Sponsor Visit

So, this week there was no sponsor meeting, and because of my busy schedule packing, and getting in a couple of papers, I did not have the chance to create my own sponsor meeting. I know that sucks right. Unfortunately, my sponsor, Mr. Flood, is busy writing his thesis for his Master’s degree. I am going to get in touch with him, hopefully, so I can make sure he knows the date of my presentation.

Mentor Meeting

So, this weeks mentor meeting was a short, but sweet one, as mentioned in my other blogs the project presentation is on its way and what I did this week was just quickly bounce my itinerary off of Mrs. Baggs, and she gave me some insight on what she thinks about each idea.

We talked about my Shakespearean monologue at the end of the presentation, and how the one I had in mind encompasses my project and what I’d like to get across to the audience.

I was just thinking how much I appreciate Mrs. Baggs and all she’s done for me, she’s just really been a great sounding board, and I’m really going to need her help as I set up more and more of this presentation, and my date to preform draws nearer.

My Choice: Disney World Adventures!

Many of the Senior Project Students won’t be here coming next Monday because of the extremely exciting Senior Trip to Disney World.

I’m so excited I can’t even explain it. This is hopefully going to be one of the greatest experiences of my High school life. I hope that this trip will allow me to create so many memories with all of my friends.

Also this should be an excellent time to observe some great acting. Disney has all its memorable characters represented at the park to entertain the kids, so to be able to convince the children that they are the characters, they must be good actors themselves. I hope the trip will be something that will be worth my nine hundred dollars.

Making Connections: What's a Show without an Audience?

Time is ticking away faster and faster as the Senior Project Presentations draw nearer and nearer. I was just realizing that if I do this presentation it will have monumentally less meaning if nobody is there to watch it.

So, I’ve been advertising and thinking of ways to get people to come see my presentation. I thought of the connection this has with theatre, what’s a show without an audience?

Mr. Carol, the musical director of our LHS’ musicals once told us that you take a bow not to give the audience a chance to acknowledge, but for you to acknowledge them. You’re telling them that this show, and all the work you put into it was or them, and you thank them for coming to the show, and you hope that they enjoyed it.

I realized that my presentation is going to be a performance, and the important thing is to make sure that the audience enjoys every moment of it, and that if you’re performance has a message, which it should, you should make sure that your audience walks away having received that message. So, in the end, a show without an audience isn’t really a show at all.

My Choice: Let's go to the Cappies

Last night, Lindenwold High School cleaned up at the Cappies, with a myriad of victories. Devon Gibbs won for Senior Female Critic, Deja Lee won a Spirit award, Chris Price won the inagural Casey Feldman Scholorship Award, and Gabe Cisneros won Best Supporting Actor in a Play, also I won Best Lead Actor in a Play last night!!!

I was very grateful and excited when I won this award, I can't even describe the feeling of victory, and the gratefulness, and just the speechlessness I feel at the moment. It's a highlight of my life, I've never been so honored, and I appreciate all the people I could not do this without.

Mentor Meeting: Senior Project Set in Motion

My Choice: Florence + the Machine

I think I am in love. <3 The woman who stole my heart away from all the ladies would be Florence from Florence + the Machine.

In all seriousness, I really think that Florence has an amazing talent that I just have to share. Her voice is melodic and quirky. Her songs are interesting, and no two are the same. Her lyrics are abstract yet, straightforward. She has really captivated me lately, I can't stop listening to any of her songs. She is truly an artist in my opinion. Plus I find it interesting that she has no actual band. I mean she has a few members she keeps around, but in general any musician she wishes can become a part of "the Machine" and join her on a long term basis or just for one recording of one song. I'm really glad to have found this musician, and I hope she does great things!

To Mentor or Not to Mentor?

So, this week I didn't have a mentor meeting as well. How unfortunate, but I did send an email to my mentor setting up a time for us to meet. Regrettably I don't have a lot to put in this weeks mentor blog, but hopefully next week's blog will be one with insight and guidance.

Making Connections: A Senior Trip Adventure!

So, today the senior project class went to Lindenwold park on a field trip to make connections. The day could've not been better for this. The temperature was perfect, a substainial wind was blowing gently across the land, and the sun was shining brightly as can be. We all walked towards the park and made various connections along the way.

Then Mr. Abrams set us loose and told us to go and find a connection on our own. I found my connection as I looked around. I saw the newness of the land. I saw the flowers and the blue sky, the growing trees, and budding plants, and I thought of theatre's ability to allow things to grow things, to bring new ideas to life, and to rejuvenate a community.

Meeting with Flood

So. as anyone involved in Mrs. Trip's theatre classes know, it's Mr. Flood's last week with us here at Lindenwold, which presents a particularly difficult situation for me since my Senior Project Sponsor will be leaving!!

Now, Mr. Flood and I were going to schedule another meeting later this week so we can discuss what we're going to do for the rest of the year, but this meeting something else different entirely. I wanted to understand what Mr. Flood had gotten from this experience student teaching here what he told me was very interesting.

He first told me the ins and outs of the "business"( the teaching business that is). He told me that to become a successful new teacher you must always be real. You should not present a fake version of yourself and should be upfront and honest because people are there to help you and if you don't be yourself you can't get help. He also told me that a student teacher needs to respect his teaching seniors because they all have something to offer even if you may not like that particular individual.

Then he told me that he believed that teaching can be hard, but fun. He also said he believes that as long you're doing something you love than you'll be able to enjoy all the hard work you have to go through. He said to be a succesful teacher you have to respectful to your students, and listen to their opinions, which is something I found very admirable.

Mr. Flood told me he was glad to serve his teaching time here at LHS. He said that he doesn't know how it would've been with other schools, but because he came to LHS he belives that he wants to be a teacher more than ever.

My Choice: Tides of Man: Descent

Well this week's My Choice Blog is another music video. This time the video is Descent(from Destiny) by one of my favorite bands, Tides of Man. Now what I like about this particular song is that its lyrics are a poem with each stanza/verse beginning with one of the letters of the word Descent. I thought that was just so creative. I really do admire that type of ingenuity and cleverness. Here are the lyrics:

D: The Descent from Destiny
By a Dark Deed Done
Was Disclosed in Divination
Death of a Dead man's son
Deranged, Deprived Delivery
Darkened his Decor

E: Ever-loathsome, the Executor's Edict
Estranges he from himself
Evermore

S: So Soon the Service
Sealed his fated Strife
A Sacrifice Seduced
To Save his threatened life

C: And Cowardice nor Commerce
Could Call the Child to Cease
Thought the Cycle of Criminal Commissions
Could never Co-exist with peace
He Could Count only
On the Combustion of his Chamber
As he lay the Child to the floor

E: Ever-loathsome, the Executor's Edict
Estranges he from himself
Evermore

N: Never to Neglect this Night again
As Naught for Nuances extend
Innocuously Numbing him into Nullification

T: Terribly Taken by The Task That Transpired
Tonight a Tantalizing new Testament was acquired
Thundering upon his tormented heart
From Temptation and Treachery
His almighty Teachings Tore him apart



Hooray for alliteration!!

Just because I'm in a sharing mood, I'll share one of my poems that I have written.

Here it is:

Feel

by ~Michael Peak

Stars when you shine you know how I feel.
The fact of the matter is I'm not real.
Breaking illusions, my mirrors shatter.
Do I exist? Am I matter?
I'm strings.
If anything.
Vibrating the music of the soul.
Throughout all which is not whole.
But incomplete.
Near defeat.
Those who need to be lifted.
The broke, the destitute, the gifted.

Wind when you whip, you know how I feel.
When you whistle you distort all that is real.
All that's secure.
All that's endured.
Falls to their knees at the majesty of freedom.
Yet they do not draw away, you intrigue them.
They've not seen one like you, with such a presence and power.
They want to be like you, and yet they cower.
Away from such sights.
And away from such heights.
Because they can not reach them.
Yet, they feel as all of it is beneath them.

Fire when you burn, you know how I feel.
When you ravage the forest or city, you destroy all that's real.
No more security.
You can take their reality.
And make it insanity.
Do you do this for your vanity?
No you burn because it's your purpose.
It's the only reason for this.
This powerful eruption.
Of your corruption.
Of your sovereignty.
And while it doesn't bother me.
It disturbs me in a way.
To know you can't burn every day.
And while I think that you should.
All I know is that when you burn.
I'm feelin' good.

Where'd all the time go? (Mentor Meeting & Connections Blog)

So, this week has taught me a lot about time management and the ability to plan ahead, two things I have been seemingly running around high school without. Unfortunately I did not meet with my mentor this week, but it wasn't her fault. It was mine. I need to come up with a convenient time for both of us to meet but I haven't really taken the initiative to plan this out. Also, I haven't been giving enough time to my research paper, even though, ever since I've changed my research thesis I've been able to get a lot more work done.

SO, I was thinking, if I want my senior project to be a success, I'm going to need to learn how to manage time correctly. I need to learn how to plan things out and stick to them, which is something Mr. Abrams has been trying to teach us all along. I've got a lot on my plate, with quarterlys this week and a history research paper due Friday, but I need to learn how to manage all my work correctly and prepare properly for all the work coming my way.

Meeting with Flood (Sponsor visit #7)

Well, I was starting to think that my Senior Project had reached a screeching halt after Suessical had ended. I had no idea what Mr. Flood and I were going to be doing from now on, but luckily, Mr. Flood was prepared as always. I sat in my latest Mentor Meeting with Mrs. Trip and Mr. Flood eating deliciously decadent Ghiredelli chocolate bars and brainstorming when, Mr. Flood asked me what I was doing the next two weekends. Well I told him, this weekend I had to babysit, but next weekend I was free on Sunday, so then he suggested we go see "Romeo and Juliet" on Sunday at Rowan University.

So, we started planning that trip, and I got really excited, but we started to think that with the plethora of activities going on in the school there's got to be something I can participate in that will further my goals in Senior Project. Then we thought about Mrs Porter's Senior citizen dessert Broadway night, and the fact that Mrs. Trip needs to fill an hours worth of entertainment. So, they decided that I could also help with the planning for this.

Also, Mr. Flood and I finally got approval, so I'll be going to Rowan soon(maybe this week) to go sit in on an actual college theatre course! I'm really excited about that and I think that'll be one of the most enriching parts of Senior Project yet. I can't wait to go.

Before all of these plans were made, I was wondering what the world held in store for me in relation to senior project, but now I can see a bright future ahead of me, as far as Senior project is concerned, and I can't wait to face it.

Mentor Meeting (HALLELUJAH!!)

Well today I met with my mentor, Mrs. Baggs, for the first time in forever. I was very happy to get to meet with her, and today we discussed something very important today, my research paper. Luckily for me, Mrs. Baggs has a lot of experience with research papers, so I was actually able to get a lot of help from her. I have been struggling with my thesis lately, so a lot of the meeting was about that. She also told me how she's been commenting on my blog(which is great!!), and how she is already thinking of ways to help me with my final project.

So, this weeks meeting was very useful. I was able to start a new working thesis and some new questions on Sunday. I was also able to have a mentor meeting which was something I had not yet experienced yet, and I got to say, it's awesome. Mrs. Baggs was ready to work and address any problems I was having. She was so...helpful. It was truly a good day, and I'm glad I picked Mrs. Baggs as my Mentor.

Meeting with Flood (Sponsor visit #6)

So on Wednesday I went to my sponsor to my sponsor meeting with Mr. Flood, and I asked him my question of the week. This weeks question was "What do you teach in a theatre class?" Luckily, I didn't just get information from Mr. Flood, I also got info from our resident theatre guru, Mrs. Trip. Their immediate answer was that theatre teaches life skills. Theatre can teach you how to network yourself and make valuable connections. It also teaches you how to get up in front of people and helps you overcome anxiety and fear.

The list can go on and on, but it would be boring if I just kept listing things. However, I now have a new prospective on my final project. Also, I figured something out. I learned how theatre can inspire empathy because it takes you directly into someone's life and conflicts. Theatre is cathartic and is a very good way for people to work out problems. So now I have two components of my final project, the magic of theatre, and the life skills theatre can teach.

My Choice: MK Ultra is Ultra Fantastic

Muse: MK Ultra

Well, for this weeks my choice blog I decided to take a page out of Jalysa Jones' book, and post a "Video of the Week." This video is from one of my favorite Rock Bands of all time Muse. This is a song off their latest album The Resistance, which in my opinion is an example of a band tackling a brave new world. This song actually has an interesting premise. It is based on Project MKULTRA a top secret CIA experimentation project( if you want to know more click here)

I really enjoy Muse's music because not only are they all very talented musicians, they never stick to the same type of music, they're always trying something different. While all they're songs are distinctively Muse, you can hear bits and pieces of so many genres in their songs. If you ever happen to listen to all 5 Muse albums, you'll end up on a musical journey.

Connections Blog: The Magic of Theatre, the Purpose of my Project

Unfortunately, and fortunately, Lindenwold High School's production of Seussical has ended. It has been a long journey for a lot of us, especially the seniors. It just hit me that this is my last show on the high school stage that will take this much time, and this much effort. This is especially tough for me because I realize that I have grown close with this year's drama department in particular. A lot of them were with me when we performed Stand and Deliver, perhaps the most important show of my high school career, and I've really come to care about all of them. I've made a lot of good friends, and I've met a lot of amazing and talented people who I hope I will continue to know for awhile. Leaving this program is hard for me, and one of the saddest things I will have to do in my life.

However, this is just another chapter in my life that is closing, and I know another one has already begun to open.

That being said, this year's season for the Lindenwold High School Drama Department has inspired me greatly. I'm still thinking about what I would like my senior project to be, but I know what I want people to walk away with from it. I want them to understand the magic of theatre. The purpose of this project is for me to go into a field I find interesting, learn about it, and then be able to do a professional presentation on the project that teaches anyone attending the project about what I learned, and one thing I've learned so far is the magic of theatre, and the ability theatre has to bring people together. I think that is one of the most important things you can learn about theatre and live performance, and I hope it is something I can teach.

Meetings with Flood (Sponsor visit 5)

Seussical Interview with Flood.

So Seussical the Musical premired on the Lindenwold Stage Thursday, March 10. Beforehand I got an interview with one of the choreographers and my Senior Project Sponsor, Mr. Flood.

Here it is:

Well, how do you think the show will go?

"I don't know, I know that the other adults and I have given everything we could the show, and I can see potential for a great show, but it's in the cast's hands now."

So did you have fun choreographing and did you try anything new?

"I had a blast! I had a lot of fun with everyone especially the Wickershams. I tried choreographing on the spot, which is something I don't usually do, but it was definately interesting."

What did you learn from this experience?

"I've learned about time management and how double casting works in both the casting and the rehearsal process. I've also learned that you can't sweat the small things and that you have to go with the flow of a show sometimes."

So, show's opening soon, any last words?

"Yeah, there's gonna be a big turn out, and honestly I think everyone on that stage is going to shine."

Thanks Mr. Flood, couldn't have said it better myself.

Missing my Mentor!

I haven't seen my mentor lately, and frankly, it sucks. My mentor is Mrs. Baggs (the fantastic librarian here at Lindenwold High School), and I don't think I could've picked a better one, but unfortunately Mrs. Baggs has been extremely busy with the library and other matters of importance, so I haven't had the chance to see her pretty much at all.

I went to Mrs. Baggs and I talked to her about this problem, and we decided that it's time that we both get together and really discuss this. So, next week I'm going to have a real meeting with Mrs. Baggs and we're going to get everything all straightened out. It's been hard doing Senior Project without her, but I know this meeting will make sure that won't happen anymore an that everything will be taken care of. That's all the news in the Michael Peak Mentor World for now.

A Chat with Abrams (Making Connections)

So, as most people know, I haven't been regularly posting my required blogs, which, to say the least, hasn't had the most beneficial effect on my grade. A few days ago I had a nice little chit-chat with Mr Abrams. He told me about this older gentleman who he had met one day while getting some copies. Mr Abrams was wearing his Stand and Deliver sweater standing in front of the man, and then the old man snapped to attention and said "I'm going to stand and deliver you excellent service." The Senior Project Professor told me that the old man wasn't an imposing figure. He was your typical old man, hunched over, tired from the years of work, strife, and joy. Mr. Abrams said that when heard this tortoise-like elder speak, he was shocked, and then he said that this man would've probably been great on the stage.

Now I got a couple different lessons from this little anecdote of Mr. Abrams. One of them would be that you should always put your best in everything you do(which I haven't been doing), and that all work you do is important work , and you should treat it as such. Another valuable lesson I recieved from this powwow session was one of wasted potential, and I was thinking, I hope I don't waste mine. I hope that I won't look back on my life and see something that I'm not happy with. I want to try, and I want to succeed, and I haven't been doing my best to accomplish this goal, but I will make this change.

A Shining Star (Girl)

This weekend I read the book Love Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Usually these types of books aren't my cup of coffee because to put it simply, it looks like a chick book, and while I won't argue the literary merit of literature targeted at teenage girls(twilight); I can safely say I don't find these books particularly interesting, but I had to read this book. Why you ask? Because I had read the prequel to this book, Stargirl, which I thoroughly enjoyed. So, I thought, "why don't I see what's up with my favorite ukulele-wielding character."

I enjoyed the book.

That being said I know a lot of people who didn't, they complained about this book not having the "magic" the first book had, or they found the story line annoying. They found Stargirl's optimistic outlook on life too "perfect," and they found the quirky cast of characters too quirky.

Honestly, I think the book was great, and a nice piece of fiction, and I believe people sometimes lose sight of what fiction is, what a fantasy is, and what a story can do. I could go on about this forever, but I just wanted to say that this book, to me, shows a beautiful human being, someone enlightened to the fact that they don't know too much, and they're all right with that. I see a book about a person trying to make life as wonderfully amazing as possible, and if everyone had a bit of shine that is the character Stargirl, the world would be pretty darn cool.

I'm just saying.

Sponsor Visit #2

While this is technically my second visit to my sponsor, I view it as my first official meeting with Mr. Flood. One thing I was worried about with having Mr. Flood as my sponsor was, what the heck was I going to do? I mean Mr Flood's in the school, so I thought I'd just be in the school all day, but I was wrong.

Mr. Flood and I started talking about plans for my time in Senior Project, and we came up with some pretty good ideas. One of my favorite ideas is going to Rowan to sit in on a college level class. Another idea was to go out and see some shows then have a discussion about them which could be really interesting. He also suggested that I while I keep the focus of my project on theatre, I should see other types of live performances like dance.

That got us into a discussion about what theatre exactly is. The Dictionary of Mr Flood states that theatre can be anything with the intention of performance, and I would have to agree with him, even though Webster doesn't. I believe any good performance can be considered theatre. We talked about how Spider-man represents theatre because theatre has the ability to create something new.

I learned that to Mr. Flood, theatre is life, and I'm glad that' something my sponsor believes because he loves what he does. I found out Mr. Flood found out his passion for theatre in the second grade when he was in catholic school. He was required to be in a show about the crucifixion, and it was during this show that he realized his love of theatre.

The big question we decided I should have in this project for me, is what does theatre mean to me now, and what does it mean after this experience, and I think that's a very good start to a very good senior project.

Stephen Sondhiem: a Beautiful Song, a Beautiful Mind, a Fresh Idea.(My Choice)

"Someone is Waiting" from Company

Many people consider Musical Theatre the most entertaining, and most challenging form of drama. West End and Broadway, both of these theatre districts are known for the their spectacular musical performances. To become a big name in musical theatre is a place that many aspiring actors today wish to reach.

One man I admire in the musical theatre world is Mr. Tim Carrol. He's been in the business for a while and has amassed a great amount of knowledge. This is a song he showed me by one of the great Broadway composers Stephen Sondheim. It's called "Someone is Waiting" from the musical Company. This has quickly become one of my favorite songs from a musical of all time.

One of the things that interested me was the dissonance of the song. I found myself entranced by some of the small awkward moments of this song. This dissonance in numbers is something that I've come to recognize in Stephen Sondheim's music and something I've come to enjoy. I love the originality it shows, and the way it gently challenges people's perception of musical theatre. I aspire to become someone who can say "I was original, I was unique, and I was myself." I think that's something we all strive for, and I think Senior Project is a class that can encourage that.

Thank you Mr Sondheim.

Time to Kick Off!!!!

Tonight, Feburary 3rd, is a very important night. It is the Kick Off Event for Lindenwold High School's Senior Project Seminar. As one of the students participating in this program, I was asked to compose a blog entry that tells you about my senior project, the people helping me with it, and the research paper that accompanies my project. So, here I go. My name is Michael Peak, and my Senior Project is on theatre, and the use of theatre in the classroom. My parents are Charles and Cynthia Peak. My mentor is Mrs. Baggs, the Lindenwold High School Librarian, and my Sponsor is Mr. Flood, a student teacher here at LHS, and a graduate of Rowan University with a bachelor's degree. I want to thank everyone for coming out and showing your support of Senior Project!!!!!!

Dante's Inferno: The Self-Help Book?

Today my English teacher charged me with the task of answering several questions about Dante's Inferno.

1: How can I use Inferno to identify and fix some of my own "sins"?

2: How can I use Inferno as a means of self improvement?

I believe that Dante's Inferno has probably been used by many a person as a mirror into one's soul. Even though this novel is about Heaven and hell; it seems to be more about humanity more than anything else. The sins in Dante's time seemed much more cut and dry then they would be now, but with stories like the one of Francesca and Paolo Dante he seems to be questioning how cut and dry these sins actually are.

Because my values are different than Dante's I find it hard to identify with any of his chosen "sins", and because I don't believe in using Hell as a sort of deterrent from sin, the punishments had no effect on of me, but I did identify with the fact that a lot of these "sins" are things that are basically human, and it is easy to lose self-control, and I think that is a way that everyone can use Inferno as a means of self improvement.

It seems that a lot of Dante's sins could've been avoided if the person had a little more self control. For example, the people stuck in the 7th circle of Hell, the ones that are guilty of the sin of violence, could have been saved if they had a little more control over their anger. A lot of my "sins" like laziness, and forgetfulness could be overcome if I had a little more self-control and self-discipline.

Another interesting lesson that I took from Inferno is the value of one's trust. The last circle of Hell is saved for those who are betrayers, and Dante's pity for the damned seems to wear off as he hears of their plight. I believe this is because being a trustworthy person is probably one of the most important traits a person can have, and that betraying someones trust is probably the worst thing one can do, and I want to strive to be an extremely trustworthy person.

Sure Dante's sins may not be extremely relevant in today's times but, the Inferno is full of timeless life lessons that almost anyone who reads it can benefit from.

Rise of the Phantom

Love Never Dies: The Phantom Sequel

One of my absolute favorite musicals of all time is Phantom of the Opera by Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber. Phantom of the Opera is the story of Erik(The Phantom of the Opera), and Christine Daae, a Soprano Prima Donna at a French opera house. Theirs is a story of torment, love and pain, and is one of the greatest tales to ever grace Broadway, West End, and many other theatres across the world. I am also a fan of Andrew Lloyd Weber. I think he is an artistic genius, and I believe that this show is just another example of my opinion.

While many people believe that Phantom is arguably the best show ever, Sir Lloyd Weber was not satisfied with how his "magnum opus" ended. So, he got together with several other prominent figures in the theatre world and wrote a "sequel" to Phantom entitled Love Never Dies. I don't know much about the plot of this new musical, but I really would like to see it performed one day. This little tidbit from NPR was written before Love Never Dies premiered on Broadway, and it basically tells the background of the musical, a bit of the creative process, and how some of the people involved felt about the project.

This little story inspired me because, I've read some of the reviews for this show, and they weren't that great. While it did receive some more favorable reviews, most of the ones I saw were less than kind, but when I listened to this and heard Lloyd Weber talking about it, and then I read another article in which it was stated that Lloyd Weber is proud of this work, and then I thought that this is what art is meant to accomplish. It is meant to inspire people, and this story inspired me because even though your work may not become a huge success, you can still be proud of what you have done, and I think that's the mark of a true artist, to have the ability to love everything you do.

It's a Good Day When Green Day's on Broadway.

Since my senior project is on theatre and education, I thought I'd put up an article about theatre. Now, I don't know how many Green Day fans there are in Senior Project, me not being one of them, but I can appreciate Green Day's talent as artists, and ability to appeal to the masses.

Speaking of Green Day, I don't know how many people know, but at the moment there is a musical out featuring the music of Green Day's American Idiot album called, "American Idiot." It is apparently doing very well on broadway, and has received mixed reviews from various theatre critcs, but the big news about American idiot is the fact that Green Day's lead singer and gutarist, Billy Joel Armstrong, has reprised his role in the musical. The musical is an ensemble piece that focuses on the story of American youths who have wasted their minds on the boring and sterotypical genre of American life. I think it's very interesting to have the person who wrote the music perform in the show, it's like having Bono play Norman Osborn in Spiderman the musical, and I think that it would be an extremely interesting show to see, and is definately on my list of shows to see.

Read the Article Here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/theater/10idiot.html?_r=1&ref=theater

A Play by any Other Name Would Sound Just as Sweet

I was looking through YouTube looking for videos that had to do with theatre when I stumbled upon this little gem; it is a video version of the Othello Sparknotes. I find this interesting because I've always appreciated Sparknotes for the service it provided students. I remember when I was learning a bit of Shakespeare in my 7th grade Advanced English class. I could hardly understand what Shakespeare had written, and my teachers explanation left a lot to be desired, but once I found Sparknotes and it's companion, No Fear Shakespeare, Shakespeare has always been a breeze for me when we studied it in my English classes.

I like how this YouTube user made sort of an audio book for the Sparknotes summary, and even had illustrations to accompany it. While his narration was a bit dry, I see a lot of potential in this idea. The beauty of Shakespeare isn't the archetypal themes he presents through his literature, but the language which he presents it in. However, if you do not understand Shakespearean English you can not truly appreciate the beauty of Shakespeare's writing. Shakespeare's writing has such beautiful prose, poetry, and is filled with hilarious puns and one-liners, which can be lost on the average student, but with the help of things like Sparknotes, No Fear Shakespeare, and this video students can first learn to appreciate the story Shakespeare has written, understand it, and then value the beautiful way it was written.

Dante's Inferno

La Divina Commedia(The Divine Comedy) is a three part epic poem written by Itallian Poet Dante Alighieri. The inferno is the first of the three parts. It chronicles Dante's journey through Hell. In this poem, hell is split into nine different levels, each level holding a punishment that corresponds with the damned one's sin, but to understand the Inferno, we must first understand Dante, and the world he wrote The Divine Comedy in.

http://prezi.com/ua3kger4vsq1/dante-alighieri-the-man/

The Many Masks of Theatre in Education.

In my senior project, I am looking at ways acting can be used to teach English, and am always curious to see how different artists convey archetypal themes in literature and theatre. While suffering the web, doing some research, I stumbled upon two very interesting sites. The first one, http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/using-drama-texts-classroom, talks about using drama texts in the classroom to engage students in literature, and help decipher the difficult language an author might be using to get across their point.

The second site, http://www.ericdigests.org/2004-1/drama.htm, talks about the importance of using drama in the classroom because it can help promote literacy in students, and talks about how teachers can facilitate effective dramatic activities, and it also speaks about using drama to help students learn how to speak, and read aloud better. It also states that drama can help build a vocabulary. It talks about several other activities a teacher can use to incorporate drama into a lesson plan, and I believe this is exactly what I was looking for because it reinforces my belief that the stage can sometimes be the best teacher.