Seize the Homecoming

Amber & Kate modeling mums

This past week was homecoming for all of us at Ray High School. Being a freshman I'm new to a lot of these things. One of them being mums. The Wikipedia definition of a homecoming mum is this: "Southwestern United States.The garters are then worn to the game and dance. These are usually very elaborate and consist of many ribbons and ornaments with a chrysanthemum in the center. The decorations are usually related to the wearer's interests and school." and the Urban Dictionary definition is "a big ass bow thing made out of ribbons, that you get for homecoming from your date." 
     I am one of those forever-alone girls so I figured I would just make my own mum. I am also one of those creative, outside of the box, kind of girls. So the part about my own interests really let me be creative. I don't  do sports and that's usually what is on mums so google helped none. Who wants a mum with football crap on it? Umm no one, that's who! 

     Most Fridays we have school-wide pep rallies. All the grades sit in specific sections and at the end, there is a battle cry contest. Whichever grade has the loudest and best one gets bragging rights. It's really competitive and intense. So when it was the freshman's turn, we did our best but all the upperclassmen began boo-ing us. The boo's were louder than our cheers and sent us down to the bottom. Not a cool moment for the class of 2016...
     That day on my way home I was still peeved about the pep rally. I was listening to my iPod and Newsies came on. Then it hit me like a pape to the face. Freshman are just like Newsies! Our Pulitzer is all of the upperclassmen. We have to be brave like the newsboys and let the school know that we been here!
     The following week all the freshman got their act together. We organized ourselves with the help of our Human Geography teacher, Mr. Roberts (shout-out!),who donated his classroom for all our pep rally supplies. We made signs, shredded newspapers and had lots of air horns. I also got to work on my mum. I decided it was going to be a Newsies mum. The ribbons were newspaper, the logo was on the middle  bow and the word Newsies was spelled along the center. It came out pretty well.
     Friday finally rolled around and everyone was ready for that pep rally once and for all. Right before it my friend, Amber, surprised me a mum she made for me. It was a traditional mum and when she saw the one I had made, she loved it. So did all my other theatre friends, they said they totally got it and "that's rich"! 
     So when it was the freshman's turn to do our battle cry, we threw shredded newspaper in the air, yelled at the top of our lungs and jumped up and down. We really gave it our all. Even the seniors stood up in surprise. Freshman don't do this sort of thing! When our principal was announcing the winning class she said, "This week's winners went from the bottom to the top! It's the freshman class!" The announcement was met with another flurry of newspaper and cries of joy. It was the first time ever in the history of our school that the freshman class won the homecoming pep rally. Put that in your juice box and suck it, upperclassmen! 

  

Show Tunes and How Apparently They Aren't Normal People Music

     When asked what kind of music I like best, I usually answer with country music. Really I only listen to two genres; country and show tunes. Broadway show tunes are just so underrated it's sad. I'm sorry if wanting to be involved in a story while singing. That's what these songs do, they help tell a story. A wise person once said, "There is a show tune for every occasion." That wise person was spot on because there are just so many!
      Having a bad day? "Hasa Diga Eebowai" from The Book of Mormon is your song. Going on a date you are really excited for later? Try singing "Tonight" from West Side Story. Getting mixed feelings from a "friend"? Then "Mix Tape" from Avenue Q is for you. Just met someone special? "I Can Hear the Bells" from Hairspray. Feel like eating your town? "A Little Priest" from Sweeney Todd. Trying to learn Spanish? "Sunrise" from In The Heights. Trying to write a newspaper for rebel newsboys? "Watch What Happens" from Newsies. Stripper? "Out Tonight" from Rent. Do you dream of being a house wife? "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm" from How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Are you a perky blonde who is giving your abnormally green friend a makeover? "Popular" from Wicked.
     There is always a good moment for a show tune because there are so many musicals about really crazy things! Some are believable and even have historical accuracy like Newsies, Rent, In The Heights, and West Side Story. Others go off of stereotypes like The Book of Mormon. Some come from movies like most Disney musicals and Hairspray.
     Some people however, like my mother, don't appreciate them at all. Apparently "normal people" don't listen to this kind of music. This really sucks because how cool would it be to pull up to a red light next to some gangster who is blaring some ghetto rap music and be able to thwart him with "Ohmigod You Guys" from Legally Blonde The Musical. Wouldn't that just feel great?!
    

Confusion on Cliques and Where I Will Sit For the Next Four Years

     As I've mentioned before on this blog, this fall I am doing something pretty big. I start high school. *insert thunder and lightning here* In the movies, when you see a high school cafeteria you see all of these different tables with all of these different groups of people sitting at different tables. I've begun to think: What table will I sit at? My clique is made of all kinds of different people. Come to think of it, do I even have a clique? I'm friends with all kinds of people; theatre geeks, nerds, stoners, goody-two shoes, preps, athletes (shocker I know).
     My closest friends and I are just kind of weird. I am bonded with these people for all kinds of different reasons. Some I like because they are funny, I perform with, I secretly don't even like, they are nice, and so on. It's odd now that I think about it. We are just a big melting pot.
     I think we will just have to claim a table to ourselves. It will be like The Island of Misfit Toys but for my friends and anyone else who wants to come. A table for people who are just like us. Unclassifiable.

My Fourth Of July and How Rebecca Needs Insurance

     I've never been a very fearless child. I can't swim, ride a bike, or pop fireworks. That third one is sometimes a problem around this time of year. Now that I'm a teenager and not looked at as such a little kid, I can avoid fireworks with more ease. Fireworks just make me jumpy and give me heart attacks. To me they are just little red bad ideas. Most of the time parents teach their children not to play with fire, but on this particular summer night, they hand them the fire. But this isn't even normal fire. This fire is loud and pops everywhere and at everything.
   My family always has an annual Fourth of July party and this year my friend Rebecca tagged along with us. Besides multiple bug bites, everything was going well and we were having fun. Then my niece, Maria, pulls out packs of 100 count Black Cats. Black Cats are little firecrackers that you light in your hand then throw before they explode. I was a good sport and threw two but then decided to just sit down and hand them the fireworks instead. Maria has been doing them for years. I remember being much younger and her having all kinds of explosives in one pocket and a lighter in the other. She would always drag me along with her to set them off so I trusted her. Rebecca on the other hand has always lived in Corpus Christi, a city an hour away that has too much concrete and too many bans against this sort of thing. Needless to say, I was weary.
     As the night grew on Rebecca gained more and more confidence and eventually was competing with Maria. It was a game I used to play (and always lost at). It's like a game of chicken. The Black Cats have a long enough fuse so that when they are thrown they don't explode in the air and they do on the ground. What the players do is hold the lit firework in their hand then throw it at the last second so that it does explode in the air. Maria was in the lead and Rebecca kept gaining confidence and making me more and more nervous.
     Then Rebecca did what Maria and I kept warning her not to do. She held on too long. The firecracker went off in her hand. Becca stared in shock. Maria jumped. I screamed, flipped and freaked the hell out. I thought my friend had just blown her hand off!
     As I was trying to catch my breath and return my heart rate to a normal beat Rebecca came towards me.
     "Can I have another one?"


To check out Rebecca's blog,  ***click here***

Jeremy Jordan and How I Can't Believe He's From Corpus

     The Tony awards are only a week away and Mr. Jeremy Jordan is nominated for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical. Jordan stars in the musical, Newsies. Newsies is based on the actual Newsboys Strike of 1899.
     I had never heard of this new show and when I first heard about it, all I heard were two words; Jeremy Jordan. I live in Corpus Christi, Texas and apparently so did he. "That's cool." I thought and blew it off.
     Later one of my friends told me about someting that happened in choir that day. Ms. Byus (yes, like High School Musical but I'm 100% serious), the choir director, was telling the class about Jordan. "  He is nominated for a Tony this year and we all should be very proud of him not only because he is a Corpus Christi native, but he also went here to Baker." I had never heard this before! This guy could win a Tony and I'm walking the same halls as him?! At this, everyone started talking so Ms. Byus had to hush down the kids, "Yes, yes, kids. But I wasn't his choir teacher when he went here."
     "That's why he's gonna win the Tony!"retorted some kid in the back of the class. The whole class laughed but Ms. Byus was less than amused.
     So that night I went home and listened to the Newsies soundtrack on Spotify. It was really catchy and soon I was singing right along. I wanted to know more about Jordan and the whole show itself. In one interview he said "This is a huge responsibility. I remember being eight years old and seeing it in the theater. This movie means a lot to people in my generation." I was clueless. What movie was he talking about? It turns out that there is a movie of the same name that the musical was based on. I had never heard of it because it is a few years older than me; it's from 1992 to be exact.
     That weekend I was at Half Price Books and found an old VHS tape of it for one dollar. That's how you know it's old. What else can you buy for a dollar? When I was paying for it I made small talk with the cashier. "Hey I remember this movie! It was pretty good." I told him it was on Broadway now but he didn't really seem very interested. It wasn't until I mention Jeremy Jordan that it clicked for him. "Oh! That guy?! He went to Carroll. I remember now. A Tony, huh? Maybe we should be selling this for more than a buck..." Too late! I had bought it already.
     So I developed my opinion of the show through the 1992 movie, YouTube clips and other people's reviews. I love Newsies now and I wish I could play one but I am a painfully tall hispanic girl so I seriously doubt that will ever happen. The more I think about it, the cooler Jeremy Jordan seems. He came from my city. He probably ate a few Whataburgers, put up with our crap weather, and was frustrated with our miniscule theatre life down here (it pisses me off all the time). He was one of us but is now a star. As I type this it's hitting me; what if I know a future Tony winner...BAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Yeah right! A city like Corpus Christi can only produce one person like Jeremy Jordan.

My Last Day As A Baker Bronc

     Today was the end of a long journey for me. I've spent the last three years here and changed so much.
     I've gone to school with these people for the past eight years so we have all become brothers and sisters. It's why most of us don't date. Who would want to date their sibling? No one, that's who. It's why if we do date, we date kids form other schools.
     First period we got our end of course exam results (I did well) and the whole class was buzzing with anticipation and nerves. It hadn't hit us yet that this was our last day together. By fifth period however, I was ready to start crying. The following are just a few of the people I had to say goodbye to today.
      I had a couple of friends in theatre who I wouldn't see anymore. Christian was going to Carroll and I asked him if he was going to continue doing theatre over there. He said yes and that made me feel a bit better because I knew I would see him again. I did make him promise to not be better than Ray before I gave him a hug.
     I shared that theatre class with Alec too and he was going to Moody because that dork got into the health and science program. That class we were watching a Broadway documentary and West Side Story segment came up. I looked at all of my friends and they all smiled at me; I looked at Alec and he was slouched over fast asleep. WHAT HUMAN IS ABLE TO SLEEP THROUGH WEST SIDE STORY?! All I'm saying is that he better not sleep like that when I'm up there as Anita. He assured me that he wouldn't.
     The next period was Spanish and I had to say goodbye to Matthew. Matthew is a little monster and he "stans" lots of celebrities. Whenever I am curious about pop culture or music in general, he is my go-to guy. His Twitter is @MatthewBGaGa1 and you should all go follow him. Anyway,Matthew is very...well he's very white. Spanish is not his strongest subject and often depends on other people to help him. The day before, we took our final exam for Spanish and needless to say, we were all worried about the grade he would be making. He needed to make a B and he had a 78.6 in that class. When we got our scores back he informed us that he got a 99! Good for Matthew! We were all very proud of him and sad to see him go. But hey, he heard the Spanish teacher at King is very lenient so hopefully he will survive without us.
    In U.S. History I had to say goodbye to Ryan because he, like Alec, was going to Moody. When I first met Ryan we were doing a duet scene. He was a fox who was trying to convince a bunch of grapes to let him eat them. I was the grapes (not exactly winning a Tony for that performance anytime soon). It was a comedic scene and our director decided to showcase it so it was a success. This year Ryan and I became closer through our History class and NJHS. Everybody had him in a group hug as the final bell rang. Needless to say, the tears flowed freely.
     The hardest to say goodbye to however was definitely Steff. We rode the bus together for five years straight and old each other everything. We were best friends and she is going to Carroll in the fall. We both saw this coming but didn't want to acknowledge it until now. As we got nearer and nearer to her stop the tears came more and more. What would we do without each other? We vowed to do things together over the summer and I hope she stays true to her promise.
    


     Today was a very hard day because I had to say goodbye to say to a lot of people. Really it wasn't goodbye but a see you later. I know I can call, text, and look at their Facebooks, but it's not the same. We can't see each other everyday anymore. When we do meet again, it will be a special occasion, not just another Tuesday. Today was inevitable because now I can go to Ray in the fall and be totally prepared. Even though I said goodbye to these people, I will always have their love and support.

My Night of Neon Light

     At my school when we hear the word "dance" a lot of us think that means "dry hump each other to ghetto music". So when I heard we were having a prom, I wasn't exactly thrilled.
     Another thing that really put me down about it was that I wanted to go with a certain guy. About a week before prom I told him that I had a crush on him. His response? "Yeah, and you're a great actress." A GREAT ACTRESS?! That's the best possible complement he could give me? While that did wonders for my confidence level, my best friend was also left heartbroken by a different boy. So we figured we would go to prom with each other. It's not like we were going to get asked anytime soon.
     The day of prom I didn't bother to even go to school. Our final exams were over and we weren't doing much anyway so I thought I would just spend it prepping for prom. I went to go get my hair done and the stylist straightened it. It took an hour and a half to get all of my curls to go flat. I got up thinking that we were done, but she shoved me right back down into the swivel chair. Then she begins to curl my hair. I'm sorry; what?! After another hour of glaring at the stylist through the mirror, I ask "Are we done now?" She laughed. She then commenced the most complicated pattern ever on the back of my head. Finally I had a perfectly messy bun with a red flower in my hair. How it happened, I have no idea. In the end I looked very well...Latin.

     When it came to makeup, I was told "Go find the reddest lipstick you have." so I came back with my favorite stage makeup. I put it on and got a "DAMN THAT'S RED!" I threw on my dress and then was out the door and headed to Kate's house, where I was meeting up with some friends. From Kate's house we went to City Diner and laughed until our stomachs hurt. We figured that the dinner was going to be more fun than the prom itself. Eventually we left for the Ortiz Center where our prom was to be held.
     As we drove up we saw one of my good friends, Quentin. He looked dashing in an all white tux and we called him over to us. The first words out of his mouth made my night, "OMG your dress! You look just like Anita! So West Side Story!!!" Quentin knows just what to say to make me smile. As in one of my previous posts, I have a bit of a fetish for West Side Story and Anita is my dream role. Of course we danced and took plenty of pictures that were very West Side Story-esque. He was my Bernardo for the night.

Frances and Austin

     Every dance I had meant something different to me. I danced with another one of my good friends, Natalya (click here to see a 5 second clip of us dancing) and remembered why we are such great friends. As another one of my friends, Austin, spun me around the dance floor to "Neon Moon" I realized how much I missed having classes with him. With Frances I noticed how grown up and beautiful she was and it hit me that we were all growing up. With Steff a wave of dred hit me like a brick. I didn't want her to go to any high school except mine. I jumped around with Kate and I could barely contain my excitement to do high school theatre with her in the fall.
    Technically Lauren was my date, but she enjoys dancing more than I do so she never left the dance floor. I didn't mind; I walked around and chatted a bit with everyone.
     Our theme was "Night of Neon Light" so there were glow sticks everywhere. It was actually really pretty; so pretty that we were all surprised. The only thing that wasn't perfect was the DJ. He would stop the song so that we were all singing acapella. It wasn't pretty. If we wanted to hear these kids belt out lyrics to songs they barely know, and butcher it, Baker would do more musicals. DJ aside, it was a great night. My date and best friend, Lauren, spent the night at my house and we talked about who we danced with and who we wish we had. It was a great way to end the year and we lit up the night with our high spirits alone.
        

Diego Boneta and How I Saw Him First

     I don't want to sound like a hipster in the fall so I'm saying it right now. I liked Diego Boneta before he was super cool. He's cool right now, but most people don't know who he is. He isn't mainstream yet but after his next movie, he will be.
     Let it be known that I've liked him since like forever. His movie "Rock of Ages" comes out on June 15 an good Lord, I can see it now. All the fangirls are gonna go nuts. I am a fangirl myself (a Lautie) so I can criticize us. I've known about Boneta for years and as soon as I saw the words "based on the hit Broadway musical" I was all over this movie. 
     As my friends know, I've already called dibs. They gave it up pretty quickly too. "Sure you can have the guy no one knows..." Well let's see what happens on June 15 when they are all swooning in the theater over all the Diego Bon-awesomeness. I will bet someone money that there will be at least one war over him. So that's why I'm posting this. Let it be known to the world. THIS IS ME CALLING DIBS, LADIES!!! THE BONETA IS MINE!!!

Legacy and How I Realized How Much I Want to Leave One

     I was looking at my Twitter feed the other day and I saw a familiar name. Michael Cantu. I couldn't remember where I'd heard it but it gnawed at me until I finally asked a friend about it.
"Michael Cantu, as in football, Michael Cantu?" my friend clarified.
At the word "football", it hit me like a brick. He was in 8th grade when I was in 6th. Michael dominated on the football field and basketball court. Gabby had an über-dorky crush on him and we all teased her because he probably didn't even know her name. Looking back, I don't blame him. Most of our 6th graders are just flat out annoying.
I went to look at his Twitter feed and what I saw didn't surprise me. It looked something like this:

• baseball
• baseball
• baseball
• girlfriend
• baseball

     Of course he still was all about sports.
     So I got to thinking. I began to realize the legacy he left behind at Baker. All the guys wanted to be just like Michael. He was an upper classman, of course they looked up to him.
Then it hit me, CRAP! I'm now one of the upper classmen! When 6th graders look at me, what do they see? I only know a couple of them and just barely. But that's probably what Michael said...
     The more I thought about it, the more I thought about other upper classmen. I thought about who I would love to be remembered like and my mind immediately went to Mel Barrera. She is a year older than me but every time I would see her around school I would think to myself "She's a great actress. I want to be like her." I started thinking more and more and soon I realized how all of these people who didn't even know most of us could make an imprint on the lower grades.
     What kind of legacy will I leave behind?

Bullying and How It Gave Me Something To Do Today

     For the past week a selected group of students from my grade have been putting togther a play for an antibullying summit at the American Bank center for school administrators. It sounds really boring but it's been really great. To start off with, our teacher/director, Ms. M, told us we could write our own script. So for those of you who don't know me, I am a control freak. Before anyone even began to write ideas down on paper I had turned in a script to be reviewed. Ms. M decided that she liked it so we began to learn lines. The storyline revoloves around three main charcters; Russell, John, and Danielle. Russell was played by my good friend, Quentin Arispe and was a teen who just came out to his school that he was gay. Because of this, he loses all of his friends but by the end, he gets them back and support of the school. John, played by Douglass Hagemeister, is at first a life long friend of Russell but cannot accept that he is gay so leaves him. Once he sees how Russell is being treated however comes back to the rescue. Danielle completes the trio of friends and is the martyr of the show. Danielle was played by me and gets cyberbullied until she eventually commits suicide.

     We had rehearsals everyday during 7th period and at Aurora Arts Theatre. When we were at the theatre, the owner came to watch us do a dress rehearsal. "You've got a great set of kids you've got here, RaMina." said the owner.

     "Yeah, I made sure to pick my absolute best." replied Ms. M.

     At that we all smiled.

     When we arrived at the summit we realized that we were the only group who were here to have fun. We got on a bus with kids from Ray and Collegiate and immeadiately noticed that they were all buisiness. Those kids talked about the matter at hand while he sat at the back of the bus belting Book of Mormon and Wicked songs. Once we got settled in at our table we went to the bathroom and made a makeshift dressing room. We got into costume and put on stage makeup until we were stage ready. Then we returned to the Baker table to enjoy a fancy meal. How our school district could even afford it, I have no idea.

     Then we actually particiapted in the summit. It soon became obvious as we were grouped with the Ray kids that we were chosen to participate for different reasons. Most of us just let the juniors do the talking but then there was Quentin who wouldn't stop talking. Kate drew elephants on her script, I was on Twitter, but every now and again we made (somewhat) sigifigant contributions to the conversation. 

     Finally it was our time to go and perform. I was so proud of the cast that was assembled because everyone did fantsticly. The audience ate it up! When Russell announced that he was gay, people stood and appluaded. When John left Russell they all boo-ed. When my suicide scene started, one guy in the back yelled "DON'T DO IT!" Finally when we all went for bows, we got a standing ovation. As we walked offstage reporters there covering the summit came to talk to us and take pictures. The superintendent came and told us how well we did. A teacher from Ray came up and commended us as well; we even made her cry.

     Pretty good for a Monday.

Auditions and How They Aren't the End of the World

     At every audition there are those kids who think that they are just the bee's knees and are better than everyone else. Just because they star in everything, can sing "Defying Gravity" better than Idina Menzel herself and have been in dance classes since before they could even walk. There is always at least one.
     I am not one of these people. Sure I do shows but I'm not winning an Oscar anytime soon. As for my singing (oh God...), my own mother has asked me to stop singing in the car. Dance-wise I'm not terrible but I've never taken a dance class in my life.
     So I have no reason to be one of those crazy confident people. The thing is, I am. I know what I can and cannot do. I know that when I go onstage people are going to look at me; they are here to judge me. That's the whole point of theatre. Hey! Look at me! I'm here to tell you a story! Isn't that an established fact? It shouldn't come as a shock. This is why I get so frustrated with people who are there looking nauseous at auditions. If it makes you sick and uncomfortable, why do you put yourself through it?
     I don't get nervous before an audition; I get nervous immediately after. As soon as I walk offstage I think about how I could've done things differently. How that sucked compared to what I can actually do.  I always have to have faith that the director sees something in me that he/she likes.
     The picture above was taken at an audition. There was a line of chairs along the wall all filled with auditioners. I was second to last. As the auditions went on and the chairs began to become empty I noticed the boy next to me, Alec, kept looking worse. At first we made conversation but suddenly it died. Alec started looking greener than his shirt.
     Because of the lack of conversation, I started to talk to my friend, Natalya. Natalya was across the hallway and was the one who took the picture. She was laughing at how calm I was compared to the now sickly Alec.
     Soon it was my turn. I went in, did my two monologues and even got complemented on my characterization from my auditor. I came back out into the hallway and told Alec it was his turn. His face made it look like I just told him I just murdered his whole family and that he was next. He came out not even thirty seconds later. I asked him how it went and he told me about the horrible experience.
     He went into the room, and said "Hi my name is Alec and-". Then he made eye contact with our auditor and froze up. Then he just walked right back out of the room.
     A piece of advice? If you are someone like Alec don't audition. Work on your confidence. Wait until you know what you can do. Once you know what you can do, show it. Audition your butt off and do your best every time. It may take time but with every audition you get better and better, trust me. Soon you will be one of those kids that has crazy confidence because you've auditioned so much. An audition? No problem!

"Roast Beef" and How My Biology Teacher Expects Me to Cut Open A Heart

     When I signed up for Biology, I was warned with things like "You know it's a high school class, right?", "It goes on your transcript." and "Are you sure you can do this?" It's the fifth six weeks and I've made straight A's. Wednesday however I was faced with the biggest test of the year. Not the end of course exam; dissection day.     My Biology teacher, Mr. Jesse, was having the whole class dissect sheep hearts. Who in their right mind asks middle schoolers to do this?! It has the words "bad idea" all over it.
     I put on gloves with the weird power in them, goggles that always left whisker marks all over my cheekbones and an almost transparent apron. I sat at my table with my lab partner, Melissa, and sulked. I really didn't want to do this. I mean really! Who knows where that heart has been?! Oh wait, I do. INSIDE A FREAKING SHEEP!!! What did the sheep do to deserve this, Mr. Jesse? Better yet, what did I do to deserve this?!
     So Mr. Jesse walked around with a tray to all of the tables delivering their hearts. With each table he got closer, I felt another wave of nausea hit me like a brick. I thought about just puking so I wouldn't have to do it but puke is almost as gross as a sheep heart (almost).
     Finally Mr. Jesse got to our table and set down this lump of I-don't-even-know-what on our newspaper next to our tools. It had spots of gray, dark purple, white and even a little green. The smell was ungodly. The formaldehyde (used as a preservative) soaked our paper and got everywhere. Melissa asked our teacher about it and his response was to tell me to go wash it. HE TOLD ME TO GO WASH A SHEEP HEART! 
     After I washed it (set it down at the bottom of the sink and let the water run) the smell was more tolerable. Still not pleasant, but now withstandable.
     Then we had to start making incisions. Melissa made the initial ones because I had washed it after all.
     I had to make some cuts too but I came up with a method. Roast beef. It isn't a sheep heart, its just roast beef. "I am not cutting apart a vital organ, I am just making a sandwich." See but then I started to feel kinda like Sweeney Todd and I freaked myself out again.
     Eventually I got through the dissection (and learned nothing mind you!). I tossed the left over pieces and then washed my hands like I never had before in my life. But that wasn't the end! I have Biology first period so the smell of formaldehyde stayed on my clothes all day. It was unnerving to say the absolute least.
     So words of advice to all you Biology students: pretend it's roast beef. And to all the Biology teachers out there: If you want your students to hate you forever, ask them to do a dissection for a grade.

Annoying Ringtones and How No, I Won't Call You Maybe

One of my best friends, Lauren, spends the night at my house all the time. It's a pretty common occurrence. This time however she came armed with her new phone and new ringtones. Lauren's phone had the tone for a new text message to play "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.
Let me tell you. When it's an ungodly hour in the morning and you finally settle down to sleep its freaking magical. However as soon as I closed my eyes I was startled enough to send pillows and blankets flying by "HEY! I just met you...". I could've murdered Jepsen right then and there with my bare hands.
It's not that I don't like "Call Me Maybe", it just that it's pretty annoying as a ringtone. Let's do the math.

1 teenage girl x 1 cell phone = texting all day
Texting all day = annoying ringtone all day
Annoying ringtone all day = me being pissed off

So to all my nonexistent readers I advise (no, I beg you) not to put annoying songs as ringtones. Mine is "Should've Said No" by Taylor Swift which is a lot more tolerable than being scared the freak out when Carly Rae Jepsen asks you to call her.

My West Side Story Story

     Here lately I've developed this fixation with the musical West Side Story. It has become my dream to play Anita and I swear to you one day I will. To do all those dances and wear those fun dresses would just about make my life...well, perfect. My theatre career would never (EVER!) get a high higher than Anita. I WAS BORN TO BE ANITA! I'm Hispanic, not Puerto Rican but Mexican is close enough right? I speak Spanish! It's fate!
   So as I started telling my friends about this, they revealed that they loved this musical too. Rebecca, Cris, Belle and Quentin all gushed with me. Rebecca and I discussed her playing the Maria to my Anita. Cris confessed that his favorite musical was West Side Story so of course he got a hundred times cooler than he already was. Belle told me all about when she teched for a production of it and I got so incredibly jealous! I knew Belle had done everything but West Side Story? Really?! That's my show!
     Perhaps the most memorable reaction was Quentin's. When I told him I was actually crying because I had just finished the movie and Tony had died. At first he thought something was wrong and was genuinely concerned. Once he found out that I was bawling because of a movie he made his black face that speaks for itself. It says, "Wow you're so dumb." and it's not very nice, as you can see.
     So yeah...you know I try to have a point to these postings...this one kinda didn't turn out so well. I guess the point of it is that I really like West Side Story and I will play Anita before I die. So yeah.

I'm so sorry for this utterly pointless post.

No, really I am.

My Chicken Friends and How I Have the Curse of Confidence

     I love my friends. I really do. But sometimes I just want to hit them. My friends are all chickens. When they see a cute boy they squeal and talk about him but they don't dare tell the boy or even give him a hint. It's like they expect the boy to just magically know that you like him. Hey ladies, guess what. Boys are idiots. They know nothing! You have to be very clear with these fragile creatures.
     Take for example Sound of Music callbacks. I was there with my friends Rebbecca and Madison, as we waited in the lobby we saw a boy sitting by the wall all alone. He was cute, very cute. For blogger privacy reasons lets call him "Adam". So obviously Madison, Rebbecca and I all thought he was adorable. They however refused to talk to the boy. They shot him looks sure but did they even say hello? Of course not. They expected him to read their minds and just assume that he knew. He didn't. So when I tried to go talk to him I was grabbed by my jugular vein, bound to a chair in a dark room, and then gagged by my friends...okay maybe not exactly like that. But it came close trust me.
     So when we went to go sit down I dragged my chicken friends over to him and plopped them down in his row. "Do you mind if we sit here?" I asked in my sweetest voice. He gave me a shy nod(ADORABLE!) and I sat next to him. Unlike my friends I made small talk and asked about his past shows, what high school he goes to, stuff like that. My friends watched in awe. Madison even took pictures.
     The lesson in this? Ladies, you are beautiful in your own way no matter what. Don't let someone bring you down, especially a boy. That's all he is, a boy. Go and talk to him so he can at least know who you are. Guys, stop being so dumb. Seriously!

Being a Future Texan and How High School Snuck Up On Me

W. B. Ray High School

     Ever since the first day of school this year, my teachers have been telling us "You'd better start getting ready for high school. They aren't going to take the crap we put up with!". Of course that's what I heard going into middle school too. It doesn't scare me. Really it doesn't even apply to me, I'm not the kind of kid that gives crap to teachers. I make straight A's, have plenty of friends, and I even do extracurricular activities (okay, just theatre).
     So I really had no fear of high school. I figured I would follow the gifted and talented program that I've been in for eight years now and just go to the gifted and talented high school, Ray High School. This sounded like a great plan. Most of my friends we going to go there, Ray has a great theatre company, and I would continue with the IB (International Baccalaureate) program. I would live happily ever after. Until my mother started doing her research. What she found was Collegiate High School (CHS). This school is located at my local community college and at the end of my Senior year I would be getting a high school diploma and an associates degree.
     So I applied after much "encouragement" from my mother and brainwashed father. I actually tried too. Don't think I bombed that application just because I didn't want to go. I actually did my best because I can't shoot down an opportunity like that so easily. Of course I wasn't as excited as my mother, who had so much faith in what I submitted, figured that I would automatically get acceptance. Because I wasn't instantly ecstatic she figured that I didn't want to go to CHS. Like I said before, I would've liked to go to Ray but if I had gotten acceptance, I would've gone to CHS without (much) complaint.
     "High school is about your education, not your friends. I know your friends are going to Ray but you could do so well at CHS!" she said daily. After months of hearing the same lecture from my parents over and over again, I exploded. My mother and I were in the car on our way to rehearsal one night. I explained to her that I have friends going to Ray. I have friends going to and already at CHS. If I were following my friends I would have to go to Carroll, King, Moody, A.C. Jones, Ray and CHS.
     That kept her quiet for a few weeks. This past Friday was the deadline for us to get our letter from CHS. Quentin and Jonathan were friends of mine that applied and they both got letters saying that they were wanted for interviews. I got nothing. Days passed and still nothing. Mom became uneasy and I became confused. Tuesday was a meeting at Ray for future incoming freshmen and as my mother and I were about to leave I got a weird urge to check the mail. It was fate.
     In my hands with bills, junk letters and free promo crap was my CHS letter. I let my mom open it, I so didn't need to see what it said. But as she read it, her face fell. I took the letter from her and read it for myself. It turns out that I'm "not eligible" for CHS, whatever that means. Of course my mother was pissed, my dad was cool with it because I still had the great IB program at Ray and me? Well I was cool with going to Ray too.
     So that night at the Ray meeting I couldn't help looking around that huge campus and thinking "Woah, I'm going to come here for the next four years of my life?"

Flat Stanley Takes its Final Bows



This was set out in lobby

     Today the cast of The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley took their final bows. It was a very sad but fun day. After our performance we had a cast party in the blackbox studio. We talked about the good times we had shared over the last few months. There were many laughs but also so many tears. People (okay, just Brant) cried and blamed the salsa for being "too spicy". It was mild. No one wanted our show to end.
     We all joked about PSD (Post Show Depression) and how it was going to kick our butts later. Just that day I read some seriously depressing stuff on Twitter and Facebook. I will copy and past some of what I saw. This is only the day of mind you, there are probably going to be even more PSD tweets and posts as the week goes on and we slowly realize that there are no more rehearsals or performances. WHAT WILL WE DO WITH OUR LIVES?!

PSD TWEETS/POSTS

• @BOOMhollymonroe: Oh my God. This day is going to be the worst. #psd
• @KatieLoovesYou: I'm going to cry like a baby today.
• @KatieLoovesYou: This is the last day of being Mrs.Lambchop.
• @Eli_Oh_Jyes: @KatieLoovesYou YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MRS. LAMBCHOP! #ForeverMyStageWife
• @MireyaYvonne: @BrantMHudgins it's our last day of being paintings, but we will always be masterpieces
• @KatieLoovesYou: Just got done with 'Our Child is Flat' and 'The Funny Sunny Side'.....for the last time. I'm dying of sadness
• @Eli_Oh_Jyes: Love These Kids.
• @HEYitsChristin: Watching techs destroy the set. #sadday
• @BOOMhollymonroe: Its the salsa
• @HEYitsChristin: It's all over. Now on with the next show.
• @BrantMHudgins: You know what? I am not ashamed to be the big baby that I am. I'm not afraid to cry my eyes out, as many of you witnessed me doing today.
• Brant: Okay, I held on for as long as possible, I'm gonna go cry now. (Facebook)
• @KatieLoovesYou: Flat Stanley was a good show. A really good show. #psd
• @EmilyLoovesYouu: We had a good run, you guys. Flat Stanley was a good part of our lives. Now it's time to do another show, and make another fantastic memory.
• @Eli_Oh_Jyes: Post-Show Depression has, officially, begun. #PSD
• @KatieLoovesYou: When Cris sang "Stanley's adventures are over my friends. Though our tale is ending..." I started tearing up. Then cried through the bows.
• @KatieLoovesYou: Seeing William cry tore me apart. #LambchopLullaby #ALotOfTears
• @BOOMhollymonroe: Just got @Eli_Oh_Jyes's email and the PSD has finally sunken in.
• @BOOMhollymonroe: Oh my God. I'm crying.
• @BrantMHudgins: #PSD making me super sad, I'm gonna go cry some more.
• @KatieLoovesYou: I just pulled out some homework that I needed to finish from last week, and it had Flat Stanley lyrics doodled all over it. #PSDHitHard
• Brant: Guys, I'm not crying this is just me remembering how hot that salsa was. (Facebook)
• @TheYellowBrick4: #PSD #WheresMyRope?
• @BrantMHudgins: Dreading going to sleep because that's when I REALLY start crying. #PSD

   So as you can see, a lot of us really felt the depression sinking in. I think I would have too if I hadn't seen something that day.

     That day I went up to the costume loft to return my Mona Lisa dress and saw an old friend of mine. It was a dress set out, hanging by the entrance. I could tell someone had recently moved it because I would've noticed it before. It was covered in black sequins with different colored sequins making all kinds of geometric shapes. I recognized it immediately.

     It was the dress I wore my first time ever performing at the Harbor Playhouse. I used it for a one act festival a long, long time ago. That festival was my first real taste of theatre and really what made me fall in love with the art. I thought it was fate that I see it that day.

     It was fate because as I thought I was saying goodbye to Flat Stanley I realized that you don't say goodbye to shows like that. Not really. I learned the basics in that sequin dress. I learned about how to really pull off a great show. I made friends in that show that I still have. That is where I met Brant, who was my fellow painting (Napoleon) in Flat Stanley. I didn't say goodbye to him. I also remember how I felt preforming that one act play. It felt like I had made it to the "big theatre". Looking back I laugh at what I thought was "big theatre". That was nothing. That was rehearsing every other day for an hour after school then doing two or three free performances. Flat Stanley was rehearsed for months, three to four hours a day, performed multiple times a week for weeks and people paid to see us. If the last time I wore that dress, and you had told me people would have paid to see me, I would've laughed in your face.

    I didn't cry after that. I new Flat Stanley would live on with me. I had learned so much from it and I would never lose that knowledge. I also experienced even "bigger" theatre. Maybe years from now I will look back and say "Wow! I thought that was 'big theatre'?!"

The Big New York Writer Author Dude



Timothy McDonald (courtesy of Google)

     So today the cast of The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley cast had three performances. We had been looking forward to today for a couple months because of our special guest. Our director, Jacob, invited founder of iTheatrics and Music Theatre International (MTI), Timothy McDonald to come check us out.
     Our director made sure everything was perfect. The night before we had a rehearsal (we hadn't had one in a while because we had been performing already for weeks) and we went over our harmonies. This morning my whole Twitter feed was filled with tweets about Mr. McDonald coming ( #RockHisSocks ), and motivational stuff like that. Like we needed motivation! Him coming was motivation alone.
    So he flew in from New York that morning and caught our early show. We saw him as we did our meet and greet with the elementary school kids. He was pretty nice, from what I saw at least. I didn't talk to him but he talked to parts of the cast. He also wore cool Tom's. I'm pretty sure a guy with Tom's like that couldn't possibly be that bad.
     So soon we went back into our dressing rooms and began to prepare for the next show. Belle, our stage manager, came into ours and asked what we thought of the "Big New York Writer Author Dude". The younger girls giggled at Belle's new nickname for the usually respected writer.
     We did the next show, our meet and greet, and then, while still in costume mind you, went to go sit in the first two rows of the empty house. Mr. McDonald stood on the stage and commended us on our performances. We all wore smiles too big for our faces and Jacob shined with pride. I sat in the front row near the center (and in perfect view of those Tom's). I was seated next to Cris when McDonald complimented him and let me tell you, I thought I was bad when Taylor Lautner rips his shirt off in the Twilight Saga but Cris was ten times that. He (and I could tell) tried hard to hide it, but on the inside he was freaking out.
     McDonald also mentioned half a line of music from the show and the whole cast finished it for him. He responded with "I wrote it. I don't have to remember it." and we all laughed. The real funny part was when he complemented Belle on her stage managing skills. Belle blushed and we all looked at her thinking "Mhhhmmm...Is he still the Big New York Writer Author Dude, Belle?". After he mentioned working on James and the Giant Peach and we all ooooh-ed and ahhhh-ed at the mere idea. Needless to say we were all bummed to see him go.
     Belle ushered (more like herded) us into the dressing room and we asked her, "So did you like the Big New York Writer Author Dude?" and she responded with "Yes, Mr. McDonald was a very pleasant man." Okay, I see how it is Belle, a little sweet talk and suddenly he's a "very pleasant man".    

Growing Up South Texas

driving downtown during spring break

     I was born in San Antonio, Texas because my father was in the army and he got stationed there. I was even born on an air force base. But when I turned three my mother and I moved two hours south to Corpus Christi. Both of my parents were originally from here so they thought it was best.
     So I have lived here most of my life. When most people who don't live here think of Corpus Christi they think of summer. We are a city right on the beach and a tourist hot spot. During spring break, it is a fact that more people come vacation here than live in Rhode Island. So we have lots of surfers, beach goes and most people are perfectly tanned.
     We are also in south Texas so we have a large Hispanic population. I am of Mexican descent and my family speaks Spanish, cooks traditional dishes, some even take ballet folklorico lessons.
     Of course being in Texas. we also have those stereotypical western cowboys. They wear jeans, boots, cowboy hats and go to rodeos. Now, I'm not going to lie. I do have multiple pairs of Wranglers, I own Justin's, have worn a Stetson or two and yes have been to a rodeo. My own cousins were competing in those rodeos in fact. To be honest my favorite genre of music is country.
   Then of course we have the typical mainstream American stuff. Your average Joe's.
     Corpus Christi has some cool things about it like:

• declared the nations "birdiest city" for nine consecutive years, I guess we have a lot of birds 
• has the fifth largest port
• hosts the U.S. Open Windsurfing and Kiteboarding Regatta
• home to late Tejano singing star and legend, Selena
• Actress Farrah Fawcett was born in Corpus Christi and graduated from W.B. Ray High School
• The average high temperature in July and August is 93 degrees (it's Texas after all..)

     So as you can see where I live is a really fun and unique place to live. I'm glad I get to grow up where I am. Sure there are some bad sides like:

• being dubbed the fattest city in the nation
• we barely get any rain
• it's snows only 5 inches every 20 years
• it is windy every single day so good luck having nice hair
• some sides are so ghetto I refuse to even attempt to describe it because there is enough for a whole other post

     But these these things I deal with have taught me something or another. Growing up South Texas is a nice life.

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley pt. 5

   I've been so consumed with performances I haven't posted in a while.
     I have always been good about having my energy up but some days it really kills me. Some days I go in tired so I leave really exhausted. For example some days we have PLAYtime (Performing Live Art for Youth) all day and then we also have another evening performance. So I get to the theater at 8:00 in the morning and leave at 9:30 at night.
     I'm not complaining. I love every minute! I am with friends, doing what I love, and all with an amazing audience. The kids we perform for are in elementary school. One school bussed kids from an hour away just to see us. For them we are amazing and they think every song it beautiful, every dance is artistic, and every scene is hilarious.
     Unlike normal audiences we don't get the usual applause. They all jump up, clapping as loudly as possible and yell. They make us feel like rockstars. We also go out for meet and greets and they all tell you "You were my favorite part!" You know they are probably telling that to everyone but it still makes you feel like a million bucks.
     For a lot of those kids it's their first taste of theatre. It's important to rock their socks. This way, they think it's the coolest thing in the world like we do.
     I've also gotten three bouquets of flowers so far. I have them all in my room and everyday when I wake up, I look at them and smile. I look at them and remember the feeling of being onstage. Looking out to see the faces of the audience as they giggle at the funny scene. I feel the heat of stage lights on my face. I hear the soft chatter of the dressing room. I see the dark shadows that are the tech crew moving set pieces almost invisibly. It's a great feeling trust me.

Trashion Show

    Today was my school's second annual Trashion Show. Our theatre department makes clothes out of trash (newspaper, plastic bags, duct tape, foil, etc.) and then holds a fashion show after school to showcase our work.
     This year's theme was works of art and we had to base our outfit on whatever work of art we happened to choose out of a hat.
     My group had gotten Girl With A Pearl Earring by Vermeer and it didn't (in my opinion at least) turn out so bad.
     In fifth period however my teacher asked me to model for another group because their model couldn't make the show and the dress didn't fit anyone else. I agreed not knowing what the dress looked like or who designed it. So that afternoon as all the models were getting ready I finally saw it. The outfit was fairly simple, it was painted newspaper with glitter and a map covering a slit on the side. It also had a black (and kind of ugly) belt holding it together accompanied with a foil headband with an over sized bow.
     As all the models lined up they talked about how nervous they were. "Seriously?!" I thought, "I've done way stupider stuff than this onstage." But I let them be nervous and I ended up being dead last to go down the catwalk. All of the other models let their nerves show. They walked quickly up and down the catwalk without looking up or even smiling!
     Not me! I got halfway down the catwalk and the music suddenly changed. It was now this funky and quirky tune. So I did what felt logical at the time. The Charleston. From that point on I half danced, half strutted down the catwalk. In front of the judges I posed revealing the map acting as a slit up to my knee.
     After the show the designers and the model are supposed to go up to the judges for critique and when I was called I walked alone. The designers hadn't shown up. They didn't have faith in the dress!!! Even after I did the Charleston!?!? So I explained how I didn't know anything about this dress and the judges understood.
     As I waited with the other models onstage to see who had won I made conversation and caught up with friends. I meant to lean to my right but suddenly I was falling face first.
I.
Fell.
Off.
Of.
The.
Stage.
     In front of parents, teachers, friends, and complete strangers I fell off the stage. First there were gasps and concerned looks. Then, as soon as they knew I was okay, the audience broke out into laughter. I don't blame them. I laughed too.

     Cutting off their laughter my teacher called everyone to attention. She was announcing the five winning outfits. The first one she called was Map by Johns. We all clapped but no one went up to claim their prize. We all looked around but no one went onstage. Then I noticed the judges pointing at me. Me! I had gotten one of the top five! I hadn't even thought to ask what piece of art my outfit represented but it won! According to some people, it was too simple to win and the judges just gave it to me because of how I went down the catwalk.

     I don't care! I had fun. I was unprepared, I danced my way to the top with a dress I had nothing to do with. But I did it while doing the Charleston.

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley pt.4

    Tonight was opening night down at the Harbor Playhouse for the Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr. We had quite a crowd show up too. Our show started at 7:30 in the evening but we all got there at 3:00 to do a last minute rehearsal.
     By the time we were saying "Thank you 20!" (non thespian translation (NTT): the show opens in 20 minutes so stop screwing around!) we all felt the adrenaline.
     All the girls had on stage makeup, and for those of you that have never seen anybody with stage makeup on up close,  let's just say Snooki doesn't have anything on us! The stage lights make your face look like a white circle so you need lots of makeup just to have a face at all.
     Our director has a nice tradition going on at the playhouse. During our magic circle (NTT: when all of the actors huddle up for a pre-show pep talk) he leads us in a prayer as we all hold hands. His prayer was so nice and inspiring that most people's eyes began to water. He said in the time he has been working with us (for the past three months) we have surpassed his expectations. When he said that each and every one of us are stars I squeezed Rebecca's hand and she squeezed mine back.
     When Belle, our stage manager, called for places (NTT: get your butt to where you start the show) I got onto the top wagon (NTT: tower with wheels) with Brant (Napoleon) and Adri (O'Jay D'Art). We just looked at each other and engulfed each other in a huge group hug.
     As the majestic grand (NTT: big red curtain that hides the stage) began to rise and our opening song began to play I could taste the excitement. Needless to say we all killed it. The whole performance was excellent and the whole cast had so much fun.
     For the meet and greet we go into the lobby but this time there was a surprise for us. The walls were decorated with little paper Flat Stanley's, there was a snack buffet, and pictures of the cast we on the wall with their Flat Stanley.
     Our show runs weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) until April 1. Come and feel some of the magic that this show is all about.

***Click here to buy tickets to come see us!***

Curly Hair Problems

     Society is so stupid. Why is straight hair pretty? Why is is nice to have hair that just lies dead and flat at your shoulders? Straight hair is just...there.
     Yeah right. I can't even hate on girls with straight hair. I have naturally curly hair and the picture to the left is of me holding up one of my curls. It takes me almost two hours to get it straight without any waves or creases. Every morning I get on the school bus at eight. It would take me another hour to get ready for school. Another hour to eat breakfast and finsh up homework. That would mean I have to wake up at FOUR IN THE MORNING! No thank you!
     So I wear my hair curly everyday and just have to live with it. You would be suprised how many times a day I hear dumb things like the following phrases :

• "Can I touch your hair?"
• "Do you curl your hair"
• "Oh, look you hair bounces"
• "How long would it take you to straighen your hair."
• "I wish I had curly hair."
• "I bet you would look pretty with straight hair."

     These are all very dumb because:

• If one person touches my hair everyone wants to
• Why would I curl my hair?
• I've lived with my hair my whole life, I'm well aware that if you pull a curl it will spring back into place.
• It takes too long.
• No you don't.
• Does that mean I look ugly without straight hair? Gee thanks.

Another bad side of having curly hair is that when you do decide to straighten it you have plan it like you are planning to invade a foreign country with lots of big scary missiles. Water being the metaphorical missiles. If it rains, you go in the pool, or even if it's just really humid your time straightening your hair will go to waste because your hair begins to curl. It sucks and just writing this gets me all flustered and angry.
I always get compared to Taylor Swift too. She's one of the only big celebrities that actually embrace their curly hair. That takes guts.
So girls out there with curly hair. Embrace the curls!

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley pt. 3

     Last night was our first rehearsal with our costumes and we all look amazing. The picture to the left is of me in my Mona Lisa costume. Personally I think I can pull it off, but then again I'm super biased.
   All of our costumes are over the top and epic. Stanley's flat suit looks absolutely hilarious. I will post pictures after the show is over because it is supposed to be a big reveal.
     Will, who plays Stanley, went in front of a green screen last night to make animations for when Stanley gets flown like a kite.
     Our Lambchop family was also on the news...at 5:45 in the morning. IT'S SPRING BREAK PEOPLE! I would've watched it but that's really early and I am a teenager after all. It's a good thing Eli (Mr. Lambchop) got us a link for it. It will go at the bottom of this post. In the video the Lambchop family (Will, Lucas, Eli and Katie) all just woke up to find Stanley flat. This song, Our Child Is Flat, is their initial reaction. Take Stanley to the doctor to get checked out? No. Ask Stanley if he feels okay? Nah. Give the poor boy an aspirin or something? Nope. Not, the Lambchop family. They just burst out into song.
     So anyway if you just happen to live in South Texas, and you also just happen to be reading this...if you just happen to get an urge to go to the Harbor Playhouse for some family fun...perhaps starting Friday night...well, I wouldn't stop you.

Flat Stanley on the news way too early in the morning

^^^click that up there to see some Lamchop action!^^^

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley pt. 2

Katie "acting casual" as Belle comes and checks up on us
in the dressing room before rehearsal.

     Some call it Spring Break, we (the cast of Flat Stanley) call it Tech Week.
     As mentioned in my earlier post Belle, our stage manager, stepped up her game even more and now lurks in the shadows ready to pounce on any actor that steps out of line. Nothing big yet but all of us are being very careful. It's a running joke when Belle comes into the dressing room, where we all chill out before rehearsal starts, to say "BELLE IS HERE! ACT CASUAL!", pose and smile huge smiles. Of course Belle just laughs.
    Our show opens on Friday and everything is coming together swimmingly. Our set pieces should be done today, everyone has their lines, dances are staring to look polished and we even have custom animations and a green screen projected behind us onstage.
     We spend three to five hours a day there at the Harbor Playhouse and it's starting to pay off.

Our six year old Sneak Thief waiting for her cue

     Our version of Flat Stanley has no adult actors. Our youngest is six years old and she plays the sneak theif. Our oldest is seventeen and she plays Nurse Betty. You would think all these kids would mess it up and be unprofessional, but they all know exactly what they are doing. The six year old has been in more plays than I have. Yes, I'm being completely serious.

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stnaley pt. 1

Adri (left) and Rebecca (right) backstage at boot camp

     At my local theater we are doing The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley. The play, Flat Stanley is based on the book by Jeff Brown and Stanley Lambchop thinks his life is too boring. So one night Stanley wishes on a falling star and the next morning wakes up completely two dimensional. So Stanley gets mailed all over the world and has fantastic adventures. I play Mona Lisa and Stanley meets me in Paris and saves me from the Sneak Thief.
Saturday was Flat Stanley Boot Camp which lasted for almost eight hours. It involved dancing, running scenes, getting fitted for costumes, pizza and lots of laughs.
     Our morning consisted mostly of dancing and we ran the actual show a couple times. At around one we took a pizza break and when looking for a place to sit and eat in the lobby I saw my friend Adri siting in silence with our stage manager, Belle. Now, I only knew of Belle because she is so good at what she does and is awfully intimidating when she comes backstage to check on us. It's like some of these kids have no off switch but she comes over and they practically shut down. So I figured that she and Adri (who is a wild loose cannon and doesn't care what anyone thinks) might make lunch....entertaining.
     So as I sat down I noticed that there was absolutely no conversation. I looked at Adri, who I have known for a while and she said nothing. I looked at Belle but the silence didn't seem to bother her. So it was all up to little ol' me to strike up conversation.
     "What's it like being a stage manager, Belle?" I asked. Suddenly it was hard to believe that just a few minutes ago this girl was being quiet. Belle told us funny stories about all eleven shows she has teched for. She has the ability to listen in on your mic even when it's "off" ( WE DIDN'T KNOW  THIS!!!) and she has caught people singing, talking to themselves, flushing the toilet and even play "Never Have I Ever". Belle said one guy playing that game had licked the stage floor. Ummm what? This girl who was always serious, reserved, and quiet actually had a great sense of humor.
     Once the conversation came to a lull I could tell Belle had warmed up to us because she asked us "Are you guys excited for Tech Week?". For all you non thespians; Tech Week is the week before a show opens and it is when you either really shine or seriously fail. It's when the director is at his wits end and if you piss him off he will kick you out and recast in a second. Adri and I were both very excited and nervous, so we asked Belle what she thought.
     This is when I really got surprised. Belle said "Yeah I can't wait to yell at the actors." We both looked at her as if she had just said she lived on the moon and her hair was purple. Belle explained that Tech Week is when her stage manager abilities really kick in. The director cannot be backstage taking care of drama between actors, missing props, or anything that doesn't directly affect the show. That's Belle's job. So she asked us if any conflict between actors was going on. Of course Adri and I both just shook our heads.
     After lunch, costume fittings and some more run throughs, I was backstage waiting for my cue with Rebecca. That day people were working in the shop on set pieces for Flat Stanley. Rebecca and I both spotted this cute guy working on a set piece. As we were being fangirls our friend Brant came and asked what was up. We pointed out the boy and Brant said "You know he's probably here doing community service, right? Because he committed a crime..." Of course we ignored him.
     We went to go talk to to Shop-Guy, got his real name (that I won't put on here) and asked him if he was going to tech for Flat Stanley. His exact response was:
     "Actually I'm just here for community service."
     Rebecca and I froze.
     "Well, what happened?" I asked after a beat.
     "Oh you know. One thing lead to another..."
     After that incredibly vague response, Rebecca and I practically ran screaming back to Brant. Brant said that obviously Shop-Guy was a rapist. Rebecca concluded that maybe, just maybe, she has a thing for bad boys.




Brant and I continued to slap her.