Fed by Fire Productions

1 in 50 Ain't Bad

2010-08-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Actors have a much better chance of succeeding in Hollywood than you may think!

The claim, “You have a 1 in 23* chance of becoming one of the Top 200 Actors in Hollywood,” was made at an inspiring marketing seminar hosted by Dallas Travers (http://www.dallastravers.com/). I decided to do my own research analysis**, and I think that the number is more like 1 in 50 (still awesome). Here’s how it works:

The National Endowment for the arts analyzed Census data and reports from the American Community Survey to create “Artists in the Workforce 1990-2005.” It shows that:

Nearly 175 million Americans are in the labor force.

Nearly 2 million Americans categorize themselves as Artists.

Nearly 40 thousand American Artists categorize themselves as Actors.

American Actors are nearly evenly split down gender lines. Therefore, you are competing with only 20 thousand Actors of your gender.

Half of American Actors move to California (20% to NY, and the rest in regional markets). Therefore, you are competing with only 10 thousand American Actors of your gender in California.

Of those 10 thousand American Actors in California who are your gender, 200 of them make up the Top 200 American Actors of your gender in Hollywood. That means American Actors of one gender in California have a 1 in 50 chance of really making it in Hollywood.

In other words: Simply by taking action to become an artist, your odds go from 1 in 875,000 to 1 in 10,000. Taking action to become an actor puts you at 1 in 200. You only have to compete with your own gender, so your odds are now 1 in 100. Moving to California cuts your direct competition in half, so you have a 1 in 50 chance of joining the ranks of the highest paid actors in Hollywood.

The average working American has a 1 in 875,000 chance of becoming a Hollywood Heavyweight. Actors who take tangible steps towards the top have a 1 in 50 chance of achieving their dream.

There is a big difference between WANTING to become one of the top 200 and TAKING ACTION to become of the 200. Blogger Aaron Stanton says it best, “if you actually get done reading this post, stand up, and become an actor - or whatever your dream is - then you really are on your way to success. But if you just nod after reading this, think it's interesting, and then close the browser and go make yourself lunch and that's it - then welcome to the millions. Your odds are entirely determined by your own next moves.”

* Blogger Aaron Stanton included a further restriction to competition by adding, “But now we look at you, and your skills. Let's say you're a good actor, and a good networker. In fact, at these two skills - which is what you need to get off the ground - let's say you're in the 80th percentile; you're better than 80% of the actors out there. So, really, in auditions, you're up against the other 20% who are as good or better than you, and the 10% who are worse, but have the right characteristics for the role. 30% of 15,000 is 4,500 people competing for those top 200 roles.”

**Sources for this research analysis include:

NEA “Artists in the Workforce 1990-2005” http://www.nea.gov/research/ArtistsInWorkforce.pdf

Aaron Stanton’s Blog “Can Google Hear Me” http://www.cangooglehearme.com/permalink.php?id=269

Sound Design

2010-02-28T15:37:00.000-08:00

Steve Visocan has agreed to create an original score for Closer. In addition to his awesome music, I've also found necessary sound cues on soundrangers.com. What a great site! They have almost any sound you can think of. It's all going to create such a strong atmosphere.

Act II Run

2010-02-25T15:25:00.000-08:00

Act II went smoother than we expected. We ran with costumes in the space. I can't wait to load in the set and figure out how to light it all.

The costumes look great. The stip club scene will be hot so long as Jerin and I can be confident in the tiny almost-outfit we're wearing. Jerin chose a pixie blonde wig, and I'm wearing a fushia bob. I think we need to get a little more practice in with those boots.

Act I Run

2010-02-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

What a glorious mess. We ran act I with costumes, so there was a lot of laughter and many half-dressed moments. Jeremy can't decide on a look for Anna in the gallery scene, so she's back to the drawing board. Thank heavens that Jerin and I are the same size. We can share dresses, pants, shoes...everything but undies. We're actually going to wear different wigs for the strip club scene, but more on that in the next post.

We're trying to keep the changes simple, so scene transitions can be short. Several cast members will underdress for the next scene or simple change a shirt instead of a whole outfit. In scene 6, everyone is wearing what they wore in their first scene on stage. It creates a great picture.

Line Through

2010-02-21T20:51:00.000-08:00

The final step before full act runs. We're in great shape. We got through all our lines with very few slip ups and a lot of encouragement to get to the end without stopping. I can't wait to get into the space on Wednesday!

Review 9, 11 and add 12

2010-02-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

The tension is palpable in the museum scene. Kylie is getting her THE monologue to a place she's comfortable with. I sorta like the discomfort in the rest of the scene.

I got to sink my teeth into the hotel scene. Max and Ihave been running the lines, so it's great to be able to get the physical transitions to heighten the written ones.

The final scene is an alternate ending to the one repsented in the film. It may surprise you. Come see the show to find out what happens.

Review 6, 8, and 10

2010-02-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

I always love rehearsing at Kylie's home. It's goregous and really lends itself to creativity. She also keeps it well stocked with PG Tips tea.

The timing for the break-up split scene is on target. All we need is to be in the space, so we can feel it out.

The double dinner scene works so well because it's so simple.

Max and Brandon are having entirely too much fun rehearsing their confrontation. A giggle fit broke out that wouldn't stop for almost twenty minutes. They had to take it outside. (Kylie's backyard is incredible).

Review 5 & 7 and add 11

2010-02-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

The gallery is getting clearer. It's staged on flat plane close to the audience, so we're purposely not using depth. Jeremy is doing a wonderful job keeping the movement interesting yet sincere.

I had my first rehearsal in the stripper outfit (wig and all). Distracting is a word I would use to describe the look.

Jerin started the rehearsal for scene 11. Alice confronts Dan in a hotel room. I loved watching the energy switch as the power in the scene transfers from Dan to Alice. She takes it!

Closer Performance Details

2010-02-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

We are excited to invite you to Fed by Fire Productions's premiere presentation of Closer by Patrick Marber.

Made famous by the 2004 film adaptation with Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen and Jude Law, Closer is a realistic look at the rise and fall of modern romantic relationships.* Closer opens March 12, 2010 and runs Fridays – Sundays through March 21, 2010 at the Complex Theatre in Hollywood.

Performances
8:00p Friday – Saturday, March 12-13 & 19-20
4:00p Sunday, March 14 & 21

The Flight Theatre at the Complex Hollywood
6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038

$10 presale or $20 at the door
Purchase tickets online at www.fedbyfire.com or make reservations by phone on our ticket line sponsored by BodyBlog Map Tees 1-888-627-8337.

Closer by Patrick Marber stars:
Sylvia Loehndorf as Alice
Kylie Wright as Anna
Max Bird-Ridnell as Dan
Brandon Hayes as Larry
Jerin Julia as Alice (understudy) performances on March 14 & 19

Is directed by:
Jeremy Lewitt

Received production support from:
Charles Shaw
Corina Bowler
Michael Fallon
Marcus Choi
Stephen Visocan

*Due to mature situations and language, this production is not appropriate for children under thirteen.

Review Scene 4 add Scene 10

2010-02-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Scene 4 is so well handled by these two actors. I really enjoy watching the mistake bubble up and how these two people get over what could be a disasterous introduction to actually start a relationship.

Scene 10: Dan goes to Larry's office to demand to have Anna back. Larry tells him that Anna has made her choice, but he can find Alice at a local strip club. Dan commits to returning to Alice. Before Dan can leave Larry admits that he slept with Alice.

Review Scene 3 add Scene 8 & 12

2010-02-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

Scene 3 involves a projection of the online sex chat. Rehearsals will tighten up the pace of the conversation and match the advancing conversation with the projection.

Scene 8: Anna meets Larry to get him to sign divorce papers. He negotiates a final fuck with her in exchange for the papers. Later, but almost simultaneously on stage, Anna meets with Dan. She gives him the good news that Larry signed the papers. Dan is happy, but is able to figure out that Anna slept with Larry. He has a hard time letting go of that thought.

Scene 12: Larry meets Anna at Postman's Park. They discuss their new lives and the fact that Alice has died in New York. Dan arrives, Larry leaves and Dan gives Anna details regarding Alice's accident. None of the couples in the play are together in the end.

Built Closer's Bed with Marcus

2010-02-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

That's right! We made breakfast, bought lumber from Home Depot along with paint, sand paper and screws. We went to The Complex's back alley and transformed a pile of lumber into a bed for scenes 6 and 11. I spent almost 8 hours doing something I actually wanted to do rather than what work required of me. Awesome!

We'll finish it up on Sunday the 7th for Load-in.

Closer 7 & 9

2010-02-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

Scene 7: Larry has found Alice stripping at a local club. She dances for him, but refuses to admit that they know each other. They have a very frank conversation about sex and relationships.

Scene 9: Larry meets Alice at a museum. She surprises him with a gift for his birthday and orchetrates a surprise meeting with Anna. Larry asks Anna to finally submit the divorce papers is that's what she wants. When Alice returns, Larry leaves her alone with Anna. The ladies have a barbed conversation regarding the men in their lives. Alice asks Anna to go back to Larry.

Closer 5 & 6

2010-02-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Scene 5: Dan and Alice attend Anna's photo gallery. Dan reveals that his father has died and he wants to be alone rather than allow Alice to go to the funeral with him. Dan leaves Alice for the evening, so he can talk to Anna. Larry finds Alice and they realize they have met before (he briefly looked at her leg in Scene 1). Later, Dan finds Anna and begs her to come to his father's funeral. She refuses, but Dan has made an impression on her. At the end of the scene, Larry finds Anna. They discuss the event and their budding relationship.

Scene 6: Dan comes home late one evening to reveal that he is leaving Alice for Anna. On the other side of the stage, Larry has returned from a business trip to admit to Anna that he slept with a prostitute while in New York. She trumps his confession by admitting that she is leaving him for Dan. Fights ensue and the two relationships from Act 1 are demolished.

Rehearsal for Scene 3 & 4

2010-02-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Scene 3: Dan instigates an online sex chat with Larry while posing as Anna. By the end of the conversation, Dan has convinced Larry to meet "Anna" at the Aquarium.

Scene 4: Larry meets the real Anna at the Aquarium. Though Larry makes sexual advances and Anna points out his mistake, they talk and connect.

PCA DAY 16-17

2010-02-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

I actualy had a really great day yesterday which bled into today.

11a-12:30p - Breakfast with friends to watch Haley on Comedy Central
1-7p - On a music video shoot for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club as an extra. Met two awesome new friends.
7:30-9:30p - Hang out with Candice at her new apartment. Tres chic!
10p-12a - Dayplayers concert at Crane's tavern
12-1:30a - Heart & Music Showcase after-party with classmates
2-3a - Dayplayers after-party at band member's house. Met another awesome new friend.
3-4a - Visit new friend's apartment. Tres moderne!

Being unemployed ain't so bad.

First Closer rehearsal of 2010

2010-02-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

Scene 1: Alice and Dan get to know each other while waiting for a doctor to examine Alice's leg at the hospital. They met when Alice was hit by a cab after making eye contact with Dan. By the end of the conversation, Alice has convinced Dan to spend the day with her instead of going into work.

Scene 2: Dan meets Anna at her Studio, who is taking his photo for his new book cover. Dan is intrigued and asks Anna to see him, even though Alice is just in the other room. The scene ends with Anna taking Alice's picture through the dense realization that both women are interested in the same man.

Retouching: How much should the industry support

2010-01-29T14:29:00.000-08:00

Though I am a participant in minor retouching for headshots as a way for Casting Directors to see the best that I can be, this article, Unattainable Beauty, brings up abhorrent levels of alteration that could have directly cascaded from minor retouching. I feel the pressure to look flawless in pictures. I have had several retouches done to every headshot including:

Softening of light on my face
Brightening of light in the background
Removal of acne
Softening of smile lines
Removal of fly-away hair
Addition of hair to make a shot with pig-tails look like my hair was down

I am certain that a majority of headshots have been retouched in similar ways. I doubt that alterations would go so far as to render the picture unrecognizable since a headshot is like a calling card. If they are expecting the face on your headshot, and you walk in looking remarkably different then you'll be sent from the room.

Articles like this one and the ongoing debate regarding the media's effects on body image (particulalry among young women) make me wonder if even a little support of this practice goes to far.

Realistically though, when I have new shots taken later this year I will make the minor changes that are expected. To compete, I have to play by the rules. Here's to hoping that alterations will be few.

Emily amazes in Phantom of the Opera: Las Vegas Spectacular

2010-01-26T01:34:00.001-08:00

My sister, Emily, is an opera singer and tonight she made her debut in the ensemble of Phantom of the Opera: Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian.

I could pick her strong, clear, beautiful voice out from the throngs, and I couldn't be more proud of her.

She belongs on the stage and I can't wait to see what she does next.

A New Era: PCA (Post-Caruso Affiliated)

2010-01-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

I was just fired from The Grove (owned by Caruso Affiliated) due to downsizing. They insisted it had nothing to do with my excellent work, they simply had to eliminate my position to streamline the company. I came in to work today with no idea that I would leave a free woman.

Of course, I freaked out when they told me I was fired, but I have decided that this is going to be the best thing that could have happened to me.

I will take a week off, go home to my mama, and get my ducks in a row.

I will return to LA to focus exclusively on Closer while I collect unemployment. I got myself debt-free as of January 15th, so I should be able to stay above water without working for a few months. I can finally focus on my acting career for the first time. I don't have to make excuses because I am tethered to a day job in order to pay my bills.

Keep an eye out for great things coming my way.

The Flight is all mine

2010-01-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

I just made my final payment on The Flight Theatre for Closer. Once I have the details finalized, I will post all the production details.

Closer 2010

2010-01-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

Thank the Theatre gods: I have a new cast for Closer.

Jeremy is back as the director.
Kylie is back as Anna.

Welcome to:
Jerin as my understudy as Alice (there's no way we are cancelling this again)
Max as Dan
Brandon as Larry

Rehearsals commence February 4th.

Stable - no better, no worse

2009-10-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm going back to work on Monday. The shadow is stable, and doesn't look like it will change any time soon. I will just have to watch it for the next few months to be sure it doesn't get worse.

Right now, the shadow is on the outer edge of my vision. If it creeps towards the middle, I will have to go in for an emergency procdure called a SCLERAL BUCKLE.

If the shadow crosses the middle completely, I may go blind permanently in that eye. I refuse to let that happen, so I'll keep a good eye on my eye.

Fill her up Doc

2009-10-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

I still have a shadow.

The doc decided to inject more gas and freeze more retina. I have bloody gummy bear eye again. No pain this time (though even the sound of the machine makes me twitchy).

I have become addicted to the show Bones which plays in marathon daily on TNT. I love the relationship between the main characters. I think I may have seen at least 3/4 of the first four seasons while lying on my side on my parents' couch.

Third time's the charm?

2009-09-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

I still have a shadow.

The Doc insists on another pheumatic retinapexy to try to freeze a larger area and catch the leak.

I insist on a better pain blocker because even hearing the freezing machine run quietly in the background is enough to make me tense up, breathe heavy and salivate in the expectation of pain.

This time, I got an injection that blocked the pain really well, but made my eye look like a bloody gummy bear had taken its last breath on the white of my eye.

Back home to Mama.

Walking like the Ancients

2009-08-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well, the roids did little more than make me want to eat everything in sight.

I had another pneumatic retinapexy today. Unfortunately, it was the most painful thing I have ever had to endure. I now know why elderly people walk so slowly: it would actually pain me to move with a longer stride than the length of a hospital floor tile.

I'm going home again to let my mom take care of me. This time, I have to lay on my side as much as I can for at least two weeks. I think I will be living on my parents' couch, so I can at least watch TV while stuck on my side.

Juice me up Doc

2009-08-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

Alas! I have a new shadow. The last one was in the bottom left corner of my right eye. This one in in the top left corner of the same eye. My bowtie-wearing Opthamologist thinks that my eye essentially sprang a leak, and now some liquid is caught between my eye and my retina.

The Doc put me on steroids to see if a reduction in inflamation would do the trick. I can continue to work while I get through the 10 day roids series, and I'm glad to be able to catch up on everything I missed.

Falling over while standing straight

2009-08-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

Great news! My retina has re-attached. I can now try to stand up like a normal bipedal mamal. Unfortunately, I have been at a 45 degree angle for so long that I get severe vertigo when trying to sit up straight. This is going to be a bit comical for a while.

A Little Shadow is a Big Deal

2009-07-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have been seeing a shadow in my vision for a few weeks. I went to my Optomotrist who told me to see an Opthamologist with a retina specialty. I now know that I have a DETACHED RETINA.

To repair the detachment, I had a procedure done called PNEUMATIC RETINAPEXY. My Opthamologist numbed my eye by inserting a Qtip with anticeptic into the back of my eye. He then froze my retina using gas 80 degrees below 0 (cryogenic freeze). He then removed some fluid from the whites of my eye (called, odly enough, the vitrious humor), and inserted a gas bubble.

The gas bubble will push my eye back up to my retina. I have to sit/stand with my head at a 45 degree angle to keep the bubble in the right place for three weeks.

I'm going to go home to let my mom take care of me.

Closer is postponed until further notice.

Upcoming Productions

2009-07-17T01:14:00.000-07:00

Closer is really taking shape. I am looking ahead to our next productions.

My team originally formed while trying to put up Betrayal by Harold Pinter. We were not able to get the rights (even though we had been rehearsing for three weeks), so we moved on to another piece that would be good for our cast (Closer). Maybe Betrayal should be next.

Phaedra by Elizabeth Egloff is also another great option. I had looked at it last summer, but the production feel apart when the economy started to tank. It's a larger cast and a bigger difference in tone and storyline than Closer.

I'm also interested in doing a showcase. I would love to have 5-8 pieces of performance. One dancer would be paired with a musician who would be inspired by an original art piece that would be displayed on stage for the performance.

There's always the old standard 10-minute play festival.

I suppose I should get Closer successfully off the ground before I start to make pie in the sky plans.

Fed by Fire Website

2009-07-13T01:11:00.000-07:00

Check out Fed by Fire's website designed by Charles Shaw.

www.fedbyfire.com

You can get show information and purchase tickets.

Fed by Fire Productions Extablished July 2009

2009-07-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest life goals has just been reached.

I just filed a sole proprietorship for Fed by Fire Productions, an independent theatre company based in Los Angeles, CA.

The business title will be published in British Weekly for 4 weeks to legally establish it.

Flight Theatre Rented

2009-05-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have just signed my first theatre rental agreement. I am renting The Flight theatre in The Complex in Hollywood. I can make the payments in three installments, so I should be able to stay on top of everything. Closer will run Friday - Sunday, August 7 - 16.

The cast is set and rehearsals begin next week. We'll rehearse in each other's livingrooms to keep cost down.

Next, design the set and beg/borrow/steal set pieces and props.

Fed by Fire Productions born

2009-01-05T01:19:00.000-08:00

I met Kylie and Michael during a production of Macbeth in Hollywood. Suffice it to say that the best part about that production was the lasting friendship that formed between us.

We want to create theatre in Los Angeles that we can be proud of. I think it's time to lay the foundation for our own company.

Details to follow.

Three jobs, two classes and a show

2008-02-12T19:05:00.001-08:00

I am a busy woman. I have three jobs, two classes and I'm in my first los angeles indie theater show:

I cordially invite you to my Los Angeles indie theater scene debut...

One Night Stands: The Sex Comedies!
Hosted by your favorite friendly, drunken and obscene demi-god: Cupid!

Join in the fun every Sunday night in February @ 7:00pm @ the Avery Schreiber Theater.

11050 Magnolia Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(Plenty of street parking available)

Tickets: $10 at the door.

Hope to see you there!!

I cannot wait for my tax return. Bless my mother for taking care of all that financial mumbo-jumbo for me. I just need to get ahead for a little bit, and I can start making those big, scary strides towards accomplishing what I moved out here to do.

About fine print

2007-03-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

I hope that there is nothing in this new Blogger user agreement that I would ordinarily vehemntly oppose, 'cuz I didn't read it. I very rarely read those long, tiny, meticulously worded contracts because I simply can't get what I want unless I agree. That's of course what they're counting on. If they pattern their contracts along congress's example, I may just have agreed to get a new Blogger account and host anti-war banner advertising to support some small state cause. Hopefully my trust in Blogger and all things Google are not misguided.

So, it's been half an age since I last wrote. Not for lack of things to write by any means, oh no. I just haven't had the desire to catelogue my thoughts for a while. A little organization is in order, so new posts should soon follow.

The end of an affair

2006-07-21T03:33:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since my last post that I'd nearly forgotten what name to sign in under. So much has happened without the benefit of this electronic chronicle to help organize my wild, hectic mind. For a while I had the excuse of a full-time job and full-time school, but that defense lost its luster a few months ago when I finished my long-standing affair with school. That's right, we're through. The seduction began when I was only a lass of three, attending pre-pre-school. Flirtation increased as I traveled overseas and had the benefit of temperate island air to alleviate the anguish of middle school. A deep desire began when junior high allowed me time to dedicate strictly to the heart of my scholastic love: theatre. We started going steady in high school when I was able to balance theatrical pursuits with accelerated courses that made me an early budding College sophomore. We were inseparable; I couldn't even stand to take time off in the summer. In college, the relationship withstood full course loads, transferring campuses and precious little on-stage time. We almost parted ways sooner when grad school auditions proved to strain our relationship to the limits. We recovered, though, and I took another year of fun courses thinly guised as graduation requirements to keep those dwindling embers burning. But now, I must leave the comforting folds of school's arms and live the life I have been training for. Here I formally bid tearful goodbye to my first love. I hope our paths may one day cross anew.

Looking ahead, I can tell you that I am planning another big move. If all goes well, I will be moving to L.A. this fall. I have little more than my determination and training to see me through, but that's a start. My lack of experience will only hold me back for so long. I'm ready to take this blind leap into the daunting chasm that is professional acting, and I will lay the foundation for a stable life pursuing my dreams. I know I will have to endure more than my fair share of rejection and judgements about my skill and personality. Bring it on!

Traveling without leaving home

2006-02-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

I have a new obsession: Google satellite maps.

I have been revisiting summer 2004 with startling aerial clarity. I can walk myself from my London flat to the building that doubled as our school for the semester. I have retraced the meandering walk from Florence's Duomo past Piti Palace to the steps of Piazza Michelangelo before having to rush back to rehearsal.
It's amazing how time flies when having fun. I've spent a few hours already traveling the only way I can right now. I need to get across the pond again soon. I feel a sort of homesickness that's somewhat lessened by these little pictorial visits.

An abridged history of Valentines Day

2006-02-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

This time of year, thoughts go to mushy love notes and chalky candies. Having been without a “valentine” for three years now, I will forego the cynical rant against this greeting card holiday and instead give a short history as to the origins the love holiday.

St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial -- which probably occurred around 270 A.D -- others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival.

Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D.

- The History Channel

Sundance Film Festival Reviews

2006-02-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

Half Nelson
Ryan Gosling plays a junior high school teacher who enlightens his students’ lives while trying to control his drug use. When one of his students happens upon his habit, he forms an unlikely friendship that may help him gain control or nudge her over the edge into the drug trade.

-- My favorite film by far. An excellent example of the “less is more” technique that shines when each shot and emotional moment are keenly captured lived through to the very end. Excellent casting and cinematography.

Quinceañera
Fourteen year old Magdelena prepares for her celebration of womanhood while trying to live up to her cousin’s extravagant ceremony and reconcile her unexpected pregnancy set to the backdrop of the Echo Park neighborhood of LA.

-- A clumsy script brought together by the impeccable ensemble cast. Though this film won Grand Jury and Audience Awards for best Drama, it was the weakest of the five films I saw.

Old Joy
Two college friends on the brink of life changes meet up to go camping and reminisce about the good old days.

-- A simple buddy film enlivened by the setting of upstate Oregon. A quiet getaway for the characters and the audience alike.

Stephanie Daley
High school sophomore Staphanie Daley (Amber Tamblyn) gives birth to baby girl in the bathroom who is later found dead. Tilda Swinton, her court appointed psychiatrist, deals with fears about her own pregnancy while trying to understand whether Stephanie killed her baby.

-- Highly deserved winner of Best Screenplay. Told through flashback and varied pace of forward motion, everything laces together to form an enveloping mystery. The performances resonate deeply and cast wide nets of empathy for the characters.

God Grew Tired of Us
The documentary story of three Sudanese “Lost Boys” who have survived fifteen years of exile in Kenya and are now trying to survive in America. Each of them do their best to help those friends and family left behind.

-- Winner of Best Documentary Grand Jury and Audience Award. Very well balanced historic tale and personal drama. Encouraging, enlivening tale of what can be done with enough hard work and hope for what should be.

I wax poetical

2006-01-22T23:51:00.000-08:00

My life at this time is unlike any other era of growing into adulthood I have experienced. I was unprepared for the ushering in of the New Year that brought with it all the drama and uncertainty. This poem encompasses the bulk of my frustrations and woes. Its obscurity comforts me somewhat, but I’m sure you can understand the feelings that birthed the ramblings.

--never beyond--

I know who I am
I’m here
among so many upturned faces
looking beyond

I’m here garnering love sprung from companionship
friend among friends
a flushing love
corals to roses to fires
yet, not fires
no smoldering heat
only the colors of love

Where is the line that keeps friend from lover?
How keen are the eyes of pilgrims looking for that sainted kiss beyond?
Here, hopes of family
to live happily
cool the embers burning for the self
desire for one so like the self
many turn fearful from its gaze

So here they sit
faces upturned
loving a friend who cannot cross the void

For I too look beyond
to catch sight of someone looking at me
only at me
always at me
never beyond

Finally, some stories worth posting

2006-01-04T23:31:00.000-08:00

So, it starts like this. The women are posted in the lobby as silent door-guards. Since it’s my first time in the position, I am unaccustomed to wearing the guard sash around my waist like a KA pageant finalist. Second show, I take my 15 minute break at the top of the ramp. When standing up, the sash falls to my ankles. I lift it up, hoist it over one shoulder with pizzazz and quickly straighten my uniform (which consists of a tunic with overlapping panels that discreetly cover my petite frame, a matching red shirt, black/opaque tights and boots). I spend the next fifteen minutes at the bottom of the ramp guiding guests to the restrooms and secretly completing a find-a-word puzzle to pass the time. Near the end of the shift, a woman hurries down the ramp to tell me her husband has vomited on the ramp. While she attends to him, I go find the EVS person to clear the “code blue.” After Maria collects her cleaning supplies, she follows me to the site and quietly says, “your skirt…uh…I can see your underwear.” Suddenly, I realize that I had been bearing my red and white striped underwear, barely concealed by the black tights (which by the way are not opaque when forced to stretch over the girth of a woman’s rear-end) to all the patrons that passed me since I stood up. After the scene is cleared, I proceed to tell all the other ladies in the lobby about my risqué moment. It was just what we needed to lighten a long, tedious night on our feet in that concrete-floored lobby.

The very next day, I drive out to Summerlin to entertain at a birthday party. (One of my co-workers got me the gig because his aunt runs the party planning company “Balloons with a Twist,” and she desperately needed a girl who could fit into the costume). So, I find the house, knock on the door and get a hushed explanation that I am an hour early. I tell the parents I’ll be back at the correct time, and head back to the car a bit dismayed. Not only am I completely across town, alone, with no where to go, but I’m dressed up as The Little Mermaid. I’m employed as Ariel to accompany a troupe of five year old girls to a Pretty Princess Party. Here I am with a nude body suit barely stretched over my body, purple seashells where seashells must be on any well-dressed mermaid, a green skirt printed with fish scales and a HUGE, incredibly fake, red wig. I drive around for about fifteen minutes before boredom and the notion of high gas prices hanging over my head force me out of the car. I throw on jeans and a sweater and spend a rather strange half-hour shopping in Kohl’s. I can’t even explain the range of weird looks I am getting for sporting such a mess of a wig. Later, the party ends up being a big success. I’ve since been offered a permanent spot on the party rotation list, so who knows what I’ll be dressed as next week.

Notes on life

2005-09-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

Several of my friends and I have made a pact to pay attention to life going on around us. We are taking Zach Braff's advise and writing down interesting happenings to one day use in our lucrative screenplays. Here begins my list.

1. while ordering food at Deny's, the waitress explains that it will be a minute before she can take our orders because she must have dropped her pen, "while tying up the car."

2. An oncologist reluctant to lose his beloved golden retriever to cancer administers the best love he knows: kemotherapy. The dog now wearily makes his rounds around the home as an intimidating bald hulk.

3. A quiet store clerk finds an anonymous notebook with four instructions for life: (See Laura's Blog for details).

More to follow

Mishap Maven encounters wrathful car gods

2005-08-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's 8am and Alex is driving my car for the first leg of our trip to California. We are following his dad up to their cabin in Big Bear to spend a day before heading to L.A. for a few days. (We wanted to cram as much as possible into our four-day work weekend, especially since it’s right between our two birthdays). I’m dozing off to prep for my turn to drive when what sounds like a rock hits the car. We can’t see any affects to the driving, we though it must have just knocked into the side of the car and continued on it’s ricocheted journey. About ten minutes later, we’re hurriedly pulling to the side of the road. That rock had kicked up under my tire well and ripped a nice hole through the side of the car. The disruption weakened the well structure so that the casing fell forward onto my tire and stripped it. We spent the next half hour changing my impossibly difficult tire only to replace it with a really low spare. I drove back to Primm (about a twenty minute drive going 55 with my hazard lights on) to fill the spare tire with Alex in tow. After seeing us off safely, Alex’s Dad headed up to Big Bear. We got back to Vegas, took the car to a few disgruntled shops and settled on Midas. Alex went home to prep his car for the new venture to take place tonight. He doesn’t have air-conditioning, so we want to hold out to see how my car fares. Now, $900 later with a tune-up and three new tires we’ll be ready to try that fateful trip again in my car around 9:00 tonight.

As far as I can tell, this accident is further retribution from the car gods. After gashing the side of my car on a handicap assist rail, they didn’t look kindly upon me. I lost my passenger side mirror to a road construction barrel, but I thought they were being kind by allowing me to salvage the arm that holds the mirror. That empty cavity held the hope that I could one day repair the mirror. Well, a few days ago, they finally took the whole shebang when I backed out of my covered parking spot and ripped off the casing for the mirror. I had assumed that the mirror had been a worthy sacrifice to the car gods, but I was woefully mistaken. I hope that finally taking the time to fix up the car will prove my dedication to safe driving and be sent up as a worthy offering.

Then again, today’s accident may have been the cause of the road-side rock gods in which case, I better watch my chassis.

A Room of My Own

2005-07-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have moved into my own apartment. It's a studio that's just a few minutes from work. I love having my own space. I thought I might be scared living alone for the first time, but I love it completely. I have begun decorating, with the help of my mom, and it really feels cozy.

Charity tempered with naivete

2005-06-21T02:17:00.000-07:00

So, you know I put a HUGE gash in the passenger side of my car a few months ago. It got dented in several places and two long stripes of paint are missing which can be found on the handicap assist rail at Silverstate Credit Union. A couple of days ago, (after going to the gym with Alex - yeah for keeping up with new #5 of to do's) I was in the parking lot of Baha Fresh when a truck drove up. The driver - an older latino man with one of his front teeth missing - told me he could repair my dent. He works at a body shop that specializes in non-paint repair dents. Not only could he get it back to it's normal shape, but I wouldn't have to pay him until it was done AND he could finish the job right here in the lot in under 30 minutes. I told him I had somewhere to be, but he persisted. He explained that today was his day off and he need to do extra work to pay rent for him and his three kids. He insisted the work would look good and he would save me hundreds of dollars by only charging me $480. I told him I was sure that was a great deal, but I didn't have that kind of money to throw around; he lowered the price to $380. I told him I was greatful for the offer, but I couldn't justify even spending that much. In desperation, he said he could do it for $280 - he just really needed the money. So, I let him fix the car.

He popped out the majority of the dents by releasing the buckle of the frame with a crowbar inserted into the door. He sprayed rust-away type stuff and covered the deep scratches with a bond-o type substance. I got back from getting water to find my silver Ford Taurus in good shape but looking like it had been vandalized by blind grafitti artists. He showed me that it would all come off by rubbing some of the brown spray off while it was still wet, but I would have to let it set for 24-hours. I got his money from the ATM, and he drove off aparently feeling that I should have tipped him more for his work.

Now, several days later, I tried to wash the car. The bond-o stuff scraped off in the areas where the heat had begun to melt the bond, but the brown rust-off and the majority of the white patches wouldn't budge. A neighbor saw me willing the car to be clean while I rubbed and scratched, and he told me that a propane-based substance like gasoline or lighter fluid should do the trick. I would of course have to clean the car thoroughly before venturing out into my flamable world. Tomorrow I will try his solution.

While telling this story to family and friends I have gotten responses in the vein of you-should-have-known-better. They don't feel that the nearly $300 were well spent for only a moderate cosmetic procedure. I, on the other hand, am just happy that he was able to work an honest trade to get my money. I feel good having helped him support his family. I may be a little naive, but I'll take naive over cynical any day.

Mishap Maven II

2005-06-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

My car looks as if it's had a stroke. The right side had just recently sustained a huge gash (refer to Mishap Maven for details) and now I've lost my passenger side mirror. I was driving to Angela and Kerwin's when I was crowded into the right lane. I corrected a little too far over and connected with an orange construction barrel. The arm structure that holds the mirror is still intact, but the mirror itself just ejected as if in protest of my prior treatment of that side of the car. Once I realized what had happened, I returned to the scene and recovered the mirror. One of these days, I'll try scouring a junk lot for a replacement. Until then, I have to train myself not to glance into the cavity of the mirror and assume that not seeing anything means that I'm in the clear. I actually have to turn around and check to be sure I wont have any more collisions. There must be an end to the madness before I ever consider buying a new, non-used car.

What I do in my spare time

2005-06-16T03:30:00.000-07:00

Really, the list is pitifully short. You'd think that with all the free time I now have because of the new job that I'd take more advantage of my freedom.

1. Sleep
2. Watch movies
3. Create theatrical make-up designs (scroll down for examples*)
4. Make attempts at keeping this blog current
5. Newly added: go to the gym. I got a membership to 24-hour fitness today so that I can whip this petit body into the best shape a 5'2", half-latina white girl can handle.

*I'm looking for new models for my make-up morgue. I want to try different looks on various faces. My supplies are limited (alas, no latex for now), but I'll keep trying to challenge myself with what I've got. I had been planning on an acting career for most of my life, but this form of art keeps calling me back to it's ever-changing arms. Who knows, maybe I'll have a healthy career in both fields.

Make-up Morgue examples

2005-06-16T03:29:00.000-07:00

Vampire Fangs Just dental acrylic molded to snap onto my teeth
Demon Fangs The gums were molded onto my teeth, and then I added the fangs with rolled up dental acrylic on top.
Piranha Design Two-piece foam latex design painted with airbrush.
Piranha side view The demon teeth doubled at pirhana teeth.
Gimli Single piece made of gel latex with about a pound of crepe hair.
Gimli side view I would have liked a second shot at this design to perfect the blending of the hairline into my own.
Mystere My first bald cap application. I worked with two other women to get this look done in a quick two hours.
Receeding Hairline Here's the second bald cap. I actually made this one by hand laying latex over a plastic head form. Matt here was humble enough to let two of us give him a glimpse of his receeding hairline in about twenty years.
Dragon This is my most recent.
Dragon side view From molding the head out of clay to adding the final touches I made Angela withstand four hours of work to finish this dragon

Gatekeeper by Night

2005-06-08T02:22:00.000-07:00

I finally got a decent gig. I am now a glorified usher for Ka, the Crique du Soliel Show at MGM Grand. It's been really interesting. I work with 27 other quirky people from various backgrounds. We work Friday through Tuedsay from 5:30p to 12:30a as characters in the villiage of Ka who take guests to their seats for the celebration.

Since I don't have to pay rent, my whole pay check makes it into my pocket...so I quit my day job. It's great to have so much time off. I can do anything or, which is more common, nothing at all. I have been redecorating my bedroom which has left it in varying degrees of disarray. Also, being around the Ka cast has renewed my vigor for stage make-up, so I'm designing some new pieces. Hopefully, more time will also mean more psots, but don't hold your breath.

La Jolla – Holla!

2005-05-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend was wonderful. Logan drove down to Vegas Friday morning; we met up at my house and left for La Jolla, California in my car around noon. The drive was easy – both because there was surprisingly little traffic and because the scenery is so much more interesting than the drive from Utah. We only hit bad traffic once; we actually had to park on the I-5 for a half hour. We found out later that the abundance of helicopters over-head did in fact indicate a high speed chase that ended in a pile-up.

We checked into the hotel about six to discover the biggest bed I’ve ever seen in a hotel room. Logan and I could have slept in the king-sized monster with no worry of touching each other. Don’t worry; he slept on the pull-out sofa bed.

There is little better than the beach in spring, with the sun, the sand and a light breeze. The water was far too cold for me to go into, but Logan took a dip. We took turns babysitting our stuff and walking along the beach. I found nearly a dozen sand dollars which I will be dolling out as souvenirs for everyone who lamented that they couldn’t come. The only drawback was that I got burned. Logan helped me put lotion on my back, and not wanting to get anywhere near my butt, he rubbed the lotion on for as much coverage as he could muster. I now have a swatch of lobster-red skin just above the waist-line of my pants. Next time, I need to double check potentially sensitive areas.

The drive back was dreary, knowing that we would be land locked again. The worst part was getting gas in Baker. We really should have stopped in Barstow, but we wanted to hurry home and rest. We were coasting in to Baker on fumes only to find highway robbery. Gas in Barstow had been $2.39; in Baker, gas was $2.99. Unbelievable!

Once we made it to town, we got all Logan’s stuff into his car and he left to spend the night with friends from high school. He called later that night to inform me that I had left my beach paraphernalia in his back pack; he announced - without hesitation in only the way a man secure with his manhood could say - that he needed to return my tampons, bra, panties and the umbrella I had used to shelter the food we brought. Poor guy had to carry around tampons and other female regalia until he could get to me on Monday.

My mom graduates next Saturday, so we attended a Hispanic graduates’ appreciation ceremony on Sunday in addition to Mother’s Day activities. The ceremony featured talks to encourage community and heritage support. Voter participation needs to increase as well as education opportunities for the community. Most importantly, individuals need to know that their heritage can and should mesh with American culture. No one should have to turn their back on who they are in order to appear more American. I’m so proud of my mom finally getting her bachelors at the mature age of 53.

Being back at work today makes me desperately want to be back on the beach.

Seclusion (Part 1/3)

2005-04-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

I have been on vacation for the last three weeks. My office was moved into a new building on April 1st, but it was so new that the electricity hadn’t been wired. We were hoping for the 18th to reopen, but the 25th was my first day back. The new office is gorgeous! It has wood flooring and a tiled bathroom. It resembles a home more than an office.

My vacation was great. I spent the first few days at home, sleeping a lot and cleaning my room. My room is cleaner than when I first moved in. Then I flew into Fort Collins, just outside of Denver. I spent a few days with my older sister, Christine, and her 2 ½ year old son, Trey. My nephew is a hoot. He likes to mime slinging webs at me so that I get all tangled up and sticky. I was able to help Christine with a baby clothes consignment sale after I got back from a short trip south to see my uncle. It was really good feeling that I could help.

My Uncle Jonny lives in the mountains near Colorado Springs. It was good seeing him since we really don’t talk much. He’s my father’s older brother, and my father’s death was always hard for him to talk about. We finally had one of those talks. I sat crying over my burrito at a table emblazoned with sun in Chipotle while my uncle told me how much my father loved me. I’ve always known that, but it’s good to hear from another source. His wife’s daughter and her son were there as well. Apparently the appeal of Spiderman knows no bounds because Zaiden, my 4 ½ year old second cousin, couldn’t get enough of the web-slinger either. We played his Playstation games, watched the movies and romped around his room in the style of Spiderman vs. foe. I also did some sight seeing in the wilderness out there. It was very tranquil.

When I went back to my sister’s to help with the sale, Trey was happy to see me. It’s really great to be recognized and loved by young family members; they don’t yet know that they have to love you because you’re family. There’s no obligation, so when they love you, it’s sincere admiration.

Graduation (Part 2/3)

2005-04-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

I got home on Sunday, a week and half later, to find out that I didn’t have to go to work yet again; the construction work wasn’t finished. I would have had to go in on Thursday, but I had to go up to Provo for graduation. I didn’t bother with the pomp and circumstance of commencement; I just attended the College of Fine Arts convocation. It was fun. We all gathered in the tunnel before being herded onto the DeJong stage. There was no real order besides keeping with specific majors. I sat at the end of the theatre studies majors so that I could sit next to Logan and the acting majors. We talked through most of the ceremony, but it was pretty nice. Sam was one of the speakers. His talk was nice, but you could tell he was nervous by the way he plowed through the speech. It’s good to have a concrete end to my college experience. I now proudly hang my white tassel on my rearview mirror as a symbol of my intellectual intimidation.

Weird-tion (Part 3/3)

2005-04-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

Besides work, I am still heading out on random auditions. Saturday was one of the weirdest days of my life, in part because of my audition for Tony and Tina’s Wedding. My parents and I left Provo at 7:00 am, and I slept like the dead for most of the drive; I had been up til 3:00am with Laura and Logan. We watched Trainspotting, Vera Drake, and started Eulogy before giving up due to the last film’s stupidity. So when I got back into town, I rushed home and got dressed for the audition. I sped down to the Rio and did a cold reading. They asked me to stay for the call backs, and I met up with a few people I knew from high school and UNLV. While passing the time, I met some guys from L.A. who had started a theatre group out there. I got their website and email to keep in touch. Yea for networking! For the call-back, we were put into couples to improv a given situation: Person A went on vacation and left his/her pet in the care of person B. Person B has to break it to Person A that his/her pet died while he/she was away. I was paired up with a boy named Blake that I had been noticing. In our scene, he was my brother and I had killed his chameleon by playing my music to loud (evidently they can die from noise-induced stress). The scene went fine and we chatted for a while. Then the auditors called the names of those who would stay for a final call-back. I was not called – neither were any of the other girls my age, so I didn’t feel too bad – but he was. While I was making my way to leave he lingered a little, so I asked him for his number to which he replied that he was thinking the same thing. I left feeling exhilarated! I've never been so bold as to pick up on a stranger before. Weird.

The weirdness continued while at Wal-mart. I had just been thinking about my high school friend Jay because I want to learn to shoot a gun; he is the only person I can think of who would know good places to shoot and could loan me a gun to practice with. Well, I was almost ready to leave when I decided to get popsicles. I rounded the corner and there was Jay in the frozen food section! We exchanged numbers and promised to keep in better touch this time.

So, to recap: On Saturday, I drove from Provo to Las Vegas, met an old high school friend, a new theatre contact and an interesting guy then topped it all off with running into an old friend who was like a brother to me.

Ahead in my events calendar: Seal’s concert at Whiskey Beach in May. Then sometime in July, I’m going to the 100th anniversary celebration for Las Vegas concert headed by The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Weezer.

Is it clean? Does it matter?

2005-03-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

So, I'm living at home with my parents again. I get along well with my parents, and the rent is free. The hard thing about moving home, though, is that the stuff I have been living with at college has come home with me to live with everything I left at home. I am a pack rat. I have a hard time getting rid of things that have even the slightest emotional attachment. I have toys from childhood, Lire from my trip to Rome back in 2000, costumes from Halloweens long past and other things that serve no greater purpose than to take up space. I have resolved time and time again to reduce the clutter, but every time I try, I find myself just organizing it in new piles of relative importance. My new resolution is to pile it up, take a picture to preserve the memory, and donate what's salvageable or toss what's beyond hope.

Because of the massive piles of stuff, I have little room to store my clothing. The problem is complicated by my lack of desire to hang or fold my clothes. They usually congregate in an informal pile on my desk for a few days until their pleading looks guilt me into putting them in cozy drawers or hanging them with compatriots in the closet. For those few days, they sometimes try to keep their loneliness at bay by visiting with my dirty clothes. Why are my dirty clothes not snug in the hamper, you may ask? Well, after an endless day in the office, I sometimes just toss my clothes in the vicinity of the hamper and flee the scene in my pajamas. Being so reckless with my cotton-blend friends sometimes leads to problems.

This morning, I rushed around the house quickly dressing and flattening my hair. I grabbed a shirt on the boundary of the clean/dirty encampments, inspected it quickly, found it to be presentable and hurried to get to work on time. Once I was out in the daylight, I saw a small stain on the collar that had been able to disguise itself on the black top while in the dim light of my room. Then I had the choice: do I run back in to find a top I can determine without a doubt is clean, or do I just head to work. I decide that with the lack of time breathing down my collar, I should just hope that the artificial light of the office would help keep my secret. In conclusion, I've decided that as long as no one else can tell that it's not clean, it's clean to them.

Inside prep. for an audition

2005-03-20T23:11:00.000-08:00

As I sit waiting for my audition, I'm impressed by the feeling that I should have peed before I arrived. So here's the question: should I go relieve myself and risk not being right where they need me when I'm called or do I sit through it with a slight tingle? The tingle is becoming unbearable, so off I go. Then there's another set of choices. I feel the need to - I'll be polite - go number two. There's another woman in here, so I have to decide whether I’ll wait to have more privacy or just let it go. She's making plenty of noise with the paper towel dispenser, so I opt for the quicker route. Unlike most other people, I enjoy going number two in public restrooms. It makes me feel like I have a new bond with the building. It's a lot like taking naps in new locations. All over England and Italy this summer, I leaned back in my chair or stretched out on the ground and bonded with the land - as if I don't really have to rush to see everything like the tourist that I am. I've bonded with Florence, Venice, and Chatsworth in such a fashion (as well as The National Theater and the Tate Modern in the other fashion mentioned above). Once the restroom problem is resolved, I just sit and write things like this to keep my mind off the impending judgment and scrutiny.

One of those days

2005-03-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like one of the worst drivers in the world? Yesterday, I felt like I was due to injure myself at any moment. I didn't end up in an accident, but that's only by luck. I always check my mirrors and look behind me when chaning lanes. Yet, somehow I end up narrowly escaping each movement with my car intact. Though no one even honked, I felt like I was loosing my grip. I had become the worst driver with the best luck.

I had the chance to hang out with Kerwin and Angela's close friends who are also married. I love hanging out with them, but the Lonely creeps in when you're the odd man out. I think I am finally ready to try to date again (after a 10 month hiatus). I'll just have to wait to see if anyone else is interested in seeing me come out of retirement.

Mishap Maven

2005-03-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

Just one thing after another. A few days ago, I was parking my car in front of the ATM when I heard this awful scrapping noise. It took me a second to realize it was the handicap assit hand rail scarring the passenger side of my car. I now have a huge gash on the side of my car. I coudn't believe it had happened. My poor car! I guess I'll have an easier time finding my car in the sea of other silver Ford Taurus models.

Dr. Kim fired the other receptionist, so now I work 9-5 Monday-Thurday. It wouldn't be so bad if we were more busy. As it is now, we only see about two patients a day. The phone only rings about a dozen times, and most of them are sales people or wrong numbers. She has be designing the brochure for the office, but other than that ther is little to do. I finished a book last week and have started on another just to try to keep awake. I hope things pick up. Dr. Kim is really qualified and very personable.

Damsel in distress

2005-02-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

So, my car is shaking like a snow globe in the hands of my three year old niece, and a tire goes out. Tread has shredded from the tire, and I need to change it by the side of the road. I get out the spare and the tools and start to work. No sooner than I have the car raised on the jack, a red pick-up pulls to the side of the road. A small Mexican man, covered in paint with an American flag on his hat and gold on his front teeth comes over to the car and offers his assistance. He finished the job in about twenty minutes and was on his way. I headed down to Discount Tire to replace the one that gave out. When I met my dad, he sat me down and explained that I had nearly stopped his heart. The last thing he heard from me was that a man had stopped to help me. I had left the phone in the car and therefore didn't answer when he called twice more. He was driving frantically to the Discount Tire hoping that I hadn't been kidnapped. Luckily, I was fine and we got home with one shiny new 88-dollar tire. LESSON: keep the phone with you when you've told your family that a stranger has you alone.

I heard back from MGM about the Gatekeeper position, and I was not accepted. They said I did well, but they offered the position to others. They will keep my name on file, though, and they'll call when another position is open - probably in two months.

I need to find something else to keep myself busy. Maybe I'll start dating. Maybe.

Perks of the job

2005-02-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

I had my first day of work yesterday. I was in the office from 9-5, but had little to do. I work for a new office that hasn't really gotten the word, yet. I only had to anwer about a dozen phone calls and saw only one patient. Because we had so much down time, Dr. Kim gave me a microdermabrassion. Here, let me practice my pitch, "Using the DiamondTome wand, Dr. Kim uses the customized wand to exfoliate my skin, removing the dead skin cells from the face. The vacuum of the wand removed the dead cells and helped to stimulate collagen." I can already notice a difference. My skin is smooth and bright with a more even tone. It's great.

I also had my second audition for the Gatekeeper at MGM. I have no idea whether I will get the job. There were 12 final applicants and only 4 positions. Though those odds are better than the grad school auditions that I just survived, I have no idea whether I demonstrated that I am just what they are looking for. I really want the job. I should find out by Friday (no latter than Monday). Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Receptionist by day

2005-02-19T23:12:00.000-08:00

I now have a part time job as a receptionist at a dermotology office. I have to answer phones to answer questions about procedures and schedule appointments. I also have to look perfect every day since I am the first face women will see when they come in to look their best. That's a bit of pressure.

I also did a call back for a student film. It seems that few student directors know how to direct their actors. I felt a little lost, but the director looked worse off. I need to get some experience, so I'll work with all kinds.

Auditions - Las Vegas

2005-02-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get a job and some film experience since I've been home. My dad lead me to some auditions on the Saturday after I got back from Chicago. The first, was for a short called "Dirty Laundry." Though the audition was more organized and the staff seemingly more competent, I may be less likely to work with them. Reason #1: the usual, competition. The producer team is holding more auditions and posting audition calls than the other one I went to that day. Reason #2: nudity. I would be required to wear nothing but panties as the camera filmed me from behind while I am about to embark on a sexual encounter. The team tried to quiet my fears by insisting that only the other actor and the director would be there while filming the scene, but that's not as comforting knowing that the film will be released for far more strangers to see. Another supposed comfort, we wont actually film the sex scene, only this prelude. I told them I would consider the nudity if and when we crossed that bridge. Oh, and I would be paid for this gig, also unlike the other one. Any advise anyone? It probably wont be an issue after all, but it's interesting to think about.

Second audition was for several student films though UNLV's film department. The audition was a mess. I was there for 3 hours; only read one scene and performed my monologue once. The bulk of my time was spent reading about 250 pages of Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany." Evidently I made an impression, though, because I just got an email asking for a call-back. I would play Cara, the object of the main character's affections - if only he could figure out what her sexual orientation is. As the synopsis says, "hijinks ensue." I'll keep ya posted on what comes from it.

The most important audition was on Monday. I replied to an add to be a Gatekeeper at MGM's Cirque du Soliel show Ka. I would be an usher, but with the added fun of keeping in character. For the interview/audition, I had to spontaneously create a character and lead another auditioner in front of the auditors (which was a length of about 8 paces). I had to show a compelling character and display my aptitude for customer service. I showed my "audience member" the theater then became distracted by his outfit and my desire to touch his clothes. It was really weird. I wasn't sure what I was doing, but it seemed to have gone alright. Afterwards, I was asked a random question to see how well I could improvise a response. I had to sell the auditor on moving to Las Vegas. I talked my mouth off about the strip, good schools, family community and the University before he asked me to stop because I had sold him. There were four of us in the group and I was one of the two asked to complete the application. The next day, I got a drug test (which involves cutting a sample of my hair) and I should hear from them sometime next week. The position is only on-call, so I need another gig to keep my income steady.

Luckily, my friend, Lauren, knows a doctor's office looking for a part-time receptionist. I am going in for an interview tomorrow afternoon. It would be fun to be a receptionist by day and a Gatekeeper by night.

Auditions - Chicago

2005-02-16T23:36:00.000-08:00

Chicago was lovely. I wish I hadn't needed to rush around to all my auditions and completely stress out in my spare time. I'd like to go back when I'm not under duress.

My first grad school audition was terrible. I was completely stressed out and easily distracted. Somewhere in the first lines of my second monologue I saw the auditor pick up my resume and examine it. My headshot was attached to the other side, so all of a sudden I could see my own face out of the corner of my eye. Just as suddenly, I forgot the middle of my monologue. There was no arc. I accused the guy and them let him have it. No build. Therefore, no final audition. With URTA, you are seen by two judges who decide if you should be seen by the representatives of the 20 or so colleges that are in attendance. After that, the colleges that are interested in you call you in for an interview. Unfortunately, I did not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.

After that was Yale. It went much better, but when there was a call back at the end of the hour, my name was not called. Quickly on to Denver Center. The audition was great, but I don't think I was my best in the interview. The best for last, Old Globe, was my best audition and interview, but their competition is to fierce that I doubt I will make it.

So, for now, the plan is to go back next year and try my luck again. I also have to return to see the rest of the Art Institute of Chicago. I only had an hour to peruse, so I missed most of it.

I had a chance to see Steppenwolf's production of the Apple Orchard, which was good. It was minimalist in it's design and emotional choices. There are things that could have been clearer, but I enjoyed it. I was surprised how much Chicago reminded me of London. It just makes me want to go back even more. I am already in mourning for the season I will miss this summer. Luckily, Laura will me there, so I can at least experience it by proxy.

Finally

2005-01-18T18:15:00.000-08:00

Hooray! I have officially graduated as Magna Cum Laude. It feels great. Also, Barta finally sent out my letters of recommendation. I am set for grad auditions. There's only a few weeks left before I have to be there in front of all those people who's only purpose is to judge me. Eeep!

There is really just not a lot else going on with me. I'm sort of in limbo. I have no time to make new friends or even begin to date. Besides the fact that dating is still a weird prospect for me. I'm starting to feel a little lonely, though.

I have rediscovered one of my favorite movies, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and exposed several of my friends to it. They all love it as much as I and are still huming the songs to themselves. I have also started watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind a lot. I think I am feeding off the unconventional love stories.

Back in Provo

2005-01-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

I am back in the bleak north to cram as much audition training into this last month as I possibly can. I have heard back from all the grad schools I have applied to except the Denver Center whose deadline is not til tomorrow. So far, so good. I have also picked a new contemporary comic monologue which I am attempting to cram in so that I can start work on it next week. I am in Laurie's Auditions class with Logan; we work on a monologue each week with several techniques used to get us out of our heads and into the moment. To give the illusion that we are saying the words for the first time. It's great. I couldn't ask for a better preparation. I am also working with Laurie out of class once a week to get extra feed back.

I am also in Advanced combat and Advanced make-up. In combat, we are reviewing our hand-to-hand training and coreographing a fight. Laura and I are battling it out this week. Eventaully we will move on to rapier and dagger. In make-up, we are setting our own schedules. I will learn to make false beards and review using airbrush make-up with the rest of the class, then break off and do some of my own designs. I want to do another foam-latex prosthetic piece and practice more with airbrush.

Other than classes, I will be attending Sundance Film Festival the last week of January. Logan and I got tickets to a few shows and will wait in line to try to get into a few more. It will be great. And that's pretty much all I have to report at this time.

Happy New Year

2005-01-01T12:54:00.000-08:00

I rang in the vew year with my step-family, The Armsteads. It was a hoot. We went to the roof of the Marriot where Dad works that's just off the strip. We were able to see all ten hotels set their fireworks off at once. Then hugs and kisses all around. It's been great having them here to visit.

They traveled out for a surprise renewal of vows between my Uncle Michael and his wife Wendy. She had no idea what was going on until we pulled into the parking lot for the Little White Chapel. It's all just been a lot of fun. Dad's uncle Ray and aunt Francine gave me an open invitation to their home in Brockton, Mass. I will definitely be out there when I get a chance.

Resolutions:
Work-out at more often
Read more often
Eat less fried food
Reduce sugar intake

We'll see how long this lasts. I figure if I keep it pretty vague, I'll have a better chance.

Merry Christmas

2004-12-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

Dad had to work this morning, so we haven't gotten into gifts, yet. Of course, that's not what Christmas is about. We're spending the day with my sister, Emily, her husband, his parents and my neice, Sarah. I'm glad there's family so close.

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope you are near dear family and friends.

the end prompting a begining

2004-12-19T22:27:00.000-08:00

I have moved out of the college apartment that I have lived in for the last two and a half years. My room is bare and actually clean. I hung my key on the wall and locked myself out. Very weird.

So, it appears that I have passed all my classes, even calculus. It's really over. Again, very weird. I don't quite feel finished. I still have to send in my grad school applications and write a report on what I used my ORCA grant for. The apps will go out on Tuesday, but the essay will be harder. I have to write about the hectic summer I had with Lynda in Northampton. Writing it up means reliving it. Ugh.

Now all I have to do is relax and prepare for grad school auditions in Feb. Starting a new path in life is a little daunting but incredibly exciting.

Graduation Looming

2004-12-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

My headshots look great. Cyd was a lot of fun to work with. She even took a few shots of Laura, who came home with me for the weekend, to help her prepare for her own shoot some time in the future. I'm very happy with the looks I have. And I love the shirt I bought for the shoot.

The weekend was about as relaxing as it could be knowing that I had another week and a half of school left. I still have two huge final papers and a couple performances to round out the semester. Finals shouldn't be too bad. I think I will get Calculus out of the way early in the week. Oh, we have tests in the testing center so that we can take them at our leisure. I also have my religion class in the testing center. Otherwise, I have them scheduled in class. I really can't wait for this to be over. FREEDOM!

Almost Home

2004-11-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

I really need this break. Class work is piling up. I have to get away. I'm driving home with Laura tomorrow morning, but I have to finish a rough draft of my final paper for dramatic literature before I leave. Once I get home, I'll have some time to relax, but I have to finish the paper, practice calculus, memorize monologues and scenes etc. I can't wait til the semester is over. I am having senioritis big time.

I'm also getting headshots from Cyd Madsen to prepare for my grad school auditions. I have given out all the recommendations I need to have for the apps and now I'm just working on the paperwork. I'm already nervous.

Well, back to the grindstone.

Just waiting it out

2004-11-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to go home for Thanksgiving. I really need the break. I'll pretty much have to use the time to catch up on calculus and grading papers for my 114 class, but it will still be better than the grind here.

Bus stop is going well. I have to miss the second hour of calculus lecture to get there on time, though. It's putting me behind, but it's necessary to get the show started on time. My exam starts Friday, but since it's in the testing center I can wait til Monday to take it. Than means, though, that today is the last day to meet with my tutor before the exam. I'm a little stressed.

My roommate Alyssa is moving home this week. She's quitting school for a time to get her life in order. I'm sad to see her go. She's a really fun and caring person.

My friend Shelby recently came up to me and told me she wanted to hook me up with someone, describing him as fun and gross. What is it about me that makes her think I would like someone gross? It was really random. I told her I couldn't do it, not only for the obvious reason but because I am out of here in a few months. There's no time to make a meaningful relationship and I can't handle long distance.

Plans for the future

2004-11-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

I have been bogged down this semester. I have started looking ahead to post undergrad options. I have decided to audition for U/RTA (for those of you not in the field: it is a massive audition where several grad schools see you do your two monologues). I am flying to Chicago in February. I may also audition for the Denver Center, The Old Globe and Yale Drama school who will also be holding auditions in Chicago at the same time. I'm getting really nervous. I have decided to stay in Provo through January to train with one of my professors to prepare for the auditions. Once I feel I have my classes right where I want them, I will start the arduous process of choosing four monologues that I can passionately work on so that I can be prepared for anything they may want me to do. Yikes!

I can't wait to go home for Thanksgiving. I miss my family a lot. It will be especially great to see my three year old neice, Sarah. She is growing up so fast. Unfortunately, I will have just missed a visit from Trey since here at BYU we don't get any extra days off. I could really use on right about now.

I am make-up supervisor for BYU's production of Bus Stop which takes up all my nights from Tuesday through Saturday. It's fun since I know everyone in the cast and crew, but I miss being able to sit at home and just veg. My favorite part of the experience is applying Kevin's beard. I have to put on the manufactured fake one, then add crepe hear to make it look more natural. Then he gets a mustache and I have to create the handle bar of it to give the final touch. It's a lot of fun creating a small work of art every night. And the handle bar mustache always reminds me of my brother-in-law Jason.

I will try to update more often. I've never been good at keeping a journal, but this will hopefully work me into shape.

As the clouds begin to part

2004-10-21T14:25:00.001-07:00

I haven't had any time recently to write because I've been sick and slowly dying of calculus. I just need a C in the class and I don't know if I can even hold on to that for much longer. Argh!

My nights are getting busier again because I'm make-up supervisor for Bus Stop and Mrs. English in Morag's play A Generation Raised in Propriety. It's great when most of your projects involve your friends.

There is so much to say to catch up on, but I have to grab luch and run to the mask club before languishing through calculus again.

false alarm, as usual

2004-10-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

So, I was right; The roses were from guys from church that just wanted to brighten my day. Though they denied involvement when first questioned, I spied the rose bushes my flowers were pruned from while walking home from thier house. They're really nice guys. I haven't written much since I've been sick and trying, rather unsuccesfully, to rest.

secret admirers are oppressive

2004-09-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Let's look at the facts:
I got home late last night and found two red roses in a glass on my desk. Attached to the roses was a note that simply said, "Sylvia - have a great day." The roses are from a rose bush not a store because store roses are bread not to have the tiny stickers and they were wet fromt eh recent rain.
conclusions to be drawn:
maybe Shelly, the RS president dropped them off because I just accepted the calling as her secretary. Maybe the rest of the roomies got some,too. Both of these were obliterated when I talked with Chelsea.
New facts:
while Alyssa was watching TV, someone frantically rang the doorbell. She answered it immediately and found the roses without the giver. No one else got roses.
conclusion she drew:
the giver must have jumped over our railing to hide under our landing so as not to be caught passing in front of our open window. This giver must therefore be male, becuase no girls we know would do something so drastic.

So, here's where it gets oppressive. I have no idea who did this. The wondering about what level this "admiration" will go to is worrisome. This person is probably in the ward, but I still can't even be sure that it's a guy. I know nothing for sure, therefore I have no idea what to expect.
If it is a guy, I have no indication that anyone is interested in me. Maybe he isn't. Maybe it's just a spred-the-love-around-the-ward thing. I have decided to go with this assumption since it seems to carry the least amount of weirdness.

Goodbye Ben

2004-09-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Laura and I went to Ben's going away party. He graduated last semester, and he is finally moving away. The party consisted of the usual snacks and lots of coca cola. We played several rounds of "I never" (alcohol was not used here, so the edge is lessened, but the fun never stops). Somehow I can never be the last one who has done the least. With a larger group Laura was finally gratified with not having to win every round as she had the few times we played before. We left around midnight with an eye to our beds. I was sure to hug Ben since I wasn't sure when I'd get to see him again.

As luck would have it, I saw Ben today. He invited me to go bowling at the campus lanes and we were joined by Luke and Shelby. I had a great time. I bowled my highest ever, 129. I know I need more practice but the company made the game better. After Shelby left for class and the boys played another round, we walked off campus to get caffeine. While acquiring our contraband we were poured on. The rain drenched our clothes and obliterated by middle-age make-up I had completed for intermediate make-up just a few hours before. Evidently the fact that I looked middle-aged was of less concern than the fact that I was wearing lipstick. As you may know, I barely wear the stuff and when I do I choose not to accentuate my smallish lips by giving them color. Maybe I should mix it up and wear lip stick more often. Later, I had to drag myself to calculus so I had to say goodbye again. I'll miss you Ben, wherever you are!

I then closed out my night with the requisite viewing of Scrubs and hours upon hours of write-ups for dramatic literature. Sam and I had a reading log party to complete the gargantuan assignment I swore I would never put off again. We'll see how long that will keep.

tech rehearsal, tarot cards and tatoos

2004-09-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

September 20-26
This was Tech Week for Provo Fringe’s Ten Minute Play Festival. What time isn’t taken up by the rehearsal is dedicated to homework.
We performed Thursday to Saturday. The audiences were great. We had a good turn out and they were very responsive.

Venturing out to see Garden State repeatedly can be dangerous. I was rear-ended on the I-15 while driving out to Salt Lake before the show on Saturday. My car, MRF (pronounced Murph, short for Murphy - as named by his state commissioned license plate) sustained a blow to the bumper that separated his rear from his body ever so slightly and left red scars from his attacker. Luckily, we still made it to the showing on time and now MRF has battle scars he can brag about to the other cars in the cinema parking lot.

Sunday, we went to Salt Lake because Logan was called back for Plan-B, a semi-professional performance group. Laura and I helped him prepare his sides and waited as he did the round of the cattle call. We headed back to Logan’s for a cast party to celebrate the success of the Fringe show. After most people left, those of us who knew each other from Freespace stayed behind. We stayed behind until 4 am. The night was full of Tarot readings, tattoos (of red permanent marker), and reminiscent viewings of the first and only season of My So-Called Life which both Kevin and Logan have on DVD. I took Laura to her outrageously early job at the bakery which begins at 4:30am and somehow I fit in a bit of homework before crashing for the night.

rehearsl and more rehearsal

2004-09-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

September 13-19
This week was mostly full of rehearsal for one thing or another. Classes are becoming normal for me, so there’s nothing really interesting there.
On Saturday I had my first rehearsal for Morag’s piece called “Because of This” that I had been asked to work on because someone dropped last minute. Sarah and I just ran the piece over and over with tiny adjustments made by Eric, the director, for about three hours.
Afterwards, we (the we) saw Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Jude Law carried the film because Gwyneth was giving so little. Giovanni Ribisi stole the show in all the scenes he featured in. I am excited to see his new film featured in the previews. The Computer Graphics were great. It was as if noir art had come to life.

A note of introduction

2004-09-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

I spent the summer traversing England and Northern Italy. The travelogues from that time have been archived for easy reference.

I am just another tragic hero in a field of tragic heroes. As graduation nears, I am making plans to challenge the fates and survive in the arts. January will usher in full-time work free from school. My only responsibility will be to apply to grad schools for fall. I welcome a new pace.

I am in a place in my life where being single seems like the best plan. After a failed engagement and short, terminal relationships, I have found contentment being alone with a tight-knit group of friends.

a week of firsts

2004-09-12T21:51:00.000-07:00

September 6-12
Monday was the fist and only three day weekend of the semester. I had my first rehearsal for Alchemist’s Apprentice which consisted of introductions and a few read-throughs. To bookend this rehearsal, we (the usual we) watched the fist and second volume of Kill Bill. I hadn’t seen then yet because I am not a fan of the intensely directorial style of Quentin Tarentino. I must admit, though, that his style was perfected in these films. What a trip.

Tuesday I rehearsed with my scene partner for out classical comedy scene. He is a little strange in an uncomfortable way, so rehearsal was arduous. I just have to keep the perspective that everything I do, especially those things that turn out badly, helps me to grow. I also turned in my graduation paperwork. Come December, I’m out of here.

Wednesday, I took my first pretest for calculus. Luckily, I can take it again so that my 60 will not count. To take the edge off of failure we got pizza and watched Waking Life.

Thursday was marked by two more firsts. I visited the math lab to get help for the test and it was my first day alone without Laura or Logan. Both contributed to the relaxation of the day.

Friday I took the 2nd pretest. I got a 78, so that’s a keeper. I got to see Kayela quickly before she headed back to LV. I can’t believe she will be gone for a year and a half in only a few days. Oh and a weird new first. A scruffy guy wearing an army t-shirt and dark sunglasses asked me for my number so that we could go out some time. He gave me a creepy vibe, so I declined the invitation. After relating the story to Laura and Logan we determined that I had just escaped a predator. Whew!

Saturday, we went to the Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake. It’s a modern art piece built into the lake that has emerged recently due to drought. On the way there we picked up a woman and her daughter who were walking to the jetty after having their SUV flip because of the gravely terrain. It was a little weird, but we were happy to help. They ended up heading back with trooper who responded to the accident that the son, who stayed behind with the injured car, had called in. It’s amazing and everyone who visits Utah should check it out. The best time to see it is a sunset. It almost seemed like we were on another planet because we had to walk over the crusted salt to get to the jetty and further on to reach the lake. We immediately felt that we were in a scene from Garden State and had to re-enact the abyss screaming scene. Luckily there was a rusting, abandoned aqua-all-terrain vehicle to scream off of.

After church on Sunday, we had a Shutterfly party to exchange all our pictures from the summer.

Theatre of the Awkward

2004-09-05T00:26:00.000-07:00

August 28th – September 5th

I almost felt like I was back in London with the amount of theater I got to see this week.
I drove up with Mom to move back in for the final semester. We wanted to see Midsummer Night’s Dream, but it was cancelled, so mom returned home that night on a bus. Monday was classes. We learned about Taming of the Shrew auditions which would be held on Thursday and Friday. Of course, there was pitifully little time to prepare. My favorite class is beginning social dance. The class has a great shy lack of confidence feeling. I was also hired to TA for 114. I can work ten hours a week which will help the repaying of the loan I took out for England. Tuesday was Religion, intermediate make-up and calculus. I have to prepare for a test in two weeks. I thought this would be a lot easier. I took calculus in high school, but evidently you can forget anything without practice. I just have to settle for a C in the class and work towards graduation. Wednesday we (includes the usual Laura and Logan) saw Moon over Buffalo at PTC, a local theatre that always puts on good shows. I also auditioned for Provo Fringe's ten minute play festival which has grown out of the remnants of the student theater group I helped start, Freespace. While I was gone for the summer, the group had personal and artistic differences that have shut Freespace down for the time being. Hopefully others can make it work again next semester. There is no limit to the necessity for student theater. I found out I was cast in Josh's piece called the "Alchemist's Apprentice."
Thursday we (not including Logan) saw Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Castle. It was awkward because Stephen, my ex, was in the show. He had recently moved back to the area. He is attending the state college while preparing to get into BYU. I tried to talk to him afterwards, but he ran away. He emailed me to know what I wanted, I explained, and he told me to forget about it. From what my friends in the cast are saying, he tells it that I broke his heart. Though I feel badly that he is hurting, I know that I made the right decision in breaking up with him.
Friday Laura and I auditioned for Taming. Saturday, neither of us was called back, so I headed to make-up training for Nathan the Wise. I am a make-up supervisor, so I have to help the actors with difficult designs. To feel better about ourselves, Laura and I watched one of the most beautiful shows ever made, Hero. We then met up with Logan and saw one of the most thought provokingly disturbing films, Dogville. I just can’t say enough good things about Nicole Kidman. Sunday was church.

Between England and School

2004-08-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

These will be pretty short posts since my life has been going by to quickly to catalogue with much detail.

14th -17th Once home I fell into a jet-lag induced sleep for a few days. I had to drag myself out of it for a dental appointment where they gave me a new fangled flossing device. It is like a toothbrush, but the head of it, which is strung like a tiny bow, is perpendicular to the body of it. It makes flossing much easier and I can now say that I am an avid flosser. I saw Collateral with my parents and really enjoyed Jamie Foxx’s performance. Tom Cruise wasn’t bad at all, but I still harbor a few hard feelings on behalf of Nicole. The big thing of this few days was my first gambling experience. I dropped 21 dollars into the Megabucks, in the requisite three dollar increments, and lost it all. I then tried my hand at video poker with the same level of success.

18-23 I visited my sister Christine in Colorado. Mom and I stayed at Travelodge because the house was full with the visiting sister-in-law, niece and three-legged dog named Tootsie. The second day there, we ate at Souper Salad (this may seem trivial, but it may be the key to my undoing). The three of us bought supplies to paint my nephew, Trey’s, room and the kitchen. Mom and I finished Trey’s room in one day. I never got to the kitchen, though, because I was sick all night and for the next three days; I lost 8 lbs. So, I just watched the Olympics and the painting of kitchen while intermittently scurrying to the bathroom. Of course, as soon as I started to feel better it was time to go home.

24-27 I called Lauren to try to catch up with her before heading back out to Utah, but he brother told me she had pneumonia and couldn’t see anyone. She’s fine now, but it was horrid for a few weeks. I had the opportunity to spend most of my time with Kayela. We saw Garden State, finally and she stayed the night. Garden State has to be one of my favorite movies and has prompted a love of Zach Braff’s work. We then rolled out of bed and saw The Village. I think I enjoyed it more than most of my friends did. I suppose I’m a bit gullible, so I didn’t see the twist coming and could enjoy it longer.
On my last day, I visited my sister Emily with her new puppy, Rio. Sadie will now have another friend to play with. While at my house, she plays with a chipmunk which evidently enjoys playing chase to much that when Sadie returns to her house for a long stretch of time, the chipmunk comes to the patio door looking for her.
I bought scrap-booking supplies. Who knows when I’ll actually crack down and do it, but when I get the urge I will have everything I need. I also got a haircut which I absolutely love. It’s shorter and flirtier.

Week 15 The End

2004-08-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

Aug 9th – 14th

MONDAY the 9th was dedicated to rehearsal at Kelmarsh. We arrived and took a two hour tour of the entire house. The parts that had yet to be restored were more interesting than the pretty parts most visitors get to see. The tech rehearsal was not nearly as comprehensive as we had hoped.

TUESDAY, we rehearsed then ran away with Rob, Amanda and Chris to eat lunch and see I, Robot. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would considering the previews, and I really appreciated what Will Smith was doing. We all bought copies of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Logan had started the book and got us hooked as well. Now that we all had copies, we could read at our leisure and not have to share the original. (If you are keeping track, yes, Logan has two copies. The UK copy had an extra section that made the second purchase worth his wile). We then labored through a dinner with Lynda. Though we were grateful for the dinner she prepared, too much damage had been done to really enjoy ourselves in her presence.

WEDNESDAY, we rehearsed for what should have been the last time but because of our crammed production schedule would be followed by an early rehearsal on the day of performance. To try to relax, we took movies out from the library and watched them on mats in dance hall where we rehearsed.

THURSDAY, we started late because of problems with the van and had one of the worst rehearsals ever. I just can’t go into it without wringing my hands to the point redness, so just know that after a scene between Logan and me, Lynda decided to never speak to us again. She didn’t say a word to the three of us for the rest of the rehearsal, the performance, the strike or any other time while in Northampton.
Because of the rain, we planned to have to outdoor scenes inside and started the show on this assumption. Well, it let up just long enough for us to move outdoors where we had never been able to practice because of the weather. The rest of the performance was as uneventful as possible, but not without a few huge mistakes we improvised through. After the hurried striking of the set, we made it to the end-of-the-program party for a while. Then, we just crashed.

FRIDAY the 13th, Logan headed to Edinburgh and Laura made a goodbye visit to London. Alone, I decided to hang out with Amanda and we went to Bourne Supremacy which I greatly enjoyed. Everyone stayed up through the night to pack and prepare to leave on the 4am shuttle on the 14th to the airport. Laura didn’t make it back for the shuttle - the story of which you will have to ask Laura to tell – but eventually made it home safe. I flew home with ease and couldn’t be happy enough to be home.

Week 14 Northampton

2004-08-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

Aug 1st – 8th

Aug 1st Back on the island, we hurried to touch things up for our first performance on Monday. SUNDAY was a never-ending rehearsal that seemed to improve only in waves and receded as waves do.

MONDAY we performed for an invited audience at Lamport. It went well enough for a show going up a week and a half before its real performance.

WEDNESDAY the 4th, that some of you may realize has importance and the others may gloss over, marked my last visit to London. We saw The Goat or Who is Sylvia? featuring Jonathan Pryce. He plays a happily married man who has an affair with a goat. The show is not about bestiality, but rather about examining in us the things others do that will shut them off from our understanding and our love. Very powerful.
After eating at Mo’s Diner in Harrods, we went to Democracy by Michael Frayn. This man has such control of language and the ability to distil human interaction into something we can all relate to, no matter the subject. The play deals with East and West Berlin’s conflict by following a West Berlin politician and his assistant, who happens to play both sides.

THURSDAY we had an early rehearsal so that we could go with Lynda and Amanda to see Hamlet at RSC in which Joe plays a Switzer aka the third- spear-carrier-from-the- left. We made it there late because of trauma in rehearsal. We entered during Laertes reaming Ophelia (Leartes unfortunately being the same horrible actor who played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet). Joe had quite a lot of stage time, considering, and even had a moment where he took all of our focus. I had a somewhat tearful goodbye to Stratford-upon-Avon and we headed home.

FRIDAY the 6th The group went to Bath, thankfully, without Lynda.
She had to stay behind to work with our new actress. Our Mrs. Graves left suddenly because of her mother’s poor health and imminent death. The new actress was a local who was considerably more fun.
Back to Bath, we visited the Roman baths and the Costume Museum (this We does not include Logan since he had visited these sites last year with his family). We met with Sezzie who lives nearby. She showed us around before having to rush back to her fabulous life. Laura and I took half a bus tour on our way to the Museum and learned about the history of Bath - very interesting, you can write back for more information.
In our haste to take in the healing powers of the city, we almost got left behind. We had just finished eating at an incredible Indonesian place called Java's and were still recovering from the price that Logan and I thought we would share but had incorrectly ordered. We had to get help from a local who got us there just as the bus had started its engine to leave.

SATURDAY, the cast headed north in our own van. **I will publish the harrowing story of a velosaraptor-chicken chase I norrowly escaped from seperately, since it is a must read.** The house is lovely, but eclipsed by the splendor of the grounds. There are so many kinds of trees and grass to run through. There is a water installment that is like a waterfall over small stairs. We take off our shoes to walk up the water and continue on to explore the grounds as children would. We go, as one must do when there is one available, through the maze and squish mud in our toes. We run down hills and find little patches of the grounds all to ourselves. After one last walk up the waterfall, we have to go to make it to the hostel on time for dinner.
The hostel surpasses all of our expectations. It is in a little patch of wonderland wilderness. We adopt woodland names for the weekend and explore. We find a path to the dale and on the way we pick wild berries. We aren’t able to go as far as we would like because we have to make it back for rehearsal. Rehearsal finishes well after the sun has set, and we are all confronted with the pitch black forest to return through. Luckily we find a road which is dimly lighted that leads to a group of homes. There, we ask for a torch (UK term for flashlight) and make it home quite after the hostel is closed. Luckily, Doug hears our cries and lets us in. While in our room of six fun-loving college students, I can only divulge that we were asked to keep it down by a neighboring hostel tenant.

SUNDAY, we enjoyed a full English breakfast before heading to Castle Howard. The only reason I can think of for going there is that Brideshead Revisited was filmed there. If you’re wondering why that is important to our production, it isn’t. I would have been satisfied with Chatsworth - which was important because Nancy Mitford, a contemporary of Elizabeth VanArnim, -the author of the book our play is based on- designed most of the interiors of the home. The grounds were also lovely and far surpassed the house. There was a Temple of the Four Winds where we sat and let the wind play on our bodies. I have found a new appreciation for grass. On the drive home, the group made bets on arrival time, and we played 20 Questions to keep us occupied. We made it home earlier than most had predicted.

Velosaraptor-Chicken chase escape

2004-08-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

We get to Chatsworth on a bright, sunny, afternoon, which makes what happens next all the more unexpected.

We sit on the grass near the car port to eat our lunch before going into the estate. The entrance grounds are populated by sheep and chickens, so their droppings are prevalent. We find a clear place to sit and dig in. A chicken walks by, then another, just passing. Then a chicken walks right past Laura and Logan to stand in front of me. I look at her,she looks at me, and then…she attacks. She jumps on me. Startled, I just sit there for a moment. Then she jumps again. I stand - barely, since the laughing has me doubled-over - and back away slowly. The chicken is between me and my camera. She matches my pace and walks towards me. I work like this until Logan can safely retrieve my camera. The chicken jumps again, so I take off. I run towards the big tree, no longer concerned by the little mounds of poo I am plowing through. Once I get there, I look back, only to see the chicken in hot pursuit. I continue to run to the entrance where cars are trying to find parking spots. Sure enough, the possibility of being run over stops the chicken in her tracks. We stare each other down for a while, and she retreats. By this time I am in pain from trying to escape during fits of laughter. Laura and Logan catch up to me and laugh about how they wish they had their cameras at the ready for moments like this.

Week 13 Florence

2004-07-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

July 25 – 31

25th We traveled to Italy on RyanAir. When we arrived, we were disappointed by the lack of ink on the passport stamp. We had barely legible proof that we had arrived in “Paradiso” as one of the characters in the play insists on referring to Italy. The hotel was cozy and remarkably close to the Duomo. Laura and I shared a room with two other girls from the program.

26th We (including Logan, though not in the same room) slept in until 9:30 which is actually remarkable considering the blasting bells of the Duomo’s bell tower at eight o’clock every morning. We hurried to breakfast upon learning that Lynda wanted us to join the other classes in a tour of the Duomo. When we arrived, we were just in time to enter with our group without the hassle of waiting in line. The building is amazingly empty, but the Dome is exquisite. We decided we would climb the dome early in a few days to beat the crowds.
We then separated from the group to walk the Ponte Vecchio. On the way, we stopped at Mercado Nuevo where the famous boar statue/fountain watches over the market and drools. The Ponte Vecchio shelters a massive crowd, so we made our visit short and planned (as we did many times) to try to come back when there weren’t so many people. Then we walked to Pitti Palace where we took a nap at in the large shadow of the palace. I have decided that the best way to feel as if you have really been somewhere is to take a quick nap there; then you haven’t had to rush the whole time. Rejuvenated, we walked along the walls of old Florence heading towards Piaza San Michelangelo. We didn’t make it up, though, because we had to get back to the hotel for rehearsal. Afterwards, we ate at a place with Dante in the title and had an amazing meal including gnocchi. Once full, we wandered the city to find some good gelato. We ate our ice cream on the street so we could see the parade going by, evidently a celebration of a saint’s birthday.

27th We got to the Academia early and saw the David with a small crowd that built as the minutes went by. The statue really is perfect. His hands are so muscular, as is the rest of his body, but his hands are the most impressive. We also saw unfinished statues by Michelangelo known as The Prisoners because they were not released from the stone. Once the crowd got to be too much, we headed to Boboli Gardens in Pitti Palace. There we walked through the greenery, took pictures of the cityscape, drew flowers as part of one of Lynda’s mindless assignments, napped (though I think Laura is not included in this we), and searched for the statue of Bacchus – ugly thing, that statue. We were late to rehearsal because the gardens are not equipped with exit signs.
For dinner, we ate at one of the many restaurants that boast a three course meal for 10 euros. We traveled to a gelarteria by bus because Logan’s friend, who served a mission there, said it was the best. It was good, but maybe not the best. It depends on your preference of texture.

28th We got to the Dome early and were one of the first to get to the first tier. Of course, we lagged behind a bit to get a good look at the fresco. It depicts the last judgment which includes some very miserable people being tortured by hell’s minions. We climbed the spiral staircase to the top and rested for a while. My pictures of the city from that height are remarkable. I could see everywhere I had visited.
Next, we walked through the market set up around the San Lorenzo Basilica with the famous Medici chapel. Later, we met with the group and explored the Uffizi. We sat for a long time in front of Botechelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera. Our favorite, though, was Davinci’s Annunciation. The paint is eerily smooth. We also took some time to mourn the art and books sacrificed to Savonarola in Piazza Del Senoria where the insane leader was later murdered for his crimes. After rehearsal, we made our favorite trek; we visited Fiesole, a small town in the hills. We ate dinner, gelato and some decorative candy before witnessing the sun set over Florence.

29th Though we started out late and the tardiness of the train made us even later, we made it to Venice for a day trip. We took a water bus – gondolas are inordinately expensive – along the Grand Canal to Piazza San Marco. There, we climbed the tower (by climbed I mean we took the lift) to get a full view of the city as we had done on the Duomo. It was lovely, but didn’t mean as much since I didn’t really know what I was looking at.
We left P. San Marco in a hurry because there were too many people and even more pigeons. We got away, but also got lost. The streets are like a huge hedgerow meant to keep you from escaping Venice. We considered giving up and just staying lost, but Logan got us back on track as we followed a path set out by the guide book we secretly borrowed from the hotel bookshelf. Once we looped back to P. San Marco, we bussed it back to the station. Not without completely losing each other first. Luckily, we had been together long enough to be able to guess where the other people would logically end up. We quickly ate at a Chinese restaurant, the rumor being that Chinese was best in Italy because of Marco Polo’s escapades, and ran to the train.
You would think the adventure ends there, but you would be wrong. We had a run-in with a Fanta of questionable origins. The flavor: chinotto, its translation: chinotto. After gagging on the drink and banishing it from our presence, we asked what chinotto was and all we were told was: chinotto – we figure it’s some kind of root, like ginger. Blech.

30th We slept in til 8:30 then sleepily headed to Marcado Centrale, an indoor market of some fame. There we shared a watermelon half and some beef with potatoes from the restaurant that Logan’s 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die book recommended – actually, several more places than that were visited because of the book, but the book’s involvement has been underplayed until now. (Don’t worry, Laura only tasted the potato and is not included in the We of beef-eating). Then we spent a stint at the Post Office and took turns souvenir shopping and waiting in line. We walked to Santa Croche Basilica then to Santa Maria Novella (Logan is not in the latter we due to exhaustion and lack of interest) before dragging ourselves to rehearsal.
That night, we finally made it to Piazza San Michelangelo, though this time by bus, and saw the city just after sunset. It was a little more romantic than I needed it to be, but still worth the venture.

31st We had to be to the airport at 8:00pm, so we crammed as much as we could into the morning and afternoon. We took a train to Pisa (where the airport is located), made a cursory visit to the leaning tower and its accompanying church – by the way, there is nothing else in that little city - and traveled on to Livorno. We went to a beach resort that seemed to only have six songs in its DJ’s repertoire including an anti-love song that must be edited when played in the States. We swam (this We does not include Laura who did not bring her suit and stayed shaded on the rocks under an umbrella) in the Mediterranean, and climbed rocks that appeared to have been arranged by a colossal child with no sense of how to sort things according to color or texture. We all napped under the umbrella, but I became completely un-shaded from the waist down and did not reapply sunscreen during my hour and a half nap (and, no, I didn’t plan to sleep that long. The sea just relaxes you beyond any other sleep aid). I was severely burned, but didn’t feel the pain until we were waiting in the airport. I was really red and ached all over. I could feel myself dehydrating.
The rest of the experience is all a little blurry since my only thought was to get home and borrow Elicia’s aloe. We did make it back safe though, and luckily weren’t part of the group that lost their bags for a few days because of flight mix-ups. My only complaint of the trip was that the exit stamp for our passports was just as light and illegible as the first. Hopefully, you can all take my word for it and not need the irrefutable proof of a legible passport stamp to validate my Italian adventure.

Week 12

2004-07-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

July 19 -24

We did not have a good time working on this show, so rather than using this journal as a platform for my frustration I will just remind you that we were in at least three hours of rehearsal every Monday - Thursday.

The next weekend, 23rd - 24th, we went to Stratford-upon-Avon. FRIDAY we went with the UCN group. Luckily we only had to see them for the travel portion of the day, so we went off to meet Joe and Irene, Logan’s friends from BYU-Hawaii. We tracked them down at the town’s only cheese shop.
The cute story behind this job goes as follows: Irene finds work at cheese shop, Irene comes home smelling like cheese - stinky cheese, Joe buys her perfume so as to gently try to protect his nose, Irene still smells like work, Joe gets part-time job at cheese shop, Joe and Irene live stinkily ever after.
Joe took us on an insider’s tour of the town since he has been living there to complete his masters at the Shakespeare Institute. After making plans to meet Joe the next day, we visited Trinity Church and had to wait for a wedding to finish so that Laura could pay her respects to The Bard. We read D.H. Lawrence poetry which I had acquired early that day, played the ABC game and 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. We then ate quickly and hurried to our shows.
The group languished through Romeo and Juliet while I thoroughly enjoyed myself seeing House of Desire. It is a Spanish Golden Age comedy about love and mistaken identity.
We returned home with the group only to return the next morning with Lynda (the crazy director), Gail and Susan. We met up with Joe and finished the tour of town. He showed us the Shakespeare Institute and the Dirty Duck pub where the actor’s always meet after the show.
That night we saw Dog in the Manger, which I had already seen, but not like this. The RSC calls these shows “Girls on Top” referring to the fact that the men were on the lower level and the women were seated on the upper tier to separate them as they would have been during the Spanish Golden Age. It was outrageous. The audience responded a lot and it brought a whole new energy to the show. Another interesting thing in the audience was the actor who plays Romeo. At the end of the show Laura and I hurried to meet up with Logan, so we took the staircase behind us. We soon realized that it must have had a sign telling us not to use it since two actors started coming up as we were going down. We (remember Logan is not in this we) walked past them and made sounds of apology as we hurried on. They just laughed and made some comment about the strange choice of exit. We went with the group to the Dirty Duck and witnessed several of the actors carousing. We left relatively early to that Lynda could drive home safely and she did, for the most part. We almost caused an accident because of her indecisiveness, but we got home in one piece.

Week 11

2004-07-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

July 12 – 18

MONDAY the 12th marked the first day of rehearsal. We sat in a forever-long meeting talking about hopes for the show and tentative plans for our weekends. We ran out of there as soon as humanly possible and went to the cinema so Logan could take Laura to Fahrenheit 9/11 while I finally saw Harry Potter 3. All was well until we tried to get home. We were informed, by a Sainsbury’s worker who often had to break such news to waiting pedestrians, that the bus had stopped running. We tried to catch another bus which he referred us to, but after 45 minutes of waiting, we started to ask around again to be sure we could get home. Luckily, we asked a man who took pity on us a drove us back to campus. May he be forever blessed.

Besides seeing Spiderman 2 on THUSDAY, nothing much happened until we traveled to Oxford on Friday the 16th. As should always be done when visiting a new area that has a tower, we climbed up the tower. We saw one of the three covered bridges in Europe as well as the room used for the infirmary in the Harry Potter films. It’s inside the Bodleian Library where the Bible was first translated. We also went into the Ashmolean Museum for a bit before heading to Blenhim Palace with our cast. We went to this colossal home because it is known as the Versaille of England, and it’s where the exteriors of Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet were filmed. We also, as one must do when there is one available, traversed the big hedge maze on the grounds. Lastly, we saw the butterfly garden and stood on the sundial that uses one’s shadow to indicate the time.

SATURDAY and SUNDAY the 17th-18th, we returned to London. We saw Old Times with Jeremy Northam, who was very gracious when we met him after the show. We then hurried over to Oleanna just as it closed to try to meet Aaron Eckhart. We had heard he was a jerk and he didn’t disappoint. He was probably just sore because his show was closing early. Just goes to show that star power cannot carry a show without talent (Julia Stiles was his costar). After eating our fill at Wagamama’s, we met up with the cast to see Journey's End. It was a mediocre show set in the British trenches of WWI. We were meant to use it as character motivation since Enchanted April takes place just after the war.
That night, the group left and we made our way to the hostel. Having expected towels to be provided, we had to dry off with extra sheets. I slept better there than back at the dorms since the constant sound of drunken Americans and rowdy teenaged Italians had been escaped. In the morning we went to church for the only time we were able to make it in the five weeks we were on the program. We then attended evensong at Westminster Abbey, after which Laura and I promptly lost Logan on the way to Macky's (Londoners’ name for McDonalds). He had gone across the wrong street to the other Macky’s when Laura and I went ahead. After an hour of searching the streets and various Macky’s and knowing we could all get home alright, Laura and I caught the next train home. Logan made it home and we all laughed about the incident.

Logan and Laura then awoke the next morning rather sick. I would have to wait a few more weeks for my turn at the bug.

Week 10

2004-07-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

July 5 - 11

Finally, my last five weeks in England. I couldn't get my computer to communicate with the campus computers, so I couldn't update. All the corresponding pictures will have to wait until I have wireless internet access again. I understand if you just skip all this since it's no longer current. Because of its length, this travelogue will arrive in at least three installments.

MONDAY, for my last day in London, I had to go to the BUNAC office to meet my appointment for my National Insurance number. As it turns out, I may never need it since I didn’t make enough money to have to pay Nash Insurance or taxes. It’s my number for life, though, so it may one day come in handy. After I moved my stuff to Kristen’s room, I dashed to the National Gallery. I loved the varied displays. I was able to see several of the pictures I had been taught about in classes. I then rushed to the Victoria coach station to catch the bus to Northampton.
[written at time of arrival rather than in retrospect] The bus ride was quick. The area is lovely. Since I stepped off the bus I was reminded of why it's so great to be petite and female. A man who had just gotten off his shift showed me to the right bus to get to the campus and made sure to find someone who was headed there as well. This young man is a student here named Benny. He helped me with my suitcases and showed me to my building, which is of course the furthest from the road. He then ran around to find someone to help me move in. I went to the reception desk where they gave me my key as well as a doughnut, a strawberry and lots of tea. I then dropped all my stuff off in the room and called around to let everyone know I was safe. Then I headed back to the reception desk, which if I haven't mentioned is in the center of campus and has 24 hour service, where they directed me to a pub. It was no longer serving food, so they are now going to help me order take-away. I am so glad for everyone's help. Actually, I need a UCN number to get on-line; the office to get that number is closed, so I am writing to you from the reception office. There is no end to their help.

Until Logan arrived on the 8th, I pretty much stayed to myself. We went into town and started the habit of renting 3 movies for 5 pounds for 7 days.

FRIDAY the 9th, Laura arrived and we went to a little gathering to meet the other people on the program. The important introduction was to Rob, the local man who would be playing my husband. He's really nice and friendly, which he would have to be to make a living as a pub DJ. Logan and I also saw Fahrenheit 9/11 which was a brutal examination of the Bush presidency's choices. And I will now move on so as to not offend the conservative persons potentially reading this.

SATURDAY, the 10th, we went to Althorpe, the home of the Spensers, of which Princess Diana is perhaps the most well known. Her body is buried in the island at the center of the lake on the property. There was also a museum commemorating her life. We (and by we I mean Logan Miller, Laura Sorensen and Me unless otherwise noted) walked to the village nearby via the never-ending avenue of trees. Once there we sat at a church and marveled at the local landscape. We were in the Shire, complete with a sign directing us to Long Buckby and Nobottle. We quickly returned to the group bus to go to the local fair dedicated to crafts and dog competitions. We - and this one doesn’t include Laura since she is a vegetarian - shared one of the renown pasties the size of a large paper plate folded on itself and filled to bursting with beef and potatoes. I like British food a lot more than I was prepared to.

Week 9

2004-07-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

This is the worst journal entry of all. I forgot about it for months. I had listed all I did, but didn't flesh it out till a few days ago. I admit, It's a bit pathetic.

June 28 – July 4

MONDAY, I started the day off with the director’s commentary of In America. It has to be one of the best I’ve heard. It is so honest and appreciative. I then headed to Cancer Research for my three hour contribution. I made a big dent in the collection and priced several books to put out. Some of them were taken off the shelves within minutes of putting them out. It was especially fun day because Eleanor, the manager who seems to be in her late fifties, stayed in the back with me to sort clothes. She is a hoot. We talked about everything we could think of. After I was through for the day I went over to Lauren’s. We looked at some places for me to stay since a big group has taken over my hostel after Thursday. Nothing looks both safe and cost effective, so I will spend a few days on Lauren’s floor. I just have to keep telling myself that everything will be okay. Once I get into things, I am fine. It’s the transition time before things get going that is the hardest. Lauren went home to get a call and Emily and Kristen came over to finish the movie. They loved it too.

WEDNESDAY I volunteered at Cancer Research again. It’s great to spend time with Eleanor. Later, I hang out with Emily and Kristen. I did my laundry with a special whitening material that still left my socks pink.

THURSDAY, I took stuff to Lauren’s apartment bright and early Thursday morning. Kristen and I saw Mystic River at the Prince Charles Cinema. It’s the reduced price cinema on Trafalgar square. I wandered around town for a while before heading to Emily’s to spend the night on her floor.

FRIDAY was my last day to volunteer at Cancer Research. I found a 5 pound certificate to Sainsbury’s, so Eleanor let me keep it as gift for my time there. I spent the night on Laura’s floor.

SATURDAY I saw the Royal Ballet School with Lauren and Kristen. It was amazing and it was only the students. The most captivating piece was the modern dance with quick, angled movements between men dressed in black and a single woman dressed in white.

SUNDAY I went to Hampstead to see where my character lived. It was a nice area. Keats’ home is there along with a strange church that hosts a labyrinth walk. Really too weird to explain.
To celebrate the fourth of July, Emily, Kristen and I went on a party boat sponsored by BUNAC that floated along the industrial side of the Thames. After confusion about where to meet, we had a relatively fun time. It was a little hectic since there was a lot of drinking and carousing with no where to escape, but we stayed together to make out own fun. There was a photographer there for TNT magazine and we learned later that the picture of us was published in the spread about the party. Kinda cool.

Week 8 Highgate

2004-06-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

June 19 – 27

SATURDAY, we had to move out. I decided to stay up late to pack while Emily decided to get up early. It worked out and we left the flat at noon. We took the bus to get to the tube station, transferred to a few other tubes, then onto another bus to get to the hostel. It was miserable. Everyone could see that, so several people stopped to help us. One man, who waited at the bus stop with us, was especially helpful. He told us about the town and the little fair that was on for the day. He also talked about the several roads named some variation of Park on one of which was our hostel while he lived on another (just a few houses down from West End actor Jonathan Price). Evidently a lot of actors live in this area. Anyway, we checked in and vowed to get rid of a few things so that the next move would be better. This became more necessary for me when I realized that a wheel on my smaller bag had snapped off. Now the plan is to send a few things home and donate a few more. I must get everything down to one bag. We walked the town and found a large wooded area to get lost in for a while. We then ate and came home to crash.

SUNDAY was church then Emily and I found an internet café that charges 1 pound an hour, so we shared the hour and sent out a little.

MONDAY was another long day. We started off by going to BUNAC to check for job listings. We found a few nice temp agencies to call and headed to an interview for Emily. She is staying until late August, so her opportunities will be greater than mine, though not much greater since most places here expect at least 4 months of work. While Emily was at interview/training session, I called the temp agencies and ran errands. When I got back to meet her, she called the mobile to explain that the session had been cancelled and she had gone on to do other errands. After we met up, we had a little lunch and finished our joint errands including making a dry-run to her new hostel. She is staying at one that is closer to central London than this one and gives her two decent meals a day. I decided to stay here since there weren’t more openings and they need people to stay for at least 14 days which I may not have by the time a new opening becomes available. At this hostel, I have a kitchen, so I can cook for myself, which we both agree is preferable.

TUESDAY, I attended an appointment with NatWest to open a UK bank account for employers to direct deposit into. Then, we headed home to move Emily out. As we embarked, a temp agency called with a job. Emily had a training session, so she couldn’t take it. I accepted a receptionist assignment that I had an hour to get to. I rushed a few blocks home to change, booked it to the tube, transferred to anther line, and booked it from the station to the job.
I worked a switchboard for the head office of local casinos. I felt a little connection to home because they had both London and Las Vegas time in the office. I worked from 12:30 to 6:30. It was easy enough, and I had a chance to get through one-third of a novel called Lovely Bones about a girl in heaven who was too attached to the affairs of Earth to move on because she needed to help them heal from her vicious murder. I know that sounds like crap, but it’s a real page turner. After work, I met up with Emily and crashed on her bed. After grabbing dinner, I made the 40 minute trip home and am now writing this travelogue. It’s a lot easier to write when I keep up with it at least every three days instead of three weeks.

WEDNESDAY, I slept in before heading out to hunt down wireless internet. I figured hotels would have access, and in the states, you can just walk in and sign on. Not so here. You have to sign onto a pay-by-the-minute system. I assume paying customers get some kind of code to get free access, but alas, I will have to continue paying one pound an hour at the internet café. I made it back to town and went to volunteer at the Cancer Research Charity shop. I sort the books by genre, pick out the rare ones to have a dealer look at or pick out the ones that won’t sell to toss. Once I have gotten through the few hundred backlogged in the basement, I will price them for sale. I stayed for three hours and will continue to volunteer every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for three hours until I go up to Northampton. I eventually met up with Emily to see her new place. It will get the job done. Her roommate is nice and she will have her Utah roommate in the same building tomorrow and for the rest of the summer. It will work out.

THURSDAY, I met Emily and Kristin, her roommate, at BUNAC where Kristin was doing her orientation. We went to Leather Lane to look at the clothes, then had vegetarian take-away. I then headed home for a nap and time to myself. I really like staying alone. It’s nice to have friends to be with if I want, but I no longer have to stay with them. Emily has the mobile, so I do have either hang with her in case a temp job calls in or stay close to my hostel so she can leave a message for me. About 8pm we met to use the internet and do laundry. The laundry facility here is great. It’s the cheapest around and highly efficient. The only thing is that something in my wash has still dyed other things pink. Once I figure out what it is, I’ll chuck it.

FRIDAY, it took almost an hour to finally get a package sent off to my parents. I had to get to the post office and go through several waitings in line to get it out. I had to buy packing tape and labels (neither of which I plan to use again) and stuff the box with the free newspaper from the tube station. I then had to withdraw money from the ATM nearby because the machine didn’t like my card for the transaction (which the teller said was common). I had to rush to eat lunch before heading to the charity shop. While there, I finished going though the massive hill of books in the basement. I will now go through them again to sort them for future sale. It was such a mess. It’s nice to have a project that has a clear progression. I am now pricing the books that have already been sorted and tossing the books that are over two weeks old. I will go back on Monday.
I then headed to Sainsbury’s on the bus, which is a twenty minute trek. While on my way, I saw a sign for a clothing showcase. I decided to go there before getting my groceries. Not only was it terribly far away, but the shops were already closed. I don’t think I’ll go back there. The clothes are not my style and the locals are a little too friendly, if you know what I mean.
Once home, I made dinner. The serving sizes out here are a little quirky, and I made too much. I decided to ask the front desk clerk if he’d had dinner, yet. He is the only person I’ve actually gotten to know here because we chatted while I checked in and later when we did laundry. He explained that he hadn’t, but his girlfriend was making him dinner. I promptly made sure he knew I had had asked him because he was the only person I’d met. He obviously understood that I wasn’t making a move because he showed up later with a bowl of ice cream for desert because I had been so kind as to offer dinner. Of course, that was funny too because I was just finishing off a heaping bowl of chocolate ice cream. We decided that there could never be too much ice cream and I accepted the fresh bowl of strawberry ice cream. I love silly moments like these.

SATURDAY, In the afternoon, I met with Emily and Kristin. A chipper Australian named Richard had joined them. He lives in the same hostel they do and since the met at dinner a few nights ago they have been hanging out. We met at Camden Town then walked to Regent’s Park. The roses are not as in bloom as they were the last time we were there. I was glad to have taken so many pictures last time. We headed back to their hostel and listened to some music while we waited for Richard’s friend to pick him up and for Lauren to call me. She did and I found my way to her dorm. It turns out she only lives down the street from me. We took the bus up the street to my house and on the way I lost my tube pass. One minute it was in my hand and the next it was gone. So, the night was cut short.

SUNDAY, I reported my tube pass lost and they instructed me how to replace it and get a voucher for the unused money on it. I made it to church just as it started. Afterwards, we walked to the Prime Meridian which is just across the Heath from our church. I now have stood in two places at once. We celebrated Kristin’s recent birthday at Wagamamas and rented In America. We didn’t get to finish the movie since the girls had to get back home before it got too late. I decided to finish it and loved it. It was one of those movies you just have to sit afterwards and take it all in.

Week 7

2004-06-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

June 14 – 18

MONDAY was the last chance to get help with the final. I think I’ll do fine. Emily helped Matt and I stage my script adaptation for the Shakespeare final. It’s got a lot more flare now. For our last show at The National Theatre we saw Iphigenia at Aulus, a modern adaptation of the Euripides classic. In this story, Agamemnon is forced to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia so that the ships can get wind to sail to Troy to reclaim Helen. The modernization did not work smoothly because we are aware that ships no longer need wind, but I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to stay engaged. The chorus was a delightful group of women who were involved with most of the action. All in all, I would recommend it.

TUESDAY, Emily, Caitlin, Marianne and I took a day trip to Paris. The Chunnel got us there about 8am and we went home at 10pm. We saw the Eiffel Tower, Arch de Triumph, walked the Champs Elysee, went inside Notre Dame, looked at the massive exterior of the Luvre and explored the Toulouse Lactrec’s old stomping grounds, Monmantre, where the Mulin Rouge once stood. We stopped by a pastry shop on the way home and filled ourselves with delicacies. While on the train, we quizzed each other for Theater History and Shakespeare. It was a great day, and I’m so grateful we didn’t have to look for a place to sleep.

WEDNESDAY, finals were from 8am to 6pm in three hour chunks. I had Shakespeare first, the theatre history students then had time off while the Dramatic Literature students finished. Afterwards, we invited classmates to our final performance and a small group came. They all seemed to enjoy the adaptation. I think this will be an A term. After all that we just relaxed for the night.

THURSDAY was non-stop. Emily and I journeyed to temp agencies and sketchy apartments. The first apartment we went to was a hole with a very strange landlord. We considered it for a few minutes, but have decided it would be too weird. The temp agency does not seem as promising as we’d like. The agent is great, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of openings right now. Oh, and by the way, I am not cut-out for office work. I’m about average on all my application tests and typing. One day, I need to take a course on intermediate Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications. I have no idea how to merge documents.
Later, we made it to the strangest show ever. It is a German Expressionist piece called Black Rider. Besides saying that is was a very stylized musical that deals with selling one’s soul to the devil and how that backfires, I can’t really tell you what I saw. So interesting. If you have a chance, see an expressionist piece; it’s the only way to know what I’ve seen.

FRIDAY, Emily and I woke up early to prepare to head to the bank to open up Emily’s bank account. My appointment is on the 22nd. We got there on time and it seemed like a pretty easy process. We also stopped by a long-term hostile that we want to move into. The only problem is that the hostile is not available now and may not be for a week. Until then, we are staying in a short-term hostile. It will all work out. We also got a mobile phone. Our friend John sold us his for half-price and we just pre-pay for all our calls. Now I am getting ready to watch About a Boy with Emily and Matt since Matt is leaving tomorrow and we all like the movie. I’ll be sure to keep in touch as much as limited email access will allow.

Week 6

2004-06-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

June 7 - 13

MONDAY we are preparing for finals by studying possible questions to be asked in a game show format of oral exam. Ugh!
Whistling Psyche is a must see. I was so humbled by the performance. I one day hope to play Dr. Barry with such sincerity and power. It's the story of Florence Nightingale and Dr. Barry meeting in a train waiting area after death. The revelation of the plot is so strong. I was completely captivated by a play with two actors speaking extended monologues and barely speaking to each other.

TUESDAY we slept in and worked in homework until we could not stand it anymore. We took a break and traveled to Harrods. It's HUGE and has everything you could think of for rather high prices. The food, though, is pretty comparable. We spent two hours walking around as if we were in a museum where you can look but not touch and have no hope of taking anything home. Then we came home and put our noses to the grindstone.

WEDNESDAY was the last day of regular class. Monday is review and next Wednesday is the first final session. Then we're done.
We saw two more one-acts at the Young Vic. First, was a Brecht piece called “The Exception to the Rule.” What a shining example of Brechtian Theater. I can finally say I’ve seen it. It totally alienated the audience from their emotions and taught that capitalism is not the way to go. The second was an absurdity piece by Eugene Ionesco called “The New Tenant” in which a man moves in his furniture until it takes over the house and the neighborhood and so forth until it causes the stage floor to rise and collapse the set. It was insane. I loved it. Several life stories were played out through the relationships between the furniture, e.g. a love triangle between three chairs. In the end, the man pins himself into a corner and decides to stay there. Emily and I think it could be a metaphor for the life cycle, but it can be anything with theatre of the absurd.

THURSDAY we went to Hampton Court Palace. The best part was the huge maze that dates all the way back to William III. We actually hit a few dead ends. We also saw the royal chambers and state rooms. After about two hours, there really wasn’t much more to see. We walked around the town near the castle and had lunch. Once we got home, we started studying for our tests.

FRIDAY was the day of shopping, though I never actually bought anything. Emily and I took our friend out for a make-over. We helped him pick out new pants, two new shirts, a new belt, new shoes and a new hair color. I decided to give my hair a little pizzazz as well, can you tell in the pictures? Then we came home and worked on homework.

SATURDAY, after sleeping in till 10, the rest of the day was dedicated to homework. We started reading Henry IV aloud and typed up history notes. We left for Regent’s park about five to get tickets for Midsummer Night’s Dream in the open air theater. It was much better than the last show because the same actors who were great were fantastic and those that were over the top played well in this comedy. It was a fresh interpretation of the script, especially in the costuming. The fairies, instead of having wings and pixie dust, were bald and covered in dirt. All of the characterizations were marvelous. It’s a great show to watch outdoors.

SUNDAY I forgot my tube pass, which I knew would happen eventually, and didn’t realize till we were at the tube station. I made it back out to church for the last talk of sacrament meeting and the rest of church. I memorized my lines for my final in Shakespeare while traveling there alone. Then, once again, nose to the grindstone. I can’t wait for school to be over.

Week 5

2004-06-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

May 31 – June 6

MONDAY was class. We had to turn in a take-home midterm for theater history. We're more than half way done.
Then, back to the National for False Servant. The set was spectacular! It was made of clear Plexiglas so that the three rooms of the house could be seen simultaneously. The story is about a woman who dresses as a man to befriend the man she is supposed to marry. She finds out his motives are false and tries to help the other woman he wanted to woo to get away from him. In that action, she gets drunk with power and makes the other woman fall in love with her. In the end, she exposes herself to the man and woman, shaming the man and breaking the heart of the woman. It was really sad to see the second women so broken down.
Just before the show we went to the Thames just outside the National and beach combed. Emily found a bone that seemed to be human. Caitlin found pottery pieces that could be quite old. An art installment in the Tate Modern was a collection of things found on the beach and dated. Some pottery dated back to the 17th century. I only found a snail shell. We plan to go back soon to make some art of our own.

TUESDAY It only rains when we go to the Globe. It was a strange misty rain most of the day and got heavier as the show progressed. I was close, under the roof of the stage, so I didn't get very wet. The show was Much Ado About Nothing with an all female cast. It was wonderful. The acting was superb and the communal nature of the ensemble was heightened with the same-sex cast. Everyone should see an all-female cast.
Our afternoon was passed wandering around Southwark getting tickets for shows we want to see beyond the program. We saw Americana Absurdum at a remodeled chocolate factory. The show, with an American cast from NY, quickly shot out lines examining and often condemning American value of money. We met a cast member before and he invited us to stay after and talk. He invited us to see their new show in Edinburgh called Fat Boy. Emily and I plan to go in early August. We only stayed out till 11:30 so we could make it back to our flat before the tube closed. Then we had to finish homework, so it was a long night.

WEDNESDAY we decided to eat out at Wagamamas after class. It’s a Japanese restaurant with quick service and cafeteria style seating. Rather than making everyone wait for each other’s meals to be done, they bring out each plate when it is finished. It was great and filled me up for the rest of the night. I only snacked for dinner. Caitlin made cookies.
We made it back to the Young Vic to see two one-acts. The first, "Interior," was about a man deliberating over how to tell a family, that the audience could see up stage on the set, who was happy and carefree that their daughter was just found drowned in the river. It was a very quiet, captivating piece. The second, "Winners," is about young lovers getting married because they are pregnant and who are eventually found drowned in a river together without explanation. I had done a monologue from this piece, so I was especially interested. The energy was really high and the couple communicated well.

THURSDAY Emily and I got student work VISAs through a company called BUNAC. Thursday, we had to go down to the office to attend an orientation, but we got lost. We decided to call it a dry run and plan to go again tomorrow. When I got home, I felt sick and took a nap. I think I was a little sleep deprived and dehydrated.
I woke up feeling refreshed, so we went down to the White Bear Theater, which is a 30 seat venue behind a pub. We saw Simpatico by Sam Shepherd. One of the actors was definitely American and the others did a bang up job at American accents. Some of the vowels were a bit off, but it wasn’t distracting. By the end of the show we were sort of wondering what we had just seen, as it seems most Shepherd plays leave you. It’s really intense to be in such a small venue.

FRIDAY, we went to BUNAC again and made it with plenty of time. The orientation was packed. We learned a great deal about jobs, accommodation and laws. We need to get a National Insurance number that will automatically take 10% of our wages to support the medical system. We also need a UK bank account through NatWest so our employers can direct deposit into our accounts. Now that the orientation is over, we can officially search for jobs. Since I am only in London for three weeks between programs, I am just going to temp, but Emily might find something meatier.
When we got home, we went to the launderette. We washed all our clothes in one washer to save money. Something in the wash gave off some red dye, we still can’t figure out what since we had washed everything in that load before, and a few things came out pink.
We went back to Southwark to another little theater called the Southwark Playhouse. There we saw Three by Beckett, a series of very short one-acts. The acting was some of the best we’ve seen here.

SATURDAY, for the morning, we shopped in Camden Town which is a huge connection of markets known for young people’s hang outs. You can find most clothes, shoes, food and marijuana paraphernalia there. The prices are the cheapest around. Camden Town is in zone two, which means we would need to pay extra to travel there and back if we took the tube from where we live in zone one, but now we know the bus system well enough to take the tube to the farthest zone one station and take the bus the rest of the way. With a zone one bus pass the busses are free no matter what zone you are in.
We then walked to Regent’s park to see Henry IV by Shakespeare in the outdoor theater. Some of the younger actors were way over the top, too much energy with not enough emotion, by the production made me want to read and see more history plays. We then spent about an hour in Queen Mary’s Rose Garden. There are so many gorgeous roses. The pictures I took don’t do them justice. One the way home, we decided to walk the six miles home just for fun. The walk was long, but not bad for how far it was. When I got home, I crashed. We just rested for the rest of the night.

SUNDAY was church. Emily was sick so I went home early to be sure she was okay. It was another late night talking with the roomies.

Week 4

2004-05-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

May 24 – 30

Since we are seeing a matinee on Wednesday, we had another round of classes TUESDAY. Though cramming homework yesterday was awful, I now don’t have class again until Monday. We visited the Banqueting Hall that used to be part of King James I’s castle. It’s the only building to survive a huge fire. It’s important 1) because it was designed by Inigo Jones who was the most famous designer of the Elizabethan Renaissance, and 2) Shakespeare’s plays were performed there for the king. Then we walked up the street to Trafalgar Square where the National Gallery is. We decided to walk down to Big Ben instead of going into the Gallery. Houses of Parliament were really busy, so we just walked around the outside instead of sitting in on a session. Then, to Westminster Abbey which is across the street. I will have to go to evensong some Sunday to be able to see the inside for free, otherwise its 7 pounds that I could spend on a show.
Lastly, we headed to the National Theater to see the History Boys platform. Author Allan Bennett talked about the inspiration for and motivations of the play we saw at the beginning of the program. The run is now sold out and the show has had amazing reviews. I decided to buy the script, and because I attended the platform I will get a signed copy.

WEDNESDAY, we saw Gone to Earth at the Lyric Hammersmith. It’s the story of a naïve girl who lives close to the earth and has to try to understand love without any explanation from those around her. It was very affecting. It’s based on a novel by Mary Webb, so I will probably buy it if I can find it.
Then we went back to the National for Measure for Measure. This is my least favorite Shakespeare play, maybe one of my least favorite ever, and the production did nothing to help me. It was very contrived with the director’s influence much too apparent.

THURSDAY was the day at Cambridge: The colleges are beautiful, at least on the outside. We couldn't go in because exams were in session. King's College has an impressive Church of England chapel. The ceiling is carved with images of people and the stained glass depicts bible stories. We attended evensong with a lovely boy's choir. After touring a few colleges, we walked around an outdoor market. England is full of them. I will miss markets when I get back home. The fruit is always fresh and there are always little handicrafts that can't be found elsewhere.
After that, and after a stint of being lost, we made our way to the river for punting. Punting involves directing a boat down the river with a long pole that pushes off the river bottom (much like a gondola). I got in boat number 3, titled Ménage, with Emily Maryann and Matt. Matt was the first to. We then traded in round Me, Maryann and Emily. It is really hard to keep the boat going straight. While we weren't punting we were using the emergency paddle to push us off the bank or moored boats. I have a great picture of Emily saving us.
After an hour, we made our way back to the town, thankfully dry (I very nearly fell in once). Next, we shopped in the stores around town. Emily and I bought pedometers to track how far we walk. We've found that we walk upwards of five miles daily. I'll have to work hard to keep that up when I'm back in the States. Then we went to evensong, as mentioned above, and on to dinner.
While trying to find a restaurant that we could all agree on, I crossed the street without looking back to the right to see over the bridge. All of a sudden, I could see from the corner of my eye a girl on a bike pedaling towards me. I sped up and she ploughed into my backpack. Thankfully no one got hurt - I startled her a lot - but I was scared to cross the street for a long time.
Lastly, we saw a production of Othello performed by Cheek by Jowl. It was unlike anything else I've ever seen. Othello, though a distrusting murderer, was so compelling and sympathetic. Emilia was a fully developed, strong woman who could stand up against Iago. The staging kept all the characters onstage throughout the play; those who were not involved in the scene stood silently with their backs to the action. It kept the energy of the production so high you could almost see it.

FRIDAY, Emily and I tried out the Shakespeare walking tour with our class, but tired of group travel quickly. The group shuffle is the worst, and we‘ve seen enough locations that are only famous because it is likely that Shakespeare was once there. We went over to the National to place my History Boys order then headed to Southwark to get tickets to Americana Absurdum. We got a little lost and walked around for a while trying to find a tube stop. The neighborhood was a bit sketchy, but we made it home in one piece.

SATURDAY, we went with Megan and Maddie to Buckingham Palace. We walked from home near Kensington Gardens over to the Palace. Then we headed to Borough market which has a wide selection of fresh produce. We got there about an hour before it closed and by the time we were ready to leave a lot of vendors were giving great deals to move their fresh produce. I got enough peppers to last a week, a bag of grapes and a pint of strawberries for 1 pound. I also got a loaf of sunflower wheat bread for 50p. I made roasted peppers for the next few days off and on. They’re really good in a sandwich with humus.

SUNDAY we got to know the local college age students at church. The night was fun because I stayed up late talking with roomies. Emily, Caitlin and I are really getting along. I’m so grateful to have good friends here.

Week 3

2004-05-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

May 17 – 23

MONDAY was mostly class and homework. We are going to be out of town for three days and I don’t want to do homework in Stratford-Upon-Avon. We went to the store to get snacks for the trip since we only get breakfast at the Bead and Breakfast.
Megan made a lovely dinner with me. Then I went on a walk with Emily in Hyde Park. We wandered around trying to find Kensington Palace. We found the court houses and ran into missionaries. When we asked them where the palace was, they pointed right behind us to a smallish red brick building. Not a huge deal.

TUESDAY, we started at Warwick Castle which is really quite touristy. Caitlin, Emily and I decided to walk the grounds rather than go into the rooms of the castle. It was a beautiful day, and I took lots of pictures. The peacocks were great. We waited around long enough for them to do their dance of love. It was rather funny. One guy started then the rest chimed in as a way of competition. Oh, and there were these awful French children who heckled the historical performers. The archer threatened to shoot them to the pleasure of the crowd.
Then we went to Kenilworth. The castle is ruins now, but it once owned by Robert Dudley, the famed lover of Elizabeth I. She visited the castle for a week to great hurrah. The ruins were quiet and tranquil, a nice break from the last castle.
We then made our way to our Bed and Breakfast. We stayed at the Dylan with Anne and John “the other half”. They learned all our names and made excellent an English breakfast. The rooms were cute and cozy. After the B&B we went out for lunch at Café Uno. We got our food to go since it was a 25% reduction. When we were about to leave we realized we didn’t have utensils. The waiter gave us forks from the table and told us to keep them, so I have a rather ordinary looking souvenir from Stratford-Upon-Avon.
We saw the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Romeo and Juliet. It was hard not to compare it to the Globe’s production. All in all I thought the production was weaker because it has less characterization and internalization of the text. Some people thought that was a strong choice since it may the listener focus on the text. I’m glad I got to see a second production to compare interpretations.

WEDNESDAY, we started the five location tour of homes related to Shakespeare. There’s not a lot to say about them because you’d have to see what I was talking about to be even remotely interested in what I say. After the fifth house, a lot of stuff just blended together. First: Anne Hathaway’s childhood home. Second: Mary Arden Farm where Shakespeare’s mother grew up. Here we saw an owl that was filmed in Harry Potter. It probably wasn’t Hedwig since the tour guide wasn’t clear, but we pretended it was.
We returned to the RSC for the Spanish Golden Age series. The matinee was Tamar’s Revenge. It retold the bible story of Amnon raping his sister and Agamemnon killing Amnon for Tamar’s revenge and his own political gain. It alluded to Agamemnon’s later fall and the rise of Solomon, but never got that far in the tale. The rape scene was obscenely graphic with Amnon ripping off her underwear from under her dress and pulling his down under his shirt. The emotion was a little forced throughout. I enjoyed the second show much more. Dog in the Manger was a superbly acted, well-needed comedy. I liked it so much, I bought script. It’s a story of class and love trying to cross that line. The ensemble was remarkable. It was by Lope de Vega, so it was very witty and the comic timing was spot on. I really felt like I wanted to go back a see it again.

THURSDAY Next on the tour: Shakespeare’s birth place. Then to Nash house, which Shakespeare bought when he was rich and could afford “the second best house in town.” Lastly: Hall’s Croft, the home of Shakespeare’s son-in-law. Afterwards, Emily and I went to Trinity Church where Shakespeare and most of his family are buried.
Most of the group then went to Coventry Cathedral. Coventry is an example of forgiveness. It was bombed out in WWII, but when Dresden was also destroyed, they helped that community rebuild. At Coventry, you can see the ruins and a new, very modern, cathedral. The difference is striking. The trip was very long because of construction. What should have taken fifteen minutes took almost an hour.
We cut the trip short to make it back in time, but the traffic was even worse. We spent most of the trip practically parked. We missed the first hour and a half of Macbeth. We were seated at the end of the third act when Banquo’s ghost appears at the dinner. From what I saw of it, it was a very emotionally charged performance. The back wall could move and closed in on Macbeth as the armies approached. The end added Fleance and a reappearance of the Witches to give the impression that fate will still have a hand in the affairs of the country.
We then grabbed a quick bite and headed home on the coach. We got home at 1 am and promptly fell asleep.

FRIDAY, class was postponed until 10 and homework wasn’t due until 5. We stayed in until five to get all the work done then went grocery shopping to replenish our shelves. I finished out the day by reading the rest of the plays for the semester in preparation for a comprehensive final performance for Shakespeare class.

SATURDAY, I just stayed home all day and worked on my idea for my final. I am condensing the love relationships of the five plays we read into one relationship to emphasize the Elizabethan importance of marriage as the stabilizer of relationships.

SUNDAY, we went to church and met some new people. The rest of the day was dedicated to relaxation. I like feeling like I live here and I don’t have to always be on the go. It’s been a really good summer.

Week 2

2004-05-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

May 9 – 16

SUNDAY was an adventure. We tried to get to Blackheath to attend church. To get there, we had to take the tube to Victoria Station where we would catch a train to Blackheath. We had two problems. One, once we got to the station, we had no idea where to go next. We didn’t get that far, though, because of problem number two. The Victoria station will be closed in the Blackheath direction every weekend for the next while. Our only other option to get there would involve a 10 pound trip from train to bus to a lengthy walk. We opted to go to the ward close to the flat which is overpopulated with visitors.
After church, we went to St. Peter’s Cathedral. It is currently under construction, so we couldn’t see it’s fully glory, but it was gorgeous. You can see its spire from almost any point in the city. Pictures aren’t allowed inside, so I only have outside shots (which I will get into email soon). We attended the beginning of evensong which is a daily ceremony involving adult and children’s choir. We sat in the back, behind the partitions, so we could leave without commotion. The boy’s choir was lovely. It was enchanting looking at the vaulted ceilings painted with vivid colors and gold while listening to the boy’s choir. I don’t know what it is about boy choirs that I love so much, but I think it has to do with the childhood silent animated movie The Snowman. An English boy sings as the snowman and the boy fly to the North Pole.
After that, we promptly returned home because my left ankle began to ache. I am giving it a lot of rest and have wrapped it to give more support. I think it only has to do all the walking that I am not used to. I have always has weak ankles.

MONDAY was class. We’re discussing Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Poetics in history, and Macbeth in Shakespeare. As soon as I got home, I napped because I had been working my ankle in class with my Pilates band and had tuckered out.
We saw The History Boys at the National. It was so good; I forked over the 2 pound 50 for a program. There are so many nuances that I loved that it is hard to talk about. The story followed seniors in public school preparing for the entry exams for Cambridge and Oxford. The issues dealt with ranged from historicity, literature, homosexuality, and above all expectations. The acting was exemplary. All of the actors actively listened and honestly interacted. The story came so to life that I could have watched it much longer than the 2 and a half hour running time. The writing was subtle and natural. The comedy came from honesty rather than shtick. This is the first show that I could not point out the weak actor or weak plot point. Everything worked together.
On the way home, my right leg began to hurt because of having to take care of the left leg. I am staying off of it as much as I can with the dependence on mass transit. I’m sure it will get better, so no need to worry, it’s just a complication for all the walking we do here.

TUESDAY we went to see Life Game. It is a game show style performance where someone that is somehow related to the National Theater gets interviewed by an improv troupe and sees their life acted out. Our interviewee was a director with little to say. She perked up the most when they enacted a Christmas family dinner and she could ding a bell if what they were doing was right and honk a horn if they were wrong. She liked that so much that she wanted to use the bell and horn throughout. Afterwards, we learned that Amanda got her purse stolen during interval. She kept it with her, but didn’t have bodily contact with it. It was found later that night with her money and books missing. Our teachers told us to deface our book by writing our name largely on the cover so they won’t have a good resale value. We are all a little more aware of our surroundings now.

WEDNESDAY we made out first visit to the Tate Modern. We took two hours to look at one floor. It had two displays - Nude/Action/Body and History/Memory/Society. In History, I was most impressed by Pollok’s painting. I didn’t take down names and we can’t take pictures, so I will just have to go back. In the Nude, I was surprised by a realistic nude painting called The Painter and his Second Wife which had the explanation that the marriage was never consummated. All I could think was, why? It stuck with me and now I want to do research on it. Rodan’s The Kiss was beautiful. I have learned that I appreciate installation art. Instead of just statue, it includes environment. There was one called My Two Lighthouses which showed such slow transition of light that I could not tell the color was changing until it was completely different. I can’t remember most of it, so I will definitely have to go back.
We visited Piccadilly Circus which is like Times Square. I then made a full dinner with Emily, including chicken which may be the first meat I’ve had here.

THURSDAY we saw our first Matinee, Tom Stoppard’s translation of Pirrandello’s Henry IV. In it, a man loses consciousness while impersonating Germany’s Henry IV and wakes up believing he is Henry. This delusion lasts almost two decades with complete castle and costumes. He comes out of his delusion just long enough to kill his ex-fiancé’s husband and must revert to his insanity to avoid prosecution. The acting was superb and it marked the shortest play as of yet at only an hour and a half. Ian McDiarmid, best known as the emperor in Star Wars, played the title role convincingly. The ensemble worked well together.
We then did a little window shopping in Covent Garden where Donmar Theater is located. The rest of the day I was just a home body.

FRIDAY morning was filled with Kew Gardens. We spent six hours and only saw maybe half the garden. Most of the time was spent in the Palm House. Now that I have the whole picture email thing worked out you’ll get pictures which will describe the day better.
We then journeyed back to the National to see Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads. Taking place in a pub, the story revolves around race relations in England. It was so powerful I cried during most of the interval after Act I. The ensemble worked so well together that they really made the set come alive.

SATURDAY we went back to the Tate Modern, though this time to the third floor. Here we had Landscape/Matter/Environment and Still Life/Object/Real Life. I took nearly a half hour to look at one installation entitled Lighting with a Stag in its Glare. The lighting is a huge triangular brass piece suspended from the ceiling. The stag is an ironing board on logs cast in aluminum to show the brightness of the flash. There is a cart to represent a goat and little sausage things to represent primordial creatures. The artist, Joseph Beuys, was the man credited with saying “everyone is an artist.” I was drawn to it without much explanation. After seeing several of Matise’s paintings, I realize that I don’t like them. They are too simple and I can’t really understand their importance. This was yet another time when I will have to come back to get it all in.
We also found the best, cheapest produce at Berwick Market just a ways from Piccadilly Circus. I bought mushrooms, oranges, strawberries and green beans (each a medium-sized baking bowl full) for four and a half pounds.

SUNDAY while on my way out of church, a woman stopped me to be sure I was in fact old enough to be attending college since I didn’t look it. I hadn’t gotten that one in a while. When we got home, we just rested and caught up on journals.

Week 1 Arriving in London

2004-05-06T00:06:00.000-07:00

May 1st – 6th

SATURDAY, I flew from Las Vegas to D.C. to Heathrow Airport. Luckily Shelby was on my second leg and we helped each other get through customs. We met up with another girl and found our way to our group leaders. We got our tube pass and rode into town. We then trudged from Gloucester Road tube stop to our Flat, about 4 blocks. The distance wasn’t so bad, it was the weight of four months worth of stuff that made the travel slow. Once we settled in, we took the day to get our bearings.
We actually went to our first show fully jet-lagged. Micheal Frayn’s The Permanent Way was performed as a living newspaper that informed us of all the underhanded ways in which the rail company shirks its responsibilities to the British people who have been hurt by the rail. Most of us missed most of the performance, but we were all awake for at least one scene which involved a multi-media derailing of a train with the loudest accident sounds I have heard. We then sleepily headed home from the National Theater on a trail which would soon become as familiar as going home.

MONDAY was our first classes. I’m going to like this. The homework won’t be too heavy and we only have class in the morning two days a week. We are reading Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello and Measure for Measure for the Shakespeare class. We will also see the plays in production (two versions of Romeo and Juliet). We just have a textbook and packet for Theater History that shouldn’t be too hard to get through. I just have to pace myself and not procrastinate. We’ll see how long that lasts.
We saw an interesting version of Cyrano De Bergerac at the National Theater. The set resembled an erector set of pipes with various levels. It was positioned on a revolve stage, so some scenes involved the rotation of the set. The actor playing Cyrano seemed just a little off. Some people thought he looked like he was drunk; he certainly looked addled. I liked the lead female, though her character’s motivations left me wanting. The performance had musical qualities, in the sense that they broke into song a few times, but didn’t really fit the genre. I was not impressed with the show, but I was glad to see more theater.

TUESDAY we saw the London Tower. We were rained on for most of the afternoon, so it really felt like London for the first time. We went in the White Tower first and learned about the various prisoners that were kept there; most of whom were eventually beheaded. The most interesting beheading was Anne Bolin’s. She requested that she be able to kneel and pray, so instead of an axe on the shopping block she got a sharp sword to do the job. She was praying so fervently and the sword was so sharp that when her head came off, her lips were still moving.
Next, we saw the Crown Jewels. The biggest is the Star coming in at a whopping 350 karats. They don’t allow photography in the jewel room so no one can make clear plans to steel anything. Though, I don’t know who would successfully make money off the Star because it is so renowned that no one I can think of would risk buying it. I’m sure England would consider waging war on anyone who tried.
We also walked the Tower Bridge which replaced the London Bridge after it came falling down. There were great photo opportunities, but unfortunately, I forgot my camera. I have been here five days and I still don’t have a picture. I promise to make up for it soon.
After such a cold, wet day, we just hung out at home and worked on homework. Its nice to feel like I really live here and I’m not just a tourist. I’m beginning to recognize the coin money on sight without having to find the amount written on the coin. By the way, pence come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 in addition to 1 and 2 pound coins. The smallest paper money denomination is 5.

WEDNESDAY was class. Not a lot to tell. We went grocery shopping for the second time to get all those things that just make food more enjoyable like lettuce for sandwiches and nutella for, well, anything. I have yet to find a shop that sells wrist watches to replace the one that died on me the first day. I also need replacement sunglasses.
We learned today that we get our rooms vacuumed once a week, on Thursday. We can also have our sheets laundered if we remove them and put them outside the door. I shower before bed, so I won’t do it this week. Besides, I am on the top bunk and they don’t use a fitted sheet here, so the idea of putting my sheets back on by myself after I get a fresh set is a little daunting.

THURSDAY we visited the London Museum. It chronicles the development of London from the time before the thought of London even existed to modern-day technology. The exhibits were very informational with placards explaining the origin and importance of the artifacts.
I found the money pieces fascinating because they showed the lineage of rulers in the area surrounding London and the rulers of nearby countries involved in trade. The most interesting piece depicted Saint Michael vanquishing the dragon.
There are models of early structures with impressively intricate detail. I love the Crystal Palace model. It was built as a temporary site for a world renowned exhibition and was so large that it was built around trees in the park. I have decided that if time travel becomes possible, I want to see the exhibition at the Crystal Palace.
The walk through took about three hours. I had to take a short sit-down break about half-way through to rest my feet. There was a display on women’s voices from the 1910s to today. Recordings played while photographs showed the people being interviewed. They mostly talked about the extraordinary women in their lives or about their own experiences. It brought home the importance of every-day interactions with family.
We will later visit the Tate Modern museum and the Natural History museum. There are still no pictures yet because you can’t take pictures in the museums.
We saw our third show tonight at the Young Vic. The theater is a black box, so I was not surprised to find the performance to be experimental. The play, Cruel and Tender, is based in the Greek myth of Heracles. He is a war general that brings home a beautiful captive from his conquered country to his wife. Hi wife, having become jealous, gives him a gift that is said to make him faithful to her. The gift has poisonous properties that slowly kill him. When his wife realizes that she has killed her husband, she commits suicide. This modern adaptation makes the husband part of the war on terror. The gift that his wife gives him is a chemical weapon that she naively accepts from an old friend as a last resort to win her husband back. At the end of the play, the husband is taken away to be judged for his war crimes including killing the whole town his mistress lived in.
This was the most captivating piece I’ve seen in a while. The director and the actors made very clear choices that give me a lot to think about. I hope to see more theater of this caliber while I’m here. One of my roommates and I plan to attend another Young Vic show later in the season.

FRIDAY we went to the Roman ruins of an old arena theater to tie in our studies of Ancient Roman Theater in Theater History. It is amazing to think that the Roman Empire once reached this far. Though there was not a lot to see and we couldn’t get close to any of it because the excavation is still ongoing, we spent almost an hour there. It was so nice to be in the country. The land is so green and quiet.
After the ruins, we visited churches. The first was St. Michael’s. It had a pleasant graveyard and played the bells on the hour. Next, we traveled to St. Alban’s Cathedral. It was huge. There was a daily mass going on is a small chapel, so music was playing. Tour guides were showing school children around and dressing them up as monks and bishops to tell the history of the Cathedral. Its origins are steeped in legend. Alban was a good man who helped a priest hide from the Roman government which outlawed Christianity. While protecting the priest, he converted and helped the man escape from soldiers. When he wouldn’t denounce his faith, he was put to death. Pilgrimages were made to the spot of his execution because of its healing powers. The following was so great that the cathedral was built on the spot. It is beautiful. I will be sure to send pictures since I finally remembered to bring my camera.
I took about forty pictures today. I just have to remember that there is a delay between when I press the button and the picture takes. Some of my shots are blurry.
After we got home and rested a little, we went to the Globe to see Romeo and Juliet. We were groundlings, so we stood for all three hours of the show. A pillar was in my way, but I saw most of it. It was great to see a show the way they would have done it in Shakespeare’s day. There was little set to speak of, only a roll-on bed and sepulcher. Otherwise, the actors only had the columns to work with. The acting was mediocre from the title characters, but they worked well together. The director chose to have Juliet clearly play 14, so she giggled a lot and looked out of place in adult activities like dancing at the party and discussions with adults. The best role was that of the nurse played by a burly man. He played dead-pan humor and it worked. The sword fighting was captivating and the dancing was interesting to watch because you don’t tend to see dancing like that anymore. Overall, I enjoyed the performance; even with all the standing.

SATURDAY we slept in until 10:30. Then we got ready and headed to Portobello Road. The street is known for its market place where you can buy most anything. I got a cute red watch to replace the one that died just as I got off the plane. I also got a used copy of Much Ado About Nothing to round out my collection needed to read for class. We then headed to a computer store where a friend had just bought a cheap wireless card. I got it for 30 pounds which is comparable to a good sale price in the US. Now I can email as often as I have time, so expect updates every few days.
Now I am just catching up on homework and trying to figure out how to get to church tomorrow. We have to take the train, so we have to account for travel time.

About My Summer

2004-05-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

This summer I kept a daily journal and sent it to friends and family via email. While in London, I learned about blogs and decided this would be a more efficient way to update everyone. I am cataloging my summer journals by the month they were written. Most of the early entries were written as they happened. Several missing points have been written in after the fact, though, so don’t be confused by sudden change in tense.