Checklist

Dear 16 hour days. I'm not a fan of you. Please stop showing up so frequently.

Dance tech is off to a great start. My lighting looks good. The other designers have done a good job. Dancers are prepared. All is good.

CHECKLIST
Music In Performance Paper: DONE
Music in Performance Presentation: Wednesday
Theatre Masterpieces Presentation: DONE
ACTF Meeting: DONE
Theatrical Management Final Project: DONE
Lighting design: DONE
Dance tech: In Progress
Dance Shows: Opening Thursday!
AIDA: SUNDAY!
Foundations of Theatre studying: In progress
Music In Performance studying: In progress
Psych 1 studying: In progress
Foundations of Theatre Final
Music In Performance Final
Psych 1 Final


And then...home...wonderful wonderful home. Which sadly will not be much warmer than it is up here. I'm not okay with this 36 degree weather. In the words of my friend Vera...it needs to either snow or get warmer. Both are probable outcomes considering it did actually snow during finals week last year.


And FYI...there is a 97% chance I am entering myself into the KCACTF (Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival) Region VII Stage Management competition. Get ready Humboldt...there will be at least 20 SMC theatre kids heading your way in February. Oh dear lord, what an adventure we will have :)

One two three blast off

Alright, that was fun. Back to reality. Dance show tech starts tomorrow...which is technically today since it is past midnight. The good news? I'm ready. My lighting design is set to go, cue sheets ready for the crew, checklists galore. We're all set on that front. The bad news? Not exactly sure when I have time to sit down tomorrow. These 12 hour days are starting to wear on me. I'm going to literally have to schedule time to scavenge for food and consume it at one point.

We're in full swing Christmas mode here in Freitas 24. Our suite looked like Santa's reindeer spewed candy canes. Good thing I love Christmas. Oh. and we're having a party on Friday. You're all invited.

Finals. Oh finals. How I tried to forget they existed. It didn't work. Apparently my mind powers aren't working anymore because despite my best effort, I do still have to turn in a project on tuesday and take 3 finals next week. I'm just glad the other project and paper are already completed. I feel like I haven't had this much work for finals since high school. The days of taking 6 (or 7 if your art elective teacher was really evil) sound so long ago and mind boggling. In the seemingly short time since I graduated, I've lost my ability to rationalize the validity of finals. And no one puts happy little jokes and extra credit on their finals in college. Nope we're all about being serious in the performing arts department...okay that's a lie but not when it comes to finals. I do get extra credit in psych. However...these extra credit questions will not involve guessing a Christmas carol or drawing a picture...they will be twice as hard as the regular exam questions and will probably kick my butt.

Let the countdown to home once again begin :)

Thanksgiving in all its Goodness

Here are some Thanksgiving photos! I absolutely love my family. I've also included a video I made for my cousin Leah who couldn't be home for Thanksgiving this year for the first time. We missed her very much but know that she had a great Thanksgiving in Colorado.

Let the Christmas Festivities Commence!

I've literally been waiting for this EXACT moment since September.

I have a rule. I cannot listen to Christmas music before midnight on Thanksgiving, a rule I tweak to fit my needs...which usually means as soon as dinner is done...but the day does not change. I love Christmas music so much that I will grow tired of it if I listen to it too soon. But now it's allllll mine. Get excited folks, if you're in my car or anywhere near me during the next month, you're going to hear an awful lot of "its the most wonderful day of the year" "winter wonderland" and my favorite "why couldn't it be christmas everyday"

Thanksgiving was brilliantly lovely. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, soccer game in the park, fun food kids and laughter at home. We even set up an indoor movie theatre upstairs and all of us gathered to watch "UP".

I literally live the quintessential Thanksgiving. Family gathered around a table, kids running and laughing, hugs and smiles right and left, plenty of good food...no one yells or fights or is angry...no one feels left out...it's a really beautiful blessing.

Thank You

I'm currently on a Thank You theme at the moment. This is my absolute favorite time of year and I can't help but be thankful for everything about my life. I love the theatre show, striking, hanging and focusing lights for the dance show for hours in the theatre, thanksgiving break, dance show, finals, christmas...I'm absolutely in love with everything.
In my life, the people are what make everything count. They are my reasons to get up in the morning and the reasons to pray at night. And I say thank you, to those in my life who stick around through the good and bad. To those who inspire and lead me. And to those I simply just love. I don't know if thank you says enough. But...thank you. Thank you for everything.

Music and Memories

It's incredible how powerful a memory aid music can be. This past summer I worked on Ace Dance Academy's annual concert with Linda and her roommate Megan who owns the company. It was a two day commitment, seemingly nothing major. I really enjoyed myself but hadn't thought of it much since then. Today Megan gave me a copy of the DVD and I haven't been able to tear my eyes away from it since. Every happy moment of that weekend suddenly came flooding back. As soon as I heard those songs, I began to smile as I remembered how incredibly fun that show was. It got me out of my SMC environment in a new theatre, working with new people. Being Linda's ASM for the first time was pretty cool. And it was a great experience. I love that I now have the DVD to remind me every time I get sad about how much I enjoyed that show and how much I'm looking forward to the next one!

Be Thankful

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am overwhelmed with emotions. This is my favorite time of the year. SMC theatre show heading straight into dance show prep, thanksgiving break, dance show tech and performances, finals, christmas. I can't help but smile. Thinking about how lucky I am gives me every reason to get up and dance to proclaim just how much I love everything in my life. It isn't always easy to remember but everything happens for a reason. I don't know exactly what I believe. I believe in God, that much I am certain of. I love sitting in the chapel by myself, reflecting and engaging in silent prayer. Those are special moments for me. But I frequently have to thank His higher power for everything in my life. Times are tough. The economy still sucks. Morales are down. It's not an easy time for anyone which is why it is so important to find the good. My dad lost his job a couple days ago. But I'm grateful my mom still has hers. I'm going to be in serious debt with college and grad school. But I'm grateful I will have the opportunity to attend both. I'm sad that my time at Saint Mary's is going by too quickly. But I'm grateful for the times I get to spend with people and I'm remembering to appreciate every little moment. I push myself to work 12 hour days to get what I want. But I'm grateful that my stubborn and determined nature is paying off academically and professionally. When it seems like things are getting too hard to handle...step back for a second. Think about what you love and what means the most to you, leave everything else out. And that's what is going to get you through until the next day. For me, this means I'm thankful I have a loving and wonderful family that entirely supports me. I'm thankful for my high school giving me the tools I needed for success and for friends that will last a lifetime. I'm thankful for my best friends who will always be here to laugh with, bitch with, going on adventures with, and be proud to know. I'm thankful for Anna, for being in my life and sticking with me for the past 6 years. I'm thankful for Linda, for those moments we get to share in the theatre and for teaching me how to be the best person and stage manager I can be. And I'm thankful for everyone in my life. No matter how infrequently I see you, you matter. And you always will.

Angels Update

Time for an ANGELS update

Just finished the first show of our closing weekend. The adjudicator for ACTF came tonight and said this was the best college production of Angels in America that he had ever seen. Last week the first adjudicator said he gave us a "highly recommended" which means our chances of going to ACTF are getting better!

We are so excited and so proud of this work. No matter what happens this process has been worth it. And just to get a taste of what we have been doing...

This is a video I made about the rehearsal process of Angels. If you watch it all the way through, you'll see an actual clip from the end of the show!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqANH9r2EXw

You've Got a Friend in Me

My relationships with people are the most precious part of my life. I value my friendships over everything and am truly blessed with the wonderful people I've come into contact with. I absolutely love personal connections with people and enjoy spending time one on one with my friends. Whether it's a quick phone call or an hour long talk on the couch in the theater, those intimate moments are what make my relationships special. I'm the person at a party you'll find in the corner talking with one friend rather than standing in a group conversing about the latest trend or gossip. It may seem trivial but simply finding time to catch up with someone can make all the difference in the world. I tend to talk on the phone in the middle of the quad near the theater because it's a big open space and you never feel crowded. Just being able to show someone that you care enough to talk to just them for any length of time can transform friendships in beautiful ways. Those few moments of personal connection make all the difference. I'm the kind of person who loves texting, talking online, private phone calls, and "friend dates" because in those moments, it's just you and them. No interference, no competition. Just you and your friend, sharing some special time. And I'm lucky that I'm able to do that.

The Human Heart

Tonight, a song called The Human Heart has come onto my ipod twice. You may not recognize it but I give you props if you do. It's from a beautiful show called Once on this Island. I did this show first semester sophomore year at Catalina and to this day, it has been my favorite show to work on. I don't know if it was the music, the ensemble nature of the show, or the general atmosphere associated with the process but I absolutely loved being backstage for this show. I made connections with special friends, I was given real responsibility for the first time (I was head of stage right-a HUGE deal for me), and I couldn't remember anything bad about it. It's honestly a pretty twisted story with a not so pleasant ending but I fell in love with it anyway. The cast was extraordinary and I really felt like I belonged in the theater community.
It's shows like that which remind me why I do this. Why I push myself to work 20-30 hours a week on something that I neither pays me nor runs for more than two weekends. Why I adamantly defend the validity of technical theater as a major. Why I will talk for hours about the importance of theater in a community. I've done over 40 shows since I was 14 and every single one has touched me in a unique way. While I have not enjoyed every show nor been pleasant for every moment of the rehearsal process, it is always worth it.

Live Your Life

"Far away there in the sunshine are my brightest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." - Louisa May Alcott


I hear on a daily basis how lucky I am to have found my passion so young in life. I've essentially known what I wanted to do with my life since I was 14. Though I didn't confirm this until 4 years later, I think deep down I always knew. This is what I'm meant to do with my life. Being a stage manager is a whirlwind of drama, hugs, office supplies, 20+ daily emails, hours of rehearsal, surprising breakthroughs, organizational overload, and tremendous pride. I've grown immensely in the past 2 years, mostly in part to my incredible mentor Linda. As I begin the conclusion of my first semester of junior year, the terrors and excitement of my future are starting to heavily weigh on my life. In a year and 6 months, I will be out on my own. Hopefully about to enter an excellent graduate school program but that has yet to be determined. And it's scary. For two years I've lived in the comfort of my home base, LeFevre Theatre. And I knew that no matter how challenging the problem or how overwhelming the rehearsal process, I would always be surrounded by my support system. I never felt like I was alone. Linda has been there every step of the way and, for the past year, so has Danielle. I knew that I would never be without guidance or advice if something got too challenging and I was never far away from someone telling me that I was doing a good job. My skills as a stage manager have almost reached the professional level and I know that once I graduate I will be more than prepared for my next adventure. Linda has fine tuned my skills to an expert's level. Whenever I question whether I'm doing something right, I hear her voice in my head telling me how to do my job. She has made me into the stage manager I am today and I cannot thank her enough for that. But I'm scared. I'm scared knowing that once I leave she won't be there to mediate if a director and I have a disagreement or reinforce that my decisions are correct. I will simply have to trust that she has taught me well enough to conquer the challenges my future holds. Theatre is full of challenges. Theatre is subjective. One person's point of view is rarely the same as another's. I hope to take away from her tutelage the ability to manage both sides of every story and be objective in every situation. I admire the skills she has developed for tackling each unique problem presented. She always has an answer. She always listens to both sides. And she is always supportive. It's very special to have a person like that working for your company. It will be hard knowing that I will not have her by my side once I leave but she'll always be with me. It would be impossible to go on without her. So although soon enough I will not be seeing her everyday, dropping in on her office, getting stage management lectures, and calling her when I absolutely cannot handle a situation, she'll still be there. And when the time comes to leave, I'll be ready.
So this is me saying, thank you Linda. For making me into the stage manager I am today, for being my mentor, and for being there for me every step of the way. I hope that I always make you proud.

It's Time to Give Thanks

Inspired by my wonderful friend Bri.


What I'm Thankful For

-Theatre
-Stage Management
-Finding my passion early on in life
-Stage managing with my best friend
-St Mary's
-Being in college
-Having 2 jobs I can manage
-My family
-Anna and Fiona
-My friends
-My health
-Sitting in the library surrounded by research materials
-Crisp weather
-Dressing up
-How Catalina changed my life
-Summer Camp
-Living in Monterey
-Meeting people who change my life
-Everything happens for a reason
-God
-Spirituality
-Sitting in silence
-My car
-Getting into the car to drive home
-Blasting music in the car
-Visiting my Catalina girls at school
-Catalina reunions
-Carmel
-Singing
-Staying in contact with teachers
-Linda
-Theater families
-Hannah
-Danielle and Andrew
-In N Out being in San Ramon
-My daddy for being my inspiration
-My mom for being my guiding light
-My brother for being my reason to keep pushing forward
-Anna. For making dreams come true
-Danielle for being my other half
-Kathleen for being the ray of hope I need in my life
-Warm beds
-Dancing
-Ballet
-Dance teachers
-Working the dance shows
-Bonfires at carmel beach
-Driving around my catalina girls
-My girls
-My house
-Thanksgiving. With all its memories, happiness, warmth, and love
-Christmas songs
-Christmas decorations
-Spending Christmas with my family
-My cell phone
-My computer
-My stuffed animals
-Mey
-St. Mary's friends
-Surprises
-Making new friends
-All the love in my life

Mey, this is for you

Angels opens in 8 days. Where the time went, I have no idea. I'll skip all the frustrations because that's not stuff you want to hear.
The show is going to be gorgeous. The actors are phenomenal. I am in love with the cast and crew and are amazed by them. You would be so proud of them, Mey. Everyone is working so hard. And we really miss you. I am really proud of all the work you are doing in DC. We wish you could be here with us but you're here with us in spirit. We love you so much!! xoxoxo