Goodbye '13, hello '14

Happy New Year everybody!

I don't know about you, but I'm happy to be done with 2013. Last year was a pretty crazy year - started off kind of rough, and it never let up. Let me take a few minutes to go over all the craziness that was 2013...

• Started with the 2-month adventure that was the Miss Nelson production/tour. It started off with almost a month straight of tour. It was fun to be away from home and to see so many parts of the West Coast, but the traveling time went way too long. And it was a stressful tour, with some challenging interpersonal dynamics, plus some personal drama that I didn't want to deal with.


• But absolute highlights were performing in Vegas, having an amazing day off in Portland, getting to see some friends who'd moved to the cities we toured to, and getting my first piece of fanmail! 

They love me! They really love me!

• After Miss Nelson, I had two more shows left on the contract: Charlotte's Web (playing my favorite role at CTC, the G-G-Goose) and Rumpelstiltskin (another long run and stressful tour). While maneuvering through these shows, I also had a big, fatty life choice: whether to stick to the full-time theater job, which had pretty much taken over my life, or to leave the security and begin a life as a freelance theater artist.

I played Fern & the Goose in this one. I've never had so much fun shaking my tail feathers!

 

• In May, I began my life as a freelance theater artist. I also went to Oregon Shakespeare Festival for the first time, which was beautiful and amazing. And I want to go back!
• I taught eleven straight weeks of summer camp, mostly entirely by myself. I choreographed a lot, worked with over two hundred kids, and definitely gained a lot of confidence as a teaching artist.
• I started rehearsals for Les Miserables, playing Cosette, a production that almost 300 people auditioned for. It was a wonderful reminder that I could play characters who are older than eight.
• Once the fall started, I got back on the joyful job train. I thought I got a job, then I didn't get a job, then I did get a job with the same company. I got another job at another company, teaching lots of different classes.
• I learned that preschoolers and glue sticks don't mix.
• I learned that Katherine doesn't mix well with tiny children with tiny arts supplies.
• I learned that I can teach little ones, and it can be fun, but I enjoy elementary school kids more.
• Les Miserables opened and closed. It was, without a doubt, the most significant theatrical experience I've had.

My name's Cosette. I think deep thoughts and sing high notes.

• The Monday after Les Miserables opened, I started rehearsals for Mame. It was a little too much, a little too fast. (And by a little... I mean a lot.) Sadly, I didn't get to enjoy the show as much because I was overwhelmed. The show was a success, and I got to play a real ditz - that was fun! Nothing like playing a dumb blonde -- err, bubble-head brunette.

The costume designer had fun with this mother-daughter combo!

•  And throughout the entire year, I was taking online classes through the local community college in Early Childhood Education. I did well in all of them, but I didn't love knowing that every week I had homework again...

Even though all year, I was doing the kinds of things that I enjoy, I was out of whack. Out of balance. I took on many things because I felt like I "was supposed" to, or "ought to." And while I think they were all worthwhile investments, it was just too much overall. I didn't enjoy myself as much as I wish I had.

And now I'm here, at the beginning of 2014, and I'm looking forward to making some changes. I've never been one for New Year's Resolutions, and they all always end up being broken anyhow, but I do have some goals in mind. Changes I want to make:

I want more balance in my life. This year it was all about shows and work. By the end of the year, I felt like I had 3 jobs, and essentially was working 14 hours a day - but only being paid for 6 of those hours. This year, I'm actually taking on more work, but I've taken out the work that I'm not excited about and adding jobs that genuinely excite me. *

1. I'm looking forward to having time to do things like work out, cook, and enjoy relaxing activities like watching TV or reading. There was not enough of any of that in 2013. By the end of it, there was hardly any cooking at all. (Thank goodness for leftovers and frozen meals!)
2. I'm taking shows that genuinely excite me. That might mean a few less shows, but that's alright. I'd rather be excited by the work than overwhelmed. Besides, 10 shows in 2 years is a lot. I'm ready for a breather.
3. I love my friends and I want to spend more time with them. 
4. I'd like to do things like write more, crochet more, practice my horrific piano skills... but if I don't do them, then that's OK too.
5. And now, for my favorite one: I want to wear tiny hats more often! Every time I do, I feel happy that I'm wearing a tiny hat. They're cute and silly and fun, and I like them. So I shall try to find excuses to wear tiny hats! Tiny hats for tiny people?

I'm also embarking on a year-long challenge, a la The Happiness Project or 31-Day Yoga challenges. I'm calling it

The 2014 Monologue Project

Monologues scare me, and I don't have enough available to use at auditions. I have bazillions of songs! But monologues? Not so much. So my goal is to learn one new monologue a month: 12 new pieces by the end of 2014. Classical, contemporary, comedic, dramatic, child-like, mature.... you name it, I want it. **

Hopefully I'll update this blog more often with progress on that project. But no promises... I'm sporadic enough with the updates already.

Overall, I'm looking forward to 2014. I think it's going to be a good one. Best wishes to you and for a wonderful new year.

 

* This does mean that at some point I'll be technically working for five companies simultaneously... But hush. That's an an anomaly. 

** Hopefully it goes without saying that if you have any recommendations for pieces I should look into, please go ahead and throw them out there!

Reasons Why Today is a Good Day

1) I won a dollar in my musical theatre class for being able to name the most Rogers and Hammerstein musicals. Silly, yes, but exciting nonetheless!

2) Had a sub in for our theatre in education class. I had tried to do the reading for the class but only got through half of it, so I was worried that it'd be really boring. But it was actually fascinating and I definitely feel a lot more inquisitive about education in general. And I'm excited to discuss it again on Tuesday.

3) Set up an interview meeting for my internship midterm, which had been weighing on my mind a bit (get it done, Katherine, just get it done!). So there's a load off my back.

4) I got a little solo in my choir class! For a more belty-number, which is rather exciting. Not huge by any means (it's choir class, not solo-class) but I'm excited nevertheless. And this is after we did a couple of quartets testing if people knew the music. Only 2 groups went up... and of course I was one of them. And it was a part I knew. Yet I got it wrong... but I know it! And I never get it wrong when we actually sing together. My nerves got ahead of me. The funny thing is, the teacher corrected me after and I said "I know it, I swear," and all the girls in front of me nodded. So clearly they hear me... and they hear that I do it correctly most of the time.

Yes. I sing loud. I admit it! But it's good, I'd say.

5) We celebrated someone's birthday in choir today... which meant WE GOT CAKE. YUMMY!!

6) I did a marketing research lab for my marketing class today. Super simple, mostly just quizzes for opinions, nothing exciting. But one of the labs was for soda brands which meant we got to drink sodas. And I haven't had a ton of soda recently (trying to cut back and all that jazz--and it's working. Apparently I've lost 8lbs since school started. And other than my yoga class and biking around campus, I've kind of stopped working out since classes began. No time. But yay anyway!), so I was excited. I got a Shasta cola. Apparently there were also Cokes as well, but I didn't get that one. I was a little bummed about that.

Clearly, I've got a very strong case of brand loyalty there. And I admit it! Kind of sad though.

And last, but definitely not least...

7) MY PARENTS ARE IN TOWN!!

I'm SO EXCITED!!!

Classes Are Done!

Hooray! I'm done with classes. But not done with the work for those said classes. Luckily, I don't have a lot of finals: I have one actual final (for my pass/no pass class), a presentation of my Directing scene, a final lecture, and a jury performance for piano. And a couple of easy reflection papers, talking about my processes and stuff like that. So finals week is looking pretty easy going for me.

But I definitely don't feel officially finished yet. Still hunting for an internship that will take me over the summer, despite the many conflicts that Spider Baby has brought up. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to be doing the show, but it's hard to find something that'll keep me busy despite the two weeks plus three weekends of being out of town's worth of conflicts. I have hope though. I have to.

I've actually been doing some research on fringe festivals and they sound really cool. The Toronto Fringe, for example, hosts about 150 companies over 12 days of performances. The shows rotate around in the spaces, and with so many shows, there are multiple performances going at once, all day. Tickets are cheap so audiences can spend a day going from show to show to show. These festivals give smaller companies chances to work in front of an audience, and don't judge the shows themselves--entrance into this particular festival was by lottery, and others provide spaces on a first-come-first-serve basis. Our performance times are all over the place--one is at 10pm, another at 5:15, a couple at 8ish... So we'll have plenty of time to check out the rest of the Fringe and see a bit of Toronto too. Yay! I'm getting excited.

But also sad. I won't be in the country to celebrate July 4th! Well, technically it's still the 4th of July, but it just ain't as fun when you aren't in the United States. Oh well, it's a small price to pay.

Another cool tidbit: The Drowsy Chaperone got its start at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Which is awesome. It starred Sutton Foster. Who is awesome. And who I MET!!!!!


Not my best picture... but it's not the end of the world.

She performed a small concert at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. We were sitting really close--like, 4th row close. We were all the way to the side, but the theatre is rather small, so it didn't matter. And she was so good! I love her voice. After the show she did a meet-and-greet, so we, well, met and gret (meeted and greeted? I dunno). She was really nice and friendly. I forgot to bring my CD from the car =( so no signing of my CD. But I got a photo, which I've wanted since we went to see Shrek in New York last summer and I was mad that she ran off. So that made me happy. And then we went to grab food in downtown Culver City and as we were leaving, I saw her on the other side of the restaurant with the pianist, eating a late-night snack. I didn't say anything--didn't want to be an obnoxious fan--but it was cool.

I really should study for this Chinese final. Even though I'm taking it pass/fail, I still want to make sure that I'm going to pass, you know? And considering I only have one legitimate final, it's not that big a deal to actually study for it.

Well that, or I can do some research for my internship interviews coming up! Yay interviews! I hope they like me! And to quote the show that was the source material for one of my Writing 340 papers (YESSSSSS I'M DONE WITH WRITING 340 FOREVER!!!)...

God I hope I get it!

Weekendly Update

The weekend has been pretty uneventful so far. I slept in two days in a row... which is delightful!! Watched a lot of TV via Netflix--I love the Instant Watch that Netflix does. I also got a cool thing for the Wii that lets me watch Netflix using the Wii, which I love. It works really well, which was surprising--I didn't think it'd work. But it does! Which is awesome!

And bad. Because I've watched a lot of TV these last few days. But it's for my education... right? Because I have to be educated in acting... Right? Right?

(Of course, this argument makes no sense because I'm watching stuff that's been canceled for years. But that's a minor detail.)

Other than that, I've had a rehearsal for my directing scene which went really well. I thought of a pretty creative way to create the set-well, I think it's creative, and the cast seems to enjoy working on it, so I'm happy. Maybe it's dumb. It probably is. But I like it, so yay!!

I also saw an SOT show tonight. It's one of the Blueprints--shows that are new works by the Playwriting Grad students, performed by USC students. The shows are still in development, so they aren't anywhere near being done. It's just about getting an audience in there and seeing what they're seeing. So there's a talk-back with the director/author/playwriting program person after the shows. The talk-backs are always really interesting to hear. I didn't have much to say, mostly because I'm still processing the piece until at least half an hour after it's over. But it was interesting to hear these other people's thoughts on the play, and to know that they'll be taken into consideration as the piece moves forward.

Then I came home and made brownies. Yummy!!! And an egg-bagel-wich with cheese and pastrami. Also yummy!!! I love having food =)

Acting Class

I had a good acting class today.

My teacher began the class by talking about "feeling" in a scene. That just because the scene feels good doesn't necessarily make it so... and even if though as an actor, it doesn't feel good, it still might be perfectly strong.

The way my class works is that people go up, one at a time, to "audition" with the scene. The rest of the class sits in the "audience" and watches, except the person who's going next--they wait outside to prepare and stew, just like in a real audition. And as you watch, you pick up things: ideas of things to do, or not to do, new interpretations of the scene, or just a whole lot of self-doubt that what you're doing isn't what everyone else is doing, so it's probably wrong. It's fun like that.

So I wait outside for my audition, and I'm the second to last person to present the audition. This scene has, for some reason, not be the simplest to understand. The way the dialogue is written is a little random, and a fair number of people are struggling to make it work. I go up, having watched everyone else, and for the most part the changes they're making are things that I'd thought about. So I feel OK. I take note to make one adjustment. It was something I'd considered earlier, but never worked with, but I felt like it would be OK. I went in feeling pretty good and did the scene. It didn't feel great, but I knew that the work I'd done for it had, well, worked. (I tried a new technique in understanding the lines, and it helped me figure out which options were better and which were worse.)

He asked how I did, and I answered honestly that on a scale of 1-10, I'd give myself a 6. It didn't feel great. But he said he'd give me a much higher number. Yay!!!! That when I presented the scene, things made sense. He asked what I changed since watching everyone else, and I said that it was mostly all the same--just the one adjustment. I got a "good job." Considering how much this class terrifies me (sheesh Katherine, get over it!!), it made me very happy.

But that got me thinking about acting in general. I think part of the reason that this class scares me so much is that I'm never working with someone--not like you do in a show or in a scene class. I don't get to react to people when I rehearse, and it's hard to feed off the energy of the reader when you're auditioning--there's about 50 other things on your mind already. So I never go in presenting something that I feel really good about, even if I did work on it. I very rarely feel it. But if I can change my mentality to one focusing on solving the puzzle of the scene, it could make it more approachable.

I'm realizing that I enjoy scenes when it's about connecting the lines together. Solving the puzzle of the scene. I'm not a big fan of poetry, so I don't usually want to work on the stuff because it's a beautiful passage. I'm not a fan of reading Shakespeare for that very reason. But I've enjoyed the Shakespeare/classical work I've done (all three scenes of it, haha) because I enjoy figuring out how this point gets to this point gets to this point. And I've learned that if I can make it make sense to me, then it'll probably make sense to the audience. Moreso than it would otherwise.

Anyway, those were the thoughts that were rolling through my head on my walk from class to home. I'm not bragging, by any means--I'm just excited! And want to get these thoughts down before I forget. Now off for some food and more Alcestiad rehearsal. Let's see if I fare any better on the vibraphone than I did yesterday!

The Vibraphone:

My Insanely Good Day

Today was a seriously fantastic day. And now I shall tell you about it!

It started off by my getting to sleep in because of my canceled writing class. Now, this sounds exciting until you realize that usually class starts at 9:30... and I had a scheduled writing conference with my teacher at 10am. So I got an extra half an hour of sleep, which is good, but it wasn't much. And considering I stayed up significantly late last night to write my rough draft for her... Well, it just wasn't that much sleep. But I did end up feeling pretty well rested regardless, so that just made the whole day better!

The writing conference went really well. All the things I was worried about--having an opinion, the voice of the writing, etc--she thought were pretty good. And the things she suggested that I work on all seem reasonable and doable. Then she told me that she liked my diagnostic paper, which I wrote the night before the second day of class at midnight. I thought it was no good--and the group that read my paper didn't seem to like it either--but she still liked it! And some of the groups that read it (we split the class into groups of three, each reading three random papers at a time and comparing them within that set of three) thought it was the best of three papers, which I totally didn't expect. When I read my paper amongst the group of three, I thought it was definitely 2nd place. So that made me happy.

After the conference I had about half an hour before my next class, so I went to Trojan Grounds and got a chocolate croissant for breakfast. Trogro, as it's called, has excellent chocolate croissants. And I got to read today's issue of the Daily Trojan, which I don't get to do very often.

After breakfast I went to my Chinese class, where I got my test back. I got a 97%! Now, I'm pretty bad at Chinese. When I can remember what I'm saying I'm not bad, but for the most part it doesn't come easily to me. Luckily I'm in a large class of half native Chinese speakers and half total Chinese-newbies, like me. And that means I'm not the worst Chinese student in the class. It's refreshing!!! And I got a 97%, which was higher than some of the native speakers' grades. Not that I'm comparing or anything. But ha ha!! Hooray!!!!

My next class was Performance for Camera, which ended up being a lot of fun. We've been working on auditioning techniques to make the audition less tense and more relaxed, and how to deal with stupid questions like "Tell me about yourself" (aka most annoying question ever! Though technically that's not a question. It's more of a statement. A demand, per se). So we sat with the camera taping us and answered silly questions with whatever images popped into our heads. It was surprisingly fun, and I found myself giggling a lot. It went a lot better than the last two times on-camera in class. I wasn't as awkward and I felt a lot more relaxed. It was fun! So that definitely was a fun class.

The next exciting thing from today was my audition for The Alcestaid. It's a School of Theatre play, and the director had already cast the characters but was looking for a few (re:three) singers to act as a chorus and sing and make the sound effects of the show. So it was more a singing audition than anything else. He didn't even know exactly what they'd be singing... but it'd happen eventually.

Oh. Did I mention that this director is Jason Robert Brown?

If you don't know who that is... then look him up. He's a big-wig in musical theatre world.

So last time I auditioned for him, I felt awkward and uncomfortable and insanely nervous. I mean, this is JRB for heavens sake!! AHHHHH!!! But today I decided to play the auditioning game a bit differently. I cracked little jokes, said what was on my mind, and tried not to obsess about the fact that I was auditioning for such a famous person. I didn't even get dressed up. The only thing I changed for this audition was my shoes: I wore my awesome boots. They're comfy but give me a couple of inches. Perfection.

I sang "Someone to Watch Over Me," which went pretty well. It's a soprano song but doesn't go extremely high--no more than a D, and I can sing much higher than that. So he had me try it a half step higher. No problemo. I'm only re-singing the final ending, so I decide to be a little risky and change the ending a bit. Instead of jumping down an octave, as the music is written, I go up an extra note. Which in hindsight doesn't seem that dramatic, but it felt exciting at the time. And hey, what better time to show off high notes than an audition? His comment was that now I was really singing, yay! I left feeling happy and satisfied.

And then a little dumb, because I accidentally left my sheet music in the room. But the accompanist brought it out to me, so no biggie.

I'm done by 7:30, and this is the earliest I've been home all week! This week has been super crazy, what with KP auditions/rehearsal and Anything Goes rehearsals... I actually have time to sit on the couch and watch TV.

After 2 hours of mindless television I check my email. And I get this:

Congratulations! You have been cast as The Chorus in the Alcestaid.

WOOO HOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lots of happy bouncing and squealing immediately followed suit.

I'm doing a show directed by JRB. My first School of Theatre show. Picked to be one of four girls in this musical ensemble, doing a cappella harmonies like nobody's business, in an all-female cast with other girls that I really like.

This.
Is.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only problem is that there is no way I can do this and Anything Goes. So I'm calling the guy tomorrow. But in the end, I think it's worth it, because this is just way too exciting an opportunity to pass up!!

And that, my friends, ends my insanely good day.

Crazy Lazy and Tired

This week has been crazy, lazy and tired. Why, you ask? Well I'll tell you!

Crazy: I'm now having rehearsal every day of the week, either for Experimentals or for KP. Luckily, as of yet, there aren't any days where I have rehearsal for both, but it's definitely insane. Bat Boy's going well, we did a fair bit of music review today and it was nice to just go over it and make sure I know the parts. Now, hopefully, I can sing everything correctly! We're into doing run-throughs, which is good. Haha. KP's going well too. We just started working with our new members, so it's interesting figuring out how the group dynamics are. But I'm looking forward to working with these wonderful folks! It's also crazy because, now that the insanity of KP concert/auditions/callbacks/etc is over, I actually have time to sit down and do homework. Which, of course, takes forever because I'm terrible at Chinese and I have a ton of reading for both acting and philosophy. So my days are pretty much wake up, go to class, eat lunch, go to class/rehearsal, go home and do homework then go to rehearsal, if I haven't had one already. Though last night we had a welcome-to-KP-party for our newbies. Even though most everyone left pretty early, it was fun! A good way to end the week.

Too bad the end of my week is on a Friday, not Thursday. I wish I didn't have Friday classes! Or at least, didn't have Friday classes at 10am. It's a pain.

Lazy: Pretty much sums up my evening tonight. With all the rehearsing/homework I've got going on, I haven't had any time to watch any of the TV shows I'd recorded. So tonight I watched 5 different shows: Project Runway, Glee, Bones, Gossip Girl and Flash Forward. Liked Project Runway, LOVED Glee, enjoyed Bones, enjoyed Gossip Girl, and was relatively unimpressed with Flash Forward. I don't think that's my kind of show--more Dad's type of thing. So needless to say I was a serious couch potato tonight. But it was wonderful!!

Tired: I'm busy. I'm sleepy. I'm tired. Enough said. =)