I felt the acting in the Sure Thing was excellent. The chemistry between the two actors was strong, for example with every "ding" both characters changed their personal views in a smooth and entertaining fashion. My favorite part was when the male actor pointed our his faults using his love of Trotsky, desire for liposuction and lack of physical endowment as humor.
The stage setting was minimal as to shift most of the focus on the two actors.I felt this worked, though I would have prefered more props to help convince me they were in a cafe or coffee shop. Overall I enjoyed the performance.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The video of "Sure Thing" was much better than I expected. The production was well done on many levels. The acting was very good, especially the young lady...her body language was spot on for each version of the encounter. This seems like a script that would be hard to keep straight, so many versions, with almost the same lines. The set was minimal but more than adequate, the camera work and the lighting were both good. I will watch some other versions of Sure Thing that were available on you-tube for comparison when I get the chance.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Personal essay
Don Sampo
Professor Hepworth
English 150
April 22, 2009
Personal essay
I can remember when I was young. My brother and I used to argue a lot. We would yell and fight to the bitter end sometimes. It usually ended in cuts, bruises, blood, and pain. He had more emotion than all of my family did. There was a constant competition with me. I was the oldest son, so I would get more attention. Tony would play on emotions in order to get his way!
I am the oldest brother of four. Tony is two years younger. I remember the sound of his voice. He was loud, and he had a lot of swearing. We didn’t always get along with each other, but we watched out for one another. I loved my brother, and I wanted him to succeed. He was stubborn like me. It was kind of weird sometimes. My brother would be arguing with me, and he would decide to hit me with an object.
I was bigger and stronger than Tony. He wanted even out the odds. We had some moments when things went along just fine. My Dad told us to go outside and fight. He was amazed that we didn’t kill each other. My Dad knew we had to work our issue out by ourselves. Tony and I got involved with drugs and alcohol when we were kids. I went to jail a few times, and so did he. The story about Sonny’s Blues reminds me of my brother and me. Although we shared a very physical relationship as kids, we are a lot closer now. We grew up in the sixties and seventies. There were changes in society, music, and cultures.
Professor Hepworth
English 150
April 22, 2009
Personal essay
I can remember when I was young. My brother and I used to argue a lot. We would yell and fight to the bitter end sometimes. It usually ended in cuts, bruises, blood, and pain. He had more emotion than all of my family did. There was a constant competition with me. I was the oldest son, so I would get more attention. Tony would play on emotions in order to get his way!
I am the oldest brother of four. Tony is two years younger. I remember the sound of his voice. He was loud, and he had a lot of swearing. We didn’t always get along with each other, but we watched out for one another. I loved my brother, and I wanted him to succeed. He was stubborn like me. It was kind of weird sometimes. My brother would be arguing with me, and he would decide to hit me with an object.
I was bigger and stronger than Tony. He wanted even out the odds. We had some moments when things went along just fine. My Dad told us to go outside and fight. He was amazed that we didn’t kill each other. My Dad knew we had to work our issue out by ourselves. Tony and I got involved with drugs and alcohol when we were kids. I went to jail a few times, and so did he. The story about Sonny’s Blues reminds me of my brother and me. Although we shared a very physical relationship as kids, we are a lot closer now. We grew up in the sixties and seventies. There were changes in society, music, and cultures.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Pictures for Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin
www.jtf.org/
america/
america.b...ers.4.htm
Posted by Ryan Grim
Andrew Hill (1931-2007)
Photo by Francis Wolff Corbis
Checker cab 1950s, http://www.coachbuilt.com
New York 1956: The Checker cab was immortalized in Martin Scorcese's 1976 cult classic 'Taxi Driver'
blogs.guardian.co.uk
New York City Subway Transit
Photo by David Pirmann
Harlem High School
Manhattan Street, Harlem, New York City
Harlem, vintage 1950s
Harlem street scene, NYC
Photo by Jerry Stoll
Monday, April 20, 2009
"Sunny's Blues." story pictures-Masami
I took some pictures for "Sunny's Blues.", but I couldn't post them all.
Here is pictures that I could post.
I think it's a symbol of the story,the piano.
Here is pictures that I could post.
I think it's can be a guy who meets the older brother at the school.
I think it's a symbol of the story,the piano.Friday, April 17, 2009
A rough storyboard for Sonny's Blues
Don Sampo
Professor Hepworth
English 150
Fiction Storyboard
Sonny’s Blues
Characters: Sonny, his brother, Creole, Dad, Mom, Isabel, Little Grace. Sonny is the main character. Sonny is more of a round character. I think he is dynamic.
Point of view: First person, brother is the narrator. The narrator is a participant, minor character. Brother could be an observer.
Setting: Harlem, New York. 1957.
Symbol: thing that suggests more than its literal meaning. Heroin, Jazz, or the piano.
Tone: attitude. Suffering. Hatred. Bitterness. Misery. Racism.
Style: mode of expression. The language a writer uses. Bookish language, imagery, with lots of feeling.
Theme: whatever general idea or insight the entire story reveals. In "Sonny's Blues," the brother finally comes to understand the darkness and suffering that consumes Sonny, and he begins to appreciate the music that Sonny uses to calm those blues.
Plot: artistic arrangement of the events.
Sonny’s brother is shocked as he reads the newspaper and walks from the subway to his algebra class. He is thinking back about when his brother was younger and straight. He is worried now about his brother’s safety. He could be shooting up somewhere or dealing Horse. Sonny’s brother realized that some of the boys in his class could getting stoned on heroin right there in the bathroom at school.
Sonny got busted for dealing and using heroin. A friend of Sonny’s tells his brother all about it. After a long time, Sonny finally wrote a letter to his brother. He told him that he was sorry and it was really bad in jail. Sonny got out of prison, and his brother got into a taxi with him to talk about his life.
They lived in a rundown housing project. They stopped at Isabel’s place for a while. They spoke with Mama about their father’s brother. Some drunken white guys hit him with their car. The father’s brother used to play his guitar on Saturday nights at different places. Mama is reminding her son that he has a brother. A brother needs looking after.
Sonny’s brother got married and then went back to the armed forces. Sonny wanted to be a jazz musician like Charlie Parker. Sonny played the piano at Isabel’s place. He would go to Greenwich Village to play the piano at a white girl’s apartment. Sonny moved in the apartment at the Village, and he associated with his friends and not his brother. Sonny and his brother got into a fight.
There was a revival meeting with a barbecue down the street. Sonny and his brother attended, but they were still distant. The meeting ended and the brothers talked for quite a while. Sonny talked about hatred and misery and love. He talked about heroin and his addiction.
They went to a nightclub, and Creole met with them. Creole took Sonny by the arm and lead him to the piano. Creole went to his bass fiddle, and another black man picked up his horn. There was Creole, and Sonny, and the other band members playing their jazz. The music was a release from feelings deep inside of Sonny. They were playing, “Am I Blue.” Sonny filled the air with music and life from that piano. Sonny’s brother had tears running down his face. He finally realized Sonny’s piano playing and what it all meant to him.
Professor Hepworth
English 150
Fiction Storyboard
Sonny’s Blues
Characters: Sonny, his brother, Creole, Dad, Mom, Isabel, Little Grace. Sonny is the main character. Sonny is more of a round character. I think he is dynamic.
Point of view: First person, brother is the narrator. The narrator is a participant, minor character. Brother could be an observer.
Setting: Harlem, New York. 1957.
Symbol: thing that suggests more than its literal meaning. Heroin, Jazz, or the piano.
Tone: attitude. Suffering. Hatred. Bitterness. Misery. Racism.
Style: mode of expression. The language a writer uses. Bookish language, imagery, with lots of feeling.
Theme: whatever general idea or insight the entire story reveals. In "Sonny's Blues," the brother finally comes to understand the darkness and suffering that consumes Sonny, and he begins to appreciate the music that Sonny uses to calm those blues.
Plot: artistic arrangement of the events.
Sonny’s brother is shocked as he reads the newspaper and walks from the subway to his algebra class. He is thinking back about when his brother was younger and straight. He is worried now about his brother’s safety. He could be shooting up somewhere or dealing Horse. Sonny’s brother realized that some of the boys in his class could getting stoned on heroin right there in the bathroom at school.
Sonny got busted for dealing and using heroin. A friend of Sonny’s tells his brother all about it. After a long time, Sonny finally wrote a letter to his brother. He told him that he was sorry and it was really bad in jail. Sonny got out of prison, and his brother got into a taxi with him to talk about his life.
They lived in a rundown housing project. They stopped at Isabel’s place for a while. They spoke with Mama about their father’s brother. Some drunken white guys hit him with their car. The father’s brother used to play his guitar on Saturday nights at different places. Mama is reminding her son that he has a brother. A brother needs looking after.
Sonny’s brother got married and then went back to the armed forces. Sonny wanted to be a jazz musician like Charlie Parker. Sonny played the piano at Isabel’s place. He would go to Greenwich Village to play the piano at a white girl’s apartment. Sonny moved in the apartment at the Village, and he associated with his friends and not his brother. Sonny and his brother got into a fight.
There was a revival meeting with a barbecue down the street. Sonny and his brother attended, but they were still distant. The meeting ended and the brothers talked for quite a while. Sonny talked about hatred and misery and love. He talked about heroin and his addiction.
They went to a nightclub, and Creole met with them. Creole took Sonny by the arm and lead him to the piano. Creole went to his bass fiddle, and another black man picked up his horn. There was Creole, and Sonny, and the other band members playing their jazz. The music was a release from feelings deep inside of Sonny. They were playing, “Am I Blue.” Sonny filled the air with music and life from that piano. Sonny’s brother had tears running down his face. He finally realized Sonny’s piano playing and what it all meant to him.
Hello
Hi people, I am not sure if this will get to you, if it does, try to post to it; to see if we need to tweek permissions. I am going to try to set up links to our respective blogs. RK
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