The Olunike Experience....

Olunike is an actor who is developing to become a successful movie star. She started out just like me as a regular drama student growing up in Brampton. It is always a privilege to know that a young black Canadian is successful in the entertainment industry.

On December 14th Soul Visionary Production had the great opportunity to meet Olunike. It was an organic experience as I heard her words of wisdom, power and encouragement. She was definitely the light in the dark theatre as she helped to have hope in our future career. Soul Visionary Productions is full of talented student who have dreams to become successful artist and we are just waiting for our big break.
Olunike described her journey of how she met different actors, producers and directors. It was her priority that she did everything that she could and refused to turn down opportunities that was available to her. Even though she had to babysit the celebrities children, she used that experience so that she could have access into the industry. Denzel Washington encouraged Olunike to have an education so that she could be well rounded as a person and an actor. It was definitely a struggle for her to be a single-mother and a university student. However, she pushed through and did not let anyone get the way of her education.

I was truly inspired by Olunike's words and I pray that she will become a successful holywood actor. Her life experience has taught me so much and I have to prepare myself for success. In the future I hope that my life will be an inspiration to someone elses.

A Recipe for Disaster ...

Soul Visionary Pro. was preparing for a special guest to come into the class. Marv Brown is successful man in Toronto and the USA. He is known for producing music artist, clubs and theatre shows in the GTA. It was a great honor to have such an iconic African- North American Man visit Soul Visionary Pro.


For the preparation of our special event, my group was responsible to prepare the food and beverages for Marv Brown. It was my responsibility to bring the vegetables and my group would bring everything else. Firstly we as a class were rushing to set up the room because the time was going by fast. In addition to the kayos, I opened the vegetable container and this horrible smell started to fill up the room. Unfortunately, one of the veggies were spoiled and we had to throw it out as soon as possible. This day was a true disaster as the school hallways started to stink and the class and to run around the room fanning the smell away. We had students who were distracting the guest and showing them around the school as we tried to get things back in order in our classroom. Nevertheless, Soul Visionary Pro. turned water into wine as we had an amazing red carpet event for Marv Brown. It was truly a miracle in the end and we were definitely inspired by his words of encouragement to us.

Lesson Learned: Always smell your vegetables before you bring it to a red carpet event...

Mentoring (Gr.10) Drama Students

The aids assembly was approaching and Ms Moon requested if the Acting Academy could select her top two performances from her class for the assembly. Unfortunately it was a difficult choice because the pieces were not strong for the type of stage and audience they were performing to. However, we selected two groups that would be easy to workshop to be onstage in the next couple of days. I had the privilege along with Ramona, Risa and Ashani to volunteer and direct a scene for one of the groups. There was a high concern for this group because group one had a stronger performance. Therfore, we had a huge challenge to re-work this scene and transform it into a stellar performance. In Mrs. Thomas words and also a quote from the bible: "it's like turning water into wine". Before School, After School and our lunch were our times to work with the grade 10 drama students. It was such a privilege working with them, because they were willing to learn and they took direction well. In addition, they were giving each other advice and placing input which had a great impact on the outcome of the performance. After working with the grade 10 student, I feel like I have learnt allot throughout my four years of drama. I was in the exact place that they were, making the exact mistakes that they made. However, I learned and I developed my skills so I can now help someone else grow as an performer. Looking back to the days when I was in grade 10 made me realize that I have grown as an artist and I am continuing to grow.  This experience encouraged me to learn more about drama and performing in the future. It was a blessing to work with such talented students, and I hope that when the reach grade 12 then they would be able to do the same for someone else.

Back Pocket Character

"Granny" is my strongest character that I enjoy performing. This is a character that allows me to be flexible because I have the opportunity to play any kind of "granny". In Mrs. Thomas' Productions i normally play the church granny. And in other productions I could play a unsaved granny, a knitting granny, a crazy granny and etc.  Many people may ask how I do it and honestly i don't even know myself. My Drama Teacher (Mrs. Thomas) tells me that it is hard for many other actors to play an old women.
I know that actors have to get into the moment when they are ready to perform. Nevertheless when I a performing as a granny sometime I don't feel like I'm "getting in the moment" It just feels natural. And I think I feel that way because I used the skill of method acting. Since I was in grade 7 I remember that I would be telling stories as an old granny to my friends during our luchtime. In addition I also played that character throughout presentations in middle school and drama performances in highschool. I have been buildind, developing and enhancing the character of a granny through-out mylife. Therefore, since I have developing this character for years it has become natural to me and that is why I find it easy to perform the character of a granny.
The other day my mother tried to convince me that I was born with the talent of performing an old lady because she did the same thing at my age. And even though it seems weird, I also find it cool how my mother was mini actor in her years. And she should be proud that she raised a talented girl... who is just like herself!

A Christmas Redemption

Granny is back!!


It is the season of Christmas also known as one of the most joy est times of the year. It is a time where people are in the spirit of giving and finding hope. This year, my Christmas season is even better than I expected it to be. Soul Visionary Productions is currently involved in Ms Thomas Christmas production called "The Christmas Redemption". It is a great opportunity to collaborate with Ms Thomas' church - Kingdom House. I enjoy working with her church members because they are so nice, supportive and easy to talk to. And I hope that we can collaborate together in any other productions that may occur in the future.


The Christmas Redemption is about how three different relationship are failing because they are not putting their hope, faith, peace and love in God. The problems in each relationship are unravelled in a beauty salon and a barber shop. Where the couples have discussions with their friends who are also going through relationship problems. It takes a world-wide grandmother who is connected to each character, to bring everyone together to help solve the relationship problems. In addition the grandmother also address the true meaning of Christmas because there are others who are misinterpreting the true meaning of Christmas.


I believe that this play will touch and change the lives of many people....and it is such an honor to be apart of the life changing experience.

My Christmas Wish List ...

Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year because it brings so much joy and excitment into my life. Toys and gifts are a bonus to this celebration however, it is not the main reason why I love this holiday. The birth of christ is why I celebrate this holiday because he is Jesus and he came into the world to save us all from sin. And I also love christmas because of the feeling of joy and happiness that happens during this time of year. My favorite part of christmas is watching christmas movies at night with my siblings while it is snowing outside. When I'm in that setting I feel like life is perfect and that I'm in a bigger and better world.


Many people write a christmas list of the iteams that they are requesting for christmas. However, I have a christmas wish list of all things that I hope to be accomplished or in process of accomplishing for the new year.


Wish List


1. Bring my cousin back into the church
2. KLM Youth Choir do a stellar job at concert
3. Have a stellar performance in "The Christmas Redemption"
4. Make a Final Decision on Post Secondary Education
5. Have more patience and respect
6. Give to others
7. Be more friendly
8. Have high grades in school
9. For my Grandfather to go to church
10. Have some "me" time

Change

Walking down the streets of downtown Toronto has opened my eyes to new and enriching lives and stories. It was an unbelievable experiences as I watched how people live their lives on a daily basis. As I continued to observe my surrounding, the word "Change" came into my mind. The phrase change focuses on making a change in the life of the unfortunates. I honestly do not expect us to take them off the streets completely and provide a stable home for them. However, we as the society have to be our brothers keeper. Therefore, it is essential that we help those who are facing proverty the best way we can. If we have too much of something, then let's be humble and hand it over to someone else that has nothing. We as a society can sometime forget that there are other who are struggling everyday and they rely on us to help them get by. There are time where we may judge as say that they are just trying to still our money to by drug or etc. Nevertheless there are some who grew up on the streets and have no where else to go and we cannot punish them for the fault of others. And even if we ourselves are struggling with our own finanances, then we should at least try and put a smile on anothers face. Just our respect, curtosy and aura  can make someone's day. We have to understand that change doesnt always have to deal with money. But it could invloves so many things that doesnt even cost us a penny.


Fot my media presentation I just the medium of a video montage. I believe that it was the easiest and strogest way for me to portray my thoughts on my theme "Change". When I added the song "Lean on me" by Kirk Franklin, it made my message alot more clear.


One of my of my key statements was: "We must give them home...for a brighter future"

The Suspect

"If I take a shot, I never miss. And If I choose to come after you, believe me you'll be the one falling. I gurantee it!"


This is the famous line from the scripted scene called The Suspect. My co-star Jenisha and myself has worked hard together to perform this amazing piece. The conflit in The Suspect is that Ms Hansen (played by Jenisha) is trying to frame a man for the death of her father. Detective Dickerson (played by myself) is interrogating Ms Hansen because she believe that the man was not the killer. This performance leaves a great suspence as the audience does not know wheather or not Ms Hansen is in fact the murderer.


Jenisha Palmer is an amazing student to work with and it was a great privelege having her as my partner for this performance. We are students who are really focused about our education and we always like to achieve for exellence. Practice, practice, practice is always the key to almost everything in life. Everytime that we had together, we used it to rehearse our line and our blocking. We encourage ourselves and eachother on what we can do to make the scene and the characters more authentic. It is always a great feeling to know that you can work with someone who is honest and is an reliable person. And if one of us did something wrong or if we needed to improve on something, we would let eachother know. Jenisha and I definetly understand that Acting Academy is hard course and we have to work hard to earn our marks. Therfore, we prepared alot for this performance and it was important for us to be focused and stive for a level four.


Unfortunetly we did not have a level four performance but it was a giant step from where we started. We started from level 2 performances to a level 3 performance and now we are getting ready to jump from a level 3 performance to a level 4 performance. It always takes a step at a time and even though we did not accomplish exactly want we wanted to, we still grew as artist. And we are excited to go into our relationship scene in hopes to learn from our past mistakes so that we can create a stellar performance. I know that it will not be easy, but we have to do our best to stand up and stand out!


We are the light in the dark theatre and it is our goal to let our light shine brighter everyday.

A Dry Christmas

My favorite season of the year is always Christmas. It is so hard to explain, but it is just the greatest feeling during the Christmas season. I love the Christmas spirit, the shopping, the decorations and most of all the movies. Christmas movies are my absolute favorite movies to watch. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a different world because everything is just so magical.
There was one time, where I was watching a Christmas movie in the summer and by the end of the movie I could swear that I was in the month of December. But then I soon realized that it was only July. It may sound weird to people, but I get lost in the movie when I'm watching Christmas movies.


The setting for majority of Christmas movies are taken place in a city that has snow. However, I was watching "This Christmas" the other day and I just realized that they decided to have this movie located in California. And then i just clicked to me that many people have Christmas without snow. I wasn't that i didn't know that before. However, I just shocked me so much because I personally cannot picture Christmas without snow. I believe that snow is the foundation for the perfect Christmas. And if I decide to movie to a hot location such as Los Angeles. I will ensure that i come back to Canada during the Christmas time because I cannot imagine myself opening presents and it boiling hot outside.


"Is Christmas the same without snow?"
To me, it just doesn't ! And to others they may find it perfectly fine!
I just cannot find myself in the middle of a dry Christmas...can you?

Why do parents encourage their kids?

"Keep up the good work honey"

"You're awesome"

"Oh my gosh! you are so talented"

"How did you get so good?"

"You're even better than me!"

"I wish I was as good as you"

We all know that the majority of parents want their kids to have the best in life. And there is no doubt that we have generation full of talented and gifted children. It such a blessing to know that many kids in this society are performing well in : piano, skating, dance, swimming, ballet, hockey, basketball, karate, soccer, gymnastics and etc. There are many extra curricular activities that are open to the community and the generation is excelling as they develop their talents. The parents of these talented kids should be more than proud of their great accomplishments. And I encourage all parents to support their children when they are doing recites and performances. It is always good to know that you raised someone who talented and is accomplishing their goals daily.

On the other hand..... I personally believe that parents should encourage their children at something only if they have a "chance" to succeed in it! There are many activities that we have to work on daily in order to be successful. However, there are naturally talents that can automatically dictate whether you are good at it or not. For example singing. I believe that singing is a natural talent, and if you are a not a great singers i likely doubt that singing lessons would help. It take a miracle for someone who is a bad singer to change into a great singer. I'm not saying that singing lessons are not helpful. Nevertheless, if you do not a have a good voice then singing lesson cannot magically make it sound good.

It is so sad to know that there are parents who encourage their kids that they are good at something when the child really isn't. It is even worst when the parent tells the child that they are a good singer. And they know that their child is not a good singer, but they still encourage them because its the child's dream. Parents have to be honest with their children and just tell them the truth. Because if they don't hear it from you then they will hear it from someone else. And some cases young people are told the truth in front of America at American Idol.

My last words are this: Just be honest with your children! Encourage them when they're are good at something and if they arereally not good at something then be honest with them. Don't throw them under the bus and then they have to hear it from someone else.

WICKED!! We're off to see the wizard....

A Standing Ovation!!


That musical was amazing and I am so delighted that I had the opportunity to watch it. Unfortunately it is embarrassing to say that I have never watched the movie "The Wizards of Oz". And after watching this incredibly musical, it makes me want to turn around and watch the movie to see how everything came about. 


Wicked was played at the Canon Theatre in down town Toronto. Soul Visionary productions was blessed with great seat, where most of us sat in the Orchestra section. I enjoyed the seat that I was given, it gave me a clear view of the whole stage and the sound was great.
I have seen many professional musical productions and this was by far one of the best that I have seen. I have to place this in my top 5 favorite musicals. And it definitely over seeded my expectations.


I love music! Music is one of the biggest things that is apart of my life. Therefore I get excited when I could sit down and enjoy a musical production. I am the type of person who loves to hear big voices and harmony and the whole works. And sometimes I do get disappointed when the vocals did not reach my expectation. Nevertheless, the cast of Wicked blew my mind with their vocals. Honestly, the actress who played the wicked witch was unbelievable. I felt like I was in heaven for just one moment. She was outstanding!!


The play was so breathtaking, that I cant even describe how good it was. I felt like I was in Disney World because this is the type of performances that Disney constantly puts on. Everything felt so magical and mysterious that I felt like I was in a different world. 
The set, the music, the costume, the lighting, the acting...EVERYTHING was unbelievable. And I would encourage anyone who is passionate about musical productions or if you should want to see a good show!! Go and watch the musical production of  "WICKED"!

Why are they not firing bad teachers?

Everyone must have been faced with at least one "bad" teacher.

Teachers have one of the most important jobs that can help make or break the success of the students. They have the power to determine if students are qualified to graduate in hopes to pursue their dream carrer. Since teachers have such a huge impact for the future success of students. I believe that they should be more than willing to do their best to ensure that everyone in their classes are qualifiedt to graduate. It is a different story of the student is unfocused and is not willing to work in class. But, if the student is like a sponge and is willing to learn, then teachers should be willing to teach to their best ability.

Unfortunately, we have many teachers in Canada who are teaching but they do not love the job. It is discomforting to know that there are people in our society who are going into this carrer because of the good pay. We cannot be fooled, because teachers are being paid alot for what they are doing. However, it is unfortunate to know that there are a few who are not good teacher to their students. And I wish that they would give

Speaking from experiences, it is hard having to sit in a classroom listening to a teacher with a modotone voice and does not sound interested in what he/she is saying. I believe if a teacher doesn't not like teaching, then the students does not like learning. And in the end it is unfortunate when students are failing classes and are unable to go to univerisity, just because the teacher was not giving 100% into their lessons.

Nevertheless, I must say that there are alot of teacher who completely love what they are doing and you can tell by just being in their classes. It is a great feeling to know that there are some who are willing to stay after school, come early to school and work with the students so that they can be successful in the class. It is a weight being lift off of a students shoulder when they find a teacher who loves what they are doing. Because they are always there to ensure that they can do the best that they can to help the students achieve their eduaction.

At the end of the day, it is comforting to know that we having teachers who loving doing their job and enjoys helping out their students. We probaby cannot detect wheather or not a teacher is going into the career because its their passion or for the money. But, I hope that if they decide to enter into this carer they would re-think their motive before stepping into the classroom.

My Strongest Virtue....

The deadly sin that is contrary to chastity is "Lust".

Chastity is the one of the seven virtues that I believe that I can relate to the most. I grew up in a christian home and I have lived a chritian life since I was born. There have been many rules and believes that I grew up learning. Therefore, I have a strong believe in monogomy because of my religion and they way that I was raised. God comes first in my life and I will work hard to ensure that I get make it to heaven.

It is unfortunate that many young people in the church today are trying to live the best of both worlds. They want live in the world, doing everything that other do and also wants to be involve in the church. Believe it or not, there are young christians who are losing their virginity before marriage thinking that no one will know. But, God knows everything that we do and we cannot try and fool him. 

I will continue to stand strong as a young christian. I made a decision that I will shut down sexual desire until I am married. It is important to me that I follow the will of God and my church and do the right thing. I respect myself and a young women and I hope that I will be an example to younger women and my children in the future.

Chastity is a state of purity and refraiming from sexual intercourse (before marriage)

7 Deadly Sins

Pride

Envy 

Gluttony

Lust  

Anger 

Greed 

Sloth 

The seven deadly sins is a believe that originated from Christianity. It is a spiritually belief that we as human should not commit these particular sins.
As a christian I understand the reason of the seven deadly sins. God is the one who created us and he made us for a person. He loved us so much that Jesus came down on earth and died for our sins. It is not right for us to place all of this desires before the Lord. God come first and once we step out of line and begin to focus on other things, God will become jealous. God must be our first priority and everything else in our lives must come after.


The movie "Seven" which stares Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman portrays a unique way of the seven deadly sins. This movie was not neccessarly directed to christian but to the who nation. I was quite compelling as I was the authenicity of the characters in this movie. Brad Pitt was exceptional has he played the role of Detective Davis. He was most definetly an Iconic actor based on his performance in this movie. His acting allowed the audience to feel his pain, rage and sadness. I was completely stunned by the outcome of the whole movie and I would encourage anyone to take the time and watch the movie "Seven".

What Current Sitcoms are LEGENDARY?

1.The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
2.The Cosby Show
3.Full House
4.Family Matters
5.Friends
This is my list of the top 5 legendary sitcoms in the last 20 years.


I do not know what makes these shows legendary. All I know is that each show has something different to bring to the table and the society felt in love with it. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is my number one favorite TV Show of all times. I love the theme and the characters including: Philip, Carlton and Geofftrey. Even though they stopped filming the sitcoms in 1996 (14 years ago)... the show never gets old. I believe that successful TV shows have to have a refreshing effect on the viewers.  A production company and the casts knows that they are doing their job right when people can watch a sitcom 4...5..10 times and will never get tired if it!


Unfortunately, the shows that are airing today are not as memorable as my top 5 list. Personally, I think that the shows that are being produced today are weak and quite weird. The society is has different views of TV shows and each show has a different audiences.
Will there be a show that will draw a crowd of majorities? Or will TV shows continue to attract small group of viewers?
The key to having an iconic sitcom is finding a theme/ plot that will attract both children and adults. On my top 5 list, 4 of the TV shows are family oriented. It makes a difference when you are able to speak to many different age groups at the same time. Compared to our current time where there are shows that are strictly geared towards children or strictly geared towards adults.


We need to work hard and create new legendary shows for the years to come....

Life on the streets of Ossington

There are many of us who are so blessed to live such fortunate lives. We have food on the table, clothes on our back and alot more that others which they could have. It is ashame that most of us do not take the time to help someone else who is in trouble. At times we can get so caught up in ourselves and in our lives that we tend to forget about those who are struggling daily.


On the streets of Ossington there are many people who are homeless, sick and struggling with drug addictions. . It is a nice thing to know that we love to help those who suffering in third world country's. However, I believe it is unfair that we are going out of our way to help people in other countries when there are people in our country who are also suffering. It is a great thing that Canada wants to help other countries. Nevertheless, we need to learn how to balance level of giving so that we know that we can  take care of our city first.


I encourage everyone to take time and walk down the street of Ossington because we do not know what we are missing. It feels like walking through a different world because the atmosphere and the people. We must be our brothers keeper and help our society live a better and stronger life!!

Do your clothes tell a story?

Vintage shopping allows us to discover unique clothing that was worn years ago. Clothes from the past are antique and valuable to have in our closets. It is not about someone else wearing the items years ago. However, is about the fact that someone's life lived in the same outfit that you have. It is more than a honor to be blessed to step into the clothes that represents history. Alot of memorizes and expriences were lived in those clothings and it is important that we honor the storys that the clothing beholds. As an actress it is imporant that I find the connection with the clothes so I can understand a story line behind the outfit. If you didn't know before, you know now that fashion (clothing) can say alot about a person. It just takes the right person who has a connection to interprit the item.


It is important that we live each day to our fullest!!


As young people it should be our maindate to do something spectacular that will change your life and the life of other. We cannot settle for medioker, but we must strive for excellence.  I believe that our clothes should be able to tell a story to someone else in the future. I am excited to know that in about 30-40 years from now there will be someone walking in my clothes and re-creating new expriences for someone else.
Vintage shopping is more that just buying used clothing. It is about being empowered by the clothing of the people who wore the oufits years ago.

Where are the Legends?

Elvis Presely
Whitney Houston
Micheal Jackson
Stevey Wonder
Diana Ross
....are my top five artist who I reconize as a legenday singer. 

These singers will continue to be known 10 plus years from now because of the impact that their music has left on the society. I was not alive when Elvis was making his music and even though he died, his music was yet still alive. Micheal Jackson is another artist who was making music when my parents were children. Even until this day, his music that was recored 40 years ago is still playing all around the word today. This is the impact that artists need to have an iconic singer/musician. It is essestial that successful artists can leave the world knowing that they have left a possitive impact in the music world. 

As I look at the artists who are currently producing music, I begin to feel dissapointed. Many of the music artist are not iconic and the artist will become invisible at the end of their career. Trey Songs, Keisha Cole, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Usher, Rihanna.... and the list goes on. But the question is: "what are they doing with their music?" Their music is not as successful as it needs to be, because after one year their songs are considered "old". But when I think of Whitney Houston, her songs can never get old because the music and her voice is soo rich. Even though Whitney went through a tragic moment in her life, people seemed to over look that and appreciate the music that she made before her bad choices.  That is what I call a true iconic music artist!!!

The only current artist who I think is close to being an iconic singer is beyonce. However, she is yet soo far from the finish line because her music dies out after a year or two. Even though her voice is amazing there is something that is stopping her from being the legendary singer of today. What is stopping her?
I believe that there is no point of being a music artist if your music was only good to help the people of today. It is imporatant to me that those who enter into the music industry are aiming to change the lives of people for today and for tommorow. That is how you can become an iconic musical aritist.

Is someone a legendary singer because of their music?
or their voice?
or is it both?

Being Famous and an Christian...hmmm

Can you be a actress and still be involve in the church?

Is my religion still more important than my career?

Am I am able sacrifice my salvation for my big break?

Will God accept all of my excuses for not be in church?

My head spins when I start to think about the possibility of be an actress and still being active in the church. God is my first priority and I do my best to ensure that whatever decision I make God will be pleased with it. It is important to me that I stay faithful in my spiritually beliefs, values and expectations. I respect the rules in my church because that is what makes us more discipline in the church. Many churches rules and expectations are different from others therefore, people may question my churchs' rule about 'wearing skirts'. Others make think that it is not a big deal however, it is a big deal to me because its about obeying the rules of the church. What someone may wear in church or outside of Church doesn't dictate whether or not they are going to heaven. It starts to become a situation when one decides that they are going to be disobedient towards the rule of the church.


As an aspiring actress there are going to be hard decisions that I will have to make because my spiritual beliefs. The society is getting worst and it is becoming harder to find appropriate roles for an African -American christian women. There are a lot of celebrities who started out in the church however, fame was knocking on their door. They had to make a decision on whether or not they are going to be faithful to their spiritual beliefs. It is one's dream to be a famous walking down the red carpet but am I going to choice that over my faith? This industry will turn Christians into sinners because of the ungodly things that are expected from celebrities. I cannot let fame destroy my relationship with God. I will put God first because at the end of the day, acting will not help me get into heaven.


I am not saying that there are not celebrities who are Christians however, you will find most of them singing Gospel Music. It is ten times harder for a christian to be acting because there are limited amount of roles that will represent us well. Many people are going out for those half decent roles, plus we cannot rely on those few roles to put food on the table. If I decide to go into the entertainment field I must be in charge of the direction of my successful career. I will not want someone to make or change me into something that I am not!!

OR/ AND?

A Phenomenal Women

"No one raised me, " she recollected, "I just ran wild."


Ethel Waters was an awesome singer/actress in the 80's. She was known for her beautiful voice and presences that she brings to the stage. Walters was the second African - American to be nominated for an Academy Awards. In addition she recorded several of albums and had three of her recoding were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.


Was Walters Life too good to be transformed into a tragic Monologue?


Nope! Walter's life wasn't so glamorous before she entered into the entertainment industry. Walter became the result to the rape incident that her mother was involved in her teenage years. Unfortunately, the unexpected  birth of Walters caused her to have a rough life growing up in Chester, Pennsylvania. Her life was unstable and she had to move from different homes constantly through her young life. It was her own responsibility to take care of herself because her family was not there for her. In addition, she entered into a abusive marriage at the age of thirteen and was able to to get out of it when she got the chance.


Walter's life experiences did not end here, however I believe that I can portray this women well in my tragic monologue. The personality and struggles that Walter faced, challenges me to find a connection from my own life experiences.


I am excited to study the great wonders of this women and the tragic time that she had to face. Once I work hard and dedicate myself to Ethel Walters then I will be able to find the authenticity of the character. In the end I will work hard to dedicate myself to this great women, and be transformed into Ethel Waters.

Directors dont Direct!!

"Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the director is a jerk. He wants to be there for you, he just, probably, doesn’t have the time. He’s busy running a huge production…" Kirsten Tretbar from http://www.theactingroom.com/


Is it true that directors dont direct? According to Kirsten Tretbar it is true. In her article she talks about how directors have minimum time with the actors, that why the actors must be able to able to prepare on their own. In additions, she states that directors love and enjoy the time to work with their actors however, they have other prioritys that must be dealt with as well.
I personally believe that it depends on the type of director because there are some directors who will make time to be with their actors. It is the resposibility of the director to ensure that their vision is being fufilled because the last thing that they want is for the actors to misinterpit the goal of the performance. Nevertheless, it is the actors responsibility to learn how to work on the character without the director giving them every detail. It is important that they actor is able to find the connection and the essence of the character on their own time. The director does not have time to help the actor find that place of emotion and relationship to the character. That is why they cast people who can easily access the "box" of emotions because time is money. It is a waste of time if a director has to take a numerous amout of take for one scene just because the actor is not being authentic to the character. Film Productions cannot waste money because an actor cannot get into the moment. Therfore, the actor will be fired and they will hire someone else who can do the job correctly.


Directors do not direct the actor, they direct the scene.

How much are you willing to give up?

"An Actor must free to audition for roles and accept employment when and where it is offered." - Acting Professionally, Robert Cohen


I had an organic moment when I was reading the topic: Freedom From Entanglement and Inhibition in the book ‘Acting Professionally’ by Robert Cohen.
The writer was talking about how it is important for actors to be available for work at all times. Especially if we are just starting our career, it is crucial that we are easy to contact and are available at any given time. A lot of people are slacking off on other commitments because they are so focused and determined to be successful in this career. The book also mentions how actors who struggle financially are sacrificing their income to pay for acting classes, workshops and photos.
I was overwhelmed by how desperate actors can be when it comes to getting a job so they can pay off their bills. In this industry, we cannot rely on one movie income to support our family. Unfortunately, jobs are not consistent in the acting industry; therefore you have to be constantly going to auditions so that you can get a job. And there may be a lot of times where you cannot find a job when you need it the most.


Does it make sense to get married?
Would a husband/ or wife be willing to deal with the life of an actor who is constantly looking for a job? An actor has to understand that their spouse is relying on them to bring the income into the house. There may be pressure in a relationship if the actor cannot get a job that will help pay for bills, children and other expenses. An actor who is striving to be successful may have too much on their plate if they do not have a second job or their spouse doesn’t have a stable job. In addition, being away from the family for a long period of time can become very stressful in a relationship. I do not believe that a wife or husband wants to feel like a single parent even though they are already married to an actor. If a spouse is in a relationship and they feel like they are a single parent, then they might as well cut off the relationship and be a single parent. There is no point in trying to make everything seem okay when it is not okay.


At the end of the day, the actor has to make a decision; if being in a relationship will make or break their acting career.

My Dads Consecration in Montreal

I am proud to be the daughter of Pastor Barrington Smith!!
My father started his own church ten years ago called "Kingdom Life Ministries".

Our church began in the basement of my old house and within ten years we have grown to over four hundred members in our new building. God has truly blessed my father and mother to be the leader of this great congregation. Kingdom Life is an amazing ministry, it has put a great impact on the people in the society and to different assemblies across the world.

The PAW (Pentecostal Assemblies of the World) is an international pentecostal organization that Kingdom Life is apart of. Within the organization there are several of different councils across the world that that meets together and has there separate conferences each year. Once a year all the councils comes together to have a international conference in the summer.

My father is the Canadian Council Chairman for Canada and last weekend he was consecrated to be a Suffragan Bishop in Montreal. The Kingdom Life Family was more than supportive! It was amazing to see the amount of people who came down to witness the blessings of their pastor! I am so so so proud of my father, he has worked so hard to be at the place that he is at right now. He has put his heart and soul into his ministry, his family, the church, his job and so much more. It is definitely a great accomplishment and I hope that he will continue to grow and do the work that God has in stored for him!

 

"New Life Begins At Kingdom Life" - Suffragan Bishop Smith