My name is Cassandra Ciesla, and welcome to my little corner of this online classroom!
 |
| "You know what they say... when aunt flow comes to town you've gotta clear out the spare bedroom." End the Sentence directed by Dan Almsley (I'm not the Kotex box.) |
I'm a drama major with an emphasis in acting, and I'll be graduating this spring. Maybe you've seen some productions at The University of Oklahoma (or have been forced to attend due to a class). Does Stepping Out or The Trojan Women ring a bell? As of October 2nd, I closed my first play of the 2016/2017 season, Let The Right One In (as Oskar's Mum.)
I'm currently working on my first Assistant Directing credit for the musical, Next to Normal, under the direction of Tom Orr, who is the head of my department and also the director of my previous play. It's been fun to hold a different position for the first time!
 |
| A crew member caught a picture of my pre-show ritual for Mum. I like to sit in her kitchen chair, smoke from the e-cig (mostly to make sure it was working before the show) have a few sips from her "glass of wine" (water with food coloring) and take the time to get into her mindset. Let The Right One In Directed by Tom Orr Costumes by Lloyd Cracknell |
 |
| "She weeps." The Trojan Women directed by Susan Shaughnessy Costumes by Lloyd Cracknell University Theatre, Helmrich School of Drama |
It's an exciting writing semester for me, as I'm finally going to be trying my hand in playwriting. I'm very hopeful that I'll find myself really falling in love with the challenge of writing a play! For that class we had to write an artist's statement, and here's a little excerpt from mine...
(~by the way~ I'm super into it! All right, playwrights)
"I’m very curious about
nature/nurture and how relationships impact people. Imagine the moment that your crush unexpectedly walks into the room- I am fascinated by heart rate quickening, breath rising, eyes dilating. I love people, and I’m
amazed that I will never get to live in anyone else’s head. Perhaps that’s
another reason why I’ve been drawn towards acting. I want to bring light to the spiritual
phenomenon that vibrates within our world; the things you don’t always recognize
as messages or mini-miracles. My audience is anyone who will
listen. I hope that my stories can reach people from all walks of life- I
believe that suffering and joy is found in each and every one of us. Your pain,
which is probably different from mine, still hurts the same way my pain hurts
me. We can find unity in that. I want to change lives, and such an
aspiration terrifies me in a beautiful way, because it is a very big job and I’ll have to learn how to
inspire such change."After I graduate I plan to volunteer with a program called ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty) and I might just find myself teaching acting in India! I have a deep calling to go out and heal the world in whatever way I can, but going on a missionary trip never really felt quite right for me. Finding ASTEP has opened up some pretty big doors, and I think having a global experience is just what I need to continue blooming as a person and artist. I'm very excited, and honestly, ready to take a breather from my career while still practicing my passion. I'll always practice the craft of acting, and I definitely want to establish a successful career in the field (which includes joining the Actor's Union i.e. Equity(theatre)/ SAG AFTRA (tv/film). They offer insurance. Insurance sounds so nice.
As for these next ten years I plan to travel with my career, volunteer in the states and overseas, and ideally establish myself in an acting company and then eventually either own/co-own a studio where I can teach acting techniques/offer private coaching. Playwriting has become a fairly new development in my life, and I'm ABOUT IT.
The whole goal is to find a community I love to artistically serve!
I suffered from depression and anxiety for a very long time. Now that I'm body/mind/spirit healthy I'm a serious advocate for speaking out on mental illness, and I'm learning how to grow that passion into something tangible. I'm very much open to whatever opportunities the universe throws my way! I received some advice from a professional in the performing arts community who suggests, "jump off the high dive and free fall". After this year I'll be in some serious free fall. Who knows, maybe playwriting or screenplays are in my future? Or directing? Clowning? Sketch comedy? Endless unemployment? A dog?? Only time will tell.
Anything else? I'm very much into essential oils and aromatherapy, talking until the sun comes up, paying people to listen to my problems (also known as therapy), mediation, and yoga. I'm really fond of mostly all cheeses. Recently learned that I'm most likely allergic to cheese, but that's not gonna stop me.
Are you in that top picture? Are you spooked, sassy, or the Kotex wielding woman? Assuming you are in there somewhere, that's cool that you're also shooting films. You dig plays, filming, teaching, and possibly screen-writing? I saw direction thrown in there too. You are a lady of many hats. It's pretty cool you're interested in so many different facets of acting. That takes a lot of passion.
ReplyDeleteThe pun was bloody well done. Vampires probably prefer uncooked, though.
Volunteering is always nice to read about. I wish more people had that mentality. I think one of the best things my high-school did was force us to complete 280 hours of community service to graduate. I hated high-school, but that idea was good. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Good on you for being open about mental illness. You're no more in control of your body's brain chemicals than a person with diabetes is with their blood sugar. You met it head on too. Therapy, meditation, and yoga? That takes effort and dedication. Hopefully, the stigma of seeking help for mental health will fade with time.
I think it's funny you might have an allergy to cheese but still love it. As you saw, my old allergy became my nemesis. That would probably be different if it was cheese, though. Cheese objectively is the best.
OKAY. HI. LET'S BE BEST FRIENDS.
ReplyDeleteWas that too forward? Dang it... I'm really working on that.
But oh my gosh, could you be any cooler? This intro was awesome. I can tell just by this that you're an amazing writer (and witty #fullpackage!!!). I cannot act. Nope. I would break character so fast, probably by snort laughing. But I think thats so awesome that it's something you are so passionate about! I'll for sure have to come see a play you're in cause I haven't been to any at OU yet!
I love that you have a heart for people like I do, that genuinely makes me so giddy. And that artist statement, wooooow!! I love everything you said. And about the mental illness, it takes a lot of courage to be so open. I think I was born that way- as an overshare-er, but I know that for some it's a real challenge. I have actually gone through depression myself, so I understand what that's like. I am so happy you are healthy now and I find it very admirable that you now want to help others through it!
Ps. Let me just say, I laughed out loud and did some hand raises (like raising the roof?) multiple times while reading your post. You're awesome.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOkay I read one of your stories first before reading your intro and now it makes sense. Having the drama/ acting background really came alive in your writing, and it was obvious that it came naturally to you. You're story was amazing so I have to say, you have all the reason to be excited about starting your playwright career. I look forward to reading more of your stories and I wish you the best of luck on your future plans!
ReplyDeleteHey Cassandra! I think its really cool that you are a drama major. Your life seems so much more interesting than my little biology major. I have gotten the chance to go to a couple of OU plays but I don't think I have had the opportunity to see you perform. I think its amazing how you have overcome struggles, but on top of that, you are working to raise awareness for it. Just from your introduction, you sound like a strong, kind person. I'm so glad I got the chance to hear a little bit about you!
ReplyDeleteHey Cassandra! Nice to meet you! I have attended several musicals and plays while at OU but unfortunately (or fortunately??) neither of the ones you mentioned. The play you are in this semester sounds very interesting considering its history! I danced for 16 years so I definitely miss the stage and am very envious of your future aspirations! I wish you the best of luck!
ReplyDeleteActing is a great way to get inside someone else's (fictional, slightly fictional, or real) head! I write fiction stories myself and it forces me to put myself in the position of people who have lived decades ago in very different circumstances. Writing and acting help one realize just how complex everyone is, how they store inside them a whole world.
ReplyDeleteAs an idea, I think your friends' smaller theatres could be good places to show stories of anxiety and other mental issues. Do you think that smaller stages offer more flexibility to playwrights in terms of subject matter?
Oh, Cassandra, this is the first I have heard about Let the Right One In: how cool! Will that be this semester? Please keep me posted: VAMPIRES. That is a must for class announcements. And I am really curious what happens when an actress turns to playwriting: acting is already a form of creating, but farther on up the food chain of drama... I am guessing thinking from an acting point of view will make playwriting both easy and hard, but hard in the good sense... and maybe it will even have an impact on your acting too!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am in total agreement about the power of the expressive arts both as part of social justice struggle (just look at The Wire: millions of people have watched that show... far more than would have ever read a book or a series of hard-hitting newspaper articles about Baltimore...) and also for people's own mental health. I have a friend who uses improv for therapy: powerful stuff, totally affirming (because YES is the word, in a sense the only word, that you need to make improv work). I hope this class can provide some reading/writing experiments that will be useful to you on down the road, wherever that road may go!
Including to India: yes! The theater tradition is huge (HUGE) there... have I sent you a link to Ramlila? Check it out: one of the most important ways that people know Rama's story is through theater: Ramlila, which is to say the Rama-Play ... and, like English "play," the word LILA is full of meaning! :-)
Hi Cassandra! Wow, you really included a nice, round, full introduction! Thank you! I feel like we're friends now with how open you were about yourself! Sooooo.... which essential oils or combination of oils are your favorite? Do you diffuse them? I just recently got a diffuser, and I love it. I used up my whole bottle of peppermint already, and am working through Lavender+Tea Tree Oil......
ReplyDeleteWhich, if you go to India, splurge (well, not really, it's pretty cheap actually) on tea tree oil anything and neem oil! They have some of the coolest facial/skin/hair products over there due to their history of ayurvedic medicines (Remember our readings where Hanuman went to the Himalayas to get a medicine to heal Rama (I think it was Rama), and he ended up bringing the whole mountain to them? Yeah, huge history)! Such good stuff. And, if you go to India, ENJOY! I was there for 2.5 years, and there are so many other options for volunteering and expanding your craft than just missions work. Many, Many NGO's to choose from, and a Pro-Tip: YMCA's were some of my favorite (cheap!) pleaces to stay at. And, as a single woman, they were some of the safest. :)
That was quite the introduction Cassandra! You pretty much hit upon every topic under the sun, but it kinda worked for you! This is going to sound like an insult, but you were kind of all over the place, but I really loved it! It gave me a glimpse into your personality even though I was just reading what you wrote for us. I love when people put all their cards onto the table up front, so you know what to think about the person. Good luck with the acting and with the traveling (and getting the insurance) and everything else that you plan on doing with your life! I look forward to reading your stories this semester!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Laura. Acting and theater are really big in India, so I think you are in the right class to be learning about that. I think it's really cool how you are doing an emphasis in acting. I like drama and acting quite a bit. In fact, I am the assistant director for the local theater in the town where I live!
ReplyDeleteI love your attitude about the future. Thinking about life past graduation can be very scary, but it is also full of opportunities. I have only seen Ragtime at OU, but it was such a great experience! I did high school theater and really is so much fun. It's amazing that you chose to pursue acting as a career.
ReplyDeleteHi Cassandra!! Your life is so cool!! I don't know if every little girl ever has dreamed of being an actress, by I definitely did dream of the day when I would be on the big screen like Amanda Bynes (Pre-crazy Amanda Bynes)! I enjoy performing as a dancer though! Sometimes, I just dance in my room and the only audience is my Barbie's, but they count, right? Haha! Also, I wish my mom had spelled my name Kasandra like yours! No one ever gets my name right!!
ReplyDeleteHi Cassandra! I really enjoyed reading your introduction. I feel like you hit up every area and I feel like I know you well now. I think its really cool that you are a drama major. I have only been to a few plays while being at OU and I don't think I've ever seen you perform. Good luck with all of the acting and traveling! I look forward to reading your stories and keeping up with your blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Cassandra! That is super awesome that you are the assistant director for Next to Normal! I've never seen it, but I really want to! It's neat that you'll get to expand your experience within the acting community and work on something different. If you had to choose, would you rather do stage or tv/film acting, or both? I've always thought it would be fun to be in musicals, but I don't think I'm cut out for it! I'm excited to read some of your stories!
ReplyDeleteHey Cassandra,
ReplyDeleteIts really weird that I have made it this far into this class without reading your introduction yet! I thought I had read everyone’s a long time ago. You sound like a very interesting person. Despite never participating in plays I have a tremendous amount of respect for how difficult it must be. I wish you luck in your playwriting endeavors!