This Week Currently...

Reading The Phantom Tollbooth, a children's adventure novel and modern fairy tale (circa 1961) by Norton Juster. This was one of my favorites growing up-- It tells the story of a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth that transports him to a land called the Kingdom of Wisdom. There he acquires two faithful companions, has many adventures, and goes on a quest to rescue the princesses of the kingdom—Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason—from the castle of air. The text is full of puns and wordplay and I just reeks of cleverness and imagination. I was reminded of its awesomeness earlier this week when Jeff was flipping through channels and landed on the cartoon version of it-- I FREAKED OUT. Within 24 hours, he had gone out to Barnes & Noble and purchased a copy for me. Have I mentioned that Jeff is the best?

Writing several to-do lists. To-do lists for work, to-do lists for Spring cleaning and getting the house organized, to-do lists for the wedding... it goes on and on!

Eating seemingly everything. I've fallen off the soda wagon (damn you, tiny 7oz cans of soda and your adorableness) and I'm not exaggerating when I say I have around 2-square-feet of delicious leftover birthday sheet cake just sitting on our counter, staring at me.

Listening to whatever comes on 100.5 The Drive on my 5-minute commute to and from work, and then at work I jam to my Thomas Newman Pandora station (mmmm... Thomas Newman). Every time a song from the Little Women soundtrack (the movie, not the musical) comes on, I get very excited, and if it's "Valley of the Shadow", I have been known to actually say out loud "oh GAHHHHD, nooooo! BETH'S DEAD! And now Hannah is sprinkling the red petals on the dolls! Cause Beth's DEAD! NOOOO!!!!"

Thinking that I need to upgrade my work wardrobe so it's more "corporate". I JUST got promoted to the Institutional Giving Manager position at Geva (!!!), so starting in June I'll be responsible for bringing in A LOT of money, mostly through corporate sponsorships. So I'll have a ton of pitch meetings with executive-level corporate types, and I need to look SHARP and super-profesh. Bring on the pinstripes and pantsuits, yo'!

Wishing I had a more defined jawline. <sigh>

Hoping that I get my big "Moses Man" stipend check in the mail in the next couple of days... t'would be really nice to have right about now!

Wearing anything that's still clean! We have accumulated the most ridiculous mountain of dirty laundry! There are literally 3 large laundry baskets in our bedroom and each of them has a mound of dirty clothes that has grown so large that it's quickly creeping up the wall! These piles go up to my waist! Tonight is laundry night. THIS ENDS NOW.

Loving Jeffrey. And sleep.

Feeling tired and slightly overwhelmed, but happy and pretty pumped for the future! Lots of good things are happening!!

Planning a Wedding

So I'm getting married. For REAL. To beautiful Jeffrey, this summer, specifically July 7th. Here are some of my thoughts on planning a wedding...

1. Regardless of all the "off-beat", "non-traditional", "hipster wedding", "DIY-chic" trendiness currently out there in the wedding industry, it's all still the same thing-- the wedding people want you to spend all your dollars (and your parents' dollars, and your fiance's dollars) on this one day of your life. You think you're being all funky and fresh and fun by saying "oh yeah? Well we're not going to have the bride & groom cake toppers. And we're not having attendants. And who needs a guestbook?". And so you set out to plan your casual, non-traditional *personalized* wedding. And then the industry finds out and then start inundating you with the same wedding garbage but THIS time it's funky and crafty and it has birds on it and it's red and turquoise because it's not a traditional wedding, it's a *cool* wedding, just like yours is going to be! But it's the same damn stuff. They still want you to shell out hundreds for a dress, for a new slim-cut suit, for the little paper-crafted penant banners to adorn your reception site, for the DIY-ribbon backdrop to go behind the officiant, for the fun and colorful candy display that you simply must have in order to be a fun and hip bride.

2. Vendors jack prices way up the minute you say "bride" or "wedding". You think you just need a bouquet of flowers to hold for 20 minutes? On any ordinary day, that might cost you $30, but on your wedding day a "bridal bouquet" will cost you $120. You just want a cake that can feed 70 people? Most wedding cakes start at around $200 for the most basic of flavors. (my solution?-- I go to the bakery the day before the wedding and buy 4 regular sized cakes for $20 a pop... that way, I get whatever flavors I want, it's not a pain in the ass to cut, and they aren't charging me up the butt for the same amount of cake). You can be the most conservative bride (and believe me, we are doing A LOT of things to save money and to cut out unnecessary spending), and yet you'll STILL end up dropping thousands and thousands.

3. Some of the women that work in bridal shops are real douchebags. Back in January, I called a local bridal shop in Rochester to make an appointment for Saturday, February 2nd. I had done my research online, knew the dresses that they carried that I would be interested in trying on, knew my budget, and picked a date when my mom and Jeff's mom could both go with me (I called 2 weeks ahead to ensure an appointment). What followed was the most irritatingly rude conversation that I have ever had throughout this planning process (thus far)...

Mary: "Hi, I'd like to make an appointment on Saturday, February 2nd to try on bridal gowns, please."

Bridal Douche: "Alright, and when is your wedding date?"

Mary: "Sunday, July 7th"

Bridal Douche: "Of this year?"

Mary: "Yes."

Bridal Douche: "... ummmm.... yeeeeeeeah, that's only 6 months from now. Usually it takes 6-9 months to even get a dress in the store. This is kind of late in the game for your date.... so yeeeeeeah."

Mary: "... so you aren't going to let me have an appointment then?"

Bridal Douche: "Well, I mean by then you'll be 5 months out.... <talking to herself> but then I suppose February 2nd is only two weeks from now, so there's really no point in trying to get you in here any sooner... ugh... do you know what kind of dress you want?"

Mary: "Yes. I've done some research online on the designers you carry in your store. I have specific dresses with their style numbers that I'd like to try on. That's why I'm calling you to make an appointment."

Bridal Douche: "Well... do you think you want a ball gown?"

Mary: "No."

Bridal Douche: "Okay, cause most of the styles we have this season are more of a ballgown silhouette, sooooo...."

Mary: "Yes, I've seen that. But my research indicates that there are other silhouettes in this season's collection at your store."

Bridal Douche: "Okay, we'll schedule you for 2:30pm on the 2nd... I guess that'll have to work"

Mary: "...fabulous."

Bridal Douche: "Okay, when you arrive for your appointment, please bring appropriate undergarments. Oh, and DON'T bring more than 2 people with you. We hate that."

Mary: "Got it."

Bridal Douche: "Okay, we'll see you then!" <click>

SCENE

4. David's Bridal actually has some pretty good dresses. Feeling completely turned-off by the phone conversation with Bridal Douche, I felt the need to make another appointment for February 2nd at a different bridal shop just in case. I had found a really beautiful dress that had gotten great reviews and looked like it flattered a *curvier* figure. The only problem in my mind? It was a David's Bridal dress. I would have to go to David's Bridal. Now, for someone who thinks the wedding industry is full of shit, the very idea of David's Bridal completely grossed me out. The place looks like a pastel-doused warehouse of polyester poof. But the dress was too pretty and I was desperate for a back-up option in case my 2:30pm appointment on the 2nd ended in a bloodbath. So, with much trepidation, I called David's Bridal...
Mary: "Hi, I'd like to make an appointment on February 2nd to try on bridal gowns."
David's Bridal Lady: "Sure! What time do you want to come in?"
Mary: "I have another appointment scheduled for 2:30pm... could we do something earlier than that?"
David's Bridal Lady: "Absolutely- how about 12:30pm? It gets a little crazy here on Saturday mornings, so 12:30pm should be a little calmer."
Mary: "Sounds good"
David's Bridal Lady: "When is your wedding date?"
Mary: "July 7th"
David's Bridal Lady: "Great! You'll be with Lucille*."
Mary: "July 7th isn't too soon? I haven't missed my 6-9 month shopping window?"
David's Bridal Lady: "No, you'll be fine- you've got plenty of time."
Mary: "Do you limit how many people I can bring with me to my appointment?"
David's Bridal Lady: "Bring whoever you want!"
Mary: "Awesome"
David's Bridal Lady: "Alright, you are all set! We'll see you on the 2nd!"

SCENE

*name changed to protect the identity of the poor woman who had to see me in my underwear while I awkwardly stood in the dressing room with my arms in the air as she tried to load white dresses over my head and onto my body.

Dress #3... the runner-up

I felt much better about how this conversation went! On February 2nd, we ventured out to David's Bridal and after trying on 4 dresses, I found "the one" (barf). And no, I didn't have that "burst into tears because you feel like a princess and this is THE ONE, you guys!" moment. I had an "ooh, this is nice and light and comfortable... I like the way the back looks... it does good things for my figure... it doesn't have a bunch of sparkly crap on it... oh wow, the price is awesome" moment. And then I tried Dress #3 back on because that one was the one I had seen in my research that made me want to come into David's Bridal in the first place, and it looked pretty good too. And then I tried Dress #4 on again. And I stood there for 15 minutes not knowing what to do. And then I finally picked Dress #4 because it was, ultimately, more comfortable and more appropriate for the outdoor summery BBQ wedding we would be having. The Lucille* didn't pressure me, she was totally cool, and she didn't make me feel dumb for trying these two dresses on multiple times. The only barfy "ugh" moment I had was when, after I had said out loud "I think this is the dress. Yeah. Let's get this one"... Lucille* came over with a little silver bell and said "Now, here at David's Bridal we have a tradition... when a bride has found *the one*, we have her hold this little silver bell while she stands in her gown, and we have her close her eyes and make a wish for her wedding day, and then ring the bell".... I know... gross. So I humored poor Lucille, mostly out of guilt for the things she saw rolling over my spanx in the dressing room, and I shut my eyes and made a wish for my wedding day (that I wouldn't spill BBQ sauce on my dress) and then I rang that bell. And INSTANTLY, every single person in the store stopped what they were doing, turned around and looked at me with gigantic smiles, and started clapping and "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing and "She said yes to the dress"ing. And so, I (being a complete asshole) totally fake gushed in a very over-exaggerated manner as though I just won a beauty pageant. But it's alright... the dress it pretty damn awesome and I'm actually really excited to wear it on July 7th, so I'll take it.

5. Going to David's Bridal is like inviting the wedding industry vampire to enter your home. As positive as my experience was in finding my wedding dress at David's Bridal (minus the ridiculous bell-ringing pageantry nonsense), they take your information and pimp it out to all sorts of wedding places. So within a week of my visit, I was getting voicemails from Men's Wearhouse (despite having told them that Jeff had already purchased a suit for the wedding), beauty salons, and David's Bridal (looking to sell me bridesmaid's dresses, despite having told them that I didn't have any bridesmaids). All of a sudden, my voicemail and email inboxes were full of "Hey, it's so-and-so calling from fill-in-the-blank! Congrats on your engagement! I'm just calling to let you know that you've been selected as one of our special brides to receive a complimentary pampering session as part of our fill-in-the-blank package! Blah blah blah...". I've since unsubscribed from the various emails, but I'm still getting phone calls offering me all this garbage that I don't need or want, which are just ways to get me back in the loop in order to try to sell me something else that I don't need or want. I wanted a dress, I got a dress. I don't need anything else, so we're done here, thank you. Enough!

6. Do what you want- who cares? When it comes to weddings, there are some real judgmental bitches out there. But who cares? You are never going to please everyone, so the most important thing is that you and your fiance are excited and happy with what's going down. Bonus points if your close family is also happy (which I really think ours are). People may not "get" everything about our wedding:

• Yes, Jeff wound up proposing to me on December 16th... but I also proposed to him (in a very public way) on the same day
• we set the date for 7 months after our engagement (which seemed to shock a lot of people... apparently year+ long engagements are the norm now?) 
• our "bridal shower" (typically an all-female event at a restaurant with lots of proper girly crap) is a co-ed "Mary vs. Jeff"-themed field day, complete with competitive outdoor activities and team bandanas  
• we're having our wedding on a Sunday rather than a Saturday
• we didn't bother with save-the-dates
• we designed a simple 1-piece invitation without all the additional little pieces of paper 
• I tried to custom-design stamps featuring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze circa Point Break for our invites... but got shot down by Zazzle.com's copyright rules. How awesome would that have been though??
• we've asked guests to RSVP online or by calling the bride, rather than returning a response card 
• we're not having any bridesmaids or groomsmen
• we've asked a completely non-religious friend to officiate the ceremony
• we're not wasting money on favors, but redirecting that money into the food and live band for the enjoyment of all
• we're spending the night before the wedding together... at our apartment (and yes, he will see me on the wedding day before the ceremony... who cares?)
• our cocktail hour features marshmallow fluff, lil' smokies, and chicken fingers
• instead of a tiered white wedding cake, there will be 4 regular ol' cakes... and an ice cream truck

   But that's who we are and what's important to us. And it's going to be a KICK-ASS DAY, so I'm not going to waste time and energy fretting over what we're supposed to do versus what we want to do-- the important people will have fun and think it's awesome no matter what, and frankly that's all that matters to me!

This Is Muh Plan...

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm trying to drop some lbs, tone this shit UP, and generally feel better about my body and what it can do. So tonight I got my wide ass to the GYM and I rode that elliptical machine into the FRIGGIN' HORIZON, BITCHES.

I did the first 1.5 miles and then noticed that it was 6:30pm, which meant that the Zumba class that I've been too scared to try out was about to start in the Studio next to the cardio room. Was today the day I would find my cha-cha balls and attempt this exotic Zumba of lore? I dismounted my elliptical, making sure to spray my sweat (or "wheez juice" as I like to call it) off of the buttons and wonky flailing-arm handles. I grabbed my water bottle and tentatively tiptoed down the hallway to Studio A and peeped in at the 15 or so ladies standing in 3 lines in their brightly-colored cotton/spandex-blends. And my tiny cha-cha balls retracted up into my body. Alas, Zumba and Mary did not become one on this day.

I didn't have time to snap a sweet pic of me
workin' out, but I'm pretty sure I looked
somethin' like this.*

So I went back to the cardio room and selected a different elliptical, thank-you-very-much, and proceeded to run that shit OUT. I went another 1.5 miles and silently praised myself- "good job, self- that's nearly a 5k right there". Then I thought, "you know, I really like nice round numbers... I should take this to 2 miles on this machine"... so I did another half-mile. Then I thought to myself, "Aww heck, you've gone 3.5 total miles... you should really just make it a solid 4"... so I did another half-mile. And THEN I said "Alright, bitch- you've gone 4 miles... MAKE IT FIVE!!!". And I did. Buh-jam-buh!

After I gracefully exited the elliptical, again making sure to de-wheez-juice it, I triumphantly wobbled/strutted my hopefully slightly less wide ass down the hallway, past Studio A where the day-glow clad Pittsford women were awkwardly solo-salsa dancing like a militant troop of freshly-minted J.Lo clones. I may not have embraced my cha-cha balls (last time, I swear- rule of 3s!) today, but I walked out of that ladies' fitness club a champion. Because, for the first time in 3 years, I ran 5 miles and didn't die. And nobody was even chasing me.

Okay, folks- so this is my plan...

I'm going to venture out to the gymnasium at lease 4 times each week (I think this is reasonable given my rather hectic work/rehearsal/wedding-planning/life schedule) and bust out some serious cardio (between 3-5 miles each time). I will do this in the 1.5-2hr window of "free time" I have between work and rehearsal. Then I will go to rehearsal, which is conveniently located down the street from the gym. I will do this until I am skinny again, dammit.

Also, I went to Wegmans and purchased strawberries (which are currently sliced and dehydrating in my oven), and I mimicked some Terry Tiballi behavior and got a bag of green grapes and a bag of red grapes which I brought home, washed, and then portioned into little individual baggies for snacks throughout the week. Look at me- I am healthy AND domestic! #marthastewarthasnothingonme #healthybitch #praiseme #hashtagsaredumb

*complete bullshit

Things in My Foreseeable Future

Hello blog universe, it's been a dreadfully long while since my last post (if I had a nickel for each time I've acknowledged this at the top of a blog post...). My friend Sammi posted a link to her new blog today and after thoroughly reading each of her posts, I was inspired to revitalize my blog efforts. Also, there's some very big and talk-worthy events on my horizon this Spring, which will be excellent blog fodder.

So here is a list of things in my foreseeable future:

• "Moses Man"-- Very few of you know that I've been working on an original musical that two local artists have been writing over the last year. I first became involved in the project last Spring (specifically, last June), when the director/writer called me and asked me to record a few of the songs they had written. Over the course of the summer, I laid down 2 solo tracks and a duet (with an ex-boyfriend from a highly dramatic relationship that ended very badly... so yeah... that was... fun). From there, I was asked to perform these pieces in front of a few small audiences in various parlors and living rooms around town, in an effort to drum up some local funding. In September, we performed the three pieces onstage at the JCC for a larger group of their major donors. I'm pleased to say that the project has since received some major funding and support, and that we're doing a workshop production of the show (or at least what's been written of it- and there's a lot) at the JCC this March/April. I will continue in my role and will be joined by a slammin' cast of artists (including Scott Scaffidi, one of my best friends and the actor who played opposite me in nearly every show I did in college). I've never worked on an original show of this magnitude and am looking forward to originating a role in a musical! Not only that, but this show is based on a true story, and the woman I am playing will be in the audience- I have met her several times and have performed these pieces for her before, but it's an entirely new experience to portray someone onstage and actually see the person sitting in the audience watching you be them. Very strange indeed!

• "Steel Magnolias"-- I am THRILLED to have been cast as Shelby in Blackfriars Theatre's production of Steel Magnolias, running May 17th - June 2nd. I played Truvy in Naz's production in the Fall of my senior year and it was such a wonderful experience-- I can't wait to delve into it again, this time from a different perspective. This is the first time I'll be doing a show I've already done before and I'm excited to see how the two experiences differ, and what remains constant between the two. I think the greatest thing about this show is the amazing relationship between the 6 characters. Each woman is absolutely unique and all of them are equally juicy and the way they interact with eachother throughout the ups and the downs of the story reveals such depth, honesty and heart. The writing is so good. It's just a really, REALLY good show- one of my all time favorites- and I'm honored to be one of the 6 women that gets to tell this story this Spring. I'm very much looking forward to sitting in a room with these 5 other awesome woman and bringing this world to life.

• I'm getting married-- did I mention this yet? Jeff and I are getting married! Specifically, Jeff and I are getting married on Sunday, July 7th. That's this July. So we're currently knee-deep in the planning process with only 4 months to go. I am pleased to report that I have kicked ass in the wedding planning arena, with all of the following things already checked off of my to-do list: set a date, book the venue, book the caterer, finalize the menu, book the music (in our case, an awesome live band that we LOVE), book the photographer, finalize the guest list, buy a wedding dress, buy wedding shoes, buy Jeff's wedding outfit, create a wedding registry, plan a honeymoon, reserve blocks of hotel rooms for out-of-town guests, create a wedding website with wedding info, book hair/makeup appointments, design wedding invitation, order paper goods for printing invites, get an officiant, book the florist, etc. I kick ass at planning events. Next up on the agenda: meet with florist to determine floral details, buy wedding accessories (bitches need jewels), print invites and address envelopes for mailing, find a tie for Jeff, order ice cream truck (yes, there will be an ice cream truck), finish writing ceremony outline, schedule rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, purchase wedding bands, bridal shower details, mega wedding playlist, buy a shit-ton of booze, various DIY projects (card box, seating assignment crap, etc) and finalizing day-of schedule. I got this. 129 days left!!!

• Get yo' fitness on -- I got a year-long membership to RAC for Women, which is a great gym in Pittsford. I had won a 6-month membership there last year and really liked it (specifically, I really liked the steam room). So I asked Santa for a year-long membership this year and I got it! I've been quite a few times since then, but I've been sick as HELL for the last 2 weeks and haven't been able to exert any physical energy whatsoever. I'm eager to get back on the horse (or in this case, Spin bike/Elliptical) so I can hopefully trim down and tone up for the summer. Yes, part of this motivation is wedding-related (I would really rather not look like a lumpy bride in all my photos from the day), but mostly it's coming from a "God damn it, you are 28 years old-- you should be in the best shape of your life right now, while you are still young! Do you want to get diabetes? No! Do you want to be able to rock a swimsuit and frolic on the beach with your boyfriend/husband? Yes! Do you want to be worried about jiggly arms? No! Do you want to be comfortable in a pair of shorts and wear all the cute things you see on Pinterest? Yes! Do you want to wake up a year from now and think 'I should have started a year ago'? No! Do you want to walk around your house in your underwear and not worry about collecting girl scout cookie crumbs in that roll under your gut? YES!" So I'm challenging myself to lose the 30 pounds I've gained in the last 3 years (yes, just so we're all clear- I'm aware that this has happened, folks) by making trips to the gym a regular part of my life, and by considering the shit I put in my mouth before I put it there. Case in point, guess who gave up soda for Lent? This moi! It has been 2 weeks, but it has felt like 5 years. But I don't care-- that, coupled with the fact that I've been too sick over the last 2 weeks to really eat anything, has contributed to me droppin' a few extra lbs since Ash Wednesday. I'll take it!

If I Were a Grown-up...

If I were a grown-up...

... I would wear snow boots to work and THEN change into my ballet flats instead of trudging through the snow in basically the equivalent of bare feet.

... I would have a tidy car instead of a hunk of salt-crusted green metal containing the world's largest collection of half-empty (frozen) water bottles, Dunkin' Donuts receipts, binders and stacks of loose papers, candy wrappers and stray bobby pins.

... I would fold the laundry as it came out of the dryer instead of squishing it all directly into a laundry basket and letting it sit there for so long that I forget whether the clothes are dirty or clean.

... I would pack a sensible lunch and bring it with me to work instead of spending all my money on soup and vending machine chips.

... I would put all electronic devices in their charging docks when not in use instead of scrambling to find or charge them when I actually need them.

... I would get up at a reasonable hour so I could look *put together* for work instead of refusing to leave the warmth of my bed until 20 minutes before I'm supposed to be at my desk.

... I would actually eat the leftovers instead of letting them sit in tupperware until long after they begin to resemble an unfortunate and toxic science experiment.

... I would have a gym bag with all the necessities pre-packed and placed in my back seat each morning instead of strewn/hidden all over the house in such a manner that consistently sabotages any glint of motivation to go work out.

My First Bad Review

Well, folks, it's happened-- I got my first bad review. Up until this point in my theatrical career, I've prided myself on the fact that I've gotten consistently great reviews or special shout-outs in local papers for my performances in Rochester. However, that streak has ended with Leah Stacy's recent review of "It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play"for the Democrat & Chronicle. In otherwise glowing review of both the show and the individual performances of my peers, Miss Stacy dedicated an entire paragraph on my performance. Here's what she had to say about yours truly:

"Tiballi (Sally Applewhite/Mary Hatch Bailey) — who’s known locally for her strong musical performances, most recently in JCC CenterStage’s Working —seemed to struggle with her character development. The role of a 1940s radio starlet eclipsed the well-loved nature of Mary Hatch Bailey until the seductive looks, eye rolls thrown (too often) to the audience and coquettish tones completely marred the emotional gravity Tiballi could’ve grasped with such an iconic role."

<Rise above... rise above...>

I just have a few things to say (big surprise there- of course I do).

1) I am not Donna Reed. If you are coming to this show expecting to see people mimic the movie, you will be sorely disappointed.

2) Emotional gravity in the Mary Hatch Bailey role? As I see it, Mary is one of the least emotional characters in the piece. She is the rock that keeps George steady- it's HIS story, it's HIS struggle, it's HIS journey. She is there as the counterpoint, the one that quietly steps in throughout his arc, doing what she can to smooth the bumps along the way (offering the money from their wedding to bail out the Building & Loan, finding a place for them to live and making it a home, collecting money when Uncle Billy loses the $8,000). Was she expecting me to burst into tears? Mary isn't extreme like that- she can't be- that's not who that character is and none of her lines support that kind of emotional swing. Mary Bailey is playful and sassy ("He's making violent love to me, Mother", "Oooh why don't you just go home??" and her "to keep from being an old maid" response when George asks why she married him). I played the playfulness and sass where I felt it was appropriate for Mary Bailey while trying to make sure she was still a character that was lovable and good.

3) There are at least three stretches in"It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" where I don't do anything for at least 10 pages. No lines. But I have to be onstage the entire time. And in a play of this format, it would be very easy to just do your thing at the microphone when you've got lines and then just go sit down on one of the cane-backed chairs and zone out until it's time for you to have some more lines. How boring! No thank you!

Sit like an effing lady

4) This is a radio play and our characters are actors who are playing these "iconic roles". How uninteresting would it be if Sally Applewhite (my "1940s actress" character) was the exact same thing as Mary Hatch Bailey (the character Sally is playing in the radio show)? So I made the decision (you know, back in the first rehearsals when I was working on said character development... that I supposedly struggled with) that Mary Bailey would be playful and sweet and lovable and good, but Sally Applewhite would be something else entirely. Using the clues given to me in the script (because that's what actors do when they develop their characters- I learned that when I was  majoring in theatre at college), I decided that Sally Applewhite, as a former beauty queen, would be very aware of the audience, and would therefore be very presentational in front of them. This would affect her posture (rules of ettiquette of the era were researched for this role-- straight back when sitting, chin up, hands clasped in your lap, legs never crossed but rather ankles crossed and tucked to one side), her appearance (heavy on the makeup- which was also researched for the time period), and her gestures (right down to the positioning of the pinky finger or the point of a toe- usually in a beveled position- while standing flirtaciously). Sally, as a young actress from Ohio who is now riding the wave of fame that came with her recent Hollywood feature "Dottie Goes Bananas", would have figured out that flirtation gets you everywhere in this business. She's the next hot young thing and she knows it (which perhaps explains a little bit of the tension and competition she feels toward Linda's character, an older and more established female star). Maybe she's eager to demonstrate this newfound tactic for getting attention, so she flirts with the audience-- why wouldn't she? She already knows that they're watching her- why not toss them a little something? She's no dummy- even though she's lending her voice to the radio, she's keenly aware that there's a studio audience to play with at the same time. In theatre, we talk about making strong choices. I thought it was more interesting and actually important for Sally and Mary to be completely different characters- it's more exciting for the audience, it's more fun for me as an actor (especially since I am one of the actors who doesn't get to play a bunch of different characters within the play). So I made that strong choice to provide a contrast between the character that I am (Sally) and the character that Sally was playing (Mary). Apparently, Leah didn't like that choice on how to play Sally (I think Leah wanted me to be Mary Hatch Bailey the entire time). Well, sorry but that's who Sally is- she's a seductive coquette, just like I wanted her to be. There's a part of me that's smugly satisfied that Leah used those specific words to criticize her because that's EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING FOR. Miss Stacy may not have agreed with my choice, but I succeeded in realizing that choice. You don't "struggle with character development" when you make strong choices- you struggle with it when you don't.

The most shocking part of all of this is that Miss Stacy is a fellow redhead. Shame on you, Miss Stacy- you know we have to stick together. You have betrayed the Sisterhood. I shun you for this, the most personal betrayal of all, for surely you should know better.

To read the entire review, click here. To purchase your tickets to the show so you can see what I'm talking about, click here.

Let's face it, I'm pooped!

Blazing Saddles quote for the win!

I felt the need to post again, friends, for I am still attempting to atone for my recent 6-month absence on Adorakle Gal. But as I sat at my desk, toiling to come up with a clever subject to rant/expound upon, I found that my mind-grapes seem to have shriveled into dried-up raisins. Such is the level of my current state of exhaustion...

...exhaustion...

...hmmm... perhaps I could write about my current state of exhaustion, indeed...

I proceeded to type "exhausted" into my browser's Bing image search, just to see if I could find a solitary image that spoke to my ass-dragginess today. What I saw was horrifying.

Here are some of the familiar faces of exhaustion, according to the interwebs:



Why do these feet have faces???



A sleepy skin suit?




I put this picture in this list for the sole reason that I hate squirrels. So very much.



Horrifying watermelon.



Questionable amputee toddler takes a weary break from swimming.



...excuse me?



Rodent jazz bands.



I think this (wo)man? ate Linda Carter.