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.

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.

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 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.

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!***