I Exercised My Right

To vote! It was quick and easy and I’m happy to say that my first presidential election I voted in will without a doubt be in future textbooks. I’m currently obsessed with the new musical, Hamilton about, you guessed it, Alexander Hamilton. I a group wants to pitch in to buy me a ticket I will love you for eternity. and it’s amazing to see history happen right before your eyes! I have no idea how our country is going to change over the course of the next four years, but either way, I’m proud to vote because every single little vote matter! Especially this one!

Gratitude Corner

It’s now what I’m grateful for, it’s who. I got my first package this week from my grandma and I was brought more joy than anything I’ve gotten in a while! Thank you for the treats and the sweaters, I LOVE you, Gma!

Apologies and Clutter

The last two weeks were so cluttered with Arcadia rehearsals, classes, church, essays, and memorization of Italian verbs, I honestly had NO idea I had missed a whole week, neglecting you all! So I dedicate this square/rectangle (I haven’t measured it) to my apology of not brightening your Monday up with my newsletter! I was a bit cluttered and the last two weeks went by so fast, I honestly have no recollection of what happened! Yay college! a place where students can turn a 24 hour day into 30, and still not use it wisely! But I will say that the show I starred in at One Acts was sold out every night and was a HUGE success and I was the only freshman to have been cast! Aldo Billingslea also privately invited me to a professional read through of a new work, and he took me to the pump patch! Happy Halloween!

The Value of a Stage Manager

If you don’t know already, I am acting as the Assistant Stage Manager of Arcadia, the main stage show this fall at Santa Clara University. This entails knowing the show like the back of your hand and assuming not a single actors knows what they’re doing. Over the course of the last three days, we have had 18, yes 18 hours of rehearsal. Following professional equity rules, we have breaks every two hours and NEVER go over time. Apparently, I’ve done pretty well. The actors have come up to me multiple times a day in rehearsal, walking from one class to another, and even while grabbing coffee in the Mission Café, and showed how much they value me. I’ve been given little notes and gifts, and thank you after thank you from everyone. Jerry Enos, professional prop and set designer from the Guthrie Theater, SF Playhouse, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, does his work at Santa Clara University as well. Getting to spend hours on end with him discussing how the weight of one prop is too heavy to hide in a costume, to “making sure the lighter works” we’ve worked together quite closely and has offered me a paid position as his props and set assistant! I would be getting paid for doing something I love: using my creativity to build something for the sole purpose of telling the audience a story that forces them to question injustice in today’s society and culture, and truly reflect upon how they carry themselves through their daily lives. It’s easy to see why I’m a theatre major, and I’m beyond shocked to see that not even finished with my first quarter, I’ve starred in a show, stage managed another, gone to a professional read through and been hired to do professional work with the legendary Jerry Enos. What in the world could SCU hold for me in the coming weeks, months, quarters, years? I guess that’s what this newsletter is for! To keep track of this amazing and precious ride that gets swept up by the time we have no control over, so soon.