Monday August 17, 2015
Today we focused on rehearsal for the final showcase. I had the first part of the morning off because they were working on a number that I was not in. Then the whole apprentice company was called and we worked on the choreography for "Turn it off" and "On My Way". After lunch, we rehearsed our solo/duet numbers.
After rehearsal, I took Allison out to coffee to talk about the Artist in Residency job. I spent a long time thinking about it, consulted my parents, close friends, and trusted industry professionals. I wanted to make a sound, well thought out decision, because this offer would be a big change in my life.
I decided not to take the position. It is something that I would love to do (teaching theatre to kids is a passion of mine), but I am just not ready to move to the east coast. I have this feeling that once I make the move out here, I won't be returning to California for a very long time. And at this point, that is something I'm just not ready for yet. Also, financially it would not be a smart idea to move to the east coast right now. I told Allison that I would love to do it in the future, but the timing is just not right for me.
But the job offer really got me thinking about my future. I know that my end goal is to be an actor, but how am I going to get myself there? I also want to go to graduate school, but how am I going to get myself there? I have decided to take the next year to really focus on me. Figure out who I am, and what I am about. I want to travel, and take classes to make me a stronger performer. I want to work on materials for grad school auditions. I want to audition for professional jobs in LA. I can't spend my time dilly dallying about like I did last year. I chose a hard profession, and it is time that I jump start myself into starting a life in the acting world.
Tuesday August 18, 2015
Today we had rehearsal for the showcase from 10am-4pm. We spent it doing a work through of the whole show, (aka putting all the pieces together), and then after lunch we did a full run through. We also did work on the transitions between each piece. Days like this are rough, you spend a lot of time working on tiny details, and a lot of time sitting around waiting. It feels like you do not get a lot accomplished, but in reality a lot of necessary work gets done. Its just really boring.
Wednesday August 19, 2015
Today's the day! Our showcase is here! We started the morning off with our last Yoga class of the summer. After yoga, we had our last masterclass with Kate Maguire. We spoke with her for about a half an hour, she let us ask her questions, and she gave us great advice for everything we asked her.
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| Team Oxblood after the showcase |
Before I knew it, it was time for the show! It went amazing. Where I had messed up at the two Musical Monday's, I didn't mess up once here. It was so much fun performing with all of my friends, in the last performance of the summer. It was over all too soon.
They had a toast for us when it was over (with wine for Team Oxblood!) and then something very special happened. A woman named "The Countess" (not her actual name) who is a big donor, and quite frankly, a BTG legend, knighted us. Apparently, she used to throw many parties for the company, and one year decided to knight people who had done wonderful things for her. It had become mine and Christian's goal to be knighted by The Countess. And. It. Happened.
When the toast had happened, she took the stage and announced that we had been a wonderful group of apprentices, and that she was going to knight us. She said that she normally wore her crown and used her scepter when knighting, but didn't have them with her. So she used the next best thing.....a beer tap handle! It was the best way to end the night.
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| The Countess knighting the Apprentices. |
Thursday August 20, 2015
Today was a very special day. I was supposed to have class with Eric Hill, but I was excused from it. Why you might ask? nothing big, only that I was having coffee with the HEAD OF ACTING AT THE YALE SCHOOL OF DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!!
Only the main guy, and the top school. The school of my dreams. Literally. I actually dream about Yale.
The meeting went great. I was over the moon, I mean, come on! Head of Yale! I had to hold my chill. He talked with me for an hour, and confirmed that I was on track on my quest for grad school. He also made me fall in love with Yale even more, I didn't think that was even possible!
After the meeting, I had my last class of the summer. We had a film auditioning class with David Adkins (who was in Thoreau, at the beginning of the summer). It was a good class, but we were all out of it. Our brains are just so full and checked out at this point.
After class was over (last time at the horrible Laurin Publishing!) we had dinner and went to car parking (working us till the last day).
Friday August 21, 2015
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| The lookout on Mt. Greylock. |
After, we had to rush over to Kimball Farms, a local retirement center, because the Mary Poppin's cast was performing to the retirement folks.
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| Last shift together! |
We then had a free afternoon, which was spent at Starbucks, and being our normal silly selves. Then we had to get ready to go to car parking. It was our very last shift working together! A little bittersweet.
After car parking, Ilana had invited us to go to Tanglewood with her to see the Boston Pops play. It was wonderful to see a concert at Tanglewood, it is such a beautiful venue.
Saturday August 22, 2015
Maggie, Christian and I went for bagels at a place in Lenox called Bagels & Brew. Once again we found a good place on one of our last days in the Berkshires. We ran into Ilana (we seem to always run into her in Lenox), and she sent us to one of her favorite locations in all of the Berkshires. It was an open field, and it looked like the French Countryside.
I then had to go to my last car parking shift of the summer! YAAAAS! As you can see below, I can barely contain my excitement.
Maggie picked me up after, and we went to the Red Lion Inn. At the beginning of the summer, the head of our program, Allison, told us to go there and sit on the porch with a glass of lemonade. And that is exactly what we did. It was so beautiful and relaxing, and the lemonade was SOOO GOOOD.
That evening I had to work concessions for Mary Poppins. I made the record amount in tips $51.01. Score!
I then went home and began packing up my belongings waiting for the Poppins kids to come home. Eleanor was going to stay with her family in their hotel, so Christian was going to sleep in her bed, and have a sleep over in our room.
It was fun to have almost the whole crew in our room the last night.
Sunday August 23, 2105
We woke up and went to Breakfast at Ottos. Maggie was leaving early, and we wanted to have one last meal together before she left.
It is so surreal that our time here is already over. Saying goodbye to Maggie was really hard, I actually cried in public a little bit.
After she departed, I went home and packed up the remaining of my belongings. Then I checked out of my room and waited for my mom. We went and saw the closing performance of Mary Poppins. After the performance, they had a martinelli's toast to the cast. Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to the rest of the crew. We went back to Buel house, loaded up the car and said my final good byes.
I then took my mom to Stockbridge to see the main campus and the Red Lion Inn. We then went to dinner in Lenox, and then hit the road to Connecticut. Driving away from the Berkshires was hard. But I know that I am off to bigger and better things. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity, and to meet all these amazing people. I just can't believe it is already over.
More to come.
XOXO,
Kate
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