persephone33

Life has, again, eaten me whole. I was right in the middle of costumes for La Cage (Literally, RIGHT in the middle, working from a ginormous stack of mending and altering) when the artistic director of the theatre asked...

AD: "Are you auditioning for In the Next Room?"

Carrie. (Thinks about what that would entail. Blushes furiously.) Um... No.

AD. "Would you costume the show?"

And because I'm a complete and total sucker for all things Victorian, I said yes. Giddily, most likely. While giggling.

( Photographs )

So life, alas, she has not stopped. I've jumped from one project into another, not even waiting before the first one was finished. I'm about to wrap up In the Next Room (my part, anyway), and wonder what I'll do once it's over. I've got a lot of sitting planned. And I've got some television watching lined up. Actual watching, not just listening while I have a lap full of alterations to do. I'm psyched. On Sunday, however, I took some time and did something I've not done in a rather long time. I baked.

I rejoiced when I found this recipe. A fall cake without even a hint of a pumpkin? I remember: I actually gasped. (If you know me, you're aware of the violent irrational irritation I get in reaction to the barrage of pumpkin-related things in the Fall. It very nearly pisses me off.) In any case, Nolan loved this cake. He even ate it again the next day, which is nigh unto unthinkable, for him. And it made the house smell fantastic.
( Recipe )

Enjoy. :)

Whenever I finish a big project, like the show we just struck yesterday, my body decides that it has a bit of time to not be in top form, and oftentimes decides to shut down.

I wish to tell my immune system in a very stern voice: Now is not that time. I'm jumping into the next project (Victorian costumes!), have to build at least three sets of Victorian undergarments and various and sundry other costume-y type stuff, will spend the next two weekends out of town for a marriage retreat and my 20 year reunion, respectively, I have to make my children's Halloween costumes, finish a quilt for a baby who is nearly two months old, finish promised projects to other extended family members and take care of my family and home on top of it all.

I. Do not. Have time. To be ill.

Also, I have a touch of insomnia tonight. Fun times! So, I did the laundry from the show - extracting tattoo cover makeup from nylon/poly blend isn't as easy as one might think - and read the next play for which I want to audition, had a bath and am now sipping hot milk in an effort to get sleepy.

The play I read is funny. I love plays. That isn't to say that I don't love musicals. I do. But there's something about a play; reading a character aloud and finding the right accent, imagining the scene onstage, plotting out the comedic timing. I love it. It's as comforting as putting on a fluffy robe and curling up on the couch to watch a movie. In this particular play, that character I'd want to play is actually three different characters and have German, Scottish and English accents respectively. A dream for an actress. How much FUN would that be?

Anyway, it's a long shot. One female character, a billion girls who'll show up to audition, yet I'm ever hopeful.

The musical that we just put to bed was a good experience. It was a LOT of work. But I'm glad that I did it, and I'm happy that so many people enjoyed our efforts. It's gratifying, to put art out there and have it be recognized. And once I get the laundry done and the costumes back from the cleaners and put them all away, it'll really be finished.

You see why I don't have time to be sick?

♛I've been working at theatre camp all week. These are some of the most talented students I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Also, they're some of the most uninhibited; I think that's part of what makes an actor great, letting go of what everyone else thinks and just being. Yesterday I got to coach scenes and monologues, one of my very favorite things in the world to do. The kiddos did a flash mob (to Fleetwood Mac!) at our largest grocery store in town today to promote their show this week, and it was super cool. So fun.

♛The chubbiness is getting out of control, and I feel there might be a direct correlation between that and the volume of food I'm putting in my mouth. I haven't even stepped on the scale in over a month. I'm afraid the poor thing might die of shock. Or strain. Or both.

♛I lost the Jeep a few days ago. I went to the mall to use my card for a free Victoria's Secret panty (like you do) and when I got back out to the parking lot, NO JEEP. The Jeep is no frills - no panic button, no remote entry, no power windows or anything else. I was upset - not because we don't have insurance, but because I was going to have to tell Mr. H. that the car was stolen on MY watch. I walked around in the boiling Texas heat for twenty minutes before I remembered I entered through a different door than I normally do. WHAT. AN. IDIOT.

♛My back has been killing me for months. Since March? I've been going to the chiropractor, and I thought it was getting better, but I woke up this morning to the same level of pain I started with. It's just frustrating. Annoying. Getting old is roughly on par with chewing up broken glass. It, simply put, sucks out loud.

♛The week without kiddos was relaxing, I'm not going to lie. It's fun to not have to be responsible for anyone else but me. Oh, and Nolan a little. But he's fairly self-sufficient. However, I'm glad to have those little goobers back in the nest. We were incomplete while they were away.

♛I'm gearing up to work another week of camp - I get to direct 'Baby it's Cold Outside' and 'Sing' from A Chorus Line, comedies both. :D Very fun. And I'm making a costume plot for La Cage... anyone want to place a bet that there's over a hundred separate costumes? Eeeek. :)

My day in a nutshell:( Help! I'm in a nutshell! How did I get into this bloody great big nutshell? What kind of shell has a nut like this? )

The last post was a bit dramatic. It's an occupational hazard. Apologies all around.

Nolan teases me that I'm annoyingly even tempered, but only because I store up all of my upset for six months at a time, until I explode and have an "I Feel" day, spewing hot, molten crazy on everyone in my immediate vicinity. Those days are rare, but they do happen. They hurt a little, too. I need to work on letting it out little by little. A crazy release valve, if you will.

Anyway. Moving forward. Onwards and upwards. Adapt and overcome.

The show is contained, for the time being. The next two weeks will undoubtedly be grueling, but I can actually see fun from where I am. It's promising. The thing that's motivating? The principles are having such a good time; they're funny, talented and well rehearsed, so the ensemble will just be a lovely icing on an already wonderful and yummy cake.

Forgive the food metaphors. I've got cinnamon bun bread in the oven for our breakfast, and the smell is driving me a little nutty.

I tried on the cute cowgirl costume from the last post, and... I could look worse. Talk about barely contained. I'm going to have to do some strategic work with duct tape and bailing wire so that all my business stays where it belongs. A friend of mine says that it's all about the base coat of paint. SO true.

So anyway. Things are looking up. It's Easter, and I do love this particular holiday. His sacrifice puts my problems in perspective as trivial and petty, comparatively. Plus, I made myself a new Easter dress, and always enjoy the coloring and hunting eggs aspect of the weekend.

So have a happy Easter, and may the Easter bunny bring you all the Cadbury creme eggs your heart desires.

I haven't blogged in a while, but I've been BUSY. With a capital B. Like you read about, folks.

I got all my academy girls' dresses finished, with varying degrees of success. Most of the little sweethearts liked their costumes, so I think it's a win. I'm still working on a piece of commissioned art for an inspirational speaker - it's drawn but not painted, and I'm still trying to make sense of the chord progressions in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. (I'm in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at ALT, if you didn't hear my shriek of joy from where you were a few weeks ago.) The music might as well be Farsi, for how well I'm doing with it. Harmony is a challenge for me. And when I say 'challenge,' I mean it's so hard it makes me want to sit down in the middle of the floor and cry real, unattractive, unmusical tears.

But enough of my harmony saga. (For today, anyway. I reserve the right to whine about it again at a later date.) Last night I went and fitted the girls in their dresses, and then watched the rehearsal to see if they needed other mending or alterations. I took LOADS of pictures, and then my camera battery died before act II. However:

( Pictures and a video! )
In any case, I love these kids, and I love my job, and I LOVE working for the theatre. There's so much joy in each step of the way. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

It's the story of the Purple Spider Sparkle Dress, as I've come to affectionately call it. It's the hardest thing I've ever constructed. And I didn't get to finish all of it because I got sick. That makes me die a little inside, but I'll sally forth. The dress is for Kiss of the Spider Woman, which opens tonight, as it happens!

( Sorry I didn't cut this earlier... )
See? Way up in the corner in the amber spot? That's the Purple Spider Sparkle Dress.
Can't wait to see it in action. I'm going tomorrow. Everyone break a leg!

Eurydice.

On the first read, I didn't think I liked it.  I wasn't sure, of course, because I didn't really understand the script.  I felt absolutely stupid.

On the second read, I understood, but still had issues.

Now, upon seeing it four times during hell week, I have to say that I like it a lot.  It is unbearably sad (being a Greek tragedy and all), but really sort of beautiful at the same time.

And one of the best lines ever comes from the script.  Well, not best, perhaps.  But moving.  We'll say it resonated with me.  How about that?  The father in the piece, played by Don Washburn (who really is a masterful actor, I would love to share a stage with him), reads a letter to his daughter on her wedding day, giving her advice.  One of the points in his line is this:

"Continue to give yourself to others because that is the ultimate satisfaction in life - to love, accept, honor and help others."

I've just come out of a very selfish few years, centered all about mememememe... and in giving, I've found my own joy again. 

So giving of my time and energy to this piece of art has been very rewarding, indeed.  I must say that the Little Theatre is one of the most low drama (er, you know what I mean) and professional theaters that I've ever worked for, and it's always a joy to be associated with the organization. 

With this particular production, I don't think anyone really understood the artistic vision until we were presented with the finished product.  That could have been disastrous on many different levels, but fortunately worked out for the best - the play looks brilliant.  It's at once visually stimulating and thought provoking - funny and disturbing. 

I wish that I had pictures to show you, but the best way to explain it is that the Underworld is an archaeological dig, and there are partially exposed treasures of all of the resident's most prized posessions.  There are liquor bottles, barbie dolls, toys, sports equipment, video game consoles, bicycles, and every other thing you can think of partially covered with a layer of "sediment" that has washed over it from the river.

( Pictues and pontification... ) 

Finally, here's a link to Chriselda Reyes' gorgeous photographic slideshow, which has more pictures of the actors, costumes and set, and will maybe explain where I've been for the last month.  Enjoy.

&hearts - I'm glad I'm a stay at home mom. I wouldn't ever have time to do anything if I had an actual JOB to go to.

&hearts - Speaking of my job, I have 14 girls in my theatre three and four class who are going to be a LOT of fun. I'm going to do movie monologues/scenes with them, so if you have any favorite movie scenes from the silver screen (featuring two high school-aged girls, appropriate for same), please do share.

&hearts - the little old ladies were ten deep at the Clinique counter, today. I guess I'm the only girl under 60 that uses that? It was a good free gift with purchase, though. Go check it out. Oddly enough, there were no little old ladies at the MAC counter. They don't like glitter mascara and loud music? Tee hee.

&hearts - I'm bringing back the word "codswallop." Hide and watch.

( Cute kid story under the cut... )

&hearts - The boys are enrolled in Musical Theatre class at ALT. They had a good time and AJ said that their warm-up routine was to "Darn Yankees." When I questioned this, he replied, "We have to be 13 before we can say the real name of that musical." Thanks, Jason. Ensuring the innocence of the kiddos. Too bad I say worse than that on your average Tuesday.

&hearts - What. The. Hell. Why in the world would people need these? I'm sweating my ass off trying to GET my ass off, and now I find out that there are actually people that wear padded panties to make their butts huge? And that's somehow trendy? That's ASININE, if you'll forgive the pun. A load of codswallop. Please tell me who they are so that I can maybe stand next to them so that my rear end will look smaller by comparison.

&hearts - I love, and I mean LOVE blessing other people. Especially when it's something that they don't expect.

&hearts - Speaking of being blessed, I seriously hope that my breasts stay within the confines of the swimsuit that I'm wearing in South Pacific. There may be some duct tape/bailing wire rigging involved. I tried it on again today, and this time I stood in front of the mirror for a full twenty seconds before I burst into hysterical, cellulite-induced sobs. I think that's progress. I also made a sarong and matching headscarf out of gorgeous, donated, sari silk that's pretty freaking adorable, if I do say so myself. It covers most of the atrocities, so it's still safe to come see the show.

I think that's all. Have a great weekend, y'all!

Most of these are in the dressing room and backstage; the actual show photos on the set haven't come in yet.

It took so long to upload, I didn't do a description of each. You'll get the picture. There are whores, Aggies, cowboys and more whores.

( Costumes, makeup, and more cleavage than you can shake a stick at. )