Browsing Tag

modelling

Studies in Motion on the Stage and Screen

The following is a response to Canadian Stage’s production of Studies in Motion, in collaboration with Electric Company. In this thought provoking show, director Kim Collier explores filmmaker extraordinaire Eadward Muybridge’s accomplishments as one of the first people to capture movement with a camera.

Muybridge is known as the father of cinema, so we all have much to learn from him. Google him if you’re interested in learning more about his discoveries.

Here are some tips to take away from the play, which should be of interest to those who were stuck writing exams and couldn’t make it to a theatre recently. Canadian Stage aims to present the best in Canadian contemporary theatre, so they’re definitely worth keeping an eye on.

How to Produce a Memorable Show

Take the time to select a good soundtrack, regardless of what the show’s running time may be. Everything makes a difference and adds to the production value. It also makes hearing about someone’s life story more entertaining.

Create dynamic stage pictures. The entire show’s choreography proves why lessons involving tableau-making are essential for a successful acting career. Kudos to the talented cast.

When producing a play set a century in the past, choreograph chorus members to act as if they are the horses carrying an orphan boy in a buggy. Not just any ordinary boy, but one who has been misled about the differences between a famous photographer and an omniscient religious figure because this makes for great comedic relief.

Assemble a cast of men and women who are willing to disrobe within seconds according to the script’s stage directions and parade across the stage in the nude.

You can maintain audiences’ interest by making them curious about just how much nudity will be in each scene. An audience advisory is one thing, but there’s always room for surprises. There’s a reason The Globe and Mail’s review is entitled ‘The Naked Truth about Eadward Muybridge’, as it’s very telling about what patrons could expect: a revealing tell all that’s not very kid-friendly.

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December 19, 2010 by

Lindsay + Lyndsy = Friends?

While perusing what Lindsay Lohan has tweeted in between her visits to jail and rehab, I immediately noticed when she called Lyndsy Fonseca her “friend”. I hardly think they bonded simply because they have the same name spelled a different way.

You may know Fonseca as Ted Mosby’s future daughter on How I Met Your Mother, or from this summer’s action-adventure flick, Kick Ass. As the face of Barbizon School of Modelling (for which an ad is often found at the back of teen girl magazines), she’s always been a charming actress famous for her girl-next-door look.

I’ve been a fan of Fonseca ever since she joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in 2001 to play Colleen Carlton. I’ll even admit that I was jealous of her character Colleen when J.T. sung her ‘Nothing At All’. The two lovebirds were one of the cutest couples in soap opera history, during a time when soap operas were still decent. The incestuous-like behaviour on Bold and the Beautiful and ridiculous new storylines on Y&R make it no surprise that two soaps have been cancelled within the last year.

I’m not an avid reader of Soap Opera Weekly or Star, so I haven’t been kept apprised about her personal life. Given Linsday’s recent behaviour however, I was appalled when I discovered that this is someone she spends time with. The fact that Lindsay calls her a friend and felt obliged to promote Fonseca’s role in Nikita makes me question what she is like behind the scenes.

November 2, 2010 by

A Name is Not a Number

After re-watching Up in the Air, I realized that it is such a powerful film because it emphasizes how frequently people are undervalued. Corporations need to make cutbacks in order to stay afloat, but rarely have time to give personal attention to their terminated employees. People aren’t numbers, they matter. My high school classmates like to joke about how each of us was another statistic who was accepted to their top choice universities, but beyond that, we are all individuals.

Prom season is upon us again. I wonder how many seniors are ranking their friends on a scale of 1 to 10. I remember everyone whispering to their friends about who looks surprisingly decent in a suit and which girl in a mini dress looks the hottest. Then once everyone uploads their photos, the rating process continues. Some people are taken, others are suddenly higher in demand and majority are scrutinized solely based on appearance.

How I Met Your Mother also effectively portrays how judgmental we all are. One night in McLaren’s, Barney draws the Hot-Crazy scale and explains that hot girls are more likely to be nuts. Maybe that’s why employers become disappointed with their workers – sometimes people are hired based on looks rather than their resume. Regardless of whether they are willing to admit it, Abercrombie stores hire models because sex sells and modelling agencies hire salespeople. Far too many agencies are paying representatives to tell potential clients that they are beautiful in order to make a nice profit. Their intention is that the young and naive will be so satisfied with their boosted ego, that spending over $1000 on a beauty and runway boot camp (which will likely bring them little success) seems like no big deal.

Finally, Up in the Air is really great because it examines how face-to-face communication cannot always be replaced by machines. After accompanying George Clooney’s character across America to tell people they’ve been let go, the optimistic recent grad realizes why telling people ‘it sucks to be you’ shouldn’t be done on a Skype date. Technology is no doubt taking over our lives, but there needs to be a limit.

May 31, 2010 by