Beat sheet

This is the beat sheet for my play, “Saturday Night” that I did with Adam. I just want to say that after everything… no matter what the results are, I’ll still be very proud of us. By the way, if I put “…”, it means the rest of the lines that I don’t remember.

BEAT SHEET

Both Corey and Alex walk into their apartment. They’ve just had dinner and they begin to even debate about the food.

Corey : Well, that was nice. (He places his keys on the coffee table)

Alex : It’s uneven. It’s inconsistent (She puts her bag on the coffee table) But, it’s one of the better meals we’ve had there.

Corey : I thought it was pretty good. It’s just like other restaurants, you have to know what to order.

Alex : (Looks at him and gives him a “matter of fact” look) I am NOT ordering the wonton soup anymore. I am not making the same mistake again.

Corey : Sure sure (…) and the broccoli and beef (both Alex and Corey go “Urgh” at this point). It has that gelatinous consistency that so… just so…

Alex : (Walks over to Corey and touches his arm) Disturbing?

Corey : (Looks at Alex) Well, I wouldn’t put it like that (Alex walks away from him and flicks her wrist as if to dismiss his answer) but I get what you mean. The fortune cookies are great though (Looks at her as if waiting for an agreement.

Alex : (Nods) Yeah! They have that lemony bite to them, don’t they?

Corey : Yeah, they were pretty good.

Alex : (Corrects him even in her tone of voice) No, it IS good. (Alex emphasizes on the “Is” to make her point clear)

(Alex and Corey sit down on the sofas, as if to say, Round one complete.)

Corey : So… what time is it? (He looks at her)

Alex : (looks at him and then to the clock on the wall and then back to him) Six thirty.

Corey : Right… so… what would you like to do? Have you given it any thought?

Alex : (Thinks for a second) Well, Lacey called.

Corey : Oh. (Looks away. He isn’t really interested)

Alex  : Yeah, she’s having some people over for cocktails. It’s going to be a small one I think. (Alex emphasizes on “small”)

Corey : Right. (Looks down and thinks of what to say next and looks around his apartment) She has such a smart apartment.

Alex : What do you mean? (She looks at him and eyes him. She can’t understand why he would even say such a thing)

Corey : Well, it’s just that her apartment is so nicely decorated and so tasteful (…) (He gets up and goes on and on and on about Lacey’s apartment and annoys Alex)
 Alex : (She gets up and while he’s talking, gives him a look and imitates his gestures as if to mock him) Right (She glares at him and pauses) I. (She pauses again) I think our apartment has a (She touches one of the sofas) (She tries to find the right word) Grace. (She looks at her sofa and around her apartment)

Corey : Sure sure, like a vague grace. (He looks around too)

Alex : (Shoots him a dirty look.) Vague???

Corey : Yeah, like an afterthought. (Alex gasps) Well, I mean (…)

Alex : Well, I think Lacey’s kind of, kind of, high strung, you know. I mean, her apartment is so specified. I think it reveals her repression. (Alex raises her voice a little, at this point)

Corey : Right, right… I see what you mean. (He sits back in the sofa)

Alex : (She sits in the sofa too) Well… so maybe we’ll go but probably we won’t.

Corey : Okay.

(Round two of argument complete)

Alex : (Looks at the newspaper on the table) How about a movie?

Corey : (Perks up and looks at Alex while readjusting himself on his seat) I could watch a movie. What are you in the mood to watch?

Alex : Well, I think this new movie (Shows him the paper) Bridge Under Water, looks good. It’s the one with the flood. (Flops the paper down on the coffee table)

Corey : Oh right! I read a review about it.

Alex : Mhmm.

Corey : Well, I keep hearing great things about The Red Onion.

Alex : Oh… right… the farming movie (Her tone of voice mocks him)

Corey : I keep hearing great things about it.

Alex : Yeah, it’s based on a book that I read.

Corey : Oh. (Shifts in his seat)

Alex : Which was. It was a pretty pretentious book if you ask me. (Alex gets up) Very boring and grossly sentimental unless you’re interested in Northeastern farming communities in the 1800’s, and farmers with heart murmurs.

Corey : OH! (Corey stands up suddenly) My friend Tyler called. Tyler from.

Alex : (Gets extremely annoyed by his sudden jolt) Tyler???

Corey : Yeah… that (…) I saved it on the machine.

Alex : (Realized that she deleted the message, runs over to the answering machine and watches as Corey tries to listen to the message) Oh, you saved it??

Corey : (Realizes that there are no messages) It says no messages.

Alex : (Shrugs) I’m sorry. I thought you heard it already.

Corey : (Puts the phone down and looks disappointed) Oh well. I guess he’ll call back later.

Alex : (Shrugs off and remains silent. She hesitates to speak) So… errr… well… What’s Tyler been up to these days.

Corey : (He has just poured himself a glass of Whiskey and decides to change the topic) Well, Barbara and Ellen (…) invited me out to The Wharf.

(Corey and Alex are seated at this time. Round three was just about to start)

Alex : Oh. Well, Michelle and Gregory. Actually I guess they have this documentary thing going on. They’re real documentary freaks. And they have this documentary about a circus fire. Some old circus fire. And invited me over. (She crosses her legs)

Corey : Well, we could (…) meet up later and read in bed or something. That used to be fun. (Holds his glass to his chin and recalls good memories)

Alex : Oh. You always liked that. Which was, really, to be honest, I found incredibly stupid and boring. (Corey shoots Alex a look and Alex hesitates to looks at him) I mean it’s like one of those “Oh, we’ve only been dating for a couple of months and I’ll go along with it because he seems to like it” kind of thing. I mean, it’s a Saturday night you know. (Alex stands up at this point and walks away) We can read in bed any night. It’s stupid to do it on our one real night of the week to go out.

Corey : You know me! (He stands up and walks away too) Speaking of, like, things then and things now. You were never so opinionated. Using these horrible words like “stupid”, “dumb”. (Corey approaches the wall) And I am. I’m SICK of this (At the word “sick” he slams the wall with his fist). All these judgments. All these opinions.

Alex : (She walks up to him angrily) Oh, now you just wait a second.  (She holds up a finger and wants to speak but is stopped by Corey)

Corey : Everything’s either this or that or (He imitates her voice) “I like this rug, it’s classy” (He gestures to the carpet) or “I hate that lamp, it’s you know” (gestures to the lamp) or “Oh that actor from that movie, oh he’s so dreadful.” (Gestures to the imaginary tv).

Alex : (Gets closer to his face) Well, I think that there’s nothing that either one of us really wants to do tonight! (Alex raises her voice as if to make a point)

Corey : (He raises his voice too) Well, Barbara and Ellen are (…) you’re welcomed to come.

Alex : (She raises her voice even more) Well, Michelle and Gregory are good people too, you know. (…) They’re not out boozing it up and being self-loathing about their appearances. (Alex walks away from Corey)

Corey : (Corey comes close to Alex) Well, at least Barbara and Ellen don’t sit around watching documentaries all day and when that’s over (…) sit around judging the moralities of people who actually have some experience of success in their lives! (Corey yells)

Alex : (Yells back) Okay. Barbara and Ellen. Number one. They’re grown women with no love in their lives (…) VANITY FAIR (She mocks him with the word)

Corey : (Yells back) Well, calling showcase cinemas, we’ve got a projectionist you’ve been looking for!

Alex : At least I know how to mourn. (Alex yells)

Corey : Excuse me. Did I miss a line? (At this point… both Alex and Corey stare at each other and let their words sink in).

Alex : People. People like Barbara and Ellen. They’re ignorant. (She separates and walks away from him) (…) Little stories of sex, business deals, cocktails and home decorating. (This part she says softly but in a very harsh tone of voice)

Corey : Well. Apparent self-loathing and social elitism is at the top of the list. (Both Corey and Alex are seated.

(Round three complete)

(The silence prolongs a little)

Alex : (looks at Corey, looks at the clock and back at Corey) All right now. We are way past the five minute mark. This is officially a fight.

Corey : Well, it sounds like it could go on forever. So, why don’t we stop here? (Asks in a nice tone)

Alex : (Looks at him and gives him a sarcastic smile) Well… These are some pretty severe ideological differences.

Corey : (Corey shrugs) These are questions of joy. Others’ joy and our own.

Alex : (Gives him the smile again) Well, joy… yes… but also predictability, stagnation (…) entertainment industry.

Corey : (Smiles and laughs to himself ) So, why don’t we (…) take baths. (looks at Alex eagerly, implying something more than just a bath)

Alex : (Takes the hint and smiles) That might be nice.

Corey : (Shifts his body to face her) Relaxing.

Alex : (She traces her fingers on the sofa’s armrest) Low key.

Corey : OH! There’s that play!

Alex : Play?

Corey : Yeah, that play that’s playing at. (He watches as Alex continues to trace her fingers on the armrest seductively) You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking. (Corey gets up) So, maybe I could go downstairs and get some (He whispers in Alex’s ear) Ice cream.

Alex : Good.

Corey : See. This is. Here we are in an agreement. Clearly we understand the joys of the simple (Corey goes down to Alex other ear and whispers) Pleasures.

Alex : (She listens intently) The joys of simplicity. (She smiles at Corey)

Corey : Sometimes, I wish I had been a Shaker.

Alex : Sometimes I wish we didn’t have all this money.

Corey : We didn’t have it when we first met remember.

Alex : I remember.

Corey : So many choices.

Alex : So many people. I remember when it was just us (She pulls his coat and brings him closer to her) alone on a Saturday Night.

Corey : (Takes the hint) We didn’t do Anything really. Cookies and cream, okay?(He slides his finger up her arm and pushes her hair away from her neck and kisses it)

Alex : (Thoroughly enjoys the kiss and is very much turned on by it) Cookies and cream, okay. (Her voice drips in sexual innuendos)

Corey : (Touches her chest and her hair as he walks away. Before he leaves, he gives her a look)

Alex : (Alex smiles) (She stands up, looks around and sits back down while seductively saying) Six forty.

Object exercise for Alex

Here's the Object Exercise for my character. I just realized that I've not done it, so I'm doing it now. XDDD 

OBJECT EXERCISE

Who am I : I am Alexandria Cohen but people call me Alex. I am married to my husband Corey and I'm currently 25 living in a graceful apartment in New York, working in a publications company and earning a lot of money from just reading books and deciding what to publish. I love reading because it's where I gain all my knowledge. I am smart, sassy and sexy. I put a lot of emphasis on brains over looks because to me knowledge is power. I love my job and I love me for me. I tend to argue a lot especially when I'm trying to make a point to my husband. I love him because he argues back and we both get emotionally and sexually charged after that. I reckon I'd make a good debater in a debate team since I argue so well. I tend to be a little bitchy and stuck up but it's because I've been raised in an upper-middle-class society all my life since I was a little girl. However, no matter how much I love the big city lights and my nights of fine dining, I still do appreciate the little things. When my life with Corey wasn't so complicated. When it was just the two of us.

I am Alexandria Cohen or Alex for short. I am a little arrogant, a little stuck up and I love a good debate over social issues and using big words but inside, I'm a humble girl who appreciates the little things and I love my husband to bits. 

Where am I : I am in my apartment. Corey and I have just came back from the Chinese restaurant which is a few blocks away from our place. The apartment is well lit, chique and quaint. This is the place where Corey and I retreat to after a long, hard day of work. This is the place that we have sex in. We've had sex everywhere. On the rug, on the sofa, in the kitchen and in the bedroom. This is the place where Corey and I have fights about who is right over what. Usually, nobody wins and we go back to our bedroom. Our apartment is our home. 

What time is it : It is six thirty after dinner. We've got nothing better to do at six thirty. It's too early for sex or even supper and we're still deciding what to do at six thirty. 

What surrounds me : The things that surround me are things in my apartment. Like... the 2 sofas that Corey and I had a fight over which color to pick and eventually settled for black which wasn't either one of our first choices. There's that coffee table which has a telephone, a newspaper from in the morning and a whiskey bottle with glasses beside it. There's that geometric, blue and white rug that we bought when we were on a holiday. We had a fight over that too but eventually I won because I payed for it while Corey wasn't looking. He wasn't angry though, he just thought it was cute. But the thing that surrounds me all the time is Corey. He loves me no matter what I am and I do too. 

What are my relationships : My relationship with Corey is a very cute one. We fight and fight and fight but then we get so sexually charged that we end up having sex and calling it even. The fighting actually brings us closer because when we fight we get all our emotions out and our thoughts out as well. We never keep anything bottled in, which is good. We understand each other from our petty arguments and bickering. I also have relationships with a lot of other things like... the rug, the sofas, my necklace that my grandmom gave to me which I called my good luck charm and a lot of other things because I appreciate them. There's a history to everything that I own and I tend to form relationships with them. 

What are the given circumstances : Both Corey and I are thinking of what to do since it's still so early. We just want to find something that both of us can agree on to do so that we won't have to be bored. 

What are the obstacles : The obstacles are Corey and I. We can't think of anything that we would like to do together at the moment because we're just so sick of everything. I'm sick of his friends, he's sick of mine. He wants to read in bed but I'm sick of that too. We could watch a movie but our movie choices differ. So, the obstacles are us and we just want to do something that we don't always do. Something simple but fun and enjoyable. 

What do I want : I don't want to spend time with his friends, or read in bed, or do things that we always do. I want something simple. Something less complicated. Something that doesn't require meeting people or socializing but currently, all I can think of is parties and things to do with people.

What do I do to get what I want : Well, Corey is the one that suggests a bath with ice cream. All I do is agree because it's perfect. We both want sex and we both love something as simple as bath and ice cream. So, I agree and when he comes over to me to kiss my neck, I give him tonnes of little vibes that encourage him. As if to confirm to him that yes, I do want to have crazy monkey sex when he comes back with the ice cream. 

The finals

So... now that I've gotten the rehearsal stuff and all the other things out of the way. It's time to talk about the finals.

Finals day was well... it started off very hectic. Everybody was all over the place and I was backstage folding the leaflets to be handed out to the people who were coming. We were supposed to do bump and tech and we did. We even stuck colored papers on the ground to help the crew determine what objects to place where and for which group. After that, I helped Eric with his script because there were some lines that he needed to remember. I even helped him with his intonation because I felt that his character could be so much more funnier but... somehow, it wasn't because he wasn't really exploring enough. So, I helped, so did Adam and Celine. Then, the 101's came into do their full dress rehearsal so... they needed the space and silence from us. So, we all got pushed to the backstage waiting room and just sat there, all constricted but we practiced anyway with what little space we had. : ))


Then... after everything was done. It was about 12... I think. And... I actually overlooked the time so, I missed Ms. Parvinder's Sociology class. Haha. Whooops. Sorry bout' that, miss... I got too caught up in my business. Then, Celine and I went to grab lunch. Celine, Nick and I went down to Mekong House and had a full lunch which was very nice and very filling. For me at least, cuz I was absolutely bloated. For some reason, I wasn't nervous at all. I was pretty sure that I'd be nervous later though.


After that, I went to the library with Celine and Nick to see if they had any of the New York Times newspaper for me to borrow for one day for my play. But... no... sadly, the library did NOT have a hardcopy of the New York Times newspaper. All the had was the online one. : (( Oh well. After that, Celine and Nick left, I stayed behind in the computer room. I was supposed to update my theater blog but I ended up wasting my time on Facebook because I had SO MANY e-mails from Facebook. Oh God.


Anyway... I went back to the Experimental Theater at around 2 something, close to 3 to help the 101's out. I was the usher and was in charged of the door. Letting people in and out. I was supposed to be the house master. I have a question though, why call my position a house manager when all I do is take care of the people coming in and out of the doors and passing them fliers. I think a better name would be door master. Anyway, I took my job seriously. I was honestly very tired but I'm pretty sure that the rest were too, so I sucked it up and made sure I got it right. After a while more, the actors were ready and the doors would open. I let the people in and passed them fliers. I felt like the door girl who'd constantly say "Hello. Please enjoy the show." like it was her mantra or something. Zong helped me too. He helped a lot. To my surprise, there weren't a lot of people coming for 101's performance... for some reason. I think it's to do with the fact that some people still had classes and couldn't make it. But it's okay. As long as there was a show. : ))


Theater 101's performance was a really good one actually. WAY better than what they had been earlier. In fact, I actually thought that their performance was sweet, funny and very comical. However, the last part was quite touching. After the people went out of the experimental theater, the 101's stayed back to help the 102's, that's us, so that we could go get changed. I went backstage and said to myself  "Show time". How corny is that. XDDD But anyway... I changed into my outfit and put on my make up. Then... all that was left to do was wait. Actually while putting on my make up in the girl's changing room, I heard a lot of the plays that were going on outside. Some were really loud... like Lycelle and Sam's play and Filza and Weilim's play. I heard Filza going "MY HOME!!!" all the way from inside the changing room and it was scary. I was like... "DAMN! What the hell was that??" But then I realized it was just Filza. HAHAH! 


When it was finally my turn and Adam's turn, we were nervous to the core. Well... I don't know about Adam... but I know I WAS. I was feeling the anxiety come over me and it wasn't a nice feeling. I kept my cool and behaved the way Alex would... as in... to get into character. I actually played pretend argue with Adam just so we could get into character before the performance. When the stage was finally set up and all, it was our turn to shine. So, we went up on stage and did our thing. 


Our curtain call was ON FIRE. Hahahah! After I did my "Shhhhhh" thing, the crowd went crazy. I was like... "YAY!" in my head. But... honestly... I feel I did better in my rehearsal. I don't know... maybe it's just me... but I felt I did better during rehearsals. I wasn't so nervous then. Oh well... all I can do now is wait for Mr. Rey's verdict. 


After everything was done. All of us actors and crew came out for a final curtain call and it was beautiful... like finally... it's over! I don't know why but I felt sad and happy at the same time.

Here's what I would have said :  

Thank you guys for believing in Adam and I. If you people hadn't believed in us, I don't think we would have dropped Muhammad to be as good as we were. Thank you so much, Mr. Rey for teaching me things that I couldn't have learned elsewhere. I don't have anymore subjects to take with you so... I'm going to miss you and your quotes. I've been under you for 3 sems in a row, Mr. Rey. 3 sems in a row! I hope I've made you proud. AND YOU, ADAM!!! Thank you for being one of the best partners a girl could ever hope for. I'm sorry if I've ever annoyed you or something. I'M REALLY REALLY PROUD OF YOU ADAM. I'M PROUD OF US FOR MAKING IT THIS FAR. CONGRATS TO THE BOTH OF US, MAN. I LOVE U and ALL OF YOU!!! THEATER 102 ROCKS!!!!! 

After everything was said and done, we took pictures and signed the brochures that we gave out to people. I took 2 brochures actually. One for signing and one which was the original. hahahahah. 

Celine honey... you make one hot mama. : )) 

Backstage... clearing up. That's Filza... btw. : )) 

Just chatting after finals. : )) 

Signing each other's booklets. : )

Adam. My partner.
My sexy husband, Corey. : )) 

Lycelle... the girl who stripped and gave everyone a hard on. : )) 

Rehearsal Diary Volume 2

So... this is the second part of the rehearsal diary for Adam and I. This part will speak for both my journal and the rehearsal diary... so, it's two in one. I'm going to talk about myself like I'm a third person... but really, I'm referring to just Adam and me cuz we didn't want to use the word "I" since this rehearsal diary is supposed to be a "we" thing.


REHEARSAL DIARY 

DAY 1
So, this was the day we dropped Muhammad. Adam and Leanne went to Mr. Rey and talked to him about how things were going and how if it were to continue, we probably wouldn't be able to perform well. That being said, Muhammad was not around when we went to see Mr. Rey. After talking to Mr. Rey, he decided that after what happened between Muhammad and Celine and seeing that it wasn't just a one off thing, that his behavioral problem and him being difficult was a chronic thing, Mr. Rey decided agreed to let us dropping. Honestly, we felt bad. We felt really bad for dropping him but we did what we had to. No questions asked. There were definitely times where we'd silently look back at the decisions we made just to wonder if we made the right choice but... we didn't really voice our thoughts out. What's done was done.

Leanne ran around looking for people and calling everyone she knew to see who had the play books for two people. She found them after calling many many MANY times. She found David first who had his play book and decided to use his and then she found Josh whose book was the same as David's. She read everything with Adam and together... they found this one play which was easy enough and not too difficult. We had fun reading it too. The play was called Saturday Night. Without thinking about reading any others because it would be wasting time, we decided to stick with Saturday Night. It was definitely safe to say that neither Adam nor Leanne felt entirely satisfied with their choice because they were still a little apprehensive but... nevertheless, they went with it. It was too late to turn back anyway. 


They scene read together at around 4.30 to 5 or 5.30. We went over the lines again and again until both were sort of getting the hang of the lines and the way it's supposed to be said. Then, Adam had to go back to class, so, Leanne had to wait until round' 6. After that, we practiced some more until bout' 9. We put down a lot of things about our characters. Some of the things were the character's attitudes, likes and dislikes, profession, past and family. It was an extremely fruitful rehearsal considering how much time we took and comparing it with how much time it took with Muhammad in the team. We left feeling good about the new script. 

DAY 2
During class time, there was a confrontation and discussion between the original three including Muhammad. Mr. Rey told us to settle it among ourselves and that he would have nothing to do with it and that the ultimate decision was still ours. So, the three of us... sat down... and just talked it out. We explained to him that he was being difficult. That it was hard to work with him because he wasn't performing. That we could have him skipping classes and not being around for one to one guidance from Mr. Rey. That he wasn't picking up his own weight and we couldn't have that. Sure, it may not have been entirely right for us to drop him because maybe we weren't pushing him enough but hey... we had ourselves to worry about and Leanne had already helped him with his characters, trying to give him ideas and all but he didn't take any of them and performed badly. Anyway... we told him that we had to do it because he wasn't being fair to us. Adam was feeling very guilty and left the decision to Leanne. Leanne said "No." She felt guilty too... very guilty... but she had already begun to grow attached to the new script and could not take anymore unproductivity from Muhammad. So... with that... we dropped him and told Mr. Rey.

That day... we worked together again. This time, we got almost all of our parts down and we intensified our characters and perfected the acting even more. We did blocking and drafted how the stage should look like. We went through the lightings, how and when it should be on or off. We did a lot actually but most were to do with intensifying the words of the script, pacing and blocking. 

DAY 3
I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE HAVE REMEMBERED EVERYTHING!!!!!!! We may not have been smooth with our delivery because the lines were still new to us but we managed to remember almost EVERY SINGLE LINE in the script. We did blocking again and more lighting and sound planning. We decided on where we should put what, how many things we should have on the table, what we should place, what color of furniture and so on and so forth.

We practiced our lines and did more searching into our characters and realized that we needed Mr. Rey. We had already gone through quite a lot and we didn't know what else to do. We needed him but in the mean time, we practiced our parts together, we saw what we could do for which part and how we could engage each other more. We did quite a lot actually. 
DAY 4
It's about the same thing as day 3. More planning and more practice. This time we didn't do much because a lot was already figured out and we had remembered all our lines but we needed Mr. Rey to tell us what else we could do. So, we ended the rehearsal quite early. 

DAY 5
This is the part where we have our bump and tech with everybody else in Thtr 102. We set up our stage and found that we had to make changes to the stage layout because previously, there was supposed to be a table down stage on stage left but we decided not to have it because it was so distracting and completely useless a part from the occasional touch. We decided to do away with the table and just have the sofas, the carpet and the coffee table with the stuff on the coffee table. 


After the bump and tech, we rehearsed our pacing and remembered where to go and where to stand. We practiced our lines again and again as well but we didn't do much because we didn't know what else to add or do... we needed Mr. Rey. 


DAY 6 
WE HAD MR.REY FOR ONE HOUR!!! THANK GOD. The tips he gave us were extremely helpful. The thing that was missing was the quick paced, high energy tone and volume of our voices. Just by increasing the volume and adding more energy, we felt so much better. We felt like we were flying and getting somewhere. Mr. Rey also helped us with the ending and added more things into one of the parts. He helped us make things better in a lot of ways. THANK YOU, MR. REY!!!!! 


After the whole help from Mr. Rey, we felt like we've improved LEAPS. We felt so good. : )) We emphasized even more on certain points, the ending of our play, Adam was to touch Leanne and Leanne could do what she did best. To be sexy just like her character. The part where we fought, Mr. Rey made it bigger and louder because it was the climax. It felt so good to yell!

After everything was done... we felt like we achieved a lot more than we could ever hope to. We felt like we've come from way far behind and did our very best to make it happen and we were proud of ourselves for getting to where we were and being able to perform.  

Rehearsal diary Volume 1

So this is the part where Adam and I write out rehearsal diary. This part, the first part, was written by Adam. Excuse the length or the briefness because we were preparing for the finals. The next part which is on top... is written by me. : )) 

Rehearsal Diary : Volume 1

  This journal entry is for the two-part saga of our final exams; one part with Mohammad, and another without him. This journal will cover from the day we did our scene readings until the day we decided to change our script, and ultimately, had to drop Mohammad.

  Scene reading.

  When we first started reading the ’30 10-minute’ plays we read every part of the ‘plays for two guys and one girl.’ It didn’t grasp us enough though; a lot of the scripts were unevenly distributed in terms of lines. But it didn’t stop us from picking two scenes that suited us the best. We scanned through the book in search of a perfect play, one that is astoundingly crafted and written. We ultimately chose “Lynette has a beautiful skin”, and “Hard-boiled. It then came down to be “Hard-boiled”, a story about three lawyers, who are friends, where one of them, the female, got the job as a Junior associate Lawyer, and the other two did not.

  We were happy enough to get the script, even though it wasn’t our first choice. After that, we went back and try to remember our lines before building up a character.

Looking each other in the eye exercise

   We were given less attention during this day, since we were the last to do this exercise. This exercise gave us a relationship with each other, and how we could relate to one another without acting. We just read from the script, while looking at each other.

Rehearsals, rehearsals and beyond!

   After that exercise we met up a lot. Our main focus now was establishing our characters in the play. In the meantime we rehearsed the play. We started to do a bit of actions and we slowly started to build up characters. Leanne gave Mohammad and me a lot in terms of our back story. She is good at that. So, we met up and rehearsed. Normally we would rehearse in the evening, around 4.30, because that’s when we were mostly free.

   On the Monday before the dress rehearsal and initial grades of the play, Mohammad did not show up. That meant that Rey could not work with us and that meant me and Leanne getting kicked out of the class. But we were tolerating. At least we got to queue other group’s line.  Adam had warned Mohammad earlier that if he doesn’t show up to class, he would have gotten kicked out of our group.

   When it came to the day of our initial grades, we had a lower C. Of course, we were disappointed, but we needed to move on and work harder. After that we tried to come every day for rehearsals, mostly on Monday and Wednesday, from 12.30 to 4 and Tuesday and Thursday from 4.30 to 6. We tried to help each other with our characters, our tone of voice and how we should move in the space. We should have been sharper with words, and try to play with sarcasm and trying to hurt each other in the script.

   The next Monday and that week before the final play was a drama filled week in our group. Mohammad showed up late again on that Monday, and cost us the time to work with Mr. Rey. In the end, we didn’t work with the scene, and that left Leanne and I very disappointed with Mohammad. We decided to let him go of the group.

Mohammad

  We try to keep him as subtle as possible in this journal, to not ruin his reputation. Mohammad was a nice, calm guy. But he was hard to work with since he did not come for the classes, where we needed him most. He does come for rehearsals, we respected that, but he couldn’t bring the character to life for us to work with him. We were also quite guilty of not trying to push him hard, because we were busy trying to dive in our own characters. Even then, Leanne and Adam’s characters were a bit shaky. But again, we tried to work with him, and we thought that working with Mr. Rey would have given us a bigger boost in our character and our play. But it was a week before the finals, and we haven’t been directed, and with Mohammad decided to be absent when we needed him most, we had to let him go.

  A continuation of the journal would be in volume to, where Adam and Leanne would change the script, with one week to spare, and our journey to make it work.

Alexandria Cohen

My first practice with JUST Adam and NO Muhammad was actually... pretty good. I memorized the first page of the play on the first day of rehearsal itself. I guess I felt really pressured to do well. Adam and I stayed back till 9 something... just figuring out our characters, scene read and do more figuring out. We managed to achieve quite a lot and come up with... MOST of our stuff. Here are some of the things that I came up with for my character according to Mr. Rey's list.

Name : Alexandria Cohen. Her name isn't actually Alexandria Cohen but I really liked it. It suits her character really well because she's well educated, opinionated and is very confident about what she knows. Plus, I like her last name. Cohen. Obviously, she's married to Corey, her husband, and she's supposed to have his last name but she was born with the name... Alexandria Cohen.

Nick name : Alex. Now... this... was in the script. It was just... Alex. So, I figured, it'd be nice to expand it into AlexANDRIA. Hahaha.

Significance of name and nick name : Well, according to Google, Alexandria means... defending mankind. What really hit me was the "defending" part because... when she fights, she's very defensive as well as offensive. She's does not hesitate to defend her points wherever and whenever necessary and she's very vocal about it. She's very... dominating. Also... there is a place called The Library of Alexandria... and it was supposed to be the LARGEST in the ancient world. I think it represents her so well because Alex is just like a walking library. She knows these big, big, very big terms and seems to be very knowledgeable about everything. Plus, she gives long ass lectures about social rituals and stuff... so... yeah... like a library. AND... her nick name... Alex... is actually more or less a male's name but if you think about it, she behaves just like a male. She's opinionated, competitive, assertive and possesses many male traits. So... yeah.... Alex is short for Alexandria.

Age :  Both Alex and Corey are supposed to be in their twenties but seeing as they're rich and probably had to climb up the corporate ladder to gain the amount of money they've got now, I think Alex is 25. Corey is probably older by a year or two.


Exact date of birth : 8th April 1987. I will state exactly WHY I chose this particular date later.

Birthplace : Alex was born in Manhattan. She was born and brought up there and is a hard core New York-an.

Astrological sign : Aries.

Significance of birth details : So... for this... I'll be talking about why I chose that particular date for her to be born on. As I've stated above, Alex is an Aries. As an Aries, being born between the 31st of March and the 10th of April makes you proud, loyal and sometimes inflexible in your opinions. Isn't that what Alex is? You have a very strong idea about how life should be lived and you’re not prepared to make concessions to others. This is SO Alex. You are, however, very charming and love to stand out in the crowd. Even if Alex is sort of bitchy, she stands out because of her assertiveness. The way you dress, your appearance and your reputation are extremely important to you. The same applies to Alex. She wants to stay high class so, she dresses right and speaks properly. You are also very competitive and this aspect of your nature can also make you a target for those who become envious of your successful and unique life. I really think this is what Alex is like. She's like the queen bitch that everyone wants to be. High status, successful and rich. She's competitive too. People who are Aries may need to employ a little humility to smooth out some of the more difficult relationships in your life. This is definitely Alex because she has a fight with Corey and to end it, she needs to stop being such a "queen bitch" and just... agree to compromise, or in  the play, have sex!  So... there you go. That is why she's born on the 8th of April 1987. 8th because it's in between 31st March and 10th April and because the number 8 often represents prosperity to the Chinese. April so that she's an Aries and 1987 cuz she's 25 this year. : )) Damn... I'm good. XDDDD

Social class : She comes from an upper-middle-class family where she always had everything. From the latest gadgets to the latest trends.

Parents : Her parents are both working. They both have corporate jobs and are doing very well. However, like most busy parents, they don't really have time for their daughter but never the less, they try to make time for Alex. Her father is an entrepreneur. He's hard and hot headed and at times he drives the people around him crazy but he's very passionate at what he does and cares for Alex very much. Alex's mom is much more pleasant. She's kind and gentle but not at the work place. Both parents possess very competitive traits and argue... which is probably how Alex picked up her argumentative side from. All in all, she's got busy parents but they cared for her and made sure Alex had everything she needed to grow up.

Siblings : Like most upper-middle-class parents, they usually only have one child... so, Alex doesn't have any siblings. So, she is used to getting everything she wants.

Distant family : She's got an aunt on her mother's side and grandparents from both her father and mother's side... but she's not close to any one of them. Her mother had a spat with her grandparents and left the house to make her own living after she turned 21 and graduated. Her mother never looked back. Her father's grandparents only come to visit once in a while so... explains why Alex isn't close to any of her grandparents. Alex's aunt married a rich man and went to away to Texas and nobody has heard from her since. Every one in her family is still very much alive and kickin'.

Childhood : There were many things that happened in their Alex's Manhattan apartment. Her childhood was pretty good actually. Her parents, no matter how busy they were, always tried to come back for her birthday and school recitals. There were petty arguments and fights but nothing too severe. She always managed to get around things. The most significant things that have happened in her childhood were probably the small things. The Sunday morning breakfast with her parents in the their apartment. The Saturday evening walks around the part with her parents. The little petty fights they had. Everything was significant to her. She was one who appreciated the simple things... and she still does... in the play as well. Sunday morning breakfast with her parents allowed her quality time with her parents. They shared with her their experiences and talk about life or sometimes even school or her future in college. The Saturday walks with her parents gave her time to do sports with her dad. The arguments taught her how to argue and talk back. She learned competitiveness from her parents through their arguments and the importance of status and winning. Everything she knows now, she learned from her past.

Adolescent : When she was a teenager going to school. She went to a high class prep school where she was the editor of the school magazine. She was little miss popular. The other girls wanted to be her because she was so out going and vocal about everything. She also had a clique of girl friends that she would hang out with. Together, they were unstoppable. The boys either thought she was a controlling bitch or found her very capable and respected her abilities. The most significant thing that had ever happened to her in high school was having to fight for the editor post with another student who was a male. She worked hard for it and proved her worth with her knowledge and skills in writing and literature. At that point in time, she became very competitive and  extremely nasty. In the end, she won and managed to climb above her competitor and became editor in chief of her school magazine which was a VERY prestigious position. Everywhere she went in school, she took the name with her. She never really had much problems with her parents, they supported her throughout her fight to obtain her position but they never stuck their finger into her life. They would support and encourage but preferred to let her deal with it herself. They believed that that is how a person should be brought up because it teaches you how to be capable on your own. After all, that is how her parents made it to the top.

Adulthood : She went to NYU where she studied literature and writing. Her passion had always been in books, reading and writing. Knowledge had always been an important part of her... if gave Alex, her argumentative edge. She graduated from NYU in the Honors Class and loved every bit of her university life After uni, she went to work for a publications company. One of the best publications company where she got asked to work at. Her first years of working life was just so so. Her pay wasn't that high but after only 2 years, she was promoted and is now earning quite an amount of money. There were 2 most significant things that happened in her Adulthood. She met Corey and got the job that she's in now. Corey was the first man she had ever met who would argue as much as she did. He was also knowledgeable and could take her bitchiness. She loved him and married him after working for a year or so. She now loves her job and loves her man.

Physical appearance from HER point of view : 
Alex doesn't think she's extra special when it comes to looks. She had always and forever will place more importance on her extensive knowledge about life, topics, social rituals and everything in between. She thinks she's an average looking young woman who's neither fat nor skinny and neither stunningly beautiful nor ugly. She doesn't like her butt, she thinks it could be more prominent, like her mother's. She loves her legs because they're long, slender and makes her look good in heels. Alex is also proud of her fingers for being long and sleek. She manicures her nails a lot. She's also proud of her figure which is just nice. When she wears her clothes, she makes sure that she picks the kinds that flatter her legs and her figure.

Physical appearance from OTHERS point of view : 
Her view of herself and others view of her are quite alike. However, she is more attractive than she thinks she is.

Words to describe her movements : Direct, strong and light.

Energy center : Her energy center is her chest. She always walks with her chest out and back straight. Her hips usually sway from left to right but most of the energy comes from her chest. It represents her confidence and sureness of herself.

How does Alex speak : Alex's voice is steady, quick, clear and strong. She does not stutter or swallow her words. Her voice is like the voice of authority and she is capable of commanding attention with her voice. She is loud as well... but only when it is necessary. Otherwise... she delivers her messages very effectively. Alex also chooses her words very carefully... not wanting to sound stupid by using the wrong word. She's very meticulous in language.

How does Alex dress : Alex dresses very well with the latest fashion trends for the working woman. She's always in very nicely tailored suits for work and wears Valentino heels because of functionality and comfort. When she's back home with Corey, she dresses very casually in nothing but yoga pants and a comfortable Old Navy tee. When she's out for dinner with Corey... depending on how classy the restaurant is, she dresses accordingly. She loves chiffon dresses with feminine colors. Skimpy outfits are not in her taste. She dislikes wearing skirts that are too short and her dresses put a lot of emphasis on her waist. Her style is conservative, functional, mature but tasteful and elegant. She loves the color lavender, red and black. She wears her hair down most of the time allowing her full mane to cascade down her back. Alex favors make up that accentuates her eyes. Most of the time, she does the smokey eye make up but still manages to make it look natural. She hates wearing foundation and bb cream that makes her look like her face is caked with powder. She wears light lipstick colors like nude pink and pale red. She wears perfume too. In fact, Alex loves smelling nice. Her mother used to smell nice ALL the time. However, she hates hates hates strong and heavy smelling perfumes. She likes the light, fresh smelling perfumes that are soothing and not suffocating. Alex has a thing for jewelry. She loves dainty, fine, little necklaces and rings to large stone and elaborate looking chains and bangles depending on where she's going and what she's wearing. She dislikes gold... she prefers platinum gold to white gold. They're more flattering on her skin.

Who Alex is involved with : Alex is married to Corey whom she met when they were studying together in NYU. She found, as I've mentioned above, that he could withstand her continuous debates and even debate back. She also noticed that Corey is attractive in many ways both physically and mentally and so, they got together.

Who does Alex have to care for : I'd say that Alex doesn't really need to care for anyone. Her family members are still alive and her parents are still working. Corey and Alex have not decided on having children either because they both love their job too much and aren't quite ready to have a baby. Corey wants to have a dog but Alex loathes animals. They shit all over the place and she can't deal with it.

Fears : Alex is afraid of creepy crawlies. She hates insects, especially caterpillars because they're disgustingly gross. Furry, slow and creeping all over her. Yuck. She fears losing Corey. Even if she acts as though she doesn't need him, she really needs him more than she thinks. And she's the type that gets extremely jealous if Corey doesn't put her first.

Attitudes towards sex : Alex has such a need for sex towards Corey. She's turned on by almost everything she does with him. When she argues, it's anger, but then... she has this pull to screw him senseless. Sex for her is playful and passionate. She loves it when Corey touches her or kisses her neck. It drives her crazy.

Likes and dislikes : She loves dining in classy restaurants with a little wine and cheese (which is why she knows Michelle and Gregory who ALSO loves wine and cheese ). She loves the Sunday mornings she has with Corey when they argue lesser and spend more time with each other, just relaxing on their couch. She hates cooking but loves food. Her favorite is Italian. She hates people who haven't the guts to speak out. She watches BBC news and CNN when she's in the mood for something serious but watches trashy things like "Cougar Town" and "Accidentally On Purpose" just for laughs. When she's cleaning the apartment, she dances to "Everybody Dance" and sings to it. When she's home from work and making dinner, she hums whatever comes to mind. She enjoys a good game of tennis and is a sore loser. This sometimes mean Corey has to pretend to lose just so that she wins to keep her in a good mood although both know that she would have lost. She reads Ford magazine and sometimes, Vogue. Her favorite books are "The Scarlet Letter" and "Dracula" because she read them since she was a teenager and loved them ever since. Her most important possession is the tear drop shaped pendant necklace given to her by her grandmother on her father's side on her 16th birthday. A few days after her birthday, she got the editor position for her school magazine and took the necklace as a good luck charm. She's never left home without it. : ))

Secrets : She's very insecure about her size. She acts like she doesn't care but she does. She will not let Corey touch her stomach because she's afraid that he'll think she's fat and lose him altogether. She NEVER lets Corey turn on the lights during sex because she's afraid that he'll see her body and lose interest in her. They have crazy monkey sex only in the dark. She wears spanks all the time to tuck her tummy in so that she'll look good in all her dresses. Corey has no idea because only she does the laundry and never lets him touch it. She's more confident in her spanks. She secretly loves to slut dance. She slut dances on Corey sometimes when they have crazy monkey sex but she does it most of the time alone... in their room just so she feels sexy. Sometimes, when she's free and when she has nothing to do. She would put on all her nice evening gowns just to see how pretty she looks in them. : ))

What would I play on my Ipod to get into character : Well, first of all, I don't have an Ipod... but if I did... to get into character, I'd play Pussycat Doll's song "Bad Girl". The song spells out confident, strong woman who isn't afraid to let her thoughts be known but... is a bad bad little pussycat. *naughty smile*


Obviously... I didn't come up with this ALL on my own on that one day... but these are the stuff I've found. I must say that this character, Alex or Alexandria Cohen, if I may say so myself, she's very much like me. A lot of the things she likes and dislikes are just like my own. Even some of her secrets (I'm not saying which one. HAHAH.) All I know is, Alexandria Cohen is one sexy mynx who's both confident and has it all. So... obviously I didn't put everything from the list down cuz it's already too fuckin' long but hey... I got most down. : )))  

He is out

Continuation........ another day.

MUHAMMAD CAME LATE FOR CLASS.

OH HEEELLLL TO THE NO.


Because he came late... we were unable to get Mr. Rey's attention.

Im not even gonna say much for this...

I'm just gonna say I'm pissed because if I say why... I'm gonna bitch up this whole post.

Later in the day, Adam texted me and asked me to meet up to talk about his little situation.

We came to a decision.

We would talk to Mr. Rey about it.

About what, you ask?

ABOUT DROPPING HIM.  

Neither Adam nor I could take it anymore... we NEEDED to drop him. He was not showing up. Not performing... cost us special one to one time with Mr. Rey... TWICE and he isn't improving. I've already told him how he could improve but he just looked uninterested. Totally and completely uninterested and he didn't get any better This whole thing sucks. We just could not work with him. He's just exceptionally hard to work with. His attitude about everything doesn't make it any easier to deal with either.

And we did... We talked... we talked it out with Mr. Rey... and settled it.

He was out. 

I know... it's mean... it's unfair... but what he was doing was unfair to us as well. No one should be pulling anyone down at this stage. Everyone should be pulling their OWN weight. And Muhammad is dead weight. I am not pulling dead weight for the sake of my A.

So, it was done... he was out. No more bullshit... no more unproductivity... no more laid back nonsense. Pure, hardcore, work.

We were scared, Adam and I. We were REALLY scared. I mean... we only had ONE WEEK left to make it happen. HOW we were going to make it happen, we had NO IDEA... but somehow... somehow... somehow... we promised we would. We kicked Muhammad out... and now, with only JUST the two of us, we swore we would do whatever it took to make it happen.

Adam and I were actually pretty pumped up about the whole thing. We were excited, worried, scared and happy all at once. The pressure was on us.

I actually started running around... like a headless chicken and called everyone I knew to pass us their scripts. It was hard cuz... nobody answered... and the ones that did... didn't have their scripts, the only ones that had... we Joshua and David. Their books were the same... so... I read all the 1 man 1 woman plays and found THIS ONE... with Adam.

It was called Saturday Night... about a upper-middle-class couple in their twenties settling out their differences in a cute fight. And it was settled. Saturday Night was our new play and we swore we would do it well.