Week Ten: The End of the Beginning

First of all, I haven't been able to comment on anyone's blogs - Claire, just I tried to comment on how much I loved seeing your adventures through your art, and for some reason it wouldn't register. Sad. But, to the matter at hand:

It's kind of ironic that this was one of the first pictures I took on our field trip this week, considering one of the shows I designed for this quarter. I hadn't really thought about it in that context, that natural light (and shadow) can appear to be wrong or unnatural onstage. It makes sense with some of the frustrations I've had with finding that line, or when something is working for me in the sense that it would look like that in nature, but I'm worried that for some it might just look like it wasn't lit well enough on the stage. That trade off is interesting to me.

I'm going to go ahead and add some other pictures I took too:

(The sunset picture)
 I thought these colors were interesting, especially when contrasted with the sky we could see and the ways that the smog distorted the color.

 This is the picture I sent to Claire. I like it because a) sunset reflections and b) the major difference in the way the sun shines at that angle, and the colors it produces, is interesting. There are a lot of different colors of darkness.
On a separate note, I should probably text you back, Claire.




Wrap up: Although there are some points and descriptions that I disagree with (notably his views of what is aesthetically necessary in an actor and the position of a director), I think that many of the ideas that Jones talks about are important. Honesty in theater is something I've been thinking about a lot in the last year, specifically in regard to acting. Although there are contradictions in the way that Jones seems to see the world I can see, considering his job and the times in which he was working, how he would feel that way. It's important to view these things in historical context, and I think recognizing those contradictions and disagreements is what makes thoughtful art.

This class (/these classes, stemming back from 50C) has taught me a lot, and I know it'll be useful as a actor, director, writer, and hey, maybe even lighting designer? One of the things I'm most glad to have learned in my two years here is that I don't have to be just one thing.

(And, I have to say, very sad that I missed bowling today. It looked incredibly fun.)

Thanks, all, for being awesome and intelligent and as interested in things like sunsets and shadows and reflections as I am. And thanks to Lonnie for trusting me to actually light a show. On a stage. With people.