Sunday, January 18, 2009

I'm back from the dead. I realize that I haven't posted since... let's change the subject. I will now attempt to inform the world of what I have been doing for the past two months. As a preface to this post, I would like to say:

-This post may become a list at any time.
-Two months is a lot of stuff.
-I don't have access to any cool videos right now (sorry).
-Order is not a requirement.

I have no clue where to break into this ostrich egg of experience, it's just a big oval! So, we'll go with the happiest thing that has happened to me in a while. I have left the deepest circle of hell behind and will no longer be working at Inkley's! I know that sounds a little over the top for a job, but no, it's not. I am so much happier these days, and it can all be tied back to the fact that I don't work there anymore. However, this also means that I have no job and am very poor. But only monetarily, not in spirit.

The reason that I left my job is two-fold: I hated it, and I'm back in school! I have been working full-time(ish) this past year and decided that it was time to return to education at the big blue whale of a university. I'm loving my classes (3 theatre, 3 generals) and I find that with no job I actually have time to do that homework stuff.

For those of you who didn't notice, I mentioned being in 3 theatre classes, that is because I am Theatre Arts Education major (for now). This brings me to the yolk of the egg (see metaphor above): theatre!! (btw theatre is the practice of the art, theater is the place you go to see it (even if wikipedia and dictionaries don't agree with me))(I'm using more than my allotted amount of parentheses :) ).

So, developments on the theatrical front. I finished the show that I was producing with only minor headaches (I stepped into two roles, one the night that we opened). We had a great turnout and a great response. I also have been cast in Macbeth at BYU. Now before everyone gets their hearts all a flutter, I'm quickly discovering how small the role of Captaine/Menteith/Lord really is. And it's getting shorter as many of my lines are getting cut because they don't fit with the concept of the show. The concept is directors interpretation of the show and our director chose: Book of Mormon/Meso-American!! That's right folks we've got lamanites and nephites and we're waging some wars! Luckily for me this means that I get to grow my hair out, however they have also toyed with the idea of us shaving our heads (or at least partially to get mohawk type deals). This is not a joke in any way, shape, or form. However, I think the best thing that happened with Macbeth has been the opportunity we had to work with a Shakespearean text expert and have workshops where we learn graduate level stuff. I'm still buzzing from it and it was two weeks ago.

Last theatre thing. I did something yesterday called the 24 hour theatre project. Here's what happened: Friday at 8:00ish pm, five preselected playwrights (wright not write, right? Yes.) met and each drew a title out of a hat. They then had until 8:00 Saturday morning to write a ten minute play using that title. Then at 8:00am Saturday the writers handed their scripts over to five preselected directors. Then at 9:00 (9:15 for me, oops) the actors showed up and were assigned to scripts. Then we had until 8:00 Saturday night to rehearse at which point we performed for a nearly full house. Awesome. Now those of you who are good at math will note that 11 hours of rehearsal divided by a ten minute play equals too much time. Not to mention number of rehearsals multiplied by the number of occurrences of the phrase"Oh my gosh" in the script (25 times) equals I went insane. Literally though the script had us saying "oh my gosh" about 25 times in ten minutes for the humor of it. In the end our play turned out to be really funny and everyone loved us and then there was time to sleep.

Now it becomes a list (since you and I could be here forever at this rate):
-I got glasses.
-I can see now.
-Christmas happened.
-I have new pajama pants that go over my feets. (Thank you Catherine).
-My best friend is engaged and I'm the best man. (I've got your back Brian, don't bottle up).
-I lied, there is a video in here.
-I took my friend's engagement pictures and had fun.
-I took family pictures and had fun.
-I sold my first ever picture at a ward charity auction (5 of them actually, at $35 a piece).
-I shot my first wedding ever (not my wedding).
-It was a weird experience.

I think that about sums it up. So after five hours of reading you should be all caught up on the nature of my existence.

We'll see you in another two months.

*fun activity!! Can you count all the parentheses?*

8 Comments:

  1. Brian Cragun said...
    I'm contemplating the mohawk for acting. This is what I get: http://www.cragun.com/brian/mohawk%20Christian.jpg
    Bradwich said...
    Awesome post, Christian, and congratulations on all of that! I'm glad to hear that you're back in classes.

    37.

    And Dad Cragun, nice work.
    Natalie said...
    I want to see all these pictures you took! And congratulations on freeing your self from Inkley's. I know, all too well, that feeling of freedom from a horrible job. I had many!
    Unknown said...
    One of my acting teachers told me that you should rehearse one hour for every minute of performance. So, 11 hours is only one hour too many.
    Furthermore, don't die in that play. (Yes, I am superstitious like that. What are you going to do about it?)
    Gil said...
    This comment has been removed by the author.
    Gil said...
    Did Dad make you into Rufio? Seriously: http://www.freewebs.com/gionam/rufio.jpg

    Rufio, by the way, is now working at my local mall. I'll have to take a picture next time I run into him. Such a fall from grace...
    Christian said...
    Dad- Congratulations on your ever growing addiction to photoshop.

    Brad- You Win!!

    D&N- I'm highly considering righting a large rant to truly explain just how free I feel from oppression.

    Miss Renny- Yes, I've heard that rule, but there is also the rule of inverse exponential rehearsability which states that every hour of rehearsal past your first for the day becomes a living nightmare so quickly that I don't like it.

    Eric- Is Rufio working at your mall as the leader of a group of ruffians who live in the food court eating imaginary food that suddenly turns into play-doh/paint?
    Christian said...
    Gosh darn it! Look who just used 'righting' instead of 'writing'. It was me. I was about to say that 'righting' isn't actually even a word, but then I thought of an example (righting the over-turned chair) and all was better. I shall not edit it. I will leave it as a warning to myself to learn my lesson, and my spelling.

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