Hello Students: Your Feedback For Each Other.

For now, in the midst of exams, be sustained on the impact you have created (you did it!):

Look for your name, and also, there are some pictures here, but each of you also have an individual photo of yourselves IN ACTION!, (posted as soon as I collect all of them, from your various generously borrowed phones) :).

And we survived the lockout! Not only that, but with flying colors, you all supporting each other, and good snacks, and great guests, too (please do thank them, from all of us!).

– Marie

PS: I will be sending you each personalized notes about my favorite way I have seen you grow, too.Your final proposal + performance evaluations (i.e. finals), are complete, and you’ll also get that info (+ participation, blog writing etc) as (hopefully helpful) feedback to you. Until then, I want to send this preliminary thanks for the wonderful learning experience we have shared together. You are stellar human beings, and it’s an honor to have collaborated with you as a group, and as individuals. What joy to witness the creativity and curiosity you allowed to bring you past the edge of each new precipice of possibility. You made and will make brave, important performance work that honestly shifts perspectives, fruitfully connects people, and promotes collaborative action. Look for chances to do so….everywhere!

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Feedback from Final Proposals to the National Endowment for the Arts, Performance Reviews

(Focus Group Notes):

 

 

• Peter

Environmental concerns (are like) taking care of family. Considered that we all have something different that we cherish (sleep, food, family, etc). Commotion leads to destruction. Made me link the environment with the things I love. Environmental awareness. How we are making impressions together on the guitar (!). Music-green environmentalism. I liked the use of music to represent the things we cherish. The music was amazing (esp. since it represented our cherishables). Very striking & powerful using sound as a tool. Creatively green. Guitar very symbolic and powerful. And I think to myself: what a wonderful world. Think green if you care about the things you cherish. Musically inspiring. I ❤ the environment so that really spoke to me; the metaphor of music reptition stopping fit nicely with the possible future of the environment if we don’t take care of it. Had amazing creativity in regards to his artistic avenue. Hopeful and inspiring.

• Jasmine

Empowerment and need for change. Changed her role, let Addy be the patient, I thought she improved, she was clear — I loved it!.  Do medical professionals truly care about their patients or are they in it for the money? Great attitude and urgency. I liked the fact that she connected the medical profession to personal life. Healthcare negligence. I liked how she clearly portrayed her speaker’s presence. The red lighting, taking care of patient was really good. Cool performance, I could really see you embody your speaker. Strong, clear speaker. Strong transformation. The red light created perfect sterile feeling. Learn to be compassionate. Caring, healthcare. She obviously cares a lot about how other people should be treated & I liked that she was trying to set and example & live by it. Loved how she interacted with Addy. I am lucky enough that I haven’t had to go to the hospital, but am very glad that members of my family have had excellent care.

• Addyson

Use of space through emotion. Stopy bullying, be aware. Bullying: protection. Good hand gesture; explained how nobody can take your dignity away. Bully(ing). I liked how she used a lot of body movements to portray ideas. Made us look around – realized we have all been belittled at once. Great relationship between words and physicality. Very good, emotional & inspiring. Movements make narrative clear. Movements! Eleanor Roosevelt said that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Don’t give your dignity to bullies. High school bullies, having the strength to fight back. Great inclusion of movement. Loved it. I liked how she had the group 1/2 so we could see – very relatable.

• Olivia

Bravery, optimism. Teen pregnancy may be hard, but it brings a beautiful blessing. Turn your weakness into a strength. Looking at the good things, moving forward. Teen pregnancy. I liked her straightforward manner of talking. Very relatable, conversational, interesting. Great ending, I love that she was being her mother and talking about herself. Really great ending. Touching. Powerful in that it comes back to her. I really appreciated this performance — motherhood is more often thought of as burden than a gift. Encouragement. Motherly, the hardships of pregnancy. Loved the mood the music set. Very happy for her.

  

• Melody

Are internet relationships or real life relationships better? Intimidating!, shifting in taking audience’s phone. Technology, human interactions/social. Having real life relationships. Social, networking. It was interesting getting a paper notification for Facebook, in some ways I looked at it differently. She was very bold in her interaction with the audience. Very innovative and challenging. She had great authority, taking control of the group. Very cool interaction with audience. Our identity tied into facebook…. Multiple personalities — technology allows us to recreate ourselves. Facebook is everything these days. Communication through technology. Trying to understand hiding behind an artificial face on FB. Got the audience very involved. Hers was very relatable & makes me think twice about getting on facebook.

• Carter

Love his voice, like the changes he made. Awareness, and take the blinders off. It is important to make people feel worthy of life. Make a difference, show love. GREAT ARTFUL AVENUE! Be supportive and aware of how your love supports people. Suicide, support, and love. It sat with me when he talked about death as lights went out. Teen suicide (outfits changing). I liked the singing. That beautiful voice! Very powerful performance. Good costume. Very calm & full of impact. Chilling. Blackout symbolic and powerful. The use of darkness as absence of light, and silence as absence of song; very moving. Always comfort those in need. Fantastic!, love, love, loved it. He made me feel exactly what he was saying & how to help someone. Singing really brought the topic to a new emotional level. It made me realize I have no idea what I would say to someone in such a rough situation.

• Adair

Actions that have meaning, current events. Shifted performance by sitting, letting audience know about the War going on. The conflicts that occur in the Middle East affect innocent citizens. Look past race. Peace, equality. Peacemaking was inspiring. Israel & Palestine: MOVEMENT to fill up the space, holding within their will others’ lives. She was very articulate with her topic. The line where we reached out and reached an agreement was great. Loved the dynamics between the poem and the interview – great movement and abstractness with poem, and great realism with the interview. Very interactive. Thought provoking. Starts with problem, then transformation — what she will do. It’s always the innocents who suffer. Thoughtful, about different cultures. Great. Transition to and from speaker were very clear. She helped me realize that conflict resolution was possible, it personalized conflict.

• Ashley

The love given to children by strangers can help them grow to be confident. Liked her intro, dance, dance, dance! Personality, bubbly, selfless. Good enthusiasm. Showing support and love. The “life has a crush on me” motto was cute. Enthusiasm! I liked the optimistic message. Very loud, exciting, unexpected. I don’t know her social issue. Fun & energetic. Everything was very clear. Very embodied, cheerful. I love that so many people mentioned their mom! (as inspiring/selfless person every day). Unique way to get audience prepared with the dancing. Small things can impact your life. Camplife, friendship, leadership. Very inspiring to people, I went to camp there!

 

• Navaneet

I want to learn for the joy of learning – GREAT TOPIC. Changed what audience members did, more thorough, enjoyed performance! Importance, values, alternatives. Knowledge is our most important asset: enjoy learning. Knowledge, personal growth. Motion. Knowledge, personal growth, inspiring, AMAZING. One of the best embodiments that I have seen. Cool performance. Speaker very clear, enjoyed the dialogue. Transformation through our own examples. The best educated are the self-educated: I wish we could just pursue what we’re passionate about. Luckily we have formal education. The importance of education. Flash back of me hating reading, but now I realize it’s okay; multiple choice on themes & analogies is just a guessing game. Way of speaking really embodied the person he was representing.

• Amy 

Words are words – they don’t define you if you don’t let them – great INTERVIEW. Mapped floor, great “lesson.” Confidence, visual avenue. There are multiple definitions for everything. Thesaurus to define, more positivity! The interactive part is interesting. What is our mirror? She was very effective in bringing out the speaker. Energetic, mirror, definitions, fallable, made me feel happy :). Great embodiment + props are fantastic. Great job! Clear speaker, dfeinitions aren’t always face-value. Now I get why you’re wearing that sweater :). Well done! That had Katie written all over it!I loved how she embodied her speaker in a very didactic way. Led the audience through their participation very well. Be positive.

• Erin

You decide if you’re beautiful – NOT Society. Mirror image was great. Love yourself. Beauty, confidence. The ripping of self-image. Audience involvement. I liked how she moved around teh audience, allowing them to gain different perspectives. Body image, encouraging better self esteem/confidence, wonderful, self-love. Great audience participatory techniques. Loved the dialogue –>. This message resonated with me most strongly.  I liked the “be someone you aren’t” exercise. Beautiful – Erin, liked the mirrors, most self-reflection happens in front of mirrors, reminded me of when I was insecure. GOod use of space & getting audience involved in space. The beauty of being true to you.

• Jessica

Could feel the interviewee in her emotion. Jessica was Amazing: children hear everything.–They take the negative verbal blows to heart.–The breaking of the barrier wall was really good. Things people say have a large affect on people. Domestic violence, awareness. Emotional. I liked teh loud noises to emphasize her themes. Very emotional, sad, touching, engaging, honest, creative, wall of blocks. Damn…super emotional, behind screen screaming was powerful. Really great emotion & effects. Intense, really portrayed the trauma people go through. Demonstrated the violence convincingly by herself, using sound. Words can organize your mind. HURT behind abuse. I could never imagine going through something like that, but the slidwho showed that it happens to anyone. Powerful images set the tone/mood.

• Jami

People with diseases deserve the same equality. Secrets, and judgments. Great communication – having a flaw doesn’t define who you are. It made me reconsider dealing with people a bit better and not avoiding things I’m uncomfortable with. Light and full bodied. I liked the idea of incorporating part of the class at a time. Doesn’t just affect the old, good audience participation/body language. Great physicality. Really strong performance. Why isolate others that are ill when they should be supported? She did a great job with space usage. Body movements emphasized words. Console others in need.

   

Melissa

People should be able to love who they want no matter what their job is. How you identify your sexuality doesn’t define you. Gay equality. The embodiment of homophobia. Wish we saw [this message/performance] more (not just for the Army). Lives, full moon, strong, inspirational, friendship. I love the social issue she chose, and she did a great job performing it. Really great presence. Clear storyline. Amazing use of space & embodiment of character. Very powerful story. I liked her transition with putting the jacket on.

• Larab

The candle was a good touch, reminding us of privilege. Stage space. I liked the solemn atmosphere he created. Appreciate what we have, great costume choices, the candle was amazing. Really great performance, really put some things into perspective. Awesome embodiment. Lights off & candle helped make message come across. Used lights out ot emphasize his point.

• Marley

The music was a good touch, negotiation of identity affects everyone. Meaningful. I like her down-to-earth way of talking and the accompanying music. Liked the music selection/lights, stereotypes, gave me goosebumps, why do we minimalize ourselves? Cool song. Great tone & presence. Clear speaker; question norms of identity. Brought us close; felt warm and personal.

• Lily

Heart-full, real true. I like how she brought us closer. It made her words more powerful. Awesome concept, loved your performance. Haunting/humanizing, thought provoking. Made us feel like we were actually talking to an undocumented immigrant.

• Emri

Her working with patients was good.  Very pronounced in her embodiment of the speaker. Cancer, supprtive, touching, sweet. Less nervous, movements were authentic – Great performance! Really strong portrayal of emotion. Felt the speaker through thoughts and mannerisms.

• Funmi

Shocking — emotional. She broke conventions and courageously incorporated the audience. Scared, exhilarating, powerful, GOOSEBUMPS! Really great & stimulating performance.

• Priyank

Be careful not to judge. Color scheme, speaker; image: “windmill to harvest the grain.” Be positive influence on the world. We are all human. He was very frank with his simple message and conveyed it plainly. Stereotypes, humanity, hard to live under judgments, pick people up!

Performances – The Brothers Size and Catch the Fire

I was privledged to attend The Brothers Size earlier in the semester.  As the space that they performed in was not a very large space, the set that they had was extremely influential and verstile as it helped to provide many different functions.  I was surprised to see how they could make so many uses out of one or two props.  They way in which they stayed true to the stories behind the characters was also extremely entertaining, even though I understand that is what an actor is supposed to do.  The thing that resonated with me the most was the underlying stereotypes that were highlighted about men of color and their relationship with law-enforcement, which is never really a positive one as our history has shown us.

The other performance that I was able to attend was Catch the Fire which was a night of absolute uniqueness.  There were spoken word performances, as well as instrumental performances all with a greater purpose.   The pieces all had a motivating factor that was very apparent when they were performed including the African-American group and their constant battles with racial profiling and inspirational pieces.  At the end, there was a Q & A session in which they performers were asked:  “When do you feel that you became an activist?”  It was this question and the replies to it that sparked an inspirational movement within myself.  I thought about the question as to truly find an internal resolution.  The other part to the performance was the surrounding exibit which showcased moments fromt he Million Man March.  This was truly an exhibit to see simply because the pictures held more emtion than could be expressed in a verbal retellling of the event.  I praised Katina Parker the creator of the display and she responded with “Thank you, I am glad they mean something to someone.”

-Emri

Compagnie Marie Chouinard

I can honestly say that I did not enjoy Compagnie Marie Chouinard as much as I enjoyed the Paper Hat Game.  Perhaps it just wasn’t my preferred style of performance, but the entire thing seemed very strange to me.  Most of the time I couldn’t figure out what was going on, what was supposed to be happening, and what the actors were doing.  While a lot of their movements were cool, I spent most of the play confused.  Because it was an interpretation of “The Rite of Spring,” perhaps I would have understood and enjoyed it a little more had I known what “The Rite of Spring” was beforehand.

Erin

The Paper Hat Game

The Paper Hat Game was a really cool experience for me.  It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.  It looked and sounded amazing, and I was really impressed by the work that the peformers put into it.  I really enjoyed the story behind the performance as well, and was captivated the whole way through.  Overall, I thought this type of performance was something new and awesome, and I’d love to see something like that again.

Erin

Oppression and Empowerment

I was interested in the section about oppression and empowerment this week. I used to think that oppression and empowerment were easy – you could gain empowerment by getting rid of oppression. After reading the section, I see that it is not so simple of a concept. As they say, “the process of social change is seldom linear or unidirectional.” The story about the Indian women was interesting to me. It was eye opening to see that while purdah can be seen as oppressive, it can also be seen as empowering because it brings honor and respect to the women. This reminded me of a show I went to last year at my high school, where a girl recited a poem she had written. It was about the fashion industry and how certain accessories, such as high heels, can be empowering to women yet oppress them at the same time. I wish I could find a video because it was a really good performance, but I can’t find one. Her performance really embodied what they’re talking about here about the dialectic between oppression and empowerment.

Erin

Chang and Eng Bunker

The Chang and Ang performance was an experimental approach to present people with simply the dialogue of the script. While I visually only recall seeing a large number of people on stage, I had to visually imagine the actual play taking place with what the narrator provided. Scene and act changes were all up to me and the readers/performers were responsible for telling the audience their own personal dialogue and interactions such as walking or moving.

Chang and Eng ended up being a great story of Siamese twins that ended up working as a spectator event for PT Barnum. The brothers faced many discrepancies with one another but continued to be a show for people to watch in order to continue making an income and name for themselves. As far as content went, the performance was great and seemed like a performance I would actually like to see in person.

Chang and Eng Bunker

When Lamb Found Mary

I was absolutely amazed by all four of the actors. Their performance was so genuine.

I really liked the idea of going back in time and changing the way things turned out. The second time around, the scene was altered so that there wasn’t happy, optimistic music when Lamb originally met Mary, so I could clearly sense a shift. It reminded me of some in-class activities we did in which we changed the perspective on a particular scene so that a different mood is created.

The story went through many ups and downs. There were pristine, happy moments and utterly depressing, dark times. I really appreciate how the actors were able to change the mood of the scene so dramatically.

-Navaneet Galagali

Red Tie Affair

My favorite part of the red tie affair was the guest speaker. He was brief, but his message was powerful. I learned quite a few things about AIDS, its transmission, and the efforts under way to prevent its spread. I have briefly studied the HIV virus in my microbiology class and the methods being used to develop a vaccine, so it was very interesting to note how the problem was being tackled at the “macroscopic” level.

There were many dancing and singing groups that were invited and I especially liked the solo singer at the end. I felt it was a good finish to the event.

Overall, it was a good direction in terms of spreading AIDS awareness among people, although I wish the focus had been more on educating us on AIDS and opportunities for us to become more involved rather than watching dance performances (which were wonderful in their own right, but seemed somewhat out of place to me).

-Navaneet Galagali

Weaponizing the Weak

I attended Mia Bloom’s ” Weaponizing the Weak: Creating a Model of Child Grooming into Violent Extremist Organizations” on Friday, November 30th. It examined the increasing involvement of children in terrorist affiliations. Primarily through forced coercion, many children are also heavily exploited and groomed to become violent extremists (while becoming traumatized and victimized by the experiences in the process). However, the point of the lecture went beyond informing the audience of the problem. It provided a model for social change by presenting a new psychosocial model for children and terrorism by examining/ tracing the changing role from children to victims to perpetrators (and demonstrating the interchangeability of roles). It also outlined targeted policies aiming at constructing martyrdom and prevention strategies for helping children fall into these patterns.

 

I think this directly ties into our social issue topic of addressing the problem and providing possible solutions for it as well. Bloom did a great job of incorporating the audience by consistently asking us questions on what terrorism looks like to us and providing us with alternative perspectives on what terrorism is and how it originates (mostly through victimization and forced coercion as young children). It also reminded me of our domestic violence skit we did in class. While we were able to see the perspective of the victim, we also saw the perspective of the perpetrator (which in this case- and most cases, can/could have been both). 

 

🙂 Great learning experience, if anything.

 

-Lily Escobar

Red Tie Affair

When I first bought my ticket, I thought this was going to be a boring event, where we would listen to different speakers talk about HIV/Aids. All my predictions were wrong. I really enjoyed the guest speaker, and the performances as well. The Acapulco group was amazing. I was really amazed at the turn out as well. It felt good seeing UNC students gather for a good cause.

 

-Larab Mohsin