Final Statement

Well I guess its time to rap this up. I have had a great time studying theater with everyone, it has been a great experience. To answer the question I posed in the beginning of this blog: The answer is yes I do enjoy Theater more then I did before taking this course. It has opened my eyes to a new world of everything Theatrical. 

In the begging of this course I was pretty skeptical, and I wasn't very open to new things (such as going to see plays). A lot of the themes and ideas I have learned in this class will defiantly help me on my road to being a good teacher. Something else I enjoyed about this class was the discussion board that we were able to use to post all of our ideas and feelings. I learned a lot about people in the class by using the discussion board that I probably would not have known other wise.

So all in all his was a great class, and I had a lot of fun.

The Tempest

I looked up a Shakespeare play "The Tempest" and what I read was pretty interesting. It said that the play really didn't start to become popular till the theaters started to close in 1642. Another thing that I saw was that it was listed as a comedy. I was trying to read a little bit of the play, but I'm not really into Shakespeare so I couldn't really rap my brain around it.

RE: National Endowments of the Arts

I think this program is great. Anything that helps people achieve there goals is a giant step in the right direction.  Given the fact that it is a government program also allows for a larger group of people to get involved. I can't believe that I haven't heard of them before considering the fact they have been established since 1965. They also seem like they are a very accessible institute to become involved with. They say they are dedicated to Excellence in Education of the arts so I assume that they produce a lot of teachers as well as aspiring artists. Here are just some of the institutes accomplishments: Sponsorship of the Vietnam Veterans  Memorial, Giving Early  funding to  The Sundance Film Festival, Steppenwolf Theater Company, and The American Film Institute. The list goes on and on. I truly believe that it's programs like this that will change this country for the better.

National Endowment of the Arts Link

NEA Link  

Julie Taymor

Julie Taymor is an exceptionally talented individual. She was an Academy Award nominated director. Her most well known films were films such as Frida (2002) and her more recent film Across The Universe (2007).
It seemed that Julie was always interested in theater. When she was younger she enjoyed mythology as well as international folklore. Later, after graduating Oberlin college in 1974, she had a degree in both these interests. Growing up she lived in several different countries where she could observe different customs and traditions. During the 1970s she had the opportunity to study puppetry and the art of Japanese theater while living in Japan. She also lived in Indonesia for five years where she worked as a director with Asian, European, and American actors. Back in the USA she worked on and off of Broadway where she staged her first success The King Stag. Julie also went on to produce operas, earning her an Emmy for her production of Oedipus Rex in 1992. She even won two Tony awards for her work in the production of The Lion King. Not only did Julie do a massive production of Walt Disney’s The Lion King she also co designed over 100 costumes and masks. Her 2002 film Frida received six Oscar nominations and two Oscars. She had continued success with productions like The Magic Flute and Beowulf. Her 2007 production of Across the Universe was her latest great accomplishment. Along with her directing profession she also has a valuable collection of puppets, costumes, and masks.
In conclusion, I think that we can say that Julie is a very talented person in many ways. As I read her biography I was very impressed by her achievements. She has accomplished many different things in her life. She has worked on several different types of productions, and has lived and experienced several different types of cultures and traditions. In my opinion, Julie is a perfect example of a theater guru. Everything that Julie did throughout her life was a way of theater. From designing and collecting costumes and masks to working on puppets and studying theater Julie was an example of a person with a true love for theater and the arts. She also shares this love with her husband Elliot Goldenthal.

Went to see Babes in Toyland instead

Well I ended up seeing Babes in toyland because i got sick the week we were going to go see Violet Sharp, but I think I enjoyed it just as much. I really would have liked to see Violet Sharp, and maybe some day in the future I will.