When I was a kid, I used to have dreams all the time about being at school naked. I would be so intensely embarrassed that the feeling would stay with me even after I woke up.
One of these dreams involved running breakneck out of the classroom and down the long hall of the school with only a pillow to shield myself.
Last night, I dreamt that I was at a mission reunion.
No suit, no white shirt, no tie or tag--nothing.
The funny part was that in my dream, I totally tried to pass it off as no biggie. I kept getting bizarre looks and faces full of shock from the sisters, and I would shoot back a "What?" look. I was still intensely embarrassed, but I had decided that ignoring the problem would be my best bet.
What was I thinking?
What do you think it means?
Tagless
4.29.08
Today felt like three days.
I was up until about five thirty in the AM helping elisa finish editing an essay before she left to Romania. Ashley had also been enlisted, but on another task--BSing some sort of hoopwork hoopla paper that was supposed to be five to seven pages single spaced. After about two hours of monotonous drudgery, she finally grumbled "I hate this" before throwing in the towel. She passed out shortly thereafter and elisa had to strongarm her into getting off the tiny armchair she had curled up in and moving into a bed to sleep.
Also, we ate toast and imitated the elderly. And I made bad puns.
Slept six hours. Wrenched myself out of bed. Gag.
Worked on the lighting for Rabbit Hole until cast showed up for rehearsal at four.
TP tried to cancel the show again. Seriously pissered.
Rehearsal went really well, lighting looks beautiful I think, and many of the scenes hit a new level. Still stressed about getting the last few details together.
Afterwards, went to Target to buy some stuff to send Lisa her first package--Burt's Bees, Almond Roca, and some Ice Breakers. She's doing well in the MTC--I got my first letter from her yesterday. Also bought some Archer's Farms chips: Maple Barbecue Kettle chips and Baked Curry chips--so good!
Ash called and gave me the heads-up on a birthday party down by Provo Bakery. I pulled up and there were probably ten kids in the middle of the street grabbing at stuff on the ground. On closer inspection: Pinata bust!
We then played Pin the Horn on the Unicorn, discussed how much we all liked Elaine on her birthday, and had a bubble gum bubble blowing contest.
George Ann won.
Adam Griggs was a close second.
Then Zina's egyptian cat Reuben sat on Davey and left an unpleasant surprise. Davey left wearing Zina's blue sweats.
A bunch of kids decided to go hot potting, but I told myself that three late nights in a row was three too many and declined. Kind of wish I had gone--but it was probably best I didn't. I have such a hard time resisting adventures.
I am excited for summer.
Debating whether or not to pick up a few summer classes, and will probably have a job teaching a few theatre courses at Dixon's summer school.
Still trying to figure out how to get to London.
Preview night tomorrow!
Triptych:
Archive: 2.10.06
Dream: I'm taking a shower...in the dark. The walls are thin. Old wooden planks. I can hear it raining outside. Thunder rumbles in the distance. I'm in an old, run down shack of a cabin deep in the Florida forest. Then--
CRASH.
It sounds like a boulder fell out of the sky onto the
cabin. Shut the water off, grab a towel and run outside.
"Did you see that flash?" someone asks.
We grab an ancient red fire extinguisher and a ladder to put out the fire on the roof started by the lightning strike. Pre-sunrise grey morning glow shines through the gaps between the shingles where the bolt came in. It's still raining. Warm, wet, Florida morning rain.
Put the fire out and hop back in the shower...in the dark.
"Our traditions have been such that we are not apt to look upon war between two nations as murder; but suppose that one family should rise up against another and begin to slay them, would they not be taken up and tried for murder? Then why not nations that rise up and slay each other in a scientific way be equally guilty of murder? Does it justify the slaying of men, women, and children that otherwise would have remained at home in peace, because a great army is doing the work? No: the guilty will be damned for it."
Support Local Theatre
UVSC's Blackbox Theatre
May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
7:30 pm
The show will go on.
Third Time's the Charm...
I should be studying for finals, or writing a paper--but I'm not going to yet. I'm pissed and I need to get this off my chest. I haven't been this angry in a long time.
I'm super frustrated with the Theatre Department. No... just the department head.
This is the THIRD time this year that I've gone in for a project proposal and been brushed off.
The first time I made a proposal was during the first week of fall semester. The department announced that it would be awarding grants and performance space for the top proposals. I had an awesome concept and I wrote up a GREAT application. I wanted to do a reader's theatre of Sinclair Lewis play It Can't Happen Here (Synopsis) incorporating old fashioned slide projectors to create the settings. What's more, they were looking for a play to do some research on to present at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research. Lewis' play would have been perfect for this sort of project. And so timely considering the events of the past eight years of the Bush Administration's abuse of power. The parallels are frightening.
In any case, I got a call the next day after I turned in my app from one of the reviewers saying that my proposal was one of the best they had received and that it was almost sure to get final approval if the performance space was available during my requested time slot. I could hope to expect an official announcement at the next Department meeting, but until then I had to keep my mouth shut about the approval.
The Department meeting came and went without any announcement. I asked the Dept. chair afterwards what the hold up was.
"We'll have to look at some scheduling issues, we'll probably announce next month."
This was fine with me. I had requested a slot in late march. Plenty of time.
October.
November.
Two more Department meetings came and went. No announcement. Same excuse.
Turns out, the Department head gave out only one grant--to himself. He signed himself on as Producer of one of the student proposals and totally hijacked the project. And the project did end up going to the National Conference of Undergraduate Research. That meant a free trip to Maryland for the hijacker and a gold star on his tenure.
I took one of his classes the following semesters. It turns out that this professor is one of the most conservative and vocal pro-bush supporters I've ever met. He regularly makes fun of one his subordinate professors who openly espouses the dangerous doctrine of: Global Warming. I almost walked out of class on at least three occasions during in-class lectures on "Why the Democrats Have Ruined America" or "How Welfare Creates Parasites" or "What's Right With the War in Iraq". No wonder my proposal was rejected.
The theatre sat empty on the week I had requested.
Second time this year was when three ambitious friends and I went to the chair's office to request permission to start a Mask Club. We presented a solid idea with practical steps to fill a void in our growing program. We were basically brushed off and told that
"we'll have to see how things go"
and to
"come back next week".
The third time I had an opportunity to dive in to a great project, I did it without permission. I have an opportunity to work with five of the most talented actors in the valley to put on a pulitzer prize winning script. I've presented the idea three times to the department chair. Each time he's given me the same run-around.
"We'll have to see how it goes"
"We'll have to look at scheduling"
and my favorite:
"You need to turn in all your assignments before I can look at allowing you a project"
I have ONE missing assignment in his class. Other than that, I've worked my ass off. I spent an inordinate amount of time on my directing project and even volunteered to be in two other scene studies. (which was not required and for which I will receive no extra credit)
I feel like I've paid my dues.
I'm going ahead with the project anyway. We've been rehearsing for three weeks now and I'm hoping to get approval for the performance space tomorrow. I'm glad I didn't wait for it.
Come support me and my fantastic cast when it opens on May 2nd:
by David Lindsay Abaire
at UVSC's Blackbox Theatre
(hopefully)
May 2nd & 3rd
7:30 PM
Christopher Clark
Hailey Smith
Jennifer Latimer
Laura Garner
Chris Bentley
Archive: 2.10.06 12:20 PM
Image:
A bus full of people--every shade of color.
Sitting second row from the back.
Korean girl in front of me gossips with her nodding friend in a stream of asian syllables I've never tasted.
accelerate and bounce, engine revs,
Aisles full of anxious people--I'm a lucky sucker with a seat.
Driver slams on the brakes,
We all grab hold or go flying. cluttered, fixing, reaching chatter in eight different tongues as we help each other up.
The Mile High Club
Just for the record: Mile High Drive is in fact over a mile above sea level.
It is, in case you were wondering, 5,314 feet at it's highest point.
That's 34 feet over a mile. (which is 5,280 feet)
The wonders of Provo never cease to amaze me.
