Hey all! I'm updating, partially because it's been awhile and partially because there's important work to be done. I've been spoiled in this program, so now having to write a 2-4 page paper seems like having to participate in an athletic event. That metaphor may not sound brilliant, but trust me, it works. They're both something that I'm perfectly capable of doing, but if given the choice would rather watch reruns of "The Office."
Performing the Neil Simon scenes went well. There are even a couple of pictures online, but I look a little bit ridiculous. I wanted to dress up, so I wore a red dress with black tights and my heeled black boots. It was a pretty cute little ensemble. The problem was that Gellman said that moving across the stage in my heels made me too high status, so he requested that for the next run, I remove the boots. The problem was that, to keep myself cozy and warm, under my boots, I wore pink, fluffy slipper socks, thinking that no one would ever see them. Gellman made a good point that the character was little off and was getting ready for bed anyway, but my fashion conscious facebook friends did not see his reasoning. I received a good ridicule for that one.
The main focus now is working on our final showcase. At the beginning of the year, if you'd have walked into our improv class, you might have thought you'd wandered into a party with a group of great friends. This week, you might think you're walking into a funeral where everyone in the room was the child, best friend, or widow of the deceased. Kinda morbid, but I'm kind of on a roll with the super awesome metaphors tonight. I'm not going to go into detail here. All I will say is that I trust Norm and I trust...I am trying to trust...I will forceably beat my ensemble into focusing on the work. When all is said and done, we will have an amazing show and I will have a dvd of it to subject you all to. Speaking of, tickets for my showcase are now available if you call the training center. The shows are May 12th and 13th at 7 o'clock. Come enjoy myself and my super sexy friends being really, really hilarious.
Alright, I have a movie treatment to write, sketches to look over, and a sink full of dishes, all of which are vying for my attention, so here is where I will bid you adieu for the evening. Have a lovely day!
Post Script. If anyone knows of any jobs available in Warsaw this summer, please let me know. I need rent money, and it's hard out here for a pimp.
Keep on truckin'!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Thank You For Being A Beautiful Blonde
Hey all! A lot has happened since my last entry, so prepare yourself for a long post. Whatever that means for you. Some popcorn might be in order. In any case, I'm just going to jump right into the update.
My aunt, Sally, came to visit me two weekends ago and we had a perfectly lovely time. On the way to pick her up, though, I was joined on the "el" by an old man with big crazy hair, a neon orange zip-up and a baseball cap. At first, he just came over to say, "Thank you for being a beautiful blonde." I was flattered until he moved over and sat beside me and told me he was a poet and philosopher and that he could talk to dogs. Longest train ride ever. Once Sally got there, however, we had a lot of fun, going to shows such as "Baby Wants Candy" and "The Best of Second City." At "The Best of Second City," we met this group of fabulous old ladies visiting from Minnesota. We sat with them during the show and just had a wonderful time.
The weather was perfect when Sally was here, so we did a lot of walking and even ate at a cute little outdoor cafe called, "Old Jerusalem." I had my first falafel, which was delicious, but not near as waffle-like as I had expected. We also went to Coldstone twice, because the first time we went, there a cute and funny guy behind the counter. We joked about the ice cream cups being made by child labor in third world sweat shops. It was then that I realized that fate and sweet, sugary goodness had brought us together. I haven't gone back since to visit my Coldstone boyfriend, but I like knowing only as much as I do. He could turn out to be an anti-semitic satanist cult-leader or something, and that's not something I'm prepared to live with. I shall just hold on to that glorious moment in the ice cream shop.
Last week, I fulfilled one of my big dreams of performing stand-up comedy. In fact, I did it three times. I hit two open mics and performed for all of Comedy Studies. I must say, once you've done stand-up at a small seedy bar, nothing in the world can scare you. (The sole exeption is spiders. They are still wildly terrifiying.) All three times went well. I didn't kill, but I certainly didn't bomb, and that's all any beginning stand-up can ask for. My only fiasco was right after my first open mic. I was so excited that I had made it through without passing out, vomiting, or spontaneously combusting that I tried to skip off stage. In my excitement, however, my boot got wrapped in the cord and I pulled the mic out of the stand and proceeded to drag it back to my seat. Luckily, the drunk spectators found it hilarious. In fact, I quite enjoyed the overall stand-up experience and have every intention of honing my craft and seeing where it goes.
This past weekend, I went back to Warsaw to see Grace's production of "Little Shop of Horrors." It was so freakin' phenominal. I was so proud of all of David's work. David designed the set, costumes, poster, and played the starring role. He is so amazing, and I can't wait to see where he goes in his career. I was so proud watching it, I got a little choked up at points. David is one of my best friends in the world, and I honestly feel so lucky to be a part of his life. Everyone else was great as well. I got to connect with some old friends and even make some new ones. Ashlee was hilarious as the bag lady on Skid Row and Peaches was just all around fierce. I was so glad to be able to attend the show, but not being a part of it was killing me. I snuck backstage before the show and at intermission, though the sign said, "cast and crew only." Not being a part of that group for once was really weighing heavily on me. Don't get me wrong, I love it here in Chicago. I'm having the time of my life, getting hit on by old crazy men and falling in love with professional ice cream scoopers, but that group is a very special group of people and they will always have a place in my heart.
My ensemble is finally starting to write our showcase, and I can see that it's going to be amazing. This is going to be a show that I can be very proud of. Allow me a cheap, brief plug. There are shows on May 12th and 13th at The Second City Etc stage. Tickets aren't available yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I know anything. Alright, this was ungodly long and I have to go watch some Will & Grace for some homework. Seriously. Life is grand here. Keep on truckin'!
My aunt, Sally, came to visit me two weekends ago and we had a perfectly lovely time. On the way to pick her up, though, I was joined on the "el" by an old man with big crazy hair, a neon orange zip-up and a baseball cap. At first, he just came over to say, "Thank you for being a beautiful blonde." I was flattered until he moved over and sat beside me and told me he was a poet and philosopher and that he could talk to dogs. Longest train ride ever. Once Sally got there, however, we had a lot of fun, going to shows such as "Baby Wants Candy" and "The Best of Second City." At "The Best of Second City," we met this group of fabulous old ladies visiting from Minnesota. We sat with them during the show and just had a wonderful time.
The weather was perfect when Sally was here, so we did a lot of walking and even ate at a cute little outdoor cafe called, "Old Jerusalem." I had my first falafel, which was delicious, but not near as waffle-like as I had expected. We also went to Coldstone twice, because the first time we went, there a cute and funny guy behind the counter. We joked about the ice cream cups being made by child labor in third world sweat shops. It was then that I realized that fate and sweet, sugary goodness had brought us together. I haven't gone back since to visit my Coldstone boyfriend, but I like knowing only as much as I do. He could turn out to be an anti-semitic satanist cult-leader or something, and that's not something I'm prepared to live with. I shall just hold on to that glorious moment in the ice cream shop.
Last week, I fulfilled one of my big dreams of performing stand-up comedy. In fact, I did it three times. I hit two open mics and performed for all of Comedy Studies. I must say, once you've done stand-up at a small seedy bar, nothing in the world can scare you. (The sole exeption is spiders. They are still wildly terrifiying.) All three times went well. I didn't kill, but I certainly didn't bomb, and that's all any beginning stand-up can ask for. My only fiasco was right after my first open mic. I was so excited that I had made it through without passing out, vomiting, or spontaneously combusting that I tried to skip off stage. In my excitement, however, my boot got wrapped in the cord and I pulled the mic out of the stand and proceeded to drag it back to my seat. Luckily, the drunk spectators found it hilarious. In fact, I quite enjoyed the overall stand-up experience and have every intention of honing my craft and seeing where it goes.
This past weekend, I went back to Warsaw to see Grace's production of "Little Shop of Horrors." It was so freakin' phenominal. I was so proud of all of David's work. David designed the set, costumes, poster, and played the starring role. He is so amazing, and I can't wait to see where he goes in his career. I was so proud watching it, I got a little choked up at points. David is one of my best friends in the world, and I honestly feel so lucky to be a part of his life. Everyone else was great as well. I got to connect with some old friends and even make some new ones. Ashlee was hilarious as the bag lady on Skid Row and Peaches was just all around fierce. I was so glad to be able to attend the show, but not being a part of it was killing me. I snuck backstage before the show and at intermission, though the sign said, "cast and crew only." Not being a part of that group for once was really weighing heavily on me. Don't get me wrong, I love it here in Chicago. I'm having the time of my life, getting hit on by old crazy men and falling in love with professional ice cream scoopers, but that group is a very special group of people and they will always have a place in my heart.
My ensemble is finally starting to write our showcase, and I can see that it's going to be amazing. This is going to be a show that I can be very proud of. Allow me a cheap, brief plug. There are shows on May 12th and 13th at The Second City Etc stage. Tickets aren't available yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I know anything. Alright, this was ungodly long and I have to go watch some Will & Grace for some homework. Seriously. Life is grand here. Keep on truckin'!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Intestines, Duck Feet, and Easter, Oh My!
So, if it prints the time on this, you'll see I'm updating at four in the morning. Why, you ask? Because, I feel like it! Geeze. Get off my back already. Actually, I'm writing at this odd hour because I did what I've done the past couple of nights. While actually intending to get things accomplished, I get tired and decide to "nap" for a few moments. I end up waking up at three-thirty in the morning, unshowered, with all the lights and my computer on. At that point, I shower and sleep for a few more hours before getting up for school. Is it a great system? Far from it, but it's hard to make yourself act like a normal, responsible person when you live alone.
My friends from high school, Chelsea and Meredith visited me last week and we had a lovely time. I do so enjoy showing off Chicago and my newfound knowledge of it. My favorite story from their visit was our "adventurous" attempt at lunch on Saturday. Meredith suggested finding some good Chinese food, so the intention was to go to a place that I really like in Chinatown. Not surprisingly, we woke up pretty late and didn't want to go quite that far out, but Casey told me that there was some good oriental food off Argyle, which is only one stop away on the "el." We ended up walking into three different restaurants, none of which had decipherable menus. We were still game to try something until we went into the last restaurant and saw what looked like intestines and whole duck feet being prepared in the window. Terrifying. I suggested Panera and we had soup and sandwiches.
School has still been so much fun, I don't know what to do with myself. In writing and history, we're discussing sitcoms, which is fabulous, since sitcom writing is something I have considered for the future. Last week I pitched my "I Love Lucy" episode entitled "Lucy Learns French." Ricky and Lucy made a wager, Lucy attempted to speak French, and wackiness ensued. The next pitch is a partner pitch for an original sitcom. I came up with the idea of a group of 3-5 men that have lost their jobs in the recession, but out of pride still put on their suits and pretend to go to work every day. They form a little club and spend their days hiding their secret from the world and scheming how to get enough money so they can all fake paychecks. There's much more to it, but I don't want anyone stealing this brilliant idea. If you don't think it's brilliant, that's why I'm in comedy school and you're reading this from somewhere less cool than Chicago. If you do, thank you. I always liked you the best anyway.
Easter weekend was fun, as I went to Wisconsin with my dad, Tim, and Amanda. It was really great to see my family. We're all pretty close, despite the fact that they're all a bunch of crazies. I jest, of course. (But no, seriously, they're a bunch of lunatics!) They're totally great and super normal. (Normal like a freakshow.) In all seriousness, I love them all soooo much and I'm really glad I got a chance to spend some time with them. I wish I could just move all the people that I love to Chicago and we'd all just go to improv shows together and eat at Panera. Although, I suppose that's what heaven is for.
It's almost four thirty, so I'm gonna call it a night, but there's been a few more things going on in this crazy life of mine, so I'll write a bit more very soon. It's ok if you don't believe me. I'm not sure if I believe myself. You're all fabulous! Have a lovely day. Keep on truckin'!
My friends from high school, Chelsea and Meredith visited me last week and we had a lovely time. I do so enjoy showing off Chicago and my newfound knowledge of it. My favorite story from their visit was our "adventurous" attempt at lunch on Saturday. Meredith suggested finding some good Chinese food, so the intention was to go to a place that I really like in Chinatown. Not surprisingly, we woke up pretty late and didn't want to go quite that far out, but Casey told me that there was some good oriental food off Argyle, which is only one stop away on the "el." We ended up walking into three different restaurants, none of which had decipherable menus. We were still game to try something until we went into the last restaurant and saw what looked like intestines and whole duck feet being prepared in the window. Terrifying. I suggested Panera and we had soup and sandwiches.
School has still been so much fun, I don't know what to do with myself. In writing and history, we're discussing sitcoms, which is fabulous, since sitcom writing is something I have considered for the future. Last week I pitched my "I Love Lucy" episode entitled "Lucy Learns French." Ricky and Lucy made a wager, Lucy attempted to speak French, and wackiness ensued. The next pitch is a partner pitch for an original sitcom. I came up with the idea of a group of 3-5 men that have lost their jobs in the recession, but out of pride still put on their suits and pretend to go to work every day. They form a little club and spend their days hiding their secret from the world and scheming how to get enough money so they can all fake paychecks. There's much more to it, but I don't want anyone stealing this brilliant idea. If you don't think it's brilliant, that's why I'm in comedy school and you're reading this from somewhere less cool than Chicago. If you do, thank you. I always liked you the best anyway.
Easter weekend was fun, as I went to Wisconsin with my dad, Tim, and Amanda. It was really great to see my family. We're all pretty close, despite the fact that they're all a bunch of crazies. I jest, of course. (But no, seriously, they're a bunch of lunatics!) They're totally great and super normal. (Normal like a freakshow.) In all seriousness, I love them all soooo much and I'm really glad I got a chance to spend some time with them. I wish I could just move all the people that I love to Chicago and we'd all just go to improv shows together and eat at Panera. Although, I suppose that's what heaven is for.
It's almost four thirty, so I'm gonna call it a night, but there's been a few more things going on in this crazy life of mine, so I'll write a bit more very soon. It's ok if you don't believe me. I'm not sure if I believe myself. You're all fabulous! Have a lovely day. Keep on truckin'!
Friday, April 3, 2009
With A Little Help From My Friends...Ben and Jerry
Hey all! So, I've just been reading my past blog entries and feeling all sentimental about how far I've come in this experience. I'd honestly forgotten how scary the beginning of this adventure had been for me, but it makes me so proud that it all feels so easy now. I guess I'll mention that I wasn't just going through old posts because I'm so narcissistic that I love to read my own writing, however, I am and I do. I'm starting to write a play, based a great deal on my Chicago experience. It won't be my exact story or anything, but I'm hoping to include many of my actual events. This is all contingent on whether or not I can tear myself away from hulu.com long enough to get any writing accomplished.
This week, the musical director that I had my improv workshop with came by to help us work on our songs for our end of semester showcase. I think we have some really great stuff. I'd tell you, but I don't want to ruin it for those of you that will be at the showcase on May 12th and 13th. Hint, hint. You know what? There's no room for subtlety in this blog! Come to my freakin' showcase! It will be a lovely time, dang it! Don't make me twist your arm! No, seriously. I'm not very strong and you would probably just laugh at me. Anyway, tickets are free but must be reserved, and you can come either day. The tickets will become available this month, but I don't know exactly when yet. I'll let y'all know.
In Gellman's class, we're starting our Neil Simon scenes. I thought it would be a lot easier than the Second City scenes, because I've actually done this scene before. In fact, it's the scene I used to win state in high school. How in the world I thought a scene for Gellman wouldn't break my spirit is beyond me. We started blocking yesterday, and he must have stopped me ten times in four pages of dialogue. I have a lot to work on. It's really hard to hear these things, but I really appreciate how hard he pushes me. It's the only way I'm going to get better. I do know that Gellman likes me, and it helps that I know he only pushes me as hard as he does, because I can take it and he knows I can do better. Nonetheless, I had to be comforted after class by my friends, Ben and Jerry. No, I haven't met cute guys here. Fatty's referring to ice cream.
In history, we're discussing sitcoms. This makes me very happy, because sitcom writing is something I'm looking into as a career choice. My homework for Monday is to pitch an original episode of I Love Lucy. I've been training for this assignment since I was in elementary school. I've seen every episode and can quote about half of them. Hello, friends. I'm your Vitameatavegamin girl! Are you tired, worn down, listless? Do you poop out at parties?... Ok, you get the idea. I don't know what my premise is gonna be yet, but I'm so excited I could poorly re-wallpaper the apartment. I realize that's obscure and doesn't make sense, but I wanted to throw in another reference to cement my superior Lucy knowledge. Don't judge.
I'm off to work on my new play, but I'll be writing again soon. I'll keep you updated on when tickets are available, and Neil Simon scenes, and I may even be awesome enough to let you in on what I pitched for my Lucy episode. Have a lovely day all and enjoy this lovely spring weather...kind of. Keep on truckin'!
This week, the musical director that I had my improv workshop with came by to help us work on our songs for our end of semester showcase. I think we have some really great stuff. I'd tell you, but I don't want to ruin it for those of you that will be at the showcase on May 12th and 13th. Hint, hint. You know what? There's no room for subtlety in this blog! Come to my freakin' showcase! It will be a lovely time, dang it! Don't make me twist your arm! No, seriously. I'm not very strong and you would probably just laugh at me. Anyway, tickets are free but must be reserved, and you can come either day. The tickets will become available this month, but I don't know exactly when yet. I'll let y'all know.
In Gellman's class, we're starting our Neil Simon scenes. I thought it would be a lot easier than the Second City scenes, because I've actually done this scene before. In fact, it's the scene I used to win state in high school. How in the world I thought a scene for Gellman wouldn't break my spirit is beyond me. We started blocking yesterday, and he must have stopped me ten times in four pages of dialogue. I have a lot to work on. It's really hard to hear these things, but I really appreciate how hard he pushes me. It's the only way I'm going to get better. I do know that Gellman likes me, and it helps that I know he only pushes me as hard as he does, because I can take it and he knows I can do better. Nonetheless, I had to be comforted after class by my friends, Ben and Jerry. No, I haven't met cute guys here. Fatty's referring to ice cream.
In history, we're discussing sitcoms. This makes me very happy, because sitcom writing is something I'm looking into as a career choice. My homework for Monday is to pitch an original episode of I Love Lucy. I've been training for this assignment since I was in elementary school. I've seen every episode and can quote about half of them. Hello, friends. I'm your Vitameatavegamin girl! Are you tired, worn down, listless? Do you poop out at parties?... Ok, you get the idea. I don't know what my premise is gonna be yet, but I'm so excited I could poorly re-wallpaper the apartment. I realize that's obscure and doesn't make sense, but I wanted to throw in another reference to cement my superior Lucy knowledge. Don't judge.
I'm off to work on my new play, but I'll be writing again soon. I'll keep you updated on when tickets are available, and Neil Simon scenes, and I may even be awesome enough to let you in on what I pitched for my Lucy episode. Have a lovely day all and enjoy this lovely spring weather...kind of. Keep on truckin'!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
I'm a Star...bucks commercial extra
So, here she is; the long-awaited update. You may want some food and water nearby for the long journey ahead. I wouldn't want you to become so hungry and dehydrated that you can't enjoy my cleverly recounted anecdotes. We have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time, so here we go...
As you have read in past posts, I had been really stressed out about performing the classic Second City scenes. This was reinforced one day in class when Gellman kept stopping me and making me do lines over and over, asking me if I felt the beats being off. I didn't, but it's times like that where you just nod your head, try something else, and hope that that was finally the right thing. By the end of that session, I was ready to swear off the stage and dedicate my life to being a regular, boring person. After class, Casey and I went to Jewel and got ice cream and rented High School Musical 3. Nothing heals the soul like Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream and a corny Disney movie musical, geared towards ten year olds. Despite all my struggles, the performance went splendidly.
A couple of weeks ago, we had our first Friday optional workshop. It was an hour dedicated to learning musical improv. It was glorious!! The teacher was a crazy woman with big red hair who I decided would be my friend right away. We all sang and danced and made fools of ourselves and had a perfectly lovely time. My favorite part was the rap off. I know, right? For a few minutes there, I was so black I made Oprah look like Nicole Kidman. Don't judge that metaphor. Go with it. Anyway, it started as a team effort, the girls verses the guys, but then each team was told to pick their best rapper. Clearly, I was sending off a Fifty Cent vibe, since my whole team quickly turned and pointed to me. I wasn't too worried until I saw that the boys had chosen Pete. I know, right? Ok, that means nothing to you, but Pete is a very experienced improviser; one of the best in the class. I was pretty sure he was going to humiliate me and make me rethink my career as a hip hop/rap artist, but I took off my houndstooth scarf, put up my hood and threw down a few gang symbols. I may have accidentally joined the Bloods, but it was worth it. We went 7-8 rounds before I callously crushed him in front of everyone. It felt so good to beat him. He just could not compete. This will always be remembered, as the day I took down Pete! Check out those mad skills. Word. Fo' sho. I should stop now. It's just awkward and unnatural on me.
In other big news, I got to star in a national commercial for Starbucks. "Star" is the same thing as "cameo," right? Either way, I'm pretty much famous now. I was leaving class one day with a few of the girls from class and a guy stopped us on the elevator and asked if we were Second City. We told him "yes" and he asked if we would be in a Starbucks commercial for him. Since I need attention and fame the way I need air, I jumped at the chance. We all went into Starbucks and he took us over to the nice camera set up. He said I just needed to try the coffee and he would ask me questions on camera. It was then that I realized that I do not have a career in film. Apparently, the presence of a camera turns me into an infomerical host on ecstasy. "Wow! That is some darn good coffee!" That was accompanied by a big goofy grin. Luckily, I had a few good things to say after that, and of course I looked really hot, which I'm sure helped. So, they used some of my footage in two of the final commercials. You can see them for yourself at...http://starbucks.com/coffee/instantCoffee.aspx?catId=17#num=02&id=instant_coffee and
http://starbucks.com/coffee/instantCoffee.aspx?catId=17#num=03&id=instant_coffee.
When David was here, he had to go to a few different places to fulfill his cross-cultural requirements for Grace. One of the places on his list was The African American History Museum in the south part of Chicago. I don't know if you've heard of the south side, but it's not a place that most 4'11" white girls frequent. The whole time we were on the bus I kept thinking the little jingle, "Which one of these is not like the others?" We made it there safely and were only hassled once by a man carrying a black trash bag trying to sell me "Gucci," although that kind was probably spelled, "Goochi." The same night, coming home from a really hideous show we saw a gang fight, right outside the redline stop. A bunch of kids were beating the crap out of this guy in the street, that we later learned had made some comment about one of the guys' girlfriends. Since I didn't know an alternate route home, we just waited at a distance until the police arrived. I'd like to say I was brave and cool, but in all honesty, I grabbed on to David and Matt and decided if the gang ran our direction, I was going to push them in front of me and run towards Indiana. We made it home alive, our bodies and innocence in tact.
Part of the reason I haven't been faithfully blogging is that David stayed for a week and then I was in Nashville to see my dad over my spring break. I had a lovely time in Tennessee, as always. I loved spending time with my dad and my grandma, and their fabulous cooking certainly doesn't hurt. I always eat well when I'm down there. Last night for dinner, I had Spaghettios, stuffing, and Pringles. Living alone has done terrible things to my body.
Because this post is so late, I'm sure there are other things I should relay, but seriously, if you've gotten this far in this post, you must really love me. In return, I'll go ahead and wrap this up so you can get on with your normal lives. I keep thinkng of other things I could add, but I think I'll just put up a few more shorter posts this week. So check back soon. If you don't, I wouldn't blame you, but you'll just have a mess of old posts to read when you do come back, so it's up to you. Have a lovely day all! Keep on truckin'!
As you have read in past posts, I had been really stressed out about performing the classic Second City scenes. This was reinforced one day in class when Gellman kept stopping me and making me do lines over and over, asking me if I felt the beats being off. I didn't, but it's times like that where you just nod your head, try something else, and hope that that was finally the right thing. By the end of that session, I was ready to swear off the stage and dedicate my life to being a regular, boring person. After class, Casey and I went to Jewel and got ice cream and rented High School Musical 3. Nothing heals the soul like Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream and a corny Disney movie musical, geared towards ten year olds. Despite all my struggles, the performance went splendidly.
A couple of weeks ago, we had our first Friday optional workshop. It was an hour dedicated to learning musical improv. It was glorious!! The teacher was a crazy woman with big red hair who I decided would be my friend right away. We all sang and danced and made fools of ourselves and had a perfectly lovely time. My favorite part was the rap off. I know, right? For a few minutes there, I was so black I made Oprah look like Nicole Kidman. Don't judge that metaphor. Go with it. Anyway, it started as a team effort, the girls verses the guys, but then each team was told to pick their best rapper. Clearly, I was sending off a Fifty Cent vibe, since my whole team quickly turned and pointed to me. I wasn't too worried until I saw that the boys had chosen Pete. I know, right? Ok, that means nothing to you, but Pete is a very experienced improviser; one of the best in the class. I was pretty sure he was going to humiliate me and make me rethink my career as a hip hop/rap artist, but I took off my houndstooth scarf, put up my hood and threw down a few gang symbols. I may have accidentally joined the Bloods, but it was worth it. We went 7-8 rounds before I callously crushed him in front of everyone. It felt so good to beat him. He just could not compete. This will always be remembered, as the day I took down Pete! Check out those mad skills. Word. Fo' sho. I should stop now. It's just awkward and unnatural on me.
In other big news, I got to star in a national commercial for Starbucks. "Star" is the same thing as "cameo," right? Either way, I'm pretty much famous now. I was leaving class one day with a few of the girls from class and a guy stopped us on the elevator and asked if we were Second City. We told him "yes" and he asked if we would be in a Starbucks commercial for him. Since I need attention and fame the way I need air, I jumped at the chance. We all went into Starbucks and he took us over to the nice camera set up. He said I just needed to try the coffee and he would ask me questions on camera. It was then that I realized that I do not have a career in film. Apparently, the presence of a camera turns me into an infomerical host on ecstasy. "Wow! That is some darn good coffee!" That was accompanied by a big goofy grin. Luckily, I had a few good things to say after that, and of course I looked really hot, which I'm sure helped. So, they used some of my footage in two of the final commercials. You can see them for yourself at...http://starbucks.com/coffee/instantCoffee.aspx?catId=17#num=02&id=instant_coffee and
http://starbucks.com/coffee/instantCoffee.aspx?catId=17#num=03&id=instant_coffee.
When David was here, he had to go to a few different places to fulfill his cross-cultural requirements for Grace. One of the places on his list was The African American History Museum in the south part of Chicago. I don't know if you've heard of the south side, but it's not a place that most 4'11" white girls frequent. The whole time we were on the bus I kept thinking the little jingle, "Which one of these is not like the others?" We made it there safely and were only hassled once by a man carrying a black trash bag trying to sell me "Gucci," although that kind was probably spelled, "Goochi." The same night, coming home from a really hideous show we saw a gang fight, right outside the redline stop. A bunch of kids were beating the crap out of this guy in the street, that we later learned had made some comment about one of the guys' girlfriends. Since I didn't know an alternate route home, we just waited at a distance until the police arrived. I'd like to say I was brave and cool, but in all honesty, I grabbed on to David and Matt and decided if the gang ran our direction, I was going to push them in front of me and run towards Indiana. We made it home alive, our bodies and innocence in tact.
Part of the reason I haven't been faithfully blogging is that David stayed for a week and then I was in Nashville to see my dad over my spring break. I had a lovely time in Tennessee, as always. I loved spending time with my dad and my grandma, and their fabulous cooking certainly doesn't hurt. I always eat well when I'm down there. Last night for dinner, I had Spaghettios, stuffing, and Pringles. Living alone has done terrible things to my body.
Because this post is so late, I'm sure there are other things I should relay, but seriously, if you've gotten this far in this post, you must really love me. In return, I'll go ahead and wrap this up so you can get on with your normal lives. I keep thinkng of other things I could add, but I think I'll just put up a few more shorter posts this week. So check back soon. If you don't, I wouldn't blame you, but you'll just have a mess of old posts to read when you do come back, so it's up to you. Have a lovely day all! Keep on truckin'!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Teaser Trailer...Because You Deserve At Least That
Hey all. So, it's almost two in the morning, I still have to shower, and I think I'm getting sick, but you deserve something out of me. I'm not going to take the time to write out a long and witty post at the moment, BUT you will not leave my blog empty-handed, or I suppose empty-minded rather. I shall give you teaser as to what I will write about tomorrow or the day after...for real this time. So, here's what you've been missing...I've had a really rough day at class, performed my Second City scenes, won a rap off, been in a commercial, witnessed a gang fight, been to the south side of chicago ("south side" must be latin for "you're probably going to die here"),had a friend stay for a week, spent a week in Nashville, and bought new shoes. I'm sure I'll think of more...but I'm tired and ill. What more do y'all want from me?! I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances. Ok. Fresh start. You and me. We're going to forget the empty promises and believe me when I tell you that the stories behind all of these events and more is coming to a blog near you...specifically this one. You won't find these stories anywhere else, and I think it we both know it would be foolish to look. Have a lovely day and check back SOON!!! Keep on truckin'!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Shopping for Fish Sticks and Obama Biographies
I hate beginning every post with, "Sorry, it's been so long..." so, I won't. How about, "I apologize for letting so much time pass between posts." Yes. I think that varies it a bit. Now on to more important things.
Here's a quick update on all the things I mentioned in my last post. The silent film scene went very well. Everyone enjoyed our bits and while I don't exactly think I have a career in silent film, I think my group did a great job. Nothing funnier than a mistaken identity, an injured waiter, and a high energy chase scene!
Remember those props I was to bring to Andy's class a couple weeks ago? Well, I ened up using a zebra clock, a tiny iron, and a stuffed pygmy goat. From those props, three characters developed; Flamer Flave, the gay rapper, La Petite french maid, and the farmer who raised only midget animals. Sound strange? That is because I go to comedy school. It's clown college without the face paint.
Since my last post, I made my first trip back to Warsaw. I had an absolutely wonderful time with all my friends, and I was so glad I got to go to David's art show. That kid is amazing and I can't wait to be his date to the Tony's when he's up for Scenic Design. Ummm. Don't tell him I said that. He doesn't know he's taking me yet.
Last week, we continued to work on our Second City sketches for Gellman's class. On Tuesday, after class, I was almost ready to give up on acting entirely. I was so nervous, I was dropping lines and completely missing reactions that could have been great comedic moments. Because that was such a horrible embarrassing failure, I worked really hard on my scripts and by Thursday, Gellman even handed me a compliment or two. Granted, he didn't exactly call me brilliant yet, but doggoneit, that man will love me by the end of this semester. He'd better not make me start singing Dreamgirls style, but I will go Effie on him if necessary.
I think I may have met my future husband at Jewel the other day. On Wednesday, I was watching TV online and a commercial for fish sticks came on. Well, it did it's job, because I started craving fish sticks something awful, so I went to Jewel after school on Thursday. As I stood in front of the fish stick wall, talking to Tim on the phone, this incredibly handsome guy walked past. He stopped about one fridge over, looking at burgers. I was telling Tim that I had gotten a text in Gellman's class, but did not text back, because I did not dare get out my cell phone in his class. Then, something magical happened. The hot guy stopped, looked at me and said, "Excuse me, but are you talking about Michael Gellman?" I almost dropped the phone. "Y...yes." I wrote it that way, because it gets across the point that I stammered like an idiot. "I took classes from him, too," he said. Completely ignoring my poor brother on the phone, I managed to spit out, "I'm in Comedy Studies." He smiled the most beautiful smile and answered, "I did Comedy Studies, too. Tell Gellman Gabe said hi." Resuming my conversation with Tim was almost impossible. I'm glad that attractive guys make me an incoherent mess. I'm sure that will help me meet men in the future. *Sigh*
In other news about my charisma and grace, I had a couple of friends from Grace visit this past weekend. I didn't know quite when their train was getting in, so I went to Borders and found a great spot in a corner windowsill to read. I was there for about an hour and a half, and while my bum hurt, I wasn't too uncomfortable. After reading for so long, I thought I'd just walk around for a bit. There were about 5 people in the aisle facing my windowsill. When I hopped up to walk away, I took a step and learned that my legs had fallen asleep. I collapsed loudly into a bookshelf. A woman asked if I was ok and told her that I was fine, and only my pride was hurt. The worst part was that I could not casually walk away as it took some time to get blood back into my legs, so I was stuck gripping onto a bookshelf for dear life. I had to pretend I was actually shopping the wall of Obama biographies. I must have looked like a drunken liberal. My father would be so proud.
Well, apparently, when I don't write for a while, I end up writing gosh awful long posts. I hope you've been attentive enough to get through it. If you have, wonderful. If you haven't, well, there's no point in scolding you, since clearly you're not reading this. It will not be that long before I post again. For real. Believe me. Check back in again soon for a nice fresh post. I'll try to be a better blogger to you all. Have a lovely day. Keep on truckin'!
Here's a quick update on all the things I mentioned in my last post. The silent film scene went very well. Everyone enjoyed our bits and while I don't exactly think I have a career in silent film, I think my group did a great job. Nothing funnier than a mistaken identity, an injured waiter, and a high energy chase scene!
Remember those props I was to bring to Andy's class a couple weeks ago? Well, I ened up using a zebra clock, a tiny iron, and a stuffed pygmy goat. From those props, three characters developed; Flamer Flave, the gay rapper, La Petite french maid, and the farmer who raised only midget animals. Sound strange? That is because I go to comedy school. It's clown college without the face paint.
Since my last post, I made my first trip back to Warsaw. I had an absolutely wonderful time with all my friends, and I was so glad I got to go to David's art show. That kid is amazing and I can't wait to be his date to the Tony's when he's up for Scenic Design. Ummm. Don't tell him I said that. He doesn't know he's taking me yet.
Last week, we continued to work on our Second City sketches for Gellman's class. On Tuesday, after class, I was almost ready to give up on acting entirely. I was so nervous, I was dropping lines and completely missing reactions that could have been great comedic moments. Because that was such a horrible embarrassing failure, I worked really hard on my scripts and by Thursday, Gellman even handed me a compliment or two. Granted, he didn't exactly call me brilliant yet, but doggoneit, that man will love me by the end of this semester. He'd better not make me start singing Dreamgirls style, but I will go Effie on him if necessary.
I think I may have met my future husband at Jewel the other day. On Wednesday, I was watching TV online and a commercial for fish sticks came on. Well, it did it's job, because I started craving fish sticks something awful, so I went to Jewel after school on Thursday. As I stood in front of the fish stick wall, talking to Tim on the phone, this incredibly handsome guy walked past. He stopped about one fridge over, looking at burgers. I was telling Tim that I had gotten a text in Gellman's class, but did not text back, because I did not dare get out my cell phone in his class. Then, something magical happened. The hot guy stopped, looked at me and said, "Excuse me, but are you talking about Michael Gellman?" I almost dropped the phone. "Y...yes." I wrote it that way, because it gets across the point that I stammered like an idiot. "I took classes from him, too," he said. Completely ignoring my poor brother on the phone, I managed to spit out, "I'm in Comedy Studies." He smiled the most beautiful smile and answered, "I did Comedy Studies, too. Tell Gellman Gabe said hi." Resuming my conversation with Tim was almost impossible. I'm glad that attractive guys make me an incoherent mess. I'm sure that will help me meet men in the future. *Sigh*
In other news about my charisma and grace, I had a couple of friends from Grace visit this past weekend. I didn't know quite when their train was getting in, so I went to Borders and found a great spot in a corner windowsill to read. I was there for about an hour and a half, and while my bum hurt, I wasn't too uncomfortable. After reading for so long, I thought I'd just walk around for a bit. There were about 5 people in the aisle facing my windowsill. When I hopped up to walk away, I took a step and learned that my legs had fallen asleep. I collapsed loudly into a bookshelf. A woman asked if I was ok and told her that I was fine, and only my pride was hurt. The worst part was that I could not casually walk away as it took some time to get blood back into my legs, so I was stuck gripping onto a bookshelf for dear life. I had to pretend I was actually shopping the wall of Obama biographies. I must have looked like a drunken liberal. My father would be so proud.
Well, apparently, when I don't write for a while, I end up writing gosh awful long posts. I hope you've been attentive enough to get through it. If you have, wonderful. If you haven't, well, there's no point in scolding you, since clearly you're not reading this. It will not be that long before I post again. For real. Believe me. Check back in again soon for a nice fresh post. I'll try to be a better blogger to you all. Have a lovely day. Keep on truckin'!
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