The joys of fighting

When I found this cute cottage apartment listed on craigslist right in downtown Davis, I fought to get it. I kept emailing the woman who manages the property, called her numerous times and heard her say over and over again that I don't want to live in her property.

Needless to say, that made me fight more and eventually I signed a year lease. Upon arrival from the airport I found a hot, tiny, dirty apartment -- which with a little TLC has become quite charming.

But Hope, um, we know all this already. We read your blogs. Heck, we are newly subscribed.

Yes, dear ones, I know. This just a precursor to say I may have done it again. Ready yourselves for a bunch of links.

One of the main reasons I chose UC Davis is the collaborative nature of the program and the fact that there is a physical theatre IN RESIDENCE on campus. The first show of the season, Collapse, is a co-production between that physical theatre, Sideshow, and the new hoity, toity arts center, The Mondavi Center. (Yes, the wine dude donated a chunk of change to build it and in fact, a new wine institute is under construction right next door.)

Anyway, I contacted the choreographer a few weeks back and asked to meet with her to express my interest in working with her and Collapse especially. At our meeting at Cafe Bernardo, she said that she really would like to work with me, but does not think there is a role for me in this project. Well, poops.

However, yesterday, out of the blue, I got an email from her saying that there MAY be a role and asking me to come to a rehearsal/audition at 6:30pm on Tuesday. Yippeee! My "fight" on this one was more internal. I had a secret hope and in fact my parents already have their tickets to come opening weekend.

I asked Della if I need to do any prep and she reminded me that the project is based on a book of the same title by Jared Diamond. Well, the full title is Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. I know, how are these crazies going to make a dance piece about this?

So, I reserved the book at the public library and did whatever research I could online. Easter Island, Rwanda, Montana, yada, yada, yada. I also watched part of a lecture the author gave earlier this year at Columbia. I did fall asleep during the middle section, but I do intend to go back and watch that tomorrow. *grin*

This evening, I walked to the dance studio and upon arrival Della introduced me to the stage manager and ASM. She showed me the set model and we waited for the other performers to arrive -- Sara, a second year MFA actor and Dave, a grad student in sociology who is doing his dissertation on theatre and performance. They are playing the roles of "A" and "B" respectively. We warmed up on our own and prepared to do a read-through. I asked Kristin, the SM for a script and looked at the role of "C" who apparently "enters later."

The script is certainly not linear and I have to be honest and say that I am not quite sure what the arguments are. My character is referred to as "he" and the end of the script as it stands right now is a long, glib monologue C gives about the hutus and the tutsis.

After the reading, we ask lots of questions and start a discussion when in blows Ed, the writer with his DOG! Unfortunately, he spends much of the time explaining how the characters are feeling and what we should be doing. Um, how 'bout WRITING that??!! In the SCRIPT?!

We work on the big monologue and as I find out in the only other scene I have right now, my character is based on Claude Levi-Strauss. And please remember, that I just received the script not an hour earlier and I am still not sure if I am cast in this crazy thing. Incorporating the direction, "you just had 3 Pernod and are smoking galoise, speaking indifferently to your ever adoring grad students" is basically impossible because I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING!

We end around 9:45pm and there is a brief discussion of scheduling, but Della still does not mention my continued involvement. She just says that things "went well" and that she will email me the specifics. Um, am I cast? Do you prefer a man to play this role? When the heck are rehearsals?

Well, folks all these questions have yet to be answered, but let's hope that something charming is the result.