I don't look my age...

Last night at the temple, I complimented the lady sitting next to me on her gorgeous, enormous, wedding ring. She said, "Thank you," and then asked if I was married.

"Nope." I replied, showing her my naked left hand.

She asked if I was getting ready to serve a mission, and I said I had already served.

Then she asked me if I got to take advantage of the new age limit, and I responded that I was almost 22 when I left, and I wasn't sure if I would have been ready at 19.

That's when I realized this woman thought I was in my early twenties. She might have even thought I WAS twenty! Golly, I needed that shot of self-esteem yesterday! Thanks, lady!

Not bad for a girl who's well into her thirties :-)

I would like to thank my parents for looking younger than their ages,
my family and friends for allowing and often encouraging me to act like a crazy kid,
my facial lady for helping me take such good care of my skin,
and Heavenly Father for sending me to the temple last night (it was a beneficial trip in other, probably more important ways, as well), and for everything else I have in this world.

Sometimes looking younger than my age is a curse: it seems that men my age aren't interested in someone who looks like their little sister, and younger men aren't interested in a girl my age.
Sometimes it's a blessing: remember how I played Amy in Little Women last year?

But for better or worse, I am who I am: the girl my friends think of when they see a tiara ;) 

Emily crowns me "Miss Amazing 2008"

Sleeping Beauty and Destro

My first "real" tiara -- a gift from Kate :)

Cinderella

New Year's tiara

Tiny tiara!

Disney princesses

Four of these six tiaras are mine *sheepish grin*

I'm okay with that :)

Happy Friday!

"You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

- Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh

I've decided to implement a few mantras into my daily life:

1. I can do hard things.
This my new motto. I have been known to give up when things get tough or are no longer fun (this is one of the reasons it took so long to get my washer and dryer hook-ups done). I have decided that I don't like this about myself. I am starting to ask myself is: am I giving up because it's hard, or because I honestly don't care? If it's the former, I have to keep going.

2.

This should be self-explanatory, but I have a hard time with it. I tend to over-empathize, and also take things personally when I shouldn't; it's not always about me, but sometimes it is, and that's when I'm allowed to be selfish. Several people this month have flaked out on me at the last minute, so I have decided it's okay to do my own thing, especially when I'm the one making the plans. Also, I no longer feel obligated to see some one's play if they haven't been to my last three or four. If they are supportive, you better believe I'm going to make an effort. Otherwise, sorry Charlie. There may be exceptions, but in general I have to make me the #1 priority.

3. Money doesn't matter.
Is anyone else as sick of spending money as I am? For some reason, I feel like I don't have any. But, if I can afford to pay off my credit card bill nearly every month and also put a few dollars in savings, it's okay to buy something big -- like a trip to Disneyland -- once in awhile. I am so tired of worrying about money. I can always make more. I may not be rich, but I'm better off than quite a few people I know.

The last month has been unbearably tough for quite a few reasons. It gets to a point when a woman realizes she needs to make some changes to keep the outside world from dictating her emotional well-being. Giving myself permission to believe and follow-through on the above has already helped relieve some of my pain. With any luck, these reminders will continue to make each day a little better.

Things are looking up.

Shakespeare Saturdays: The Utah Children's Theatre's Shakespeare Festival

This is the second year that the Utah Children's Theatre has present their own Shakespeare Festival. Since I had friends in every show, I bought a package to see everything. I had no idea what to expect.

It was wonderful!

Much Ado About Nothing
This was performed under the hat of the Youth Stage, meaning that all of the actors were between ages 8-18. I love this comedy and have seen it several times lately, in different forms (the Kenneth Branagh and Joss Whedon movies). I really wish they'd had this program when I was a teenager; I'm totally jealous of the opportunities those kids have. The two playing Beatrice and Benedick -- the main characters -- were Mary and Colin when I did The Secret Garden there a few years ago. I adored them then, and it was delightful seeing them play such different, adult characters. They and everyone else were so funny, and I had no trouble making sense of the dialogue and the story. The guy who came with me had never seen ANY Shakespeare, and he didn't have any trouble either. Hooray for great storytelling!

Cameron Colony and Lucy Holmgren -- stars in the making

The Greenshow and The Tempest
I saw these two shows on the same night. I'll be honest, I wasn't in love with the Greenshow. I thought the segments were great (a scene from Romeo and Juliet, an excellent sword fight, a puppet show), but the chaotic dancing and connective dialogue were a little too frantic for me. I felt like they talked down to the audience more than they did in any of the other plays. Then again, the Greenshow was free. You get what you pay for, I guess?

Fortunately, The Tempest was excellently done. I studied this play in college, but I've never seen it performed, and I didn't remember much about it.  I was a little nervous when I heard it was set in the Old West, since it's supposed to take place on an exotic island. Happily, the setting worked great! The characters were distinct, relatable, and a lot of fun, particularly Caliban's depiction as a wacky prospector; I've seen that actor play the romantic lead several times, and it was fun to see him do something else. I've also seen the actor who played Prospero in several plays, and this was my favorite of his characters by far -- I liked seeing him play totally sincere and comfortable. I was impressed by the quality of the acting all around. I kind of wished I had auditioned... It made me wish I could see The Tempest they did at the Utah Shakespeare Festival so I could compare the two.

Breakfast with Shakespeare
This was the one I was the most nervous about, and the one I probably ended up liking the best because of how well they pulled it off. The idea was to present 15 minute versions of four of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies -- Julius Caesar, King Lear, Hamlet, and Macbeth -- in a humorous way that was also presentable to little kids. What followed was a "Shakespeare Smackdown" where the audience got to vote on which they liked best. They were all a bit silly, of course. The conspirators in Julius Caesar carried random weapons like rubber fish and used the password "lightsaber", and Macbeth's witches used "Soothsaying Puppets of Doom" at one point. It was effective, though. They didn't shy away from the deaths and gore, but it wasn't scary or gratuitous. Also impressive was how much of each of the stories they were able to cram in. The only one that really suffered was King Lear -- a LOT happens in that one and they left out most of the "B" story with Edgar and Edmond which ends up being important in the end. The "breakfast" part of the title included a donut and drink, and a 10:30am start time. At the end of the show, I was hard-pressed to pick a favorite of the four. They were all so funny and memorable! I wanted to exclaim with the rest as they ended each play: "Shakespeare!"

The talented cast of Breakfast with Shakespeare

After I had seen everything, I honestly told the actors that I didn't think I could pick a favorite. I was glad that I'd seen them all. Even better, I took someone with me to each performance, and although none of them had seen anything at the Children's Theatre before, they were definitely fans after. That's the highest praise I can think to give it!

I've seen a lot of wonderful things at the Children's Theatre lately. I'm glad that their great work continues, and that I got to spend part of two Saturdays and a Friday night supporting them.

I'm looking forward to seeing what they do next year :)

Stand by Me

I might have posted this video before, but I think it's time to share it again. All these people from all over the world combining their unique styles to produce this gorgeous sound and inspire others. I love it.


Happy Friday!

Shakespeare Saturday: The Utah Shakespeare Festival

Several years ago, I made a goal to one year attend all of the plays performed at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

This was not that year.

There were only four plays I was interested in seeing during the summer season -- Peter and the Starcatcher, The Tempest, King John, and Twelve Angry Men. Due to a bunch of reasons and other plans, it was difficult to find two consecutive days to see the Festival, and very little likelihood I'd get to see all four of those particular plays during any two-day period. So, I picked the only day that the two I wanted to see most were playing, and put it on my schedule. Sadly, by the time I'd picked a day, none of the people I'd invited could come. Unsadly, I'm fairly used to seeing plays by myself ;) Also, other friends had been, so I had no shortage of people to talk to about them!

... The trip was awesome! With the exception of being stressed about driving to and from Cedar City in time for my commitments (because I am terrible at time management), it was a relaxing, blissful trip. 

Peter and Starcatcher

This is the play that has been receiving the most buzz, and now I know why. It's the Regional premiere (meaning that this is the first time ANYONE has done this play, except for Broadway), which is a pretty big deal. The story is based on a prequel novel written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, and during the course of the action things like how Peter arrived in Neverland, why he can fly and doesn't age, how Captain Hook lost his hand, and where fairies and mermaids come from are explained.

When the elderly couple with the seats next to mine sat down before the show, the woman said, "I love Peter Pan," and the husband said, "I hate Peter Pan." He clarified for me during intermission (because he could tell I was loving it) "I like Peter Pan who flies and lives in Neverland." So, I could understand why he wasn't a fan, especially during the first act.

Peter and the Starcatchers is NOT your grandmother's Peter Pan. If you were looking forward to a "classic" play with huge sets and complicated scene changes and flying children, you were disappointed. You could see exactly how all of the theater "magic" was done -- no hidden wires, few off-stage costume changes, no special effects aside from lighting -- even the Foley artists making the sound effects and playing the music were onstage, seated comfortably in two ships positioned above the actors. Each of the actors had a primary role, such as the boy (who eventually becomes Peter), Black Stache (Captain Hook), and so forth, but they also played all of the ensemble roles like the pirates or Indian tribe. The script itself is SILLY! The closest play I can think to compare it to is The 39 Steps, but Peter manages to fit in serious moments and a surprisingly emotional story. They made a lot of pop-culture references, and suddenly, out-of-nowhere, they broke into song. Yet, it worked so well with the rest of the storytelling that even though I wouldn't categorize the play as a "musical", it wasn't weird... except perhaps for a musical number that began the second act that has to be seen to be believed. I really thought the guy sitting next to me was going to walk out. I about passed out because I was laughing so hard.

View from the balcony

I think the reason why the play worked so well for me was that it reminded me often that live theater really is a unique experience. Since they weren't going for realism, I got to enjoy the process with them. We weren't asked to get up on stage or respond in any specific way, but we were still a part of it. The actors pantomimed going up and down stairs, they interacted with the audience just a smidgen, and it was very obvious they were having a great time. One of my very favorite moments was when the Black Stache lost his hand, and everyone onstage was completely silent and in shock, and the Black Stache was whimpering in pain, and most of the audience laughed because of his reaction and the way it happened... and a little girl in the orchestra (I could hear her from the balcony even though she wasn't yelling) asked very clearly: "Are you okay?" and the Black Stache looked at her, nodded, and said -- still in pain -- "Uh-huh" as if to reassure her. I can't describe it in a way to give it justice, but the audience DIED. Since it was such a silly play and we were all in it together, it wasn't out of place that she yelled out, that he responded, or that we all laughed. I want to see it again just so I can watch the Black Stache up close; his performance was genius. There are times as an actor that you really feel like you connect with an audience and that the audience realizes that the performance is directly affected by their support, be it applause or laughter or energy. I get the feeling that the cast of Peter and the Starcatcher feels that every day. Lucky!

After the play ended, the gentleman next to me made sure to tell me how much he enjoyed the second act. He could not stop smiling! He loved getting to the island and discovering how the Peter Pan we knew came about. I think that's the highest praise I can give the show: an opinionated old man who went in expecting one thing completely changed his tune by the end. Guess you're never too old to love a well-told story, no matter how unfamiliar and unconventional the storytelling may be.

Turns out, a friend from high school saw the same performance. We met up during intermission to chat and take a photo. I had forgotten how much Lauren looks like Gwyneth Paltrow. Also how nice and cool she is (Lauren, not Gwyneth, though I'm sure G is lovely in person).

Neither of us has aged since high school.

After the play, I poked around the gift shops and ended up buying a really inexpensive copy of William Shakespeare's As You Like It. I wish there had been a Dover Thrift edition of Much Ado About Nothing, too, since I'm partial to that publisher and have seen several productions of that script lately. However, I was satisfied to have at least one thing -- besides memories, of course -- to commemorate the trip! I ate a leisurely -- and gigantic -- bagel sandwich from The Pastry Pub for dinner. I'd only recently heard about the place, but my SUU friends assured me it was a must-eat. I didn't love it, and was surprised by the dearth of pastry selection considering the name, but now I can say I've been.

I quite like this selfie in front of the
Adams Shakespearean Theater

I had about an hour before my evening play, so I went back to the campus and strolled around a bit. I even went to the orientation for King John and Anything Goes -- the two plays running that night -- so I could get a better feel for what to expect. Then I watched The Greenshow... I think it's okay if I skip it the next time. It didn't hold my attention. But I very much enjoyed the cherry tart I ate while I browsed on my phone!

King John

The Utah Shakespeare Festival has a goal to complete "The History Cycle" of Shakespeare plays in chronological order (and produce all of Shakespeare's plays in the next 13 years). These are the plays written about the actual kings of England. Shakespeare took liberties with the characters and embellished (and probably made up a lot of) the stories, but they give you an idea of what went on back in the day. I admit that I have never seen any of the History plays. It's a second goal of mine to see them all, in order, as they are produced (the next is this Fall).

The first play in The History Cycle is King John. The title character is Richard the Lionheart's little brother (you know, Prince John of Robin Hood fame) and the play deals with the question of who was supposed to rule after Richard died. I liked that it was fairly straightforward. Few of the actors played more than one role, the story was simple, there were almost no props or set changes beyond a throne and some banners to indicate whether they were in England or France's domain. It sounds like a similar set-up to Peter, but the results were very different. It was a traditional play in every sense. If you don't like Shakespeare, you would HATE this play. This was all about the dialogue and the conflict. If I was exhausted at the end it was because no one onstage was left unscathed -- there was a lot of action, a lot of angst, even a few sword fights. I liked that it was plain and simple. A great story that was well-acted and didn't need any flash. I sat with a middle-aged gentleman who sees a TON of plays in SLC and southern Utah and NYC and Vegas (I wish there were more like him), and he and I both liked King John. I kind of wish it were done more often. Someone needs to do a double-feature of The Lion in Winter and then this one (you'll leave feeling very grateful that your family isn't royalty)!

I finally checked into my hotel room after 11pm and was sooo excited to crawl into the king-sized bed and burrow into the five pillows! One of the perks of having your own room! I slept like a log, and morning came far too soon. Fortunately, breakfast was included with the room, so I got to eat a perfect, slightly crispy waffle before facing the fact I had to go home. 

There you have it. One short day, and it was all over. It was everything I hoped, and just a little more than I expected. I wasn't quite ready to come home, of course. I could have used just one more day of vacation...two would have been just right ;-)

There's always next year, except next year I really do want to see ALL of the shows! 2014 is going to be the year I fulfill that dream, I just know it! I don't want to miss any of the plays they have lined up:

Put it on your calendars now!

Are you at all interested in seeing any of these? Does Peter and the Starcatcher sound intriguing to you, or are you more of a traditionalist?

July flew by

July was a funny month. I did a lot of stuff... but I couldn't really tell you what I did. Anyone who does a play can tell you that after the show ends, you spend a LOT of time catching up with people and activities you neglected in favor of rehearsing and performing. The first couple of weeks after the show ends tend to crazy busy and exhausting and fun!

Meanwhile I am still waiting for my ankle to fully heal. In some ways, it gets better every day... I also seem to find new ways that I have to stretch/strengthen every day. Stairs are still a challenge (especially going UP stairs). I think I'm going to try wearing short heels this week. No pain = no gain, right? At least I'm getting better!

Now I'm just rambling. Sorry.

The upshot is, I went to a LOT of movies this month. Sadly for you, I also didn't take very many photos (maybe you aren't sad; maybe these monthly recaps are not your favorite of my posts). Here are a few I took, or were taken for me, illustrating what went down in July:

Celebrated my grandma's birthday (and Independence Day) with a family barbecue:

Pretty (awesome) people

Proud to be Americans!

Opened and closed Robin Hood:

Robin (center) and the Merry Men
(I am crouching on the floor on the right)

Alan A-Dale and his singing band narrate a montage acted out by puppets

Maid Marian (on the right) and her ladies-in-waiting

Chaos ensues at the Tournament

Saw Back to the Future during a special screening:

The movie was even better than I remembered!
I got really caught up in George and Lorraine's storyline this time. George spent the whole movie in disbelief that Lorraine could like him; anytime Marty tried to get them together, and Lorraine ignored him, George just slunk away... he did that a lot actually ("I've never been good at confrontation" "I can't handle that kind of rejection"). He lays out Biff to save her, but when the second guy steals her at the dance, it looks like that first time was a fluke. For all we know, the second guy has no idea what happened with Biff -- he thinks George is the same slacker he's always been. Then George makes the choice not to be a victim, he's not going to let someone decide "his destiny." Meanwhile... Lorraine is kind of hot-to-trot for any sad-sack that comes along. In the first past, she falls for George because her dad hits him with the car, then ends up miserably married to someone she doesn't even like. In the rewritten past, she falls in love because she sees George will fight for her -- he isn't a wimp. The kiss is symbolic that not only will they be OK in the future, they'll be OK because THEY made it happen in spite of all of the odds. Lorraine would respect him (and hopefully not be an alcoholic), and George would respect himself and realize "when you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything."

Free 8oz. Slurpee for 7-11 (July 11):

My dad had a birthday, and we kids gave him a tetherball setup:

The G-child thought he'd try using a bat...
it did not make the game easier ;)

That's it!

Oh, wait, I finally opened this; I had been saving it since December.

Christmas in July!
It was delicious :-D

August can only be more exciting than July was. For one thing, I am MUCH more mobile. For another, due to a happy coincidence, August is the month of "Shakespeare Saturdays", meaning that I have something Shakespeare-related going on each weekend! May not sound cool to you, but it is to me!

Life is good :-D