Alexgotahaircutdidyouseeitohmygodohmygodohmygodyoulooksodifferent (sorry, it just seemed like so much fun. I thought I'd do it too)
Ah, theatre games. My long lost friend. It's nice to get back to really truly thinking of acting as play. Occasionally I get too wrapped up in the seriousness of theatre as work (I said that in my head with an overly important inflection. You can't tell so much on the blog because it's just words on a screen), so it is helpful for me to stop thinking for a bit about playing actions and making stage pictures and all of the other stuff I've gleaned over the years (one day, I will excise R&G words from my vocab).
I'm really looking forward to working with Justin on two separate things. In spite of having been together on four (Four? Yes, four. I think.) productions, plus shortform and longform improv, we haven't done very much together for some reason. It must be the clashing of our overwhelming machismo. Yes, that's it. Don't laugh, dammit.
Also, long live Basque! Without him, all of the rest of you would be without a chair to sit on. Just thought it bore mentioning.
On an unrelated note, I'm very, very, very, very preliminarily thinking of directing a Black Box next year. I haven't really given too much thought yet to type of play, but I am always open to suggestions. I don't have much time now to devote to reading plays (what with the directing one right now and all) but I've got a whole summer to do some ruminating and I would love suggestions on a place to start from.
I'm out like everyone in the final scene
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
RIP, R&G
Parting is such sweet sorrow...
The run went well, other than the whole getting sick and losing my voice for the second weekend. It's a little hard to do a character whose sole feature is volume when you can barely talk, but oh well. ACTF went pretty smoothly, as did strike. I wound up with the same strike-time frustrations as always. None of the actors really want to be there, but they go about handling this in one of two ways: some people pitch in and help so that everyone can leave a little sooner, and some people stand around with their thumbs up their asses so that they don't have to do the work that they don't want to be doing. Oh well. One more play down.
So, onto directing. Going well, albeit slowly. Rehearsals were moving along at a slower pace, since three of my actors, not to mention I myself, all had R&G as a schedule constraint. But, now that's over, and it's time to kick things into high gear. Opening night is in less than three weeks, and there is work to do.
Until next time...
The run went well, other than the whole getting sick and losing my voice for the second weekend. It's a little hard to do a character whose sole feature is volume when you can barely talk, but oh well. ACTF went pretty smoothly, as did strike. I wound up with the same strike-time frustrations as always. None of the actors really want to be there, but they go about handling this in one of two ways: some people pitch in and help so that everyone can leave a little sooner, and some people stand around with their thumbs up their asses so that they don't have to do the work that they don't want to be doing. Oh well. One more play down.
So, onto directing. Going well, albeit slowly. Rehearsals were moving along at a slower pace, since three of my actors, not to mention I myself, all had R&G as a schedule constraint. But, now that's over, and it's time to kick things into high gear. Opening night is in less than three weeks, and there is work to do.
Until next time...
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Rests Are Music Too
Well, it's time to condense two blog entries into one...
On Shakespeare:
Parting is such sweet sorrow. Everyone's monologues and scenes were delightful, and it was a wonderful exercise in theatrical decision making to see five different actresses' takes on the same character. On a personal note, I came into class feeling sick, and my energy was pitiful. For some inexplicable reason, energy magically appeared for my monologue, then disappeared again, then reappeared for my scene, then disappeared again. I wish the little man at the controls would just leave the switch flicked on. My scene was great fun, but I wonder, since there were about three or four things in the performance which were completely new, what might have been with another week or so. Oh well.
To the present:
How interesting it is that the day when we were all so sniping with each other is the day when we start a play entitled, "The Misanthrope". Hmm.
While reading, I found myself getting sucked into reading the rhythm as dictated by the rhyme scheme. I was trying to let the punctuation help dictate emphasis, but I found myself getting drawn toward the singsongy rhyme scheme anyway. As an exercise, I'm thinking of rewriting the lines as paragraphs, just to see what that does to the reading and emphasis of things. All a part of playing with the text. I'm trying to think of the text in a spoken word sort of way. Now it needs execution.
Like a number of the group things we've done (set design for Electra, anyone?), there were probably too many people eager to lead, which is why I'm willing to sit back and follow. It's not so surprising that the times when productivity raced along were when we actually slowed down and gave the floor over.
My scenes seem fun, and Justin and I also both picked out an additional monologue that we're both going to do. I'm pondering the idea of something a bit more creative and interesting than just two people with the same monologue. Dueling Monologues? A Round? Brainstorming and honing is needed.
On the subject of Silverado:
I continue to quest for the perfect story, or at least a good one. I like the idea of the class interacting as "the class". That could be interesting (and by interesting I mean, interesting, with overemphasis on the first syllable).
Kumbaya
On Shakespeare:
Parting is such sweet sorrow. Everyone's monologues and scenes were delightful, and it was a wonderful exercise in theatrical decision making to see five different actresses' takes on the same character. On a personal note, I came into class feeling sick, and my energy was pitiful. For some inexplicable reason, energy magically appeared for my monologue, then disappeared again, then reappeared for my scene, then disappeared again. I wish the little man at the controls would just leave the switch flicked on. My scene was great fun, but I wonder, since there were about three or four things in the performance which were completely new, what might have been with another week or so. Oh well.
To the present:
How interesting it is that the day when we were all so sniping with each other is the day when we start a play entitled, "The Misanthrope". Hmm.
While reading, I found myself getting sucked into reading the rhythm as dictated by the rhyme scheme. I was trying to let the punctuation help dictate emphasis, but I found myself getting drawn toward the singsongy rhyme scheme anyway. As an exercise, I'm thinking of rewriting the lines as paragraphs, just to see what that does to the reading and emphasis of things. All a part of playing with the text. I'm trying to think of the text in a spoken word sort of way. Now it needs execution.
Like a number of the group things we've done (set design for Electra, anyone?), there were probably too many people eager to lead, which is why I'm willing to sit back and follow. It's not so surprising that the times when productivity raced along were when we actually slowed down and gave the floor over.
My scenes seem fun, and Justin and I also both picked out an additional monologue that we're both going to do. I'm pondering the idea of something a bit more creative and interesting than just two people with the same monologue. Dueling Monologues? A Round? Brainstorming and honing is needed.
On the subject of Silverado:
I continue to quest for the perfect story, or at least a good one. I like the idea of the class interacting as "the class". That could be interesting (and by interesting I mean, interesting, with overemphasis on the first syllable).
Kumbaya
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The First Rule of P-Styles...
is that this is an advanced acting class.
The second rule of P-Styles is...you know the rest.
Well, class was alright today. Other than the fact that I didn't really do anything. I sort of wanted to do my monologue again, although I hadn't had a chance to look at it since last class, so I would have been less off-book and probably rusty. Oh well, such is life.
Tech is coming along. Slowly. On the plus side, my costume is the shit.
Hmm, is Act Three about to start?
The second rule of P-Styles is...you know the rest.
Well, class was alright today. Other than the fact that I didn't really do anything. I sort of wanted to do my monologue again, although I hadn't had a chance to look at it since last class, so I would have been less off-book and probably rusty. Oh well, such is life.
Tech is coming along. Slowly. On the plus side, my costume is the shit.
Hmm, is Act Three about to start?
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Everybody's Workin' For The Weekend...
...Everybody wants a new romance. Aah, the 80's. A time I barely lived through.
So, this weekend. Hmm. Busy. NYC on Saturday. Listened to Chris' god-awful collection of 90's music on the way in. Convinced my little subgroup of Jim, Matt and Allie to get pizza for lunch, something they all thanked me for. I miss pizza made by really Italian guys, and I think it gets worse the farther away from New York you go. I've had pizza in the midwest, and it was not good, even compared to pizza in PA (no disrespect intended to Chicago-style pizza, which is a completely different animal. Can you really disrespect a pizza?)
Blithe spirit was enjoyable. I thought it started a bit slowly, but the energy picked up when Angela Lansbury came in, and then it really picked up when Christine Ebersole came around. The ending was absolutely brilliant, which makes up for the slow start. better that than the other way around.
Post-show dinner was good. A bit pricy (it's NYC, what are you gonna do?) but quite filling. Sat with Chris, and witnessed him not get carded when he ordered beer, then watched the waitress try to give his beer to both Billie Jean and me before finally finding its rightful owner. I'll be a little pissed the first time I buy alcohol and don't get carded. I've worked for 21 years to earn that right, dammit.
Sunday. Tech. Oh boy. I don't actually mind tech anymore, because I no longer have a headset on with twenty-ish people looking to me for what to do. Things went reasonably smoothly, although I feel like the addition of costumes will throw a big-ass wrinkle into everything.
Well, I suppose I should get some sleep, since I've got two plays going on and a test. Oh yeah, and something to do with Shakepeare...
So, this weekend. Hmm. Busy. NYC on Saturday. Listened to Chris' god-awful collection of 90's music on the way in. Convinced my little subgroup of Jim, Matt and Allie to get pizza for lunch, something they all thanked me for. I miss pizza made by really Italian guys, and I think it gets worse the farther away from New York you go. I've had pizza in the midwest, and it was not good, even compared to pizza in PA (no disrespect intended to Chicago-style pizza, which is a completely different animal. Can you really disrespect a pizza?)
Blithe spirit was enjoyable. I thought it started a bit slowly, but the energy picked up when Angela Lansbury came in, and then it really picked up when Christine Ebersole came around. The ending was absolutely brilliant, which makes up for the slow start. better that than the other way around.
Post-show dinner was good. A bit pricy (it's NYC, what are you gonna do?) but quite filling. Sat with Chris, and witnessed him not get carded when he ordered beer, then watched the waitress try to give his beer to both Billie Jean and me before finally finding its rightful owner. I'll be a little pissed the first time I buy alcohol and don't get carded. I've worked for 21 years to earn that right, dammit.
Sunday. Tech. Oh boy. I don't actually mind tech anymore, because I no longer have a headset on with twenty-ish people looking to me for what to do. Things went reasonably smoothly, although I feel like the addition of costumes will throw a big-ass wrinkle into everything.
Well, I suppose I should get some sleep, since I've got two plays going on and a test. Oh yeah, and something to do with Shakepeare...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
As I Like It
Today's class was fun. It felt good to finally get the Shakespeare on its feet, before other people. Always excited to see the new choices that are made once there is an audience to perform for.
Seeing everyone else's scenes was fun. It was enjoyable to see all of the different ways that people interpreted the dialogue, and the comedic energy of the scenes. Looking forward to seeing other people do their monologues (grrr...)
I like the general direction that my scene and monologue are going in, but as everyone's notes indicated, I need to continue to work on making stronger, more exact physical choices, and playing with the very different physical energies of the two scenes, as well as continuing to study the actual meaning of all of the words, both my own and those of my scene partners, so that I can do a better job of acting and reacting. There's a good distance to travel down the road, but I think I can see where it is going.
Seeing everyone else's scenes was fun. It was enjoyable to see all of the different ways that people interpreted the dialogue, and the comedic energy of the scenes. Looking forward to seeing other people do their monologues (grrr...)
I like the general direction that my scene and monologue are going in, but as everyone's notes indicated, I need to continue to work on making stronger, more exact physical choices, and playing with the very different physical energies of the two scenes, as well as continuing to study the actual meaning of all of the words, both my own and those of my scene partners, so that I can do a better job of acting and reacting. There's a good distance to travel down the road, but I think I can see where it is going.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Things Have Happened, And Are Happening, And May Happen Yet...
No class today. Bummer. Looking forward to presenting what we've done so far on our scene, plus my monologue (ah, Touchstone). But, such is life. We'll be back around on Thursday.
Very excited about my cast for the One-Acts. I assembled a fine collection of funny people, so coming to rehearsal every day will be enjoyable. Plus, we got through casting without too much bloodshed. Only a little, but it's to be expected when you're fitting 15 people into 11 parts spread amongst 3 plays. Now that the ugliness of the audition process is over, it's time for the fun to start.
Finally starting to feel good about where I am for R&G. My energy level is returning after the early semester, and I'm starting to feel the voice and body rounding into shape. There's still room to grow and explore, but I feel miles ahead of where I was a week ago. Plus, now that we have the rest of the court back, we've become our own little mini-ensemble. Armed with swords. Whose bright idea was that?
Wow, this class isn't even half over yet. Yawn...
Very excited about my cast for the One-Acts. I assembled a fine collection of funny people, so coming to rehearsal every day will be enjoyable. Plus, we got through casting without too much bloodshed. Only a little, but it's to be expected when you're fitting 15 people into 11 parts spread amongst 3 plays. Now that the ugliness of the audition process is over, it's time for the fun to start.
Finally starting to feel good about where I am for R&G. My energy level is returning after the early semester, and I'm starting to feel the voice and body rounding into shape. There's still room to grow and explore, but I feel miles ahead of where I was a week ago. Plus, now that we have the rest of the court back, we've become our own little mini-ensemble. Armed with swords. Whose bright idea was that?
Wow, this class isn't even half over yet. Yawn...
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Holla!
Ah, class. It was good to wrap tongues and teeth around the Elizabethan language a bit. A chance to grapple with the language before actually having to grapple with it. (On an unrelated note, if you ever see a product in a grocery store called a Grapple, which is marketed as an apple that tastes like a grape, don't buy it. It's just an apple with spray-on grape flavoring. It sucks.) I felt like we were going a little fast and getting into a bit too much of a rhythm, without having a chance to handle each phrase as its own separate entity. I know personally I felt like blocks of five or six phrases were all being delivered in the same way even though they shouldn't have been. Eh, such is life...
I'm pumped for my scene and monologue. I get to work with more actors I've never really worked with (save for my time as human scenery), and I get to play Touchstone. Shakespeare's fools are always among his most insightful characters. Woo-hoo for acting!!
Getting a monologue from my shadowing subject has become a bit frustrating. I can count at least three occasions where I've heard a story which would have been perfect, but due to circumstances, I couldn't exactly pull out a notebook and start transcribing. There has to be a better way...
Ah, to rehearsal must I return. God bye you...
I'm pumped for my scene and monologue. I get to work with more actors I've never really worked with (save for my time as human scenery), and I get to play Touchstone. Shakespeare's fools are always among his most insightful characters. Woo-hoo for acting!!
Getting a monologue from my shadowing subject has become a bit frustrating. I can count at least three occasions where I've heard a story which would have been perfect, but due to circumstances, I couldn't exactly pull out a notebook and start transcribing. There has to be a better way...
Ah, to rehearsal must I return. God bye you...
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
More fun than you can shake a spear at (boo...)
Yay for Billy Shakes!!! Eagerly awaiting comedic theatre after the grave emotion of Electra. It should be a wonderful change of pace.
Funderful update: I was able to get the full palms of my hands onto the floor during the falling over stretch in warmup. It's the little things in life.
The packet was informative, although the tone of the writing itself was...umm...uhh...I didn't know Elizabethans were so snarky. There was some good stuff in there, however. Definite things I hope to try to use to inform my speech and manner.
Looking forward to making more acting...
Funderful update: I was able to get the full palms of my hands onto the floor during the falling over stretch in warmup. It's the little things in life.
The packet was informative, although the tone of the writing itself was...umm...uhh...I didn't know Elizabethans were so snarky. There was some good stuff in there, however. Definite things I hope to try to use to inform my speech and manner.
Looking forward to making more acting...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Metaphor for a Missing Moment
The title is a lyric from a song by A Perfect Circle. A song entitled, "Orestes".
So I've been slacking on blog entries a bit of late. I feel like I've been running on fumes over the last week or so. Looking forward to spring break, to recharging. I'm not going anywhere exotic. Just home. I am eagerly looking forward to all of the little things: home-cooked meals, my dog, my bed, New York radio, the pizza place by my house, all of the small facets of home that just can't be replicated.
So...the last week. On to the topics old and new:
Baker Hall was a fun space to play in. Due to the performance hall acoustics, I didn't feel the need to make effort to project and be loud, and could focus my energy towards the actions and emotions of the scene. By working in Baker, I was able to get out of the mode I had been starting to get stuck in, focusing on being all loud and screaming, and cut through to the emotional truth of the scene.
Hilary's birthday was a blast. It was good to get together with friends and actually spend a Friday night doing something other than working. Granted, I regretted it when I realized how much work I should have been doing and how much I would have to make up, but it was worth it. On a personal note, I wound up smoking for the first time since November. I'm just chalking it up to a month and a half of stress and multiple shots of tequila, and moving on. I'm actually kind of happy, in reflection, that I didn't even really enjoy it all that much. Still, after slipping off the proverbial wagon just a bit, I need to re-dedicate myself. I like being able to walk up the mountain without gasping for breath, and I need to remember that.
Wintertime, over and out. A fine run, and congrats and thanks to all involved. You made my job worth doing. I'm happy it's over, though. I'm looking forward to the next projects in my life, to getting back to acting, and to continue to grow and develop in directing. Especially directing. I feel as though I'm just scratching the surface of my directing style, like there's this major epiphanic moment just on the other side of a wall of ice. I can see it, and I feel like I'm tantalizingly close to breaking through and making major discoveries. I'm eagerly awaiting the return from spring break, when I have actors to work with, to teach, and to learn from, and can continue to grow.
R&G rehearsals have been fun, but a bit frustrating personally. As I said in class today, it has been difficult for me to maintain the physicality of characters, especially of late, and I feel like my early work has suffered because of it. I haven't had much energy left by the time rehearsal rolls around, and I feel like it shows. On the plus side, I finally was able to get through a scene with Adam without laughing. Now I just need to keep a straight face with Justin and Tim, and I'll be all set.
The final performance was a relief. I've been struggling with the whole Greek theatre, presentational performance thing, afraid to trust my instincts because they seemed to be wrong. That is an extremely disconcerting feeling, being afraid to act on my actor's impulse. That said, I feel as though the performance went pretty well. I was able to cut through to the emotional core of Orestes' scene, and to find a reason why he was being so absurdly coy at the start of the scene. I had been struggling with this, because my natural instinct was to tell my sister the truth, in order to soothe her. It took a good deal of rumination to reconcile this. If we were to keep going with this, I suppose future work would be done in finding the physicality of the character, to go along with the inner work which has already been done.
I went back and re-read my blog recently. I observed that my writing has changed over the semester. It has become less free-flowing, less stream of consciousness-y, less emblematic of the mind producing it. This troubled me. I suppose some of that could be energy level issues, but I decided to create a second blog. That blog is more for general, state of my brain stuff. Since this blog is already trending towards a more focused style, I chose to embrace that focus and keep this blog more-or-less class related.
See you on the other side (of the break, that is)
So I've been slacking on blog entries a bit of late. I feel like I've been running on fumes over the last week or so. Looking forward to spring break, to recharging. I'm not going anywhere exotic. Just home. I am eagerly looking forward to all of the little things: home-cooked meals, my dog, my bed, New York radio, the pizza place by my house, all of the small facets of home that just can't be replicated.
So...the last week. On to the topics old and new:
Baker Hall was a fun space to play in. Due to the performance hall acoustics, I didn't feel the need to make effort to project and be loud, and could focus my energy towards the actions and emotions of the scene. By working in Baker, I was able to get out of the mode I had been starting to get stuck in, focusing on being all loud and screaming, and cut through to the emotional truth of the scene.
Hilary's birthday was a blast. It was good to get together with friends and actually spend a Friday night doing something other than working. Granted, I regretted it when I realized how much work I should have been doing and how much I would have to make up, but it was worth it. On a personal note, I wound up smoking for the first time since November. I'm just chalking it up to a month and a half of stress and multiple shots of tequila, and moving on. I'm actually kind of happy, in reflection, that I didn't even really enjoy it all that much. Still, after slipping off the proverbial wagon just a bit, I need to re-dedicate myself. I like being able to walk up the mountain without gasping for breath, and I need to remember that.
Wintertime, over and out. A fine run, and congrats and thanks to all involved. You made my job worth doing. I'm happy it's over, though. I'm looking forward to the next projects in my life, to getting back to acting, and to continue to grow and develop in directing. Especially directing. I feel as though I'm just scratching the surface of my directing style, like there's this major epiphanic moment just on the other side of a wall of ice. I can see it, and I feel like I'm tantalizingly close to breaking through and making major discoveries. I'm eagerly awaiting the return from spring break, when I have actors to work with, to teach, and to learn from, and can continue to grow.
R&G rehearsals have been fun, but a bit frustrating personally. As I said in class today, it has been difficult for me to maintain the physicality of characters, especially of late, and I feel like my early work has suffered because of it. I haven't had much energy left by the time rehearsal rolls around, and I feel like it shows. On the plus side, I finally was able to get through a scene with Adam without laughing. Now I just need to keep a straight face with Justin and Tim, and I'll be all set.
The final performance was a relief. I've been struggling with the whole Greek theatre, presentational performance thing, afraid to trust my instincts because they seemed to be wrong. That is an extremely disconcerting feeling, being afraid to act on my actor's impulse. That said, I feel as though the performance went pretty well. I was able to cut through to the emotional core of Orestes' scene, and to find a reason why he was being so absurdly coy at the start of the scene. I had been struggling with this, because my natural instinct was to tell my sister the truth, in order to soothe her. It took a good deal of rumination to reconcile this. If we were to keep going with this, I suppose future work would be done in finding the physicality of the character, to go along with the inner work which has already been done.
I went back and re-read my blog recently. I observed that my writing has changed over the semester. It has become less free-flowing, less stream of consciousness-y, less emblematic of the mind producing it. This troubled me. I suppose some of that could be energy level issues, but I decided to create a second blog. That blog is more for general, state of my brain stuff. Since this blog is already trending towards a more focused style, I chose to embrace that focus and keep this blog more-or-less class related.
See you on the other side (of the break, that is)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Oy.
Class today. Not one of my better ones. I started the day by hurting an abdominal muscle doing my one sit-up for the day (the one where I sit up out of bed), which made breathing, especially diaphragmatic breathing, hurt like a bitch. I honestly can't remember what we even did during the part where we laid down in the dark because I could only focus on how much breathing hurt. I then proceeded to blow out my voice doing the exercise, whilst plumbing the emotional depths. I am not terribly upset to have to wait until Thursday, since I am also still fighting a tech week immune system. Eh, enough kvetching for one day.
I did enjoy some of the work we did in today's exercise, mining through the text to find the important words, the ones to attach weight to and the way to do it. I'm struggling to find what to do with my arms, though, because it still just feels like a rotation between about four different positions: out, up, down, forward. I would like to find some way to define my movement because I still feel right now like I'm just striking semi-random body positions while talking. Hopefully I can find a way to incorporate the body work into the dialog when we go on Thursday.
This is just silly
Until next time...
I did enjoy some of the work we did in today's exercise, mining through the text to find the important words, the ones to attach weight to and the way to do it. I'm struggling to find what to do with my arms, though, because it still just feels like a rotation between about four different positions: out, up, down, forward. I would like to find some way to define my movement because I still feel right now like I'm just striking semi-random body positions while talking. Hopefully I can find a way to incorporate the body work into the dialog when we go on Thursday.
This is just silly
Until next time...
Saturday, February 14, 2009
This Is An Entry In My Blog
Phew. Tech Over. Play Starting. Only a few more days of sleeplessness left, as I catch up on all of the work that got neglected over the last week or so.
Opening night of Wintertime went well. It's always nice, after spending a month-plus with a show, to see it in front of an audience. After reading the script that many times and hearing the lines that many times, certain parts start to feel dull, so it was good to see the play injected with all of the life of an audience. Technically, a solid show. Only a couple mistakes, only one really noticeable one. Easily fixable things, though.
Thursday was yet another day where I felt infected by low energy. After my scene, I began to see all of the emotional depths waiting to be plumbed, but I just felt unable to begin to do so on Thursday. I eagerly look forward to the first time Hilary and I will work on the scene together this weekend, when I can attack Sophocles' words with renewed vigor. As Hilary mentioned in her blog, we have never done any acting together (save for about 90 seconds of time in The Country Wife), so I am excited for the chance to collaborate.
The first R&G readthrough on the feet is on Monday. After months of rehearsals and shows behind operating boards and calling books, not to mention directing, I can't wait to get back to acting, and being in a position where I can get coached, rather than the other way around. I am also looking forward to the joy of filling the stage with the ensemble and engulfing poor RosAndGuil in the world of Hamlet.
Alas, I must do some of that neglected work, so that is all for now.
Adieu.
Opening night of Wintertime went well. It's always nice, after spending a month-plus with a show, to see it in front of an audience. After reading the script that many times and hearing the lines that many times, certain parts start to feel dull, so it was good to see the play injected with all of the life of an audience. Technically, a solid show. Only a couple mistakes, only one really noticeable one. Easily fixable things, though.
Thursday was yet another day where I felt infected by low energy. After my scene, I began to see all of the emotional depths waiting to be plumbed, but I just felt unable to begin to do so on Thursday. I eagerly look forward to the first time Hilary and I will work on the scene together this weekend, when I can attack Sophocles' words with renewed vigor. As Hilary mentioned in her blog, we have never done any acting together (save for about 90 seconds of time in The Country Wife), so I am excited for the chance to collaborate.
The first R&G readthrough on the feet is on Monday. After months of rehearsals and shows behind operating boards and calling books, not to mention directing, I can't wait to get back to acting, and being in a position where I can get coached, rather than the other way around. I am also looking forward to the joy of filling the stage with the ensemble and engulfing poor RosAndGuil in the world of Hamlet.
Alas, I must do some of that neglected work, so that is all for now.
Adieu.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Posting in Retrospect
It's now basically a full two days after class. I would've posted sooner, but I'm still working on finding time right now for eating and sleeping, let alone getting around to doing work.
So, class on Tuesday. In general, I had a pretty low energy level, from the time that I woke up all the way through the end of the day, so I was a bit lethargic during class. I enjoyed the group warmup, trusting each other to take care of the warming up of ourselves. I only wish I had gotten to do verbal, I learned some new tongue twisters. But alas...
I think the setup of our playing space was an example of too many cooks in the kitchen. That's why I just spent my time getting blocks, so that there would be one less opinion in an already crowded thoughtspace (I'm pretty sure I made up that word, but I like it anyway). At the same time, by setting down blocks in a more-or-less random way, maybe someone might have been inspired to make something from it. That's why there's usually only one set designer. But alas, it came together anyway, in solid fashion.
I need to rethink my sheet design for the next time we use them. I was feeling hindered by it, rather than aided by it. Not a good thing for a costume.
Looking forward to working with Hilary on the scene. I was led to think of the interesting paradigm in our department, being as small a crew as we are. I'm acting with people who I'm directing, and with people who have directed (or are directing) me, and acting with people that I'm stage managing, and stage managing people who have directed me, and a number of other permutations involving the different things I've done here. In truth, I'd say that we are all acting together though, regardless of what our title is, actor or director or designer. We're all playing our parts, although once we are not in the theatre arena, we are all peers again. For those three-ish hours, we take on the roles of authority figures, knowledge bases, and actors. Eh, musings on the meta...
Well, my night, regrettably, has just started. Many proverbial miles to go...
So, class on Tuesday. In general, I had a pretty low energy level, from the time that I woke up all the way through the end of the day, so I was a bit lethargic during class. I enjoyed the group warmup, trusting each other to take care of the warming up of ourselves. I only wish I had gotten to do verbal, I learned some new tongue twisters. But alas...
I think the setup of our playing space was an example of too many cooks in the kitchen. That's why I just spent my time getting blocks, so that there would be one less opinion in an already crowded thoughtspace (I'm pretty sure I made up that word, but I like it anyway). At the same time, by setting down blocks in a more-or-less random way, maybe someone might have been inspired to make something from it. That's why there's usually only one set designer. But alas, it came together anyway, in solid fashion.
I need to rethink my sheet design for the next time we use them. I was feeling hindered by it, rather than aided by it. Not a good thing for a costume.
Looking forward to working with Hilary on the scene. I was led to think of the interesting paradigm in our department, being as small a crew as we are. I'm acting with people who I'm directing, and with people who have directed (or are directing) me, and acting with people that I'm stage managing, and stage managing people who have directed me, and a number of other permutations involving the different things I've done here. In truth, I'd say that we are all acting together though, regardless of what our title is, actor or director or designer. We're all playing our parts, although once we are not in the theatre arena, we are all peers again. For those three-ish hours, we take on the roles of authority figures, knowledge bases, and actors. Eh, musings on the meta...
Well, my night, regrettably, has just started. Many proverbial miles to go...
Saturday, February 7, 2009
General Check-in, and Thoughts on Playwriting
Ah, tech week. I spent the night in Zoellner again last night. At least this time I managed to fall asleep on the carpeted floor of Diamond instead of the concrete floor of the studio. I don't think I've ever had the actor's nightmare at any point before a show, the one where you go on stage and forget all of your lines, or your costume completely falls apart, or some such embarrassing thing. However, last night (well, really this morning) I had a stage manager's nightmare, involving a gross amount of fuck-uppery and chaos. I wish the worst case didn't seem like a possibility, but my imagination is rather vivid.
Working with less seasoned actors for my directing scene has been an eye-opening experience. I have had to actively think about and coach things which, at this point, I myself have internalized and more or less do without thinking. I remember learning a good deal in the last couple years, while acting for various student directors, about the basics of body position, stage picture, stillness, etc., simply because those were the tools they had to play with. Hopefully, I can help some of my actors along on those fronts as well.
Thoughts on Andrea, the playwriting candidate: these thoughts will be brief-ish, because I left her session quite unimpressed. I didn't like the way she used the Tina Howe piece. Although the play itself was wonderful, the way she utilized it had this undertone of, "This is how you should do it." I know, I know, postmodernism and all, we can't create anything new, yadda yadda yadda. If playwriting was all about aping the styles of our predecessors, we'd all still be writing plays with Greek choruses. Furthermore, I wasn't really a fan of the writing exercise she had us do. I felt like the choosing of three things, which almost by nature had to be disparate, forced us into slightly to extremely absurdist writing, and I felt furthermore as if I was forcing two of the things into my scene. I had more or less found the game of the scene (to steal an improv term) in the snack food choice, but I still had to hamfistedly insert a foreign phrase and a dance step where they didn't need to be. On the plus side, the handout she gave us looks to be a useful collection of musings. All in all, I would say my least favorite of all the candidates thus far. One more to go...
Back on the subject of acting, I was Youtubing and found this clip of Sir Ian McKellen on the Late Late Show. You have to skip ahead to about 1:49 for the really fabulous part. Further proof of Sir Ian's dominance.
Oh well, break over. Back to tech...
Working with less seasoned actors for my directing scene has been an eye-opening experience. I have had to actively think about and coach things which, at this point, I myself have internalized and more or less do without thinking. I remember learning a good deal in the last couple years, while acting for various student directors, about the basics of body position, stage picture, stillness, etc., simply because those were the tools they had to play with. Hopefully, I can help some of my actors along on those fronts as well.
Thoughts on Andrea, the playwriting candidate: these thoughts will be brief-ish, because I left her session quite unimpressed. I didn't like the way she used the Tina Howe piece. Although the play itself was wonderful, the way she utilized it had this undertone of, "This is how you should do it." I know, I know, postmodernism and all, we can't create anything new, yadda yadda yadda. If playwriting was all about aping the styles of our predecessors, we'd all still be writing plays with Greek choruses. Furthermore, I wasn't really a fan of the writing exercise she had us do. I felt like the choosing of three things, which almost by nature had to be disparate, forced us into slightly to extremely absurdist writing, and I felt furthermore as if I was forcing two of the things into my scene. I had more or less found the game of the scene (to steal an improv term) in the snack food choice, but I still had to hamfistedly insert a foreign phrase and a dance step where they didn't need to be. On the plus side, the handout she gave us looks to be a useful collection of musings. All in all, I would say my least favorite of all the candidates thus far. One more to go...
Back on the subject of acting, I was Youtubing and found this clip of Sir Ian McKellen on the Late Late Show. You have to skip ahead to about 1:49 for the really fabulous part. Further proof of Sir Ian's dominance.
Oh well, break over. Back to tech...
Thursday, February 5, 2009
This Title Used To Be An Atrocious Pun Involving The Word 'Greek'
Fun class today. I was a bit concerned coming in that we were going to start having predictable classes where we performed and discussed Electra. Enjoyed being surprised. Thumbs up, Kashi.
I was at a really low energy level this morning before class. I actually got a decent amount of sleep, but I was still knocked-out tired. I think it was just one of those days where I woke up at the wrong point in my sleep cycle. Anywho, the warmup was refreshing. It felt good to get back into actor mode after several days off. Note to self: learn tongue twisters.
Enjoyable to learn a bit about the culture that spawned the play we're working on. It was interesting to see how much of their ideas on culture, theatre and performance are carried on today. I am looking forward to working on specificity and precision of movement, as well as conveying power through the voice, both things which I think might come in handy for future roles.
I liked the male manner of greeting from Greek culture: the full forearm grasp, with the hand on the shoulder. It allows you to get a much firmer connection with the other person, much better than a limp-wristed handshake would. It's only about a half-step away from a hug, which is an awesome way to greet people that I wish was more prevalent. There's something very personal, in a good way, about establishing that physical vibe. It seems appropriate for a society in which homosexuality amongst men was a common practice and a man's friend was counted on to take care of his wife if he died.
I'm off to go sacrifice a bull for the strength to stay awake in this class.
I was at a really low energy level this morning before class. I actually got a decent amount of sleep, but I was still knocked-out tired. I think it was just one of those days where I woke up at the wrong point in my sleep cycle. Anywho, the warmup was refreshing. It felt good to get back into actor mode after several days off. Note to self: learn tongue twisters.
Enjoyable to learn a bit about the culture that spawned the play we're working on. It was interesting to see how much of their ideas on culture, theatre and performance are carried on today. I am looking forward to working on specificity and precision of movement, as well as conveying power through the voice, both things which I think might come in handy for future roles.
I liked the male manner of greeting from Greek culture: the full forearm grasp, with the hand on the shoulder. It allows you to get a much firmer connection with the other person, much better than a limp-wristed handshake would. It's only about a half-step away from a hug, which is an awesome way to greet people that I wish was more prevalent. There's something very personal, in a good way, about establishing that physical vibe. It seems appropriate for a society in which homosexuality amongst men was a common practice and a man's friend was counted on to take care of his wife if he died.
I'm off to go sacrifice a bull for the strength to stay awake in this class.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A Productive Day
My class which follows P-Styles today had previously been cancelled, so when I found out our class had been cancelled, I went home and slept until 2:30.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Weekend Update
I'm Chevy Chase and you're not.
At present, I sit in the design studio watching Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet and working on multiple projects. Of the last 38 hours, I have spent 34 1/2 of them in Zoellner (and counting). Last night, I was woken up at 6 in the morning by a Brownie. I was sleeping on the floor of the design studio, and couldn't remember getting there. That was fun.
Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
On the plus side, I think I've gotten some good stuff from Silverado as far as physicality and voice goes. Still waiting on a good speech though. Speak, Silverado, speak.
In actual acting news, whilst watching the scene in Hamlet where Claudius sends his nephew to England, I had a most unusual moment. As Kenneth Branagh was taunting Derek Jacobi, I thought to myself that, were I Claudius, I would knock Hamlet on his ass right about now. Sure enough, within ten seconds, Claudius hauls off and backhands Hamlet. 'Twas a happy moment.
That's the news, goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow.
At present, I sit in the design studio watching Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet and working on multiple projects. Of the last 38 hours, I have spent 34 1/2 of them in Zoellner (and counting). Last night, I was woken up at 6 in the morning by a Brownie. I was sleeping on the floor of the design studio, and couldn't remember getting there. That was fun.
Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
On the plus side, I think I've gotten some good stuff from Silverado as far as physicality and voice goes. Still waiting on a good speech though. Speak, Silverado, speak.
In actual acting news, whilst watching the scene in Hamlet where Claudius sends his nephew to England, I had a most unusual moment. As Kenneth Branagh was taunting Derek Jacobi, I thought to myself that, were I Claudius, I would knock Hamlet on his ass right about now. Sure enough, within ten seconds, Claudius hauls off and backhands Hamlet. 'Twas a happy moment.
That's the news, goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thoughts from Playwriting Candidate Workshop 4 of 6
Yesterday's candidate was interesting. My feelings about him are mixed. I'm not sure I agreed with him philosophically on the issue of stage directions. I very much enjoy a play that has thick, rich, vivid descriptions of characters, elaborating on their style of dress, their manner, and a number of other facets of the character which the playwright may not want to just give away through dialog. Reading bits like these in the middle of a play is like a breath of prose amidst the theatrical dialog.
While I enjoyed the class as a general theatre workshop, I'm not sure how much I enjoyed it as a writing workshop. Maybe if he had given more of an idea as to how he would apply the stuff that we did. I enjoyed the dialog/subtext exercise, although I felt like we were cut off right as we were about to really break through somewhere (since we hadn't fully figured out if my character was a sweet innocent guy or a guy pretending to be sweet and innocent who was actually going to keep Bess in a well in the basement). But, time constraints are what they are.
All in all, I'd say this is a candidate I could see myself working with next year, but I'm not sure if he was my favorite thus far.
While I enjoyed the class as a general theatre workshop, I'm not sure how much I enjoyed it as a writing workshop. Maybe if he had given more of an idea as to how he would apply the stuff that we did. I enjoyed the dialog/subtext exercise, although I felt like we were cut off right as we were about to really break through somewhere (since we hadn't fully figured out if my character was a sweet innocent guy or a guy pretending to be sweet and innocent who was actually going to keep Bess in a well in the basement). But, time constraints are what they are.
All in all, I'd say this is a candidate I could see myself working with next year, but I'm not sure if he was my favorite thus far.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Why does every one of these become an orgy?
Yet again, I post from my other class, in an effort to avoid falling asleep.
The Alexander warmup was nice. I felt lighter, on my feet and in my general movement. I enjoyed the idea of a slow warmup, people stretching and preparing not so they can get on with things, but just to luxuriate in the moment, the movement, and the place and time.
I think I might have broken the door during the two-person scenes. Maybe. A little bit.
I enjoyed the moment of Brechtian discovery when the scene turned to theatre style. I guess my lens was pulled a little far back for that exercise, because the first thing I thought of when she said we were theatre kids was alcohol.
While we were breaking down the different ways that cultures check out attractive people, I came up with one constant: the eyes. Regardless of what silly body or hand gestures or funny little phrases we use, so much of that sizing up process comes back to our eyes. I definitely agree, though, that Justin and I are not the best representatives of the male demographic at large.
Personal ambition: someday, I will find a way to use the word jökulhlaup in conversation. And it will be good.
Why did every one of those pickup scenes degenerate into canoodling? Again, I think this one goes back to physical comfort, and comfort among the class. We all know one another well enough that we can, for the purposes of a brief scene, skip all of the blah blah blah of pickups and get straight to the physical interaction, which is far more interesting to watch anyway.
I came up with a big one that we forgot from the 70's cultural list. Burt. Reynolds.
Whilst Internetting, I found what may be the worst commercial ever. It seems especially relevant since we were talking about the 80's (and since the Super Bowl is coming up again).
Laters.
The Alexander warmup was nice. I felt lighter, on my feet and in my general movement. I enjoyed the idea of a slow warmup, people stretching and preparing not so they can get on with things, but just to luxuriate in the moment, the movement, and the place and time.
I think I might have broken the door during the two-person scenes. Maybe. A little bit.
I enjoyed the moment of Brechtian discovery when the scene turned to theatre style. I guess my lens was pulled a little far back for that exercise, because the first thing I thought of when she said we were theatre kids was alcohol.
While we were breaking down the different ways that cultures check out attractive people, I came up with one constant: the eyes. Regardless of what silly body or hand gestures or funny little phrases we use, so much of that sizing up process comes back to our eyes. I definitely agree, though, that Justin and I are not the best representatives of the male demographic at large.
Personal ambition: someday, I will find a way to use the word jökulhlaup in conversation. And it will be good.
Why did every one of those pickup scenes degenerate into canoodling? Again, I think this one goes back to physical comfort, and comfort among the class. We all know one another well enough that we can, for the purposes of a brief scene, skip all of the blah blah blah of pickups and get straight to the physical interaction, which is far more interesting to watch anyway.
I came up with a big one that we forgot from the 70's cultural list. Burt. Reynolds.
Whilst Internetting, I found what may be the worst commercial ever. It seems especially relevant since we were talking about the 80's (and since the Super Bowl is coming up again).
Laters.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sex: Recreation and Procreation
Tons of fun this class was.
I enjoyed being able to recline, relax and breathe before class. However, I haven't been able to breathe through my nose for the last day or two. Curse you, immune system! Maybe if I got more than two hours of sleep a night...
I think the reason why being a caveman is so very fun is because cavemen are in that place somewhere in between animals and humans. I've always enjoyed imitating animals because that's how you get started as a kid. You're playing around outside and you act like the dog or you meow at the cat. I guess I've never grown out of that childish joy. And I hope I never will.
The group improv was quite successful, because we stuck to the main rule of improvisation: agreement. The five of us agreed and committed to the collective choice of the New Age-y society which has weaponized positive and negative vibes, and so we were able to create with the full support of the ensemble. Yet another case where I'm glad that we're in an advanced acting class. Were we not, someone would have wound up being self-conscious and not committed to the absurdity of the scene, and it would have fallen apart.
I suspect that we all hang around each other too much, because we almost unfailingly came up with the same ideas regarding behavior in the different eras in history and places. There actually were a lot of things going on in the 20's, but we all came up with smoking and Roaring 20's-style activity. Maybe we need to broaden our horizons.
I've been observing Silverado and have made some fun observations about shklim (kudos if you got the reference). Just some fun little things with voice and body, mannerisms and quirks that are so distinctive that you don't notice them anymore when interacting with the person. I just need to make sure that I don't start aping these traits in everyday life. That would be weird.
Just for the hell of it, here's an interesting segment on Modern Marvels about the history of bowling ball technology. In reality, it's only the tip of the iceberg as far as the analysis can go, but not bad for an eight-minute segment which has to start from the ground up.
I'm out like something that's no longer in.
I enjoyed being able to recline, relax and breathe before class. However, I haven't been able to breathe through my nose for the last day or two. Curse you, immune system! Maybe if I got more than two hours of sleep a night...
I think the reason why being a caveman is so very fun is because cavemen are in that place somewhere in between animals and humans. I've always enjoyed imitating animals because that's how you get started as a kid. You're playing around outside and you act like the dog or you meow at the cat. I guess I've never grown out of that childish joy. And I hope I never will.
The group improv was quite successful, because we stuck to the main rule of improvisation: agreement. The five of us agreed and committed to the collective choice of the New Age-y society which has weaponized positive and negative vibes, and so we were able to create with the full support of the ensemble. Yet another case where I'm glad that we're in an advanced acting class. Were we not, someone would have wound up being self-conscious and not committed to the absurdity of the scene, and it would have fallen apart.
I suspect that we all hang around each other too much, because we almost unfailingly came up with the same ideas regarding behavior in the different eras in history and places. There actually were a lot of things going on in the 20's, but we all came up with smoking and Roaring 20's-style activity. Maybe we need to broaden our horizons.
I've been observing Silverado and have made some fun observations about shklim (kudos if you got the reference). Just some fun little things with voice and body, mannerisms and quirks that are so distinctive that you don't notice them anymore when interacting with the person. I just need to make sure that I don't start aping these traits in everyday life. That would be weird.
Just for the hell of it, here's an interesting segment on Modern Marvels about the history of bowling ball technology. In reality, it's only the tip of the iceberg as far as the analysis can go, but not bad for an eight-minute segment which has to start from the ground up.
I'm out like something that's no longer in.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thoughts from Playwriting Canidate Workshop 3 of 6
Different experience today. I enjoyed getting in and thinking about our miniature pieces of plays in terms of other plays, something I don't feel like I've gotten much from the previous two candidates. I've been looking at these candidates through the lens of criteria which are evolving as I go. I definitely felt like I could not only see myself collaborating with him, but learning a lot from the process. I worry, though, that there would be a steep learning curve. He operated the class with a solid knowledge of theatre, and with the expectation that we, too, had a solid knowledge of theatre. I worry about how well that would work in an introductory-type class, one in which not everyone reads and sees loads and loads of plays in their free time. That said, four scenes:
1: Hey, did you see that?
2: (silence)
1: Hey, did you see that?
2: (silence)
1: Did you see that horse?
2: (silence)
1: I said, did you see that horse?
2: Holy crap, it's a horse!
1: Yeah, I know.
2: Why's it here?
1: Why not?
2: (silence)
1: Here it comes.
2: Here what comes?
1: The horse.
2: What horse?
1: (silence)
2: What horse?
1: Really?
2: Holy crap, it's a horse!
FOGHORN
1: Come back, horse!
2: (silence)
1: Now the horse is gone.
2: What horse?
1: (silence)
2: Holy crap, it's a horse!
ONE WEEK LATER
1: That sounds like a lie.
2: No.
1: Are you lying?
2: No.
1: Why would you lie to me?
2: Why would I lie to you?
1: Why would you lie to me?
2: Why wouldn't I lie to you?
1: (silence)
2: Well?
1: You know, you haven't made sense in a week.
2: Huh?
1: You sound stupid.
2: You look stupid.
1: (silence)
2: That was mean.
1: That was mean.
2: What do you mean?
1: What do I mean?
2: What do you mean?
1: I mean-
2: I wasn't mean.
1: You were mean.
2: (silence)
1: I wish I had a horse.
ONE YEAR LATER
1: You're late.
2: You're a stickler.
1: You're a name-caller.
2: You're a hypocrite.
1: (silence)
2: You're a mute.
1: You're a jerk.
2: (silence)
1: You're an idiot.
2: You're a meanie.
1: You're a child.
2: You're a parent.
1: You're transparent.
FOGHORN
2: Did you hear that?
1: Yeah.
2: Do you think that-
1: No.
2: Well maybe-
1: Nyuh-uh.
2: I wish you'd let me fin-
1: Shhhhh.
TEN MINUTES BEFORE SCENE ONE
1: It feels like rain.
2: It looks like rain.
1: That's what I said...
2: (silence)
1: ...roughly.
2: I don't want fish tonight.
1: (silence)
2: I don't want fish tonight.
1: Not roughy, roughly.
2: Ohhhhhh.
1: So what about beef for dinner?
2: Don't you mean veal for dinner?
1: No, beef. Full-grown cow meat-
2: As opposed to baby cow meat?
1: Yes.
2: But where are we going to get beef?
1: Where are we going to get beef?
2: We're far out of town.
1: We are far out of town.
2: We could walk.
1: We couldn't walk.
2: (silence)
1: Hey, did you see that?
In reflection, I see the influence of the plays I've been reading lately seeping through. I feel like this tone and fast-paced sort of thing would need a lot of thought (as well as a lot of letting thought go) in order to work right, and I suspect it would just end up resembling a third-rate Beckett knockoff anyways. But, alas, for fifty minutes of insomniac creativity...
1: Hey, did you see that?
2: (silence)
1: Hey, did you see that?
2: (silence)
1: Did you see that horse?
2: (silence)
1: I said, did you see that horse?
2: Holy crap, it's a horse!
1: Yeah, I know.
2: Why's it here?
1: Why not?
2: (silence)
1: Here it comes.
2: Here what comes?
1: The horse.
2: What horse?
1: (silence)
2: What horse?
1: Really?
2: Holy crap, it's a horse!
FOGHORN
1: Come back, horse!
2: (silence)
1: Now the horse is gone.
2: What horse?
1: (silence)
2: Holy crap, it's a horse!
ONE WEEK LATER
1: That sounds like a lie.
2: No.
1: Are you lying?
2: No.
1: Why would you lie to me?
2: Why would I lie to you?
1: Why would you lie to me?
2: Why wouldn't I lie to you?
1: (silence)
2: Well?
1: You know, you haven't made sense in a week.
2: Huh?
1: You sound stupid.
2: You look stupid.
1: (silence)
2: That was mean.
1: That was mean.
2: What do you mean?
1: What do I mean?
2: What do you mean?
1: I mean-
2: I wasn't mean.
1: You were mean.
2: (silence)
1: I wish I had a horse.
ONE YEAR LATER
1: You're late.
2: You're a stickler.
1: You're a name-caller.
2: You're a hypocrite.
1: (silence)
2: You're a mute.
1: You're a jerk.
2: (silence)
1: You're an idiot.
2: You're a meanie.
1: You're a child.
2: You're a parent.
1: You're transparent.
FOGHORN
2: Did you hear that?
1: Yeah.
2: Do you think that-
1: No.
2: Well maybe-
1: Nyuh-uh.
2: I wish you'd let me fin-
1: Shhhhh.
TEN MINUTES BEFORE SCENE ONE
1: It feels like rain.
2: It looks like rain.
1: That's what I said...
2: (silence)
1: ...roughly.
2: I don't want fish tonight.
1: (silence)
2: I don't want fish tonight.
1: Not roughy, roughly.
2: Ohhhhhh.
1: So what about beef for dinner?
2: Don't you mean veal for dinner?
1: No, beef. Full-grown cow meat-
2: As opposed to baby cow meat?
1: Yes.
2: But where are we going to get beef?
1: Where are we going to get beef?
2: We're far out of town.
1: We are far out of town.
2: We could walk.
1: We couldn't walk.
2: (silence)
1: Hey, did you see that?
In reflection, I see the influence of the plays I've been reading lately seeping through. I feel like this tone and fast-paced sort of thing would need a lot of thought (as well as a lot of letting thought go) in order to work right, and I suspect it would just end up resembling a third-rate Beckett knockoff anyways. But, alas, for fifty minutes of insomniac creativity...
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Early Thoughts on Person-Watching
I've been making some preliminary observations on Silverado (my subject of study for the next several months). I've been playing around with multiple ways of information gathering. On one hand, wallflowering has the whole subterfuge thing going for it. On the other hand, by being active in conversation and activity, I can try to direct things towards what I want to know. I was initially a little concerned about finding opportunities for observation, but I've realized that we're all in Zoellner all the time anyway. The opportunities are there if you get out there and seize them.
Looking forward to seeing how the task of gender-bending is handled. It's a relatively easy feat for a man to play a woman (and vice versa) for comedic effect. Lower the voice, hunch the shoulders, and now a woman can play a man for a brief comedy bit. Raise the voice and channel Blanche DuBois and a man can do the same. It's more difficult to seriously capture the differences between the genders and the way they move and talk. Something to watch for...
I had an epiphany about Youtube. I wish there was a way to not see the title before the clip, because the title often undercuts the punch line (example) I remember one of the reasons Dick in a Box was so funny is because they played it dead straight until the first reveal of the punch line. On the other hand, you know what's coming when you watch Jizz in my Pants (yes, I've been brushing up on my Andy Samberg)
Toodles
Looking forward to seeing how the task of gender-bending is handled. It's a relatively easy feat for a man to play a woman (and vice versa) for comedic effect. Lower the voice, hunch the shoulders, and now a woman can play a man for a brief comedy bit. Raise the voice and channel Blanche DuBois and a man can do the same. It's more difficult to seriously capture the differences between the genders and the way they move and talk. Something to watch for...
I had an epiphany about Youtube. I wish there was a way to not see the title before the clip, because the title often undercuts the punch line (example) I remember one of the reasons Dick in a Box was so funny is because they played it dead straight until the first reveal of the punch line. On the other hand, you know what's coming when you watch Jizz in my Pants (yes, I've been brushing up on my Andy Samberg)
Toodles
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thoughts from Playwriting Candidate Workshop 2 of 6
I enjoyed the use of tangible visual media as a source of inspiration today. The piece I wound up writing had actually been a rough idea in my head for quite some time, one which I had been struggling to put enough context behind to make palpable, so I found it cathartic to purge that idea from the buffer so that I could move on to new things. For some reason, I found this candidate a little hard to give focus to when she talked, possibly due to the volume of her voice, or internal distractions, or maybe something else entirely. I don't know how receptive I was to the idea of giving that much thought to the dramaturgical shape of the play at such an early stage. I think this may be a byproduct of my desire to create as much as I can first, and then hew it into shape. For the second time, I was a bit dismayed that I didn't get to see how the candidate deals with work that is in need of critique.
I was only able to get through the stage direction and description before the play (partially because my last effort was almost entirely dialog, and this one was more of a visual concept anyway):
Lights up on Thomas, 24, alone in his studio apartment. He has on a button-down shirt, unbuttoned, exposing a tired brown T-shirt beneath. He is wearing jeans, smudged from artists' charcoal and paint. He hasn't slept in two days, showered in three, or shaved in six. In front of him is an easel, surrounded by cans of paint, spraycans of paint, brushes full of paint, brushes half-full of paint, brushes without paint, water cups colored with paint, and paper splattered with paint. In one corner is a trashcan, the repository of failed ideas and that-will-never-work, overflowing to the point of being a miniature mountain. The walls around him are covered many times over with sketches, poems, sentences, quotes, pictures, paintings, and ideas, stapled in whatever way haste allowed. On the desk is a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels, a two-thirds-empty pot of coffee, a three-quarters-empty bottle of pills, and bountiful quantities of paper, the resting places of ideas new and old. Thomas moves about the space with the fervor of torrential mind, seeking out a place on which to set an idea and an idea to set in a place. This proceeds for five minutes, interrupted only by the stapling of an idea to a wall, the crumpling and disposal of an idea punctuated by profanity, and visitations to the containers on the desk.
I was only able to get through the stage direction and description before the play (partially because my last effort was almost entirely dialog, and this one was more of a visual concept anyway):
Lights up on Thomas, 24, alone in his studio apartment. He has on a button-down shirt, unbuttoned, exposing a tired brown T-shirt beneath. He is wearing jeans, smudged from artists' charcoal and paint. He hasn't slept in two days, showered in three, or shaved in six. In front of him is an easel, surrounded by cans of paint, spraycans of paint, brushes full of paint, brushes half-full of paint, brushes without paint, water cups colored with paint, and paper splattered with paint. In one corner is a trashcan, the repository of failed ideas and that-will-never-work, overflowing to the point of being a miniature mountain. The walls around him are covered many times over with sketches, poems, sentences, quotes, pictures, paintings, and ideas, stapled in whatever way haste allowed. On the desk is a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels, a two-thirds-empty pot of coffee, a three-quarters-empty bottle of pills, and bountiful quantities of paper, the resting places of ideas new and old. Thomas moves about the space with the fervor of torrential mind, seeking out a place on which to set an idea and an idea to set in a place. This proceeds for five minutes, interrupted only by the stapling of an idea to a wall, the crumpling and disposal of an idea punctuated by profanity, and visitations to the containers on the desk.
Stylin'
Before class, I spent some time just walking around campus, breathing, checking in. I love the feeling of cold air being inhaled through my nostrils. It makes me feel awake, more so than inhaling cold air through the mouth. I think it's because the mouth is actually a major source of body heat, so air coming in gets warmed before it makes it to the lungs. Digression: we lose a lot of body heat through our mouths. That is why many languages which were born in northern Europe are so guttural. The German language developed the bass-y rough sound because early Prussians didn't open their mouths very far to speak because it was so damn cold out. So if you're stuck somewhere cold, keep your mouth shut. It helps.
The counting game felt especially difficult today. I don't know if it was just rust, if I was distracted by some external thing, or if the people on the other side of the circle were more in my plane of vision to day than usual. Definitely need to practice.
One Clap Two Stomp Three Snap Four Pat Five Chicken
I enjoyed being able to reflect on my own personal style. After some good introspection, I always feel more aware for the next several hours. I've been going through the day thinking to myself, "I really do use that word a lot!" and pondering the way in which I present myself to authority figures (aka the police). I suppose that is the point of introspection for actors: awareness of self.
Fun SAT word I used today: serendipitous
Analysis of everyone else's style was an interesting exercise. I feel like, because we all know each other, we were fairly successful in at least having similar observations about one another. Whether or not those observations are the absolute truth or the public facade is an answer only the individual knows for certain. It was unusual to think of someone as being defined by an article of clothing, but we do give away a lot of how we view ourselves through how we allow others to view us. I'm glad I actually wore my favorite sneakers today, though. They were these Nikes that I was forced to buy five years ago for track. By now, they are falling apart. The interior lining is ripping apart and the stuffing is coming loose. They have holes in the top, and have been spraypainted at least twice. Also, I found a pushpin in the left shoe back in December. It's still there.
On a highly unrelated note, I recently rediscovered a couple of my old favorite songs on Youtube. They're a couple of acoustic performances: Dave Grohl doing "Tiny Dancer", and Brett Scallions from Fuel doing "Daniel". So often, when we think of Elton John, we think of his flash and flair, or maybe his voice, but he's a really underrated songwriter as well.
That's all for this entry. I think I should try to pay attention to this professor now (no chance).
The counting game felt especially difficult today. I don't know if it was just rust, if I was distracted by some external thing, or if the people on the other side of the circle were more in my plane of vision to day than usual. Definitely need to practice.
One Clap Two Stomp Three Snap Four Pat Five Chicken
I enjoyed being able to reflect on my own personal style. After some good introspection, I always feel more aware for the next several hours. I've been going through the day thinking to myself, "I really do use that word a lot!" and pondering the way in which I present myself to authority figures (aka the police). I suppose that is the point of introspection for actors: awareness of self.
Fun SAT word I used today: serendipitous
Analysis of everyone else's style was an interesting exercise. I feel like, because we all know each other, we were fairly successful in at least having similar observations about one another. Whether or not those observations are the absolute truth or the public facade is an answer only the individual knows for certain. It was unusual to think of someone as being defined by an article of clothing, but we do give away a lot of how we view ourselves through how we allow others to view us. I'm glad I actually wore my favorite sneakers today, though. They were these Nikes that I was forced to buy five years ago for track. By now, they are falling apart. The interior lining is ripping apart and the stuffing is coming loose. They have holes in the top, and have been spraypainted at least twice. Also, I found a pushpin in the left shoe back in December. It's still there.
On a highly unrelated note, I recently rediscovered a couple of my old favorite songs on Youtube. They're a couple of acoustic performances: Dave Grohl doing "Tiny Dancer", and Brett Scallions from Fuel doing "Daniel". So often, when we think of Elton John, we think of his flash and flair, or maybe his voice, but he's a really underrated songwriter as well.
That's all for this entry. I think I should try to pay attention to this professor now (no chance).
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The First Time Only Happens One Time
I was slightly bummed, because P-Styles has been the breath of fresh air in my clogged life. However, my thoughts are more or less along the lines of the title. On a personal note, I've been dog-ass sick for several days, culminating last night with me almost collapsing by the water cooler at 11-something last night. I say culminating because I don't really want to know how it gets worse. I finally consumed something other than Gatorade for the first time in three days, and I don't feel hot or queasy anymore. Hopefully my energy level will return to normal at some point soon.
On the inauguration front, I loved seeing Barack Obama's composure and carriage as he walked down that big hallway. He just had this vibe of, "That's right. I'm the President. Man, that sounds good." Then I'm sure Hail to the Chief played in his head. I enjoyed the musical performance thoroughly, and I'm sure it was not unintentional that, at the inauguration of a President who hopes to unify all peoples, the four performers were an Asian man, a black man, a Jewish man, and a woman.
I wished, however, that they had ordered the whole presentation differently. It really should have ended: inaugural address, Star-Spangled Banner, done. We all knew that President Obama would deliver a patriotic, motivational, stirring speech, and indeed he did. After he spoke, I felt ready. Ready to set the world on fire. Ready to do great things. Ready to help my fellow man. Then we had another twenty-ish minutes of presentation to kill all that momentum. But, hindsight is always 20/20.
All in all, a fine day one of what will hopefully be a momentous four years.
On the inauguration front, I loved seeing Barack Obama's composure and carriage as he walked down that big hallway. He just had this vibe of, "That's right. I'm the President. Man, that sounds good." Then I'm sure Hail to the Chief played in his head. I enjoyed the musical performance thoroughly, and I'm sure it was not unintentional that, at the inauguration of a President who hopes to unify all peoples, the four performers were an Asian man, a black man, a Jewish man, and a woman.
I wished, however, that they had ordered the whole presentation differently. It really should have ended: inaugural address, Star-Spangled Banner, done. We all knew that President Obama would deliver a patriotic, motivational, stirring speech, and indeed he did. After he spoke, I felt ready. Ready to set the world on fire. Ready to do great things. Ready to help my fellow man. Then we had another twenty-ish minutes of presentation to kill all that momentum. But, hindsight is always 20/20.
All in all, a fine day one of what will hopefully be a momentous four years.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Thoughts from Playwriting Candidate Workshop 1 of 6
I figured I would write this all down for a number of reasons. One, I never got to read it in the group, so the people who were there can get a view of where my work was coming from. Two, I know I'm going to forget my thoughts and impressions by the time that number six rolls around. Three, I want to keep this writing somewhere, in case I ever want to get back to it on a rainy day, and this is as good a place as any. Four, I did the writing in a notebook for another class, so I need to take it out for OCD/organization's sake.
So, as I said in the circle, I have always found the toughest part of writing to be starting, to get the pencil moving in the first place. I enjoyed his exercise as a way to motivate the initial first words. Initially, I started with the interaction of Dave Moss from Glengarry Glen Ross and Maria from Wintertime (hell if I know where I came up with those two). Dave walks into the room to find Maria wearing his tie on her head. After a couple of lines, the characters and tone of the play metamorphosed into this interchange between a slightly naive wife and her husband who loves her to death in spite of her ditziness. It had this frothy romantic comedy vibe, which is weird because I'm not really a rom com guy (a manifestation of the subconscious desires of the lovelorn?) Anyways...
D: Maria, put my tie down!
M: Oh, you're here!
D: Yes, I'm here. Now why are you wearing my tie on your head?
M: I couldn't help it. I just saw it and thought of...you.
D: Really? What about me?
M: Well, at first I thought about how handsome you look dressed up. Then I thought about how handsome you look dressed down. Then I thought about that time in China when you forgot to pack a suit, so you went to that really nice restaurant in shorts and a T-shirt. Then...your tie was on my head.
D: Yeah, funny story about that tie. So on a day kind of like today, so much so that I'll call it today, I have work in ten minutes, can I have my tie?
M: Do you really have to go today? I was hoping we could just stay in and...lounge.
D: Sweetheart, we stayed in and lounged yesterday. That's why Sundays were invented. But Mondays were invented so that I could go to work...and you could do...Monday stuff.
M: But I hate Monday stuff. I like Sunday stuff, because that's when you're there. Why, don't you like Sunday stuff?
D: No, no, I like Sunday stuff too. But if all you do is Sunday stuff, then Monday stuff...no, if all you have is dessert, then the vegetables...no, no, the point is balance.
M: Balance?
D: You need to have some of the bad stuff in life in order to appreciate the good stuff.
M: And being with me is the good stuff?
D: Exactly. Now I need to go balance my stuff.
M: Okay.
(she hands him the tie, kisses him on the cheek, and sends him on his way)
Overall, I think it's a bit talky, or at least all of the action is implicit more so in my mind than in the text, and so that would be the kind of thing I would want to work on. Additionally, something mentioned in the group is making the two characters sound too much alike. I think their voices are a little too similar, although it could be the husband pandering to his wife's naivete. I would have liked to see what this candidate did as far as critique and/or constructive criticism, since most of the feedback to the read pieces was positive and complimentary. Anyways, I am looking forward to continuing to grow and develop throughout this process, and to find the best candidate, even though I don't quite know what that means.
So, as I said in the circle, I have always found the toughest part of writing to be starting, to get the pencil moving in the first place. I enjoyed his exercise as a way to motivate the initial first words. Initially, I started with the interaction of Dave Moss from Glengarry Glen Ross and Maria from Wintertime (hell if I know where I came up with those two). Dave walks into the room to find Maria wearing his tie on her head. After a couple of lines, the characters and tone of the play metamorphosed into this interchange between a slightly naive wife and her husband who loves her to death in spite of her ditziness. It had this frothy romantic comedy vibe, which is weird because I'm not really a rom com guy (a manifestation of the subconscious desires of the lovelorn?) Anyways...
D: Maria, put my tie down!
M: Oh, you're here!
D: Yes, I'm here. Now why are you wearing my tie on your head?
M: I couldn't help it. I just saw it and thought of...you.
D: Really? What about me?
M: Well, at first I thought about how handsome you look dressed up. Then I thought about how handsome you look dressed down. Then I thought about that time in China when you forgot to pack a suit, so you went to that really nice restaurant in shorts and a T-shirt. Then...your tie was on my head.
D: Yeah, funny story about that tie. So on a day kind of like today, so much so that I'll call it today, I have work in ten minutes, can I have my tie?
M: Do you really have to go today? I was hoping we could just stay in and...lounge.
D: Sweetheart, we stayed in and lounged yesterday. That's why Sundays were invented. But Mondays were invented so that I could go to work...and you could do...Monday stuff.
M: But I hate Monday stuff. I like Sunday stuff, because that's when you're there. Why, don't you like Sunday stuff?
D: No, no, I like Sunday stuff too. But if all you do is Sunday stuff, then Monday stuff...no, if all you have is dessert, then the vegetables...no, no, the point is balance.
M: Balance?
D: You need to have some of the bad stuff in life in order to appreciate the good stuff.
M: And being with me is the good stuff?
D: Exactly. Now I need to go balance my stuff.
M: Okay.
(she hands him the tie, kisses him on the cheek, and sends him on his way)
Overall, I think it's a bit talky, or at least all of the action is implicit more so in my mind than in the text, and so that would be the kind of thing I would want to work on. Additionally, something mentioned in the group is making the two characters sound too much alike. I think their voices are a little too similar, although it could be the husband pandering to his wife's naivete. I would have liked to see what this candidate did as far as critique and/or constructive criticism, since most of the feedback to the read pieces was positive and complimentary. Anyways, I am looking forward to continuing to grow and develop throughout this process, and to find the best candidate, even though I don't quite know what that means.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Insert Clever Title Here
For some reason, even though class was only a couple of hours ago, it feels like a complete blur. I can vividly recall the first class, but today just feels like a big muddle of movement and noise.
I am writing this in the middle of a class entitled "Operating System Design" with a professor who is as boring as paint drying slowly. It always feels weird to go from very physical and liberating Theatre classes, which feel almost like play, to the CS classes, which are all analytical and mathematical. It's almost as bad as when I had Scenography followed immediately by Design and Analysis of Algorithms. That was a thorough mindfuck.
I thoroughly enjoy soft focus. However, if you walk around during the day in soft focus, people usually think you're either angry or crazy.
Something new I learned: the reasoning behind the whole Joshua exercise. I knew it was a vocal warm-up, but I guess I never made the connection of the forward motion of the sounds' origin. That's why I keep getting up every day: to go to bed with more information than I had when I got out of it.
After our breathing exercises, I wished I could spend more time breathing. Not really doing anything, just checking in with the instrument and feeling the expansion and contraction of the lungs and diaphragm. I guess that's why arriving early was invented.
Tossing the ball was fun. At one point it really made me miss playing baseball, until I threw one too hard at Evil Katie and my hand went numb. Take-home lesson: control.
The body contact game was thoroughly enjoyable. I feel like the game requires a certain connection among the participants, and it was fun to see how the various group minds formed, finding different ways to connect five hips or four feet or two elbows. It was awesome during one moment when someone had the exact same idea as I did, and we just connected immediately without all the hurried fumbling and limb-counting.
I resolved today to start working out again, what with the body being the instrument and my body being a guitar that just got smashed through an amplifier.
I found it challenging to reflect on what groups and styles other people think I belong to. I generally don't get into the whole practice of labeling people, because I feel like complete individuals aren't binary entities; we aren't one way or not that way. I don't get mad when other people want to categorize, but I feel like all labels are right and wrong.
Since I couldn't remember the resolution to the Three Little Pigs, I did some hard-hitting research (a minute and a half of browsing Wikipedia). After the wolf fails to blow down the third pig's house (the wolf apparently has smoker's lung, because I know I have enough lung power to knock down brick and mortar), he tries to outsmart the pig and fails. Finally, the wolf climbs to the roof and attempts to go in through the chimney. The pig, being a crafty mofo, puts a pot of boiling water in his fireplace. The wolf summarily falls into said pot, the pig slams down the lid, and cooks the wolf and eats him. Wonderful.
I am writing this in the middle of a class entitled "Operating System Design" with a professor who is as boring as paint drying slowly. It always feels weird to go from very physical and liberating Theatre classes, which feel almost like play, to the CS classes, which are all analytical and mathematical. It's almost as bad as when I had Scenography followed immediately by Design and Analysis of Algorithms. That was a thorough mindfuck.
I thoroughly enjoy soft focus. However, if you walk around during the day in soft focus, people usually think you're either angry or crazy.
Something new I learned: the reasoning behind the whole Joshua exercise. I knew it was a vocal warm-up, but I guess I never made the connection of the forward motion of the sounds' origin. That's why I keep getting up every day: to go to bed with more information than I had when I got out of it.
After our breathing exercises, I wished I could spend more time breathing. Not really doing anything, just checking in with the instrument and feeling the expansion and contraction of the lungs and diaphragm. I guess that's why arriving early was invented.
Tossing the ball was fun. At one point it really made me miss playing baseball, until I threw one too hard at Evil Katie and my hand went numb. Take-home lesson: control.
The body contact game was thoroughly enjoyable. I feel like the game requires a certain connection among the participants, and it was fun to see how the various group minds formed, finding different ways to connect five hips or four feet or two elbows. It was awesome during one moment when someone had the exact same idea as I did, and we just connected immediately without all the hurried fumbling and limb-counting.
I resolved today to start working out again, what with the body being the instrument and my body being a guitar that just got smashed through an amplifier.
I found it challenging to reflect on what groups and styles other people think I belong to. I generally don't get into the whole practice of labeling people, because I feel like complete individuals aren't binary entities; we aren't one way or not that way. I don't get mad when other people want to categorize, but I feel like all labels are right and wrong.
Since I couldn't remember the resolution to the Three Little Pigs, I did some hard-hitting research (a minute and a half of browsing Wikipedia). After the wolf fails to blow down the third pig's house (the wolf apparently has smoker's lung, because I know I have enough lung power to knock down brick and mortar), he tries to outsmart the pig and fails. Finally, the wolf climbs to the roof and attempts to go in through the chimney. The pig, being a crafty mofo, puts a pot of boiling water in his fireplace. The wolf summarily falls into said pot, the pig slams down the lid, and cooks the wolf and eats him. Wonderful.
On a gloriously unrelated note, once class got out, I put some Portuguese hip hop on my iPod, and it was glorious. Some languages just seem to lend themselves well to certain genres of music.
I'm off in search of food...
I'm off in search of food...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Day 1- This class is poppin', stylin' and boss
This is an advanced acting class.
I am really looking forward to acting with people as enthusiastic about theatre as I am. It can really dampen one's spirits to be the only one giving 100% of one's self in a room full of people who are just there for 4 humanities credits.
As we went over the syllabus, I wondered why no one has found a way to jazz up the tedium of syllabi. I don't know, maybe if they did it in rhyming couplets or occasionally threw in curse words to see who was paying attention.
I am glad that we did a group warmup, because I myself was feeling less than limber at the start of class. Since this is my first class, I must make sure I get in sooner in order to ready myself mind and body and spirit and whatnot.
Whilst being middle-schoolers, I wondered how many other people were channeling themselves a decade ago. Shit, middle school really was a decade ago. I feel older than I did the first time I found gray hair in my beard.
This is an advanced acting class.
During the game of updating lingo, I had a realization which was at once both comforting and disturbing. It was comforting to know that other people were observing the same thing I was concerning the state of dating and relationships in our little microcosmic world. However it was very disturbing to realize that my suspicions were in fact confirmed. I was left with one question: when the fuck did I become old-fashioned because I like to get to know a girl over dinner and a movie before my dick enters into the equation? Seriously, am I just a bleeding-heart romantic because I don't go out in search of one-nighters? I mean, I'm not averse to them, but I don't set out with the goal of meeting a girl to drunkenly fuck and never have to talk to again. That's really pretty anti-boss.
Row row row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream. Row row row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream. Row row row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream. (one in which my hands are in Kashi's shoes? What a weird dream).
I just marveled at the mess of HTML that it took to do the last paragraph. And understood it. I'm such a nerd.
This is an advanced acting class.
Seacrest, out.
I am really looking forward to acting with people as enthusiastic about theatre as I am. It can really dampen one's spirits to be the only one giving 100% of one's self in a room full of people who are just there for 4 humanities credits.
As we went over the syllabus, I wondered why no one has found a way to jazz up the tedium of syllabi. I don't know, maybe if they did it in rhyming couplets or occasionally threw in curse words to see who was paying attention.
I am glad that we did a group warmup, because I myself was feeling less than limber at the start of class. Since this is my first class, I must make sure I get in sooner in order to ready myself mind and body and spirit and whatnot.
Whilst being middle-schoolers, I wondered how many other people were channeling themselves a decade ago. Shit, middle school really was a decade ago. I feel older than I did the first time I found gray hair in my beard.
This is an advanced acting class.
During the game of updating lingo, I had a realization which was at once both comforting and disturbing. It was comforting to know that other people were observing the same thing I was concerning the state of dating and relationships in our little microcosmic world. However it was very disturbing to realize that my suspicions were in fact confirmed. I was left with one question: when the fuck did I become old-fashioned because I like to get to know a girl over dinner and a movie before my dick enters into the equation? Seriously, am I just a bleeding-heart romantic because I don't go out in search of one-nighters? I mean, I'm not averse to them, but I don't set out with the goal of meeting a girl to drunkenly fuck and never have to talk to again. That's really pretty anti-boss.
Row row row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream. Row row row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream. Row row row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream. (one in which my hands are in Kashi's shoes? What a weird dream).
I just marveled at the mess of HTML that it took to do the last paragraph. And understood it. I'm such a nerd.
This is an advanced acting class.
Seacrest, out.
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