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Merry X-mas and Happy New Year
Monday, December 31, 2007 @ 11:58 PM
My brother and I were in the same house for about 48 hours before he started pushing my buttons and making me want to kick him. He kept saying that I Am Legend is a zombie movie... after that it was all downhill. I got some thoughtful presents. I wish I could have given better presents this year... I wish I'd had the money.
I saw Sweeney Todd and was greatly entertained. I'm not as fanatic as Amanda, so I won't offer a detailed critique, I'll just say I really enjoyed it. The leads were quite good, their singing performances left a bit to be desired but the acting was good. It was bizarre to see an actual child playing Tobias, instead of a young man. More disturbing in some ways. Said child was very talented, I give him that. The guy who played Anthony was so odd-looking that I was actually distracted. I finally decided he was the love child of Claire Danes and Crispin Bonham Carter. I was a little disappointed at the end... but I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't seen it.
Actual conversation with Sheila's relatives after the movie:
Relative: "What movie did you go to see?"
Kellie: "Sweeney Todd! It was great!"
Relative: "Suh-what a what?"
Kellie: "Sweeney Todd! Sweeney Todd!"
(They continue to look puzzled.)
Kellie: "Stephen Sondheim. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street! Musical about revenge and cannibalism in London..."
(They stare blankly.)
Kellie: "Tim Burton? ... Johnny Depp?"
Relative: "You know what I want to see? The Bucket List."
Now, there's nothing wrong with being woefully ignorant about one of Stephen Sondheim's best musicals. They've devoted their lives to knowing things about sports and Catholicism, and that's okay. I document this conversation not to be judgmental, merely to illustrate the fact that I sometimes feel as though I am an alien being, from the planet Theatre Nerdopolis, sent to study a culture vastly different from my own.
I rang in 2008 by making macaroni and cheese for a three year old and an eight year old and watching the first two Back to the Future movies. I wouldn't have minded baby-sitting on New Year's Eve if there had been a big fat tip in it for me, as there should be for holiday childcare, but no such luck. I wasn't invited to a single party this year. It's official. I'm 24 and my social life is over.
Justice Systems
Sunday, December 16, 2007 @ 4:41 PM
Audience had its final performance today. A lot of people couldn't make it because of the weather, but a lot of the people who did come turned out to be involved in Sullivan County Peace & Justice, so that was neat. One of them gave me a ride home and I helped her scrape her windshield. I am in favor of both peace and justice, so I hope I can get involved in that group in the future.
My name was printed in the second batch of programs, albeit spelled "K-e-l-l-y." I saved a few copies for posterity. Rich never got to see the show, which is unfortunate because I think he would have liked it. I got him addicted to Oblivion, which is great. His character is a Bosmer monk named Fineas. He likes to save his game, then randomly attack the townspeople and then resist arrest and let the guards kill him. He broke into someone's house and then jumped on their bed until the city guards caught up with him. I have to admit, the timing was hilarious. Picture a tiny wood elf jumping on someone's bed, and then a pissed off guard yelling, "It's all over, lawbreaker!"
I found out that "Origins" is still in the running for the Karen Fredericks and Frances Willitts Poetry Prize. I made it to the top 500. Not too shabby.
Assorted Value Judgments
Friday, December 14, 2007 @ 8:58 PM
I finished the first draft of Dogface! Yay! It's a pretty rough draft, but I might let you read it if e-mail me and promise to be kind. (Remember, I cannot always distinguish between myself and my characters and tend to base my value as a human being on whether or not a given person thinks I can write.)
There was a full house for Audience tonight. The crowd was appreciative and I got to meet some of the other company members. Some rude elderly women sitting right in front of me left the show just as it was reaching its climax, which was upsetting. One of them was very old, so maybe she was having a health emergency. Let me re-phrase that. She had better have been having a health emergency. Otherwise leaving in the middle like that is just not acceptable. In a 50-person house, when you make that much noise, you're not just disturbing the other patrons, you're disturbing the actors. And they have enough to worry about.
Flask and Pen got a make-over and looks really pretty now! Go look at the three poems I wrote that they decided to publish. There are even comments on "What Goes Around!" And they are positive!
Weekend Excursion
Tuesday, December 04, 2007 @ 11:41 AM
I'm in Chicago right now, at Josh's computer. I flew to Chicago on Friday so that I could see "Bargaining" at ISU on Saturday afternoon. I kept it a carefully guarded secret so that I could surprise Tim. And surprise him I did. His reaction was pretty intense. My reaction was also pretty intense when I realized he had cut about 1/3 of the play and turned my full-length into a one-act. His justification was basically that he cut the parts that he and the actors struggled with, or anything that he didn't feel was important. I tried to explain to him that those were not his decisions to make, and that I felt betrayed by his decision to pick and choose scenes from my play. My feeling is, either put on my play as I wrote it, or find a different play. I feel like I didn't get to see my play at all.
That said, I still managed to enjoy myself at times. The actors did a nice job with what was left of the script. Ryan was a little hard to hear at times but he had sincerity, Hannah was a little over the top but I have to admit, she was pretty adorable. Tim did the show with realistic scene changes and costume changes (that took FOREVER), and I realized that I need to put a page of director's notes in the front of "Bargaining" when it's published. They will say, "This play must be performed in a representational style. You can use one table, two chairs, and a door. That is your set. Otherwise the play DOESN'T WORK."
I saw the play with Seth, who was instrumental in my writing process, and Michelle, who had read the post-Binghamton draft, and Dan, who didn't even know what the play was about at all. Seth and Michelle were both like, "What happened to that part and this part?" and Dan was all like, "Wait a minute. Can they have kids or not?" No one could believe that he killed the main characters at the end. When I told Josh, who had read the play, about that ending, he said, "That's like doing Waiting for Godot and having Godot show up at the end." I couldn't agree more.
I know I'm ranting, but I'm just so sad that Tim missed the point of my show so completely. Tim's argument seemed to be, "I didn't miss the point, there was no point, I did the best I could with your pointless show. If you want people to get your point, then you have to re-write your show." This is irritating to me because it sounds a lot like populism. He wants me to cater to the lowest common denominator, instead of expecting people to appreciate a subtle, multi-lateral piece of work. If you don't get it, then you shouldn't direct it. End of story. I'd rather it were never put on again then be chopped to bits and altered so completely. Obviously, I'm going to think long and hard before I let anyone direct "Bargaining" again.
I still had a great trip to Normal, I loved hanging out with Dan and Michelle, playing video games and eating my favorite Normal foods (Avanti's pepperoni pizza bread, Fiesta Ranchero quesadillas and the heroin cheese dip, and a Steak & Shake milkshake with cheese fries). We also went to Maggie Miley's, drank crazy vodka drinks, and earned swag t-shirts as a result. It was a really awesome time.
On Sunday I got a really exciting e-mail. A group at the University of Illinois, called the Penny Dreadful Players, is putting on one of my ten-minute plays, "Lie to Me" as part of their festival. The performance date is February 22. If I can find the money, maybe I'll come back and see that, too. I'm fond of it, but I'm certainly a lot less attached to it than I am to my longer shows, and I can't imagine how anyone could possibly misinterpret it or screw it up. I mean, they could have them kill themselves at the end. But short of that, I can't imagine. If anyone is interested in reading the ten-minute play in question, let me know and I will send it to you once I'm back at my own computer in Liberty.
Due to their schedules, I didn't get to see Erin or Laura during this trip, which sucks. I only got to see Josh for a few minute each night when he came home and passed out. Last night I convinced him to cook us some hamburgers and drink with me a little before said passing out, and that was a good time. We talked about life concepts in the abstract, which is always a good time. It's good for me to periodically be reminded that not everyone experiences things the way I do. In fact, I'm not sure anyone does. I have such a hard time relating to people who aren't like me, but really, no one is like me. It's paradoxical and very isolating.
I have, at this moment, absolutely no desire to leave Chicago. I don't want to go back to baby-sitting for free and walking up that long hill at one a.m. I am enjoying this break from reality. I'm not ready for the vacation to end.
On the other hand, I am excited to see Amanda and tell her about how Tim destroyed the play. She's kind of hated him ever since he put on Collaboration and switched the genders and cut all her favorite lines and cut the kiss at the end. After I tell her what he did to Bargaining, she will probably be ready to murder him with her bare hands, and that will make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
And hopefully I won't have to baby-sit for free for too much longer. And hopefully I can get back on top of my finances and hopefully I can start making friends in Liberty and hopefully I can come back to Chicago again soon.
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