True and False -- David Mamet

I realized that I preferred David Mamet's style of theatre to Stanislavski's just by reading the introductions of this book. One of my favorite quotes from it is, "That is what acting is. Doing the play for the audience. The rest is just practice." Mamet's technique is so much more simple than Stanislavski's. Mamet was able to put his technique into one tiny book, whereas Stanislavski needed 3 books, each twice the size of Mamet's, in order to dive deep enough into his Method.
Mamet does not believe that the idea of a character exists. There is no such thing as a character, just words on a page written by an author. The actor's job does not go beyond simply creating an illusion of a character for the audience to watch on stage. Mamet goes on in the first chapter to say that, "We cannot control our thoughts, nor can we control our emtoions. But perhaps 'control of emotions' has a case-specific meaning upon the stage. Indeed it does. It means 'pretending'." This man is suburb! Every other paragraph in this book has me nodding along in belief.
I can connect with this book so much more than I ever could with An Actor Prepares by Stanislavski. I will definitely be using this book for future reference. This is one of the truest and most honest things I have ever read.

20 questions about London

1. Do you ever see England moving away from the monarchy?
2. Or do the people seem content with the way things are?
3. Who was the most successful British monarch?
4. Who was the least successful British monarch?
5. What is the most popular tourist stop in London?
6. What is the least popular tourist stop?
7. What is the most commonly eaten food?
8. What is the most important time period in English history?
9. Are fish ‘n chips the national food or is it something else?
10. What do they call soda pop over there?
11. What are some common types of soda pop?
12. What are some commonly seen desserts?
13. What exactly is the drinking age?
14. Is there an equivalent to Hollywood in England?
15. What types of fruit are native to England?
16. What kind of meat is most consumed in London?
17. What is the national drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?
18. Who is the most famous musician out of London?
19. Who is the most famous actor?
20. Is there an equivalent to Broadway in England?

Character Background: Sonya

Sofya Alexandrovna (also known as Sonya) from Chekhov's play, Uncle Vanya, is the daughter of another character in the play, Serebryakov. Sonya is simple, gentle and homely; the daughter from Serebryakov's first marriage. Although her age is not mentioned, it is assumed that she is somewhere in her early-to-mid-twenties, as she butts heads with her father's current wife, Yelena (also known as Elena). Elena is close to Sonya's age which makes Sonya uncomfortable. Sonya's father is a wealthy man and she believes that is why Elena, a young, beautiful woman, would marry him.
Sonya finds joy in keeping up her father's estate and quickly chastises those of her relatives who try and disrupt it, mainly her father. She is very much in love with Dr. Astrov; which is part of the unkind feelings she has towards Elena. The Doctor is ennamered by Elena, which creates a huge jealousy within Sonya. The two women reconcile for a short time in the play, but then later return to their previous ways.
Once the Doctor is out of Sonya's life for good, she goes back to doing her work around the estate, commenting that she and her relatives will only find peace when they are dead. The character of Sonya really sticks to the sublety of Chekovian realism. Sonya is much too modest to be overly emotional and too pathetic to be seen as a "fallen heroine". She is a very simple character who merely wants the man who she loves, but does not recieve this.

Culinary Night Recipe

Raspberry Foam with Fruit Liqueur

Ingredients:
12 macaroons (or Nilla Wafers)
4 tbsp fruit-based liqueur, such as framboise or kirsch
250g raspberries (1 punnet)
2 tbsp castor sugar
1 cup whipping cream

Recipe:
Crush the macaroons coarsely and distribute evenly into 2 or 4 glasses. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the chosen liqueur over each of the four portions (or halve it for two).
Set aside a few berries for decoration, crush the rest in a bowl and stir in sugar.
Whip the cream and fold it into the raspberry mixture. Divide the mixture between the glasses and top with the remainder of the whipped cream and the reserved raspberries.
Makes 4 small serves or 2 large