Eleventh Week of Classes

If I thought last week was hectic, it was nothing compared to this one. Well, hectic might not be the right word for it. It was simply jam-packed. We NYU students at RADA were busy little bees starting rehearsal for our final production of All's Well That Ends Well. It has been a whirlwind rehearsal process: memorized by our first rehearsal, blocked by our third, with lots of acting work in between. Brigid Panet, our intrepid and wonderful director, has been outstanding in her efficiency, effectiveness, and enthusiasm. She keeps us chugging along without being harsh or overbearing. She is simply a kind, generous person. That's why we were more than happy to help her celebrate her birthday on Wednesday. Her daughter and grandson brought in a cake and the RADA Bar provided some lovely refreshments. We had a relaxing break talking with Brigid and enjoying our treats.

Happy Birthday, Brigid!

It was amazing how quickly the show came together considering we only had five rehearsals this week. By the time Saturday rolled around, we had our blocking pretty much set, our memorization ship-shape, and our characters needing only a little more polish. We looked forward to the last few days of rehearsal the following week when it would all come together before our performances Thursday night and Friday morning. But we also remembered sadly that Friday would be our last time performing at RADA after a long, busy, and enlightening semester.

I was able to sprinkle in some time for myself throughout the week so I wouldn't go too crazy rehearsing day-in and day-out. On Tuesday night I went to see Pulp Fiction at the Prince Charles Cinema, an art house that routinely shows classic films. I couldn't pass up seeing a movie by my favorite director on the big screen. On Friday night I went to see The Cabin in the Woods with my friends Abby and Stacy. We laughed and screamed with equal measure. It was one of the most imaginative and intelligent horror films I've seen in a long time. On Saturday night I stayed up late so I could skype with a whole bunch of my friends in New York City at once: they were having a party and I was invited (at least to the beginning; I would have been up all night if I stayed the whole way through!) And on Sunday night, I went to a movie night at my dormitory, where we watched, to my absolute delight, Inglourious Basterds, another Tarantino film! I was certainly glad that despite the rigorous work schedule, I was still able to find time to relax.

Next week I'll tell you all about our final rehearsals and our two performances!