Mom's November Trip

This post is super late!!!  I just haven't had a lot of time to download the pictures and get everything organized!  I know, there is all this "smart" technology that makes it quick and easy, but I'm still doing it the old fashioned way. 

My Mom and her friend Sherry came to visit me in Chicago this past November.  It was such a fun trip and came just at the right time in my life.  When I'm getting all sad and sorry for myself and feeling so homesick that I can hardly take it, these two lovely ladies came with all their positivity and energy and love, so I slipped out of my slump pretty quickly.  

They mostly came to watch the musical "Wicked" but we fit in a lot of other stuff during their four days here.  We went to the aquarium, ate some classic deep dish, and of course did a lot of shopping.  Here are a few pics. (A lot are taken with my "old fashioned" I-phone 4, so they aren't the best quality)

Finding them at the airport was the first step.  I went up the stairs, they went down.  So I went down...and they of course would go back up.  We chased each other like that for a while.  Right then I knew this trip was going to be an adventure ;)

We went to the Hershey's factory and they got to fill their own pail with LOTS of chocolate!

Waiting for the Beluga Whale show to start!  I should have taken more pics of the whales, but I was too busy clapping!  We spent the whole day at the aquarium, just taking our time.  Supposedly there was a tornado outside.  There are worse places we could have been stuck.

It was football Sunday so the penguins were having some fun.

We saw a 4D underwater adventure show.  It was awesome and freaky at the same time.

WICKED!!!!  I love this show so much.  Although I've seen it before and have all the words memorized, it is still exciting to watch.  Mom and Sherry loved it!  I, once again, cried like a baby.  It was Diana's first time seeing the show too...I think she liked it, although the people singing in the seats next to her were probably just as entertaining as the show itself.

In front of the Chicago Theater

It was Sherry's Birthday so we had some YUMMY cheesecake.  The staff sang Happy Birthday while Sherry turned super red! The best part was when mom "went to the bathroom" and came back not even a minute later.  Sherry knew something was up then.

This is the entrance to Target.  Mom was pretty excited so we took a picture. Sometimes, it's the little things in life :D

Garrett's popcorn is the best...so yummy, fresh, and warm right out of the store.  We stood in line for 30 minutes.  In the cold. AND rain.  But if you go to Chicago, you gotta go to Garrett's.  It's like a rule or something.

We had so much fun and I felt so lucky to get to spend some time with these two lovely ladies!  It's so fun showing my city to people and I LOVE these two people SOOO MUCH!!!!



I'm an actor, a singer, a director, a writer...

I can't decide.  What am I?  There are so many things that I find interest and passion in.  I have been told on multiple occasions that I have to pick something.  I can love all types of art, but need to focus on one.  That's probably true and it's probably time. 

In acting, we are told that we can only have one objective at a time.  We fight for one thing at a time.  In a specific moment, we want one thing.  We might want it so that we can get to the bigger and better things, but we only have one objective. 

The simplest way to explain this is using a fight scene.  Right now I (the character) want to escape from the danger (my super-objective).  But there are all these obstacles; zombies, an army of droids, a fire breathing dragon, dementors...the list could go on and on, but let's keep it simple.  It might seem impossible, but I just have to defeat each thing, one at a time.  First I would probably have to use myself as bait for the dragon, and just when he was about to blow fire at me, jump out of the way, but be close enough to the zombies so that he just sets them all on fire.  Zombies: check. And then I might as well keep running past the droids, pull out my light saber and try to take down as many as I can, while the dragon (accidentally) stomps on all of them and crushes them.  Droids: check.  Then since I have my light saber out, I might as well let the dragon swallow me whole, and then slay him from the inside out because we all know that's the only way to really make sure that a dragon dies.  Dragon: check.  Then I would be so happy about getting this far and full of happy thoughts that I could produce my patronus, which of course is a beluga whale, and take out all the dementors.  Dementors: check.  See?  I could only do one thing at a time.  It's not possible for me to stab the dragon while taking out the droids.  I only have one light saber!!!!!

And I (back to being Whitney) only have one life.  I need to decide what I'm going to do with it.  The whole reason I'm writing this is because I lost focus these past few months.  I forgot what I ultimately want and made some poor decisions.  When I moved to this city, I made a list of professional goals for myself.  But when I had the opportunity to sing with a Chicago band, I forgot about those goals and agreed to a few months of Chicago fame.  Needless to say, that didn't pan out well for me.  Not only did I turn down a well paying role with a theatre company and miss three auditions because of this "opportunity" but I didn't even get to perform with the band for a full month before the singer that I was replacing decided to come back.  I give you permission to dope slap me.

I could dwell on the "what if's" and "if only's" of the whole situation, but basically it was a good lesson.  Why on earth did I turn my back on acting for even a second?   This industry, this art, this career is all or nothing, and for being an all or nothing person (to a fault) I have been fairly wishy-washy about being an actor.  But that stops now.

It doesn't mean that I can't have other passions and hobbies.  It doesn't mean that I put my life on hold until I'm successful.  It just means that I have one focus.  One thing to fight for.  One objective...and that is to act.  On stage, in auditions, scene studies and classes...there are lots of opportunities.  I just have to fight for them.  And from now on, I'm all in.

P.S. I'm not as violent as this post suggests. 
P.P.S I'm also not as nerdy as this post suggests, so any corrections on how zombies or other non-existent creatures die aren't welcome.  I'm just proving a point here people.

List 20 Random Facts About Yourself (Diana)

Well, I think below pretty much sums me up...RANDOM:) 


1) I don't like the dark or more to the point I'm afraid of it. It's not about the lack of light at all but more to do with the unknown. Also, I may have watched too many scary movies growing up and mom would hide and jump out of random places when I was younger...so yeah that pretty much explains that fear. Thanks mom.

2) I love cottage cheese. I don't mean oh that would make a nice snack sometime this week. I mean I crave it and could eat it every single day. When I was little I hated it and really never gave it another thought until I moved here. It's like I turned 25 and started craving things that I didn't think I would until much much later in life. Oh come on you know those snacks that are stereotypically set aside for the more mature...fig newtons, prunes, etc. Well, I love it all but particularly cottage cheese...large curd, 4% milk fat goodness!

3) I love earthy smells - a lawn freshly mowed, mulch, moss, basically anything that would make a person with allergies' head explode. My coworkers at Michaels get a kick out of me standing in the floral section opening the boxes of spanish moss with a big grin on my face.

4) When I go for walks and no one is looking, I try and whistle to the birds as if they can understand me. When they stop and look, it only fuels my ridiculous notions!

5) I have had more than seven pairs of glasses in the last 15 years...and it's not because my eyesight is changing:(   

6) I'm kind of obsessed with the martial arts. No matter how bad the story is, if someone is involved in some sort of combat on film, I'm usually glued. 

7) I am the definition of a foodie. Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, Cajun, Thai, African, Indian - it does not matter. I will try ANYTHING once. (Always excepting dinner invites, please and thank you.)

 8) I wasn't the kid who practiced her oscar speech in the mirror with a hairbrush (although I do have one of those prepared;). I was the kid who sat on the couch and had pretend interviews about my work with Barbara, Whoopi, Sherri, and Elizabeth. Oprah on special occasions.

9) My first and last involvement in the crime world took place on the kids aisle of what I think was a dollar store. I left the store with a small clump of play-dough nestled within my balled up fist. We got in the car, mom saw it, and well let's just say that a life of crime was not in the cards for me. I thought for sure I was going to jail. Can a three year old get arrested?

10) I have never had any sort of surgery and never had stitches. Knocking on wood as I type.

11) The Lion King is my favorite Disney movie. Now for those of you who know me, the fact that the previous statement is not in a size 40 font, bold, and italicized with pretty doodles of Nala and Simba running off of the page is a major testament to my self-control!!! 

12) I have watched every episode of What's My Line. If you're scratching your head because you've never heard of the show, 1. Shame on you and 2. Make your way to YouTube immediately! When you get there and notice that your screen is in black and white, PLEASE whatever you do, do not adjust your computer screens. (It's so embarrassing when my generation does that.)    

13) I think Shark Tank is pure fun.

14) I want to be Olivia Pope's half sister. Half, only because it was stated on the season premiere that she was an only child. So you see Olivia THINKS she's an only child. Come on Shonda Rhimes if anyone can write that story, you can!!!!!

15) Michael Jordan winked at me. Well, I wouldn't necessarily swear to that in a court of law but my cousins and I went to see him when he was playing with the Washington Wizards at the MCI center. At the end of the game before he exited the arena, a large group of rambunctious crazy young people ran to the side where we knew he was going to exit. He looked up, smiled, waved, and tossed an adorable little wink in my direction! My cousin also likes to claim the wink but MJ and I know the truth.

16) I have two half brothers one of which I've never met. 

17) In my next show, I will be playing a reporter who sings, dances, and just happens to be a pig. (Questions or concerns, message me:)

18) I've always wanted identical twin boys. But I've never wanted to dress them alike. Complimentary colors, patterns, fabrics, etc. but never alike. I may or may not have thought about this in great detail. 

19) I have had two bikes stolen since living in the city of Chicago. I've seen the first one on more than one occasion in my neighborhood. I know I know my bike wasn't the only one of its kind created but it doesn't make me wonder any less. 

20) My favorite place in the world to sing is and always will be in church.

THIRTY THINGS

1. List 20 random facts about yourself. (whit) (diana) 
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears. (whit)
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 5 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could. (whit)
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

Today's my Birthday...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, Happy Birthday to me...

Well, here it is.  I've arrived.  My late twenties. 

For the past two weeks I have been anxious, moody, unable to sleep, and sort of having a constant sinking feeling in my stomach.  I couldn't figure out what was bugging me.  But when I woke up this morning, I knew immediately.  I have been dreading this birthday for a whole year now.  I knew it had to come someday, I was just hoping that it wouldn't be so soon.   TWENTY-SEVEN!!!  25 was fun, 26 was no biggie, and now I feel like 27 just smacked me in the face and said, "Whitney, get it together!"

Last time I was home I was looking through a photo album with some high school photos and memorabilia and came across the "Senior Spotlight" in the local newspaper.  I was featured in this short, little spotlight when I was 18.  It asked my favorite food (spaghetti) favorite color (purple) favorite memory of high school (which I'm sure I made up something) and where I saw myself in 10 years.  My answer was travelling around the world making a living acting and directing.  That was 9 years ago.  I have one year left to accomplish that goal.  Okay, that's not true, I have my whole life to accomplish that goal.  But sometimes it sure does seem like time is ticking away.  On top of the fact that I have been feeling time ticking away, I just read an article that said for most women, their prime time for getting good acting jobs is a small 5-7 year window and that window usually ends at 30.  Cue my over dramatic tantrum, rolling around on the floor like a 3 year old crying that "I'm doomed to be mediocre for the rest of my life" and "I'm going to be old too soon" and  "Three years is hardly enough time to win my Oscar!"

But at some point during the day my attitude changed.  Maybe it was the moment where the mom of Makayla (a girl I babysit once a week) asked me how old I was today.  Her guess was 23 or 24, but only because she knows I graduated.   When I said 27 she didn't believe me.  So yeah, I guess I'm not too worried about "getting" old, because, well for one I still look like I'm 18 most of the time, but also because I still feel like that wide-eyed 18 year old who doesn't have a clue and just wants to explore the world and experience everything!  But mostly, my attitude changed when I started (at 6:30 AM!) to receive phone calls, texts, and LOTS of Facebook posts just reminding me how much I am loved.  Despite the fact that I worked literally from 9 AM to 11 PM because I forgot that this Wednesday was my birthday, others did not forget. And I felt so special because of that little fact.  It's nice to know that whether I'm 17, 57, 107 or (sigh) 27...I am loved. And because of that, I'm going to be just fine. :)

P.S.  My parents sent me this birthday card and it cracked me up.  Aren't they the best?

P.P.S. I came home to this!  Ice cream and a cosmo magazine.  I'm going to go stuff my face with sugar and have some girly giggly time with my bestie.  :)

Movie Review

Last night Diana redboxed Looper.  She had to be at church by 8:00 this morning, and I have a 10 hour work day, so why not start a movie at 10:30???  We liked it so much, that she said I should blog about it.  So here is my review.

But before that rambling starts, can we all just take a moment and admire this cutie patootie????

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

He is on my list of possible future husbands.  I mean, not only did I have a little crush on him way back when he was the sweet foster kid that saw angels in the outfield....


But then he stole my teenage heart when he was a nerd/loser in one of the best movies ever made....


 

And his career as a MAN has only made me fall deeper and deeper.  Seriously, he is going to be Robin, and I don't know what can be better than what we are seeing below. 

 

Oh right...sorry, the movie.  Anyway, it was way better than expected.  I don't really remember a whole lot of previews for it and I don't recall hardly any publicity.  But I did know going into it that it was about time travel, and that young guy in the present is suppose to kill his future self...and they fight.  Action man himself, Bruce Willis, is awesome.  Does this guy age?!?! I'm pretty sure he just becomes more and more of a BA!  And he doesn't disappoint in this movie.  Sometimes, in these action films, it's difficult to believe that one man with one gun can take on twenty armed men.  But I believe Bruce can do it.  And did you know Emily Blunt is in this movie?  I didn't, or I forgot maybe.  But when I saw her, D and I were both like, "YES!"  Love her always.

So yeah, all the actors get an A+ from me.  But what I really liked about this movie was that the time traveling didn't trip up the story.  You know how when you watch movies about traveling to and from the future, it get's all crazy and things stop making sense?  Well this movie didn't have that problem, because the actors basically told us, the audience, to not worry about it.  Jeff Daniels has a line addressed to Mr. Adorable himself that basically says,"We could sit here and talk about it  for hours, but just trust me."  Then later Ole' Brucie tells Joseph that time traveling gets confusing and we could try to figure it out but that takes too long and we need diagrams and such.  So, the audience knows just to let it go and enjoy.  And that's what we did. 

This film also had quite a few twists and turns and unexpected laughable moments.  But that's not surprising when you have two charming men like Joseph and Bruce.  But my favorite moments were when Joseph Gordon-Levitt had the exact facial expressions as Bruce Willis.  Diana actually had a moment were she yelled, "Oh my gosh, that was the Bruce Willis smolder!"   Well done Joseph. 

All that to say, you should rent Looper.  Good times.

 



This One's Been A Long Time Coming!!

So when I started writing this post…2 weeks ago, I wanted to catch you up on the last several months. Something I wouldn’t have to do if I was consistently writing! Anyway the post began with this long sort of clever, if I do say so myself, apology for not writing and then a long recap of what’s been going on in this crazy 2013. What’s funny is this past week alone has been so hectic that there is no possible way that I can write a summary of the past several months and you stay awake to read it! So I will make this as quick and painless as possible and hopefully you’ll get a glimpse of how the Windy City and I have been getting along.

Over the last six months I've had the opportunity to meet, work, and play with some pretty memorable people, take on a role that I'll probably never get the chance to play again, and fall in love with a restaurant that sticks french fries INSIDE their gyros...that's right people it's a topping not just a side dish! 

In January I started a four month internship with an amazing Casting office here in the city and can I just say that it is soooo much more relaxing to be the person on the couch instead of the person in front of it. I was reminded of many things from my time here but two things really stuck with me. 1. The casting director is sadder than you the actor are, when you’re not on you’re A game because it just means that he wasn’t able to get his job done! And 2. Answering phones is hard! Don’t laugh. I mean it. Oh sure picking up a phone and sounding pleasant is easy but when you have four calls coming in at the same time and three have asked to speak to the same person and you can’t remember the first caller’s name because he screamed it at you while driving down the highway thousands of miles away and you’re almost sure that caller number three is some big FOX executive because the name his foreign assistant gave you sounded like the name on the piece of paper in front of you titled IMPORTANT PEOPLE!!!!...well then you can come talk to me:)

        

I started rehearsals for an all female production of Julius Caesar, which opened in March and closed in April. The overall process was amazing. I remember going to the call back and being blown away by all of these women who each had a powerful presence and larger than life voice. I knew right away that this was something I wanted to be a part of. I think what made being cast as Mark Antony so appealing was that everyone that I talked to had a strong opinion or preconceived idea of who this person was. I didn’t have one at all so the process of creating was fresh and fun. The show itself did well and we received some great reviews but what I appreciated were the friendships I made within the cast. In fact a group of us are going bowling soon. Pretty excited.   

         So, about three weeks into my internship things begin to pick up speed. We were getting ready to plunge into pilot season and suddenly famous acronyms like ABC, NBC, and FOX were being thrown around. The office was looking to cast several pilots and films and I knew that as the reader (the person reading with all of the actors during their auditions, for all of you non-actors), I’d have the opportunity to take part in a process few people get to witness and I’d learn what makes actors pop in the eyes of those casting.

         I witnessed great directors who had worked on projects like the West Wing and Boss talk to actors about what was needed for a role and how to get there. I watched as great and experienced actors came in and blew everyone away with their preparedness and graciousness and I learned that the number one thing that an actor must be beyond anything else is a hard worker. It sounds sort of funny to some to say but I heard a director very recently put it this way. The sooner we as actors take down the imaginary “magical” curtain that we’ve put up and destroy this hang up that we have about ruining the illusions of theatre by letting people see what goes on behind the scenes, the easier it will be for people to see that what we do is indeed hard work. (He was pretty passionate about it) Good actors must understand and then attempt to duplicate with all of the honesty they can muster the extremes of the human condition aka Hard stuff. My complete takeaway from my time there at the casting office was I’ve got some serious work to do.

         The end of spring brought about the end of my internship and the closing of my show and with it a bit of starting over in my mind. I had been auditioning during the entire process of my previous show and applying like crazy for jobs (Michaels had cut hours significantly) with no breakthroughs on either front. But the lack of response was ok in March. By May and the beginning of June it was not! Thank goodness for amazing friends, family, and faith in a God that says He will supply all of my needs according to His riches and glory! I remember sitting at a bus stop on the phone with my mom and completely feeling helpless. What is it about mothers having the exact words that you need at the exact moment you need them. (What class do you all take for that?!) All I know is that I got up from that bus stop with a renewed sense of purpose. Nothing fell into place for probably another month but by the end of June, I was understudying for a company that I loved and even more recently due to start rehearsals for two shows in August and November. I joined an amazing prayer group with some amazing artists. Hours at the day job (or night job for those of you who have had conversations with me over the phone right before I clock in for that midnight shift) have picked up and I’ve acquired a kid. Don’t worry I only have him for a few hours Monday through Friday and then I get to give him back.

So, how are the old Windy City and I getting along? Well we certainly have our fights and disagreements and apparently she’s pretty hot with someone. It was in the high 90s all last week with a heat index that I don’t even want to talk about. But she’s cooling off and all in all we’re doing just fine. I really think she likes me. The feeling is definitely mutual.

Oh and as for that gyro (pronounced yeer-oh; NOT gear-oh or jih-roh according to the extremely passionate workers) restaurant, it's called...

I've included their website here so you can watch their videos and be jealous if you don't live in driving distance!

http://gyro-mena.com/home.html

Goodbye! or as my greek friends would say "αντίο" (adio)

Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

Onto number 2 on the list.  3 fears.

I'm sort of wondering what "legitmate" means in this case.  Aren't all fears legit?  Well, mine probably aren't. But these are the first three things that popped into my head.

1. The dark.  I mean like pitch black dark.  Is there anybody that likes that?  Have you ever been locked in a closet or bathroom or something?  I freak out just a little.  It hasn't happened to me much because I make sure it doesn't.  At work there is a bathroom without windows and the light is on the opposite side of the wall.  (Why?  Who designed it that way?!) When I close at the end of the night and have to turn the light off, I do one of two things: open the door as wide as possible and run to the light switch and then run back to the door before it flings shut, or occasionally I will stretch my body as wide as possible by holding the door with one leg, my toe pointed like a ballerina, and reeeeeaching the opposite arm to touch the switch.  Both methods work not all that well.

2. Water.  This sort of goes along with the dark.  It is the fear of the unknown.  Like, swimming in a lake or the ocean is the most unappealing thing ever.  Not fun in the least.  We have no idea what is in that water.  Pools are doable, but still, water not my favorite thing.  Random fact: when I was young, in school we were taught that all bodies of water are somehow connected.  So I convinced myself that this included the YMCA pool that I used to swim in.  In my mind it was possible for all the sea creatures to get into the water through a drain or some sort of water recycle system because the water has to come from somewhere and go somewhere, so although it was unlikely, it was completely POSSIBLE.  I was scared of the pool. But, in my defense I was pretty young...I think. Second random fact: in 2012 when I went to Florida with my grad school class, I gave in and swam in the ocean with friends, and there was a shark that swam right behind me.  It was close!!!!  Others think it was a Dolphin...but I know deep down that it was a shark.  I didn't swim anymore on the trip after that near death experience.

3.  Crowds.  Oh my gosh, I am starting to hyperventilate just thinking about it.  Crowded places like the grocery store or concerts or clubs/pubs all make me tense up and run for cover!  I can handle it and hold it together for the most part.  But this usually entails not breathing, clenching my fists, and holding back tears.  When my parents visited for the 4th of July we went to Navy Pier (against every Chicagoan's advice).  The day was lovely and all in all wasn't too crowded.  Sure there were lines and bumping into people a little bit, but for the most part, we had room to breathe.  That was until after the fireworks.  Everyone on the whole pier was trying to leave at the same time out of the same small arched entrance.  I tried to mentally put a shield/bubble/cocoon up around my body, but there are bodies pushing up against me from all sides popping my personal space bubble!!!  Pretty much my worst nightmare, but it only lasted for about 30 minutes.  Plus, my Momma was there yelling at people crunching me.  It was so funny.  One guy tried to shove past me, or maybe was shoved into me, (was he drunk??)  I don't know what happened, but she yelled, "Get off of her!"  She was ready to physically push him but I think the yelling was enough.  Yup, not so scary with Momma around.  :)

Dear 16 Year Old Self

Dear 16 year old self,

I have five important points to tell you just to make life easier and more enjoyable.  

1.  These years suck and that's okay.  They go by super fast and you aren't going to really remember all that much anyway. So relax and try to enjoy yourself a little a more.  

2. Work harder on your grades.  Those A's and B's are nice, but we both know you could do better.  Don't work hard because you have to get into the perfect college or because your whole life depends on a certain test, but because your work ethic says a lot about who you are, so start doing your best ALWAYS. And stop letting those B+ be good enough.

3. All of these boys that have crushes on you and are professing their love for you...are nice people.  Try to be nice and let them down easy. Don't lead them on because you like the game and attention.  Your heart is going to be broken someday, so be kind with their hearts.  

4.  Your parents are amazing.  They are the only two people who are going to stick by you through anything and everything.  Love them just a little more, cherish Sunday Family Days, and make sure they know how much they mean to you.

5.  You're pretty cool.  The sooner you realize this and accept yourself, faults and all, you will be happy. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself to be perfect.  You are going to let go of that expectation later, and life will be a lot better.

Well hello there world.  You may or may have not noticed that we suck at blogging.  Both of us have trouble remembering to eat on a regular basis so I don't know why I thought that we would be able to blog on a regular basis.  Ridiculous.  But I have an idea...a plan.  It's sort of lame, but will help us when we don't have anything to write about.  Which in all honesty we don't. But first, here is a quick recap of the past two months.

We moved to a bigger apartment.  It's a lot bigger, about a block away from the old place.  There is no mold or bugs or creepy neighbors that ask to borrow my cell phone so that he can call his therapist because he is having a suicidal episode. (yeah, that happened)

It's now hot.  It was cold for a really long time.  Now it's hot.

I opened and closed a show.  Cool.  It got some good reviews and some bad reviews.  Meh, not so cool.

Diana is now rehearsing for an understudy role for a theatre that I can't remember the name of, for a show I can't remember the name of, by a playwright that I can't remember the name of.  I do remember that her director is British and the play is British and that if she performs, she get's to speak British.  That's right...the language.

Winston got a haircut but now is fluffy again.  There really is no change.

Yeah, so there is a recap.  See what I mean...we work, we sleep, we work, we sleep.  Not a whole lot going on at this point, and yet somehow we don't have any free time.

Now onto my plan.  Diana said she doesn't know what to blog about...so while I was pinteresting...I came across a blog that asked totally random but sorta fun questions.  The girl answered all the questions on her blog and I thought, "Hey, we could do that.  We can answer questions.  We can make lists."  So below are the questions...and the blog posts of answers are to come.  All you have to do is click our name for the answers.  BTW, Diana doesn't know about this plan.  I didn't talk about with her and she hasn't agreed to do this, but I think it will be ok.  ;)

I hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you!  And there will be lots to read soon...or at least I'm hoping.

1. List 20 random facts about yourself. (whit) 
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misundertand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

List 20 random facts about yourself (Whitney)

Some of these may be well known, but others might not be.  It is surprisingly hard to come up with 20 facts that aren't totally lame like "I have brown hair".  I tried to be creative and list things that are not so obvious or that might be a discovery for you all.  So here we go.

1. I am one of the most indecisive people you will ever meet.  I know some of you are thinking, "Mmhhmmm, I know that's right."  Part of the problem is that I put a lot of pressure on small decisions, like at the store, what kind of bread should I get?   I will stand there for way too long weighing the pros and cons of white vs. wheat, whole grain vs. mixed grain, small sliced vs. large sliced.  This is good sandwich bread, but is this good french toast bread???  Then I realize that I don't even make french toast, so just freaking pick a bag of bread already, Whitney!!!!  The other problem is on the other end of the spectrum completely; I actually don't care.  Ironically I usually feel this way about bigger decisions.  Like where to go after grad school...I was sorta like "Hmmmm, where is everyone else going?"  But big or small, deciding is hard.   If you ask me where I want to eat, my answer will be "not seafood" and from there I honestly DO NOT care. Fastfood, sure.  Sit down, fancy restaurant, sure.  Chinese, Italian, Mexican, American...I DON'T CARE.  And if you make me decide, like some friends do...I will have a panic attack and throw myself into some sort of frenzy over where to grab a bite to eat.

2.  As you could have gathered from #1.  I don't like seafood...and I'm sort of scared of fish.  I really think they are gross...seriously gross.  Ew, I could gag just thinking about the ocean.  And yet, I may or may have not shed a tear when some of the goldfish in the pond back home died.  I have chosen not to become so attached to my parents pond fish from now on.

3. I really like trees.  Well, nature in general sorta fascinates me, but I really always try to take a moment and appreciate an amazing tree.  Whether it be for it's size, for it's flowers, amazing green leaves, or the small ones that are still trying to get started, I always like them and notice them.

4. I really, really hate social media and I'm sort of scared of where it is taking us (as in the human race).  Ironic that I am saying this over a blog right?  But that doesn't count...just ignore that little detail. I hate that the only way people keep in touch is through Facebook, twitter and Email.  Don't get me wrong, I am more guilty of this stuff than anyone, which is kind of why I hate it.  I love being stuck under a rock and never coming out to be social, and then just randomly posting something on Facebook so that my "friends" know I'm alive.  But really, we are a pretty arrogant species thinking that we are interesting enough to post our food in some sort of artsy fartsy way online, but that strangers/people aren't interesting enough to look up from our mobile device, whatever it may be, just to smile and say hi.  I don't think this really hit me till I moved to the city and I realized nobody has the time of day for each other.  So on the rare occasion some stranger does say "hi" to me, I have a quick panic attack and think "Oh my gosh, what am I supposed to do???  What am I supposed to say??? Oh yeah..." After an awkward pause I finally respond with "Hi."  Like I said,  I am more guilty than most.

5. Fact 5 is that I need to shorten these up :)

6. My favorite color is purple.  Not this purple.  Not this purple.  But THIS purple.  Look how decisive that was.

7.  I don't ever want to settle down.  I want to always keep moving and I don't see myself ever deciding on one place to live for the rest of my life.  I will stay in the city for a few more years and then go somewhere else that I haven't lived before.  At least that is how I see my life.

8. I like nail polish.  I will make sure my nails are painted before putting any make-up on my face.  It's important to me.  But I have only had one manicure...ever!  If my toenails clash with my open toed shoes, I have to change the polish quick or pick a different pair of shoes.

9.  My favorite flower is the sunflower. Here you go :)

10. I played the drums in high school   Mostly the timpani.  Random right?

11. I'm still sorta obsessed with cheerleading and will watch competitions online, and I kinda sorta wanna see Bring it On the Musical on Broadway.  (I'm so embarrassed)

12. I could eat fruit all day every day, but have to force myself to eat vegetables.  But let's be real, we all know I live on cookies.

13.  Speaking of food, I'm getting better at cooking.  Well sort of.  The crock-pot is my best friend.  I just throw stuff in there and then eat it when I get home.  Easy.  More things have turned out than not.  I'm not saying everything tastes amazing, but it's edible...which is really all I'm going for.

14.  I get to spend my days with this little one.  Right now I am juggling three jobs, one of which is nannying for Evie three days a week.  She has completely stolen my heart.  But she has also made me realize more than ever, I really do not want kids.

15. I am 5 feet and a 1/2 inch tall.  It says 5`1" on my resume.  I will never be a Disney princess because the height requirement is 5'4"-5'7" and the cruise lines that I have looked into performing for have a 5'5" requirement.  I guess that just means I'm destined for better things.

16. My favorite place that I have ever been is Venice.  But I never want to live there, just visit once in a while.  I want to live in London...I think it suits me.

17.  I’m obsessed with chick flicks and romantic comedies.   I'm sort of embarrassed when someone asks what my favorite movie is and the first thing that pops into my head is "Pretty Woman" or "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days".  What can I say, they make me happy. And yet...I have a  pessimistic view on relationships and love.

18. I'm obsessed with lists and calendars.  Right now I have a Google calendar, a planner, and a daily journal of to-do lists and goals.  I spend more time making to-do lists, than actually DOING the items on the list.

19. I have a hard time getting rid of stuff.  Half of my clothes are still from high school partly because I haven't grown since 6th grade, but also because I get really sentimental about silly things.  I will look at a t-shirt and think, "That's the shirt I was wearing during such and such".  But the weirdest items that I get attached to are socks.  I fall in love with socks.  My dad gave me a pink pair with little elephants on them a long time ago...those are my favorite (and I'm slightly paranoid about losing them or wearing them out.)

20.  I become addicted to food in a weird way.  We can call it a phase if you want.  There was the drinking to much milk phase where my parents would buy an extra gallon of milk just for me.  There was also a cranberry juice phase and a Gatorade phase.  There was a lemon phase where I would put lemons on and in everything.  Last summer was my strawberry phase.  I would go buy 3lbs of strawberries and eat all of them in one day, pretty much in one sitting, and then get sick because that is just too much sweetness.  Right now I'm in my Greek yogurt phase.  I can't get enough of it! 


There you go.  20 completely useless, random facts about me. 

My own "Diana Coates" review.

Hey Y'all.

I saw Diana's show.  I acutally saw it two weeks ago, but I wanted to wait to write my own review until the really important people saw it...aka her family.  Unfortunately I am so busy that I didn't get to see her loves while they were all in town, but D said that they liked it.  (I'm sure they had a lot  more to say than that, but being her truly humble self, that's all she told me.)

But here is my opinion on the whole thing in case you are curious (or not.) 
Here are a few things that I loved about it. 

1. Simple set.  Some stairs and two pillars.  Seriously, simple is always better in my opinion.  Also, good lighting and costumes.

2. After the first five minutes I forgot I was watching only women.  Well maybe I didn't forget, but I certainly didn't care.  I knew the characters and were invested in them and what they each wanted.

3. I thought there were some really interesting directoral choices made.  Simple and maybe even obvious, but at the same time, I don't think that is the "normal" way for Juilius Ceaser to be done.  It just made sense and everyone used the language so well that I never had to stop and figure out what was going on.  (Okay, let's be honest, there is always that one actor that isn't quite on the same level  as everyone else, but don't worry, it wasn't Diana.)

The one thing that left me a little disappointed was the fighting.  Because it is a fighting company that is known for the stage combat, my expectations may have been a little high. 

As for Diana, well in case you haven't heard, she is awesome. You can read about it here, here, and here.  There are plenty more other reviews that are less specific, but they all basically say that the woman who plays Antony is really good.

And I agree. 

After spending almost everyday of my life for the past three years with the same nine people, working and struggling and learning with them...you tend to get to know them pretty well.  But not only did I study, work, and learn with Diana, I am pretty sure all my free time was/is spent with her too.  Late night girl chats, days shopping/rollercoaster riding/movie watching, and hitching rides everywhere with each other (because we were lucky if between the two of us we had one working car) has resulted in me knowing her pretty darn well.  We are besties through and through, she is my sister from another mister if you will, the chocolate to my vanilla (HEHEHEHE!!! I crack myself up).  So to say that I know her skills, her bag of tricks, and am able to predict what she is going to say and what choice she will make is an understatement.

And yet, I was still surprised.  Not that she was good, we all know Diana is a good actor and that she plays power well.  But she was sooo authentic, her choices were so full of ying and yang that I was captivated by the way that Antony's mind works.  I cared so sincerely for him and rooted for him and yet, at the same time, was a little bit put off by the vengefullness of him.  The sheer gut reactions that he had and yet his artful way of keeping his cool was, well...scary and exciting. 

All that to say that she is in her element here.  She is doing what she was made to do.  She takes the stage and the audience watches and listens.  She has "it" and I am so excited to see what her next project will be, because I know she is only going to keep moving up.

That's all.

D if you are reading this...enjoy it and take it as your Happy Birthday present, because you know I am only this nice while being honest in a very great while ;)

Catching up

OH. MY. GOODNESS.  I can't believe it has been so long since we have posted!  When we talked about doing this, the goal was to post at least once a week...but we can hardly manage once a month!  I am terrible with keeping on top of these sort of things and keeping in touch with people.  And if you can believe it it, Diana is even worse than I am.  I mean, look at all the pink compared to blue on this blog!   The only reason I have time is because I sit at a computer and check people in for my day job.  So yeah...I'm at work right now.

Here is a quick recap of our lives these past few months. 

-It's cold.  And it has snowed more in the last month than it has all winter.  We are more than ready for spring weather and have decided that maybe two years in Chicago will be enough ;)

- We are still stuck in this little, nasty apartment.  It's teaching us patience and tolerance and building character.  HA!  How is that for an optomistic attitude?  But seriously, we are thankful for clothes on backs and a roof over our heads and for each other...because this whole sucky apartment experience would seriously blow if we were doing it alone. 

- Diana has an interniship at Claire Simon Casting.  She has been doing this since the New Year and finishes up in April.  It has kept her very busy (which is the excuse she uses for not blogging).  She has met lots of actors and directors,  has learned a ton of information, and has really cool stories.  Ask her to blog one ;)

- She is also opening Julius Ceaser with the company Babes with Blades.  That's all I know about that.  Ask her to blog about it ;)

- I was cast in a play and started rehearsals this weekend.  WOOT!  It's a comedy with a lot of adult humor.  Probably would be rated  R becasue of the language and content and something that would have most definitely been banned at both universities that I attended. I get to sing and play my ukulele!!!!I'm pretty excited about that.  (see long rant below for the whole casting story)

- I have also become an excellant egg cook.  Just yesterday I made us outstanding scrambled eggs, if I do say so myself.  Yup, I'm growing up and learning to cook.  Although I tried to make instant pudding a few weeks ago and it didn't turn out.  I'm thinking it was just a bad box :D



- Winston is fluffier than ever.   He is enjoying the snow the most out of the three of us.  Eating it and jumping around and digging till he finds mud is pretty much his favorite thing.  He had stopped eating his dog food because he is a picky diva...or maybe because of an ongoing upset tummy.  It's hard to tell.  We recently changed brands and he is back to eating two cups of food a day.  (I know you are as excited as I am)

 

And that's about it from here in Chicago.  Oh wait...what's that you ask??  You want to know more about Diana and what's going on in her life??? Well I don't blame you!  Ask her to blog about it ;)
 
 
Long Casting Rant (the most interesting part is at the bottom)
Last week I had two auditions in the same arts center building.  The first required one dramatic monologue, the second required two comedic monologues and a song.  I had work that morning and had just run to another audition so I was rushing to this building but managed to get there 10 minutes ahead of time.  And of course it is busy and loud and there are people everywhere.  I was having trouble finding the right room when a guy popped his head out and asked if I was there to auditon.  I said yes, he asked my name, I gave it, and he said "Wow you are early...that's great."  The audition started out with a short interview?  They asked what my day job was, any interesting facts about me, and then noticed that I had the ukulele on my resume.  They asked if I played well and I said yes...and told them my ukulele is purple (I think it is an interesting and important fact and I'm sort of proud of the purpleness for some reason).  I was wondering to myself why they were asking about music so much when it hit me...I was in the second auditon room....not the first! 
 
I was supposed to have at least 20 minutes in between my auditions to get ready for this.    My mind was totally in dramatic monologue mode.  I wasn't ready to be funny!  I was still on the fence between three monologues and if I'm being honest, had no idea what song I was going to sing.  (It was accapella and they weren't specific about genre, so I could pretty much whip anything out)

Normally my auditions are very polished.  "Hello, my name is Whitney Rappana.  I will be performing A, B, and C for you today. Blah, Blah, Blah. Thank you very much." 

This was the messiest, most unpolished, rambling audition I have ever had.  A voice in my head said, "Well you are in the wrong room and have no idea what you are doing.  You are screwed anyway, so you have nothing to lose."  And wow, did I treat it that way!

I still wasn't completely positive of what audition I was at, so I asked what they wanted to see.  They looked a little taken aback and said two comedic monologues. 

(the following is me stumbling through my audition)

"Ok.  Right. Sure.  I guess I will do...um...The Owl and the Pussycat by Bill Manhof." I did it. They laughed.

"Now for my second piece...I will be doing...um...sorry, I'm sort of figuring this out as I go.  Well I guess I will just do House of Blue Leaves by John Guare."  I did it.  They laughed even more.

"You wanted a song too right?  What style of music are you looking for?"

"Oh no. Were you not able to prepare a song?"  he asked.

"Oh I have like five songs that I could perform for you, I just want to make sure that I give you what you are looking for."

"Oh. Something sort of with a contempory feel, a little poppy, you only need to do about 16 bars."

"Ok.  Well let's see.  Um...I'm going to sing Five and Half Minutes by Kerrigan and Lowdermilk.  It's sort of poppy, really belty, if that's alright?"

"Go for it"

"Ok.  Let me just think of the middle verse so you hear the best part." ( I hum to myself for a minute) "Crap, I can't think of it."  (Rack my brain frantically trying to start in the middle of a song).  "I'm sorry, I seriously cannot for the life of me remember how the middle starts."  (I hum a little more trying to speed through the first verse so I can remember how the second starts)

"We can just keep watching this if you want, because this right here is enteratining enough" He jokes.

"Ha.  Ok, It's clearly not coming so I will just start at the beginning and you can stop me when you get bored."  I sing.  (NAIL IT!)  They listen, laugh, and stop me right after I hit the big note.

"Is there anything else you need to see?" I ask.

"No, I think we have seen everything we need." 

"Cool.  Well thank you so much! And thanks for your patience through all that"

They laugh, say thank you one more time, and I get the heck out of there!

I got a callback but it was cancelled because of weather.  So he called me and said they loved my audition and really wanted to work with me.  And that's how I got cast in Chicago; by being a complete nutcase that didn't have a clue what she was doing and couldn't be anything but her goofy, giggly, air-headed self because she didn't think it could be any worse. 

The End.