The Summer I Discovered Myself?

My brother and I went on a beautiful hike yesterday in the open space near our house. It  was a scorching day with a hot, hot breeze and the golden hills seemed more beautiful than ever. This summer  I've lived in Utah, London and California. While they are all amazing places in their own ways, I have recently noticed this pull that keeps bringing me home to California. 

This summer, I've been gardening, going to the beach and hiking and I feel ten times more connected to the earth that is my home. Maybe it's cheesy, maybe I sound like a huge hippie but, no matter where I live, California will always be in my bones.

It's just something I've noticed...

On a different note: toothpaste makes the best overnight zit cream. 

On a different note from the different note (what?): This has been an amazing summer of theatre and learning. Watching so much theatre in London and here in the Bay Area has taught me so much about what I need to work on this year: confidence on stage, trust in simplicity, and really using the words and their sounds. Easier said than done, that's for sure. But, I can't wait to implement all these things into my work as Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream! I've become so excited, rather than scared, to start my life as an actor!

Here's what I've learned from the shows seen since I've been home:

Geezer: There is such thing as being a seemingly over-the-top character role and still be poignant. But, you really have to sink and relax into the role. Into their posture. Into their voice.

Anna Deveare-Smith's Let Me Down Easy: The importance of playing with vocal pitch and rhythm. Paying special attention to the countenance of a character, perhaps against your own. The subtleties in a different walk.

Metamorphosis: Trust in the story that you are telling. 

I can't wait to learn from Santa Cruz Shakes' production of Comedy of Errors this weekend!