Do Not Forget

Throughout history, man as a whole has always had the undying need to be remembered on this planet. Every civilization, from the ancient Mesopotamians to modern communities in the world today, has strived to leave their mark, and to make people remember that they lived. For many people, one of their worst fears is that future generations of human beings will have no inkling of their existence. Withal, there are still some people who believe the complete opposite. These would rather live quaint, average but fulfilling lives than be known to the world.  These lives leave many feeling accomplished, and would do the same for me, except that a life like that would leave me in anguish. One of my lifetime goals is to be remember and revered by many after my death. It may be an "impossible dream," but I want my name to forever be on the lips of the world's never ending populace.

Since the dawn of man, many men and women have longed to be weaved into the tapestry of time. Many outlets have been used to try to fulfill this objective. The prehistoric Cro-Magnons painted extraordinary images of their prey onto cave walls. Great thinkers such as Aristotle and Plato have used their immense knowledge for the betterment of mankind, and in return have been remembered throughout the ages. Architects have strived throughout the ages to create innovative, massive, memorable structures, trying to forever etch their images into the minds of the generation. Even artists, many of whom claim to just be expressing themselves, whether through stagecraft or physical works of art, try to mold and create the genre anew, thereby being known by many as a great influence to the arts. When there is no other outlet, many try to go down in infamy, being remember not for their kindness, but through their cruelty and inhumanity. After all, most people, whether for good reasons or bad, want to be remembered for years to come.

On the other hand, there are some who would rather live everyday, ordinary, hum-drum lives than be known to the world. These people want to blend into the woodwork, and let the world keep on turning without leaving a large, conspicuous mark. They would rather be remembered by their families and those who knew them as loving, caring people, or generous and kind homemakers. After all, for them, they are just one part of this massive puzzle called life, one tiny, insignificant speck of dust on a clover. Why make of fuss when in a century or two, you will already have been replaced by hundreds of other living, breathing humans, and you will just be dust in the wind? This philosophy works for many a man, and they meander through life as content as one can be. However, this is NOT the life for me.

There is no question that I do not want want to be forgotten. Like most men before me, the quest for remembrance drives many of my crucial actions. However, the more I hear of other thing people want to be remembered for, the more apparent it becomes that this quest is no more successful than Don Quixote's. Some say they want to be remembered by inventing something and having it named after them . This sounds like a phenomenal way to contribute to society and be remembered, until you have thousands of "Gedriches" in landfills across the country in a couple of decades.  I would love no more than to be remembered for my artistry and performances on stage, where I am allowed to touch and move people, and provoke stimulating thought. Stagecraft is my true love, and one day I truly hope to be remembered for my contributions to the field. However, the cynic in me says that no matter how great my influences, the art is always morphing and changing, and one day every bit of significance of mine would be lost in the works. So for the time being, I just hope that, however cliché it may be, I will be remembered as a good actor by many, but more importantly, a great man by all.

By and large, the quest of remembrance by man is just chasing windmills. No matter how full of effort our attempts are, in a single, solitary millennium, the single contributions each of us make, and who we were, will have been forgotten. Try as we might, the cynics in all of us tell us so. In the meantime we can just strive for the cliché we all know and loathe, and just try to be the best we can be. Those that try to be remembered for acts so sinister will always be the fools, for try as they might, their faces will ultimately just blend into one large mass of unloved, misguided souls. The same could be said about all futile attempts of remembrance through kindness and art, but one thing we know for fact is that in the many years to come, we choose the shade of light history shines on us. Even if we are remembered only briefly, would you rather remain in the dark, or let the world see the brilliance of you for that small allotment of time? 

Bewildered Beloveds: The Befuddled Loves of Williams Works

Whether it be sonnet or play, William Shakespeare's writing have that certain something, that je ne sais quoi. But although each is unique in its own revering way, Shakespeare still had some base to work from, including his characters. Even his tragedies and comedies have similarities, although one deals out laughter and pleasure for the story's whole, while the other deals a hand of sorrow and sadness.  This is shown in the fatal Romeo and Juliet and the jovial The Comedy of Errors, by the loving Juliet and Adriana, respectively. For instance, both have leading ladies in which their love lives are a mess, all discombobulated and awry. However, the similarities are coupled with many deviations as well, for between these two, sometimes these two ladies are as dissimilar as night and day. But although one is wise beyond her years, the other quick to make conclusions and jealous, these women both are major motivators in their respective stories.

First and foremost, they both are eminent characters. Juliet is the driving force in her show, for without her, there would be no conflict, no action, nothing to keep the reader interested. She, the title character, is pivotal to frame of the story itself, for without her, the play would simply be a document of the life of an angsty, whiny teen boy, Romeo. The same could be said for Adriana, wife of Antipholus of Ephesus. She constantly believes that he is cheating on her, always moaning about her woes to her sister, Luciana. And when the confusion between him and his long-lost-twin-brother Antipholus of Ephesus begins, this motivates her even more to entrap her husband. Through many misconstrewn actions against the wrong Antipholus, including a harsh scolding and the hiring of a sorcerer to cure his "madness", she pushes the story along until it is finally revealed that her harsh punishments have led to the revelation of the brotherhood of her husband and his twin from Syracuse. She then naturally forgives her husband and all is well. The exclusion of these two characters would be detrimental to the plays, for without either the stories would crash before they even leave the ground.

But not are they only both prominent, they are confused lovers as well. Juliet was a headstrong, grounded young woman before she met her Romeo. She was always anchored, and thinking things through. But once she was thrown into the throngs of love, the rational thinking flew out the window. She became so enthralled by her forbidden love with Romeo that, after his hasty death, she killed herself as well. For her with love, it was either all or nothing, no matter what. This fate was not deserving, because she had so much more to give, but was cut short due to the conundrum called love. Adriana, on the other hand, was never rational about her relationship with Antipholus of Ephesus. Always fearful of her husbands supposed cheating, she never allowed herself to get close to him, for fear of having her heart broken. At least, in the end, when she realized that she is loved, faithfully, by Antipholus, she tears down her wall of fear and lets her husband in, living a happy life after. However, I do not believe this fate fits her either, for her harshness towards others is too quickly erased. There should have been some repercussions for her actions.

But both, throughout the story, are conflicted with many problems of love, and do not deserve their outcomes, whether they be too tragic or too kind.

But finally, both women were very confidant and self assured. Juliet was always a self confidant girl who believed in all she did. Even when blinded by the love for her Romeo, she still thought that all of actions were justified and true, including her too soon death. The same unwavering self-faith can be applied to Adriana. The absence of proof of Antipholus' cheating did not stop her from berating the man whom she thought was the no-good, unfaithful spouse, or from hiring sorcerer Doctor Pinch to cure him from his "madness". Did she ever have a unstable doubt she was overreacting? No, right until the plays end did she believe all her actions were justified and right. Both of these women are powerful and self confidant, showing Shakespeare's support of women. For through most of his plays are women portrayed as powerful and strong.

As is evident, The characters of Juliet and Adriana are very similar. Not only are they both commanding, central women in their respective plays,and confused by love, they also have an unwavering pride and confidence in themselves and the choices they make. This can be applied to today as well as well, because in everyone their should be a strong sense of self pride. Even if you are confused, whether it be in love or other areas, you should be assured in yourself and trusting of whatever you choose. These plays were written in the 1500's, centuries before us. Yet those timeless ideals are still relevant today, showing how ahead of his time Mr. Shakespeare was. For the characters of Juliet and Adriana are as current as current can be, and shall be for years to come.

The Curious Case of Ryan Joseph Gedrich (My Autobiography)

    SMACK! Was that Chris Brown beating up Rihanna again? Well, yes, it probably was, but that was also the sound of the doctor hitting my little baby butt after I came out of the womb on December 20, 1993. My mother wasn't a novice at this whole ordeal, for my sister had been born exactly 656 days prior. I wished for a cool name like Maximus Gavin Gedrich, but was instead saddled with Ryan Joseph Gedrich being written on my certificate of birth. Throughout my first year of life, according to my parents, I was an adorable little bundle of... non-stop screaming. Nothing could get my little trap to shut up. Night and day, if you came near my house, all you would hear would have been the screeching siren known as my crying. All I could do was grow out of it, so my parents were subjugated to the noise for an entire year. I miss being a baby.

    Even when I grew older, I still had trouble sleeping. Around the age of four, I discovered that instead of cuddling up at night to a teddy bear or blanket, I wanted nothing more than a few washcloths. The strange child I was, for some unknown reason, wouldn't fall asleep without having his two waffle washcloths with him. "Buddies", as they were called, became the only way I could fall asleep. In fact, they are most likely at the bottom of a drawer in my room, waiting for a time to emerge out to help someone sleep again.

    Walking is the essential mode of transportation for all humans, and it is always a parents thrill to scream "Oh my God!! He/She is walking on their own!". So it was to my parents disappointment when, instead of walking on my own, I picked up a baseball bat. Yes, I used a baseball as a walking stick to learn how to walk. Ironic considering most sports are now the bane of my existence, but that is beside the point. My parents even once quoted me as saying "I'm never going to walk anywhere without my bat!" Thankfully I lied about that, or else high school would be a very awkward experience.

    Speaking of sports, there have been many unsuccessful endeavors at sports made by myself throughout my life. For three years in elementary school, I attempted to play soccer. I was on the same team for all three years, and, to put it in plain english, sucked. I always played defense, and my team was apparently "so good" that the ball never came near me. I spent most of my time bent down, counting blades of grass. Needless to say the soccer really did not work out, so in fifth grade I tried basketball. My team was the Spurs, and we as a whole weren't that bad. We came in 3rd place out of all the teams in BMAC for that year, and it was quite fun! Naturally, I myself wasn't very good, but my team mates, including one Ryan Cavallo, were, so they helped up through. Basketball was fun, but the work you had to put into it wasn't worth it for me, so I did not return the next year.

    For a time, I also had a hobby of collecting Beanie Babies. I used to pretend that they were alive, and create little lives for them. Every week I would try to get a new one to add to the "family". Sometimes, I would make a little fort in the living room and pretend to be part of their family. Call it imaginative, call it strange, blame it one my "actor creativity", but I used to think they were so fun. Of course I grew out of it, but I still have bins upon bins of them in my basement, waiting for another young child to grab them up.

    Another thing I used to love when I was little was Sesame Place. Sesame Place is a Sesame Street theme park in Pennsylvania, ten or twenty minutes outside of Philadelphia. My parents used to take us there all the time when we were little. It is basically a little children's Six Flags, with water slides, pools, roller coasters, and shows to see. My favorite thing to do there was Elmo's World Adventure, where all the little kids would "act" in these scenes on a green screen, and then you could buy the VHS tape with the background filled in and watch your adventure with Elmo. It was so fun! I even got a giant stuff animal Elmo! We do not go there anymore, but it is always so fun to go back and watch those Elmo's World Adventure tapes, re-living what it was like at that age.

    My illustrious school career began at the ripe old age of three. My first class ever was preschool with Mrs. O'Connor at St. Paul's Christian School. We always used to have such a fun time playing around, doing arts and crafts, and just being little kids. The next year at Saint Paul's, I moved up to Pre-K with Mrs. Lowe. I remember having so much fun playing house with my friends during playtime, and making paint footprints in arts and crafts. One time we took a trip to a pumpkin patch and chose our own pumpkins, with a hayride to and from the patch. My time at St. Paul's was fun, but nothing could beat when I was in kindergarten at the PLC with Mrs. Popp.

    My next rung climbed on the education ladder was kindergarten at the Primary Learning Center. It was such a great time, and many friends I made there I still know today. We learned the alphabet through "The Letter People", a motley crew of little creatures who each came with their own name, story, and song. Although a little creepy at times, they were so much fun, and really help the kids to remember the alphabet. In gym we also had "Scooterville", our own little kindergarten community on scooters. Everyone had their own license, and their own unique job you rotated every week. Everyone would travel around on their scooter, performing their job like being the postman, or running the "car" wash. Little things like that made kindergarten really fun when I was a kid.

    Going to first grade at Lanes Mill Elementary School was a real thrill for me. It made me feel like I was finally at school with the "big kids". My teacher, Mrs. Kodan, was very musical and had us play our kazoos we kept inside of our desks every morning. Although she was old and very strict, she was a great teacher. From then on, I had a great time in elementary school. From being in chorus to recess, the whole experience was a blast. In fourth grade I attended the Young Author's Conference in Jackson, where we had writing workshops and discussions with actual authors. Elementary school was a great time in my life, and when my school bus left that parking lot for the last time, I didn't think I would ever find a better school.

    But of course, I was wrong. After my first day in sixth grade at Veterans Memorial Middle School, I could not have been happier. I had a great time in all of my classes, and met some great new people. The same went for seventh grade and eighth, and everything was great! I became involved with the morning announcements for the school, VMTV, and always had somewhere to go every morning. Also, every year, we had a trip to NBC studios in New York City. We took a tour of the studios where they shoot shows including SNL and Conan, and then went for lunch in a new restaurant each time. The adviser, Mrs. Quaglia, made it very exciting, and also introduced me to what is now my main focus (and obsession) in life.

    Acting has become my passion in life. I have always loved performing, ever since I was a little boy. I have been dancing at Wendi Sue Porter School of Dance since I was two years old, and I have loved every minute. But it was not until recently, when I was in seventh grade and was Jesus in Godspell Jr., that I became immersed in acting as well. After Godspell, I tried to perform in anything I could, and soon after ended up with the Brick Children's Community Theatre, or BCCT. I've since performed in five of their shows, and have had a great time with each. One of my most recent shows was "Fools", a comedy by Neil Simon, and also my first role in a straight play. Being in "Fools" was such a wonderful and thrilling experience, especially being a freshman cast in a lead role. It really allowed me to expand as an actor, and I am so thankful for the opportunity.

    But not only is acting my passion, it has also led to my favorite hobby. The history of musical theatre is something that really interests me, and I always love to hear more. It just fascinates me how much work goes into one production, without the certainty of success and almost more of a chance of failure. The gamble, and how the actors AND producers put their lives out on the line enthralls me to no end. Or even if there is a success, how many problems can still go wrong. For example, in the original production of Sweet Charity at the Palace Theatre on Broadway, one night, during "If My Friends Could See Me Now", Gwen Verdon's lighting was completely messed up, and no one could see her. When the stage manager went up to the lighting booth to see what was wrong, he found the lighting operators tied up and gagged. It had been payday at the theatre, and they had been mugged. I just find little facts like that so engrossing.

    

    Going to see a show on broadway is the epitome of theatre. As you can tell, I am not like most other fifteen year-old boys, and this will only solidify that. Whenever I can, I go to New York to see a show. Whether it is front row center or the back of the theatre, I just love being there. In fact, I just love being in the city, being a part of it all. Because being in the city allows anyone, no matter who they are, to have a chance to do what they love. And, like I always used to say when I was a kid, "I'm just Ryan", and being just Ryan still lets me have so many possibilities in the future to come. So keep checking in, because although I'm here in Brick for now, just wait. Soon you'll be seeing me in bigger and better things, and although it may be hard, I will get there, just wait. To quote my favorite musical "Sunday in the Park with George", "White. A blank page or canvas. His favorite. So many possibilities."