I was talking to Ben just now about how I was thinking about starting to write again. About how I want to start writing articles and send them into magazines, maybe start playwriting again. And then he said "Oh you didn't tell me that. I mean, I knew about your blog thing." Oh yeah....my blog thing! I hadn't forgotten about it, I just felt like I didn't have anything to post. But, silly me, OF COURSE I HAVE STUFF TO POST! So, here it goes.
My time off after Brownville was amazing and sad all at the same time. Amazing because I got to spend time with a lot of awesome people and because I got to rest up a lot after a very busy summer. But sad because I missed my Brownville people and because I found myself losing focus. I have this tendency to lose my direction when I have too much time. This is one of the reasons I like being busy. Almost too busy. Because I don't like feeling lazy or out of touch with myself or the world.
My first two weeks were spent in Topeka, KS where I got to spend some quality time with family. I stayed at my Uncle Fred and Aunt Sandy's who were nice enough to let me crash at their home. I spent a good week recovering from Brownville and my post-Brownville sickness which was nice enough to wait until I was done performing to attack me with its sinus pressure, sneezing, stuffy nose, and general fatigue. I also had my sting to tend to. You see, a few days before Brownville was over I got stung by something and had a really bad reaction to it. It took roughly a week and a half to really clear up. In Topeka, I spent my time running little errands, hanging out with Granny and other family members, helping get everything together for her 90th birthday party, and taking a well deserved break. The party was really cool. I helped set up the picture slideshow presentation my sister made and then spent most of my time at the Guest Book telling people they should sign it, showing them where to put cards/gifts, where they could find refreshments, and just generally chatting them up about their lives and their relation to Granny (or even me!). It was a very fascinating job to have and I had a lot of fun doing it. I love talking to people, getting to know them, even if it is just for a little while. It was also great to see a lot of family I don't get to see very often. I miss the days of playing hide and seek at Jackson Family Christmas in Dave and Annette's basement. We were just passing the time until we could FINALLY pass out and open the gifts. Fond, blurry memories of days gone by.
I then spent 2 weeks in Stevens Point to spend time with my boyfriend and all my old college friends. It was so much fun. I really loved being able to spend time with them again and felt both happy and sad. Happy to see them all, happy I graduated...but sad that I couldn't have graduated with THEM! Don't get me wrong. I needed to graduate. I am glad I did. But when you are a transfer and you come in with one class, but graduate with the class ahead of you...everything just doesn't quite feel right. I liked the people I graduated with, but I never felt like I was a part of them. Probably because I wasn't. Because I was...and AM...a part of the graduating class of 2013. The class I came in with. The class I laughed with, cried with, learned with, and grew with. Oh well. Such is life. I will watch their senior year from afar with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. I will celebrate their successes and mourn their woes. I just won't be a part of them. It was really interesting to be in Point while everyone else was in the midst of classes, auditions, orientation, and moving back. Yet, I didn't have to worry about those things. I felt both free and sad. Nostalgic. Bittersweet.
I also got to spend a lot of time with Ben, which was REALLY REALLY needed after being so far apart the entire summer. I mean, we not only had to deal with being 10 hours apart, but we also had to deal with me not having any cell phone reception. And when I did, I could only call at certain times because I was so busy and the call would drop a lot since service was so terrible out there. But we made do. In fact, we did BETTER than that. He came to see me for my birthday weekend and that was absolutely AMAZING! And we tried to talk everyday. If not on the phone, then at least via Facebook message. Which is why I am so glad I live in a world where technology is on my side. So we were able to "stay close" even if we were so far apart. So when I got up to Point, it was amazing because we hadn't gotten to spend a lot of time together over the summer. But nothing felt awkward because we still talked everyday. (Gushing about to ensue...reader beware) It felt...right. Being able to hold his hand again, talk to him in person, just BE with him. Everything felt right. And now we know that with me being in Madison, I will not only have cell phone reception, but will also only be two hours away. If we can do 10 hours away with no cell phone reception for 3 months, we can certainly do 2 hours away easily. We had a great time seeing friends together, singing karaoke, touring the Point Brewery, watching movies, cooking, and just having fun!
And then I went to Madison....
I ended up not being able to find a place of my own in Madison, so for now I am staying with an acquaintance of my sister's- Phyllis, and her husband John. They also house a college graduate student named Anna, who is also new to Madison. They have been some of the most kind and generous people. Not only in terms of letting me stay at their house, join in their meals, etc. But also generous in spirit. They always ask about how my day was- rejoice in my successes, empathize with my failures. They try to help me in any way they can whether it be giving me directions, buying me food, or paying for my ticket to see a play until I can pay them back. They listen to my stories, I listen to their's. And they are FASCINATING people. I am glad I got to stay with them and though I still want to find a place of my own and one on the East side so that my drive to work isn't so long everyday, I am happy that I at least got to stay with some wonderful people in the mean time.
Work is....different. Right now, it takes a lot of self motivation. Since the program hasn't started yet, I am spending most of my time coming up with ideas for things to do once it DOES start. Lots of planning. Lots of brainstorming. As an AmeriCorps member, I have to recruit at least 20 volunteers on my own and I have to do one-on-one tutoring with at least 10 kids for an hour a week each. I can't start tutoring really until the program starts. And recruiting volunteers takes a lot of planning and navigating. I have started the volunteer recruitment process, but haven't had too much luck yet. Things will fall into place eventually. This job is going to be one of those "Figure it out as you go" jobs. But that's okay. It will all fall into place before I know it.
Madison itself...is growing on me. It, once again, did NOT make a good first impression. Streets are confusing, traffic can be difficult, and living on the west side does not make it easy when you work on the east side. However, the people are all SUPER nice and welcoming. And I am starting to figure out how to get from one place to another. So....you live, you learn.
In the meantime, I have been doing lots of things. Reading- I finished Crime and Punishment and am now on to The Princess Bride. Writing- Well...more like...planning to write. But I will get around to it soon! This blog post, for example, is a step in the right direction. Exploring- Trying to experience Madison! Auditioning- I auditioned for the Four Seasons Theatre here in Madison. I auditioned for She Loves Me and Avenue Q and got called back for both. My Ilona callback for She Loves Me was a little rough, but my Avenue Q callback for Lucy The Slut was AWESOME! So...we'll see how that turns out. I have a few other auditions in the works, so we will see what happens.
Today, a little girl at the school pointed at my mismatched socks and said "Do you think it's opposite day or something?" as she swung back and forth on the swingset. I love kids. Especially elementary age kids. It dawned on me in that moment that I am right where I need to be at this point in life.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Brownville and Beyond
The end of Brownville was so bittersweet. I was excited to move on, start my new job, have cell phone reception. But, I was sad to leave a supportive, kind, fun group of people who became my family. I honestly have never felt so accepted by an entire group of people before. Everyone was so welcoming and supportive of each other. It was a beautiful summer full of beautiful friendships. Our shows closed, we had fun at the auction/cabaret for Founder's Day, and we worked hard to close up the theatre right. Brownville Fun Facts- The People-
Xavier (X)- The first person I truly connected with at Brownville. My Sanjar. Such an amazing voice and committed to making himself a better performer. I loved singing with him in The Apple Tree, watching his journey of character discovery in Look Who's Laughing, and seeing him take the bull by the horns as a mad scientist in The Prevalence of Mrs. Seal. Sassy and fun. Moved back to Georgia to be with his family. I hope to one day sing with him again.
Hollyann- The first one to really reach out to me. Hollyann and I bonded over our love for Musical Theatre. We would often BFA-geek out while listening to Musical Theatre tunes, talking about our favorite shows, dream roles, and fake casting various shows. We found out we both auditioned for UWSP the same day and know a girl who grew up in the same town as Hollyann and went to college with me. The girl I could talk about food, music, clothing, everything with. We had THE MOST fun rehearsing during And Then I Wrote...being crazy tired, but always having the most ridiculous fun and never ending laughter.
Mitch- Someone who I am SO GRATEFUL was in Brownville. Mitch helped keep me sane, keep me social, and was always willing to listen. Mitch has an AWESOME vlog which chronicled all the backstage, everyday activities at Brownville. http://www.youtube.com/user/beanm1?feature=g-user-u. He was always so smiley, lighthearted, kind, giving, and understanding...yet, had a sense of crazy fun as well as sarcasm that made him so unique. We also had crazy fun during And Then I Wrote both during the rehearsal process as well as making up actor challenges for our final 5 shows. I loved rocking out and having music/dance parties with this kid.
Maggie- Maggie is always so beautiful! We were callback buddies at ACTF, because I thought she looked nice. And I was right! She and I loved to be divas together- singing Celine Dion, looking at pretty dresses, dueting Take Me or Leave Me. We definitely bonded over our love for cheesy pop music (boy bands, Call Me Maybe) and could often be found having dance parties in the living room with Mitch and Rachel. We loved to boyfriend gush and talk Musical Theatre. A true friend to the end, Maggie is FIERCE!
Brian- Brian is that special kind of person who can talk to you about anything. A true theatre artist, I loved talking to him about technique, awesome scripts, reviews, anything. He is also that person who can joke about everything one moment and then be completely sentimental and sweet the next. Acting with him was a pleasure and I enjoyed bouncing my character reactions off of his. He made rehearsal unpredictable and fun. And Then I Wrote was a total trip and oh so much fun with Brian in the cast. Brian moved to New York and I can't wait to hear of his future success there.
Stephanie- Stephanie was probably the most good hearted of everyone there. She always tried to be positive, even if she wasn't in the best of moods. Oh so very talented, she brought to life difficult characters and gave them spice, dimension, and fun. A classical actress at heart, I can't wait to see how she grows in theatre and classical acting. Steph was the kind of girl who you could talk to when you were down and feel instantly better. I love this lady and can't wait to go RAAAAAAGING with her. You can check out her blog at: http://stephaniepiper.blogspot.com.
Ian- Ian was our resident one-liner guy/ nerd extraordinaire. He was quiet until BAM! he surprises you with the most witty and hilarious and random comment. Ian also brought to life some outrageous characters and had some of the funniest physicality of the season. His character in Look Who's Laughing became so iconic over the course of the season that it would often appear in real life situations usually to creep people out. Laid back and intelligent, Ian was a perfect balance to most of us loud, crazy theatre kids.
Monica- Monica was the revolutionary. She was all about fighting for her beliefs which, usually, were seen as a little outrageous to our small town theatre director. Unbelievably cool, full of culture and passion, intelligent, plus increadibly beautiful, I loved chatting with Monica about anything and everything. She is truly a supporter of the human race to become a better world and shows that in her actions. I could talk to Monica about theatre, culture, music, college, life in general and never felt judged for anything I had to say. I also loved listening to her talk about her boyfriend in a way that reminded me so much of how I felt about my boyfriend a year ago. Monica, whatever she decides to do in life, shall succeed. Cause that's just how it is going to be!
Nathan- Every group of people have to have their puppy dog, their 12 year old kid. Nathan was definitely that for our group, but also so much more. In talking to him, I found he was much more than what he portrays on the surface. He is extremely intelligent, an explorer for knowledge, and a very caring individual just searching for acceptance. He worked very hard on his characters and had quite the challenge of being in all 5 shows. He grew so much from this summer and I cannot wait to see his future success in theatre and education.
Rachel- Rachel is just about the most hilarious lady ever; but, also is kind, caring, responsible, patient, and super talented. I loved watching her build her character of Mame in Look Who's Laughing. She worked so hard on that role as well as every single one of her other roles in the theatre including Stage Managing for both Kindly Leave The Stage and The Apple Tree. An amazing actress to the core, she really committed to the work at hand, yet knew that at the end of the day we should just let things go and have a little fun. I loved having dance parties with her as she has AMAZING taste in music. She was also very keen at telling when people might be having a rough time and always reached out her hand in support.
Layne- Layne impressed me from Day One with his committment to his roles. He had some of the longest, most difficult lines in all of the plays and handled it with such professionalism. I loved watching Layne do fantastically random, hilarious things out of the blue. I also loved talking to him about his life and his love. He made me smile whenever he talked about his girlfriend and her children and how much he loved all of them. He is not only hilarious, but also a sweetheart to the core. Layne worked hard and played hard and knew how to make everyone feel welcome.
Kristen- Kristen was interesting to watch throughout the season. Her growth as an artist and a person was outstanding. She was fun to party with and was very skilled at talking to the locals. Even though she was a big city gal, she embraced the quirkiness of Brownville and even found some romance in the process. The poor gal had the difficult job of dealing with the randomness of the And Then I Wrote cast, but dealt with it very well by indulging our craziness here and there (such as singing the Sewers part of the Mario soundtrack for the doorbell).
Jarvis- Jarvis was our Technical Director and a hilarious, understanding individual. I think I can speak for our entire company when I say that this summer would have been impossible without him. He helped us through any difficulties we had in adjusting to Brownville with both sympathy and humor. He also did an amazing job designing all the sets and teaching all of us new technical things if we had little to no experience. Really- he is an AMAZING teacher. Jarvis is also now the father of a brand new baby girl, so congratulations to him!
Doc- There are so many things I could say about Doc- Our fearless leader clad in brightly colored suspenders. He loves BVT. And he loves all of us. And I know he would do anything for us and for the benefit of the theatre. He is hilarious, kind of awkward, and has a boyish sense of humor under an elderly man's exterior. He cares. He loves theatre. And he will continue to support all of us whether or not we return. What more could you ask for?
In closing- Brownville was amazing. I could not have chosen a better place for my summer. I feel empty without my theatre Family near me, but I still feel their support everyday. I still smile and laugh at memories of months ago. I cherish my time at Brownville and cannot wait to see these people, work with these people, and RAGE with these people again.
For now, I enjoyed some time in Kansas visiting with family, celebrating my Granny's 90th birthday. And now I am spending time in Stevens Point (where I went to college) visiting with friends and my boyfriend before my new, post-graduation adventure in Madison with AmeriCorps! This is just the beginning....
Xavier (X)- The first person I truly connected with at Brownville. My Sanjar. Such an amazing voice and committed to making himself a better performer. I loved singing with him in The Apple Tree, watching his journey of character discovery in Look Who's Laughing, and seeing him take the bull by the horns as a mad scientist in The Prevalence of Mrs. Seal. Sassy and fun. Moved back to Georgia to be with his family. I hope to one day sing with him again.
Hollyann- The first one to really reach out to me. Hollyann and I bonded over our love for Musical Theatre. We would often BFA-geek out while listening to Musical Theatre tunes, talking about our favorite shows, dream roles, and fake casting various shows. We found out we both auditioned for UWSP the same day and know a girl who grew up in the same town as Hollyann and went to college with me. The girl I could talk about food, music, clothing, everything with. We had THE MOST fun rehearsing during And Then I Wrote...being crazy tired, but always having the most ridiculous fun and never ending laughter.
Mitch- Someone who I am SO GRATEFUL was in Brownville. Mitch helped keep me sane, keep me social, and was always willing to listen. Mitch has an AWESOME vlog which chronicled all the backstage, everyday activities at Brownville. http://www.youtube.com/user/beanm1?feature=g-user-u. He was always so smiley, lighthearted, kind, giving, and understanding...yet, had a sense of crazy fun as well as sarcasm that made him so unique. We also had crazy fun during And Then I Wrote both during the rehearsal process as well as making up actor challenges for our final 5 shows. I loved rocking out and having music/dance parties with this kid.
Maggie- Maggie is always so beautiful! We were callback buddies at ACTF, because I thought she looked nice. And I was right! She and I loved to be divas together- singing Celine Dion, looking at pretty dresses, dueting Take Me or Leave Me. We definitely bonded over our love for cheesy pop music (boy bands, Call Me Maybe) and could often be found having dance parties in the living room with Mitch and Rachel. We loved to boyfriend gush and talk Musical Theatre. A true friend to the end, Maggie is FIERCE!
Brian- Brian is that special kind of person who can talk to you about anything. A true theatre artist, I loved talking to him about technique, awesome scripts, reviews, anything. He is also that person who can joke about everything one moment and then be completely sentimental and sweet the next. Acting with him was a pleasure and I enjoyed bouncing my character reactions off of his. He made rehearsal unpredictable and fun. And Then I Wrote was a total trip and oh so much fun with Brian in the cast. Brian moved to New York and I can't wait to hear of his future success there.
Stephanie- Stephanie was probably the most good hearted of everyone there. She always tried to be positive, even if she wasn't in the best of moods. Oh so very talented, she brought to life difficult characters and gave them spice, dimension, and fun. A classical actress at heart, I can't wait to see how she grows in theatre and classical acting. Steph was the kind of girl who you could talk to when you were down and feel instantly better. I love this lady and can't wait to go RAAAAAAGING with her. You can check out her blog at: http://stephaniepiper.blogspot.com.
Ian- Ian was our resident one-liner guy/ nerd extraordinaire. He was quiet until BAM! he surprises you with the most witty and hilarious and random comment. Ian also brought to life some outrageous characters and had some of the funniest physicality of the season. His character in Look Who's Laughing became so iconic over the course of the season that it would often appear in real life situations usually to creep people out. Laid back and intelligent, Ian was a perfect balance to most of us loud, crazy theatre kids.
Monica- Monica was the revolutionary. She was all about fighting for her beliefs which, usually, were seen as a little outrageous to our small town theatre director. Unbelievably cool, full of culture and passion, intelligent, plus increadibly beautiful, I loved chatting with Monica about anything and everything. She is truly a supporter of the human race to become a better world and shows that in her actions. I could talk to Monica about theatre, culture, music, college, life in general and never felt judged for anything I had to say. I also loved listening to her talk about her boyfriend in a way that reminded me so much of how I felt about my boyfriend a year ago. Monica, whatever she decides to do in life, shall succeed. Cause that's just how it is going to be!
Nathan- Every group of people have to have their puppy dog, their 12 year old kid. Nathan was definitely that for our group, but also so much more. In talking to him, I found he was much more than what he portrays on the surface. He is extremely intelligent, an explorer for knowledge, and a very caring individual just searching for acceptance. He worked very hard on his characters and had quite the challenge of being in all 5 shows. He grew so much from this summer and I cannot wait to see his future success in theatre and education.
Rachel- Rachel is just about the most hilarious lady ever; but, also is kind, caring, responsible, patient, and super talented. I loved watching her build her character of Mame in Look Who's Laughing. She worked so hard on that role as well as every single one of her other roles in the theatre including Stage Managing for both Kindly Leave The Stage and The Apple Tree. An amazing actress to the core, she really committed to the work at hand, yet knew that at the end of the day we should just let things go and have a little fun. I loved having dance parties with her as she has AMAZING taste in music. She was also very keen at telling when people might be having a rough time and always reached out her hand in support.
Layne- Layne impressed me from Day One with his committment to his roles. He had some of the longest, most difficult lines in all of the plays and handled it with such professionalism. I loved watching Layne do fantastically random, hilarious things out of the blue. I also loved talking to him about his life and his love. He made me smile whenever he talked about his girlfriend and her children and how much he loved all of them. He is not only hilarious, but also a sweetheart to the core. Layne worked hard and played hard and knew how to make everyone feel welcome.
Kristen- Kristen was interesting to watch throughout the season. Her growth as an artist and a person was outstanding. She was fun to party with and was very skilled at talking to the locals. Even though she was a big city gal, she embraced the quirkiness of Brownville and even found some romance in the process. The poor gal had the difficult job of dealing with the randomness of the And Then I Wrote cast, but dealt with it very well by indulging our craziness here and there (such as singing the Sewers part of the Mario soundtrack for the doorbell).
Jarvis- Jarvis was our Technical Director and a hilarious, understanding individual. I think I can speak for our entire company when I say that this summer would have been impossible without him. He helped us through any difficulties we had in adjusting to Brownville with both sympathy and humor. He also did an amazing job designing all the sets and teaching all of us new technical things if we had little to no experience. Really- he is an AMAZING teacher. Jarvis is also now the father of a brand new baby girl, so congratulations to him!
Doc- There are so many things I could say about Doc- Our fearless leader clad in brightly colored suspenders. He loves BVT. And he loves all of us. And I know he would do anything for us and for the benefit of the theatre. He is hilarious, kind of awkward, and has a boyish sense of humor under an elderly man's exterior. He cares. He loves theatre. And he will continue to support all of us whether or not we return. What more could you ask for?
In closing- Brownville was amazing. I could not have chosen a better place for my summer. I feel empty without my theatre Family near me, but I still feel their support everyday. I still smile and laugh at memories of months ago. I cherish my time at Brownville and cannot wait to see these people, work with these people, and RAGE with these people again.
For now, I enjoyed some time in Kansas visiting with family, celebrating my Granny's 90th birthday. And now I am spending time in Stevens Point (where I went to college) visiting with friends and my boyfriend before my new, post-graduation adventure in Madison with AmeriCorps! This is just the beginning....
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