Semesterly Stuffs

So there is a lot to report since my last post. Urinetown went very well - we sold out Friday and almost sold out on Saturday. All the people who came to see the production really enjoyed themselves. It was definitely a ton of fun. My manliness (ok boyishness) went well and I liked being almost fully disguised under a hat and boy-shirt for once. My favorite part was that I ended up jumping on Bobby's back during Act 1 Finale which made me very happy (see 2nd photo below). What was really nice about the entire production was that everyone got along very well - we had a cast of 15, so we all became really close which is something I've never felt in a cast before. I'm really pleased and can't wait until my next production with this group!

(Top to bottom: the cast, Act 1 Finale, Mr. Cladwell, and Cop Song)

The end of the semester is right around the corner, meaning my costume design and costume shop classes will end soon. I have truly enjoyed the design class - it has been a lot of work, but very insightful and fun in the meantime. I think grade-wise I am doing just fine, I just need to maintain my standards for my final project (which is 12 designs for 2 separate productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream). I know that I want to set one production in the 1950s with the setting in a diner and drive-in movie...I just need to get to work because the drawings are due the 2nd.

I guess one good thing is that I got all my classes for next semester (no acting or costume classes) but I'm excited because I will be taking an American Studies course on New England Material Culture. Can't wait to work with artifacts!!

This will be a quicky

partly because I have little to say and partly because I have a paper and project due tomorrow and tech rehearsals tonight. I've started to play with changing my header. I created a collage with Picasa and put text over it (aren't I so tech savvy?). Planning to change it around later with better images, but this will do for now. More will come later about Urinetown fiascos.

Arrrgh matey!

I received the news last night that was cast in my college's production of The Pirates of Penzance as a pirate/cop! I'm so glad to be in a Gilbert and Sullivan piece! I do have to admit that I would have rather been cast as a daughter of Major General-Stanley, but they sing really high and I can't sing that high. I've always heard that evil (are the pirates and cops evil?) characters are fun to play and I guess that's true. It's also a good thing because I have been cast as a goody-two shoe character for as long as I can remember. We go to a dance rehearsal today and I can't wait to find out what I will be doing!

Also, Urinetown opens 2 weeks from Friday!! We are close to ready (if you don't count finished costumes, props and sets) and I think it will be a good show - not all that fancy, but certainly very silly! We have dress rehearsals starting on the 13th and tickets go on sale that week.

Treasure hunting

I went through my brothers' closet today and found a shirt that will work perfectly for Urinetown. It is a young man's size small with a cream background and a brown check pattern. I tried it on, rolled up the sleeves, pulled back my hair into a cap, and voila! Instant manlitude! Now I just need a pair of pants. I found a pair of brown cords at target in the boys section which I may get if I can't find anything else (I know there is an old pair of khakis that I used in Returning Road my freshman year that are boys sized, so I may try to find those in the depths of my attic).

I also bought a new pair of jazz shoes (mine were completely destroyed) and they are pretty and soft and wonderful (a vast improvement from my other pair). Can't wait to wear the wonderful black leathery goodness with my manly khaki dress socks (thank you Target!!).

Lots of fun stuff

Urinetown is finally up and running (sort of - well at least I have all my assigned roles and costumes pieces to hunt for). The director wants me to wear an Oliver Twist/Newsies like outfit, so I've been watching videos and looking at pictures so I know what to get. Looks like I'll be on the hunt for a patterned button down, straight leg jeans or knickers or something like that, tallish socks, suspenders, and a newsboy cap. I think I'll also get a new pair of jazz shoes because I haven't purchased a new pair in a while (and the ones I have are very destroyed and uncomfortable to dance in).

I also went poking around the downtown and found a brand new alice in wonderland dress! I've wanted one for ages but just didn't find the right fabric and this one fits almost perfect. It just needs a couple darts up the front and a white pinafore - nothing I can't do in more than a few hours. Oh and a giant poofy petticoat (which i have been DYING to purchase for years! Now I will have a reason to wear a 50's dress too!).

In costume lab, I finished the pattern I modified for my partner. Now it is time to just transfer it onto fabric and start pinning and sewing. We are using lots of tools that I have never seen before (like a tracing wheel with little spokey things that are good for marking with wax and through paper). Hopefully I will have photos of my work soon!

Long day.....

I just got back from an excursion to UMass to get art supplies for my costume design class. I needed watercolor brushes and paper, a palette, a pencil sharpener, and a portfolio to keep my works of art in and some of my housemates and I have discovered it is much cheaper to purchase art supplies at the UMass campus store than at the (really awesome) art store in town. So a friend and I went to the art store and purchased all that I needed (except the watercolor paper which I thought there might be a better selection in town). After, we walked back to the bus stop and found a massive crowd of people waiting to get on. We figured we wouldn't be able to get on so we walked the the other stop. Big mistake. We ended up waiting nearly an hour and a half before getting on a bus because every passing bus was filled to the gills! So I'm finally home and completely exhausted, but I do have my awesome art supplies :).

Urinetown rehearsals are good - I had one on Thursday night and we read through the script. I noticed all the really funny parts in the show this time and I guess I better understand all the jokes and such this time around. The dynamic is also very different because the whole cast is women with a few playing guys (myself included!), but I like it a lot. We have a dance "audition" tomorrow so that the choreographer can get a sense of how well we dance and what she can do with us.

The girl across the hall from me is really into anime and watches the Hayao Miyazaki movies which is nice because I have had few people in the past who enjoyed these movies. She also loves cute kitties from icanhascheezburger.com and has converted me. They are absolutely amazingly cute!

We're not sorry now! (bah dap bah dap)

I know I haven't posted in a while, but homework bogs everyone down. So my big news is that I made it into the Leading Ladies production of Urinetown! I'm playing Billy Boy Bill/Dr. Billeaux. I'm really excited to do the show again. I think it will be a lot of fun, plus we only have 15 people in the cast! We have our first read through tonight (and luckily the rehearsal is a stones throw away from my house so I don't have to walk too far in the dark and also won't get soaking wet in this awful rain we are having today.

On another note, I had my first costume shop lab on Monday. I thought I would jump right in to something fun and semi complicated, but no, I was giving a piece of muslin and I learned how to sew a basic seam, a fake felled seam, a real felled seam and a French seam. I've done flat felled seams before, but they turned out a bit messy. This time I felt good because all my seams were very neat and I had little trouble (except for the machine which kept jamming on me. Joy.). I have class on Friday as well and I can't wait to see what is in store.

And this is silly, but I wrote this entire post on my iPod touch while waiting for class to start. Oh the wonders of technology.

Completely unrelated to anything costuming

Over the past week I've been prepping to leave for school and it wasn't until right now that it hit me - I'm going to college. I'm living in a dorm with 72 complete strangers. I'm completely and utterly terrified. I think every time someone has to make a big transition, s/he has difficulty until s/he completely understands and feels comfortable in the new surroundings. I know I'm just uber nervous (I mean who isn't slightly apprehensive?) and I hope that I'll feel better in a couple days.

On another note, my puppy is getting really big - Ella is 4 and a half months old! She weighs nearly 40 pounds and I can't pick her up any more without straining my back. She also lost two teeth! She's getting to be so big!

I guess it's worth noting that the student run musical group at my college will be performing Urinetown as the fall musical. I'm hoping to help with costumes or even audition (I know the show really well and I hope to be up for one of the "rebel" roles) if I feel up to it.

Oh and this is my 41st blog post - hooray!