Theater & Drama Essay Example for Free

Theater Drama Essay Art is an expression of emotion. As they say, art is everywhere. Perhaps everything in this world is driven by art. It is already part of our lives. In other words art itself is an element of life. There are many forms of art; visual art, theater, multimedia, and the like. All of these are common even during the early century times. In fact art exist and has life, it never die, for if it dies it will never be called art. Theater is one of the common medium of art. It is an art in which there is no permanent image for every performance; an artist may vary his/her expression of the art. Thus, this form is one of the most prestigious medium. Theater is one of the oldest and one of the most popular forms of entertainment (2007, Encarta. msn. com). In this form of art, an actor can perform on a space provided. Hence, a space for performance is called a theater. There are several elements of theater; text, space, and narrative. Text is one of the most common among them. In fact text is the main element of theater but even though it is the most common it is one of them most effective. Second is the space. This is to give dynamics on the scene. Third is the narrative. Narrative is used to connect a story. It is also used to relate the story to the audience. Sometimes when a story is very long the narrative element will make the delivery of the story short by narrating to the audience what happened. These elements when used together are a strong foundation of theater performance. In fact these elements do not come in single form. They are fused and forms many variation. This is to ensure that a performance will have a different taste from time to time. This is to eliminate the tendency of a boring performance. One time, I attended an acting workshop. It is on Rasa Box technique. The technique is to explore the emotion of the artist to come up with an acting that somewhat realistic. It is a technique where an artist will no longer use any subtext to be able to act a scene. Because often times the character’s experience wasn’t experienced by the actor, he/she sometimes recall his past experiences or borrow the experiences of other people to be able to feel or internalize the role. It is a hard job for the artist to recall or borrow experiences thus the technique offers a new style. During that workshop we were taught and experience or ourselves the importance of text, space, and narrative. Not all the time text is useful. Sometimes space gives a great impact when used. For example the character is angry on one of the characters. He/she will shout or scream loud to show or emphasize the anger. Now try to imagine if the artist will not give any words but will just look at the other character for a long moment and will just leave. Thus the other example is much better compared to the first. Why, it is because the first one is the most common expression of anger. In theater, the artist must be flexible to explore other expression of a particular emotion; but in reality emption is commonly mixed and this will give a better expression. I saw a performance last time. The title of the show was Uwahig but the Integrated Performing Arts Guild. It was also the show that was presented during the International Theater Festival. It is really amazing. Most of the artists did not use text but spaces and movement. The poet (narrator) relates the story in the form of a chant and song. The show started with the artist on the audience. They creep, crawl and contract as if they were undergoing suffering. Then suddenly the lights slowly fade out and the artists start to cry in agony. In that moment you will feel how important are the elements of theater and how important to know when to use those elements. Then the narrator came out. She started with a chant. It is a chant where you will feel the sufferings of the people in that story. The she slowly came to silent. Her eyes looked at the other character. Then she starts narrating again. Those spaces make the audience comprehend and feel the story of that performance. The performance ended with a narration: â€Å"And this is the start of the epic of mankind†. It is really effective. You will not feel boring when watching that show. Indeed it gives a true example on the right usage of the elements. In fact it is the right timing on the usage of those elements that makes the delivery of the story effective. One thing also that makes the text more effective is the addition of dynamics upon delivery. In theater or any performance, even in music, a loud sound is much appreciated when comes after a silence. In vice versa, a silence is much appreciated when comes after a loud sound. That’s dynamics; the rise and fall of sound of the tone of sound or movements. Another performance I saw was the legend of a falls in one country. On near-the-end scene the Raja ran to catch the woman. To emphasize the running scene, the artist act as if running by stamping their feet in a slowly rising momentum. Then when the time comes where the woman was almost caught by the Raja, the Raja jump for her and then suddenly they were in slow motion. There were times when the Raja almost hold the hand of the woman but unfortunately loose the grip. The audience that time really screams for the woman. They were as if the ones being caught. Well, that was an effective delivery. Dynamics makes the audience follow through the flow of the story. I have also an experience when I watch a theater performance where some of the usage of the text were ineffective due to the wrong timing and the often use of the style. In theater, when an image is already established, do not repeat the acting or the image. It will only give a boring performance and will ruin the impact of the show. It was a performance of a great novel and somewhat on one part of the story they improvise the delivery of the story. They make it a comedy by dancing with the new novelty songs which makes it more comedy. But they were able to leave hole on that scene. They repeated the style trice and that makes the whole scene corny and ineffective. In that experience I learn that due to the fact that there are only few elements of theater, the artist should be responsible in making choices in what to deliver. The elements of theater make the performance. It is like a textile that is made up of many fibers. It is threaded in different variations to come up with a different style. It is like eating that when you often eat the most delicious food it will no longer become delicious in someday. Variation makes the art alive; particularly the theater. Some of the artists who are concentrating on contemporary theater question the traditional use of the elements. Well, some of the traditional type of theater uses the elements ineffectively. Their delivery makes the performance boring. Before, traditional type of theater uses only single variation. When it’s a play, it’s only a play. The limited variation of the style makes it somewhat dead. We cannot deny the fact that we are living in the new generation. The people are developing and thus the likes of the people develop too. In this generation, a typical type of theater performance might be ineffective. It is more beautiful to explore more on theater. It is like an experiment. The audience needs from time to time new style of performance. One Artistic Director ones said when they were exploring on the possible images of a new production that they are planning: â€Å"Our work must be like of that effective commercial on television; it gives new performance and taste†. Well, I agree with him. Theater art is a growing art. Thus when you are stuck with your old style of art, someday your art will vanish. He was trying to imply that from time to time art must be updated. It does not mean that the performance will also be futuristic since we are now living in the future. What it means it that we will not rely on one form of style in theater arts. There is a theater arts group I knew that no longer exist. Their art die. One reason for that is they did not adopt or explore more on their art forms and rely only on the traditional ones. They also did not explore more on the variations of the elements of theater arts. One example of their art performance is the typical play where mainly their artist use the elements of theater but one thing is lacking, the timing of when to used those elements. Another element of theater is the technical aspect; the lights and sounds. They are useful because it gives life to the performance. The lights make the scene realistic and the sounds add more life to the scene. In one performance o Cirque de sole lights and sounds play a vital role in emphasizing the scenes. There were instances where the lights make the scene as if the scene is in the sky where the falling angel was seen. The angel looks as if it is really falling due to the enhancement made by the lights and the music makes gives more emotion on the scene. Many artists nowadays give emphasis on theater arts. Some feel it boring but many say that it is more difficult than film. I agree because in film an artist has several chances in revising his/her images and when the artist commits a mistake, there is a chance to correct it whereas in theater, there is no room for mistakes during performance. Once a mistake is committed, it will not be corrected anymore. It will be inculcated in the minds of the audience thus one director of a theater company says: â€Å"commit mistakes with confidence†. That means that when you commit a mistake; make it appear to the audience that it is part of the performance. In general the elements and the right timing of using them make a performance beautiful. Work cited: Theater (2007). msn Encarta. Retrieved April 30, 2007 from http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761553217/Theater. html Integrated Performing Arts Guild. Retrieved April 30, 2007 from http://www. msuiit. edu. ph/ipag/

How to be a Good College Student Essay -- College Education School Ess

How to be a Good College Student College is a competitive environment; in order to succeed in it a student needs certain skills. Those skills can only be learned. A college professor mentioned that there five basic rules that need to be followed in order to become a good student: study, do all the homework and the assigned reading, attend class, and, most importantly, develop self-discipline and time management 1. In the following lines, a detailed analysis of those different steps will be done. So, let’s get started. First, we mentioned study. A good student has to do study everyday. Study involves reading the textbooks, understand them, be able to explain it to others and sometimes memorize the most important concepts. As a creature of habit, it is important to have a special place and a special time to study. A good student will try to find a peaceful place and also try to study during those times that he/she works best. While studying, a good student can also use this time to do the homework and assigned reading. They are, most of the time, the application of what is covered in class. Personally, I study every day between the courses hours at the school library. This helps me to go over the last course I had, the next one that I would take and also do my homework. Then, we also mentioned the necessity to attend class regularly. There are two important reasons for that: it will help in learning the material and also in getting familiar with the instructor. Know...

Witness 1985 Short Story

Carter didn’t recognize the room he had just woke up in. Confused he sat up and looked around, his eyes only taking a moment to adjust to the dimly lit surroundings. The room was very plain and almost completely bare aside from a white desk he sat behind and single light bulb that hung low from the ceiling. Seeing a door out of his right eye he went to move for it, only then noticing the handcuffs restraining both hands to where he sat. â€Å"It must be cemented to the ground†, he thought, because no amount of wriggling on his behalf could move it even an inch. â€Å"Goddamit! Where the hell am I?† he shouted at the cement wall in front of him, scanning the room for anything that might give away his location. He didn’t appear to be hurt apart from a dull throbbing at the back of his head –the likely source of his unconsciousness – and a small cut on his lip that filled is mouth with the taste of salt and rust. His police badge was still clipped to his shirt and it too appeared undamaged. â€Å"Hey, somebody help me! Can anybody here me!† he yelled. â€Å"Keep it together, Carter, he thought. The last thing I need to do right now is panic. What had happened? His memories before had woken up here were nothing but a haze. Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to picture where he had been before he had woken up here. The memories started to trickle through the darkness of his mind, gradually forming shapes and images until it finally washed through him like a wave and he could remember. It had started with a phone call â€Å"Did you deliver the kid’s interview to Shaefer?† the John had asked from the telephone. It was the middle of the night and the call had been a rude awakening for Carter. The Amish boy had been the only witness to a police officer’s murder, but Carter didn’t know why the interview was so important. â€Å"Nah I didn’t get around to it,† said Carter sleepily, stifling back a yawn. â€Å"What’s goin’ on man? â€Å"I haven’t got time to explain,† came Book’s exasperated voice. â€Å"I want all the paperwork on the Lapp case to disappear. I need it done tonight, do you understand?† â€Å"Do you know what you’re telling me to do, John?† he asked, shocked and now very much awake. â€Å"Just do it, man,† retorted Book. â€Å"I’m gonna disappear for a couple of days†. â€Å"What’s going on, man?† asked Carter alarmed. â€Å"What is happening?† â€Å"I’ll call you when I can,† said Book. â€Å"And be careful. Schaefer’s in this too†. Book hung up leaving Carter utterly astounded. It was one thing for McFee, an esteemed narcotics detective, to be involved in this drug scheme as well as the murder of a fellow officer, but now their Chief of Police as well. What was he going to do? He went to the station that night to get the files. The file room was deserted but that didn’t stop him looking over his should every three seconds. The paper shredder was waiting in his study when he got home. To Carter it looked more like a dangerous weapon he was about to commit some awful crime with. â€Å"What the hell am I doing?† he said under his breath â€Å"This is against the law.† How much was he risking for Book and the Lapps? Going to prison, certainly, but perhaps something even worse? He couldn’t help but think what Schaefer and McFee would do if they found out. At that moment Carter looked down at his badge. Even upside-down he could read the brass coloured motto engraved into it. â€Å"Protect and serve,â€Å" he said firmly. After a brief pause Carter turned on the shredder. â€Å"You owe me one, man,† he muttered to himself as he pushed the files into the machine. The next few days at the station were spent with his head down. Luckily, without his Book around, Carter was busy with both of their cases, giving Schaefer only a couple of brief opportunities to interrogate him. Each time Carter had played dumb, Book had up and ran without telling him anything. Three nights after receiving the call from Book, Carter was called out for duty. The alley was dark and deserted as he walked along; littered with broken glass and old newspapers that fluttered in the cold evening breeze. Carter pulled his coat tighter around his body, but I could do nothing to keep him from shuddering. A drop of rain landed silently on his nose. He had live in Philly long enough to know a bout of thunder and lightning would soon follow, but he was too preoccupied with the storm raging in his own mind to take much notice. He had been called out to investigate one of the slum-like apartments that filled the alleyway: a possible homicide perp. An automated light switched on as he stopped outside the apartment, bathing him in its brilliance. It distracted him enough so that he did not notice the figure that step out from the shadows behind him, hearing only a whoosh of air as something heavy was brought down on his head. Clack! Clack! Clack! Carter’s eyes flew open as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. The door opened, and in walked Schaefer followed closely by Mcfee. He expected them to be behind his kidnapping, though he thought they probably had some hired crony knock him out. Neither men were smiling and Carter could feel their eyes shooting bullets at him. Mcfee was holding something heavy in both hands, though looking into the shadows Carter could not make out what it was. Schaefer approach the desk and looked down on Carter with an exasperated expression. â€Å"You knew you couldn’t avoid me forever,† said Schaeffer, slowly circling Carter. â€Å"Why don’t you tell me where he is, Sergeant? â€Å"You know, don’t you?† Carter stared forward, hardly daring to breathe. â€Å"I just want to talk to him: make him see sense,† continued Schaeffer. â€Å"I know he’s with the Amish. God, I’d do anything to see him now. Can you imagine John at a prayer meeting?† he said, chuckling. â€Å"Go to hell,† spat Carter. â€Å"I was afraid you might say that,† replied Schaefer. â€Å"Mcfee, bring it over hear†. Mcfee did has he was told and brought the object over to the table, setting it down with a dull thud. Carter’s stomach fell when he saw what it was. It was a car battery. He was full of terror once more at the sheer thought of being tortured. He had to do something, anything, to escape this fate. He did his best to keep his composure. â€Å"It’s called a â€Å"picana† and it can deliver twelve thousand volts of electricity†, explained Schaefer. â€Å"It is very painful, you can trust me on that, so just tell me where he is so we don’t have be unpleasant.† Carter said nothing, instead looked him straight in the eyes, noticing that Schaefer failed to meet his gaze. â€Å"Lost the meaning, did you, Paul?† said Carter. â€Å"What,† responded Schaefer. â€Å"Isn't that what you used to say about dirty cops?† explained Carter. Somewhere along the way they lost the meaning? John told me about it. He also told me that you taught him everything about being a cop. I guess you can’t teach someone how to be a scumbag.† In that instant, Schaefer could see Book sitting in front of him and he was brought back ten years when John had been fresh out of the academy and where he still lived for the law. But those days were over. Schaefer leaned over the desk towards Carter until his face was only a foot away, blocking out the light, so that Carter could see every wrinkle on his aging face. â€Å"You can, believe what you like about your precious hero, John Book, but he’s no better than the rest of us.† This could be my chance thought Carter. He looked at Schaefer for a moment and then spat a round ball of saliva into his eye. â€Å"You’re not a man,† said Carter. You’re nothing but a worthless piece of garbage. Carter could see that his comment had hit home. A look of pure loathing entered Schaefer’s face and, like lightning, he pulled out his gun and pull the trigger. In the split second it took for the bullet to hit him, a million thoughts rushed through Carter’s head, but is felt the hot fire in his chest and the darkness closing in, one overrode them all. He had done his duty. He looked up at Schaefer and saw the regret in his face at what he had just done. â€Å"Protect and serve,† he whispered finally, and closed his eyes. Composition Questions 1. Which task option did you choose? I chose the insertion of incident / episode; 1. (i) Describe the setting(s) (ii) How is the setting made significant? The story is set, for the most part, in the room of an old warehouse. The setting is significant because it is very separate from the rest of the world, just like to Amish and the corrupt police force. 1. Describe the character(s) – no more than three main characters (advise one or two characters) by: 1. Sergeant Carter 1. Authorial description: a honourable cop who is looking to protect and serve the innocent and defend anyone against the corruption of the police 2. Dialogue: Carter’s dialogue will reveal that he is a self-assured, confident policeman who will stick up for what he believes in 3. Action and interaction: the way Carter acts when he is captured will show that his is courageous is the face a danger and will do anything to fulfil his duty. 4. Other characters opinions of the person: The conversation between Book and Carter shows that Book trusts his partner whole-heartedly even with the whereabouts of his hiding place. Paul Schaefer on the other hand respects Carter’s integrity but at the same time loathes him for the fact that he has not become corrupted. 1. Narrative elements: 1. Establishment: The establishment takes place after Carter wakes up in the warehouse. It shows the call from Book 2. Complication: Carter finds out that Scahefer was involved with Zenovich’s murder and must destroy the Lapp families file so they can not find them or Book 3. Conflict: After avoiding Schaefer at the station he is called out at night to a fake perpetrator and is then knocked unconscious 4. Climax: McFee and Schaefer come to the warehouse to question and torture Carter in order to find the whereabouts of Book. 5. Resolution: Carter realises he will betray Book and the Lapps if he is tortured so he find a way to anger Schaefer enough so that he will kill him first. He manages to do this a dies at peace knowing he has done the right thing 5. How did you use description in the story to create a dominant impression? Giving a description of the room in which Carter had been imprisoned as well as the dark alley in which he was assaulted help create a dominant impression. 6. How did you use foreshadowing by: reactions, sentence and phrase length, motifs, images or symbols? I primarily used the motif and symbol of the police badge and police motto to create foreshadowing. Carter didn’t know if he do what he required to be law, or what he was required to do as a police officer. Then he looked at his badge and saw that he needed to protect and serve. He could have chosen to save his own life by turning book in, but the audience knew this would happen after he looked at the badge. There was also some dialogue use in which he ask rhetorically what Schaefer ad Mcfee would do to him if they found out. When he is walking down the alley, it is cold and about to storm which is a foreshadowing that he is about to be captured but also shows the helplessness of his situation. 7. What is the invited reading of your story? How do you use story elements (incident, statements, actions, reactions, motifs) to make the reader interpret an idea, a person or an event favourably, or less favourably? I invited the reader to look less favourably upon the theme of police corruption by using the phone call event between John and Carter as well as implying that Schaefer has tortured people before. 1. Which point of view narration did you develop (first person central; first person limited; third person limited; third person omniscient)? Which difficulties did you encounter in trying to produce this point of view? For almost the entirety of the story I used a third person limited narration, or at least it seemed I did; however at the end I give a brief perspective of Schaefer that make to story third person omniscient. It was difficult to change the perspective from one person to the other, as it seemed to give too much information to the audience. 1. Which purpose did direct speech serve in the story’s effect? Some of the dialogue was very strong and it was used to highlight the drama of certain scenes as well as the over all story. 1. Where have you used crosscutting and/ or flashback? The story starts off when Carter wakes up and realizes he has been captured. He then tries to remember what has happened the last few days and it flashes back to a phone call he had with Book. It then describes the events that lead up to him being captured and the cuts back into the scene in which he is captured. Schaefer has a brief cross-cut when he remember Book when he started on the force 1. Give examples of your use of pathetic fallacy. The room in which Carter is bare and dark, which shows the mood of that he is in at this point. When he is walking down the alley, it is cold and about to storm which is a foreshadowing that he is about to be captured but also shows the helplessness of his situation. 1. Have you settled on one incident or episode (see task options) in which flashbacks are used, including one or more voices conveyed by reported thinking or by direct quotation? Yes I decided to insert a episode in which the murder of Carter takes place. I use the reported thought of Carter and Schaefer as well as the dialogue of Carter, Book and Schaefer. 1. Did you unify the parts of the story by motif, symbol, event or juxtaposition? The symbol of the police badge and the motif of the police motto, â€Å"protect and serve†, run through the story. There is also a constant juxtaposition of light and darkness in respect to the good and bad cops.

Can Government Action Improve The Lives Of Women

Can government action improve the lives of women? How many times have you heard the phrases that it’s women’s work or it’s a woman’s job? Somewhere around a thousand right? It’s most often relating to child rearing or housework or cooking or anything domestic. Even in America today, women are being paid less for same work. There is gender discrimination in the workplace. A glass ceiling is common in many businesses and fields. Only men get promoted above a certain level because people have the mindset that if you promote â€Å"one of them,† they will promote others like themselves and then the company will decline and fail. Have you ever been forced to endure a â€Å"get back to the kitchen† or a â€Å"go make me a sandwich† joke? You can go to†¦show more content†¦Apart from that, society also, has different standards for sexual interaction. If a guy has premarital sex, he’s macho and cool. If a girl has premarital sex, she’s a slut or a whore, and if she won’t have premarital sex, she’s a prude. A lot of the times when a woman says no to sex, it’s taken as it doesn’t really mean no, and if I pressure her enough she’ll relent and say yes. Some men believe that just because they’re nice and friends with women that the women should have sex with them. Basically they want a cookie because they’re doing something they’re supposed to be doing anyway. Most of these guys then complain that the women are ‘friendzoning’ them and just going after ‘macho jerk men.’ Both are products of a lack of mutual respect in our current society. Men see women as sexual objects, where women have to look at the personality of the guy. Religions have a nasty habit of crossing the line between church and state. Often times it’s what the religion says is wrong verses equal protection under the Constitution. What one or a group of religions considers â€Å"right† should not be forced on the rest of the population. A religion should not be able to force its beliefs on non-members. That is the whole reason for the separation of church and state. Marriage is a fundamental right under the law but there are all kinds of protests about it being legalized for gay or lesbian marriages, or for birth control being covered by insurance