spent two hours at track practice. From there, I arrived (late) to acapella, and did not leave school after that until 8, arriving home five minutes later. 7:35-8:05: more than a twelve hour day.
But wait! There's more! God, what a foolish assumption that after days like that, immediately following a week and weekend of musical intensity, I would earn a moment of repose. No, I have to pick up dinner and drive my sister again to dogsit, of course I have to eat and shower, and then I get to start my homework.
After consecutive days and an entire weekend running on four hours of sleep per night, I, lucky me, got around six hours last night. I am exhausted.
You see, I am so frantic because I just organized my agenda and now I know exactly how busy my week is going to be. Within the next three days I will take two tests, participate in a class debate in Spanish, complete AP style calc questions on a subject that, to put mildly, I do not understand a bit, do the AP physics online long answer questions, and, of course, write my two blogs and my Angels in America essay. And that all is just the homework that teachers have put on mysevern by this time- no doubt, there will be more.
Well, why don't I just use my ample free time after school to get ahead? Why don't I manage my hours upon hours of free time more wisely so that I don't end up with an overwhelming amount of homework? I would answer with another question: What free time?
Coming out of the musical, I thought my days of spending more than 12 hours at school were over, but, alas, I was mistaken. Yesterday, I woke up early and left my house around 7:15 to take my sister to walk the dog she is watching while her owner is on vacation and make it to school by 7:35. After a strenuous school day which culminated in my near avoidance of falling asleep during math class, I spent two hours at track practice. From there, I arrived (late) to acapella, and did not leave school after that until 8, arriving home five minutes later. 7:35-8:05: more than a twelve hour day.
But wait! There's more! God, what a foolish assumption that after days like that, immediately following a week and weekend of musical intensity, I would earn a moment of repose. No, I have to pick up dinner and drive my sister again to dogsit, of course I have to eat and shower, and then I get to start my homework.
After consecutive days and an entire weekend running on four hours of sleep per night, I, lucky me, got around six hours last night. I am exhausted.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Why Read Shakespeare?
1). Shakespeare's works have an almost universal reputation of being incredibly hard to understand. Many find the old fashioned and complex language incomprehensible, others find the bard's works perfectly inapplicable to their own life. There reasons cause many to be prejudiced against Shakespeare, deeming it too hard or not relevant. However, as the author argues, Shakespeare can be understood and understood to be quite relevant with time and multiple readings. Like a piece of music, one can read Shakespeare many times and each time uncover something new of interest and deepen their understanding.
2). Mack argues that understanding Shakespeare is important for everyone - whether you be a scientist, an English professor, or a regular person, Shakespeare's works provide people with insight into themselves and others. Understanding Shakespeare increases the general and emotional intelligence, and self awareness, of a person, enabling them to better understand themselves and the world around them. As Mack says, Shakespeare provides readers with a lens through which to view the world.
3).
- Shakespeare is relatable; Mack argues that we can see ourselves in even his most villainous and flawed characters, increasing our own self awareness and awareness of others.
- Shakespeare aids our emotional intelligence; Shakespeare comments on and helps us to understand human nature, therefore our own nature, thoughts, and actions.
- Shakespeare requires effort and time to understand; the more we invest into understanding the more we will understand- we cannot possibly comprehend all the complexities at a first glance, and must work to understand fully.
-A main reason people are not interested in Shakespeare is they feel it is unrelatable or inapplicable; those in science fields or most fields other than English do not find that they need Shakespeare, but they could not be more wrong. Shakespeare is universally important.
- Shakespeare is valuable for world understanding; many of our common sayings and knowledge comes from Shakespeare, and his ideas are universally applicable.
4). My favorite argument is the argument that Shakespeare starts out difficult to understand and each reading provides more insight. I find that each successive reading and with more effort comes better understanding of Shakespeare. I enjoy learning something new and surprising each time I read.
2). Mack argues that understanding Shakespeare is important for everyone - whether you be a scientist, an English professor, or a regular person, Shakespeare's works provide people with insight into themselves and others. Understanding Shakespeare increases the general and emotional intelligence, and self awareness, of a person, enabling them to better understand themselves and the world around them. As Mack says, Shakespeare provides readers with a lens through which to view the world.
3).
- Shakespeare is relatable; Mack argues that we can see ourselves in even his most villainous and flawed characters, increasing our own self awareness and awareness of others.
- Shakespeare aids our emotional intelligence; Shakespeare comments on and helps us to understand human nature, therefore our own nature, thoughts, and actions.
- Shakespeare requires effort and time to understand; the more we invest into understanding the more we will understand- we cannot possibly comprehend all the complexities at a first glance, and must work to understand fully.
-A main reason people are not interested in Shakespeare is they feel it is unrelatable or inapplicable; those in science fields or most fields other than English do not find that they need Shakespeare, but they could not be more wrong. Shakespeare is universally important.
- Shakespeare is valuable for world understanding; many of our common sayings and knowledge comes from Shakespeare, and his ideas are universally applicable.
4). My favorite argument is the argument that Shakespeare starts out difficult to understand and each reading provides more insight. I find that each successive reading and with more effort comes better understanding of Shakespeare. I enjoy learning something new and surprising each time I read.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Intersectionality in AIA
Though the story takes place long before the term "Intersectionality" was widely considered, it covers many themes and central ideas which the term encompasses. I learned a considerable amount about intersectionality during Unity Day, and specifically how it relates to feminism, but it can also be applied to represent how people have such a vast background of identifiers and therefore experiences, and that no two people can experience something the exact same way or have the same interpretation of it. Specific to Angels in America, this applies to the various ways in which the gay men experience this aspect of their identity.
Belize, a black gay man who participated in drag experiences and expresses his sexuality differently than Prior, who also recently retired from drag but is white. Louis and Joe both come from devout upbringings, and while Louis does not share this aspect of his life with his Jewish family, Joe feels so confined by the Church of the Latter Day Saints that he cannot even admit his sexuality to himself. Roy, a high powered and influential man, also views his sexuality in his own unique way.
I appreciate this aspect of the characterization because it illustrates that there are too many facets to a person for anyone to be grouped and stereotyped.
Belize, a black gay man who participated in drag experiences and expresses his sexuality differently than Prior, who also recently retired from drag but is white. Louis and Joe both come from devout upbringings, and while Louis does not share this aspect of his life with his Jewish family, Joe feels so confined by the Church of the Latter Day Saints that he cannot even admit his sexuality to himself. Roy, a high powered and influential man, also views his sexuality in his own unique way.
I appreciate this aspect of the characterization because it illustrates that there are too many facets to a person for anyone to be grouped and stereotyped.
Parallels
The split scenes are a frequent tool employed by the creator of Angels in America which I found to be unique, entertaining, and insightful. Often throughout the play, the stage is divided into two different settings and two scenes occur simultaneously, with characters from different scenes speaking right after the other; action continues in one scene even when all the dialogue is in the other. Though I am familiar with the technique of a split scene, I have not seen this extent of sharing the action between two scenes this frequently, and I found it unique and additive to the story.
This serves to highlight the parallels between the two scenes that are occurring. For example, when both Joe and Louis told their respective lovers that they were going to leave them, the stage was split for both of these discussions to occur simultaneously. The playwright intertwined the two scenes by intent and meaning, but also with similar words and phrases placed successively but in opposite scenes. In this instance, I found that this split scene technique helps to connect the stories of two very different couples.
An opposing example to this was when the scene was split between a conversation between Roy and Joe over dinner and an elicit encounter between Louis and another man. Though the subject matter of the two scenes could not have been more different, the writer connects them through repeated dialogue again. Fitting these two scenes together enhances the feeling of unease and peril that both try to convey.
This serves to highlight the parallels between the two scenes that are occurring. For example, when both Joe and Louis told their respective lovers that they were going to leave them, the stage was split for both of these discussions to occur simultaneously. The playwright intertwined the two scenes by intent and meaning, but also with similar words and phrases placed successively but in opposite scenes. In this instance, I found that this split scene technique helps to connect the stories of two very different couples.
An opposing example to this was when the scene was split between a conversation between Roy and Joe over dinner and an elicit encounter between Louis and another man. Though the subject matter of the two scenes could not have been more different, the writer connects them through repeated dialogue again. Fitting these two scenes together enhances the feeling of unease and peril that both try to convey.
Friday, February 1, 2019
Infected and Affected
The play "Angels in America" deals not only with the effect of the syndrome on those afflicted with it, but also on their loved ones. In fact, the illness seems to take as much of a toll on Louis, the loved one, than Prior, the man living with AIDs. The story, too, just as intently follows Louis' ability or inability to cope with his boyfriend having the syndrome as it does Prior's actual struggle with the sickness.
In doing this, the play examines how difficult it is to watch loved ones struggle. Objectively, it is thoroughly selfish to consider abandoning a loved one in a time of desperate need, but the play illuminates the emotions and difficulties that could cause one to consider doing so. Louis struggles just as much with negative feelings about Prior's illness as he does with negative feelings as a result of his own fear and doubts. This confronts the audience with a dilemma: is it worse to have to watch someone suffer, or worse to force them to suffer alone?
One effect of this is that it demonstrates exactly how far reaching this epidemic was, not only infecting hordes of people, but also affecting their loved ones. It also humanizes an illness by showing the range of emotions associated with it.
In doing this, the play examines how difficult it is to watch loved ones struggle. Objectively, it is thoroughly selfish to consider abandoning a loved one in a time of desperate need, but the play illuminates the emotions and difficulties that could cause one to consider doing so. Louis struggles just as much with negative feelings about Prior's illness as he does with negative feelings as a result of his own fear and doubts. This confronts the audience with a dilemma: is it worse to have to watch someone suffer, or worse to force them to suffer alone?
One effect of this is that it demonstrates exactly how far reaching this epidemic was, not only infecting hordes of people, but also affecting their loved ones. It also humanizes an illness by showing the range of emotions associated with it.
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