First, everyone should take 4 minutes out of their day and watch the following video for a good chuckle: Ninja Parade Slips Through Town Unnoticed Once Again.
No callback for Sub-Zero. Which turns out to be kind of a blessing, seeing as how I only realized the day of the audition that the part for which I was auditioning would require me to be naked onstage as well as make out (while still naked) with a guy who's pushing 55. I can just imagine my parents' reactions: "What is with you and messed up plays about love where you take off your clothes?! Didn't get enough of that in The Swan?!" Yeah. Thank goodness for small favors.
There are few things that make me happier than sitting down with a good bowl of pasta, a best friend, and a few episodes of Scrubs. That's what my Wednesday night consisted of, followed by a lengthy conversation with my sister wherein I introduced her to the crack that is BitTorrent combined with Mininova. Always happy to spread the secrets of the internet around. ;o)
Ordered a subscription to Wired Magazine, my new dorky obsession. Of course, being technology-based, it's marketed more towards men, but that's okay. I don't mind looking at Ralph Lauren ads that feature fine looking gentlemen every few pages. Speaking of fine looking gents, the more previews I see for Beowulf (which is often, as all the major networks' online full-TV episode players have them), the more I want to see it. No, I don't expect it to be "good" or true to the book (not that I've even read the book...), but it features badass men fighting for/against pretty ladies, and there's dragons. Plus Neil Gaiman's involved, so I don't expect it to be atrociously gratuitous. What more do you need? No one in their right mind can tell me that 300 was a "good" movie in the critical sense, but then again, no one in their right mind can deny how awesomely amazing and brilliantly manly that movie is.
If they do deny it, then they are evil Persian soldiers at Xerxes's command and must be stopped.
I'm thinking of enrolling in a program here at BU's Metropolitan College that would earn me a graduate certificate in Arts Administration while still working my normal job. I figure that way I'd have a little more street cred and be more likely to get a job in a theatre. Brilliant!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
It's Only A Paper Moon
Aside from the usual office humdrum, Monday was an interesting day. A little disappointing, but not overwhelmingly so. ["You can be overwhelmed and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?"]
Had an audition last night for Speed the Plow and Barefoot in the Park as produced by a baby of a theatre company, Bad Habit Productions. I used a new monologue that I'd never auditioned with before seeing as how my usual one (from The Swan) was probably not a good idea to use at an audition for a comedy. The selection was from The Marriage of Bette and Boo and, while I was in the show and memorized the monologue no problem, I think the fact that I'd never done it in front of an actual audience before had a rather adverse affect on my audition. The delivery was far from smooth and, when the director suggested I do something with it, I was so focused on getting the rhythm and words right that I had little concentration left over to follow his instructions. As a result I (rightly so) did not get a callback. The only reason why this outcome bothered me more than usual was because I know I didn't put my best foot forward unlike the other times I've auditioned here. But that's life, as they say!
I have another audition tonight for a new work called Sub-Zero. We're reading asides from the script, though, so no worries about monologues for me. After experiencing a little slice of the professional theatre world, I can say with assuredness that monologues are the worst idea ever for auditions. Why not just have everyone read a short thing from the script? I know there's time constraints and protocol and such, but come on. Monologues are meant to be part of a greater whole, not stand on their own as a mini-performance.
Enough of that. Now for something completely different!
Shark Diving Destinations
I want to go to the ones in Mexico. I've always wanted to shark dive. However, despite my love and knowledge of sharks (or maybe because of?), I would not want to go a "Great White Shark" themed dive. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll watch from the boat.
10 Voluntourism Trips
I can haz all of these, plz? Me being me, the ones where you work with animals are at the top of my list for coolest vacations ever.
Back to me. Last night also provided me with my first ever experience of a true New England tradition: candlepin bowling. It's so much more fun than regular bowling! I met up with Kat and Garrett at Sacco's in Davis Square and had a blast. Got to meet some of Kat's friends from the Huntington while catching up on Garrett's life--a real treat considering I haven't seen him in over two months. But since we didn't meet up until 9:15pm and bowled three games, I didn't get home until around 12:30am. Which is way, way past my bed time (because I'm a lame old lady on the inside).
Needless to say I've already fallen asleep countless times while reading emails and doing paperwork here at the office...
Had an audition last night for Speed the Plow and Barefoot in the Park as produced by a baby of a theatre company, Bad Habit Productions. I used a new monologue that I'd never auditioned with before seeing as how my usual one (from The Swan) was probably not a good idea to use at an audition for a comedy. The selection was from The Marriage of Bette and Boo and, while I was in the show and memorized the monologue no problem, I think the fact that I'd never done it in front of an actual audience before had a rather adverse affect on my audition. The delivery was far from smooth and, when the director suggested I do something with it, I was so focused on getting the rhythm and words right that I had little concentration left over to follow his instructions. As a result I (rightly so) did not get a callback. The only reason why this outcome bothered me more than usual was because I know I didn't put my best foot forward unlike the other times I've auditioned here. But that's life, as they say!
I have another audition tonight for a new work called Sub-Zero. We're reading asides from the script, though, so no worries about monologues for me. After experiencing a little slice of the professional theatre world, I can say with assuredness that monologues are the worst idea ever for auditions. Why not just have everyone read a short thing from the script? I know there's time constraints and protocol and such, but come on. Monologues are meant to be part of a greater whole, not stand on their own as a mini-performance.
Enough of that. Now for something completely different!
Shark Diving Destinations
I want to go to the ones in Mexico. I've always wanted to shark dive. However, despite my love and knowledge of sharks (or maybe because of?), I would not want to go a "Great White Shark" themed dive. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll watch from the boat.
10 Voluntourism Trips
I can haz all of these, plz? Me being me, the ones where you work with animals are at the top of my list for coolest vacations ever.
Back to me. Last night also provided me with my first ever experience of a true New England tradition: candlepin bowling. It's so much more fun than regular bowling! I met up with Kat and Garrett at Sacco's in Davis Square and had a blast. Got to meet some of Kat's friends from the Huntington while catching up on Garrett's life--a real treat considering I haven't seen him in over two months. But since we didn't meet up until 9:15pm and bowled three games, I didn't get home until around 12:30am. Which is way, way past my bed time (because I'm a lame old lady on the inside).
Needless to say I've already fallen asleep countless times while reading emails and doing paperwork here at the office...
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Pull Shapes
Having the parents and my cousin here this weekend has been grand. I really don't want anyone to leave tomorrow (today, I suppose). Adrienne's in Montreal so I've been busy keeping my cousin and folks entertained. Needless to say it's been a much more exciting weekend than I normally experience.
Thursday night saw the arrival of my cousin and the first time I've seen Dad since early September. Mom, Adrienne, Elizabeth, and I gorged ourselves on delicious Sicilian-style seafood at The Daily Catch down by the waterfront (after an adventurous trek around South Station in an attempt to find the bus terminal). It was a little bizarre seeing Liz because, as close as we can figure, I haven't seen her in almost 10 years. She's on leave from her PhD program in Seattle right now and was presenting independent research at a conference in Woods Hole, MA (near Cape Cod) earlier this week. She's, of course, been staying at my apartment and it's been really fabulous getting to hang out with her. Lucky girl even won the Wicked lottery and got to sit fourth row for the show today! I think I'm officially the only member of my family who hasn't seen it and, even though I know it's a bubblegum pop musical and nothing like the book, I still want to see it for myself. Someday!
Friday after work was dedicated to bonding time with Mom. I picked her up at her hotel and we walked over to the Huntington Theatre's Caulderwood Pavilion to pick up our tickets for Brendan by Ronan Noone (a very popular local playwright who's gaining all kinds of international recognition). We then proceeded across the street to the restaurant I had found thanks to the "search nearby" function on Google Maps. It was an Ethiopian restaurant called Addis Red Sea. OH. MY. GOD. I think I've found a new favorite ethnic food! The atmosphere and decoration of the restaurant was genuinely Ethiopian: we sat on low chairs and the table was essentially a woven column at knee height in an hourglass shape with a pad on top. The food is served on a delicious and spongy bread and you eat with your hands. It was a little spicy for my super-weeny spice tolerance, but delicious nonetheless. And not at all expensive for the amount of food. Needless to say I'm definitely going back there and taking everyone I know!
Today was supposed to be a shopping day but, thanks to Hurricane Noel, Boston was hit with constant rain and horrendous winds. Hence the shopping didn't last very long, but thankfully Mom and Liz went shopping together most of yesterday--when Mom "discovered" H&M--and picked out some very cute things for me. It was like having personal shoppers go out and get things for me and saved me all the work. Now I finally have enough variety in my work clothes to not feel like a boring idiot every week for wearing the same pieces. Huzzah!
And tonight we all finally got to spend time with Dad as his annual Senior Staff retreat for Cincy Children's Hospital ended this afternoon. We met up with Liz at 5:30 (after she got out of Wicked) and went to Mom's favorite Boston restaurant, Legal Sea Foods. I consumed a pear-tini, delicious wild samon, rice pilaf, and broccoli with enough leftover to make a meal for lunch Monday. We're meeting my parents tomorrow morning at 9:30 for breakfast, after which I'll say goodbye until Thanksgiving.
I know I'll see them again soon enough (not even a month), but I feel a little emptier inside when I think about the fact that they're leaving tomorrow after seeing them the past few days.
Who else is thankful that tonight we roll our clocks back one hour in honor of Daylight Wasting Time? I sure am.
Read
The Tin Princess by Philip Pullman (reading now)
Seen
The Curse of the Golden Flower
Thursday night saw the arrival of my cousin and the first time I've seen Dad since early September. Mom, Adrienne, Elizabeth, and I gorged ourselves on delicious Sicilian-style seafood at The Daily Catch down by the waterfront (after an adventurous trek around South Station in an attempt to find the bus terminal). It was a little bizarre seeing Liz because, as close as we can figure, I haven't seen her in almost 10 years. She's on leave from her PhD program in Seattle right now and was presenting independent research at a conference in Woods Hole, MA (near Cape Cod) earlier this week. She's, of course, been staying at my apartment and it's been really fabulous getting to hang out with her. Lucky girl even won the Wicked lottery and got to sit fourth row for the show today! I think I'm officially the only member of my family who hasn't seen it and, even though I know it's a bubblegum pop musical and nothing like the book, I still want to see it for myself. Someday!
Friday after work was dedicated to bonding time with Mom. I picked her up at her hotel and we walked over to the Huntington Theatre's Caulderwood Pavilion to pick up our tickets for Brendan by Ronan Noone (a very popular local playwright who's gaining all kinds of international recognition). We then proceeded across the street to the restaurant I had found thanks to the "search nearby" function on Google Maps. It was an Ethiopian restaurant called Addis Red Sea. OH. MY. GOD. I think I've found a new favorite ethnic food! The atmosphere and decoration of the restaurant was genuinely Ethiopian: we sat on low chairs and the table was essentially a woven column at knee height in an hourglass shape with a pad on top. The food is served on a delicious and spongy bread and you eat with your hands. It was a little spicy for my super-weeny spice tolerance, but delicious nonetheless. And not at all expensive for the amount of food. Needless to say I'm definitely going back there and taking everyone I know!
Today was supposed to be a shopping day but, thanks to Hurricane Noel, Boston was hit with constant rain and horrendous winds. Hence the shopping didn't last very long, but thankfully Mom and Liz went shopping together most of yesterday--when Mom "discovered" H&M--and picked out some very cute things for me. It was like having personal shoppers go out and get things for me and saved me all the work. Now I finally have enough variety in my work clothes to not feel like a boring idiot every week for wearing the same pieces. Huzzah!
And tonight we all finally got to spend time with Dad as his annual Senior Staff retreat for Cincy Children's Hospital ended this afternoon. We met up with Liz at 5:30 (after she got out of Wicked) and went to Mom's favorite Boston restaurant, Legal Sea Foods. I consumed a pear-tini, delicious wild samon, rice pilaf, and broccoli with enough leftover to make a meal for lunch Monday. We're meeting my parents tomorrow morning at 9:30 for breakfast, after which I'll say goodbye until Thanksgiving.
I know I'll see them again soon enough (not even a month), but I feel a little emptier inside when I think about the fact that they're leaving tomorrow after seeing them the past few days.
Who else is thankful that tonight we roll our clocks back one hour in honor of Daylight Wasting Time? I sure am.
Read
The Tin Princess by Philip Pullman (reading now)
Seen
The Curse of the Golden Flower
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Strange Fruit
Happy Halloween! I know it was technically yesterday, but seeing as the things I'm going to write about mostly occurred on All Hallow's Eve I think it's still appropriate.
The Ravel opera was really good. Unfortunately I was unaware that they were tacking on an entire symphony before the opera, so poor Adrienne was unable to stay due to previous plans. The symphony was interesting in itself, though, and I found myself very much enjoying it (even though my sleep-impoverished mind wandered away a few times). It was the 5th Symphony by a 20th century British composer I'd never heard of: Arnold Bax. Alternately heart-poundingly war-like and wistfully sweet, it was very different from what I expected. I'm going to see if the library has any copies of his other symphonies. L'enfant et les Sortileges was highly entertaining considering it's about a bratty boy whose is confronted by the playthings and objects he has maltreated over the years. The singing was fantastic, but that was to be expected considering the soloists were all from The Opera Institute. And Older Figaro from The Countess of Seville was in it as the Old Grandfather Clock! A delight.
Despite the fact that it was a "holiday" I came into work with less than a jovial spirit as I felt supremely ill all morning. My head was pounding, body aching, and I was unaccountably nauseous the whole time. I got to work at 9am and by 9:45 I was seriously considering telling my boss I simply couldn't work today and going home. But then, corny as it is, I thought of Dad and how he never misses work unless he's physically unable to get out of bed. He's worked many a full day when he wasn't feeling well and I figured I could show the same amount of dedication. Perhaps this was foolish reasoning seeing as Dad doesn't exactly take care of himself as well as he should considering his heart, but his work ethic has rubbed off on me regardless. Growing up, and even now, there is nothing I fear so much as disappointing my parents. Anger, frustration, even dislike I can handle, but disappointment I cannot bear.
Despite my crappy physical state, I did manage to find two things of high amusement value:
Camera captures Bigfoot! -- or a bear
Dr.McNinja
The latter is an utterly hilarious webcomic that I had completely forgotten about and rediscovered yesterday. As the tag line says, "Dr. McNinja is a doctor who is also a ninja." What could be better? Go right now and check out his adventures as he battles against Ronald McDonald, Paul Bunyan, a raptor, zombies, and more! If he were real, I'd marry his hunky ass. ;o)
So even though Halloween is supposed to be a "fun" holiday that involves dressing up and doing things, Adrienne and I opted for staying home. Terrell came over and we all watched Queen Margot, the last in my line of rented movies about queens. Alas that this was the worst out of the bunch not because it was badly acted or poorly conceived, but because it was so damn confusing! Every other scene introduced another man that looked exactly like someone else and the number of dead, naked bodies (they were always naked) just kept piling up for seemingly no reason. We stopped it without finishing as 11pm rolled around and the collective energy of the group was near spent. Ah, what having a 9-5 (or in Terrell's case a 7-6) will do to your sense of fun!
I find it utterly ridiculous that I can live in the same city as some of my friends and still only see them perhaps once a month. On the T home from the opera I ran into my friend Kelly who I hadn't seen in about two weeks--the last time we got together being the first time I'd seen her and three other friends from high school in four years (one of them being her fiance). I'm going to see Brendan by Ronan Noone with Mom tomorrow night at the Huntington courtesy of comps given to me by my friend Kat: I spent copious amounts of time with her over the summer at Barrington only to see her sporadically at best once fall rolled around. She only lives a 66 bus ride away but I haven't seen her in over a month. And I haven't even made a twitch towards seeing my best friend from childhood who, when I first moved here, I discovered worked in Harvard Square. I hate that my job makes me feel so lethargic once I get home, but at the same time I know that I need much more rest than an average person does in order to function properly. GRR!
The parents arrive today! And so does my cousin Liz! The hardest part about this new life is how far away it takes me from my family. Being so close with my parents is both a blessing and a curse at this point.
Read
Sabriel by Garth Nix (so good!)
Seen
Queen Margot
Scrubs: Season One
The Ravel opera was really good. Unfortunately I was unaware that they were tacking on an entire symphony before the opera, so poor Adrienne was unable to stay due to previous plans. The symphony was interesting in itself, though, and I found myself very much enjoying it (even though my sleep-impoverished mind wandered away a few times). It was the 5th Symphony by a 20th century British composer I'd never heard of: Arnold Bax. Alternately heart-poundingly war-like and wistfully sweet, it was very different from what I expected. I'm going to see if the library has any copies of his other symphonies. L'enfant et les Sortileges was highly entertaining considering it's about a bratty boy whose is confronted by the playthings and objects he has maltreated over the years. The singing was fantastic, but that was to be expected considering the soloists were all from The Opera Institute. And Older Figaro from The Countess of Seville was in it as the Old Grandfather Clock! A delight.
Despite the fact that it was a "holiday" I came into work with less than a jovial spirit as I felt supremely ill all morning. My head was pounding, body aching, and I was unaccountably nauseous the whole time. I got to work at 9am and by 9:45 I was seriously considering telling my boss I simply couldn't work today and going home. But then, corny as it is, I thought of Dad and how he never misses work unless he's physically unable to get out of bed. He's worked many a full day when he wasn't feeling well and I figured I could show the same amount of dedication. Perhaps this was foolish reasoning seeing as Dad doesn't exactly take care of himself as well as he should considering his heart, but his work ethic has rubbed off on me regardless. Growing up, and even now, there is nothing I fear so much as disappointing my parents. Anger, frustration, even dislike I can handle, but disappointment I cannot bear.
Despite my crappy physical state, I did manage to find two things of high amusement value:
Camera captures Bigfoot! -- or a bear
Dr.McNinja
The latter is an utterly hilarious webcomic that I had completely forgotten about and rediscovered yesterday. As the tag line says, "Dr. McNinja is a doctor who is also a ninja." What could be better? Go right now and check out his adventures as he battles against Ronald McDonald, Paul Bunyan, a raptor, zombies, and more! If he were real, I'd marry his hunky ass. ;o)
So even though Halloween is supposed to be a "fun" holiday that involves dressing up and doing things, Adrienne and I opted for staying home. Terrell came over and we all watched Queen Margot, the last in my line of rented movies about queens. Alas that this was the worst out of the bunch not because it was badly acted or poorly conceived, but because it was so damn confusing! Every other scene introduced another man that looked exactly like someone else and the number of dead, naked bodies (they were always naked) just kept piling up for seemingly no reason. We stopped it without finishing as 11pm rolled around and the collective energy of the group was near spent. Ah, what having a 9-5 (or in Terrell's case a 7-6) will do to your sense of fun!
I find it utterly ridiculous that I can live in the same city as some of my friends and still only see them perhaps once a month. On the T home from the opera I ran into my friend Kelly who I hadn't seen in about two weeks--the last time we got together being the first time I'd seen her and three other friends from high school in four years (one of them being her fiance). I'm going to see Brendan by Ronan Noone with Mom tomorrow night at the Huntington courtesy of comps given to me by my friend Kat: I spent copious amounts of time with her over the summer at Barrington only to see her sporadically at best once fall rolled around. She only lives a 66 bus ride away but I haven't seen her in over a month. And I haven't even made a twitch towards seeing my best friend from childhood who, when I first moved here, I discovered worked in Harvard Square. I hate that my job makes me feel so lethargic once I get home, but at the same time I know that I need much more rest than an average person does in order to function properly. GRR!
The parents arrive today! And so does my cousin Liz! The hardest part about this new life is how far away it takes me from my family. Being so close with my parents is both a blessing and a curse at this point.
Read
Sabriel by Garth Nix (so good!)
Seen
Queen Margot
Scrubs: Season One
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