it's been awhile
So it's been a really long time since I've used LiveJournal (about 6 months?) and even since I wrote in my regular pen-and-paper journals (at least 2 months). Now that I have a break, perhaps some free time, I want to start again. Also, we're being snowed in right now, and I'm deadly bored. So this is starting again...
Some highlights/memorable points of the last semester include:
My performance project piece, which was a semester's worth of work in both Performance Studio and Costume Design. 15 minutes worth of movement/text/film/music/costumes and perfectionism, 5 wonderful performers (which became 4 about 2 days before the show), 2+ rehearsals every week for almost three months, 2 performances, 6 hoop skirt covers made entirely out of many, many strips of trace paper, 1 of which got destroyed each night as part of the piece. Many, many, many rehearsals of me giving some of the vaguest directions I ever have. Spending significant parts of the process not really knowing what the heck I was trying to do. And yet, ending up with a piece that I feel proud of.
Many nights with Elizabeth K. working on computer science programs for Programming Language Paradigms, writing in many different languages -- resulting in the cartoon on my wall (drawn by Elizabeth) of me looking at a computer and saying, "We hate you, ECLiPSe (...Haskell...threading...Prolog)!" while Elizabeth snores in the background. Successful completion of said programs -- even a constraint program to successfully figure out a pizza order, given a list of people.
Being selected to do costume design for The Silent Caller, Will's senior thesis. In general, discovering that I actually do have some level of talent at costume design. I am so pleased with how my costumes for performance project turned out... especially after spending hours and hours in the costume shop putting together these skirts, it was amazing to see that they actually were extraordinarily beautiful objects.
Our trip to MIT and the Media Lab over October break-- feeling like maybe there's at least one place I could combine these crazy theater and dance and computer science things. Meeting with people who actually thought that idea was really cool. Also, just hanging in Cambridge with Kevin and Eliz and my brother.
Co-directing Madrigals = amazing. Especially for "Ave Maria" and "Out of the Orient Crystal Skies." It was wonderful to see that I actually can direct, especially after the first while of me feeling really over my head/not knowing how to do things. But I guess I pulled it all together for our first concert!
Actually taking some relaxation time: watching the whole BBC Pride and Prejudice with Eliz and Kevin, watching Gilmore Girls with Eliz, the occasional town trips/lunches/dinners...time with Kevin just hanging out. Getting to spend more time with Kevin while being slightly less stressed/overworked than normal.
Monday and Friday lunches at the Hearts table with Ben P., Ben K., Sarah, Jen, James, Laura (sometimes), etc... over a semester's worth of games, I apparently am second in the number of points per game spreadsheet Ben P. put together. Which would be fine except that the point of Hearts is NOT to get points.
FINALLY enjoying going to some parties -- with the condition that they must be choir parties or Mads parties. Our first choir party of the year was so much fun, especially because Tara and Ross were also not drinking, so we three were just goofing off the whole time, and laughing at the fact that we were being crazy and yet were the only sober ones. and at our Mads party, I almost won a game of Never Have I Ever... though I apparently "played dirty" by using "never have I ever had X alcoholic beverage" several times. Zoe beat me, though...
okay, I'm sure there are other things... not immediately coming to mind, though. Hopefully I'll be adding more. New Year's resolutions to come later.
Some highlights/memorable points of the last semester include:
My performance project piece, which was a semester's worth of work in both Performance Studio and Costume Design. 15 minutes worth of movement/text/film/music/costumes and perfectionism, 5 wonderful performers (which became 4 about 2 days before the show), 2+ rehearsals every week for almost three months, 2 performances, 6 hoop skirt covers made entirely out of many, many strips of trace paper, 1 of which got destroyed each night as part of the piece. Many, many, many rehearsals of me giving some of the vaguest directions I ever have. Spending significant parts of the process not really knowing what the heck I was trying to do. And yet, ending up with a piece that I feel proud of.
Many nights with Elizabeth K. working on computer science programs for Programming Language Paradigms, writing in many different languages -- resulting in the cartoon on my wall (drawn by Elizabeth) of me looking at a computer and saying, "We hate you, ECLiPSe (...Haskell...threading...Prolog)!" while Elizabeth snores in the background. Successful completion of said programs -- even a constraint program to successfully figure out a pizza order, given a list of people.
Being selected to do costume design for The Silent Caller, Will's senior thesis. In general, discovering that I actually do have some level of talent at costume design. I am so pleased with how my costumes for performance project turned out... especially after spending hours and hours in the costume shop putting together these skirts, it was amazing to see that they actually were extraordinarily beautiful objects.
Our trip to MIT and the Media Lab over October break-- feeling like maybe there's at least one place I could combine these crazy theater and dance and computer science things. Meeting with people who actually thought that idea was really cool. Also, just hanging in Cambridge with Kevin and Eliz and my brother.
Co-directing Madrigals = amazing. Especially for "Ave Maria" and "Out of the Orient Crystal Skies." It was wonderful to see that I actually can direct, especially after the first while of me feeling really over my head/not knowing how to do things. But I guess I pulled it all together for our first concert!
Actually taking some relaxation time: watching the whole BBC Pride and Prejudice with Eliz and Kevin, watching Gilmore Girls with Eliz, the occasional town trips/lunches/dinners...time with Kevin just hanging out. Getting to spend more time with Kevin while being slightly less stressed/overworked than normal.
Monday and Friday lunches at the Hearts table with Ben P., Ben K., Sarah, Jen, James, Laura (sometimes), etc... over a semester's worth of games, I apparently am second in the number of points per game spreadsheet Ben P. put together. Which would be fine except that the point of Hearts is NOT to get points.
FINALLY enjoying going to some parties -- with the condition that they must be choir parties or Mads parties. Our first choir party of the year was so much fun, especially because Tara and Ross were also not drinking, so we three were just goofing off the whole time, and laughing at the fact that we were being crazy and yet were the only sober ones. and at our Mads party, I almost won a game of Never Have I Ever... though I apparently "played dirty" by using "never have I ever had X alcoholic beverage" several times. Zoe beat me, though...
okay, I'm sure there are other things... not immediately coming to mind, though. Hopefully I'll be adding more. New Year's resolutions to come later.