I've made it... it's taken 21 years to get here, but Sunday night I arrived at the Oakland airport to spend two weeks with Aunt Kim, Uncle Dennis and my California cousins. Noel took me on a tour of San Fran today, and I plan to make several little trips into the city during my stay. Top of my list is checking out ACT (American Conservatory Theatre- awesome MFA program) and the San Francisco Fringe Festival. A fellow Tour Actor/ Director is spending some time about an hour away from Lafayette, so I'm hoping he may be able to hit up the festival with me.
Mom, Dad & I had an awesome time at Glacier NP. Breathtaking! The most gorgeous sights any of us had seen! Pictures to come, I've lost the adapter for my camera, oh, and my wallet, but that's another story... for the moment I'm blaming my former tour partner (haha, only kidding-- but I wouldn't put it past her). I'm managing w/o my wallet... my biggest problem is trying to contact the RI DMV-- I've been on hold for almost a half hour 2 days in a row.
Sad times: A fellow tour actor lives in New Orleans, and her house was flooded (5-10) in Hurricane Katrina. Please keep Kristi in your prayers as she may find all her personal belongings and clothes ruined, not to mention she may not even be able to return before heading back to Missoula in a couple weeks.
More to come on California! We're spending the weekend in the moutains in the Arsenault's cabin!
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Friday, August 26, 2005
I Love my job!
I'm hanging in the Tour Actor lounge right now, and the musical director of the company just came by to tell me how he liked what I had to say last night at our End of the Summer Party. I don't remember anything specific, but he said my enthusiasm reminds him of himself when he was on tour. Michael was the first person I met when interviewing for the job, and I am thrilled with the compliment... SO PSYCHED for the Fall Tour!
Jamie & I have just finished our Check-IN and our partnership has come to an end. Mom & Dad flew in last night, and met the staff. We're having a great time catching up in Missoula, and we found out that Gordon (who manages all our trucks) knows my homeroom teacher from high school - Once again, SMALL, SMALL world!
Tomorrow we hit Glacier National Park and then California Here I COME!!!
Jamie & I have just finished our Check-IN and our partnership has come to an end. Mom & Dad flew in last night, and met the staff. We're having a great time catching up in Missoula, and we found out that Gordon (who manages all our trucks) knows my homeroom teacher from high school - Once again, SMALL, SMALL world!
Tomorrow we hit Glacier National Park and then California Here I COME!!!
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Summer's OVER
Well, this week flew and tomorrow we commence on a 4-day journey back to Missoula. I have been in Appalachia (Kentucky) for the past week, and I couldn't help thinking of the "Appalachian Emergency Room" sketch from SNL. All we could see for miles on our drive in was mullets and trailers. Now I know why it is called "Kentucky" Fried Chicken... Everywhere you look there is fast food, and much of the obesity in America lives in the town we were in. We had to make some costumes to fit the kids... I felt really bad when we ran out of our XL Jungle Book T-Shirts, and there weren't any other sizes to fit the kids who wanted to buy them. I have sort of indulged this week on Wendys (picked up a Frosty yesterday) and Taco Bell (tried their new "Cheesy Gordita Crunch" mmm...), but as I head back to Missoula, I will eat only healthy truck snacks. Overall, I have toned this summer, but haven't really lost weight... haven't gained though, so I'm on my way. Over my two week break, I am going to work on the book that I'm writing about actors on tour and precautions to prevent weight gain.
I am psyched for the upcoming week! Tomorrow, I head to WV to check out my friend James's summer stock play, and Monday I will meet up with some college friends in Chicago. We'll also meet up with another team (Maryann & Trish) and caravan back to Montana on Tuesday morning. Wednesday we'll arrive in Missoula, and Thursday Mom & Dad fly in!
I'm spending the following two weeks outside of San Francisco with family, so please let me know if you'll be in the area, or if you have some recommendations on places to check out.
Looking forward to the Fall Tour with my new partner, Nick. We've been chatting much, and should have a great time!
I am psyched for the upcoming week! Tomorrow, I head to WV to check out my friend James's summer stock play, and Monday I will meet up with some college friends in Chicago. We'll also meet up with another team (Maryann & Trish) and caravan back to Montana on Tuesday morning. Wednesday we'll arrive in Missoula, and Thursday Mom & Dad fly in!
I'm spending the following two weeks outside of San Francisco with family, so please let me know if you'll be in the area, or if you have some recommendations on places to check out.
Looking forward to the Fall Tour with my new partner, Nick. We've been chatting much, and should have a great time!
Monday, August 08, 2005
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Home of the B-2 Bomber
8/5/05
10pm
Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri
Well, I survived my first week on a military base. I have spent the past six days at the Whiteman Inn on the base that is known as the “Home of the B-2 Bomber”. It’s a crazy coincidence that I am only 20 miles from my good high school friend, Amanda’s hometown of Sedalia, MO ( I’m planning on checking out their State Fair tomorrow on our day off).
It has been a difficult week, but as usual, I feel great at the end of our show day! Unfortunately, I was feeling burnout early in the week, and our circumstances (rehearsing in a noisy gym w/ kids not used to structure and lack of energy from partner) were not encouraging. We hold our dress rehearsals before the first show, and it was TERRIBLE…. No exaggerations…. After many prayers, and personal pep talks, I felt like I almost single-handedly pulled the show off… Cues were missed left and right, kids talked backstage, but the friends and families of the kids seemed to enjoy in spite of or maybe because of its imperfections. During the first show, the whole group of wolves (a large group in “The Jungle Book”) left the stage prematurely, leaving it to me and three child actors to improve… It worked… These kids are smart! At another point, our little elephant never came onstage, and the assistant directors and my partner, not paying attention, didn’t notice, so I left stage to bring him on to join me… Fun, fun! Our second performance was much improved, but not without bloopers like one of our rocks (set pieces) flipping over during the wolf musical # “Leader of the Pack”, and the skipping of two scenes because, yet again, no one told our little elephant when to come on…poor little guy!
A single mom, Denise, and her two daughters Tynedria and Tyshana had so much fun… The girls have lived in New York, England, and Oklahoma before moving to Missouri… Our crazy contact, Connie who raises snakes… Her intro to the show was awesome and so fitting for our production, she was dressed as "The Crocodile Hunter" and brought her ball python onto stage with her, psyching the crowd up for the show… "Danja, Danja, Danja.." Wish I had a picture!
10pm
Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri
Well, I survived my first week on a military base. I have spent the past six days at the Whiteman Inn on the base that is known as the “Home of the B-2 Bomber”. It’s a crazy coincidence that I am only 20 miles from my good high school friend, Amanda’s hometown of Sedalia, MO ( I’m planning on checking out their State Fair tomorrow on our day off).
It has been a difficult week, but as usual, I feel great at the end of our show day! Unfortunately, I was feeling burnout early in the week, and our circumstances (rehearsing in a noisy gym w/ kids not used to structure and lack of energy from partner) were not encouraging. We hold our dress rehearsals before the first show, and it was TERRIBLE…. No exaggerations…. After many prayers, and personal pep talks, I felt like I almost single-handedly pulled the show off… Cues were missed left and right, kids talked backstage, but the friends and families of the kids seemed to enjoy in spite of or maybe because of its imperfections. During the first show, the whole group of wolves (a large group in “The Jungle Book”) left the stage prematurely, leaving it to me and three child actors to improve… It worked… These kids are smart! At another point, our little elephant never came onstage, and the assistant directors and my partner, not paying attention, didn’t notice, so I left stage to bring him on to join me… Fun, fun! Our second performance was much improved, but not without bloopers like one of our rocks (set pieces) flipping over during the wolf musical # “Leader of the Pack”, and the skipping of two scenes because, yet again, no one told our little elephant when to come on…poor little guy!
A single mom, Denise, and her two daughters Tynedria and Tyshana had so much fun… The girls have lived in New York, England, and Oklahoma before moving to Missouri… Our crazy contact, Connie who raises snakes… Her intro to the show was awesome and so fitting for our production, she was dressed as "The Crocodile Hunter" and brought her ball python onto stage with her, psyching the crowd up for the show… "Danja, Danja, Danja.." Wish I had a picture!
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