I won't lie. Sometimes I forget this blog exists. Lucky for me, I have friends (thank you, Dan O'Connor) who remind me that I do have one and that I should and really do want to write on it.
So we're down to the final 4 weeks. When I say it out loud as "a month", it seems like longer than it is, but 4 weeks is really no time at all. This week is so busy and crammed full of work, events, etc., that I probably won't even remember that it happened once I get to next Monday.
I've just returned from London, where I went to see the new "Harry Potter" film. Much to my dismay, however, it turns out that the whole excited fans waiting outside for tickets and general Harry Potter hype is only an American thing. We were the only ones in the theatre until about 10 minutes before the movie started, and we were there at about 9:00am on Saturday morning. Needless to say, it kind of decreased the excitement, but I'm glad I got to go to see the movie there. London is very, very amazing and it was a real shame we only had a weekend. There is far too much to do and to see. But now I've returned to Paris to enjoy my last weeks here, and I'm genuinely very happy. I've gotten to squeeze in some touristy things lately, like climbing the stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, which is said to have (and I agree) the best view of Paris. I've also been to the huge and wildly popular Monet exhibit at the Grand Palais - I got in line with my friends at 8:30am to wait with about a hundred other people, that's how popular this thing is. But it really was worth it. The collection is outstanding, and you just feel at peace when you're walking through the exhibition, which is, I should add, about 3 floors full of paintings. Coming up is a trip to Normandy with my class, and then I'm just about done...
What can I say at this point? I was telling my dear mom that I don't think I'll really know until I get home what the impact has been. I suppose it's not really worth thinking about now, I may as well enjoy my time here and worry about my quarter-life-crisis that comes of it later.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Infrequent, But Important
As I'm sure you loyal readers can tell, I've been busy. Too busy, in fact, to update this blog as much as I'd like. Luckily, I have lots to say to catch you up on what's been going on in good ol' Paris...
Let's start with the job update. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up is the first thing I'll say. As I previously explained, I'm stage managing (which has really become more like an assistant to the director) two plays that are going on tour consecutively; it's the same 4 actors in both shows, same director, same playwright. When I arrived in Palaiseau, the dreadfully far suburb where rehearsals take place, I met the actors.
1. Luc - French, tall, long hair with a pony-tail and beard in preparation for his other current project, "The Three Musketeers", smoker, age 29, and incredibly kind. He also plays the guitar for the songs in the first play. He's pretty good, and when he's just fooling around, he tends to play "Faith" by George Michael. I like this man.
2. Dimitri - Half-French/half-American, shorter, age 31, not chubby but certainly not toned, redhead, recessed chin, wants to be goofy but I find him rather awkward actually, very nice and polite, didn't find it at all interesting that his aunt lives in Connecticut... I thought maybe we could bond. We didn't. I like him though, despite his socially uncomfortable attitude towards me. I'll grow on him.
3. Sophie - From somewhere in the UK, age 35 but looks about 18, married, attended the very famous and very important French acting school Jacques le Coq, SO NICE, SO FUNNY, swears like a sailor, very talented actress, weighs probably about 90 pounds but eats enough food for 10 sumo wrestlers. I love her.
4. Livia - Turkish, age 24, bodacious - huge boobs, big hips, AMAZING dancer, very sweet, a little too aware of how sexy she is, also attended Jacques le Coq, great speaking voices, eats homemade gnocchi for lunch a lot and I always want a bite, engaging, fantastic stage presence.
And then there's me. 21 year old (well, in 25 minutes Paris time, I'll be 21) American who thought she wouldn't be as much of a fish out of water as she is.... See, the thing is, these 4 people and the director, Andrew, all go way back. So you see, it's a very tight knit circle that I'm trying to squeeze myself into. I think perhaps I was a little awkward at the beginning of the week, but I've come out of my shell a bit and we all get along quite well. Rehearsals usually begin with an intensive warm-up, so I do a lot of watching at first. As things heat up throughout the day, I find myself doing both stage manager jobs - writing down blocking, following the script, checking schedules - as well as assistant jobs - getting the director tea or water if he's thirsty, etc. All of this has been a great learning experience so far, as cliche as it sounds, and I can't say that I could have imagined nicer people to be working with. And apparently, Andrew likes my writing style because he's asked me to write a rehearsal blog for their website. At the end of every day, I submit what he's called a "rehearsal diary" to be put online for what I'm told is a lot of followers. Seems like blogging is my calling. Too bad that's not an available major at college.
In other news, I'm ill and did not go to work today, nor am I going to tomorrow. But tomorrow is also my birthday, so I'm more okay with that. It doesn't quite feel like my birthday yet. Something tells me it won't until I get back to the States, where it actually makes a difference that I'm 21 and am legal to drink. All y'all back home - get ready to go out for a cocktail when I get off the plane!
Closing thought: I come home in 38 days. Let the anxiety attack begin.
Let's start with the job update. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up is the first thing I'll say. As I previously explained, I'm stage managing (which has really become more like an assistant to the director) two plays that are going on tour consecutively; it's the same 4 actors in both shows, same director, same playwright. When I arrived in Palaiseau, the dreadfully far suburb where rehearsals take place, I met the actors.
1. Luc - French, tall, long hair with a pony-tail and beard in preparation for his other current project, "The Three Musketeers", smoker, age 29, and incredibly kind. He also plays the guitar for the songs in the first play. He's pretty good, and when he's just fooling around, he tends to play "Faith" by George Michael. I like this man.
2. Dimitri - Half-French/half-American, shorter, age 31, not chubby but certainly not toned, redhead, recessed chin, wants to be goofy but I find him rather awkward actually, very nice and polite, didn't find it at all interesting that his aunt lives in Connecticut... I thought maybe we could bond. We didn't. I like him though, despite his socially uncomfortable attitude towards me. I'll grow on him.
3. Sophie - From somewhere in the UK, age 35 but looks about 18, married, attended the very famous and very important French acting school Jacques le Coq, SO NICE, SO FUNNY, swears like a sailor, very talented actress, weighs probably about 90 pounds but eats enough food for 10 sumo wrestlers. I love her.
4. Livia - Turkish, age 24, bodacious - huge boobs, big hips, AMAZING dancer, very sweet, a little too aware of how sexy she is, also attended Jacques le Coq, great speaking voices, eats homemade gnocchi for lunch a lot and I always want a bite, engaging, fantastic stage presence.
And then there's me. 21 year old (well, in 25 minutes Paris time, I'll be 21) American who thought she wouldn't be as much of a fish out of water as she is.... See, the thing is, these 4 people and the director, Andrew, all go way back. So you see, it's a very tight knit circle that I'm trying to squeeze myself into. I think perhaps I was a little awkward at the beginning of the week, but I've come out of my shell a bit and we all get along quite well. Rehearsals usually begin with an intensive warm-up, so I do a lot of watching at first. As things heat up throughout the day, I find myself doing both stage manager jobs - writing down blocking, following the script, checking schedules - as well as assistant jobs - getting the director tea or water if he's thirsty, etc. All of this has been a great learning experience so far, as cliche as it sounds, and I can't say that I could have imagined nicer people to be working with. And apparently, Andrew likes my writing style because he's asked me to write a rehearsal blog for their website. At the end of every day, I submit what he's called a "rehearsal diary" to be put online for what I'm told is a lot of followers. Seems like blogging is my calling. Too bad that's not an available major at college.
In other news, I'm ill and did not go to work today, nor am I going to tomorrow. But tomorrow is also my birthday, so I'm more okay with that. It doesn't quite feel like my birthday yet. Something tells me it won't until I get back to the States, where it actually makes a difference that I'm 21 and am legal to drink. All y'all back home - get ready to go out for a cocktail when I get off the plane!
Closing thought: I come home in 38 days. Let the anxiety attack begin.
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