Sorry, nothing too uplifting today.

Today, life just kind of sucks.

Everyone has these days and today is one of mine. It just does. Its hard to see a physical representation of where you want to be with your life and realize your not standing where they are. Not even close, not anywhere close to being as close to someone as you thought you could have been...

Observations

Time for a recap.

You know that something is a little quirky with your life when you look at your room. I took a good look at mine this morning.

And I say 'this morning' because I certainly did not look at it when I fell asleep last night.

And I say 'fell asleep' because I certainly did not 'go to bed' last night. There was no decision- our 2nd to last dress rehearsal with Facing East ended somewhere around midnight (the infamous and inevitable late night rehearsal with Matt Neves) and I came home fully intent to do all the things I needed to do. But I decided just to sit on my bed for a moment....just a moment and rest...I wouldn't fall asleep...I mean, I still needed to take the make up off my face & neck, take the pins out of my hair...I wouldn't fall asleep....

I wouldn't think so, but I did...and I woke up at three that morning with the lights still blaring and myself looking like psycho's mother. Took out my pins, turned out the lights and fell back asleep. But that morning I took a look at room, my bedroom floor and my bed. My bag, my scripts, a few of my clothes, my books are the main coverage on my floor....and lets not forget line notes. Facing East line notes EVERYWHERE, on the floor they are wallpaper FLOORPAPER, and on my bed they create a nest that you wouldn't think possible for a human to sleep in but....there are always firsts. I woke up with just that added bit of stress that each day has been bringing up to this moment. We open tomorrow.

It's hard to really sum it up into words. This journey for me has been so long, and I don't just mean the journey that Facing East has been, it has been an incredible process, that I cannot believe I was lucky enough to be a part of. That the stars lined up just enough for me to be able to walk on that stage, and be Ruth's thoughts. But it isn't just the rehearsals, it's been my entire college experience. These four years of going to classes and learning techniques and how to be and how NOT TO BE perfect. You don't think you've really learned anything, retained anything...until you see a resemblance of a finished project. In no way am I claiming to be a finished project...that doesn't happen in life I don't think...at least not with something like living. But I am beginning to see an actress in me. When I auditioned & applied for the BFA (Bachelors of Fine Arts) I wrote in my application paper the woman I wanted to become. The actress I invisioned one day seeing on a stage- myself. I beginning to see her, trust her. I'm not perfect, and I'm especially not perfect in this play...but I am happy, ready, and proud of her. Which is all a person can really ask for, and I can ask for much. I have a great play, cast, crew and enveloping surport system. A person can be very blessed. I've been waiting for this role, for this play ever since my first semester at SUU and and tomorrow night when I go on that stage I need to remember that this is what I've wanted to do for a long, long time. And new challenges on the horizon. Last friday I recieved the news that I was nominated for an 'Irene Ryan', prestigious acting award and will be then invited to compete at ACTF (American College Theatre Festival) in California come Spring.

This play has gotten so much support. What with the passing of Prop. 8 and the hurt, blame, and settling going around it seems that this play could not have asked for better timing. This is so important. On facebook I put in one last request & invitation for my friends to come see this show. It's so important, we need to evaluate are feelings and we need to stay connected.
here's what I said in facebook...I liked how I put it:

"This might be a little 'jumping the gun' on my part.But I just wanted to send out another general invitation to 'Facing East' by Carol Lynn Pearson that's going up @ the SUU Black-box this week. The Crew, myself and Josh & Justin have worked so hard on this project, and truly have a sincere love for it and its important message. The themes and threads woven in this piece are so important especially now with the hurt that's flying around the country, what with the passing of Prop. 8 and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in a negative spotlight. For those of you who do not know much about 'Facing East' it centers around Alex & Ruth McCormick, an upstanding LDS couple, grieving the suicide of their homosexual son Andrew. 'Facing East' is written by esteemed author & playwright Carol Lynn Pearson who myself and the cast had the pleasure of speaking to last week. She is a member of the LDS church and lost her homosexual husband to aids before turning full tilt to the consideration and rights of those with same-gender attraction, it is 'her calling' she puts it. As I said she is still a member of the LDS church and loves the support and love she has been surrounded by with this project. This play looks at that gray area, and gives direction on such a topic of confusion and pain. No one's life should be cut short due to their pain, and this play is about fellowship, and carrying each other's burdens, so that they are burdens no longer. The play does not bash the LDS church, nor does it bash homosexuality. You may not know what is right or what is wrong, this play is not about what is right and what is wrong, but what is true....and what is true is loving and uplifting our gay brothers & sisters. If you are lenient to see the show I encourage you that much more to see it. If you personally, have any questions for me concerning the play, I would be happy to answer them. This play has been a tremendous journey for me and I am deeply proud of it.
'FACING EAST' by Carol Lynn Pearson
SUU Black-Box Theatre in the Auditorium
NOV. 12-15TH @ 7:30pm, with a matinee on Saturday @ 2pm.
Tickets are going fast with an average of 40 tickets remaining for each night, get your tickets fast. Tickets are $5 for SUU students, and $10 for...everyone else. Hope to see you there."

Click here to see the events page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?sid=81e407364d7e86c9e98472fdccd84c8c&refurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fs.php%3Finit%3Dq%26q%3DFacing%2BEast%26ref%3Dts%26sid%3D81e407364d7e86c9e98472fdccd84c8c&eid=33144796129

And I extend that invitation to each of you that may read this. Who mostly probably are on facebook and have already read that invitation. I kind of want to end tonights blog with that. Maybe write more later...after Facing East is finnished. Go work on lines...go work on some shakespeare....and maybe sleep.

Probably not.


We need to remain connected.

Song from musical 'Spring Awakening', which lyric's are perfect for Facing East

You fold his hands and smooth his tie, you gently lift his chin.
Were you really so blind, and unkind to him?
Can't help the itch to touch, to kiss, to hold him once again.
Now to close his eyes--never open them....
A shadow passed, a shadow passed,
yearning, yearning
For the fool it called a home.

All things he never did are left behind.
All the things his mama wished he'd bear in mind,
And all his dad had hoped he'd know.T
he talks you never had, the saturdays you never spent.
All the 'grown-up' places you never went.
And all of the crying you wouldn't understand.
You just let him cry, 'make a man out of him.'
A shadow passed, a shadow passed,
yearning, yearning
For a fool it called a home.

All things he ever wished are left behind.
All the things his mama did to make him mind,
And how his dad had hoped he'd grow.
All things he ever lived are left behind.
All the fears that ever flickered through his mind.
All the sadness that he'd come to own.
A shadow passed, a shadow passed,
yearning, yearningFor the fool it called a home.

And it whistles through the ghosts still left behind.
It whistles through the ghosts still left behind.
Whistles through the ghosts still left behind.

Screaming out from the Crests of Waves

It's been almost OVER A WEEK!
Ellesse what have you been doing?!?!
WHAT HAVEN'T I BEEN DOING??
As imagined life shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Last weekend was the California trip, last Saturday night around 11pm friends and I headed down to Las Vegas to stay at a friends place that night. We got up early Sunday morning and completed the journey to Los Angeles. I met up with my roommate Chelsea & friends and we headed to the The Getty Museum of Art. This museum is amazing, the architecture alone for this building is amazing. A white modern complex on top of the Hollywood hills of L.A. Featuring beautiful artwork from the decades. Sacred Hymns and manuscripts from the medieval period, sculptures from the 1600's, impressionist paintings...the works. They had an exhibition on Bernini while we were there and I just can never get over the beauty of that place. After the Getty we had a plugging dinner @ The Cheesecake factory- we were enjoying a delicious dinner when we realized time was slipping by a little faster than we thought. We ended up shoving the remaining cheesecake (mine was Pumpkin) in our faces and running for the car. By the time we found it in the parking garage- I was reading and willing to barf. Then we were off to see WICKED, which I had seen the year before in L.A. @ the Pantages Theatre, which is just a beautiful theatre. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside it is completely decked out in Art Deco majesty. Wicked is such a great show, I think I liked it even better this time. The Glinda was very good- so funny. The show is also going to be coming to Salt Lake City next summer, I'm excited to see it. After the play, we drove to Santa Monica pier and sat/ran along the beach @ night. It was beautiful seeing the lights from the pier and the Marry-go-round reflecting on the night's tide. I wrote my name in the sand, and was reacquainted with the ocean once more. That night we stayed @ my friend Spencer's Families home just outside of L.A. and the next morning we were off to Disneyland. We didn't get to spend too much time there. We had to leave and be back on the road to Utah by 5pm but we got to hit all the greats. Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Indiana, Splash...the new Toy Story Midway ride in California Adventure, it was wonderful.
Speaking of Salt Lake City. I'll most likely be there this weekend. Facing East is considering going on a little road trip up to Salt Lake City to take one of our cast members to Temple Square and show him around, rehearse in the Salt Lake Cemetery, perhaps go see Noises Off @ PTC, and then heading home Sunday afternoon. Facing East continues to go well. We have to be 'Off off Book' today, and I am currently listening to my lines.

I am sitting here, in the T-Room of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, listening to my lines, sitting here with my Stylized Make-Up on my face. You might see a picture up pretty soon, but I dedicated my face to that famous painting 'The Great Wave'.

Looking at my face now and looking at that painting....doesn't look too spectacular. I have so much memorizing to do, I do believe I will be doing it for the rest of my life. But I'm looking forward to another escape this weekend....as if Disneyland wasn't enough.
I do hope this little weekend escape won't bring with it the awful present that Disneyland left me with....though it is mostly my fault.
My friends asked me for certain gifts from Disneyland:
1. Soil from Disneyland
2. Water from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride

Well, we're on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and I'm thinking about what was said about the ride draining, filtering, and refilling the water daily....and we fill up the water bottle and I'm looking at it....
and it's cold....and clear....and looks beautiful...

So I take a sip. IT WAS DELICIOUS!

Everything was fine come the ride home, I had the water bottle nestled safely in my bag....though when we arrived in Cedar City 1:30am....I had a sore throat. I am only now recovering from what we call Disney aids. It's been the worst head cold of my life! Coughing, congestion/runny nose, dizziness....it's been just the worst!
Luckily it's on the down slope and I think I'm getting over it.
Halloween is fast approaching. I am either going as a Leper or The Queen of Hearts....I think it's going to be the Leper.

"My father always laughed at those people with the bells and the funny hats..."

"Jesters?"
"No.....Lepers."

Friends & I are doing movie marathons this week preparing for Halloween. Last night we watched Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Rope' (GREAT MOVIE), 'Scotland PA', and 'The Ring'. Tonight we will continue on with 'The Descent' and 'What Lies Beneath'.

But now....I am going to go wipe off 'The Great Wave' for now....and high tail it to class.
love to all as usual.

I'm out-

"Screaming out from the crests of waves
It could be worse
But its all sweet
It could be snapped from the jaws of defeat
Like a light lit upon a beach
Wear your heart on your sleeve
Oh You want to stop before you begin
You want to sink when you know you could swim
You want to stop just before you begin
Never give in, Never give in

Screaming out from the crests of waves
Nothing matters
Except life and the love you make
Nothing matters
Except life and the love you make
Nothing matters
Except life and the love you make
Except life and the love you make

Screaming out from the crests of waves" -Coldplay

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The Wonky Week

Did this week not suck for anyone really?

I can't count the number of times I have heard said 

"This is just the worst week of the modern life thread on our sovereign earth."

Well not exactly those words, but I did here that this week was the worst from many various people.  Many various people, not just all the number of theatre majors & minors that got particularly beefed this past week, what with the postings of cast lists for next semesters spring shows.  Bitter Ellesse?

Don't even get me started.

School makes one seeing 'oneself' (I sound retarded) in a interesting position.  I am experienced with rejection, I AM experienced with rejection and I know that as an actress that's going to come with the territory, heck with being canadian that is going to come with the territory.  And I understand that if I audition and I give it all the best I can give, and don't get cast that is fine with me.  I also agree that one needs to take iniative with an audition, look the director/casting director in the eye and almost say 'I know what you want, and guess what I have that in truckloads'.  The auditions for Wizard of Oz were quite unorganized, and as a result of that un-organization so where The Seagull auditions.  With all the confusion instead of them just being on last Saturday they stretched 

out all throughout this last week. 

 If this were the professional world, I would be fine.  As far as The Seagull is concerned I feel like I did very good readings, I was proud of my callbacks.  But as far as Wizard of Oz is concerned I just feel hurt & played upon.  Because this isn't really a professional theatre, this is an educational environment where working creative relationships are made with professors which become both friends & colleagues.  Certain things are said, certain things are praised and promised...and then to have those things ripped away come Senior year, where you'd think you could go out with a panache...much less to have those things taken away before you could even fight for them, needless to say hurts.  I danced for the dance choreographer for Wizard of Oz, the director hardly looked up, I understand that.

"....I still haven't had a chance to read, will you be doing the readings for my part the next coming days?"

"Yes we will.  We'll let you know when those will be."  We had at the time been told decisions would not be made

 until Friday.

Next day afternoon, it's posted.  Wednesday comes around and The Seagull cast list is also posted.

Things just kind of suck sometime.  

But I know you need to look past it and see the open opportunities available between the lines.  Friends and I have come to the conclusion that we can no longer wait for opportunities to be granted to us, but that we shall make our own.  Either way they will be experiences and we will be growing which is what we need.  Every three weeks we plan to put together a show, we would like to do (e.g. Miss Julie, Spoon River Anthology, Closer, Play, etc) and make these opportunities for ourselves.  It can only make you stronger  .I am extremely lucky to be involved with MFA production of Facing East by Carol Lynn Pearson, which went through it's second week of rehearsals this last week.  I've decided to make this experience my required Capstone project, when I take the Capstone class next semester.  Capstone class is basically where you present a final portfolio "project" to the board.  Showing your leadership and individuality on a creative project, and this experience to me would certainly suit that board.  I love rehearsals.  We just finished blocking the hour long play this morning and I am so excited to begin polishing what we have now begun to mold.  

When we discuss the different layers of the play, choices that could be made, strengths and weaknesses and how & when to play them, I am pleased to see how my opinions and idea's are welcomed and respected....I feel like I am a valued active contributor and my idea's come up to par.  Its a really nice feeling.  

As suggested by my director Matt Neves, I began reading a book which begins with the stories of Marilyn & Fred Matis, and their late son Stuart to which Facing East is loosely modeled around.  The book is called 'In Quiet Desperation, Understanding the Challenge of Same-Gender Attraction'.  

The first part tells the story and experience of the Matis family as I previously stated, the second half is from the view point of Ty Mansfield, an active and participating member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, living his life with same-gender attraction.  I would boldly state that this should be a must read for everyone, especially members of the church on this delicate and tender issue, because ignorance must come to an end.  It will do nothing but hurt our loved ones and their loved ones, and these issues need to be looked to.  Things are becoming more and more gray these days.  Argume

nts are burning and racing, whether your reading this being against Prop. 8 or for Prop. 8, the one thing that certainly can never become gray is the commandment that we love one another.

Though this has been a 'wonky week' for me, it has also been a week of re-evaluation.  I've made some strong recent friendships & relationships with people I don't think I'll ever forget.  I feel a strong circle of love and support around me at all sides and I am extremely thankful for my family and my friends that do nothing but show their love for me in word and in deed.  The time has come for an escape, even if it's only for two days.  I'm excited to join my best friend Chelsea and friends in California tomorrow for our little get-a-way.  I'm driving down with some other friends in the department who are also heading to Cali this evening, J.P. Kentros, Jessie Metcalf, Jennifer Whipple & Rhett Guter, we together will get as far as Vegas this evening, and then drive the rest of the leg to L.A. tomorrow morning to arrive in Cali tomorrow afternoon.    I will then meet up with some friends and see Wicked for the second time @ the Pantages theatre.  Southern Utah University gets a Harvest Weekend (which is really just an excuse to go hunting and shooting) and so we will hang out Sunday, and then enjoy Monday @ Disneyland to drive home that evening.  

WOOOOOOOO DISNEYLAND!!

Last year around this time we did our first Disneyland trip, last year it was with my friend Tyler Hillam, and I'm sad that he can't join us again this year.  But for all of you, if any of you have some last minute plea's for my disneyland trip...perhaps a picture of a certain something...I could bring home a melted Dole Whip for you, etc.  I'll be living it up on Pirates of the Caribbean ride...or wondering why 'It's a Small World' is still closed...

oh maybe because...the small world is getting bigger, and they had to widen the canals and the boats to fit the ever widening population.  Sad huh.

Let's cross our fingers that this year we don't get trapped within the California Fires, and let's hope for a safe drive.

Love you guys!

I hope last week especially wasn't really the worst for all of you, remember things can only get better, right?

(knocks on wood)

Miss you all!

Till next week!

-ellesse

Wha......?

This week has been just crazy go nuts! 

Crazy.

That's the word that most sums of the feels right now. 

If I was going to say out loud the feelings of this past week it would be.  *inhale "Crazy........wha??".  Yeah...definitely a "Wha?"  would be in there too.  Maybe some shuddering and some sniffling.   Today went appropriately under the theme of "Crazy......wha??"  As we had callbacks this afternoon.  

"Callback(s)" did you say ellesse?

Yes, Callback's, plural.  The SUU college of Performing & Visual Arts had the brilliant idea to hold their callbacks for next semester's main stage shows, Chekhov's The Seagull and our musical, The Wizard of Oz.  We had auditions just the end of this last week, Wizard's on Thursday required 16-bars and I sang "Many a New Day" from Oklahoma.  Seagull's auditions were the next day and I performed one of my favorite monologues, Meg from Eugene O'Neill's The Web.  I felt really good about both auditions, they must have been good for the most part since i made callbacks, but they were interesting.  When I starting singing, for example, in Peter Sham's audition, I wasn't nervous.  When I started singing however I got the immediate impulse of fear...the memory of the words weren't immediately rushing to me.  I didn't foul up or anything, but I was starting to feel panicked.  It was the first time that during an audition I felt the panic and at the same time, shut it off.  I remember just pushing it away.  Both auditions were a little like that, but I felt good about both of them.

Today, Saturday's callbacks were complete madness.  Peter Sham decided that "Heck (though he probably would not be the person to say 'heck') Why don't we do the callbacks at the same time?"

So it turned into a 'Mrs. Doubtfire' situation as those called back for both shows ran back-n-forth between callbacks.  Transitioning from audition clothes to dance clothes, back to audition clothes....run back to Oz callbacks and try to catch up with the choreography being taught...only to run back 15 mins later...that's what happened to me.

Needless to say, this was hard not only for the callback-ee's but also the Directors casting as they really didn't get to see people read very much, and didn't get to see individuals read with individuals they wanted to see read with.  

So yeah.  Kicks all around.  

School is still school, and this blog that I've been writing will have to be added to in a bit, as I am now about to get off work and will go play.

I'll write more tomorrow or monday.

cheers loves

-ellesse

SONG OF THE WEEK: 'Touch Me I'm going to Scream, pt. 2' by My Morning Jacket

make-up pictures from Glam Days

Full Sway

Well the blog is fully underway!

I spent like 3 hours last week updating it and making it look to what I believe to be "cool", and I have to say I'm pretty proud with how it turned out.  As you may have realized...it is not today Thursday, which is the day I plan usually to update this blog.  As it turns out today is Saturday, which only goes to show that the recent semester theme of "BUSY/RUSH OH MY GOSH NO STOP THE PAIN, WHY?!" will continue to go on.  Today, I sit perfectly contented in the box/ticket office of the Utah Shakespearean Festival...it is currently 9:31am, and I have plently of dead time to work on this.  I am content as I sit here, showered and clean, and my mother made me delicious eggs on toast which ALMOST just exploded all over me, but I am starting to make strides as far as accidents go.  

"Ellesse?  Why is your mother still making you breakfast?  You are in college aren't you?  You should be starving?"

Well...you'd be right.  I usually am.  But my mother and my sister Alison, came down to Cedar city yesterday afternoon to see Lysistrata and I've loved having them here.  Other than the fact that of course my mother went straight into cleaning mode (my place now looks spotless and I have delicious food [including chocolate soy milk {which I ADORE}]) in my fridge--I've loved having them both here.  My mother and my sister and my great friends: Chelsea, Cameron, Spencer & Tyce, came to see my play last night, which went very well.  It is Saturday (as I've already stated) and tonight is the closing performance of what has been Lysistrata.  Lysistrata has been getting very mixed reviews, but I can say looking at the full experience that it has been a HUGE growing experience for me.  The Greek play Lysistrata Aristophones has been adapted and modernized/translated by Dr. Christine Frezza and it has not been an easy feat.  Many things were lacking from Greek Theatre, character development and disposition being one of them.  A lot of things translated in the script do not read out to a modern audience and a lot of work had to be done by the individual actor on finding the character and conveying it across.  Successful or not, I've grown a lot through this organic experience which has been extremely open and fluid and open to change.  I adore my cast, love the crew and have fun every night.  Which is all I ask really.

Life it seems will not slow down (which is also all I ask) as Facing East rehearsals begin this next Tuesday.  I am sooo excited for it to begin.  I have to say that I have dreamed of a play, of a role as difficult as this, since I began college.  What a chance and what a signature to the year have I, do be able to have this my senior year?  I'll keep you posted as that goes up.  

Speaking of blessings and such, I have made some great new friends recently, who have always been friends but we've just become better friends in the last month & a half.  Willing to drop what they're doing at the drop of the hat to play zombie invasion and run for our lives...it's great fun.  

Speaking of zombie invasion.  The High School Shakespearean Competition is currently at hand, and the "emo kids in tights" are back.  I know I know, I was once one of them, but only a competitor, never....that.  HEY KIDS GUESS WHAT?!(see below).

 

 But to be quite honest with myself, I absolutely love it.  I don't even mind the 3 mandatory "service"/slave hours that the majors have to do.  I LOVE the Shakespeare (successfully attempted or not) that just glows and vibrates all around this college during this time.  The Adams Theatre never looks more beautiful to me, and Shakespeare is just alive.  I love it all!  I love all the students running around with twigs in their hair for crazed Ophelia, Henry's recently crowned, the weird sisters of Macbeth carrying their cauldron.  You get to see Shakespeare defended in my opinion, not butchered.  These High Schoolers get to see the freaks & geeks around them, loving Shakespeare just like them.  It is fantastic to me.  

Other than that life continues to move forward as it always does...I'm trying my hardest to stay afloat with school, and am managing.  With most of my classes being Theatre ones, actual homework isn't really an issue (it's the hours afterward that stack up).  But I am loving my Stage Combat class and my Make-Up course.  We did Middle-Aged make up last week and I am not looking forward to the future...and neither are my jowls.

Love you all!  I hopefully will write more later, and update the blog this coming thursday.  Leave comments!  I don't know who or if anyone reads this.

-ellesse

...and we're back

DID YOU MISS ME?!?!

Well I've missed this!  I've missed my weekly journal and being able to vent and record the week's 'weekly' flavor.  So it's back.  And for the most part, I'll be good on keeping it updated thought I'm not sure which night of the week will be 'the' night for updates, I'll let you know as my life calms down.

So you want to know about my life as of late?  Well lets get started:

First off, let me say that I do not think I have had a more busy semester.  I'm in the fourth?  (It can't be the fifth...the fifth week here?) and life has just been insane.  School and life just hit me in the side of the face with a rush:

-18 Credits: (Math 1030, Dramatic Literature, Stage Make-Up II, Shakespeare in Performance, Stage Combat, Professional Aspects of Theatre, and Rehearsal Performance, [it's a jammed back theatre world])

-I had the BFA auditions, which I was accepted into.  I am now a Bachelor's of Fine Arts major, but that's another scenario in itself.

-Jumping back into work.  I work at the Utah Shakespearean Festival ticket office, and it was weird plunging myself back into the thick of things.  

-LYSISTRATA, by Aristophones.  I play Kalonike in this SUU production and I get to be pregger's for most of it, it's a really fun time on stage.  

Speaking of Lysistrata, it opens TONIGHT!

ahhhhh nervousness.  I feel good though, moderately.  We had our preview night last night for the majors and its nice getting used to people actually laughing again at the new

 material...other than all of us actors who are just like 'blah'.  Lysistrata is a Greek play about the main woman, Lysistrata, who convinces the other women to deny their husbands any "home/marriage comforts", no cooking, no housework, no love, no....'you know', in effort to force the men to give up the war between the Athenians & the Spartans.  I had to do an interview for our SUU Journal and here's what I wrote about it.

Q1: It can be daunting to come back to Cedar City, undergo a new school year, and realize you have just over four weeks to put a show on. Especially in the beginning with the play being such a work in progress, things constantly being polished and revised. In that same respect the rehearsal process has been made easier by the hard work put into the project by everyone involved and the sense of equality and unity as we all make suggestions, encouraged by Director Christine Frezza, and put this play together. 

Q2 & Q5: I would encourage people to come because this play is relevant, and that is one of the purposes of theatre. It is too easy to find faults between the sexes, miscommunication, pulling your weight in a relationship, finding & meeting that common ground, is needed. There are so many more important things at stake in life, that people must find common ground. The humor of this show is watching the characters find the need for that balance, and the frantic desire to gain it. It’s almost too much fun.
Q3: The character I play in Lysistrata is Kalonike, an Athenian mother & housewife married to Athenian warrior Stratyllis, best friend to female leader Lysistrata. Kalonike, on her last leg, realizes that she misses more than just an extra pair of hands with her children and is looking for her partner again. She supports Lysistrata in any form, especially if it means that those missing parts of her life could one day resurface. 

Q4: As far as the direction of the plot, the plot leads the audience to recognize that neither side rules supreme. One sex in this plot does trigger change, but both sides realize they must meet together somewhere in between to find any strong foundation on which to stand. 

Q6: This school has a beautiful group of collaborators. In the College of Performing and Visual Arts there are individuals ready and willing to

 pursue excellence and art in whatever form presented to them. I am privileged to work with this cast and crew. I am thankful that at Southern Utah University I have been met with such partners and artists to endeavor with.

So cool beans.  It's a really fun character, a really fun show...and it's been a lot of work.  It's different from any other show I've been a part of...as far as 'growing' goes.  Different challenges, different expectations, different mind set, different everything.  But I love playing Kalonike, and I adore the cast & crew so that always makes things easier.  

My life lately has been like that night you decide to stay up the entire night, pull an all-nighter, and then your two days become a blur of one huge day, where all your friends took a nap temporarily...everything feels stretched and fuzzy.  

Lately it's been impossible for me to determine what I did on 'which' days, my life is becoming oddly enough like Jason Bourne... except I never was trained in death skills or anything of that sort.  

"You remember when we did that funny thing that one time."

"Yeah that was this morning..."

"...oh."

Everything is blurring together into one.  That's why its crazy to think it's actually been 5 weeks.

Something else that's new and exciting my life, is that I auditioned and obtained the role of Ruth in the MFA's production of Facing East directed by Matt Neves, who I worked with for Beyond the Horizon back in 06/07.  He gave me the script to just read over it last spring, and I was immediately excited about the script.  Its a bold work focused on an extremely sensitive, tender and controversial subject.  I play one of the parents of an LDS couple who recently lost their homosexual son to suicide.  It talks about what connects us to what is truly important, both love & faith which should always be unified, no matter how hurtful the situation.  I said that I was initially excited about the project at first.  After London and my summer months, I could not feel more connected and passionate about this story being told.  It is an emotional roller coaster and I look forward to growing through this project.  I also am so excited to play with a cast including Josh Stavros & Justin Scholl, and the show goes up in the SUU blackbox Nov. 13-15th.

So.  I've taken too long on this first part of my new blog of my life.  Entitled 'Play' because that's what I intend to do with it.  Take it seriously, but never too much.  Just play.  Don't pause, just press play. 

Hopefully I'll update it each week on Sunday.

Love you all

-ellesse