Final Reflection Questions

The following should also be expounded upon in

complete sentences
1. While writing your paper, what did you learn about the research process?
While writing my paper, I learned that the information I found during my research process was
extremely variable depending on the person providing it. Though there are basic requirements
to achieving success in theatrical environments, acting is a very personal experience for each
person who participates in it. Different actors have wide varieties of techniques and practices
that depend solely on their individual talents and needs. Some place more emphasis on
character analysis and development, while others might prefer to act upon their gut instinct.
Additionally, it may take more time for some performers to feel in tune with their character
objectives, therefore requiring more preparation to achieve a specific mindset before
performing.

2. How was the research related to your mentor hours?

The research I conducted related to my mentor hours in several ways. I spent most of my ten
hours covering the different methods of training and practicing necessary to perform effectively.
My mentor talked to me about what many performing arts colleges and jobs would require and
expect of those auditioning for them. In every meeting, my mentor emphasized the importance
of consistently trying to improve, as well as going back to refresh yourself on what you already
know.

3. Summarize the mentor hours that you completed.

Much of the time I spent with my mentor was spent learning from her about the expectations of
college musical theatre program auditions, as well as finding work after college. The rest of my
time was spent workshopping monologues, participating in voice lessons, and building an
audition repertoire. I also did acting exercises involving improvisation and quick thinking to
sharpen my reaction time, as this is necessary for rehearsal processes, performing, and training
in college.

4. How did working with your mentor affect your understanding of the topic area and /or the
professional world?
My mentor gave me a firsthand account of what it is like to work professionally in performing
arts. She taught me how to make good impressions in an audition room through things like your
resume, appearance, posture, and confidence. She also described her own personal feelings
about her profession and her reasons behind pursuing it. I also heard her own stories from
certain shows and performances she has done, which gave me perspective as to what I would
do in a professional theatre setting.

a. If you mentor was not directly related to your topic, what did you learn about the
profession that can be translated to any future professional setting?
The way you present yourself at an audition is very similar to how you would present yourself at
a job interview. Employers (or casting directors) look for a professional appearance, good
manners, and the appearance of confidence and ease. A strong resume is also very effective,
as it allows others to see how experienced you are. It is also valuable to be able to improvise
when a situation does not go exactly as planned, no matter which career you pursue.

5. How did creating a product and completing the hours challenge you personally?
I felt personally challenged by the projects many requirements combined with the pressure of
the time constraint I was given. Because I have loved and pursued this art for many years, I was
used to it always being around, available for me to take pleasure in whenever it was convenient
for me, or whenever I felt inspired. This project has required me to focus in on a specific task
that I had a limited amount of time to complete, which I felt didnt allow my inspiration to come
naturally. Because I was trying to force the creativity into my product in order to be time efficient,
I wrote several monologues that I did not use in my final product because I felt that they were
not written to the best of my ability. My biggest challenge has been trying to produce good
material under pressured circumstances.

6. Do you feel prepared academically and emotionally for the presentation?

I feel that I could talk about my project choice for hours. In my opinion, the topic of performing
arts is so complex and personal to everyone who participates in it, that its discussion
possibilities are seemingly endless. I feel that I can confidently verbalize all of the information
included in my presentation. However, I do not feel as prepared in how I present this
information, in terms of my slideshow and portfolio. Im mostly concerned about having all the
technicalities correct in terms of formatting and using the right amount of detail. I am slightly
worried that about the balance between the amount of information I include in my slides versus
how much I say out loud.

7. How did the entire process stretch you as a learner and as an individual?
The process stretched me as a learner and individual by making me brainstorm in a short
amount of time, as well as training myself in new accents and physicalities I was not previously
comfortable with. In my past theatre experience, Ive often been type casted into characters that
are mostly bright and cheery, simply based on my appearance. In my acting classes over the
years, Ive typically been assigned dark monologues because my teachers believed it was my
strong suit. For me, the biggest goal of this assignment was to break out of my comfort zone
and create a new array of characters that are different from anything Ive done.

8. Other than time management, describe an obstacle you encountered and how you overcame
it.
I struggled with writing material that I felt proud of. I wrote several drafts of monologues and
characters that never made it past development because I didnt feel that they demonstrated the
best of my ability. Once I had written characters that I was willing to use, I had to adapt their
accents, physicalities, voice tones, and facial expressions. Because I had purposely written
them to be very contrasting from each other, I had to be able to quickly switch out of one
character into another as soon as one monologue was finished and I had to start another.

9. What life skills did you acquire and how will they help you in the future?
This project helped me learn how to think on my feet through improvisation exercises and quick
character switching. My improved ability to think quickly is a very good skill to use in the future
of my acting career. College acting classes will often have their students participate in
numerous improvisation exercises in order to train them to think on their feet. This also goes
beyond schooling, as sometimes mistakes can be made in shows that can only be covered up
by quick witted improvisation. Improvisation has always been something I didnt necessarily
enjoy doing. However, through practicing with my mentor, I now have a deeper appreciation for
it, as it helped me in effectively switching in and out of my many contrasting characters.

10. If you had to go back and do parts of the project again, what would you do differently?
I would have started my monologue brainstorming list sooner. I began this product by sitting in
front of a blank computer document, trying to come up with monologue ideas. This took a very
long time and resulted in a lot of frustration. I realized later that I needed to write the characters
before I wrote the monologues, as the characters personalities and experiences would affect
the way they spoke and acted. Once I had created a list, it was easier to execute my plan, as I
could see it all in one place and make sure they were all contrasting enough. I wish I had done
this sooner, as my late realization left me with less time for memorization. Luckily, Ive always
been good at memorizing lines quickly.

11. Based on the entire Pride Project experience, do you plan to pursue this field as a career or
college area of study? If so, why? If not, why? Please be specific.
I do plan on pursuing this field as a career because I have already had a great interest in it for
as long as I remember, The Pride Project simply helped me improve on my skillset and made
me feel more prepared for what I must expect in future college classes or theatre auditions. I
feel that Ive improved in improvisation and can now switch characters very quickly. I had to
analyze and review the objectives of each character in order to be able to change my mindset.