My SuperArts Weekend!

After a long stint in the waiter grinder (8 shifts in 5 days, y'all!), I actually got to cut loose every day this weekend.

First up, on Friday night was the Pratt Draw-a-Thon. Held once a year, a $10 ticket gets you 12 hours of drawing models in 7 different rooms, as well as pizza, soda, cookies, fruit, and fabulous prizes being handed out all evening as well as a raffle in the tired morning. My $10 also bought me lots of good conversation. Everybody was there to have a good time, and as the late night stretched into early morning the hum of conversation was the only thing keeping some people's eyes open. Well that, & the possibility of winning $100 gift certificates or a french easel.

After sleeping all day on Saturday I met my parents for dinner & the National aCapella Championships at Lincoln Center. The gents in the video are Vocal Point, who came in second, (and are the cutest ass-shaking Mormons you've ever seen!) and my favorite team, St. Louis' Vocal Point was TOTALLY ROBBED.

On Sunday I went to see my friend JKapp perform in the Comedy in Dance festival at Triskelion Arts in (yes) W-Burg. I discovered a few new artists to follow, and an awesome new space where I can see good clown stuff all the time. And who doesn't like to laugh?

Actors helping actors

I've been thinking lately about how young people in the theater relate to each other. For instance, in the Haunted House, everybody was very pleasant to each other & about our work. However, in outside discussions I gathered that some people felt similarly about the less socially adept members of our cast. But instead of being all Middle School (or let's face it, Binghamton Theater Department) about it, we were pleasant & professional to one another. I like that.


I have been sending along casting calls from Backstage.com  to my fellow graduates, & only hope they might do the same for me (& they already have!). Yes, we are all in competition, but we're really not going to help ourselves by generating animosity. Besides, maybe if I send them a listing for a casting call today, then when I have a question about a certain company or director, they'll enthusiastically answer.

I think it's important for us to stick together & help each other out as much as possible, especially during the first few years. You make your own world- so if you want to spend the rest of your life a sniping, hyper-competitive bitch, then go right ahead & start out that way.... because once you're known for something, it's hard to change opinions (Patti LuPone, anybody? & she wasn't even really a diva!).

Maybe this is all coming from listening to the White Album on repeat recently, but can't we all just get along? The TV reminds us constantly that the economy is crap, that there's no work for young people, & we can't find anywhere to live. So instead of despairing whenever I hear about the success of others & putting them down, I'm going to make my best effort to stay positive, & surround myself with people who do the same. I hope you'll join me.