Dear 07A12 and 07A15

Lit lesson tomorrow 26 April 2007 will be in V30 for both classes.

Your goal:
There is a play production of Great Expectations coming up for Drama Nite 2008. You are auditioning for a role in the production.

To make all things equal, the audition piece for EVERYONE is:

Chapter VII, from p. 44, "One night I was sitting in the chimney corner with my slate" to end of Chapter VIII, on p. 64.

YOU can only play one character in that scene. Choose your character well.

Everyone MUST play one character, with the exception of:

1. Christine, Dir 1, another TSD student, Dir 2 07A15
2. Nadia (Dir 1), another TSD student, Dir 2 07A12

Because they are the student directors. Other than Christine and Nadia, everyone must prepare a role tonight.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

1. 0800-0830 hours: 2-3 students auditioning for each role that's up for grabs. ONLY one actor for each role will make it to first team.
2. 0830-0900: student director 1 works with the first team cast
3. 0830-0900: student director 2 works with the understudy team (those not in the first team)
4. 0900-0910: First team presents
5. 0910-0915: Understudy team presents

If actors, directors are INEXPLICABLY sub-par, Ms Chia will query all involved. It will not be a pleasant experience.

Advice:
1. Read VERY CAREFULLY Chapter VII, from p. 44, "One night I was sitting in the chimney corner with my slate" to end of Chapter VIII, on p. 64.

2. Choose ONE character
3. Know the lines spoken by the character, understand their motivation
4. Act out the lines at home one through, paying attention to mannerisms etc
5. Anticipate the other actor's action. Be aware of them too. Factor that in.

Additional Advice:
Click on the select links on Characterisation and Family theory on the right, and of course, the Overview Page.


Regards,
Ms Chia

no shame in PTSD

Doing the research for this lecture is pretty depressing, I must admit. It saddens me to see people die because they were too proud or macho to admit that they are suffering from PTSD caused by the war.

We were never meant to endure modern warfare for sustained periods. Anyone could go mad if there were fighting for long enough. If only people were as alert to mental wounds as they are to physical ones.

At times, I think we are all capable of being calloused by the rigours of daily living. I know of a friend's friend who attempted suicide. We knew she was quite depressed but we never thought she would take such a drastic step. Like the war veterans always say, civilians can't really understand the war. Similarly, in some ways, those of us who are fortunate to be not depressed may not truly understand how the depressed feel, especially if they don't tell us. But thank God she did not die.

So, please, if you are ever feeling down, please say something now. Don't wait till it's too late.

the muse in arms: WW1 poetry collection published in 1917

The title is quaint to us now. The Muse in Arms. And quite revealing of the ideology and mindset of the editors....

The link is on the right. Some of the poems are unreadable now, but it's a really good sample of the glorification of the war that was going on.