Internships

Soooo after an almost 3 month search/battle, I scored 2 internships.

One entails me being an assistant director for an after school program called "Shakespeare Remix" that gives the kids the opportunity to rewrite and reach Shakespeare through their own perspectives. Its going to be awesome and was recommended by my lovely theatre teacher from high school! The program won an award that was presented by the also lovely Mrs. Michelle Obama. Check out the website here!

The second internship is being an artistic intern (whatever that means) at a theatre company that does classical plays (its always good to learn the classics first...right?) It seems like a much more professional setting and will be a great contact builder! Check out the website here: Pearl Theatre!

I feel honored and blessed to have found something that makes me feel so happy and fulfilled. I only hope that I can keep doing it forever. Oh and I've been in NY for 5 days and already seen 3 plays.

My latest project...

For the past couple of weeks, I've been assisting the director of the production The Physicists being produced by Barnard's theatre department. It was a last minute opportunity offered to me by the director (who also is my directing teacher) just to take notes for her in rehearsals. It somewhat escalated into a larger commitment when I offered more of my time and she continued to use it.

It was a great decision, I learned a lot and just absolutely love being around the creation of theatre. Here's the description of the play:

Einstein. Newton. Möbius. Three men in an insane asylum believe themselves to be three of history's most brilliant scientists. Or is their madness merely a ruse, a means of hiding (or pursuing) a scientific discovery that could lead to inconceivably destructive forces being unleashed upon the world? "Drama," Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt observed, "can dupe the spectator into exposing himself to reality, but [it] cannot compel him to withstand... or even to master it" — a fitting motto for the Barnard College Department of Theatre's 2010-11 season, which aims to "expose" audiences to the intersection of history and politics through the provisional reality of the stage. Dürrenmatt's scalding and farcical parable about the moral dilemma of the modern scientist is an excellent place to begin this yearlong project. Alice Reagan, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, directs.

I feel honored to have been apart of this production, and I can't wait to continue to learn from Alice in my directing class. Check her out on her website here: alicereagan.com!

This semester has been one of my busiest, with visitors, rehearsals, homework, and friends. My parents are coming next weekend and Monday I start my official Stage Managing position. I will post pictures of Amanda's visit soon and of my parent's visit/Halloween after next weekend! I get scared when I think about how much I love theatre, and this semester has really seemed surreal being able to learn and experience so much related to the field I love. I feel so lucky!

Lovely weekend in NY

Niall came to visit this weekend! We had a great time exploring the city. Saturday morning we had a brunch with all my friends! It was lovely.

Reunion with Argentina friends, Niall and Kara!

See my kitchenette below!!!

I have so much homework, I'm so sleep deprived that this is gonna stay short! Rehearsal starts next week...so I guess this means that I'm gonna have to be come close friends with caffeine.

Reunions

This past week has been a whirlwind unlike any other. I've reconnected with many friends from my NY life, and some from Argentina! I took my grandma to 3 doctors appointments, packed for my new apartment in NY, visited Boston and Amherst, Massachusetts, moved into my apartment, went to my first day of class and had some drinks for the first time (legally) in New York.

First highlight of this crazy week was when Sylvie, one of my closest friends from Argentina, came over for dinner. She goes to Scripps College (only 45 minutes away from my house!), so it was easy to get together. We got empanadas and Quilmes, the food and beer we consumed most in Argentina!

Then literally the next day I flew to Boston to visit Amanda, my best friend from South Pasadena. She had an internship in New York all summer, so I hadn't seen her since December 2009!!! We had a great day spent in lovely Bostonian parks, and at the Samuel Adams Brewery!

Here we are trying some delicious summer ale...

After Boston, I took a 3 hour bus ride to Amherst, MA to see Niall. It was great to see his school and see how different life in more of a rural setting is. I found it much calmer and more spread out. The little college towns were so cute and full of hippies that they reminded me of little beach towns! It was great to see him, but as all of these visits were, it was too short!

Now I'm in NY, in my own own own apartment (see below!), with my NY family and with many lists of things to do and to buy. Moving in is such a process! Rachel is sitting on my bed, and Jackie and Seth (famous from our Youtube collaborations) are sitting at my desk area.

I'm really happy to start getting more settled, because the first 2 days of being here at school have been completely overwhelming. I felt a little disconnected with my school and these people since I haven't seen and in some cases talked to them in a very long time. Slowly but surely I'll feel more at home again, and I can't wait to continue studying theatre and learning about new fields within the theatre world.

I'll post more pictures of my ADORABLE apartment when its all decorated! We're going to Target and some thrift stores to find some cool decor this weekend. Come visit!

Senior Housing

The most beautiful thing happened today. Rachel and I became neighbors for the entirety of our Senior Years. Its like sleepovers everynight with boundaries and lots of closet space. What more could anyone ask for? I have my own bathroom and own mini kitchen. This is the building I lived in sophomore year that's only 6 blocks away from school, one block away from the best super market I've ever been in, and literally on top of a Chipotle and a Subway stop. Perfection. If you wanna come visit me, you should come and just stay in MY apartment with me!

Los Angeles Realization

I HATE driving.

I have had my license about 6 months, and 4 of those months were spent in New York, where I used a very organized and reliable public transport system. Los Angeles does not have one of these, unfortunately.

Last Friday I drove to Santa Monica on the freeways to have a beach bike ride with Amanda and Jordan, which was the longest distance I've ever driven and only the 4th time I've been on the freeways. (Pictures from the pier to follow!) To say this experience was traumatic would be an understatement. The way there was fine since we were excited to have actually found the beach and the sun was still up. The way home was dark and busy and filled with angry drivers, swerving cars (mine included) and neglected blinker lights (my biggest driving pet-peeve!)

I realized that while I was driving I felt like a pre-programed robot who's only task was to push a pedal whenever the car in front of me flashed its blinker lights. While Amanda and Jordan were both napping, I felt alone and as if my name had been switched for a number--all individuality lost, just a robot maneuvering machinery in accordance with rules someone else created and that I have no control over.

How can I move permanently back to a city where this feeling and experience is part of the daily routine? I found myself fervently missing the subway, since that experience is a group effort, something the people of New York do together--nothing like the rote process of driving. When I think or discuss this dilemma with others, I always remember the quote from the movie Crash that won the Oscar for Best Film a couple years back. It was specifically talking about Los Angeles in comparison to other cities with more condensed organizations and efficient public transportation. The movie said something like since Angelinos don't have a city where human connection and interaction is constant, but instead an impersonal, lonely practice of driving, they or we want to crash into each other in more volatile and, according to the film, violent means.

I hope I can make peace with this city, because no matter where I adventure to, it's home!