one. week. left.

it's true. morning shows tuesday-friday. night shows thursday-saturday. matinee on sunday.

then. i'm done.

and then. we head home. to the urbana/champaign/savoy home. we should be there by monday night. and neither of us can wait. not that this hasn't been a good experience, because it has. it's just that it has been rather. . . long. and, on kevin's part, extremely boring. and the fact that we don't really have a home of our own to be missing has kind of made it even harder. so. we are excited to get back to the land of lincoln, to say the least.

somebody plan a party in our honor. with cupcakes, if that's not too much to ask.

eat more salad

and always
buy his dressing.







ugh. this is so depressing.

proof that it really happened.

Look At Them!

it's getting colder. . . finally.

did i mention that our fridge has been broken for over a week? because it has. many vegetables were lost. and some vegetarian corn dogs. and some orange juice. some frozen fruit and sausage were safely transported to ray & brendan's freezer, but the ricotta cheese couldn't be saved. because it's 65º in there. and for the past couple days it has smelled funny.





luckily, today this man came. and rooted around for awhile.













he even took some of the innards out.









then, a few hours later, there were people in our backyard using our hose to wash out a big white box. once it was clean, those people using our hose, brought that big white box into our house and left it there.





it was a big white ice box. and now it's becoming a big white cold ice box.










mind you, it's only a temporary ice box. until we get a brand-spanking-new-one sometime this weekend. everyone is very excited about this.




also, i made pancakes on monday.

opening!

it's official. both shows are open and running. NCSF hosted a reception for us and our families on saturday night after Much Ado.



the elvis impersonator that was serving the wine sang to me. sadly, no photo was taken. but i got a few on the way out.




a full, and mildy scary elevator.










lots of people crossing the street.
and kevin, eating a brownie.

i mean, don't misunderstand me, here

i still don't like kids. i don't.

but

performing at 10am for a random assortment of children, from what seems like 6 year olds to high schoolers, has, at times, been a really rewarding experience. hearing that one little kid laughing louder, and a little bit later, than anyone else in the audience. or learning that another whispered "Benedick!" when our Benedick came onstage alone. it's exciting. those little moments.

of course, on the other hand, there tends to be a lot more silence. huge gaping holes of silence. which can be frustrating, especially when it seems obvious that their teachers have been preparing them for this field trip for over a week..."if any of you so much as lets out a peep! let alone poke your neighbor, or chew gum, or fall asleep, or kick the seat in front of you, or put your shoes on the seats, or get peanut butter on anything, you will be in time out, or detention, or what-have-you for a week! do you hear me? a week!"

so.

then they get here and sit on their peanut-butter-free hands, praying they won't have to pee before intermission, and holding their breath until curtain call.

somebody tell the children of the world that it's ok to boo and hiss at the bad guys. life's more fun that way.

there's a first time for everything...

after a ridiculous understudy rehearsal on sunday night, came monday. a lovely free day, including a Mexican lunch,




a surf/skate boarding shop,










new flip flops,









Burn After Reading, TJ Max, and Petsmart, Kevin and i joined some other NCSFers at, that's right,






Hooters.





it was my first time. and, perhaps, my last.

photo call

the set for Much Ado.












Kevin hunting a fly.














with a kitchen knife.












Lear in rehearsal.















the set for Lear.












Lear on stage.
















dead Cordelia on stage.



this may not be a happy play, but our Graham makes it a beautiful play.

I DARE you to read this:

So, for the next installment of famous North Carolina women, we have Virginia Dare!!

Virginia was the first person of non native descent to be born on the continent of North America. There was a colony, the first and failed colony called Roanoke Island. She was born in 1587.

The colony was eventually wiped out by health problems, not surviving winter, or being killed off by Native Americans. There's still a lot of mystery surrounding the colony. Much of which is likely lost to history and time.

For an excellent description of the Roanoke Colony and its development, go here: http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/ncsites/English2.htm#Lost

The answers are trying to be solved by modern day archaeology and a foundation has been started for this just cause: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0302_040302_lostcolony.html

Now I wonder if this is where the term, I DARE you came from. Imagine that this family was "Dared" to colonize the Americas first. Also, it turns out that Double Dare was derived from colonial activities on Roanoke island in homage to the family Dare. Please see: for a funny moment. I DOUBLE DARE YOU.

somehow, someway

i got on the internet on amanda's mac on shakespeare wireless...let's hope it lasts until she gets home!

yikes.

granny smith

we're at the apple store. in durham.

mr finkleton (my computer) got sickies last week and wouldn't connect to our wireless. so we went to the rehearsal hall and tried their free wireless. but it didn't work there either. so i got nervous. i searched the apple website for store nearby, and durham turned out to be the closest. 1 hour, 15 minutes.

so here we are. of course, the second we got into the store and gave my compy to an employee it worked just fine. turns out (so we think) that i just needed to update some of the software--which i am doing right now, while i use this nice new apple-store-compy for freebies.

the apple store is a happy place.

"i've had my hand in rick schroder's mouth!"

said by Graham. our Lear, in Lear. and our Verges, in Much Ado.

he is hilarious. completely and utterly.
and he rides his scooter to rehearsal.


tonight is our Much Ado invited dress, so Kevin is coming to see it, and Graham's brilliance.