theater art essay

Please write an essay (of about 500 words) or provide short answers that address some (or all) of the following questions:

Compared to the start of the semester, do you think you have made any progress in your acting?
How have your thoughts about what it means “TO ACT” changed?
Can you define or describe what GOOD ACTING is? What are the elements that make up a strong performance?
What aspects of the techniques we have worked on so far do you feel you want to work on in your final scene?
What areas do you feel you need to improve on?
What is your strategy for maintaining a good work ethic in the final scene, when you are going to be working with a scene partner?
What has been your favorite aspect of the class so far? What aspect of your own performance are you most proud of?
What assignment did you feel you did best on?
Have you disappointed yourself in any of the assignments? How are you going to ensure that doesn’t happen with the final scene?
Is the professor helping you learn to think critically about acting?
Any other comments about the class are welcome.

In your answer(s), please remember that THE FOUNDATION OF ACTING IS THE REALITY OF DOING, as Sanford Meisner would say. It is not your job as an actor to produce emotions in yourself, it is to produce emotions in others: your scene partner(s) and by extension, the audience. In your essay, please use some of the vocabulary terms we’ve discussed in class, including Objective, Tactic, Action, Obstacles, Substitution, Given Circumstances, Subtext, etc.

This essay is worth up to 5 points in your final grade, so please answer it truthfully and thoughtfully. You may think through your performances in each assignment so far to help gauge your progress and areas that need improvement.