Pantomime 

Our assignment for this project was to listen to music, the instrumental bits alone, and create a scene in our heads. In my group, I had created the most amazing thing. World War I. Nazis. Pain. Death. Survival. I quickly fell in love with my idea. With some coaxing, the others did as well. In my head, I saw rain beating down on a mother and son while two heartless Nazis matched back and forth across the camp, smelling of vile and guts. When the Nazis get distracted, the mother forces her son up and runs. The Nazis soon follow. The mother shoves her son into a bush and is killed, for the safety of her young offspring. And then the smoke begins to billow. Her body is being burnt. The boy cries and the scene comes to a macob end. 

Only, that isn't what I got. In the end, I got Mama, son, Father/Nazi/Lumber Jack and Nazi/Wife. My original scene was too short. Although I didn't want to change anything about the amazing thing spawned in my head, but my group, which included Sam, Shawn and Tiahna, all knew what must be done. The way we worked together was impressive. I really only knew Tiahna, and, even then, we were barely friends. However, Sam and Shawn acted like we've done this before. So, we cut, and added and replaced and scripted till we came up with our end product. Shawn always wanted us to practice and, sometimes, I snapped at him, explaining that we had just did it six times in a row. Of course, I would say sorry and do it again. But, finally, after two weeks, it was time for the show.

Our end product, to me, was a train wreck. No, a ship wreck. Not that I wasn’t happy that it turned out the way it did. It was more the way we all presented. My grade was a 90. I was expecting a 95, but beggars can’t be choosers.  In the start of the scene, I was messing with a radio. It is really, really hard to pantomime a radio. I felt horrible up until the point I was shot, my face in its normal wide grin. I felt so unprofessional. Even my costume, as the lumber jack was…Bad. It was way too long. Not only that, but I felt odd while trying to chop the wood, like I was going to end up killing the Jew Boy. I wish I could do it again. Tell my group to take this seriously and try even harder.

My goals for the next time we do something like this is to really take the bull by the horns and state to the group that my word is law. But, not in a mean way. My dream is to be a screen play writer as well as a director. The best directors are the strict ones. But, I have to be nice as well. Really get my cast, group or whoever I may be working with to put on something no one will be able to forget.