"Hi, Ku!"

"Coming back from the beach house,
Worst insomnia
That I have felt in my life."

I've had really bad insomnia this last week, and I'm recently into writing haikus, so there ya go.

I watched three awesome movies this week that I think you've probably all seen, but I needed to catch up on. I watch Fight Club, Slumdog Millionaire, and Pulp Fiction. I think my favorite was Fight Club, possibly because I'm biased toward Edward Norton and Brad Pitt and movies that are incredibly self-aware. All three were pretty graphic films, but I feel like I grew as an artist by watching them.

In other news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1-Oep9uNwM

That clip should improve your quality of life. I would write more things, but I'm scrambling to spend time with peeps before flying back to Alaska (and also to pack). So anyway, I love you all; have a great day.

Sincerely,
Caty

"The Road Goes Ever On And On..."

When things end, I usually get really upset and cling to any memory of the event I can get my hands on... unless it's a relationship. Oddly enough, I feel strangely free at the end of all of my amorous connections. I just like being a lone wolf, going stag, flying solo if you will. I kind of have this theory that I love romance in movies and books so much be cause I'm destined to never live that way myself. And maybe I just need to be okay with that... Maybe I am? At any rate, I don't have a great track record, and I'm ready to take a long break from trying to leap those hurdles. I'm hoping it'll be a good opportunity to do some soul-searching and get closer to God again.

I've been getting farther and farther away from Him and I'm pretty sure that's why my life has been rather lackluster in the spirit & soul department lately. I need to fix it, so here's hoping.

Sorry to lay a ton of bricks on you, but it had to be done.

Have a better day than me,
Love,
Caty

Mein Goodness, Three Posts In Three Days?!

BLARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I've been having trouble sleeping and stuff, and then I accidentally slept for 16 hours and now my brain is all funny and I'm just like WOAH.

In other news, you should check out the X-Files, because it rocks. Like a bunch.

I don't know why I decided this merited a post... I think I simply required some decompressing.

WELP!
Much Love,
Caty

A Haiku and Some Free Verse With Your Insomnia?

Why does the desire to write
Always spring from pain?
At least it does in my life.

Longing, losing, loneliness, claustrophobia.
From where does this last condition arise?
The first three, all in a similar vein, all with a striking hollow sound, all with tall and solemn "L"s leading the way.
But the last of these, with a letter to match my name and a full and vibrant sting that you just love to hate, is assuredly the worst of all.

Longing:
To desire with all of one's heart
So that all you can hear when he goes by is the throbbing of your own cardiovascular muscles
And how loud and annoying your own voice becomes.

Losing:
To be empty.
Your arms and legs are voids that ache to be filled but cannot be,
Because he is gone.

Loneliness:
To resign.
The heart is almost repaired; the sun feels so new on your face and you can almost taste it's golden beams,
But you know what you are missing.

Claustrophobia:
To die a little
For every hug, every kiss you receive,
Knowing that you must sentence someone to turmoil.

Fuck this, I want to be the crazy cat lady (if my heart would just let me).

Because I Can Restart This Blog Whenever I Durn Well Please!

So... It's been a while. A lot has happened. I don't know if I care to serenade you with that particular symphony, so all I'll say is that a lot has changed and I think it's for the best. I feel a tad awesomer, so there's that.

Things I'm into right now: David Bowayyyyy, Tim and Eric's Awesome Show Great Job!, Evangelion, The Smiths, and artichokes.

Things I've been up to: writing a play about the Great Depression, directing a play about video games, co-directing a play about Dissociative Identity Disorder, acting in two newly-written plays (penned by students) as well as "Into the Woods" by the crazed genius himself, and learning to knit all sorts of crazy things. And I also made myself a tumblr, 'cuz... why not?

Things you should leave this post with: the knowledge that you are super awesome and stuff, and that I make no promises about my posting frequency anymore (with good reason).

Much Love,
Caty

"LGBT: not Lettuce, Green Beans, and Tomatoes"

Okay, a lot of people are getting up in arms about President Obama voicing his support of legalized same-sex marriage. Most of the people that I encounter who are upset about this are Christians. Basically, according to the constitution, which secures Freedom of Religion in America, there is no legal reason that homosexuals should not be allowed to marry one another. The Christian community has no right to demand that people outside our belief system should follow our ideals.

Now, I don't agree with homosexuality, but it is no worse than any other sin. God will judge the homosexuals just as he will the proud, the conceited, the dishonest, and the cruel and cold-hearted. God will judge us not by our sins, but by whether or not we have accepted Jesus into our hearts. The manner in which many of my brothers and sisters in Christ target the LGBT community with calloused doctrine is disheartening to me. It is only with love, kindness, and gentleness that we can ever reach out to the lost. "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone." Jesus himself never confronted people with their sins, but with his love and a solution for their earthly plight. Jesus' highest commandment was to "love God with all you heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus wants us to love one another. Let's leave the judging to God. Our focus should be saving the lost, not correcting them before they're a student. Judgement only drives people away, and we don't want anyone sentenced to Hell.

I'm not claiming to be better than anyone else. I struggle and fail daily, hourly, with sin. I am not perfect. The good things about me reflect God's glory, not my own. We all are gifted uniquely, and we are all flawed just as uniquely. But let us love one another as Jesus wanted, "for our war is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities of evil and spiritual forces of darkness in the heavenly realms." ~Ephesians 6:12

My love to you all,
Caty

"It's a Beautiful Ville"

Remember last semester when I said I was going to review "Belleville" and didn't? Well I did, I just never posted it. Because I'm addle-brained. So now I'll take a few moments to tell you about it.

"Belleville" is a new play, that was very recently born here in Connecticut. It is set in Belleville, Paris, which is a shadier part of the city. A young couple lives there, and another couple are their upstairs landlords. The first couple have moved here for Zack's job as a doctor,while Abby stays at home and works on her art and fixes up the house.

At first, they appear to be happy and comfortable, definitely in love. But as the play goes on, the audience sees that Abby has some mental disorders to work through. Her mother has died a few years ago, and she has drawn obsessively close to her family. This unhealthy behavior has been emphasized by her sister's pregnancy. Zack, wanting to spend time with her and help her out of a depression-rife rut, continually tries to take the phone from her. Actually, he is constantly taking care of her. Abby acts much like a child, and Zack pays the price with heavy drug addiction.

But Zack isn't perfect either. It is revealed that he dropped out of med school and never had a job in Paris. Abby's discovery that they are actually living on zero revenue combined with her excessive paranoia and depression push her too far. She tries to commit suicide with a knife in the bathtub, under the guise of "washing off." Before Zack figures it out, he asks her if she ever regrets asking him to marry her, or wishes that he'd said no. She says "yes," she does wish that, but doesn't respond to a barrage of questions following. Zack panics, kicks down the door, and saves her life.

The couple seems to have a breakthrough, with Zack telling Abby how much he loves and cares for her, his wife. Abby reacts lovingly for the first time in the entire show... and then the phone rings. Zack answers it, talks to Abby's father for a few minutes, and then hands the phone over to Abby.

While talking, she goes and gets dressed in the far room, closing the door behind her. Zack looks out the window into the beautiful sunrise for a few hopeful moments, and then picks up the knife Abby tried to kill herself with and hovers outside her door, before retreating into the bathroom and locking the door. The sound of running water is heard. When Abby exits her room, there is a rising white noise, and a blinding spotlight is set on her. She looks at the bathroom door for a moment, and then leaves the apartment.

Overall, I thought “Belleville” was disappointing. I went into the theatre with high hopes for a fabulous show that would amaze me just as much as “Three Sisters” did. This isn’t to say that “Belleville” was bad. In fact, it was quite a remarkable script with some fabulous acting and a stunning set. However, there were some things (which I will go into more detail about) that made me feel uncomfortable, and not in the way that was intended.

First thing’s first: the acting. I thought that all of the dramatic acting was stellar, especially from the female lead, but the same actress’ dialogue at the beginning of the play set me on edge. It’s possible that she was trying to show early on that there was something wrong mentally with her character, but when she was speaking to Alioune (her landlord), or even her husband, the way she spoke seemed like she was “acting” instead of empathizing and being realistic. For such a visceral and realistic play, I think it was a bit jarring that her tone was so showy during the exposition.

Her dramatic acting, as I mentioned before, was beautiful, though. When she was cutting her toenail off, I felt sympathy pains because of her intensity, and her attempted suicide was breathtaking in its realism. I believe that the actor who played Zack did the best job overall, however. He was always believable and knew how to be obvious without being overt about his drug addiction and other personal problems. Subtlety is essential for those kinds of issues.

Another thing that set me off was the ending. Near the end of the play when Zack and Abby were kneeling in front of each other and he answered the phone instead of her, I took it as a moment of symbolism; Abby was going to let Zack back into her heart and Zack was going to stop being antagonistic about her obsessive behaviors with her family. This made the role-reversal, Zack’s suicide, and Abby’s abandonment of her husband that much more heart-wrenching, and not in a way that I though was beneficial. It made me walk out of the theatre intensely disheartened and angry. Why can’t “good plays” end happily? But that’s a rant for another time.

Another scripting issue I had was the very end of the play. The large amount of French dialogue was quite upsetting. I could understand one or two minutes of silence interspersed with French, but five to ten is excessive. Never assume your audience can speak a foreign language, or will be okay with not understanding whole minutes of dialogue. It was very frustrating.

A praise I have is for the set and lighting. BRILLIANT. The set looked like a nice, if well-used, French apartment, complete with lovely artwork, small embellishments on the fireplace, and an outdoor neon sign and street that looked absolutely real. And let’s talk lights for a minute; how do you get lights to look like the morning sun? That’s pure genius. And not only did it look like sun, it like the sun. I was amazed.

All of this being said, I consider “Belleville” a good experience for myself mainly for setting and lighting purposes and some great dramatic acting. I may not have enjoyed all of the play, but it was definitely a good watch, and exceptionally well-done

That's about all I have to say today. I'll probably be doing a review of "Into The Woods" in the near future, because I'm a sucker for Sondheim. In the meantime, Stay classy, Planet Earth!

Love,
Caty

"Hunting High, Not Low"

Hello!

So, I am massively sick today, but my brain is simply going mad with energy. So, I thought I'd channel some of that here. I watched Good Will Hunting today, and it was, in a word, breathtaking. I don't know if I want to review it or not, because it was just that good. Anyway, here's what I've been doing with myself for the last few days. I'm taking a class this semester that deals with manipulating images and producing media. This inspired me to download the free trials for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. This is the result.

I'm pretty proud with these:

And this was just kind of fun:

And this was fever-induced silliness:

I think I have a serious problem...

Anyway! Good Will Hunting: an amazing film. Watch it. There's cursing, but I would say it adds a lot to the characters. All of the actors were very organic and convincing, and the storyline is quite compelling. It's about friendship, love, and the important things in life. It made me cry just as much as Moulin Rouge! did, so... that accounts for something.

As for life, it's pretty good when I'm not sick (which feels increasingly often). I'm pretty sure it's the air here. It's yucky. When not photoshopping like a maniac, I've been spending my time reading some H.P. Lovecraft, working on my harmonies for the upcoming musical, and browsing some webcomics. My favorites include Problem Sleuth, Girl Genius, and Homestuck. Unfortunately, they are REALLY LONG, so it takes an undue amount of effort to keep up. I pretty much wait until I'm under the weather, like today, and blast through large chunks of them.

I also watched the 1925 version of Phantom of the Opera. It was really interesting to see how much the new adaptation had pulled from it. Some of the sets were literally IDENTICAL. That made me feel really good about film-makers honoring their predecessors. Also, Lon Chaney played the phantom, which was GREAT. If you don't know who Lon Chaney is, go watch some old horror movies. RIGHT NOW. I don't mean crap like Saw and Hostel. I mean "The Wolfman" and "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Dracula." He didn't actually do all of those, but you should watch them all. Yes, I mean YOU!

Now that I've given you a job, I think I shall either watch something incredibly epic, or pass out and sleep for 12 hours. So, adieu!

Love,
Caty

P.S. I'll bet you couldn't tell that shirt with the zipper was originally white, huh? ;)

"Yale: Ye Ole Maze O' DEATH"

So, I mentioned in my last post that I was going to go to Yale Cabaret and watch Dracula, right? Well, I guess God the Father must have been sitting up there in Heaven, looking through the playbills of shows around the world, and upon seeing the description of "Dracula," decided that it was NOT FOR MY EYES and that he should KEEP ME FROM IT AT ALL COSTS by making it as DIFFICULT AS POSSIBLE for me to find my way to the Cabaret. Either that, or he thought it would be really funny for me to get lost and sniffle like a little girl. At any rate, it was a horrible experience. Everyone at Yale is snobby, except for the really sketchy people that smoke in Gothic alcoves, and I was a little worried I was going to die. When I finally made my way back to the bus stop, after being told by the maitre de that my ticket had been given away due to my tardiness, I called my boyfriend and made him talk to me about Gundam and Stratego, because I needed something THAT RANDOM to get my mind off of my soaked hat and Toms (which were a poor choice of footwear for a rainy day).

All in all, I am really grateful I didn't get mugged or something, and now I know my way around the theatre district of Yale (more or less).

I hope y'all's weekends were better than mine!
Love,
Caty

P.S. I heard it "sucked" anyway

"French or Fry?"

Hello, all! I've been out of the blogging scene for a while, but this semester I've found a way to tie blogging and homework together! Huzzah! So, there should be more frequent posts... In theory.

Okay, it's not a review today, but what I have to say IS about some prominent theatre characters. More specifically, villains. Namely, Jud Fry from Oklahoma and Inspector Javert from Les Misérables. The assignment was to compare and contrast the characters, taking into account their backgrounds and "villainous" ways. If you don't want to know anything about what happens to these characters, stop here.

Here's my essay:

                 All too often, audiences slip into the mindset of a “good guy” versus a “bad guy” without taking into account the actual character that is supposedly a dastardly villain. Two prime examples of misunderstood antagonists are Jud Fry from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, and Inspector Javert from Claude-Michel Schönberg & Alain Boublil’s Les Misérables. The three aspects of this exposition will focus on are the characters’ backgrounds and how they respond to their upbringing, their deaths, and whether or not either of them could be considered a true villain.

                Jud and Javert were born into similar situations, and it is apparent that both characters have some anger about their initial positions in society. Jud often complains that no one will speak to him because he’s a cowhand. He projects his own insecurities about social position onto others, when the real animosity stems from his gauche behavior. It is also clear that he had very little mothering by his extensive collection of “pretties” and his goal to simply go get the woman he wants without regard to her tastes.

                Rather than embrace his birth status, like Jud, Javert makes a total break from his past. He works hard, seeks to tidy and organize everything around him, and punish the unlawful lowlifes he had to grow up with. Since Javert says that he turned his own father in, we can infer that his relationship with his parents was just as bad, if not worse, than Jud’s. However, instead of being angry about others judging him, like Jud, he judges others with an uncaring and narrow-minded rule of law. Any irregularity in his judgement is unacceptable, and he is only barely able to contain his anger about the inconsistencies of the world.

                However, both of these men have solos where we can see a little deeper into their sympathetic side. Jud expresses how trapped and alone he feels in “Lonely Room,” while “Stars” gives some insight into Javert’s longing for definite purpose and desire for unchanging consistency. Jud really just needed a good friend. But Javert’s issues are far more deep-seated and difficult to address. Best guess, cubicle work and a good psychiatrist could have made him happy, but neither were available in his day.

                This brings us to death. Jud’s death was, frankly, unnecessary. He had been down at the bar for weeks, trying to forget about Laurey. If he had really been planning to kill Curly, why would he have gotten drunk? Jud didn’t have much in the way of book smarts, but his story about burning down a house and disposition to use the tricky “Little Wonder” show a more calculating nature than a slovenly drunkard trying to murder a groom. Curly even hints that his killing Jud was intentional, which makes him more cruel than Jud if we go by actions (but I’m getting ahead of myself here).

                The suicide of Javert is a completely different story. The audience is sad that he has to die, but simultaneously relieved that this tortured man has finally found some kind of respite. He can’t reconcile letting Jean Valjean go free, so death is the only option. And as he dies, the melody from “Stars” chimes in, implying a sense of satisfaction and catharsis for the troubled Inspector. And I suppose he must have resembled a shooting star, hurling himself off of a bridge like that.

                And now, for the real question: are either of these characters real villains? I would say no. Jud talks about being able to do horrible things, but never actually hurts anyone. After the betting over the hampers had concluded, he hesitated rather than kill Curly quick and clean, and he brought a knife rather than a gun to the wedding, and was clearly not in a heightened state of mind. While Jud may not be a nice fellow, it would be a stretch to call him a villain based on his actions.

                As for Javert, he definitely does horrible things. His lack of sympathy for Fantine is the best example of his hardened heart. She is a prostitute, and therefore she is wrong and must be punished regardless of the circumstances. However, Javert always thinks that he is doing good. He is never cruel for the sake of cruelty, but always seeks to carry out justice. When he finally has to examine the disparity between morality and his so-called justice, he kills himself rather than continue to enforce his uncaring law, which he could not ignore. He dies for what is right, because he can’t handle living with a broken system.

                Personally, I have more fondness for Javert. He tried to make it out of his past, and attempted to do good. When he realized he was wrong, he did the only thing that he believed could prevent further injustices. There is far more depth to his character than I see in Jud, who just lives with himself and thinks that accumulating more things will make his life better. But I always wonder if either character could have been saved if someone had simply been kind to them? Had given them a conscience? Maybe they just needed better mothers and fathers? However, both Jud and Javert made their own choices, and those choices led to their demises. One always has a choice.

That's all for this week, folks. This weekend I'll be watching "a neo-sixties sensual adaptation" of Dracula. I'm... hesitant to say the least, but very excited about seeing such a great villain on stage! Expect a review!

I hope you're all doing well :) Happy Valentine's Day!

Sincerely,

Caty

"......oops."

Well, I am just not a very good blogger, apparently. That's okay with me. It's not like anybody reads it, so I'm not too worried. If all goes well, there will be a massive update over Christmas Break, as well as a renewed fervor for consistency in posts next semester.

Until then, stay classy, Planet Earth!
Caty

"Long Long Long" (Time)

So, it's been a while. In my defense, someone I love had surgery and I almost lost my mind between that and midterms. No biggie. Reviews to come soon (note the lack of commitment about when? I thought it was pretty darn clever): Portal, Portal 2, "Belleville," Fast Five, and perhaps West Wing. This is assuming I don't watch or play anything better in the interim, of course. So, anyway... PEACE!

I love ya,
Caty

"Uh Pitcher Of Ewe"

This is what I have to show for my Calculus class this week, a cartoon of my boyfriend. I am such a good student. I did, however, become privy to some excellent shows and I read a pretty darn good play. Reviews to come soon... not that you care. You know, that's the funny thing about this blog. No one reads it, and I don't really mind. I just pretend that people do anyway, for fun. Makes me feel important without getting too big of a head. I dunno, I'm rambling. It's 5AM now, so I think I'll hit the hay. I am a bit tired. Anyway, I love you all, regardless of whether or not you read my blog.
Love,
Caty

P.S. "I cannot believe my eyes; is the world finally growing wise? And I think I see some kind of harmony is on the rise."

"We are FAMILY"

I've been a little behind in my blogging lately. I'm afraid I've just been spending a lot of time doing homework and spending time with the awesome people in my dorm. That's really all I've got to say right now; I'm too busy living it up here. I'll make an effort to post some stuff soon, though!

"Lately, I've Been Thinking"

This post is a few day later than I promised, but in my defense I'm working on a show. So without further adieu, here's my review of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters. It's a little muddled, since I'm basically copying and pasting from my report on the play, but I think it gets the points across.


Exposition:

Where I come from, in South-Central Alaska, we don’t have professional theatre. Since Three Sisters was my first time watching “real theatre,” I may be a bit generous in my review. Quite frankly, I was amazed. Anton Chekhov’s ability to mesh humor and tragedy is beautiful, and presents a more realistic view of life. The way he writes also lends to the major theme of the play, which is that life simply is. It sounds like I’m leaving part of the sentence out, but I assure you I am not. Life is hard, happy, sad, wonderful, terrifying, lovely, disillusioning… Life is.

Summary:

The basic plot of the story involves the lives of (you guessed it) three sisters. The play begins on the youngest sister Irina’s birthday, which is also the first anniversary of their father’s death. Irina is full of hope and ambition, desiring to enter the workforce and make something of herself. She dresses in white throughout the entire play to denote her innocence and purity. The middle sister, Masha, always wears black and is wedded to a husband she does not care for; she longs for a life with more meaning and more interesting people. The oldest sister, Olga, seems to be the most balanced of the three, but there is a sense that she feels a lack of purpose as well. She is constantly tired and only seems rejuvenated when her sisters are happy. The sisters desire two things: for their brother and head of the household, Andrei, to realize his intellectual potential and become a professor, and to move to Moscow when he does. To their dismay, he has fallen into the clingy arms of one Natasha. To add to the plot is a group of military men. They are Chebutykin, the aging doctor who dotes on the three sisters (especially Irina); the wealthy , well-balanced, and wistful Tuzenbach, who is also referred to as the Baron (he is in love with Irina); Vershinin the philosopher, who is married to a woman depicted as horrible and crazy and eventually falls in love with Masha; Solyony, who is borderline insane (possibly as a result of immense insecurity), is in love with Irina, and can be counted on to say something ridiculous at any given time; Rode; and Fedotik. Other characters include three servants at the household (a very old couple and a young girl), and Masha’s husband Ferapont.

In the second scene, Andrei disappoints his sister by settling down with Natasha, who becomes more and more antagonistic and abrasive as the show goes on. Andrei also begins gambling away large sums of money and losing sight of his intellectual prowess. Irina loses faith in work and becomes discouraged by her unwanted suitor, Solyony. She does not mind the Baron. Vershinin and Masha become very close and it becomes obvious that they are in love. The only thing keeping them apart is Masha’s husband (who, ironically, later mentions that he might like to be wedded to Olga instead). Everyone seems a little tired and on edge, as though none have them have had quite enough sleep. It is snowing outside during this scene (which was a wonderful production effect), which adds not only realism, but a sense of heaviness as well. The sisters still haven’t made it to Moscow and feel blanketed in, as if by snow.

In the third scene, there has been a large fire. Through the windows on the balcony the trees can be seen in dim red light, which later turns to smoky haze. The action takes place in a much smaller room, to make the audience see how little is left to the sisters and to show how trapped they feel. Everyone is exhausted and appears to have lost hope. Most of the men are grimy with ash and everything about the scene has a kind of darkness to it. Masha and Vershinin finally cannot ignore each other and consummate their love. It is the only part of the scene that could be described as happy. The doctor tries to commit suicide by drowning, Irina breaks down, Olga becomes entirely fed up with Natasha’s lack of compassion, and Andrei realizes the horror of what he has done to his beloved sisters by gambling so much away and marrying too hastily to such an overbearing woman. It is realized that the sisters will never go to Moscow. In her despair, Irina decides to marry the Baron.

The fourth scene contrasts the previous one in its brightness and its openness. It takes place on the porch. The military men are leaving, but the Baron has retired and is marrying Irina. Andrei has lost all of his spark. Olga has moved out and is headmistress at the school. Masha and Vershinin have say their heart-wrenching goodbyes. Olga and Irina do their best to console her, but Irina is additionally heartbroken when she hears that the Baron was killed by Solyony in a duel. Natasha is borderline insane, treating the misplacement of a fork as though it were the end of the world. Despite all of this turmoil, hope shines through, however. Irina still plans to make a new start by moving and finding work. She is a bit jaded, but has returned to her original state of optimism. Olga sees that she can find joy without her sisters, helping children learn as a headmistress and assisting the elderly woman that used to serve the sisters. Masha has seen that there are people worth taking note of in the world and knows that there is joy out there. Her husband takes her back as though nothing has happened, and she finally seems to accept him, saying “Let’s go home.” It is the day most filled with tragedy in the entire play, but is the beginning of a new chapter for the sisters. Even though life seems bad, it looks bright. And that is how life is.


Thoughts That I Brought Away:

To begin a review like this, the stage must first be set. The set pieces in this play were glorious. There were multiple levels (a main floor, an upper dining room, and a balcony). At times the middle and upper levels were removed, but their presence added a certain dynamic effect, causing one’s eyes to be constantly entertained and making the play appear less flat visually. The changes between sets were also brilliant and seamless as the action moved through different parts of the sisters’ household. Possibly my favorite part about the set, though, was the spindly birch trees that could be seen through the windows. They seemed to travel up into the rafters and go on forever. They were like a representation of life, just going on and on and on. The use of a large wooden platform also helped to denote when a character was inside the house or out, and its gentle creaks added an additional touch of realism. It made it much easier to imagine being in a characters position, pacing over the wooden panels to slump onto a nearby chair.

Speaking of chairs, the furniture as well as all other set pieces and props were perfectly time period and seemed to fit in each scene like a glove. The only furniture piece I was confused by was an end- table which had its legs folded out onstage. I wasn’t entirely sure if that was time period. At any rate, it was very minor and the only even potential flaw I saw as far as production was concerned.

To continue with the spacial description, the actual theatre itself was wonderful. The chairs were comfortable, but not so soft that as to tempt a patron to slumber. And the arrangement of the seats was at a steeper incline than I was accustomed to, which made me feel much closer to the actors. It also meant that the projection of voice didn’t need to be as much of a concern. The acoustics also added to this. I heard every word that every actor spoke. For someone a bit hard of hearing in the balcony, it is a highly appreciated quality.

Now, the topic I have saved for last is the acting. I have never been so moved by a performance. These men and women actually sobbed at points. And this wasn’t your typical stage boo-hooing. These were actual throes of grief. This was counterpointed by the amazing ability of the actors to portray levity in other scenes. The only things that I noticed that might have been a bit off were in Olga and Natasha’s performances. Olga speaks the first lines in the play. That is a lot of pressure, and should thus be met with a large amount of skill and polish. Unfortunately, Olga’s opening lines seemed a little too polished to me. It’s a nuance, and I’m something of a critic for even mentioning it. As for Natasha, her performance was stellar and she delivered almost as many laugh lines as Solyony. Just a few times, though, she stepped on the audience’s laughter. It’s a very hard skill to master, gauging the audience’s giggles, and her acting more than made up for it. Her character is a subject of pity at the beginning and an embodiment of evil by the ending.

It’s difficult to explain the intricacies of the performances to someone. They were so good, so involved, that I found myself drawn into the action as I never have been before. I am still blown away.


In Conclusion:
Anton Chekhov is a genius, and his work Three Sisters has been reproduced beautifully. The acting, lights, sets, and translation were blended perfectly. In general, I’m not a fan dramas because I found them depressing and overbearing. But his use of humor throughout hard times is more attractive and realistic than most dramas. The crazy ups and downs, the trials and hardships, and the hopes and disheartenings of life are all part of this play. It’s all the same. Life is.


I loved this play, and I recommend it. Even the discrepencies that we discussed in my class today were so minor and subjective that they hardly count. It was good theatre, straight up.
I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the beginning of October. I love pumpkin flavoring and Halloween, so I that I am! It's going to be a great month.

Love,
Caty

"A Group Of Female Siblings Numbering To Three"

Okay... this is not going to be a real post today. It's more of a... pre-post warning (which sounds kind of oxymoronic). Basically, I'm going to go see Anton Chekhov's play "Three Sisters" this weekend at the Yale Rep. and I am REALLY EXCITED. You can probably expect a review by Sunday.

I hope that all of your weekends look as promising as mine!

Love,
Caty

P.S. Chekhov is the man. Even if he did call "The Seagull" a "comedy"

"A 'Rushin' Play And Tales of Family Angst"

Well... I can't think of anything interesting to say about what's going on in my life right now that hasn't been said before. So I'll just say that Procrastination is a life choice, and I have chosen it. As a result, I can write a pretty decent paper in under an hour. I probably shouldn't push my procrastination skills too much, though. Anyway, I've read two reasonably famous plays lately, and I'm going to tell you about them both.

Instead of reviewing one thing at time, like I normally do, I'm going to switch it up by doing a little compare and contrast of the play "Buried Child" by Sam Shepard and  "The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov. Both plays concerned dysfunctional family relations. "Buried Child" took place in rural Illinois and "The Seagull" took place in Russia (I really just don't know where) on an estate by a lake. Shepard explored such things as personal identity vs. family inheritance, incestuous relationships, and the dynamics of a broken family. "The Seagull" also had an element of familial issues because of a rather complex Love Square (even more deadly than the feared Love Triangle!). There is very professional visualization below:

Perhaps my favorite part about both of these plays, though, was the way they mixed tragedy with comedy. For "Buried Child" it was the way the family communicated with each other (through slander and leg-pulling), and for Chekhov it was the complexities of everyday life as well as a light kind of tone.
To be completely honest, I HATED "Buried Child" the first time I read it. I didn't agree with one of the main themes and I thought it was just too dark. Upon re-reading it I liked it, though. I think that this is because by the time I got to the end of the play I forgot all of the comedy in the beginning. As for "The Seagull," I liked it. I just don't think it should be called a "Comedy," no matter how ironic it is. If you read it/have read it, you will know what I mean.
I was going to do a much more in-depth compare and contrast, but I seem to have lost some motivation. I do, after all, have Devo blasting and another play to read ("Golden Boy"). I will leave you with the most frustrating and most enjoyable parts of each play.
"Buried Child": Very ambiguous about a great deal of things, but has some very funny moments and allows for a lot of individual interpretation.
"The Seagull": All of the characters have 3 names (which makes it VERY DIFFICULT to read effectively), but was written beautifully (could be one of my favorite plays, even if it is NOT a comedy).

Other than read plays, all I've done is watch "The Princess & The Frog" (which I love). It's set in the '30s, has Jazz music composed by Randy Newman, and is a classically drawn Disney movie. I think that there is no way this movie couldn't be awesome. But then again, I like Disney movies...

So, anyway, I have some Calculus homework to punch in the face and some Dunkin' Donuts coffee to drink. I bid you adieu and hope that wherever you may be in life and in the world, you have a great day.

Love,
Caty

"The Unusual Suspects"

College is... not too shabby! I've made a few more friends, and am starting to feel like I actually live here. Saw some Alaskans this past weekend, which was awesome, went to NYC (AMAZING), and just generally had a decent week. But enough about me, what of my reviews that I know you're all just DYING to read?! Well, I've got a few, so don't worry.

A truly wonderful film that I watched was "The Usual Suspects." Kevin Spacey is the actor I want to be some day. He's so amazing! The plot twist was one I would normally catch, but he fooled me. I don't want to give anything away, so I can't really say much besides "watch the movie!"

Another goodie that I rewatched lately was "Julie & Julia." Frankly... it's a chick-flick (though I did get my brother to watch it and he enjoyed it!). It's very cute and creative. Amy Adams is one of my very favorite actresses. If you're looking for a lot of depth, look elsewhere. However, this flick has more to offer than some lame kiss-kiss movie. It's good. Watch it... if you like chick flicks, anyway.

I really can't think of any other movies right now. I've been too busy for them lately! Anyway, stay classy, have a great day.

Love,
Caty

"Better Late Than Never..."

Well, I'm all settled in for college, I have some coffee beside me, and I just ate a pop-tart. The time is nigh for me to write some reviews! Honestly, though, I've watched so many movies over the past few weeks that I really can't review them all today. I WILL review "Oleanna" finally, though! And some other interesting theatre productions as well.

"Oleanna" is.... intense. Apparently this is a common characteristic for the works of playwright David Mamet. I'm going to review it objectively, and then personally.
"Oleanna: is a two-person play that takes place in a professor's office. The characters: a female college student, passionate about equal opportunity for women despite her somewhat unpolished study habits, and a professor who thinks rather loftily of himself as a result of his being ready for tenure. The student, Carol, is struggling with professor John's class, and has decided to meet with him privately in his office about a specific assignment, which she failed, and his her lack of understanding for his lectures in general (which, the audience can assume from his rather overdone prose, are in fact quite confusing). John is highly stressed because he is trying to buy a house for his wife and child, and his stress is exacerbated by Carol's lack of understanding.
There are three acts in the play, with three major themes.
Act 1- Men are callous and overbearing, women are weak, stupid. (Carol is in submission to John)
Act 2- Women are scheming and men are manipulative and brutish. (John and Carol are equal)
Act 3- Everyone is wrong. (John is in submission to Carol)
The use of role-reversal is brilliant and scripted perfectly. I don't want to spoil anything, so that's all I'll say. As for the performers, they were good. I couldn't find any major flaws in their acting, nor was I uncomfortable with them (except where intended by the playwright, of course).
Personally, I probably liked this play more than I normally would have because of who I viewed it with. I still wasn't a huge fan. I thought that the actors were a little too comfortable in their roles, and had lost the edge that I'm sure was present opening night. Don't get me wrong, they were good! They just started off a little bland for me (because I'm a super-critic, I'm sorry). Additionally, I'm not a fan of depressing, human-condition type plays.
All-in-all, the play was brilliant, if not "pleasurable" for me. It really is some good stuff.

Now, I was going to review "Truly, Madly, Deeply" next, but "Oleanna" kind of took it out of me. So I'll direct your attention to the fun little series that I watched over the course of two days. Ladies and gentleman, please give a hand to.... "Freaks & Geeks!"

"Freaks & Geeks" was a short-lived TV series set in 1980. The main protagonists were Lindsey (a junior in highschool who had just joined the Freaks after leaving the world of the Mathletes), and her younger brother (who was a borderline midget and definitely a member of the Geeks). It's a cute series that centers around the tough decisions between cool and morally right, in a way that is less.... lame than most "dilemma" shows. I recommend it highly. It's funny, and has some good tidbits about morality and how to survive some awkward years in your life.

Well, that's all for me tonight. I'll try to make it a habit to write more regularly. I know I've said that before, but I have a more definite schedule for my life right now, so it's more likely to become reality this time.
At any rate, I love you all, whoever you may be.

Fondest Wishes,
Caty

"Homer's Where The Heart Is!"

I went to Homer yesterday, and I have not felt this good in a long time. In about a year, in fact. The atmosphere, the attitude, the friends... I loved it. Even went to mini-Woodstock (a.k.a. Concert On The Lawn) and saw a play. Fantastic stuff. :)

I've recently been watching Supernatural, the TV series, and it's pretty awesome, if a little too dramatic at times. Not really much to say about it.

To be honest, I really just don't feel like reviewing anything today. I'm exhausted. I'll be back to tell you all about the play and the movies I've been watching (because I'm sure I gave so many enthralled readers).

Anyway, I hope you are well. I love you.

~Caty