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!