Snow In Midsummer: Teacher Directed Play Reflection #4

Before signing up for a role in Snow In Midsummer, I already knew it was something I wanted to participate in. With Covid challenges over the past two years there has been a lack of opportunities for arts students to be able to explore their passions in the form of having an audience. Snow In Midsummer looked like a fantastic play to be involved with, especially with my history in theatre and my pursuit of it after High School. I had to make sure that I was balancing the responsibilities I already had in order to make sure I wasn’t putting myself under too much pressure, because being in a school play like the ones we have requires a lot of time, effort and attention. I had to plan the rest of my activities around the rehearsals for Snow In Midsummer, knowing that it was going to be the biggest CAS priority for me. The Tuesday and and Thursday after school rehearsals for the school play I know are very long and tiring from my experience in The Heart of Robin Hood so I had to make a study plan that aligned with that schedule to make sure I didn’t exhaust myself as well.

Advanced Boxing/Muay Thai

In Advanced Boxing or Muay Thai, I remember the activity being very physically challenging for me. I remember having to practice the boxing skills in the mirror during training sessions in order to correct my form and stance. Especially working on the uppercut and finding the place where that momentum and energy was going to come from, learning how to push it up through my leg in order to create the most effective punch. I also remember having to be slightly responsible for the younger kids who had joined the activity with us. Because the sessions were for any age group, the older ones of us had to make sure the little kids weren’t going to do anything to hurt themselves or other people. This extended itself to when i got partnered up with people who were just a little younger than me but less experienced in the sport. I had to be ethical in the way I used the knowledge and skills i was taught in this CAS Activity so as not to create any problems.

Snow In Midsummer: Reflection #2

During the process of developing Snow in Midsummer we had to learn about the Chinese culture that lies at the basis of this play. We had to consistently be checking our actions with online resources that tell us the appropriate ways to be saying certain things or doing things. For example a lot of the play focuses on spiritual culture and Buddhism in China, superstitions being a very big theme. We knew from the beginning that we had to be intensely accurate with our portrayals so that the play could not be considered as cultural appropriation. Our director Ms Parr brought in a teacher from the Chinese department to explain the backstory and give us some context for the storyline. We felt we had a certain responsibility to make sure Dou Yi’s story was being told respectfully, to her and her culture. We took the initiative to do our own research on the side into thew actions we were doing like in the temple, throwing hell paper, and during the funeral scene.

Snow in Midsummer Reflection #3

Having completed my last play at UWCSEA for my 3 year tenure at this school, I am incredibly grateful for the journey that I have had the pleasure of going on. We worked on this play for 6 months, beginning rehearsals in August and performing our final shows in January. I have spent the past 6 months at rehearsals 2 or 3 times a week with the same group of 20 people. Together we have built friendships and developed our skills immensely over such a long period of time. Getting to understand people’s artistic style and watching that grow, especially in the younger years, has been such a fulfilling experience. I had to work collaboratively with people to plan and initiate lunchtime rehearsals and practice scenes until we were 100% sure we had it down pat. The intense attention to detail when working on this play is what caused it to be a performance of which I am very proud. I can confidently say this performance is one of my best. Along with other people’s skill developing, mine have as well. I have had to persevere with going to rehearsals and being a good member of a team even in very difficult times for me personally or when I really didn’t feel optimistic or energetic enough to be doing the hard work that the play required. Snow in Midsummer tells a very important story that I am proud to have been telling as the character of TianYun.

Advanced Boxing/Muay Thai: CAS Reflection #1

Since beginning Muay Thai in Grade 10, I have felt my self confidence boost. My physical fitness and confidence in my ability to defend myself have improved greatly. Both are very important skills for being able to ensure my safety and well being. Working on specific skills such as a combo of punches and kicks enhances my focus on my physical actions. I am increasing awareness of myself and the skills that i need to develop in order to fulfil my goals within the sport. I can recognise that there are aspects of Muay Thai which are unfamiliar to me as I have never participated in a martial art before last year. Working on those attributes will aid in my performance. Things like maintaining my balance and remembering to keep my other hand up in a defensive position while attacking are two that I need to practice more of.

 

With performing a martial art, comes a responsibility to maintain safety and ethical decisions considering this sport is for all ages. The younger kids may not have the sense to understand what is safe or unsafe behaviour in this space. As an older student who has been doing this for a year already, I have to make sure that when I’m working with someone less experienced that if I can, I should correct certain things that might cause others or themselves harm. I will have to make decisions with ethical implications while participating in this activity. I intend to make sure I am doing the right thing and check with our teacher supervisors and instructors just in case.

Snow In Midsummer: Reflection #1

Having been cast as one of the main characters of this years school play, I have a lot of responsibility to perform and contribute effectively to ensure that rehearsals and shows run smoothly. This is my last year at the school and this will be my last performance here as well. I have set some goals for myself in order to achieve a change in my habits so that they will better serve me at University, small improvements that will make my life easier and more manageable. I intend to be more responsible in the taking of notes in terms stage directions, blocking, characterisation and line edits. This will aid a commitment to the production and make me more invested in the character I’m playing.

 

Throughout the rehearsal process each cast member will have to be initiating leadership in creating blocking in scenes, moving with purpose and drive. We have had to create our own characterisation, and work on figuring out who we are meant to be portraying when we are outside of rehearsals. This will show perseverance in creating the best version of our character, truest to the version written on our scripts. Of course a crucial element of being in a play is committing to turning up to rehearsals every time we are needed, in time and prepared, having done any work given to us by our director. Theatre is my passion and this play is giving me an opportunity to further explore my creative concepts and method that works best for me, outside of regular school. Compared to previous productions I have a bigger role, and considering that I’m a senior in the school, I should try to guide younger members into developing an interest in theatre and proving to them how enjoyable it can be. Helping the younger students working on this production might mean they continue to sign up for theatre courses and productions in the future, even after our grade has left.

SGM Murni – Service initial reflection #1

I am excited to begin working with this group of people to engage in this initiative and hopefully bring about a change in these children’s lives. I chose to work on this service group because I enjoy working with children, I have a knack for being able to have fun with them, and relating to them on their level. I wanted to be able to support the local Singaporean community, having grown up here and experienced interaction with people from a multitude of racial, financial and cultural backgrounds, I felt a strong connection to this service. It is giving me the opportunity be engaged with a real life issue of children growing up in poverty, and hopefully allowing me to make a positive change in these kids lives. With this experience it shall also be providing me with the chance to take my own initiative with planning and preparing before every session with the kids. Activities such as playing with instruments, movement and movement like musical chairs or even things as simple asĀ  dancing along to a Just Dance video with the kids are all options for keeping them focused and happy, making sure they are gaining something from these bi-weekly visits.

HS Girls Pre-season Touch Reflection #1

As I once again begin the Season 1 HS Girls Pre-season touch, our team is warming back up after the Summer Holidays and discovering the skills we might have lost or need to work on after a long break from touch rugby. I have realised that I need to be working on my fitness in my spare time. To keep up with the physical requirements that such a rigorous sport demands, I intend to curb limitations created by a lack of strength and develop my skills such as passing accurately and quickly. We are currently only holding Monday morning training sessions before school, this is proving a challenge as I need to be organised enough with my school commitments the day before on Sunday night, and have everything I need ready for waking up early. Covid restrictions are also very hard to work around, as currently we are not allowed to have enough people in a group to be able to play a full game. Each player is having to work harder in order to score and stay socially distanced at the same time. I have noticed that less of the older girls who were there last year are returning to this season due to personal timing issues or too much work. Having committed to this sport I feel a duty to return and support the younger girls in their touch rugby journey as well. I feel like this sport gives me the opportunity to destress from my daily life and it acts as a physical output, it also keeps me active and boosts my mood.

Final Reflection: Antigone

This year, our cast and crew have had to work through restrictions never before experienced in our expertise. Crucial parts of theatre have been stripped away and made redundant by the global pandemic that has changed our lives. Aspects of theatre such as intimacy and character relationships have consistently had to be adjusted to fit the rules. We have had to utilise all forms of creativity and innovation we had, to come up with ways to portray those things while still staying socially distanced. This has proven to be a long and frustrating process but finally, we have prevailed. Through an unmatched sense of teamwork and collaboration, we have created a piece that I am happy to say, I am incredibly proud of. This is a production I’ll never forget, because of the unique circumstances and small cast, we have grown into a small family that cares deeply for each other. This experience has taught me the versatility of theatre and how we have the ability to create meaning even without using conventional theatre devices. I believe now that with Antigone under our belts all of us will go on to become better, more open, and creative performers and will take this experience on with us for the rest of our time spent in this industry.

Reflection: What has been learnt from the unit on Medea

This unit has really brought into perspective the role that the author or writer plays in the portrayal of their characters. How the effect of their own societal views and biases from the point in time they created that story, could lead audiences or readers to see a character as portrayed by their stereotypes rather than as their own person. We see this in Medea when comparing the two translations/adaptations of the play. In the one we had on hand there was a sense that Medea was more “other” and cruel than in the online version by Ben Powers. The specific diction used created an idea that she was so spiteful and needed revenge so bad that she killed her own children purely to get back at Jason. Because of the way she was seen the audience is persuaded not to have as much sympathy for her actions. This is juxtaposed with the other version we worked on which was written for a modern audience where there seems to be more of a pitiable tone taken on Medea. These two versions ability to completely change a person’s perspective of a character and their actions based on the language each translator decidedto use.