Weekend in Review

Because I have a 10-page paper for my Child Development class due in two and half weeks or something...here's the rundown of my weekend, like I sorta promised (though I technically didn't make any promises...I like to keep my word...in a timely manner...). So here goes...

Friday night (4/27) I saw a FREE production (tickets through the affluent private NYC school I work for. SCORE!) of "HOWARD KATZ" by Patrick Marber (for those of you who don't know, he wrote "CLOSER" and a few other well-known pieces of work). It was about the title character, a Jewish man, played by Alfred Molina (f*cking phenomenal actor!) who goes through a mid-life crisis - and hits rock bottom. The problem is, the story even goes so far, that the bottom falls out and he has no where to turn. I know, it sounds depressing, and it is kind of. It takes him that long though to realize what he has and how precious it was. It sounds like an afterschool special or something...but Marber's dialouge is witty and intelligent and the scene changes were captivating. Molina is on stage the entire time and the scenes move around him...it's almost like he's just going through the motions of his life and not in control of it. I loved all the symbolism throughout. All the characters playing Howard's family were doubled as smaller intricate roles throughout the play that displayed this "loose-cannon" demeanor that Howard Katz possessed. Alfred Molina is amazing in this. I feel so lucky to have seen it for free. The ushers are super nice there too. I was sitting in the back of the Orchestra and the usher came up to me right before curtain and said, "Do you want to move up?". I wasn't sure what she was asking me at first until she waved me down the stairs. I was thinking "Hell, yeah!". Is that really a question? Who wouldn't want to move closer? She should have said, "you're moving up. Let's go". Anyway, the show was great. The cheapest tickets are like 60 bucks apparently, but there may be discounts. It's worth it alone for Molina's performance.

(Oooookay. Maybe this entry will be longer than I thought. Though, I am short and sweet ;) I've never been known for it when I write...hehhe)

Saturday I had my usual Child Development Class....so I'm in the psychological mindset. By the way, I'm looking into reading the book "Reviving Ophelia". It's a case study book about the adolescence of young girls. Some people find it patronizing...others find it helpful (I think most find it offensive). Anyway, I read the first chapter (photocopy) in my class and I'm intrigued to read the whole book. If you want to know my opinion, I like it so far. I relate to it. Yeah, it might be a little biased, but I agree A LOT with what the author is talking about, and relate to it on a lot of levels. Check it out if you are curious....

Anyway, Saturday night I went to see CLOUD 9 at the Access Theater. The amazingly talented Jason Schmidt was in this show. He and the entire cast were phenomenal. I think this is a hard core challenge to perform and it was extremely professional on all levels. This was the closing night. I was running a little late (which I NEVER run late for theatre!) and trying to meet my friend Derek (He's GAY people! Stop wondering. Sheesh). On the four flight staircase dash to the theatre (love ya NYC theatre space!) I see a familiar face running behind me. It's my old partner in crime from my acting-tech-theatre days in Cincy Ohio - Ryan. Ryan and I assistant stage managed together, were well-equipped costume experts together and even understudied opposite roles while interning at an Equity theatre in Ohio. Whoo-hoo - good times. Anyway, I find out his current girlfriend was in the show. Oh this small small world we live in...He's an awesome guy - extremely talented actor and fun as hell to hang out with.

Err...sorry. Not much of a review on that one. Here's some more thought though.... I've seen a college production of CLOUD 9 before and this felt like something I had never seen before. I think seeing this show in a small space really helped me keep on track with Churchill's complex dialouge. She's pretty amazing...but hard to keep up with. These actors worked those poofy things on the back of those Victorian dresses off. Yeah! Rock it out.

Sunday was sooooo much fun. I love being a moderator at auditions. But after talking to 24 or something actors and being uber friendly....I was exhausted...but in a good way. I don't really remember the last time I was drained just from doing something that I didn't find painful or stressful in any way. Thanks for everything DAR!

Wish I could write more. Must start work on my paper....it's about socialization among children between the grades 1 throught 3. Any thoughts? ideas? Seriously. You may trigger inspiration. How do you define socialization??

comedy and tragedy live here

Last year at this time, I had just quit a "membership company" where I was an actor, mostly rehearsing unused monologues and overdone scenes in front of mismatched goal-oriented "actors" who were on a million different pages in their lives. One thing we all had in common - we were lost and needed ground. We needed guidance. This company, which I will not mention in name (though it no longer exists- well, not in the capacity that it once did) didn't provide that solid ground that we all so desperately sought for in a profession where balancing survival and passion is an art within itself.

Since I decided to put my energies into teaching, I feel theatre has surrounded me more. Correction. It has always been around me in excessive levels (since it has been a HUGE part of my life since I was twelve or thirteen years old), but I feel stepping away from it, even for that first few months made me realize how lucky I am to have artistic expression everywhere I turn. I still didn't miss acting at all, and haven't missed it. Not even one iota....seriously....not since yesterday. I've been perfectly happy teaching, and loving my grad school class (I have to take more classes next semester! eeek. I'm a one-class-underachiever) doing drama afterschool programs with the kids, writing in my free time...lalala.
Yesterday, Lovely Anna, one of the wonderful head PreK teachers who works across the hallway from my classroom, where I work with my head teacher, Aussie Lisa (she's from Australia). Anna is absolutely lovely by the way. If I wasn't teaching first grade next year, I'd totally want to work with her in PreK. She's been there for years, and I love how creative her ideas are for the classroom. She does a lot with arts and crafts- making books, etc. So...her class is working on their author study and I was asked to make a book on tape! How cool! That's one of those things I've always wanted to do...and I mean ALWAYS...since I was little. Eric Carle is the Author they are studying, so she asked a few teachers to record different books on a tape, and the kids listen to it. I think it's a cool idea. This way, at rest time, they can listen to teachers they know throughout the building on tape..while hearing all the wonderful stories of Eric Carle. He's a pretty interesting children's author, I think.
So, I'm sitting afterschool on Thursday afternoon, alone in my classroom with a little black tape player/recorder and a children's book. As I'm taping this story, I was enjoying every second of it. I love these moments where my theatre experience and work-life connect. In these moments, as simple as they are, it all starts to make sense. I've had other moments like this, many actually. I have put on plays with my kids, I have played theatre games with them, I've written poems with my kids, the list goes on....but I began to think about acting again. I haven't thought about being on a stage or memorizing a script or the way I would smile in my next headshot since last March....but suddenly those thoughts snuck into my current reality. I don't think the time is now, but the time may come in the next few years or so for me to jump on the audition wagon again.

When I first left this theatre company, I was beginning to get jaded. I have to step away from things completely to get a fresh perspective. It's the only way it works for me. I'm the same with dating. I'm quitting until I have another fresh perspective. To date and date and date and date is exhausting and feels emotionless after awhile. That's not who I am.

Anyway, I love what's going on in my life right now. Yes, I've had my fears and doubts and I know I'm persuing a whole other profession that takes well-needed time to grow and expand my knowledge and experience. Maybe seeing my friends, who I am soooo incredibly proud of and ecstatic for (Niwa especially - yeah for being recognized for the AMAZING playwright she is!) grow is part of it, but I really feel a pull lately....a pull in the right direction.
Finding the balance for all my passions in life has been a struggle for as long as I can remember, but I feel it coming together. I think stepping away from theatre was one of the best decisions I've ever made...and it will never get too far away from me. I don't think it will let me...muahahaha! wooooo-

Ack! I gotta run! I have a jam-packed weekend of theatre theatre theatre!!!! I'm seeing a FREE...that's right free show tonite through Roundabout Theatre. It's a Patrick Marber play called "HOWARD KATZ". I've heard amazing things....you will get a review I am sure ;) My brother's girlfriend, Nic may come when she gets off work - but I haven't heard the word yet.
Here's the link. http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/pels.htm


Tomorrow night I am seeing Jason's show!!! YAY! I'm siked. I'll say DOODLE just for him. ;) CLOUD 9 through WhirledPeasProductions got rave reviews from my friends, Niwa and Darla. Rock on! I can't wait.

Sunday, yep, theatre on Sunday too...I get to be part of the audition process for Niwa's wonderful one-act piece that recently got accepted into a festival. Yay. Darla asked me so kindly to be her AD/stage manager. I will do anything to be part of this amazing piece of work....

Stay tuned.

Just as I suspected...

You've Experienced 60% of Life

You have a good deal of life experience, about as much as someone in their late 20s. You've seen and done enough to be quite wise, but you still have a lot of life to look forward to.

How Much Life Experience Do You Have?

I promised myself I'd write for one hour today....and so I am...I created a blog. Yes. Yes, it counts. I'll tell you why. I wanted to write one poem and work on my ten minute play. Typically, I keep two journals...one for the morning and one for the evening. I don't write in them as consistently as I used to, but they have at least five or six years of twenty something ups and downs in them - priceless shit. Anyway, I figured, okay, it would actually be good if I got some feedback or even a "hey - I read your thoughts" ....because, I don't know how anyone else feels, but sometimes the stuff I write in my journals is good...sometimes even better comparatively to other creative writing I've written....yeeeeah. So, writing this blog might give me some ideas like my journals usually do....and the feedback is even better....cool....okay, anyway, enough rambling.

So...the real reason I'm here, truth be told, is I figured it's the best way to tell the friends closest to my heart what's going on with my life....and frankly, I'm out of the loop a bit (dang blog-cliques! hehe). Since I've given up the struggling-actor-coffee-shop-guru-theatre thing (a little over a year ago), I've jumped head first into the teaching profession and grad school. Anyway, it's not always clear what's going on with my life - Nina, Dar and I are on different pages day to day. Ah then - it clicked. Blogs rock! This way, I don't always have to play "catch-up" with depressing stories of freakish dates and that dude on the subway that tried to blow his nose on my shirt (the latter didn't happen, by the way). When I meet up with my girlfriends now, we can focus on laughing and drinking until we are obnoxious. Love it.

WARNING: If you were ever curious about how my brain works, the following is disconnected in a way...so if you hate stream of conciousness, you may get nauseaus....heads up.

A fact: If it wasn't for a certain couch in Dar and Nina's apartment (that I LIVE in now, by the way)...err.... actually Nina's fouton in the late summer of 2004, I wouldn't be here. (Though, with my determination then, I would have found a way to make it here no matter what the circumstances...though it wouldn't have been as hospitable, no doubt) I guess my point is, I haven't wanted anything or felt that "gotta get it" feeling since I've wanted New York.

I know what I want to to do with my new degree (that I've always known I've wanted). I want to open a business one day (though that has nothing to do really with a Childhood Education degree...but somehow it connects). I want to develop an afterschool facility where children of elementary and even high schools ages can go to do arts programs that may be eliminated from their schools or just not available. How do I go about doing that? I have no freakin' clue. But, it will happen one day, I hope. I shouldnt say, "I hope". Maybe that's my problem...I'm the girl who cried wolf. I'm full of ideas that never come to fruition. Either that, or I'm waaaay too hard on myself....or I spend too much time being hard on myself and not enough time DOING...or....I should just shut up because I overanalyze everything.

Right now, I just want to get through some reading for my class at the end of the week, and start working on my 10-page paper due in a few weeks...

I just want to write one or two poems and set a deadline for myself to submit a few old ones. I want to work on my play.

I think, right now, I'm going to read. (it's for class, so I'm being productive.)

If I wasn't a procrastinator, I wouldn't have so many excuses. Riiiiight.


Happy Sunday...