Federico Garcia Lorca / Blood Wedding / Cortijo del Fraile Cortijo del Fraile: True-Life Setting of a Crime of Passion The rural farmhouse with a bloody history that inspired Federico Garcia Lorca ’s seminal tragedy. Built by Dominican friars in the eighteenth century Cortijo del Fraile (the Friar’s Farmhouse) is a traditional Spanish farmhouse with a dark past. Situated in the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata-Nijar , the once grand estate is now a dilapidated collection of buildings and would probably not draw a second glance had it not been for a real-life story of betrayal and bloody revenge that occurred there in 1928. A young woman named Francisca Canada Morales lived on the farm with her father, and eloped with her cousin, Francisco Montes Canada hours before she was due to marry Casimiro, a labourer to whom she was not attracted. The tragic story unfolded a few yards away when the cousin, with whom Francesca had been in love since childhood was shot in the head by the prospective bridegroom’s brother. He had been laying in wait for them at a nearby crossroads. Francisca was severely beaten and left for dead, but survived the ambush.

She lived the rest of her life as a recluse, never marrying, and died in 1987. Back to Top of Federico Garcia Lorca Blood Wedding During the 1920s and 30s poet, playwright and theatre director Federico Garcia Lorca enjoyed fame and widespread recognition throughout Spain and abroad. He followed the newspaper stories and kept cuttings about the murder, using the crime of passion as a source of inspiration for one of his most famous and most frequently performed plays. Bodas de Sangre or Wedding of Blood is a chilling and powerful modernist masterpiece that was written in 1932 and first performed in Madrid in 1933. The play is in three acts and the plot describes an arranged marriage between a young and beautiful bride and a shy and undistinguished groom. During the wedding reception the bride runs off with her true love, a handsome young man called Leonardo whom she had been attracted to since the age of 15, but who is now married. Francisca Cañada, Casimiro Pérez Pino, the groom The elopement is a source of dishonour and shame for both families and the runaways are hunted down.

The pursuit ends in a knife fight between Leonardo and the groom and both are slain, leaving the contested bride covered in their blood. Although Lorca drew much from the real-life events near and around the Cortijo del Fraile he made numerous changes in his work. For example, according to newspaper reports of the murder, Francisca had a squint, a limp and prominent teeth, and Casimiro was a rather dull man. Lorca made the bride physically appealing and the groom shy, rather than unexciting. Back to Top of Federico Garcia Lorca Impressive Estate Cortijo del Fraile was originally the centre of a huge farm with olive trees and vines and would have probably managed a few smaller farms in the area as well. The estate is a typical large scale Andalusian livestock and agricultural farm. There are several buildings constructed around a central courtyard and include ovens, stables, piggeries and the chapel. During the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizabal (1835-37) when a set of decrees resulted in the capture of monastic properties in Spain, the entire estate was divided and passed into the hands of numerous owners. But they eventually sold it to a bourgeois family.

Such is the legend surrounding both the real-life events and Lorca’s play that the cortijo is sought out by people from all over the world. Not only do tourists beat a path to its door, but so do actors, playwrights, painters, producers and other creative types who all want to be inspired by this atmospheric and somewhat mysterious place. Back to Top of Federico Garcia Lorca Shabby and Rundown What greets them is a rather shabby, but no less fascinating cluster of ruined buildings. Following years of neglect and vandalism the buildings of this once grand farmstead are in a fragile way, the state of decay threatening to bring them crumbling down to the ground. The chapel, where the wedding was due to take place lies open to the elements, window frames are barely propped up by anything more than stones, piles of rubble line its courtyard and the vast majority of the roofs have caved in. Besides its literary interest and grisly past, the cortijo is a wonderful example of rural architecture and many of its splendid architectural details such as the chapel’s belfry (which is leaning precariously to the left), the covered well and funerary crypt with 12 niches can still be seen.

In 2011 the barren farm was declared a site of special cultural interest by the regional government, the Junta de Andalucía. Even so, it is still in a state of disrepair. The current owners, a private company, and the local town hall are hoping that the cortijo will be declared public property so that it can be repaired and restored, and ambitious plans for the historic site can be get underway. This includes turning it into a cultural and historical centre. Defending the Building... As it happens, we have a friend in Almeria, who is living next to our cottage. During the summer months, she usually listens to the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, songs of her sister Sensi Falán, while working in her garden, so I listen too, thanks to the loud speakers she has installed! From time to time we gather for a private concert with Sensi. I believe my friend's garden is as beautiful due to Sensi's music. They say plants do listen! It is long overdue to present YOU to Sensi, as I have promised to her sister in several occasions. So here it is!

Her latest art-work, defending the re-furbishing of Cortijo del Fraile, interpreting a fraction of Federico Garcia Lorca 's Blood Wedding. Enjoy! Back to Top of Federico Garcia Lorca Lights, Cameras, Action! One of Andalucía’s most iconic buildings is also noted for the part it has played in cinematic history as moviemakers have long been inspired by its charm, architectural beauty and desolate setting. For example, in the 1965 spaghetti western For a Few Dollars More , starring Clint Eastwood, the cortijo courtyard and internal rooms were used as Indio’s Agua Caliente hideout. The following year, in 1966, the exterior of the cortijo appeared as the San Antonio mission in The Good the Bad and the Ugly also starring Clint Eastwood. Other movies that made use of this unique landmark building were the westerns Ace High, starring Eli Wallach, Terence Hill and Bud Spencer and A Bullet For The General aka 'Quien Sabe' which starred Gian Maria Volonte, Lou Castel and Klaus Kinski. The scene below is from that movie, Klaus Kinski is on the roof of the Cortijo dressed as a monk.

(Thanks to Ray Watts for all this movie location information!) Visiting Cortijo Del Fraile Visiting the cortijo is not difficult. Situated in a bone dry dusty valley the cluster of abandoned buildings can be reached via a bumpy 4 kilometre dirt track from the village of Los Albaricoques. You will eventually come across the farmhouse which you will see on your left. View Map of Almeria (Spain) in a larger map Though now enclosed by a security fence, the echoes of the past, as harsh as the parched landscape exert a powerful hold over the imagination. Performing the role of the Bride in the play Blood Wedding by Fedrica Garcia Lorca translated by James Graham-Lujan and Richard L. O'Connell Material Information Title: Performing the role of the Bride in the play Blood Wedding by Fedrica Garcia Lorca translated by James Graham-Lujan and Richard L. O'Connell Physical Description: Project in lieu of thesis Language: College of Fine Arts; University of Florida Place of Publication: Notes Abstract: The following paper documents my creative process in my portrayal of the Bride from Fedrica Garcia Lorca’s Blood Wedding.

The production took place at the Constans Theatre at the University of Florida and was directed by Russell Schultz. The performance dates were March 29th to April 7th of 2013. This document details my creative process from initial casting to the final performance. It is organized into three sections. The first section is my research and analysis of the play and playwright. The second details the rehearsal process and the creation of my character, with particular focus on vocal and physical techniques. The last is my account of the performance process and my self-evaluation. This paper is an indepth look of my journey in creating a passionate, headstrong, yet vulnerable Bride. General Note: University of Florida Institutional Repository Holding Location: All rights reserved by the source institution and holding location. System ID: Full Text PAGE 1 PERFORMING THE ROLE OF THE BRIDE IN THE PLAY BLOOD WEDDING BY FEDRICA GARCIA LORCA TRANSLATED BY JAME S GRAHAM LUJN BY ANNELIH GARCIANO HOLGANZA SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: DR. CHARLIE MITCHELL, CHAIR DR.

JUDITH WILLIAMS, MEMBER A PROJECT IN LIEU OF THESIS PRESENTED TO THE COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2013 PAGE 2 3 -Julianne Moore while -Lao Tzu For Papa, Mama, Hanneli and Joshua PAGE 4 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. 2. The Play 7 ...9 3. The Casting and Initial Research Rehearsal Vocal Work Physical Work Staying Present 4. Performance 5.

Conclusion APPENDICES APPENDIX A Production Program APPENDIX B Production Photos 28 REFERENCE LIST Works Cited Works Consulted BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 33 PAGE 5 5 Abstract of Project in Lieu of Thesis Presented to The College of Fine Arts of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts PERFORMING THE ROLE OF THE BRIDE IN THE PLAY BLOOD WEDDING BY FEDRICA GARCIA LORCA TRANSLATED BY JAME S GRAHAM LUJN By Annelih Garciano Holganza August 2013 Chair: Dr. Charlie Mitchell Major: Theatre The following paper documents my creativ e process i n my portrayal of t he Bride Blood Wedding. The production took place at the Constans Theatre at the University of Florida and was directed by Russell Schultz. The performance dates were March 29 th to April 7 th of 2013. This document details my creative process from initial casting to the final performance. It is organized int o three sections. The first section is my research and analysis of the play and playwright.

The second details the rehearsal process and the creation of my character, with particular focus on vocal and physical techniques. The last is my account of the performance process and my self e valuation This paper is an in depth look of my journey in creating a passionate, headstrong, yet vulnerable Bride. PAGE 6 6 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Portraying the role of the Bride for my thesis has been an exhilarating, yet challenging experience. The Bride is caught between marrying the Bridegroom out of obligation, but she wants to be with Leonardo, the man who truly has her heart. She has obligations, but they go against what she must do for herself. This mirrors my experience with my graduate school training. It has been a constant push and pull to determine if the tools each professor has taught me works or not. The rol e of the Bride has given me the opportunity to pick and choose the techniques th at have worked the best for me. I also learned in this process to keep myself open to techniqu es I resisted at first.

U ltimately, I have lear ned it is up to me to determine wh at wo rks best for my creative process I know that this process is not fixed I have not approached the Bride in the same fashio n as I have done with past work nor will I use this approach for my future work. Nevertheless, i t is refreshing to evolve within m y creative process. I a m not stagnant so why should my process be? There is a scaffold that hold s it all together, but I am free to explore and piece together what works for the role in the moment. PAGE 7 7 CHAPTER TWO RESEARCH The Playwright For the first ten years of his life, Federico Garcia Lorca (1898 1936) lived in the countryside of southern Spain which was a significant influence on much of his later works. There, h s journey to become a dramatist began w he n he was about eight years old. H is parents gave him a puppet theatre and he entertained the serva nts and local children with it. In 1909, Lorca and his family moved to the city of Granada.

When he turned seventeen he attended the University of Granada and studied various subjects, but was no t very successful at any of them due to his lack of interest. Instead, Lorca was in devel oping his musical talents as a pianist. He became a member of a group of intellectuals who frequently met at the Caf Alameda and was influenced by their knowledge and perspectives He was constantly stimulated by new and different ideas. He started writin g by the time he was nineteen and wrote mostly poetry. His early poetry reveals his obsession with sexual love and his awareness of his own homosexuality (Edwards 13 ). As a young adult, he felt like an outsider and felt he identified with other outsiders o f Granada, such as the Moors, the Jews, and the gypsies. In 1919, Lorca moved to Madrid and attended Residencia de Estudiantes, a prestigious educational institution in Madrid that based itself on the Oxbridge college system. Agai n, he studied law, and a gain, gra vitated towards other interests primarily poe try and theatre.

Symbolism and s urrealism were the newest cultural and artistic trends during that time and h e was fascinated by them He started writing plays in 1920 his first PAGE 8 8 being Evil Spell For the next nine years, he continued to write plays and poetry gaining a considerab le amount of fame particularly with his publication of Gyspy Ballads in 1928. However, he went through a period of depression during this time, most likely because of his homosexual involvement and estrangement with Madrid based sculptor, Emilio Aladrn, and his increasingly strained relationship with Salvador Dal. His family persuaded him to leave Spain for some time and he set sail for New York in 1929. His time in New York was challenging, especially because he travelled to the United States during the Great Depression and he could not speak any English. He was simultaneously horri fied and fascinated by the c ity. experience in the big city helped him come to te rms with his emotional and sexual problems.

After New Yor k, he spent four months in Cuba, then returned to Spain in June seven year dictatorship collapsed in 1930 an d it led to the creation of the Second Repub lic in 1931. With their left give people more freedom and opportunities in educational that had not been available in the past (Edwards 14). Lorca was a huge supporter of the left wing and became a co director (with Eduardo Ugarte) of La Barraca, a touring university theatre company. La Barraca toured to smaller villages and towns to perform the great Spanish plays of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, wh ich greatly educated these inhabitants (Edwards PAGE 9 9 14) Although Lorca died at a young age due to his beliefs, he grew to be one of the most celebrated dramatists and poets of Spain. My research on Lorca gave me a clear er understanding of his writing style. His poetry allowed him to explore his own thoughts and emotions about love, passion and sexuality.

In Blood Wedding there are four instances when he uses stylized, poetic language: at the beginning of act 1, scene 2, which is the lullaby between the Leona Wife and the Mother in Law; in the middle of act 2, scene 1, when the chorus celebrates the Bride on the wedding day; all of act 3, scene 1, which takes place in the forest and the supernatural characters, such as the Moon and Death, speak; and the e nd of act 3, scene 2, which is the prayer the Mother and Bride say for the two dead men. The circumstances in these scenes are much more heigh tened compared to the scenes that are written in prose. The verse contains rich imagery that illustrate the depth of emotion the characters are experiencing, while the prose is direct and straight to the point. Because Lorca used his poetry to explore his own personal ideas, I discovered that when the characters speak in verse, they are also exploring their own person al thoughts and emotions. The Play Lorca wrote the first draft of Blood Wedding in a span of fifteen days in 1932.

His inspiration of the piece was from an incident he read in a newspaper four years prior: A bride in the southern Spanish Province of Alme ra had disappeared with her cousin on the morning of her wedding, and her bridegroom had gone in search of the bride, in disarray. She told authorities she had been in love wi th her cousin PAGE 10 10 rother had committed the crime. (Stainton 298) This incident left a lasting impression on Lorca. He constantly discussed the story province and he imagined how to incorporate the landscape w ith the story. He on character (Stainton 298). Lorca took his time making notes and observations about the pend three or Blood Wedding is the first play of the trilogy known as the Rural Tragedies (Lorca 25). Yerma (1934) and The House of Bernarda Alba (193 6) are the other parts of this trilogy. In each play, Lorca focused on the female characters and their lives in their rural environments. Lorca explored themes of desire, repression, love ideas that were very much present in his own personal li fe.

His fo cus on the female characters led me to think about how he may have been exploring his own se xuality in his writings As I have been analyzing the relationship between Leonardo and the Bride, I example, in act 3, scene 1, the Bride is frantic and conflicted. It is a struggle for her to run off with Leonardo. She wants to keep Leonardo safe, but she does not want to dishonor the Bridegroom or her family. Leonardo is much more st raightforward and direct he has no hesitation in running off with the Bride. This distinct contrast of the use of language between these two characters caused me to examine how Lorca may have used the Bride PAGE 11 11 as a vessel to flesh out his worries and concer ns for his own homos exuality. The love the Bride has for Leonardo is truthful, but her fears get in the way of fully committing to her love. This scene is very challenging because of but thinking about how conflicted Lor ca wa s about his sexuality helped me understand the Bride huge emotional journey in this scene.

What I also found interesting was how Lorca chose to name his characters in Blood Wedding Almost every character is named as an archetype or symbol, such as the B true love, is the only one with a name PAGE 12 12 CHAPTER THREE THE PROCESS Casting and Initial Research When I first learned I was cast in Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca for my thesis project I read the play with an open mind, doing my best to not have any preconceived notions of how it would be staged or stylized. When the play was first selected for the 2012 2013 season, an interna tional guest director was supposed to direct it However, due to extenuating circumstances, it was no longer an option and it was unclear who would direct Blood Wedding I still wanted to get a sense of the play, so I read a very modern translation by Lil language. It was full of images, metaphors and poetry. During the Fall of 2012, it was decided that Russell Schultz, a for mer graduate of the University of Florida masters a cting program, would be our guest director fo r the production.

After Schultz was officially named the director, he personally emailed me to ask which role I would like to play. It was clear he would have the f inal say in casting, but he wanted to consider my thoughts as well. This gesture from Schultz made me feel as if my opinion mattered and suggested a potentially collaborative relationship with him in the production. I told Schultz that I wanted the role of the Bride. It was the part that fit me the most. Out of all the characters, the Bride was the closest to me in age, so casting me in th e role would be believable. Although her character journey i s very challenging, I felt I would bring dynamic and dime nsion to her The other female role that was a possibility PAGE 13 13 was the Mother of the Bridegroom, but it was unrealistic for me to play her, due to my young age What peaked my interest about t he Bride is how she is in the middle of a conflict between the man s he is obligated to marry, the Bridegroom, and the man she truly loves, Leonardo. One moment, she acts as if she is willing to carry out her duty, b ut in the next she runs away to be with her lover.

Even when she runs aw ay, she is torn and conflicted because she is aware of what her actions will do to her family and to the community. The Bride was a role that seemed simple on the surface, but after re reading the play a few times, I was struck by her complexity. After a uditions were conducted, Schultz cast me in the part of the Bride. He also decided our script would be a translation by James Graham Lujn and Ri chard L. Although it tell s the same story, the choice of words, images, and metaphors differs slightly Luj chose language that is a bit more dated and old fashioned, which puts the pla y more in the time period in which it was written e, which might be easier for actors to say and ma ybe easier for the aud ience to understand Schultz had a heavy focus on the Lessac vocal technique, which is acting program so i t made sense why he selected the Lujan/O l version. Their work had more substantial imagery and stylized language, so the language was more vocally challenging. Rehearsal From the first reading and throughout the en tire rehearsal process, Schultz emphasized how the truth comes through by simply spe aking and doing.

He approached the process from an in teresting point of view, directing us to let go of objectives, PAGE 14 14 obstacles, tactics, and subtext and to focus on only using the language to communicate. I get in my own way by thinking too much, so I welcomed this change. I did not want to think about w hy I was saying the words and what I wanted to get from the other person on stage. The language was already foreign to me and the constant stream of symbols poetry and imager y was already enough to drive me into my head. I have not approached a role in this way before, but I was willing to try it. The set desig n played an integral part in my process. During the first read through, the set designer Jaime Frank, shared how ther e was a vast distance between the actors and the audience. When Lorca wrote Blood Wedding he was heavily influenced by the w ide Spanish countryside and Schultz wanted to incorporate s pace and distance into our set. While we were rehearsing in the studio, which is a smaller space than the Nadine McGuire Constans Theatre, I was aware of how I needed to keep my volume up and my movements deliberate.

When we finally moved into the performance space two weeks before technical and dress rehearsals, I finally und erstood how much negative space was between the audience and us My discovering the use of my voice and body to its fullest potential without over efforting will be detailed in the following sections. Vocal Work The Lessac system has been one of the groun ding forces in my training here at the University of Florida. Yanci Bukovec, our vocal professor, has opened up my heart and mind to embrace my voice. In the past, I have been criticized for having a young, girlish voice, which prevented me from getting ca st in stronger, leading female roles. It was not until I met Yanci that I understood the importance of vocal placement, resonance, and tone and how I can manipulate each of these areas to work for whatever character type I PAGE 15 15 play. The Lessac system focuses on efficient vocal placement, so that the actor uses her voice to her fullest capacity without over efforting or straining. The ideal place for the voice to vibr ate is off of the pocket behind the two fro nt teeth, or the hard palate of the roof of the mouth.

That encourages the actor to place the voice as for ward as possible, amplifying the voice off of a hard surface in order to produce the best sound. It is very diff erent than amplifying from within the throat. A throaty voice results into a strained, tense sound an d the actor lacks the power to sustain throughout the performance. During the first two weeks of rehea rsal, we worked specific scenes so I was not working my voice each night. However, the last two weeks of rehearsal leading up to technical and dress rehearsals, we had full run throughs of the production. It was at that time, I discovered when I was straining It was usually from a lack of breath support and awareness of where I placed my voice. d circumstances, I have found an emotional connection to her journey. During my last two scenes, when she is running away with Leonardo and facing the deaths, the Bride is emotionally vulnerable. With these two scenes, I discovered the benefit of taking risks given circumstances However, there were times in rehearsal when I have strained my voice because I was too invested in the emotional journey of the Bride rather than allowing the emotion to be a byproduct. distress. journey.

PAGE 16 16 Focusing on my vocal work for this process caused me to closely analyze the script. All of my scenes were written in pro se, except for act 3, scene 1 That gave me huge insight into t he stakes of the situation are extremely high. From the beginning of the play, she is pulled into two different directions her obligation to marry the Bridegroom and her true love for Leonardo. During act 3, scene 1 the Bride and Leonardo appear in the forest together and it is clear the Bride is very conflicted. In the verse structure, she illustrates how she wants Leonardo to leave her and to save himself. She also describes the guilt she feels for betraying the Bridegroom. Images such (Lorca 86, 88) At this point, the Bride is incredibly dis t raught with her situation and only these images come close to describing her thoughts and feelings. What was challenging about this verse structure was how it was not like the traditional Shakespeare verse, which is usually iambic. Schultz phrased it orca informed the intense given circumstances of this particular scene.

The choppiness of the rhythm suggested Physical Work B ecause of the sparseness of the set, I grew aware of how the physical life of the Bride is completely exposed. There were only few pieces of furniture with which to interact -a banquet table and chairs When we first moved out of the rehearsal studio o n to the perfor mance space, Schultz gave us the note that we needed to be purposeful in our physical choices. Subtle movements would not work. The am ount of distance between PAGE 17 17 the audience and us was quite expansive and we needed to make larger physical choices in order to fill the playing space. Due to the focus on the text and voice, I found my physical life matched my vocal choices. I developed the technique of moving and gesturing only when necessary. Much of my movement choices reminded me of the performance style of G reek tragedy which is grand and purposeful. I was deliberate and fluid in my movement and my gestures had a st rong beginning, middle and end. The use of the Alexander Technique has been a major help to me throughout this process. The concepts of interrup ting patterns, inhibiting misuse of my body and giving myself physical encouraged me to use my body efficiently.

I have been told in s excessively. I also learned how to harness my energy. There was no need for me to fly about the stage. I allowed my Alexander Technique training to ground my physical actions. However, I did not want to appear rigid and stiff. Using physical directions of encourag ed me to find space in my body. I discovered a tightness and rigidity in my spine that did not serve the character. When I encouraged space between my vertebrae, I found more lightness and urgency in her physical life. I discovered that the Bride was not uptight she was desperate to find a solution to her problem. physical and emotional life. I also turned to psychological movement to help me delv e deeper into the Bride. I found myself making the same choices during the early part of the rehearsal process while I was still on book. Once I was fully memorized and PAGE 18 18 confident with my lines, I incorporated psychological mov ement into my rehearsal proces s. Throughout my training here at UF, I understand psychological gesture to mean a specific movement that represe the gesture can be physically expressed or inwardly experienced.

Michael her The Gesture is the physicalization of effectively employ psychological gesture, I allowed myself to use object ives. Before each of my entrances, I thought about my objective and then physicalized a specific movement that represente d my objective. For example, in one rehearsal, I played with the objective of wanting to please my father. Backstage, I created my spec ific gesture based on this objective: with my right hand, I reached out to the Bridegroom; with my left hand, I swept it down my side, as if presenting myself to the Br idegroom. F inally, I turned my head and torso to my father to seek approval. I played wi th those three moves several times, up until I needed to make my entrance. During that rehearsal, I discovered how the Bride feels about each of the characters in the scene: she loves her father, finds good in the Bridegroom, is intimidated by the Mother and thinks of the Servant as a confidant. Committing to the psychological movement before the scene served as a springboard for me to get into character. It helped pull me out of the stagnant place of making the same choices each rehearsal.

Staying Present My main goal in this process has been to stay present. I tend to be the type of person who is always ten steps ahead of myself. I am already thinking about what I am PAGE 19 19 going to be doing after rehearsal and the million of tasks I need to accomplish before I get some rest. That kind of thinking i s not beneficial and prevents me from staying present with my fellow actors. In order to release the se distracting thoughts, I chose to do a thorough physical and vocal warm up be fore each rehearsal. I reviewed my lines. I used meditation and breathing exercises to help calm my mind. Although Schultz has encouraged us not to worry abou t objectives, I discovered I needed to find essential actions to play in order to stay truthful to the Bride. Towards the end of the rehearsal process, I found myself stuck in vocal patterns. I tended to say the text in the same way over and over again. The urgency and the stakes of each circumstance were not as heightened as they once were. In ord er to keep my character fresh I returned to the basics of acting that I previously pushed aside.

I reflected on what my contemporary acting instructor, Tim Altmeyer, taught me during my second year of training in this graduate program: essential action. A ccording to A P ractical Handbook for the Actor essential action is defined as essential aspect of what the character is Bruder 20 21). Playing an action was another way to returning to objectives, obstacles and tactics. Now that I had a strong handle on the language, I was able to return to playing an action without getting too intellectual. The language was my roadmap of t choices fresh Returning to this concept was very liberating. I discovered that I do have control over my own process. Although my director will have his own way to approach the PAGE 20 20 production, it does not mean that will work for me. I do have the freedom to utilize other techniques and tools that have worked for me in the past. It is my job to honor the vision my director wants, but how I achieve that is entirely up to m e. Towards the en d of the rehearsal process, Schultz invited other professors to observe our production and he allowed them to give their personal feedback. I found this part of the rehearsal process frustrating.

Because these other professors were not our director, the notes they gave contradicted his dire ction Also, the feedback was given towards the latter part of the rehearsal process, so it felt as if these professors were ask ing us to make drastic changes which did not mesh with the style Schultz directed us to perform. However, I learn ed to take the feedback with a grain of salt. That is what makes our craft as actors challenging. Acting is completely subjective. What works for one person may not work for another. I did ask Schultz to clarify the professors feedback and whether or not he wanted me to impleme nt any of their suggestions. One of the notes from the professors was that the play was too heavy and dramatic. There was not enough ligh tness to balance out the story. Schultz viewed that feedback as another way of saying, which wa s a note he gave more towards the end of the rehearsal process. Having a personal conversation with Schultz helped clarify feedback and clarified if it was worth applying to my performance.

PAGE 21 21 CHAPTER FOUR PERFORMANCE The technical and dress rehearsals leading up to the Opening night performance were physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting, so I took extra care of my body and voice during the days of these final rehearsals. By the day of the O pening performance, I felt well rested and ready to present this unique production to an audience. Before each performance, I developed a ritua l to concentrate and focus on my character and the world of the play. For about fifteen minutes in a rehearsal studio I physically wa rmed up my body, implementing techniques and exercises from t he Alexander Technique, Pilates and yoga. As I stretched out my body, I paid particular attention to my spine, encouraging it to move fluidly and elongate. Once I felt connected to my body, I began to warm up my voice. I implemented the Lessac technique of the y buzz, encouraging the placement of my resonance forward on the hard palette. I completed my vocal warm up onstage. I used other Lessac techniques su ch as tonal calls to remind me of how much space I had to fill with my voice. I reviewed my lines and tried not to layer on any inflections.

This served as a reminder to not s tay stuck in vocal patterns. I wanted my performance to be authentic and in the m o ment, not something over rehearsed and predictable. After my warm up, I transitioned into the dressing room. It took about an hour to do my hair, make up and to get into costume. Putting on these final elements completed my ritual. The production definit ely evolved with each performance. The idea of finding the joy helpe d me discover depth and dynamic in the Bride. The lightness I discovered early on in the process had faded during rehearsals and gradually ret urned during the PAGE 22 22 performances Also, the audie nce reactions were interesting. I am the type of actor who does not allow the a udience to influence my acting. I commit to doing what I was directed to do. This production was unlike anything I have ever performed and I knew that this heightened style may not resonate wi th our college age demographic. Most of the play was in complete silence, with the exception of one sound cue. Schultz directed us to pause at s pecific moments, which allowed us to reflect on what was just said. The pauses and silences during the rehearsal process were challenging.

I found that I was just pausing for the sake of pausing and not necessary filling it. However, in performance, my energy during the pauses shifted. During the o pening night perf ormance, the audience laughed during my pause with Sunny Smith, who played the information I had not discovered in rehearsal. In that performance, I fo und our pause unsettling. The au My relationship with Smith cter is a very close one and the way I suddenly snapped at her surprised me. In our pause, I discovered I felt guilty and overwhelmed. I felt guilty for exploding at her and I felt overwhelmed by the obligation to marry the Bridegroom. This pause allowed me to process these thoughts. Another interesting moment that occurred during the middle of the performance run was when one of the ensemble members dropped a line. For about five seconds, we were in complete silence. The rhyt hm and the flow of the scene came to an abrupt halt and I sensed that the rest of the c ast was not sure what to do. Although I was uncomfortable in this silence, I used this as an opportunity to amplify the PAGE 23 23 The more seconds ticked by, the more I dreaded the marriage.

Finally, when the ensemble member realized she dropped her line, she said it and the scene continued This moment was a lesson on how to keep going when the unexpected happens. The thought of saying something did cross my mind, but there was no re ason for my character to speak. I fe lt that I did the best I could do in that moment. I did not allow the silence to dist ract me. Instead of breaking character, I chose to My last two scenes of the production were the most challenging. The s tak es of these scenes were high and in order to mentally pre pare myself for them, I devised a ritual backstage. I did not leave the wings. I sat in a chair, closed my eyes and listened to the play. Listening to my fellow cast members speak helped me focused on my breath, which helped ground my body and mind. I also took this opportunity to inwardly experience the psychological gestures I devised for these scenes in rehearsal. I decided to inwardly experience my movements bec ause my costume was somewhat restricting and I did not want to risk ruining it. Employing psychological gesture in this way still served as a springboard for me to get into character.

Before I entered the stage with Joshua Hamilton, who played Leonardo, I connected with him through eye contact. Before I entered the final scene with Amanda Schlachter, who played the Mother, I watched her from the wings ( out of sight from the audience) to connect with her character. Although these scenes were emotionally, me ntally and physically e xhausting, my ritual helped prepare me to give it my all. In order to serve the language and the action of the story, I needed to fully commit with my body, heart, and mind. This simple ritual helped focus my energy. PAGE 24 24 CHAPTER FIVE CON CLUSION Playing the Bride was a fr uitful learning experience. The role gave me the opportunity to learn more about myself as a per son and as an actor. I learned a great deal about my creative process as an actor. The biggest lesson was how my process wil l evolve each time. There is not one way to prepare for a role. It takes trial and error and exploration. I also learned how to take ownership of my process. The University of lot of tools and techni ques. I discovered what I wanted to use and what did n ot work for me.

Also, I realized that although I started with certain techniques I was not limited to using only those techniques during the entire process. I gave mysel f the freedom to use other ones As I reflect on my graduate training here at the University of Florida, I am thankful for the skills I have developed The Alexander Technique movement program and the Le ssac vocal system were the main reasons why I wanted to study at this program. I a m a much stronger actor because I am more aware of how to use my body and voice efficiently. The role of the Bride was a great opportunity for me to explore these skills. Although I will be rece iving a Masters degree in theatre performance I know that I will never stop learning how to be a better actor. Graduate school has taught me that there is no r eason for me to settle for what i s good. Why strive for good when I can be great? PAGE 25 25 APPENDICES Appendix A Production Program PAGE 26 27 PAGE 28 28 Appendix B Production Photos Left to Right: the Mother (Amanda Schlacter), the Servant (Sunny Smith), the Bride (Annelih G.

Holganza), the Bridegroom (Ethan Perry) and the Father (Tom Foley) The Bride (Annelih G. Holganza) and the Father (Tom Fo ley) PAGE 29 29 Left to Right: First Youth (Marcellis Cutler), the Servant (Sunny Smith), the Father (Tom Foley), the Bride (Annelih G. Holganza), the Bridegroom (Ethan Perry) and Girl (Sam Feldman) The Bride (Annelih G. Holganza) and Leonardo (Joshua Hamilton) PAGE 30 30 Leonardo (Joshua Hamilton) and the Bride (Annelih G. Holganza) Left to Right: The Bride (Annelih G. Holganza), the Mother (Amanda Schlachter) and the Neighbor Woman (Sacha Foxx Sorrell) PAGE 31 31 The Bride (Annelih G. Holganza) and the Mother (Ama nda Schlachter) J. Rodriguez), the Bride (Annelih G.

Holganza), the Mother (Amanda Schlachter), the Neighbor Woman (Sacha Foxx Sorrell) an d Little Girl (Angelique Rivera PAGE 32 32 REFERENCE LIST Works Cited Bruder Melissa, Lee Michael Cohn, Madeleine Olnek, Nathaniel Pollack, Robert Previto, and Scott Zigler. A Practical Handbook For the Actor New York: Vintage, 1986. Print. Chekhov, Michael, and Mala Powers. On the Technique of Acting Ed. Mel Gordon. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. Print. Edwards, Gwynne. Lorca: Living in the Theatre London: Peter Owen, 2003. Print. Lorca, Federico Garcia. Blood Wedding Trans. Lillian Groag. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 2002. Print. Lorca, Federico G., and Francisco G. Lorca. Three Tragedies: Blood Wedding, Yerma, Bernarda Alba N.Y.: New Directions Pub., 1955. Print. Stainton, Leslie.

Lorca, A Dream of Life New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1999. Print. Works Consulted Barton, Robert. Style for Actors Mountain V iew, CA: Mayfield Pub., 1993. Print. Conable, Barbara, and William Conable. How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students Columbus, OH: Andover, 1995. Print. Gelb, Michael. Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Techniq ue 2nd ed. New York: Holt, 1994. Print. Harrop, John, and Sabin R. Epstein. Acting With Style 3rd ed. Needham Heights: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. Print. Lessac, Arthur. The Use and Training of the Human Voice: A Bio dynamic Approach to Vocal Life Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Pub., 1997. Print. Van Tassel, Wesley. Clues to Acting Shakespeare New York: Allworth, 2000. Print.

PAGE 33 33 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Annelih Garciano Holganza was born in Anchorage, Alaska, but was raised in Everett, Washington. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from Chapman University, which is located in Orange, California. Some memorable roles at Chapman University include Chiffon i n Little Shop of Horrors Woman in Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen and Woman One in Calm Down Mother She also worked with Shakespeare Orange County as an ensemble member in The Tempest After graduating from Cha pman University in May 2009, Ann elih worked in Seattle with various theatre companies, which included interning with the Taproot Theatre Company in the Education Department. Christmas touring production of Foolish Wiseman in which she played the role of L eah. During her time at the University of Florida, Annelih played Rachel in dark play the Apothecary & Ensemble in Romeo & Juliet Servant One/Chorus in Oedipus the Girl in Roberto Zucco Leeann in A Piece of My Heart and Sarah in The Taliban She also taught undergraduates in Theatre Appreciation, Oral In terpretation of Literature, Acting for Non Majors and Acting II

Question: Blood Wedding (1932) by Garcia Lorca was based on elements of a true story which happened when?
Answer: 1928