There he goes to write that hit song:

"Alone in my principles."

OK, well, I actually am not writing hit songs - at least not most of this week. But I am writing plays. Let me 'splain. No, there is to much. Let me sum up.

Had to drop Puppetry (booo) because work/commute/learning to sew/plays/etc. were too much to handle all and Puppetry, too. Perhaps next year when I'm ostensibly taking fewer courses? Or at least not directing courses? Anywho, I still have my sock puppet to complete if I like at home. I think I see how I need to widen the sides of the mouth and it should work.

Am still searching for a play to direct for class. I've finally decided that I want to do a "realistic drama" - so I've been looking at Chekov and Anouilh mainly. But as much as I'm realizing that I don't hate reading plays (if they're poetic), I do remember that it's difficult for me to believe most "realistic dramas" because their dialogue is so...strange. Weird, I know, for the Shakespeare addict to think normal langauge is strange, but there it is. More frustratingly, however, I keep rewriting the plays in my mind. Both Anouilh's and Sophocles' Antigone(s) I ended up rewriting as I went. And I just read Time Remembered by Anouilh, which resulted in me actually coming home last night and writing a play. Well, most of a play. Exhilerating and weird all at once. I'd love to see someone else direct it.

However, I have finally gotten Sibelius to work, so the first part of this week and the last part of last week were taken up with writing out compositions, most particularly "Life Your Life to the Fullest." However, I'm now stuck at the key change. That's all right. Plenty else to keep me busy.

Had an awesome experience of theatre on Monday as an actress. Last semester, when I got to act in Bob's class I found myself still conscious as a director. So as much as I was "in the moment," I was also wishing that I could watch the moment, the way a director does. But this time, I was just there. However, in this past week's improv, I totally thought that I botched it because the guest teacher (Bethany - who is awesome) who was acting against me ended the improv quickly. (Mr. Dougherty arose in my brain saying, "Keep the improv going! No negative objectives!" I quavered in fear.) But it turns out that she didn't know what else to say, in a good way. As she told me, "I don't shut up! But I just didn't know what else to do!" ...wow... I'm not being specific. Deal. Just know that I was playing a woman who found out about her husband's affair.

So I plucked up the courage yesterday to audition for Twelfth Night. I did Rosalind's speech ("Yes, one, and in this manner") and then sang "I Don't Want a Man at All." I think the speech went well, but I feel I lost them with the song. C'est ca. I'll be directing two plays soon - one for HHS and one for school - and I've yet to write the one or find the other so if I don't make call-backs much less a part for Twelfth Night, that's OK. But I think I've learned something good about straight auditioning. So that's good. Always a new experience, eh?

In talking with Krissytina the other night, I realized how blessed I am to be doing what I love. What a lovely dilemma it is to say, "Well, how many shows can I physically be in?"

So yesterday, I was really in Boston for this high school drama guild one act play festival, of which I saw three out of the five. The last play was especially interesting since it was entirely a movement piece and created by the cast. But while it began with some coherence, all too soon there was soil testing and monkey attacks and vampire doppelgangers and, as one of my fellow students whispered to me: "Did they all escape from a French academy?" Naturally, Bob and Bethany had nothing but praise for them, even though the show could have been twice as strong with some prudent editing (they kept missing the endings - oh, look! An ending! Pppppfffpt! Nope. Missed it). But it was a good afternoon all told. And a lovely day in town.

I'm most of the way through The Stanislavski System for Monday's class and I'm reminded forcibly of my love-disgruntled relationship with the master of modern drama. I keep feeling as much as I say, "Yes yes yes" to 85% of his acting techniques, I also say, "But where does the director fit into all of this?" I think we need a Stanislavski for directors. QED.

This post has been mainly theatre related and not particularly people related. Mea culpe. Julie's birthday is Ash Wednesday. Mom is going mitten-knitting-happy for the great-grandkids on either side. Dad is in Delaware with his family, staying with Grammy who is 91 today. Uncle Tom is staying with him and I'm glad to hear that he's having a great time with his mom and his brother. Peter keeps being full of surprises - like that he went on a trip to BU yesterday. Things like this just calmly dropping into conversation, next to his latest level of Final Fantasy fill-in-the-blank.

I'm glad it's not as cold as it could be. I'm in a funny place after staying up 'til 6 AM writing the play. It's like how I felt after I did the same for the first edit of the Drowning Ophelia film. I need a break from that headspace before I go back in. As Mom said, "It sounds like Satre with a funny bone." I'm lectoring at tonight's mass - we'll see how many people will come on Superbowl Sunday in this year the Pats are playing! I love lectoring. I often feel so very close to God when I'm priveledged to do so. I've been under minor attacks - prayers, as always are good - but I am aware of how many more great and wonderful things there are being done. I've said before, that when God closes a door, He opens a Kingdom. I'm beginning, this semester, to feel like Belle, just beginning to creep about and realize with rising excitement and wonder and "Can this be for me?"-ness as she pokes about the castle. Naturally, shadows will try to keep me far from His wonders. I pray that He will, Cupid with His Psyche, lead me through to perfect joy.

Mood: Curieux. Dream-like. Very French.
Music: Nicholas Nickleby!
Joy of Joys: I've managed to do my Magnificat at least once a day this past month! Yay! One resolution (kinda) working!