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