And my life is revolving around... Theatre

Well my resolution to improve my blogging frequency has failed miserably. Before the semester started I thought I would have more time than usual this semester-- I'm taking a smaller number of classes than usual. But as it turns out, surprise surprise, I'm really busy. So I apologize to any of you who are really interested in my life. Catherine emailed me and asked me what was going on with me, which I so appreciate. Thank you for being interested.

So here's my semester: I'm in two plays, taking two 'traditional' classes, and T.A.ing two classes. The plays give me class credit, so I have a normal amount of credits. I'm out of the house from 9 AM to 11 PM every day except for Thursday, and that usually only gives me two free hours between classes, which is often when I work with students. For the last two weeks I didn't even have that because Twelfth Night was running in the Nelke so I had to use those two hours to grab a bite to eat and get ready for the show. This is why nobody except people I talk to here in Provo know what is going on in my life.

This semester is kicking my butt. In a good way, but it's still happening. I'm taking this class, 'Auditions'. It's the most challenging acting class I've ever taken. I wasn't expecting what it is. I'm learning a ton and this class is so good for me, but I just wonder why some of this stuff isn't used in earlier classes, spread out a little bit, so perhaps we wouldn't feel so overloaded? This class is two hours, three times a week. There are eight students. We work on six monologues and two songs. And very new and different ideas are being introduced for us to use in these pieces. Now they're not completely new to everyone, people who have worked with Laurie, the professor, before have worked with these ideas already a bit. But I've worked mostly with Barta, never Laurie. Laurie is SO DIFFERENT. Let me tell you, these classes usually drain me for the entire day. They're kind of intense. Especially when you're working on a dramatic piece. It's like I've been stripped of everything I thought I knew about myself and my acting abilities and have been given different legs to walk with which I don't entirely know how to use. It's great.

Not only do I work with Laurie during Auditions, but she's also directing my senior project, Little Foxes. This is the hardest character I have ever had to play. I have been so frustrated. In the words of Barta: "every choice Laura would make will be wrong for Birdie." This character is so foreign to me. I have felt like I couldn't do anything right. I have felt emotionally stripped. In the last few days I have felt like I've been making some little steps toward the right place, but I'm not even halfway there and we have tech in a week and a half. I am kind of freaking out. Laurie gives me some bizarre directions, which I've struggled with. But I totally trust her, she's just completely different than anyone else I've worked with before. For example: "In this scene I'd like you to pretend you're conducting an orchestra." or "Pretend you're in a big field of huge dandelions." or "Play this scene like you're two years old." Honestly, I feel bad for her because I have been resisting like crazy, I just don't even know what to do with myself. And I know pulling things out of people is tiring, and Laurie has been giving so much for me. I have so much farther to go, I hope I can get there.

Everyone else in the cast is so great. Honestly, I am so honored to be in the same project with these people. I try to do homework when I'm not onstage but it is so fascinating just to watch these people. And some of them have so much passion for this piece, it's inspiring. I think I'm resisting being totally drawn into it because it's painful. I mean, I am playing an abused wife, so it's understandable that it would be painful, but I'm kind of surprised that I have resisted throwing myself into it. I feel like usually I'm pretty gung ho about theatre. I don't think I have really realized that's what I've been doing, like I just expected the performance to come without really sacrificing for it. I know I've been a little drained, what with Auditions and Twelfth Night, but I really hope to submerge myself now. I have to, these days are just going by so quickly. I'm scared I'm not going to get there before tech. I'm really scared about that.

No project has given me as much anxiety as Little Foxes has. I guess that's why it's my senior project. I'm being stretched SO much. To the point of tears, on several occasions.

Twelfth Night's run in the Nelke is done. I am so glad. I loved performing for adults, who got all the jokes in the dialogue and responded to them, (not that I don't love to perform for the children), but it was exhausting to go straight from classes to that to Little Foxes rehearsal. Our run for Twelfth Night was over two weeks, and all of our performances sold out so quickly! None of us expected this. They added a third show to our last saturday and added a week run in December. Wow, huzzah for Young Company. And I love my cast. I really love them. Young Company has given me so much in the past two years, I am so happy to be a part of it. It is so great to be able to just get away from everything every Tuesday, spend time with awesome people, and introduce kids to Shakespeare. I love it.

And T.A.ing is great. A challenge, but so rewarding. The professor for both classes (Intermediate Acting and Acting for Classics) is Stephanie (Foster) Breinholt (since Barta is out for the semester), and it's been great to see how she works. I've never been in a class taught by her, and I'm learning a lot. It's nice to be on the sameish side of the table as her, being the T.A. I also get to do scenes in Acting for Classics since there's an odd number, so I get to be coached by her too.

I'm also continuing with Thrillionaires Improvised Theatre Troupe. I play pretty much every Monday with them, and we have practices on Tuesday during my one and only break of the day. I also am taking voice lessons on Mondays, so time is pretty crunched. I'm taking with Korianne who was in Nunsense with Catherine and who I love. She's helping me a lot. I just wish I had more time to practice.

So my life this semester pretty much revolves around theatre, there's really nothing much else to talk about, but I could go on forever about any of my classes so I'll stop now.