I really feel like I update this blog SO frequently when the reality is I'm lucky if I post once a month. Time really flies when you keep yourself busy!
Since I've last posted I've been a little all over the place: emotionally and mentally? yes, but mostly physically. At the end of July I got to go to my cousin Patrick's wedding in Virginia Beach. Patrick has spent the last ?6? years living in Russia teaching english. It's been so long since I've seen him and it was wonderful to catch up with him, see my family, and of course spend a little time at the beach!
After the wedding I turned right around and made my way to Deep Creek Lake, Maryland with my INCREDIBLE boyfriend, Daniel, and his extended family. It was such a relaxing week, we went boating, spent plenty of time in hot tubs and I got to drink as much as I wanted without wondering "what subway am I going to take home?"
The next week I made my way to Philadelphia to babysit for one of my all time favorite mentors, THE Dr. Jessie Glover. Her adorable son, Amos, and I got to explore the historical parks in the city and I even made it to the Philadelphia Museum of Art! The exhibits there were exquisite: photographs of Frida Kahlo, a Van Gogh and a Bruce Nauman piece that I keep coming back to even a month later. At one point during our trip little Amos picked up and played around with my copy of Theater of the Oppressed by Boal and I just have to say, it was the cutest thing I've ever seen.
Oddly enough the house I stayed at with Jessie and Amos was right next to the Schuylkill river. That probably means nothing to you but my fathers family is from Schuylkillhaven Pennsylvania. Generations of my family were born by that river and it felt almost clandestine to find myself there by chance. I felt rooted there in a way and it was exactly what I needed as I start this next step on my journey.
My sporadic traveling aside I've been able to keep myself busy with some exciting projects! I'm working as the rehearsal stage manager for Conni's Avant Garde Restaurant. The show is a devised piece that relies heavily on individual character work to create an immersive, exciting an unquestionably avant garde evening filled with song, dance and, of course, food! But just remember- IT ISN'T DINNER THEATER! The company has been touring different iterations of the show on and off for about ten years now and this year they're taking the show to Cleveland! We had one weekend of rehearsals in mid august and next weekend I'm heading back to the land of Conni and I couldn't be more excited. If you're living in Ohio and you're interested in seeing the show you can buy tickets here!
I was also fortunate enough to head back to New Dramatists for a week to train their Fall Interns! They're a lovely group of bright and exciting new theater makers and I can't wait to get to know them better as I inevitably make my way to New Dramatists for a warm cup of coffee and a comfortable couch as the weather gets colder.
Last weekend I got to reconnect with the INCREDIBLE company of Lucian/Lucien as we sat down to discuss new directions for the show as well as new developments in our political climate that directly effect the shows content. It was so satisfying to be able to reconnect with these wildly talented artists and engage in some really exciting dialogue about the future of the piece.
This past week I've been adjusting to my fall schedule as I've started not one but TWO new internships. I'm currently splitting my time between En Garde Arts and Soho Rep. En Garde Arts is a really exciting company that has been producing site-specific as well as documentary style theater since 1986. It's an incredibly small staff and I've had a blast so far doing a lot of hands on work regarding their Gala this fall. I'm also the executive intern at SoHo Rep. and I couldn't be more excited to be working at one of my favorite companies in the city. They're announcing their 18-19 season soon so keep your eyes peeled! These are pieces you will NOT want to miss.
I'm also gearing up for the opening of my show ONE NIGHT STANDING by the incredible Ashley Hutchinson! I've been directing this play since early summer and I'm so excited to finally get it on the stage. Performances are September 20, 22 and 23 and you can purchase tickets here and you can read more about the play here! The show is delightful and hilarious and heartbreaking and it will make you question what constitutes intimacy. I'd love to see some friendly faces in the audience so BUY SOME TICKETS! TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO BUY TICKETS! It's a double header so you get to see TWO shows and I know you'll have a great time :)
I also have some exciting new writing projects on the horizon that I am (hopefully) looking forward to sharing with you all in the next few months. Some creative, some academic, all things that really fascinate me and I'm hoping you'll enjoy them to!
I think that's all for me right now! If you're interested in keeping up to date on my life in between these sporadic blog posts I'd love to connect with you on social media! The icons at the bottom left of your screen will take you to my LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I will warn you though- my LinkedIn is not quite up to date. Thanks so much for reading friends!
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