Friday, September 30, 2011

Impressions of the Intercon L schedule


The schedule of games for Intercon L is now available for viewing. I'm on bid com, so I knew all of these things were going to run already, but now the schedule is available for everyone to see. As is my custom at this stage of con preparation, I will now go over my current thoughts for what my signup plan shall be.

Friday night I think my preference is for Feast of the Minotaur. It's written by Andandi Gandolfi, who has an excellent track record, and I like the Ancient Greek mythology setting based around the myth of Theseus. Also interesting to me is Colonel Sebastian T. Rawhide's Circus of the Spectacular, which is a classic I've heard very good things about. I've already played in House of the Rising Sun and I highly recommend it to those of you who are pondering your own options for Friday night. Venezia will probably have a test run at Brandeis before Intercon rolls around, and I will try it then.

Saturday morning, I'd go for Garden of Forking Paths. This is the work of my sometime coauthors [info]emp42ress*, [info]natbudin*, and [info]simplewordsmith* taking the "your choices affect the nature of your game" concept touched on in Resonance to an even greater extreme, with simultaneous runs of the same scenario affecting where everyone else's scenario ends up. I'm not sure how it's going to work exactly, but I know this group does amazing, envelope-pushing work and I'm always game to play something they've written. Failing that, I still haven't gotten into a run of Concordance Station written by [info]readerofposts*, or if all else fails I could always sleep in.

Saturday afternoon the options are not leaping out at me. I would probably go for An Evening Aboard the HMS Eden. It sounds interesting, being a pastiche of Victorian literary characters aboard a cruise ship, and even so Jared thinks he's going to sign up for it, and it would be nice for us to have a game together. I confess I'm curious about Nat and Vik's Harmony Quest, despite the fact that I've technically been spoiled on it and when I first heard about it I was certain it wouldn't be my kind of game. Still, there's a morbid streak in me that wants to know just how uncomfortable I'd be. Also I've heard it's well done for the style of game it is, and as was said by at least five members of bid com, I trust Nat. Probably won't go for it, but the thought has crossed my mind. I also have some curiosity as to how The Linfarn Run is, being an intimate Brit game, though I'm not really interested in Firefly.

Saturday evening I will be running Resonance with the aforementioned writers from Alleged Entertainment. We're quite proud of this unusual sort of game, so if you haven't played yet it might be worth your while. Of the games going up concurrently with it, I'm quite sorry I won't be able to play in Port Hidalgo, a well-regarded pirate adventure, and I've heard good things about Roanoke, a game about the Sir Walter Raleigh's colony in Virginia. I tend to like period games.

Sunday morning the only thing that particularly interested me I've already played (GM Space) and so will be observing my usual Sunday-of-the-con tradition of collapsing in an exhausted heap. I do recommend GM Space as probably the funniest larp I've ever played, however, so keep it in mind if you've never been in it.

And that's my plan. Not sure what my first signup will be; logic dictates that Garden, as the game with the fewest number of slots, should be my first choice, so probably I'll go for that. Feast is the other possibility, because although it's large I'm very excited to play it. First round signups open November 2nd, so put it on your calendars, everyone.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

My tragic pattern


I can be such a dumbass. Whenever a due date for school comes up, I end up feeling like I don't have enough time and spend the last handful of days leading up to it killing myself to get my analytical responses and my dramatic writing done. I have trouble using bits and pieces of time to get anything done; it requires a mental shift for me to do buckle down into the work, which means I need a decent-sized chunk of time to really dig into my assignments. And when it's finally done, I feel so brain-drained I want to take a break for a few days... after which point, there's ANOTHER due date just a few days away again, and I'm back in the same situation. *Sigh* On top of that, I'm trying to figure out what promises to be the most complex, delicate, and elaborate blocking for Merely Players, which I want to have ready to teach the cast by this Sunday's rehearsal. Speaking of which, does anybody have any time during the day on Saturday to maybe help me work some of the choreography out? In case you're wondering, yes, though not precisely the same, this does technically qualify as "all my shows must have a dance!" ;-)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Random musings on ballet so far


Had my third ballet class. Other than some irritating issues with their billing process (they will not credit me the classes I bought in bulk until I physically receive my class card, which THEY HAVE YET TO MAIL ME, grrrr...) I am really liking it. Here follows some random musing on ballet.

One thing that shocked me was how familiar it all was. The movements, the positions, the words for everything, all felt weirdly natural and intuitive. I mean, of course the subtleties of how you execute the dance and how exactly to use your body requires years of devoted practice and training, and while I'm doing well enough for a beginner it's not like I'm picking it up effortlessly. But the basic gists of the movements all felt very familiar to me, even though I've never had any instruction in it before-- even when I would falter on what to do, when I would see what the right thing to do was, I got a strange feeling of, "Oh, of course that's right." I wonder why that is. Maybe ballet was formulated based on the way the body is inclined to move, so when I do it, I'm doing what my muscles were made to do. Maybe it's because ballet is so technical that the way it's done has a very iconic, recognizable look to it, and having seen ballet and absorbed something of what it's like. While I wouldn't say I've experience a lot, I have had some, and it made a real impression on my mind. Whatever the reason, it's kind of cool how "right" a lot of the steps feel even though this is the first instruction I've ever had in it.

I am also struck by how bodies can be strange and amazing things. Mine always shocked me with the ways I'm flexible and the ways I'm not. When I was in elementary school doing the Presidential Fitness Exam, I scored high enough to pass in every category except the sit-and-reach where you put your legs in front of you and see how far along them you can stretch. Back then my knees were so tight that I couldn't reach as far as a boy, for whom the flexibility standard was lower, let alone be able to touch my toes. It's not nearly so bad now since I'm put some effort into working on it, but still, my knee tendons are weirdly inflexible and prevent me from doing a number of athletic feats without pain that I would probably otherwise be capable of. But my hips, by contrast, are practically the hips of a contortionist. I can effortlessly lay my legs flat on the ground in butterfly stretch, and I can lift my leg just about to shoulder level before my thrice-damned knees start to complain. In ballet class we had to do an exercise where we'd lay one leg on the ballet bar at various angles from the hip and bend the body over it. When my leg was out in front of me, putting the tension on the knee tendons, I could barely bend at all without it hurting. But when my leg was at my side, requiring flexion at the hip, I could practically lay down on it. I should have someone take pictures of me doing this sometime to illustrate it, as the difference is really quite extreme.

With any luck, though, doing ballet will increase my knee flexibility. At the moment doing some of that stuff is quite hard on them. But weirdly enough, as tough as that stretching is to do in the moment, though I expect to be sore after class or the next day, I'm really not. I can feel the effort while I'm doing it, but so far, no residual soreness or discomfort. I guess I should be pleased about that; means no unnecessary pain, and probably indicates I'm not as out of shape as I thought. Still, I hope I'm getting the workout I think I'm getting out of this. Ballet has a reputation for its physical demands that whip the dancer into shape. As I've mentioned, I'm just a little bit chunkier now than I'd like to be, and even think a slight slimming down would make me a better dancer. Truth be told, though, much as I tend to like thin girls, I've never particularly enjoyed the look of the classic ballerina body-- that spare, tightly pulled, almost featureless figure. In extreme cases it suggests to me a weird meshing of an immature, childish body with the strained, pulled aspect of harsh aging. Heh, of course for me that's not going to come even close to happening, so with any luck I'll just get back into the shape I want to be.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Ballet to come


This week at the ballet school I've just started going to is "Back to Basics" week, which means the classes will be focusing on reviewing the foundational stuff on which everything you learn from then on is based. I am pleased with this, as since I've just started I could use a plain laying out of the basics. This would be a good time for other newbies to come, if anyone is interested in learning.

Also, the week after that is "Bring a Friend" week. My understanding is that anyone in the class who brings someone new with them that week gets both of them to take the class for free. I would love it if someone came along with me, for company and to take a free class together. Just throwing it out there! Contact me in either case and we can figure out the details.

Bridgewater Larp Day concluded


Bridgewater Larp Day is accomplished. It turned out to be a pretty good event that I had a lot of fun with, despite the fact that I wasn't feeling particularly healthy or energetic. Congrats to EB for organizing it. Oz ran well, if a little on the quick side, lasting about three hours rather than four. I guess everyone pushed their plots very fast! Everyone did seem extremely busy, which is my usual marker of people enjoying their play experience. It would have been notable if for no other reason than [info]katiescarlett29*, who has been trepidatious about larping, seemed to have a good time! She was cast as Dorothy, which tends to be a very good newbie role, and got into her plot and connected with the other larpers around her. I was also amused by how people seemed to be constantly putting the environmental cataclysm on the back burner; I'm very glad they were that engaged with their individual plots, but you'd expect a little more concern for the threat to the entirety of the universe. ;-)

After Oz, I finally got to play in House of the Rising Sun, which has been Jared and EB's project for the last year. I was very excited, and the game itself did not disappoint. House is a dark, angst-filled game, perfect for people who like emotional extremity and dramatic scenes in larps. I really enjoyed the presence of the ghosts, and the way the walls between their world and ours slowly broke down as the game went on. I was in a privileged position of being able to see the ghosts straight off, which made for some fun freaking out, and it gave me an interesting position to glimpse into the struggles and closet skeletons of everyone around me. I was also really luck to be in it with such a great group of players; [info]morethings5*, [info]captainecchi*, [info]electric_d_monk*, [info]wired_lizard*, [info]mllelaurel*, April, Nick, [info]vortexofchaos*, [info]darkoni, [info]kamianya*, Alison, and more. I have some minor criticisms about issues in certain characters' back stories, but they are mostly literary stylistic points that don't affect the thrust of the narrative too much. All in all, though, I highly recommend this game, as long as you're not bothered by dark content. I'm really proud of EB and Jared for putting this together. This is Jared's first finished four-hour larp, and I'm incredibly happy for him that it went so well. Well done, my love. :-)

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Sick all week


This has been a real rough week for me, health-wise. First the migraines, then a jag of vomiting, now a run-of-the-mill achey sneezy cold. I suppose technically that means an improvement every day, but still, I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Normally I'm a very healthy person, so it's been very rare that I've ever had any extended period of being unwell. The worst of it is how low-energy I've been for productivity of any kind. I've struggled through, but it's been rough. Tomorrow I'm running Oz in Bridgewater and playing in the first run of Jared and EB's new game, House of the Rising Sun. I really hope I'm not dragging too badly. It's a good crowd in this run, and I've been looking forward to House for a while now. I really want to do it justice. I'll just have to get a good night's sleep tonight, maybe take a decongestant in the morning, and do the best that I can.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

My blocking style: CREATIVE ADRENALINE HYPERDRIVE MODE


Had a ballet class the other day, my first at the school that [info]blendedchaitea* is also attending. I enjoyed it, though it wasn't quite what I expected. I guess because they don't expect you to necessarily be there every class, it wasn't so much like "here is the lesson" as "follow along with the teacher as she goes." I did a reasonable job of following along, as I am fairly athletic even if I am totally unschooled. I enjoyed the challenge of it, and I liked that it felt like a workout. Though I really need to drop a few pounds. My thighs have gotten big enough to make some of the closer-set leg positions uncomfortable to do properly, which I loathe. Makes me feel like a tub. Hopefully the ballet will contribute to the slimming down, which will in turn make the ballet easier. I'm hoping to go again tonight before I meet Jared for BSCF.

Second Merely Players rehearsal yesterday was a rousing success. I was really pleased with the blocking we set down. I like to go into rehearsals with a very firm plan of what we're going to be doing with each scene. My preferred style is to give a solid framework for each scene's action, then have the actors develop their own pieces of it from there. It usually comes out with very good results when I've come up with something good that inspires the cast acting it out. But sometimes just working on the blocking on my own, I don't quite... get there. I don't get inspired to figure something out that's quite on the level I want it to be. As I've said so many times before, I believe a dynamic, well-composed, and well-orchestrated stage is the key to an engaging production. That's a pretty tough thing to achieve. So sometimes, like last night, I end up having to go in with my plan about seventy-five percent of where I want it to be. But then, once I'm in rehearsal, the creative pressure kicks in. I don't want my cast to see me unprepared, or turning in a level of work less than what I believe I'm capable of, so I'd better figure it out RIGHT NOW GODDAMN IT. And that frenzied urgency to turn it out right now so I don't let down my actors, what I call CREATIVE ADRENALINE HYPERDRIVE, kicks up the plan the final twenty-five percent. We worked out some really great, active, dynamic stuff last night that seemed to click with the actors performing it, and I felt really on my game.

This is really important ot me because I believe plays, particularly plays with a classical bent, benefit from activity that is supertextual. Hold Thy Peace has never been very good at bringing a lot of action to the stage that is not directly informed by the text. But things that are done even when they are not said can add more depth, more visual texture, and explicate aspects of the show that otherwise may seem unclear, rushed, or plain unbelievable. Merely Players in particular I wanted to be extremely active and visually layered, so having a lot going on is crucial. This is an unusual case because I happened to have also written this text we're working with, but but I prefer to included as little blocking in a script as possible in order to allow it to be directed without baggage. I included a litlte to suggest the sort of physical humor I wanted to get at, but largely I wanted to develop the staging independently of the script so that we didn't limit what we could do. And that means coming up with a lot of stuff that isn't written down, that adds layers to just the things suggested by the words.

There is, it occurred to me last night, just one weird downside to these energetic creative bursts. They kind of take up so much of my brainpower that there isn't much room left over for anything else. Normally I'd say I'm a pretty together, mentally present person when it comes to running mundane responsibility stuff-- scheduling, staying organized, being on top of what's going on, things like that. But I find when I go into that CREATIVE ADRENALINE HYPERDRIVE mode, it pushes all ability to handle those things right out of my head. There is only the project, work for the project, make the project great-- but I can't seem to remember the rehearsal schedule I made for that night, I have a hard time focusing on anything I have to read, and my brain moves so far ahead of my mouth that I sometimes forget what I'm talking about. I spent rehearsal practically bouncing off the walls, and by the end of it I was twitchy and babbly. But it is worth it to lose a little of my mental composure, because we came up with some really fun, interesting, funny stuff to use in the show. I'm really proud of myself, and incredibly pleased with the people I was working with, who were kind enough to gently remind me the different between eight o'clock and nine o'clock when I lost the ability to tell.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Another goddamn migraine


Tuesday was ruined by another migraine. Though not nearly as bad as the one I had a couple weeks ago-- during which I would not have been surprised to hear I was actually dying --it set in painfully in the late afternoon on Monday. When I woke up very early on Tuesday and it hadn't gone away, I decided to just haul my throbbing head into the emergency room and get checked out. I used to never get these things, and now I'm getting them just weeks apart. They gave me painkillers and pumped me full of fluids and concluded I most likely didn't develop a brain tumor, but should get checked out by a neurologist just to make sure, and get myself an official diagnosis. In the meantime, I need to make certain I keep myself from getting dehydrated, which, whatever else is going on, certainly is making it worse. I have a weird tendency to not feel thirsty until I'm dry as a bone and so kind of forget to drink the way busy people sometimes forget to eat. I'm going to have to retrain myself out of that habit, as it's really hurting me in this respect. Anything to keep from having another day laid out in a pounding, naseous wreck, wondering if my brain was trying to gnaw its way out.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

First Merely Players rehearsal


We had our first rehearsal for Merely Players on Sunday, and I was really pleased. The actors for the most part picked up the sort of feeling we're going for very quickly, allowing us to jump into the blocking. We're going for a very delicate kind of meta here, where everything is meant to be commentary on and parody of working in a theater troupe with all other aspects of the story being secondary. That means that whenever anyone does anything onstage, it's not so much for service to the plot or the expression of the character they're playing, but rather intended to make a point on the subject matter in a humorous way. It's a weird way for an actor used to building a performance based on creating a character who wants a thing to conceptualize what they're supposed to be doing up there, but pretty much everybody seems to be getting it. I'll have to do a good job explaining to make sure everybody's following.

Best of all, I think it's going to be genuinely funny. Humor can be a very elusive thing, requiring timing and judicious setup, and is not easy to really nail. But I'm proud of what we've done so far. Contrary to my usual control-freak ways, I am working very hard to encourage collaboration, so as to enrich the material with as many funny things as we can come up with. I am fortunate to have a game and gutsy cast who is willing to take risks to make it really funny. This is niobien*'s first time acting onstage, and she has been wonderful, enthusiastic, energetic, and very, very fun to work with. I think the audience is going to love her. I'm working really hard to have a lot going on onstage, to give it visual texture and keep a lot of the comedy physical. The more theater I do, the more fixated I become on the notion that good theater is visually engaging and dynamic, never leaving just a flat and static stage.

One thing I have resolved is that I am not going to stress over this show at all. If something doesn't go exactly right in the process, if things don't work out the way I plan, I am just going to roll with it. This is not supposed to be a magnum opus we're all going to hold up as high art we made for years to come; this is supposed to be a fun show where we experiment, learn some stuff, have some fun, and hopefully make our audience laugh. And one way or another, it will get done.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

One of my favorite Frasier quotes

"You go through life meeting people who are all the same. You know? And they just think you're the same too. And then one day, you meet this guy, but he's not the same. Because he actually sees that you're not the same. And he knows, because he's the same way."



Thursday, September 15, 2011

Dorky fun photography idea!

I have had an idea for a photography project that is silly and dorky and I think would be cute and fun. I want to get a long table, cover it with gaming paraphernalia, sourcebooks and dice and character sheets and battle mats and minis and suchlike, and then set up a bunch of people around it arranged in the same poses as the figures in Da Vinci's Last Supper. Everyone could wear their nerdy T-shirts or their cloaks and elf ears or look like goths or punks or whatever style else that is associated with gamer culture. I kind of want to myself in the middle, because I'm arrogant like that, and be DM Jesus. ;-) I think I'd call it The Last Session, or something like that.

So I need twelve people to volunteer to be my models. I need a photographer too. I might be able to get my brother to do it, if he has time, but if anyone else is interested, let me know.

So who's game? :-)

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Merely Players cast list!


After a great deal of wrangling, adapting, and making hard decisions, with the release of the Margaret list I was able to nail down the cast of Merely Players. Our ragtag but intrepid troupe The Walking Shadows shall be portrayed as follows:

Cornelia, the Director - Stephanie Karol
Sylvia, the Ingenue - Gabrielle Geller
Dionyza, the Diva - April Farmer
Malcolm, the Lead - Ben Federlin
Orlando, the Lover - Andrew Prentice
Arcite, the Fool - Lenny Somervell
Valeria, the First Chorus - Jenna Schlags
Cressida, the Second Chorus - Emma Lieberman
Charmian, the Third Chorus - Miriam Goldman
Audrey, the Stage Manager - Carolyn Daitch

As always, I had more people than I could use, which meant some talented, awesome actors could not be cast. And since I'd made a promise to prioritize those with smaller roles or no roles in Margaret, or even those that weren't booked up by other shows, that meant certain poeple who I would normally leap to work with could not be chosen in fairness to the stated mission. *sigh* Let it not be said that I am not a woman of my word, even when it requires me to make some cuts that pain me. It was really important to me to do right by the club, and I feel like I can say that I did.

Looking at the complete list, it strikes me how little overlap there is with this list with those of the previous shows I've directed. To Think of Nothing had three actors in common with Hamlet, probably the three that struck me the most with their particular abilities, while this show has none. There's only one actor from To Think of Nothing in it, though not for lack of trying. Much as I miss them, it does kind of make me feel good that I was able to use a number of people tried out for To Think of Nothing that I wasn't able to cast that time, not for their lack of talent, but just because I didn't have room. I assured them once that I still though they were worthy in my estimation even though I had no parts for them, and it's kind of nice to be able to make good on that assurance now. And it's good to work with new people, to vary up your theatrical experience. It may help me improve and grow as a director.

The first read through is tonight. As I did for To Think of Nothing, I plan on cooking dinner for all those lovely souls who will be contributing their time and effort to act out this play. I think it's a nice way to start off the working relationship. Got to win goodwill from your actors straight off, and God knows if you feed those creatures you've won their loyalty for life.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Current work

Been working on my next blank verse assignment for school. For once I got lucky and was actually struck with an idea for something without having to drag some subject up out of nothing, which usually results in a better final product. The trouble is, this is for the professor who has specifically barred me from writing in Shakespearean diction, and the subject matter is very classically theatrical and would be particularly suited to that language style. I wanted to write about a man who has finally resolved on the day he is about to receive a commendation from his liege to at long last tell a woman he's in love with her, only to see her accept a marriage proposal from his lieutenant. He then swears to ruin this man in the eyes of everyone around them such that even his lady will turn away. Then I could write a tale of dramatic scheming and desperation to end in a terrible tragedy, probably where all parties involved end up taking their own lives. Very Shakespearean, no? *sigh* I suppose what I can do is try and write it according to my teacher's specifications, and later adapt it to the language I'd really like for my own purposes. Seems a little bit like a waste of time, at least on the journey to a final product, but I need to write something for this assignment. At the very least it will help me sharpen my blank verse.

I also need to write another new ten-minute play for my next primary assignment. Wonder of wonders, I actually kind of have an idea for that too. There's a really great episode of Frasier, one of my all-time favorite TV shows, that is one of two shot in "real time," as in one long continuous scene in one location rather than a serious of cuts. I find it to be hilariously funny and because of the nature of it always believed it would make a great play. I would really like to write my next ten minute play in the style of this Frasier episode and capture the sort of comedy it utilizes. The only concern I have is that it might be tough to basically not just rip off the episode, to find a way to capture the style while making a distinct piece. Originality can be so tough! Ah, well. I think I'll give it a try, just to see if I can pull it off without making it too similar to its inspiration. Posts, as usual, to follow!


Monday, September 12, 2011

Please let this coming week be calmer...


At last, the week of ceaseless theater and theater prep is over. I went to all four shows of As You Like It, which turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable production. There was lots of good acting and great humor as I was hoping there would be, and it was also nice to be reminded just how good Jared is. I haven't seen him act in a while, and I was incredibly proud of the performance he turned in as Oliver, the hero's wicked elder brother who reforms by the end to marry the heroine's cute cousin. He seems to have enjoyed it too, as they were a great group to work with and he very much liked his part. usernamenumber too is particuarly worth a mention in his hilarious portrayal of Touchstone who was easily everyone's favorite part of the play. My favorites of his line readings were his scary-heavy-metal-voice "DOTH MY SIMPLE VISAGE CONTENT YOU?" and "Thou art in a perilous state, shepheeeeeeeerd!' The picnic on Saturday made it even better. We ended up in a group of over twenty people, with lots and lots of delicious food to share. It doesn't get much better than combining three of the best things in the world, food, friends, and theater.

I hope this coming week is lower-key. Even if I'm enjoying the things I'm doing, constantly having to run from one thing to the next is a surefire way to stress me out. I'm still a little residually edgy. But on the plus side, I will soon be able to release the cast list for Merely Players, which I am very excited for. Had a very productive meeting with Dave to make sure we were on the same page, and I think things are going to work out very well. He was great to talk to and I think he'll be great for everyone involved in the show to work with. My parents are also coming in, and I know they're going to need my help with some stuff they need to get done while they're here. More work, I guess, but it will be nice to see them. Here's hoping I get a minute to catch my breath after the week I've had.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

First steps for Merely Players


Merely Players auditions happened last night. They went well, and I liked and would be happy to use every single person I saw, though out of eleven I only have room to cast nine. Alas, I am spoiled for choice. Poor me. ;-) I could probably nail down a list right now, though, except that Dave has requested that I wait until he can finalize the Margaret list next Wednesday. He's afraid of losing people he wants to other shows when common casting rolls around, and any shifts he has to make because of that might affect my list. I certainly can understand, I lost three actors that way back when I did Hamlet, and though it worked out, for a while it was quite painful to fill the gaps. Still, I kind of wish we could jump in and get started. Seeing people come out for my show last night has got me really raring to go.

After this crazy week ends, I need to get serious about finishing the blocking. I have a lot of ideas, and some things nailed down concretely, but I like to go into rehearsals with at least a solid idea of what we'll be doing. It always changes once it gets worked, of course, but it helps cut down on wasted time. Though one thing that's kind of exciting is that this is very much a living script, I expect it to evolve and change as we rehearse it, and I welcome suggestions and ideas from the actors. If anyone has a thought on how to make it flow better, or to make the piece funnier, I want to hear it to make it the most entertaining piece it can be. I've never really worked like that before, nor do I think any of these others have, but that's the way writers often develop their new plays. It will be an exciting new challenge.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Intense week of theater


Gah. Things started getting busy last Thursday and won't let up until the end of this coming weekend. We got Jared successfully moved into his new place with an intrepid team of him, Bernie, Steph, and myself. It actually went pretty smoothly except for the actual travel, because traffic was so awful it took three times as long to get anywhere as it should have. But I'm glad to have gotten it taken care of, and I think it's been nice for Jared to be in Somerville since he's in tech week for his show.

The show is going to be going up this coming weekend. I promised to attend all four performances starting on Thursday, the Saturday of which the big potluck picnic will be. I am excited, but I need to be ready and in organizational mode to make sure everything goes off all right. Hope to see as many lovely friends as possible there!

As for my own activities, this past weekend I spent finishing my latest homework assignment and recovering from a blindingly bad migraine. Saturday and Sunday I spent working, but I woke up on Labor Day with a halo in my right eye that I only noticed when I tried to go back to my school reading. Soon the headache set in on the left side of my head, followed by waves of nausea and vomiting. If Bernie hadn't been able to quickly run me over some Excedrin Migraine, I don't know what I would have done. I've only just started getting migraines about a year and a half ago, and even then I've only ever had four or five, but that was easily the worst one I've ever had. I had recently experienced a lot of the factors that contribute to getting migraines-- stress, long hours staring at a computer screen, hormonal changes due to my prescription running out and being unable to get a timely refill appointment --but it does kind of make me nervous that they seem to have become worse with every episode. It may be something worth addressing with a doctor, before I end up with an aneurysm or something.

Auditions for Merely Players are tomorrow night. I was a little nervous at first, as not very many people had contacted me with interest in coming out, but now it looks like things will be fine. I'm very excited to nail down a cast for this. I have not gotten the name of a single person I wouldn't like to cast, so I fear if I get many more I'm going to run into the same painful situation as I did with To Think of Nothing-- more fantastic people than I can use. The decision maker will probably end up being comparing it to Dave's cast list for Margaret and taking those with smaller parts of who didn't get parts in his show, which was my plan all along.

I also am trying out for a couple of things myself. I found a production of Titus and a production of Romeo and Juliet that have an open call. I wish they weren't this week, as it doesn't leave me a ton of time to prepare, but them's the breaks sometimes. I am not terribly optimistic, as I've tried out for a lot of things this summer that I didn't get in, but you never know unless you try. That is the closest I can get to being hopeful, I suppose, being convinced it's futile but keeping at it anyway. It's probably the only thing keeping my functional, given what a pessimist I really am.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Biweekly Theater Writing Challenge #6 - Subtext scene, Mk2


So in my first packet of playwrighting assignments, I had to write a scene that was supposed to be an exercise in writing subtext. What I generated wasn't really subtext at all, so my teacher made me do it again. This is what I wrote for the second try. I'm afraid its' still not subtext, but maybe I'm at least a little bit closer.

            (AMELIA sits at a table. A doorbell rings.)

AMELIA: It's open!

            (Enter CAROLYN with a paper shopping bag.)

CAROLYN: Hey there!

AMELIA: Hey. What did you bring this week?

CAROLYN: Croissants! Chocolate and plain.

            (She begins unpacking the pastries, and puts a little flower in the vase on the table.)

AMELIA: Ugh. None for me, thanks. I've gotten so fat.

CAROLYN: Oh, come on. You're not fat.

AMELIA: I'm blowing up like a balloon. I'm not getting as much exercise as I used to.

CAROLYN: You still look great. Well, I want one.

            (She serves herself a croissant.)

CAROLYN: So what’s new?

AMELIA: Ah, you know. Same old, same old. You sure you don't have anything better to do with your Sunday morning than come over here week after week?

CAROLYN: Amelia, I'm happy to spend time with you.

AMELIA: You could be sleeping in.

CAROLYN: Honestly, I’d be afraid I’d never see you again.

AMELIA: What do you mean?

CAROLYN: Well… you don’t really want to go out very often anymore.

AMELIA: I’m not feeling like very much fun lately.

CAROLYN: I’m starting to worry about you, hon.

            (AMELIA laughs harshly.)

AMELIA: Thanks for your concern, sweetie, but the damage has already been done.

CAROLYN: It isn’t just that, though. You… you’re not yourself lately, Amelia.

AMELIA: I’m having a hard time right now, in case that isn’t obvious.

CAROLYN: I know. I understand. But it makes me worry about you. You never want to go out to see your friends anymore. Heck, you don’t even seem all that happy when I come over here.

AMELIA: Well, I’m sorry if your weekly pastry delivery doesn’t make it all better for me.

CAROLYN: It’s not like that. It can’t be good for you to withdraw so much.

AMELIA: I don’t want to be around anyone.

CAROLYN: Don’t you think that will make things worse?

AMELIA: Like seeing people will make things better? Hearing about how well the old ballet class is going from Lina and Caitlin? And anytime we want to go somewhere, have it be this whole big pain in the ass to make sure I can get in the front door? I’m sick of always being the elephant in the room.

CAROLYN: You have to live your life.

AMELIA: Live my life? Live my life? My life was ballet class, and going out at night, and shopping with the girls, and not needing a ramp just to leave the house! So tell me, Carolyn, how am I supposed to live my life?

            (CAROLYN is silent.)

AMELIA: I think you should go now. You know the way out. You’ll forgive me if I don’t get up.

            (AMELIA spins her wheelchair and wheels herself out.)

Friday, September 2, 2011

100 Years / Style / East London

Amazing video.



Appeals to my love of costume, dance, history, and creative art pieces.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

So much to do

Brain is kind of racing today. I have been ridiculously busy over the last few days, and the time devoted to that stuff has made it so I haven't had the time to do a lot of other stuff that also needs doing. After I get off of work today I will be running over to Jared's house to help him move to Rule 34 in Somerville. It shouldn't be too hard, we will be a crew of four and all we have to room is the contents of a bedroom and a couple boxes of kosher cookware. But there's so much more to do, and stuff that needs to be done now rather than later. I have to cast Oz for its run on the 25th, I have to finish my homework for the upcoming due date, I have to remember to schedule an appointment to renew my prescriptions... and none of it can be put off.

I am going to be the proverbial headless chicken this weekend. So much for enjoying Labor Day.
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