Famous Last Words

Again, in my previous FLW I spoke about the pressure of audition week! Audition week is so hectic; the audition itself (generals) is fine and easy. Walk in, do your two monologues, say thanks, walk out.
But this year was different, because it was my LAST general at OU!

I walked in surprised to see like EVERY faculty member, plus alumni students that I had NO idea were visiting. I played Meena from RX and Cassie from Thinner than Water. Cassie (the character) has a pretty emotional ending to her monologue, but it's more interesting to watch someone trying not to cry, rather than crying. So I felt super emotional when I finished, but then my silly mouth blurts "Thanks, it's been a really fun four years" and I start WEEPING, ugh.

Callbacks begin happening immediately on Tuesday and they never end. The FAC (Fine Arts Center) literally becomes your new home for the week if you have a lot of callbacks. I was called back for every show, which is awesome and fun, but totally draining. Callbacks are my favorite part of auditioning, because the pressure shifts a little bit more into play. That's what I'm currently working on... enjoying the magic of auditioning. Rather than thinking of it as an obligation or a "should have to" I'm trying to shift my mindset to being excited about the mystery of it all!

On Sunday the cast lists came out. I'm playing Vera in a new play called She Kills Monsters, which puts me on the main stage 3 plays in a row. I'm completely grateful, because who knows when I'll get to play on a stage like that again? The character isn't the lead, but she's non-stop comedy, which suits me well. The play takes place in both the real world and a D&D game. There's a lot of stage combat, but unfortunately my character is completely based in the real world (except at the very end where she becomes VERA, THE BEHOLDER) since I honestly have the most combat training in the cast, I'm going to talk with the fight director and see if I can slip into some of the fight action- if I don't ask I'll never know!

SO if you're going to be around next semester, check out SHE KILLS MONSTERS. It goes up around the end of March, and I promise it'll be freaking cool times.

A photo from SHE KILLS MONSTERS at the Flea Theatre, where it opened in 2011
AZcentral

Famous Last Words, week 13/14ish?

I feel like this is a really appropriate time to make a blog about famous last words, because this is the last day of Thanksgiving break!

I feel like I was pretty productive with my break, which is nice. But at the same time I could have done more. Where is the balance? In my 3 1/2 years of college I still haven't found that answer.
I stayed in Norman this year. I never go home because home is over 1,000 miles away.
It's really surreal, this is my last Thanksgiving break. Weird...

I think the message of this post is concerning how everything has been, and will be, the first of the last.

Tomorrow I have auditions for the University's spring season of plays. My last audition here... ever.

The last of the last auditions.

I've been going back and forth lately about how I feel in my field. I really want to be serving my purpose in this lifetime, you know? I love acting, but sometimes I wonder if I'm meant to be doing something totally different. I go to therapy, and I sometimes find myself thinking that I could see myself as a therapist... but then I think about how much schooling that would take, if I really want to do that, would I even like it? Then I think it's just easier to stick to acting. But then, if I think longterm, what if I have a really shitty career? Would I regret not trying something different now? Or if I try something different now will I regret not sticking with my dreams?

So I've decided to backpack through Europe this summer. I'll be gone for two months. I've never even travelled outside of the country, let alone by myself. But... I'm gonna do it. I have friends who are also back packing, and we're gonna do fun things like meet up in Amsterdam and then meet up in London to see plays on the West End and a show at the Globe. I need to take sometime to step away from this lifestyle I'm living, just refresh my mind and gain new experience and maybe, who knows, discover myself. If you've read my storybook, you're probably noticing a theme here.

I'm not sure... did I influence my story, or did my story influence me?

The beautiful Globe Theatre, set for an evening performance.
Wikipedia on The Globe

Famous Last Words, Week 9

This week I learned how necessary working ahead is! I was thrown into being a dresser backstage for the show I assistant directed, which has been very hectic but super rewarding. Did I mention time consuming? I missed the storybook assignment this week because I was in the theatre building costumes and whatnot until I was exhausted. Then Friday morning I got a mild concussion.... whoops?  I went back to check my grade today and I'm still making an A, which was both reliving and inspiring to keep pushing through and working harder to maintain that grade. I need to dedicate more time to my storybook this upcoming week, and I plan to push ahead on that assignment.

But for tonight I'm going to finish up a bunch of extra credit and then celebrate closing my show! 

Robin Huston as Diana Goodmen
(personal photo)
Final dress rehearsal:
Diana is singing about how her medication numbs her from life,
so she decides to dump her pills and go off the medication.
For whatever reason, Robin mistakenly pours the pills into her purse rather than the trash can.
Luckily we caught this iconic mistake on camera!

Famous Last Words

This week is going to be such lower stakes, because I finally finished and I'm about to turn in my capstone paper! It's weird, because I thought that I would feel really accomplished, but the whole thing has been quite anti-climatic. I wrote over a play that I was just in, because that's what my advisor wanted me to do. I didn't really want to, because I didn't love the role or even like the show. But, I did it. I think that's why I don't feel fulfilled by the experience, because I wanted so much more from it. But it's done, and that's what is important!