fiesta resistance!

2011-02-05T10:53:00.000-06:00

2010-10-26T09:40:00.002-05:00

2010-10-10T16:14:00.000-05:00

2010-09-14T11:18:00.002-05:00

a weekend home in indianapolis preparing for my sister's wedding made my head spin. so many decisions made with clear-headedness and calm, though. impressive. i make no promises that i'll behave in the same manner. it's daunting to think of starting that process.

maybe i'll just shower first.

2010-09-03T11:39:00.002-05:00

alright.

here's where i sit. my kitchen table. round, white, new-old. mason jar full of iced coffee. a plant rescued and nurtured back to health, sunglasses, a journal, a phone, fruit, basil flowers in a small vase with water.

here's where i am. my kitchen in brooklyn. crooked, humid, full of color. two fans blow on me, one cat looks at me. the sound of showering, peppered by the occasional chainsaw down below.

here's what's happening. the beginning of the end of a long-short summer, hot, sticky, fast, full of commitments and planning and parties and decisions. i wonder if i can simplify things? i wonder if it's possible to have an actual summer anymore. maybe we should just start calling it "that time of the year that's hotter than the rest of the year."

i don't wish this summer different, but i wish for the next one to be simpler. i like simple.

the future of my avocado plant is uncertain, but i still keep watering it.

2010-08-23T21:07:00.001-05:00

oh crap.

i haven't blogged in for-ev-er.

soon, my pretties...soon...

soup's on.

2010-03-05T10:44:00.002-06:00

well, well, well...we opened "the soup show!"

i am incredibly proud of our work on this show, not to mention the fact that we made it in just under two months. but hey, that's the neo-futurists for you...tireless workers, endless imaginers, relentless suppliers of ideas. we make theatre like it's our job. because it is.

come see "the soup show." you won't regret it.

2010-02-06T11:34:00.006-06:00

hello.

yep. i'm still alive, y'all. and this time, i'm directing.

three incredible lady neos and i are working hard to cook you up something special. it's the first full-length show from the ny neos this year and we're calling it "the soup show." it will be performed at HERE arts center from march 4th-27th and we are super-excited about it.

and now, a list! a list of things that may or may not appear in the show:

vegetables
swimming caps
knife-throwing
a sequined bust of margaret sanger
an actual hot tub
hundreds of glass bottles
a live chicken
hula hoops
a cardboard cutout of patrick swayze
art (both visual and otherwise)

now, i'll leave it to you to decide what you think will actually appear in the show. i will note that one of these items was a prop for my 3rd grade dance recital number. think it over.

also, if you like the twitter and the facebook, feel free to connect with "the soup show" there.

"keeping a spare straw for you*"

2010-01-09T15:59:00.002-06:00

*video by ms. erica livingston

2009-09-08T10:54:00.000-05:00

2009-08-27T21:05:00.004-05:00

here is brendan. moving in to our brooklyn apartment. november 1, 2008.

here i am. shortly after having moved into our brooklyn apartment, november, 2008.

it's really difficult to believe that we've been here for almost a year. in two months, we'll hit that mark and have to do all kinds of thinking about what we've accomplished and was it enough and what will happen next and what are we supposed to be doing...

before all that happens, i will take a moment and think: "wow. we moved to a brand new city and we haven't exploded."

we've made enough money to buy food and pay rent. we've settled in a neighborhood which we love. we have been carving out little spots for ourselves in this great big city.

not too shabby.

2009-08-04T09:11:00.002-05:00

my coney island baby.

i open a show this week.

coney island avenue
by charles l. mee
@new york theatre workshop
august 6th - august 16th

come see!

2009-07-21T23:18:00.002-05:00

here is a picture from our old chicago apartment.

in it you can see my tiny coffee cup, our dr. bonner's peppermint soap and my pink towel from ikea. i painted that bathroom myself...lavender trim to cover the gray. we had a clawfoot tub and a tile floor. we have a tile floor in our brooklyn apartment too.

sometimes i take my coffee into the shower with me. sometimes it's like that in the morning. sometimes i forget about the cup and leave it there. this was one of those times.

i think this photograph is half art and half document. brendan took this photo to show me both what a lovely still life i can create without even knowing, and a reminder that i should clean up after myself.

i love it.

2009-06-30T21:54:00.001-05:00

2009-06-26T16:43:00.003-05:00

i know, i know, i know. long time, no write. my bad. i will tell you that i'm pleasantly busy for the most part, back in "too much light" and getting ready to perform in our big ol' pride show, "30 gay plays in 60 straight minutes." as we speak, the show is nearing sold-out status and that prospect is very exciting, especially because each and every dollar of the show is going to benefit marriage equality ny. yes. yes. yes. yes, everyone should be able to get married. iffin' they wanna.

today the sun is out. it's muggy, but not rainy at least. i'm in the process of trying to save my drowned roof tomatoes. think happy veggie thoughts for 'em.

two cats on the table, a ball jar of water, cookies in my tummy. time to get ready to do a show...

also, we made curtains:

project!

2009-05-28T18:20:00.004-05:00

take this:

and turn it into this:do it!

2009-05-25T21:36:00.003-05:00

do yourself a favor and watch either la strada or nights of cabiria.

watch both.

hearts and flowers for giulietta.

highlights 5.18-5.22

2009-05-22T08:04:00.005-05:00

sniffle
workshop
water illicit rooftop tomato plants
sit for two awesome kids
yoga
babysit three children
dinner with sis
take a crazy strong antihistamine in order to halt advancing allergies
clown at yale hospital
yoga
beers with brendan
teach toddlers
grocery store
water illicit rooftop tomato plants
mister softee chocolate/vanilla twist cone
yoga
weird party at hip neighborhood store where my friend and i came for the free beer and managed to nab the last two
teach toddlers
?

2009-05-03T09:46:00.001-05:00

2009-05-02T21:18:00.008-05:00

mira schendel, 1960

leon ferrari, 1962

i enjoyed this.

2009-05-02T11:02:00.002-05:00

my dream this morning:

-working a weird movie screening with brendan
-a large scale waterslide/fountain which one must slide down, fully-clothed
-a conversation with tori amos about all the times i've seen her in concert (and a explanation of where the 'grand ole opry' is)
-bathrobes at the bottom of the water slide that one puts on in order to dry off
-remembering that i left my camera in my 'fake lake' drawstring bag up at the top of the slide/fountain and climbing up to find it safely tucked under a seat

interpretations?

a haiku for summer in april

2009-04-28T22:56:00.002-05:00

for a moment there
a chill, a blossom...and now
salt and sweat on skin

2009-04-26T09:24:00.005-05:00

this is not my hand.

this is my sister's hand*.

congrats and mazel tov to rhiannon and matt!

*watch here to see the magic happen.

2009-04-15T22:17:00.004-05:00

knoxville this time of year is just bursting at the seams with spring. dogwoods, green green grass, azaleas, and all manner of blossoms are opening to meet the rain and sun. lovely. we were lucky enough to hitch a ride down south and we spent the easter weekend in tennessee, dyeing eggs and filling our tummies...it was a nice break from the big city. it's true what they say, it's important to get away every once in a while.

2009-04-04T12:04:00.003-05:00

3:22 am. jacquelyn & cara busy at work, writing a play for you.

i have one more show tonight, then i'm out 'til june. come on down.

nynf.org

2009-04-01T16:28:00.003-05:00

i tried to write a haiku, but i wasn't feeling it. instead, i'll say that i hope these april showers are bringing as many may flowers to chicago as they are to brooklyn. we'll be stopping by for a visit next month. can't wait to see you.

2009-03-30T18:56:00.002-05:00

i'm sitting here at our desk, having just eaten a rather large plate of leftover chinese food. on public radio, some lady with a crazy voice is singing some operatic high notes that, according to the host, once induced a pretty big riot. i can't remember the name of the composer, but to witness a riot caused by a highly controversial classical music piece must've been memorable.

"were you there the night the orchestra performed the infamous forty-third violin concerto in a minor?"

"but of course! why, my jaunty new velvet hat was knocked right off my head and trampled by the throngs!"

i guess it would be like being at the dylan concert in which he went electric. i just find it difficult to imagine that riots at the turn of the century would entail much more than angry fist-shaking and/or boos*.

music does strange things to people, though. it's hard to predict exactly what they'll do.

*fyi.

2009-03-17T23:00:00.002-05:00

my dream is to live far, far away from any city; to live where there is nothing but green, nothing but garden or farm that i cultivate myself. a place where i am surrounded by living, growing things that follow a bigger schedule. i'd like to wake early and make a strong cup of coffee and walk outside with an apron full of feed, scattering it to the chickens or other smallish animals while the sun rises slowly behind me. there may or may not be a barn, there is definitely a screened-in porch in which to while away the afternoon hours.

i will snap string beans, i will stew tomatoes, i will tend to things.

2009-03-10T19:01:00.002-05:00

so there's this writing thing that one must do when they become a neo-futurist. one must write plays. short ones. to perform. for an audience. it's funny because i feel that i've always been writing plays in my head, but now these thoughts must be transferred to paper (or google documents, as it were), things suddenly get a little trickier. i tend to start-stop a lot, beginning an idea and then squashing it instead of allowing it to meander its way into interestingness. i would like these ideas to free-flow a bit more, a bit faster and with a bit more gusto. maybe the process is just different.

as an actor with a script, you have a map in right in front of you. as an improviser, you embrace the unknown knowingly. as a dancer, you've finely tuned your body to do as it should. alas, i've never truly thought of myself as a writer, but now, i think i must*.

*also, i just wrote "alas," so that's gotta count for something**.

**but then i wrote "gotta." i'm pretty sure i lost some cred with that one***.

***i know i'm not supposed to start a sentence with the word "but."

2009-03-10T18:21:00.002-05:00

2009-03-01T18:53:00.001-06:00

neo-me.

2009-02-25T07:17:00.005-06:00

yes, it's true. i am a neo, neo-futurist. "what does this mean?" you say. well, it means that after careful consideration by my peers, i've been chosen to join a theater company (or an ensemble as i'd like to put it) to create/collaborate/perform with. now, i heart the neos...big time. i hearted them in chicago with all that heart that i have and i'm gonna heart them in new york with my heartiest of hearts.

just wait. you'll see.

they'll all see!

mwahhh hahaha ha ha!

um. ehem.

the point is, i get to work with more amazing and talented people and i get to do it real soon. i'll be going into the show in less that two weeks.

i like it this way. i like to jump right in. unless, of course, we're talking about a swimming pool. in the case of a swimming pool i like to ease my way in.

in theater, i like to jump.

2009-02-18T07:21:00.002-06:00

guess what?

i get to be in a theater company!
in new york city!

look ma, no hands!

sunday day.

2009-02-08T11:09:00.002-06:00

i try to keep magic in my life. always.

it's in the 50s outside.

daffodils on the windowsill.

windows open, just a crack.

2009-02-05T16:59:00.002-06:00

when i'm not whining about missing people, i've been doing a few other things. i've been teaching preschool at a nearby co-op, babysitting for strange children and going out on the occasional commercial audition.

last week, one of the kids told me he wanted to lick me.

this week, one of them showed me a booger, as if to hand it directly to me, and said, "this is a big booger."

today one of them called me a clown. how right he is.

sometimes i contemplate why i choose to work with children. not in the sense that i wonder what the heck i'm doing; more like, "why am i intrigued by these tiny people and why do they seem to implicitly understand me?" i know that i'm silly, i'm strange and i'm interesting to look at. i know that i have a good sense of what kind of energy a room holds and what is necessary to enhance or change it.

i like these little folks. they say crazy stuff (see above) and they are undeniably genuine. they can't be anyone else but themselves. i think maybe the older we get, the easier it is to forget. who we are, what we like, what makes us truly happy: a shape, a color, a song, a smile.

i miss you.

2009-01-25T17:25:00.004-06:00

to my dear chicago friends,

some of you are in this picture*, some of you are not. i'd like to take this blog-moment to let you know just how much i miss all of you. i'd gladly endure the sub-zero temperatures and endless snowfalls in order to be near you. it's not really that cold here in nyc and everyone whines that is 'freeeezing.' wimps. i miss seeing you every day and i miss laughing so hard that i nearly pee in my pants. i miss your shining and beautiful faces. new york is great, but chicago, oh chicago...i miss you.

xo, me

*i used your picture, jamie. thanks.

a list of things we did while in guatemala for the wedding of two dear friends

2009-01-13T16:59:00.009-06:00

☑ took a 2.5 hour shuttle ride from guatemala city to panajachel with a man named charlo
☑ performed "car" by built to spill at talent show for said friends (me on the uke, b on vocals)
☑ attended mass in a village across the lake which began with a baby's funeral
☑ did the hair and makeup of the bride
☑ watched two people that i love declare their love for each other in front of a gathering of family and friends
☑ drank a few mojitos
☑ danced and sang into the wee hours
☑ along with about 6-8 others, got really sick for one night and one day
☑ recovered from said illness
☑ took a shuttle to antigua driven by a maniac who felt it was unneccessary to strap our luggage to the top of the van
☑ spent new year's eve in antigua, a city that looked and sounded as if it was actually made of constantly exploding fireworks

☑ visited ruin after ruin, one beautiful old church after another and felt very, very small
☑ travelled south to monterrico and whiled away many an hour in a gently swinging hammock drinking cervezas beside the beach
☑ took a 5:30 a.m. sunrise tour of the mangrove swamps, paddled by a guide named tito
☑ drank my first "coco frio" (cold green coconut juice)
☑ took a four hour hike up and then down an active volcano; tiptoed over molten, flowing lava to watch the sun set on guatemala
☑ once again felt the real importance and absolute neccessity of travel upon my existence as a human on this here planet called earth

2009-01-10T14:21:00.001-06:00

guatemala + 10 days = too much adventure to describe right now.

soon...soon.

2008-12-20T11:36:00.006-06:00

brendan is in the kitchen making french toast with leftover birthday party brioche. polly is lying on half of the computer/my hand which is making it tough to type this. mitch is most likely lazily curled up on grandpa's brown chair. there is snow outside and a tickle in my throat. i'm drinking orange juice.

like a bad little elf, i've not given much thought or feeling to the upcoming holiday. i've been preoccupied. however, i'd like to start to get excited about this week. so i've decided to allow that kooky holiday spirit to creep in.

we had our first big new york city snow yesterday (though it pales in comparison to the snow chicago's been having) and it was pretty lovely. i witnessed most of the storm while babysitting in a times square hotel. when i left the hotel, the snow had turned to sleet and rain and i felt certain that i'd be much happier watching it than being pummeled by it. i was happy when i made it home.

my folks are coming in this week to spend christmas in the city. my sister has meticulously planned each and every moment for their stay and i am so very thankful for that. she is a holiday spirit powerhouse. it's a natural fact.

2008-12-11T19:50:00.000-06:00

2008-12-05T09:37:00.004-06:00

it has been a bit of a slower week here in the little apartment that could. b and i have recovered from our turkey day travels (two trains; one to long island and one to connecticut) and headed into this our fifth week in new york. (paid) work was sparse this week; i spent time observing the preschool class i'm to teach this january, getting new headshots and meeting with a fancy commercial agent while b worked on making a fancy new reel to show casting folks. i mean, not at the moment that you see pictured above...in that moment he was very busy playing his wicked air guitar.

of course.

2008-11-26T09:59:00.003-06:00

olive joon moayed
11.24.08

we had the chance to spend yesterday afternoon with a new friend on her very first day in the outside world. she is lovely, alert and content, soaking up her surroundings with great interest. this is the first time we've been lucky enough to meet a brandnewborn so soon after her arrival and i must say, it is extraordinary. congratulations and love to krissy and arian, two wonderfully caring people who are more than ready to start this journey together.

2008-11-20T08:01:00.001-06:00

"temping." macy's parade warehouse. hoboken, nj. 11.18.08.

2008-11-16T10:15:00.004-06:00

after a whopping 2 whole weeks in the big city, we decided it was time to get away from it all and go upstate. b's family was in town visiting and after a lunch and visit in the city, we all headed upstate to stay the night. we took the hudson river line an hour and a half north into dutchess county. i was taken on a wonderful narrated tour of the farm where b's grandparents lived and his mom grew up. also, i ate my weight in calamari fra diavolo. not a bad weekend.

the big top.

2008-11-11T16:21:00.003-06:00

last friday evening, i was lucky enough to get to participate in the big apple circus's big fancy gala benefit. the big apple circus puts on a classic big top circus each year and the tent goes up right smack dab in the middle of lincoln center.

magical.

i wound my way around the tents and trailers trying to find the other clowns and our designated changing spot. turns out, it wasn't far from the circus horses (and pony!) who would later be performing their act to thunderous applause. i found the spot, changed and got into position with the rest of the clowns.

all of us clown care clowns were stationed at the entrance of the tent, greeting people as they entered. then, at the beginning of the show, we got to run around the ring like crazy fools. what fun! and after that, we got to go sit and watch the show! we ate a delectable boxed din-din and drank some wine (all in my lil' costume of course) and watched a real live circus.

i can't remember the last time i saw the circus. can you? i'll tell you, it's pretty awe-inspiring. jaw-dropping. beautiful.

especially the pony.

2008-11-09T17:26:00.008-06:00

well, we made it. we did the impossible. we moved.

after our masterful negotiation of a 14 foot uhaul*, two cats and a crapload of belongings, we found ourselves on our new street in brooklyn. with the help of a small, but stellar moving crew*, we were able to put all the boxes we had so recently packed into our new apartment.

so, one week down. i can't say we've figured it all out yet, but we have been pounding the pavement in a few different ways. b's had some fancy meetings, i've had a couple of teachy interviews and we've both worked tirelessly to unpack all of said boxes.

the apartment is coming together and we're learning more and more about our neighborhood by the day. turns out you can get really cheap chinese food and incredibly delicious fresh mozzarella within a few blocks of our abode. exciting. there's also too many cute restaurants to count and a lady could do some real damage at les shoppes as well. alas, we're attempting to keep it frugal for a bit at least until we start making the big bucks.

*there's no real way to thank the folks who helped out in the box-carrying extravaganza both in chicago and new york. however i will say that a true friend is one who will help you move. either that or it's your sister. regardless, whether you helped move a box or just had a few nice words to say to us before we left, i thank you from the bottom of my lil' heart. you have made me so happy.

2008-10-30T17:39:00.004-05:00

i'm sitting in a nearly empty apartment, watching as my cats wander aimlessly through each room. they seem remarkably calm considering ninety-nine percent of the things they usually like to sit on are now missing; maybe it's the cat sedatives they sampled today.

phew. what a day. with the help of some very generous friends, we loaded up the 14 foot u-haul with room to spare. we have a little more to throw in there, not too much, nothing compared to earlier this morning. so after a few more trips down to the truck, we'll be all set to go. we'll set out early tomorrow morning, making our way east toward the coast.

i will be saying farewell to a city that has brought me incredible joy as well as...well...let's call them "challenges." i've learned a lot, fallen in love and generally had a great time getting to know the most fabulous friends a gal can have. honestly, that is what i'm most nervous about; losing touch with the people who helped me understand myself during the last seven years. i'm going to do my best to avoid that happening.

there's no way to really thank these folks, but i'd like to try...and now, in classic lauren fashion, a list*:

joe b.
mary
gandy
paul b.
kate
shelly
jay
dean
halena
kasey
paulie d.
joe s.
geoff
jen
rachel
luke
oona
tai
kristie
mpt
mary winn
ryan
dina
michael c.
hillary
melissa
hubbell
katie
katy
bill b. (both of you)
jessica
kurt
lacy
lynda
maggie
erinn
ben
heidi
amanda
lisa
sharon
rani
kate
arnie
mack
alex
brennan
laura
ian
marc

thank you.

*if you don't see your name on this list, please, please understand that it is the fault of my tired, slippery brain which is looking forward to some thai food. i love you all.

checklist

2008-10-23T21:13:00.003-05:00

☑ moving truck rented
☑ cat sedatives for 13 hour trip across the country
☑ moving boxes
☑ three trips to the brown elephant (and counting)
☑ change of address
☑ nervous and excited about the prospect of imminent change
☐ some serious packing still left
☐ bills set up in new city
☐ seven more days in current city
☐ last goodbyes

we're gonna live here.

2008-10-12T13:32:00.002-05:00

yep. here is our new home. crazy.

we're going to live in a friendly little neighborhood in brooklyn. brownstones on all sides, yummy restaurants a few steps away and a city park just down the street.

i'm officially excited.

a dear friend suggested i take up my blogging again in order to stay close to people who might want to know what i'm up to. it warms my heart to think that there are those of you out there. i appreciate your pageviews and your kindness. i hope to get back into the swing of it as i prepare for a new and bold adventure taking me from the middle west to the east coast.

yikes!

on moving to ny.

2008-09-28T13:33:00.005-05:00

Of all modes of transport, the train is perhaps the best aid to thought: the views have none of the potential monotony of those on a ship or a plane, they move fast enough for us not to get exasperated but slowly enough to allow us to identify objects. They offer us brief, inspiring glimpses into private domains, letting us see a woman at the moment when she takes a cup from a shelf in her kitchen, before carrying us on to a patio where a man is sleeping and then to a park where a child is catching a ball thrown by a figure we cannot see.

At the end of hours of train-dreaming, we may feel we have been returned to ourselves: that is, brought back into contact with emotions and ideas of importance to us. It is not necessarily at home that we best encounter our true selves. The furniture insists that we cannot change because it does not; the domestic setting keeps us tethered to the person we are in ordinary life, but who may not be who we essentially are.

- Alain de Botton, "On the Pleasures of Sadness"

2008-09-14T12:23:00.004-05:00

i am sad (but it doesn't look like it).

we only have two more shows. jon says that because there is always a finite end to the run of a play that you really love, you want to keep doing it forever.

i do, i do.

but my hair does not.

this is my last show in chicago.

for now.

FAKE LAKE is open.

2008-08-17T16:25:00.004-05:00

and this is something that happens in the play.
photo by erica dufour

p.s. turns out, i am softball.

2008-08-08T17:54:00.001-05:00

an incomplete list of french phrases that, i believe, should be used with greater regularity. a photo taken from the window of our hotel in paris.

2008-08-06T22:10:00.009-05:00

avec plaisir - my pleasure (lit. "with pleasure")

bete noire - a scary or unpopular person, idea, or thing, or the archetypical scary monster in a story; literally "black beast."

cri du coeur -"cry from the heart" : an impassioned outcry, as of entreaty or protest

dernier cri - the latest fashion; literally "last scream"

l'esprit de l'escalier - "wit of the stairs" : a concise, clever statement you don't think of until too late, e.g. on the stairs leaving the scene

fait accompli - something that has already happened and is thus unlikely to be reversed

gauche - tactless

je m'en fous - "I don't give a damn"

le mot juste - "the just word"; the right word at the right time

nom de plume - author's pseudonym, literally "pen name"

vive la difference! - "[long] live the difference"; originally referring to the difference between the sexes, the phrase may be used to celebrate the difference between any two groups of people (or simply the general diversity of individuals)

2008-07-30T12:31:00.004-05:00

"FAKE LAKE"
the neofuturists @ the welles park pool
august 16 - september 20

2008-07-23T11:33:00.007-05:00

i am helping to make a play. this play will take place in a pool. i am excited.

the play is centered around this beautiful place pictured here (thanks fellow flickr-photographer friend). this is lake powell, a devastatingly beautiful, yet totally man-made body of water found in utah/arizona.

the play is called fake lake.

2008-07-16T22:49:00.000-05:00

2008-07-16T22:42:00.002-05:00

"l.e.s. artistes" by santogold

2008-07-09T17:21:00.000-05:00

summer is here*

2008-07-02T16:51:00.004-05:00

*some selected summer snapshots from my shiny new camera.

i have a new camera.

2008-06-19T22:06:00.001-05:00

i'm learning about it.

watch out world.

2008-06-18T16:41:00.000-05:00

i am 30 years old today!

click it.

2008-05-20T17:10:00.003-05:00

"We began, as artists, tens of thousands of years ago, by putting our hands to the walls of the caves and leaving a handprint: "I was here! This is what it was like! These arrows, these animals, this blood."

-Craig Lucas

why i make theater.

2008-05-19T11:37:00.005-05:00

dean

ryan

laura, jay

ahhh, "picked up..." you make me happy.

i would like to send a huge, public "thank you" to these people (and sean and ian, of course) for making the past five months of my life entertaining, exhausting, fun and, most of all, full of cake.

a random list and a picture of polly & the fauxquarium.

2008-05-08T17:55:00.003-05:00

what i should be doing:

sitting on my bed
tidying the house
sweeping up beside the litterbox
taking out the recycling
doing a load of laundry
washing the dishes...

what i am doing:

sitting on my bed
trolling facebook
reading blogs
checking out the "new york times" website
watching my cats alternately fighting and sleeping
listening to church bells toll in the distance
thinking about what i should be doing...

we look crazy...and dean's not even wearing his wig.

2008-05-04T14:44:00.003-05:00

ahhhh....hear that? that's the sound of utter relief and happiness that my episode of "picked up" is over. my cast performed three fantastic shows and each and every one got picked up! after months of work and two weeks of high-pressure preparation, it was amazing to see the fruits of our labor performed before my very eyes. i send big time thanks to all the super-neos and my fabulous cast.

rainstorm in paris, summer 2007

2008-04-17T00:49:00.002-05:00

"picked up" opens this thursday...

2008-04-09T12:56:00.000-05:00

new shoes.

2008-04-04T12:00:00.003-05:00

"picked up"

2008-03-26T10:49:00.004-05:00

i'm working on making a show with those crazy neo-futurists again. it's called "picked up." we wrote six original sitcom pilots and will be directing/performing in them starting april 10th. also, we made trailers for each of the pilots which will preview soon. here's a behind-the-scenes snapshot of the kind of shenanigans you can expect.

click here for l'information.

click it.

2008-03-14T11:58:00.005-05:00

thanks tracy!

2008-03-13T20:59:00.006-05:00

friday, march 7th.
redmoon's spectacle lunatique.
the terrifying princesses* make a party appearance. we are, in fact, so terrifying that we instantly scare the first partygoers and are sent away until much later after said partygoers have had a few spectacocktails.

*"the princess club"

2008-03-05T23:21:00.005-06:00

here is where i spent the past weekend. a quaint little resort in massachusettes, complete with creepy mansion and free-roaming wild buffalo. this is where about 60 professional hospital clowns gathered to hone our skills and deepen our relationships with one another. being one of the brand-newest members of this estimable team, i was a bit overwhelmed by the whole shebang, but as the weekend progressed, i found myself feeling so lucky that i was able to spend my time with people who have devoted a major part of their lives to this honorable profession. i am so excited to get on the hospital floor and try out all of the things i've learned.

cocoa and clowning.

2008-02-27T10:57:00.007-06:00

i spent last week in new york learning how to be the best hospital clown i can be. this spring, i'm starting an exciting new job as a member of the big apple circus clown care unit here in chicago. it's a great honor to join this team; it's chock full of incredibly talented and fun people. yesterday, i purchased my very first professional clown nose (see above).

in nyc, i also got to do the following things whilst hanging out with b, my sis and her boyfriend: see central park covered with snow, eat delicious soup dumplings in chinatown, indulge in the best homemade doughnuts i've ever had, drink a cup of hot melted chocolate and go to not one, but two $6 movies at the movie theatre.

fat tuesday.

2008-02-07T18:50:00.000-06:00

breakfast at "valois" in hyde park, 8:00 a.m.

dinner at "gandy gras," lincoln square, 8:00 p.m.

treasures.

2008-02-03T13:28:00.000-06:00

i bought a couple of pieces of pottery at the thrift store yesterday. the color of the two bowls was what initially sparked my interest. when i picked them up, i realized they were each handmarked underneath. one is marked "made in calif." the other was made in roseville, oh. i tried to research them a bit on the ol' internets. i knew that a lot of pottery from the mid-century was produced in california, but i found out that the piece from roseville was made by a company called "robinson-ransbottom pottery co." which has been producing since 1900. as i carried the two bowls around the brown elephant (our neighborhood thrift store), i wondered how much influence antiques roadshow has had on peoples' desire to buy items of potential value for cheap. i watched a few other customers milling about, eyes scanning the shelves, hunting for items of interest. i picked these up because i liked the way they looked. i like thinking of them in someone else's home and the journey they must've taken in order to land in my hands.

did i need them?
no.

did i want to own them because they are lovely?
yes.

sometimes objects can be quite satisfying.

enjoy.

2008-02-01T20:46:00.000-06:00

2008-02-01T20:15:00.000-06:00

...click here for some info regarding a reading of some fun-ness happening tomorrow night at the neo-futurarium. i'm on the writing team for a crazy show called "picked up" which will run this spring.

2008-01-31T18:33:00.001-06:00

here is a photostitchproject that i made of brendan and me. i just like it.

we are in the middle of major life decisions and it is scary and scary and exciting.

we're not sure what to do.

we're trying to figure it out.

if you have any suggestions or tips on life, let me know.

2008-01-18T20:10:00.001-06:00

oh, please come back...

soft-boiled.

2008-01-06T16:34:00.000-06:00

within the last couple of years, i've been introduced to the deliciousness of the soft-boiled egg. all my life, i've been a fried or a scrambled kind of gal, but of late, my yolks of choice are decidedly more yolkier. i mean, you can't go wrong with an egg, i love them in a salad, on a pizza or by themselves. i love 'em sunny side up, over-easy and, as you can see, soft-boiled. there's something so fragile about eating an egg avec shell. it becomes a delicacy, a project, something of an art form. also, it's yummy.

new year. new desk.

2008-01-01T17:40:00.000-06:00

...as promised.

merry holidays

2007-12-29T19:30:00.001-06:00

i have a new desk.

we just carried it home, just down the street from the resale shop in our neighborhood. i love it and i'll take a picture and post it when i get it all set up.

more importantly, i hope everyone's holidays were lovely; mine included a nice trip home and some good family times. it was great to be back for a bit, and even nicer to get some quality time in with my sister.

holidayshows.

2007-12-07T17:11:00.000-06:00

for fun, i think you should come see the barrel of monkeys' holiday show! there's something special in it for everyone and it would be a shame for you to miss hearing this line: "shiny ball, tiny ball, christmas ball, i'll eat you all."

monday nights. 8pm. one saturday matinee on 12/29. 1pm.

also, if you enjoy the monkeys and want to do us good, you can use a very special search engine when shopping online for now and forever. visit goodsearch.com and select barrel of monkeys as your charity of choice--this is right below the actual search bar. it's a super-easy way to send some money to our lil' non-profit and help out in a small but mighty way.

do it.

a list.

2007-11-08T17:32:00.000-06:00

good day, all.

i hope all is well in your worlds.

due to a very weird day yesterday and a surreal day today (due to a lack o' sleep), i am breaking my blog silence. yes, it's true, i'm still alive and i exist outside the pictures i post on my blog. let's face it, its been a really busy fall and i'm just not around a computer long enough to get inspired to blog.

what's a gal to do?

anyhow, i'm blogging at the end of this strange day, yes it's true, and i'm thinking of a few things. here they are (in no particular order):

i really want new boots.
did i drink enough water today?
i'm tired.
i have no money.
children are hilarious.
my neck is messed up.
people are nice.
making things is fun.
trident "original flavor" is delicious.
it's getting colder outside.
i know what it's like to do something you really love.
i just saw her and now she's gone.
it's 5:43pm and dark outside.

i'm not sure what all this means, or why i'm bloggin' 'bout it, but i encourage you to make a list and see where it takes you.

2007-11-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

we went to tennessee.

2007-10-09T08:46:00.000-05:00

just two more weekends to see "the princess club"...do it!

(p.s. in case you care, i will not be in the show the weekend of the 18th-20th, i have to be in an awesome wedding out of town.)

princess preview...

2007-09-02T13:02:00.000-05:00

click!

retreat!

2007-08-29T09:08:00.000-05:00

this past weekend, the "barrel of monkeys" had our annual company retreat at a camp in wisconsin. we spent the day attending various awesome workshops (i even helped lead one myself!), eating sweet corn and repeatedly dousing ourselves in "deep woods" bug spray (which kinda helped).

after a long day which included all the aforementioned activities along with an epic battle (pictured here), we took up our flashlights and walked along "county o" road to "fred's wagon wheel," the local bar. at one point during our rather long night, a non-monkey patron of "fred's wagon wheel" decided it would be a good idea to remove the taxidermy from the log-cabin-walls of the bar and present it to various people.

that's right. that's my friend alex trying to reason with the deer.

we made our way home after closing "the wheel" and quietly climbed into our bunks (after a few rounds of four-square, of course). as i lay in my top bunk listening to the sounds of about 10-12 of my cabin-mates sleeping like babies, i smiled to myself and felt so very grateful to be part of this group of smelly, bug spray-ridden, wonderful people.

2007-08-12T15:31:00.000-05:00

...just the usual saturday night.

2007-08-08T11:34:00.000-05:00

tiny tomatoes, sweet and delicious...

2007-08-03T18:02:00.000-05:00

next!

2007-07-25T22:32:00.000-05:00

so it's onto the next show! i'm in my second week of rehearsals for "princess club" at redmoon. two weeks of ! it should be a pretty interesting show, full of dolls, wigs, puppets and fairy tales...very different than anything i've done before. i'll keep you posted.

summer in chicago is in full swing...i went to the first night of "movies in the park" last week. me, my friends and a few hundred other people watched "young frankenstein" in grant park. 'twas fun.

also, attended my second wedding of the summer last weekend. a very fun, very late night...the wedding took place in louisville and many of the guests were staying at a chic hotel downtown, complete with high-concept video installation near the elevators. a camera and projector shot your image back at you as letters fell from the top of the screen, sometimes spelling words and always bouncing off your image. later we bought an abandoned pizza.

i miss you already.

2007-07-18T20:37:00.000-05:00

2007-07-04T10:55:00.000-05:00

also, roustabout, roustabout, ROUSTABOUT!!

free cotton candy!

england & france

2007-07-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

stafford

paris

strasbourg

st. rémy-de-provence

*if you'd like to see all two hundred and fifty two photos, let me know and i'll send you the link. :)

2007-06-14T15:11:00.000-05:00

b and i leave tomorrow for a two week european journey and i must say, trying to leave the continent is very stressful! i suppose as you get older and have a place that you live with cats and plants, it takes more than just a hastily packed bag and a plane ticket in order to leave the country. so needless to say, this week has been an insane flurry of activity and change. on monday, i knew exactly what i was doing for the rest of the summer. on tuesday all that changed. my life (or the life i need to live in order to pursue my artistic endeavors) seems to have no real basis in normalcy.

i think i need to make peace with the chaos.

remember when i said i was trying to do some "life-planning?" well, it looks as if that's just not in the cards. not my cards at least. my cards are weirdly shaped and impossible to hold. they're pink and green with polka dots and you can't fan them out in your hand nicely. nope. no life plan here. only england, france, a show and another show.

and i turn almost thirty on monday.

wish me luck.

theatre on the lake of michigan!

2007-06-08T16:52:00.000-05:00

it's official!

"roustabout: the great circus train wreck!" will remount at chicago park district's theatre on the lake this summer!

hula hoops, ribbons, dead clowns! one week only! july 11th through the 15th!

i strongly advise that you purchase your tickets now. this show will sell out because it's just that awesome.

xo!

omg.

2007-06-07T10:52:00.000-05:00

work

2007-06-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

i'm writing to you all from temporary work purgatory; the land of nice people, monotonous work, the occasional phone call and almost absolute silence. every so often, someone will walk by with a "hello" or "how you doin'" but mostly, it's just quiet. there's just me and my myspace.

do you work in an office?

how do you do it?! i mean, it's only my third day and i'm already starting to lose it. and from the conversations i've had with friends who work in these weird environments, i've learned that it's all about paper shuffling and appearing to be doing actual work. strange.

i suppose it's just hard for me to get used to. i come from the land of diapers, chalk drawing and unintelligable screams of joy. a place where there is no such thing as silence and the "work" you do generally doesn't seem like work at all. i miss it.

good luck out there.