Saturday, June 30, 2012

T-Ball

I had the chance to support a little fella at a T-ball game the other day, then also be with him at a Salt Lake Bees game.

The most precious thing was when his mother asked him what he thought about T-ball and he said, "I thought it was a tea party with a ball."  Apparently he realized what it really was at the first game.

Too precious.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Damn Yankees: Utah Cultural Celebration Center


Damn Yankees - if you love dance, you must go see this production at Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City.  By far some of the best community theater choreography I have ever seen is on this stage.  Leah Hasset as Lola will have all of the young girls wanting to learn to dance and all of us older girls wanting to go back to dance.  She gives Gwen Verdon, original Broadway star, a run (or dance?) for her money. 

Now that I have that out of the way, let me tell you about the Utah Cultural Celebration Center.  This is probably the best venue you have never been to.  I did not know it existed, neither did my friend whose condo you can literally see from the amphitheater.  The backdrop is the Wasatch mountain range, the ceiling is the setting sun transforming into the twinkling of the stars, all while being surrounded with a pristinely new arts facility.  In fact, I'd recommend arriving a few minutes early to explore all this venue has to offer.  Keep your eyes open for free events throughout the summer.  The volunteer ushers, box office workers, and cast were the tops in politeness and customer service - including passing out candy to audience members as we departed.

So what is Damn Yankees about?  The storyline of Damn Yankees does no favors to the remarkable cast and talent on any stage and will most assuredly be the weakest point of most productions.  If you want a full assessment (aka the cold, hard truth) from a former cast member, read here.  This is your typical "sell your soul to the devil so your baseball team can win" story.  Basically, Joe Boyd (Brandon Rufener) ignores his wife, Meg (Brittany Carroll), six months out of every year for the love of the baseball game.  He offhandedly remarks that he would do anything for his beloved Senators to win the pennant.  Cue the entrance of the devil (Johnny Hebda) willing to barter Joe's soul for a chance to help the Senators win.  Joe agrees, plays for the team as young Joe Hardy (Austin Smith) whilst battling off skeptical reporter Gloria Thorpe (Megan Winegar) and the advances of the devil's temptress Lola (Leah Hassett!).  Meanwhile, Meg is at home, entertained with her crazy friends Sister (Jessica McCowin) and Doris (Carla Kirk).  Will the devil win Joe's soul?  Or will Joe's true love for Meg conquer all?

Meg Boyd is the one casting decision that confused me, but not for lack of talent.  She looked a good ten - fifteen years younger than her romantic counterpart and I sensed a much greater chemistry between her and young Joe Hardy than with her husband.  I heard several similar comments amongst audience members.  In spite of this, Brittany Carroll does a fine job - her voice is very reminiscent of the sweet, classic sounds of the 1940s, she played her character with utmost tenderness, and she oozed class and compassion.

Both Joe Boyd (old Joe) and Joe Hardy (young joe) have crystal clear voices.  The transformation scene made me giggle because young Joe emerged in old Joe's huge shirt, but his pants were skin-tight - I'd have expected the pants to be loose as well.

Now that Applegate (the devil) has made Joe into a prodigy of a ballplayer, enter the Washington Senators and their see-through pants.  More giggles.  The sad thing is that their pants were much less see-through (you see their striped shirts tucked in through their pants -nothing even near vulgar, just funny) than in the production I was a part of.  You stop noticing after about the first couple minutes, especially when distracted with their goofball antics and pleasing harmonizing of the quartet on "Heart."

Even with the crazy plot, Damn Yankees has a special place in my heart because I was privileged enough to perform the role of reporter Gloria Thorpe for six weeks a few years ago.  I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of Megan Winegar.  She gave Gloria a flair of Dottie Henson (bold, yet ladylike), Gina Davis' character in A League of Their Own, especially when she grabbed a baseball mitt to join in the rousing celebration with the boys in "Shoeless Joe."  Ever want to see ball players frolic and dance?  Here's your chance - and it is amusingly delightful, truth be told.  Back to Winegar - she has everything she needs - vocal chops, dance skills, and unwavering conviction...nothing about her character makes you question her credibility in any way.

I forgot to mention the comic relief characters of Sister and Doris - Jessica McCowin and Carla Kirk.  Sister is off-the-wall bonkers, unrelentingly flirtatious, and an absolute treasure to the show.  She'll make you laugh for sure.  Doris is her straight-man and adorable in her own right.

Now to my favorite, whom I've already mentioned - Leah Hasset as Lola.  Folks, you won't find a treasure like her on many community theater stages.  If your little girls love dancing, please take them to watch her and show them what they can become.  Lola is mainly a dancing role, in my opinion, although she has several songs, which Hasset is more than vocally adequate performing - not even running out of breath as she twists, spins, and contorts her body into positions only yoga-enthusiasts know.  Her facial expressions will amuse you, along with her acting, first as a temptress in employ of the devil, then as a lonely young woman rooting for Joe and his love for Meg - very tender.  Hasset alone is worth your $5 to go see - I promise.  Based on my research, she only graduated from high school last year - definitely keep your eyes on this one.

With all this mention of the devil Applegate, I have yet to address Johnny Hebda's performance.  He's got the young, attractive, charismatic appeal that you would want from a schmoozing salesman.  I have a hard time seeing past the inherent flaws written into the script for this character - he seems too weak to be the Lord of Darkness, but Hebda performs the role with pinache.  I wanted a little more gusto, or umph as some people call it, on the big notes at the end of, "Those Were the Good Ole Days," but that is just a personal preference - Hebda has a technically correct and crisp voice to carry off his number with ease.

As I mentioned before, if you love dancing, you need to see this show.  Choreographer Michael Hernandez has won me completely.  I think I'm in love.  Okay, not really, but you get the point.  He's on tour with Disney right now, rumor has it, if that tells you anything.  Every cast member could dance their tails off - some quite unexpectedly.  During, "Whose Got the Pain," featured dancer Corbin Schmidt - wow - you will not see a man move this way on any other community stage and I was entirely shocked.  Other ensemble members are dressed in rather unfitted dresses, giving you the impression they perhaps wouldn't be dancers, and then - bam - high kicks, splits, pirouettes,  leaps, you name it. 

Each director tries to add their own flair to the show - adding "finishing touches" here and there, cutting music to be longer or shorter, making duets chorale numbers, etc.  Director Julie Waite began this production with the singing of the National Anthem - very beautifully done.  During the benefit show portion just prior to intermission, the cast members came out to the audience to watch, as they naturally would for a benefit.  I typically hate audience mingling, but this was done just right and added to the atmosphere. 

So, the all-important question:  Should you see the show?  If you are a lover of dance, yes, Yes, YES!  If you are someone who is easily distracted by a weak, slow storyline, then this may not be for you, again, not through any fault of the performers.  I assure you, every character on stage is strong and skilled in the triple-threat arena of music dance theater.  This is well worth your $5 for an entertaining, unique experience under the stars with West Valley Utah Cultural Celebration Center and the cast of Damn Yankees.

The show runs at 8pm and closes on Saturday night June 30th at 1355 West 3100 South, West Valley City, UT 84119.  Admission cost is $5.  Only three chances left - don't strike out on this one!  Grab your baseball mitt and go have a ball!



Video of "Whose Got the Pain?" here.



Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Physical Beauty

“When you start to know someone, all their physical characteristics start to disappear. You begin to dwell in their energy, recognize the scent of their skin. You see only the essence of the person, not the shell. That’s why you can’t fall in love with beauty. You can lust after it, be infatuated by it, want to own it. You can love it with your eyes and your body but not your heart. And that’s why, when you really connect with a person’s inner self, any physical imperfections disappear, become irrelevant.”
— Lisa Unger, Beautiful Lies

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Photo Evidence, or a Lack Thereof

I love having photos - I think they are a great personal history while being fun at the same time.  Nothing makes you giggle quite like an amazingly terrible photo.   Nothing makes your heart melt quite like seeing the smiling faces of friends and family you love.

I would think that most folks would naturally want to have a few photos with the people they have dated regularly.  I had this thought because I realized a strange phenomenon in my dating life.

I only have photos with one of the last six men I have dated.  In fact, I've straight-up asked for photos before only to repeatedly be rejected.  Is that strange?  I think it is strange.  A little suspicious/curious if you ask me...




Monday, June 25, 2012

Dating Stinks

I've long had the nose of a bloodhound.

As a child, I would come home from elementary school, open the front door, and pause for just a moment before boldly asking my mom, "Where's the chocolate?"

You see, she would buy bulk chocolate and cut it up into pieces and hide it from us, occasionally bringing out pieces.  The only problem was that I thwarted her masterplan because I could smell from a mile away - just the mere fact that she'd had chocolate in the house perked my little sniffer right up.

Chocolate brings me to another of life's greatest treats...men.

Both can be sweet or bitter, desired or avoided, but the similarity I am going for right now is smell.

I've dated, or come close to dating, some guys who just were not up to snuff...or sniff, as it were.  I've often asked questions of my friends like:
Is it just me, or does that guy smell like wet cotton and clothes that have been hanging in the closet too long?
Have you smelled that guy's breath?  I can't get within a foot of him!  No?  Just me?
That guy rocks at frisbee, but probably because no one ever guards him because he smells like BO.  What?  You've never smelled it when you guard him?  Weird.

Then there is the converse:
Did you smell him?  I thought he was totally unattractive until I caught a whiff of how good he smells!
Don't you love it when you kiss and his smell lingers with you?
 
I have never been shy about hooking men up with cologne when I think it will help their cause, or politely handing someone a piece of gum.  Lucky for me, I give people gum all the time and nine times out of ten, it is not a necessity, but a nicety.

I cannot think of one relationship where smell did not play some factor in my decisions.  Crazy, right?  Or not...

I've recently stumbled upon quite a few articles and research backing up my olfactory omniscience.


This article states: 
Dating has long been associated with masquerade. It is well known that the codes and signals women employ to attract a mate - provocative dress, coy and flirtatious behavior (driven by sexual fantasy) - are deeply rooted in evolutionary biology. Often unrecognized, however, is the role that the sense of smell plays in the evolutionary system of attraction. We each produce a chemical aura as unique as our fingerprints. Starting at puberty, feasts of aromatic chemicals that make up our individual "odor-prints" communicate our sexual compatibility. This continues through our fertile lives and is perceived by others on an unconscious level...
One way in which humans communicate with each other is through the senses of smell and taste. Attraction is quite literally about chemistry; our noses have receptors for scent molecules, some so fine-tuned that even consciously imperceptible chemicals are apprehended and processed by the brain on an unconscious level. The majority of the aromatic information that we receive from other humans is apprehended in this way.
Evolutionary biologists had long hypothesized that humans pick mates by smelling them, but this was only proven in 1995 by biologist Claus Wedekind in a groundbreaking initial study while at the University of Bern...read more here.


Another article states:
What’s the most important factor in choosing a lover – is it eyes, smile, wealth, ambition, personality, or outward appearance? Not surprisingly, friendliness is the most important factor for both men and women, and if you’re a woman at Brown University, the second most important thing to you is how your potential lover smells. Think this is weird? Rachel Herz of Brown University’s Department of Psychology and Michael Inzlicht of New York University’s Department of Applied Psychology conducted a study to quantify how important smell is to men and women when it comes to choosing their lovers...
Herz and Inzlicht’s research debunks previous theories of mate selection. For example, according to Buss’s 1989 study, men have stereotypically been charged with seeking women with “good looks,” whereas women look for men of “high social status and wealth.” Herz and Inzlicht expand on such previous experiments by investigating the relationship between attraction and the sense of smell. This factor is relevant because a pleasing natural smell may indicate that the potential lover has a healthy immune system...
So why do you like that average looking fellow? How come that ordinary lady in your writing class looks good to you? You can’t figure out for the life of you why you keep thinking about him. Could it be because you caught a whiff of his natural scent? The take-home message of this study is that women should look their best and be pleasant, and that men should smell nice and treat their women well.   Read more here.

Glamour Magazine recently published some research that shows that those with a keen sense of smell are happier because their communication levels are higher as are their cues to social propriety. 

Did you know that there are even Pheromone Parties?  And dating websites catering towards matching people based on smell?  This is kinda creepy, but, hey, if it works...

I feel a little relieved to know that science is backing up my decisions when I can't bring myself to date a guy because his smell rubs me the wrong way.

Have you had any interesting experiences involving dating and smells?

Friday, June 22, 2012

Beauty Comes With a Price

Grandma Betty always told me, "You must suffer to be beautiful."

There is still some truth echoing in the abandoned halls of that archaic phrase.  After taking a look at the below photo, however, I am wondering who is doing the suffering - me or the people looking at me?

Don't be afraid, it it all turns out alright in the end.

I love having my hair highlighted, but haven't done so in about 8 or 9 months to keep my locks healthy and long.  But the summer sunshine kept teasing my inner blonde and I could refuse her sun-kisses no longer.  I feel radiant, even without makeup (no makeup in these photos and I maybe forgot this morning too).

I may regret the decision to post these silly photos from joking around with Leah, but oh well - here ya go!



Thursday, June 21, 2012

Weighty Butterflies

I've been a little stressed the past few weeks - that kind of stress you don't realize you are feeling, let alone the severity of it, until you find yourself practically collapse into tears at the kitchen counter while attempting to make cookies.  Then you re-enact scenes from every chick flick ever and shove a spoonful of cookie dough in your mouth whilst ugly-crying.  Yep.  Sounds about right.

I wasn't eating more calories than usual and I kept up my six-days-per-week dates with Gym, but the stress was all, "Hey, Larissa's body!  Let's add five pounds of insulation to protect her from her hurt."  Gee, what a nice gift...you shouldn't have.

Then my stresses melted away.

Last night, I was out with a particularly nice fella and said, "I don't know how, but I've mysteriously lost three pounds in less than a week!"

The particularly nice fella let a smile sneak upon his lips and replied, "That's because you got rid of all of the butterflies in your stomach." 

Sometimes I wish I weren't a sappy, easily-amused girl.  Alas, I am.  And that was adorable.

And now you all know how to lose weight.  


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

So What's the Take-Away?

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend the premiere of a new movie with my darling friend Lucas.  He is in the film industry, therefore is blessed with/suffers from a keen eye for the artistry of film.

As we left the theater, he asked me, "So what was the take-away?  What did you get from that movie?" 

Since that conversation, I've thought about this question as it applies to life.

In every situation, what is my take-away?  Did I learn anything?  Did the experience have any value?  Or was it a big waste of my time?

Something to think about.



Fashion Trends: Colored Jeans

I cannot, for the life of me, pull off colored jeans.

Look at them!  Aren't they cute?

Alas, we've all seen the "People of Walmart" trying to pull them off - emphasis on trying because it definitely ain't happenin.'  They emphasize dimples (not the cute ones) and make short/muscular legs look even bulkier.

And as much as I love them on other people, I can't help but think they are one of those trends that we will look back on in twenty years and think, "What on earth were we thinking?  Who let us wear those?!"

What do you guys think?

Monday, June 18, 2012

Fashion Trends: Leggings

I know some of you out there probably love the crop-leggings.  I will admit, I've seen one of you wearing them and you look fantastic.

But generally speaking?

I hate them.

I feel as if they chop legs off half-way down.  And isn't the point of  fashion to make the legs appear as long and svelte as possible? 

My biggest beef has been that, in the LDS culture, a lot of girls wear them to pull off wearing skirts that are not of "modest" length instead of wearing them because they are the right style for the look they are trying to pull off.  This can be a little tacky and unflattering in my opinion...it's like those girls who buy the strapless dresses and just wear t-shirts under everything.  Umm...darling, that doesn't look good - have you ever heard of a cardigan?  Anyway. 

Leave it to the short girl to be overly-sensitive to any leg-chopping fashion...I gotta elongate where I can!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Chemistry

Just because you get married does not mean you will never have chemistry with another man.

That little gem of wisdom about knocked me off my chair.

I've never understood how a married person could even look at another of the opposite gender as anything more than a totally asexual entity.

But then I realized my train of thinking is absolutely absurd.

As a woman, I have constantly met other women to whom I am immediately drawn.  Ladies, you know what I'm talking about - those gals that you can tell immediately you will have a life-long bond with.  There is no questioning that connection, no hesitation - just pure elation with finding another who is your kindred spirit, bosom buddy, soul mate, what-have-you.

Why, then, could I have had the preposterous thought that after fifteen years of active dating and finding connections with various men, I would never encounter another man with whom I have chemistry simply because I had gotten married?  Heck, even in committed dating relationships prior to engagement, you have your eyes open to make sure you are making the most correct decision for yourself and the person you are dating.

The difficult aspect about opposite-gender chemistry (or same-gender depending on your persuasion) is that that chemistry usually comes along with attraction to be with the person.  Whenever I have felt that in my life, I've always been able to act...that is the natural thing to do and has definitely become my action of habit!

What a novel idea...I will always meet people I am drawn to - for the rest of my life I will continue to have magnetism towards some.  How could I have never realized this before? 

The difference is that once I decide I have met my "the one," I will make that conscious effort and decision to never again act on the chemistry/attraction.  It will be there, like it or not.  But that commitment to an eternal and everlasting marriage is more than chemistry - it is a covenant with another spiritual being and with your Heavenly Father and with the eternities your legacy will lead to.  Marriage is building.  Marriage is hope.  Marriage is freedom to create.  Marriage is digging into the trenches with each other and then helping each other climb out.  Marriage is companionship, unconditional support, friendship, love, loyalty, dedication and a million other elements that all combine to be the thing most of us constantly crave until we find it.  And when we do, we cling to it with the force of a thousand winds.

I would never give that up for chemistry.  But it sure is nice to have the heads-up if and when I realize that human element of attraction won't be going away.  That would be like saying Snickers ceases to exist simply because I refuse to acknowledge them.  Of course, we all know I'll never refuse to acknowledge a Snickers...some things never change:-)


Lyrics: Outkast's The Whole World

I love me some Outkast.

What?  Someone had a heart attack?

Yeah, I know.  It is possible for a throwback-to-standards girl to love other music.

The first time I heard the song, "The Whole World," I heard these lyrics:

And the whole, world, loves it when you're in the nude. 
(Bah bah-da, bah bah bah-da da)


Yeah, um...the lyrics are actually And the whole, world, loves it when you're in the news.

Oops!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Mullet vs. Eurotail

I have an acquaintance, whom we will call "Norway."  Norway has the luscious locks of a Greek God. 

Imagine my surprise when I showed up to church one Sunday and beheld the freshly shorn scalp you see below.

This past Sunday, we were conversing about how he has a doppleganger at the gym (he sees Gym more than I do) and I said, "He's even sporting a rockin' mullet just like you!"

He immediately put his hands up and said, "Whoa, whoa...this is not a mullet!  It's a Eurotail.  Big difference." 

Huh?

So I looked up "eurotail" online and all I could find was from Urban Dictionary: "European hairstyle that is gradually making its way into North America. A hybrid of a mullet and a rat tail but has remained socially acceptable. The eurotail lives life on one principle: work hard and enjoy life simultaneously."

Mullet, Eurotail, whatever you call it, I don't see the difference.  What do you think?


Thursday, June 7, 2012

I Have a Drinking Problem

I happened to glance to the left of my desk at work and the preposterousness of the situation hit me.

You can see I have six containers of liquid: 4-44 oz, 1-32 oz, 1-12 oz.  

Four of these containers are at least 1/2 full (none with soda before you go get all worried or preachy)

I am beginning to think I have a problem...how did I come to this?!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Dr. Oz: I'm Eating on National Television!


Dr. Oz.

I imagine most ladies over the age of 40 swoon simply hearing that name.

Did you know I am on the episode airing 6.5.2012 titled, "Dr. Oz's Calorie Cutting Challenge"?  Bet you didn't!  Watch for me in the segment on frozen yogurt.  I say something awesome about digestion while stuffing my face.  Because who doesn't want their national TV debut include pigging out and digestion?

Care to watch?  http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/truth-about-frozen-yogurt-pt-1

Let me tell you how this all came about.

My mom is a huge fan of the Ozinator, so my parents decided to get tickets for our time in NYC - including a ticket for moi.  The evening of my flight to JFK, I was sitting at a baseball game when my dad called and said something about how "The Oz Show" sometimes uses audience participation if I'd like him to forward me the forms to fill out for a chance on the day of our show.  I responded, "Sure Dad, but I leave tonight and don't have my laptop, if you just want to fill out the form for me.  If not, don't worry about it."  I immediately forgot about this conversation.

Flash forward to the next day.  I'm sitting in The Shake Shack enjoying my favorite burger and I see I've missed a call from a New York number that left a voice mail.  I am terrible at listening to voice mails, but curiosity got the better of me.  Imagine my surprise when I hear, "Hi!  This is the Dr. Oz show..."

I returned the call and the next thing I knew, I had arrangements to appear at a local frozen yogurt shop for a segment taping on frozen yogurt.  I asked my dad what on earth he wrote on the application.  His mischievous grin gave him away before he even spoke.  Apparently I watch the show all the time and screamed, "Pick me!  Pick me!"  He threw in something about a sex-change operation, at which point my eyes about popped out of my head.  Oh that little jokester.

Flash forward three days.  I arrived at the frozen yogurt shop, windblown from at least 40 minutes of walking in blustery weather, and regretting the decision I had made to pack for NYC with only mascara and an eyeshadow base for makeup.  The producer gave me my line and shared with me that five others were showing up, so she couldn't promise I'd make the final cut of the segment.  I repeated my line to her about as cheesily as I could, "I love frozen yogurt because the probiotics are good for my digestion!"  As a theater person, I was looking for some direction on how to say it after she knew I had it down.  Nope.  They recorded me over-emphatically talking about my digestion with a fakearola smile plastered all over my gob.  Then, they had me sit down and eat.  On camera.  Of course a homeless man would walk up right then and start taunting me, "Oh yeah!  That yogurt is good!  Oh yeah!  Eat!  Mmm!"  Oy.  Oh well, I figured, it wasn't like they'd use the clip.  And I got free mango frozen yogurt!  The camera-man was exceptionally friendly and chatted with us for several minutes whereupon we found out he has filmed a documentary in my hometown of Piqua, Ohio.  What are the odds?       

Flash forward to the next day.  We attended the live taping of the full show, which included the edited final-cut of the frozen yogurt segment.  Guess who stars?  Yeahhhhh....I am pretty sure I buried my head in my hands to keep from laughing out loud.  There I am - getting frozen yogurt with wind-frazzled hair, eating, and talking way too excitedly about my digestion.  Am I endlessly amused by this?  Oh yes.

I'm on national TV!





Friday, June 1, 2012

Blithe Spirit: The Empress Theatre

My friends have come to observe that if I do not generally enjoy a show, I won't generally write about said show.  The thing is, sometimes I become a little overwhelmed with professional and personal things and my brain simply does not have enough juice to compile my thoughts in a coherent fashion.  The longer I wait, the more I realize - the brain juice may not begin to flow again for quite some time, so I might as well just write. (and you better believe the first time I typed "write," it came out "wrtei"..spell check had no idea what to do with that) 

I apologize in advance if my thoughts seem incoherent.

Blithe Spirit is a British comedy of sorts regarding the playboy Charles Condomine (Stephen Bradford), his current wife Ruth (Kristen Fox), and his deceased wife Elvira (Michealla Greeff).  There is a seyonce where Madame Arcati (Nancy Jensen) brings back the spirit of Elvira, whom only Charles can see and hear.

The script is wordy and very British.  I don't think I've learned to appreciate that kind of humor as much as others.  I'm the queen of taking thirty words to say something that could be said in five, but it looks like author Noel Coward is King.

As far as the performances go, Kristen, Stephen, and Nancy nailed it.

Nancy played the crazy medium no-holds-barred.  She has this adorability factor that wins over every audience I've seen her work. Every character I have seen her play has been entirely different from the last and she loses herself completely - becoming a new person.  I only hope I can have half her talent some day.

Kristen channeled the intricacies of a woman in love with a man she has been fooled into thinking loves her as anything more than a caretaker.  In the first act, her Ruth and Charles had this fantastic flirtatious banter that proved to me that an on-stage relationship can be greatly impacted by the off-stage interactions of the actors.  I can't mention the first act without mentioning how drop-dead gorgeous Kristen looked in her first costume.  Yowzas.  These two are comfortable friends and you can tell.  You can also appreciate Kristen's rage as she lets Stephen have it for being a conniver and a womanizer.

Stephen.  I found his Charles truly likeable for the first half hour or so and then he turned into a slime-ball.  His character didn't necessarily think he was being a jerk, simply acting in his own self-interests - he couldn't see outside of his own little world to realize the impact of his decisions on these women who loved him.  Or did they?  Because of his blatent change in no longer covering for his true feelings, we see the women in his life peel back a few layers themselves and you begin to realize that everyone was involved out of convenience.  Or were they?  Part of Ruth seems to truly love Charles, but truly hate him all at the same time.  Perhaps she caught on to his deplorable acts, but kept pretending to live in the world she so much desired.

I knew all but two of the cast members of this production, which lead to a particularly entertaining evening for me.  I love watching what parts of themselves my friends put into their characters and what parts they totally abandon.  Will they abandon everything and I see a stranger on stage?  Will they pull from all of their own experiences to make them and their character seem one and the same?

Stephen, Nancy, Kristen, Bryan, and Michealla - thanks for a great evening at the theater!  The show has now closed, but I've got these amusing memories* forever.  


*Stephen and Kristen preparing alcoholic beverages...ha.
*Kristen smacking Stephen in the face so hard that he had to run off stage and ice up

I Don't Wear Pants

I don't prefer pants...unless they are for Gym or pajamas.

I prefer to wear dresses.  Not just dresses, but really cute and girly dresses, much like unto Zooey or Dianna

Last weekend I was roughing it - knowing I was going to be in a backyard for a BBQ most of the evening - in jeans and a hoodie.  One of the young men may or may not have thought it extremely hilarious to attempt to wedgie-fy me.  Yep, people still try this at 32. 

I yipped, jumped, and screamed, "SEE!  This is why I never wear pants!"

That went over well...

I even wear dresses at the fair while playing with goats