*rolls eyes* I should be allowed by computers.
As you can see, I tried to change my layout. Pretty, right? Except that what I chose uses javascript, which no one knows how to use - so I can't get my links to open right. The site is here, you can still look at everything, but they open in separate pages with white font and a funny looking background. We'll try to fix this soon...but I don't know how. Maybe someone can help me?
SEEEE, LIZ? This is what happens when you don't do my layout like you promised! *sticks out tongue*
Oh, and as you can see, this isn't quite the red room anymore. That title's a little limiting...so I'm taking suggestions for a new site name.
I'll try to keep this pithy, because there's a lot of info and I don't want you to get bored reading it. I guess the first thing is that I'm really sick of this layout, so look for a new one soon, even though it will probably just be a basic blog skin.
The past few weeks have been NUTS. I'll start with ACTF - The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Awesome with a capital Awe. I helped out with some workshops and all, saw an absolutely awful student written show, house managed for a tragically terrible rendition of The Tempest (an hour and ten minutes long, set in outer space, and employed 3-D images. Would have been cool...If it WORKED), and saw the most BEAUTIFUL show in the world - Metamorphosis. Marry me now, Mary Zimmerman. It was gorgeous.
My pleurisy was acting up really bad for a while. It's much better now.
Classes are all right. There aren't any I hate, at any rate. I did skip physics yesterday, and I'm not going to soc psych on Fridays, but I have reasons for that. More than anything, I'm just overwhelmed with homework. My favorite class will be stage make-up, of course - I'm already enjoying it, and we haven't even done anything yet!
Last time I updated, I said I wanted Sadieh Rifai as the lead in C3. And we got her! Our cast is great, and I'm really excited about this show. I've had rehearsal every night for the past week, and will for the next three weeks, but it's all right because first of all, I love it, and second of all, when I'm not doing anything it gives me a chance to read for my lit classes. This show will rock. Come see it.
All of the plays are cast now, and it's great that it's over with, but not great because I'm not cast. Of course. I'm never cast, that shouldn't surprise me by now. I had a really fun callback for Roosters, but wasn't cast. I had an absolutely AWFUL callback for one of the MFAs, and luckily wasn't cast...I wouldn't want to work with that director. He was not a nice person at callbacks, and I definitely did not enjoy my time working with him. So...I still have Freestage, I guess. But I can't do anything that conflicts with C3, of course. I do know that Janet is casting understudies for Roosters, which should happen in the next day or so. I guess there's a chance for that, which would be a great experience, even though I wouldn't get to perform (hopefully - it's great for the understudy to perform, but it's only at someone else's bad luck that it happens, which isn't cool). Whatever, I'll let you all know.
And now, I've just returned from a production meeting, waiting to go to rehearsal, doing some homework and stuff. My daddy called me earlier today to tell me my mom's in the hospital again. Nothing serious, but her hand is infected and swelled up so bad that they had to cut off her wedding ring. They aren't sure exactly what's wrong, but she's in really bad pain and won't get out before Monday. But at least she's all right.
That's it, kiddies. Busy as always.
The events of the past seven days or so can be summed up in six words - "I want to marry Sadieh Rifai." No, really. If we don't cast her as Grusha, I will be very sad.
I moved in Thursday morning, entering my room for the first time in three weeks or so and promptly tripping over a chair, attempting unsuccessfully to catch myself, and plummeting head first into the corner of my desk. I got my room together (slowly), showered, and headed off to auditions. I feel that I did fairly well, considering that I am only eligible for two shows and am only interested in one of them. Hopefully, Janet will call me back for Roosters. If not...Well, if not, I'll ask her for a callback. I want to read for this show, dammit!
Friday began TheatreFest for me, as I monitored two workshops. The first was AMAZING - a lovely woman named Jennifer Bechtdel talked about a children's musical that she wrote and directed, showed us pictures, played us some songs, and introduced us to a few of the cast members. Oh, and we learned a dance. (: It was really impressive. The second was really informative to me as a theatre ed major and gave me a really good basic understanding of black theatre. After these workshops, I basically died in my room.
Saturday I did one more workshop that bored me to death (mainly because I'm not auditioning for the all-state in 2005, so why should I care what I need for auditions?), ran around campus looking for the keys to Cook, ate Mexican food for the 3rd time in two days, and, eventually, died in my room again. On the plus side, I saw Kaetzer briefly (who rocked my world as the festival director - highly impressive) and I got to talk to Justin (Mayo, that is) for about twenty minutes. Lizzy moved in, we went and bought books, and mine cost almost $500. My daddy will kill me.
Sunday brought eight long hours in the CPA, heading the C3 callbacks. It's so funny to me that suddenly, I understand why most techies hate actors. I'm starting to hate actors myself, and I AM one! Not to group everyone in that category, of course, a lot of the actors I dealt with yesterday were great. But some of them...*sigh* Some of them need to learn how to read. On the plus side, I finally realized my love for Sadieh. I have no say in the casting, so I'm free to say who I want to see without anyone caring about my position as the ASM - I want Sadieh, Scotty D (but I know he wants Figaro), Greg, Adal, Carlo, Morgan Rysdon or Christine Cummings (I haven't quite decided yet), and Rico. I want to see Eric cast this semester in something, because I know how bad he wants it. And of course, I want to see MYSELF in Roosters. But more than anything, I want to see Sadieh. And I will cheer very loudly if the cast list goes up Tuesday night/Wednesday morning and Sadieh is our Grusha.
Today we start classes. I'm running 3rd callbacks tonight (everyone groan in unison) and then going to bed, because I have my 8 am tomorrow. But right now, I'm going to get dressed, buy a bagel, and read the Vidette...I'm supposedly in it!
Sorry, I forgot a brief page update. In "The Show Must Go On," I've added pictures to my acting section - Schoolhouse Rock and The Taming of the Shrew. I also changed the 10 Little Indians and Noises Off pictures. And eventually, I might just add that new poem I promised a month ago.
This post has nothing to do with my life, which can be summed up more or less as "Moving back in to ISU, theatre runs my life, I'm tired." Instead, this post centers on a very important and life-threatening force in my life - TLC shows.
For anyone who missed A Wedding Story yesterday (Tuesday), you missed QUITE a treat. Granted, I've seen some strange weddings before, but this one takes the cake. The couple, who met in a magic shop, was completely insane. For the wedding, the bride wore a black and red Spanish whore looking dress and handcuffs. The groom wore a straightjacket and a hairpiece that made it look as though he had just stuck his finger in an outlet. They were tied together, back to back, with a 30 Ft. length of rope. The bridesmaids were all dressed like clowns and Indians. The groomsmen were cowboys. The best man was the groom's meditation teacher - a nice Native American man in his 60's or 70's that looked mortified to be there. The bride's mother was dressed as a fairy princess. A bubble machine was going through the entire wedding. When it came time to exchange the rings, the groom first had to get his hand out of the straightjacket, which was no easy task...The bride seemed to find this all very amusing.
At the reception, more oddly dressed people showed up to complete the menagerie of weird costumes at a wedding with no theme at all. The wedding cake was black. The best man made a very short speech, again, looking mortified both at his presence and at the American Indian costumes that looked like they were from the "American Stereotype Museum," which may or may not actually exist. There were Dia de los Muertos decorations everywhere...Among the pirate and clown decorations, of course.
Perhaps this wedding was so strange to me because instead of going with one really weird theme (Halloween or an old Western movie, both of which I've seen on the show), they had about twelve really odd themes. The straight jacket and groom's hair piece were perhaps my favorite elements, but only beat the black cake out by a small margin. Granted, I'm not terribly traditional myself - I want to wear cream at my wedding because it looks better on me than white. But if my husband ever wants to do a wedding like THAT, I'd shoot him in the foot.
That will be all.