Aloha: it actually means a lot of things

Aloha: it actually means a lot of things

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Short Hair

I recently cut off my pseudo-bob and turned it into a little pixie cut, sort of a cross between Jean Seberg in A bout a souffle and Marjorie Conrad from "America's Next Top Model". And I am in love with it. It feels good, it looks good, and when I get out of the shower, it takes about 5-10 minutes to dry ON ITS OWN. That has never been the case in my entire life. Being someone with very thick, slightly wavy hair, it is often a twenty- to thirty-minute chore to dry my hair, and that was with the help of a blow-dryer!

I can wear little clips and headbands with it, or I can just let it be as is. I can spike it up or let it lay flat. For someone who is as lazy as I often am when it comes to styling hair, this is heaven. And in the midst of July in Virginia? Heaven times twelve.

Will Write for Food

Though cash would be better.

I'm trying to get hooked up with a couple more blog-for-money deals. I used to write for a fashion blog, and that just sort of ceased to exist one day. I miss getting $10 for every article I wrote - that was good money, especially since there was no article limit!

I've been trying to get more things submitted to my Associated Content page, it just takes a while for them to get published. I sent in a few of my semi-humorous essays, so here's hoping they are well-received.

I am so poor.

But my cousin sent me a check out of the sheer amazing beautiful goodness of her heart, so I am significantly less poor than I was before a few days ago. Which is a nice feeling.

Best New Music I've Heard In Ages

I've really got to make this thing a little less like a journal where I complain about my finances and more like a blog people would actually want to read.

So here's an attempt.

I recently went to my friend Alison's apartment to hear some live music. The duo providing the entertainment was called Buffalo Tramp & V.V. Vioux, and I was completely blown away. I'm not always the best concert attendee, because for some reason I always want to sing along to live music (it's the natural harmonizer in me), but these two captivated my attention so that I could barely breathe, let alone sing along.

The simplicity of the music is what struck me the most. Minimal instruments, hands and feet acting as percussion, repetitive choruses, and effortlessly beautiful vocals all combined to create something I have been wanting to hear for quite a while now. I'm a sucker for unusual, folksy music with throaty female vocalists to begin with, so this was a real treat for me. Their occasional inclusion of Native American-esque chants was also a welcome addition to what was already near perfect in my mind, and each song found a way to stay in my mind as I made my way home the next morning, singing along to the CD I had purchased as though the songs had been in my heart all my life.

Please, please check them out. They are perhaps the best new musicians I've heard in quite a while and deserve all the attention they can get.

Money and Morals

I never thought I'd understand the girls who work in strip clubs. I'm sad that now I kind of do. Financially, I am like THISCLOSE to getting to that point.

I'm not saying I'm going to. I doubt I would ever reach the point of taking off my clothes for money.

Working as a waitress in such an establishment, however...well, I'm not entirely against it.

We'll see.

Idea

I recently tried to sell a bunch of clothes to Plato's Closet, but they were lame and did not buy them. I'm thinking of just pricing them really cheaply myself, then listing them and offering them to my friends to buy. Same for any movies/books I am unable to sell tomorrow (attempt #2 to make enough money to pay my bills by hocking my stuff!). Hopefully people will be interested...I feel like my friends are generous enough to help me out with a few bucks and get something nice in return for it.

You know, I could sell all my clothes. I could sell all my CDs. I could sell all my DVDs. But every time I sell one of my books, my heart breaks a little. If there's one thing I love, it's reading, and if there's one more thing I love, it's shopping for a new book. I donated a TON of my books to the Invisible Children book drive this year, and that was hard enough, trying to decide which books I could part with just to be nice and try to help a good cause. Now I'm trying to figure out which I can part with for totally selfish (necessarily, but still selfish) reasons. It's really depressing to watch my bookshelves become emptier and emptier. But I don't really have much in the way of options at the moment, so you do what you gotta do. Eventually I'll have money enough to start rebuilding my collection. Until then, I'm hanging on to what books I can and sucking it up as far as the others go.

Anyway. Here's hoping I am successful in selling lots and lots of books, movies, and CDs tomorrow, and here's hoping that my clothes, jewelry, and shoes successfully sell among my friends!

Far

I'm currently listening to Regina Spektor's new album (thanks, NPR, for being even more awesome than usual), called "Far", and I think I'm in love.

It's possibly her most mainstream-sounding one...which, okay, for Regina Spektor can't get but so mainstream. She's always going to be quirky and weird no matter one, and will probably never write a song that can be mistaken for anyone but her. Which is fantastic. Anyway, like I was saying, there are more drumbeats and fewer piano solos, there are more backing vocals and fewer vocal tricks, and yet the lyrics remain unmistakably Regina:

"They started off beneath the knowledge tree
Then they chopped it down to make white picket fences
They marched along the railroad tracks
And smiled real wide for the camera lenses
They made it past the enemy lines
Just to become enslaved in the assembly lines"

Easily my favorite song on the album is quoted above, the song called "Blue Lips". She shows off her incredible talent for lyricism, her unusual and yet soulful voice, and it is something that is completely singalongable.

Though the album "11:11" will probably always remain my favorite Regina Spektor album, with "Soviet Kitsch" at a close second, she has yet to put out a single song that I dislike. I love every one of her songs for various reasons, and considering the number of songs she has put out, that's pretty amazing. She might be the only artist I can say that about. I absolutely adore her music and I can't wait to hear more!

Currently reading...

Books I read this month/intend to finish this month:

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Year of the King by Antony Sher (I strongly urge all theatrical folks to read this book...absolutely fascinating journal of the creation of a character)
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh
French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano
Sir Thomas More by a lot of folks including Shakespeare
Richard III by Shakespeare
My Name is Will by Jess Winfield

There's not really a theme to my reading, is there? I hop all over the place.

I need to win the lottery. Like...now.

I need to magically have $400 in my bank account by the end of this month in order to make my car payments.

I'm not going to.

Here's why:

1. I am not paid for my work with Richmond Shakespeare (it's being treated like an unpaid internship). That's all well and good, and it wouldn't be a problem if I had been reimbursed the $75 I spent to make props for the show. And the only other problem is that it does cost me some mileage on my car, meaning I have to buy gas more often, and gas is getting really expensive all over again.

2. Ukrop's gives me 5 hours a week. That's it. That means I get MAYBE $30 a week. Next week, thankfully, they scheduled me for a whopping 10.5 hours AND I was able to score an extra shift from a friend who needed to be covered. Even so, it's not enough.

3. My job at After Six won't start until the restaurant opens. Which makes sense. It's just a little frustrating.

4. Babysitting is sporadic and my most regular family goes to the beach a lot in the summer, meaning they don't need me.

I currently have $40 in my account. I need to multiply that by 10 in the next two weeks somehow in order to not overdraw my account or totally obliterate both mine and my father's credit.

Any ideas?

Poor Judd is Dead...

My computer, a little secondhand Dell laptop named Judd, died. Well, no, he didn't actually die. But he won't turn on. When I press the button, he just flashes his lights and goes back to sleep. It's like trying to rouse a teenage boy for school on a Monday morning.

I would take Judd to get repaired, but I have $40 to my name at the moment. This is what happens when your job only gives you 5 hours a week. I'm considering selling a kidney.

A Midsummer Night's Rehearsal

Tonight, we start rehearsals once again for "A Midsummer Night's Dream", so that we can restage the production for our early July run. I am really excited. I've missed this cast so much. I've said it before - this is the most fun I've ever had working on a show. Everyone working on it is so likeable, fun, dorky, hilarious, and ridiculously talented, the play itself is a joy, and the opportunity to work with a new group like Richmond Shakespeare and the fact that we're going to be at the stunning Agecroft Hall soon is really thrilling for me.

My only regret? That I didn't have time to bake brownies for the cast today. Ah, well. There's always later.

Also.

Check out the awesome picture of the cast of "Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls" from Night Light Collective (with my adorable boyfriend right in the center!):

L-R: Rebecca Muhleman, Alison Haracznak, Adam Mincks, Carolyn Boucher, Brad Tuggle, Gabrielle Cauchon, Kerry McGee. (Photo: Matt Cowan)

I saw a preview of the show at the theatre appreciation party at Sycamore Rouge last Sunday, and it looks really fantastic. This always seems to happen: I'm disappointed that I'm not cast in something, and then I see it happen and I'm like "Oh, that totally makes sense, I'm glad I wasn't because it wouldn't have worked." This cast clearly is a perfect fit with one another. Can't wait!

ALOHA, SAY THE PRETTY GIRLS
by Naomi Iizuka

directed by Bonnie Gabel

July 24-26 8:00 pm
*with a preview July 23
@
Gallery5
200 W. Marshall St.

Best Job Ever?

My newly revived passion for the A.V. Club website has awakened a new career goal in me: write for them.

I had been neglecting my reading for quite some time - months, in fact - before Adam reintroduced me to the love that is the A.V. Club. I just spent the past hour reading about Sarah Palin's reaction to Letterman's bad joke (and, subsequently, her almost-equally-poor-tastedly-executed counter joke), being amused by the fact that Gwyneth Paltrow referred to Billy Joel as William, and reading recaps of "House" that I thoroughly agree with (and love the description of his new Cottages as the New Coke team...they really are, aren't they? I miss the Foreman-Chase-Cameron dream team, but then, I'm old-fashioned).

Random: the ice cream truck is driving down my street and if I had a dollar and was not still in my tiny nightie and braless you'd best bet I'd be running out to get me one of those red-white-blue masterpieces of a popsicle.

Anyway.

I think everyone should be reading the articles on this website. They are very funny, sometimes searing, frequently off-the-charts smart, and always entertaining whether or not you agree with them. And I really, really, really would love to be one of their writers. Here's hoping.

L'Obsession.

No, that's not how you say that en francais. I just thought it looked cute.

Lately, I have a fixation on all things French. I made Adam a French dinner (French onion soup, baguette with cherry-topped brie, and creme brulee) the other night. I wore my Eiffel Tower necklace today. I almost cried because my Eiffel Tower lamp broke but I can't bring myself to throw it out even though it looks ridiculous. I checked out every French film my library had to offer, with "Moulin Rouge" for good measure since it's set in Montmartre. I've been randomly speaking French to Adam in order to teach him because we have this notion that someday we'll run away from America, live in Paris, and open a French version of Plan 9/The Byrd Theatre. It'll be called Jigsaw Puzzle (inside thing). It'll have a shop full of indie/foreign films, a full bar, and a room for film screenings.

Though if that doesn't work out, I still vote that an awesome backup plan would be for him to run a pasta shop called Saucy Mincks and for me to run a bakery called Sweet Caroline's.

Anyway.

This obsession with France has made me spend two hours today on ModCloth.com, bookmarking their items that sound even remotely French, for the day when I can afford them (ha). It made me spend an hour on allrecipes.com looking for more French cooking to try. It made me dig through my closet for forty-five minutes trying to find my old beret. No luck. Better get a new one.

I think I have un petit probleme.

What a Freaky Thing This is...

...and by "Thing" I mean "THUNDERSTORM".

Richmond is pretty much the Scary-Ass Storm Capital of the east. At least, I think it might be. I haven't exactly spent a lot of time elsewhere. But we've gotta be in at least the top 5.

For someone who is not a fan of storms (read: cowers in the fetal position when they strike), this can be problematic. For example, one of my favorite things is outdoor theatre, whether viewing or performing. Here in good ol' rVA, shows can get rained out really easily. And scarily. Uncool.

So here's what I'm pleading with Zeus about lately: STOP IT. At least stop it whenever Richmond Shakes is doing a show. Okay? That would be great. Thanks.

Shut Up, ModCloth.com!

Stop tempting me with your siren song of adorable clothes that I can't afford!

I've spent all afternoon on that website, just browsing and wishing I had money to burn so that I could purchase it all. Everything on there is just precious!

To calm myself and keep myself from going into a spending frenzy, I've decided that I'm going to start saving loose change and spare dollar bills. Once I can afford something I want from there, I can get it - but NOT before! No dipping into the checking account and that's final!

Hopefully I can hold myself to that and not succumb to temptation...

Definition of a weird evening...

...is knitting a pink baby blanket for your boyfriend's new niece while eating sushi and watching "The Big Lebowski".

HOCKEYHOCKEYHOCKEY

GO RED WINGS!

That's all.

Employment is Awesome

Guess who got a new job? Here's a hint: she answers to the name Caroline and talks too much and has something of an obsession with blue mascara.

That's right. I got a new job. A job that is not Ukrop's. HUZZAH! I will be a waitress at a new restaurant called After Six, located in Shockoe Bottom. It's not open yet, so they're going to call me in a few days to talk about training, tax stuff, etc.

I'm really looking forward to this. I feel like waitressing is a handy skill to have. And what's cool is that After Six is right across the street from Sumo San, where the lovely Kerry McGee can often be found working, so I imagine there will be even more hang outage between she and I.

It will be nice to work in the city. It will be nice to have a new job that feels a little more grown-up than the grocery store. It will be nice to work somewhere that will give me more than five hours a week when I have requested at least twenty-five.

So stoked.

Aloha

Congrats to the AWESOME cast of "Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls" with Night Light Collective. The cast includes Kerry McGee as Vivien (who played Puck, Hermia, and Starveling if you saw Richmond Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Adam Mincks as Will/Derek (also currently playing the role of Caroline's Boyfriend in "Caroline's Life"), Alison Haracznak as Wendy, Carolyn Boucher as Joy/Lee, Rebecca Muhleman as Myrna/Richard, Brad Tuggle as Jed/Efran, and Gabrielle Cauchon as Jason. I'm really excited to see it! It's going to be fantastic!

There's No Business Like Show Business

I saw Fort Lee's production of "Annie Get Your Gun" today. I forgot two very important things about that show:

1. How the music is pretty great.
2. How the story is kind of awful.

The story as a whole is cute if you don't read much into it (that is, if you don't watch it like I do), but the moral of it is basically "let your man think he's better than you or else he won't love you". Which is bad for both genders. It makes men look like wussy children who can't handle being second to a woman. And it makes women look like they have to dumb themselves down and hide their talents in order to be loved. I know the show isn't exactly current - it was written in the 1940's - but even so...I take some issue with it.

That said, I thought the cast did a great job with the show and I had an especially fun time watching my darling friend Hannah up there, looking as beautiful as always and just basically being an adorable little smile magnet. So proud of her!

Phew.

A busy day today. Got up a little late due to my allergy to alarm clock, which can be remedied by multiple doses of snooze alarm. Headed out to Ukrop's to check my schedule (brief rant about that in a minute), then went to Carytown to talk to businesses about advertising with Richmond Shakespeare. A quick detour to Main St. to apply for and be interviewed for a job. Filled gas tank. Made a spreadsheet about the RS advertising. About to go and return my library DVDs before heading to Kerry's for a reading of "Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls" in preparation for the auditions on Saturday. Phew!

Okay. Quick Ukrop's rant. I asked for a minimum of 25-30 hours a week. I have five. FIVE. This week and next. Five. That is all I have. Five hours. One day. One. I have no idea why this is happening, and it's not just to me. It's also to a bunch of other cashiers. I've been working there for two years. I've been a good employee. So have my friends who are also suffering from lack of hours. It's because they've hired new people, but I don't know why they've hired new people when they have plenty already! It makes no sense. So, anyway, I'm going to have maybe $30 this week and maybe $30 next week. HOW exactly am I supposed to pay my bills? Answer: probably not going to.

OUCH! That was the sound of my credit score being cut.

Tour Dates

Today, we have a tour date for "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Jake is excited that he was able to clear his schedule to join us. I am excited because that means I don't have to attempt to make love-in-idleness sounds, because I'm really bad at it. Andrew seems the most excited about dinner, because apparently where we're going has some kind of kick-awesome dessert that he's obsessed with. I, on the other hand, try not to look forward to things that I cannot afford. Oh, college. Oh, life in general. Stop stealing my money.

Kerry said something the other day that got me thinking: "What an anticlimactic last show." And she's right. Our "last show" was on Sunday, and it was a fantastic show at that - chock-ful of a great audience, great performances, and great moments of unexpected hilarity, in particular when Pyramus's sword broke. I think I gave myself internal injuries from laughing so hard at how Adam and Brandon handled that. But anyway, our "last show" was pretty much just our last show until today. Five days later. And then we'll do it all again in July for a couple of weeks.

It's weird, how theatre works. You put your heart, brain, soul, and (at least in my case) a hefty portion of your bank account into a show. You bond with your cast and crew. You make a little family for a few months...and then you disperse. Sometimes, no matter how much you enjoyed the process, it's a relief not to have to deal with it anymore. Other times, it leaves a kind of void in your life that depresses you until the next project starts. And still other times, it's so fantastic not to have to do that play anymore that you wish there were some way to Eternal Sunshine yourself so you don't have to remember it. No matter what your experience is, the ending of a show is usually pretty profound for some reason or another.

For me, when this show officially ends, it will mean the end of my first job with Richmond Shakespeare, my first time working with Andrew Hamm, Stacie Rearden Hall, Adam Mincks, and Brandon Crowder, my first time doing professional Shakespeare, my first internship, and it will be something I truly miss. I have had such a blast working on this show - the people involved are all incredible and the laughs have been non-stop - and I'm really going to miss it when it ends.

Fortunately, that's not yet.

I Can't Stop Listening To...

Blur, Pulp, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, Bob Dylan, Talking Heads, Roxie Music, The Kinks, Super Furry Animals, City and Colour, Mazzy Starr, XTC, Nickel Creek, Amanda Palmer, Kings of Leon, Emilie Autumn, Eisley, Velvet Underground, Billy Bragg & Wilco, Kevin Devine, Iron & Wine, Newton Faulkner, Skip James, Robert Johnson, Thom Yorke, The Decemberists, and Tom Waits.

More later, I'm sure.

One-Minute Monologues

For once, I have an audition that requires a prepared monologue that I am totally stoked for. Usually, I dread this, because I so prefer cold readings to monologues. However, I just read Watch Wow by Laura Lawson, which is the pseudonym of a friend of mine from school, and if there was ever a better one-minute monologue for someone who really wants to play Joy in Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls, I haven't found it.

So thanks, Laura, for being magically psychic and providing me with an awesome piece for my audition. You rock.

A Few More Things I've Learned...

...after working on "A Midsummer Night's Dream", I have also learned:

-Churchgoing does not automatically make someone a nice person.
-It is ALWAYS funny when the sword breaks.
-It is NEVER funny when the fairy canopy does.
-They should have done "Time After Time".
-Nail polish is totally unisex.
-Emily and I can carry almost every single prop and costume piece back into the green room in just one trip. We are THAT good. They ain't not payin' us for nothin'!
-Trash can lids are completely acceptable armor.
-Saluting is hilarious.
-It is a necessity to have access to the scores of the Red Wings games at intermission.

Oh.

So THIS is what a blog looks like when you abandon it for almost a month. Interesting.

Well, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" closed its downtown run. It's going to be very strange, not hanging out in a church that is either frigid or steaming, running around barefoot, eating a lot of candy, and reciting lines along with the actors while hiding backstage with my fellow minion, Emily, and giggling nonstop about it all.

On the bright side, there is a tour date on Friday and we re-stage the show for the Agecroft run in July, so that will be nice.

I don't think I've ever loved a show more. This has been a joy every moment. I have met people who I know I will be friends with for a long time and who I have nothing but the greatest respect for both as actors and as human beings. I have met a certain fellow in particular who I happen to think is especially wonderful, and that would be my boyfriend, Adam, so that's another reason I'm especially fond of this show. Every day that I have worked on "Midsummer", I have laughed heartily, learned so much about myself as an actor, and grown to be so proud of everyone and all the amazing work they have put into this production.

Now I just have to figure out the rest of my life. Being unpaid for the duration of this show was something I thought I was prepared for going in, but when hours were cut at my day job and school began getting in the way (exams) and life in general got expensive, things got a little hairy. Well, a lot hairy. I have $0.03 in my bank account at the moment. That would be hilarious if I were joking or exaggerating, but I'm not. Thanks, Wachovia, for taking forever and a day to process my check. Appreciate it.

The good news is, I'm getting paid for some other work I did for Richmond Shakespeare that I didn't actually know I was getting paid for. Talk about pleasant surprises! I have no idea how much I'm getting, but anything would be very, very welcome at this point. And I have two weekends in a row lined up at the nursing home where I work part-time, so if I can get Ukrop's to put me on the schedule hardcore for at least the next couple of weeks, I just might be okay. Or at least almost.

Here's hoping.

Until then, I have a glass of wine, a good movie, and cute boy on the phone, so the good things in life are definitely outweighing the obnoxious ones.

Another Openin', Another Show

"Midsummer" opened last night, and I could not love it more.

The show ran smoothly, beautifully, and the response was exhilarating. I took a gander at David Timberline's blog and saw that he did a little blurb about it, and that little blurb is nothing short of a rave...and a budding crush on Stacie, I think. Though that's to be expected - if you leave the show without a crush on someone in the cast, you weren't paying close enough attention.

I feel so blessed to have met this cast and to have made such great friends with them, and for having this opportunity to work with Richmond Shakespeare. I've wanted to be involved there for a few years now, and what a show to have as my foray back into the world of theatre!

Please come and see the show if you can. It is not to be missed.

www.richmondshakespeare.com

Busy

I'm so busy.

I freaking love it.

Dear April,

Behave yourself. I get that it was a rough winter and all - confusing, randomly warm and then frigid - but can't you pull yourself together? You're supposed to be a month of sunny warmness and hints of springtime, and instead you've got me wearing three layers and shivering under my comforter while trying to read "Creature Tech" for the ninetieth time.

Not cool, April. Not cool.

-Caroline

Great Big Strawberry Mystery

Riddle me this: why, when I was in that half-sleeping, half-waking stage last night, did the phrase "Great big strawberry mystery" start repeating itself in my head?

There's no right answer. Perhaps it was my brain preparing for a good night's sleep so that my insane subconscious could have some fun. Perhaps it was my past life as a musician on LSD coming through. Perhaps I didn't hear my brain right and it was saying something else entirely.

Whatever it may be, I now know the title to the play I'm writing right now, so that's pretty cool.

"You know how a strawberry is either wonderful or terrible? How you see a big, perfect strawberry that is so dark it's almost black and you think it's going to be the most delicious thing you've ever eaten, but you bite it and it's mush? And then the very next strawberry you go to eat looks only all right, and it's the most beautiful taste you've ever tasted, almost so good that it hurts? And who can ever know how many seeds are on the outside of a strawberry? Or why they're on the outside? Strawberries are a mystery."
-Jorah, Great Big Strawberry Mystery

Altar Boyz

I saw "Altar Boyz" at Swift Creek Mill on Saturday night, and holy cow - what a fun show!

I didn't know anything about it at all except that it was about a Christian boy band doing their last show on one of their tours, so it was all totally new for me. One fun thing about my experience was that I went to see it with Adam Mincks, who had played Luke in the Richmond Triangle Players' version, and the person playing Luke in this production was none other than my friend Eric Stallings (who I am so proud of, by the way - he was hilarious)!

Every voice was beautiful, every dance move a blast, and all the songs are fantastic. My whole face hurt from smiling almost the whole time! So if you're in the mood for a musical that will surprise and delight you with its hilarity - and unexpected heart - go and see "Altar Boyz"!

WHEN does school end?

This semester needs to be over, and here's why:

There is only one class that I actually like this semester. Constitutional Issues in the Health Care Arena. Sounds boring, totally isn't. Easily the best class I've taken in a long time. Nine students and a really chill teacher sitting around a semicircular table discussing ethics, and all of us get along. It's really great. But it's only one.

My Shakespeare class is disappointing, Media and Morality has turned into a game of Who Can Voice Their Opinions Louder, Comparative Politics is relatively interesting as a subject but very dull as a lecture, and U.S. Government is just plain confusing and my teacher is kind of schizophrenic with his note-posting, so no one ever knows what the heck is going on in there.

I study. I pay attention. I work hard. And yet this is easily the worst I've ever done academically in my life. I don't think it has anything to do with how much time I'm putting into everything - which is a lot - because it feels like no matter how much more I devoted, the end result would probably be about the same as what's happening now.

I spent days preparing for my Shakespeare midterm, which covered the plays Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and As You Like It, all of which I have seen at least twice onstage, twice on film, and read at least five times in my lifetime, not to mention re-reading each of them in order to study, and yet I only got a 70. Me. On a Shakespeare exam. I got a 70. Me. This does not compute. I have never gotten lower than a B on any Shakespeare assignment in my life.

And then I found out that the class average was an 80. The class is full of theatre kids and English majors. Something tells me this has less to do with the students and more to do with...well. Anyway. It's frustrating, to say the least.

So here I am, hurtling my way at light speed toward a likely bout of academic probation, and all I can wonder is HOW MANY DAYS LEFT UNTIL SUMMER???? when normally I spend these last couple weeks of school wishing it wouldn't end.

This is exactly the kind of change I'm not a fan of.

Bummer.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this play is going to be so awesome I almost can't stand it.

I spend every rehearsal smiling, giggling, chuckling, chortling, guffawing, and any number of other synonyms for "laughing" you can think of. This is easily the most fun I've had on a production in a long time.

Sandra Clayton, who I have worked with on a few shows, plays Egeus, some of the attending fairies, and Peter Quince. Having worked with her before, I know what energy and fire she can bring to roles like Emma Goldman in "Ragtime" and what cuteness she can bring to roles like Stella in "Follies", but her comedic skill was something I had only seen flashes of before. She's hilarious - plain and simple. Her Egeus in particular is something I have not seen done with that role before and I really love it!

Stacie Rearden Hall is my geek soulmate, as it turns out, and she and I have had many conversations that include phrases like "So I was reading Sims 2 stories online today..." and "So I just watched that episode of 'Firefly' and I've been singing 'The Hero of Canton' all day..." This lovable geekiness is being used to full advantage in her Helena, and yet Stacie has the ability to suddenly become a total BA when she's Hippolyta, approach some sort of critical mass of sexiness when she's Titania, and bring entirely new levels to Snug the Joiner that I would feel terribly guilty if I divulged here...you'll just have to see the play!

Kerry McGee plays Hermia, Puck, and Robin Starveling - and I completely agree with the theory that if you don't have a crush on her by the end of the play, it's because you didn't watch the play. Her Hermia is romantic and bright, Puck is everything you would hope Puck would be, and Starveling? Well, that's another one you'll just have to see...but let's just say that the phrase "Fair ladies..." will never be as hilarious as when it is uttered by Kerry. Trust me on that one. I can't say enough about her Starveling...she has taken a character who is often overlooked and made them one of my favorite parts in the entire show.

Adam Mincks, taking on the roles of Demetrius, some attending fairies, and Nick Bottom, proves he's willing to jump, dive, leap, and get beat up by a girl for this play. Repeatedly. His energy onstage is completely infectious, and his personal sense of humor shines through when least expected (such as when he surprised us all by singing Bottom's song "The ousel cock so black of hue..." to the tune of "Tiny Dancer"). Adam's my go-to guy for all things Others Have Never Heard Of, so those of you who are good with the pop culture references (both obvious and subtle) should pay particular attention to Adam's performance - it's chock full of 'em.

Brandon Crowder has the exhausting task of playing Theseus, attending fairies, Lysander, Oberon, and Francis Flute. Just listing all his parts made my hands tired. And yet he handles each character transition with grace, and every character is so wonderfully different from the other that it is clear just how very talented this actor is. I have never seen a more physically impressive Oberon, nor a funnier Flute, nor a Lysander that could so easily beat Morrissey in a pathetic-off. Watching these rehearsals, I am continually amazed at the amount of responsibility Brandon has and how easy he makes his job look. Amazing!

Working with Andrew Hamm has also proved to be a blessing. I've vaguely known him for a while and I've seen him in a number of productions in the past few years, but after spending the past few weeks as his minion, I can't help but wish we'd gotten to know each other sooner. I've dubbed him "Delightfulbolical" (a reference to the way he laughs with an equal amount of glee and darkness), he likes to whisper into my bad ear, "George Bailey, I'll love you till the day I die". We're a good team - sometimes drifting a little into the Oberon-Puck territory since he occasionally uses me as his puppet while demonstrating things to the actors. I really hope I get to work with him again.

The show opens soon - April 16th is our preview night - and I hope everyone comes to see. It's going to be hilariously wonderful and wonderfully hilarious, and has become my favorite show I've ever worked on!

So, Sometimes, Things Go Awry

Sometimes, there's a play you really want to do and you've been planning on doing all year and then April shows up and you realize, "hmm, maybe this isn't going to happen for me after all..."

Such is the situation with "The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)".

For about a year now, the plan has been for me to act in this play, along with two other girls, in the role of Jessoline (I have named my character this because when you read the script, the "characters" are the playwrights' names, but when you actually act it, you use your own name. Hence, Jessoline for blogging purposes). However, as the AD for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Richmond Shakespeare, an employee of Ukrop's and Beaufont HealthCare, a full-time VCU student, a leader in VCU's Invisible Children chapter, and someone who also needs to eat and sleep and shower at least every now and again, the notion of taking on one more project is almost laughable.

Almost.

It's been two years since I have acted and the itch is bad. I was really looking forward to "Compleat Works", but with "Midsummer" opening and school ending soon, there's no way we could do a play that requires such careful rehearsal in such a short amount of time. Le sigh.

Hopefully it works out, because I am so looking forward to the idea of an all-female version of this show, especially if I get to be in it. But worst case, it doesn't go forward, and I move on to the next project. Right?

What, a play toward?

The more I think about it, the more I realize that my place really is in the theatre. Maybe not onstage, though that would be ideal, but certainly involved in some way.

I have been given the task of designing some silly programs for us to use as props during a scene in "Midsummer", and as our stage manager Bryan put it, I am taking care of this with perhaps a little too much glee. I even have cast lists inside them. No, really. The cast of "Arrested Development" is apparently taking part in the story of the Thrice Three Muses Mourning the Loss of Learning (or whatever it's called - I never played Philostrate and I can't be bothered to look in my script at the moment). Just that little bit of involvement is enough to send me into giggles of joy and shivers of excitement. Just that little nibble of theatrical play is so fun for me that I almost can't stand it.

And I've always been like that. No matter the show, I'm always so excited to be a part of it that I plunge headfirst and give 110% to my role. Sure, sometimes that means I go a little method - gotta use the process that works best for you - but it always means that I know I've given it my all.

I don't really know why I felt the need to make an entry about something so obvious, but I just can't help myself. I just spent four hours at rehearsal in utter bliss. That kind of thing ought to be shared.

Fat Men in Skirts

Only a couple more chances to see "Fat Men in Skirts" at VCU, directed by my dear friend (and soon to be my dear director once we start "Compleat Works") Jonathan Flack! Tonight at 8:00 PM and tomorrow at 2:00 PM at Shafer St. Playhouse.

I saw it last night and I think I can speak for at least 90% of the audience when I say, quite simply, "Nicky Silver, you are a freak. A brilliant, brilliant freak". The play is chock-full of dark humor, sickening moments, incest, rape, cannibalism, and then moments where you really, truly want to run up onstage and rescue these characters before they totally destroy themselves.

Eben Kuhns is such a delightful surprise. I had only met him once before and I had never seen him act, so I had no idea what to expect. He is completely adorable at first, a stuttering eleven-year-old with a fixation on Katherine Hepburn, and yet when he morphs into a controlling, terrifyingly dangerous teenager, it is totally believable. The fact that he can snap back and forth between these two personalities is really telling of his acting ability.

Jenn Vick, the gorgeous Jenn Vick, is so good at simultaneously making you want to slap her and making you want to hug her. Her Phyllis is really heartbreaking, funny, and such a bitch. When she commands her son to eat lipstick in order to survive, it sounds totally plausible. When she has her shoe-obsessed breakdown, it also sounds totally plausible. Not an easy task, and she carries it off beautifully.

Bryan Hall reminded me of Robert Goulet with a dash of John Cleese and with a big helping of Ridiculously Funny sprinkled on top. Everything about him - the way he looked to the way he talked to his posture - helps suck you in and get invested in this character who really can be a complete jerk, and yet his inevitable destruction is wrenching.

Oh, and when Gentry Roth runs out as Popo Martin in all her schizophrenic glory, I couldn't help but immediately thing "This girl is the next Judy Greer". She's adorable...in that paranoid, potholder-making kind of way. Her time playing Pam is great, but it's really Popo that endears her to me.

Please go see it, if you can...it's FREE! and very well-done. Break a leg for the rest of your run, guys!

Stuff I've Learned

Here are a few things I have learned while working on Richmond Shakespeare's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream":

-The term "romantic entanglements" can never be taken too literally.
-Brandon Crowder's crotch is a magnet for Adam Mincks's face...and vice versa.
-Just when you think Kerry McGee couldn't become more adorable, she does.
-You will not win a battle of geekdom against Stacie Rearden Hall.
-Andrew Hamm is delightfulbolical.
-Don't punch Sandra Clayton in the stomach.
-Kerry and I have identical rehearsal processes: eat a brownie, go onstage.
-There is a such thing as "too far".
-There is no such thing as a bad time to join the JAZZ BAND or the ORCHESTRA.

Busy Bee.

That's what I am!

I've had school, work, rehearsals for "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and line-learning for "The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare Abridged". Busy, busy, busy.

"Midsummer" is already one of my favorite things I've ever worked on. It's so funny - and the cast is DYNAMITE. And I love working with Andrew Hamm. His reactions to what the actors do are priceless - sometimes he bursts out into uninhibited laughter, sometimes he gasps, sometimes he jumps up and down and claps, and sometimes he just whispers "I love actors!" to me. Whatever the reaction, it's guaranteed I'm going to love it. It's nice when a director doesn't just hide in the back of the house and bark orders. The enthusiasm is contagious and I've certainly caught it.

Movie recommendation time: "Sideways", "Vivre Sa Vie" (always, probably my favorite film at the moment), "The Fall", and "Regular Lovers". If you haven't seen any of them, you really need to.

I am falling behind on life in general.

I have so little to do and so much time to do it in.

Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.

I have a paper for my Media and Morality class, I need to finish reading Richard II, learn my lines for Compleat Works, update the other two blogs, end my addiction to Jordan almonds, and at least get started on a few writing projects that have yet to be written.

All in one week. This week. Spring break.

So, my apologies for falling way behind on the updating, especially for "Love to Every Corner". I was so thrilled at having a few days that were relatively unscheduled that I jumped at the chance to get some shuteye.

I saw "Amadeus" four times in total. Cried every time. That was a damn good show and I'm sad to see it close, but I'm stoked for "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to start up. Sundaaaaaay.

122.

That's how much I weighed this morning.

I haven't seen that number since my freshman year of high school, before the Attack of the Giant Chest occurred. This has certainly made my day many times better!

I took my Shakespeare mid-term exam today. I think it went all right...I somehow managed to forget who made a certain quotation from As You Like It, but hopefully that won't count against me too much. I think my essay was pretty good.

I'm seeing "Amadeus" again tomorrow night with my dad, and once more on Friday night with my mom. I figured it was best not to take the divorced parents on the same night, and at any rate, I'm happy to see it twice more. It's that good. Plus, Jake's in it, and since he's one of my best friends, that makes it even cooler.

My writer's block is getting really intense lately. I write four sentences and call it quits. I'd like to go back to The Affairs of the Littlefaires for a while, but I can't seem to expand on Kate's story. B-Rea, any ideas?

SNOWING.

THAT IS WHAT IT IS DOING IN RICHMOND.

I haven't seen real snow in years...this is so beautiful. Snow has such a magical, calming quality to it. I think I'll be taking lots and lots of pictures in the early morning...this might call for some staying-up-until-dawn from me.

Rock Me, Amadeus

I saw "Amadeus" on Friday night at Richmond Shakespeare, and...

...holy cow. That was a good play. It was already a script that I adored, so what a treat that I got to go see one of my best friends with my other two best friends in it! All of the performances were excellent. The two leads, Mike Hamilton as Mozart and Andrew Hamm as Salieri, were right on pitch (ha-ha, I made a music funny) and played very well off of each other.

If you can go see it, GO. It runs one more weekend and it is not one to be missed!

www.richmondshakespeare.com

Who the heck is Caroline?

That's a really good question. Who am I, and why do I need a blog to express it?

Well, the easiest answer to that is: I'm a writer. Always have been, always will be. It's my outlet, even more than acting is. That's why I need a blog.

Here are ten things you really need to know about me. The rest can be learned as we go.

1. I am a Shakespeare fanatic. I have read every play, poem, and sonnet ever penned by the man, most more than three times (except for "Two Noble Kinsmen" because...well. Read it and you'll see). My blog address, "wondrous strange snow", is a reference to "A Midsummer Night's Dream". If you want to win my heart, talk Shakespeare with me.

2. I'm pretty shy, though anyone who has known me for any length of time would scoff at that. I'm generally known for being bouncy and giggly and all-around cheerful, like some sort of Disney princess on Prozac. But for the first twenty minutes or so of meeting someone, I tend to be really scared and shaky. Thank goodness for acting training so I can fake confidence until the ice is broken!

3. I have the ability to trip over flat surfaces. I know. It's impressive. No need to applaud.

4. My memory is weird. I might forget what you said to me ten minutes ago, but I'll remember every line from a movie I liked that I saw once.

5. I'm a bookworm. Just to test myself, I've been keeping track of how many books I've read since January 1 of this year. So far, I'm at 22. I'm not sure that's normal.

6. Try as I might, I cannot get myself to like the saxophone. At all. I don't know what it is, but there is something about the sound of a saxophone that just bugs me.

7. I am heavily involved with Invisible Children, an organization that raises aid and awareness for the people of northern Uganda. I've been a leader of VCU'S IC club for the past two years and it's one of the best things I've ever spent my time on. I love it. Loving IC is another way to win my heart.

8. Most frequently, I can be found listening to Emilie Autumn, Mozart, any number of comedy CDs, or Tom Waits.

9. I have two tattoos and I love them very much. I haven't decided if I want more.

10. I'm pretty much okay with myself, which I think is more content than most people are, so that's a good sign.

My Dashboard, it has three blogs...

...three blogs has my Dashboard,
And if it had not three blogs,
It would not be my Dashboard!

Um, or something to that effect.

So I run three blogs. One of them, "On the Road to Africa", is meant to be a sort of one-stop shop for news about Darfur, Uganda, and the DRC, and it also keeps track of my fundraising efforts so that I can go to Africa sometime soon.

The other, "Love to Every Corner", is a project I have tried (and failed) twice before, in which every day I add a new world-changer; that is, someone or something or some group making a positive difference in the world.

This one is going to be just for me. I'm not sure if anyone will read it apart from Brittany, Ash, Kelsey, Hannah, and Jake - the Fab Five - but that's okay. It's just fun to have a blog at all.