"What is this...Thanksgiving?"

I was very close to going this year without a Thanksgiving dinner.
Thank heaven for David Mouriquand!
He sacrificed his kitchen so Zarah and I wouldn't have to miss out on this very American tradition.

It was a very English Thanksgiving...in that we didn't exactly have a proper turkey, but rather a "turkey-based" main course, as David put it: turkey cutlets wrapped in bacon and marinated in balsamic vinegar. Quite good actually.



I made stuffing and gravy which weren't half bad actually.
Zarah made her mother's candied yams (which were quite the adventure to the British palate).

Basically though we made WAY too much food for three people.




And when you're in David's house, you're never without entertainment:

David imitating his friend Neil's voice


David and Tommy in the kitchen with Adam Morris (he doesn't live with them but I adore him just the same)
Setup: Basically, one day Tommy said that he had hoovered the flat meaning he'd vacuumed it. I was all "oh funny: we just say 'vacuumed'" and in his wonderful American accent he was all "Hey, baby, let's vacuum" and it's just been a running gag between us ever since.
In this video we're all in the kitchen and I'm trying to get him to do it on film.


Finally he does it:


LOOOOOOVE HIM!

One of the best Thanksgiving's I've had.

Snow Fell Sunday Evening

Sunday evening, Zarah and her flatmates wanted a girls night, so we went out to dinner in Birmingham city centre at a place called Pizza Express.
When we left their flat, a little snow started falling! We all got quite excited.

It was a half hour wait for our table so we waited at a pub next door called Slug and Lettuce:
here's a nice picture of me and Preet (from Canada) that Bettina took...



By the time we had finished our meal, snow was still falling and there was a good blanket of snow on the ground.




Here are some more pictures I stole from Bettina...




Now back to my boring color ones...



Bettina and Zarah took videos...if you click on the links, hopefully you will be able to watch them but I'm really not sure if you can if you're not in their networks, let alone facebook.

When we got back to Tennis Courts (Zarah's flat) there was a massive snowball fight going on.



Some classic quotes came out of all the chaos...especially from Zarah's friend, Reese.

random guy: "Oh my eye!!! Good thing God granted me a spare!"

Reese: "I tell you, it's just like 300: 'Our snowballs will block the sun!!'...'Tonight we dine in ice!'"
Right after that last one he quite literally ate it.

Quite epic; there were some hall wars that went on. Apparently Maple Bank and Elgar Courts united to invade Shackleton (the posh accommodations). I wasn't there though- I was caught up in the heat between Tennis Courts and Centre Courts. Eventually Centre Courts charged across the barricade of shrubbery that separated the two.

It was beautiful. We were children frolicking with reckless abandon in a winter wonderland.

By the time I headed home the snow had stopped falling and all was quiet and still.




P.S. Happy Thanksgiving! A turkey day blog will be coming soon!

Headshots!

The musical theatre kids got their headshots taken for the program for Little Shop of Horrors. James thought it'd be a good idea if David and I got in on all the fun and got some pictures in for Oleanna as well:





The verdict: they're my first headshots. I have room for improvement.
I'm not particularly thrilled about the first two, but I do love the last one.

Off to See "The Voice"

Last Friday, the Oleanna cast and crew had the ultimate bonding experience.
Pictionary and drinks were deeply involved and many new inside jokes have emerged...which I will let you in on soon enough.

As I've probably mentioned before, we were going to Manchester to meet up with a voice coach to help us with our accents- David on his American accent, me on my southern twang.
We stayed at the director, James', parents house.

The drive over was awesome- lovely British countryside, accompanied by the ultimate Manchester soundtrack: Oasis, The Smiths, to name a few. From there Flo dedicated "California" by Phantom Planet to me...and that started a whole search on James' iPod for songs about California. I never realized just how many there are!

In Manchester, we stopped for lunch at this really nice village restaurant called the Frozen Mop (once I get the picture David took, I'll post it).
Before getting to the restaurant, James had assured me that it wasn't posh, but once we got there and I caught a glimpse of candles and squeaky clean wine glasses, I freaked out. Once we got inside though and I saw the waiters weren't in tuxes, I calmed down a bit.

After a good meal, we headed for James' house where we relaxed for a short while before meeting up with Mark Langley, the voice coach.
At the house I tried my hand at Wii which was given to James' dad for his 60th birthday. :)

We met with Mark "The Voice" Langley (we now call him) at his flat.
Even the session was mainly for David's benefit, it was still so so interesting listening to Mark talk about different accents and point out the differences in the way people from different areas say certain words.
For instance the further west you go in the states, the more they elongate their vowels and we tend to sound more monotone. In the east they speak with more staccatos. The further south you go the more twangy the accent is. When I demonstrated the southern accent that I've been doing, he said I sounded like I was from Virginia. (So nevermind Georgia- Carol is now from Virginia.)
I was pretty much the tape player Mark would usually use in his voice sessions, and when he asked me to say certain phrases he would then point out to David certain things like the way I would shape my mouth, where I'd place the emphasis; things I've never noticed before!
He was such a clever man! Lovely as well.

Some highlights of the session:

Mark was teaching David how to do the "oo" sounds.
Mark: "Now, as you know there is a certain floating anchored marker, B-O-U-Y. We pronounce it 'boi' whereas Alex would pronounce it..."
Me: "Boo-ee."
James: "WHAT?!"

David was expressing difficulty in keeping the American accent on lines where he's shouting at me.
Mark: "Ah yes, but you'll find that the American accent is the best accent to shout and curse in. For instance, Alex, would you say 'F*** me'?"
Me: "F*** me."
Mark: "Yes but I meant more as a curse rather than a demand."
I was teased so much for that afterwards. And now David, James, and Flo's friends are joshing me about it too.

Oh, I also noticed that I pronounce the "t"s in "winter" and "international"...or maybe it's just something I've picked up since I got here, cuz it struck Mark "The Voice" Langley as (unusually) proper (for an American).

So after that, James took us around Manchester that was all decked out and ready for the holidays.



We stopped for a bite to eat and then popped by a club/lounge. I didn't have any ID on me at the moment but James told me not to worry about it and we pretty much waltzed past the bouncer at the door.
We retreated to the downstairs area that was much less crowded and there was this huge comfy lounge area with pillows and, yeah, curtains for privacy.



Flo busted out some of her rapping skills...



We only stayed for a short while and headed for James' for more socializing.

There he busted out the Pictionary. It was Cast vs. Crew.
Mom, Dad, this game still brings out the worst in me.




God I was so frazzled and frustrated.

I don't think I've posted a proper picture of David before:



He just might murder me for that one...
And here's the Oleanna company:


David, Flo: Producer, James: Director

We all then went outside for a smoke (yes, yes I had one and then quickly remembered why I'm not a smoker)
and on the front lawn we found a half rotten apple and since our poster for Oleanna is an image of an apple, we all got way too excited and insisted on a photo shoot of us with it:



We're so weird.

Of all the people I told that I was going to Manchester for the weekend, the ones who had been there told me to be careful not to get shot.
Luckily I returned from "Gunchester" unscathed.

Coming Soon: Manchester Blog

This last weekend I went on a roadtrip with the Oleanna gang to Manchester to meet up with a voice coach to work on accents for the play (I'm gonna have a southern accent).

I have many pictures and many stories to tell but this week is proving hectic and I am searching for energy to get through it.

Just so you know there's a big fun entry coming soon!

Understanding Carol

Sorry I haven't updated in a while...but it's because nothing noteworthy has really happened.
This week is reading week so there are no classes for some departments, which includes the theatre department (with the exception of theatre crafts classes which us CalEx students can't take).

So, no classes...naturally I've gotten nothing done (with the exception of work on Oleanna).
I've been waking up late, doing errands on campus and in Selly Oak. Zarah isn't here so I'm bored. But my friend Paul has got me hooked on Prison Break so we've been watching back to back episodes the last two nights. Now I know why people have been so obsessed with it.

Today I had a rehearsal with the director one on one for my monologues cuz act three of Oleanna is basically all Carol tearing John apart, talking down to him, and then taking up the role as teacher. It was supposed to take an hour but ended up taking the full three our rehearsals usually are. Felt really good though. It's so great working with my director, James, cuz we pretty much have the same vision, like I'm about to suggest something for Carol's character and he just beats me to it. And we both see eye to eye on the importance of showing a character's vulnerability and humanity, as malicious as Carol (AND John) can be.

The first time I went to OSF with Irwin's class I had an epiphany; it was a summer of many antagonists, and I didn't hate a single one of them because they had their moments of humanity and vulnerability and I could understand why they were the way they were.
The second time I read through Oleanna was during the read through and after reading it and hearing how people responded to it and the character of Carol (this play caused riots when it first opened) I was worried I was gonna have a hard time loving her. (I have hated characters I've played in the past and realize now it was not the way to go.)
But James had us play an interesting improv game called "Hotseat" where we were asked questions and we had to respond as our characters. The answers all had to be really quick and organic and I learned a lot of things about Carol...
1) she's from Georgia
2) she's from a rather poor underprivileged family
3) she's the first of her family to go to college
4) her father disapproves of her going to college
5) his name is Robert (sorry, Dad)
6) her family's surname is Johnson
7) she has a brother (whose name is probably also Robert, I've decided)
When James asked "Carol" about her childhood, first thing that popped into my mind was that she was beaten, but Carol didn't feel like sharing that and just said she had a relatively normal childhood.
I now feel like I understand Carol, where she's coming from, and why she goes to such extreme measures to screw up her professor's life. Then again, I don't think it was even her intention to go that far; she's just a lost girl under the impression that she's found her voice in this feminist group that seems to have it in for John.
The whole history Carol has with her father makes her involvement in the feminist group make more sense to me.

Sorry that was a whole lot of actor rambling.

Moving on:
tomorrow I go to Manchester with the Oleanna crew for voice coaching. David's learning the northern American accent and we're gonna work on my southern talk I guess.
ROAD TRIP!
There will be pictures and I will post them.

Relaxed, but with an Undertone of Urgency

One of the theatre societies, WatchThis, has a 48-hour theatre tradition: they choose a play, the actors have 10 days to memorize their lines and then only 48 hours to rehearse. I chose their motto for this entry's title. Sounds a bit like Instantaneous Theatre, eh Mom and Dad?
This year they chose School for Scandal.
Flo, the producer of Oleanna, was one of the directors and also the prompter onstage under the facade of "Lady in the Portrait". It was all part of the humour that the actors were to ask for their lines regularly throughout the performance.
My director, James, was in it as Sir Benjamin Backbite, the casanova "poet"...with a sock (or two) down his trousers.
For the second half, Zarah and I decided to be proper old English theatre revelers and purchased a bottle of wine for ourselves.
We really enjoyed ourselves. And not to worry: we weren't the only ones with that idea!
Afterwards Zarah and I were invited to David and Tommy's humble abode where we were forced yet another glass of wine...and then we crawled home together.

This week is reading week for some of the departments. Zarah is leaving me for London but I have rehearsals here and her flatmate Preet to keep me company so shouldn't be all that bad. And I should be thinking of ideas for my Theatre Lab and Acting groups' practical assessments.

Happy Birthday, Kaitlin!!!

There will be fireworks going off for you (and for the thwarting of Guy Fawkes...but mainly for you in my mind!)

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

Why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent

To blow up King and Parliament.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England's overthrow;

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, time for drink and fun.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, Kaitlin Lawler is twenty one!

Brum Halloween and Vale Fireworks

So...week after Rufus...

Sunday, Zarah and I had a late night to prepare for our presentations in Melodrama. We went over Industrial Revolution melodrama...Oliver Twisty stuff.
I had a second presentation to prepare for Theatre and Cultural Politics which didn't require quite so much research as melodrama, plus it was about Angels in America so I wasn't worried...having read it twice, seen it 4 times onstage, and the HBO version.

The melodrama presentation went very well, apparently. I got many compliments from some of the girls after class who said it was very clear and precise. I talked about how melodrama of the industrial revolution reflected the middle and working classes' rise to a higher standing of influence and importance in the cultural world.

Rest of the week went like this...

HALLOWEEN!

Naturally.

Before going out to a club called Risa with Bettina and Zarah I went to see A Day in the Death of Joe Egg with some drama society people. Very moving piece. The guy that played the father cracked me up.

Bettina accidentally purchased the same costume I got...so we were pirate sisters!




There were so many awesome pictures...but I'll post just a few.



I kept a sword stashed away in my boot cuz...well, you never know.
This was one of two cats that were wandering around...good thing I never crossed their paths.
And it was like they had come out for Halloween specifically! I had never seen them wandering around Zarah's flat before.

Some funny faces...



The next day was my director, James', birthday!
AND the annual Vale Fireworks to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night.
After Oleanna rehearsal we all went to a pub for dinner and drinks and joined the horde of people heading for the Vale for the fireworks...which were amazing. FAR better than any 4th of July fireworks I've seen.
Apparently they "piss away" a lot of money on them every year.

And cuz you put up videos of the Cambridge fireworks, Stacy, I thought I would do the same.