The light at the end

I have survived the second year and it looks as though it may end on a high note of straight A's for the third straight semester. I'm cleaning up the resume and sending out cover letters this week. Hopefully I'll hear positive feedback from Gregg Barnes or Robert Perdziola, though David extended an offer for a fall internship as well. I'd much rather be working on Shakespeare or an opera, but the circus is nothing to scoff at either.

I keep hearing little tidbits about previous Stevens Point students, most recently through myspace.com. Wyatt's in a show, Mike Holmes and the Toy Box just opened on with lighting by Chris. Micah apparently is busy in the city as well. I'm hoping to get in touch with a few of them before the semester is completely over.

amidst the chaos of the dance concert opening and closing I did manage to see the preview of Peace Prize and Jeff's (husband of a fellow costume student) show at Columbia--the Collected Works of Billy the Kid. Columbia continues to amaze me, and I kept the program as I thought Andrew might enjoy the insights of Ann Bogart on directing.

Peace Prize was interesting, though long and struggled to keep my attention. Our playwrights cannot seem to find drama within historical events, even when they contrive a meeting between too great minds like Alfred Nobel and Henri Dunant. It must make a much better read, or perhaps a PBS special, but as a play there was much too much talking with no action (worse than Chekhov, but somehow with dead bodies). The playwright also jumped back and forth within a period of 12 years, but without a logical progression. Costumes and sets tried to help, but there was only so much they could do. The show did look fabulous, and I'm sure I would have learned a lot about the creator of dynamite and the founder of the red cross, had I been able to follow what was going on. It didn't sound like the show was well received in general, but I doubt the playwright will be given an honest opinion. Mostly because they never ask.

The playwright's one acts were recently performed in the Jameson project as well. I carved out time to see all four (and still finish all 50 Pippin renderings with time to sleep) and was glad I did. I was nervous about the MFA I's due to their weak presentations at the 10 minute play readings they sponsor throughout the year. These two women, however, had the most solid writting of the group. The MFA II's held their own as well, though one was substansially weaker than any of the other presented. The poor guy is trying to be William Mastrosimone, without having spent time in the country he choose to write about. Sometimes having a strong opinion is just not enough. His piece aside, the others were solidly designed, directed and acted. Jameson always seems to yield the most satisfying theatre experience here. Lonesome West, Mud and Audrey place not too far behind. And on the whole, our seasons never are that bad. I'm just a very critical theatre goer.