Stupid combination of play rehearsal (2 days left!) and homework preventing me from doing anything fun...*grumble*
Yesterday was Diversity Day for my school. This mostly consisted of sitting in the theater and listening to a couple of guys speak. We also wrote "I am from..." poems. If I can share it with the rest of the school, I can share it here.
I am from my own mind, from dreams and speculation, but only my own. No one else will dream for me.
I am from Venice, from Russia, and from the mental institute where I never really worked.
I am from the bookshelf. Yes, that shelf, the one that overflows.
I am from those who choose what they dream.
I am from a bag of dice.
I am from a grassy, muddy field, running, leaping, striking down. A hundred feet away, shoes lie forgotten.
I am from two houses, each surrounded by trees and more houses. Even now my mind can walk through the ghost of a dead house.
I am from those who revel in their waking dreams.
I am from speech bubbles, from conversations whose other end I will never know.
I am from endless sheets of paper, all scribbled over with numbers and letters understood by few.
I am from that place behind the brown, fibrous curtain. You can pull it away, but the second curtain is heavier by far.
I am from a disconcerting place. Few others have been there.
(after school)
Quite the selection of costumes at school today. I came as the Phantom of the Opera, but my Spanish teacher thought I was V (for Vendetta). That man needs to be slapped! Other people came as the Corpse Bride, Batman, Guy Being Eaten by Shark, a pirate, Crazy 88 (something from Kill Bill, I don't know), a robot, a dead woman, an angel/fiend hybrid, Harlequin (that was Impulse), and an evil high priestess who was still in favor of gay rights.
Just 49 hours until we perform. On the good side, everyone is (finally!) off book 100%, and we have the Christmas tree and ladders we need. On the bad side, the door is still broken.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
[barbaric] YAWP!
Several notes:
Thanks to hard work, Google, Wikipedia, and [in no small part at all] a father who knows his way around music files and CD burning, I have conquered the Weekend of DOOOOOM!
Tomorrow, Reindeer Soup rehearsal goes into overdrive. School ends and rehearsal begins at noon. Rehearsal ends at 10.
Earlier today I met up with mine friends Venetian (I'll explain that later). Strident, Penguin, Squeak, and Eloquent were there initially, and Everything showed up a bit later. We browsed a Halloween costume shop where Eloquent tried and failed to purchase a mannequin head and I discovered that one size does not fit all when it comes to rubber skeleton masks: it fit Strident fine while blinding me! After that we went clothes-shopping/browsing. I suggested a possible modification to Strident's vampire costume and Eloquent purchased an impossibly garish outfit for Halloween. After meeting Everything outside and exchanging many hugs we got gelato while talking about our respective chemistry teachers. I'll never forget Squeak's account of her teacher. "...which resutled in the test tube full of 12-molar HCl exploding. Just standing there, his arms dripping with hydrochloric acid, he says, perfectly deadpan, "Let's go to break now."" Much laughter there. Finally we walked up to a stretch of grass, talked, and compared cell phone wallpapers. There it was that I learned that when my hair is up, my picture can be mistaken for that of a girl even by close friends, even when the real me is right there for comparison. I was quite amused. I also resumed my old Venetian role as a shoulder springboard.
Even earlier today I met another friend of mine I had not seen for three months, whom I shall call Poppet unless and until he objects. We discussed much Dungeons & Dragons, played much Gamecube, and read much (well-deserved) ranting about The Merchant of Venice as directed by Daniel Fish.
Earlier still I took a shower. Nobody reading this cares about that beyond possibly considering it a good thing that I do take showers.
My costume in Reindeer Soup calls for it, and so today I acquired jeans for the first time in approximately a decade. My fellow actors were floored when they learned that I did not own jeans.
I will take another stab at ending my blog with a good quote.
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base."
--Dave Barry (of course)
Thanks to hard work, Google, Wikipedia, and [in no small part at all] a father who knows his way around music files and CD burning, I have conquered the Weekend of DOOOOOM!
Tomorrow, Reindeer Soup rehearsal goes into overdrive. School ends and rehearsal begins at noon. Rehearsal ends at 10.
Earlier today I met up with mine friends Venetian (I'll explain that later). Strident, Penguin, Squeak, and Eloquent were there initially, and Everything showed up a bit later. We browsed a Halloween costume shop where Eloquent tried and failed to purchase a mannequin head and I discovered that one size does not fit all when it comes to rubber skeleton masks: it fit Strident fine while blinding me! After that we went clothes-shopping/browsing. I suggested a possible modification to Strident's vampire costume and Eloquent purchased an impossibly garish outfit for Halloween. After meeting Everything outside and exchanging many hugs we got gelato while talking about our respective chemistry teachers. I'll never forget Squeak's account of her teacher. "...which resutled in the test tube full of 12-molar HCl exploding. Just standing there, his arms dripping with hydrochloric acid, he says, perfectly deadpan, "Let's go to break now."" Much laughter there. Finally we walked up to a stretch of grass, talked, and compared cell phone wallpapers. There it was that I learned that when my hair is up, my picture can be mistaken for that of a girl even by close friends, even when the real me is right there for comparison. I was quite amused. I also resumed my old Venetian role as a shoulder springboard.
Even earlier today I met another friend of mine I had not seen for three months, whom I shall call Poppet unless and until he objects. We discussed much Dungeons & Dragons, played much Gamecube, and read much (well-deserved) ranting about The Merchant of Venice as directed by Daniel Fish.
Earlier still I took a shower. Nobody reading this cares about that beyond possibly considering it a good thing that I do take showers.
My costume in Reindeer Soup calls for it, and so today I acquired jeans for the first time in approximately a decade. My fellow actors were floored when they learned that I did not own jeans.
I will take another stab at ending my blog with a good quote.
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base."
--Dave Barry (of course)
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Blog about blog about blog
I shouldn't be blogging right now, but rehearsal ending early gave me some extra time, and while reading the blog of my good friend Lilly the Strident I saw that she had made a note of and link to my blog. (happy face) I thought it best to return the favor. Seriously, check it out. I have read it and it is very interesting. I'll have a link to it once I figure out how.
Oh, I'll deal with linking later. The address is http://lcdragoncat.blogspot.com
On a completely unrelated note, I missed Impulse (another friend) at rehearsal today. You can only imagine how ridiculous it looked for me to jump around in a circle while flailing my arms aimlessly and singing to the tune of "Little Bunny Foo Foo." I need my "dance" partner or it just--doesn't--work! *breaks out laughing* Rehearsal broke up within a couple of minutes. Coincidence?
Lastly, it was a tad discouraging to find that only I and Impulse(?) are completely off book. WE PERFORM IN 5 DAYS, PEOPLE!
Oh, I'll deal with linking later. The address is http://lcdragoncat.blogspot.com
On a completely unrelated note, I missed Impulse (another friend) at rehearsal today. You can only imagine how ridiculous it looked for me to jump around in a circle while flailing my arms aimlessly and singing to the tune of "Little Bunny Foo Foo." I need my "dance" partner or it just--doesn't--work! *breaks out laughing* Rehearsal broke up within a couple of minutes. Coincidence?
Lastly, it was a tad discouraging to find that only I and Impulse(?) are completely off book. WE PERFORM IN 5 DAYS, PEOPLE!
Friday, October 27, 2006
Weekend of DOOOOM approacheth!
Over the next couple of days, I have to worry about:
1. Grading 50+ math projects
2. A play rehearsal
3. Finding out what music Iraqi youths listen to
4. Finding various sound effects to burn onto a CD
5. General weekend homework (at least it won't be due until Tuesday)
But I will not let that stop me from seeing my friends be they old or new! Too long it's been! Too, too!
Hey, I'm a poet. Let's try some haiku.
Assignments of death
Leave gaps few and far between
For relaxation.
1. Grading 50+ math projects
2. A play rehearsal
3. Finding out what music Iraqi youths listen to
4. Finding various sound effects to burn onto a CD
5. General weekend homework (at least it won't be due until Tuesday)
But I will not let that stop me from seeing my friends be they old or new! Too long it's been! Too, too!
Hey, I'm a poet. Let's try some haiku.
Assignments of death
Leave gaps few and far between
For relaxation.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Midterm grades and hair
Midterm grades arrived today, and they're straight As with one A+. Well, not all As: two Bs, but those classes give me honors credit, so it's effectively all As. Strangely, my advisor/play director/independent study supervisor/drama teacher referred to me as female at one point in his comments. Last I checked I was definitely male. Maybe it's the hair?
On that note, yes, I am growing my hair out, and right now it's at a length my parents consider a bit more female. I like it, but it can be a problem when I'm moving about on stage and my hair keeps obscuring my face. It's not yet ponytail length, so tying it back looks ridiculous. Hair spray will probably be the answer to the play problem. As I was discussing this with my parents, my dad commented that it's a good "Wayne's World" length. "Maybe Peter [Peter T, not me] would consider changing the play at this point." (he sings) "Iraq War! Iraq War! IDEs! Excellent!" Laughter. I promise to blog the conversation. "Uh oh."
I want to end this blog with a quote, but I can't think of a good one, so here's one of mine. "That's why it's called Darwin's Theory of Evolution instead of Darwin's Theory of PRESTO!"
On that note, yes, I am growing my hair out, and right now it's at a length my parents consider a bit more female. I like it, but it can be a problem when I'm moving about on stage and my hair keeps obscuring my face. It's not yet ponytail length, so tying it back looks ridiculous. Hair spray will probably be the answer to the play problem. As I was discussing this with my parents, my dad commented that it's a good "Wayne's World" length. "Maybe Peter [Peter T, not me] would consider changing the play at this point." (he sings) "Iraq War! Iraq War! IDEs! Excellent!" Laughter. I promise to blog the conversation. "Uh oh."
I want to end this blog with a quote, but I can't think of a good one, so here's one of mine. "That's why it's called Darwin's Theory of Evolution instead of Darwin's Theory of PRESTO!"
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Stupid recorder
Just finished decoding...er, typing...the interview I recorded for the Iraq War project. Sheesh. Took me about an hour and who-knows-how-many playbacks, and I sill couldn't get it all (though 500 words will be more than sufficient for my purposes). Next time I record an interview I'm making the person speak directly into the recorder.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Rope
My part in Reindeer Soup (Pop) requires that I begin the play tied up and my sons untie me later. For the first few rehearsals of the first scene I tied myself up, but it was so annoying to untangle that I was no longer allowed to tie myself. I didn't even use knots. After today...it's apparently not just me; the rope is cursed. Today our director (a senior) tied me up, and it was as basic as you can get: she wound the rope around me a few times and tucked the ends back under. However, when I tried to get up from my chair I was somehow tied to the chair. And then even after I had extricated myself and worked an arm free (in character), when it came time for me to be untied they still had a lot of trouble figuring out how to get me free. The whole rope issue has gotten rather amusing. To me, at least. Just as long as I don't end up swinging by my neck from the light fixtures....
Then there's the door we're using, which seems ready to fall into the audience (or just fall apart) at a moment's notice. That, however, should be repaired by the time we perform next Thursday. Wow...just so close.
Then there's the door we're using, which seems ready to fall into the audience (or just fall apart) at a moment's notice. That, however, should be repaired by the time we perform next Thursday. Wow...just so close.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Grr, estoy frustrado
Having some horrible writer's block for this Spanish assignment. Been at it for a couple hours and I only have 3 sentences. Arrgh! At least I only need one paragraph in total. I'd best get back to it; every minute blogging is a minute not working.
Class
Yesterday was the second meeting of a movement/composition class I'm taking. This class we worked on an interesting verbal composition. Working with three sentences from previous writing assignments, our composition had to include, amon other things, a crescendo using only consonants, a decrescendo unig full sentences, an orchestral piece using only syllables, a percussive piece using body music, a choral piece using only vowels, and a solo that played with repetition. And the transitions from one segmet to the next had to be smooth. It took some work, but the final result sounded pretty good, I thought. On another note, I finally got back some old coins I had been missing for a few months. :)
Friday, October 20, 2006
Dead trotsky
1. Two more D&D books to add to my collection. That makes what? 107? 108?
2. Well, that Spanish quiz went horribly enough, thank you very much.
3. Today I'll explain why I made the address "deadtrotsky.blogspot.com." Last year, the spring play at my school included the short play, "Variations on the Death of Trotsky," with myself as Trotsky. I think some guilt on the part of Peter T (the drama director) was part of how I got the part, but that's a subject for another post. And if you're reading this, Peter, and I am wrong, I apologize. Anyhoo, the play is a short, slighty surreal comedy about Trotsky learning that he is dead, that a mountain climber's axe has been buried--no, smashed--in his skull, and why it happened. I died eight time over the course of the play, and grew rather fond of Trotsky. Hence the web address. I've also used Trotsky for other things. My name on a certain message board is Trotsky, and when the school made a flag with stripes by grade and everyone had to sign, I signed as Trotsky. In case you are wondering by now, I am not a Communist.
4. Had a lovely Reindeer Soup rehearsal today. I got what I needed to finish the assignment I referred to last time, I think I've got all my lines memorized, and group chemistry went up overall. There was, however, quite a bit of laughter at productivity's expense. Something about my swaying my hips overmuch and then doing the macarena while singing, "bye baby bunting." Less then two weeeks until performance...heh heh. We'll be fine.
2. Well, that Spanish quiz went horribly enough, thank you very much.
3. Today I'll explain why I made the address "deadtrotsky.blogspot.com." Last year, the spring play at my school included the short play, "Variations on the Death of Trotsky," with myself as Trotsky. I think some guilt on the part of Peter T (the drama director) was part of how I got the part, but that's a subject for another post. And if you're reading this, Peter, and I am wrong, I apologize. Anyhoo, the play is a short, slighty surreal comedy about Trotsky learning that he is dead, that a mountain climber's axe has been buried--no, smashed--in his skull, and why it happened. I died eight time over the course of the play, and grew rather fond of Trotsky. Hence the web address. I've also used Trotsky for other things. My name on a certain message board is Trotsky, and when the school made a flag with stripes by grade and everyone had to sign, I signed as Trotsky. In case you are wondering by now, I am not a Communist.
4. Had a lovely Reindeer Soup rehearsal today. I got what I needed to finish the assignment I referred to last time, I think I've got all my lines memorized, and group chemistry went up overall. There was, however, quite a bit of laughter at productivity's expense. Something about my swaying my hips overmuch and then doing the macarena while singing, "bye baby bunting." Less then two weeeks until performance...heh heh. We'll be fine.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Plays
Now that I have a bit more time I'll talk about the plays I'm in. Reindeer Soup is a 45-page surrealist play about a family that moves to the tundra and is without food. I'm the father, and the father needs his meds or he goes crazy. It's a pretty fun part, and I've memorized almost all my lines. The Iraq War Project is something the drama teacher came up with. It's going to be a half-hour piece in three parts. Part 1 is excerpts from the play Stuff Happens plus a monologue the drama teacher put together. I play Powell. I look NOTHING like Powell. Part 2 weaves together scenes involving a group of Iraqi friends, a debate between John Murtha and the new Iraqi president, and Cindy Sheehan. I play Ali (one of the friends) and Murtha. Part 3...that hasn't been put together yet. It's going to be a collection of monologues created from interviews or various people around the school. However, parts 1 and 2 are running long, so I don't know how much time for the interview monologues we'll have.
I'm also on the drama advisory board, which means I have a bit of clout regarding the winter musical, though not the spring production. People in charge want to go with a collection of one-acts. I'm sick of one-acts, and so are the people I've talked to on the subject. Fall play last year was a collection of one-acts, spring play was a collection of one-acts, an assignment for Arts & Society last year was a one-act, Iraq War Project is a collection of one-acts, and really short ones at that, Reindeer Soup is practically short enough to be a one-act...WHAT'S WRONG WITH JUST DOING A FULL-LENGTH COMEDY FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!?! Anyhoo, about the musical. Last year we did Grease. I didn't try out because I can't sing for beans. This year we're considering Damn Yankees (yay!), Hairspray, Chorus Line, one other I can't remember, and Les Miserables. Um...what? I love Les Miz as much as the next guy, but seriously. We're a high school, and we have one, maybe two good male singers this year. I really don't think we can do Les Miz. Some people are also talking about Chicago. I wouldn't mind seeing that.
Also...um...I'm taking a movement-focused acting class. Ah! Which reminds me: I have a day and a half to find and record two more naturally-occurring theatrical moments. Think think think.
I'm also on the drama advisory board, which means I have a bit of clout regarding the winter musical, though not the spring production. People in charge want to go with a collection of one-acts. I'm sick of one-acts, and so are the people I've talked to on the subject. Fall play last year was a collection of one-acts, spring play was a collection of one-acts, an assignment for Arts & Society last year was a one-act, Iraq War Project is a collection of one-acts, and really short ones at that, Reindeer Soup is practically short enough to be a one-act...WHAT'S WRONG WITH JUST DOING A FULL-LENGTH COMEDY FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!?! Anyhoo, about the musical. Last year we did Grease. I didn't try out because I can't sing for beans. This year we're considering Damn Yankees (yay!), Hairspray, Chorus Line, one other I can't remember, and Les Miserables. Um...what? I love Les Miz as much as the next guy, but seriously. We're a high school, and we have one, maybe two good male singers this year. I really don't think we can do Les Miz. Some people are also talking about Chicago. I wouldn't mind seeing that.
Also...um...I'm taking a movement-focused acting class. Ah! Which reminds me: I have a day and a half to find and record two more naturally-occurring theatrical moments. Think think think.
It begins.
Well. First blog ever. *blows out cheeks* Here goes.
I decided to get a blog so I could have a place to vent, gloat, or just get stuff off my chest. Nothing profound or truly edifying. It might also cut down on my tendency to talk to myself...yeah, right.
Guess I'll say a few things about myself. As you could guess from my age if you saw my profile, I'm still in high school. I do pretty well. As far as school's concerned, I practically LIVE in the theatre. I take a drama class there, I'm in two plays (Reindeer Soup and The Iraq War Project), I'm doing an independent study based in the theatre, and my advisory meets there. It's crazy!
I'd better cut it here for now. Spanish homework calls.
I decided to get a blog so I could have a place to vent, gloat, or just get stuff off my chest. Nothing profound or truly edifying. It might also cut down on my tendency to talk to myself...yeah, right.
Guess I'll say a few things about myself. As you could guess from my age if you saw my profile, I'm still in high school. I do pretty well. As far as school's concerned, I practically LIVE in the theatre. I take a drama class there, I'm in two plays (Reindeer Soup and The Iraq War Project), I'm doing an independent study based in the theatre, and my advisory meets there. It's crazy!
I'd better cut it here for now. Spanish homework calls.
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