I got a kite for Christmas. It's a 62" long black shark with orange flames. His name is Willem Dafoe.
Honestly. It doesn't get much better than that.
I also got some books on sound design and the entire Universal Legacy collection. Much movie watching once school starts again.
My review for the CMU School of Drama's performance of The Rocky Horror Show Live. It's an assignment for my Foundations of Drama class. Just wanted some feedback.
Hot on the heals of Carnegie Mellon University’s production of Sideshow comes The Rocky Horror Show Live, a one show engagement sponsored by the School of Drama’s class of 2007.
The Rocky Horror Show tells the story of Brad Majors and Janet Weiss, two all-American kids who get mixed up with a crowd of pleasure-loving aliens from the planet Transsexual. On the way to announce their engagement to good friend Dr. Everett Scott, their car gets a flat tire and Brad and Janet seek help at a nearby castle, hoping to find a telephone and get back to the car. Instead they are seduced by Dr. Frank N. Furter, who invites Brad and Janet to give themselves up “to absolute pleasure.” The two appear in the final floor show, along with the rest of the cast, clad in lingerie and singing about their newly acquired sense of freedom. Magenta and Riff Raff, servants in the castle, interrupt with news that their mission is complete and they will be going back to Transsexual, without Dr. Furter. Frank, his creation Rocky, and loyal Columbia are all killed by Riff Raff, leaving Brad and Janet to consider the triviality of human actions.
As poignant as it was when originally released, Rocky Horror still speaks to audiences. In 1973, the show was considered groundbreaking for its candid portrays of taboo subjects. Thirty years later, these subjects are not anymore acceptable in our society. This speaks of the continuing conservatism in American values and lack of evolution in regards to incorporation of minorities. Homosexuals are still marginalized, and transvestites are even further on the edge. Cannibalism and incest will probably never be accepted, even by the most liberal of societies.
One wonders if these issues were considered when choosing the show. It’s likely that the cast only wanted to put on a show that would sell well, as the goal was fundraising for the 2007 Senior Showcase. If this was the only goal, then it was certainly achieved. The performance was sold out and the house packed. This may seem like a contradiction to the maginalization of the groups portrayed in the show. However, it serves as more of a confirmation. Yes, the show sold out, but most audience members were part of the School of Drama community, well-known for embracing minorities such as homosexuals. Audience members come to see shows such as this to get validation of their particular oddities.
Costumes seemed thrown together, as the show had no budget. Lighting was used effectively to create a sense of being barred in by societies ideas of normality. Sound had some issues, mostly because of shoddy microphones. Luckily audience members filled in the silence, either singing along with the lyrics or calling back as in traditional in showings of the film. In those moments, the production was able to capture the essence of avant garde theater, blurring the line between actors and audience. Use of several freshmen as “phantoms” in the house also helped to push the art of the performance further to the edge. Overall, the show provided a fun way to spend a Saturday evening/Sunday morning and a thoughtful look at cultural acceptance of disenfranchized Americans.
The tiny goat was very, very ugly,
And, like all ugly things, it fell in love.
When twenty years of waiting turned to nothing,
It swallowed lye and lay down on the stove.
- The Tiny Goat, The Gothic Archies
I absolutely must stop comparing myself to others.
It's just a bad day, I guess. Something is bothering me, but I can't quite place it. I want to be happy. I really do. Why can't I make it happen?
Just once, just once, I would like to go into a store and find a bra that fits. This shouldn't be such an unreasonable request. Even Lane Bryant, savior of the fat girl, doesn't have anything off the rack. It all has to be special ordered. I don't understand why everyone is ignoring this seriously unserved market. Why can't girls who need bras find ones that fit? I find myself actually glaring at the lingerie department in Target and other such stores. All those tiny, pretty bras. None of which would even cover my nipples, let alone my tits. Instead I have to suffer constantly popping out, which can get really annoying, especially when I'm up and down stairs, or leaning over the catwalks. I need some serious coverage.
That's all. Needed to get that out after a day of shopping and trying on bras. Every time I go, I'm just more convinced that I need to get a reduction. I certainly won't miss the trouble that goes along with having them. And since no one's ever showed a particular interest in them either, I suppose they will pass on relatively unnoticed. But that's another rant for another day.
I know it's unreasonable, but I still wish we could be together all day. I like the gaggle. It upsets me when we part ways. People who have crew, people who have projects, people who are going to bed. I also know I shouldn't ask anyone to put themselves out for my sake. I wouldn't dare ask them to put me in front of anything else.
I could say so many things right now, but that would probably be a mistake.
The department voted against him. Now I'm really going to vomit.
Do you ever get up and just feel unable to face the world? That's how I've been feeling all day. I've tried to get ready for the day, but nothing seems to have gotten me out of this mood. I watched a movie to wake me up, and I ended up in bed for another three hours. I got in the shower, and I ended up crying for almost an hour. When I got out, I just put my pajamas back on. I'm getting ready to watch another movie, waste a few more hours. There's a party tonight, and I've been wavering between not going and just going to drown my sorrows. I always assumed my various issues were worsened by conditions at home, but they don't seems to be getting much better. If anything, I feel more isolated because I have few people that I can really rely on. If I wouldn't tell things to my very closest friends, how am I supposed to communicate with people I've known for less than a month? It's a complicated issue, and I'm not sure how to solve it. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea for me to start seeing someone. I have an immediate distrust for school-run psychologists, but cost is a major factor, seeing as how it's free. Otherwise I have to search Oakland and Squirrel Hill for someone covered by my insurance. And I don't need my mother to know what I'm doing, so maybe CAPS isn't such a bad idea. Jesus, I'd be up to fourteen. I don't know if I want to admit I need that help.
Such is my thankless existence.
If I became unexpectedly pregnant, would I, considering I suffer from a condition that usually results in fertility issues, abort the fetus knowing that it might be my only chance?
