can you...feel a...brand new day?

Now THAT will be stuck in your head all morning! You're welcome.

So, last night I just felt like my world was coming to a crashing halt. And yes, I am being over-dramatic because that's how I felt last night -- over-dramatic. I was so frustrated because I was trying to figure out a technology-related problem and I just wasn't getting anywhere. So I felt like I'd wasted my entire evening working on this project. Then I went to work and didn't feel like doing anything productive. Then I started thinking about all of these things I needed to do by the end of the week, and I got so stressed out that I started to cry. Well, that was unnecessary, so I turned on some lady danville tunes and watched a couple funny videos and started to feel better about life.

And then it became breaking news city in that newsroom.

A car crashed out on one of the state roads, very unfortunately killing the driver, who was only 21. And it was like, my whole pity party was put into perspective and I just thought, "Sheez, Lisa, get a grip. What are you feeling sorry for yourself for?" And then I sort of got a jump-start to my work and started cranking out a script, making calls to update information, and cutting video. Then police released info about a shooting incident that happened last night (no one was seriously hurt, thankfully) and it was off to the races.

We had a fantastic show this morning, and I don't mean that to sound insensitive to the fact that someone died this morning. I hate when stuff like that happens. But when it does, it becomes my job to find out as much about it as I can as fast as I can, and this morning I think I did that. So I felt good about doing my job well.

And then the engineer pointed out the review in the paper of the play I'm currently in. If you remember from previous posts, these reviews make me really nervous, especially for this show, since there wasn't a large cast or leading actresses to take the focus of the article. I was the leading actress in this case. And according to the review, I did fine! Phew! So that made me feel great!

And then I came home and solved my little technology problem, and I think I can just go to bed as content as can be today!

Here's hoping I feel this good when I wake up tonight ;)

confession time

OK, so here's something I've figured out about myself:

I suck at life when I'm doing tech week for a show.

I don't do dishes, I eat like a teenager, I don't pick up clothes or clean ANYTHING, I don't update my blog, I don't have time to work out, and I have to resist a very strong urge to wear the same thing every day. And sleep in it. The only thing that keeps me from abandoning all personal hygiene is the fact that I have to put on make-up and do my hair for each night of rehearsals and shows, which means washing my face and hair in order to do that.

But here's the good news: after tomorrow (or I guess today) I will be in show mode, which means no rehearsals till Thursday, and then shows on the weekends. I'll have time to sleep, eat, clean, and work out; which will in turn restore my will to put together outfits and take showers. I'll also get back to answering people's emails and updating my blogs. This is the fun part of doing a play!

And speaking of which, opening weekend has gone well so far. So many of my favorite people showed up each night, and I now have enough flowers in my apartment that I could put my vase of fake tulips in the closet! It's always nice to not have to put ALL your fake flowers out :) And doing a comedy is really fun! It's so cool to see how different each audience is; every night different lines get the laughs. It's also fun to try doing lines a little differently each night to get different responses from the audience. I have to admit, laughter and applause are two addicting things! But I think after this show I will need a break from the play-acting.

Other news: I called someone about pug puppies Friday. I haven't heard anything yet, but hopefully things will work out and I'll be able to get a puppy soon! Also, my favorite season, summer, is well on its way! Friends are finishing school and coming home for the summer, and soon my schedule will be clear for days at the pool, cookouts at night, and weekends at lake houses, downtown festivals, and county fairs. And this month I'll make my last car payment, meaning a little freed-up dough for summer clothes shopping (yay!) and, of course, puppy stuff!!! Mix it all up with a solid tan, a couple of weddings, and a week up north at the lake in August, and you've got a pretty excellent summer! It's so close I can almost smell the Coppertone!

OK, shutting down for the night/early AM. Sweet dreams of summertime!

what do i do with my hands?

You know that episode of 30 Rock where Liz talks Jack into playing a character on TGS and then finds out he's a terrible actor? You do? Great! Remember the part where he doesn't know what to do with his hands so he decides to hold a coffee mug in each one?

Well, that's how I feel about Private Lives right now.

I told you before that I was nervous about doing this because I've never considered myself a "real" actor. Because this is the first role I've done for a whole show without breaking into song and dance. And it's a big role; there are lots of lines, and it's only me and one other person onstage for the majority of the show. So it's a bit intimidating, and there are all these beat changes, and all these little blocking moves, and it takes a lot of concentration for me to do this and try to do it well, without cheesing it up.

And then there's the British accent.

It's not that I can't do it. It's that I feel really silly doing it. I'm trying really hard to make the lines sound real and natural because I want to be a good actor, but then when I try to use the accent, it just sounds (to me) like a silly affectation, and I feel like...how can I be sincere about what I'm saying while sounding like I'm talking funny? If I were playing some sort of character role, that would be a completely different thing. But although the part of Amanda is very comedic, she also has some very real, passionate moments. And I guess I just have a hard time taking myself seriously when I'm speaking in an accent, so I worry that other people are going to have a hard time taking me seriously too.

Now add to those two hurdles the fact that everyone in this play is in love with each other, so a lot of the blocking is touching, kissing, hugging, and I don't know these people. So yeah, it's awkward. I hate that part. I know by the end of the show we'll all be touching and kissing and hugging each other like it's no big deal, but it's the first week and it's awkward. I can't help it.

Blerg.

Anyway, I get tonight off, which is good because it seriously takes a LOT of concentration to do that stuff for three hours straight. And I can't concentrate on any one thing for more than like...40 minutes. Oh! Also, Act I has to be memorized by Sunday night. So...there's that.

In other news, I'm excited because just before work tonight I found my spare set of car keys, which includes a spare clicker for my door locks. My other clicker's battery died, so I've been doing things the old-fashioned way, and I knew I had another clicker somewhere but it took me forever to find it. But now that I have it, I'm back to feeling super-cool for being able to unlock and lock my car remotely. I know...it doesn't take much.

OK, more in a post to follow very, very soon. It's about vacation. I was going to write about it here, but things got too long, so we're ditching and starting a new post, K? K.

Until then!

out of the frying pan...

...and into the fire!

And I mean that in a good way.

So, at the closing of Children of Eden, the man directing Civic's next (and last) production of the season asked me to come in and read for one of the parts. Tonight I went in and did the reading with a couple of other people called in for some of the other parts. And the director liked what he saw and heard, so I'm on to the next show, which is very thrilling!

The play is Private Lives, and it's very funny. I will play the role of Amanda, a recently remarried woman who runs into her ex-husband while on honeymoon and decides to run off with him.

Oh, and everyone in the play is British, so I will be learning how to speak with an English accent.

That's just one reason I'm kind of scared out of my mind to do this show.

The other reason (and the main one) is that I've never done a straight play like this. The only non-musical production I was in was a play version of "The Nutcracker" at my high school when I was 13, and that had a large cast and a lot of dancing in it.

This cast is made up of five people. Almost every scene involves interacting with only one other character at a time. No singing or dancing to hide behind. And no escape from the critical eye of Mr. Dick Jaeger, whenever he happens to come watch the show and write up his review.

Gulp.

I think I'm going to learn a lot; I'm excited and intimidated, but I think it's going to be a great challenge for me. I've never really thought of myself as a good "actor," just a good "performer." So I guess we'll find out once and for all this time around, huh? And this is also the first truly "adult" role I've ever had. I think this is going to be a growing experience.

Anyway, that's it for now! There's a pizza in the oven with my name on it! Until later!