Check-in Day

“replace ambition with gratefulness”
–Dave Razowsky

In these wee hours of the morning I am making good on my own pact to write about every day in Fresno. Though I have a myriad of text and images from last year’s Cal State University’s Summer Arts program, I do not have a diary to fully remember the day’s events; the notes help. Not wasting…not forgetting a day of my life is a tall order but one I owe myself and one I will own–at least when it comes to learning and growing–for what good is knowledge if it is not reflected on?
So I am here…pondering between the infinite space past the faint reflection of my slacking posture in the large window, even past the street lights and headlights flickering through the college dorm blinds; then to the infinity of the white screen slowly being diluted by this text. I am here. It is good.
3.5 hours in a car landed me in the land of Fresyes where ego is left at the door, you ‘fuck that shit’ while you simultaneously ‘kill that parrot’, where ‘cant’ doesnt exist, and class is the true sustenance.
Professor Billings commented today on how this place feels like we never left…and perhaps we tesseracted into the same situation. I cant help but agree how strange it is that some things change throughout an entire year and somethings…just…continue to exist. For example, I have not alluded the title of angel since I left last year. And it feels fucking good to be told you are someone’s angel. Last year I left feeling my wings. At the end of my undergraduate work at Saint Mary’s it felt like my theater wings were being cut off, pee’d on, and what was left shrivelled scarred back into my mortal shoulder blades. Yet here I am. And my back is heavy in the best way possible because I’m ready, once again, to fucking soar.
A half day here is all it took for me to see how passion works its way back into your soul. The moment I saw all the professors (‘guest artists’) together in one room, I felt fulfilled. I am ready. I know I am wounded and still in recovery but god be damned if I’m not ready to fly again–which damning will not be happening because I am ready.
What is strange is seeing some faces I know and some I dont. I am extremely happy with new people, but I feel haunted by the presence of our former troupe. I see Andy’s black tank top and flip flops walking towards me out of the night air or Sam’s back heading towards the theater. I see Brenten’s face and Brennen’s gestures. It is all very surreal and wonderous.
This is not at all what I had planned on typing out–I had hoped to write something witty about Shepard’s pie vs. our Shepard world…but it will have to wait.
Homework: draw what Sam Shepard’s writing brings to your mind.
C: +1
C total: 1
Today is a new day and I plan to usher it in with rest…for the next five hours…then to hour long OSHO!! I know you’re jealous

😉

Summer Arts Shout Out

CSU Summer Arts News Letter:
In it is an article by Natalie Devine, a shout out by me to Angels In America, ACTF, and Xtigone staring Ray Holston, there is also an image including Jeremy Minagro.

Summer Arts Alums–keep us updated with what you’ve been up to!
Thank you Kelley Lansing-Moreno for being a great resource.

Click to access 2011Newsletter_Web.pdf

Love of people–thats the most important thing

Ryan McCue walked into the new Cassin Student Union on Friday to get lunch and found me sitting with Joseph and Philip. In the extra 45 minutes I had with Ryan after Joe and Phil left, I conducted an interview for my senior project.

The film and audio is a bit cutty–there is a strange ominous whistle my mic pics up from the running computer whenever I use this mic. I am looking into getting the Canon Rebel t2i which I am thinking would be a better camera to use while doing these interviews. I downloaded vodburner for skype but I have yet to be able to use it.

I am always in awe of Ryan’s ability to be thoughtful of his text while maintaining a high level of passion for his perspective. I am looking forward to starting the transcript later today after the excursion to Costco to look at the Canon Kit–its expensive but does HDvid footage as well as stills.

I’ll be updating this post as I finish work on the transcript–there is so much complexity to any interaction with Ryan, I’m excited to delve in.

Don’t be a drag, just be a queen -LaGa

Today I had an amazing interview with Robb Scott for my (currently untitled) senior project.

The questions I had prepared gave direction to the conversation, but the great thing about talking with Robb is he truly is an open book. While totally owning his identity there is something about the way Robb talks which makes space and time matter less. The new quote to live his life by is “Don’t be a drag, just be a queen” -Lady Gaga–and it radiates through his confidence and grace.The answers to his questions were funny and honest.

F: What is something we could all do in our daily lives to really change the world?
R: Be yourself, just be yourself, be yourself. Yeah, just be yourself…

 Here is a good friend who understands the future of feminism is intersectionality because that should be the future of any equality movement–could anyone ever ask for more? I was impressed to really see (or hear) the ways in which Robb has grown as an individual since our last interview we did for my bay area theater class–again that interview had a lot to do with gender and ethics. A lot has changed in his life since then including leaving SMC for University of Maryland–a huge difference in location and size of school. More importantly the vacinity to important people in Robb’s life has altered–a large impact on any developing individual.

But talking over skype it almost felt like no time had passed at all–we were just spontaneously in different places in our lives. Since the technical aspect of our interview failed in many regards, it will be great to see him in person in a little over a week.

Speaking of the technical aspect, maybe someone reading can help me: I was trying to use Supertintin for skype to record a/v but it only lets you record up to 5 minutes before making you start a new recording, so I uninstalled the program. Then I tried to use Tapur from the Skype ‘extras’ and once I got the program running my video calls were no longer lasting PLUS the software was saying ‘(connected to skype)’ but said no streams were running when two audio and two video streams were running. When I checked out the online manual it was unfortunately not at all helpful. So I deleted Tapur…then skype starting giving me errors when ever I received a message…so I deleted skype.

My plan is to redownload skype (or system restore and re-delete supertintin)  then try vodburner–which is a 30-day trial but a professional quality a/v recording + editing add-on. I wish there was a way to video record the computer screen like there is a button to ‘print screen’ which is to essentially take a picture of whatever is on your screen–PC user’s: it’s the button which says usually ‘PRTSC/SYSRQ’ next to the ‘PAUSE/BREAK’ button (I always find it funny that my computer has a ‘break’ button).

Over 60 minutes of brilliant interview is gone. I knew within the first ten minutes video stopped working–but when video stopped working so did the sound and I just didnt check; I’m left with 10 minutes of poor quality footage and my dominating introduction then 50 minutes of bizarre, ominous tones and our voices buried somewhere beneath. Not sure what I’ll do with all those .avi files…maybe keep a few–no text is salvageable though.

I was very upset about losing nearly all of that conversation. I figured it out when, after school this afternoon, I opened some files to type out a transcript and only heard muffled nothings. I am glad Robb will be visiting in a little over a week and we can record it again…but of course it will never be the same as it was today. In a way I am glad though, knowing I had the audio recording only just was not the same; Robb is not only the type of person you want to listen to, but you want to WATCH, and even better, be around. Watching conversation with Robb is like a Laban and Viewpoints excercise all wrapped in a sexy package.

Skyping with Robb really was a great way to start the day. I sat on the second floor porch of the library in the morning sun from 8:45 to 11am talking with Robb although only the first hr+ was interviewing. The facebook sentiment of Robb’s updated status after our interview was appreciated and the feelings were reciprocated, “Had the BEST talk with Francesca C—my kindred spirit… can’t wait to see you in a week.”

Immediately after our conversation the thick grey clouds moved in and  the sun was absconded from my skin–a depressing beginning to delving into ” ‘night, Mother” by Marsha Norman=possibly the most depressing Pulitzer prize winner ever, thank you 1983 and my withdrawl from VITAMIN Deeeeee!

Although, Ryan McCue’s fb status today reminded me how fortunate it can be to live in the bay area in March, “It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon in March, and I’m in San Francisco. According to Kushner, this is vaguely what Heaven looks like.”

There is a lot to be grateful for; and chances are if you are reading this, I am grateful for you and would miss you if you were gone. I’d hope that was reciprocal. I have not been as grateful as I could be recently–but my life is blessed and I will work on that this Lenten season.

Seraphim Angel

Seraphim Francesca
“Loving Guardian”

Seraphim (Hebrew, “burning ones”), celestial beings referred to in a vision by the Hebrew prophet Isaiah (see Isaiah 6:2-6) in the Old Testament; the highest in the order of angels.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

For the record, the Seraphim angels do not have personal names or individual personas. In fact, there is still much scholarly and academic debate as to how many Seraphim actually surround the throne of God. The Book of Isaiah speaks of the Seraphim in the plural sense, so obviously we know that there were more than one Seraphim that appeared in Isaiah’s vision. However beyond that there isn’t any other information that specifically states how many there are. So by in large the detailed information or personal traits and characteristics of the Seraphim are fairly vague at best, and they certainly were never given individual names, apart of course from the name Seraphim. Anything that runs contrary to this vague description of the Seraphim, is completely fictional, and certainly not derived from any officially recognized religious scripture within any of the three Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

There are three separate ranks of angels within the first angelic sphere, with the first being the six winged Seraphim. The Seraphim are the highest order of angels within the entire Christian angelic hierarchy, standing above all other classes of celestial beings. They were first introduced to the world in the Old Testament scripture of Isaiah Chapter 6 verses 1 through 7, where they are described as the direct watchmen over God’s throne. According to this scripture, the Seraphim are locked in internal song, singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. All of the earth is filled with His glory”. It is also mentioned within this same Biblical scripture that the Seraphim angels radiate a bright white light, and that no human being can look at them. This light shining out of them is described as an eternal love for God that burns without end. Hence the Hebrew name Seraphim means “the burning ones”, however the origin of this name may predate Hebrew.
http://www.seraphim.com/first-sphere-or-choir.html

First Angels Remount pre-KCACTF

Tonight is the Remount of the new and improved Angels in America.

I cannot wait for these next two nights to begin. During the same time tonight is the Saint Mary’s production of Vagina Monolgoues–another amazing show!!

Angels runs Today at 7:00pm and Tomorrow at 7:00pm free
Vagina Monologues is Today at 3:00pm and again at 8:00pm $5

After the closing performance of Angels in America in November, the production was reviewed and adjudicated by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Upon the review, it was deemed that the Saint Mary’s College of California production would be invited to the festival for its Theatrical Outstanding Achievement for a college production.

For your pleasure the show will be remounted before it is taken to the festival… in February of 2011. We proudly invite you to experience for the first time or return to what is ANGELS in AMERICA.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Saint Marys College of California Proudly Presents
ANGELS IN AMERICA: Millennium Approaches by Tony Kushner

Directed by Reid Davis

The lives of eight disparate characters intersect, intertwine, collide and are blown apart during a time of heartbreak, reaction and transformation. Ranging from earth to heaven, from the political to the intimate to the visionary and supernatural, Angels in America is an epic exploration of love, justice, identity and theology, of the difficulty, terror and necessity of change.

T H E. C A S T.

Andrew Galindo
Roy Cohn and others

Kathleen Esling
Hannah Pitt and others

Francesca Crebassa
The Angel and others

Cyle Swanstrom
Prior Walter and others

Ryan McCue
Louis Ironson and others

Liam Callister
Joe Pitt and others

Hannah Brunner
Harper Amaty Pitt and others

C. Everett Lacey, Jr.
Belize and others

Haley Leitman
Angel Chorus

Joseph Klink
Angel Chorus

Understudies
Haley Lietman, Harper and others
Joseph Klink, Louis and others
*An understudy will never substitue an acutal performer unless denoted in the program or an announcement is made prior to the performance.

http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/community-and-visitors/docs/campus_map.pdf
free parking

LE FEVRE THEATER–located adjacent to the SMC Bookstore1928 St Mary’s Road Moraga, CA

　

　

AND

Angels in America will perform in Arcata at Humboldt State University on Monday, February 14^th at 7:30pm for the Official Presentation of Angels In America at the John Van Duzer Theatre.

Angels in America Rehearsal Notes

2hr warm up on stage at Humbolt; think about what you would like to do to warm up.

All rehearsals after Sunday are full Dress/Tech–INCLUDING MAKEUP
Sunday: 10/12
Monday: Dress
Tuesday: Dress
Wednesday: SERA
Thursday: Final Dress
Friday: (FREE) Performance @ Saint Mary’s College of California 7:00pm
Saturday: (FREE) Performance @ Saint Mary’s College of California 7:00pm
     LOADOUT
Sunday: Bus to Humbolt

David Mamet: “playwrites write scribbles on a page.”
     There is the script, the text, and the play–in  your own words it is the play–owning the play

Potential for the shirt quote:
“Ya Not a Wussy, Yor a Pussy” -Reid/Andrew/Roy

Watch out for upstaging:

1. When the first Prior enters; Prior turn back to audience
2. As Roy, Where is ANDY? Look up at Andy, dont eat the bed.

Crazy discoveries tonight by using your own words
Make sure the audience understand that you’re still listening to them
3.2:

• speedthrough = loses something? Is Louis aware that he is giving a speech? Or is he just pontificating/chatting? Or having a conversation? Louis thinks he is having a conversation.
• Belize, what is outside the window of the coffee shop? Keep grounded in that–ppl are walking by.
• Is Emily explaining? Giving the Prognosis? Talking about popcorn?
• Great Aleph shape, need to rehearse.

3.4
Knee slapping with the crutch

You always have being and noticing.

A Gift from Shannon

This video is a creation of our brilliant Stage Manager, Shannon Gaughf, who has been video taping the whole process for us 🙂 Thank you Shannon!

http://tinydancer629.blogspot.com/2011/03/time-to-say-goodbye.html

http://tinydancer629.blogspot.com/2010/11/angels-update.html

http://tinydancer629.blogspot.com/2010/09/angels-literal-and-figurative.html

ps–fate or destiny: History channel reporting on Nostradomus all day? (homeless woman in the Bronx’s ex)

Reviews

MercuryNews/ContraCostaTimes

by Sally Hogarty

Irene Ryan Nomination

Date: Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 8:03 PM
Subject: Irene Ryan nominations/ACTF

Hello to the casts of “Rip Van Winkle,” “Sera” and “Angels in America!”

Please join me in congratulating Francesca Crebassa,  Kathleen Esling and Cyle Swanstrom, who received Irene Ryan nominations for their outstanding performances in “Angels in America.” This year our Ryan team is the largest ever, with Liam Callister, Andrew Galindo, Hannah Brunner, Tatiana Ray, and Colleen Slavin already nominated for their work in “Rip” or “Sera.”
Our first planning meeting for the American College Theatre Festival
is next Monday, Nov. 29th at 4:30 PM in LeFevre Lobby.
If you were in the cast/crew of one or more of our three participating productions; OR if you might be interested in being a Ryan partner; OR if you want to find out how you can be part of the Saint Mary’s cohort at the Region VII ACTF festival (February 14-18, 2011 at Humboldt State University) COME TO THIS MEETING.

All interested theatre students, fans and cohort friends are welcome. Pass the word.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Rebecca

Rebecca Engle
Theatre Program Director
Saint Mary’s College of CA
925-631-4159