April 19th - 25th

April 19th - 25th

Sunday

Like I said, we got up early to go to Victoria to catch a train.  We got to Gatwick around 7am and stood in line to check baggage for 40 minutes.  Then we paid for the extra luggage and I walked Jen to the Departure area.  She said, "You'll be fine.  No stress.  70 days.  Love you," gave me a hug and off she went.  I cried for about 30 seconds and quickly recovered.  I slept on the way back into London and then when I got back I showered and prepared for my first professional paid accent coach gig.  This actor named Henry needed help with a Texan accent, which to be frank, I'd never taught and barely knew much about.  But I did what research I could considering the library was closed last week and my lack of resources.  

I went to his flat in Finsbury Park which was gorgeous.  He was an attractive actor in his late 20's, from Bristol, who'd done all of this research and homework for the role.  The role was an evangelical cowboy for the next film coming out by the guy who did The Wicker Man.  I was shocked that he was so good at the accent.  I gave him a few notes and then we just talked really, for almost two hours.  He wrote me a check for £30 and then I told him I'd be in contact regarding him wanting to learn General American.  I felt bad, although in retrospect, Kate said I shouldn't because I came in and did my job.  But I did initially feel bad because his accent was so close to perfect that I didn't have very much to do.  I came home and ate dinner with James who was back from Portsmouth and we watched The Producers.  Movie night with James is always "gay movie night" because he basically has only chick flicks and musicals.  It's like being home really, because that's all my mom and Jen watch most of the time anyway :)

Monday

I skipped breakfast to sleep in, trying to capitalize on sleeping in as much as I can before I have to be back.  I got ready to go and went to London Bridge early to grab some lunch at the Vaults, which is within London Bridge Station.  I was meeting Chris, Kate and Corin for a Research Methods & Outputs meeting at Chris's flat at 2pm.  Chris picked us up at the station in a ridiculously expensive Jaguar, which I drooled over for the entire ride as I sank into its real leather seats.  

The meeting was good, I showed the Powerpoint and all seemed impressed.  I feel a lot better about it because I'd really done a lot of work on it, and everyone was pleased.  Chris's flat was so beautiful...it made me want to have a place of my own even more.  When we were done Kate and I went to a Starbucks to chat and catch up a bit, which is exactly what I needed.  I showed her all of the pictures from when Jen was here.  

When I got back to mine I did ballet for about an hour and got some more work done on the Powerpoint (which made my eyes hurt).  This Master's course has really aged me, I think.  I've got eye strain, legitimate wrinkles and bags under my eyes from lack of sleep and stress I'm sure...I'm fatter and I've got back strain, I've got migraine and sleep issues, and am generally fatigued.  Is this what being an adult in the real world is like?  Because if so, I don't want anything to do with it.  I'm still able to do full splits on either side, and grand battement over my head so take that aging process.  

Tuesday

James and I had breakfast and then went to the gym.  We came back, showered and decided to go for a walk in Hyde Park because the weather cannot be enjoyed whilst indoors.  

James in his wicker hat and shades that he's very proud of.

This picture obviously came out really dark, but you get the idea.  Lake.

Hanging out in Hyde Park.  Brits and Americans unite.

I love this one.

Wednesday

Day 1 of the Theatre Noise Conference.  Strangely, I was the only one from my course, other than my course leader in attendance on the first day.  I was surprised because this conference is a big deal.  I got registered and hung out with Katerina in the Embassy Theatre then after the welcome speech and first keynote speaker I went to the paper presentations that Katerina was chairing.  It was tiring though, so I left about an hour early so I could make it home for dinner.  Dinner was wretched, per usual and then I went to the gym later on and did ballet as well.  Consistency is key.

Thursday

I got up early to attend a 9am Roy Hart workshop that Katerina also attended.  No sign of MAVS until later on when I met up with Kate.  I had lunch by myself in the sun behind the Hampstead theatre, which was just divine.  Solitude before having to be surrounded by MAVS for the next 60-something days was something I needed to capitalize on as well.  Met up with Kate and we went to the Round Table discussion led by Catherine Fitzmaurice, whom I'll be studying with this summer in her certification program, as well as two of her associate teachers.  When I walked in and waved at her she asked me to come down and chat with her.  I was a bit nervous because despite knowing her for a few years now and taking several workshops with her, she's got such a presence about her.  She's lovely and open, but she is powerful.  She asked me if I would be willing to demo her work, which I immediately agreed to do.  She and the other teachers were very gracious as one of the teachers is pregnant and the other was an older man in jeans.  So they got started with the discussion and then she called me down.  I did one of her basic leg tremors and she gave verbal adjustments to soften through the arms and chest and then the breath dropped in.  She's so observant.  That was one of the main things she spoke about too, that she doesn't have a technique or a method really, she just teaches her potential teachers to look and listen, which is the most vital part of being a voice teacher: hearing and seeing to make adjustments.  Anyway, I did the tremor and then they asked me to sit on the panel in case they wanted me to demo anything else.  The great part, other than being apart of this incredible conference discussion was that the whole thing was being filmed and archived for the British Library (whose resources are not unlike the NYC Public Library of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center).  I was thrilled to have made a permanent mark on the UK!  My very first and very small claim to fame.  

Kate and I hung out a little afterwards then I came home and had dinner with James.  I went to the gym later on and did interval training (which killed me) and strength training legs and arms.  Then a long shower and some emailing before bed.  

Friday

Day 3 of the conference was hyped up because the legendary Cicely Berry was speaking.  She has been head of voice at the Royal Shakespeare Company for the last thirty years and has written five books, which we use as bibles at CSSD.  She trained Catherine Fitzmaurice when Catherine attended CSSD and basically - Cis Berry is the Mother of Voice Studies.  She's a goddess.  She spoke and was quite candid.  She said a lot of things I knew from her books, but it was great just to be in the same room as her, honestly.  Despite her age, she is an incredible force to be reckoned with.  

Theatre Noise Conference - CSSD

  

They set up one of the black box theaters with all of this sound equipment and audio specialist stuff.  

Cicely Berry.

Tara McAllister-Viel and Cis Berry

Catherine Fitzmaurice and Cis Berry (!!!!!)

When I got home afterwards I had dinner with James and then he talked me out of going to the gym to instead indulge in some Ben & Jerry's and have another gay movie night.  I almost declined but his enticing offer was that, "It's the last Friday before we're back!"  So I sat through Bridget Jones's Diary and RENT.  Total twinkie movies.  I didn't even eat much of my ice cream, I was feeling so guilty.  Then I went online for a bit and got to bed early.  

Saturday

There were jerks outside my building at 3am for about an hour and half, smoking, talking loudly and playing music out of their car with the doors open.  Mind you, there's no ventilation whatsoever in my room, so I have to have the window open.   But I couldn't sleep.  I slammed my window loudly, but all they did was just looked up for a moment and then go back to what they were doing.  I wanted so badly to mouth off at them, but I resisted.  Needless to say, I slept horribly from then on.  I got out of bed around 10am and then had brunch with James.  I came back to my room and did a massive clean because Kate was coming over.

She got here around 1pm and we worked on phonetics.  Then she, James and I went for a nice long walk in Hyde Park and then went to a juice bar on Edgware Road.  Kate came back to mine for a bit more and we had a nice chat about Fitzmaurice voice work and our aspirations for this term and beyond.  I really love Kate, I'm going to miss her the most when I leave.  

Then I worked on the Powerpoint, blogged and had dinner with James around 6pm.  I tried to call Jason to chat about details concerning NYC but he wasn't around.  I've got plenty of time to get it sorted though, so no worries.  

This is for Jen, who as an Easter present brought me a stuffed bunny that smells like chocolate for when I get a chocolate craving.  This has become a running joke now.  Also, Adrianne sent me a link for a chocolate inhaler, not unlike the nicotine or asthma inhaler, apparently it helps people break their addictions.  I look like death in this picture because there are no lights on.  She's discovered "snapshot" on Skype - that's how this lovely picture came to be....I was trying to make her laugh.  Now everyone can laugh at me and my unhealthy addiction to chocolate...You're welcome :)