Oops.

Let's just say that yesterday did not quite go as planned... Sorry about missing my usual post!  Life got a bit in the way.

Anyway.

If you're reading my blog directly rather than through a reader, you'll notice that I've changed my look.  I got a comment on Wednesday that the old layout was hard to read. I hope this is better!  I'll probably do something a little snazzier in the future, but for now, you should be able to read my posts more easily.

In other news, I'm about to go off and do some heavy lifting - it's spring cleaning time at the community theatre where I volunteer, so we're emptying out the basement, cleaning, then refilling it.  Believe me, it's necessary.  At this point, no one really knows what's down there at all... It's kind of scary.  So wish me luck!

And if you don't hear from me Monday, it's probably because the theater rats ate me.  Or the ghost got me.  One of the two.

I saw a play last night...

And it really got me thinking about the distinction between the play and the performance.  I saw "My Fair Lady," and I enjoyed the performance.  Henry Higgins was well-cast, and I only caught his southern accent poke through the British one once, which is quite impressive, because I've heard the actor speak, and his southern accent is quite obvious (at least to me).  The woman playing Eliza was fantastic.  The dancing was good, especially for community theatre (although I could definitely see a difference between the couple that I take ballroom classes with and the rest of the cast!).  The costumes were beautiful, and the set at this theatre always amazes me - it's a small stage, but they definitely make the most of every inch.  I really had a good time, and I liked the performance!

However.

I don't like the play.

The ending of it was, well, unsatisfying.  I really felt like there were a dozen things that needed to happen between scene 5 and scene 7 (the final scene) for the ending to make sense.  Although I suppose some of that is because of the time period it was set in... It turns out that I'm way more of a feminist than I ever thought I would grow up to be!  But it just didn't make any sense, the complete turnarounds made by the two main characters in that last little bit.

And there was a random character, Freddie, who was, well, random.  He sang two songs about how wonderful Eliza was, but he didn't serve a purpose that could not have been filled by another, existing character.

Hmm.  Can you tell I'm in an editing phase?

Great Expectations

I know that I'm an over-achiever.  I'm also pretty hard on myself, and after yesterday, I think I may have to lower my expectations.

Here's the deal: on Sunday evening, I was lamenting the fact that I hadn't accomplished anything all weekend.  I thought about it for a minute, then realized that I did get some stuff done.  I wasn't sure if it was enough, though, so I sat down and made a list.

• baked and frosted a cake
• vacuumed (with some help!)
• washed one load of dishes
• washed, dried, and folded four loads of laundry
• hemmed curtains (which are, like, a mile long and curvy)
• made a sample scrub cap from two different patterns that I sort of merged into one
• wove in ends and finished eight dishcloths
• made french toast 
• went grocery shopping
• went to dance rehearsal (about 2 hours)
• went to theatre rehearsal (about 4 hours)
• ripped four cds to my computer and updated my music software
• took Mia to the dog park (more on that later!)
• changed my sheets
• changed my nailpolish
• took out the garbage

And all that is in addition to hanging out with my SO and going out to eat a couple of times.  When I sat down and looked at that list, I realized that I did a lot.  A LOT!  Especially considering that I had two rehearsals, plus an hour or so at the dog part, plus shopping.

So maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself.  I think the problem is that I keep looking at all of the things are still left to do, unfortunately.  But I'm going to work on it, because I'm tired of feeling like I'm not good enough.  Wish me luck!

Soon, muffin, soon.

Only eight more days. Eight days until the next show opens. Then only ten days until I'm done until October. Yes, October. I have the next three shows off. Granted, I've still got two major projects to work on at the theatre, but I'll only be going about once a week, instead of every night. I think it will be much more relaxed. No, I know it will be much more relaxed.

I'm looking forward to my free time. I've had very little of that since the beginning of the winter holiday season started. I did some travelling, but I've spent TONS of time at the theatre. On the bright side, I feel as if I have learned even more about directing, if only through more of a 'what NOT to do' approach.

More importantly, I'm looking forward to re-writing 'Partners.' I've got a pile of critiques sitting in my closet (literally), and a pile of ideas in my head. I'm going to get this thing done. It's going to be awesome. It's not there yet. I know it, and everyone who's read it knows it. But they've also all told me that it's going to be good, and I know that too. I can't wait.

Eight days.

Back to real life

I'm back to normal. And it kinda sucks.

I had to go back to work this morning. After having a full week away, I REALLY didn't want to go back to work. It wasn't a bad day, as far as work days go, really, but I was AT work, which just isn't as much fun as not being at work.

I also got to go back to the theatre in a stage-managerial capacity, which was nice. I haven't done that since Showtime in September. It'll be nice. The director, Chuck, seems like a no-nonsense sort of guy, and it looks like this should be a good time. I've got a copy of the script, and I'll read through it tonight and tomorrow. The second night of auditions is tomorrow night, and they'll be cast by the end of the night. First rehearsal will probably be Wednesday, to do a read-through, then really getting down to it next week. Things will be busy, but I think it'll be fun!

So I guess normal doesn't suck that much after all. :) Plus I've got Zoe and Mia.

Perhaps I've been writing too much lately.

I just watched an expositional play.

I just finished working through NaNoWriMo. I've had a piece of writing critiqued by a group of writers. I've got one completed second draft in editing. I've got one complete first draft which will not be taken any farther (although I learned a lot from writing it). I've got a nearly-complete first draft that is going to be finished very shortly. I've got the beginnings of a novella due in February.

I've read about 35 novels this year. I've read 6 in the past month. I keep up with about four writerly blogs on a regular basis, and about a dozen others intermittently. I love to read.

So why is it important that I'm a reader and a writer, and how does all of this relate to my opening statement? When you are a reader and a writer, you learn very quickly that a good story shows you things. It doesn't just tell you. A good story will let you use your mind. "Dora was excited about her news" and "Dora's eyes shone and her grin widened as she leaned forward, the words tumbling from her lips in a rush" both let the reader know that Dora was excited. The first way of saying it, though, is kinda boring.

Exposition can be useful in a story, but it can also kill a reader's interest. Have you ever read "Les Miserables"? There are several hundred pages of exposition. I don't recall anything from those pages. I basically ignored them until I got back to the real story. In my critique group, we're very careful about watching for what we call "info dumps" - large sections of exposition that lose a reader's attention. We all try to avoid them, because info dumps are boring.

I watched a play full of exposition. 'Nuff said.

From the frying pan...

So now that "Dinner with Friends" is done, I can concentrate on "Showtime at First Baptist," the MLT show that I'm stage managing. Whee?

Am I a glutton for punishment or what?? Luckily, when this show is done, I'll have a couple of weeks off before I start anything new. I think. I hope.

I need to finish unpacking.

A little more detail

"Dinner with Friends" was awesome. It felt amazing. Well, the evening show did. The afternoon show... well... can I blame a small and somewhat confused audience for that?

Yesterday was a long day. We had our tech rehearsal (sort of) on Friday night. Our lighting designer was supposed to come out to Dublin that night to get all of our lighting sorted, but called at 10 to let me know that she couldn't make it after all. Hmm. So we did the best we could, and I don't think it was half-bad, considering that I'd never used that sort of light board before. Luckily, with all of the stage managing I've done, I'm not totally unfamiliar with lighting.

After we finished with that (very late!), the cast and I piled into David's car and headed out for our cast sleep-over. It was a long ride, and we were all very tired - and that resulted in some very interesting conversation on the way. I won't go into all the details, but let's just say that we drove through clouds and now all have CareBear names.

Saturday morning came far too early, and I baked two cakes for the show. I've got to say, I love a show where the actors constantly eat and drink. I think I'm going to make actors eat and drink in every show I can. The dress rehearsal wasn't bad... but it started REALLY late, and my stress level was through the roof by the time it was time to get ready for the first show. The house staff didn't bother showing up on time, and I had to take tickets and money and deal with things that I didn't have any idea about, which was frustrating. But hey, it happens sometimes.

By the time the evening show rolled around, I was feeling better. Tired, but better. And the evening show felt GREAT! The cast knew what they were doing, and even though they wandered off from the script a few times, they brought it all back and I don't think the audience noticed at all.

My favourite part? Getting the actors drunk. See, in "Dinner with Friends," everyone is eating and drinking. Of the seven scenes, the actors are drinking wine in four. By intermission, a couple of them were looking, well, a little flushed :) Of course, they're both light-weights ;) But it definitely kept them from stressing as much as I was afraid that they would. Like I said, I'm going to try to have my actors drinking in as many shows as I can! (Caveat: It depends on the actors, of course. I trusted this group to stay professional, because I've seen them all drink before.)

So my first directorial experience was a good one, if stressful. I've learned a lot of things. The most important? Twenty-four days from read-through to opening is enough time to manage, but not enough time if you want to do things like eat and sleep! But I loved it, and I can't wait to do it again!

Chris, Colby, David, and Lizzie - you were AWESOME! I'm so proud of all four of you, and I had a blast working with you, even with all of the headaches and insanity of the last three weeks. I couldn't have asked for a better cast. I love you guys!

*ahem*

I am now a successful director! (Successful in that I directed a show, it had its run, no one died, and no one walked out in the middle of it) There is more, much more to say, but as it is FREAKING LATE, I will go to bed and tell you all about it tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Feeling good

"Dinner with Friends" is making me less nervous now. Rehearsals have been going well without my presence (from what I've heard), and today, we worked in the new performance space. "New?" you ask. Yes, that's right. With less than two weeks to go, we've switched venues. The show had originally been scheduled to take place at Theatre Dublin, which has about 300 seats. There was no way we'd sell that out. We've now moved to One21, which holds 75-100, depending on the arrangement of seats, and there's a much better chance of us selling out. Even better, we can actually have alcohol present... and given the number of scenes with half-full wineglasses, this is a good thing. Nobody was really looking forward to sipping at something that looks like wine but tastes like, well, coloured water.

And I managed to make everyone laugh (again) with the no-nonsense way I speak when I call for a mid-scene start. Tonight's favourite call? "Let's take it from 'Prick, bitch (spit) ballbreaker' again, please." That's also my Facebook status. :)

Angry sex scene? No problem!

I did it! I blocked and directed my way through the second love scene in the show (which is actually first, chronologically, but the second to be completed)!

It wasn't bad at all, actually. It'll be better once the actors are reading their own lines and not being coached through, but this was their first time doing the scene, and we had two others reading the lines so that the two in the scene could concentrate on the physicality. It worked really well, and I'm happy with it. The big problem is that we don't have a bed, so that makes it awkward when one climbs onto the bed and straddles the other. But once we got past that, the fighting looked good, the kiss looked awesome, and the unbuckling of the belt was great.

Best of all? All of the couples have done their kiss at least once, so they've got past the awkward 'should we do this or just mark it?' place. YAY!

And now I'm the only one not getting a kiss at rehearsal. :(

Still working on yesterday

Can I just say, yesterday was a rollercoaster? It was craziness in both good and bad (very bad) ways. But I know some awesome people who have stepped up and stepped in and are rocking my world. Chris, Colby, David, and Elizabeth - YOU ARE AMAZING! I love you all, and thank you for everything.

More on love

Okay, so last night, I directed my way through a love scene. We touched on it briefly the day before in rehearsal, but after much conversation with one of the actresses, decided that, last night, they'd have to just go ahead and do it. We did the rest of the scene several times, then I let the rest of the cast go for the night, and we worked on it.

I've got to say, it's weird. Directing a kiss is hard, because you've got to be aware of whether or not it's actually believable and 'hot', but at the same time, you have to be all technical and analytical and worry about whether or not the audience can see everything they need to see. It's also got this voyeuristic tinge to it, which is both good and awkward. I mean, I got to watch these two people kiss for the first time ever. I HAD to watch them kiss for the first time ever. And then I had to tell them what looked good about it and what needed to change.

The good thing was that these two actors have really good chemistry, so the kiss looked good. It looked hot. It looked believable. So all I had to do, once they finally got over the initial "uhh... we have to kiss... uhh... I guess we should go ahead... uh..." awkwardness was work on the technical aspects - how does he need to turn her so the audience can see the kiss, how should she put her arms so nothing is blocked, how can we get her up onto the counter without stopping and getting awkward? I'm really happy with the end result, and I'm hoping that they can remember all the blocking!

Now I've just got one more 'love scene' to finish blocking, but I don't want to do that until I actually get the bed. Yes, it's on a bed. We're calling it 'the angry sex scene' - there's no actual sex, but the couple has a fight, and the scene ends with an angry kiss and her unfastening his pants. I've got some ideas about how to do it, but we really do need the bed to establish some physical boundaries - I don't want to block something that's going to make someone fall off of the bed when they try it!

Directing love

I'm loving this directing thing. Chris, you were TOTALLY right! I'm hoping that I'm doing an okay job of it, but I definitely like it! It helps that my cast totally kicks ass - we've managed to block all but one scene in two rehearsals - only four hours!

There is one bit, though, that's a little... sensitive. Love scenes. The play I'm working on, "Dinner with Friends," is about two married couples. They do what married couples do - they kiss and have sex. No, there's no sex on stage. But there's definitely some steaminess, and that's hard to direct without feeling like you're directing, well, porn.

So on the way home from rehearsal tonight, there was much discussion about it, and I've decided that, as awkward as it might sound, I'm going to have to find a way to verbalize exactly what I want to see. I think that's tonight's project. I'm going to sit down, and, like the writer I am, write out explicitly what I want the actors to do. That might help. I hope.

The power!

I tell people what I want them to do, and they do it! No questions, no whining, they just do it! I tell them where I want furniture to go, and it's there! I tell them when to show up, they do! I can feel the power rushing through my veins! It's warm and delicious...

I mean... my first rehearsal as a director went very well. I look forward to the next one.

Ahem.

I'll tell you when we're in too deep

Three weeks and two days to put on a show? No problem.

No lighting designer? No problem!

No idea what sort of set we can create? No problem!

Are we in too deep? Nah! I'll tell you when we're in too deep!

New ideas, no time

I dreamt my next plot! Last night, I dreamed an entire play. It was awesome. I want to write it. I NEED to write it. But I have no time!

Just so I don't forget, the working title is 'Always a Bridesmaid' and there's one MC, and several supporting characters who come in and out. The MC speaks directly to the audience a lot, but then interacts with the others who come on.

If I can manage, between everything else I have going on, I'm going to write an outline sometime this week. I love notepad... a script and coding can look identical to anyone walking past!

WTF?

Holy crap holy crap holy crap!

So my directorial debut will not be in November with "Burn This" by Lanford Wilson.

It will be later this month, with "Dinner with Friends" by Donald Margulies.

EEEEEEP!!!!!

WTF? Seriously? Holy crap!

(If you want anything remotely more coherent, wait till tomorrow or visit Take Five.)

I just don't know what to do with myself!

The first day after a show ends is wonderful! I get to sit at home and do nothing! It's blissful to be able to simply relax after work, instead of hurrying to eat and take the dog out and get to the theatre.

The second day after a show ends is more work. I do the laundry and dishes that have been neglected for the last month. I still enjoy being able to relax, but the novelty has worn off.

The third day after a show ends kinda sucks. I did more laundry, more dishes, cleaned the toilets, reorganized my cd collection, packed two boxes, critiqued a novel, and uploaded photos. And I'm bored. I miss my show buddies. I miss my carpool buddy. I'm lonely. I want to be on the go again!

On the bright side, if this energy level keeps up, I'll have my apartment spotless in no time! And I'll actually finish some projects!

The curtain has closed

And I miss the show already.

We had our last performance of "Chicago" today, and it was wonderful. This cast took a long time to gel, but once we did, it was amazing. I've made some good friends, and I've had a great time.

And now it's done, and I'm sad.

Of course, there's always a part of me that's relieved after a show, because it means I can do laundry and wash dishes and... wait... why do I want to do laundry and wash dishes? Can I be in another show now, please?