Something sweet, something savory, something cold

Went to the state fair with my cousin yesterday and had a pretty good time.  Nick has a great state fair food rule, which we followed like it was a prescription.  In order to make the most of your state fair eating experience, you must eat something sweet, something savory and something cold.  That covers your basic food cravings without eating everything in sight.  Nick and I shared a lot of things so I got a taste of a lot of things:

• Mini doughnuts
• bacon on a stick
• cheese curds
• frozen lemonade
• pickle dog (pickle spear, cream cheese and pastrami)
• twist cone
• beer
• (successfully avoided getting a corn dog, which I usually go for immediately)

Which definitely wasn't as much as I was assuming I would eat (cause it's the state fair, that's why you go).  Unfortunately I think I have a dehydration/walking all day/a little too much beer at Carboni's hangover. (oops).  AND I'm going to the Renaissance Faire today! I'm super stoked, I've never been to a Ren Faire and I found 5 outfits that would work perfectly for the occasion.  I just hope I feel a little better and my feet don't fall off.

A sudden realization

I just realized that I probably won't be allowed to wear sports bras and jorts to work when I have my real job in TWO WEEKS HOLY CRAP MUFFINS.  Also, I've started mentally packing and it's already stressing me out.  I'd really like to see the place it's like I'm going to school all over again.  I also keep forgetting that I'll have roommates, maybe not in the same room exactly, but in the apartment and I don't know anything about them and omg it's totally like freshman year again I hope my roommates are better than that turned out.

Sorry that doesn't make too much sense, but it does in my brain at the moment. (jk it doesn't make sense, that's just what my brain is doing right now.)

I GOT AN INTERNSHIP (and other news since graduation...because that totally happened a while ago)

It finally feels like I'm out of college, which is still totally weird for me.  Life has been a blur since graduation, even graduation felt weird.  P.S. I won the Cloak award for theatre [which only goes to 1 senior, typically, but Sophie and I were too awesome for them to not give it to both of us] I was so honored that all my hard work was recognized by the entire department.  They even gave me a beautiful book of illustrated Shakespeare that I am still drooling over.

Kathy and I were even in the Lawrence Magazine!

After school finished, I spent a few weeks at home going through all my stuff (which was way too much stuff, and still is).  Then I moved up here to Minneapolis with my aunt Linda.  It's been great, I got a side job at a pottery company making coasters for Anthropologie (which sell at $8 a pop!).  Matt and I have been hanging out a ton and I did a bunch of auditions for companies, and got no response, which is why this news is so incredibly exciting!

I got a real-life internship! I'm going to be working with Northwest Passage, a mental health treatment and assessment company in a tiny town in Wisconsin.  They just started expanding their arts programs and I might help them create/build a theatre program there! I had my phone interview today and they hired me on the spot.  I could tell that both me and my interviewer just got more and more excited as the interview went thorugh.  I'll also help do some classroom/tutoring work and social media outreach (which are two other things that I've been thinking about working in!).  I'm beyond excited to try all of this out.

How on earth is it 4:10 already? Can I start drinking yet?

Apparently, my life has decided to explode all at once.  I had a huge awkward/necessary/frustrating heart to heart with someone I've been meaning to talk to for a while, and it may have blown back in my face.  The entire thing is too complicated/confidential for me to share, but it's just ridiculous.  The only thing I can do to handle all of it is listen to too much Company (hey, it worked in Texas, didn't it?).  That and throw myself into the assignment and paper that's due tomorrow for my Neuro class.  But it makes my brain hurt thinking about brains, and it already aches from all of this other stuff.

Not my headshot, but somehow I took a decent selfie today.

On an unrelated note, I had lunch with an LU Alum, John O'Boyle.  He's a Broadway producer, and just a nice guy to talk to.  A bunch of other seniors joined us and we all talked about how confusing/unknown the theatre world will be when we're out of Lawrence.  It's always nice to be reminded that I'm not the only clueless one in the bunch.  I got some headshots taken today too, it's a baby step, but at this point I'll take it.

Eating ice cream onstage: The Street Scene Experience

Just regained a sliver of my sanity after closing Street Scene this last Saturday night.  The show was pretty fun to rehearse and prepare.  Being a German woman (Mrs. Fiorentino) was harder than I was expecting, it took me a bit to get a hang of the accent (especially with an Italian and a thick Jersey accent around me all show).  I'm so glad I was able to participate in such a large ensemble piece- there were over 30 people in the cast, and we also added two kids, a dog, and some extras from the opera during tech week.  The whole thing was a bit overwhelming. (and yes, I got to eat real ice cream on stage.  And, yes I dropped some from the 2nd story window during the performance attended by the president of the university).

Me, Mrs. Jones and Lippo Fiorentino

The most entertaining part was the 3 modifications of fat suits I cycled through during the course of the run.  It started with just a belly (surprisingly comfortable), then shifted to a body suit comprised of a bunch of cotton fluffing in a wife beater sewn to a pair of men's boxer briefs (again, really comfortable, but that meant I couldn't do my pre-show pee without taking off my entire costume).  We ended up using two gold bean bags sewn to a wife beater, because my dress was too small for the first two options.  I do have to say, that taking off any of the three was definitely a confidence booster at the end of the night.  I got so used to extra padding that when I finally took it off I felt so skinny!  I definitely didn't think wearing an extra belly would be a confidence booster, but I'll take it.

I think I had the full body suit in this one.  At least, I hope.

It's definitely odd to think that I've finished my Lawrence performance career.  Next term I'm directing a show, so I won't have time for a show (other than improv).  I'm glad I got to do it with so many of my close friends and a wonderful director.  Still, it's definitely sinking in that my theatrical experiences are going to start becoming even more scary and challenging.  "I must go and make the coffee"

We're the "two-faced trio" according to Kathy

Communist Rally

Never in my life did I think I would participate in a Russian Communist Rally*, especially in the state of the Wisconsin.  Funny what happens when you're playing trivia, especially with action questions.  We managed to gather about 60 people from across campus to join together and chant and sing in Russian in an attempt to overthrow (in jest) the Red, White & Blue party at Delt (a fraternity).  It was really amazing, actually.  Definitely the closest thing to a "real" protest that I've ever taken part in.

We even got yelled at by angry other parties (the frat guys), who yelled at us to get out of their house.  They even tore up the paper signs we brought with us.  On the plus side, we continued to chant "All power to the people" at them as we left the building.

*quick clarification: This was a joke protest.  We were joking and having fun- as often happens in college.  Especially during trivia.  There was a bit of confusion based on a Facebook post I made and I thought I'd clarify: While this protest looks incredible (which it was) it was FOR FUN.

Dem Phones

Guess where I'm at? Answering phones!! Too tired for Internet. 

And now it's Bronie hour. Jon's being all regal. It suits him well. 

Some Moments from First Hours

I'm calling an early night in an effort to supply the team with some energy later in the contest. Overall a very thrilling first night. Here's a few highlights:

• Totally got the 2nd question because the phone answer-er stuttered on Jeff  The whole living room just erupted.  We were also the only team to get it right.
• "we got fuckin', like, feng shui right now"
• "It's Ogre"
• "They've got a fucking rolodex"
• "We're on the improv team, we're ladies, you know how it goes"
• "I AM BARACK OBAMA" 
• Various other correct answers from guessing enough times (I got us into Ceasar from a weird Norwegian children's book, which was pretty exciting)

Looking forward to even more craziness to come! 

LIKE A BOSS

I just answered a trivia question WITHOUT USING A COMPUTER.  Still can't handle it.

TRIVIA BEGINS

Overseeing the start of the Great Midwest Trivia Contest. We're playing with Shrek Out of Ten 2: The Shrekoning.

Some quotes already:

• We might vomit. 
• We'll just cry in the money cup. 
• Don't cry yet.  Yet.  Yet.
• And general prostitution.
• I have such an erection right now.
• Well, my armpits are sweating, that's a female erection.
• Is the answer "The Big Unit Jizzbot?" [yes, it was.  That's how cool this contest is.]

Great Midwest Trivia Contest

So, I feel like now is the good time to introduce my pocket gnome friend. He's still got a shaky sense of identity, but after his weekend, I hope he will be a bit more secure. 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Trivia, it's an undeniably unique lawrence tradition.  It's the longest rinningn trivia contest, as it runs year round (on a technicality. The last years last question is next years first question) but it actively runs for 50 hours. This year Portia is a Trivia Master, which means she wrote questions and is announcing/running the radio broadcast of the event. Answers are phoned in (to volunteers on phone lines) and no one gets much sleep. 

This year the union street team is running out of comedy house, which is thankfully forcing  me to dive head first into this incredible tradition. 

Woops...

So 1440 Theatre Carnival: Winter Edition, went really well (on the theatre side).  Unfortunately for you guys, I got distracted a lot and didn't end up blogging much at all. (sorry.)  The two shows ended up going great!  Portia and I did our customary scene change music (make up your own theme song as you go, Kronk style), and also did some vocal sound effects for the Spoop Troop show (a riff on Scooby Doo).  I even got to be a ghost, which is always a good time. We had Cloak filled to a respectable level and everyone enjoyed the shows!  I was exhausted afterwards, and have only today gotten back to 100% awake, even though I got more sleep this term than I did in the fall! Trivia should get interesting next weekend, because that's 50 hours of non-stop craziness, I'm not going to get much sleep.

On a completely unrelated note, I bought new pants.  I know, exciting, right?  I'm stupidly happy with them, because they actually fit.  I broke a pair over winter break and was all torn up about it (because it's really hard to find well fitting pants, nowadays).  But I came across a lovely pair of black skinny jean/pant things at Target.  It's been a long time since I bought something new (not thrifted) so I'm still very happy with myself.  And oddly proud.  Because I bought myself pants.  That fit.  And are comfortable.  I'm still really happy with them.

I also FINALLY got to see the first episode of Sherlock season 3.  It doesn't seem real.  I can't believe how pleased I am with how the writers dealt with the gap, and all the mustache comments.   Oh John's mustache.  How beautifully they mocked it.  Smashingly good work with all the facial hair that happened in that episode (see also, Anderson and Sherlock.  I won't spoil anything though).

Director Meeting

Doing their readings before the actors show up! 

5AM Woodmans runs get intetesting

Portia and I were on food duty this morning so we had to run to the grocery store to get bagels and such. Lucky for us, it's open 24/7. Everything went smoothly enough until Portia dropped a glass soda bottle at check out. T felt like it happened in slow motion, and the result was not quite as disastrous as I thought it would be. 

But still pretty bad. Unfortunately for us, we bought frozen bagels, but that was quickly fixed with a microwave. Now were just waiting for the theatre to open so we can get the day going!

1440: Winter Edition

Getting ready for this years installment of the 1440 Theatre Carnival! 

I'm sitting at the sign up table waiting for peeps to show! Should be a fun time!

Chapters of 2013

I think I've found a nice way to recap what's gone down this past year- The titles of the greatest stories/events of the year.  I can't believe how much happened this year, and I can't wait to see what's going to go down in 2014! It should be a good one!

Winter Term:
I spend my time flushing imaginary toilets: Doing Props/Sound for The Dumbwaiter
Why being a wiggles knock off was a bad idea: Bringing an improv team to the CITs in matching t-shirts
Do my dress robes make me look fat: Becoming Headmistress at the Yule Ball
He had parents and arms this morning: The creation of the Optimistic Feral Child
Road tripping for Waffle House: My spontaneous Florida spring break trip

My face hurts from smiling/ The devil plays a double necked guitar: Seeing The Book of Mormon

Spring Term:

Why do we have to hide the piano/ Someone give me the instant cat piss: Stage Managing Grey Gardens
That one time I hit on Jill Beck: Playing a pantaloon

Irish drinking games/ Ruining the moment: Running the fly loft for Plough and the Stars

Summer:

Your nerd is showing put it away its scaring the children: Becoming a Trekkie
I’m in Minneapolis for the summer but I go to school in Wisconsin but I'm from Iowa
Starfleet, showtunes, and a little more ice cream: My summer motivation

Can we play the ukedelele: Bonding with my cousing Aaron

Group mooning/ Don't bring balloons into a women's prison: A week in Costa Rica

Things you shouldn't say to airport security: Leaving Costa Rica

Fall Term:

It won't fit in the door and I won't fit in the shower: Comedy House adventures

Dating a book is completely normal/ Too much Shakespeare in the pants: Fall term classes

I thought being a boy would be the easy part: Playing Rosalind in As You Like It

Four or five times/ Which video game we playing: Finishing a senior project

Closet man emerges: Living with two...um....interesting.... people

Winter Break:

This theatre company has eight legs/I am my own dead cousin: The Greyfell expereince

I was born in a tweed jacket: Uncovering my career path as a professor

Controlling water fountains/ Wax selfies: A very Texas Christmas