Final Paper by Andrew
On-Stage has been an amazing program that has allowed to us to see hard work, dedication, different art forms, different cultures, and altogether different events. Of course the program had its ups and downs, most of which would tie in directly to personal preference (such as if you liked symphony or rock operas) and others would be related to the program. To truly understand how I saw the potential flaws and benefits of the On-Stage program I wish to divide the paper into various different sections: brief program history for the 2006-07 season of On-Stage, common themes highlighted by each performance group, the perks of the program, potential pitfalls of the program, and the programs overall affects that it had on myself. With these reasons I hope I can truly better the 2007-08 On-Stage season for those who are lucky enough to get the chance to be part of it, who knows, it might even be me again.
I see a brief review of the year is in order so that I can give a view point on what I remember and what genres I felt that the productions were supposed to be placed in. The very first production was for Aida, a rock opera of sorts that I believe almost all the members of the On-Stage program liked as (one of) the best. Like all rock-operas it portrayed intense music and, thankfully, a good storyline that came across as the perfect love story. Following Aida came the percussive Japanese Taiko group, San Jose Taiko. This performance was enjoyable, but at the same time felt something more geared towards children, which was reinforced by a reference I remember about the program saying that children would like it. Most members that I talked to were mainly bored or unimpressed by the Taiko group, although I found the technique they used to be quite useful when it came to my own drumming. Besides this point was the fact that most of the comments they gave after the performance were leaning towards mysticism, tradition, or general randomness. For me the highlight of the On-Stage season came next with the Moscow State Symphony. As a percussionist, especially a timpanist, I was awed by how much I could learn from just hearing the professional player play. They also manage to awe me with their incredible encores pieces, which were mainly up tempo nationalistic marches. Other On-Stage members had more mixed reviews ranging from the length of the music making it dull to a more general statement of, “At least it was better then the Taiko”, This piece fit into the Orchestral genre which was unlike our next presentation that fit into the String Quartet genre. The Turtle Island String Quartet came off with an incredible interpretation of Miles Davis’s work that had me on the edge of my seat in amazement. Even afterwards when we talked to them they were very friendly and left a nice impression on most of the On-Stage members. The next two were more or less the ones I feared. Primarily because Shakespearian genre and Opera genre are two of the most varied forms out in the theatre, but Romeo & Juliet came as an extremely pleasant surprise. Instead of being disappointed or bored we, the audience, actively helped choose their roles and then got to watch some real drama and excitement unfold between the actors onstage. These too got mixed reviews from people attempted to compare it to Aida, which was unfortunate since the two were very different but both were enjoyable. Then the Opera known as The Marriage of Figaro concluded the On-Stage season. Most members I talked to were generally either complaining of strained necks from looking at the subtitles or were more pleasantly surprised about the music, rather then the acting. In fact, looking back on it all, it is quite amazing that we got to see so many genres: Rock Opera, Percussive Group, Symphonic/Orchestral, String Quartet (Ensemble), Shakespeare, and even an Opera!
Each group, no matter the genre, had important and common themes that they embodied. Regardless of how anyone looks at it, these artists from Aida to Figaro to the Third Viola all had some themes in common: hard work, dedication, patience, and passion. Almost every paper I turned in, except The Marriage of Figaro, had at least one section dedicated to highlighting the importance of these themes and how apparent they were. You could see it in every dance number, symphonic encore, and solo that they all had passion. The Moscow State Symphony showcased an incredible passion, especially through their ability to play four encores from memory for us and those who participated in Romeo & Juliet showed incredible passion during their scenes on and off stage. The Marriage of Figaro also showcased the dedication and hard work through facial expressions and body movements and how they sang in sync with their own symphonic group. Arguably it is these themes that decide the difference between a run of the mill, boring production and an exciting, appealing, and engaging production. Another important point I saw throughout was the obvious coordination that went into the productions and the time that was spent outside of the actual “practice”. With all of this apparent, even the duller or more unbearable productions (for others) were at the very least enjoyable to watch and you felt compelled if not to be involved, at least to watch and pay attention.
By far and wide the wide range of performances attended and the genres were the greatest benefits for the On-Stage program. This would have been of little use if it hadn’t been for the after performance interviews after each performance. These provided incredibly valuable insight into how and why these people had such a passion for what they did and how one day we too might join their ranks. Another thing I noticed was that the On-Stage program helped to integrate different cultures, and seemingly as commonly, different languages. Throughout the entire program we were exposed to different genres, cultures, and languages. We were also stationed right the in the front of the stage, a prime spot to get the most out of facial expressions, minute bodily movement, and dynamic contrasts for the various bands the performed. Furthermore the program has a very healthy balance of performance time, interview time, and review time.
What I see as the potential pitfalls of the On-Stage program are almost all related towards various positive aspects of the program. Although, as I just stated, there is a healthy balance between the times, I believe more time should be devoted to the research prior to the program so that as members of the On-Stage program, we can bring a better understanding to the table and come away with more advanced concepts from the performances. Another point that should be worked on more is the post-performance essays. I see this as a two-pronged method that needs to be worked out. The first would be that all of the essays get turned in on time and that more well-known and obvious due dates are established. By this I mean to say that I had all of my papers done in time with the exception of Romeo & Juliet. I had completely forgotten about it after the performance to write up a review. It wasn’t until, sadly for me to say, March 4th (I am sure this is well past the deadline) that I woke up at 1:30 AM and raced up stairs and spent the next 1 hour working on that paper, embarrassed that I had forgotten all about it. I am pretty sure that other people also didn’t place a very high priority on some of their papers as well, which was obvious from the people who needed to turn in their reviews on our teacher’s door. I also think that if people don’t turn in their papers they should be nudged through email by the On-Stage program to get to work and fulfill their commitment. The second part of this two-pronged idea that would greatly help benefit the On-Stage program would be if some sort of critique or pointers came back after each essay. I can understand that some of the essay’s might get dull and tedious after awhile (I know for sure as essay’s 1-5 were almost mirrored images of each other, it wasn’t until I was writing about Figaro did I even think of breaking that trend), but without that feedback I wasn’t sure if I, the On-Stage participant, was fulfilling my duties. Also from my own follow-ups with other participants in the program and my own opinion, I would attempt to drop the San Jose Taiko for another cultural group that is more geared towards high school or college level students. Even though I did take a lot away from listening and watching the Taiko’s, I felt as if this was a more childish element for it and saw it as the overall least engaging and invigorating. Also using my hindsight I see that many, many cultures were represented: pseudo-Egyptian, Japanese, Russian, American, English, and Bulgarian. Likewise I think that the San Jose Taiko could be dropped for more engaging performances such as RENT or Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and would still provide yet another glimpse into other cultures and issues that were more pertinent to the On-Stage Members. The only real complaint I ever came across during the performances came from the very last one, The Marriage of Figaro. It was a strain on our necks to be looking up at the subtitles if they were present and then quickly glancing down to make sure we weren’t missing any of the action. If anything I wish subtitles would have been consistent throughout the entire production, and not just the more major parts and musical sections. I did thoroughly enjoy watching a foreign production done in a foreign language and think that it should definitely be kept.
For myself, I felt as if I came away with so much more then when I started. I watched incredible productions from incredible groups that were hard workers and dedicated to their cause. Learning was also a big thing for me. The research papers handed out prior to the performances allowed for great introductions into the backdrop of each story or performance selection. I was even able to glean some techniques for how to play the timpani from just listening to the timpanist! I also saw great ways to expand my own acting in school productions and presentations.
The On-Stage program was an overall and complete success. It showcased a variety of cultures, although not all seemed to be pertinent or captivating. The program also allowed us the incredible chance to interview the actors or musicians after the show and get some burning questions answered. Such questions always lead me to the conclusion that they all had passion, dedication, and hard work that were placed deeply into their form of artwork. The only points that I would like to see worked out came mainly from the desire to see more advanced cultural themes (rather then the Taiko) and to revise the methods used to get the reviews turned in. Overall the program has taught me a great deal from different cultures, actors, and groups and helped to reaffirm my love for the arts. Thanks for such a great line up of programs for the 2006-2007 On-Stage season and hopefully will continue to view presentations at Stephens in the future.
I see a brief review of the year is in order so that I can give a view point on what I remember and what genres I felt that the productions were supposed to be placed in. The very first production was for Aida, a rock opera of sorts that I believe almost all the members of the On-Stage program liked as (one of) the best. Like all rock-operas it portrayed intense music and, thankfully, a good storyline that came across as the perfect love story. Following Aida came the percussive Japanese Taiko group, San Jose Taiko. This performance was enjoyable, but at the same time felt something more geared towards children, which was reinforced by a reference I remember about the program saying that children would like it. Most members that I talked to were mainly bored or unimpressed by the Taiko group, although I found the technique they used to be quite useful when it came to my own drumming. Besides this point was the fact that most of the comments they gave after the performance were leaning towards mysticism, tradition, or general randomness. For me the highlight of the On-Stage season came next with the Moscow State Symphony. As a percussionist, especially a timpanist, I was awed by how much I could learn from just hearing the professional player play. They also manage to awe me with their incredible encores pieces, which were mainly up tempo nationalistic marches. Other On-Stage members had more mixed reviews ranging from the length of the music making it dull to a more general statement of, “At least it was better then the Taiko”, This piece fit into the Orchestral genre which was unlike our next presentation that fit into the String Quartet genre. The Turtle Island String Quartet came off with an incredible interpretation of Miles Davis’s work that had me on the edge of my seat in amazement. Even afterwards when we talked to them they were very friendly and left a nice impression on most of the On-Stage members. The next two were more or less the ones I feared. Primarily because Shakespearian genre and Opera genre are two of the most varied forms out in the theatre, but Romeo & Juliet came as an extremely pleasant surprise. Instead of being disappointed or bored we, the audience, actively helped choose their roles and then got to watch some real drama and excitement unfold between the actors onstage. These too got mixed reviews from people attempted to compare it to Aida, which was unfortunate since the two were very different but both were enjoyable. Then the Opera known as The Marriage of Figaro concluded the On-Stage season. Most members I talked to were generally either complaining of strained necks from looking at the subtitles or were more pleasantly surprised about the music, rather then the acting. In fact, looking back on it all, it is quite amazing that we got to see so many genres: Rock Opera, Percussive Group, Symphonic/Orchestral, String Quartet (Ensemble), Shakespeare, and even an Opera!
Each group, no matter the genre, had important and common themes that they embodied. Regardless of how anyone looks at it, these artists from Aida to Figaro to the Third Viola all had some themes in common: hard work, dedication, patience, and passion. Almost every paper I turned in, except The Marriage of Figaro, had at least one section dedicated to highlighting the importance of these themes and how apparent they were. You could see it in every dance number, symphonic encore, and solo that they all had passion. The Moscow State Symphony showcased an incredible passion, especially through their ability to play four encores from memory for us and those who participated in Romeo & Juliet showed incredible passion during their scenes on and off stage. The Marriage of Figaro also showcased the dedication and hard work through facial expressions and body movements and how they sang in sync with their own symphonic group. Arguably it is these themes that decide the difference between a run of the mill, boring production and an exciting, appealing, and engaging production. Another important point I saw throughout was the obvious coordination that went into the productions and the time that was spent outside of the actual “practice”. With all of this apparent, even the duller or more unbearable productions (for others) were at the very least enjoyable to watch and you felt compelled if not to be involved, at least to watch and pay attention.
By far and wide the wide range of performances attended and the genres were the greatest benefits for the On-Stage program. This would have been of little use if it hadn’t been for the after performance interviews after each performance. These provided incredibly valuable insight into how and why these people had such a passion for what they did and how one day we too might join their ranks. Another thing I noticed was that the On-Stage program helped to integrate different cultures, and seemingly as commonly, different languages. Throughout the entire program we were exposed to different genres, cultures, and languages. We were also stationed right the in the front of the stage, a prime spot to get the most out of facial expressions, minute bodily movement, and dynamic contrasts for the various bands the performed. Furthermore the program has a very healthy balance of performance time, interview time, and review time.
What I see as the potential pitfalls of the On-Stage program are almost all related towards various positive aspects of the program. Although, as I just stated, there is a healthy balance between the times, I believe more time should be devoted to the research prior to the program so that as members of the On-Stage program, we can bring a better understanding to the table and come away with more advanced concepts from the performances. Another point that should be worked on more is the post-performance essays. I see this as a two-pronged method that needs to be worked out. The first would be that all of the essays get turned in on time and that more well-known and obvious due dates are established. By this I mean to say that I had all of my papers done in time with the exception of Romeo & Juliet. I had completely forgotten about it after the performance to write up a review. It wasn’t until, sadly for me to say, March 4th (I am sure this is well past the deadline) that I woke up at 1:30 AM and raced up stairs and spent the next 1 hour working on that paper, embarrassed that I had forgotten all about it. I am pretty sure that other people also didn’t place a very high priority on some of their papers as well, which was obvious from the people who needed to turn in their reviews on our teacher’s door. I also think that if people don’t turn in their papers they should be nudged through email by the On-Stage program to get to work and fulfill their commitment. The second part of this two-pronged idea that would greatly help benefit the On-Stage program would be if some sort of critique or pointers came back after each essay. I can understand that some of the essay’s might get dull and tedious after awhile (I know for sure as essay’s 1-5 were almost mirrored images of each other, it wasn’t until I was writing about Figaro did I even think of breaking that trend), but without that feedback I wasn’t sure if I, the On-Stage participant, was fulfilling my duties. Also from my own follow-ups with other participants in the program and my own opinion, I would attempt to drop the San Jose Taiko for another cultural group that is more geared towards high school or college level students. Even though I did take a lot away from listening and watching the Taiko’s, I felt as if this was a more childish element for it and saw it as the overall least engaging and invigorating. Also using my hindsight I see that many, many cultures were represented: pseudo-Egyptian, Japanese, Russian, American, English, and Bulgarian. Likewise I think that the San Jose Taiko could be dropped for more engaging performances such as RENT or Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and would still provide yet another glimpse into other cultures and issues that were more pertinent to the On-Stage Members. The only real complaint I ever came across during the performances came from the very last one, The Marriage of Figaro. It was a strain on our necks to be looking up at the subtitles if they were present and then quickly glancing down to make sure we weren’t missing any of the action. If anything I wish subtitles would have been consistent throughout the entire production, and not just the more major parts and musical sections. I did thoroughly enjoy watching a foreign production done in a foreign language and think that it should definitely be kept.
For myself, I felt as if I came away with so much more then when I started. I watched incredible productions from incredible groups that were hard workers and dedicated to their cause. Learning was also a big thing for me. The research papers handed out prior to the performances allowed for great introductions into the backdrop of each story or performance selection. I was even able to glean some techniques for how to play the timpani from just listening to the timpanist! I also saw great ways to expand my own acting in school productions and presentations.
The On-Stage program was an overall and complete success. It showcased a variety of cultures, although not all seemed to be pertinent or captivating. The program also allowed us the incredible chance to interview the actors or musicians after the show and get some burning questions answered. Such questions always lead me to the conclusion that they all had passion, dedication, and hard work that were placed deeply into their form of artwork. The only points that I would like to see worked out came mainly from the desire to see more advanced cultural themes (rather then the Taiko) and to revise the methods used to get the reviews turned in. Overall the program has taught me a great deal from different cultures, actors, and groups and helped to reaffirm my love for the arts. Thanks for such a great line up of programs for the 2006-2007 On-Stage season and hopefully will continue to view presentations at Stephens in the future.
posted by ISC On Stage @ 7:30 AM
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