I have rehearsals for Two Trains Running Tuesday-Sunday which are interesting because I've never worked on a "professional" show at this level before and my cast is great! An awesome thing about this experience for me is that the stage manager of the show actually graduated from the program I'm in (I don't remember if I mentioned this or not) so she knows exactly what I'm going through and gives me time to recollect my thoughts after class before joining the rehearsal process in the afternoon. I have learned a lot so far from her since my style of SM and hers are different. It's great to see a different person handle situations as they arise and compare them to how I would handle them. I think I'll probably learn the most from this SM when we get into tech (where we add lights, sound, the set, and costumes) since that is the most stressful time for a stage manager and I want to see how she handles and oversees the tech process. I'm also excited to see all the pieces come together instead of just being in a rehearsal room (which is nothing more than a glorified classroom). It amused me on the first day of rehearsal when I found a cup in the collection that had my name on it. It wasn't until that moment that I really felt like I was a part of this particular show.
The classes themselves are a mix of interesting and boring. My schedule is as follows:
Monday: Performance Techniques and Intro to Design Part 2
Tuesday/Thursday: Intro to Theatre Part 2 and Intro to Crafts Part 2
Wednesday: Drafting for the Theatre, Intro to Design Part 2, and Lab
Friday: Scenic Painting Practicum
All of the part 2 classes are going to be pretty boring for me (I think--I know for sure intro to theatre will be...crafts and design have some potential since I have different instructors this semester). Performance techniques is really the first non-intro class that pertains to my major so it'll be interesting and it is being taught by the Syracuse Stage Production Stage Manager so he definitely knows what he is talking about! Drafting will be fun but tedious. The professor is great but I'm not looking forward to all of the work that comes with the class. Paint practicum is honestly the only class that I am scared of. I am not very artistic when it comes to painting and whatnot and about half of our grade depends on artistic ability. Oh well...I'll give it my best shot and hopefully the professor will see that I really am trying.
I have two jobs this semester. I am continuing to work in the Syracuse Stage production office which will help me to further my knowledge and experience on the production side of putting up a show. The second job that I added to my already insanely full plate is a job at the library. It's only a couple hours on Friday mornings so it won't take up too much of my time. I'll essentially be manning a desk and area where professors and graduate students can check out videos. Easy work and I'll be able to work on homework in my downtime.
The only relatively interesting thing that happened outside of school is the weather. We officially got snow today (I woke up to this).
And it snowed more throughout the rest of the day. It's really cold here. I know it could be worse but considering the fact that I've lived in California for the last 8 years, this is freezing to me. I basically have 2-3 layers on at all times and am going through socks faster than one could imagine. This is the predicted weather for the next few days....I'm going to have so much fun with it.
