l4rrydean

[l4rrydean]

farewell :3

This blog has definitely come a long way from the first post that we initially made. I’m glad that I chose to center my blog around As You Like It because I was able to document this experience in a different way. I loved how we were given more than just one form of content to post on our page. This made the process a little more enjoyable than if it was just writing paragraph after paragraph. I personally don’t think that I’m going to continue this blog after this last post; however, I do think that making a new blog about a different topic is something I’d consider if I had the time to allot it too. I just feel that this blog has served its purpose long enough. I’ll definitely look back at this blog to cherish the time and memories that it now holds. Before this project, I had never blogged about anything or even tried to blog in general. I can see how blogging can be a hobby for some people but I don’t think it’s the one for me. There were times where it felt really fun writing the blog posts which is surprising for someone like me who doesn’t enjoy writing that much. If I were to actually make a new blog, I’d most likely just repost or upload images which sounds like something that I would enjoy doing more. This process of creating the blog and seeing it grow was quite a journey. 

[l4rrydean]

Ms. V

For this week’s blog post I will be writing about the incredible Ms. Victoria Deleon Guerrero. I first met Ms. V in the first few months of my sophomore year. Before that time I did not know that Dr. G had more than just one daughter other than Mary Shelley. She was new to the school as a staff member and new to me. Within the first few months of her involvement in theater, I saw big changes being made to the program. She was the backbone of the entire crew for Mount Carmel’s production of Mamma Mia. We were able to take theater to a whole new level with her vast experience in theater. With that knowledge, she was able to create another masterpiece, As You Like It. From being a director alongside her, to her assistant director, and finally one of her own cast members, Ms. V has taught me more than I could thank her for. She has guided me and countless other students. She made me feel understood and cared for in a way that I haven’t really seen from teachers and for that I will be forever grateful. I am both relieved but saddened that I only have one year remaining to work with her and I will cherish every moment that I have with her.

[l4rrydean]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃

Last week was probably one of the most exhausting weeks I have ever lived in my life. For six days straight, I had to perform the same show over and over with a full face of makeup with costumes that made it feel more hot than it already was. Despite how tiring each day was, I had to savor each and every moment that I had with my cast members. Each day that went by was a day closer to opening night; a day closer to the conclusion of this four month long journey. This means no more smacking makeup onto our faces in an hour, no more calling dibs on changing in the closet, no more cramming into Sinahi’s car to go shopping. I’m already suffering the effects of post production depression, or PPD as the theater people call it. I’m gonna miss having to constantly tell my friends to be quiet only to end up being the loudest one talking, or the muted laughter of backstage and the constant fear that we all felt when something fell on the ground. I really hope that we don’t lose the bond that we’ve created and continue to act like theater kids. 

[l4rrydean]

Closing Night

The light is blinding

Sweat trickles down your back 

Applause deafens your ears

And then the bow 

The bow of relief that we take 

The bow that ends it all 

No more practices

No more sleepless nights memorizing lines 

No more seeing the people you once called your family 

The pain.

The longing. 

The need to read the script again 

Wanting to be on the stage 

But it’s time to turn the page 

Of the book that we call, 

As You Like It. 

And if I were to have it the way I like it,

It wouldn’t come to an end. 

#postproductiondepression #ppd

[l4rrydean]

Just like this song, As You Like It begins pretty normal but as you get deeper into the song things start to get strange and so does the play. Just when you think that things couldn’t get any weirder, everything turns into a mess, but as they always say, there is beauty in chaos. 

[l4rrydean]

[l4rrydean]

The theatre is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life.

Arthur Miller

#THERESONLYTWOWEEKSUNTILSHOW

[l4rrydean]

𝐀 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤’𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭: 𝐊𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐭 :𝟑

Hey, it’s me, dying crew member of As You Like It, Kiana! Yayyyy… I’m the current apprentice for the props and set for this play and it’s all been so… Painful. Yeah, painful. Anyways, Larry’s blog has been an insight on how it’s like to be a cast member, but here’s my input on how it’s like to be a crew member.

Just like the cast, the crew has a special bond as well. Although the cast may seem to hang out a lot more, I like to think that the crew shares the whole “we’re-all-dying-so-we-might-as-well-get-along” type of vibe. Think of extroverts vs introverts, because that’s basically the dynamic of the cast and crew members.

Painting the set is fun, but not when you’re under a time crunch. Painting about 1000 square meters of “grass” for a magical forest is tiring with only a few people working on it, and buildings are a pain to paint. Paint without the “T”, as the art crew says. Thankfully the list of props isn’t so bad and is quite manageable. My whole spring break was practically just theatre set chores and it was so tiring to the point where I woke up sore from all the physical activity that I kept doing.

Overall, I enjoy being a crew member, despite my whole tangent on how painful it is. I used to be a cast member and never felt like it was my thing. Sure, acting is fun, but designing a set that I can be proud of feels a lot more rewarding for me. Plus, I like working behind the scenes! I feel more in my zone knowing that I won’t need to be worrying about memorizing lines or learning a ton of blocking. Being out on the stage scares me and fills me with anxiety, so I really applaud the cast for that. The cast and crew all have their own struggles that come with their roles, and being involved in both sides of theatre really made me notice that. I love watching the dynamic of the crew and they’re the people I look forward to being with while we stress about the set of As You Like It.

[l4rrydean]

Along the path to the fairy forest by Alexey Milokost 

[l4rrydean]

Gwrych Castle, Wales - by Tom Wat

[l4rrydean]

orlando and his love poems 

Cézanne Et Moi || Dir. Danièle Thompson, 2016

[l4rrydean]

𝚜𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 “𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔”

I really wish that I could say that our spring break provided some form of rest for me. When I heard that we were getting an entire week off from school I was so excited to finally relax and to not have to worry about anything. However, I should have known better as a cast member that free time means opportunities to practice. Then we were given news about our schedule for the week of spring break. Five six-hour practices from Monday to Friday was the plan. Obviously I wasn’t excited in any way to see our break taken away but the other cast members and I knew that it would help the show. On the brighter side, we were able to have a second beach day to at least spend one afternoon of our leisure time right. 

#theaterthingz

[l4rrydean]

blocking the last scene

Ms. V: I need you and Kina to touch foreheads in a loving way.

Kina & I: *brings foreheads together*

Gelo: BONK!

Everyone: *bursts out laughing*

#ineedtomemorizemylines

[l4rrydean]

the forest of arden, lost poems, and celia

Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” -2006 movie adaptation

[l4rrydean]

The Jolly Joker

Touchstone

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” As You Like It, Act V Scene 1

[l4rrydean]

Fairy Bridge, Isle of Man

via lovely greens

[l4rrydean]

#originalphoto