The Gambit

In the past 2 weeks I have run the full gambit of emotions. This is why I don't post often, I'm not sure y'all could keep up with my life -- I don't think I can keep up with my life.

2 weeks ago was the demo at Wheaton Village - where I became a 'real actress'. You know - paid. Whoot! It was a wild clusterfuck of craziness, but a sucess and FUN in the end. Afterwards, a bunch of us - Dorren, Sir Ed, Justinian, Lorenzo and Ninian pitched in. Lorenzo wrote the scroll, I did the calligraphy, Dorren did the illumination, Sir Ed volunteered Dorren, Justinian volunteered Ninian and Ninian is still working on the badge - This badge is called the yellow badge of craziness. For service of making a demo come together despite all odds...and ALL odds were against him. Allow me to explain.


About 2 weeks before said demo, the acting group which was going to work with the mystic realmers, to perform the contested marriage ceremony, called and said they couldn't make it. EEP! So Arden called Ed and Dorren, who told him to call me, and then called Gregory. So, it's Arden playing the groom's father; Gregory playing the groom; me playing the bride, Ed playing the contestor, and Lorenzo playing the priest; with Dorren as my lady in waiting. Got it? Okay...now this is all figured out the Tuesday before the demo...that's 5 days beforehand.

The cast gets the script (9 pages) and starts trying to get their lines by the dress rehersal friday.... oh yea the cast gets the script on Wednesday...so that's 2 days to learn it.

On Wednesday, Gregory (groom) also gets VERY ill and is on bed rest for an unspecified amount of time. A call goes out for another groom, to which 'Jonathan' responds... we still have no idea who Jonathan is.

On Friday, we get a shorter improv script...after I've memorized my lines...oookay... Improv is good. We have the dress rehersal which becomes a round table discussion about how to pull this thing off.

Break to Sunday.

We get on site - on time- wow - and start practicing with the mystic realmers. We are told gates open at 11. At 10 the gates open. So, nobody's in their positions. Scrap part 1 of play.

People have been reassigned into positions and more people have joined. So, now the cast is:

Me- Bride - Lucrenzia (which I couldn't pronounce!)
Arden - Groom - Francesco
Ed - Contesting Groom - Lorenzo
Lorenzo - Priest (see anything that might get confusing there?)
Elthsbeth - Lady in Waiting
Justinian - Dance Master


Justinian and I were supposed to do about 5-7 italian dances - this became about 10 italians followed by about 15 ECDs and bransles. Oookay.

Arden and I do an abbreviated version of Ballo de Fiore, which I totally screw up and wind up nowhere near him at the end... D'OH!

When Ed/Lorenzo contests my marriage to Arden/Francesco - Arden begins to walk down the only stairs off of the stage to join him. I - in a dress - jump off the stage, turn to Arden and realize that my back is to the audience...D'OH! So, I yell and I turn, and I yell and I turn. One liners are said that just about stop all of us, and we're all trying not to laugh because the rest of everybody will just crack up!

I start yelling at the audience - 'You don't want to see them duel do you? NO, you want them to settle this with a more civil way...a CHESS MATCH!' So the crowd starts chanting duel. The Mystic Realmers helped us get people to the chess match.

Break to 4PM...the end of the day. Dancing is ending...thank God(s). Everybody starts packing up. The autocrat, who had been snobby to us all day comes up and asks us why we're all packing up, because we're supposed to be on until 5. What?!

So,I go back on stage, where Arden is playing and am like 'Darling? Can I speak to you?'

And he's just as surprised as the rest of us. Oookay. So another hours worth of dance later...

oy... so for pulling it and us all together, and because we wouldn't do it for anybody but him, we presented Arden with the yellow badge of craziness.

*sigh*

But at least I got paid! And Arden was very surprised.

Our event

Our event went very well and even made money. Woot! I saw a few friends from Albany. And got lots of snuggles that night, even if the airmattress did deflate, leaving us on a hard wood floor. Ouch. Next event in June. Plan on it!


Master Trahearn came out again on business. He and I danced at the Piscataway fencing practice, and he graciously took me out to dinner afterwards. He's a very nice guy. It's just hard to get to know him outside of dance, because I'm not sure what (if anything) we have in common outside of dance. Oh well. We'll see where that goes.

I saw the Burlap Lute play yesterday. Just beautiful, as always. I told them how nice it was to watch them play dance music, because usually when they're playing at events (as the Branslers) I'm yelling my fool head off! They laughed. I also bought a book, in which a fellow in 1914 copied some of the dances from Cecil Sharps's manuscript. There are several dances in it I've never heard of! Yay more researchy bits.

I also took my finals yesterday. 4 hours to do 4 exams with 3-5 long answer (8-30 lines) and 10 short answers (2-6 lines) each is just not long enough. I couldn't finish the last exam - I was 6 questions off. So IF i got a perfect score on the rest of the exam, then the highest score I can get in my best subject is a 74, which in my school is a D. I cried. A lot. I'm down to the pass or fails, which are the retests. Which means, in my 2nd semester, I will have probably gotten a C or D in everythign. I know it's just getting the degree that counts, but I Really wanted some of this schooling to be able to carry over into another school so I can get my bachelors. So much for saving time and money.

I tried to explain to Justinian that I just want to prove them all wrong. And yes, there is a them. 1 - I have one of the lowest IQ's of people I know. I was tested in kindergarden and was a 127. I was retested when I was 13 and was a 117. Nothing like not only getting dumber, but having less potential as you grow up. I want to exceed that potential. LOL - at this point, it looks like I'm not even going to live up to it.

Another 'them' is when I was a freshman in HS the principal gathered us all in to the auditorium (all 317) and told us that only 2% would ever leave West Milford and only 1% would be sucessful/make it. I really wanted to be part of that 1%. I'm making it. But without a degree (or 3) and more specifically a PHR, I won't be sucessful in my field. And with these grades, ain't nobody gonna wanna take me.

I've been keeping in touch with people from my HS class more. About 5% left. So maybe about 2.5 will be sucessful. Though that still means I'd better kick my ass in high gear. We have the diplomat who will be moving to South Africa in the Spring. The newsreporter in GA. Several people on their way to being CEO's and CFO's and let's not forget those who work in Europe in museums as assistant curators. :( Sheesh.



I was talking with a friend of mine (male) about the statement: "Behind every sucessful man is a good woman." I always said it: "Behind every sucessful man is a good woman in bed" or "Behind every sucessful man is good sex." Mainly because that's about all I can bring to a relationship. I'm not the sharpest tack in the box - see above. But I'm pretty good in the sack. I'm sarcastic to a fault, and loyal and nice. But I"m a lousey housekeeper. I'm not the best cook. I'm not a homemaker. And I don't want kids. In fact a hysterectomy may be closer than people think, but that's for another post. I'm supportive and loving and affectionate. I thrive on humor and good conversation. I'm not jealous or possessive, tho sometimes I get territorial. I value alone/apart time (where good conversation can derive off of), but also like together time, even if that's just snuggled on the couch. I like to travel, alone or together. I have my own job and can support myself, but won't support another financially - unless I have to. But, that person had better be looking...seriously looking.

My friend said I am a good woman. I'm confused. I thought a good woman was someone who kept a nice home, cooked food, had kids and was supportive. Well I guess 1 out of 4 ain't bad.

*sigh*