kre314
Nov 18, 2012
Undergraduate / 'Big Day and A Memory of Time' - commonapp essay [3]
Hi, Im a new user of this forum. The commonapp essay limit is 500 words, but when i try to eliminate stuff I add more :( Now it is 589 words...Please be judgemental of my essay and tell me what I should eliminate,
i will be really appreciate, Thank you :)
Ever since I participated in the school-play during six grade, I've felt attached to the stage. Just a week after I transferred into my American school, my class was assigned a play. Although I did not get lines because I could not speak English fluently then, I still felt excited and actively participated in the dance practice during lunch period. The dance was complex, but it did not stop my passion for learning; in fact, I enjoyed the daily strenuous practice. After school, I would do the movements involuntarily while I was waiting for the bus or brushing my teeth, and I couldn't help humming the song of our stage play whenever I feel like it. On the "Big Day", I still remembered how nervous yet impatient I was on the stage. Although I did not play the center, I still did my part seriously. I was unsatisfied with just being the background dancer, therefore during High School I signed up "College Now Drama Class" immediately.
I was so excited at the thought of being able to stand on stage once again. My first task was to perform a monologue after two weeks of practice. Although there's plenty of time, I did not waste any. During the first week I carefully studied my script and its character's tone and emotional state. The following week I focus on memorization and practice. When I had fully readied myself before the performance start, the professor announced, the class would switch to the music room because of construction. I was overwhelmed by the sudden change; when all the students entered the music room, the only space left was like the size of a hallway. The performer was in close proximity to the audiences. I felt my face flushed with embarrassment and I was eager to return to my seat. But, what hit me was there were people who were fine with spectators watching them from three feet away.
I didn't give up hope after this failure; I did some self-reflection and came up with strategies to tackle with difficult situation. I simulated a variety of scenarios in my mind and thought of countermeasures for each one of them. For the next performance, we were assigned to plot a dialogue and act with a partner. After exchanging emails with her, I practiced diligently as before. At that time, schoolworks gradually increase in difficulty, and free time gradually decreases. So during the weekend I sacrificed an entire day for plot discussion with my partner and rehearsal in the afternoon. Just when everything was prepared, my partner was late to class. Fortunately, I had simulated this scenario, so I wasn't astounded. First I tried to reduce my partner's anxiety by suggesting rehearse for the last time. We encouraged each other that "our performance would be a bombshell!", then we confidently went up the stage. Our show went well and I managed to solve my partner's line-forgetting crisis by skipping a dialogue. Our teacher commended our script was innovative and refreshing although there were flaws in our acting, I took his advice seriously and practice my emotion in front of the mirror. At the last performance, I did a great job and I had fully enjoying the stage after the regret in elementary school. This is a life-changing moment to me, because although i do not plan to major in drama, this special experience had surely taught me to face any future obstacles and challenges with calmness and wisdom.
Hi, Im a new user of this forum. The commonapp essay limit is 500 words, but when i try to eliminate stuff I add more :( Now it is 589 words...Please be judgemental of my essay and tell me what I should eliminate,
i will be really appreciate, Thank you :)
A Memory of Time
Ever since I participated in the school-play during six grade, I've felt attached to the stage. Just a week after I transferred into my American school, my class was assigned a play. Although I did not get lines because I could not speak English fluently then, I still felt excited and actively participated in the dance practice during lunch period. The dance was complex, but it did not stop my passion for learning; in fact, I enjoyed the daily strenuous practice. After school, I would do the movements involuntarily while I was waiting for the bus or brushing my teeth, and I couldn't help humming the song of our stage play whenever I feel like it. On the "Big Day", I still remembered how nervous yet impatient I was on the stage. Although I did not play the center, I still did my part seriously. I was unsatisfied with just being the background dancer, therefore during High School I signed up "College Now Drama Class" immediately.
I was so excited at the thought of being able to stand on stage once again. My first task was to perform a monologue after two weeks of practice. Although there's plenty of time, I did not waste any. During the first week I carefully studied my script and its character's tone and emotional state. The following week I focus on memorization and practice. When I had fully readied myself before the performance start, the professor announced, the class would switch to the music room because of construction. I was overwhelmed by the sudden change; when all the students entered the music room, the only space left was like the size of a hallway. The performer was in close proximity to the audiences. I felt my face flushed with embarrassment and I was eager to return to my seat. But, what hit me was there were people who were fine with spectators watching them from three feet away.
I didn't give up hope after this failure; I did some self-reflection and came up with strategies to tackle with difficult situation. I simulated a variety of scenarios in my mind and thought of countermeasures for each one of them. For the next performance, we were assigned to plot a dialogue and act with a partner. After exchanging emails with her, I practiced diligently as before. At that time, schoolworks gradually increase in difficulty, and free time gradually decreases. So during the weekend I sacrificed an entire day for plot discussion with my partner and rehearsal in the afternoon. Just when everything was prepared, my partner was late to class. Fortunately, I had simulated this scenario, so I wasn't astounded. First I tried to reduce my partner's anxiety by suggesting rehearse for the last time. We encouraged each other that "our performance would be a bombshell!", then we confidently went up the stage. Our show went well and I managed to solve my partner's line-forgetting crisis by skipping a dialogue. Our teacher commended our script was innovative and refreshing although there were flaws in our acting, I took his advice seriously and practice my emotion in front of the mirror. At the last performance, I did a great job and I had fully enjoying the stage after the regret in elementary school. This is a life-changing moment to me, because although i do not plan to major in drama, this special experience had surely taught me to face any future obstacles and challenges with calmness and wisdom.