Sept. 20th-25th

     It's been an interesting week, to say the least.  My world is quickly going back to being surrounded by theatre - I'm just trying not to get distracted and procrastinate on my work.

     Script Analysis was cancelled on Monday, so I just had to go to Performance Technique for a couple hours.  I then went back home to study and get ready for the viewing of David Mamet's A Life in the Theatre.  It was AMAZING.  This was my first time ever seeing Patrick Stewart and T.R. Knight in a stage production, and they were both brilliant (Patrick Stewart's voice needs to be put in a museum, it's so beautiful) and made their characters very relatable.  It was a hilarious show despite the scene changes being rather slow, but even those became comical.  Most definitely my favorite part was when Patrick Stewart told T.R. to "Do Less."  Made me think of LaDonna back home. :)

     Went to class again on Tuesday - yay routine.  What made this day so nice was that it was the first time in while where I didn't have back pain.  I think all this yoga and Alexander is really helping.  I even have found myself standing up straight and standing in neutral more often (what's up, new habits??).
     Played more games on Wednesday.  I love that my parents are paying for me to go to a school where I run around like a five-year-old.  Win.
     Did more Sun Salutations in Movement, and had my first test on Thursday on the phonetic alphabet, in which I pretty much nailed it.  Later that night I met up with Justin, who moved to NYC on Monday, and went out drinking with a group of people from school.  Crazy fun was had; most of the first years were people from my group (cuz we kick ass), so it was great to let loose with them and meet new people from the school at the same time.  I also met a German guy who's here doing computer science stuff ... I can't remember.  But he was really nice (reminded me of my former German roommate), so we exchanged numbers and will be hanging out sometime soon.  He actually invited me out with him and his friends tonight, but I am going out with Justin and Alex (who is visiting from Philly) later tonight.  And this is definitely not a potential-date-guy, so hopefully nobody should be getting that idea.  haha  Anyway, a few of us left together from the bar to get food.  Just imagine a group of drunk theatre students eating on the sidewalks.  Must've been pretty funny.  We eventually parted ways, and I somehow walked all the way back home (we were on 10th & 1st ... I live on 34th).  I do remember realizing that I had walked all the way, and how the homeless people on the streets looked like zombies. What I don't remember is going back to my room and getting to bed.  I woke up yesterday morning to find on my computer three open internet pages: apparently I 1) watched Arrested Development and 2) looked up flights to South Korea for the summer and the cost of living there.  Oh, drunk me.  One day I will have enough money to satisfy your need to travel to Seoul.
     Yesterday was our first Master Class at Atlantic.  And who came in for the talk back? ... Former Georgia Shakespeare/Atlanta actors/stars of the Off-Broadway production Bottom of the World: Crystal Dickenson & Branden Dirden (okay, and two other actors from the show, but I was more excited about these two that I know).  It was great to be able to listen to these people that I have seen perform for years, and have been successful in the city that I love, talk about working in this industry and giving us hope for what we can and will become.  Just another reason why I love where I am right now - everyone is very supportive.
     The rest of my time this week has been dedicated to studying.  I'm also going to start back on my vegan diet.  I had to stop because of health reasons, but I am really tired of how eating makes me feel (especially with all the warm-ups I have to do for class).  So: starting tomorrow, back on my diet. Sweet Baby Jesus, help me.
    

Sept. 14th-19th

     I survived my first week of school!  Despite the fact I've going to sleep on old-people-time, this past week has been a great one.  Since my last post, I have started six more classes: Alexander Technique, Movement, Speech, Voice, Games and Repetition; and we're already starting scene work in Performance Technique and Script Analysis (my scene partner and I are doing something from Two Rooms for S.A.)  It's weird - it feels like we haven't really started yet, but we're already doing so much work.  I'm confused as to how I should be feeling about all of this.  Right now I'm excited for all that we're doing so far, but I guess I'm just afraid that I will be the one who doesn't succeed in understanding everything that we're doing, that it will take longer for me and, as a result, be kicked out of the school.  My group has already lost a member (though he left for a family emergency), I don't want to be next.  I don't want to be left out.  My determination is what has been getting me through, but that can only go so far.  Luckily, I have the best group ever and I know that, with the way we've already become an ensemble, we are going to help each other.  I'm hoping that will be true and continue one for the next two years ... I'm trying not to think so much.  Kinda failing at that.

     Besides school, I have finally bought the rest of the items I need for my room, gone grocery shopping, and became a weakling and bought way too much at H&M (I really shouldn't be allowed in there).  We had a tornado hit Brooklyn and Queens on Thursday, and I walked through the storm on my way home from school.  It was horrible - 5pm and dark already.  I made it halfway home by the time the storm started, but that didn't help me from being pushed by the wind and having my umbrella collapse in reverse.  That never happening to me, I had no idea how to get my umbrella to work so I had a police officer help me out.  I then waited about 15 more minutes for the storm to stop ... but that wasn't going to happen.   So I walked in the rain (I couldn't see anything, btw), and eventually made it home.  After realizing that the storm was actually tornado the next day, I called my mother to let her know that I was okay. ... She didn't know what I was talking about.  Go figure.

     I spent Friday at the Drama Book Shop with my scene partner - this place is amazing and made me completely geek out over their costume designing books.  Three hours later, I went to H&M where I spent another three hours trying on almost everything they had there.  Going in to buy a sweater, I walked out with four sweaters, leggings and two dresses.  I'm lucky I can still close my closet door.

     Yesterday was spent doing some homework and getting ready to go out with Brent to see of Montreal and Janelle Monae at Terminal 5.  This was my first time seeing Janelle (who was beautiful and amazing, and everyone should see her perform if they have the chance), my third time seeing of Montreal in concert and it was still amazing - it was almost a "greatest hits" night with them playing "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider," "Suffer for Fashion," "St. Exquisite's Confessions," etc.  They came out and played Michael Jackson hits (yes, including "Thriller") for their encore and proceeded to have their usual dance party, along with Janelle Monae, onstage at the end of the concert.  There were some weird people at the concert: young kids practically dry humping each other, wearing wings that spread the glitter epidemic to anyone in their general vicinity, who were probably born when of Montreal started making music, and on their Twitter every chance they got.  On the one hand, I wish these children weren't there (all the pushing gets very tiring after, oh, the first time), but I appreciate their taste in music so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.  :)  The weirdest person there, by far, was Susan Sarandon.  Yes, Susan Sarandon, the actress, from great films ... like Rocky Horror.  She was there with her family, sitting in a V.I.P. area, waving to all of us down on the floor.  Brent and I guessed that her children were big fans of Janelle and of Montreal, and, while that may be true, it turns out that she did an interview with of Montreal earlier yesterday for the Times.  I seriously cannot wait to read that article.  ... But, to reiterate: kids = weird, concert = crazysexycool.  I recommend everyone see of Montreal and Janelle Monae at least once in their life.  The word "disappointment" won't exist as you enter their world of music-making.

     

     Today has been spent working on more homework, but tonight I will be cheering for one my my group members as he goes into an Improv competition.  Then I go back to class tomorrow.  Followed by a dress rehearsal viewing of A Life in the Theatre, starring Patrick Stewart and T.R. Knight.  Now is the time for me to be a complete bitch and say, "Sometimes, I get jealous of myself."

First Day

I made it through my first day of school!  It wasn't bad at all since I only had two classes today.  Let's have a replay, shall we?

My day started off with Performance Technique, which will be focusing on physical habits that complement our Script Analysis class.  Being our first class, we only talked about how we should think before we act - we need to be living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.  What I found most interesting about class today was when we talked about those elements in our lives that we have control over, and the elements in which we don't.  It was amazing to see that the only two in the "In Control" section were 1) being prepared, and 2) being considerate.  Our "Out of Control" section listed things like: emotions, people, technical aspects, transportation, praises, success and how we look.  Our professor then stated that if we decrease the amount of time we think about our "Out of Control" section by 50%, our lives    will be much more positive and productive - meaning that we will become better actors once we start putting more focus on our "In Control" section.  She warned us that it will be difficult at first, and there will be times where we are absolutely frustrated with ourselves, but what we learn in this class will soon be habitual and never forgotten.

Our next class was in a different studio, about 15 blocks away, so we all walked together as a group only stopping to get some lunch.  The next class, Script Analysis, will have us focusing on finding the objectives in scenes and playing them truthfully.  We spent the class time going over the four steps of analyzing a script and determining what of those steps are for the character and what is for the actor.  It's all written out in length in the Practical Asthetics book, but, even so, it all sounds confusing for me still.  I'm hoping that I'll eventually get it, but I am pretty sure that I will be that frustrated student a few times in this class.

Class tomorrow starts at 8 am, which is not so exciting.  Luckily it's in a studio only 5 blocks from where I live, so I'll be able to sleep in for a few more minutes than I would if it was at the Atlantic studio.  Plus, I start with Alexander Technique tomorrow, meaning that I'll be laying on the ground ... aligning spine = sleep, right?

September 13th, 2010

After posting my entry last night, I got a call from Brent seeing if I would like to join him and Oscar to the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre to see a show.  A) I love that place, and B) it was a free show, so of course I went.  We stood in line, got our tickets, had dinner at a Thai restaurant that was down the street, and then came back to watch a hilarious show featuring: Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers, Bobby Moynihan, and John Lutz from 30 Rock.  There was an improv show with these people in it, and it was free??!

I love New York.

September 12th, 2010

The first time I ever felt part of a group was four years ago when I moved to Oglethorpe.  Today is the second.

My day started off with meeting Brent to go to Lincoln Center and buy tickets for the New York Film Festival.  After going through weird subway complications, we made it and found ourselves once again amongst those participating in Fashion Week - I, being the awkward one, started to get giddy when I saw all the male models walking around (I don't think I will EVER be able to handle Fashion Week. There are just so many beautiful people.).  We made it to the Alice Tully Hall and were some of the first people in line.  The box office opened at noon, but since I had orientation for Atlantic today I couldn't stay; however, Brent and I do have tickets for Julie Taymor's The Tempest, the director talk back with Ms. Taymor, and tickets for Uncle Boonmee, Who Can Recall His Past Lives, which is the film that won at Cannes this year.

Orientation was amazing. I was scared that I would be walking into a huge mistake, but, upon just entering the building, everyone I met was so friendly.  I felt very welcomed into the environment.  The staff made sure to tell us that, at every moment of our experience at this school, we should remember that they have been in our shoes - moving to NY and being terrified of the new career they were going into, they've been there.  And with that, they want us to be comfortable talking to them and to the other students, since we are all each others' new family.

The First Years went on a tour of the studio - or, rather, studioS.  I've never been in a rehearsal area with so many spaces. And to even think that the actors for Mamet's new play were rehearsing next door to us was crazy in itself.  We were also assigned "buddies," which consisted of the Second and Third Year students.  Mine is Chris (not a hard name for me to remember) from Maine, and he gave me some insight about the classes and the instructors.  A couple of them are comedians, apparently, which is exactly the kind of instructors I need. :) First Years also had to sign up for tech work to help out with the Third Year shows.  I will be the Wardrobe Assistant for Reckless in December! I'm so excited about working on that show and adding it to my resume; I'm also really hoping that I can shadow the designer a bit so I can practice more on my own designs.

I think I will do well here.  I mean, I smiled the entire way back home. I took a risk applying to this school and moving here, now I have to take a risk and just let go.  While that will be a work in progress, I'm excited for this to happen.  As Mamet said, "The difference between an adventure and a vacation, is that the adventure is full of risks."

Here's to my adventure. <3

My head hurts from all the reading I've been doing all week.  Procrastinators FTW? ... Maybe?

Anyway, I didn't make it to Highline Park on Thursday.  Instead, I got a wonderful invitation to see some previews of the New York Film Festival with Brent.  He met me at my place and we took the subway (yes, subway) over to Lincoln Center where we watched the previews and heard commentary on them. The list of films showing this year is amazing. The festival is starting with the world premiere of The Social Network, and continues with films from all over the world (including the five hour version of Carlos) and the showing of Julie Taymor's The Tempest.  The festival closes with the premiere of Clint Eastwood's new film.

After the viewing, Brent and I went to a little French cafe where we had a dinner and caught up on everything. We also decided what movies we would be seeing at the festival, and I'm really excited about that. :)

Leaving the cafe, we passed by Zach Braff and Victor Garber, and I (being a little wine drunk) did everything I could to not get really excited. But I may have squealed just a bit - it was my first celebrity sighting, I couldn't help it.  Luckily they didn't notice and I walked a couple blocks with my hand over my mouth to remain silent.  I talked to Ashleigh and Chris on my way back home, which was just what I needed. I, seriously, cannot wait to go back and see everyone again.

Besides all of that, I have been finishing the books I have to read for school by Monday- though yesterday I found myself watching an entire K-Drama series. I consider it as a good break from the work I've been doing.

Tomorrow the tickets for the festival go on sale, and I also have my orientation. Then school starts on Monday. I'm excited and nervous about it all.  I really hope this is the right thing for me to be doing. ... We'll see, I guess. :)

Some Photos

View from bathroom.

View from door.

Bathroom.

Where my record player will eventually go.

Comfy bed. :)

As you can see, I have a great view outside my window.

View from the bed.

A bleached bathroom.

The tub was absolutely disgusting beforehand, but I fixed it. Yay!

View from my parents hotel room.

The other side of their patio.

I'll post more photos later on, but I wanted to go ahead and post these now that I know how to do that (thanks, Giulia!).

One Week In

     My parents came into town this past week.  Since my last post, my mom and I saw La Cage aux Folles on Thursday, sans Kelsey Grammer - though I don't think the show really needs him.  While I do believe that Mr. Grammer is fantastic as Georges, the understudy was brilliant and a great balance to the actual star of the show, Douglas Hodge. This is a show that I want to see again, and soon.
     As the night went on, my mom and I proceeded to get food poisoning later from the diner in the hotel.  Luckily, my dad coming into town the next night, so we had a day to rest.  We took my dad out to Lucy's for dinner when he got in, where the bouncer who worked there almost kicked us out because he thought I was 15 (ugh, I'm so tired of that happening).
     The next day, we did a lot of walking. We walked down to where my school is, then across the street to the Chelsea Market. After that, we walked to Highline Park (where my dress decided to pull a Marilyn Monroe - thank goodness I'm classy and had a slip on) and then to Chelsea Piers, where the wind literally pushed me.  Then we went over to Union Square and found ourselves a bar that was playing the Michigan game, and stayed there for a few hours.
     Sunday we went back to the Market and had brunch at Friedman's (which, I can happily say, has gluten-free pancakes). After that, we saw The Addams Family starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, and also had (which no one has ever mentioned to me) Terrance Mann - who was in A Chorus Line (film) and the original Cats. It was a good, cheesy musical, with the same family values meaning that was presented in La Cage, but, unlike La Cage, this show seemed to have a hard time keeping a consistent tone. What was fun about the show, however, was witnessing the audience's clapping and snapping to the overture (which so happened to be the television theme song).  The first moment of the show, once the curtain opened, when the Addams stand there as if they popped out of the cartoon, was even breathtaking and deserved the applause. Another great part of the show was the wonderful puppetry, made by Basil Twist, which consisted of a squid, a walking, giant iguana, a Venus Fly Trap, an animated curtain tassel, and appearances of Thing and Cousin Itt. So, I guess it had some good moments, but I'd still rather be at La Cage. We then went to Risoterria for dinner, where I introduced my dad to gluten-free beer. :)
     Yesterday was their last day here, and my dad decided to take me on the subway.  I reluctantly went, and, I have to say, it wasn't that bad. I used the Metro card that Miguel gave me and rode the A train.  Granted, I was with my parents and thus just following them, so I'm still scared that I will be that idiot who gets lost and never finds their way back.  It will be nice, though, to have another way of getting to class when I don't really feel like walking.  And I can't get a taxi.
     After the subway ride, we had lunch and went over to the Rubin Museum, which was founded by an Oglethorpe alum, and is full of art from the Himalayas.  One thing that did not impress me was the old man who was following me and decided to hit on me while I was looking at the temple replicas. So disgusting.  Other than that, it was a really cool museum and I might have to go back for their movie nights.
     My parents left last night, and I've been using today to just rest from all that we did.  I'm hoping to go to Highline Park again on Thursday and I have my orientation on Sunday.  Till then, I'll be running errands and finishing all the reading I have to do before school starts. Woo!

First Weekend

It all started with an acceptance letter. Since that eventful day, everything I have done has been for the transition that I am going through right now. Graduating from a school that looks quite similar to Hogwarts, I moved back home for the summer and started working as a cocktail waitress/hostess for one of the restaurants in our local country club.

Needless to say, I hated it there after my first week. Serving people who were wasteful with their food and money, and acted like they were entitled to make us lowly servers their maids, disgusted me. The only good thing about working there? The paychecks. But even that started to be a dread as the summer came to an end and all the adults who started drinking at 11:30 in the morning had to become parents again.

After my last day there, I had exactly two weeks to pack and move from “The Peach State” to the Big Apple. Doesn’t sound too bad, but add in trying to balance a social life of goodbyes and you get a pretty busy schedule. By the beginning of the last week, most of my packing had been completed and I got to focus on being with my friends and family. The hardest goodbye, honestly, was with my older brother. I had always thought that he would be the first to move out of state and I always imagined how it would be. While he did move to a town with the directions of “If you see a sign that says ‘Welcome to Alabama,’ you’ve gone too far,” he was always an hour away so it still felt like he was close. Now I’m a 14-hour drive away, and I'm hoping I'll eventually be okay with this.

I also had to say goodbye to my "little brother", my best friend, my soulmate. So, obviously, it was extremely hard to say goodbye to him. While spending my last week with him and his roommate, my amazing pseudo sorority little sister, all I wanted to do was say “screw it” and not move away, but instead we all drank almost every night and watched an obscene amount of How I Met Your Mother and K-Pop videos. Surprise celebrations and fraternity parties mixed in, it was a great way to see all of the people I love from my Alma Mater and be reminded that they are my home, my family, the ones who have truly witnessed my growth as a human being in this world, and I absolutely cannot wait to see them all again.

Until then, I have to focus on my new life here, and it hasn't been easy so far. Having been without internet till today, I'll just post what I've written down so far and let you all have a good read. :)

August 29, 2010

         Since moving in last night, my camera has stopped working, I don’t have internet and my room here at The New Yorker Hotel (part of the EHS program) was a complete mess when I moved in. There was someone else’s pillows on my bed, an orange stain underneath the bathroom sink, old milk in the refrigerator, dirt in the mirror-cabinet, food on the shelf, box of trash in the closet, dust on the floor and hair ... everywhere. After being refused some assistance on cleaning the place from the RA, I was too tired to do anything about it so I just grabbed one of my towels (since my bedsheets were no where to be found) and fell asleep on a barren mattress with the outfit I wore to the airport on - including my shoes. Let's face it, I don’t have a huge phobia of germs, but this room was nasty and I refused to step barefoot on the ground.

This morning, absolutely wanting (and in need of) a shower, I asked the same RA if I could have some help cleaning or if I could borrow whatever cleaning supplies they use. The girl looked at me like I was crazy and proceeded to say, “Umm, you can just go to K-Mart.” To make up for her lack of caring and words, I got my box of bedsheets and used the task of making my bed to calm me down.

Let it be known that I am horrible with directions. Even while using the map on my phone, I still get lost. The five minute walk it should have taken me to go from my room to K-Mart turned into a 20 minute walk because I took a wrong turn and proceeded to get lost and confused. I called my mom telling her that I may not be able to make it anywhere, and, being one who is great with directions, she helped me find the store and I got to go to K-Mart for the first time ever. While their food section didn’t have anything I could eat, I did buy $50 worth of cleaning supplies and walked back to start Operation: Clean the Fuck Out of This Room. I put on my K-Pop mix that my "little brother", Chris, gave me and cleaned for three hours. I am now barefoot in my bedroom feeling accomplished with the work I have done to this room. 

And I took a shower, which was the best reward.

August 30, 2010

       Really didn’t do much today. Woke up around noon, got frustrated about the lack of internet in my room and watched a good amount of Man vs. Food.  The highlight of my day was where I went for dinner - Lucy’s Cantina Royale. I would LOVE to work here. The waitresses wear these cute surfer mini dresses and serve the best Tex-Mex with some of the strongest margaritas I’ve had in a while. It may be the amount of tequila or it may be the 48 hours of which I’ve had nothing to eat, but that one margarita I had while waiting for my to-go order made me feeling quite alright; and thus I proceeded to walk into the hotel, and my room, with a huge grin on my face (Suck on that, EHS). Now I’m back in my room, watching I Love You, Man and eating chips and salsa that have been laced with tequila (No, really, I absolutely love this restaurant) and tacos. Hopefully in my drunken stupor, I won’t go wandering around the city and get myself lost. :) Tomorrow my mother comes into town, so expect some interesting posts. In the meantime, I’m going to make “Lucifer” my ringtone.

August 31, 2010

       Woke up kind of sick, so didn’t do much until my mom came into town. She got to see my room and was impressed with the work I’ve done on it. Then I got to see her room. My mother has a terrace that overlooks all of Chelsea - I am so FRIGGIN jealous!! I took a couple of photos, so I’ll post those later. And by “post those later,” I mean I HAVE INTERNETS!!! It took two guys to work on the modem, but it’s working and now I don’t have to use my phone for everything. :) I’ll be getting my camera checked tomorrow, although it did work once today. It stopped after I left it on for more than five minutes, but I’ll consider that progress from what happened on Saturday.

Anyway, I took my mom to Lucy’s for dinner and then we decided to walk around. We found this nice neighborhood and decided to check out the buildings to see if there were any “For Rent” signs. While going through the neighborhood, I saw that there was a room on the first floor of a really nice building. And, seeing as it had its blinds open, I started snooping around - until I got caught ... by the guy who was moving in. Luckily, he was very nice and invited us in and showed us the apartment. Turns out he and his partner are realtors and gave me their information for when I start looking for an apartment (Thank you, Baby Jesus!). Until then, he advised me to start looking for a place on the streets and not the avenues, otherwise I would be hearing sirens all the time (which is what I’m going through right now, and it is not easy to tune out). So, I guess being nosy can be alright at times. :)

I then got a much-needed call from Chris and I got to talk to him for an hour while walking around the city and grocery shopping. Afterwards, my mom and I headed back to The New Yorker and went to their bar, where we listened to fabulous opera music while drinking really strong drinks. I’ve found the place I will be going to after a hard day at school or work (which I am still looking for, ugh).

We will be exploring some more tomorrow, so I’ll keep everyone posted.