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nyutheatrepractices2020 · 4 years

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Our Last Day in Puerto Rico

Hi, my beautiful friends- It's Echo here sending a little hi from a sunny day in NYC :)

Please pardon my late post. After flying back from Puerto Rico, I slept most of these two days and finally, woke up this morning with high energy working on our last blog in Puerto Rico.

At 9:31 am this morning, Clear sent a picture to our WhatsApp group chat, a Puerto Rico flag she saw in Boerum Hill Brooklyn on her way to the café. And then Shari replied: "That's great. I told you Brooklyn has a big Puerto Rican Community." I believed that this must not be the first time that Clear passed by this flag, but finally, she noticed it today. Although we already came back to NYC one after another from PR, each of us still carries a piece of memory, awareness, and connection from the lovely island of Puerto Rico. (pic)

I'd like to speak for myself, when I left home for café bar this morning, I picked a tote which I bought from PR. Then I took a picture of me carrying the tote and posted it on ins story with tagging the designer Angelica. Then she replied to my post with greeting me a lovely day with some cute emojis. And another woman I met randomly on the street in PR because of the sharing of umbrella also replied my story with lovely greets. And then Omar's posts of the protest which happened at night on Jan 20 in PR jumped to my eyes, and I checked all his posts about the protest. I put his Spanish description into google translation. Omar is a local visual artist and music maker in PR, and at the same time, he cut hair for people 14 years ago. Fortunately, I got a haircut from him at the corner of El Basion, the best hair cut ever with the lowest price. All these connections from PR gave me the feeling that my heart belongs to PR, although I only lived there for two weeks, and my body is located in NYC now. It sounds ridiculous but feels so real and surprising.

Okay, friends, I need to stop ramble these nonsenses and begin the tour of our last day in Puerto Rico. Take a deep breath, Time Machine is launched, three, two, one, here we go, we are on Jan 19 in PR now : )

8:40 am The last night when I was lying on the bed, I promised myself to go for the previous morning run around the sea in PR tomorrow! As you imagined, I woke up at 8:40 am, which means there is no enough time for a run. So, I decided to go to Los Pinos to have my last breakfast there. The cappuccino in Los Pinos is the best in the universe; it's been Clear's and my favorite since the first time we tried it there. It tastes pretty intense when you take the first sip. And then the softness left on your tongue pushes you to take another gulp appreciating "what an authentic coffee!".

( I saw rainbow on my toast!)

When I was enjoying the Spanish Omelet and cappuccino in Los Pinos, the mask group already met up at El Bastion. It was busy with rehearsing their performance from 9 am. At 9:30 Saya, Casey, Clear, and I met up in the lobby of our hotel waiting for our uber. Alejandra also joined us because there is no bus today for the going of the last day of the San Sebastian festival.

9:40 am On our way to El Bastion, it began to rain, but at the moment we were getting off the car, it stopped, and the sun came up. The weather is unpredictable here, and we all get used to its wildness. The masked group was still in the process of the rehearsal when we arrived at the dance studio; they were all in black with different props. "Wow! "Wow!" "It's so cool!" "Thank you!" "I'm excited about your performance!" Along with all the "wow" from our physical theatre group, the mask group left the dance studio returning space to us.

(The Mask & Puppetry group just finished their rehearsals)

10:00am After a traditional check-in with sharing our physical and mental conditions, we started our work today from brain dance. As Saya proposed last night, at the end of our warmup, each of us did a movement for Alejandra, showing how she made us feel. In this way, we gave Alejandra our gratitude and thanks. We are all proud of being her students!

( It’s Echo, Alejandra, Amy, Saya, Casey, and Clear from the physical theater group)

11:00am Since yesterday we decided to start our physical theatre piece outside in the garden and then move into the dance studio little by little, we did have to consider the weather condition testing how workable the wet ground outside the garden is. Although the ground was wet, it was not as slippery as we imagined, and we can practice getting used to moving on the wet ground. So Saya, Clear, Casey, and I all voted for keeping the plan as what it is. Based on what we discussed yesterday, there is a solid structure for our performance, including the prologue, Un, dos, tres, pescao game, Duet by Clear and I, Duet by Saya, and Casey, and our group movement.

It was not an easy process to figure out the content of our final piece. When we met for the first workshop, we proposed serval ideas about the form of our performance and decided JOYFUL as our theme based on our own experiences in Puerto Rico, a place full of joy. Something very exciting is that this is the first time our program performances happen the same day as the final day of San Sebastian festival. "I think we should have a public show and interact with audiences." "Yes! I agree with it! We should catch the opportunity to share our piece with local people!" "spread our joy with the joyful people here!" When the discussion happened, the festival is not started yet, and we just launched our physical theatre workshop the first. We had no ideas about what going to happen in the studio and the festival. And it turned out that we gave ourselves too much pressure of delivering a complicated physical theatre piece with public. At the same time, we did feel the difference in the atmosphere between the circus, after watching some shows at the festival. While the circus involves all the audiences with waves of laughter, our physical theatre piece is more quite focusing on the exploration of movements. We struggled a lot. And finally, we came up with the idea of combining the use of garden and dance studio.

12:15 pm

Yeah! We were done one with the resealing and lunchtime by ourselves! We decided to add a prologue in our piece but also keep it open to ourselves without rehearsing. It is a task from point A to Point Breaching out to the flower by embodying any movements we explored in these 14 days. I borrowed the flower from the angel Angelica in El Bastion! She is an artist in college in Puerto Rico! We also invited her to come to our performance, and she said yes!

( I borrowed the flower from Angelica : ) )

1:00 pm

People El Bastion introduced the reason why NYU students are here and invited people to watch our performance in the square outside El Bastion. Audiences were curious and interested in our puppetry performance. They cheered for us loudly! We are proud of our mask group friends!

(Carey was ready for the performance! Break a Leg!!!)

(Danielle was performing in her mask)

(Aaron was performing in his mask)

(we are proud of you the mask group!)

(the kids were so into the mask performance and even forgot their ice-creams!)

1:52 pm Javier sent his love from Bloomington through the message: "Dear Friends, I want to wish you a great closing session! Warm regards to all the students and interpreters as well. Break a leg!" Thank you, Javier, we miss you!

2:00 pm

The moment after the mask group finished their performance; it began to rain wildly. Fortunately, it did not make us wait too long to start!

When we decided the theme Joyful, the first thing ran to our mind is childhood, and then took some suggestions from Alejandra, we played a traditional Puerto Rico Children game Un, Dos, Tres, Pescao as a hook of our piece. The reason why we chose this game is that people can relate to the game quickly, this game is more like a universal language to communicate and play with joyful. Although different regions own different rules of the game, everyone can jump into the game and play it with people at any time.

Here is how did we play the game. One person faces an old tree in the garden; the other three of us stand at the starting line, getting ready to catch the tree person. The tree person says, "Un, dos, tres, pescao." Then she quickly turns around to face the group. While she is facing away from the group, the people in the group run towards the tree. Meanwhile, as soon as the tree saying, "Un, dos, tres, pescao" she quickly turns around to face the group. The group must freeze. Anyone who is caught moving has to go back to the starting line. The game continues like this until someone reaches the tree That person wins and is the tree person in the next round. It was so much fun both for players and audiences when we play it, and we even attracted Pam to join in the game in our performance. "I want to play the game!" and then, I saw Pam standing in the starting line with us. We did not plan this, but it is our secret ambition attracting audiences joining us:)

After three rounds, we moved forward our performance to Diamond. When we all face one direction, the leader of that direction will do some movements, and the others follow her. And we also have a secret movement to trigger the Mirror. The person who does the covert action, and another person who stands in the opposite of her will turn to face each other do mirror movements. In contrast, the other two people keep doing movements facing the same direction. And at some point, the mirror pairs come back to the Diamond again. It's much more about Improv including the starting point of doing rhythm movement and starting Clear and my Duet.

When Clear and I began our Duet moving forward to the corner, Saya and Casey were responsible for leading audiences to our performance area. Clear and I devised our Duet based on three stages of life: childhood, adults, and old from connection to disconnection, meaningless to meaningful, and intense to peaceful. One has a posture or movement in the middle, and then the others interact with her developing another position. We continue doing this till we got the feeling to trigger to start the next life stage and move to another performing area.

( It’s Clear and Echo from the Duet)

The last part of our Duet ended in the dance studio, at the moment we "died" on the floor, Saya and Casey launched their Duet by tracing Clear and I.. Then they traced each other by treating the body as terrain. The tracing also mixed with covering negative space along with the changing of speed and intensity. Saya and Casey also reviewed different possibilities of weight sharing between two people emphasizing resistance and resilience. We closed up our performance, facing towards various directions in a square reviewing all of our movements devised by each of us.

(It’s Saya and Casey in the Duet)

2:35 pm It's time for Q & A, an excellent opportunity for us to share comments and ask questions to the other group. JW said, "Your physical theatre piece reminded me of the immersive play Sleep No More." Saya said: "I still remembered the first time we saw your masks on the table, and we had a hard time to guess each belongs whom, but today when you guys put them on, I saw you, your personalities were there!" Alejandra and Deborah also shared their thoughts: "I want to say thank you to all of you! Thank you for being here. It's all about what you brought to the program." We also shared our gratitude and thanks to these two amazing, incredible teachers!

3:00pm Yeah! It's free time from now till 8 pm when the dinner starts! Some of our friends decided to go to the Playita del Condado beach for the last water time. There were two groups of us, the swimming group and the beach taking a nap group! So much fun lying on the beach, taking a nap while watching my friends swimming in the ocean at the same time!

8:00pm

We had our dinner in the restaurant Jamon Jamon together! Look at all these beautiful people!

10:30 pm We can't believe it's the last day of the program! So what? We grabbed some drinks and went to the rooftop together for more chats and jokes! It rained heavily, and the couch was too wet to sit. But it did not matter! We just want to catch each second staying with each other!

12:00pm Okay! We moved to room 306 to continue our activity. And the activity is called Staying up Late Together! At some point, we shared our dream when we were kids. Says's was to become a Tofu woman, the person who sells Tofu around the town on the street with a bike saying " Tofu! Fresh Tofu." Daniel wished to work at pet hospitals when he was in elementary school. Just work there not to own the hospital. Clear showed her ambition when she was little to own a shopping mall so that she could have everything without paying money. You know all my friends were shining when they shared their dreams as children. There were lights in everyone's eyes.

1:20 am on Jan 20 Echo ( lying on the bed): Saya! Although we are all mature adults now in the Master or Edd program, I do feel I am in a summer camp as a child! Full of pure happiness! Saya: (folding her clothes): yes! It's definitely a summer camp!

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baileysayswhat · 5 years

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I know I kinda did a recap already from Oct ’18-19 – and I was going to write one of my rambling, lovable, GIF-heavy recap posts but I kind of like this bullet points idea.

I looked back through my calendar and feel like 2019 had a lot of wonderful in it. It was a solid year. Here’s a chronological look:

January

Rang in 2019 by watching Millie & Stanley, 2 cantankerous and lovable neighbor pugs. Also got food poisoning.

My first MINt team (Dec ’18-Feb ’19): Abominable SnowMINts

Playing with Pinafore (Nov ’18-Oct ’19) at CSz

Volleyball w Apple buds on team “How I Set Your Mother”

Continuing to teach Level 1 Krav Maga classes at Titan Gym

I go to work on Polar Vortex day! It’s pretty quiet.

February

Promotion to Senior Sales Executive at Grubhub

I’d only been there 10 months!

Flew to Phoenix for family time

Decided to visit the AZ office since my boss was in town too (for actual work)

Then worked in the office for 3 days

Work paid for my flight back

I felt v. v. fancy.

My parents drove 3.5 hours each way for me to see the Grand Canyon. On first sight walking up to the rim I cried. How is anything that vast and majestic? Whew. Full stop.

Sedona was wonderful and kooky and I need to go back.

Visit to best/favorite KBBQ – Cho Sun Ok – in Chicago with Neal AND we went to a concert – Dean Lewis & SYML

March

Started Crossfit at Windy City Strength and Conditioning

KBBQ at the same restaurant – Cho Sun Ok – 2 weeks after Neal BUT with Kalin.

I still don’t know how this happened but my stomach ain’t complaining about it.

Started final ID class w UW-Stout.

It will be the hardest class I’ve ever done in my life.

I just don’t know it yet.

Due to this ^^ took sabbatical from teaching Krav at Titan Gym

Flew to Dayton to see Trace/Dinah and Xander/Abs (PLUS YOU, COTY) and I’m so glad I did.

April

Took a Music Improv workshop through MINt with Alex

I sang a song about how I still have a Washington State Driver’s License but mid-song realized it was really was about how I missed home and cried in public, in a workshop. I’M FINE.

Went to a Cubs game IN A BOX for work

Yes, it was v chill and fancy.

Cast on second MINt team: BlooMINt Onion

Alex & Jake from the Little Rock crew came to Chicago

We get Old Fashioneds at the Broken Shaker

This is the best Old Fashioned in the city. I am convinced.

I will not be moved.

Interviewed for dream job while still in school for said job field.

Got dream job.

May

Started dream job

Saw Hamilton w Josh.

We are in the second row.

I immediately want to see it again. I do not.

It closes in 2 weeks (aka Jan 15, 2020) from now LETS GO

Bekah Brown (and Potato and Sully) in town!

We roam and nap and laugh.

Sat in with Oh Cecelia at iO twice

Being asked to sit in is bananas nice and I have done it several times this year with different teams. Thank you everyone for your trust in my make-believe!

Went to PHX for work to train 5/13 class

Do not feel prepared as I JUST started said job.

People are v nice.

I got upgraded to a suite and neither of my 2 bosses did. BIZLIFE.

Abby (L&D Boss) and I do not eat bread bowls from Panera by the hotel pool, WHICH I WAS PROMISED would happen. Still sad.

Officially resigned from Titan Gym/teaching Krav due to new job

Originating dream job position and possibly traveling every 2 weeks for it just wasn’t good for students, for the gym or for me. But I miss y’all.

Saw Falsettos (Broadway) show

it was NOT a comedy

I was NOT prepared

AND if meme photos of me crying on the train alone after ever come out it is Todd’s fault. The end.

Finish/graduate from UW-Stout’s Instructional Design Graduate Certificate program

I survived the aforementioned hardest class in m’life.

Genuinely sad/miss my group TO THIS DAY.

June

Mom & Dad come to Chicago –

Father’s Day

Field Museum

Architect River Cruise

CHICAGO HOT DOGS!

Had huge audition for something I really wanted. Felt good about it. Didn’t get it.

Did a 5 Things CSz workshop

July

Performed for the first time w Ben, Nicole & Nate as music improv team AirBRB

Had lunch with Toni Berry, writer, bud, fellow Sagittarius, former Apple co-worker

By ‘lunch’ I mean we hung out for like 4 hours. WE ARE LONG WINDED.

Decided to apply (and got) a workshop spot with RIFF; a music improv short form show that performs at iO.

Did improv set in a church service with Susan

it was a planned set; we didn’t just jump up and start, I swear

Lunch with Jenean, former work wife and also, strangely, my first time eating poke

I now love poke

WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG

Fly to Washington to drive to AZ with Mom & Em

August

4-Year Chicago-versary!

Me and the Bean are very happy together in a committed relationship over halfway to a common law marriage

Drive from Lynden, WA to Phoenix, AZ in 2 long days with Mom & Em

YES TWO DAYS

Teach 2nd training class in AZ for 8/5 class

Abby, L&D boss and of the 2 women I report to leaves the company. I hate this but still love her.

Sit in with Goat Milk Goddesses to perform at the Women’s Funny Fest at Stage 773

Dana comes to see me!

She’s the best.

I try my first Pole Dancing class at Brass Ring Chicago

Due to a Groupon I bought 6 months before that was about to expire 3 days later. I keep it up through EOY.

Compete in music improv competition “Verses” at Second City with AirBRB – we lose to some of my favorite people on Home Entertainment so I’m ok with it.

2nd RIFF show!

September

Audition for Anarchy, another music improv team

I don’t get it

But I know a ton of people in the room

I’m ok!

Speak to my UW-Stout instructor’s class about being hired to work in ID/Learning & Dev field as a Sales Trainer right out of our program.

Feel v accomplished.

Toggle from Crossfit back to LSAC gym by my house

Y’all CF is cool BUT MY WALLET WAS SCREAMING.

Play volleyball for Fall Season with people I met in Spring Season at Lincoln Park High School.

Catherine (Sales Boss) the second woman I love working for leaves the company. I hate this but love her.

I got her some goodbye cookies that Carrie makes and they are PERFECTION (see pic below) support Carrie she does amazing work and a percentage of every order supports a different charity every month. HERE IS HER LINK I LOVE IT.

I got myself a massage. I am stressed/sad about the boss situation above BUT NOT THE COOKIES.

I got it on Groupon, I am fiscally responsible.

Start meal plan service to eat Keto for the month of October (officially 9/30-end of October).

Not fiscally responsible but IT IS OK.

Keto doesn’t let me eat fruit as as a Washingtonian this is a crime I do not like.

Make it the 30 days, lost 10lbs in Oct.

I get a new boss to report to on the Learning Team side at work. He seems cool although I don’t know it yet.

October

Final Pinafore show at CSz. I have the sads that this core group of people I love is done.

Yes, yes, I know we can still play together

IT WAS A GOOD BITTERSWEET THING

I know all things must end I used to watch Lost

Started some personal training with Brian at LSAC

I warn Brian I am a talker.

Brian makes me do weird double kettlebell swings. I am not good at it right away and hate it.

Literally all I do is try to make Brian laugh to get my mind off of sweating.

Guys, don’t worry. I got plenty of sweating in still.

Started an Olympic Weightlifting class with Keith at LSAC

I AM SHOCKINGLY GOOD AT THIS.

Thank you to the Crossfit gym and also Coach DeHoag at LC, I guess.

Cry at work 3x in one day after feeling overwhelmed w my 2 bosses being gone and the announcement we are upping our hiring aka much bigger training classes.

1. After a meeting

2. In a stairwell mid-afternoon

3. In first 1:1 with new boss

Is this a record and if so please get me a medal

I go to DC for the first time and get to hang with David, Bekah, Adam & Dana (and Millie)

I needed this.

Performed in Hocus Pocus Redacted at the Music Box as Allison.

Yes, yabbos

November

Work tells me they approved hiring a 2nd person to do my role; we begin applications/interviews

Robbie becomes 2nd trainer at work and I begin trying to explain how/why I do what I do.

Audition for CSz & cast onto new Rec League team: Potluck

Watch Heather, Dan & Jess’s Bloody Christmas Carol show

My friends are fancy and sing & dance really well.

I came straight from a volleyball game and am very sweaty smushed next to strangers in this small theater.

See Robbie Ellis’s truly hilarious orchestra with Ben.

We fancy dress up.

We are seated in the front row.

We did not know we would be in the front row.

Thanksgiving week is my first week ‘off’ of training since starting my job on 5/1; I get so much work done and also contract a cold.

I do nothing except sit in my apartment alone for Thanksgiving, make myself mashed potatoes and I love it.

December

Record size massive training class (for us)

I am responsible for the learning & logistics of 20 people and gain (probably) 17 gray hairs.

Work approves a 3rd (Arizona) and 4th (Philadelphia) trainer; applications & interviews begin

I start seeing a therapist – it helps.

Nothing specific; I’m just noticing circular behaviors as I look back over my shoulder for 30+ years.

Added to the ensemble of RIFF

After performing as a sub several times since that workshop in July!

I’m added in the same class as Ben, Sarah & Will who I feel so honored to sing (and rhyme) with.

I fly home for 12 days to Lynden, WA

I turn 32 sitting at home, surrounded by my family.

I tell my family I plan on climbing Kilimanjaro in October 2020. I announce it at my birthday dinner so I can’t back out of it. NAME IT AND CLAIM IT BBS.

Yes, another blog post will come to flesh this ^^ out.

Performed with Upfront Theatre’s ensemble, including Ryan Stiles, for the 2nd time in Bellingham on the day after Christmas. My family is there seeing me do what I love and I am happy.

2019 Overall

Performances – with Pinafore, with MINt teams, RIFF and so many other opportunities to sit in and play with teams. Feeling grateful.

Shows – I saw countless shows; CSz matches, iO & SC improv, staged shows, musicals, Broadway, even just at movie theaters! Ya girl is stuffed full of stories. Also I have crazy talented friends.

People – I saw family 4 times! That’s almost a record for one year! Lunches, grocery store runs, shows and coffee times with so many friends too.

Health – Got my first ever stitches (shoulder), which was a weird first to have post-30. Overall healthy but somehow got food poisoning 3x this year. Probably won’t be asked to be on Bear Grylls show because of it ever.

Work – very happy to be working in the Learning & Development field as a trainer, instructional designer and general weirdo. Finally. GH has been very good to me.

Mental state – I’m pausing here and looking around my house, just thinking about this one.

I’m proud to be taking steps to correct patterns and behaviors that are unhealthy. Seeing a therapist that gives homework to work on between sessions is great.

I’m improving at recognizing progress as progress even when I wish the progress was bigger.

I’m proud/terrified to be setting the goal of climbing Kilimanjaro in October 2020. It scares me and excites me. More to come on this!

I’m thrilled to be an ensemble member on a long-term team. This has been a goal since I got to Chicago – I don’t need to drive my work to SNL or Mainstage. I just want to be on a consistent team of talented friends that I laugh with and improve my skills.

Hiya, 2020. Let’s go.

She’s Solid. I know I kinda did a recap already from Oct '18-19 - and I was going to write one of my rambling, lovable, GIF-heavy recap posts but I kind of like this bullet points idea.

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