Now There's A Stratagem for You

This is the story of my physical ailments. I know what you're thinking: why have you not posted in so long just to come back talking about your stupid and boring physical ailments? YOU MAKE NO SENSE. And the truth is: I really don't make any sense. So...there. My only excuse is that things have been very busy. A couple of weekends ago we opened our spring show at UVM: The Beaux' Stratagem.

We had an amazing run and fantastic audiences. At our closing performance there wasn't a dry eye in the cast. Seriously it was an amazing show to be a part of with an excellent cast. Anyway, that opening weekend my jaw started to kill me from the tension I held in it during the play making my awkward bad guy face. It was quite a problem and a nuisance, but it definitely didn't distract from the awesome weekend with Velvet! That's right, after two years we finally got to hang out with Velvet again! She traversed her way up to rural Vermont from the big city on Long Island and spent my "birthday" weekend with us. It as the perfect reunion and despite a couple of tiffs (what family doesn't have a few fights?) we had a great time all together again. 

As you can see, we had fun. And as you can see, another physical---I'm just going to call it an ailment---on my face. That bloody beard. I grew it for Beaux' and it definitely worked with my wonderfully cutthroat character Hounslow, but when the beard was on my face in the public eye during real life I was not having it. So Sunday evening as soon as the show was out, I went to Spinner was immediately shaved the whole thing off. It was an intense shave session.

BEFORE

AFTER!!!

It's been a great past two weeks full of dancing pirates, our sassy black friend, and beards performing a disappearing act. Congratulations to the sensational cast and crew of Beaux' for our awesome show, and I promise to blog more often. Again.

Peace out!

Show photos by Andy Duback

Rosie's Turn

Thank you Ms. Midler for that splendid opening number. I thought this song would be appropriate because I'm taking this time to celebrate one of Megan and my bestest friends in the whole world. This afternoon we rushed to Barre, middle of VT to help Rosie finish moving out of her apartment she was being kicked out of by her so-called "Scumlord." She was planning on moving in a couple weeks to a trailer on the property of her cousin's farm she has begun working at. It's a beautiful farm, minus the manure but that's only because I'm a different breed of Vermonter, and her new place is awesome. Save for a finnicky shower head and some fixer-upper and cleaning, she'll be able to have that place looking great. I just wanted to take this time to tell Rosie how proud I am of her, both me and Megan. Here are some pictures from today at the farm:

And now, I leave you with pictures from the Champlain College Snowball last night at the Burlington Hilton. It's the one night when us college kids get to break out formal clothes, and because it's at Champlain and I don't know most of the people there, I feel the need to break loose and be absolutely crazy...not that that's much of a problem anywhere else. It just seems right at this kind of event where there are free meatballs, a giant cheese platter, and a chocolate fountain.

We found Jess!

Weren't we beautiful? And yes, that's a bowtie. Bowties are cool.

Peace out!

A Nature's Guide to Clubbing

Are you an avid clubber? Do you enjoy raining yourself in glitter and sweat and grinding against total strangers to music with the bass so loud it feels like it pulled your heart out of your chest and shook it? Well if you do, then this blog post is not for you. For the rest of us, this guide to the jungle world that is the clubbing scene will help you identify a number of different species you will encounter on your journeys. Hopefully this guide will help you maneuver the laser lit rooms and avoid highly dangerous predators.

The Grinders
The first species you are likely to discover spends most of their clubbing time on the dance floor. The males and females form symbiotic physical relationships in which the female moves her butt in a circular motion around the male's crotch area to the beat of extremely loud rap music. This could also be considered a mating dance, however, anyone who comes in the near vicinity of The Grinders may find themselves victim of their grinding ways.

The Woo Girls and The Abercrombie Guys
Here's an example of The Woo Girls from one of my favorite T.V. show How I Met Your Mother:

The Woo Girls and the Abercrombie Guys are offshoot breeds of the drunkards. The Woo Girls are an extremely excitable bunch as evidenced by their exclamations and skanky clothing. The Abercrombie Guys are developed from the genus of frat boys as evidenced by their preppy yet dirty clothing and pitchers of beer in their hands. These species are generally harmless.

Gangsta Wannabes

In an actual city, this species would actually be gangsters. But in Burlington, VT, they're just weird. I think they forget where they're living.

Creepy Security Guys

This species is native to the clubbing scene. Mostly male, this species is signified by ultra tight T-shirts and muscles bigger than their stature actually allows. Mostly, this species walks around creepin' on other species in an attempt of intimidation. It doesn't work.

The Tongues

This species also forms physical symbiotic relationships, this time in connection with the oral cavity. They are distinguished by their lowly coordinated tongue movements and the glisten of saliva on their faces. This species is relatively harmless, yet shamelessly disgusting.

...and then there's us

When we walk in the club, all eyes on us.

Peace out!

'Twas the First Week of Classes

'Twas the first week of classes,
And all through Burlington, Wills, and Spinner,
All the creatures were stirring,
Theatre kids, bros, and biddies too.

Outside was cold, but the theatre was warm,
And the classes were starting right on time.
There was essay writing, Sherlock Holmes, and T.A.ing,
Eurotheatre group bonding, Beowulf, and masks.

After class was all the fun, and dreams of weekends ahead...

There was 30 Rock and Brennan's food,

And Ashley hula-hooping for three hours while watching The Jersey Shore.

Of course we must not forget our British accents!

So... 'twas the first week of classes,

And we were all happy to be back.

Still waiting to get in groove,

But I know it'll happen soon.

So goodnight unto you all,

It's rehearsal time for me.

Peace out!

Looking Back, Moving Forward

The snow is slowly falling outside the large windows, the sky a milky grey. The flakes drift through a new air brought on by a new year. A fresh start. The air is chilly, but familiar like an old friend. It's reminiscent of winters long gone: of sledding down hills, skiing across open countryside in the colorful dusk, snowball fights, and warm afternoons with hot chocolate. It's also the snowfall of new adventures and memories yet to come. 2011 was quite a year, definitely busy, and it was full of amazing memories and good adventures.

It was a very stormy winter in haunted Converse and Megan as an R.A. at Quarry (aka The Q). There were lots of treks across frozen tundra and cold walks.

I received one of the most epic birthday cakes of my life shaped like the Doctor's TARDIS. Thank you Kendra!

Twelfth Night was an awesome and fun show to be a part of!

I was a part of the Catamount Singers and took an amazing improvisational movement class which changed a lot of my views of performance and opened myself up to new possibilities.

Megan and I started a brand new adventure as a couple.

UPlayers had a very successful semester this spring with an awesome bake sale , cabaret, and scavenger hunt!

I got a new job at UVM this summer and got to live and explore in Burlington during a beautiful summer. And I saw things like waterless toilets. Weird.

Megan and I took a trip to Cape Cod to see Ashley after her epic semester in Ireland.

The Doctor, his Roman Goddess, and the Gypsy had an epic and classy Halloween weekend.

I had ovaries.

HAIRSPRAY! happened after all that hard work and a debilitating bout  of bronchitis...

I also flexed a technical muscle in designing the lights for Toys this year. AND I was a teacher's assistant this semester, something that I loved doing and it confirmed my drive to be a theatre teacher. This summer I also started a "Ryan Performs in Places" segment on my blog which has been a lot of fun and a great outlet. I'm hoping to expand on it this year and possibly make a new blog for performances and writing. Hope to see you there!

I got my Dad a hoodie-footie for Christmas. Winning.

Iris had a good Christmas.

Finally, this Christmas and New Years was a lot of fun and full of Christmas cookies, family, and friends. The New Year concluded for Megan and I in Barre/Montpelier Vermont with one of our good friends Rosie. We went to the First Night dance party and then saw them release these beautiful paper, fire-lit lanterns into the night sky.

Happy New Year and a toast to new adventures.

Peace out!