Monday

Unless I can get this Emilia monologue to work, totally new monologues next week.  We need to present two for the final class (like a real audition) plus also do a side for a call-back situation.  We'll probably have an outside audience, possibly a casting director (because people requested that.)  So, a lot of work to do.  At least, need to choose, so I can do the character work.

Went to the drop-in Suzuki session tonight.  Took time off of work to go; there were three of us, plus the instructor.  We did marches and slow-ten (not sure how to write that.)  I like the slow-ten.  Feel very uncoordinated and amateur otherwise; started to get the marches by the second time through.  Started to.  Learned an arm movement we hadn't done in the intensive, which confused my body-brain connection.  It's still: the centering, the actual movement, the stillness, the holding of the stillness for as long as possible before moving (as quick as possible), the rhythm, the moving in sync with everyone else, and the switching of sides (not to mention just trying to remember what the movements are supposed to be), and the focus.  And then we did the whole sequence again, switching sides of the body, to the non-dominant one, which always throws me off.  Perhaps it's like learning to play the drums, or the piano, or whatever it is where every limb is doing something different and you just have to learn all those things and then forget about it.  When I was learning how to play a drum kit a number of years ago, I remember the moments where I had each limb doing a different thing, and I'd get excited about that, and then think about it, and then lose the groove...actually, that's acting, too.  And I guess that's part of why this is good for that.  (Acting is holding all those parts of the character in your body and voice and mind, and using yourself to communicate their story for them.  You do all the work, and then it's there, and available.)

Anyway, it's only an hour, and in some ways that seems so short, but in others, plenty.  I think the only thing I might have been able to do at the end of the hour would have been statues, and not very many of those.  I was super shaky.  Fatigued.  And really hungry.  (And then I had choir rehearsal after, so wiped out now.) Surprising how much energy it takes to hold focus, intention, and stillness.  I'm not sure when I can go again, but it's the sorta' thing that needs a lot of practice.  I enjoy it, when I get over the nervousness.

Raccoons, but no shooting stars

Tired. The air was still warm when we got out of rehearsal, but there was a low-hanging coolness that smelled of the sea. It even managed to work it's way into the tunnel. I caught the third bus because I missed the first and the second was late and doesn't go close enough at this hour. Even though my bus was 10 minutes behind that one, it caught up because it didn't have to pick anyone up.

I looked for shooting stars as I walked home. Saw the Big Dipper, it's one of three constellations I can identify, the other two being the Little Dipper and Orion, but no shooting stars. As I got closer to home, I saw two mid-sized raccoons lumping their way across the busy street, moving toward my house. I like them, from a distance.

We worked our scene tonight. It's longer and has a lot more blocking than I thought. It was very hot: the play takes place in winter and we had winter clothing on, and the rehearsal space was hot. Two of my shirts were soaked. I really need to get my lines down, it was hard to block holding a script. We need to be off-book by next rehearsal. The kissing is not my biggest issue, I have other things I need to work on that will be harder, but the physical training is proving helpful, it's good that they overlapped.

Also, need to talk to more people about the Meisner year. I don't have a good sense of what exactly it offers (compared to other training), if it's what I need, and what the actual time committment is. And with the latter, I am willing to give up the rest of my life for the next nine months, but I want to know I'm getting the training that's right for me at this time, that will move me forward. (The things I will give up are important to me-such as singing, and I barely see anyone outside of work or school now.) I question this because doing more clown and improv might be more helpful for me, it's what has helped me this year. Although, I need to work on speaking, and there are other aspects of working with text that I managed to not get that other people have, and my director has to explain to me what he's talking about. (The curriculum needs to be more uniform overall.) I spoke briefly with someone that dropped out of Meisner, he made me concerned about outside committment requirements, but again, I need to talk to more people. I'm less than 99% sure now.  I remember now that in every course evaluation I filled out over the past year I added that they should offer clown again. Still don't remember why.

I'm hungry, and I'm somehow craving tartar sauce with dill in it...must be the picture of a fish I just saw.

I got a notice from the library that I got the book back. The same book. The next day.

Here's a link to Star Sign by Teenage Fanclub (sounds a bit wonky)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw49UgKoZnQ