Ring Out, Crazy Bells!

In lieu of an actual Merry Christmas message to y'all, my dear friends and readers that I might not actually know, I'm combining a late cheer with an early wish.

First off, I hope everyone had a nice Christmas with family and friends all around and good food on your table. Even if you didn't what you wanted, it doesn't matter because it's who gave it to you that's really important. People talk about the giving and receiving of gifts like it's the gift that's important. It's really the people that are important. Who you give the gift to and who gives you a gift. The gift matters little. So I hope you got from whom you wanted and gave to whom you needed. To all of you, a very Merry Christmas!

Now for New Years'...

This past year has been crazy! For one thing, I started blogging. I mean, how crazy is that? I've grown up, grown apart and grown closer in a whole variety of ways. Those in the know, know, and those not in the know are going to stay that way. Discretion is, after all, the better part of valor. I've started a career in theatre that seems to have fizzled a little, but is not without promise, I hope. I've lost touch with some of my good friends from SVU and I've reunited with a couple of friends from high school. I've missed three weddings, attended no funerals - thank God! - seen one birth, heard of at least six engagements in as many months, loved, laughed, wept and danced.

I've tried new things, ended old things, tossed out the garbage of my life, and shuffled things around to see if the new arrangement is to my liking. For the most part, it's not, but it's livable for the moment.

The biggest thing I can say is that I have grown some. Maybe not much, maybe not even enough, but I've grown. I'm getting better at identifying who my friends are and who's just there when it works. And always, my family has been at my back, giving me an anchor to the ground.

New Year's Resolutions:

1. Lose weight. I don't want to be a twig, but I do want to lose my gut.
2. Get in shape. I want to be better and improving my body is one way to do it.
3. Find a girlfriend. I know what love is like for me now. Sort of. I just need to find the right girl for it now.
4. Improve my vices. Everyone has them and mine need a lot of work.
5. Live wisely. Each year should be a little better than the last one I think.

We'll see if I can't get all these accomplished before the end of next year.

For the first two, I plan - if something else doesn't crop up soon - on joining one of the branches of the Armed Forces. I was thinking Air Force or Navy, but I went through Army JROTC, so we shall have to see. Basic will take care of the first two resolutions naturally and hopefully the third will happen with little help from me. The fourth will be a work in progress. I have good days and bad days and I'm going to try and make all of them good. The last resolution is something I'm going to be continuously working on. We're here to learn and to prove ourselves, so I'm going to do the best I can.

I hope to see you all on the Journey with me! Any trip is better with friends, just on general principal. And the greatest trip of all should be made surrounded by friends and family. You need to know where you've been, even if you don't know precisely where you're going or why.

Ring Out, Crazy Bells! Let the Old Year pass and the New Year arrive!

Cheers to all of you!

-S.

Departing Soon

I'm sick of boredom. I need to do something more exciting with my life. I'm young. I'm relatively smart. I have a bachelor's degree. I've got to do something.

So pay attention fellow passengers, because I'm going to be heading out again, and this time, there won't be any going back!

-S.

Me & A Mouse

I love Disney World. As a kid, I remember my whole family piling into our sweet Starcraft van and traveling down to Disney World in 20 hours or less. I think our family record is 18 hours one way.

Granted, fmaily vacations usually end with everyone on slightly terse terms with everyone else and some kind of new drama to keep things interesting and lesser feuds going. yes, there is a scale for feuds. Greater Feud is accesible only after the 6th spellcaster level and affects 9HD Humanoids, while Lesser Feud is accessible at the 3rd spellcaster level and affects only two Humanoids. Yes, I tottally just created a spell from DnD for my blog. Does that make me pathetic?

Well, yes, but pathetic is such a strong word...

Anyway, I haven't been to the World in years and as it turns out, the family and I are going down for Thanksgiving this year. Can I say excited as hell?? I think I can! And complete the emotion with a happy dance of joy. Look out for the happy dance. It is contagious like Swine Flu.

Come Friday, I will be on the road. Come Saturday, I will be in Florida and ejoying the Holidays with my Family in the Happiest Place on Earth!

So, because I won't have access to a computer until after the Vacation is over, Happy Thanksgiving to all you readers out there!

-S.

All Soul's Night

See, I don't remember if it's called Halloween and All Soul's Night, or if the two days are separate.

Oh well, not really a major concern.

Anyway, I'm just wishing any of you readers out there a Happy and Safe Halloween this year!

This year, I will be playing the part of 'Zombie', hopefully with pictures by Monday. Also, I'm going to be in NYC!! I'm excited about this, especially since I'm posting about it here. To the cast members of She Loves Me, Break A Leg tonight and tomorrow night as well! I only wish I could visit you and see it for myself.

Also, I'm going to be attempting NaNoWriMo this year again, with a similar story as last year's failure. The difference is that I'm actually going to take my time with development so that I have more places to go with it, rather than last year which had too many different directions to go in and no way to cover them all. Wish me luck!

Happy Halloween and Break a Leg folks!

-S.

Occupational Hazards: Paper Cuts, Obnoxious Customers, Accidental Cocain Overdose...

I felt like writing something that would attract your attention. Just you though, not that creeper standing behind you who's reading over your shoulder! Just kidding, s/he can read too if s/he wants. That's why it's Public!

Off topic. Moving on.

I scored a job at last! It's only about six weeks in coming, but I don't care because this means that I have a source of stable income now and before Christmas too!

In case you were wondering, this new occupation is a Lunchtime Teller at Sovereign Bank! I won't tell you how much I make, nor will I tell you where I work because I don't know if that creeper standing behind you is just trying to gain that information so s/he can stalk me. After all, I am probably one of the more stalker-worthy individuals out there.

Just Kidding. Stalkers tend to be odder than me, and that level of oddness I simply cannot abide in any sort of relationship, even in nonexistent ones!

Off topic again. Moving on.

So, those occupational hazards I mentioned are somewhat accurate. Counting money and handling excessive amounts of paperwork increases the risk of paper cuts. I don't have a number, so no adding it to Wikipedia. Customers are Customers no matter where you work. Anyone who's had to deal with them knows exactly what I'm talking about. As for the accidental cocaine OD...In my previous teller job, one of my coworkers mentioned that statistically most $100 bills had microscopic traces of cocaine on them. So, if you handled enough 'doped' bills it is conceivable to get a high from them because of skin absorption. THEREFORE, if you handled, like ALL of them, you could MAYBE get a cocaine overdose.

The chances are remote, but one in one million is still ONE.

Kind of like the odds that a College Theatre Graduate would or could get a decent job so soon after graduation outside the theatrical world!

Woot for being the ONE in one MILLION!

-S.

Update: Still Unemployed

I haven't written anything lately. There's nothing to write. I have no job yet, but I have dozens of prospects. I didn't really expect there to be almost literally nothing available during the first two months of the Fall.

Here's hoping that the upcomming holiday season gives rise to more jobs.

-S.

Financial Responsability

Despite my best efforts thus far - there's only so many times it's really prudent to call the Human Resources department anywhere - I seem to be lacking one very critical aspect of the next six months of life: a Job.

The capital letter is important. Just read anything by Terry Pratchett. You'll see.

Anyway, it looks like a slightly grim first week home ahead for me. Between job hunting and job hunting, and well probably a little job hunting, I'm going to be much busier than I was originally anticipating.

Some feedback from you Loyal (Or at least Present) Readers: Should I look into a Temp Agency, or just hoof it on the mean streets of Brick New Jersey? Seriously, any feedback at all would be awesome.

In the meantime, here's hoping that victory and a steady paycheck will be mine!

-S.

Hello Dolly!

The final show of the Mount Washington Theatre Company opened tonight and it went well, I thought. Few technical glitches - though the few that were were fairly large - and solid performances all around.

Our Dolly and Vandergelder are actually a married couple who met on this stage. Naturally their chemistry is good. And her performance as wonderful. She didn't overplay the part, as is so easily the case with a role such as this, and her voice was clear and strong. Now, bear in mind that this time my vantage point wasn't the back of the house, but back stage left next to the patch board. I managed the roll-drop (called the Olio, though I don't know why; isn't a roll-drop a roll-drop?) and other flying scenery and also managed the patch box.

You might think that this sounds like light work, however, bear in mind that the olio is 20 by 12 foot painted peice of canvas suspended from the rafters on a large steel cylinder with 20 feet of inch wide steel pipe running along the base of it to keep it stretched. Needless to say, it weighs a fair amount. Flying it in is never an issue. Flying it out requires two people to make it look smooth.

Anyway, pissing and moaning aside, I thought the show did very well. The set was large - almost too large, but that's moslty with specific elements - and looks impressive. There are moments backstage when I'm impressed by how well our dock manager coordinates the whole thing.

Tonight's audience loved specific numbers so much that they applauded before the ends of certain songs - like the title number. In any event, while it's not a perfect show or probably even excellent, it's still very good and solid. There hasn't been a show so far that I wouldn't have reccomended a patron to see.

But that's all for this season folks.

-S.

A Toast

I met Brayden at SVU my freshman year in the old Student Union. He was sitting with his laptop and invited me over to look at something funny online. I believe it was a listing of French Military Defeats at albinoblacksheep.com. From there we talked and I learned that he was auditioning for the Fall show that year and he invited me over to his house to watch the movie with him and another friend of ours. I'd like to say that the third friend was Kaitlin, but that would be a lie. It was another girl who would soon be engaged and married by the end of that semester. That evening, we watched the Importance of Being Earnest in his basement.

That's the first time I ever had a real friend. In all my time at school in New Jersey and at Church growing up, I never really had what I'd call a real friend. There were people I knew, kids I would play with certainly, but I'd never have called them friend. To me, a friend is someone who is not related to you that you can talk to about anything. Someone you can always trust, someone who will help you without being asked to. And he was friend to me.

During my Senior year, Kaitlin came along and the two of them eventually got together. I may have had a hand in it because I did tell her to give Brayden a chance. He was a good guy and I pride myself on my judge of character. Well, you can see the results from that chance she gave him.

I asked him once if he loved her. And his response was, "There are three different definitions of Love in the Bible. There is the love of family members, the love of friends and finally the love of spouses. And I love her as my spouse." I might be paraphrasing a little, but that's the essence.

So here's a toast: To the Bride and Groom. May you love each other, may you live long and full, and may God bless you with success in all your endeavors. Cheers.

So here I am in New Hampshire, raising my glass to toast , and hoping that they will always live happily ever after.

-S.

Blood Brothers

Not gonna lie, I wasn't expecting to like this one. To a certain extent I still don't, but not in the way I was expecting.

To be fair, the show was written for a country that is not the United States. It's England/Great Britain, depending on your preference. The play follows the story of two twin brothers separated at birth who become friends - in separate households and classes - and eventually die at one another's hands. Don't freak out; I didn't really spoil anything. That much is revealed in the first five minutes of the show, and besides, it's theatre people: the thing is practically designed to be ruined. Off topic, moving on.

So the real message of the show is partially lost to an American audience because America does not have the same rigid class system that the UK suffers from. Apart from that, the music is pretty good and the set and lights are pretty bitchin'. Ten points to Victoria Miller, Lighting Designer, and David Dwyer, Set Designer.

My biggest issue with the show, is that half of the set changes are ridiculously fast and require a fairly large amount of finesse and we don't have the man-power nor the skill level to really execute them perfectly yet. They're not horrid; if they were my review would be much worse. Anyway, suffice it to say that the show is not perfect and probably never will be with the short run it has.

The performances were pretty good too. Apart from the sometimes poorly executed accents. Seriously people, don't do accents without a speech coach or unless you KNOW the accent. Several really cool lines were lost in translation due to shoddy accents. Despite the accents, i was still impressed by the vocal skill of the actor playing Mrs. Johnston. Those were some very low notes for a woman to sing and she hit them with clarity, good tone, and decent volume. Bear in mind, this is all just an opinion. I'm no voice teacher, director, or artist of any sort really.

The actors playing the Johnston Twins were also pretty good, and their stage dynamic wasn't what I'd call fantastic, but it was good enough that it worked. The final number of the show should bring forth a lump to the throat, if not tears to the eyes.

It's good, just not awesome and life-changing. So it's kind of like a fig newton: tasty enough to snack on, but not addictingly delicious.

Forever Plaid

The latest show in the Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company's (say THAT three times fast...) repertoire for their 39th season opened tonight...And I was in it!!

The other performers did very well, I thought. There weren't any dropped lines that I can recall that weren't my fault or else covered adequately. The sound was, as I take it, good and clear. Nobody complained - well, that I happened to ask - that we couldn't be heard.

I had a hard time gauging the audience's enjoyment of the show, but I assume that, because of the laughter from the crowd and the applause afterward, they liked us. I thought that we sounded good. Our blend was pretty good and our diction was also pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good. The soloists were excellent, barring my last solo for the evening. I'm not kidding; it sounded horrid. It was too high for me and I had to belt out all those high notes right at the end and I think the audience heard my strain. See? Horrible!

My bass solo - Sixteen Tons - was pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. Not to inflate my ego, but I enjoyed singing it and they liked hearing it. Maybe I should stick to the low notes and leave the high shit for the tenors.

Despite the fact that this show has a small number - comparatively - of performances and those dates are somewhat scattered, I think this show will do well. Especially since we have another week to play around with it and make it better.

So, if any of you are in the area on a monday in the next month, check and see if we're playing and come and see us perform! It'll be great!

-S.

The Producers

I like this show. The script is hilarious, and because of it's national acclaim, any theatre that does this show can't really flop it.

...

Did I use that phrase right? Oh well, whatever. Anyway, Our show wasn't as horrifying as I was expecting it to be. This a very good thing, because I'm a spot operator for it and I have to watch the show intently for it every night. Three more weeks of Producers every night, except Mondays. This is going to be fun.

The best part is that I'm learning a new skill for technical theatre: Follow Spot Operator! My hand isn't all that steady and my fade-in aim is awful, but I am learning. And my hands are getting slightly calloused from the handle on the instrument. I guess that last bit is a good thing...? Maybe, maybe not I suppose.

Anyway, brief review: The musical numbers are fairly solid, with a few dropped/fumbled lines here and there. The characters are decent and the set is incredible! What the designer did in such a small space is nothing short of a miracle, but considering it's David Dywer, I'm not exactly surprised. His sets are usually pretty awesome, in my humble and uneducated opinion. Favorite player for this show is the actor playing Max Bialystock. Tremendous energy and great presence, not to mention a decent (at least - remember my opinion doesn't count for much) sense of comedic timing. Worst moment on stage: the fals Irish accents during the arresting scene. Really bad - in general - in the worst possible way.

If you're in the North Conway area in the next three weeks, come and see it; it's good, I promise!

-S.

Newsflash!

Well, it's about two days late, but still. Better late than never!

I got a part this summer in the last show they are doing here. The show is Forever Plaid and I play the part of Smudge. Fortunately for me, he's a bass and the music is good enough that it's relatively easy to pick up for me. It opens at the end of July and I'm kind of stoked about it because this is the first time I'm doing something professional in my career! Yay for hope for the Future!

That also means, however, that the little time I had off from work and shows is now spent either unwinding from said work or memorizing lines and music. I also get paid a little bit more too!

The good things I've gotten are worth the price right now.

-S.

High School Musical - the Musical

The show is utter tripe. I said as much in FaceBook. But here's why it's utter tripe.

The characters are singing songs that they don't mean, they are saying lines that they wouldn't say and the story flows in a way that makes very little logical sense at all. I short, utter tripe.

Now, if the focus of the show was put on the rivalry between the cliques and it featured Gabriella having to choose between the various social groups at the school - a la 'Ten Things I Hate About You' or 'Clueless' - and then you added in the blossoming romance between Troy and her, coupled with Sharpay's jealousy of Troy's affection and his own desire to be a performer, and THEN...you could have a decent musical.

But there's a number of songs that are not necessary. For example, every time the characters are not singing a song relative to the plot - like 'Bop to the Top', the audition song that Ryan and Sharpay sing, and the karaoke song that Gabriella and Troy meet with - the entire song should be cut and described, rather than actually done. Barring possibly Sharpay and Ryan's duet because I like the vanity, arrogance and disdain Sharpay shows towards Kelsy's music followed by the real duet being sung - with the appropriate subtext - by the romantic leads. Also, using the pop style for a musical works only (in my opinion) if you vary it a little bit. For example, not every effing song HAS to be a full ensemble fast paced nightmare. But that's more a matter of opinion than prescription.

After rewriting the songs, the dialogue needs a lot of work too. The characters too often state their emotional obviousness without actually saying what they would really say. If that makes any sense at all, which it probably doesn't.

So, like I said, it could be so much better than it is if somebody - not me because I'm not that good - revamped the plot and music.

-S.

New Hampshire Blues

So here I am in Conway, New Hampshire working my metaphorical arse off as a stage carpenter. Granted, I don't exactly work the hardest of the other carpenters here, but still. When you work twelve hour days for not much money, it says something. I don't complain too much, mostly because the company is generous enough to provide me with a house, a bed, laundry facilities and ne rent for the rest of the summer. I pay for food, but no rent or utilities is awesome. Anyone who has to pay for all of the above knows exactly what I'm talking about.

I miss SVU like crazy. I miss my friends like crazy, but I'll be just fine. I mean, I'm coming back to visit for a week end or two sometime in the next year or so at least. Y'all will see me again, promise!

I'll keep you all posted as to what shows are going up when. Cheers!

-S.

Seussical the Musical

But sometimes the cast referred to it as 'Zeussical'. But either way, it closed yesterday and I am of the opinion that it went well. Opening night we had a large crowd of school children and they enjoyed the show. At least, they seemed to from the stage. They weren't restless or anything during the performance so I would take that to be a strong indicator that they enjoyed the show.

Each night the show got a little tighter and faster. I can't speak for the cast, but my best performance night was on either the 4th or the 5th of June. However, my most accurate performance was on closing night. Last night, in point of fact.

To be honest, I had more fun with this show than I was anticipating. I mean, the script is almost completely music with a few lines of pure dialogue interspersed here and there. So really, this show is like unto a Singspiel (prn. zing-shpeel). For those of you who don't speak German or didn't take Intro to Music History with Prof. Whitehead (awesome class, btw), a Singspiel is a type of German opera where there are small snippets of dialogue between the songs. It's probably the closest to contemporary American musical theatre that I've ever heard or seen.

Be that as it may, I found that working on this show helped get through some issues of my own that were highly personal. Still, I think that I learned a few things about myself and how to improve my own skill as an actor and my wisdom as a young adult.

I ended my career at SVU with one hell of a bang!

-S.

More from Susan Boyle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBp1MjLbyLM&feature=popular

Her second song. Memory from 'Cats'.

It's her emotional communication - which I still haven't fully figured out yet - that really makes this performance so precious.

a jobs. i has one.

So, remember that job opportunity I mentioned before? Well I got it! I'm not the head carpenter or anything like that, but I'm working in Vermont over the summer on 5 shows as a carpenter now! They're taking care of housing for me and I'm getting paid $200 a week!!!!

It's all terribly exciting!! I start June 15 and it's over September 9 (I think...) SO that's three months working in theatre!!

Can yout ell how excited I am by the exclamation points??!?!??!!!?!?

-S.

An Unforseen Possibilty...

There's a small chance that I could start working for a theatre company in New Hampshire (or maybe Vermont, I'm not really sure which...) this summer.

Prof. Dwyer told about an opening up with this place and...well, any job in theatre is worth having for me.

The only issue is that it would be as Head Carpenter, and I'm not entirely certain if I a) qualify or b) am confident enough for the job.

Let's see what happens!

-S.

Behold! The Final Cometh!

Which is not unlike the Iceman Cometh, except with less ice and more stress.

Don't hate me, but I only have three finals, and only one of those actually has a test being done. The other two are showing up and presenting/discussing projects. Wee for an easy schedule!

And then the real joy of Maymester begins. One solid month of work, play and theatre all rolled into one. And we've got a lot of work to do too.

PS: If anybody is interested in it, I have a revised version of one of my short stories from Writing Popular Fiction. I took most of the advice from the class and the teacher and rewrote a couple of things and made a few adjustments here and there. Overall, I like the new version. If you'd like to read it, let me know and I'll send you a PDF of the story.

Cheers!

-S.

Britain's Got Talent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk

Susan Boyle. 47. Oh. My. Freakin'. Gawd!!

Two words: chutzpah and humility

A slight change in plans...

At the request of the happy couple, I will now not be attending the reception for Kaitlin and Brayden's happy nuptials. Those that know the situation know why. Those that don't, it's at the happy couple's request.

*Sings* 'In the Summertime, when the weather is fine'...

'You can stretch on out and'....I can't remember the next phrase...damn.

So far my plan is to move back to NJ, work my butt off over the summer to earn enough money to:

1. Rent my own apartment.
2. Move to NYC and begin my life as a starving actor.
3. Work and write so I can be published and make tons of money as a world-renowned author (Yeah right... :p )
4. Work until I have enough money to rent a storage space so I can store my crap and then work on a cruise ship for six months doing techie stuff.
5. Some other random possibility that I haven't thought up yet.

No matter how I slice it though, I am going to work over the summer and that also means that I will be going to Brayden and Kaitlin's wedding/reception, whichever one I happen to be able to attend.

Yes, I intend to go to the wedding. No, nobody needs to worry about my emotional health. Yes, I will be just fine. No, I am not going to break up the wedding in any way, shape, or form. Brayden's my best friend; *bursts into random song* 'What kind of best friend would I be/If I didn't take advantage of-' *cuts off mid-phrase*

...

Ha! Just kidding! Seriously, I want to go and it'd be damning of me to ruin their day.

-S.

The First Entry

And hereby begginneth the Tales of Steve on his Mysterious and Wondrous Journey towards the Future, as Chronicled faithfully by himself - himself being me.

Here I am. A college Senior, Theatre Major, being released unto the world.

Here I come!

The whole point for this little excersise is so that my friends can know what major events are going on in my life. Just the facts, none of the BS. For those of my friends who have sensitive eyes I'll keep my writing PG to PG-13 at the worst. Also, none of my typical over-dramatic ranting. This is a strictly facts thing.

Sorry, no blackmail opportunities. ^_^

Well, as things happen, I will post them. Also as I plan things, I will post them.

Cheers!