Find success in passionate failures

I should have posted this on Friday, but it's been a busy, drunken and kind of awesome weekend, so i delayed.

So, on Friday we rehearsed Act 1 for 3 hours. It was the first time James was actually up and acting, and he was great, as i knew he would be. We ran through the act twice, with me moving James around, slotting him in to the staging we had already worked out. Again a couple of people were missing, but i think the cast have FINALLY realized how hard they have to work to make the show a success, and everyone seems to really be buckling down.

There are some really lovely moments already, and since from tomorrow none of the cast will have scripts in their hands (i say, blinded by insane and futile hope) we should be able to develop these even further. As I've said before, this is my favourite part of rehearsing. I like when i can nitpick tiny little moments, because at the end of the day that's what makes the show interesting to watch. I'm apprehensive about tomorrow's rehearsals. I really want people to know their lines and i don't think they will, but i think by forbidding them to have their scripts anywhere near the stage I'll scare them into realizing how little they know, and how much more they have to do.

So yeah, right now I'm feeling confident, but trying not to let it get the better of me. All of the other times I've felt confident about this show something awful has happened. Keep your fingers crossed.

So, this weekend. It's been good. After my lovely rehearsal on Friday a bunch of my cast and I went to the bar, and ended up staying until it closed. We were joined by the casts of various other plays, and once the bar we were in closed, we went to the other bar on campus. Hanging out and chatting with old friends and new ones, being very geeky, singing songs from the Buffy musical and generally being drunk drama types. It was good fun.

While we were at this second bar, one of my new friends, Luke, started reciting this poem by Eleanor Brown, which i think is completely wonderful and hilarious, and which i want to memorize. Enjoy.

Bitcherel

You ask what I think of your new acquisition;

and since we are now to be 'friends',

I'll strive to the full to cement my position

with honesty. Dear - it depends.

It depends upon taste, which must not be disputed;

for which of us does understand

why some like their furnishings pallid and muted,

their cookery wholesome, but bland?

There isn't a law that a face should have features,

it's just that they generally do;

God couldn't give colour to all of his creatures,

and only gave wit to a few;

I'm sure she has qualities, much underrated,

that compensate amply for this,

along with a charm that is so understated

it's easy for people to miss.

And if there are some who choose clothing to flatter

what beauties they think they possess,

when what's underneath has no shape, does it matter

if there is no shape to the dress?

It's not that I think she is boring, precisely,

that isn't the word I would choose;

I know there are men who like girls who talk nicely

and always wear sensible shoes.

It's not that I think she is vapid and silly;

it's not that her voice makes me wince;

but - chilli con carne without any chilli

is only a plateful of mince...

Isn't that great? It makes me thing of someone in particular, but out of politeness I'm afraid i can't say who.

Yesterday i spent most of the day in bed, then went out and saw my housemate James's new sketch show, which was wonderful, and then went to the after party for that, which was at my friend Alex's house. Again, it was full of drunken drama people being geeks. I love my friends. Alex is the one who wrote the poems about me (which i posted about 2 years ago, go re-read them, they're awesome) and yesterday he read a new one that he wrote about my friend Rosemary, in which i have a supporting role. I'll get him to send a copy and post it up, I think you'll enjoy it.

Today I spent the day hungover, sitting in my favourite cafe, reading Susan Sontag's Notes on Camp, doing dissertation research and being given free coffee by a cute Scottish man. I'm writing an essay about how The Pirate, a Gene Kelly and Judy Garland musical, portrays a camp sensibility. So Much Fun! I'm spending this evening analyzing Gene in hotpants. I'm writing my final dissertation on camp, so i get to read all kinds of awesome essays that make me feel like a total geek (sitting in a corner with my massive glasses on, giggling to myself and muttering "oh Susan, you're such a card!").

Oh i do love my degree!