Time to Read!

You know when you have had a bunch of books on your "to-read" list for forever, and whenever people suggest something new you smile and say "I'll put it on the list" but you're inwardly cringing because the list keeps getting longer and longer and they all sound good but you don't know when the heck you're ever going to have time to read any of them?

Well, since my show closed, I have completed 4 books*, and I'm working on a 5th! Yep, my show closed less than 3 weeks ago. I really haven't even had that much free time, but I've made the most of it!

At this rate, I might need to adjust my 16 book reading goal... then again, life is probably going to get crazy again before I know it. I just get to enjoy the quiet while it lasts!

Excuse me while I return to my previously scheduled novel**...

*A Storm of Swords (Game of Thrones #3), The Fault in Our Stars, 31 Dates in 31 Days, AAAA! A Foxtrot Kids Edition
**Princess Academy: Palace of Stone

UPDATE: I finished Palace of Stone tonight. Now to decide what to read next -- always a difficult task!

What are you reading right now?

In defense of Cinderella

Quite by accident, I discovered a special showing of Disney's Cinderella at a local theater on Presidents' Day. Since I had the day off, wanted to see a movie anyway, and might never have the chance to see this particular movie on the big screen again, I jumped at the chance!

The theater wasn't full, and as you might guess, most of the audience members were female (and most -- if not all -- of the males were with their female friends), but I was a little surprised to see groups of teenagers, mothers and daughters and granddaughters, pre-teens, and so many other varying-aged and situation people there. There might have even been other single women there, like me -- I didn't notice. I was also surprised that everyone was so quiet during the movie. Usually when there are that many little kids in a theater you hear them ask questions "Where did she go? Why is the cat so mean?" but there was nary a peep. The only sounds were intermittent laughter. Otherwise, we all just drank in the story on the screen. Maybe I cried a couple of times (something about the music reduces me to a puddle), but we all applauded at the end. It had been a long time since I'd watched the movie without distraction, and it was so fun to see all of the details I might otherwise miss (you know, on a regular-sized t.v.) and remember why I love the story so much.

(Forgive me for not recapping the story. If you aren't familiar with Cinderella, please click here.)

There are those who would dismiss Cinderella as naive and passive. Now, I know that the original (ish, since nearly every society has a Cinderella-type tale) French fairy tale was written as a morality tale about courtliness and preparing yourself to be a perfect wife, but I think we do a disservice in stating that kindness somehow makes Cinderella weak. In 1949, Walt Disney said:

She believed in dreams, all right, but she also believed in doing something about them. When Prince Charming didn't come along, she went over to the palace and got him.

Even so, I think even Mr. Disney himself sold his heroine a little short in his movie. Watching on Monday, I laughed at the mice, and they were cute and all, but I really just wanted to get back to Cinderella. Judging from this movie and little time they spend with Cinderella, maybe it IS easy to dismiss her as lame.

Except... Cinderella isn't passive. She doesn't sit around waiting for things to happen. She keeps busy. She makes the choice to be positive and hope for better things in the future, even if she doesn't know how to make that happen. She does her chores and appreciates having her friends near her all day (granted, they are all animals). When the opportunity to go to the ball comes, she gets excited about the chance to go somewhere new; she plans to make her own dress, and again does all of her chores so that she is prepared. When the slipper the Grand Duke has been carrying around breaks, Cinderella immediately produces the other one. I can only assume that if there had been enough fabric in her bedroom she would have made a rope ladder to get out when the stepmother locks her in (though it's more likely the storytellers just wanted the mice to save the day). But she does think to have Bruno the dog chase off Lucifer when the cat threatens to keep the mice from getting the key to her. It's only after she has done everything she can -- and tragically fails because of her horrible family and other circumstances beyond her control -- that she starts to lose hope.

The people who help her? They help because they love her. Because they see how hard she works and that she hopes for happiness, and they want to help her get there. Have you noticed that they only show up when all other hope is lost?

Last year, I had the privilege of playing Cinderella in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods. I LOVE the way Sondheim treats Cinderella, right down to having her father still be alive. She says, "Good night, Father," and he ignores her. This poor girl is even rejected by her own father because of his own cowardice or laziness, and she suffers from an even more intense lack of appreciation or belonging. I decided to make Cinderella's need to be loved her primary motivation. Everything she does is out of a hope to be accepted. She wants to go to the ball because everyone else is going, and maybe if they let her go, too, she'll be treated like part of the family. Unfortunately, that doesn't work out, so she runs to her mother's grave, where the one person (well, spirit) who still cares helps her out. Cinderella goes to the ball... and then is faced with a potentially life-changing experience when she meets a man who is willing to take her life into a completely different direction than she ever expected. "Wanting a ball is not wanting a prince!" She spends a (terribly difficult to sing) song trying to decide if she wants to continue battling it out with her family, or take a chance with the unknown. The choice is made...

**Spoiler alert**
... And things don't go as planned. She finds, once again, that her Prince -- the person who should love her more than anyone -- really doesn't understand her or care about her. Once she figures that out, she makes the brave choice not to go home, again facing the unknown.

It should also be said that in Into the Woods, Cinderella is the person who ultimately figures out how to get rid of the giant. They initially assume that the Baker will be the leader, but Cinderella uses her own experience (and friendship with the birds) to come up with a plan. She's a smarty, that Cinderella! She also goes out of her way to protect and care for Jack, Little Red, and the baby.
**End spoiler alert**

In the end, Cinderella finally finds a group of people who love her for who she is, see her value, and DO want her around.

Maybe it's a little unrealistic to hope for an actual prince. However, it is realistic and necessary for each girl to recognize her own worth, and that she surround herself with friends and family who love and support her, and will help her achieve her dreams. That's the "happily ever after" I hope for. Actually, it's the one I'm living! Finding a prince of a man to share it with would simply be icing on the cake :)

With all of that said, I am proud that when I took the "Which Disney Princess Are You" quiz, I had the following result:

To end, I'd like to post this video I found today. There is nothing wrong with being or wanting to be a princess. I hope every princessy girl (like me) will put her individuality and strengths to good use. We need more strong women in the world.
(Looks like you have to open up my blog to see the video. Sorry Google Reader readers!)

A definition of true love

"Sometimes people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them," I said.

Isaac shot me a look. "Right, of course. But you keep the promise anyway. That's what love is. Love is keeping the promise anyway. Don't you believe in true love?"

I didn't answer. I didn't have an answer. But I thought that if true love did exist, that was a pretty good definition of it.

- John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Nostalgic for Junior High choir

I'm not sure why, but I have had this song in my head all week:


We sang this song both years I took choir in Junior High. As a fan of the Robin Hood legend, it was one of my favorites, along with this one:


Now that I'm a little older, and am actually paying attention to the words, I realize how inappropriate it may be for young teens to sing them. But, oh man were they fun to belt out!

Anyone up for a little choir singin' this morning?

Happy Friday, my friends!

Thoughts about Valentine's Day

As I reflect on Valentine's Day this year, I think what I learned is that people like to be surprised, and they like to feel appreciated.

I know the main idea behind Valentine's Day is to show appreciation for the person you love the most ... and consequently a lot of single people hate it because they don't have a "one person they love most", and people in relationships hate it because it seems like such an expensive hassle.

A lot of my friends posted on Facebook what their others did for them, and some were small gestures, and some were big, but they were all thoughtful and heartfelt. These are some of my favorites:

• An actual barbershop quartet
• Quote: "Every year I say, 'You don't need to get me flowers.' And every year I still get giddy when he does :) "
• An extra day of vacation so they can see a play with amazing actors in it
• A bag of Reese's peanut butter hearts and the reaction "I was afraid I wouldn't get any candy this year!"

Clockwise from top left: a perfect pink rose, a "frog prince"
ornament from my sister, a cookie (served with hot chocolate)
from Larissa, my Valentine's dress, hearts from the G-child,
and songs from my "I want to be in love" playlist 

I love Aaron's thought about making sure to show appreciation for all of the other people you love, too, whether on Valentine's Day or any/every other day. I fully support this idea. I think if we did this a little more often, it would take the pressure off of Valentine's Day a little bit. The big gestures are cool, but the little ones are amazing, too. It's shouldn't be about trying to "top" last year, or show everyone that you are more in love with your person than anyone else is with theirs. I might not have received anything specific on the actual holiday, but the days leading up to it were filled with cookies and movies and dinners with terrific people. People who care about me and are grateful for any moment I can spare. People I love and support and wish I have more time for.

And maybe I took Donna and Tom's advice to "Treat yo self" on Valentine's Day, and bought myself a flower and splurged on dinner at Romano's Macaroni Grill :)

I also think it's nice to have something to look forward to/break up the winter doldrums a little bit, when Christmas is over and we just want Spring to come. Hooray for Valentine's Day for (hopefully) cheering us up a little!

I am so grateful for my friends and my family. I'm going to have to go to a bit more effort to make sure they know. They are too wonderful to take for granted.

Happy belated Valentine's Day everybody! What did you do for the big day, and what might you do tomorrow to show someone you care?

My latest food addiction

So, I'm not freaking out (yet), but I have noticed that my clothes are fitting a little more snugly lately. And I have a pretty good guess why:

This

(Chips Ahoy White Fudge Chunky cookies will be my undoing)

plus 

This

White chocolate hot cocoa

equals 

delicious

I have long loved white hot chocolate, and I discovered this winter that Fresh Market sells it. I first bought those cookies for a party in October that ended up being cancelled, so I unwisely decided to go ahead and eat them myself. Oddly, they are not nearly as delicious (actually, they're kind of yucky) without the hot chocolate.

After I started eating them together, I almost immediately noticed that I was no longer maintaining the size I had for a good 8 months. Compounding the problem is that since I was doing the show (or other evening activities), I have been eating this combination after 11 at night. Big no-no.

But it's so goooooood!

I am determined, after I finish this last package (I have 2 servings left), that I not buy any more of the cookies. I am stating this on my blog to show a little extra resolve and accountability.

I might continue the hot chocolate... it will be slightly less unhealthy without the cookies, right?

(You might argue that I should throw out those 2 last servings now, but my frugal mind just cannot abide throwing food away, unless it's expired. You'd be surprised how long I've had some of my junk food around without eating it. I'm still working on some Reeses peanut butter pumpkins from Halloween. My self-control is kind of funny that way.)

Also, I'll have to start applying these rules -- especially #25 -- to my life. (Well, as much as I can without actually going to a gym.) An active lifestyle is always important, right? Yes. And when the show was going on I could hope that all the running around in those heels was helping to off-set the indulgent food. Must buckle down again. Doubtless I won't snap back right away. It'll take a bit more consideration in the rest of my diet as well for awhile, but cutting out this delicious treat is the first step.

I'm not saying I'm all of a sudden fat or look bad. I know I look fine. I just want to treat my body right, especially during this time of year when sickness and sadness are practically inevitable. Must do all I can to stay healthy, and that definitely involves eating better.

What's your latest food kryptonite? Any healthy snacks you recommend for the next time I want to cave?

Stretchin' my dancin' feet

"Come and meet those dancin' feet!"

Wednesday, I took my first tap class in almost ten years! The last class I took was in college. A year later I got to show off my stuff in 42nd Street, but my skills have pretty much languished since then.

I admit, I hoped the class would go something like this (well, it did until about 35 seconds into this clip):


Nope. I have a LOT of catching up to do, plus, there were some steps I had never seen before, and some bad habits I need to break. It's pretty cool the way the teacher was able to make this an "all-level" class, so that those who had never taken a class, those who were really good, and those like me in the middle all got to work together. The teacher and several other students are my friends, so I was able to feel slightly less nervous than I would have otherwise.

I told myself I wasn't allowed to get upset or frustrated. It was the first class in ten years! How could I expect to be perfect? I was pleased at how much I do remember, and am excited about all the stuff I have to learn. It will definitely take some work and patience over the next couple of months, but it's going to be amazing when I can do it all (or, at least more of it than I can now)! Hopefully then I won't completely embarrass myself when I start auditioning for some dance shows later this year.

And someday, I hope to be able to surprise people, like this:


My jaw dropped on the floor the first time I saw this. Is there anything Steve Martin can't do?!!!!

So, what's next?

My show closed on Saturday, but even before then friends and family and strangers alike were asking me what I'll be doing next (meaning, "What show are you doing next?"). I guess I can't blame them. Those bitten by the theater bug often do shows one right after another. You get in the groove, and ride the endorphin high right into the next project. I am usually no exception.

However, my answer at this time is:

Taking a break!!!!

I need to catch up on friends, dating, exercise, sleep, work, home improvement and, well, everything else I haven't had time for the last couple of months whilst flexing my artistic muscles :P Maybe I'll even take a vacation. Maybe.

There have been quite a few auditions lately that I was interested in and ultimately decided to skip. I plan to audition for Ragtime next month (one of my friends teased me that a month isn't a sufficient amount of time for a decent break), but other than that -- and maybe Robin Hood in Clearfield in April because, seriously, when will an opportunity to do that story come up again? -- I'm content to just sit around until June.

Of course, I might be more resilient than I think, and some other rare opportunity may come up before then, so plans may change.

For right now, though, I just want to hole up in my condo, ignore all event requests on Facebook, and finally finish Game of Thrones #3: A Storm of Swords, 'cause, man, I am only a little past halfway and this book is CRAZY! You better believe I'll be shutting off my phone later this week to give that book the time it deserves!

Happy Monday, folks. Any fun plans this week?

Just a man and his will to survive

I know I'm not the only one in a winter-time funk. Every day the last couple of weeks I've had to do something like this every morning, just to get out of bed:

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance
Now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
[Chorus]
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge
Of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the
Eye of the tiger 

Writers: Peterik/Sullivan

(Have you seen Persepolis, the movie this clip is from? You should. It's not for kids and tough to watch, but so beautiful and ultimately uplifting. I highly recommend it.)

Happy Friday, my friends! We can and will survive the winter doldrums. We'll be complaining about summer heat soon enough!

Great names from a great movie

On a Sunday evening three years ago, while my sister-in-law was pregnant with my nieces, my family was sitting around a the dinner table discussing names. We were joking about names like Eden and Eve (a joke because the expectant father's name was Adam), Sadie and Fanny, and so forth.

My nephew, the soon-to-be first-time big brother, leaned over to my mom and whispered, "I think 'Leia' and 'Amidala' are beautiful."

Truly his father's son.

Sorry I'm in the way. Adam's Luke Skywalker costume circa Star Wars: Return of the Jedi was truly epic!

The G-child on his fourth birthday. Cutest Sith Lord ever!

I'm a little sorry we didn't indulge him, but he seems to like his sisters anyway.

This reminded me of a story a friend of mine told me when she was expecting her first child. Amy's husband suggested the name "Anakin" for a boy. Amy liked it. It took her an entire day to realize where the name came from, at which point she told her husband, "We are not naming our child after the Dark Lord of the Sith!" Fortunately, the child was a girl ;) They DID name their second daughter "Ozma", though, which suits her perfectly. Oh, and Amy's sister named her daughter "Lucy" after the character in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Oh, and did I mention that my name was made popular in the '70s by the book The Thornbirds? I really should get around to reading it someday...

What are names you like of fictional characters from movies you love? I'm pretty partial to Gwendolen (The Importance of Being Earnest), Eliza (from Pride and Prejudice, but also a family name), and Sam (from Lord of the Rings). 

Aaron, I will be upset with you if you steal any of these names ;)

Arsenic and Old Lace tybbling

This is the last week of performances for Arsenic and Old Lace, and I think it's time for a bit of show-oriented tybbling!

Monday, Wednesday, Friday cast
photo by Ron Russell

• "There's something so very 'Brewster' about the Brewsters." The details on the set are brilliant. It's a veritable "I Spy" game with details like a chamber pot used as a flower pot, a crutch in the stair case, photos of people who were dead when the photos were taken, and a pug dog statue dressed in a sweater. Directors Josh and Jennie Richardson slowly collected all of these crazy pieces while rehearsing and it was always fun to see what they came up with next. The finishing touch was actually the one they thought of first: a monkey in a jar. So bizarre, and yet completely perfect!
• I've been painting my fingernails red for this show. I normally don't paint my nails at all, and I have to touch up the red for each performance, but it seems like a 1940's fashion thing to do. I admit, there's something very girly and thrilling about my painted nails. A delicious, sassy feeling! Maybe I need to get a manicure more often...
• We do have an actual person playing the corpse. I sit behind the scrim at the beginning of the show, and I love listening for the laugh when people read the "Introducing Kayla Gibson and Olivia Hohl as the corpse" credit. The reaction usually tells me how responsive the audience is going to be during the rest of the show... then they all forget that the corpse is a real person, until curtain call, when she and Teddy get the most applause!
• In both casts the corpse is a teenage girl, and I am amazed how much they trust the Teddys, Jonathans, and Einsteins not to drop or injure them. Those girls in their "old man" wigs and oversized shoes crack me up! I love watching that scene from off-stage right before I go on. "Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic!"
• I performed 5 shows in a row during the second week. I LOVED performing with the other cast, and at the end of the week I was exhausted. Don't think I'll be choosing any time soon to be single cast during a run this long.

Brandon Green as Jonathan
(forgive my terrible editing skills as I tried to
remove the bomb in the background,
I couldn't find the original photo :P)

• Since I am the only girl in either cast with long hair, the directors and wig maker decided I didn't need to be wigged. Having to do my own hair for this show has been the main source of frustration and stress for me every night. Thank goodness it usually ends up looking ok (famous last words -- please cooperate for the last two shows, hair!). I'm excited to get a cut and color next week. The hot curlers have really done a number on my ends :P
• In the meantime, my mom uses hot curlers every day. It's nice to feel a little solidarity with her!
• There are four women in our cast, and nine men. Most of the shows I've done in the last couple of years have been women-heavy. Well, I guess that's true of most musicals, since women love to audition and musical men are spread a little thin in our community. I must say, it's been kind of cool being the lone single, young woman in the cast. I've had a lot of positive attention. If anyone is wondering what happened to all of the gentlemen, visit my show. A lot of the men in my cast are the sweetest, most thoughtful guys you'll ever meet, making sure I don't slip on the ice, brushing the snow off my car, sending Facebook messages to check on me when I had a bad day. Wish more of them were single, but golly are their wives lucky!

Jason Wadsworth as Brophy

Bob Bedore as Mortimer

• My costumes in this show are awesome. I feel so pretty! Just wish the faux fur I wear didn't keep coming apart on stage, and that the soles on my red shoes would quit coming apart -- I've had those shoes repaired twice, once on opening night! That's what I get for trying to wear vintage clothes...
• The turquoise sweater I wear in the last scene is my favorite. It's always the costume I wear for the least amount of time that I love the most :P Fortunately, I end up wearing the costume for the entire second act, so I guess that rule doesn't apply this time! Woot!
• The green suit I wear in the beginning was made by my Aunt Abby, Chris Brown; she made it to wear herself in The Music Man 20 some-odd years ago. Isn't that cool?!
• They gave me black tights to wear, because they have a seam up the back. Well, I also wear cream-colored shoes in one scene. Every time I put those shoes on over the black tights, I think of how my mom would always say that a girl who wears black tights and white shoes looks like Minnie Mouse.
• I think Dr. Einstein sounds like Dr. Doofenshmirtz. I giggle a lot backstage when I listen to his lines. Maybe he needs an "operator-inator" to help him fix Jonny's face...

Jonathan Tate as Jonathan, and Nathan Riddle as Dr. Einstein

• I love sitting backstage and listening to the show. I know these actors so well that I can see their facial expressions through their voices. Lines like, "It was THAT FACE!", "I don't think we're going to the same place", "Live in a hotel. Don't like it", and "You're forgetting: as President I'm also in charge of the Secret Service!" delight me every time.
• My favorite characters -- especially in my cast -- are Dr. Einstein, Teddy, and Lt. O'Hara. The actors all infuse their characters with such wonder, joy, and sweetness. Love, love, love!

Jeremy Jonsson as Teddy

Richie Uminskie as O'Hara

• Sadly, my character isn't very humorous, in characterization, or audience reaction. She's not really written to be funny. I do get a few laughs, though, usually during my "I started packing the day after I met you" and "Yoo-hoo" lines, and the last kiss (if you've seen the show, you know what I'm talking about).
• The reactions to the kissing in this show have been varied and humorous and a little exasperating. Old men I don't know (and some I do) like to tease how much I seem to enjoy it, my mom wasn't a fan of it, and a couple people say it's probably the most kissing they've ever seen in a Rodgers/CPT show (this is funny to me, because there is less of it now than there was when we opened). For the record, during a typical performance I am kissed 4 times. Yes, that last one is a doozy. I guess, like Elisha once said, I just take it in stride as part of the blocking so it isn't a big deal. Believe me, there's a big difference between kissing a guy onstage, and kissing a guy I actually like. I have had the experience of kissing a guy onstage that I was actually dating, and the kissing was STILL way different onstage. But I think I've already blogged about all that.
• I wear way too many layers of undergarments under my clothes - spanx, two pairs of tights at the same time (one nude and one with the seams up the back -- it seems like overkill, but the costumer likes the look), and booty shorts -- then comes the crinoline petticoat and whatever else. On the plus side, all that foundation clothing makes me feel like I'm a '40s pin-up model whenever I'm changing into my next costume. Tee hee!

Terrific costumes

• For the first couple of performances, I helped "Mr. Spenalzo" tie her tie. I don't remember why I learned this skill as a teenager (probably for some show I was doing), but it's nice when I can call upon a random skill like this and help someone out. You're welcome, Mr. Spenalzo!
• After my character leaves the stage at the end of the first act, I doesn't come on again until the end of the second. This leaves me with a 45 minute break from intermission to my next entrance. What do I do during that time? Usually chat with other cast members, check Facebook and e-mail on my phone, help with costume changes, read The Great Gatsby on Kindle, and write in my journal. I called my mom during the matinee on Saturday. I have yet to actually feel bored during this break. There's too much to do!

Meredith Gibson as Martha and Chris Brown as Abby

• I was a little worried about sharing a dressing room with two older ladies. What would we talk about? It seems I forgot that I usually don't have trouble finding anything to talk with anyone about. Meredith and I are both fans of Downton Abbey, and Chris and Meredith both entertain me with random stories about adventures with their kids, and love hearing about any updates in my dating life. "Such sweet ladies! I love them already!" I feel very lucky to count them as friends. I look forward to seeing them every other day, and am sad I didn't get to spend more time with Linda Jean and Carol in the other cast!

Linda Jean Stephenson as Abby and Carol Thomas as Martha

I have three performances left. It's been a good run and I am grateful for the experience. The cast and the audiences have all laughed a ton. I'll be sad when the show ends, because I'll miss those folks, but excited to have some free time. It's been nice to stretch my skills and play with a lot of people I have admired from afar for several years!

Co-director Josh Richardson

My double, Kylee Wood

Spencer Hohl as Gibbs/Klein

Jon Baty as Dr. Einstein and Mike Hohl as Teddy

Instagram tag

Want to know a secret? I love "tag" posts. My first reaction is to feel a little stressed when I get "tagged" in something, but, really, I love being asked to participate, I love having an excuse to post, and although I struggle to find new and different things to talk about in some annoyingly similar tags, I love finding new -- preferably totally random -- things to share that otherwise might not occur to me.

So, when Em tagged me on Instagram, asking me to share 5 things about me, I thought, "Oh no! What am I going to say... and how can I keep it to just 5 things? And what photo will I post it with?"

I'm pretty happy with the result. It's never going to be perfect (especially on Instagram, where I can't be as verbose as I'd like), but why should it be?

clockwise from top left: some journals I considered buying, a gorilla
at the Rainforest Cafe, a perfect dress I LOVED but couldn't find
in my size, and an outtake photo from my birthday trip to the zoo

5 things you may not know about me:

• I've kept a journal since I was 8. I have filled 36 so far and have 3 waiting to get started. It's up to Ingenuwitty to burn them all when I die.
• I could live on pie, soup, and salsa for the rest of my life.
• I'm still in love with Heath Ledger -- and I always will be!
• I still know all the lyrics to the Jem and the Holograms theme... and a couple of their other songs, too.
• The first high school football game I ever attended was during my mission. Sorry Colts! I still love you!

I always tag other people to participate too, just in case. Some do and some choose not to, and that's okay. I just like seeing what other people come up with. I love learning new things about my friends!

If I tagged you, would you play along?