ACTING II
Fall 2023
Acting II pushed me out of my comfort zone. Before this class, I had worked little with Shakespeare in terms of performance. It was nerve-wracking for me to explore Shakespeare's work in this way; however, the more the semester went on the more comfortable I became. I think this course helped me stretch my acting abilities.
​
Below is the video of my final performance with Morgan. The scene we picked was from Othello Act 4 Scene 2. Below the video is a description of the scene and my self-reflection on my performance.​​​​
Scene Description
Morgan and I decided to do the end of Act 4, scene 2 from Othello. Morgan plays Iago, the villain, while I play Roderigo, a jealous suitor of Desdemona. Before Roderigo comes storming in, Iago has just finished conversing with Desdemona and Emilia about Othello's actions. As soon as Desdemona and Emilia exit, Roderigo comes in angry. Roderigo is upset at Iago for not keeping his word – that Desdemona has not fallen in love with him. Iago tells Roderigo that if he sent over all his wealth (his jewels) to Iago, Iago would send his jewels over to Desdemona. Roderigo believed that this would win over Desdemona. However, Iago never gives the jewels to Desdemona and plans to keep all the wealth for himself. To redirect Roderigo, Iago lies to Roderigo that Othello is being sent to Mauritania and will take Desdemona with him. Iago explains that the only way to keep Desdemona in Venice is to kill Cassio - Othello’s attendant. Even though Roderigo hesitates to agree to Iago’s plan, Roderigo is desperate to win over Desdemona. The scene ends with Roderigo wanting more details about the plans to kill Cassio showing a successful plan executed by Iago.
Self-Evaluation - 12/14
Overall, I am very pleased with my work for this scene. I feel like Morgan and I had a solid performance that showcased our skills well. One of the main items that I focused on to improve my skills was being more comfortable with the material. Even though I didn’t progress as fast as I would have liked, I had a very deep understanding on what I and Morgan was saying. Since I was so comfortable with the lines, I was able to be bolder with my choices and try new things. Moreover, also I focused on being in the moment and really connecting with my scene partner. This scene was out of my comfort zone, it was incredibly important to be in the moment. I feel like I have improved over the course of the semester, and I felt that I implemented what I learned well. In general, I have learned many valuable skills for acting and beyond. I was nervous about how this class was going to go; however, I shouldn’t have been since I had a wonderful time exploring and expanding my acting skills. I have learned a lot and have gained a new appreciation and respect for Shakespeare’s work.