head_cheese (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} head_cheese) wrote,@ 2007-01-28 17:08:00 |
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bite the bullet baby
I've pretty much committed myself to taking Spanish 40 (upper intermediate Spanish) at 9am Monday through Thursday. For two and a half years now I've been avoiding 9am's, because I know that my reasoning, having just awakened in those early hours, is not the best. Thoughts like, "It'll only take me a minute to get out the door" and "Well the last time I missed class was last Tuesday, so I guess I can skip this" dance through my head like the awkward sexual fantasies of a thirteen-year-old boy.
Why, then, am I knowingly committing myself to early rising for not two or even three days of the week, but four? Well, first of all, my Renaissance Studies major has a language requirement, even though my field is Shakespeare, and this was the only course I could fit around my other obligations. I also happen to have no classes scheduled on Fridays.
Really though, it's my love of judging my peers that is the motivating force behind this move. There is no better place for people to reveal how ignorant, slow, or annoying they really are than a 9am language seminar. From the girl who breaks into English as soon as whatever goofy exercise we're doing is over to my wonderful partner who was attractive until she couldn't string more than three words together without marvelously contorting her face and belching forth a mighty "UUUUHHHHHM," this class is a virtual carnival of retardation.
This may seem quite misanthropic to you, gentle reader. Perhaps even bitter. But please, I'm a very late-night person getting up early every morning to re-take a high school class, it's all I have left.
plans plans plans
I'm thinking of asking a girl out. We're talking real traditional dating, people. With a real girl, too. I'm also thinking of talking to a certain someone. Now, before you jump on me about how I need closure (and you're totally right, and many real life friends have started to tell me the same thing), I just want to say that I need to be sure I'm ready. As always, I'll keep you posted.
don pasquale
Some friends of mine from Brown Opera Productions and I went to see Don Pasquale produced by Opera Providence at the Columbus Theater, a really cool old building that is somewhat in disrepair. Lovely singing, absolutely shitty direction and set design. The concept of being able to do something while talking/singing seemed absolutely mind boggling to these people, with the entire business of a scene consisting of practicing swinging a golf club, swinging it, then practicing again. For ten minutes. "I will swing, you will watch me swing. Wow this is fascinating." I shit you not.
In general the opera, and light comedy from the 19th century, suffered from a lack of commitment to big choices. You could tell things were kind of funny, but they just weren't. "Ah, that's cute" you'd say when the potential was there to get people absolutely rolling in the isles. I'm not all that surprised, because although the director, Lynn Torgove, has a lot of production credits as both a director and performer, her main specialty is singer training. There were a few good ideas here and there (a highlight for me was a sight gag where Ernesto, packing up to leave the house, holds up a vintage Brown sweatshirt) overall the whole affair was thoroughly bloodless and bland.
The scenic design was also crippling to the production. I'm completely surprised because the designer, Laura C. McPherson, has a pretty good resume, including a 2001 award for a design of hers. Honestly I've seen better and more creative sets in high school productions. It was as if the director came up to the designer and said, "I really just need as many places for people to sit as possible." There was a sofa, there was a plush chair, the was a desk and chair set, there was even a window seat. This resulted in the performers being completely limited in their movement lines. Some paths were even very obviously too narrow. So we got a lot of "I will sit down here now, and now I will sit down here" type blocking. The design also consisted of three complete sets with one back drop, even though two of the sets were only used once each. This meant that between several scenes they had to close the curtain and change the set, which only took about 10-15 minutes. That plus the intermission turned what should have been a pleasant two hour opera into a 3 hour epic trip into boredom. Set changes? A painted backdrop? Just because the production was set in 1930's Newport doesn't mean we have to design like it's 1930. Much better (and cheaper, which would seem to be important to Opera Providence judging from how many times the producer got up and spoke) to design one set more abstractly that can temporarily transform into the other two locations.
All of this stuff aside, I did have a pretty good night at the op'ry. There were certainly some good moments, the singing was excellent and oftentimes impressive, and most importantly I was there with a lot of good friends.
I've pretty much committed myself to taking Spanish 40 (upper intermediate Spanish) at 9am Monday through Thursday. For two and a half years now I've been avoiding 9am's, because I know that my reasoning, having just awakened in those early hours, is not the best. Thoughts like, "It'll only take me a minute to get out the door" and "Well the last time I missed class was last Tuesday, so I guess I can skip this" dance through my head like the awkward sexual fantasies of a thirteen-year-old boy.
Why, then, am I knowingly committing myself to early rising for not two or even three days of the week, but four? Well, first of all, my Renaissance Studies major has a language requirement, even though my field is Shakespeare, and this was the only course I could fit around my other obligations. I also happen to have no classes scheduled on Fridays.
Really though, it's my love of judging my peers that is the motivating force behind this move. There is no better place for people to reveal how ignorant, slow, or annoying they really are than a 9am language seminar. From the girl who breaks into English as soon as whatever goofy exercise we're doing is over to my wonderful partner who was attractive until she couldn't string more than three words together without marvelously contorting her face and belching forth a mighty "UUUUHHHHHM," this class is a virtual carnival of retardation.
This may seem quite misanthropic to you, gentle reader. Perhaps even bitter. But please, I'm a very late-night person getting up early every morning to re-take a high school class, it's all I have left.
I'm thinking of asking a girl out. We're talking real traditional dating, people. With a real girl, too. I'm also thinking of talking to a certain someone. Now, before you jump on me about how I need closure (and you're totally right, and many real life friends have started to tell me the same thing), I just want to say that I need to be sure I'm ready. As always, I'll keep you posted.
Some friends of mine from Brown Opera Productions and I went to see Don Pasquale produced by Opera Providence at the Columbus Theater, a really cool old building that is somewhat in disrepair. Lovely singing, absolutely shitty direction and set design. The concept of being able to do something while talking/singing seemed absolutely mind boggling to these people, with the entire business of a scene consisting of practicing swinging a golf club, swinging it, then practicing again. For ten minutes. "I will swing, you will watch me swing. Wow this is fascinating." I shit you not.
In general the opera, and light comedy from the 19th century, suffered from a lack of commitment to big choices. You could tell things were kind of funny, but they just weren't. "Ah, that's cute" you'd say when the potential was there to get people absolutely rolling in the isles. I'm not all that surprised, because although the director, Lynn Torgove, has a lot of production credits as both a director and performer, her main specialty is singer training. There were a few good ideas here and there (a highlight for me was a sight gag where Ernesto, packing up to leave the house, holds up a vintage Brown sweatshirt) overall the whole affair was thoroughly bloodless and bland.
The scenic design was also crippling to the production. I'm completely surprised because the designer, Laura C. McPherson, has a pretty good resume, including a 2001 award for a design of hers. Honestly I've seen better and more creative sets in high school productions. It was as if the director came up to the designer and said, "I really just need as many places for people to sit as possible." There was a sofa, there was a plush chair, the was a desk and chair set, there was even a window seat. This resulted in the performers being completely limited in their movement lines. Some paths were even very obviously too narrow. So we got a lot of "I will sit down here now, and now I will sit down here" type blocking. The design also consisted of three complete sets with one back drop, even though two of the sets were only used once each. This meant that between several scenes they had to close the curtain and change the set, which only took about 10-15 minutes. That plus the intermission turned what should have been a pleasant two hour opera into a 3 hour epic trip into boredom. Set changes? A painted backdrop? Just because the production was set in 1930's Newport doesn't mean we have to design like it's 1930. Much better (and cheaper, which would seem to be important to Opera Providence judging from how many times the producer got up and spoke) to design one set more abstractly that can temporarily transform into the other two locations.
All of this stuff aside, I did have a pretty good night at the op'ry. There were certainly some good moments, the singing was excellent and oftentimes impressive, and most importantly I was there with a lot of good friends.
