"He gave you a pepper-jack hug"

Our kids that were so wonderful at the beginning of the week, turned out to be really spacey kids by the end of the week. So much so, that we ended up leaving the conclusion of the show out of our first performance...you know, where they guess his name. Pretty important. We just went forward like it didn't happen.

The last performance was pretty good as far as the performances when the actor's were on stage. Then, the villagers were always so behind on their entrances that a running joke about "spinover traffic" ended up being added into the show. Though, we had LOTS of compliments on that, people thought it was hilarious. I wonder how old you have to be for mistakes to be cute and hilarious, instead of annoying and unwanted.

But, that's not to say bad things about a really wonderful group of kids. They're kids. They're gonna get bored and distracted. These were great kids and I'm proud of him. Also, I'm not trying to skirt responsibility completely for the problems we incurred. There are things I could improve on, Casey could improve on to fix some of the things that hampered us this week.

But, that's very minimal. Really. The kids were great.

Casey and I were able to have a few drinks(which I'm feeling the effects of) at the bar in the hotel here tonight, and opened up some nice conversation with the other patrons. That was nice.

Casey and I are looking forward to seeing Tom, Barbara, Ian, and Robin in Raton tomorrow, and the next week. It'll be nice to have a week off with some good friends.

"Yes, I Do"

As we've been stationed here in the southwest, I've been given a much better experience with the immigration "issue" in this country. Literally, I haven't gone a day since crossing into Wyoming without hearing Spanish. Being an at least politically interested person, I have an opinion on things like that.

I'm really really glad that these people are coming here, and finding ways to provide for themselves and their families in a situation that is better than their home. I just wish their kids would learn English, so they can function better here as they grow older...

And today, I finally realized...those kids probably can speak English. Probably better than me...their mother just can't. Today during our Improv workshop (which I may talk about later, making this a long post) we were doing an exercise called "radio" in which people who were selected had to say something that might be on a radio station(an altogether vague description, my apologies.) The point, one of the girls who is playing a lead role in our show was called upon and began rattling off fluent Spanish for her station.

She probably comes from an entirely Spanish-speaking home...but she communicates with me fine, reads her script fine, says her lines...fine. (I overuse ellipses.) (And parentheses.) The girl playing the same role last week was in the same boat too. There's a good chance that many, if not all of our future actresses in those roles will be the same way. I like that. Alot. I'm glad they've found themselves here.

Company CEO did show up today, and talked to us after our rehearsal...we passed with flying colors! (YAY!) He thought it was our second week alone, rather than our first, and was even more pleased when he realized it. He wasn't without a host of helpful tips, but was altogether pleased with our work. That made us feel good. I enjoy his company a lot. To be 22, just out of college, and have a job in which I enjoy my work, my co-workers, and my bosses...I consider myself very lucky.

One important thing he said, as he was giving us notes he asks me, "Have you directed before?" "Yes, I've directed alot, actually." "I thought so."

It felt very good to have done work where that was recognized by a theatre professional, one whom I've quickly grown to respect very much. It makes me thankful for my college time, and the learning I received there. I'm glad that I've developed a skill set that puts me at an advantage...a recognizable advantage with this job. I wasn't always the happiest with my life at College, and still have a hard time giving everything there a glowing review, but I am grateful for the way it shaped me. Thankful, that those marks can be recognized.

The improv workshop: So, it was not long into my senior year before I realized that after all the theatre I've done, it was Improv that provided me everything about theatre I loved the most: the chance to teach, the chance to perform, the chance to make people laugh, and the chance to cherish your partners in art, simultaneously. The dreams of my future began to revolve around a life in Chicago, taking classes, performing, and hopefully eventually teaching there...in both improvization and the formal theatre. As I graduated and performed my last show with my beloved EPZ (campus improv group) I was sad that I'd hang up my improv hat for a while. Then I got to training and found out an Improv Workshop is part of our many offerings to the communities we visit.

We did our first today, with some wonderful kids, and had a great time. It felt electric and wonderful as always, and I LOVED offering it to our students. What a great feeling.

As I finish this, it makes me think that I hope anyone who reads this can find a way to be as happy with the ways of their life right now as I am. I feel like I'm almost rubbing it people's face. I'm sorry if I am.

Here's to you, my good friends. Hope all is well.

Also, comments are encouraged. I'd love to hear from anyone who checks up on me.

NetFlix, Blockbuster, Red Box...whatever you do

Get a hold of "Notes on a Scandal" and watch it. I'm not done with it, and I want everyone I know to have seen this movie so we can talk about how good it is together. The acting is phenomenal, its as well-structured a film as I've seen in a while, and the story is incredibly compelling. See some of the UK's best dramatic actors: Dame Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, and Bill Nighy at their best.

I hope it ends as well as its started.

In Colorado, there is a land of love.

Casey was talking to me earlier about how something about this group of kids felt distant to her. I wonder if that's the way all the others will be, and there will always be something special about our first week kids.

I know right now that when I think of the parts in the play, I picture my kids from last week, not this week. Maybe future weeks will feel more like this, but they'll always be a special place for those week 1 kids. I kind of like that. They were our first group, and deserve such special attention.

This week's group is WAY ahead of schedule. Our King had his lines memorized...and not just memorized. Lots of kids memorize their lines on the second day. But he memorized his cues, his lines (word perfect) and even knows where we are when I say a page number. And its his first show for the company. On top of that, he's awesome in the part. I mean...damn.

The CEO of the company may be showing up tomorrow, according to our contact the last time he came he popped in on Wednesday. So, we'll see. I'm really proud of the group this week already, so I'm quite glad this is the week he's coming to check us out.

We ate dinner at our contact's house this evening, she made homemade sausage, and marinated vegetables all on the grill with some Orzo rice. We talked movies, politics, education, and top chef. She's a great lady, with a wonderful family. She's one of those college elitist type liberals (her kids go to "core knowledge" schools, she hates reality tv (though watches top chef...as an exception) and prefers movies she can discuss after viewing, I'm annoyed when people my age act that way, but found her fascinating to talk to.

Her oldest son...we'll all hear from him some day. He's entering seventh grade, and spoke to us about how he feels that games like everquest and other such things that deal with magical realms are welcoming those realms to free reign on earth, in our humanity. Which he believes exists on the second of five dimensions, the first of which being the great Olympus. Another of which being Hel...not Hell...Hel - a land of cold suffering, ruled by Hades' daughter.

I didn't make any of that up.

A legend gone...

I'm saddened by this news.

George Carlin, 71, died this evening of heart failure.

A friend on a message board said "His tombstone will have seven words on it."

Properties

Today was a long one, and the kids felt it. By the time we got about halfway through our second session, they were exhausted. They didn't have the "friday syndrome" I'd heard described other teams, but they were certainly pooped. So, right at their most empty Casey and I had them do an over-the-top rehearsal. We wanted everything they had left.

Thankfully, they found those little reservoirs of energy and excitement that make our shows so wonderful. They were all having wonderful energetic fun by the end, and were encouraged for show day tomorrow.

And probably took a great nap afterwards.

A few words on our trainer...she's awesome. She's one of the nicest people Casey or I have ever met, and her husband is quite a guy too. She's been so helpful, and so nice in the mean time. Plus, a hell of a cook. She's loaded us up with cookies and pasta salad, and a great shrimp and chicken ceaser salad and some chocolate chip cheesecake at her place on Wednesday. (we're lucky to have a trainer that lives very near our residency) She's been invaluable this week.

Her husband's a great guy too. Quick story on what sold me on him for the rest of eternity. We went out on the company tab tonight to the Walnut Brewery in Boulder, CO. I ordered some pub tips, he ordered a bourbonzola (bourbon BBQ sauce, gorgonzola, fried onions) burger made with BUFFALO MEAT. I thought to myself, man I'd like to try that...but I can't ask him for a bite, that'd be weird as hell. About 5 min. later he offered me a bite, and was happy to give me the chance to try it. That's a hell of a guy folks. So, you want on my good side, offer me some new meat.

Rocky Mountain Oysters here I come....

Why do I insist on ending everything with ellipses?

Hmmm...

A Good Job

This week has been going really well. Our audition day was completely bizarre, as far as how the auditions are supposed to go. Our cast, however, is great. We have some really great kids...alot of first timers in a town that's been bringing the company in for 20 years. I'm glad some people got the oppurtunity, also afraid we let some really good people get lost in the auditions, but our show has been going excellently. We'll be doing a full run and a dress rehearsal tomorrow, and I'm sure they'll be excited.

The sort of situations and positions this job puts you in are really incredible. One of our smallest cast members, aged 6 was crying backstage, so I took her out to the lobby to see what was wrong. Apparently she had recently been in an accident that left a wound on a thigh big enough to require stitches, and though the stitches are gone and the wound is mostly healed, it still gives her a bit of pain. Well, a friend of hers laid their head on her lap, right on the wound and she went berserk with pain.

So I was talking to her out in the lobby while they kept running the show for Casey and our trainer, Leigh. While we were talking, without knowing what I was doing, I told her to clench her fists, shake them, take a big breath in, then breathe out and loosen up the fists. Then we did it again. And again. And she felt fine. I had no idea what I was doing when I started...I did it along with her and felt pretty good myself afterwards. Oxygen does a body good.

So you...clench your fists...

Pictures

Here's some photoz. If you like looking at photoz.

http://picasaweb.google.com/MillerJAllen

It was a drive from Montana to Wyoming today, and I'm convinced as I sit in Sheridan, WY...people have no idea about the country they live in. Driving I-90 east, watching mountain range after mountain range pop out from behind each other, taller, snow-capped, and more beautiful each time--then getting into Wyoming where the interestate asphalt turns RED, for whatever reason, and you're driving on top of a ridge with these 100 foot river valleys on either side...just incredible.

And its so EASY. Its really easy to drive. Our highways are so wide, and for as much as they are used...pretty safe (as dangerous as they are.) I'm lucky to get the chance to see this part of the country, new parts of the country. Take advantage if you get the chance.

If gas ever gets cheaper, go on a road trip. To Texas perhaps, where I'll be most of the summer.

Spitter

In that picture of me over there, doesn't it look like I'm about to spit something right at the camera?

Readers?

Does anyone read this? Just curious. Post if you do. Now and then.

All the others have left now, except for the few who have unbooked weeks. Killing time right now in a local coffee shop until moving into our hotel for our last week, then to DENVER! I hadn't realized how close our first stop was to Denver, close enough to check out things in the city each and every day of the week. So, if you know anything I should check out in Denver, let me know.

This city is really really cool. Its tucked away in the middle of this beautiful mountain landscape, with all kinds of culture, local atmosphere, and things to do.

(If it ever seems like I'm vague, it's on purpose. I'm trying to be careful about naming just where I am, company name, etc. I work for kids.)

And...breathe.

The first team left today, which sort of kicked off the end of training. A few times leave on Thursday before most others head out on Friday, or Saturday. Casey and I are unbooked next week, so we'll be working at the home office here, before leaving at the end of next week.

Last week we were thrown into our shows: blocking, music, choreography...and the like. This week the training began to move toward workshops and teaching, and alot of stories of the type of impact this job has on people. That's sort of cool. Its nice to have a job that seems to do something good for someone. Especially when its a theatre job.

There should be a little slideshow of pictures there on the side of this. I hope it worked.

Miss you all.