Updates and Tartuffe

So the new semester has started. It's flipping cold although it hasn't snowed in the two weeks since I've been here. The snow on the ground is nasty cuz it's like two weeks old. I've heard it's supposed to snow all next week but my weather widget begs to differ. I'm hoping my computer is smarter than that person I was eavesdropping on in class who was talking about the weather.

So Italian is less like Spanish than I had previously thought...actually a little more complicated in ways but I can't go back now. Well, I guess I could but it's too early to give up now. My professor is this young blonde guy from Idaho and he only speaks Italian in class. The crazy thing is that he's so good at the stereotypical Italian gestures that we understand 90% of what he says. The downside is that we have to ask questions in Italian. I don't even know the days of the week yet...so...no questions from me. But the REALLY cool thing is that he's a fan of Top Gear and Family Guy. LOVE. So we watched a Top Gear clip about the Ferrari (our professor has a Ferrari jacket BTW). And we watched this Family Guy clip the other day, which had us all cracking up. So, turns out I can't embed it so here's the link.

Bio is okay...boring but it's gonna be a pretty easy class. Half the basketball team is in there so that means it definitely easy. haha

Religion is normal...same awesome professor I had last semester. Although last class, we were talking about Moses and someone mentioned the movie "The Prince of Egypt" and our professor had never heard of it! He specializes in ancient scripture! WHAT. So, I freaked out about it in class and was like, "OMG. You have to see it. It's so great and the music is beautiful." And then some kid was trying to describe it and opened with, "It's a Disney movie." Then, I proceeded to embarrass myself further by saying, "No, it's Dreamworks." I'm SUCH a dork. Then after class, I went up to the professor and told him how tastefully the movie was done and the big stars that are in it and that he needs to watch it.

I have an English class too, which is like "masterpieces of British lit." or something like that. Randomly, there are two people in there that are also in my Italian class. What are the odds? (Wow. I just used Tucker's catchphrase from Flash Forward, which I've been watching on YouTube lately...after I finished the first two seasons of So Weird and watched the DCOM "Tru Confessions." Yes. I HAVE been reliving my childhood through YouTube." ANYWAYS. Yeah. We have about 20 kids in English and Italian and a school full of about 36,000 kids and three of us of different ages end up in the same class? Weird. I really like that the class is discussion based but the reading is SO MUCH. I hate it when teachers don't think you have anything else to do with your life than do their homework. I have other classes!

Okay, now the fun part. TARTUFFE. So, as I said in my last post, I was gonna be a dresser for it. WRONG. Some people's disorganization just frustrates the crap outta me. So, what happened was this. I emailed the teacher asking for the add class code. She gave it to me but said there wasn't enough room in the dresser section so she put me in the stagehand section. I emailed her back saying okay but if there's an opening in the dresser section, could she add me? She didn't answer that particular request but then, a couple of weeks later I get an email from her that says "This is to remind you that you are a dresser for Tartuffe. Here's what you need to do...etc." YAY! They did have room after all! So, I get an email from the Stage Manager saying that I need to talk to the costume designer if I'm a dresser to get details about wardrobe load-in. So, I go down to the costume shop and find her, tell her who I am, etc. She says she's not the one I need to talk to. I need to talk to the girl across the room, who is in charge of wardrobe. So I go over to her and explain who I am, etc. She says SHE'S not the one I need to talk to either. I need to talk to the OTHER wardrobe supervisor. So, the next day at the rehearsal I was told to sit in on to get a gist of the show, I talk to wardrobe supervisor #2. She says that she has not been notified about me but maybe she missed me and I should come to training on Tuesday. So I come to training on Tuesday and she tells me she talked to the teacher in charge (the one that emailed me and told me I was a dresser) and that she said I'm not a dresser but we can go to her office and talk to her. So, we go to her office to talk to her. She's not there. I'm told to come back at 1:00 to see if she's there. So, I come back at 1:00 and the office door is open. I walk in and she's not there. So I walk through the back where there's a door that leads to the makeup room. There she is BUT she's sitting in on a class. Whatever. I walk in anyways and tell her I need to talk to her. She mumbles, "I'm in a class," as she sets her newborn baby on her hip and walks back with me to her office. Do you think I cared that she was in class? Do you think I was gonna have any more sympathy for her because she had a baby? NO! Did she know what wild goose chase I'd been on? NO! So, she tells me I'm not a dresser. I'm a stagehand. I told her about the lying email and she nodded but I could tell she didn't believe me. She says I should check in with the Stage Manager. So I go back up two floors and by coincidence, I see the SM in one of the lobbies doing homework. I go in and explain, "Hey, sorry. I told you I was a dresser the other day (the day the wardrobe supervisor #2 told me she didn't know about me) but it turns out I'm not. There was some...confusion." So, she asks my name again and checks her book. Yes. I am in fact a stagehand. And at that, the only one. Well, that's cool. Maybe I'll actually have something to do cuz I knew I was gonna be bored as a dresser cuz there would've been 4 of us when there only needed to be two. So, that's the confusing story of THAT.

So anywho, my job started on Tuesday. So everyday this week, I've been at rehearsal from 6:30 to about 10:00 or 11:00. I don't really have anything to do except move props around but oh well. Turns out the dressers have to stay in the green room the whole time. I have a grudge against them now by the way... So I'm kind of glad I get to stay up where the action is instead of down there. I think some of the actors have learned my name now and know I exist which is good. I have a crush on one of them and it's pretty pathetic... Thursday was the first day with costumes and they're amazing. Very Tim Burton-esque as the whole play is. And the makeup is hollow cheeks and eyes, dark lips...very cool looking. I got a new job yesterday though. There's a dog in the show and he came for the first time yesterday. He is a blind, toothless chihuahua named Gizmo. SO adorable. So, I get to hold him backstage and hand him off to the actor when it's time. I think all the noise freaks him out. I could feel his little heart pounding and then he started shaking...but I've heard chihuahuas do that a lot anyways for no reason. Gizmo has made me more popular too. People come over to me to pet him! Wow. I'm pathetic. I need a dog to be noticed. I feel like Mia in Princess Diaries: "Someone sat on me again." haha. But it's getting better and Gizmo's there to help me along. I'll tell you something though, it's weird when the guy playing the bad guy, who is so evil and corrupted comes off stage from his scene and all of a sudden is a really sweet guy talking baby talk to a little doggie and scratching his ears.

Now to preach to you. This show is AMAZING. Everyone and their dog needs to see it. The concept, set, costumes, lighting effects, incorporation of music, and acting is all spectacular. Especially the acting. These people have put in SO much work and they need to know that they didn't do it all for nothing. I mean, I've seen the toll it takes on them. They are dead backstage, rubbing their feet, gulping water, even lying on the floor out of exhaustion. But when it's time to go onstage, they turn it on. They bring it 100% every time. And people, I've seen the whole show about 6 times now and I still laugh at some parts. I think the shock factor of amazingness has worn off on me by now but I was reminded how great the show really is the other night when some family members and friends were brought in for a sort of pre-screening and they were cracking up, having fun, and gasping in awe. I may be slightly biased but people, please come see Tartuffe. Here's the info. And here's the Facebook Page. Also, I have 5 coupons for Thursday a Friday's showings that are each 2 tickets for only 3 bucks. That's a deal people. So ask me if you want one...although I'll probably be out by the time you get to me. See you there!

P.S. That pic is of the opening scene and is just a taste of the awesomeness and lighting of the show. Until next time!