Photos from "The Perfume Counter"

With my friend and director, the lovely Michelle!

With my cast (and my Shannon, who I appointed ASM :-)



"The Perfume Counter" had its final showing on Sunday.  I was personally having a very hard week, but the show and cast had a great run and aside from some cast sickness (which they soldiered through in amazing fashion) I wouldn't have changed a thing.  It was such a cute and funny show, we had a great turn-out, and all technical difficulties and confusions were worked through well before curtain time.  I learned so much as stage manager, and gained some friends in the process.

Here A Play, There A Play

I'm not really in the mood to blog, but I feel like I would be cheating myself and you, lovely readers, if I did not blog this week!

Two tech rehearsals and one dress rehearsal are over for "The Perfume Counter".  We had significant design and technical issues all week long, but things seem to be coming together!  

One personal worry I had concerning this show was relationships.  I did not want my new-found friendship with the director to be strained before the end of this show.  I don't know what it is, but all shows in my experience can strain or break friendships (I say the same thing about weddings :-p)  But my worry was misplaced, and I'm so happy that as a first time director and stage manager, Michelle and I are going strong both personally and professionally!  My actors, several of which are first-time actors, have consistently blown me away and I enjoy working with each of them.  I made my brother the sound/light operator, and we work each night at treating each other with the same respect and patience that we would treat other crew members.  Going pretty well so far. :-)  Boyfriend and I are once again working together, and I don't have a minute in which I don't enjoy that.  We're professionally compatible, I highly respect his talent, and I've learned so much from him that has enabled me to stage manage for the first time without any major disasters.  I have received tremendously positive feedback from cast and crew that as a novice SM I did not expect and that I dearly treasure.  This position on the "other side of the curtain" is forcing me to broaden and mature in my relational and organizational skills, and just overall mature as a person, and I'm really excited about that.

But I am at heart an actress, and today I had an audition for "Accidental Death of An Anarchist" (main stage school show).  Yes, in the middle of tech week for one show I auditioned for another.  I am truly a theatre major! :-p  I feel so confident and good about how the audition went, and am really anxious and excited to see the cast list tomorrow!

That's a wrap for now. :-)

Playlist of Tyranny

What do

Lady Gaga
Relient K
Foo Fighters
KT Tunstall
Anberlin
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Katy Perry
the B52s
Dave Matthews Band
Cake
the Glee cast
Van Halen
Aerosmith
and John Mayer

have in common?

They all make an appearance on the tech week playlist I just made for myself.  The one I'm going to make the sound op play over the theatre sound system between call time and the open of house.  I'm as nervous as heck but will make the most of some privileges of stage manager! ;-)  Tonight is the first tech rehearsal which means between now and the end of the run (next Sunday) THIS GIRL IS IN CHARGE.  Gaaahh.  Cross your fingers. :-)

Hitting The mark.: Lip Tint

image from meetmark.com

If you don't like the feeling of a heavy product on your lips but still want to brighten up a bit- then Shimmer Glossblossom Ripening Lip Tint is perfect for you!

I've been using it all week long, and it kept my lips soft and shiny, without being slimy or sticky.  It slides out like a gloss, and contains little beads that dissolve against the warmth of your lips.  It sets and drys completely weightless and sheer, and brings out a "blossom" of color on your pretty pucker!

You can buy it now in my eBoutique!

Class Stuff (September Edition)

Here's the rundown of what I've been studying so far (or just what I found to be the interesting highlights :-p)

Sociology 101-I'm enjoying this class for the same reasons and with the same enthusiasm as I had for Psychology 101.  Applied science as it turns out, is fascinating.  And I'm the type of girl who loves to read, write, observe, debate, and understand people.  Some major topics so far have included the difference between common sense and scientific study, and the sociological perspective of three main theories- conflict theory, functionalism, and symbolic interactionism.  I came to the realization that all the years I've spent listening to certain people in my life rant about how they are mistreated by capitalism and social norms was actually a walking lesson in conflict theory.  I think I personally lead towards functionalism. 

Math 083-I've been tempted to slack off or zone out, but thus far I've turned in every assignment (and received good grades!), attended every class and gone to weekly tutoring.  This is not going to be easy..taking this course with three different teachers almost feels like I'm learning the material over again each time.  But where there's a will, there's a way!

Voice and Diction- Oh.M.Gee.  This class is the definition of fantastic!  My professor is a director/actor who also coaches and performs for voice-over work.  I adoreadoreadore this class.  The three hours that a room full of strangers spent in a Saturday class turned into a really fun time of getting to know each other and doing a group exercise with the International Phonetic Alphabet.  I'm truly looking forward to what this class is going to do for me as an actress and a person.

Chorus-I've finally bonded with the other ladies in the soprano section, and I'm picking up our music pretty well.  This is just a fun way to burn off negative energy I carry around sometimes, and to keep my singing voice and ear sharp.

I'm also now enrolled in Play Production which I'll be taking with our school's new technical director.  He seems like a very talented and fun guy.  He's also Boyfriend's boss, so I crash the theatre shop often and hang out with them. :-p  To fullfill requirements of play production I'll be involved in the main stage show in some way.  As to what way, I'll be able to share that with you hopefully next week after auditions are over and a cast list is up! :-D  I cannot wait.

P.S.  I really did get my hair significantly cut, and have received a ridiculous amount of compliments on it.  At work today one of the teachers said I was "causing quite a stir".  That made me laugh!

September Rush

So much to say, so little time!

-I have sociology and math homework to catch up on.

-Voice and diction class (and the prof :-p)  was lovely!

-"The Perfume Counter" goes up in a week...I'm excited and nervous for tech week, but still have really enjoyed every aspect of being a stage manager.

-I'm trying out for "Accidental Death of an Anarchist next week...it's the main stage play this fall at school.

-I'm running for an officer position of our school's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (the international honors society of two year colleges)..hoping to be Vice President of Leadership for Alpha Rho Psi!

-I made some important decisions about being brave, making up my mind and sticking to it, being committed, loving, and about taking my future in a more clear direction...it's all still fuzzy, but I'm ready to start acting my age, stop whining and worrying about what I want to do, and simply DOING something.

-I'm going to cut my hair really short.

-Since I started my mark. business I've only had one sale.

-I miss spending time with my best friend, and am looking forward to dinner and catching up with her and also her boyfriend when my current show is over.

-I feel like I'm getting a cold.

-I start work on scenes today for the KCACTF competition with my new partner (Anderson, because Tim had to drop out).

Details to come!

Diner Time!

Who decided to take a post-rehearsal diner trip, eat good food, and laugh their faces off?

These girls did!  Who could resist "Motel Restaurant"?  (Actually, most of us.  Until Michelle convinced us all to go.  It was a good decision.)

They are all look ridiculous and adorable at the same time!

so as director and SM, we're pretty much a match
made in theatre heaven! <3

three actresses and director!

Our show goes up in ten days, and I totally think the cast is ready!  It was nice to go out with some of them and not talk about the show at all.  We simply swapped stories and got to know each other as friends.   Twas a wonderful time, and I laughed the most I have in...a really long time. :-)

Hitting The mark.: Eye Color Compact

This debuted in the mark. magalog today, and I'm so excited about it!  The brand-new On the Dot Eye Color Compact has nine shades for $15!  These smooth metallic shades could easily compliment each other in all sorts of combinations.

Eye make-up is what I spend most of my beauty routine on, and I think it's going to be so fun brightening up the coming autumn days with this hot and shiny new look!

Check it out, along with more new stuff, in my eBoutique. 

Currently Thinking On

I find inspiration, encouragement, and wisdom from many sources.  These thoughts are currently resonating with me.

"There are songs, I'll never write,
Because of you, walking out of my life.
There are words, that don't belong,
Because of you, I'll never write another love song."
-Art of War by Anberlin


"Perhaps instead of asking questions of our trials, our trials are meant to ask questions of us."
-Hadassah in "One Night With The King"


"When she took her eyes off of these things, and put them on the main thing, she got her life back instantly."
-Youth pastor at my church, in reference to Leah's pursuit to be loved by Jacob and her surrender to God's love.


Today I had no class because my professor is observing the Jewish new year, and I took off work.  I finally got some much needed sleep.  I now have a Word document open in which I have typed up categories for what I consider the commitments and priorities in my life.  Under the categories I listed the actions or duties needed for said activity.  I'm trying to clearly evaluate all that have I going on, whether I can add more, and if I'm adequately attending to what I'm already responsible for.  I think I've found that I'm not overly-committed, but that I simply need to better use or maximize the time I have for all my committments.   Once I get it all straight in my head, I may share here (or not, because who reading this really cares? :-p)  I'm also planning a post for interesting things I've learned so far in my sociology class.

The Men In My Life

A Relationship Five Years Strong!

I am speaking of course, about my favourite band.

Anberlin.

I fell in love with them in 2005, a year of much change and growth for me.  Like many bands their look and even their line-up has morphed over the years.  But with each album their sound and their message becomes deeper to me.  Somehow each new album plays perfectly as the soundtrack to whatever life event I am experiencing at the time.  I continually rediscover new lines in their songs that says what I want to say better than I can.

The first Anberlin album I owned was "Never Take Friendship Personal" and it was a Valentines Day present from my first boyfriend (when we broke up I couldn't listen to that album for a year)  Their last album, "New Surrender" was released in fall of 2008, just I was starting my first semester of college.  I have enjoyed all their work, but it took me a few years of experiencing boyfriends and births and deaths and struggle and triumph to appreciate everything they sing and play about.  As their lyrics matured over the years, I did too.  I feel like I've grown up with Anberlin.

I have seen them live twice, both times at small clubs and standing just a few feet from the stage. Their energy makes me grin for days.

When I got an iPod last year, I even had a lyric from an Anberlin song engraved on it.  "When life is in discord/praise ye the Lord" from "Paperthin Hymn" is one of the best life mottos I've ever gotten from a song, and I thought it was worthy for both personal reminder and public display.

I have an irrational fear of Anberlin breaking up or even worse, changing into something I no longer connect too.  Of course, fans change too and maybe one day I will find that it is I who no longer connect to them, and not the other way around.

But today they release "Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place".  You can listen to it here.  Thank you, Anberlin, for one more album that makes my life good. :-)

Talent Runs In The Family

My dad is a part-time photographer.  He makes money by shooting at weddings and various contracted jobs, and he enjoys photographing oddities in our backyard.  Like this:

Photo by Mark Jennys

My brother is a videographer.  He films special events at church, has done an interview with music artist B. Reith, and has a love for stop-motion animation.  Some friends of ours made this, and recently, after quite some time of labor, my bro released the following video based on it:

 video by Josh Jennys

So yes, we're a family of awesome, lol.  What hidden talents are in your family tree?

Hitting The mark.: "Break Out Plan"

My face has not been cooperating with me recently!  I'm not sure if it's my diet, my eczema, or the fluctuating temperatures, but acne is a real nuisance for me at times (and I know I'm not alone).

I searched around this summer for different treatments that would gently clear up my face, and I have really started to rely on the Break Out Plan Anti-Acne Gel Lotion by mark.  I'm used to using facial products that contain salicylic acid, but this one has a lower amount than my previous treatments (1.5%), so it's not harsh on my face.  It's mattifying, so my skin never feels greasy or looks shiny after I use it, and I can put make-up on over it and not feel weighed down.  It has very gentle scent, and the packaging is  mess-free, courtesy of the cute jar and press-down dispenser.

The first time I used this lotion, my boyfriend commented that my face smelled/tasted like citrus.  I assume this wasn't appealing (:-p) so if you find you have a similar reaction, you can pick and choose what occasions you apply it for.  Keep in mind that everyone's individual body chemistry mixes with personal products such as lotion and make-up differently.

Hope this holiday weekend finds you feeling lovely!  And don't forget to make my day by "Liking" my mark. Facebook page: Have You Met mark.?

End of Week Award

J. Ashley of Be Real Be Happy has given me a great award!

It's so heart-warming to be considered "A Blog With Substance"! 

This award has three rules:

1)  Say thank you-  Thanks J. Ashley! :-D

2) Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using five words:

Perseverance, Goals, Love, Thankfulness, Growth.

3) Pass the award on to 10 blogs that you feel have real substance.

Here are the ones I chose (some of you may have received this award already, oh well. :-p)

tryin' to throw my arms around the world

Why Men Can't Cry

Use Your Words, Little Girl

angelaboration

Knotted Laces

Making The Mundane Magical

shine out loud

Baltimore Wedding Photographer Kathy Freundel

An Ordinary Girl's World

Might and Main

In a world filled with so much distraction and confusion, I believe that even our hobbies should have a purpose.  Don't get me wrong; it's perfectly fine to do something just for the fun of it.  But always ask yourself if how you're spending your time is adding something positive to your life.

The blogs above (and others not mentioned here) have brought so much wisdom, comfort, and amusement into my life.  Knowing that my blog is read and enjoyed by others is such a fullfilling feeling!