The Ramblings of a Modern Day Philosopher (Aka Theater Student)

So... let's ignore the fact that I haven't written since, what, October? and just get right to it.

How awesome is shooting a TV pilot? It's very awesome. I got that part in Cartoon Gene and it was a blast to film.

Now I'm in the midst of The Music Man's run. Performing is a lot of fun, but I don't think I've ever hated hairspray so much in my life. It's time to face it, my hair doesn't like being in ringlets. It will rebel. Also, bloomers are not fun apparel. I had a dream about the show last night. I was just going about my own business, playing Zaneeta and such, when all of a sudden they tell me Kristen Chenoweth is sick and I need to play Glinda! Luckily, it seems it's not as big a part in The Music Man as it is in Wicked.

Oh, McCain. I don't agree with ANY of your policies, but DAMN you make good cake!

My dad got me one of those frozen McCain cakes on Monday for getting a 91 on a math test and a 98 in science on the same day. Except after examining my science test, I realized my teacher had added it up wrong and I actually should have gotten something like 84. Now I feel dirty while eating my cake.

In other news, I was supposed to have an audition for this pilot, Cartoon Gene, about a kid who's mother is a cartoon, making him half-cartoon and able to do those crazy things cartoons characters do like pop out their eyes and crap. I was auditioning for the stereotypical best-friend-who-obviously-wants-to-be-more-than-a-friend. Except something happened with the casting company's contract and they're not doing the project anymore. My agent says she'll try really hard to get me an audition with whatever company picks the show up. I hope she'll succeed. Sexual tension with a cartoon character is fun (my dad says I'm sick for saying stuff like that)!

I entered the video contest for Andrew's Blog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGC4DXoFey4 Check it out if you're very bored.

And that's what's going on in my life. YAY!

So... can I just start by saying... Co-Ed gym class is an interesting experience...

Never in my three years of high school have I seen so many people get hit in the face with balls of such diversity (yes, yes, make all the jokes you want)! AND WITH SUCH POWER! Like seriously, when there's just one skinny girl left on one team during dodgeball, is it really necessary to whip all ten balls at her with such ferocity?

Also, there was this time when we were all sitting in our 'rows', these lines we go into to make taking attendance easier. And the guy right in front of me let out this silent but deadly fart. Everyone within a five meter radius of him was forced to clog their noses. And he just laughed hysterically. Yeah, real funny. 'Cause our gyms don't smell enough.

As for the rest of school, for the most part it's going well. I'm a little stressed out... Math is a bitch. For some reason I get all the answers on my homework right, but screw up anything that counts. Just got my first quiz back. Four out of ten. But Actors' Studio is pretty rockin'. We're doing this play about the Beatles called Twist and Shout. There are some awesome female roles in it. The other one is A Tale of Two Cities. Both my dad and Ms. Chalmers wanted me to do that one. They both think it's time for me to take on a more serious role (although my dad's much more obnoxious about it than Ms. Chalmers). I can't though, because it's in March, which is the same as The Music Man in Hudson. Plus, I know A Tale of Two Cities and none of the roles really inspire me, whereas Twist and Shout does.

The auditions for The Music Man are on Saturday. I think I have a good chance of snagging the role of Zaneeta. Angela's auditioning too which is awesome. My mother is happy, too. Carpooling makes her happy.

I just realized this morning that the life of an alarm clock really sucks. You pay them to wake you up, and yet most people get annoyed when they do. You hit them to make them shut up, and grumpy non-morning people often go so far as throw them or break them. This is very tragic. I think I should start a home for wayward alarm clocks or something.

I'm ba-ack!

Oh, from where you ask? Why, the land of haggus and plaid! That's right, I have returned from Scotland. Edinbrough, to be more exact. I went with my brother and mom for a week and it was pretty awesome. The fringe was on. They had SO many musicals, they actually overlapped. There was TWO productions of Assassins, THREE productions of Little Shop of Horrors and FOUR productions of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, for example. I went to see one of each, by the way. And Cannibal, the Musical! I didn't even know there was a live version. They also had some really cute shops, some of which seemed to almost cater to my very own interests. I managed to pick up an ABBA coaster, with little chibi ABBA members (the only time I've ever seen real life ABBA merchandise in when I've seen Mamma Mia) and some South Park guitar picks, as well as some slightly more generic but equally amusing souvenirs, including a Fringe tee-shirt and pin, a pink tam hat, three rings, a keychain that says 'You iz a twat!' and a pack of gum that says 'This orgy is off to a slow start.' How random, right? I don't even like cinnamon gum...

For those of you who think there's more to travel than shopping and seeing musicals (weirdos), we also went to the palace, where we saw the crown jewels and a bunch of stuff about how the English mistreated them and they, in turn, mistreated Americans. Good stuff. We saw the Military Tattoo, which is a show involving a bunch of marching bands and dancers from different countries, which was super neat.

I just got back an hour ago. We flew from Edinbrough to London, then couldn't get out so we had to stay in this crazily noisy yet expensive hotel last night, but it was almost worth it because once we DID get out this morning, we got first-class to Toronto, where they had these little pods that were like tiny cubicles with luxury chairs that could turn into beds and individual screens where you could select what you wanted to watch. We also got first-class from Toronto to Montreal. Man, I love first-class. Except for the food. The food is just as bad as normal airline food, just bad in a different way. Economy airline food is like rejected cafeteria food, that level of 'How long has this been frozen and how many times has it been reheated?' grossness. First-class is like rejected five-star restaurant food, which some people enjoy but I find just as bad. It's that 'Why woud anyone spend fifty dollars on this weird meat seasoned with this indistinguishable sauce and a couple of asparagus?' except portable!

Rant done. And I don't think I've written since this happened... but Nicole and I saw South Park Live! It was part of the Just for Laughs festival, and was basically a concert slash Q and A with Matt Stone and Trey Parker. It was totally cramazing! I'd go into more detail but time has passed since then and I'm braindead from flying. Chubala!

Been having some very vivid dreams lately. Like, I've just been remembering them very clearly, you know? Because I'm bored, here are a couple:

1. I'm at the movie theatre, looking around for my friend Angela who I am supposed to meet there. Where could she be? Suddenly, out pops Broadway's Cheyenne Jackson. Obviously, Xanadu is not doing too well, because he appears to have a part time job as a movie theater usher. I tell him of my problem and he helps me find Angela. 'Thank you,' I tell him. 'Now get outta here, Cheyenne Jackson!' He then begins talking about frogs, but Angela and I ignore him and go watch Lord of the Rings. (I later recounted that dream to Angela. She says it's very unrealistic because she would never want to sit through Lord of the Rings. Never mind that Cheyenne Jackson is a movie usher or that he magically knows what Angela looks like. It's weird because she doesn't like Lord of the Rings :P)

2. I had a heart attack! How horrible! As they drive me to the hospital, I am literally ON FIRE for no reason! As we arrive, I fall unconscious. When I wake up in a hospital bed, I am absolutely fine and everybody I know has assembled at the hospital and made me cards and cake. I feel wonderful, until the hospital gets set ON FIRE! Everyone escapes but my grade one teacher, who tragically dies. Then for some reason I go over to John Lennon and Yoko Ono's house with my dad. It is awkward because they are trying way too hard to be my friend. Finally, I get to leave, because I have to go to my post-heart attack doctor's check-up, which is at my school because the hospital is burnt down. (At least my dreams are consistent.)

3. I receive very miniscule parts in both my play in my drama class and the Actors' Studio school play. Apparently, this is a million times worse than being set on fire and having a heart attack within the same hour (see Dream 2). It wouldn't be so bad, except the lead roles in both plays are given to truly horrible actors, one who is in my grade, one who is a grade below, which means it wasn't even because of the 'Grads get priority' policy. The rest of the dream consists of me crying and moping around. It wasn't a particularly interesting dream. But it does make me kind of scared of next year's casting.

Now that I'm done rambling about my dreams, allow me to blatantly plug my new web series. It's about my friends, me, and some spoons. It's better than it sounds I swear (except for Episode 1. Episode one isn't better than it sounds. Watch all the other episodes though.)

www.youtube.com/Spoonfuls

I was out Fringe-ing yesterday while my brother's band was practicing (they're in the Infringement Festival, which is the Off-Broadway to the Fringe's Broadway). This morning I noticed my guitar was gone. Went downstairs to my brother's lair and, sure enough, there it was, along with a very small octopus in a bowl of water that I am told is not real. And one of the strings is broken.

Eh. I was pretty sure that string was going to break soon too. Still, they're just lucky they didn't decide to borrow my kazoo.

Did not go to New York. Got to the airport, did not get on my first flight. Decided to screw it and not try for the second flight. Was too much trouble.

Went to see some Fringe shows instead. Was good. Watched Tony's. Am mad at South Pacific.

In other news, performed at Butosi. Twas good. And at my End of the Year Broadway show thing. Twas also good (can you tell I'm not in the mood to write a lot?). Went to stupid End of the Year Assembly. Got Honours, Outstanding Achievement in English and Outstanding Achievement in Drama. Stole some brownies from reception and left.

Some kid just whistled at me while I was riding home from Kathleen's on my bike. Okay, here's the deal: Whistling at girls is always rude and annoying. But whistling at girls riding bikes on an extremely white-bread suburb street? That's just incredibly lame. There were two of these kids and one was wearing a parka. So in addition to thinking he's some lady's man, he also either thinks he's a gangsta or has some weird blood circulatory problem that makes him very cold in June.

I learned at about eleven years old that some things just don't work in the suburbs like they do in the city. Busking, window shopping, talking to random crazy guys, etc. I really think it's time teenage boys learnt the same lesson. They are not gangsta. Their peeps are not gangsta. And should they ever decide to move to the 'hood, they will get beat up by gangstas. But whatever. Every group needs poseurs, to give the elitists in the group something to complain about.

Everytime some white kid whistles at a runny-nosed girl on a bike, a gangsta gets his bling.

Yesterday I went to the LaSenza/LaSenza Girl sale with my mom and Angela. This sale is the best. You can simultaneously get very small bras and very big children's clothes for very little dough. The downside is the line was literally over an hour long. Then I went to see Sex and the City with my mother.

The last week of school is coming up. I'm performing with Angela in our school's Battle of the Bands type thing on Friday. And the weekend after that I'm going to NEW YORK! Unfortunately, I just realized that my Broadway concert for singing lessons is on Saturday, so I've got to go down and meet my mom and aunts there on Sunday. We have to get home by Monday, because I have my stupid final Bio exam on Tuesday. Anyway, besides the limited time, I am uber excited. Can't wait to get this ridiculous amount of exams over with so summer can start!

Cold and flu season are supposed to be over, but looks like they've come back for one sucker-punch before they pass on the torch to annoying allergies and mosquito bites. Just in time for exams. Here I am, ready to fall off my chair, hot as hell (literally, you fools!), totally stuffed up and slightly queasy, and I gotsta drag myself into school because of my stupid Math and French exams. French is the easiest stuff ever so far, but very fast-paced so good luck if you miss a day. Today is our 'work in groups' day in Math class, so if I miss today I will be the only kid who didn't get the opportunity to suck brain-power from the smarter kids. My mom's writing me a note for Gym, I hope Mr. O's not all 'You're feeling good enough to come to school, why can't you do gym?' If he does, I will throw up on him.

Okay, so my dad just made me a tea, which was very nice of him. The only thing is, I'm sure there's coffee in it. I don't mind this. I don't usually like coffee that much but it's mixed in with the tea and milk so it's all good, but I'm SURE it's there, but I made my dad taste it and he INSISTS there is no coffee in it and now I think he thinks I am insulting his tea-making skills. He has a coffee so he says maybe he used the same spoon, but would it really make it taste THIS much like coffee? I think not.

I am scared. What is the purpose of the coffee conspiracy?

So last week I went on a school trip to New York. It was very awesome. The highlight was when we went to see Legally Blonde. I was looking forward to this immensely, because, hey, it's Broadway, but I wasn't particularly excited by the show choice. I expected it to be pretty corny. I mean, it's a corny movie, and musicals are typically corny, so I expected... lots of corn. But it turned out to be super, WAY less corny than the musical, with much more talent and really good music. In short, it was so much better than before (catch the reference and I give you a cookie).

Got a Dolce and Gabbana purse for myself and a Coach for my mom in Chinatown. I've never gotten designer stuff but I really liked the purse and it was cheap. Got lots of other stuff too...

Also went to Madame Tussaud's. Not as good as the one I went to in London, but getting your picture with the Pope never gets old. I was so excited to find out there was a Broadway section, only to find out there were only two sculpture things there, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. Aw, well. Overally it was very cool.

The last day was miserable weather. Super rainy, super windy, and it was, of course, the day we went to the Empire State Building. The bright side was we saved tons of time with the lines, only 'cause no one else was crazy enough to go on a day like that. We spent about five seconds up there, then went shopping on Fifth Avenue. By the end of that downpour, we were almost glad to get on the bus to get home. The colour of my shoes stained right through my socks and even now, a week later, my pinky toenails look like they're bleeding.

All in all, it was a super fun time. Of course, I've been to New York before, but it's so much more exciting with your friends. Now I'm super bored, having stayed home all weekend again, and I wish I was there now... I might go this summer. My mom wants to see Young Frankenstein and my dad wants to see A Chorus Line.

I'm so incredibly inspiringly stupid. I just took a night-time cold pill. Because I'm not going to be tired enough on my first day back, not to mention the evening rehearsal I have for Anything Goes. Which is going good by the way. The cast got a good review in the Hudson Gazette. Of course, our Hope is in Toronto, 'cause she's a finalist for How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? Good luck, Alyssa. Our understudy Hope is pretty good, and I happen to be the understudy for the understudy's original part, so I get more lines! BWAHAHA!

Sigh. I'm already tired.

I think my eye is twitching.

I'm having Next To Normal withdrawals. And I didn't even see the show.

I slept fifteen hours last night.

Blame the snow. And rehearsals. I went to bed at nine-thirty last night because it's Hell Week for Anything Goes, and I knew I'd probably be getting to bed at about midnight every other night this week. At seven-thirty I find out that the buckets and buckets of snow we received over 'Spring' Break has caused it to be a snow day! YAI! SLEEP TILL TWELVE-THIRTY!

That is all.

I watched my first episode of Robot Chicken last night. Does anyone else find that show extremely geared towards people with ADD?

Anyway, happy New Year to everyone! Another one spent watching TV. Horrah.

The snow's been insane. We've had two snowdays already. One really sucked because it was the day the play was supposed to start. The play, by the way, was awesome. I didn't really write much about rehearsals, but that was because I already had to write this 'Drama Journal' for every single rehearsal, so that was kinda long. But everyone really liked the play, except for St. Thomas, but, well, they suck. Always have.

I also had a Christmas concert with my singing lessons. I sang Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and a German song Frulingsleid. Forgot a verse of the German song.

Been spending my holiday doing very little. Went to the mall a couple times.

I found out I won't get to be in the talent show even though I got in because I have the dress rehearsal and then first performance of Anything Goes on the two nights of the show. Oh, well. There's always next year.

I know I haven't been writing a lot lately, but I am extremely busy. I have one blessed night off, the rest is filled with improv, rehearsals and singing, although theoretically I'm supposed to be practicing my singing every night. Kinda hard with homework and sleep and stuff.

Anyway, some general stuff that's been happening. Auditioned for Black and Gold. Zac thought it was a weird song, but Trevor is happpy 'cause I did the Charleston. Junior Improv and Senior Improv are getting in the way of eachother and while Mr. Pinsky and Tom have been very accepting about it, Zac's being an ass and tries to get me to come back to Senior Improv when I'm doing Junior. I feel like I'm failing as a coach. Whatever. Went to see Across the Universe for the third time with the senior team which was fun.

Got a random callback from Prank Patrol. It's not for the same part, but it's nice to know they remembered me. But I hope they don't expect me to memorize the sixteen pages of script they sent me for tomorrow morning. I've got so much homework.

My gym teacher made us do thirty minutes of lunges and suicides yesterday because some people weren't participating in badminton. Today everyone in my class is limping and having trouble sitting, standing and going down stairs. The way I see it, this is a form of physical abuse. The effects are certainly more painful and longlasting than a few slaps on the wrist with a ruler, which of course is illegal. In short, my response is one of 'ZOMGWTFBBQ!'

Halloween was pretty cool yesterday. I went with Kathleen and Jordiie. Interesting experience this year, because we're at that age where we're probably too old for trick-or-treating but we go anyway. I think as long as you dress up in a decent costume you have the right (I hate those teenagers who put a funny hat on and try and get candy though). Anyway, we still got a few comments, but no angry ones. At one house the guy asked how old we were and we replied fourteen. He then looked Jordiie and said 'BIG for fourteen.' From where he was looking, I don't think he was referring to her height or weight, if you know what I mean. We had this plan to do the Time Warp if someone asked us for a trick for our treat, but no one was. So finally at one house Jordiie said 'We'll do a trick if you want us to.' The woman replied 'Don't worry, I've got a man in the house. He'll do a trick for me.' And we were like 'Dude... that wasn't the kind of trick we were offering.' Anyway, we finally got to do the Time Warp at this other house.

SPEAKING of Time Warp, Jordiie, Kathleen, Nicole and I went to Rocky on Saturday. It was awesome. This time no one fell asleep. There was a girl playing Rocky, which some people might complain about, but she was the best one I've seen (most are these sad pot bellied dudes). It was especially impressive when Frank jumped into her arms.

Anyway, that is my resume of the past while. See you again in like a month or so.

I'm so happy! I got a callback for the part of Bonnie. I have to sing a song called the Heaven Hop, which is way out of my key, but what the hell. I'll reach those notes if I have to break all the glass in the place to do it. It's on Wednesday, as is my audition for the school play. Go me. Yeah.

Also, the second improv try-out was today. I think I did pretty good. The first set of cuts is this week.

Across the Universe is awesome. But of course it is. It's a musical.

I gots an audition in four hours. I don't know what I'm going to wear, or even what part I'm auditioning for, but at least I know what song I'm singing, which is more than I knew last night. The musical's Anything Goes. The song's Reviewing the Situation from Oliver. I dunno. Apparently I perform it well. It's what my singing teacher recommends. I'm so scared to do it with another pianist though, 'cause of the tempo changes and everything.

I learnt a valuable lesson last Friday. Do not trust my mom when it comes to public transportation, because she doesn't know any more about it than me. Yeah.

I went to see Hairspray twice this week, bringing the total number of times up to six. I know I've said it before, but I seriously think that's the last time. Because now Across the Universe has come out in selected theatres, so I can obsess over that musical.

Regina was awesome. And cold. And fun. And cold. And educational-y. And cold.

And sometimes rainy. But very improv-ful.

Yeah, I know, I'm so descriptive. But I find it easier to write a long entry on like one day than like a week, I guess because I need to decide what to put in and what to leave out and stuff. Anyway, I learnt a lot, I gained a bit of independence and we had cake for breakfast on the last day. YAI!

When I got back, I found my agent had left me an audition text type thing. It's for the voice-over of a twelve-year-old boy in a movie called Prom Wars. You know, after auditioning as a double in Spiderwick, I'm kind of weirded out that I keep being put up for parts of guys, when I don't look or sound like one at all. Not that I'm complaining. I like auditioning for anything. Anyway, I recorded the piece and sent it to my agent, then showed it to my mom and my dad and they all said it was really good. I'm pretty proud of my acting in it, but I really don't think I sound like a guy.

Yesterday, I went back to school. It was interesting. I'm so excited for Actor's Studio this year. I hope I get into the play I want (there are two this year). I'm also excited for improv. My goal's to get on the A-team this year.

I think in my away-at-campness and my brother's getting-up-later-to-go-to-CEGEPness, my brother is not used to having people in the house with him in the mornings. Both today and the day I had off before school and after camp he's been blasting ska music as soon as he gets up. Not really cool by me. But better in the morning than at night (sometimes when I'm trying to sleep he's on msn and I can hear that loud annoying BING! everytime someone talks to him).

Tomorrow I'm off to Regina for Improv Camp! Yai! Except you're all gonna miss me horribly. I know it.

Yesterday the gang had a tea party. Twas cool. I brought cucumber sandwiches and fell in love with doll. Watched South Park.

Sad because I saw Susan for the last time before she moves to Vancouver today. :( We sure had fun with the gang this summer.