Journal Blog #2

As I “reflect” back on my stay in Edinburgh, I’m happy I decided to take the opportunity. I’ve solidified friendships and relationships with other LSU students, some I never thought would happen. I’ve gotten to see various productions from other artists, amateur and professional. Along with that, it was wonderful to see the work and effort that was put into each piece. They may not have been perfect, and I may not have understood or liked each one, but I could appreciate the time and effort it took to produce it.

This being my senior year at LSU, my stay in Edinburgh has made me re-think what I want to do after graduation. I’m going back to Edinburgh next summer, no “if’s,” “and’s,” or “but’s” about it. And before Edinburgh, my plan was to do summer stock or try and join a theatre company somewhere, but that has changed. I still want to join a company (doing whatever job I can), but I’m going to travel the world next summer before I do so. One of my stops: Edinburgh. And, if I have the opportunity to travel around the world (or country) with the theatre company I join, then that will just be a plus. But first I want to travel on my own.

Lastly, I’ve learned the meaning of a “professional” and “professionalism.” Because we had so much freedom with this trip, compared to South Korea, there was plenty of opportunity to spend all night partying and sleeping late. But because I thought of this as practice for the theatre company I’m joining one day, I made sure to get plenty of sleep and eat correctly to perform my best for the show. I was also happy to have older individuals there to guide and be examples for me on how a professional is suppose to act and present his or herself.

I’m thankful for this trip, especially during my senior year, because it has inspired me to work harder as an artist and prepare myself for my acting career after graduation.  

Last Day in Edinburgh . . . for This Year :)

So today is my last day in Edinburgh, until I come back next year (and other years to come). My stay here has truly helped me grow as an artist and appreciate others and their work, even though I may not understand it at times because of cultural differences or the style of theatre or even directorial choices. I appreciate the time, thought, and effort that has gone into the product (or process) that I see.

Yesterday I saw a production that I considered mediocre compared to the shows we're required to see as a group. The script was cool (you know, alright) and the acting was the same way. Nothing "Wow-ed!" or amazed me, and I don't want to be like that. And first and foremost, I'm NOT going to be like that. You don't have to be the world's most talented or gifted actor to succeed in this business. As long as you work hard and give your best in whatever you do and treat others as you would like to be treated (which is some GREAT treatment I hope), then you will succeed in this career.

As we were busking today, I got to see the friend who invited me to the play. He wasn't able to make any of the performances, but I'm happy he got to at least see us perform on the Mile. It was a great example of us giving our all and putting effort into this project, which is something I think he needed to see and hopefully it inspired him to want to be better at what he does. There's a verse in the Bible where it says ". . . iron sharpens iron . . ." and I think that about sums up what we as artists need to do for one another and the world we live in: inspire, push the limits, and improve.

Journal Blog #1

I’m happy our group was able to experience Edinburgh before the festival began because we see how much the city is affected and changed by the impact of the Fringe. When I first arrived, I was surprised to see how quiet and calm the city was; I thought the festivities would have been underway. The only festival occurring at that time was the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, but the city wasn’t in too much of an uproar about it. Yet with the Fringe, the Royal Mile is turned into busking and advertisement central. Part of the road leading to the castle is closed off and tourist buses from all around are parked in various hotspots of the city. The only tourist bus I saw before the Fringe was the one for “sightseeing.”

Upon arriving to Edinburgh two weeks ago, I was disappointed that the Fringe hadn’t begun. I was ready to meet other theatre companies and see all the people flooding up the city. Instead, I arrived to what I believed to be a quaint and quiet little English town (like the ones you see on BBC or Discovery Channel documentaries). The cloud of disappointment sort of hovered over me until I got to know, and experience, the city and its people.

It didn’t feel like home at first, but once I decided to give it a chance, I began to think about it as Louisiana in the fall. I stopped trying to pick out the differences/things I considered to be negative (ex. there’s no Tony Chachere’s seasoning, it rains too much, etc.) and chose to see the positive and how some of the differences aren’t so bad. I actually enjoy being able to walk to locations around the city instead of using a car, and, because the temperature isn’t in the 80’s or 90’s, the weather is pleasant to walk in (you just have to be wearing the right pair of shoes in case it rains). The people here are polite and, in some ways, more trusting than those in Baton Rouge. All of these examples and more made me feel more like a local instead of a tourist. So when the Fringe did begin to get underway, I felt like one of the locals whose territory had been invaded upon. (I now understand why some New Orleans natives hate Mardi Gras.) And although it’s a nice feeling to view myself as a native, I had to remind myself that I’m here to do a show, just like many of those who have invaded upon this territory that I now think of as another home.

Appreciation

Tonight we viewed a show which I particularly wanted to walk out on and would not give much praise too, but because of the theatre history courses I've taken, I was able to find moments where I appreciated what was being done.

The show was not mediocre in any way. Anyone could see that a lot of time and effort was given to the presentation: the actors' dedication to their movement and characters (specifically the lead), the numerous props and the handling of them, the timing of music and movements, and the transitioning of scenes. I just couldn't find a positive way to connect with what was happening on stage. Moments that I did find interesting was when the main character would look out into the audience. I loved his dedication and how he wasn't afraid to see our reactions. At one point, I was thinking about taking my hands off my face so I wouldn't distract or make the actors feel bad, but I didn't bother because that was my true reaction to what was happening. A production shouldn't care if someone loves their work (although we all want that), but as long as that person can appreciate and respect what you're doing is all that matters. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and feelings about what they see. If you're getting a reaction to your work, whether it be positive or negative, then you must be doing something right. The time a production should start worrying is when there isn't one.

Success!!

Well, opening night (afternoon) was a success!! There were a couple of sound glitches, but we were all professionals in the mix of those mishaps. To celebrate our opening victory, Matt cooked a WONDERFUL dinner which consisted of shrimp alfredo, fried eggplant, pork chops, and my favorite food group of all . . . (drum roll) . . . BUTTERED ROLLS, which were so soft and slightly sweet, I ate a couple of 'em for dessert. I went to bed with a tummy full of delights. Today, we continue to build upon our successful opening and focus on getting warm butts in seats. We'll continue to polish our moves and build upon our characters, learn more about them, because that work is never done. And finally, we'll perform as if we are doing so in front of thousands, even if there are only 15 people in the audience. Let's raise our glasses to another day DANTE because it's only up from here. :)

Opening Day!!

And it all has led up to this . . . months in the making, broken bodies for the taking, and a whole lotta sweat and its dripping; LSU presents to the Fringe and Edinburgh, DANTE.

I've really enjoyed the journey leading up to this day. I'm doing tricks that I probably would've never thought about doing and getting the opportunity to perform in another country, once again. This is truly a blessing. I'm learning from my fellow castmates and friends, and I'm building friendships that I never thought would be so close. But while I'm enjoying the present, I'm also thinking about the future. This experience/opportunity can be one that helps me determine what I'm doing after I graduate in the spring. If I make the right connections and meet the right people, I could be back here next summer. And, on top of that, I'm preparing for the next production I'm in this coming fall, and AUDITIONS!! BUT . . . this is what I want. I want to be able to travel while doing something that I love. I want to keep myself occupied with production after production, whether I'm acting in it or assisting with costumes OR, with my luck, doing both. As long as I'm doing this, THEATRE, that all that matters. The "9 to 5" jobs are just hobbies to help me meet other people and to keep me occupied until rehearsal starts in the evening. :) But this right here, this is my CAREER. So . . .  yeah. This is all the stuff that goes through a theatre student's mind who is on the brink of leaving that four (or five or Six or TEN) year security blanket and looking for another one to get under. So, it really doesn't feel like opening. I guess I have to wait until we're on stage and there are 1200 eyes (hopefully everybody has both) watching us. Happy Opening to the Wonderful Production of DANTE. We all deserve every shining moment and applause we receive. Take it in, marinate in it, and walk off with it because there are more to come. Love y'all and we're going to GREAT tonight!!