Generosity

Cracked, November 10/L Herlevi 2014

Think I just read the wrong play, can't recall what the right play was.  My audition teacher/coach gave me a Shakespeare play to look at, but I can't find where I wrote it down.  Ended up reading "All's Well That Ends Well," and a stripped down version at that (no stage directions, really.)  I'm looking for a comedic Shakespeare monologue.  I didn't present anything in class, and need to come up with something for this week, I can't remember if this is a six- or eight-week class.  If it's six, we are half-way through, and I don't have anything close to being presentable.

Went to a drop-in improv class earlier tonight.  I'm trying to come up with some clown material and am feeling blocked, or stuck.  Thought the improv might help ideas flow, or to at least get to a place where that can happen.  I thought it was just going to be he and I (which intimidated me a bit, I've never done this type of improv before, just with character work and clown, so I didn't know what to expect-no one else had shown up), and he was helping me start something.  A couple other people came in a little late, and we did story generation work.  He's a very generous teacher.  He's never done clown, but has an idea of what that would be, so was trying to work with improv techniques that would go in that direction.  I'll probably go again, maybe bring some other people along.  I'm doing a different workshop next week, more related to auditioning.  (Of course, all that is a moot point if I don't get a head shot.)

Birches, November 11/L Herlevi 2014

The temperatures have gone from almost 60 to somewhere in the 30's, with the wind.  At least it was sunny; spent most of the day outside to make the most of that.  Now I'm sitting here in my coat still, trying to warm up after waiting for the bus.  I'm not complaining, though the heat doesn't seem to make it's way into the attic.  There were people sleeping in doorways with just a single blanket.  That would be miserable, I wished I'd had extra hats or gloves or something to offer.  It'll probably be in the 20's tonight with a wind.

Internet connection is goofy, so that's all I'll write.

I am grateful for the roof over my head.

Really should sleep

But I'm all riled up...good discussion, though. I posted the previous post on accident but kept it up anyway. Truth be told, I don't have anything more interesting to say now.

Went to an open house at the theatre school. Sat in on Playwriting and Solo Performance "classes." I want to study with both these people, I'm fired up. But already committed to the other program, hopefully they will teach again in summer or next fall.  They both seem to be what I am looking for in a teacher, they each explained their process. I'm braver than I was, even three months ago, still the idea of both classes scare the pants off of me. What if I can't produce anything? What if I have no depth? What if I suck? What if I don't have a story? What if I have nothing to say? All of those things scare me. Still, we did exercises tonight, I can practice those on my own until I can take a class...it's only myself stopping me, getting in my way. Coincidentally, I was just telling my housemate about living on a mountain in Costa Rica in college and she asked me if I had journaled about that...I don't know, I must've written something, but I don't know where it would be...maybe I'll write it again, I remember enough. It wouldn't be a play, but it would be good for setting a scene, working on story-telling, finding conflict, remembering location and mannerisms. Sometimes I feel I am sitting on the surface; my interest in those two classes is to go deeper; and even if I never produce a play, or a solo performance worth performing publicly, they seem like the next step of finding depth in character.  And it's good to go out of your comfort zone, do something that scares you.

Have no idea why I'm so vibrantly awake right now.  Maybe I should watch something boring, need to get to work on time tomorrow. No caffeine after noon, either. Just really, really awake.