Monday, August 31, 2009

Worker Bee


So today was the first day back. It wasn't terrible and only one moron came to light-- and he's not even in my building! Hizzah! I do have that burning behind my eyes headache from being in a florescent-lit, dirty, dusty building with mold and mildew everywhere, but it could have been worse.

I hate to admit it, but I love the new teachers. It makes me feel guilty, like I'm not being loyal to my old friends, but Bryan, the new art guy, is awesome. Jeannie, the new FACS teacher is so friendly and interesting. Most of the stuff I was concerned about turned out to be nothing.

Now for the moron... I shouldn't say moron. He's very intelligent. He just really annoyed me today. Today I was sitting down with the other arts folk to finalize our calendar when the band teacher says, "No, I think you need to check the HS website and make sure the date is right." I checked. It was wrong. The show that I was supposed to take my students, along with about 300 others, to see was moved back 2 weeks and NO ONE mentioned this to me. WTF?! Planning this thing is logistical nightmare for a variety of reasons, but we were going to work it out-- UNTIL NOW. The most annoying thing is that they apparently contacted our principal about the date change, so it makes it look like I'm the one who's the moron. I just want to teach my kids to love theatre and not even deal with the HS anymore.

This brings me to my real point: are theatre people really just loners who work with other people so they can achieve their own personal goals or do we REALLY ACTUALLY like working with each other? Lemme esplain... I always say that I don't think there's any way that I could work with another me. I know I can be difficult and I TRY to be easier, but damn it (Janet) I'm normally right! It frustrates me when people can't do their jobs and when people try to tell me how to do mine. I mean, can you imagine me trying to be friends with someone just like me. Yikes. So-- I like to work alone to get stuff done. Sure, I like having kids around who can complete one menial task at a time so that it saves me time in the long run, but ultimately I do the important stuff myself. Much like Jesse with the laundry. My poor husband can't hang up a shirt straight to save his life.

Then again-- I like working with very creative people because they can always think of something I never would have! This is why Keith and I worked so well together in college. He was the creative genius and I was the worker bee. I don't mind being a worker bee. Maybe we just all need to find the right place to co-exist? Sigh...

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Go. See. This.



Uh-mazing. Haters be damned. I can't think of a part of this movie that I didn't like. I'm definitely taking Jesse when he gets back from Vegas.

All bow to the might of Rob Zombie. Zombie be praised.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Sad News


Only 3 more days of summer.

I'll be posting more as soon as I stop enjoying the sunlight and fresh air of not being at work. Trust me... once I'm cast into the dungeon of my classroom with a crappy schedule for the kids... you'll be hearing tons from me.

For now, just go find a body of water to enjoy for me.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Ahhhhhh!


I know I've been m.i.a. but it's mostly because I've been enjoying my summer and my friends. Here's some awesome news!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Nominations announced

Sorry for the delay in getting these out. Below is the text of a press release that will go out later this evening. Sorry if the formatting makes it hard to read. Congrats to all of the nominees. If you are getting to this page from Facebook and have questions, some may be answered by this post. More commentary to follow...

Theatre awards to feature new categories, special recognitions
Second annual "Artsies" to be held at Empire Theatre on October 18th

Richmond, VA - The Richmond Theatre Critics Circle (RTCC) has announced the nominees for the Second Annual RTCC "Artsies" Awards for the 2008-09 season, including several new nomination categories and several special recognitions. The group, which was organized to recognize excellence in professional theatre produced in the Richmond area, will hold a black-tie awards gala at 7:00 P.M. on Sunday, October 18th at the Empire Theatre with local NBC newscaster Aaron Gilchrist acting as Master of Ceremonies. Nominations for the Awards are listed below.

"We really hope to kick it up to the next level with this year's awards," asserts RTCC's newest member, John Porter, theatre critic for WCVE Public Radio. "A bigger venue, more star power, and an expanded number of nominees should help us build on the tremendous success of last year's inaugural event." The awards ceremony will feature musical performances from productions nominated for Best Musical. Scheduled presenters include Mayor Dwight Jones and best-selling author David L. Robbins.

RTCC has made nominations in twenty categories, adding recognition for Best Ensemble Acting, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, and Outstanding Achievement in Hair or Makeup Design. The Liz Marks award in recognition of extraordinary ongoing contribution to the Richmond-area theatre scene will be presented to the families of Wamer "Buddy" Callahan and Lou Rubin, two of the co-founders of the Swift Creek Mill Theatre.

"There were so many wonderful productions this year, it was difficult to narrow many of the categories down," adds Mary Burruss, an RTCC co-founder and theatre critic for Style Weekly magazine, citing the seven nominees included in the category for Outstanding Achievement in Set Design. RTCC is also giving special recognition for outstanding Fight Choreography to Vanessa Passini for her work on Richmond Shakespeare's "Henry V" and for Outstanding Dialect Direction to Amanda Durst for her work on several productions this past season.

Winners in each of the categories will be announced at a black-tie gala awards ceremony is being sponsored in part by the C.F. Sauer Company and Richmond CenterStage, with media sponsorship provided by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

All proceeds from the awards ceremony will go to support the Richmond Theatre Artists Fund, a fund established by the Richmond Alliance of Professional Theatres to help those in the Richmond theatre community who fall on hard of times due to illness, injury or extenuating circumstances. Members of the RTCC include Mary Burruss (Style Weekly magazine), Susan Haubenstock (Richmond Times-Dispatch), Julinda Lewis (Richmond Times-Dispatch), John Porter (WCVE), David Timberline (Style Weekly magazine), and Joan Tupponce (JoanTupponce.com).

Formal attire is encouraged for the awards ceremony, which is open to the public. Tickets for the event are $10 and can be purchased from the Theatre IV box office by calling 344-8040.

Nominations for the Second Annual Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Awards
for the 2008-2009 theatre season

Category
Best Musical
Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Annie, Theatre IV
The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company

Best Direction - Musical
Robin Arthur, Annie, Theatre IV
Patti D'Beck,, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Chase Kniffen, Children's Letters to God, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Chase Kniffen, tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Tom Width, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Best Actor - Musical
Brett Ambler, tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Gordon Bass, Annie, Theatre IV
Zak Resnick, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Christopher Stewart, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Paul Valley, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project

Best Actress - Musical
Kim Jones Clark, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Audra Honaker, tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Maggie Marlin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Robyn O'Neill / Angela Shipley, Side Show, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Joy Williams, Annie, Theatre IV

Best Supporting Actor - Musical
Timothy Ford, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Chris Hester, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Christopher Hlusko, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Drew Seigla, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Sean Williams, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Best Supporting Actress - Musical
Ellie Atwood, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Nancy McMahon, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Linda Poser, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Maggie Roop, Annie, Theatre IV
Ali Thibodeau, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre

Best Musical Direction
Sandy Dacus, tick, tick...Boom!, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Paul Deiss, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Paul Deiss, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Jimmy Hicks, Children's Letters to God, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Tony Williams, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company

Best Choreography
Robin Arthur, Annie, Theatre IV
Patti D'Beck, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Mickey Nugent, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Best Play
Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
True West, Henley Street Theatre Co
Well, Barksdale Theatre

Best Direction
Steve Perigard, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Bruce Miller, Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
Bo Wilson, True West, Henley Street Theatre Co
Rusty Wilson, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Keri Wormald, Well, Barksdale Theatre

Best Actor - Play
David Clark, True West, Henley Street Theatre Co
Tony Foley, True West, Henley Street Theatre Co
Joe Inscoe, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Landon Nagel, Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
Scott Wichmann, Richard III, Henley Street Theatre Co

Best Actress - Play
Robin Arthur, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Bianca Bryan, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Laine Satterfield, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Erica Siegel, Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
Jody Strickler, Well, Barksdale Theatre

Best Ensemble Acting
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Richmond Shakespeare
Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Children's Letters to God, Stage 1 Theatre Company
The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Firehouse Theatre Project
Driving Miss Daisy, Barksdale Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Play
Larry Cook, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Brandon Crowder, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Henley Street Theatre Co
Richard Gregory, Children of a Lesser God, Barksdale Theatre
Michael Hawke, Arsenic & Old Lace, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Steve Moore, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Henley Street Theatre Co

Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Play
Jolene Carroll / Jackie Jones, Arsenic & Old Lace, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Elise Boyd, Inspecting Carol, Sycamore Rouge
Jan Guarino, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Marta Rainer, Rabbit Hole, Firehouse Theatre Project
Stefani Zabner, Of Mice and Men, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Joe Doran, Altar Boyz, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Joe Doran, Of Mice and Men, Swift Creek Mill Theatre
Lynne Hartman, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Kenny Mullens, Children's Letters to God, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Kenny Mullens, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
Rebecca Cairns / Ann Hoskins, Henry V, Richmond Shakespeare
Sue Griffin, The Clean House, Barksdale Theatre
Sue Griffin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Elizabeth Weiss Hopper, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Theatre IV
Charlotte Schiff / Betty Williams, All My Sons, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Set Design
Brian Barker, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Theatre IV
Phil Hayes, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Lin Heath, All My Sons, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre
Ron Keller, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Keith Saine, Translations , Sycamore Rouge
Mercedes Schaum, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company
Tom Width, Of Mice and Men, Swift Creek Mill Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
Buddy Bishop, Chapter Two, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre
Derek Dumais, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Theatre IV
Bryan Harris, Eurydice, Firehouse Theatre Project
Derome Scott Smith, From the Mississippi Delta, African American Repertory Theatre
Wendy Vandergrift, Summer of '42, Stage 1 Theatre Company

Outstanding Achievement in Hair / Makeup Design
Sue Griffin, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Barksdale Theatre
Sarah Grady, Annie, Theatre IV
Junior Oxendine, Pulp, Richmond Triangle Players
Elizabeth Weiss Hopper, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Theatre IV

Outstanding Achievement, in Dialect Direction
Amanda Durst, Multiple productions

Outstanding Achievement in Fight Choreography
Vanessa Passini, Henry V, Richmond Shakespeare

Liz Marks Memorial Award for Ongoing Contribution to Richmond Area theatre
Wamer "Buddy" Callahan, Lou Rubin

Monday, August 10, 2009

Post Show Buzz

Reasons why yesterday was awesome:

1. I got to hang out with my fav.



2. I witnessed Merritt crowd-surfing and my first mosh pit.
I was subsequently yanked out of it's way by above bff when the pit started growing rapidly.



3. I got a new nosering.
I only paid $2.50 for it. Zing!



4. I've fallen in love again.
Yesterday I saw Marilyn Manson for the first time in the flesh. Good lord, he's fantastic. I'm sore from dancing around and yelling so much. I've never seen Jack so animated in my life and I've never felt such electricity in the air at a concert-- ever. And this was just a Fest. show-- not even a full concert! I've never sweat so much and not really cared. I've never seen myself as a metal person and kept bringing up how sad I was missing Dave this summer, but I think I could become a disciple of Marilyn Manson.



.post show.
.a good day.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Books (or How I Grew to Love My Shallow Side)



Today Jesse and I went to Barnes and Noble for good times looking at books. He has a 30% discount because Gamestop and B&N have sex or something. He also has 50% off in the cafe. Yes! While Jesse wandered around looking for smart current events type books, I wandered in fiction, then remembered the BBC Big Read Book List. Every blog or post about this I've seen says that the BBC "reckons people have only read 6 of the 100 books" when really it looks like to me that folks in the UK voted on books they like. Why do people want to make Brits out to be asses all the time?

When I looked through the list, I'd only read 17. That makes me sad because I consider myself well-read. So I looked through the classics section for something that struck my fancy. Jane Eyre jumped out at me. I've never read a Bronte novel and I thought it would make good beach reading. The problem is that if I'm going to BUY a book, it's gotta look cool or be thin enough to fit into my purse. The copy of Jane Eyre on the classics display was neither of those things. In fact, the spine was broken, which I can not abide.

I set out into the fiction section to find Bronte and there were editions of the book there. One was hideous, but thin. The next was the Penguin classic one, which is always the most attractive publisher, I feel and it was also thin. Penguin surely going to win over the big fat one on the shelf until I saw:

a.w.e.s.o.m.e

A tradeback size edition with the cool jagged page edged and illistrated by a chick named Dame Darcy. I was drawn in, because I (like everyone else on the plant, no matter what they say) judge books by their covers. I picked it up and looked at the price. $21. Yikes. I carried it around while I walked through the bargain books trying to talk myself into buying it. In the end, Penguin won out.


It's hot. It will look good on the beach. No worries.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Do Not Read This as Self-Depricating

So this weekend, a friend said this to me: "Elise, I really enjoy spending time with you. Sometimes I don't think you believe me." Annoyingly enough, I was doubtful.

I mean there are people that I love being around and could just sit in a room with, feeling totally satisfied. Strangely enough, most of these people I've met only within the last year. How is it that I had been alive 25 years before even meeting the most wonderful woman in the world- kb? For serious here, folks. I adore her and always find it shocking that she wants to hang out with me, too. And how is it that Jack was in existence for over thirty years before being my bff?

Do you have this issue? Your friends are so awesome that you can't believe they like YOU? I get to spend beach time with my top two people next week and I could only be more thrilled if Jesse was going to be there. Poor Jesse-- working like a dog with no reward at all. Gah. Send some love to my boy if you see him.

For real. I feel this year like I did my senior year at JMU-- when Ryan and Lauren moved in and I laughed more than any time in my life... until now. Thank you to my most beloved ones who have changed my life for the better in this past year. Thank you Sycamore Rouge for introducing me to my soul-mates.

Love you. Mean it.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Jehovah's Ass Clowns


I swear to god, if I'm awoken one more Saturday morning by the most annoying people on earth, there will be blood.

My neighborhood is on the verge of the ghetto. It's a nice enough place with lots and lots of old people but is in a weird location. Not an easy location to find from Hull St, and is across from a really trashing apartment complex on the other side. HOW DO THESE PEOPLE FIND US?! I kid you not, we have Jehovah's Witnesses on our doorstep every few weeks. WHY?! I don't need to be saved and no I don't want to talk about your insane cult!

I wouldn't be so angry about them if they weren't so damned annoying. Here's what I mean: This morning I'm laying in bed. I'm tired. I stayed up all night talking to kb. The doorbell rings. I KNOW it's them. I don't even have to get out of bed to know, because it's immediately followed by the yanking open of my storm door and the knocking. The knocking for a good minute. RUDE. If I WAS open to having you save my soul today, I'M CERTAINLY NOT NOW! Still, all this I can wait out. Until the dumb bitch rings the doorbell again and it gets stuck. My doorbell has a "ding" then a "dong" and in the middle is apparently this "holding buzz" noise. The noise isn't so annoying, but all I can imagine is the damn doorbell buzzing into it's death.

So I get up. I put on Jesse's robe and prepare to punch someone in the face. As I come around the corner, I see the girl leaving and thank my lucky stars. I open the door and of course a copy of the Watchtower falls down. I kick it onto the porch and un-stick the doorbell. If I'd had my glasses on, I'm sure I'd have seen the dirty looks of the others walking the street. I don't think they'd bother me so much if they just rang the bell and left the magazine, but it's like you OWE them to come to the door and listen to them go on about their freakish cult. And this isn't even the worst time!

When I auditioned for Henley Street, I was getting ready and I heard the bell. I knew. I ignored. Then came the knocking. This was all at my front door. Knocking for at least 2 or 3 minutes. Then I hear them banging on the door to the carport! WTF?! Not knocking, banging with a fist. I was about to go scald them with my straightener, when I thought better of it. Those assholes would be the kind to sue me. Then the clincher: they tried the doorknobs. I could hear them at both doors jiggling the doorknob. WTF!? As if when they turned it and it opened, they'd just welcome themselves in. Who do these ass-clowns think they are!?

I'm thinking of next time, inviting them in and then secretly calling the police to say I have lunatics in my house who are in need of medical care. "But really, officer... they just told me that Satan is the invisible ruler of the world. Please come quickly!"