Reflective Posts

NCUR Reflection

So I was a little bit hesitant to write this post because I came back from NCUR with a lot of mixed feelings about the experience. In my mind, I had worked it up to be a huge ordeal and along with that thought came tons of nervousness and stress. But when it came time to present, I was primarily speaking to our class, which was no different than most Fridays. Not that I expected a tremendous crowd of new listeners, but it did feel a little silly giving the same spiel to the same students just in a different state. It didn’t feel any more grandiose than a class day at MHC, except that I was wearing an uncomfortable blazer.

On the upside, it was really interesting to see other panels and hear about research in different fields. There were several students who were “experts” on niche topics that were able to convey their knowledge clearly to us in the audience. Hearing questions from the audience in other panels demonstrated the vast opinions and perspectives present at the conference. Even while listening to peers’ presentations that I felt well informed about, I was intrigued by the different questions coming from the audience. After months of discussing these topics in class, I was pleasantly surprised to hear different questions and comments that hadn’t arose in our conversations.

Overall, the conference was a learning experience—not just from an academic standpoint, but also from a personal perspective. While I learned a plethora of information from observing panels, I also learned something about myself—namely, I’m really passionate about this project and that I do not have an iron sense of confidence when it comes to presenting.

I guess my advice for future presenters would be:

  • Follow the Girl Scout motto—Be prepared. Buses will not run on time. You will likely walk into the wrong building or room at least once. The hotel will check 8 girls into the same room. But all of that is okay. You will catch the next bus. You will cross the hall or campus into the correct building. And eventually everyone will have a hotel bed to sleep in. Just be prepared to handle the glitches as they come. Roll with the punches.
  • There will be highs and lows. You might see an amazing panel in the morning and learn a great deal about your favorite topic, then that afternoon you might present to just a room of familiar faces. Some things will surpass your expectations, while others fall short. But it’ll balance out in the end.
  • Fake it till you make it (or at least until you get home). One thing 15 years of theatre has taught me is that you don’t actually have to be confident; you just have to exude confidence. If you want to take Shakespeare’s advice, “all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Put on your top hat and do your dance, change out of the costume when the curtain closes.

To sign off with a song that always makes me smile…

Posted on by Christina Oros

Site Audience

While I would hope that everyone would be interested in reading about my project and research, there is likely a more narrow audience than “everyone.” Being that my project includes elements of theatre, storytelling, and speech, I would expect that most viewers have an interest in one or more of these topics. Furthermore, these topics are rather broad and I presume most viewers will be drawn a more particular aspect of one of these topics. For example, someone may be more interested in the playwriting process, while another might be looking to explore the history of documentary theatre and how it was utilized. Although both of these viewers are interested in the theatrical aspects of the project, their specific interests vary.

Additionally, some audience will likely be seeking information about the Deaf community and the research that took place involving American Sign Language (ASL) and its users. Because theatre and speech pathology are not direct correlated in an obvious way, I want to make sure that viewers can be differentiated based on their interests in certain aspects of the project. Ideally, viewers should be able to sift through the research journals based on topics/themes/tags to find posts that relate to either theatre or speech (deaf studies) or storytelling.

In addition to the researching aspect of the project, there is the play itself. Since the audience will vary in their interests about theatre, the website should offer various types of access to the piece. If a speech student is simply interested in reading one or two scenes about the deaf education system, he/she should be able to easily find that particular passage. If a playwriting student is looking to read about the characters/set/props/ etc., he or she should have access to the introduction and technical information about the play. And another viewer might be interested in reading the entire play. In order to include these different variations of access, I will upload scenes and technical pages separately and include short summaries with key words/tags. I will also upload the play in its entirety to be read on the page or downloaded.

To make the website interactive for viewers, the “Share Your Story” page needs to be prominent for users. Whether the viewer is looking for content about theatre or the Deaf community, the ultimate goal is to encourage them to share their story. To pull the viewers into this portion of the project, the video of Dee’s final monologue will be on the home page (maybe?) so viewers can feel invited to participate.

Although the topics seem unrelated in a general sense, I want viewers to see the relationship that exists between theatre and communication. The front page will include a brief description (and possibly a mind map) showing the connections between communication sciences and theatre and how storytelling can serve as the bridge between these topics.

Posted on by Christina Oros

Site Critique

Using the rubric from the Fall semester, I’ve decided to make several changes to my eportfolio.

Firstly, I’m using a new eportfolio to be home to the final project. This new website will also allow viewers to contribute their own stories, in various forms, to the project. This website will have scenes from the play; these will be organized in different ways to allow viewers to either read just a scene or download the complete text. In an effort to direct and orientate viewers, the homepage will provide a brief summary of the research and the play. Readers will have the option to expand this page to get a more detailed explanation of the process and the play.

To keep things visually appealing and to incorporate multimedia elements, video will be used to show the final monologue of the play. This will also serve as an “invitation” of sorts for viewers to add their stories. Additionally, the pictures from the storyboard will be retaken (hopefully not on my kitchen counter). These images will be arranged individually by scene and also grouped by act. Word clouds will be added to show the different topics and themes discussed on the website.

While this new site will hold the final project, the site that I have used for the past several months will also have some updates. Rather than having posts mixed between reflective and research-based, I have categorized the posts and created menu options for these topics. Now viewers will be able to look only at research or only at reflection aspects of the project.

Both websites will also have some housekeeping updates. Scenes will be embedded, so viewers can read the text of the play directly on the page. The menu titles will be more consistent with each other. Both eportfolios will also have a bibliography page to cite all of the sources used in the research and in the writing. The titles and navigation bar will have clear and directive headings to guide viewers to their points of interest.

Posted on by Christina Oros

Updated Spring Schedule

By Friday 5/1:

  • Finish Act 1 (and possibly start Act 2)
  • Begin compiling bibliography and create page for bibliographic information on eportfolio.
  • Update eportfolio—retake storyboard pictures, embed scenes, write an “About” page, add video.
  • Invite more people to “Share Your Story” Page
  • Post my own story to the “Share Your Story” page
  • Posts about NCUR, audience, and site critique

By Friday 5/8:

  • Finish Acts 1 and 2, begin working on Act 3
  • Continue inviting people to “Share your Story” page
  • Highlight/showcase some of the shared stories as they are posted
  • Continue adding scenes and embedding pages of text
  • Update bibliography

By Friday 5/15:

  • Finalize play
  • Complete pages about scenic elements (cast list, characters, set list, prop list, scenic renderings?)
  • Upload complete text of play (to be downloaded as a complete PDF)
  • Finish bibliography
  • Continue to highlight shared stories

Other deadlines:

  • Wednesday 5/20: “Paper” due (to serve as the comprehensive About page)
  • Friday 5/22: Eportfolio complete

 

Posted on by Christina Oros

Mid-Semester Reflection

When the semester began, I had several ideas that I wanted to pursue for my capstone project. I knew I wanted to include research on theatre, storytelling, narrative, identity, Deaf culture, American Sign Language, and the list could go on. After creating my syllabus, I realized that an in-depth look at each of these components would be difficult. But it is possible to survey a selection of research from each of these fields and find my own connections.

My syllabus started as a reading list accompanied by various questions about each topic. While I’m still searching for answers to many of these questions, the readings have changed slightly and focus has shifted as well. As I read the selections I choose in August, I’m analyzing these documents in terms of creating my final project of a play. Rather than going through these readings and just interpreting them, I’m also looking for ways to use the methods presented in my own work. Hopefully, I will complete all of the readings on original syllabus. Some new works have made their way in throughout the past few weeks. But I plan to condense some of the skipped reading into the upcoming weeks, in order to utilize them in my project.

I’m really excited that my topic proposal has been able to incorporate most, if not all, of the ideas I had at the beginning of the semester. Taking a manageable subset of information from each of the topics will allow me to include them as elements of my final project. Once I line up willing interviewees for the playwriting process, I think I will be on track to complete this project. It’s been quite a ride so far and I can’t wait to see the final product!

Posted on by Christina Oros

More Stories

This weekend I went to the Brooklyn Book Festival and came home with a bag full of new reading material. My favorite item from this haul is a children’s book called “I Get It! I Get It! How John Figures It Out: One Boy’s Journey and Triumph with Auditory Processing Disorder.” (Yes, I’m 21 years old and bought a children’s book, apparently it happens when your future career choice involves kids). The author of this book, Yvonne Capitelli, writes for children with the intention of building self-esteem and encouraging kids to make good choices.

Now, I could mull over pages of textbooks and scholarly journals to learn about Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). And I have done that in the past. From that experience I’ve learned that APD causes a disruption in the processing of auditory information because the brain does not properly interpret sounds, phonemes, words, and sentences. I could list symptoms, diagnostic tests, and treatment plans for APD but that doesn’t provide a full picture of the disorder. However, reading a story about this disorder from the lens of a child created a more complete understanding. The narrative chronicles John’s story from his academic struggles to his diagnostic evaluation and through his treatment and success. Rather than pages of speech jargon, there is a description of the disorder, as it would present itself in the real world. Communication disorders have side effects. A child with APD is not just his symptoms. He has experiences and emotions related to this disorder and that’s what this story really portrays.

There aren’t many books written for kids about children with disabilities, so I’m more than excited to have this new copy resting in my clinic one day.

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Posted on by Christina Oros

Success

Success can be any size. It can be momentous occasion of being accepted to a top choice school or something small and simple like learning how to tie a shoe. One of my favorite personal successes is closer to tying a shoe. In fact, it involves my favorite pair of pink pointe shoes. Currently, they’re three sizes too small and worn out beyond a functional point. But they are still my favorite shoes and they are still hanging above my windowsill. Over eight years ago, I earned those shoes as a token of achievement.

In the fifth grade, I started ballet and being that I was an older beginner most of my classmates were half my size and half my age. I towered over most of the class and although I made some great pint-sized friends, I really wanted to catch up to my age group. To me, and nearly every other want-to-be ballerina, that meant one thing—pointe shoes. Satiny pink, square-toed shoes with pristine flat and smooth ribbons. Being able to don these shoes granted one a certain status in the ballet world. It meant you were strong, graceful, and advanced.

At the end of my first year, Ms. Roberta, the studio director, offered me the “pointe readiness test.” This consisted of performing a series of combinations and routines, in order to determine if one was strong enough to being pointe. The day of the exam arrived and I made certain to wear my newest tights, my favorite leotard, and my neatest bun. We began the test at the barre, where everyone was instructed to hold specific positions, such as releve and posse, while the teachers paced back and forth analyzing every aspect of our execution. When the barre portion of the exam ended, I removed my clammy palms from the cold metal barre and made my way to the center of the floor to begin the other combinations. Each group of girls went by leaping and turning, balancing and soaring. The final piece of music came to an end and so did the exam. We filed out of the studio, headed to the dressing room, and waited to be called in one by one for the results. I finally heard my name and sprang up from the floor. I quickly scurried back into the studio and greeted Ms. Roberta once again. With a wide grin, she simply said “You’re ready. Go get those shoes!” I bolted out of the room, meet my dad at the car, and shrieked the great news.

I had never so excited about shoe shopping. Moving up from flimsy ballet slippers to the satiny block toe shoes was quite an honor to me as a 6th grader. Working exceptionally hard for over a year allowed me to catch up with my age group (while wearing an awesome albeit painful pair shoes). After several hours in the dancewear store debating between Bloch and Capezio and Gaynor Minden, I had finally found the perfect pair. I returned home to neatly and delicately sew the ribbons on, ensuring that they would never unravel. The next Monday, we all loudly clumped into the studio still finding it awkward to walk in these new blocky and stiff shoes. I took my place at the barre and rose up onto my toes. I lifted my hands and glanced into the mirror, I still towered over some of my younger counterparts but this time with grace and strength.

My pointe shoes that actually fit and are not collecting dust on a window sill.

My pointe shoes that actually fit and are not collecting dust on a window sill.

 

Posted on by Christina Oros

An Effective Website (and a Great Story)

So as we know from my previous posts, Jane Austen is a huge part of my life. Although she wrote nearly 200 years ago, her stories are still read and continue to be relevant to modern audiences. Pride and Prejudice is arguably her most famous novel and as a result many adaptions have been made in recent years. In 2012, a YouTube channel (aptly called Pemberley Digital https://www.youtube.com/user/PemberleyDigital) began a vlog series called The Lizzie Bennett Diaries. This modern adaption tells the classic story in real time with Lizzie Bennett as a 24-year-old graduate student studying media communication.
The website can be found here: http://www.lizziebennet.com/story/

The reason I find this website so effective is how it chronicles the story. When the show started in April 2012, Lizzie published videos every Monday and Thursday. The characters, including Lizzie’s sisters Jane and Lydia, Darcy and his sister Georgina, among others, were all active on social media. The transmedia team created Twitters, Instagrams, and Tumblrs for these various characters and they interacted in live time as Lizzie’s videos were published. Although the series has ended (much to my dismay), the website has made the entire series accessible in chronological order. New viewers can start the series from the very begin and see the entire story unravel with all the incorporate transmedia elements of tweets and pictures. There’s also an option to follow the story through one particular social network such as YouTube, Twitter, or Tumblr. All of the media and videos are embedded into the site, so the links do not redirect viewers to YouTube tabs.

In addition to outlining the entire story, the website offers information on the characters which have a unique spin from the original writing of Jane Austen. There’s also actors’ bios and information about the creative team and writers. The website has a simple background and layout, but the information is clearly labeled and organized making this website incredibly effective. Not only is the website easy to navigate, it conveys an excellent story.

Posted on by Christina Oros

Failure is a Part of Life, Too

In the suburbs of New York City, driving a car is a necessary rite of passage for every high school junior. You may only be permitted to drive a used ten-year-old Ford Taurus upon passing your road test, but that’s beyond the point. Successfully completing your road test makes it seem like the world is at your fingertips. You’re granted a great responsibility and privilege with a small plastic ID and a set of keys.

So after only nine months with my learner’s permit and the bare minimum of practice, senseless seventeen year old me decided that I was most certainly ready to take the driving test. Bright and early one March morning in 2010, my dad patiently waited in front of the DMV while several drivers who began their test after me returned with passing marks. Three blocks away, I had just pulled out of a spot and collided with another car. My road test ended just as quickly as it had begun. Hitting another vehicle and filing a police report leads to an automatic failure of your road test (as I soon found out).

Although the accident was just a fender-bender and neither car was going over 10 miles per hour, it was still stunning and scary. Once the initial shock of the accident wore off and the police paperwork was completed, the disappointment of failure quickly set in. Admittedly, I was ill prepared and inexperienced. But I was still saddened and frustrated that I had not passed.

My dad emphasized that there was no time for wallowing and insisted that I get back in the driver’s seat and complete the 20 mile trek to school. With my confidence shot and the recent failure hovering, I was less than enthused to start the car and shift the gears into drive. But my dad gave me no other option. So just minutes after my first accident, I was in the driver’s seat once again and arrived at school in time for third period. Failing has another challenge, admitting it to yourself and others. I laughingly told my friends about the horrid road test incident with a giggle and a smile. But as someone who prides herself on success, I was tremendously embarrassed to fess up to my recent failure. Thankfully, friends will always support you and they don’t determine your worth based on one mishap. Accepting failure is challenge, but finally overcoming it is amazingly rewarding.

On that March morning, my father’s persistence annoyed me but today I’m grateful for his encouragement because I learned an incredibly important lesson—when you don’t succeed, you need to jump back in the saddle (or the driver’s seat) and try again. Success will come, eventually. It may include a damaged headlight, a dampened spirit, and a temporarily carless teenager. But the important thing is that failure is transitory. You will move forward, it will pass, and one day you will pass too.

Posted on by Christina Oros

Our Town and Jane Austen

Our Town, Thornton Wilder

In my tenth grade English class, we read an excerpt of the play ‘Our Town’ by Thornton Wilder, and I fell in love with storyline and characters’ relationships. Throughout the play, Wilder stresses the importance of companionship and community. Emily Webb, the leading character, falls in love with George Gibbs and throughout the play Wilder traces their loving relationship and their yearning for each other. Furthermore, during a majority of the play, characters appear on stage together, whether it is the kids walking to school together or Mrs. Gibbs and Mrs. Webb meeting to talk in the garden. One of the most interesting relationships in the play is between the audience and the Stage Manager, who narrates the chronicles of the Webb and Gibbs families in Grover’s Corners. From the beginning of Act I, this bond is created and there is a tie between the actors and the audience. Having the movements of the play embedded in the text and narrated by the Stage Manager, brings the audience into the action and allows them to experience the play as a member of Grover’s Corner.

In college, I performed Emily Webb’s monologue from Act II entitled “Goodbye World.” Her final line asks “do any human beings ever realize life while they live it—every, every minute?” People are constantly too caught up in the whirling motion of life to appreciate the importance of the “others” surrounding them.

Having the opportunity to interact with this play in various mediums only heightened my response to it. ‘Our Town’ is a play that marries my two fields of study, as a play that centralizes on the concept of human connection and communication. There’s a great quotation by Wallace Bacon, which states that the humanities and liberal arts “are concerned with the question of what makes life worth living. And that question concerns not simply oneself but others. The humanities must help us learn who we are; they must help us learn the otherness of others.”Throughout my studies of speech and theatre, “the otherness of others” has been a constant theme. Communication and theatre connect people and audiences and as a result we often learn about ourselves and one another. The title of the play even provides an example of community and union. The concept of ‘Our Town’ immediately establishes the human desire for company and camaraderie. The longing for companionship in this play highlights the importance of learning “the otherness of others.”

 

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Since my first reading of Pride and Prejudice in tenth grade, I’ve acquired an additional four copies of the novel—you could say I probably like the book. Lizzie and Darcy have a typical but charming love story, Mrs. Bennett is full of sass and dramatics; Jane is kind and sensitive, while Lydia is a bit of a wild child. I love these characters—they’re dynamic and full of life. But they take on a whole new meaning when you realize that Austen wrote this novel as a comedy of manners. Mrs. Bennett’s absurd antics to marry off her five daughters seem bit more interesting when you add the historical context. Five daughters and no husbands meant very little money after the death of Mr. Bennett. Mrs. Bennett’s obsession with marriage and money satirize the typical women of Victorian society. Austen pokes fun at Victorian regency society and the expectations laid out by this culture. (aside: although I was laughing, I was more than excited to participate in the “dressing up regency” section of the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, England). This witty satirizing novel led me to other similar works, such as The Importance of Being Earnest and the writings of Moliere. Most importantly, Pride and Prejudice introduced me to the world of classic novels, which soon became my favorite genre.

Posted on by Christina Oros