The Sky Looks Pissed

First off, the title is from Ingrid Michaelson's "The Chain" which is the song of this summer. My girlie, Jenna Bilgore (bus buddy, life partner, O For A Muse of Fire enthusiast, bestie, etc) showed it to me on one of our many bus rides throughout Pittsburgh. The Public Transportation System is our best friend. This past weekend we wanted to go to Urban Outfitters. So we rangled up our other besties, Katie, Erin, and our Dungeon and Dragon clan (original intent was to give them a make-over) and ventured to South Side. TOO BAD THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE (well not really because it eventually got accomplished). Point of the story: We decided that this was the song of our friendship, and because it's so catchy it's being adopted by the world. AND the sky here at CMU DOES look pissed! The weather has gone from being the 7th layer of hell to being this calmy maybe-I'll-rain-maybe-I-won't type of weather.

Classes have been in full swing. When I step back and look at what I'm doing I still can't really believe it. Let's start from the top:
MOVEMENT: OH HELL. HELL ON WHEELS. This class is not a joke. I love this class. It makes you extreme. We started out by being given the "O for a Muse of Fire" speech from Henry IV and were told to memorize it. Then, we adopted Slavo technique. Slavo is a jewel. Our professor, Matt (theatre God), has this drum and he beats out a rhythm... then to that rhythm you march in a rectangle to the set rhythm and say the speech to that rhythm. Very challenging. On a quest to get Jenna's money from the bank we practiced stomping this out in a hurrican, in the lounges outside our dorms, and the laundry room just to get alright at this technique. It's very difficult. Then we did Slavo squats (I think it's Slavo) which is basically a grandiose grand plie, only, again, you must stay to the beat. You have ten beats to go down and ten to come up, but stay with the beat! However, today was the highlight. We walk in and these african war chants are playing and we're just confused. Then Matt walks in and says "You better start stretching because today you will work like Mother Fuckers." There was no doubt that that was true. Oh. God. On. High. First, we did a technique (I don't remember the name of the creator) where you do these intense forms of cardio to get yourself completely out of breath. You have the option of kicking your straightened legs up to your waist forward or backward, squating down to the floor then leaping up into the air, jumping into the air and kicking your knees to your chest, leaping forward, backward, or side to side (like hopping on river rocks), hitting a plank then isolating a foot and rotating to the side and kicking that foot out then switching sides, or hitting a plank and isolating your spine into a curve or an arch. (I'm being so detailed so I can make those punks at Pine Tree do this & I'll remember.) Then after you physically cannot breath, you start in plastiques. Plastiques are hardcore isolations; all are done with EXTREME force, very very forceful. Here are the isolations: Head bob (you know the thing those black girls do in Hairspray in Welcome to the 60's? That's what it is), throwing your shoulders forward or backward, rolling a shoulder individually, thrusting your hips forwards or backwards (but it's a full body thing), rolling just the hips (not pelvis) in a circle, The grab (stomp down and grab in front of you then pull back), The Throw (same as grab but stop at your hip, just releasing your palm), The rope (same as grab but 2 handed), The fish (extending your hand then waiving it back to your hip), holding your leg up at a right angle and spinning your foot in the air, and.. and I feel like I'm forgetting one. But does all that sound too easy? Then recite the O for a Muse of Fire speech from Henry IV while you do it. The purpose is getting your focus off of the memorization of the text and fully embodying the text instead. Basically a "get out of your head" method. I can already feel my muscles aching.

Audition: just looking for monologues. It's really funny to see what the musical theatre kids come up with... it's... quality. Lot's of Michael Shurtleff fun. Again, all hail Anne Cooper... it's like a recap of her beautiful class.

Acting: So fun. We worked on open scenes. Jenna & I were partners and put together some INTENSE work. We're really excited by it. We wrap up our work on that Friday then start closed scenes. Today we did some sensory memory work, which I'm not a huge fan of. Previously, we've put on music and danced it out (which is exactly what it sounds like), Articulation exercises, and other various things that I can't really think of specifically now.

Drama Lit: I love this class. It is so deep and it has really surprised me at what I'm capable of. I'm reading a new play just about every other day, we're looking at analysis, dipping into really complex ways to look at a play. We finished our "12 step program" (ways to analyze a play), and have analyzed Lysistrata. HOWEVER I AM ON FIRE WITH ANGER. WE ONLY SPENT 20 MINUTES ON STREETCAR BECAUSE WE RAN OUT OF TIME. I am going to FIGHT for some Streetcar analysis time tomorrow. Other classes got to do way more then us, including analyzing Scene 10 and dividing it into beats... so not fair, right? I am determined, I've rallied troops to fight with me. I have also spread a lie that tomorrow is my birthday so I can do what I want. So I might use that to my advantage.


I'm too tired to type any more. I'm going to sleep and will try to post more tomorrow.