Theatrical Persuasion

Wicked.

2010-12-27T20:31:00.001-08:00

Day 15

So today we get up and go to the New London School of Drama for an acting for camera class. The first half of it was the guy basically telling us about his life and asking us about our life plans. Then the second half involved doing a little basic following of direction while on camera. Frankly, I was unimpressed. This class was followed by an annoying pitch for us to come study at their school. But they fed us tiny sandwiches and tea. So that was ok.

As soon as this was over, a bunch of us bolted to go to Primark. Many had already experienced this magical place, but i was behind on the times. Primark...there are no words. Primark is a clothing store. Primark is a cheap clothing store. In the middle of London. Let that sink in for a moment. Now imagine you are at the mall of black Friday. This is what Primark is like EVERYDAY. So yes, a little terrifying. It is the size of a department store and is filled with things like £1 sunglasses. And £1 leggings. And £5 dresses. Best find so far? Knee high hot pink argyle socks for 50p. Needless to say, we will be back.

Then the most exciting part of the day, hands down.

WICKED. Some of my lovely trip mates waited in line this morning to get FRONT ROW student tickets that are held for £25. I am aware that I have already seen this show at the Fox Theatre. But £25 front row seats are nothing to sneeze at! You can feel the mechanical dragon breathing fire down your neck! And I love this show so much! So I splurged. Something that my bank account tells me is a frequent occurrence on this trip. You only live once, right?

Australians?!?!

2010-12-27T20:12:00.000-08:00

Day 14

Today I planned an adventure for the whole crew! We planned to meet George and Anthony at London Bridge Station at one. He was shocked to find out that not 4 or 5 of us were going on this outing but all 16 of us were coordinated enough to attend a rather impromptu event. So the 18 of us get a little lost, as per usual, and end up at the London Bridge Pier.

Another of the multiple forms of public transportation available to Londoners is the clipper ships that travel up and down the Thames River. It just so happens that one of these stops is GREENWICH! Yes. The birthplace of TIME ITSELF. ...well, you understand. It is an adorable little place filled with tourists and ice cream trucks and a maritime museum. Not to mention, the view of London from the observatory is breathtaking. As we always do, the group gets split up and sort of lost, but we manage to make our way back to a Light Rail Station that will take us back to our neighborhood. I’m getting so good at this public transportation thing!

After the Greenwich adventure, Erin and I decide it is finally time to do some laundry. Enough is enough. So we pack everything we can into duffel bags and get lost on the way to the “laundrette.” It is a pretty classy place. Can someone tell me how much it costs to do a load of laundry? Anyone? Try £8. I have officially resolved to do my next load of laundry in the bathtub of my flat.

HOWEVER. Positive note. Erin and I are loitering outside the laundrette waiting for our laundry to dry when we see a very attractive man doing the same. View from the laundrette.

Once inside, a conversation is sparked and we realize that THE MAN IS AUSTRALIAN. And heaven shines upon us. He has no idea how to work the dryer and is a helicopter pilot visiting from Sydney...yadayada SO ATTRACTIVE. With our eyes, Erin and I have a silent conversation practically amounting to:

“I saw him first.”

“No, I will kill you.”

“Share?”

“Never.”

So we leave, knowing he will be gone in 48 hours to Paris. And all we get is that his name is John. John from Sydney. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE THERE ARE?

We do. We looked.

London is BACK!

2010-12-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

Day 13

This blog post was lost to the sands of time. So I am rewriting it.

Today I wake up early with Stephanie, Chloe, Victoria and Jordan to meet Anthony and George for their weekly trip to the borough market. And what a market! I have never tasted such exquisite food. Everywhere I look there are fresh cheeses and breads, fruits and vegetables I had never heard of, and cuisine that smells absolutely heavenly. Anthony takes us by the hand and explains to us what everything is, how to purchase fresh food, and some of the finer points of quality cuisine. After tasting everything and drooling for a couple of hours, I settle on green curry for lunch. This is a new experience for my taste buds, and they are not unpleased.

After the market, we part ways and a group of us head to Hyde Park, green haven of London. It is huge, so I have no idea where I actually am within the park, but I think I remember passing the Princess Diana Rose Garden. We find a nice grassy patch and just lay out in the sun for awhile. Shocking isn’t it? Sun in May? Apparently everyone else was equally surprised for half the city was out there to soak in those usually elusive rays. We spent a good hour or more relaxing in the grass and taking pictures before we decided to make our way back to Bloomsbury.

That evening, I make my way to the Duck and Dive for the Champions League match with Nick, Ryan, and Patrick. For a girl, I am a pretty big sports fan and my brother has taught me to appreciate real football. So we order some cider and watch the match. I also try to begin writing this blog post, but Patrick breaks my pen so that effort is futile.

As everyday in London, this one never ends. After the match, we meet up with the gang at The Rocket, our apparent pub of choice. It is on this day that I officially befriend Paul, the bouncer lovingly mentioned on Day 5. Paul is unfortunately a Florida Gator fan and played football for the University of Pennsylvania. Then he worked for the costume house that supplied the costumes for Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean. And now he is a bouncer at the Rocket. Good life. He is very nice and looks out for our whole crew. We Americans need all the help we can get.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

Ok. I'm sorry. I know that I owe a lot of you a ton of blog posts from London that never got posted. In my defense... this semester was incredibly intense, filled with internships, graduate research, web design, theatre rehearsals, and entertainment law. These are forces to be reckoned with, indeed.

However, that is no excuse for abandoning my fans. Speaking of fans, I am famous today. Check out the front cover of the Athens Banner-Herald. Oh yeah. Susana Maria Baker, in all her Christmas beauty! One day, you'll feel honored to have known me.

I suppose this is an update post of sorts. For those who have been woefully uninformed of my whereabouts, I got an apartment in August with 3 lovely roommates: Lindsay, Megan, and Corinne. We decorated it beautifully and do a decent job of keeping it clean and presentable. Our unofficial roommate, Jordan Shoemaker, frequently stops by and fills the apartment with her fabulous energy and cheer.

I was cast in the University Theatre production of Arabian Nights where I played many characters, including Sympathy the Learned and a Genie. We sold out every performance!!! You can view pictures from the production here: http://susanab.myweb.uga.edu/shows_thearabiannights.html

That page is part of the resume website I designed and built for my graduate web design course. Take a look around if you like. I had a lot of fun putting it together.

I was offered an internship at the box office of the University of Georgia Performing Arts Center. I trained in the state of the art ticketing system called Tessitura which was developed by the Metropolitan Opera. And after a full semester of interning there, I was offered a paying job for next semester! I am thrilled to actually have income. I love the people I work with and I really enjoy the job. Based on the internship I had in London and the internships I have had here, I have restructured my career interests to be a little more focused on the business of theatre and am looking into graduate programs in theatre arts administration.

Also, law school is now a back up plan. That is how my life functions....law school is my back up plan. Go figure. I really enjoyed the challenge offered by the Law of Public Communication course that I took and have developed an interest in first amendment and media law. If I could make it through the first two years of law school, the third year of specialization in entertainment law would be fascinating. We'll see.

Next semester I will also be interning with the professional theatre in Athens, Rose of Athens Theatre. My duties will increase in the fall as I take on a full internship with them. I hope to learn a lot from them during my time with them. I'll also be taking a graduate course on the role of video games in a user-generated society with one of my favorite professors, so I'm pretty excited about the challenges that is sure to offer. As for what else I'm taking...who knows! Nothing I need to graduate or even just want to take for fun is being offered. No big deal. I can't think about it or I'll stress out.

I bought myself a DSLR for Christmas!!!!! I got a Nikon D3000. Now I have to figure out how to use it... maybe if I get lucky I can sneak a spot in one of the photojournalism courses. Also, I am incredibly poor now.

Now for some fun things. I have developed some obsessions this year. And I would like to share them with you:

1. http://verymarykate.com/

This is an unofficial biography video blog of Mary-Kate Olsen. There is a new 1 minute episode every Tuesday and Thursday and it is absolutely hilarious. Linsday made me watch them all at once when I was upset one day and now I am addicted. It totally worked as a pick me up. I blame her.

2. Mumford and Sons

I am crazy about this new British band. They made the PASTE Magazine list of Top 20 New Bands of 2010. They are sort of folky, with lyrics that are hauntingly beautiful and powerful. I can't stop listening to them.

3. Mike and Molly

I may be the only person following this show. I don't watch tv normally, but I have started to religiously watch this. Every character is just that...a character. I haven't seen a show with characters this well written and lines so sharp in a long time. Hopefully it won't get cancelled soon. CBS Mondays at 9:30pm.

4. http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

This blog is a hoot. This girl writes hilarious stories about her childhood and accompanies them with computer drawings that look like she does them in paint. A new post will inevitably brighten my day.

5. Dinosaurs

I love them. Especially the cartoony cute ones. Not the real scary ones.

So there is a basic year in review. I hope to update this more often in the hope that I can brighten your days with dialogue, tales, and pictures from my life...maybe slightly fabricated.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL!

I think I'm totally museum saturated, guys.

2010-07-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Day 12

Today is full of sketch. We got a little flier from the AIFS office a few days ago with a list of all the cool markets in London. We decode to explore one of them today and pick the Queensway market. It was described as having “antiques, retro clothing, punk gear, jewelry, and a little bit of everything” so it sounds promising. We ride the tube to the Queensway station, get a little bit lost in a questionable part of town, and finally ask someone for directions. He exasperatedly points to the door next to his shop…you know, the door with the huge sign that says QUEENSWAY MARKET. Oops.

So we walk in and find that this place doesn’t quite live up to our expectations. Had we been looking for hookahs and drug paraphernalia then perhaps this would have been the place for us. We bolt and decide we are hungry, so we stop into a Chinese place down the street. Apparently they think we are ugly Americans because they remove the chopsticks from the table and replace them with silverware! What if I had wanted to use chopsticks? My inability to maneuver those wooden sticks aside, they don’t know. The food was…decent. After the Chinese man in the restaurant chases us because we counted our pounds wrong, we stop in at a souvenir shop. I get some postcards, and Ashley gets a flask. Classy. We split from that part of town, never to return.

Nicole, Ashley, and I part ways with Erin and head to the Victoria and Albert Museum. I’ve only heard good things about this museum and I’m really excited. It is much more art and design oriented than the other museums. We did not anticipate, however, getting tired after only one floor and decide to come back later. We did get to see a fascinating exhibit on the development of Fashion over the years and there was even a piece there designed by Emilio Pucci, a UGA grad and a Demosthenian Alum. After the sculpture exhibit and some historical exhibits, we go out to a very peaceful area with a wading pool and grassy areas and just sit for awhile. It is very nice and we just watch people and take some pictures.

London, WHAT? Dear London. The last thing I want is to see someone snog as I eat my frozen yogurt. WHAT?

Elephants on Parade

2010-07-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

Day 11

Today George hosts class in his lovely and adorable flat near Highbury and Islington. Apparently it is a 2 million pound flat. Geez minetti. He has tea and biscuits ready for us…could we be more British? During the class, we present our reports on the background info of the shows we are going to see while we are here. I guess I didn’t realize how wide of a range of shows we had tickets for. I’m really excited now.

After class, Nick, Katie, Erin, and I head to Covent Garden with the intent of procuring tickets to Avenue Q. Since Erin is with us, we stop at every elephant in covent garden, and let me tell you, there are quite a few. Oh, London is currently doing a city wide exhibit to promote awareness and to raise money for the endangered Asian elephant. Various artists were asked to paint an elephant, and 250 distinctly different ones were placed all over the city. Many of us have made it a goal to see how many we can photograph while exploring London. They’ll have their own album on facebook. No worries!

Covent Garden is bustling and busy with street performers and markets and an arcade full of cute boutiques. After much wandering, we finaly stumble upon the Wyndham Theatre where Avenue Q is playing. This is the first show we’ve seen on our own and we are excited to find that as students, we can get 20 pound tickets in the orchestra. I love this city.

We go our own separate ways and decide to meet back for the show. It is hilariously funny (and I’m glad I saw it before Gary Coleman died. They cut 21 lines out of the show, and I would feel bad…)

After the show, we stage door it up like we always do, meet some of the actors, and head back to Bloomsbury. And what do we do once back in Bloomsbury? The Rocket of course! Today there is a replacement DJ, and he is no good. Dancing opportunities are minimal.

Lugano

2010-06-10T05:16:00.000-07:00

Day 4 Switzerland

There is so much going on in these five days on Bank holiday that I can hardly handle it. I told Felipe that I wanted him to take me wherever he thought I needed to go, making for an extremely stress free trip, a nice break from the constant decisions I make in London.

Today he takes the four of us down to Lugano, Switzerland, about a 3 hour drive.

Lugano is in the Italian part of Switzerland (did you know there was an Italian part of Switzerland? I did not. It does make sense however.) It is like an alternate universe. I’m still in Switzerland, home of the Alps and snow and Heidi, yet suddenly I’m surrounded by palm trees, gelato shops, and fashionable Italian speaking people. The colors are bright! (a first for the parts of Europe I’ve seen) and the atmosphere is that of a beach resort area.

But before we explore Lugano, we go to an amusement park of sorts called Swiss Miniatur.
Basically, it is all of Switzerland’s landmarks…in miniature. Everything works and moves and there are sassy little people in all of the models.

I'm a GIANT.

She's so sassy! Look at her!

It is pretty amusing to say the least.

After we finish there we head over to Lugano to feel very Italian and eat at a great restaurant named Tango. Classiest meal I’ve had in months. I ate a real Italian pizza with mozzarella, gorgonzola, and prosciutto. So delicious.

Check out how epic this picture is. I feel like I'm in an action movie with the car and the motorcycle gang...

Switzerland is sort of strange. It definitely has a national identity, but it seems to lack a cultural identity of its own. The culture near the German border is distinctly German, marked not only by language but also customs, architecture, lifestyle, etc. The same goes for the Italian border and the French border. How does a country simply become a spillover of other countries?

This is what happened when I found out Heidi's village was featured in Swiss Miniatur. I loved that book.

Switzerland, WHAT?

Dear Switzerland. You make smoking sound like a dating service. WHAT?

Germany

2010-05-31T03:01:00.000-07:00

Day 3 GERMANY!

Surprise surprise everyone! You (and I) thought I was going on bank holiday to Switzerland, but guess what?! My cousin had other plans for me, and I got to cross the border!

So, apparently the Switzerland/Germany border is about half an hour from Zurich. It is a natural border created by Bodinsee (a lake). On the German side of the lake is an island called Insel Mainau. It is basically a large park and botanical garden. Felipe, Beatriz, Ashley, and I spend the majority of the day there, looking at flowers and trees and butterlies!

Temperaturewise, it is a huge climate change from Pilatus. I even got a sunburn. And an awkward sandal tan.

After leaving the island, we head over to the closest town which is Konstanz. It is unbearably adorable, so we walk around a bit. It is close to a University so there are tons of young folk hanging out on the banks of the Rhine, which I of course cross (and touch! Gosh I'm such a tourist.)

I am struck by the extreme cleanliness of the major bodies of water here. All of the lakes and rivers we have passed in Switzerland and Germany have been this incredible blue/green color and completely devoid of litter. America, you could learn a thing or two.

After realizing how hungry we are, we go in search of a typical German restaurant. I had schnitzel and pommes frites. I'm pretty sure you can't get much more German than that. We grab dessert at McDonalds. Ok. the McDonalds in Europe are SO FANCY. I don't even understand it. One I was in the other day had chandeliers in it. And couches. And they have gourmet food options! European McDonalds don't mess around.

While we are walking around a bit more in Konstanz, and taking more ridiculous photos, we come across a strange tradition. It looks like halloween, but apparently it is a sort of bachelorette party? Though later we came across a group of guys having a bachelor party. The bride (or groom) dresses up in a costume and all of their friends dress up maching in a different costume. And they walk around downtown in the city they are from selling things and asking people to do silly things for them while they take pictures. At one point, two different groups of girls ran into each other and got all excited. But then the group of guys came up and one of the groups of girls ran off yelling, so I assume that she was marrying the guy.

GERMANY, WHAT?

Dear Germany. Are you training your children to become pirates and rogues?!?! No? This lifesize pirate raft in a moat on a playground begs to differ. WHAT? (note: this rage stems solely from my extreme jealousy at not having my own pirate raft as a child)

Luzern

2010-05-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Day 2 SWITZERLAND +

Today we drive to a neighboring county to scale a very famous Swiss mountain called Mount Pilatus. I think it is technically part of the Alps, but isn't realy one of THE alps. But regardless, it is very tall. After getting a little bit lost, we find Pilatus and board the world's steepst cog-wheel railway to take us to the top. There is still snow on the mountain in some places!

It is really beautiful, and at the top we take some great pictures.

Unfortunately, it gets really foggy, really fast so the view of the Alps turns out something like this:

BUT!!!! Redeeming factor. Pilatus is a DRAGON mountain! With caves!

All of the lore of the region is about dragons. There is a particularly fun story involving Pontius Pilate and supernatural counter-offensives. You should take a moment to read it:

We have a snack at the cafe: Bratwurst and pommes frites (so swiss) and head back down the mountain.

SWITZERLAND, WHAT?

Dear Switzerland. This is the craziest person I have seen since I left Athens. Congratulations. WHAT?

Zurich, Winterthur

2010-05-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

So here's what we're gonna do. I'm currently in Switzerland.

Note the cow.

So even though I am behind on my London posts, I'm gonna skip ahead and do my Switzerland posts in real(ish) time and then go back and fill in the missing London posts.

Day 1 SWITZERLAND!

Didn't sleep. Stayed up packing and figuring out how to bathe with a broken shower. At 4:00am, Ashley and I head out on the first leg of our journey, which involves walking down the road to the bus stop. We catch the night bus to another stop where our shuttle to Luton airport is supposed to pick us up. Luckily, we are able to catch an earlier shuttle than the one we booked, because we probably would have missed our flight otherwise. After pretty much passing out for the hour ride, we go through security which is frustrating because a) I forgot to put my liquids in the little baggy thingy and have to figure that out while in line and b) because apparently peanut butter counts as a liquid. You may ask why I have a large jar of crunchy JIF peanut butter in my carry-on luggage. No, I am not crayz.

Ok. PAUSE. I am on a Swiss kezboard. Thez speak German in this part of Swityerland. Notice that the "z" and "y" kezs are switched. Also, a bunch of other random symbols and things are on here making it extremely difficult to type.

So back to the peanut butter. My cousin, with whom I am staying in Zurich asked me to bring him one thing from the U.S: peanut butter. But they threw it away. What a waste of delicious peanut butter.

The flight is rather uneventful, other than an attractive flight attendant named James and a zillion yelling babies. But we get there on time and Felipe is at the airport waiting for us. We head to downtown Zurich to do some sightseeing.

We see the river and the lake (which I learn is "see"in German. So we see the see.)We walk through some cute alleys and plazas and then we meet Beatriz, my cousin's wife, for lunch at an Australian restaurant. We order kangaroo and ostrich to be adenturous. It isn't bad at all.

We ride a tram back to where we had parked the car. Ok. Transportation sidenote. The tram is like a trolley in San Fransisco. Sort of. But, they weave through traffic in their own lanes without warning, so it is really easy to hit them. Like we almost do. Also, the streets and the sidewalks are the same colors here with no curb, so I keep thinking cars are driving up onto sidewalks like it is no big deal.
There are barely any places to make U-turns here, and the roads are not neatly laid out. They sort of make no sense whatsoever and split in weird ways. I would have serious issues here. I can barely drive in America, let's be honest.

We are supposed to go to a technological museum, but Ashley and I pass out in the car so we head home to take a nap instead. Upon waking, we travel into Winterthur, the small town outside of Zurich where my cousin lives. Their apartment is so beautiful, with a gorgeous view of the mountains. I keep expecting goat herds to run out of nowhere. Winterthur is nice; we walk around take ridiculous photos (see below), get some groceries, and head home. According to Felipe, we have seen all there is to see of both cities in a day.

So apparently, for the rest of the days...we'll travel!

SWITZERLAND, WHAT? (Yeah, you thought it would stop. Nope.These people crazy too.)

Dear Switzerland. Zero gravity clubbing? WHAT?

He's really a shoe-eating gremlin crouching in the closet.

2010-05-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Day 10

I want to fall asleep today in class because I still don’t feel well, and we are watching this really funky non-linear independent Christopher Nolan film. It’s cool, but I can’t handle it today, especially not when it is so utterly beautiful outside.

After class, Erin, Ashley, Nick, and I head to the Wellcome Collection for the Incurably Curious. We have no idea what it is, it is a block from our flat, and we are, well, curious. It is a pretty neat place with a fascinating bookstore. If I were a rich girl (do do do do do do do) then I would buy you all souvenirs from that place. But alas, I am not. Most of the exhibits are related to science, medical practices, etc. with all sorts of cool artifacts like Charles Darwin’s walking stick, a lock of George III’s hair, a torture chair, and shoes for bound feet. There’s one room where you draw a picture based on some of the words written on the back of a card and put it up on the wall.

The four of us are now featured artists in a museum. How about that.

Next on the agenda is a tear-jerker extraordinaire, War Horse. George starts crying as soon as the horse comes onstage, aka the moment the curtain goes up. The show is breathtaking in its simultaneous simplicity and complexity. The story is about a boy and his horse during World War I, and the most fascinating thing about it is that the horses are all life-size puppets manned by 3 puppeteers each. They are so well designed that actors even RIDE the puppet horses. The creativity is amazing, employing a minimalistic set and multimedia projections. It is transferring to Broadway this year and is a definite must see. After the show, Erin, Bridgette and I look for the stage door, but George points us in the complete opposite direction, leading us down a dark alleyway at 11pm. Poor life choices. After fearing for my life, I see one of the actors and flag him down for an autograph. He then kindly points us in the right direction. (The stage door was 20 feet from where George had been standing. Fail.)

LONDON, WHAT?
Dear London. Nuns in a tube station? WHAT?

I got us to the money place! ...You mean the bank?

2010-05-25T09:20:00.001-07:00

Day 9

Class today involves watching The Queen which I enjoy. We talk about how it fits into the Hollywood screenplay structure. That Syd Field knows his stuff. Too bad his “paradigm” has sucked the creativity out of Hollywood.

After class I head to my interview for my internship. I start walking, get so lost (what else is new) and end up in a mews (an alleyway or cul-de-sac.) Granted, this is where I’m supposed to be, but it certainly doesn’t look like it. All I see are warehouse back entrances and gruff looking construction workers. I told George about this moment later on and he said I was just disappointed that I didn’t get any cat-calls. That must be it. So I finally wander to the right place and have a chat with the lady inside and realize that this is exactly what I do not want to do for an internship. And I panic. More on that later.

I meet the group at the New Diorama Theatre where we see a fringe show called Elevator, directed by Rachel Parish, a UGA graduate. It is about 2 young teens who get stuck in an elevator and die. Spoiler alert! Sorry. It was pretty fantastic. We get a chance to talk to Rachel and the actors a bit after the show.

I’m feeling sort of sickly (like everyone else on this trip. We have all shared this same cold) so I head to bed.

LONDON, WHAT?

Dear London. Why do you have so many rats with wings? WHAT?

What Was Up With the Flying Monkeys?

2010-05-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Day 8

Class with George. They all sort of run together. I think this is the second part to his lecture. I’m trying/not trying to think about this paper we have to write soon. Not excited.

After class, a few of us head to a terrifying yet magical place called Primark. Located on the aforementioned Oxford Street, this place is a department store… but the only way to describe it is to say imagine Black Friday at the mall. Then multiply the amount of people by 5 and exponentially raise the amount of crazy. I fight my way through yelling women and purchase 3 camis for a pound each. Yes. A pound. And sunglasses, for a pound. And tights for 2 pounds. Are you getting the idea? This place is crazy intense. But I love it and have to come back.

At 5:30, we meet as a group at the National Theatre where we saw London Assurance for a tour of the facility. Katie accurately dubs it “the Disneyland of theatre” and I couldn’t agree more. The place has three theatres of varying sizes and runs it’s shows on a repertory system meaning that each theatre has about 3 shows running in it at one time. “How do they do that?” you may ask. Well, in one of the theatres, there is an L shape design so the set for one of the shows pushes in one piece to a storage unit to the left of the stage, another set pushes into a unit behind the stage, and another set is kept in the ridiculously high fly system. But once the wagon is rolled onto the stage for the rolling sets, you can’t tell because the floor is lowered down so that it looks like it is built directly onto the floor. (If all of this means nothing to you, just skip it. If you are drooling by this point, keep reading.) There are various practice rooms with identical dimensions to the 3 stages so that actors can very easily and quickly transfer their work to the actual stage. They have a set construction room and a painting room and a costume room and a props room and a…..

I would give anything to work in this place. They run on a 54 MILLION POUND budget (81 million dollars). And 35% of that comes from the government. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

On the balcony of the National Theatre before the show.

After the tour we see Thomas Middleton’s Women Beware Women which leaves much to be desired. While the acting was decent, the plot was dry, the language heavy, and the direction a little weak. The last scene however, in which all of the dialogue is cut and about 12 deaths occur in the span of five minutes while the entire stage is spinning and there are black angels crawling all over the set was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen. If the show had had that sort of feel throughout, I might not have almost fallen asleep at multiple points during the 3 hours.

LONDON, WHAT?

Dear London. I understand that you lack rolling hills. But must you create your own by the sidewalks? WHAT?

It doesn't really rain in London

2010-05-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

Day 7

Somehow I manage to sleep til 3. Yes, 3 pm. Clearly my body is still not quite over jetlag. Nick and I have been dying to go to a market, so we head to Dover Street Market. Correction: we head to what we think is Dover Street Market. After getting thoroughly lost and turned around, we find the building it is supposed to be in, but it looks like it hasn’t been open in years. On the long trek back to the flat, it starts raining. Shockingly enough this is the only time we have been here where it has really rained. (Blogging from real time Day 15. This statement still holds true. The Londoners are very confused at this lack of precipitation.)

A group of us end the evening watching 10 Things I Hate About You with Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles on Nicole’s laptop. Rather unproductive day overall. But I got to see Heath Ledger sing "Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You", so that redeemed it.

LONDON, WHAT?

Dear, London. I don't have words. WHAT?

Hummus on a Hula Hoop

2010-05-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

Day 6

Considering the fact that yesterday was the longest day known to man, I sleep in until about noon. Nick and I find out that the FA Cup final is at 2:30, so we grap some brunch (bagel with cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. Why have I never thought of this before???) and head for Fulham. The first pub we try is so packed that I end up straddling the door jam and not being able to see the match at all. Nick says the guy beside him smells. So we move on. A little ways down the street is a quieter bar that clearly converts to a half swanky, half sketch dance club at night. Katie meets us there and we watch the rest of the match. To the extreme joy of all of the blue-clad Chelsea fans, they snag the title and the streets fill with cheering.

Even the police officers record the moment because such fandom must be documented.

I can only equate it to SEC football in fan intensity. Try riding the tube after a match. Then you’ll see.

Later that evening we meet up with Ryan and Bree to tour Tate Modern which is having some sort of anniversary celebration and is therefore open late. My favorite quote of the night is the moment Katie walks into the Andy Warhol Cow room

and says, “I suddenly remember why I hate modern art.” The place is pretty bizarre, but has some really cool stuff. Like a giant outlet plug.

Unfortunately my camera battery dies about a quarter of the way through, so pictures are minimal.

LONDON, WHAT?

In keeping with the modern art thing, we'll go with something postmodern looking.

Dear London. You tricked me. I thought this was a giant coffee mug. And then it wasn't. WHAT?

George, you've been sick for a week!

2010-05-23T17:53:00.001-07:00

Day 5

Longest blog post yet. Be ready.

8:30am. Meet in front of the AIFS office and meet Russell, our new favorite man. He is our tour guide for our day trip to Leeds Castle and Canterbury. We couldn’t have found a better guide. Russell is super intense and knows everything about everything and is an all-around funny guy.

This is Russell.

So first he leads us through some of London that we didn’t see on our first trip around. There’s press huddled around parliament due to the hung parliament.

An ominous looking Big Ben clock tower.

And The National Portrait Gallery.

We ride to Leeds Castle first, a beautiful place where all of us ladies have decided to get married. Since we do not have many thousands of pounds each, we have decided to all get married on the same day and be each other’s bridesmaids. We also found a wedding dress shop nearby so all we lack is a groom. Well… 11 grooms. But no matter!

The castle is interesting because it feels like a time warp.

It is so old, but is still in use and was purchased by an American woman in the 1930s, so some of the rooms have memorabilia from the queens of the 1300s who lived there, while other rooms have Lady Bailey’s 1930s decor. My favorite room is the one in which the Camp David accords were signed.

The gardens at Leeds are almost more breathtaking than the castle itself, fully in bloom and vibrant with color.

There are also peacocks. We are not sure why. One of them attacked Nicole! It was quite terrifying (for Nicole) but humorous (for us). She should have read the signs.

Oh yes, vicious geese as well.

The gardens end up at a hedge maze, which is highly infuriating to me because I have absolutely no sense of direction. After getting thoroughly lost, the guy sitting at the center of the maze has pity on us and tells us how to get to the center. The maze then leads to a grotto with “atmospheric lighting” according to the sign, but I just feel like I’m on Legends of the Hidden Temple.

Which of these things does not belong? If you guessed LED lit cave, then you would be correct.

Off to Canterbury! Another hour on the road in our bus and we arrive in quaint little Canterbury.
We grab lunch and head into the Cathedral (where picture are allowed.)
Russell tells us all about Thomas Beckett and how he was brutally murdered
and where his memorial is. (or was...the candle represents where it used to stand.)
He even makes us walk up the stairs on our knees like pilgrims to Beckett’s memorial would have hundreds of years ago.

After the tour, we break to explore Canterbury a bit. I see a sign that I can’t pass up, because my roommate from back home told me she would disown me if I did. So Erin and I sit down to tea and scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. This is for you, Megan!
Can we say heavenly? Scones in the U.S. and scones in England= totally different.

After a long ride back, one would think that I would be ready to call it a day. False. Ashley and I decide it is time to hit up Oxford Street. Shopping capital of London, baby! This street goes on forever and everything is always crowded! But it is certainly an experience. I don’t buy anything…this time.

My feet are killing me by this time, so I head back to the flat, get something to eat and relax for a bit. ...Until it’s time to go to The Rocket! The Rocket is like home away from home, a piece of Athens across the Atlantic. It’s a crazy little bar with ridiculous American music and a young, rowdy crowd. (I’m technically blogging from somewhere around day 14, and let me just say, the security guard Paul knows all of us by name. He’s a really cool guy.) Since it is a Tuesday, there are not that many people there, so we are the only ones dancing. That attracts attention, and people start taking pictures of our mad dance skills. But mostly Jordan. That boy can move! He’s definitely the favorite there.

LONDON, WHAT?
Dear London. False advertising is wrong. Way to break a southern girl's heart. WHAT?

Sorry, sorry!

2010-05-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

Day 4

10a.m. First day of class. George rambles on about the structure of plays and films. Gotta love script analysis. But we’re in London, so hey! So after class, I have a jacket potato (new British fav) with chili and cheese, soooo delicious, then meet at St. Paul’s Cathedral for a tour.

Unfortunately we aren’t allowed to take pictures inside the cathedral, but it is absolutely beautiful. I choose, after the tour, to brave the 500+ stairs to the top of the dome. Precarious? Yes. Dizzying? Yes. Totally worth it? Absolutely. (pictures coming soon! They weren’t taken on my camera.)

We decide to stay for the sung Eucharist. Incense, choir boys, and Latin chants make me realize that the Church of England is a little bit much for me. But now I can say that I have taken communion in the cathedral where Princess Diana was married. Once again, famous by proxy.

After a full day of religion and history, we are starving. We head to Pizza Express, which we believe to be a fast food joint but turns out to be a classy, classy place. Who knew that in London, pizza is fine dining?

LONDON, WHAT?

Dear London. Your ads confuse me to no end. WHAT?

Maturity in London...ha.

2010-05-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

Day 3

I’m 20!!!!!!!!!! Today May 12^th, I leave my teenagehood behind and enter into adulthood. To try to prove my maturity to myself and others, I venture with Nick to the British Museum.

After getting lost (because Nick didn’t know the way) and walking in a large rectangle around the museum, we finally find it. I’m surprised it took us as long as it did.

I mean, it is a rather imposing building with a gazillion (5) floors and who knows how many rooms and exhibits. So we walk through

Egypt: The thing from Aladdin!!!

Greece: Look! Actors!

China: This man was not pleased with Nick’s museum behavior.

And this really cool African money exhibit: The inflation was so bad at one point that their one hundred trillion dollar bill couldn’t even buy a loaf of bread.

After getting thoroughly lost inside the building (we never found Japan…) we head back to the flat, get some dinner (I cooked! I’m feeling so domestic,) and head over to the National Theatre for our first West End show, London Assurance with Mark Addy and Fiona Shaw. Written by Dion Boucicault in the 1800s, I didn’t know if I would like it, but it was absolutely hilarious. Great pick, George.

We attempt to go out after the show, but then we discover something devastating about this lovely city: everyone goes to bed early. So early!!! The pubs close at midnight, grocery stores close at 10, and everything else closes at 5. This is a problem. So we decide to have a flat get together. Fun times.

LONDON, WHAT?

Dear, London. Scientology? I thought better of you. WHAT?

London Bridge is Falling Down

2010-05-15T19:45:00.001-07:00

Day 2

8:45am. Walk over to the AIFS office for our orientation. I find out that my internship interview isn’t until next week because the producers of the company are at the Cannes Film Festival. I’m not complaining. We grab some lunch and get on a tour bus for a brief tour of London with brief stops at Buckingham Palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

On the Corner by St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey

Pretty excited about Buckingham Palace. The Queen was actually inside one of the over 600 rooms.

I had my picture taken at the phone booth they walk past in The Da Vinci Code. Clearly, now I am automatically famous.

Our tour guide’s name is Shaun. And he is pretty awesome and Scottish, and rather hilarious. After this, we travel across London Bridge and Tower Bridge and who knows what other bridge, and end up at the Tower of London.

Some really awesome looking catapult thing at the Tower.

I would like to point out that at this point it is very cold. And windy. But we got a pretty good tour of the grounds, saw where Anne Boelyn was beheaded, looked at the Crown Jewels…very fancy indeed, learned about the two princes who were murdered in the Bloody Tower, and saw Henry VIII’s armour with the giant…cup shall we call it? Henry was very insecure about his own manhood.

Little glass pillow memorial for all the nobility who were killed here. Henry's cup picture to come.

We end the evening with another pub and a delicious burger (I’m hoping for not Mad Cow…) and a first exciting trip on the tube, which is my new favorite mode of transportation.

Pretty kickin' picture I took at the Fulham Broadway Station.

There are signs every ten feet for easily confused people like me, and I just get it. Also, there are fascinating people to be found on the tube. On a side note, the calmness of the tube’s loudspeaker is rather unsettling. The other day, the lady on the loudspeaker kept saying “Due to there being a person UNDER THE TRAIN, the Central line is not running.” A person UNDER THE TRAIN. Then it happened again two days later. Apparently this is a normal occurrence in London. Nicole told me, “That person clearly did not mind the gap.” They always say that as well. Mind the Gap, so people don’t get stuck in the gap between the platform and the train. Erin wanted to know why they didn’t just fix the damn gap. Good question.

LONDON, WHAT?

Dear, London. Weeds are not a building material. WHAT?

I wanna be just like the Spice Girls

2010-05-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

For the next few weeks, this blog will chronicle my many adventures in London, England. Get ready and get excited! Unfortunately, I haven’t sat down to do this until now and I’ve been here almost a week. Soooo. Here goes.

Oh! I’ve realized that London is a rather strange place with very interesting and confuddling sights. For this reason, I have chosen to include a daily segment for a series entitled “London, WHAT?” Enjoy.

Day 1

Arrive in London horribly jetlagged. It’s five hours ahead here and our flight left at 11pm Atlanta time. Oy. We ride a charter bus the hour or so to our flat, Endsleigh Court. It is in the Bloomsbury area of London. Very cute, right in the middle of everything. And then, we go searching for cell phones. And get terribly lost. George, our professor, abandons us frequently. But it is better this way because I am forced to learn the ways of the world. Nick is supposed to be my travel buddy, but he frequently loses me.

After finally purchasing 16 identical cell phones (Which is no small feat. The man working at the store about cried when he kindly asked "How many do you need?" and we answered "16."), we head to the aptly named London Pub for our first British meal. All but two ordered fish and chips. Classic. I would also like to point out that at this point I have no idea what day it is, what time it is, how long I have been awake, or when the last time I took a shower was.

LONDON, WHAT?

Dear, London. Your window displays look like they were designed by alien Disney loving cowboys. Again, WHAT?

Theatre in Rough Economic Times: What Do You Need?

2009-12-25T15:09:00.001-08:00

Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999), a Polish theatre director and innovator, had an interesting take on what theatre really needs, a view that in these times, might be worth revisiting. In the most basic of terms, Grotowski believed that the only things necessary for true theatre to exist were an actor and an audience; someone to tell a story and someone to tell a story to. His book Towards a Poor Theatre details the three main goals of poor theatre:

1. To rediscover the connection between actor and audience

2. To return to ritual and the role of myth

3. To focus on the actor as a sign

Trained in the system of Konstantin Stanislavski, Grotowski’s methods have a similar basis, yet a distinct simplicity toward characterization. Grotowski taught a principle known as Via Negativa: the way to nothingness. In order to become another character, you must first drain completely who you are as an actor. An actor must sacrifice his body to the character.

One of his most popular exercises is called Plastique Rivers. Simply begin from alignment and start with an isolated impulse of a body part and let it flow. One impulse will lead to another impulse, and eventually different movements and images will develop and emerge. Grotowski also believed that actors are hindered by their psychological blocks and must do whatever they can to overcome them. An extremely effective way to overcome your personal mannerisms as an actor and create a physical body for your character is by creating what Grotowski called a grotesque. Imagine each part of your character’s body as an inanimate object and draw it for reference. Then, physically portray your grotesque and move as that body would move. The grotesque will almost certainly be too intense for the purpose of the character. At this point, the veiling process begins. One or two of the inanimate objects will emerge as the most important aspects of the character’s body. As you bring down the intensity of the grotesque, keep those few aspects in the physical body of the character. After veiling it several times, you will then have a body specific to your character and completely unlike yourself. For example, below is a grotesque created for a very twisted and broken character, Roberta, from John Patrick Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.

Jerzy Grotowski’s method is all about soul searching. He frequently had actos ask themselves questions similar to:

Why am I here?

What is my acting process?

What have I done so far?

What do I want?

What questions or dificulties do I have?

What blocks do I possess?

What is my will?

What drives me through life?

Many theatrical productions of the day focus on the spectacle provided by expensive technological innovations. Though to some it will feel like regressing, perhaps the economic strain put on the arts in this economy is a good excuse to reevaluate what really matters in theatre. Grotowski had it right: all you need is an actor, an audience, and a story. The rest is extra.

Based loosely on a lecture given by director, dramaturg, filmmaker, and SAG and Equity actor George Contini. For more information see http://www.amazon.com/Towards-Poor-Theatre-Routledge-Paperback/dp/0878301550

Negative Rejection

2009-10-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

I'm really close to being ready to give up.

Yesterday, I received my adjudication sheets from GTC. I clearly didn't pass.

Today, I found that I wasn't cast in any of next semester's shows. Again.

Maybe I should change my major. Maybe this is just a hint for me to pick something different. "You love it, but you suck." Maybe that's the message.

Unlike other majors, getting A's in all your classes, being well-liked by your professors, involving yourself in extracurriculars ISN'T ENOUGH.

What is enough? When is it time to just throw in the towel?

Is it now?

3, 2, 1

2009-10-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

One. More. Audition.

Then I'll be done! Miracle of miracles!

Last weekend I went to Columbus for that GTC audition. It was absolutely terrifying. 250 auditionees, 30 in a group, 90 seconds per person. I felt confident about it afterwards, but I don't think I passed. It was a good experience anyway.

I had forgotten though how ridiculous theatre people are. I hadn't gone to a theatre conference like that since high school, and it hit me just how laid back the majors of the UGA theatre department are. They are just as equally talented and passionate, but they aren't as....Uptight? Intensly competitive? High and mighty? Full of themselves? That is the reputation of a theatre student at most artistic colleges. Their departments are beautiful, their facilities are state of the art, they have all the money in the world. And they think they are hot stuff.

I've come to realize that as much as we gripe and complain about out lack of funds and lack of performance spaces at UGA, these hardships actually make our shows better. Really. When you have anything and everything, there is no need for creativity. You have it all, so your shows look like little cookie cutters. Here, we have to stretch. Our faculty came from professional theatre in New York, most of them have their PhD or at least their masters in theatre. They are extraordinarily knowledgeable and creative. Every show done at UGA is different. Different from the mainstream, more avant-garde. Because most props are found, costumes are sewn or thrifted, light instruments are limited, the emphasis of the show is on the acting and the directing. The Grapes of Wrath, one of this season's unproduced shows, is a wonderful example of this. (An unproduced show is one which receives even LESS money than the rest of the shows. And by less I mean $0. Literally.) All sound effects were created offstage, actors bought their own costumes at thrift shops, props were picked out of the garbage. A car was built onstage using scraps. It was absolutely incredible. Despite the lack of funds, the show was one of the best I have seen in years. The acting was fantastic and the creativity unparalleled. UGA rocks theatre. No matter what anyone says.

So tonight I audition, once again, to be a part of one of next semester's shows. Three minutes. Two contrasting monologues. One more time.

GTC Bound

2009-09-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Georgia Theatre Conference. Here I come.

I recently passed the screening to be able to audition at GTC to possibly audition at SETC to possibly get paid summer acting work. Yeah, that's right. It's that complicated.

SETC, or South Eastern Theatre Conference, is one of the largest professional theatre conferences in the nation. In addition to fantastic plays from all over the region and workshops taught by theatre professionals, there are auditions. Oh yes, more auditions. Over 90 professional theatre company representatives sit in an enormous room, and 25 auditionees are ushered in at a time. One by one, you get to stand up there, say your number (not your name), and give your monologue and snippet of a song in 90 seconds.

I feel as if auditions are an inextricable part of my life. They follow me, beckon me, taunt me, put me down. Yet I keep coming back because they hold the key to my success. Why? I LOATHE auditions. Strongly, passionately, and with a deep burning hatred. They control what I do. If I pass, I get work. If I don't, I'll wait tables.

So, I am always always always reading plays, searching for that perfect monologue for my acting style. I am always always always listening to Broadway music, searching for that perfect song for my range. It is constant. Never ending.

It is sort of a catch-22 it seems. I have always told myself that I would never do something I hated for the rest of my life. Yet it seems as though in order to do what I love for the rest of my life, I must do something I hate. Is it worth it? Does the love outweigh the hate?

Yes. Always and forever, yes.

"Somebodies"

2009-09-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

The pilot for the show Somebodies leaves much to be desired. Though it succeeds in defining who the main characters are, their characterization falls flat. The little bit of characterization present in the first couple of episodes is very superficial and ridiculously stereotypical. Perhaps the point of the show is for black people to rise out of stereotypes by knowingly portraying those very stereotypes. But instead of clearly understanding that purpose, I was left with the feeling that all of the jokes and characters to come in the script would be predictable. I am still unclear as to the purpose of some of the characters. All of Scottie's friends sort of run together and lack distinctive traits other than their physical appearance. I don't know why his ex-girlfriend is still in the picture, though she certainly adds some spice with her risky acting choices.

As far as the acting goes, it is less than believable, especially the younger, primary characters, which is unfortunate. The strongest actors by far are the older actors who play Scottie's relatives and the churchgoers. Other than those few, who got some laughs out of me with their detailed character acting, the acting is bland.

The story lines were fairly well intertwined though at times there wasn't a clear definition between the A and B story lines. There were certain well-planned moments, such as the meeting of Scottie, the club leader, Scottie's friend, and the tennis instructor.

The second episode does have a more intriguing story and gives a little more insight into Scottie's character. There is an arc, and there are definite improvements from the pilot, but I'm not sure they are enough to compell audiences to watch a third episode.

Positive Rejection

2009-08-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

From the moment we learn to express our feelings vocally, we are taught by mothers, teachers, mentors to think positive. Keep our chins up. Yet for some strange reason, it seems that we are conversely taught to think negatively so that life doesn't disappoint us. Let us down.

What is the right mindset for life? For theatre? For today?

I got called back to all three shows. For 5 characters. My confidence was high, I felt good about my second auditions, and I wasn't really nervous about getting cast. "Think positive," they said.

This morning, my name wasn't on a single list.

If there is something I know a lot about, it's rejection. I came from a high school where the lead roles went to the booster club president's daughter and all the other skinny chorus girls. I was never one of them. But I never gave up. I kept coming back, year after year, hoping that one day my terribly flighty, hardly talented director who never directed would see that I had talent.

One day she did. And it felt fantastic.

Something people keep telling us is that rejection is the common denominator in this industry. That we should let it roll off our backs, without giving it a single thought and moving on to the next audition. Without pain. Without feeling. Like rocks. Yet the moment we get onstage they want raw emotion, passion, love, anger, terror, sadness, soul ripping anguish. But not offstage. Turn it on. Turn it off. Control your emotions.

I can't do it. I took a few deep breaths and started bawling. The type of crying where you can't breathe right, and your eyes puff up, and you can't stop it no matter how hard you try.

People also keep telling me that it'll get easier. It doesn't.

It Feels Nice to Breathe

2009-08-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

After a stressful, heartpounding, and absolutely terrifying three minutes of my life, auditions are finally over. Of course, things never work out exactly as we would like them to, so my audition wasn't perfect. I muffed up the introduction of my second piece out of sheer nerves, but the monologues themselves went off without a hitch. In fact, they went a little bit better than I had originally hoped. I was concerned that my comedic monologue wasn't actually funny. I was terrified that it would fall flat on the judges' ears without even a chuckle or a smile. But to my complete surprise, they laughed! I got to a line that no one had ever laughed at before (it being a fairly elevated literary joke) and one of the judges just lost it. It is such a fantastic feeling to evoke laughter from an audience. At the end of my 3 minutes, I said, "Thank you very much, have a nice day," walked out the door, and breathed for the first time in a week.

Don't let my happy tale fool you. The terror isn't over. In fact, it has only begun. The next step is considered by many the most frightening of all: walking up to the callback list and trying desperately to find your name. If your name is listed under any of the shows, that means they liked you and they want to see you back to read from the script. Congratulations! If not...it's a blow to the self esteem, that's for sure. Because even though walking up to the actual cast list seems just as daunting, it's really not. If you don't get a part, it is disappointing. But at least you can say that you made it to the second round of casting. But if you don't make the callback list...they really didn't like you. So clearly, I'm desperately hoping to see my name on that list tomorrow night. And if so, then the real fun begins.

Call backs.

Easier Said Than Done

2009-08-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

I finally picked my two monologues. One is from Sugarbaby by Frank Cwiklik, and the other is from Erratica by Reina Hardy. I have been stressing all day over these auditions. You get one chance. ONE. For the entire semester. If you screw it up...too bad. And since (as always) I have chosen to procrastinate, my level of preparedness is extraordinarily low.

As I learn more about theatre and the audition process, instead of things getting easier, they get harder. Before, you just had to pick a monologue you liked, memorize it, look over it a couple of times, and read it in a semiconvincing way with very minimal thought. If you were decent at acting, you'd get a part. Now things get complicated. Your monologue must be within your age range. Your monologue cannot tell a story. Your monologue must have an arc. Your monologue must show change. Your monologue must show variety. Your monologue must have levels. Your monologues must contrast. Your monolgue must be UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND.

Then you have to actually think. You have to research the play the monologue comes from, think about who your character is, how you would move, how you would talk. You must consider the subtext of each line and effectively convey the hidden meaning. But you can only do this after you have completely memorized the entire piece. Fantastic.

My audition is Thursday at 7:16. I have 1 day, 20 hours, and 26 minutes.

Monologue-ing

2009-08-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

I currently find myself freaking out about the fact that auditions for the University Theatre season are in 3 days. And I have one monologue that is way too long and only partially memorized. And I need one more. There's something utterly terrifying about auditions. Much more so than actual performances. You put yourself out there for exactly 3 minutes and just beg for them to judge you. I don't like to be judged. But for some strange reason the theatrical community insists that they are necessary. So my fellow actors and I continue to submit ourselves to their scrutiny. Let's hope Thursday's audition is actually worth the effort. Rehearsal here I come....