Those who know me know that throughout high school although I loved theater, I never considered myself a theater kid. When the truth, of course, is: if I'm not a theater kid then who is?
I would like to amend my statement.
I have come to the conclusion that there are, with varying degrees of overlap allowed, three types of theater people. The first is the kind I refused to group myself with in high school: musical theater people. The second: improv people. The third: fans of straight plays (Note for those of you not up on the lingo: these are not necessarily plays featuring straight people, although that happens from time to time, but non-musical plays). I definitely belong in the third category. When writing, reading, and viewing I prefer straight plays to musicals. That isn't to say that I don't like musicals or improv; my enthusing about Spring Awakening and Quipfire disproves that statement.
These are the things you realize while driving to get dinner between the matinée and the evening show.
If I had to quickly categorize my colleagues here, I would say, for example, that Intern T likes straight plays, Flatmate H likes musicals, and Flatmate M likes improv. Or not. Who knows, really, in the end?
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Last night was opening night, and the show went really well. Before the show I got to tell Intern J, who was reading a collection of Noel Coward's plays, my Noel Coward anecdote that I learned on QI. Apparently he was walking with the Queen Mum (then the queen; they were good friends) and they passed one of the Welsh guards. Noel gave the guard a look and the Queen Mum said something to the effect of, "I wouldn't if I were you, dear. They count them before they put them out."
We're still getting better at quick changes, and the audience laughed at all the ordinary places, and some places they've never laughed at before. At rehearsal before the show we worked out curtain call, and all the dressers get their moment in the sun as costumed arms waving from various doors and portrait holes. I'm the one down stage left in a costume best described as FREAKY AS HELL.
The show was followed by the theater's opening night party, where all the cast and crew and theater staff and interns get together in the theater lobby, dressed up and eat and drink. We took tons of pictures (I forgot my camera, but others got really good ones) and then I helped clean up before we all headed out to the sports bar hangout of the theater. I had cheese fries and chatted with a lot of the other interns before walking back home with Intern K, the Girl From Ordinary. I got back to the apartment and brushed my teeth before Flatmate M and Intern N (a really nice guy who hadn't talked to me much until the sports bar) came back. Intern N was going to spend the night on our couch so as not to drive home, and Flatmate M was still recovering from repeatedly being asked on a date by Actor P. We chatted for a while before EVERYONE ELSE came back and started raiding our fridge. I sat for a while before I started falling asleep in the living room at which point I went to bed, earplugs and pillow at the ready. I love having my own room, because it makes that possible.
Today and tomorrow we do two shows. We'll see how that goes, but I'm really pleased that opening night went as well as it did.
We're still getting better at quick changes, and the audience laughed at all the ordinary places, and some places they've never laughed at before. At rehearsal before the show we worked out curtain call, and all the dressers get their moment in the sun as costumed arms waving from various doors and portrait holes. I'm the one down stage left in a costume best described as FREAKY AS HELL.
The show was followed by the theater's opening night party, where all the cast and crew and theater staff and interns get together in the theater lobby, dressed up and eat and drink. We took tons of pictures (I forgot my camera, but others got really good ones) and then I helped clean up before we all headed out to the sports bar hangout of the theater. I had cheese fries and chatted with a lot of the other interns before walking back home with Intern K, the Girl From Ordinary. I got back to the apartment and brushed my teeth before Flatmate M and Intern N (a really nice guy who hadn't talked to me much until the sports bar) came back. Intern N was going to spend the night on our couch so as not to drive home, and Flatmate M was still recovering from repeatedly being asked on a date by Actor P. We chatted for a while before EVERYONE ELSE came back and started raiding our fridge. I sat for a while before I started falling asleep in the living room at which point I went to bed, earplugs and pillow at the ready. I love having my own room, because it makes that possible.
Today and tomorrow we do two shows. We'll see how that goes, but I'm really pleased that opening night went as well as it did.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tonight was our first preview, and the first time we've made all of the quick changes without trouble. The audience was really great as well. They had an infectious laugh that had us laughing backstage less in response to what the actors were doing (although we still laugh at that) than at the sheer volume and stamina of it. Actor P and Actor B were in fine form and although Actor P sweats buckets, we managed to get through the evening without too many of his clothes adhering irrevocably to him.
Tomorrow I was supposed to come to rehearsal at 12:30 with the other dressers, but I got a call from Intern A (the head dresser / our costume-mistress) saying to come in at 12:00 to learn how to check light levels. I was privately a little irritated at this turn of events until Flatmate M showed up and mentioned that I was picked for this duty because it emerged at notes that I was "the most competent of the dressers." Needless to say, my head swelled a bit and I set my alarm with more glee than before.
Now to sleep.
Tomorrow I was supposed to come to rehearsal at 12:30 with the other dressers, but I got a call from Intern A (the head dresser / our costume-mistress) saying to come in at 12:00 to learn how to check light levels. I was privately a little irritated at this turn of events until Flatmate M showed up and mentioned that I was picked for this duty because it emerged at notes that I was "the most competent of the dressers." Needless to say, my head swelled a bit and I set my alarm with more glee than before.
Now to sleep.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Exaaaaauuuuuusted.
Today we were in rehearsal from three until ten at night, and we only got through Act One. We did the trickiest series of changes again and again because the body double for the vampire was being shown the ropes and he needed to be taught ten or twelve times.
Last night was fun, though. I went with Intern D and Intern S (the only two who have been here less time than me) to a little tiki bar on the marina. It was adorable, and I drove designatedly to our next stop, a local eatery where we met Intern K (from Ordinary, a nearby Midwestern Town) and Flatmate H for cheese fries. We then proceeded to the beach where we frolicked in the powdered sugar-soft sand for about twenty minutes before coming home. The moon was beautiful on the water. It was one of those nature moments that you know you'll remember for a long time.
Bed now.
Today we were in rehearsal from three until ten at night, and we only got through Act One. We did the trickiest series of changes again and again because the body double for the vampire was being shown the ropes and he needed to be taught ten or twelve times.
Last night was fun, though. I went with Intern D and Intern S (the only two who have been here less time than me) to a little tiki bar on the marina. It was adorable, and I drove designatedly to our next stop, a local eatery where we met Intern K (from Ordinary, a nearby Midwestern Town) and Flatmate H for cheese fries. We then proceeded to the beach where we frolicked in the powdered sugar-soft sand for about twenty minutes before coming home. The moon was beautiful on the water. It was one of those nature moments that you know you'll remember for a long time.
Bed now.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Tuesday and Wednesday nights were occupied with installing the set and nailing it all together. The best parts were playing "I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing..." with Flatmate S, Intern J, and Intern T while painting pieces of the set yet to be installed.
Yesterday I woke up at eleven and got ready to go on a Target/Old Navy expedition with Neighbor C and Intern S. We needed to get black clothes for the quick change/crew duties we have for the play. It was a fun outing. On the way there we talked about jobs and how daunting it is for Neighbor C, who gets kicked off of her parents' health insurance in December. I got two black shirts at Old Navy and at Target I used my massive birthday gift card to get black pants, shoes, David Sedaris' new book (excerpts of which BerkleyGirl and I heard him read live three years ago), earplugs (which, I am pleased to report, I use only a fraction of the time here as I do at Princeton), and Cheerios.
Then we went to the invited run at three. Some subscribers were there, invited on a first come first served basis, and it was really interesting to hear their reactions. The jokes that we laughed at, they didn't, and the jokes that they laughed at we didn't. Or if we did, it was me letting out a solitary giggle at some Rebecca reference. After the run we listened to the director's notes and then we took a dinner break, coming back from seven to eleven to practice Act One's quick changes. The actors were very nice and helpful during them, even though it took us a while to get the hang of switching from a dress to a gamekeeper's outfit in under twenty seconds. Tonight we do Act Two, and the changes are even faster, but I think we won't have to spend as much time doing the same change again and again since we seem to have the hang of certain switches.
StageManagerGuy told me I was a fierce dresser during our first ten minute break (it's so great following Equity rules) and Flatmate M (the assistant stage manager) told me I had a really serious face on while I was changing the guys. She has dubbed it my Princeton Face. :)
After rehearsal I beat Flatmate M back to the apartment, much to the chagrin of Flatmate H, who I found lying on the couch when I walked in the door and who looked up at me and said, "Where's [Flatmate M]? I want a hot dog!"
As soon as she returned, all the Flatmates and SexyDownstairsNeighborMan went to Sonic to grab a quick bite of unhealthy food. I drove. Everyone loves (pseudo-)my (real-)car.
Yesterday I woke up at eleven and got ready to go on a Target/Old Navy expedition with Neighbor C and Intern S. We needed to get black clothes for the quick change/crew duties we have for the play. It was a fun outing. On the way there we talked about jobs and how daunting it is for Neighbor C, who gets kicked off of her parents' health insurance in December. I got two black shirts at Old Navy and at Target I used my massive birthday gift card to get black pants, shoes, David Sedaris' new book (excerpts of which BerkleyGirl and I heard him read live three years ago), earplugs (which, I am pleased to report, I use only a fraction of the time here as I do at Princeton), and Cheerios.
Then we went to the invited run at three. Some subscribers were there, invited on a first come first served basis, and it was really interesting to hear their reactions. The jokes that we laughed at, they didn't, and the jokes that they laughed at we didn't. Or if we did, it was me letting out a solitary giggle at some Rebecca reference. After the run we listened to the director's notes and then we took a dinner break, coming back from seven to eleven to practice Act One's quick changes. The actors were very nice and helpful during them, even though it took us a while to get the hang of switching from a dress to a gamekeeper's outfit in under twenty seconds. Tonight we do Act Two, and the changes are even faster, but I think we won't have to spend as much time doing the same change again and again since we seem to have the hang of certain switches.
StageManagerGuy told me I was a fierce dresser during our first ten minute break (it's so great following Equity rules) and Flatmate M (the assistant stage manager) told me I had a really serious face on while I was changing the guys. She has dubbed it my Princeton Face. :)
After rehearsal I beat Flatmate M back to the apartment, much to the chagrin of Flatmate H, who I found lying on the couch when I walked in the door and who looked up at me and said, "Where's [Flatmate M]? I want a hot dog!"
As soon as she returned, all the Flatmates and SexyDownstairsNeighborMan went to Sonic to grab a quick bite of unhealthy food. I drove. Everyone loves (pseudo-)my (real-)car.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Yesterday I woke up around eleven and hurried to catch the 12:15 showing of Sex and the City.
Three Things:
1) Those books Carrie had supposedly written looked exactly like the Tales of the City format. I got very excited about that, and I'm sure the screenwriter considered it as well.
2) I like Charlotte. She's sweet without being irritating.
3) This movie made me want to cry. I have no idea why, especially since that was NOT the intended response.
3a) Maybe I was just sorry for Samantha's boyfriend.
Then I came back to the apartment and relaxed until it was time to watch two hours of the Tony's. They were pretty lackluster (at least the parts I saw), but it was fun to watch with other theater fans, and I was still really excited at having seen so many of the nominees.
Intern S, Neighbor C, Flatmate S and I had to leave before it was over to go do set changeover. We arrived at the theater at ten and left at three. The entire time was filled with heavy lifting and moving. It was less than fun after I got separated from my initial work group (Flatmate S, Intern W, and Intern T, who suggested we form a moving company called "Three Girls and a Gay") and was instead put on the not-as-fun detail of suspending an entire set piece by holding onto a rope for dear life.
Today Intern T, Intern S and I got to come into the office at noon, which we did. I spent the day shredding paper and sorting mail (including a postcard for me from Mom!) and reading synopses (my favorite job). I won't be back in the office until July 1st, because my secondary duties are kicking in with this impending show, so I felt kind of sad to leave the office at the end of the day.
Tonight was a blast. I went to a minor league baseball game with Flatmate M, Neighbor C, SexyDownstairsNeighborMan, Intern E (whom I had seen before but never met because he lives with his grandparents and not in housing), and StageManagerGuy, who is awesome. We had a great time. Highlights include enthusing about In Bruges with SexyDownstairsNeighborMan and StageManagerGuy. I loved that they knew The Lieutenant of Inishmore came from the same author. Yay theater people!
We got back to the apartment and played a game of Quick Scrabble, introduced to us by Intern T.
I won several times.
Tomorrow I don't go in until three, but then it's for more heavy lifting and set-building. Wish me luck!
Three Things:
1) Those books Carrie had supposedly written looked exactly like the Tales of the City format. I got very excited about that, and I'm sure the screenwriter considered it as well.
2) I like Charlotte. She's sweet without being irritating.
3) This movie made me want to cry. I have no idea why, especially since that was NOT the intended response.
3a) Maybe I was just sorry for Samantha's boyfriend.
Then I came back to the apartment and relaxed until it was time to watch two hours of the Tony's. They were pretty lackluster (at least the parts I saw), but it was fun to watch with other theater fans, and I was still really excited at having seen so many of the nominees.
Intern S, Neighbor C, Flatmate S and I had to leave before it was over to go do set changeover. We arrived at the theater at ten and left at three. The entire time was filled with heavy lifting and moving. It was less than fun after I got separated from my initial work group (Flatmate S, Intern W, and Intern T, who suggested we form a moving company called "Three Girls and a Gay") and was instead put on the not-as-fun detail of suspending an entire set piece by holding onto a rope for dear life.
Today Intern T, Intern S and I got to come into the office at noon, which we did. I spent the day shredding paper and sorting mail (including a postcard for me from Mom!) and reading synopses (my favorite job). I won't be back in the office until July 1st, because my secondary duties are kicking in with this impending show, so I felt kind of sad to leave the office at the end of the day.
Tonight was a blast. I went to a minor league baseball game with Flatmate M, Neighbor C, SexyDownstairsNeighborMan, Intern E (whom I had seen before but never met because he lives with his grandparents and not in housing), and StageManagerGuy, who is awesome. We had a great time. Highlights include enthusing about In Bruges with SexyDownstairsNeighborMan and StageManagerGuy. I loved that they knew The Lieutenant of Inishmore came from the same author. Yay theater people!
We got back to the apartment and played a game of Quick Scrabble, introduced to us by Intern T.
I won several times.
Tomorrow I don't go in until three, but then it's for more heavy lifting and set-building. Wish me luck!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Last night = best night here so far. Around nine, things were slow. Flatmate S and had just watched Firefly and half of A Prairie Home Companion and she was considering going to the movies. She left and Neighbor C came over. She and Flatmate H and I sat around and talked for a while, and then Intern T called and he told us that he and SexyDownstairsNeighborMan and Flatmate M had gone to Target to buy Scrabble and Scattergories. They returned, and then three of them and me sat down to an intense and really fast game of Scrabble. Intern T won, by a lot, but I came in second and got rid of my tiles first. He's 23, and apparently is awesome at Jeopardy too according to his roommate, SexyDownstairsNeighborMan. We have to have a showdown some time.
Then we all played Scattergories and Flatmate H and I were a team. We won. It was awesome. If you've ever played Scattergories you'll understand that, like Apples to Apples, the best parts are the ones between rounds where the words are read out loud. My shining moment came in a rather un-PC word choice that I will not share with my internet audience. But it was fairly hilarious, and won me the adoration of the entire room.
Then we all played Scattergories and Flatmate H and I were a team. We won. It was awesome. If you've ever played Scattergories you'll understand that, like Apples to Apples, the best parts are the ones between rounds where the words are read out loud. My shining moment came in a rather un-PC word choice that I will not share with my internet audience. But it was fairly hilarious, and won me the adoration of the entire room.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Last night a huge group of intern girls went out to a Greek place for dinner. It was delicious and it was nice eating meat. Our return to the apartment was prefaced by a run to the liquor store where I stood around and searched for beer glasses for Dad while the others got their favorite drinks for round two of the evening: the Rent drinking game.
This, as Flatmate H explained to us, involves taking a drink whenever anyone mentions "love," or "rent." Very few people were still playing after the first song. Even drinking Fanta was difficult when all that love and rent was being bandied about. :)
Most people trickled home while the movie was still running, and in the end it was just Flatmate S, Intern W (the most experienced of the bunch; that's intern-wise, not drinking-wise) and I. I went to bed at 1:20 while Flatmate S kept Intern W talking for another two hours until she was good to drive home.
I was surprised at how good a time I had. It was nice hanging out with people, and there was no pressure to drink at all.
This morning I went and wrote in Starbucks for a while before heading to The Bookstore and buying French magazines to brush up with. I have lately become paranoid about my French class of next semester and so has DownstairsChatterer, or so he tells me via Facebook.
This, as Flatmate H explained to us, involves taking a drink whenever anyone mentions "love," or "rent." Very few people were still playing after the first song. Even drinking Fanta was difficult when all that love and rent was being bandied about. :)
Most people trickled home while the movie was still running, and in the end it was just Flatmate S, Intern W (the most experienced of the bunch; that's intern-wise, not drinking-wise) and I. I went to bed at 1:20 while Flatmate S kept Intern W talking for another two hours until she was good to drive home.
I was surprised at how good a time I had. It was nice hanging out with people, and there was no pressure to drink at all.
This morning I went and wrote in Starbucks for a while before heading to The Bookstore and buying French magazines to brush up with. I have lately become paranoid about my French class of next semester and so has DownstairsChatterer, or so he tells me via Facebook.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
June 8th—8:47 pm addition
After Panera I stopped in at Barnes & Noble and ended up getting my favorite beverage, the chocolate chip frappachino (props to The Street for introducing me to this fabulous comestible) in their Starbucks. I opened my computer and started working on my summer short story project, killing time as the movie time drew nearer. There was a man seated two seats down from me at the bar facing the window. He was grading papers. I didn’t notice him get up to go get another drink, but I did notice him come back because he stood halfway between out chairs and spoke to me.
Man: (holding up a frappachino) You’re a bad influence on me.
Nom de Plume: (laughs) Oh.
Man: Just so long as you don’t smoke crack. (sits)
Nom de Plume: (laughs, nervously)
Man: (after a moment) You don’t, do you?
Nom de Plume: No. So you’re in the clear.
It would be nice to flirted with for once by a man under the age of thirty. That’s all I ask, really.
So after my Barnes & Noble adventure I went to see The Fall. I have come to the conclusion that Roger Ebert is God and the New York Times doesn’t have a heart. Then again, Roger Ebert is a fairly intellectual guy who likes a good drama or well-done comedy, but isn’t above liking romantic comedies from time to time, sees the good in scatological humor when used sparingly, and grew up in NeighboringMidwesternTown. In short, he and I have a similar background and a similar taste in movies, as evinced by the fact that I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve disagreed with him on a film’s merits (The Usual Suspects, I’m looking at you).
Anyway, Roger Ebert loved The Fall and so did I. Recommendations abound.
Three things:
1) Lee Pace is all kinds of attractive and boy can he act. Oh my God. I may be forced to watch Pushing Daisies now.
2) The little girl was so cute. Whoever wrote her lines was a genius. In fact, all of the dialogue between Roy and Alexandria was stuff I would sell my legs to write. And speaking of legs, that part with the toe checking? May be my favorite new scene I’ve watched this year.
3) Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. This is the most beautiful movie I’ve ever seen. The cinematography needs an Oscar. Also, the entire movie used no computer-generated special effects and was shot on a shoestring budget over the course of four years. Think about that when you see it and understand why Roger Ebert and I are so in awe.
3a) AAAAAHHHHHH!!! I need someone else to see it NOW.
I got home and chatted with Flatmate S and Intern J for a while before eating dinner. Then Flatmate H and Neighbor C came in. They were shortly followed by SexyDownstairsNeighborMan and Flatmate M. We all sat around and talked and then they went to see a movie, leaving Flatmate S and I here together. She and I are definitely the quietest, so it’s nice to get some time in the apartment to ourselves, I think. I’m sitting in the living room writing and listening to thunder rumble in the distance, very relaxed.
June 11th, 2008 7:08 pm
I'm watching Serenity with Flatmate S right now. Intern S, the final literary intern showed up, and I'm reserving judgment until she has time to settle in more.
Monday night all the interns came over and we and our neighbors made breakfast for dinner for everyone. I was in charge of dishes before and after and I did my part well. Then a lot of people went to Sonic and I stayed behind to watch Superbad with SexyDownstairsNeighborMan, Intern T, and Flatmates M and H.
Last night I went to Karaoke Night with the whole gang. I didn't sing, of course, but I did have a great time chatting with Flatmate S and listening to CostumeLady and Intern T gossip about staff members.
Work lately has been great. I've been doing a lot of things, but the best has been when I read synopses sent in my playwrights without agents. (They send in synopses and ten pages of sample dialog and we let them know if we want to hear more.) I picked four out of the twenty I read yesterday and today that I liked and wanted to order and BossLady agreed with me. (YAY!) I sent out the letters to the playwrights too. The rejection letters were very polite. The query letters were brisk and to the point. It was awesome.
After Panera I stopped in at Barnes & Noble and ended up getting my favorite beverage, the chocolate chip frappachino (props to The Street for introducing me to this fabulous comestible) in their Starbucks. I opened my computer and started working on my summer short story project, killing time as the movie time drew nearer. There was a man seated two seats down from me at the bar facing the window. He was grading papers. I didn’t notice him get up to go get another drink, but I did notice him come back because he stood halfway between out chairs and spoke to me.
Man: (holding up a frappachino) You’re a bad influence on me.
Nom de Plume: (laughs) Oh.
Man: Just so long as you don’t smoke crack. (sits)
Nom de Plume: (laughs, nervously)
Man: (after a moment) You don’t, do you?
Nom de Plume: No. So you’re in the clear.
It would be nice to flirted with for once by a man under the age of thirty. That’s all I ask, really.
So after my Barnes & Noble adventure I went to see The Fall. I have come to the conclusion that Roger Ebert is God and the New York Times doesn’t have a heart. Then again, Roger Ebert is a fairly intellectual guy who likes a good drama or well-done comedy, but isn’t above liking romantic comedies from time to time, sees the good in scatological humor when used sparingly, and grew up in NeighboringMidwesternTown. In short, he and I have a similar background and a similar taste in movies, as evinced by the fact that I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve disagreed with him on a film’s merits (The Usual Suspects, I’m looking at you).
Anyway, Roger Ebert loved The Fall and so did I. Recommendations abound.
Three things:
1) Lee Pace is all kinds of attractive and boy can he act. Oh my God. I may be forced to watch Pushing Daisies now.
2) The little girl was so cute. Whoever wrote her lines was a genius. In fact, all of the dialogue between Roy and Alexandria was stuff I would sell my legs to write. And speaking of legs, that part with the toe checking? May be my favorite new scene I’ve watched this year.
3) Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. This is the most beautiful movie I’ve ever seen. The cinematography needs an Oscar. Also, the entire movie used no computer-generated special effects and was shot on a shoestring budget over the course of four years. Think about that when you see it and understand why Roger Ebert and I are so in awe.
3a) AAAAAHHHHHH!!! I need someone else to see it NOW.
I got home and chatted with Flatmate S and Intern J for a while before eating dinner. Then Flatmate H and Neighbor C came in. They were shortly followed by SexyDownstairsNeighborMan and Flatmate M. We all sat around and talked and then they went to see a movie, leaving Flatmate S and I here together. She and I are definitely the quietest, so it’s nice to get some time in the apartment to ourselves, I think. I’m sitting in the living room writing and listening to thunder rumble in the distance, very relaxed.
June 11th, 2008 7:08 pm
I'm watching Serenity with Flatmate S right now. Intern S, the final literary intern showed up, and I'm reserving judgment until she has time to settle in more.
Monday night all the interns came over and we and our neighbors made breakfast for dinner for everyone. I was in charge of dishes before and after and I did my part well. Then a lot of people went to Sonic and I stayed behind to watch Superbad with SexyDownstairsNeighborMan, Intern T, and Flatmates M and H.
Last night I went to Karaoke Night with the whole gang. I didn't sing, of course, but I did have a great time chatting with Flatmate S and listening to CostumeLady and Intern T gossip about staff members.
Work lately has been great. I've been doing a lot of things, but the best has been when I read synopses sent in my playwrights without agents. (They send in synopses and ten pages of sample dialog and we let them know if we want to hear more.) I picked four out of the twenty I read yesterday and today that I liked and wanted to order and BossLady agreed with me. (YAY!) I sent out the letters to the playwrights too. The rejection letters were very polite. The query letters were brisk and to the point. It was awesome.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Yesterday I got into work only to find that I was the only person working in the admin office area and that the door to The Library was locked. I hunted down one of the costume shop guys and although he didn't have a key, he took me around the building(s) looking for one. We were unsuccessful and I called BossLady on her cellphone and left a message. Then I started recycling scripts in the outer office, which I was supposed to do anyway. While I was going that, GrantWriter showed up (I startled her by popping off the floor behind a desk where I was seated ripping rejected plays out of reusable folders) and it turned out she knew where a spare key was. So after rummaging in the desk of the woman next to her, she let me in to The Library to continue my work.
I worked pretty solidly for four hours uploading the cabaret video, reading Southern Comforts, and temporarily completing my play compilation spreadsheet before leaving at six. I got home and hung out with Flatmates M and H and Neighbor C for a while before M left and C brought The Muppet Show over from her apartment. They called Intern J, the loudest and oldest of us all, and some other guys and invited them to join us. They seemed unenthused for the most part, aside from Intern J who said he was pumped to watch the muppets before heading out to his favorite gay bar at eleven. We chatted for a little longer until he showed up and we started watching an episode wherein Alice Cooper guest stars. It was pretty disturbing. Midway through the episode we were joined by Intern T, just off the phone with his boyfriend, Flatmate S, fresh from the shop and totally paint covered, and SexyDownstairsNeighborMan (Intern D, but I like that name better), who had just gone for a run. We watched two more episodes (Liberace and Loretta Lynn) and then started playing Apples to Apples when Interns A, N, and K joined us. Even Flatmate M made it back from her rehearsal in time to play a few hands. She and I were locked in a dead heat until I pulled ahead with "Oblivious--Boys" to clinch the Apples to Apples Winner title.
Then we started playing a game called Celebrity, which is sort of a mixture of charades and Taboo, and it was absolutely hilarious. My team won that as well, mostly because, as Intern T pointed out, it was the team with the Literary Interns on it. Huzzah!
I have discovered that within the theater, there are certain stereotypes about certain interns. The stage managers seem to be the most fun to be around (and rightly so, because they're also the nicest), the management interns are popular types, the literary interns are intellectuals, the costumes shop ones are artsy, the shop ones are awkward and the list goes on. It's definitely not true all the time--of course not--but like most stereotypes there is at least some, however glancing, basis in fact. Anyway, we won the game. :)
I headed to bed around one after reading a few chapters of Babycakes. I read more this morning, pausing briefly to field a Paris call from Mom. Now I'm in my favorite Panera, and at 2:30 I'm going to see The Fall, a movie Roger Ebert loved and everyone else hated.
I worked pretty solidly for four hours uploading the cabaret video, reading Southern Comforts, and temporarily completing my play compilation spreadsheet before leaving at six. I got home and hung out with Flatmates M and H and Neighbor C for a while before M left and C brought The Muppet Show over from her apartment. They called Intern J, the loudest and oldest of us all, and some other guys and invited them to join us. They seemed unenthused for the most part, aside from Intern J who said he was pumped to watch the muppets before heading out to his favorite gay bar at eleven. We chatted for a little longer until he showed up and we started watching an episode wherein Alice Cooper guest stars. It was pretty disturbing. Midway through the episode we were joined by Intern T, just off the phone with his boyfriend, Flatmate S, fresh from the shop and totally paint covered, and SexyDownstairsNeighborMan (Intern D, but I like that name better), who had just gone for a run. We watched two more episodes (Liberace and Loretta Lynn) and then started playing Apples to Apples when Interns A, N, and K joined us. Even Flatmate M made it back from her rehearsal in time to play a few hands. She and I were locked in a dead heat until I pulled ahead with "Oblivious--Boys" to clinch the Apples to Apples Winner title.
Then we started playing a game called Celebrity, which is sort of a mixture of charades and Taboo, and it was absolutely hilarious. My team won that as well, mostly because, as Intern T pointed out, it was the team with the Literary Interns on it. Huzzah!
I have discovered that within the theater, there are certain stereotypes about certain interns. The stage managers seem to be the most fun to be around (and rightly so, because they're also the nicest), the management interns are popular types, the literary interns are intellectuals, the costumes shop ones are artsy, the shop ones are awkward and the list goes on. It's definitely not true all the time--of course not--but like most stereotypes there is at least some, however glancing, basis in fact. Anyway, we won the game. :)
I headed to bed around one after reading a few chapters of Babycakes. I read more this morning, pausing briefly to field a Paris call from Mom. Now I'm in my favorite Panera, and at 2:30 I'm going to see The Fall, a movie Roger Ebert loved and everyone else hated.
Friday, June 6, 2008
June 5, 2008 9:44 pm
I was given two hours off this morning to make up for the two hours I spent tonight taping the cabaret show (which was EXCELLENT), but I only took one and showed up at work early. I spent all morning making photocopies and scans of plays to be given to the casting man (NPR voice guy who hired me) and printed out two plays sent in by an agent the theater likes a lot. One of them had a photo of a Chihuahua dressed as a nun on the cover. I didn’t quite know what to make of that.
Today was Soon-to-be-not-Intern D’s last day and he mostly sat there looking around the Library nostalgically. After lunch I read a play set in 1967 in Haifa, and then started in on a project where I put the 2008-2009 theater seasons of tons of contemporary theaters into a spreadsheet. It may take me the whole of my natural life. Luckily BossLady said that it was a loooong project.
At lunch I went and got my library card, thanks to Flatmate H who gave me my letter from the theater saying that I could get one for free. Now I can read Babycakes. Huzzah!
Dinner was a rapid salad and then I went to videotape Outlaws and Angels, which the theater put together with a team of New York actors. They were really good. Now I’m watching Six Feet Under, pending going to sleep and rising early to finish up my intern orientation. Lunch break will find me at the library, doubtless. ☺
June 6th, 2008, 8:53 pm
I'm sitting on the porch with Flatmate H right now where we can get a faint internet connection to the house next door. Today was made up of going to the library and getting Babycakes (yay!), reading The Mystery of Irma Vep which I'll be doing crew for when it gets going, continuing my lifelong compilation project, and going to a roundtable reading with BossLady, BigBossMan, actors, and the playwright. It was AWESOME. It was heartening to see that real playwrights writing for real, well respected theaters go through the same process as I did in Nebraska.
Tomorrow I work noon to six and then I think on Sunday I'm going to see the Sex and the City movie. Just now SexyDownstairsNeighborMan joined us. He has a girlfriend. It's sad.
I had pizza for dinner tonight with Flatmate H and Flatmate S and Neighbor C, so I think I'm making friends.
I was given two hours off this morning to make up for the two hours I spent tonight taping the cabaret show (which was EXCELLENT), but I only took one and showed up at work early. I spent all morning making photocopies and scans of plays to be given to the casting man (NPR voice guy who hired me) and printed out two plays sent in by an agent the theater likes a lot. One of them had a photo of a Chihuahua dressed as a nun on the cover. I didn’t quite know what to make of that.
Today was Soon-to-be-not-Intern D’s last day and he mostly sat there looking around the Library nostalgically. After lunch I read a play set in 1967 in Haifa, and then started in on a project where I put the 2008-2009 theater seasons of tons of contemporary theaters into a spreadsheet. It may take me the whole of my natural life. Luckily BossLady said that it was a loooong project.
At lunch I went and got my library card, thanks to Flatmate H who gave me my letter from the theater saying that I could get one for free. Now I can read Babycakes. Huzzah!
Dinner was a rapid salad and then I went to videotape Outlaws and Angels, which the theater put together with a team of New York actors. They were really good. Now I’m watching Six Feet Under, pending going to sleep and rising early to finish up my intern orientation. Lunch break will find me at the library, doubtless. ☺
June 6th, 2008, 8:53 pm
I'm sitting on the porch with Flatmate H right now where we can get a faint internet connection to the house next door. Today was made up of going to the library and getting Babycakes (yay!), reading The Mystery of Irma Vep which I'll be doing crew for when it gets going, continuing my lifelong compilation project, and going to a roundtable reading with BossLady, BigBossMan, actors, and the playwright. It was AWESOME. It was heartening to see that real playwrights writing for real, well respected theaters go through the same process as I did in Nebraska.
Tomorrow I work noon to six and then I think on Sunday I'm going to see the Sex and the City movie. Just now SexyDownstairsNeighborMan joined us. He has a girlfriend. It's sad.
I had pizza for dinner tonight with Flatmate H and Flatmate S and Neighbor C, so I think I'm making friends.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
June 3rd, 2008 8:32 pm
Today was my first day of work after being loosely oriented and checked into housing yesterday. I crept back into the apartment at six thirty after dropping Mom and Dad off at Tampa airport for their eeeaaarly flights home and startled Flatmate H, who was asleep on the couch in the air-conditioned living room and who I had never met before. (I had met Flatmate S and Flatmate M the day before, and both seemed nice, but I left them in favor of spending one last night with the Ps.) I rolled into bed and slept soundly with my contacts in until nine o’clock when I peeled my eyes open, rolled out of bed, got dressed, said good morning to Flatmate M, and hurried off to food shop before heading to work at ten. Ordinarily we start at nine, but BossLady apparently had pity on me. The food store was crewed entirely by old people. Let me tell you, to have an eighty-year-old checkout lady call you ma’am is a supremely disconcerting experience.
After the joy of lugging the food back inside and storing it in my corners of the fridge and pantry, I hurried off to the theater where I met BossLady, who had evidently had pity on herself as well, on the way in. We headed to the office (henceforth called the Library, because that’s what everyone else calls it) where Intern T and Soon-to-be-not-Intern D (he’s nearing the end of his shift and will be replaced by his summer counterpart next week) greeted us cheerily. I learned at dinner tonight from Flatmate H that Intern T almost went out with one of the Spring Awakening leads, and I squealed over one degree of separation. I got logged into my computer and taught the finer points of reading scripts, entering information into the database, and filling out reports until lunch, when I grabbed a bite to eat back at the apartment with Flatmate M and Flatmate H, who I met properly.
When I got back to work I read two plays, filled out two reports, battled with the photocopier, learned that we have an official intern orientation meeting tomorrow morning and Friday morning, got assigned parking lot duty for tomorrow’s matinee during the heat of the day (I will wear jeans and A LOT of sunscreen), researched the Amazon Kindle, went to a Company Meeting where the theater director gave us the “when I was in high school I found myself through theater” speil, and walked with Intern T back to housing. He confirmed that I had heard about tonight’s Applebee’s Karaoke Night and I confessed to him that I am, in fact, a karaoke virgin. He said, “That’s kind of awesome, actually.” I asked him if he thought I would be scarred for life. He said no.
I had Chinese food for dinner with Flatmate H and Neighbor C, where it finally emerged that not only am I the youngest one, but I go to Princeton. There was highly vocal exclaiming that I will not reprint here.
So here I am, showered and dressed, and waiting for the karaoke to start at ten thirty. I think I’ll drive myself so that I can come back early if necessary. I am completely exhausted from the drive, and from my first day. Intern T told me that the first day is the longest, and if that’s true then I’m in luck, because I had a great time at work.
June 4th 2008, 7:40 pm
I fell asleep before karaoke time. Go figure. Oh well. I clearly needed the sleep and I made Flatmate S promise to drag me next week.
I am ensconced in Panera for the evening, wallowing in the internet and air conditioning and lemonade. It is HOT. But work today was good. It started out a little earlier than usual, at 8:45, with an intern orientation meeting. I and several other interns met with our crazy company manager, IntenseLady, and went over the theater's mission statement and manifesto. Friday morning is part two, when we will talk about the theater's core values and housing cleanliness. Maybe I'll actually learn something at that one. I shouldn't say that, actually, because I did learn that I'm the youngest intern by two years. Even Intern T, who I had thought was only a year or so older than me, is 23. He's skinny and has a squeaky-ish voice, though, so that's okay. :)
After the meeting we joined Soon-to-be-not-Intern D and BossLady back in The Library and I started in on my work for the day, reading and reporting on a play (it was so-so) and photocopying four more (and foiling a gigantic paper jam which involved taking the photocopier apart with the help of Soon-to-be-not-Intern D) before heading outside to do parking duty. This involved donning a gigantic red shirt emblazoned with our theater's initials and the word "PARKING" on it. I felt like a landing strip. The old people were for the most part nice when I told them that they couldn't park in the lot I was guarding, but one woman insisted on pushing through even though I told her she was sure to be towed. And hour and a half after that, when I came back from lunch (I investigated Starbucks and the library and found both to be quite satisfactory) her car was still there, so maybe she was vindicated. Who knows.
Upon my return I read another play (it was pretty good, and I recommended it only to find that it was some sort of test and they had in fact put it on before. BossLady didn't tell me this, but I looked at the database and there was a little check mark next to "Produced."
Then I photocopied some more, learned how to turn VHS into DVD and DVD into mp3 pending working with a guy on Monday who is compiling songs for next year's Cabaret show (and who referred to me--in his reply to my e-mail informing him that I could indeed do the technical stuff he was asking of me--as "my Knightess in Shining Armor.") This was followed by more photocopying before the day was over and I retired to the apartment to cook pasta (which nearly drove me insane; I think I should stick with cooler meals from now on) and help Flatmate S search for Intern T's flatmate's cell phone number. Intern T, who lives beneath us, was locked out and it turned out all his compatriots were at Coldstone.
Then I drove here, eschewing a Panera more close by in order to clear my head a little. I'm really enjoying work, but socially I feel like I did at the beginning of the school year except this time there's no Roommate J to rescue me. I remember this feeling, though, and I remember what I did to assuage it last September and October: lots of The West Wing, tea, and Bergers cookies. I think I'll substitute ice water and carrots, but I think the recipe will still hold. :)
Today was my first day of work after being loosely oriented and checked into housing yesterday. I crept back into the apartment at six thirty after dropping Mom and Dad off at Tampa airport for their eeeaaarly flights home and startled Flatmate H, who was asleep on the couch in the air-conditioned living room and who I had never met before. (I had met Flatmate S and Flatmate M the day before, and both seemed nice, but I left them in favor of spending one last night with the Ps.) I rolled into bed and slept soundly with my contacts in until nine o’clock when I peeled my eyes open, rolled out of bed, got dressed, said good morning to Flatmate M, and hurried off to food shop before heading to work at ten. Ordinarily we start at nine, but BossLady apparently had pity on me. The food store was crewed entirely by old people. Let me tell you, to have an eighty-year-old checkout lady call you ma’am is a supremely disconcerting experience.
After the joy of lugging the food back inside and storing it in my corners of the fridge and pantry, I hurried off to the theater where I met BossLady, who had evidently had pity on herself as well, on the way in. We headed to the office (henceforth called the Library, because that’s what everyone else calls it) where Intern T and Soon-to-be-not-Intern D (he’s nearing the end of his shift and will be replaced by his summer counterpart next week) greeted us cheerily. I learned at dinner tonight from Flatmate H that Intern T almost went out with one of the Spring Awakening leads, and I squealed over one degree of separation. I got logged into my computer and taught the finer points of reading scripts, entering information into the database, and filling out reports until lunch, when I grabbed a bite to eat back at the apartment with Flatmate M and Flatmate H, who I met properly.
When I got back to work I read two plays, filled out two reports, battled with the photocopier, learned that we have an official intern orientation meeting tomorrow morning and Friday morning, got assigned parking lot duty for tomorrow’s matinee during the heat of the day (I will wear jeans and A LOT of sunscreen), researched the Amazon Kindle, went to a Company Meeting where the theater director gave us the “when I was in high school I found myself through theater” speil, and walked with Intern T back to housing. He confirmed that I had heard about tonight’s Applebee’s Karaoke Night and I confessed to him that I am, in fact, a karaoke virgin. He said, “That’s kind of awesome, actually.” I asked him if he thought I would be scarred for life. He said no.
I had Chinese food for dinner with Flatmate H and Neighbor C, where it finally emerged that not only am I the youngest one, but I go to Princeton. There was highly vocal exclaiming that I will not reprint here.
So here I am, showered and dressed, and waiting for the karaoke to start at ten thirty. I think I’ll drive myself so that I can come back early if necessary. I am completely exhausted from the drive, and from my first day. Intern T told me that the first day is the longest, and if that’s true then I’m in luck, because I had a great time at work.
June 4th 2008, 7:40 pm
I fell asleep before karaoke time. Go figure. Oh well. I clearly needed the sleep and I made Flatmate S promise to drag me next week.
I am ensconced in Panera for the evening, wallowing in the internet and air conditioning and lemonade. It is HOT. But work today was good. It started out a little earlier than usual, at 8:45, with an intern orientation meeting. I and several other interns met with our crazy company manager, IntenseLady, and went over the theater's mission statement and manifesto. Friday morning is part two, when we will talk about the theater's core values and housing cleanliness. Maybe I'll actually learn something at that one. I shouldn't say that, actually, because I did learn that I'm the youngest intern by two years. Even Intern T, who I had thought was only a year or so older than me, is 23. He's skinny and has a squeaky-ish voice, though, so that's okay. :)
After the meeting we joined Soon-to-be-not-Intern D and BossLady back in The Library and I started in on my work for the day, reading and reporting on a play (it was so-so) and photocopying four more (and foiling a gigantic paper jam which involved taking the photocopier apart with the help of Soon-to-be-not-Intern D) before heading outside to do parking duty. This involved donning a gigantic red shirt emblazoned with our theater's initials and the word "PARKING" on it. I felt like a landing strip. The old people were for the most part nice when I told them that they couldn't park in the lot I was guarding, but one woman insisted on pushing through even though I told her she was sure to be towed. And hour and a half after that, when I came back from lunch (I investigated Starbucks and the library and found both to be quite satisfactory) her car was still there, so maybe she was vindicated. Who knows.
Upon my return I read another play (it was pretty good, and I recommended it only to find that it was some sort of test and they had in fact put it on before. BossLady didn't tell me this, but I looked at the database and there was a little check mark next to "Produced."
Then I photocopied some more, learned how to turn VHS into DVD and DVD into mp3 pending working with a guy on Monday who is compiling songs for next year's Cabaret show (and who referred to me--in his reply to my e-mail informing him that I could indeed do the technical stuff he was asking of me--as "my Knightess in Shining Armor.") This was followed by more photocopying before the day was over and I retired to the apartment to cook pasta (which nearly drove me insane; I think I should stick with cooler meals from now on) and help Flatmate S search for Intern T's flatmate's cell phone number. Intern T, who lives beneath us, was locked out and it turned out all his compatriots were at Coldstone.
Then I drove here, eschewing a Panera more close by in order to clear my head a little. I'm really enjoying work, but socially I feel like I did at the beginning of the school year except this time there's no Roommate J to rescue me. I remember this feeling, though, and I remember what I did to assuage it last September and October: lots of The West Wing, tea, and Bergers cookies. I think I'll substitute ice water and carrots, but I think the recipe will still hold. :)
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