There and Back Again

Pictures of my China Adventures

Since my last entry, things have gotten out of hand. My life became a dream. While in China, I swam in the China sea, fed a baby tiger, and was picked up by an elephant. There was a day when I walked the Sacred Way, did a cartwheel on the Great Wall of China, and visited the tomb of an ancient emperor. I've seen the Terracotta warriors and the Wild Goose Pagota. I rode a bike along the wall of Xi'an and went shopping in the underground markets of Shanghai. While teaching, I fell in love with my students. I slept on a hard bed and showered with a hose, I got used to squatters and travelled for 30 hours on a train.

Now I'm back home, looking out across the snowy landscape. I've done things in China that I never thought I'd get to do, but there truly is (pardon the expression) no place like home.

Hong Kong

After three outrageously long plane rides, I finally made it to China. The past two days have been spent in the beautiful city of Hong Kong. Here are a few pictures of my adventures:



On a little boat, taking a tour around the fishing area.



After baptisms for the dead in the beautiful Hong Kong temple


At Victoria's peak overlooking Hong Kong

Hooray! I don't have swine flu!

You can call me flower if you want to

Having WAY too much fun

What can I say?

SMASH production photos

Here are some more SMASH pictures!

Make-Up Class

One of my favorite classes this semester has been my make-up class. We've worked with Corrective make-up, glamour make-up, facial hair, middle age make-up, old age make-up, and extreme old age make-up. My friends and I have a blast! These are some of my best pictures. The really scary picture is from when we used Latex and tissue. My friend Rachel was a good sport to let me put that gunk on her face.

Sometimes we put the make-up on ourselves, sometimes we put it on someone else. For example, my friend Soren put a beard on me one class period and the next class period I got to put one on him. The class is so different--I love it!

The Director--Hyrum Conrad

Hyrum tells you when you're doing something wrong. Hyrum tells you when he wants you to change things.

Hyrum will make you do random things on demand.

Hyrum scares the heck outta me, but I love working with him.

I remember one rehersal he said to me, "Emily, what sound would you make if you were being stabbed and shot at the same time?" Before I could even think how to respond to that question he said, "Go."

I screamed.

"Good." he said.

I never know where I stand with Hyrum, but I guess he likes me since this is the second show he's cast me in (yay!)

More SMASH pictures

Now that it's over...

SMASH is over now (sigh)

It was such an amazing experience! I had a blast. Here are some pictures.

This is a picture of me and Jacob Chapman who played the part of Mr. Chichester Erskine. Mr. Erskine is madly in love with my character, Gertrude Lindsay, but Gertrude absolutely hates him. What fun!

Here I am on my roller skates. I'd cruise around the stage, trying not to take out audience members. Despite the skates being two sizes too big for me, I'd did really well.

SMASH

GREAT NEWS!

I made it into BYU-Idaho's production of SMASH by Jeffrey Hatcher. It's a ten person cast: 5 men, and 5 women. I feel really honored because out of the whole theatre department, I was selected to be a part of the show! For those of you who don't know anything about the play (I didn't either) this is a summary:

Based on the novel An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw, the story centers on Sidney Trefusis, a millionaire Socialist who leaves his bride on their wedding day because he fears his passion for her will get in the way of his plans to overthrow the British government. Sidney vanishes "underground:--desguises himself as a common laborer called "Mengels"--and infiltrates Alton College, a girls' school where well-bred young women are "fitted and fatted to be put on the marriage market." His plan: take over the school and plant the seed of radical Socialism into the fertile brains of the future consorts of cabinet ministers and kings. What he doesn't plan on is the presence of one Agatha Wylie, a sixth-form rabble-rouser, who falls hopelessly in love with both Sidney and his politics, and just happens to be his deserted wife's cousin. Love triangles, mistaken identities, Marx, Engels, pistols and the proletariat jostle for position in this adaptation of Shaw's last comic novel, written in 1883.

It's actually a lot funnier than it sounds. My character is Gertrude Lindsay. I pop in and out of the play at various times. I'm so excited!

Summer Semester

Well, it's time for Summer semester to start! I'm pretty excited. I'm taking some fun classes and I have cool new roommates. Good times. I have a couple of auditions this week, we'll see how they go. Other than that...nothing to report.

Lately, I've become a Dancing Queen! I love to dance! I go Swing dancing on Wednesday and Thursday nights and Ballroom dancing on Friday nights. I improve every time I go. It's a good reason to get out of the apartment and a great way to meet people and stay healthy. The Lindy Hop is my favorite type of Swing and the Cha Cha is my favorite type of ballroom. Who knew I'd love to dance so much?

A Very Nice Prince -Into the Woods

Rules:
1. Put your iPod on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 3 friends who might enjoy doing the meme as well as the person you got the meme from.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (um, yeah)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
You Make Me Feel Like A Star-The Beu Sisters

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
That's all-Michael Buble ( I guess as long as he's a guy, that's all I need)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Set Them Free-From PETER PAN (I guess I'm freeing people from their dreary lives)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Henry Ford-From RAGTIME (I do like cars)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
What is this Feeling?-from WICKED (My friends have a strange tingling feeling when they think of me :D)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Crank Calls-Brian Regan (hmmmmmm)

WHAT IS 2+2?
On My Way Home -Enya (I guess I'm going home because I can't do simple math)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND(S)?
Beautiful Disaster-Kelly Clarkson (you know who you are)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head-B.J. Thomas (They leave me standing all alone in the rain)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
For Good-From WICKED (My life is to do things for good)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Silver Bargains-From TREASURE PLANET (Sweet! I'm a bargain...wait)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Cake-From PRIDE & PREJUDICE (Mmmmmm, yummy)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Wade In The Water-07-08 Concert Choir (I'm CRAZY)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
African Etude-From ROAD TO ZANZABAR (Apparently I'm getting married to a foreign fella)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
I'm Seeing Someone-From JUST LIKE HEAVEN (That's appropriate)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Make Them Hear You-From RAGTIME (I'm extrememly loud)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Get Me To The Church On Time- From MY FAIR LADY (Gasp! I'm getting married! Apparently)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Condition of Desperation-From PRIDE & PREJUDICE (haha, what can I say?)

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Wives-Bill Cosby (I'm not for the whole poligamy thing)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Baby Monitor -From SIGNS (It fell out of the sky!)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Magic-Stimulator (I'm too powerful!)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Waiting on the World to Change (I'm laughing so hard that's why I'm waiting)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
When I look at You -From Scarlet Pimpernel (IT BURNS!)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Will and Elizabeth-from PIRATES of the Caribbean (Will and Elizabeth did-eventually. So of course I will!)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Lion-Moosebutter (They're big, furry, and have large teeth...I'm terrified.)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Take Me Away-Christina Vidal (They'll take me away)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
No One Is Alone-INTO THE WOODS (Someone needs to be alone, dang it!)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Down Once More-Phantom of the Opera (I live in Rexburg and there's a lot of ice!)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
A Very Nice Prince-INTO THE WOODS

Unruly Women Pictures

Me as Hermione, Queen of Sicilia (Shakespeare) and as Ruth (Fried Green Tomatoes

So my friend Carrie and I were sitting in the Snow building, rehearsing our “W;t” scene, when suddenly I looked up and saw a huge spider descending towards Carrie’s face. The look on my face must’ve been one of pure terror because as soon as Carrie saw my expression, her eyes widened with concern. She instinctively looked up and saw the spider which caused us both to scream. I leapt out of my seat and started to hyperventilate.
It was at this point I heard laughter. Brother Benson, my 40-something film teacher from summer semester was holding a spool of thread on the end of which was dangling a rubber tarantula. He apologized, after we’d already forgiven him, and told us that the opportunity had been too perfect to pass up. After that, he tossed us some blonde oreos and he left me and Carrie to our rehearsal.
As I was leaving the building, I saw him snooping around the “fish bowl” (the main lobby area) looking for new victims. I asked him how it was going.
“Not so good.” He said. “No one here is eligible.”
I asked him what he meant.
“I have rules.” He explained. He then proceeded to tell me how he never scares someone with a laptop on their lap or with their head leaned against a pillar. He doesn’t want to cause injury or damage.
Good old Brother Benson.

Unruly Women

Once I got settled into my apartment and I had all my classes figured out, I went to the audition board to see if there were any shows I wanted to audition for. On the board, there was a flyer for a show called "Unarmed Warriors" that would be an all-girl cast. It stated when auditions would be held and listed the requirements for the auditions.

Well, I went out on a limb and auditioned. A few days later, I found out that I made it. I was so excited! Our first rehearsal the director, Hyrum, told us about the show: it was going to be a compilation of monologues and scenes about strong women who stood up for themselves. He also told us that the show's title was changed from "Unarmed Warriors" to "Unruly Women." Awesome.

Rehearsals for this show have been intense. For a month I have been working endlessly on two 3 minute monologues. Just when I'd think I had them perfect, Hyrum and the assistant directors would tear them apart and I'd have a million more things to work on. I like my pieces, I really do. But after doing them over and over and over...they're starting to wear on me.

It's been such a great experience. I've really had to get into the heads of my characters. If I really was Hermione, Queen of Sicilia, how would I move, how would I use my hands, what would I do with my facial expressions? If I really was Ruth Jamison, how would I walk, how would I tilt my head, what would my habitual movements be? Trying to think of all these things as I perform gets extremely difficult. But I get better every time. And I will continue to get better until, hopefully, I'm perfect at the performance.

I look back on my past acting and I have to shudder. I know so much more now than I did then. This has been so good for me.

Book Smart!

I am currently up at BYU-IDAHO. This picture was taken when I was up here in the summer last year. It is not that nice in January. It has been snowing constantly for the past week or so and the temperature got down to -20 the other day. All of the High Schools, Middle Schools, and Elementery Schools in the area were shut down because of the cold. But not the college. Nope. I still had to walk to school. I guess I shouldn't complain, it had warmed up to -11 by the time class was over. Don't get me wrong though, I am loving it up here: good classes, good roommates, cute boys. I'm just not loving the weather.

I Created a BLOG!!!!

Well, now that everyone on the planet is blogging, I thought I would too!