Spring Semester Woes / Triumphs

It's the end of February. It's been two months since I've been home, and we are seven weeks into the semester. It's also my fifth week of nonstop working out. Well, except that weekend in Tulsa, but even then I maintained a pretty high level of activity. I guess you could say I need a break. Luckily, Spring Break is right around the corner. But also, I'm scared of Spring Break, mostly because of what is to come afterwards.

After the break, time will start sliding and accelerating at hyperspeed. It does this every year; one minute it's the beginning of March and in the blink of an eye, finals are upon us. Not only does another class start after Spring Break, but all of my other classes will only get more challenging. In Voice and Movement we will begin poem work. Which will probably mean lots of out-of-class work on that. Kinesiology will continue to be sneaky and kick my butt. Writing for Theatre will (hopefully) continue to be relatively stress-free and fun. As Pajama Game comes closer, we will have more to work on in Stagecraft Lab, and the work we'll be doing will be more pertinent to the set. Also, Stagecraft Lecture will include a lot more work and projects and stuff, so yeah.

BUT more importantly it's great to think about all the great stuff that will be happening! One-Act rehearsals will be in full swing and we'll be doing those, which are always the most fun. On top of that, Grin and Bear It is back and ready to do shows for the semester, and I think this team will be the best yet! It's really great working with such a supportive and hilarious ensemble of people. Improv rehearsals are a highlight of my week!

Also, the sun will be out and Winter will be over. The sun is my best friend. I love the warmth, the brightness, the beauty... I could just lay out in the sun all day every day and be perfectly happy. Can we have Voice and Movement outside? Just an idea.

Anyway, that's what is in my mind right now. Spring Break, please PLEASE hurry your ass. I can't wait to go home and see friends and family and recover from all this working out and homework and waking up early and and and....

Plus I get to see Next to Normal. Which will be SO good.

Quick post about my first rehearsal

So tonight we had our first rehearsal for the Directing II One-Act A Number on the Roman Calendar, a play by David Johnston. It's a very interesting piece and this cast is the first to have ever performed it. My character is called "The Pope", but upon the first readthrough I'm beginning to wonder and play with the idea that he isn't the Pope. The story has a very ambiguous ending and my character's actions are very questionable. He's not that great of a guy, but at the same time, out of context of the play, he is. This is definitely the most dimensional character I've played in recent memory, so it'll be fun to explore the different tactics he might use and to play with different objectives and ways he fits into the story. My fellow cast members are great, one a great friend of mine and the other a new friend of mine! My fabulous director, yet another friend and mentor of sorts, is really emphasizing ensemble for the rehearsal process of this production, so I'm really confident our show will be a strong one. I can't wait to get further into this experience!

In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die.

Today, I (being the perpetually poor person that I am) walked a few blocks to the grocery store to cash in my hitherto unused change at a CoinStar. On my trek up there on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, I noticed a few key things:

• Springfield drivers do, indeed, suck.
• Sunshine, wind, and good music can be extremely freeing, artistically and emotionally.
• Little girls can be very persistent salespeople when it comes to Girl Scout Cookies.

Seriously, I almost got run over like six times during a 20-minute walk. But that's not what this post is about.

There is something about the beauty of nature that makes me instantly happy. I can't quite put my finger on why, but sunshine and a gentle breeze make me feel free; like everything I've done wrong in my life and all the mistakes I've made and downfalls I've experienced mean nothing in the long-run. The wind brushes past my heart and grasps onto the pain and sorrow I hold, and carries it away. My body soaks in the rays of the sun, and the infectious smile the giant ball of gas in the sky reflects on my face. In this moment, with this sun and wind, I am feeling perfect. 

The work I've been doing this semester has really helped me connect my mind with my body. Not only Voice and Movement work but my workouts have assisted me. Learning the principles taught by Kristin Linklater has made me aware of my skeleton, and just how important it is to me as a performer, artist, and person. My spine is strengthening, my jaw is loose and able to help produce words more efficiently, and my breath capacity is becoming deeper. It has become so important for me to take care of my body, because we really only have this one body to help us live. There are no second chances. In consequence to this new discovery of mine, I have worked to lose weight. Within the first three weeks of school, I lost thirteen pounds, and as of now (six weeks into the semester), I have lost a total of twenty pounds. I feel better, I have more energy, and best of all, my motivation is at an all-time high. Once, I had to be "in the mood" to do exercise, but now I feel weird if I go a day without extra physical activity. My weapon of choice thus far has been the elliptical, but I am becoming more interested in finding other ways to strengthen my body, lose body fat, and overall become a more healthy person.

One downfall to this weight loss is the fact that I can feel my clothes becoming looser on my body. Most jeans don't fit perfectly anymore, my coat is becoming looser, and the shirts I own appear large on me. The problem here is, I don't have the money to replace my wardrobe! I'm sure I can deal with what I have for the time being, but at some point I'll have to undergo a makeover of sorts. I know this sounds like the epitome of a first-world-problem, but it's a problem nonetheless.

Anyway, I've rambled enough for one post. Hopefully the past few paragraphs have been somewhat interesting to read, and I'll see you again soon!

So I'm going to try this out.

Hello to anyone who is reading this! I have decided to start writing for myself once again, which never really happens anymore. On this blog you will find updates on my life, my outlook on the things going on around me, any random pieces of writing I may compose, or any number of assorted things I may want to do here. You won't find anything too personal or whiny on here (or at least I'll try not to do that) and every once in a while I'll write some things that I hope some will find inspiring or interesting. So, to any of you that have chosen to take the time to read my ramblings, welcome!