In the home stretch before tour is done, and I couldn't be more conflicted about it. On the one hand, I am so excited to be done, move to the city, get a job, a dog and start my life as an adult person. On the other, I am really going to miss this job. Not the tour route specifically, but the job, meeting so many people and all that jazz. I am so ready for change and something new, though, that I'm sure I made the right decision for now.
7 weeks until a week long trip to Chicago to do research on apartments, life, jobs, internships, gym memberships etc. Emily, Sean and I are traveling to see the pros and cons for them if they are to move with me. I hope they do.
I taught a few classes last week and filmed them to submit to the job application I have out with the company in Jersey since the tour keeps me from doing the teaching session there on April 10th. Here's hoping that works out- I'd love to be 2 hours from NYC and Jack and Stacy. Plus side is, I have 2 sessions with MTYP lined up for June, thus not completely mooching from my parents or spending the money I've saved for the big move in August. I can't believe it's so soon!
Things are coming together. I just hope they don't fall crashing down around me before I get there.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Spring Break!
Last week, we were in the very first town MCT ever resided. It was a really cool thing for us to experience- everyone there was so supportive and glad to have us. Our host family insisted we put all our food and purchases from the grocery store and cafe on their account, so we saved a lot of money pre-spring break style. Unfortunately, after the show when we counted the t-shirts and cds, at some point during the day someone in the cast had taken a shirt and cd from us when we weren't looking. This is the first time that has ever happened, and luckily it was only one of each so our profit didn't take a huge hit, but it is really disheartening when children as young as that are already beginning to steal. We were both really sad more than upset.
On sunday when we were driving to our residency for this week we were able to stop through Great Falls and have lunch with Doug and Lynn and Amber and Mike, our good friends and favorite people we've stayed with. It was so great to see them, and it turns out that the week of my birthday we'll be really close to Great Falls (but in a really small community) and they invited us back to take me out for my birthday! I'm so excited. This job has been outstanding for meeting some really great people.
This week we had to cut from the numbers that auditioned, and while it's always sad, these kids really, really want to be here and are so enthusiastic to participate. One of the cast members reminds me of Tommy Wiseau from The Room in his acting. It's AWESOME. I am ready for our break, though. Starting saturday, a week off!!!!
I've been hearing a lot of really great and encouraging audition opportunities and acceptances into career paths from my close friends recently; it is wonderful to get those tidbits from people and hear about successes people close to my heart are having. I hope this good fortune keeps spreading to everyone.
I have to submit a teaching video next week to the company in Jersey to possibly get hired for the summer. I would love to work there, not only to do something on my terms and work with kids again, but also because it would put me only an hour outside NYC so I'd be super close to Jack & Stacy and a few others who are living there now. Then off to the Windy City.
6 weeks until I'm off the road for an unspecified amount of time- I bought my ticket home to Wichita for May 20th. Looks like my plans will start to gel soon.
On sunday when we were driving to our residency for this week we were able to stop through Great Falls and have lunch with Doug and Lynn and Amber and Mike, our good friends and favorite people we've stayed with. It was so great to see them, and it turns out that the week of my birthday we'll be really close to Great Falls (but in a really small community) and they invited us back to take me out for my birthday! I'm so excited. This job has been outstanding for meeting some really great people.
This week we had to cut from the numbers that auditioned, and while it's always sad, these kids really, really want to be here and are so enthusiastic to participate. One of the cast members reminds me of Tommy Wiseau from The Room in his acting. It's AWESOME. I am ready for our break, though. Starting saturday, a week off!!!!
I've been hearing a lot of really great and encouraging audition opportunities and acceptances into career paths from my close friends recently; it is wonderful to get those tidbits from people and hear about successes people close to my heart are having. I hope this good fortune keeps spreading to everyone.
I have to submit a teaching video next week to the company in Jersey to possibly get hired for the summer. I would love to work there, not only to do something on my terms and work with kids again, but also because it would put me only an hour outside NYC so I'd be super close to Jack & Stacy and a few others who are living there now. Then off to the Windy City.
6 weeks until I'm off the road for an unspecified amount of time- I bought my ticket home to Wichita for May 20th. Looks like my plans will start to gel soon.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Chuck Mee
I am itching to create. I feel jittery with possibilities of jobs, directing, using the fragments of ideas to piece together a hodge-podge of a show. I don't need it to be successful, I just want to do something that is inspired in my brain and manifested with the creative impulses of others. Am I the only artist who is working who wants to quit everything to follow some irrational and fiscally irresponsible urge just to feel alive?
This is probably what drives actors to heroine.
*kidding.
Also, I had a phone interview with a theatre company based out of New Jersey for the summer today. I hope things go well, because it seems as though this could be a potentially awesome fit.
And, I wish Harry Potter was still being written. I feel lost without him.
This is probably what drives actors to heroine.
*kidding.
Also, I had a phone interview with a theatre company based out of New Jersey for the summer today. I hope things go well, because it seems as though this could be a potentially awesome fit.
And, I wish Harry Potter was still being written. I feel lost without him.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
When Two Become One (like the Spice Girls song)
Sort of fell behind in the updates here. Plus side- I have everything and nothing to write about. Here we go!
Feb. 22nd was Dave's birthday. I was sly in secret cake plan- friends of ours from the office in Missoula let me use their house to make him an ice cream cake. It was baller. It was also nice to have a few people to share his day with in Missoula. We get lonely, and we had a great dose of good times and great people for a solid 7 days.
Outside of Missoula, I found my 16 year old best friend. She was so much like JMo that I fell in instant rapport with her and we were two peas in a pod all week long. I had a great time teaching that week. We had only a few funny things that happened during the auditions (On Dave's birthday!) on of which was a 8 or 9 year old saying aloud while we were explaining the auditions, and in complete silence- "I like sponges." I'm not too sure where that came from or why, but it tickled me. When asking for the kids to do a piece of their audition like they are the "toughest guys they know, like they just walked in off their harley" one little boy yells "My aunt has a big dog!" I at first just said okay..... Then later realized that a big dog is also a brand of motorcycle. Not nearly as funny when it wasn't random.
From a few weeks ago, I found some notes I took about the little 5-7 year olds. There was one little boy who had red hair and was a fire ball and he did a karate kick, said his name then "I talked to my lawyer and he said I'm 6." another girl graced us with "Sydney, age 7. What's up diggity dog?" Kids are hilarious.
When we were in Missoula last week, we were able to do a lot of awesome things like cook in our friends' house, hang out with people, karaoke with strangers- we are involved in a company wide scavenger hunt and are on a quest to get some awesome pictures of us doing random things on this list. One was karaoke with a stranger. We picked Sweet Caroline and had some awesome interpretive dance moves going on. It was baller. The show went well, we had a visit from one of the CEO's and got some great feed back and suggestions as to how to make our process stronger. It was needed.
This week, we hit a very interesting hippie town in the middle of no where. No cell towers, no restaurants, a grocery store with a large candy selection and not much else. We are staying at the Bates Motel equipped with aged hippies in speedos who hang out in the natural sulfur springs all day, making the place reek of patchouli and rotten eggs. The food is outlandishly expensive (a sandwich was $5.50 for turkey on wheat Dave said) so we have sustained on Lays Stacks chips and hot tamales. I have written a lot of letters and read three books. I mentioned Ellen Hopkins in my last post- read her. She is incredible.
The kids here were very interesting, they obviously want to participate but it was like pulling teeth to get anything out of them at some points. The show went over well, minus an unfortunate hitch with our accompanist and the difficulty of the score for our show. But, all things considered, it was a success. Plus we had 3 sets of identical twins in the show, two kids with rat tails and a gay. We all know how I love the gays, so that was exciting in such a small community.
AND today is the first day off Dave and I have had since January 3rd. We milked a cow, held a chicken, petted some horses, visited some kids from our cast and I got a massage. It's been like heaven.
That's about all the boring ramblings I have to update on, but I figured it was just as easy to roll them from two weeks into one post. Pretty sweet. On to a city outside of Kalispell tomorrow, we're going to catch a matinee of Alice in Wonderland before heading to our hotel. And only a few more weeks until spring break! Week off- here I come!
Feb. 22nd was Dave's birthday. I was sly in secret cake plan- friends of ours from the office in Missoula let me use their house to make him an ice cream cake. It was baller. It was also nice to have a few people to share his day with in Missoula. We get lonely, and we had a great dose of good times and great people for a solid 7 days.
Outside of Missoula, I found my 16 year old best friend. She was so much like JMo that I fell in instant rapport with her and we were two peas in a pod all week long. I had a great time teaching that week. We had only a few funny things that happened during the auditions (On Dave's birthday!) on of which was a 8 or 9 year old saying aloud while we were explaining the auditions, and in complete silence- "I like sponges." I'm not too sure where that came from or why, but it tickled me. When asking for the kids to do a piece of their audition like they are the "toughest guys they know, like they just walked in off their harley" one little boy yells "My aunt has a big dog!" I at first just said okay..... Then later realized that a big dog is also a brand of motorcycle. Not nearly as funny when it wasn't random.
From a few weeks ago, I found some notes I took about the little 5-7 year olds. There was one little boy who had red hair and was a fire ball and he did a karate kick, said his name then "I talked to my lawyer and he said I'm 6." another girl graced us with "Sydney, age 7. What's up diggity dog?" Kids are hilarious.
When we were in Missoula last week, we were able to do a lot of awesome things like cook in our friends' house, hang out with people, karaoke with strangers- we are involved in a company wide scavenger hunt and are on a quest to get some awesome pictures of us doing random things on this list. One was karaoke with a stranger. We picked Sweet Caroline and had some awesome interpretive dance moves going on. It was baller. The show went well, we had a visit from one of the CEO's and got some great feed back and suggestions as to how to make our process stronger. It was needed.
This week, we hit a very interesting hippie town in the middle of no where. No cell towers, no restaurants, a grocery store with a large candy selection and not much else. We are staying at the Bates Motel equipped with aged hippies in speedos who hang out in the natural sulfur springs all day, making the place reek of patchouli and rotten eggs. The food is outlandishly expensive (a sandwich was $5.50 for turkey on wheat Dave said) so we have sustained on Lays Stacks chips and hot tamales. I have written a lot of letters and read three books. I mentioned Ellen Hopkins in my last post- read her. She is incredible.
The kids here were very interesting, they obviously want to participate but it was like pulling teeth to get anything out of them at some points. The show went over well, minus an unfortunate hitch with our accompanist and the difficulty of the score for our show. But, all things considered, it was a success. Plus we had 3 sets of identical twins in the show, two kids with rat tails and a gay. We all know how I love the gays, so that was exciting in such a small community.
AND today is the first day off Dave and I have had since January 3rd. We milked a cow, held a chicken, petted some horses, visited some kids from our cast and I got a massage. It's been like heaven.
That's about all the boring ramblings I have to update on, but I figured it was just as easy to roll them from two weeks into one post. Pretty sweet. On to a city outside of Kalispell tomorrow, we're going to catch a matinee of Alice in Wonderland before heading to our hotel. And only a few more weeks until spring break! Week off- here I come!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Making Breakfast?
We spent our one and only residency outside of Montana (in Idaho) this past week. It was outstanding. The kids were incredibly talented, well behaved and respectful. It was just the change we needed and encouragement to keep us going the next 5 weeks before spring break. I've been writing down funny things that happen during the week and sticking them in my purse as we go along fully intending to write them down in the blog, and as we go I never can seem to find them later. I guess that's someone's way to tell me to force my memory to work harder. I also finished another one of my applications and submitted it. Two down, two to go. Getting ready.
One of the more entertaining was during a teaching session a little girl randomly stops me mid song and says "I know a boy named McAbe (pronounced similar to Macabre but with a short a vowel) who should be an animal." My response was "okay, moving on..." Later that same teaching session I asked "What was your friends name again?" She responded "McAbe. But he's not my friend. He called a a bitch on the bus twice." My only suitable reaction was to look shocked and put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing aloud. Luckily the assistant director covered for me and said "that's not suitable language for rehearsal." I died.
During the same teaching session I was working through a song called "Hula Bula", my least favorite to teach. A lyric in the song goes as follows "they learned to hula from a teacher, learned it after school-a/the teacher made it lots of fun 'cause she was from Missoula!" One of the kids wisely said "you told us you're from Kansas." I responded by singing it through the next time with "they learned to hula from a teacher, learned it after school-a/the teacher made it lots of fun 'cause she was from (deadpan) Kansas." They thought I was a laugh riot. And we all know how much I love that.
We did a workshop about improv and miming with a group of 3-5 graders and during the session we played a game called mime rhyme. Dave said "I'm thinking of a word that rhymes with rat."
A little girl raises her hand and comes up, begins miming opening a jar which doesn't have anything that rhymes with rat involved...
Another kid raises her hand to guess and says "making breakfast?"
Dave's reaction "What?"
It's hilarious to see what children come up with when left to their own devices.
Dave's birthday is tomorrow and I will be making a first ever ice cream cake. Oh lord, I hope it goes well.
I read Burned by Ellen Hopkins this week. I recommend it to anyone looking for a dark story with an unconventional writing style. It was beautiful and I tore through it. I'm behind the times, but I finally saw Milk. I definitely understand why Sean Penn won. And I saw Choke. I don't know why it didn't do well in theatres, it was fantastic! That's all the rambling I have in store for now- until next week.
One of the more entertaining was during a teaching session a little girl randomly stops me mid song and says "I know a boy named McAbe (pronounced similar to Macabre but with a short a vowel) who should be an animal." My response was "okay, moving on..." Later that same teaching session I asked "What was your friends name again?" She responded "McAbe. But he's not my friend. He called a a bitch on the bus twice." My only suitable reaction was to look shocked and put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing aloud. Luckily the assistant director covered for me and said "that's not suitable language for rehearsal." I died.
During the same teaching session I was working through a song called "Hula Bula", my least favorite to teach. A lyric in the song goes as follows "they learned to hula from a teacher, learned it after school-a/the teacher made it lots of fun 'cause she was from Missoula!" One of the kids wisely said "you told us you're from Kansas." I responded by singing it through the next time with "they learned to hula from a teacher, learned it after school-a/the teacher made it lots of fun 'cause she was from (deadpan) Kansas." They thought I was a laugh riot. And we all know how much I love that.
We did a workshop about improv and miming with a group of 3-5 graders and during the session we played a game called mime rhyme. Dave said "I'm thinking of a word that rhymes with rat."
A little girl raises her hand and comes up, begins miming opening a jar which doesn't have anything that rhymes with rat involved...
Another kid raises her hand to guess and says "making breakfast?"
Dave's reaction "What?"
It's hilarious to see what children come up with when left to their own devices.
Dave's birthday is tomorrow and I will be making a first ever ice cream cake. Oh lord, I hope it goes well.
I read Burned by Ellen Hopkins this week. I recommend it to anyone looking for a dark story with an unconventional writing style. It was beautiful and I tore through it. I'm behind the times, but I finally saw Milk. I definitely understand why Sean Penn won. And I saw Choke. I don't know why it didn't do well in theatres, it was fantastic! That's all the rambling I have in store for now- until next week.
Monday, February 15, 2010
ahhhh, real monsters
On the theme of mythical creatures (continuing from the mermaid bar last week) and dragons not having outward scars (week before) this week, we have encountered a robot bank, another dragon- norwegian ridgeback (I could tell, Harry Potter 4 style), and a giant. All with homestays or at Into the Woods in Missoula.
Today was the first "day off" that Dave and I have had since... the 3rd of January. Not complaining, but we definitely still worked. Happy flippin' Valentine's day. The plus is there are several TAD teams here and we were able to go out and have a good time with people our age who we know. Down side is we leave in the morning and it's still 6 weeks until spring break, so we have a long stretch to go without any more time free.
I really am enjoying this stretch of the tour, as long and Montananous at it is... and I definitely would enjoy being back on the road again for summers to come, but I am so ready for permanence. And being here with other teams and women my age made me realize how much I miss having a female support system in my life. Touring with a man is definitely right for me, but it has been SO nice to spend time with girls for a little bit. I'm sure Dave feels the same way, opposite spectrum of course.
In other news, to keep myself on track, I have finished one application for summer job outside of MCT-
1. TOMS shoes internship in Santa Monica, CA. Long shot, totally out of my realm of expertise, but I am so interested in how it works and runs that I had to apply.
2. Northwestern Cherubs program as a faculty member (almost finished, have to edit my cover letter)
3. Twin River Theatre Company in New Jersey as a faculty member for their 3-8 grade theatre camp- still working on the cover letter for that one...
4. Director for Noble Fool Theatricals (youth theatre company) for summer or fall production, outside Chicago. This is a brand new option that I have yet to begin my application process for.
5. Stay on the road for the summer, bulk my bonus and get some more americorps financial help.
6. Move to Chicago as soon as I'm off the road.
These are the options I am weighing right now. I hope everything will just fall into place.
Today was the first "day off" that Dave and I have had since... the 3rd of January. Not complaining, but we definitely still worked. Happy flippin' Valentine's day. The plus is there are several TAD teams here and we were able to go out and have a good time with people our age who we know. Down side is we leave in the morning and it's still 6 weeks until spring break, so we have a long stretch to go without any more time free.
I really am enjoying this stretch of the tour, as long and Montananous at it is... and I definitely would enjoy being back on the road again for summers to come, but I am so ready for permanence. And being here with other teams and women my age made me realize how much I miss having a female support system in my life. Touring with a man is definitely right for me, but it has been SO nice to spend time with girls for a little bit. I'm sure Dave feels the same way, opposite spectrum of course.
In other news, to keep myself on track, I have finished one application for summer job outside of MCT-
1. TOMS shoes internship in Santa Monica, CA. Long shot, totally out of my realm of expertise, but I am so interested in how it works and runs that I had to apply.
2. Northwestern Cherubs program as a faculty member (almost finished, have to edit my cover letter)
3. Twin River Theatre Company in New Jersey as a faculty member for their 3-8 grade theatre camp- still working on the cover letter for that one...
4. Director for Noble Fool Theatricals (youth theatre company) for summer or fall production, outside Chicago. This is a brand new option that I have yet to begin my application process for.
5. Stay on the road for the summer, bulk my bonus and get some more americorps financial help.
6. Move to Chicago as soon as I'm off the road.
These are the options I am weighing right now. I hope everything will just fall into place.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
"This would be a bustling Metropolis if not for Meth"
Notable moments from this past week
Within the first 15 minutes of being in the town I heard a recap of a failed suicide attempt from a woman to the cashier at the “grocery store” while buying a six pack, a pack of marlbro’s and some chips at approximately 2:00 pm.
Old shrivled man (who we were told would love to take us ice fishing) promptly and rudely denied my barely expelled (and polite) request to take us by telling me “he is not interested” at approximately 2:30 pm.
A formerly live tiger kept in glass case that was apparently a nuisance in some village so it was killed and donated…
16 weeks meat free.
We had some of the most rude, hateful middle school boys in the show, but one didn’t show for rehearsal and another quit three times. The third time we let him.
The bar (there were 2, a church and convenience store) had all men, one old woman with cousin it but blonde and leathery who showed the whole sausage fest of cowboys her tits through the window (Dave and I were THRILLED) and a young cute-ish bartender wearing a terrible yellow tank top in the snowy winter with a denim overall SHORT skirt outfit complete with frills on the almost non-existent skirt part. Wowza.
One of the kids asked us how old we were and a boy said “Dave is 100 and you are 19”
When we said what do you really think? They said “Dave is 42 and you’re 20”
I couldn’t stop laughing.
Switch to the BEST week we could have had ever.
Our family opened the door to us and exclaimed “A REDHEAD!” with joy and excitement. Best start of a week ever.
We made friends and went to a MERMAID bar. Twice.
They took us ice fishing.
They cooked vegetarian meals for me.
I got to play Bunko and ROCKED.
Doug’s parents came over and cooked us sourdough pancakes for breakfast and they were the freaking cutest people ever.
Lynn gave me a free pass to the awesome gym there.
During the audition my favorite quotes from one of the 107 (!) kids that auditioned said “I’maaronilikedinosaurs” and another said “I’m proud I have gum in my pocket”.
I also heard more asian jokes and stereotypes this week than ever. Pretty baller.
1 week until seeing Kyra, Liz, Katie and Caity in Missoula!
Within the first 15 minutes of being in the town I heard a recap of a failed suicide attempt from a woman to the cashier at the “grocery store” while buying a six pack, a pack of marlbro’s and some chips at approximately 2:00 pm.
Old shrivled man (who we were told would love to take us ice fishing) promptly and rudely denied my barely expelled (and polite) request to take us by telling me “he is not interested” at approximately 2:30 pm.
A formerly live tiger kept in glass case that was apparently a nuisance in some village so it was killed and donated…
16 weeks meat free.
We had some of the most rude, hateful middle school boys in the show, but one didn’t show for rehearsal and another quit three times. The third time we let him.
The bar (there were 2, a church and convenience store) had all men, one old woman with cousin it but blonde and leathery who showed the whole sausage fest of cowboys her tits through the window (Dave and I were THRILLED) and a young cute-ish bartender wearing a terrible yellow tank top in the snowy winter with a denim overall SHORT skirt outfit complete with frills on the almost non-existent skirt part. Wowza.
One of the kids asked us how old we were and a boy said “Dave is 100 and you are 19”
When we said what do you really think? They said “Dave is 42 and you’re 20”
I couldn’t stop laughing.
Switch to the BEST week we could have had ever.
Our family opened the door to us and exclaimed “A REDHEAD!” with joy and excitement. Best start of a week ever.
We made friends and went to a MERMAID bar. Twice.
They took us ice fishing.
They cooked vegetarian meals for me.
I got to play Bunko and ROCKED.
Doug’s parents came over and cooked us sourdough pancakes for breakfast and they were the freaking cutest people ever.
Lynn gave me a free pass to the awesome gym there.
During the audition my favorite quotes from one of the 107 (!) kids that auditioned said “I’maaronilikedinosaurs” and another said “I’m proud I have gum in my pocket”.
I also heard more asian jokes and stereotypes this week than ever. Pretty baller.
1 week until seeing Kyra, Liz, Katie and Caity in Missoula!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Montana...oh Montana
Dragons don't leave visible scars. This is something I learned from Tommy Honton during our weekly phone update.
I have decided, since my hiatus at the end of October until now, that I may continue to keep up this blog. There are too many funny happenings each week with these kids and this job not to record them somewhere.
Since being back after Christmas, we have encountered massive amounts of snow. This is no real surprise to me, as we are in Montana and it is winter. While our tour theme from the summer was "we'll do it tomorrow", fall was "why don't we go up here and turn around" and winter is "how many times will addie get stuck in the snow".
Thus far:
Snow-2
Addie-0
Keep in mind, this happened in the same week, in a borrowed car and less than 50 feet from one another. Both times requiring a truck to pull the car out. If there has ever been a clear sign from the gods that I should retire my driver's license and get a metro pass, this was it.
The last two weeks we have been in smallllll towns. Like, small enough that the only way they are still populated has to be from inbreeding, which probably accounts for most of the lack of tact, respect, intelligence and hygiene for most of the people here. However, I can't lump all small towns comprised of cousins together- the first, the kids came around and had a pretty awesome show, and were actually really pretty good over all, aside from the fact that they didn't find me hilarious which is just absurd. The second, though was another story. Dave and I have not seen so many tears in the other 22 weeks on the road that we did this week. Probably because the kids are so bored all they have to do is make fun of each other. During our audition some kid screamed "GO WHITE!" We performed in a church of Christ, with a baptismal hot tub and no space for our set, and a piano player who didn't know a tempo is supposed to be consistent. While doing the make up for a latino boy (whose make up for his character has a brown face) the little girls watching commented "he already is that color" and "no, now he looks like a black dude"...The kids didn't give an eff about us, they were rude, talkative and infuriating. The chameleons (5-7 year olds) thought they were rebels and refused to learn while I was teaching them, nothing like last week though, when Dave said to his group "let's do it one more time!" and the shyest of them all responded with "OH my GOD!" to which he responded by laughing, but they all actually just sat down and demanded snack time in the first 30 minutes.
A few highlights:
I had a really incredible homestay. The family was super cool and the dad was my rescue party both times I was stuck in the snow.
They had a St. Bernard who was baller.
Our piano player said shit in front of the kids.
A little girl said shit instead of shirt when talking to us.
We sold 42 tee shirts.
...We're gone now.
Pray for my sanity, please. It's going to be a long winter.
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