Just a couple random things from the week so far. Magic bedrooms pertains to a comment made by one of the little boys at my children's school who told me you can make your bedroom magical by putting all your magic in an air tank and squeezing it out. The Veet is just a recent point of interest for my friends. And the Beehive is a reference to the directing scene I'm performing in that takes place in the 60s, so our hairstyles are crazy!
I've been having some intense rehearsals this week, not only for the scene I'm directing myself, but the one I'm acting in. Both are going extremely well and I'm becoming excited for Saturday. Of course, I'm nervous about the outcome of my scene in Professor R's eyes, but I, personally, like what I've accomplished and what my actors have accomplished. I just need to finish up my director's journal, and I'll be good to go. I just got back from a rescheduled late night rehearsal and it was my first with full dress, lights, pictures, and sound! It went off really well, and I like the composition.
The directing presentations for the upcoming Warehouse season were on Wednesday. Kaitie presented for Collected Stories, so we're waiting to see the outcome. I just realized, that I never wrote down the official Warehouse season after it was picked. Here it is:
5 Women Wearing the Same Dress
Collected Stories (a 2 woman play!)
The Young and the Fair (a 15 woman play!)
Eleemosynary
This is a really fun season, and we're excited about it! The directors won't be picked for a while, and all the girls that presented are very deserving candidates. Anyone that doesn't get a Warehouse spot still has the option to take the Directing 3 class and direct an Off-The-Wall production, meaning on their own time, in their own space. I might do it, if I feel a desire to direct second semester. Personally, I'm just more of an actor, but I do like the difference in artistic creativity between acting and directing.
Acting IV today was awesome! Chrisena and I got our blocking from Acting Professor R, and it was so much fun. Our scene is from A Taste of Honey which was written by a 17 year old girl. It's a British comedy/drama about the relationship between a mother and daughter who are really more like sisters. The dialect is much lower class and the pace is faster and funnier than anything else I've done in class so I'm having a blast. Everything rolls right off the tongue, and the characters are endearing. I'm really excited for the dress rehearsal during Tuesday's class but Chrisena and I have a lot to memorize and rehearse before we're ready.
I officially finished my Personal Family Finance research paper earlier tonight. We're taking a quiz tomorrow on Christopher Durang's Beyond Therapy, which I'm enjoying reading. It's hilarious, but so is everything Durang writes.
We had a really awesome discussion in our Global Village class the other day. Our college president came to talk to us. She has a degree on the subject of Digital Natives, which are the children who grew up using technology. Which is...the generation after mine. Technically I count myself as a digital native because my mom always had technology around, being a computer teacher. But, I didn't grow up with cell phones. Anyway, the point is, it was a really interesting discussion about how fast the world is changing and the statistics for how fast technology is evolving is astounding. We watched an interesting video showing some of these statistics if you'd like to watch it, it's fascinating and short:
It's unbelievable.
I can't even believe that this school year is almost finished. I have two more week of school then one week of finals. I'll have 3 weeks of free time and then I'll be at Boji, performing summer stock! Everything is going by so fast! But it's still fun and crazy and new everyday, so what more could I want?
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Is it Really Only Tuesday?
The weekend was so packed that I feel like it's Friday! But, of course, it's not. I hardly have any time left in this school year. My last big paper (for Personal Family Finance) is due Friday, and then after that it's a straight shot to studying for finals!
Saturday's Directing Scenes went really well! Both groups did a great job. One of the scenes only had a week of rehearsal and they pulled it together very well. I had my afternoon rehearsal cancelled on Saturday, so I went to Evan's Senior Voice Recital after the scenes. She's so talented, and I really enjoyed it. It's usually at one of these recitals or at the final show that I really realize that it's the end of the year and the 3rd years won't be here anymore. It's crazy to even think about. I can't believe that next year I'll be at the top and people will be sad to see our class go (I hope :)).
I finished my Global Village paper with little hassle. It ended up being 12 pages, which was just inside the maximum limit. I'm still unclear exactly what they were looking for in this paper, but since my rough draft was proofed, I'm pretty confident I won't be failing, which is what matters. That's a lie. Of course I hope I get an A. Duh.
Anyway, yesterday we talked about Cultural Globalization in GV, which is highly ironic because that was the topic of my paper. Many peoples topics have been covered in class, in time to help them write their papers. So it would only make sense that my topic gets covered the day our paper was due. Then again, after the lesson I realized I didn't learn anything I didn't already know, so I suppose it wouldn't have helped much after all.
In Theatre History II we talked about True West which is an awesome show for males. The two brothers in the show are often played by two actors that switch the roles constantly. So they might do a matinee as one brother, and then perform the night show as the other. It must be a truly fun and challenging show!
I had 2 rehearsals. One was for Chrisena's directing scene. We finished blocking and now I just need to finish memorizing. It's going to be a hilarious play for sure. Then I rehearsed my scene. Katie Mac's parents were in town so they came to watch the rehearsal. I sure hope they enjoyed it! They got to watch their daughter act, which they haven't gotten to do a lot because she's been so busy doing tech things. And Dru had all of his lines down except for one monologue! I'm so excited to work with them both off book this week. We definitely could have been good on Saturday, but this extra week will solidify the work they've put into the scene, and it's going to be good, I think. I'll find out at least.
After rehearsal I had a meeting with some of the old Warehouse board about sponsorship. The new Artistic Director and Chairwoman and I sat down with them so they could give us pointers on the best way to approach things. It was a really useful discussion and I'm excited about being productive! We're going to start looking for sponsors this week so it's all figured out before we head out to Boji for the summer. That way, when we get back, most of the work will be done!
I don't have Acting IV today, because I'm scheduled for Thursday, so I'll be taking Katie Mac to the hospital to get her foot looked at and see what's up with it. The swelling and bruising hasn't gone down at all, and so it's not looking to good at the moment. Hopefully the prognosis won't be too bad!
Saturday's Directing Scenes went really well! Both groups did a great job. One of the scenes only had a week of rehearsal and they pulled it together very well. I had my afternoon rehearsal cancelled on Saturday, so I went to Evan's Senior Voice Recital after the scenes. She's so talented, and I really enjoyed it. It's usually at one of these recitals or at the final show that I really realize that it's the end of the year and the 3rd years won't be here anymore. It's crazy to even think about. I can't believe that next year I'll be at the top and people will be sad to see our class go (I hope :)).
I finished my Global Village paper with little hassle. It ended up being 12 pages, which was just inside the maximum limit. I'm still unclear exactly what they were looking for in this paper, but since my rough draft was proofed, I'm pretty confident I won't be failing, which is what matters. That's a lie. Of course I hope I get an A. Duh.
Anyway, yesterday we talked about Cultural Globalization in GV, which is highly ironic because that was the topic of my paper. Many peoples topics have been covered in class, in time to help them write their papers. So it would only make sense that my topic gets covered the day our paper was due. Then again, after the lesson I realized I didn't learn anything I didn't already know, so I suppose it wouldn't have helped much after all.
In Theatre History II we talked about True West which is an awesome show for males. The two brothers in the show are often played by two actors that switch the roles constantly. So they might do a matinee as one brother, and then perform the night show as the other. It must be a truly fun and challenging show!
I had 2 rehearsals. One was for Chrisena's directing scene. We finished blocking and now I just need to finish memorizing. It's going to be a hilarious play for sure. Then I rehearsed my scene. Katie Mac's parents were in town so they came to watch the rehearsal. I sure hope they enjoyed it! They got to watch their daughter act, which they haven't gotten to do a lot because she's been so busy doing tech things. And Dru had all of his lines down except for one monologue! I'm so excited to work with them both off book this week. We definitely could have been good on Saturday, but this extra week will solidify the work they've put into the scene, and it's going to be good, I think. I'll find out at least.
After rehearsal I had a meeting with some of the old Warehouse board about sponsorship. The new Artistic Director and Chairwoman and I sat down with them so they could give us pointers on the best way to approach things. It was a really useful discussion and I'm excited about being productive! We're going to start looking for sponsors this week so it's all figured out before we head out to Boji for the summer. That way, when we get back, most of the work will be done!
I don't have Acting IV today, because I'm scheduled for Thursday, so I'll be taking Katie Mac to the hospital to get her foot looked at and see what's up with it. The swelling and bruising hasn't gone down at all, and so it's not looking to good at the moment. Hopefully the prognosis won't be too bad!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
A Long Week
Goodness, it's been a long week. There was so much to do, and so little time to do it in. That's how I feel about this weekend too. I'm so glad the end of the year is coming so fast!
Katie Mac's foot was hurt too bad for me to consider performing my directing scene today. So I changed my performance date to May 1, which means that I'll be performing in a directing scene, and showing my finished scene. And Stevies (our 3rd year party) is that day as well--so it's going to be a busy day!
Let's see:
Actinv IV: we had a free day, so Acting Professor R brought out a camera and gave us some scenes and monologues to memorize in ten minutes and then we came and did an acting on camera workshop. It was difficult to curb all of our (now) natural stage habits, but it was really fun! I'm really interested in film, and I can't wait for the actual film acting class next year. We might get to watch our performances at the end of the year, but I don't think I'll be very impressed with mine. I'm failry certain my eyes were downcast the whole time.
Global Village: I turned in my rough draft and went over it with my TA. She was extremely helpful curbing my use of passive voice. She gave me a lot of great suggestions and cleared up some organizational issues, so now I juts have to rewrite some things and I'll have a nice paper to turn in on Monday.
Theatre History II: We read The Rimers of Eldritch for Friday. It's very reminiscent of Our Town and To Kill a Mockingbird. I really enjoyed it, and I would love to see it on stage. It was obvious in the script that the technical elements made the show.
Rehearsals this week were a little different. After Katie hurt her foot, we tried one walk through rehearsal, but she was in too much pain. The dynamic was really off too (but incredibly funny, oddly enough) so I knew I couldn't perform Saturday. We had our first rehearsal in the performance space, but we just worked with the lights and the set, because I didn't want Katie moving around if she didn't have to. I got my ending figured out, and I know where I want to place my pictures. I think it's going to look great! Then my Friday rehearsal was cancelled because my male actor had some errands he needed to run, and since we have an extra week to work on it, I gave them both the weekend off to solidify their lines.
I also had rehearsal for the new scene I'm in, and that's going well. I attended 2 of Gillian's rehearsals too, to help her make sure there were no sightline or blocking issues before today.
I havnen't managed to see the dance show yet. And it's looking like I won't have the chance. I was supposed to go on a bike ride today, but I didn't wake up feeling well. There's 2 senior voice recitals that I'd really like to attend today, but I'm supposed to be at the directing scenes (since I'm turning the lights on in Gillian's scene), and then I have rehearsal for Chrisena's scene afterwards. So I'm not sure what all I'll get to do today, but I definitely need to finish my paper!
Katie Mac's foot was hurt too bad for me to consider performing my directing scene today. So I changed my performance date to May 1, which means that I'll be performing in a directing scene, and showing my finished scene. And Stevies (our 3rd year party) is that day as well--so it's going to be a busy day!
Let's see:
Actinv IV: we had a free day, so Acting Professor R brought out a camera and gave us some scenes and monologues to memorize in ten minutes and then we came and did an acting on camera workshop. It was difficult to curb all of our (now) natural stage habits, but it was really fun! I'm really interested in film, and I can't wait for the actual film acting class next year. We might get to watch our performances at the end of the year, but I don't think I'll be very impressed with mine. I'm failry certain my eyes were downcast the whole time.
Global Village: I turned in my rough draft and went over it with my TA. She was extremely helpful curbing my use of passive voice. She gave me a lot of great suggestions and cleared up some organizational issues, so now I juts have to rewrite some things and I'll have a nice paper to turn in on Monday.
Theatre History II: We read The Rimers of Eldritch for Friday. It's very reminiscent of Our Town and To Kill a Mockingbird. I really enjoyed it, and I would love to see it on stage. It was obvious in the script that the technical elements made the show.
Rehearsals this week were a little different. After Katie hurt her foot, we tried one walk through rehearsal, but she was in too much pain. The dynamic was really off too (but incredibly funny, oddly enough) so I knew I couldn't perform Saturday. We had our first rehearsal in the performance space, but we just worked with the lights and the set, because I didn't want Katie moving around if she didn't have to. I got my ending figured out, and I know where I want to place my pictures. I think it's going to look great! Then my Friday rehearsal was cancelled because my male actor had some errands he needed to run, and since we have an extra week to work on it, I gave them both the weekend off to solidify their lines.
I also had rehearsal for the new scene I'm in, and that's going well. I attended 2 of Gillian's rehearsals too, to help her make sure there were no sightline or blocking issues before today.
I havnen't managed to see the dance show yet. And it's looking like I won't have the chance. I was supposed to go on a bike ride today, but I didn't wake up feeling well. There's 2 senior voice recitals that I'd really like to attend today, but I'm supposed to be at the directing scenes (since I'm turning the lights on in Gillian's scene), and then I have rehearsal for Chrisena's scene afterwards. So I'm not sure what all I'll get to do today, but I definitely need to finish my paper!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
There's Something to be Said for Tennis Shoes
In the past 2 days I've had a least 3 conversations with different faculty members and friends about tennis shoes and the reason we should wear them. I heard a pleasant story from Acting Professor L about a girl at our summer theatre one year who was wearing flip flops while coming off the stage, stepped incorrectly on the stairs, and broke both her ankles at once.
I also spoke with my friend Katie Mac about wearing tennis shoes, because her foot (which was hurt last summer, so she had to wear a boot for a few weeks) has been hurting. Of course, today was the day that we were performing in Acting class. So we're all expected to dress up and look the part. Tennis shoes don't go with dresses. So Katie Mac wore flats...and stepped wrong on the stairs...smacked her bad foot...and promptly went to the hospital because it rapidly swelled. Luckily, it's looking like it's not broken. However, she will be wearing a boot and trying to keep the pressure off it. She has crutches for now. Of course, she would be the busiest girl every: stage managing the main stage musical right now, and also the main actress in my directing scene. Hopefully her foot gets better within the next couple of weeks, because she's doing pre-season for the summer theatre!
I'm going to have to see how she fairs this week in rehearsal, and if it's no good then I'll be rescheduling my directing scene. They're in a really good place right now, so I'm completely comfortable doing so. I just hope she starts to feel better!
So, aside from Katie Mac and her scene partner who did not perform today, we all performed in Acting IV. We did a small rehearsal with notes from Acting Professor R. I was told to up the panic, and take out the 'logic'. When Erin and I performed, we did everything he asked. He gave us great notes at the end and was pleased. It was a fun scene to do. It was from Lady Windemere's Fan, and I was accusing my mother (who I think is my husband's new girl on the side) of stealing my husband from me and causing a scandal.
We also recieved our new scenes today. I'll be workig with Chrisena, who I worked with in Katie Mac's directing scene, on A Taste of Honey. I haven't had a chance to read the play yet, but I'm supposed to have it read by next Tuesday. I'm excited; it looks like it will be a very interesting scene.
The tentative season for next year went up today as well! Here it is, in order of appearance but subject to change:
Our Leading Lady by Charles Busch
Dividing the Estate by Horton Foote (This takes place in Texas!)
Meet Me in St. Louis
The Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux
The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl
Thouroughly Modern Millie
There's some great comedies in here, and some awesome dramas. I admit, I hadn't heard of many of these, and I had to look them up. But it looks like a really interesting season and I'm pretty excited about it!
I had my first rehearsal for Chrisena's directing scene Sealed for Freshness today. It was a read through and it looks like it's going to be really funny. We'll be performing that May 1st!
I spent the rest of my day writing and researching for my Global Village paper. I'm more than half way done, and I went ahead and wrote my conclusion since I'll be meeting with my TA tomorrow to go over it. It's looking pretty strong, but I'm sure there will be lots to fix before Monday when I turn it in. After I'm done with this paper I only have one more for my math class and then I'll be done with my major assignments for the semester! I can't wait! I'm so ready for it to be summer already.
I also spoke with my friend Katie Mac about wearing tennis shoes, because her foot (which was hurt last summer, so she had to wear a boot for a few weeks) has been hurting. Of course, today was the day that we were performing in Acting class. So we're all expected to dress up and look the part. Tennis shoes don't go with dresses. So Katie Mac wore flats...and stepped wrong on the stairs...smacked her bad foot...and promptly went to the hospital because it rapidly swelled. Luckily, it's looking like it's not broken. However, she will be wearing a boot and trying to keep the pressure off it. She has crutches for now. Of course, she would be the busiest girl every: stage managing the main stage musical right now, and also the main actress in my directing scene. Hopefully her foot gets better within the next couple of weeks, because she's doing pre-season for the summer theatre!
I'm going to have to see how she fairs this week in rehearsal, and if it's no good then I'll be rescheduling my directing scene. They're in a really good place right now, so I'm completely comfortable doing so. I just hope she starts to feel better!
So, aside from Katie Mac and her scene partner who did not perform today, we all performed in Acting IV. We did a small rehearsal with notes from Acting Professor R. I was told to up the panic, and take out the 'logic'. When Erin and I performed, we did everything he asked. He gave us great notes at the end and was pleased. It was a fun scene to do. It was from Lady Windemere's Fan, and I was accusing my mother (who I think is my husband's new girl on the side) of stealing my husband from me and causing a scandal.
We also recieved our new scenes today. I'll be workig with Chrisena, who I worked with in Katie Mac's directing scene, on A Taste of Honey. I haven't had a chance to read the play yet, but I'm supposed to have it read by next Tuesday. I'm excited; it looks like it will be a very interesting scene.
The tentative season for next year went up today as well! Here it is, in order of appearance but subject to change:
Our Leading Lady by Charles Busch
Dividing the Estate by Horton Foote (This takes place in Texas!)
Meet Me in St. Louis
The Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux
The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl
Thouroughly Modern Millie
There's some great comedies in here, and some awesome dramas. I admit, I hadn't heard of many of these, and I had to look them up. But it looks like a really interesting season and I'm pretty excited about it!
I had my first rehearsal for Chrisena's directing scene Sealed for Freshness today. It was a read through and it looks like it's going to be really funny. We'll be performing that May 1st!
I spent the rest of my day writing and researching for my Global Village paper. I'm more than half way done, and I went ahead and wrote my conclusion since I'll be meeting with my TA tomorrow to go over it. It's looking pretty strong, but I'm sure there will be lots to fix before Monday when I turn it in. After I'm done with this paper I only have one more for my math class and then I'll be done with my major assignments for the semester! I can't wait! I'm so ready for it to be summer already.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Partly Productive
I finished most of my work this weekend. I didn't get much of a start on my Global Village paper, but I have a couple more days before my first draft is due.
I spent some quality time sleeping. We were having side walk construction this whole past week, and the schedule consisted of jack hammering beginning at 7 every morning. Luckily, I think I caught myself up.
I had a tour Saturday morning, so I didn't get to sleep in too much. I had 3 families and they were all very interested and asked great questions. I have so much fun meeting prospective students and answering their questions. I remember coming up here from Texas and wishing someone would answer all of my questions, and now I have the opportunity to do it for other people.
We had a meeting Saturday afternoon to talk about Stevies, which is the annual going away party for the 3rd years. The 2nd year class always puts together a tribute to the 3rd year class. I would write down the things we talked about, but it's a secret until after the show, in case any 3rd years are reading this!
I talked to Megan, my artist for my directing scene, today. We went over my picture ideas for my show, and I'm really excited. It's going to be a great show, I think. I also spent some time going over the script with my actor, Katie Mac. We discussed some of the more absurd aspects and came up with some ideas for how to approach them. I picked her costume out, so now I just have to talk to Dru and we'll be set.
The Warehouse Theatre had a field day today! It was a lot of fun. It was to celebrate the end of our season, since Some Girls closed last night. We played kickball and Frisbee. There was some food and music and it was fun to chill out and relax with friends. There was a play swap as well, to trade in plays that we didn't want for ones we did...but I forgot it was happening and I did not swap plays. Too bad.
I found out last minute that 3 of my classmates were performing their directing scenes today, so I attended those as well. They all did a really great job! The scripts (I can't remember all of them) were all really interesting.
I finished reading An American Daughter tonight. It's a very smart script with really interesting characters. I liked it a lot. Well,that concludes my homework. I'm off to sleep, and I hope I don't wake up to jackhammering.
I spent some quality time sleeping. We were having side walk construction this whole past week, and the schedule consisted of jack hammering beginning at 7 every morning. Luckily, I think I caught myself up.
I had a tour Saturday morning, so I didn't get to sleep in too much. I had 3 families and they were all very interested and asked great questions. I have so much fun meeting prospective students and answering their questions. I remember coming up here from Texas and wishing someone would answer all of my questions, and now I have the opportunity to do it for other people.
We had a meeting Saturday afternoon to talk about Stevies, which is the annual going away party for the 3rd years. The 2nd year class always puts together a tribute to the 3rd year class. I would write down the things we talked about, but it's a secret until after the show, in case any 3rd years are reading this!
I talked to Megan, my artist for my directing scene, today. We went over my picture ideas for my show, and I'm really excited. It's going to be a great show, I think. I also spent some time going over the script with my actor, Katie Mac. We discussed some of the more absurd aspects and came up with some ideas for how to approach them. I picked her costume out, so now I just have to talk to Dru and we'll be set.
The Warehouse Theatre had a field day today! It was a lot of fun. It was to celebrate the end of our season, since Some Girls closed last night. We played kickball and Frisbee. There was some food and music and it was fun to chill out and relax with friends. There was a play swap as well, to trade in plays that we didn't want for ones we did...but I forgot it was happening and I did not swap plays. Too bad.
I found out last minute that 3 of my classmates were performing their directing scenes today, so I attended those as well. They all did a really great job! The scripts (I can't remember all of them) were all really interesting.
I finished reading An American Daughter tonight. It's a very smart script with really interesting characters. I liked it a lot. Well,that concludes my homework. I'm off to sleep, and I hope I don't wake up to jackhammering.
Friday, April 16, 2010
A Long Weekend Ahead
I registered for my classes today and officially received all the ones I picked out for myself! That's good news.
We had a great discussion in Theatre History today over Oleanna and sexual harassment in today's society. There were so many differing opinions and it ended up taking the whole class up (usually we have a small history lesson on the playwright). There were many people who wanted to blame only Carol for the problems in the scripts. And then there were many of us that thought John held just as much blame. It's such an uncomfortable play to read simply because Mamet doesn't let you, as a reader, feel badly for Carol. But, as females and students, we feel uncomfortable not being able to sympathize with her character and the way she acts out. If you ever get the chance to read the play, it's an interesting study on relationships and power conflicts.
I had rehearsal for my directing scene today and we did our first run through. It's coming together so well. I really love the choices my actors are making and the fact that they're so willing to try new things. The characters are becoming increasingly dimensional and I can tell I'll be so proud of them next week when they perform.
I had an awesome time in my Global Village tutorial today. We split into groups and proposed policies to bring an end to the peak oil crisis. There was one group in favor of supporting the economy of the US above all else. Then there was another group that supported sustainable development, but not at the expense of the environment. My group was in support of going green and providing tax credits to corporations willing to go green and use alternative energy sources, all while researching new technologies and alternative sources of fuels. It was fun to debate because everyone has such great ideas for how to accomplish things. We compromised on some issues but we ran out of time before we could pass any policies.
I went to talk-back for Some Girls tonight and listened to the company talk about their process. It was interesting, knowing that their male actor changed a week before the show. My favorite anecdote was when the director admitted to creating a scheme to integrate into the show. The play is about a man who revisits his old girlfriends to clear his conscience. So the director had the actor take out each of the girls on a date to get to know them (because he didn't go to our school and didn't know the girls at all) but she told him to create a secret handshake with each of them, and they would put it into the show. So, unbeknownst to the girls, he used the same handshake with each of them. And when they all came together for the first run through and witnessed that he had 'played' them, much the way that the character in the show played each of the individual girls, it really became realistic! I thought it was very clever, and a great story.
I have a lot of homework to do this weekend. But I'm really planning on focusing on figuring out the background action of my directing scene. I talked Megan into drawing all of my pictures that I'd like to use as references in my show, I just need to figure out what exactly I'd like to accomplish with them. I'll be giving a tour tomorrow morning as well, and that's always fun to talk to prospectives. It's going to be a weekend of no free time, but hopefully it will be productive!
We had a great discussion in Theatre History today over Oleanna and sexual harassment in today's society. There were so many differing opinions and it ended up taking the whole class up (usually we have a small history lesson on the playwright). There were many people who wanted to blame only Carol for the problems in the scripts. And then there were many of us that thought John held just as much blame. It's such an uncomfortable play to read simply because Mamet doesn't let you, as a reader, feel badly for Carol. But, as females and students, we feel uncomfortable not being able to sympathize with her character and the way she acts out. If you ever get the chance to read the play, it's an interesting study on relationships and power conflicts.
I had rehearsal for my directing scene today and we did our first run through. It's coming together so well. I really love the choices my actors are making and the fact that they're so willing to try new things. The characters are becoming increasingly dimensional and I can tell I'll be so proud of them next week when they perform.
I had an awesome time in my Global Village tutorial today. We split into groups and proposed policies to bring an end to the peak oil crisis. There was one group in favor of supporting the economy of the US above all else. Then there was another group that supported sustainable development, but not at the expense of the environment. My group was in support of going green and providing tax credits to corporations willing to go green and use alternative energy sources, all while researching new technologies and alternative sources of fuels. It was fun to debate because everyone has such great ideas for how to accomplish things. We compromised on some issues but we ran out of time before we could pass any policies.
I went to talk-back for Some Girls tonight and listened to the company talk about their process. It was interesting, knowing that their male actor changed a week before the show. My favorite anecdote was when the director admitted to creating a scheme to integrate into the show. The play is about a man who revisits his old girlfriends to clear his conscience. So the director had the actor take out each of the girls on a date to get to know them (because he didn't go to our school and didn't know the girls at all) but she told him to create a secret handshake with each of them, and they would put it into the show. So, unbeknownst to the girls, he used the same handshake with each of them. And when they all came together for the first run through and witnessed that he had 'played' them, much the way that the character in the show played each of the individual girls, it really became realistic! I thought it was very clever, and a great story.
I have a lot of homework to do this weekend. But I'm really planning on focusing on figuring out the background action of my directing scene. I talked Megan into drawing all of my pictures that I'd like to use as references in my show, I just need to figure out what exactly I'd like to accomplish with them. I'll be giving a tour tomorrow morning as well, and that's always fun to talk to prospectives. It's going to be a weekend of no free time, but hopefully it will be productive!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Cast
The cast list went up yesterday for our summer stock theatre.
I will be playing Ruth in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds which is the part I desperately wanted but didn't read for. And Becca in Rabbit Hole which was a part I never thought I'd get but I couldn't be happier to receive. These are two amazing characters that will be a real challenge to portray and I'm so excited that I get the opportunity to do so. I'll be working with some really amazing actors, actresses, guest artists, and directors this summer. It's going to be absolutely amazing.
I'm also cast in a children's show at the professional children's theatre. It's called East of the Sun but I have absolutely no idea what it's about or what role I'll be playing. However, it gives me the chance to work with a guest director and some really cool people. I adore working with children and this will be a really awesome opportunity. I never planned it, but it seems that my resume for working in children's theatre has been building steadily for the last 4 years or so. With any luck, I'll have some more opportunities in this field in the future.
I realize that I classify a lot of my college experiences as 'awesome opportunities'. In reality, yes they are great opportunities, but they're also just a ton of fun. I couldn't love what I'm doing here anymore than I do. I have so much fun acting, and I have no doubt that I chose the right major for me and the right career to start off in. Acting makes me feel so alive and free. And the people here have such a passion for what they do that it makes everyday an amazing day. I'm so lucky to be in a place that is giving me the education that I need, making me prepared for what I love, and helping me to love it more everyday I'm here. So when I say 'opportunity' I mean couldn't-be-happier-to-try-this-new-experience-because-I-love-what-I-do.
The cast list for the summer is really great. Everyone received multiple roles and everyone fits the parts they received. I'm so excited to work with everyone and watch all of the productions. 13 shows in 10 weeks, and they look like they're going to be some of the best shows I've seen yet! Everyone seems really happy with the outcome of their auditions and I'm glad because everyone really did a great job last Saturday. It's going to be a great experience!
I signed up to usher for Some Girls tonight. I saw the show last night on opening night and it was really great. The set, designed by a first year, is phenomenal. It looks really amazing and I can't believe it's her first design. The first year class has a lot of really talented technicians in their class and it's going to make their years at school really great.
The acting in the show was so much fun to watch. All the characters are so different. It was definitely a lot funnier to see in person than it was to read the script, and I really enjoyed it! Great job to the director, cast, and crew!
I have Acting IV today, but our performance space is being taken over by another group. So today, we'll be watching Being Julia, and we'll perform our scenes on Tuesday instead.
It seems like the season for next year's mainstage shows should be going up soon. I'm interested to see what I can expect in my last year of college. It's going to be a fantastic year with my classes and I'm really excited about it. I'm sure I won't ever be as busy as I will be next semester, but I'm looking forward to it!
I will be playing Ruth in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds which is the part I desperately wanted but didn't read for. And Becca in Rabbit Hole which was a part I never thought I'd get but I couldn't be happier to receive. These are two amazing characters that will be a real challenge to portray and I'm so excited that I get the opportunity to do so. I'll be working with some really amazing actors, actresses, guest artists, and directors this summer. It's going to be absolutely amazing.
I'm also cast in a children's show at the professional children's theatre. It's called East of the Sun but I have absolutely no idea what it's about or what role I'll be playing. However, it gives me the chance to work with a guest director and some really cool people. I adore working with children and this will be a really awesome opportunity. I never planned it, but it seems that my resume for working in children's theatre has been building steadily for the last 4 years or so. With any luck, I'll have some more opportunities in this field in the future.
I realize that I classify a lot of my college experiences as 'awesome opportunities'. In reality, yes they are great opportunities, but they're also just a ton of fun. I couldn't love what I'm doing here anymore than I do. I have so much fun acting, and I have no doubt that I chose the right major for me and the right career to start off in. Acting makes me feel so alive and free. And the people here have such a passion for what they do that it makes everyday an amazing day. I'm so lucky to be in a place that is giving me the education that I need, making me prepared for what I love, and helping me to love it more everyday I'm here. So when I say 'opportunity' I mean couldn't-be-happier-to-try-this-new-experience-because-I-love-what-I-do.
The cast list for the summer is really great. Everyone received multiple roles and everyone fits the parts they received. I'm so excited to work with everyone and watch all of the productions. 13 shows in 10 weeks, and they look like they're going to be some of the best shows I've seen yet! Everyone seems really happy with the outcome of their auditions and I'm glad because everyone really did a great job last Saturday. It's going to be a great experience!
I signed up to usher for Some Girls tonight. I saw the show last night on opening night and it was really great. The set, designed by a first year, is phenomenal. It looks really amazing and I can't believe it's her first design. The first year class has a lot of really talented technicians in their class and it's going to make their years at school really great.
The acting in the show was so much fun to watch. All the characters are so different. It was definitely a lot funnier to see in person than it was to read the script, and I really enjoyed it! Great job to the director, cast, and crew!
I have Acting IV today, but our performance space is being taken over by another group. So today, we'll be watching Being Julia, and we'll perform our scenes on Tuesday instead.
It seems like the season for next year's mainstage shows should be going up soon. I'm interested to see what I can expect in my last year of college. It's going to be a fantastic year with my classes and I'm really excited about it. I'm sure I won't ever be as busy as I will be next semester, but I'm looking forward to it!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Advising Day
My official schedule for the fall of 2010 is:
Performance Technique (a musical theatre course)
Senior Acting Seminar
Advanced Acting 1
Advanced Acting 2
Shakespeare
Private Voice
Global Ethics
GE will be my last core class of college. Everything besides that course is a theatre related course, so it's going to be a fun-filled, most likely incredibly hectic semester. However, I can't even contemplate that when I have such a busy summer ahead of me.
I had another rehearsal for my directing scene today. We blocked about 1/3 of the show, so it's well on it's way to looking great. I'm very proud of my actors; I can tell it's going to be an awesome show with them on board.
GLEE was on tonight! I had forgotten how refreshing it is to watch a show that makes fun of itself so much. I love it! But really I'm hooked on it because of the actors. So many of them are from Broadway.
Anyway, I just wanted to post my schedule. I'm off to finish some homework.
Performance Technique (a musical theatre course)
Senior Acting Seminar
Advanced Acting 1
Advanced Acting 2
Shakespeare
Private Voice
Global Ethics
GE will be my last core class of college. Everything besides that course is a theatre related course, so it's going to be a fun-filled, most likely incredibly hectic semester. However, I can't even contemplate that when I have such a busy summer ahead of me.
I had another rehearsal for my directing scene today. We blocked about 1/3 of the show, so it's well on it's way to looking great. I'm very proud of my actors; I can tell it's going to be an awesome show with them on board.
GLEE was on tonight! I had forgotten how refreshing it is to watch a show that makes fun of itself so much. I love it! But really I'm hooked on it because of the actors. So many of them are from Broadway.
Anyway, I just wanted to post my schedule. I'm off to finish some homework.
Monday, April 12, 2010
An Excess of Condiments
So this week is a week where there's a lot of important things happening. Some little and some not so little.
The new Warehouse Board and the current Warehouse Board got together last night and officially picked the season for next year. Our Chair Woman took it to the Dean to have it approved. All of our selections were officially approved, but they asked us to reconsider one of the plays because of some issues they think might arise with it. So that means, until the decisions are final (we had a re vote and I don't know the outcome) I can't actually say anything in my blog. However, I'm incredibly excited about our season, and the replacement play--if it goes through-- is just as cool as the one we chose. So either way, it's going to be a fun season and I'm proud to be a part of it!
I also got to hang out with the current Public Relations person last night and that was super cool! She showed me how she goes about the making of programs for the shows. I didn't realize it, but it will actually be my job (unless I choose to elect someone else to do it) to make the posters for the shows as well! Very cool...and difficult, so we'll see what happens there. We talked a lot about obtaining sponsorships and what all her job entails and I'm even more excited to get my turn next year! It's going to be a lot of fun and a really great experience to be able to use in the future. I can't wait!
We had to read Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf this weekend for a quiz and discussion in Theatre History. It's a very interesting production, and I would understand it a lot better (it's an absurdist piece) if I actually saw it. Apparently, the acting in the movie is amazing, so I might check that out sometime when I have free time. I just finished reading Oleanna for Friday's class, and I can honestly say it made me sick. It's a play about a professor and a student and she accuses him of sexual harassment. It's sickening because you can't tell who is right and who is wrong and you want to hate both characters for hurting the other so much...except they both present great arguments. It reminds me of how relationships go bad because of miscommunication. You can both be right and both be wrong and the anger because of it, and the unwillingness to forgive or compromise ruins it all. So..it was brilliant writing but it wasn't pleasant at all.
I had my first rehearsal for my directing scene Ashes to Ashes today. Both of my actors have really great ideas about their characters, and it's going to be a really fun collaboration. The play is going to end up being a crazy/creepy/absurd piece and I'm excited about doing something so new and outrageous. It looks like it's going to be a great learning process!
Tomorrow is advising day so I'll be picking my official schedule of classes for my final year of college! AH! That's so crazy to even say. I'm not entirely happy with the way it turned out, but I'll deal with it. I might be able to work some things out tomorrow, but I'll definitely post my finalized schedule here.
For some non-theatre related subjects (crazy I know): I'll hopefully be finishing a rough draft of both my Global Village research paper and my Personal Family Finance research paper so I can get them both critiqued in time to make a good final draft. We actually started a new section in Global Village pertaining to economic globalization and it seems like it's going to be very interesting. Aside from this research paper, I have definitely enjoyed this class this semester.
The Warehouse (back to theatre, I can't help myself) is actually co-hosting an event that is supporting the Trama Textiles group that I talked about previously. There's going to be a dance and I think the proceeds are going to help the Guatemalan women. So that's really awesome as well.
And of course, the summer season should be decided by Wednesday. I almost don't want to know. But I think I've finally come out of the theatre student mindset of 'what I'm cast as is a reflection of my talent and future ability to be gainfully employed' and moved onto the more mature, and healthy, mindset of 'my abilities as an actress are not decided by the casting of a college show, and I will continue to grow beyond this campus and can only be helped by the opportunities I am given here'. I know, it's sickeningly good of me, but what can I say--my glass is half full.
The new Warehouse Board and the current Warehouse Board got together last night and officially picked the season for next year. Our Chair Woman took it to the Dean to have it approved. All of our selections were officially approved, but they asked us to reconsider one of the plays because of some issues they think might arise with it. So that means, until the decisions are final (we had a re vote and I don't know the outcome) I can't actually say anything in my blog. However, I'm incredibly excited about our season, and the replacement play--if it goes through-- is just as cool as the one we chose. So either way, it's going to be a fun season and I'm proud to be a part of it!
I also got to hang out with the current Public Relations person last night and that was super cool! She showed me how she goes about the making of programs for the shows. I didn't realize it, but it will actually be my job (unless I choose to elect someone else to do it) to make the posters for the shows as well! Very cool...and difficult, so we'll see what happens there. We talked a lot about obtaining sponsorships and what all her job entails and I'm even more excited to get my turn next year! It's going to be a lot of fun and a really great experience to be able to use in the future. I can't wait!
We had to read Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf this weekend for a quiz and discussion in Theatre History. It's a very interesting production, and I would understand it a lot better (it's an absurdist piece) if I actually saw it. Apparently, the acting in the movie is amazing, so I might check that out sometime when I have free time. I just finished reading Oleanna for Friday's class, and I can honestly say it made me sick. It's a play about a professor and a student and she accuses him of sexual harassment. It's sickening because you can't tell who is right and who is wrong and you want to hate both characters for hurting the other so much...except they both present great arguments. It reminds me of how relationships go bad because of miscommunication. You can both be right and both be wrong and the anger because of it, and the unwillingness to forgive or compromise ruins it all. So..it was brilliant writing but it wasn't pleasant at all.
I had my first rehearsal for my directing scene Ashes to Ashes today. Both of my actors have really great ideas about their characters, and it's going to be a really fun collaboration. The play is going to end up being a crazy/creepy/absurd piece and I'm excited about doing something so new and outrageous. It looks like it's going to be a great learning process!
Tomorrow is advising day so I'll be picking my official schedule of classes for my final year of college! AH! That's so crazy to even say. I'm not entirely happy with the way it turned out, but I'll deal with it. I might be able to work some things out tomorrow, but I'll definitely post my finalized schedule here.
For some non-theatre related subjects (crazy I know): I'll hopefully be finishing a rough draft of both my Global Village research paper and my Personal Family Finance research paper so I can get them both critiqued in time to make a good final draft. We actually started a new section in Global Village pertaining to economic globalization and it seems like it's going to be very interesting. Aside from this research paper, I have definitely enjoyed this class this semester.
The Warehouse (back to theatre, I can't help myself) is actually co-hosting an event that is supporting the Trama Textiles group that I talked about previously. There's going to be a dance and I think the proceeds are going to help the Guatemalan women. So that's really awesome as well.
And of course, the summer season should be decided by Wednesday. I almost don't want to know. But I think I've finally come out of the theatre student mindset of 'what I'm cast as is a reflection of my talent and future ability to be gainfully employed' and moved onto the more mature, and healthy, mindset of 'my abilities as an actress are not decided by the casting of a college show, and I will continue to grow beyond this campus and can only be helped by the opportunities I am given here'. I know, it's sickeningly good of me, but what can I say--my glass is half full.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Boji Audition Day Complete
I went back and put pictures up in the posts about Chicago and my Birthday, if you're interested in going back and looking at them!
I had a blast yesterday auditioning for 13 shows!
Technically, there's 9 mainstage shows, and then 4 children's shows that they don't let you read from. They just cast the children's shows based on the other auditions.
So the day started out with headshots and then moved onto warm-up with Acting Professor L. We did some Alexander Technique (body alignment technique that straightens your spine and allows your head to float freely off the top of your neck without tension) and some tremors (where you hold any part of you body in the same position until it starts to tremor--thereby opening up your diaphramatic (or deep) breathing, which builds an open channel for better sound to come out). I learned both of these my first year here, and it's a standard warm-up before every audition, but we're expected to do them on our own. This time we did them as a group. We also warmed up our voices with Voice Professor C, who would be our accompanist for our musical auditions.
We moved straight into the musical auditions after that. I was nervous about them, but I walked in, remembered the names of both songs like a good girl, and then I performed them. It went well! I was proud that I went in there and did what I meant to do without forgetting any lyrics! I did not make callbacks, but they were only calling back for some of the major characters, and I did not expect to be one of those. Gillian did make a callback and she said it went great! I'm proud of her too!
We came back from lunch and started our cold readings. I was sent to Acting Professor D's readings first. He was holding the farce cold readings and I picked the character I liked the most and grabbed my scene partner and we did our rendition. He gave some critiques and then we performed it again. After that I moved right onto Acting Professor B's cold readings. I read for Beatrice, Rhoda, and Madrigal. I had a fun time doing each of the different characters.
The awesome thing was: everyone stepped up their game for these auditions. My whole second year class did an amazing job! We were all reading the same sides and everyone understood the characters and gave great auditions. It's certainly going to be a hard season to cast. I felt comfortable with the performances I gave, but so many other people did such a great job that it's impossible to walk away saying,"yeah I really nailed that one, it'll be me."
After those three auditions, it was time for my Rabbit Hole audition. I was the last group to go in, so we didn't get to work on as much as the other groups. I read for Becca and it was ok. I didn't walk out feeling I had done amazing, but I did walk out thinking it had been a great day.
I really expected the auditions to be more in depth. I realize now, I shouldn't have expected that because there were so many people, and such a limited amount of time to see us all. It makes perfect sense that they would try and see us all multiple times instead of focusing on certain characters and certain shows. There were a couple characters I was really hoping to read for that I didn't get the chance to read for, and I was slightly dissapointed, but today it makes more sense. The outcome is really going to depend on who they want in the musicals because they cast those first.
I'll find out the results on Wednesday. All in all, it was a crazy, but awesome day and I had a blast!
Afterwards, my friends and I went out for sushi to celebrate! We tried the new place downtown called Geisha, and it was very tasty. Then we went to grab some icecream and came back home to watch a movie.
I had a blast yesterday auditioning for 13 shows!
Technically, there's 9 mainstage shows, and then 4 children's shows that they don't let you read from. They just cast the children's shows based on the other auditions.
So the day started out with headshots and then moved onto warm-up with Acting Professor L. We did some Alexander Technique (body alignment technique that straightens your spine and allows your head to float freely off the top of your neck without tension) and some tremors (where you hold any part of you body in the same position until it starts to tremor--thereby opening up your diaphramatic (or deep) breathing, which builds an open channel for better sound to come out). I learned both of these my first year here, and it's a standard warm-up before every audition, but we're expected to do them on our own. This time we did them as a group. We also warmed up our voices with Voice Professor C, who would be our accompanist for our musical auditions.
We moved straight into the musical auditions after that. I was nervous about them, but I walked in, remembered the names of both songs like a good girl, and then I performed them. It went well! I was proud that I went in there and did what I meant to do without forgetting any lyrics! I did not make callbacks, but they were only calling back for some of the major characters, and I did not expect to be one of those. Gillian did make a callback and she said it went great! I'm proud of her too!
We came back from lunch and started our cold readings. I was sent to Acting Professor D's readings first. He was holding the farce cold readings and I picked the character I liked the most and grabbed my scene partner and we did our rendition. He gave some critiques and then we performed it again. After that I moved right onto Acting Professor B's cold readings. I read for Beatrice, Rhoda, and Madrigal. I had a fun time doing each of the different characters.
The awesome thing was: everyone stepped up their game for these auditions. My whole second year class did an amazing job! We were all reading the same sides and everyone understood the characters and gave great auditions. It's certainly going to be a hard season to cast. I felt comfortable with the performances I gave, but so many other people did such a great job that it's impossible to walk away saying,"yeah I really nailed that one, it'll be me."
After those three auditions, it was time for my Rabbit Hole audition. I was the last group to go in, so we didn't get to work on as much as the other groups. I read for Becca and it was ok. I didn't walk out feeling I had done amazing, but I did walk out thinking it had been a great day.
I really expected the auditions to be more in depth. I realize now, I shouldn't have expected that because there were so many people, and such a limited amount of time to see us all. It makes perfect sense that they would try and see us all multiple times instead of focusing on certain characters and certain shows. There were a couple characters I was really hoping to read for that I didn't get the chance to read for, and I was slightly dissapointed, but today it makes more sense. The outcome is really going to depend on who they want in the musicals because they cast those first.
I'll find out the results on Wednesday. All in all, it was a crazy, but awesome day and I had a blast!
Afterwards, my friends and I went out for sushi to celebrate! We tried the new place downtown called Geisha, and it was very tasty. Then we went to grab some icecream and came back home to watch a movie.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Birthday!
I had a great Birthday! I'm officially 20 years old.
Global Village tutorial was an interesting discussion about how to solve the problem of AIDs in Africa.
Theatre History: We took a quiz on Fences, which was easy. Everyone in the class sang me Happy Birthday, which was very sweet. We had a great discussion about Fences and August Wilson. He really is an important voice in theatre. I really enjoyed the play and found all the characters dynamic and sympathetic (though not everyone did).
I didn't have work today because the children's school had the day off. Awesome! But sad too; the kids always brighten my day.
I had a quick rehearsal of my auditions songs with Voice Professor C. I'm singing Somebody from Celebration, and Stop and See Me from Weird Romance.
We had a meeting tonight about our auditions tomorrow and our summer theatre in general. We were given a bunch of information pertaining to what's expected of us as a professional company and how the summer is going to work logistically. They talked us through tomorrow. We have headshots at 9:15, warm up at 9:45, musical auditions start at 10 AM. They go until 1. Starting at 1:30 we'll have the cold reads for all the shows. That should probably take a couple hours and whenever we all finish (we'll just be going in and out of rooms, not waiting to be called necessarily as I understand it) we're free to go. They promised us the cast list would be up by Wednesday, which is a lot earlier than I expected it.
I just spent the night with Kaitie, Katie Mac, and Gillian going over the plays and reading excerpts out loud just to make sure we had some semblance of characters and relationships. I always find it so interesting how different it is to read with different people because different people give you different emotions to work off of. It was a useful night, for sure. We also practiced our songs several times, which is mostly what everyone is worried about. By now, cold readings (which is what our auditions for the straight plays are tomorrow) are our favorite things to do. They're easier than monologues, and you get to dive right into the script. The musical auditions I've definitely had to prepare myself for mentally. I'm a beginning singer and I find it daunting, but I know when I'm done with the day that I'll be proud I sang instead of backing out.
It was one crazy Birthday, and one crazy day in general. I'm really stoked for tomorrow, and a little nervous. But if I wasn't nervous, there would be no excitement in this job!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Last Hour of Being a Teenager
I can't believe that in an hour I'll be 20 years old! I feel extremely old, even though I'm young. It's like saying goodbye to childhood. Too bad I'll always be a kid.
Truly though, it's crazy! This will be one of those Birthdays where I actually feel older instead of feeling no change. I'll actually remember to say, "Oh, I'm 20," when somebody asks me how old I am. High school seems like a thing of the past. And in one year, I'll be graduating from college. Boy, does time sure fly!
I'm not sure how much will actually sink in tomorrow because I'll be focusing on the upcoming auditions. There's still some rereading that I can do before 10 AM on Saturday morning. I've got my pretty Chicago dress ready, and I've talked to the 3rd years (I know, it's like I'm in a Harry Potter novel) about the process. We're going to have a meeting tomorrow evening about the auditions themselves, so after that everything should be crystal clear.
My rescheduled voice lesson had to be rescheduled for tomorrow because my professor was sick again. I'm hoping she starts to feel better soon! But I'll be going over it, and then I should be ready to sing on Saturday!
I finished reading Fences today, and it's definitely an awesome piece of writing. I loved the fact that there were so few stage directions written in. It leaves it up to the director and the actors to decide exactly how a scene should play out. The dialogue was witty and true to the time. It was one of those plays that was hard to put down, and I love coming across those! I'm excited to have a discussion about it in class tomorrow.
We got the sad news today that one of our male classmates is leaving us. We only have 2 in my class because we had another leave at the beginning of the year. He's a very talented young man and I wish him all the best in his future. I'm disappointed that I never got to work with him personally in class, though I have been in a play with him on stage here. He has a bright future ahead of him and I hope he doesn't let anything hold him back!
All in all it's been a crazy, hectic week getting back into school. But I'm ready for auditions, I finished all of my homework, and I even had some time this week to ride my bike and enjoy the beautiful weather.
Truly though, it's crazy! This will be one of those Birthdays where I actually feel older instead of feeling no change. I'll actually remember to say, "Oh, I'm 20," when somebody asks me how old I am. High school seems like a thing of the past. And in one year, I'll be graduating from college. Boy, does time sure fly!
I'm not sure how much will actually sink in tomorrow because I'll be focusing on the upcoming auditions. There's still some rereading that I can do before 10 AM on Saturday morning. I've got my pretty Chicago dress ready, and I've talked to the 3rd years (I know, it's like I'm in a Harry Potter novel) about the process. We're going to have a meeting tomorrow evening about the auditions themselves, so after that everything should be crystal clear.
My rescheduled voice lesson had to be rescheduled for tomorrow because my professor was sick again. I'm hoping she starts to feel better soon! But I'll be going over it, and then I should be ready to sing on Saturday!
I finished reading Fences today, and it's definitely an awesome piece of writing. I loved the fact that there were so few stage directions written in. It leaves it up to the director and the actors to decide exactly how a scene should play out. The dialogue was witty and true to the time. It was one of those plays that was hard to put down, and I love coming across those! I'm excited to have a discussion about it in class tomorrow.
We got the sad news today that one of our male classmates is leaving us. We only have 2 in my class because we had another leave at the beginning of the year. He's a very talented young man and I wish him all the best in his future. I'm disappointed that I never got to work with him personally in class, though I have been in a play with him on stage here. He has a bright future ahead of him and I hope he doesn't let anything hold him back!
All in all it's been a crazy, hectic week getting back into school. But I'm ready for auditions, I finished all of my homework, and I even had some time this week to ride my bike and enjoy the beautiful weather.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Theatre Management
It seems these days I really have to focus on managing my tasks more. I have so much to do, it's crazy trying to keep it all in order. Of course, that's the best thing about school I think--otherwise I would be bored.
So Global Village: We talked about the AIDs/HIV epidemic in Africa, which is just horrible. It was interesting to talk about statistics and compare with the rest of the world. South Africa has the highest rate of infection, followed by the countries in the Carribean. So sad. The US isn't too far behind, and neither is Asia really.
We discussed the conspiracy that the people who invent medicines and research cures dedicate their time to things that will bring them money, instead of things that need to be done. Of course...I think if someone had the cure to AIDs it would bring in a lot of money.
Theatre History: We had our first lecture in a long time! It was awesome. We talked about Contemporary Theatre, the Regional Theatre movement, and Post Modern theatre.
Contemporary theatre involved the beginings of Off-Broadway (because Broadway was only in it to make a buck) and Off-Off-Broadway (when Off-Broadway began to make a buck). I've never attended either of these in New York, but I would love the opportunity to really watch some artsy, avante garde shows!
Regional Theatre is most likely where I will be working for the better part of my life, so it was cool to talk about it. The Alley Theatre in Houston was mentioned, which is cool because I'm from Texas, so that's near home. I'd love to come back home to perform one day, but to start off with it doesn't seem like the best option. Regional Theatres hardly do Repertory style anymore (like doing 3 shows in one weekend), the modern approach is to do one long running show before switching to the next in the season. But if I had the chance to do Rep. Theatre, I'd like to give it a shot. It sounds challenging.
It was also interesting to hear the differences in the amount of African-American and Feminist theatres now and in the 40s-70s. The numbers are so much lower. I think it's sad that so many specific groups don't have voices in the artistic community anymore. But I suppose that means they've flowed into other groups and are being heard in different ways.
We also touched on Post Modern theatre, which is mostly taught in Grad Schools and professionally it seems. I can talk more on that later when I understand it better.
I finished my second to last summer play, and I'm ready for another day of reading!
So Global Village: We talked about the AIDs/HIV epidemic in Africa, which is just horrible. It was interesting to talk about statistics and compare with the rest of the world. South Africa has the highest rate of infection, followed by the countries in the Carribean. So sad. The US isn't too far behind, and neither is Asia really.
We discussed the conspiracy that the people who invent medicines and research cures dedicate their time to things that will bring them money, instead of things that need to be done. Of course...I think if someone had the cure to AIDs it would bring in a lot of money.
Theatre History: We had our first lecture in a long time! It was awesome. We talked about Contemporary Theatre, the Regional Theatre movement, and Post Modern theatre.
Contemporary theatre involved the beginings of Off-Broadway (because Broadway was only in it to make a buck) and Off-Off-Broadway (when Off-Broadway began to make a buck). I've never attended either of these in New York, but I would love the opportunity to really watch some artsy, avante garde shows!
Regional Theatre is most likely where I will be working for the better part of my life, so it was cool to talk about it. The Alley Theatre in Houston was mentioned, which is cool because I'm from Texas, so that's near home. I'd love to come back home to perform one day, but to start off with it doesn't seem like the best option. Regional Theatres hardly do Repertory style anymore (like doing 3 shows in one weekend), the modern approach is to do one long running show before switching to the next in the season. But if I had the chance to do Rep. Theatre, I'd like to give it a shot. It sounds challenging.
It was also interesting to hear the differences in the amount of African-American and Feminist theatres now and in the 40s-70s. The numbers are so much lower. I think it's sad that so many specific groups don't have voices in the artistic community anymore. But I suppose that means they've flowed into other groups and are being heard in different ways.
We also touched on Post Modern theatre, which is mostly taught in Grad Schools and professionally it seems. I can talk more on that later when I understand it better.
I finished my second to last summer play, and I'm ready for another day of reading!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Another Day Closer to Summer
That's my motto at the moment.
I had my voice lesson cancelled this morning because my instructor is sick! That's really bad, because she's the musical director of the musical at the moment, so she definitely needs to be in shape to be at rehearsal, because they're learning music this week! I really need to rehearse my 2 songs for my audition this Saturday too, so I'll be rescheduling with her for later this week to get my time in.
I had Acting IV today, and my scene partner and I met early to go over our lines and blocking before class. We knew Acting Professor R would want to work the scenes and run through them with each pair, so we made sure we were as prepared as we could be after a week off.
We both knew our lines and we really just needed a refresher on our blocking. So we moved through the scene a couple times and got our spacing down. When it was our turn to work the scene with Acting Professor he let us get about half way before back tracking and giving us some pointers. He told me to be more in style, bye being more melodramatic when I'm near the window. I also had to practice using the shawl a couple times. I was having a little trouble getting it on and off, but we slowed it down and made a 'moment' out of it, so I can take my time and not rush through it. I have to make sure to set it down in an accessible way because there are two actors who continue our scene (it's split in half) and they need to be able to use it for their part.
It was a lot of fun to get back into the swing of things. Acting Professor told us our acting and our dialect was great today and he didn't have to work with us very long. All in all, it was a quick day in class because he split the class up to work half the scenes today and half the scenes Thursday. This means Thursday, I won't have class because my partner and I have already worked our scene! We have advising day coming up next Tuesday, so we won't be performing these scenes until next Thursday, but we're definitely in good shape for then.
I'm extremely excited for our upcoming summer auditions. We have a really great season planned out that I realize I haven't talked about. So here it is, in the order it's being performed in:
1. The Fantasticks
2. Girls of the Garden Club
3. See How They Run
4. The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds
5. Company
6. Unnecessary Farce
7. The Chalk Garden
8. Rabbit Hole
9. Beauty and the Beast
So we take 2 weeks to put up each show, and they all run consecutively for one week. So if you're in one, you can't be in the one directly following it, because you would miss the rehearsal period. It's crazy, and it sounds deliciously fun. I can't wait. We get to crew, tech, and house manage shows. We only have one free day per week, which is Sunday; so it will be non-stop theatre for 3 straight months.
After our auditions I hypothesize that it will be 1-2 weeks before the cast list goes up. When that happens we'll all collect our scripts and start memorizing!
There are also 3 ( I think 3) children shows that are put on. They cast those before telling us what they are, so that's going to be interesting as well.
Anyway, the rest of this week I'll be reading summer plays and Warehouse plays because we're picking our season this Sunday. That means I'll be posting that soon as well!
I had my voice lesson cancelled this morning because my instructor is sick! That's really bad, because she's the musical director of the musical at the moment, so she definitely needs to be in shape to be at rehearsal, because they're learning music this week! I really need to rehearse my 2 songs for my audition this Saturday too, so I'll be rescheduling with her for later this week to get my time in.
I had Acting IV today, and my scene partner and I met early to go over our lines and blocking before class. We knew Acting Professor R would want to work the scenes and run through them with each pair, so we made sure we were as prepared as we could be after a week off.
We both knew our lines and we really just needed a refresher on our blocking. So we moved through the scene a couple times and got our spacing down. When it was our turn to work the scene with Acting Professor he let us get about half way before back tracking and giving us some pointers. He told me to be more in style, bye being more melodramatic when I'm near the window. I also had to practice using the shawl a couple times. I was having a little trouble getting it on and off, but we slowed it down and made a 'moment' out of it, so I can take my time and not rush through it. I have to make sure to set it down in an accessible way because there are two actors who continue our scene (it's split in half) and they need to be able to use it for their part.
It was a lot of fun to get back into the swing of things. Acting Professor told us our acting and our dialect was great today and he didn't have to work with us very long. All in all, it was a quick day in class because he split the class up to work half the scenes today and half the scenes Thursday. This means Thursday, I won't have class because my partner and I have already worked our scene! We have advising day coming up next Tuesday, so we won't be performing these scenes until next Thursday, but we're definitely in good shape for then.
I'm extremely excited for our upcoming summer auditions. We have a really great season planned out that I realize I haven't talked about. So here it is, in the order it's being performed in:
1. The Fantasticks
2. Girls of the Garden Club
3. See How They Run
4. The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds
5. Company
6. Unnecessary Farce
7. The Chalk Garden
8. Rabbit Hole
9. Beauty and the Beast
So we take 2 weeks to put up each show, and they all run consecutively for one week. So if you're in one, you can't be in the one directly following it, because you would miss the rehearsal period. It's crazy, and it sounds deliciously fun. I can't wait. We get to crew, tech, and house manage shows. We only have one free day per week, which is Sunday; so it will be non-stop theatre for 3 straight months.
After our auditions I hypothesize that it will be 1-2 weeks before the cast list goes up. When that happens we'll all collect our scripts and start memorizing!
There are also 3 ( I think 3) children shows that are put on. They cast those before telling us what they are, so that's going to be interesting as well.
Anyway, the rest of this week I'll be reading summer plays and Warehouse plays because we're picking our season this Sunday. That means I'll be posting that soon as well!
Monday, April 5, 2010
First Day Back
Well, I spent a very relaxing weekend at Katie's house in the country for the duration of my Spring Break. It's about 4 hours away from our college, so we had a nice drive on Friday.
We checked out her Grandmother's awesome quilt shop, where I picked out some cool pirate fabric that I'm going to make a wallet out of. Then Saturday we took a day trip over to Springfield where we went ice skating and purchased me some 1st edition plays (The Iceman Cometh and a collection of JM Barrie's work). We also ate at a restaurant called Nonna's that had the best mushroom ravioli I've ever eaten. Then we went over to the airport and picked up Katie's sister Hero (named after the character in Much Ado About Nothing).
The next day we had an incredible homemade breakfast prepared by Katie's parents and her grandparents. French toast and Huevos Rancheros. Yum. We packed everything up and went to go fix up Katie's van with some transmission fluid before starting the trip back. We only made it 2 hours before the van (Sally) died. We got a tow truck, called Kaitie and Gillian, and had a ride back to school! We didn't end up heading back until around 7 because we stopped and had dinner.
ANYWAY: Now that I'm done chronicling my journey over Spring Break I can get back to school!
I finished reading Girls of the Garden Club,Rabbit Hole, Hold Please, A Raisin in the Sun, and most of Chalk Garden. I only have a play and a half left to read to be prepared for this weekend's auditions for the summer season!!
We had to read A Raisin in the Sun for Theatre History and it's definitely now on my list of favorite plays. I loved it. The characters were so clear, and the story so real and accessible. We had a really great discussion about that and about our breaks in Theatre History today.
Many people went to New York and saw some awesome shows, and a lot of the students went home and saw community theatre. It was great to listen to everyone's experiences and to share ours!
I got my directing scene scripts copied for my actors and I checked out some more plays for the Warehouse season to read, because we're deciding the season next week! All in all, a good first day back.
We checked out her Grandmother's awesome quilt shop, where I picked out some cool pirate fabric that I'm going to make a wallet out of. Then Saturday we took a day trip over to Springfield where we went ice skating and purchased me some 1st edition plays (The Iceman Cometh and a collection of JM Barrie's work). We also ate at a restaurant called Nonna's that had the best mushroom ravioli I've ever eaten. Then we went over to the airport and picked up Katie's sister Hero (named after the character in Much Ado About Nothing).
The next day we had an incredible homemade breakfast prepared by Katie's parents and her grandparents. French toast and Huevos Rancheros. Yum. We packed everything up and went to go fix up Katie's van with some transmission fluid before starting the trip back. We only made it 2 hours before the van (Sally) died. We got a tow truck, called Kaitie and Gillian, and had a ride back to school! We didn't end up heading back until around 7 because we stopped and had dinner.
ANYWAY: Now that I'm done chronicling my journey over Spring Break I can get back to school!
I finished reading Girls of the Garden Club,Rabbit Hole, Hold Please, A Raisin in the Sun, and most of Chalk Garden. I only have a play and a half left to read to be prepared for this weekend's auditions for the summer season!!
We had to read A Raisin in the Sun for Theatre History and it's definitely now on my list of favorite plays. I loved it. The characters were so clear, and the story so real and accessible. We had a really great discussion about that and about our breaks in Theatre History today.
Many people went to New York and saw some awesome shows, and a lot of the students went home and saw community theatre. It was great to listen to everyone's experiences and to share ours!
I got my directing scene scripts copied for my actors and I checked out some more plays for the Warehouse season to read, because we're deciding the season next week! All in all, a good first day back.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Chicago Day 5
Thursday, the last day of the Chicago trip!
We woke up early, packed our things (well, I packed, everyone else packed the night before like responsible young adults) and took the sheets off our beds, then we left!
We took a bus down to Union Station and found a big locker to put all of our bags in until we could come back for our train. Then we called K's cousin (a Chicago native who lives in Wicker Park) so she could come pick us up and give us a tour of her neighborhood (a possible place for college grad's to live).
She drove us around and showed us the different kinds of apartments and told us about where the crime is (on one side of the traffic light, not on the other), and where the dog parks are, and where the best artsy places to check out were. Wicker Park is definitely a nice, pleasant neighborhood. Everyone has a dog, and they're allowed everywhere, even in the shops. The apartments are nice, and she said they aren't too expensive. However, my best friend has informed me that Wicker Park and Lakeview (which is the other neighborhood we all loved) are the most expensive places to live. So I have some research to do.
We ate outside at a nice diner, and then Katie Mac's cousin dropped us off to shop and take the El back to the Amtrak station. We checked out some vintage shops, still looking for my dress for summer auditions. We were stopped by a camera crew after our 1st shop. They were looking for some extra actors to stand in line at a restaurant they were filming for a Best of Chicago segment. We did a couple takes before they finally thought they had it. There were 3 guys, and they were all extremely nice and we got a card so we could be notified when it airs. So we continued to shop, but it was only about 5 minutes before one of the men came in and told us they had technical difficulties and needed us to do it again! So we got to go back out and do a couple more takes, which was fun! It made me love Chicago that much more.
We eventually found a vintage shop that had my perfect dress, a nice blue one, which I purchased. Then we ran to an old bookshop we had wanted to see. We spent 10 minutes (in which I purchased 2 plays) and then ran to the El to make it to our train station.
Of course, it was Easter Weekend so everybody was waiting for their train and we were delayed an hour. Then we were delayed more on the track because a freight train was delayed in our way. And then we were so behind that all the trains that were on time had the right of way, so we had to wait on them. I didn't mind the longer train ride because it gave me more time to sleep before I had to drive everyone back home!
Our 5 hour train ride turned into about 7 hours. We made it back home around 2:30 AM and I fell asleep right away. I woke up in the morning just in time to spend the weekend at K's house in the country!
I thought Chicago was absolutely amazing. I honestly didn't expect to like the city that much, and I thought it would be very similar to New York. But the people were polite, helpful, and nice. It was easy to navigate, and the art scene was so exciting. I loved the neighborhoods and could honestly see myself living there eventually. I could also see myself on a stage in that city someday. So many of the actors were so young! The neighborhoods also seemed friendly and there was always a lot to do in the surrounding areas. All in all, it's a very possible choice for an after graduation situation.
We woke up early, packed our things (well, I packed, everyone else packed the night before like responsible young adults) and took the sheets off our beds, then we left!
We took a bus down to Union Station and found a big locker to put all of our bags in until we could come back for our train. Then we called K's cousin (a Chicago native who lives in Wicker Park) so she could come pick us up and give us a tour of her neighborhood (a possible place for college grad's to live).
She drove us around and showed us the different kinds of apartments and told us about where the crime is (on one side of the traffic light, not on the other), and where the dog parks are, and where the best artsy places to check out were. Wicker Park is definitely a nice, pleasant neighborhood. Everyone has a dog, and they're allowed everywhere, even in the shops. The apartments are nice, and she said they aren't too expensive. However, my best friend has informed me that Wicker Park and Lakeview (which is the other neighborhood we all loved) are the most expensive places to live. So I have some research to do.
We ate outside at a nice diner, and then Katie Mac's cousin dropped us off to shop and take the El back to the Amtrak station. We checked out some vintage shops, still looking for my dress for summer auditions. We were stopped by a camera crew after our 1st shop. They were looking for some extra actors to stand in line at a restaurant they were filming for a Best of Chicago segment. We did a couple takes before they finally thought they had it. There were 3 guys, and they were all extremely nice and we got a card so we could be notified when it airs. So we continued to shop, but it was only about 5 minutes before one of the men came in and told us they had technical difficulties and needed us to do it again! So we got to go back out and do a couple more takes, which was fun! It made me love Chicago that much more.
We eventually found a vintage shop that had my perfect dress, a nice blue one, which I purchased. Then we ran to an old bookshop we had wanted to see. We spent 10 minutes (in which I purchased 2 plays) and then ran to the El to make it to our train station.
Of course, it was Easter Weekend so everybody was waiting for their train and we were delayed an hour. Then we were delayed more on the track because a freight train was delayed in our way. And then we were so behind that all the trains that were on time had the right of way, so we had to wait on them. I didn't mind the longer train ride because it gave me more time to sleep before I had to drive everyone back home!
Our 5 hour train ride turned into about 7 hours. We made it back home around 2:30 AM and I fell asleep right away. I woke up in the morning just in time to spend the weekend at K's house in the country!
I thought Chicago was absolutely amazing. I honestly didn't expect to like the city that much, and I thought it would be very similar to New York. But the people were polite, helpful, and nice. It was easy to navigate, and the art scene was so exciting. I loved the neighborhoods and could honestly see myself living there eventually. I could also see myself on a stage in that city someday. So many of the actors were so young! The neighborhoods also seemed friendly and there was always a lot to do in the surrounding areas. All in all, it's a very possible choice for an after graduation situation.
Chicago Day 4
Wednesday! Day 4!
Today was the day we booked 2 plays to see. So we woke up early to make the train to Lincoln Park and De Paul University. Sean was supposed to come show us where our first theatre was. However, when we arrived we realized we could find it ourselves, so we went exploring instead. We found a nice Thai restaurant by the campus that served cheap meals to students and we had lunch.
After lunch we went to find our theatre, The Greenhouse Theatre. It's a theatre with the same layout as our Warehouse Theatre at school, but with a smaller stage and larger seating area. It has seating on 3 sides. Basically, this theatre houses 3 theatre companies that perform all of their shows in the space, instead of one company owning the space. I think that's pretty awesome, because the audience that comes to this theatre has the chance to see a diverse range of performances.
We got our tickets early and then hung out in a coffee shop to wait until the show started. The stage our show was on was on the second floor. So at show time we went to go take our seats. We were in the center section to the stage left side. Awesome seats. We were seeing Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons). Melissa and I had performed a scene from the play in Acting III, so we picked the show to watch because we loved the script so much. It's Georgian Period, right after the Restoration, during the 1780's. We took a Restoration class last semester, and we had to learn the language of the fan(because all ladies carried a fan, but never to actually fan themselves with), and the proper way to move in the dress of the period, as well as how to sit and stand properly. It's all very intricate and it was so exciting to watch professional actors do it right!
The man playing Valmont (the main male) was especially adept at sitting, standing, and flirting properly. They didn't use fans, unfortunately, except in one scene and it was slightly distracting because they didn't practice it time period.
Overall, the play was just incredible. The space was intimate, but the actors were spot on. They did Standard American dialects (taking out all regional accents and implementing the vowel changes of the British dialects (been=bean, after=AHfter)). The characters were interesting and engaging, and the sword fight at the end was just the most amazing fight I've ever seen, especially on stage. I took stage combat this past summer, and watching a professional fight was exciting. It was fast paced, very intricate, and the sound effects by the actors were really good. I don't know how they did this fight so well in such a small space, but it was just amazing. I left the theatre wanting to learn that fight.
The actors also did a great job ignoring interruptions. There happened to be a wasp in the 2nd act that found its way onto the main actress' arm, and she didn't miss a beat (it was an important scene) as it crawled up her arm and flew into her wig. It also flew onto Valmont's jacket and he didn't break either. I cringed through the whole scene hoping it didn't sting someone!
We took the El down to the Magnificent Mile right after Dangerous Liaisons. We wanted to find a sushi place to eat at before we headed over to the Looking Glass Theatre to see Trust by David Schwimmer. We ate at a place called Friends Sushi, which was really good. Then we got our tickets and headed over to the Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop to have awesome ice cream. Then we went back to the Looking Glass to find our seats.
It was the same staging with a thrust stage (3 sides for the audience). The set for this piece was really cool. The show itself is about how technology tears a family apart when a 14 year old girl meets an older man in a chat room and starts a 'relationship' with him. So there was a huge 'screen' upstage that was made of white blocks (actually 3-D). There was one block missing, and it was on the floor stage left being used as the girl's bed.
There weren't many props, most actions were pantomimed such as eating, packing bags, driving cars. However, if the family was eating dinner, their dinner would show up on the screen upstage so the audience knew they were eating. Or if the scene changed to a different location (a bedroom, school, dining room, outside, a party) the location would be showed on the screen too! Whenever Anna (the 14 year old) was chatting on IM or taking pictures on her laptop or cellphone, the conversations were on the screen so the audience could read it.
It was a really interesting idea to have technology run the show the way it ran this girl's life. And the acting (once again, in such an intimate space) was just phenomenal. Especially Anna, who happened to be 19 like me! We got to talk to 2 ensemble members after the show, after the talk-back about the issues the show raises, and they were very nice. Raymond (who played the older man from the chat room) actually knew where our college was (which is rare) because his mom attended our school when it was a 2 year institution!! Talk about ironic.
We also had the opportunity to talk to Anna, whose real name is Allison, because she was leaving the theatre the same time as us. She asked about our school, and her mom asked us about what we thought of some of the issues of the show. It was one of the best things on the trip, to get to talk to actual cast members of an awesome company. I would love to work at Looking Glass after I graduate from school. They have such a different outlook on theatre, and I'm really interested in it. So many of the members in the Trust cast were extremely young too, which is promising.
After the show we took the El back to the hostel and slept!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Chicago Day 3
Sorry this is taking so long to get out. I've had limited time and Internet access. Anyway, onto the information:
On Tuesday we decided, since we weren't seeing any shows, that it was the perfect day to explore Chicago and visit some vintage shops. So we looked up directions, picked our El route and then headed out around 11. We went up North to Belmont. It's near Lakeview. We found one shop that had cheap clothes and I found an awesome pair of boots for $5, and a wallet. After that we found a cute bakery that made incredible pastries, and everyone got a little something to eat.
We realized belatedly that we were travelling in the opposite direction of all the stores we wanted, so we turned around and found the right street to shop on. We found some awesome vintage stores on Belmont (the other side) where I bought some presents, and the girls found some cheap dresses and cowboy boots. We wandered a little more and ended up on Clark street which actually took us back to where we had been the day before!
We went to a restaurant called Lucky's where they serve huge sandwiches. They actually have a contest where a person picks 3 of their sandwiches off the menu and has to eat them all in under an hour. I thought my dad would enjoy that. So each half of these sandwiches are about the size of my head, and there are people on their wall of fame that have finished them all in 5 minutes! I don't know how that's possible.
I actually had Terriyaki wings, and they were amazing. The girls also enjoyed their lunches. Katie Mac got buffalo tenders, thinking they were buffalo meat...instead of really spicy. She didn't enjoy her's so much. But Katie ate her entire sandwich. She deserved a round of applause.
We looked at another vintage store down the street, but weren't very successful. We refound the book store where we had bought some scripts the day before and we looked around a little more.We didn't find anything else there either, so we decided to move on. We wanted to head over to find Broadway street, where there was supposed to be more used book stores and vintage clothing. It took us a while to find it, but when we did Katie Mac was excited to see a Buffalo Exchange, which is apparently a chain that they have in Denver, where she's from. We spent over an hour trying on clothes and all the girls found something they liked. We also tried out the other books stores. One ended up being a new store so we didn't stay long. In the other I found an awesome monologue book and a script, and Kaitie found a good vegetarian cookbook.
We were extremely exhausted from the day of walking and clothes trying, but we took the El down to China Town to meet Melissa's friend Sean. He goes to De Paul University in Chicago as a Theatre Tech major, and so he had a lot to tell us. We searched for a sushi place in China Town, but the one we wanted was closed, so we picked a random restaurant to eat at, and it ended up being very good. We asked Sean a lot of questions, but he didn't have much to say about Chicago because he's so busy with theatre. But it was interesting to hear about another student's life in theatre at a different school. He gets to do a lot of outside professional work, which is cool. We don't have that option or opportunity at our school really, but it seems most Chicago Universities do that sort of thing. They allow their students to work professionally while at school because there are so many opportunities so close. We stopped at a Sanrio store for Katie Mac so she could look around and we ended up purchasing some cool China Town trinkets. I bought a headband--very cultural, I know.
We took the El back to our hostel and called it an early night. All the girls had found great purchases. I had an awesome pair of boots, but no dress. We were all trying to find dresses for our upcoming summer auditions. I had to keep looking. This was definitely the most exhausting day of our trip, by far.
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