My Ebonics lesson just a taste!

Ebonics 101

Black speech, AAV (African American Vernacular), AAS (African American Speech), Black phonics

This dialect ranges in ages, region, and sex. Flavor is used to add a sense of urban culture to your voice this may be used by lowering tone, or adding a singing quality to the sound.

Ebonics speakers may not use the dental fricatives:

(the th in thin) and (the th of then) are often substituted for the d . The actual alternative phone used depends on the sound's position in a word.

Examples: dis, dat, dere, den, dem, dese

dem boys messin wit me

dese shoes is old

Realization of final ng  morphemes with two syllables like -ing, e.g. tripping is pronounced as trippin.

Examples: Slippin, Ridin, Grindin, Gettin

She grindin real hard an tryna get some mo money

For younger speakers, /skr/ also occurs in words that other varieties of English have /str/ so that, for example, street is pronounced [skrit].

Examples: Skraight, Skrong, Skrap, Skrange

He so skrong

Double negatives.  It's a phrase such as "haven't never" or "can't nobody." 
Here, we will replace the word "any" with "no" creating a double negative of "ain't got no." "Can't nobody hold me down."
  "Yo, I haven't never scored with a girl."


 Common changes to small words:  There are several small words in the English language that have been altered and inducted into the Ebonics language. 
my = mah
got = gaht
alright = aight
fool = foo
out = ou
to = tah
because = cuz
going = goin'
what's = Wus
was = wuz
You all = Ya'll
ask, asked = aks, aksed
 Often found Ebonics will pluralize an unnecessary word.
                            "Dis foo be dissin' mah moms!"
                   “look at all the da peoples”
                  

Videos that may help.

THE WIRE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmIvu1yg3bU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Fv-nJCfrk&feature=related

MADEA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iggHnObk0ZY&feature=related

Airplane:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa1rjCZxtxo&feature=related

Set it off:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pV1q3XttBI&feature=related

News cast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgdyhe0OZXw

Resist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0osQPmDgwDY

Malibu’s most wanted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2MtRBR0aEw

Missing the Fam!

I miss my mom terribly, my dogs, my grammy and brother I miss my dad, My step dad and step mom. I miss my bff, I miss that special person who is currently in my life. Oh yes forgot to tell you about that. Before I left someone special entered my life from CO. He’s beautiful and I can’t wait to get home to him.

I miss my grandmas so much. It’s kind of hard talking to my parents and seeing my family then realizing that life still goes on without me hmmmm who would have thought. I’m a bit home sick but not terribly. I watch the news and here about updates with lack of jobs, natural disasters, and even lady gaga, and I worry.

2 ½ more months then I’m home it’ll be bitter sweet but I’m ready … well at least I think I am.

Working on the screen

Being a third year at WAAPA I have had such a privilege of getting to work in the screen acting class. It’s ridiculously weird seeing myself on screen. Today we were using multi-cameras for a scene with my partner and I. They scene had extremely high stakes a broken marriage and lack of a child. Meaning what ……. I had to sob, cry and carrying emotions that I normally can only relate to in real life. During the practice run last night I managed to shed some tears. It was ok but I didn’t feel the stakes were high enough. My partner wanted to use a Mamet approach called the as if approach.

It did manage to work for a bit but didn’t last for the remainder of the run. Walking in to the studio my professor was brilliant he used his own method of connecting and being real with the camera, in complete tears I managed to get thru the scene. I have to say its incredibly hard trying not to be theatrical  I’M MUSICAL THEATER FOR CHRIST SAKE.  My life revolves around fake scenarios of randomly breaking out into song. Well I’m really working on it, were told don’t act be you don’t act don’t act ugh! Ok the mask and costume comes off pushing through my emotions is cut now lights camera action!

Puppy Therapy

Ok so I must say I went to the most amazing place the other day a puppy shop. This puppy ship was nothing liked I had ever scene The pet shop did not have the puppies placed in cages only big enough to fit rabbits the puppies had an open cage setting  with tons of room to play and run. There were ropes dangling from the ceiling so the little guys could dangle, grab, and pull. There at least 70 puppies in this setting and not one smell of poop.

You could hold each one and interact without getting special permission. All you had to do was put on a health shirt making sure germs weren’t spread making the puppies sick. The smell of puppy breath is the greatest smell to me ever I love it. I did get a bit sad because there was on little guy who looked just like my Tuxx. Little barks and growl filled the space it was the best therapy I have ever had. I love Perth’s puppy pet shop on Bueford street.

My little tuxx

Explaining racism

Ever since I have come to Australia I have gotten so many questions about racism, being an African American in the U.S., and the word Nigga. Every where I go people want to know what’s it like, how does it work, when does it happen. To be honest I never thought it would be so hard to explain racism. People here don’t often use the “N” word thank God but I have heard whites say it a few times. But in a way I as an American feel responsible. From what I see they use it to quotes movies, of course American movies. I have never had it said personally to me, and let’s also thank God ion that one because I would have to cut somebody.

I have tried to be truthful and upfront about the ongoing battle of racism in America. Its really difficult to explain though. I bring up personal experiences and hypothetical situations but I don’t feel like I’m giving the subject justice. In a way I feel like people don’t think it’s a problem anymore and that it doesn’t exist. Which I hope everyone knows is not true. I feel awful for not getting people to understand it’s a huge issue and there is still unjust act being carried out in the states, the supposed land of the free and home of the brave.

Again the movies hold a huge responsibility for these thoughts. In fact my professor has asked me to hold an Ebonics class for some of the 2^nd year musical theater students as a dialect choice. Looking at “The Wire” “Malibu’s Most Wanted” and “Airplane”. So no I didn’t refuse, I wanted to teach my class mates responsibly and let them know that Ebonics is a language that is very important to blacks in the states and shouldn’t only be taken as a way of comedy or for blacks to look ignorant.

I’m hoping people are understanding the point I hope I’m doing the right thing. I can’t help but to feel responsibility for these peoples frame of mind about the U.S. about racism and about blacks in America. A class mate said to me “ You know what I noticed when I was in the states, you’re a horrible racist jerk if you hate blacks, but Asians are free game for joking about”. He’s right why is that? Yet racism is racism it’s wrong it’s unjust and it’s anti-American, and yet it happens the most in America.

Voice Monologue

Every year third year actors are required to perform in front of a entire audience these things called voice monologue. The difference between a voice monologue and a real monologue is the vocal concept. You are asked to use any part if your voice that you feel is special, different, or pleasing to the ear. You can you dialects, singing, beat boxing, random glottling, and so forth.

I was asked by my professor Julia Moody to perform one of the monologues and my cast mates wanted me to do a variety of American dialects. Come opening night I felt like WAAPA got a real taste of what my talent entailed people laughed, cried, an held their sore stomachs from chuckling. My third year cast mates made a huge impact. The talent that filled that theater was amazing. This is a tradition that I hope will carry to my school.

Beach cottleslow

Today I was at cottleslow with my roommates it was soooo much fun. This beach is amazing and today they were holding this amazing art exhibit with tons of art spread all over the beach. There were so many people looking and enjoying this amazing beach. It was ridiculously windy so I didn’t get in the water which was probably a good thing considering I was still sick. I saw a mom and daughter enjoying the water and it made me miss my mom. I talk to her pretty often but me and my mom are liked peanut butter and jelly, air and water, chicken and waffles. Being so far from her has been a bit tough for me.

My favorite beach still though has got to be mulaloo beach crystal clear water, white sand and sun gently kissing your skin. I remember seeing a dolphin at mulaloo and of course I was the only one kicking an screaming in the water yelling SHARK SHARK!!!!!!!!! Hey it’s not my fault I live in Colorado I’m supposed to recognize bears and mountain lions not sharks. People were laughing at me then my roommates Rose soon corrected me telling me the difference in fin shape and size. Well now I know.

Nana

The lights were set my costume was straightened and lipstick fresh OPENING NIGHT!  I gave the can-can a new set of rules. Nana is amazing even more amazing are my cast mates and director David Miles. David Miles is giving me a new introspective on acting on interacting with your audience and carrying a story. Not to mention he has directed Laurence Olivier quite a resume if you ask me. In my personal opinion I thought it was nuts that WAAPA was wanting to see this show up and running in just five weeks, and there was a lot of hard work required on all of our parts in this process.

The costumes, set, music, and dancing are amazing. Nana was set in France in the 1800’s but had a very modern day feel language in the text. The costume had a bright design that was painted on silk on each every dress, coat and tails was decorated with this story of art on it. As you walking in the theater you were over taken by blood red silk curtains specifically made for Nana.The chandeliers dangling from the sky took over the stage beautifully. The music believe it or not was created by our cast mostly by the amazing Philippe Klaus also my cast mate. To be honest I feel the mans a genius.

 I feel like a special part of this cast. I was asked to help lead the show warm ups with funky music  (electric slide, cotton eyed Joe, and the Macarena) and group interacting. One of my favorite times of is show is belting this high C during an operetta. I have one line in the play and I’ve got to say as an actress it feels damn good when my line gets a glorious laugh from the audience every night. “Where are the naked Negros? You told me there would be naked Negros”, what can I say you win some and you lose some. Closing the show is going to be bitter sweet but everything must come to an end at some point. Well until then it’s show time!