...another bites the dust....and another one down and another down and another one bites the dust....
Went to see "King Lear" last night and was not disappointed. Our M.Litt students put on the production and some of the best actors in the program were in it. I was duly impressed and was not even overly distracted by the presence of the new director of said program, who is a genius and fairly cute, as well. Since it was performed at Blackfriar's, Roomie and I were the ultimate geeks/fangirls/excited by fight choreography and sat on the stage to watch.
From this I reaped audience participation bits - always fun, especially when the actor doing it is quite good friends with me - and a flower, bestowed upon me by the Insane King Lear. I recommend Blackfriar's highly. 'Tis a fun place to go.
This week will involve a lot of theatre - tonight is the opening of the one-acts called "Louisville", and Roomie convinced me to miss tomorrow night (she'll do front of house duties for me, since she knows how) to see 'The Witch', at Blackfriar's. I dislike shirking responsibility, but it's the last night and my favorite actor goes through the whole show sans shirt.
Yes, I am that shallow.
In any case, the theatre will be my life this weekend (surprise surprise, eh?) and I'm also going to be sending in my application to Camp Krislund this week. I need to figure out my summer and soon.
On a lighter note, I have my classes chosen for fall semester. Choral Conducting, Psychology as a Natural Science, Choir, Voice Diction for Theatre, Great Plays, Madrigals, and voice lessons. Oh, and Senior Project, which isn't actually a class, but will take up my life for the entire semester. I have yet to know what play it'll be, or whether I will be acting or doing stage makeup for my project. Acting is my first choice, of course, but who knows what could happen? Neither of the plays chosen may be good for me and I could possibly become horribly maimed pre-show and I could lose all of my acting ability suddenly and with no warning or.....
Well. So much for that lighter note. I am excited for the classes I'm taking, but am disappointed that I won't be able to take an anthroplogy class that looked fairly awesome. It interferes with Voice Diction for Theatre, unfortunately.
It also turns out that I may have a Real Job next semester. KA is graduating this year and leaving her choir directing post at a local church. They'll be looking for a replacement and I asked her to please mention my name - it's only two days a week and pays three hundred dollars a month. Which, when it comes down to it, that's a month's rent with an extra hundred for me to save/spend/use on useful things. So keep your fingers crossed for me.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Curiouser and Curiouser
So, I'm looking at a somewhat busy-ish weekend - and it's all things that I want to do. I mean, aside from homework - and even that's not so bad, apart from the paper I need to write for math class about a formula that I don't understand. I think if I fake it and go through the steps (and also look up the formula on Wikipedia, because an explanation is bound to be there), and be very very articulate, I should be fine.
In any case, tonight begins my lovely weekend. I'll be going to see Macbeth at Blackfriar's and I have it from several reliable sources that it's going to be excellent. Moreover, a friend of mine works there and gave me one of his many comp tickets - so I'm seeing it for free. Afterwards, I may or may not be attending a St. Patrick's Day party. It really depends upon my mood.
My roommate has recieved her two-disc DVD set of "Tin Man" and we are planning on spending tomorrow watching it and doing homework. I have two papers that I'd like to get done, along with some research for my thesis. And fic to write. Mustn't forget the important things, there. Consider that I will very likely get about half of that done. That evening, I will be attending a performance of "Spirit of Augusta" that P. kindly got me a ticket for. I will likely be spending the evening with P. Who knows?
On Sunday, Roomie and I are going to Monticello, since I have never been there. It's going to be quite lovely - we're going to make a day of it. We will go to Charlottesville, probably pack a picinic (or I may spring for lunch in the Historic Downtown section), and prowl about the grounds of Monticello. There may be pictures of our Day Out. When we get home, I intend to accomplish any work I didn't get done on Saturday, and add Music Theory homework/studying seventh chords to that list.
Today has been a good day. I forgot my cell phone charger at home, and I recieved it in the mail along with a funny old photo that Momma found of me as an infant. I'm wrapped up in a towel (I had to have been about 4-months old) post-bath and Momma is holding me. She's smiling and looking as thin as a stick, while I'm sticking my tongue out around a wide baby-grin. Ah yes, I have been doing that since I was an infant. Anyway, today has been a balmy 64 degrees fahrenheit, so it's t-shirt weather - the first day I've been able to go without a jacket all year! I love winter, but this is nice, too.
And now, for the best news of the day - I went to the business office on campus today to settle my debt to the school for next semester. My parents had given me a check to pay that and still have enough for a month's rent, so I was feeling well-equipped to pay it, if not eager to part with the money. Well, come to find out that I had exactly the right amount in credit on my school account to pay the fee and spare my own wallet - I don't know where the money came from, whether it was the remainder of my loan or work-study or some random fluke, but I was elated at the thought that I have money enough to pay rent for the rest of the semester and May Term.
I don't have to scrimp and save - I'm not going to spend willy-nilly, but I've got MONEY.
In any case, tonight begins my lovely weekend. I'll be going to see Macbeth at Blackfriar's and I have it from several reliable sources that it's going to be excellent. Moreover, a friend of mine works there and gave me one of his many comp tickets - so I'm seeing it for free. Afterwards, I may or may not be attending a St. Patrick's Day party. It really depends upon my mood.
My roommate has recieved her two-disc DVD set of "Tin Man" and we are planning on spending tomorrow watching it and doing homework. I have two papers that I'd like to get done, along with some research for my thesis. And fic to write. Mustn't forget the important things, there. Consider that I will very likely get about half of that done. That evening, I will be attending a performance of "Spirit of Augusta" that P. kindly got me a ticket for. I will likely be spending the evening with P. Who knows?
On Sunday, Roomie and I are going to Monticello, since I have never been there. It's going to be quite lovely - we're going to make a day of it. We will go to Charlottesville, probably pack a picinic (or I may spring for lunch in the Historic Downtown section), and prowl about the grounds of Monticello. There may be pictures of our Day Out. When we get home, I intend to accomplish any work I didn't get done on Saturday, and add Music Theory homework/studying seventh chords to that list.
Today has been a good day. I forgot my cell phone charger at home, and I recieved it in the mail along with a funny old photo that Momma found of me as an infant. I'm wrapped up in a towel (I had to have been about 4-months old) post-bath and Momma is holding me. She's smiling and looking as thin as a stick, while I'm sticking my tongue out around a wide baby-grin. Ah yes, I have been doing that since I was an infant. Anyway, today has been a balmy 64 degrees fahrenheit, so it's t-shirt weather - the first day I've been able to go without a jacket all year! I love winter, but this is nice, too.
And now, for the best news of the day - I went to the business office on campus today to settle my debt to the school for next semester. My parents had given me a check to pay that and still have enough for a month's rent, so I was feeling well-equipped to pay it, if not eager to part with the money. Well, come to find out that I had exactly the right amount in credit on my school account to pay the fee and spare my own wallet - I don't know where the money came from, whether it was the remainder of my loan or work-study or some random fluke, but I was elated at the thought that I have money enough to pay rent for the rest of the semester and May Term.
I don't have to scrimp and save - I'm not going to spend willy-nilly, but I've got MONEY.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Nose to the Grindstone
Accomplishments of Spring Break:
1. Emmeline is a (not so happily, but healthily) spayed kitty. She was ultra-cuddly there towards the end of my visit - I think it was because she was afraid of being sent back to "the bad place" (ie. the vet).
2. I moved Stefan's bed to his room and the futon to my room.
3. I cleaned out most of my extraneous junk from my room AND cleaned out my closet, resulting in two large garbage bags of clothes for selling/donating/hand-me-downs.
4. Dyed my hair - it's auburn again, and it looks quite nice. Not TOO red, but it livened up the brown.
5. Watched "Fight Club" and got Momma addicted to "Firefly" quite successfully. I shall just add that Edward Norton is OMGGORGEOUS. I want to marry him and have his babies. Also, Nathan Fillion is dreamy like whoa.
6. Spent most of Friday driving around, reacclimating myself to the area. It was nice. I do miss PA when I'm down here.
7. Read several excellent books that I have been meaning to tackle for a while.
8. Cooked several excellent meals for my family.
9. Broke my favorite bra. (Please don't ask how one can break a bra. It can be done, and it's not half so interesting as you'd expect it to be.)
10. Got very annoyed with myself for not arranging the Simon and Garfunkel song for the Mads, not getting a start on my research paper, and not getting past a solid outline for my novel.
Break was not near long enough, regrettably.
1. Emmeline is a (not so happily, but healthily) spayed kitty. She was ultra-cuddly there towards the end of my visit - I think it was because she was afraid of being sent back to "the bad place" (ie. the vet).
2. I moved Stefan's bed to his room and the futon to my room.
3. I cleaned out most of my extraneous junk from my room AND cleaned out my closet, resulting in two large garbage bags of clothes for selling/donating/hand-me-downs.
4. Dyed my hair - it's auburn again, and it looks quite nice. Not TOO red, but it livened up the brown.
5. Watched "Fight Club" and got Momma addicted to "Firefly" quite successfully. I shall just add that Edward Norton is OMGGORGEOUS. I want to marry him and have his babies. Also, Nathan Fillion is dreamy like whoa.
6. Spent most of Friday driving around, reacclimating myself to the area. It was nice. I do miss PA when I'm down here.
7. Read several excellent books that I have been meaning to tackle for a while.
8. Cooked several excellent meals for my family.
9. Broke my favorite bra. (Please don't ask how one can break a bra. It can be done, and it's not half so interesting as you'd expect it to be.)
10. Got very annoyed with myself for not arranging the Simon and Garfunkel song for the Mads, not getting a start on my research paper, and not getting past a solid outline for my novel.
Break was not near long enough, regrettably.
Monday, March 3, 2008
A Huge Mental Sigh of Relief
I'm home. I'm home and I'm so glad. Exhaustion is not a pleasant feeling and right now, this week where I don't have anything to do but my own projects is a very nice relief from that exhaustion.
I am not joining the Army. I've made the decision to start taking out some more loans, and I'll get a job next year. For now, I am using my work study checks to pay rent and I'll look for some more scholarships.
I'm getting dental surgery in August. Whoopie.
Right now, my brain is teeming over with ideas that beg to be written down and elaborated upon before my brief hiatus from school is done. There's nothing left for my day-to-day log, really. Though this log really isn't a day-to-day log - more of a whenever-I-feel-like-it log.
I visited Grandmama today with Momma and the new pastor and his wife. She didn't know who I was, but she was very friendly because I think she felt she ought to know me. I introduced myself twice - the first time, I don't think "I'm your granddaughter" really penetrated, but the second time I said it (right before I left) she said, "Who do you belong to?" I replied, "Stephan", to which she said, "Does HE know that?"
And so we left, with Grandmama still under the impression that I am Dad's bastard child, even though we did try to correct her on that score. Regardless, it was a good visit and since I haven't seen Grandmama in a long while, it was nice to see that she is still more lucid than other patients in the ward. I brought her coffee and she drank most of it, which was certainly an encouraging sign. If Grandmama can drink her coffee, then she's still just fine, in spite of her senile dementia.
It's been a very nice break, all one day of it that I've had. Tomorrow, I've got to clean out my room in order to move the bed to S's room and to move the futon into my room - S can't sleep on the futon anymore, it's bad for him, and unfair that I get the bedroom with the bed and he gets the crappy futon.
In any case, now Firefly is on and I need to get writing!
I am not joining the Army. I've made the decision to start taking out some more loans, and I'll get a job next year. For now, I am using my work study checks to pay rent and I'll look for some more scholarships.
I'm getting dental surgery in August. Whoopie.
Right now, my brain is teeming over with ideas that beg to be written down and elaborated upon before my brief hiatus from school is done. There's nothing left for my day-to-day log, really. Though this log really isn't a day-to-day log - more of a whenever-I-feel-like-it log.
I visited Grandmama today with Momma and the new pastor and his wife. She didn't know who I was, but she was very friendly because I think she felt she ought to know me. I introduced myself twice - the first time, I don't think "I'm your granddaughter" really penetrated, but the second time I said it (right before I left) she said, "Who do you belong to?" I replied, "Stephan", to which she said, "Does HE know that?"
And so we left, with Grandmama still under the impression that I am Dad's bastard child, even though we did try to correct her on that score. Regardless, it was a good visit and since I haven't seen Grandmama in a long while, it was nice to see that she is still more lucid than other patients in the ward. I brought her coffee and she drank most of it, which was certainly an encouraging sign. If Grandmama can drink her coffee, then she's still just fine, in spite of her senile dementia.
It's been a very nice break, all one day of it that I've had. Tomorrow, I've got to clean out my room in order to move the bed to S's room and to move the futon into my room - S can't sleep on the futon anymore, it's bad for him, and unfair that I get the bedroom with the bed and he gets the crappy futon.
In any case, now Firefly is on and I need to get writing!
Monday, February 25, 2008
But I Am Le Tired.....
So, I spoke with an ROTC representative on Friday. He answered a lot of my questions and what it comes down to is that the Army will pay for my senior year, but only in exchange for eight years of my life. It comes down to this:
1. Roughly $4500 to $5000 yearly, to be paid in monthly increments
2. $600 per semester for books
3. A uniform fund
All this will be paid to me in exchange for:
1. Eight years of my life
2. A summer of officer training
3. Training to become an Army chaplain (assuming I get into the program)
4. Four years of active duty (and if I'm a chaplain, anywhere I want), and four years of reserve.
So, I'm still debating. The money looks pretty sweet, and I'll have a retirement fund, AND I'll sort of be set up for life, AND they'll pay for whatever grad school I want to attend. BUT this is all assuming that I a.) live through the experience, and b.) feel like turning over EIGHT GODDAMN YEARS OF MY LIFE TO THE US ARMY. My alternative, at this point, is a shitload of loans. I have a few days to decide, so we'll see. I'm in contact with Major B., so if I have any more questions, I can ask him.
In other news, I'm working on another show. No, I'm not in it - I'm actually having a little bit of fun on this one. It's called "Side by Side" and it's a Sondheim revue (unfortunately written pre-Sweeney Todd). P. asked me to help him work lights, and I'm regretting saying yes JUST a tad - it will require me to stay here three days longer than I'd planned, which I didn't want to do. However, I'm having fun with it - I'm working follow spot, and I helped install/patch lights together. It's a good time and I like the people - P. is nice, as is the man running the other follow spot. Plus, it's a good show, so I'm enjoying watching it every night. The only unfortunate thing is that I have given over my entire weekend to the hanging of lights and now I am EXHAUSTED.
Friday night was S.'s birthday party and I had a BLAST. Note to self: Jagermeister+151=BAD THINGS. Seriously. And that is all.
1. Roughly $4500 to $5000 yearly, to be paid in monthly increments
2. $600 per semester for books
3. A uniform fund
All this will be paid to me in exchange for:
1. Eight years of my life
2. A summer of officer training
3. Training to become an Army chaplain (assuming I get into the program)
4. Four years of active duty (and if I'm a chaplain, anywhere I want), and four years of reserve.
So, I'm still debating. The money looks pretty sweet, and I'll have a retirement fund, AND I'll sort of be set up for life, AND they'll pay for whatever grad school I want to attend. BUT this is all assuming that I a.) live through the experience, and b.) feel like turning over EIGHT GODDAMN YEARS OF MY LIFE TO THE US ARMY. My alternative, at this point, is a shitload of loans. I have a few days to decide, so we'll see. I'm in contact with Major B., so if I have any more questions, I can ask him.
In other news, I'm working on another show. No, I'm not in it - I'm actually having a little bit of fun on this one. It's called "Side by Side" and it's a Sondheim revue (unfortunately written pre-Sweeney Todd). P. asked me to help him work lights, and I'm regretting saying yes JUST a tad - it will require me to stay here three days longer than I'd planned, which I didn't want to do. However, I'm having fun with it - I'm working follow spot, and I helped install/patch lights together. It's a good time and I like the people - P. is nice, as is the man running the other follow spot. Plus, it's a good show, so I'm enjoying watching it every night. The only unfortunate thing is that I have given over my entire weekend to the hanging of lights and now I am EXHAUSTED.
Friday night was S.'s birthday party and I had a BLAST. Note to self: Jagermeister+151=BAD THINGS. Seriously. And that is all.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Venty Vent Vent Vent
You know what one of the most aggravating things in the world is? When people don't talk to each other. For example - if you have a problem with me, I'd much appreciate being informed of that problem by you. Not the grapevine. I don't want to hear from a friend of a friend of a friend's mother's cousin' uncle's little sister's vague acquaintance's mutual friend that you've been saying some very uncomplimentary things behind my back.
The theatre is possibly the home of the bitchiest people in the world. I'm not pointing fingers, because I will openly admit that I am one of them. But during a show, I greatly dislike hearing bad things about people because it distracts me. So when somebody comes over to me and either tells me that someone has been talking about me, or that "so-and-so did so-and-such to that girl over there and OMFG can you believe it?!" I tend to get a little short-tempered. Unfortunately, the downfall to being in the middle of a show is that a great many bitchy people are gathered together in a very small place for great lengths of time, resulting in uber-bitchy behavior.
Which, let me tell you, is unfortunate. Most of the time, I love these people. I love this theatre. I've never actually lived with another theatre person before this semester, so when the theatre gossip follows me home, I tend to get impatient. When I'm at home, I just want to leave work at work - which is why I'm never, ever going to date another actor.
In other news, to top off this exceptionally pessimistic post, I learned last night that I didn't get the RA job I wanted to help me pay for school next year. I'm looking at my options and I've come down to two:
1. Prostitution/expensive call-girl
2. Army ROTC.
It's a bitch, this major o' mine. Please remind me - somebody, ANYBODY - why I do this?
The theatre is possibly the home of the bitchiest people in the world. I'm not pointing fingers, because I will openly admit that I am one of them. But during a show, I greatly dislike hearing bad things about people because it distracts me. So when somebody comes over to me and either tells me that someone has been talking about me, or that "so-and-so did so-and-such to that girl over there and OMFG can you believe it?!" I tend to get a little short-tempered. Unfortunately, the downfall to being in the middle of a show is that a great many bitchy people are gathered together in a very small place for great lengths of time, resulting in uber-bitchy behavior.
Which, let me tell you, is unfortunate. Most of the time, I love these people. I love this theatre. I've never actually lived with another theatre person before this semester, so when the theatre gossip follows me home, I tend to get impatient. When I'm at home, I just want to leave work at work - which is why I'm never, ever going to date another actor.
In other news, to top off this exceptionally pessimistic post, I learned last night that I didn't get the RA job I wanted to help me pay for school next year. I'm looking at my options and I've come down to two:
1. Prostitution/expensive call-girl
2. Army ROTC.
It's a bitch, this major o' mine. Please remind me - somebody, ANYBODY - why I do this?
Monday, February 11, 2008
Faceplant
....I fell on my face while iceskating. No, seriously. I was doing a lunge-glide, a move that I have not yet mastered due to my lack of flexibility, and my blade caught on the ice when the side of my skate should have been on the ice instead. I slid off-course and then lost my balance and slammed face-first into the ice.
Luckily, I didn't hit my nose, but I knocked my cheekbone and my chin pretty hard and I have a couple of shiny new bruises for my trouble. However - and yes, I am bragging - I am far ahead of the class's skill-level and have been asked by the coaches to please continue classes after this course is done, because I'm damn good. (Pleased? Me? Naw.)
In other news, the show run has gone well so far. I auditioned for the one-acts tonight (which irritates me, I dislike having auditions for another show mid-run), and it went fairly well. The actual show is exhausting, but rewarding. The whole cast is doing a good job. I'm no longer scared.
The other night, a very select group of us went to spend the evening following the show at the Southeringtons' house and most of us ended up staying until about 3:30am. It was wonderful. There was fun conversation and bitching about theatre in the area (as we do) and drinks flowed freely. I discovered some very useful information.
1. Frank likes me. And not in a creepy, skeezy way - I said something (I don't even remember what it was), and he looked at me with a big smile and said, "I like you. I don't know if I've said it, but I find you delightful." It made me happy.
2. He is determined that I reread "Tess of the D'Ubervilles", which I loathed when I read it at the tender age of fifteen. Frank studied Thomas Hardy intensively (he studied Hardy for his doctorate and did a very good - published - translation of "Jude the Obscure", which he insists I read after I'm done with "Tess") and disapproves a LOT of my sincere dislike of him. So we'll work on that.
3. I asked him very nicely to direct my senior project next year - we had a long, serious discussion over which play he wanted to direct, and he is thinking of "Miss Julie" by Strinberg, or something by Ibsen - I would love to do "A Doll's House", because Nora is fascinating. I wouldn't mind doing "Miss Julie", because of the creative effort that would be required, but I did dislike studying that play in "Modern Theatre" with Dr. Fran. (Then again, I disliked "The Cherry Orchard", too, and Frank changed my mind. So we'll see.)
4. Frank Southerington is my hero. I adore that man. The end.
So the night was fun and I had a great time. Frank gave me a ride home and when I told P.S. that he did the next day, he gave me an odd look (he had been there) and said, "I would've given you a ride, but you disappeared." Which I hadn't, but whatever. Frank is nicer than P.S. anyway, especially since he has no designs on me whatsoever.
Luckily, I didn't hit my nose, but I knocked my cheekbone and my chin pretty hard and I have a couple of shiny new bruises for my trouble. However - and yes, I am bragging - I am far ahead of the class's skill-level and have been asked by the coaches to please continue classes after this course is done, because I'm damn good. (Pleased? Me? Naw.)
In other news, the show run has gone well so far. I auditioned for the one-acts tonight (which irritates me, I dislike having auditions for another show mid-run), and it went fairly well. The actual show is exhausting, but rewarding. The whole cast is doing a good job. I'm no longer scared.
The other night, a very select group of us went to spend the evening following the show at the Southeringtons' house and most of us ended up staying until about 3:30am. It was wonderful. There was fun conversation and bitching about theatre in the area (as we do) and drinks flowed freely. I discovered some very useful information.
1. Frank likes me. And not in a creepy, skeezy way - I said something (I don't even remember what it was), and he looked at me with a big smile and said, "I like you. I don't know if I've said it, but I find you delightful." It made me happy.
2. He is determined that I reread "Tess of the D'Ubervilles", which I loathed when I read it at the tender age of fifteen. Frank studied Thomas Hardy intensively (he studied Hardy for his doctorate and did a very good - published - translation of "Jude the Obscure", which he insists I read after I'm done with "Tess") and disapproves a LOT of my sincere dislike of him. So we'll work on that.
3. I asked him very nicely to direct my senior project next year - we had a long, serious discussion over which play he wanted to direct, and he is thinking of "Miss Julie" by Strinberg, or something by Ibsen - I would love to do "A Doll's House", because Nora is fascinating. I wouldn't mind doing "Miss Julie", because of the creative effort that would be required, but I did dislike studying that play in "Modern Theatre" with Dr. Fran. (Then again, I disliked "The Cherry Orchard", too, and Frank changed my mind. So we'll see.)
4. Frank Southerington is my hero. I adore that man. The end.
So the night was fun and I had a great time. Frank gave me a ride home and when I told P.S. that he did the next day, he gave me an odd look (he had been there) and said, "I would've given you a ride, but you disappeared." Which I hadn't, but whatever. Frank is nicer than P.S. anyway, especially since he has no designs on me whatsoever.
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