Over the next year, I will be part of three wedding parties. The dates are July 2, 2011; March 31, 2012; and June 2, 2012.
Fun, right? Well, yes. For the most part. I love helping with the socials, doing the nails, going dress shopping, showers, etc. All of that stuff is great. I even like asking people for free stuff for social prizes. Oh, and designing social tickets and letters (can you tell I'm the maid of honour for one of them?) But when it came to trying on our newly ordered dresses for the wedding in July (yes, a month away) it was a disaster.
The first time I went in to try it on about a month or two ago, I can't exactly remember, I could get the dress on but it took three people, and I could barely breathe. They told me to come back and try it on again in a month or so, and I did.
This event was horrifying. I went into to store asking to try my dress on again, and they said they didn't have it. I was so confused as she pulled the dress I knew was mine down, and said "oh no, this isn't it, wrong color" I tried telling her that was my dress but she didn't understand. I waited for the next 15 minutes until she finally realized that she was wrong, and the first dress she pulled was mine.
Next, I try the dress on. I can't even do it up, it's too tight around my ribs. It's one of those dresses that has a waist-clinching band right under the bust, you know the kind that is always way too small? Well of course, since there was only two of us, we couldn't force me into it. I asked her what she would do for me, because I need the dress to be comfortable to be in all day. You'll never guess what she told me, and then another lady who appeared from the back.
"You need to diet! Lose weight, , just diet to fit the dress," she said.
Yep, she basically told me I was fat and that I needed to lose weight to fit into the dress. She said it was too hard to take out, and she didn't want to do it if she didn't have to, after at first saying it was impossible to take out. Is that not her job? Altering dresses?
The weird thing, two of the three other bridesmaids got the same lecture. Even weirder, the only place it doesn't fit is right at my ribs, where may I mention, she didn't measure initially to size the dress, and I have no fat there, it's pure bone.
So how am I supposed to lose weight in my bones? Plastic surgery? Dieting? Extreme Exercise? Diet Pills? Starvation? Nope, none of that would work...it's freaking BONE! So I took my dress home and am getting my mom to take it out. :)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz
Armin Wiebe's first play The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz was a big success.
Playing at the Rachel Browne Theatre from April 7-17, 2011. It was so popular that most nights sold out, and they added an extra show. Though the theatre is quite small, the intimacy of it made the viewer feel like part of the play.
The story is so intimate, and difficult to understand in some ways, as there is a lot of low german script so this location was perfect for the type of show. Not too big, not too small. The message could've easily been lost in a bigger space such as MTC or Pantages Playhouse.
The play itself was very entertaining, and not what I was expecting at all. The title does infer that it is a mennonite culture play (last name Blatz) but I was not expecting the sexual content. Generally, I would be very uncomfortable in a theatre environment where there is promiscuity, sexual tension, actions, and even nudity, but in this play I was okay with it. I think it's because the blocking was so well done, and the tone of the play was not of a sexual nature that it felt good.
Watching the play was very enjoyable, the actors were superb, perfect for their parts. As Wiebe in his talk to the students on Thursday April 14, 2011 said they were lucky to find someone who could play piano, as well as act (Beethoven Blatz - played by Eric Nyland). The most interesting part I thought of his talk, was how he said they had workshopped the play in Calgary. I've never had the opportunity to workshop any plays but I would love to as an actor, and that really intrigued me. Though I was disappointed to the lack of detail he gave of the changes that the actors had made, and the great impact that generally comes out of workshopping, I was impressed that his play got to do this and right away saw why it was so well done. Nyland was part of the workshopping, and it showed. When everyone gets to be a part of the creative process, it makes for a greater production. In high school, my drama class, wrote, and acted in a play for the Festival Theatre Jeunesse. Since it was our "baby" and we all contributed, everyone was more passionate about it and this same vibe was felt when watching Wiebe's first play.
I was also a bit puzzled by his response to the question "why did you choose Beethoven's Moonlight sonata?" asked by classmate Tom Asselin. I was expecting some kind of background story, one that I had already developped in my head from watching the play, and referrencing his past work (much of which is in low german as well), but all he said was "because I liked it, and it's easy to play." So I guess playwrights aren't always as profound in their choices as we think. Maybe I was over analyzing.
Though the play was good, and talking to Wiebe was nice, I thought it was a bit of an overkill having it twice. I was expecting to be able to talk back with the actors, ask them about their experiences, especially since this is what we were told and the fact that Wiebe was already scheduled to talk to us two days later. As an actor, I wanted to know what they were thinking, and though I did have an opportunity to greet them afterwards as they were just kind of standing around, it would have been much more beneficial to have an open Q&A with them.
Overall, the experience was great and I hope that Wiebe writes more plays so I can try my best to solve the puzzle that is mennonite drama written in half low german, knowing not a word but "nine" which means no from a little german girl I met on an airplane from Germany to Montreal in 2008.
Playing at the Rachel Browne Theatre from April 7-17, 2011. It was so popular that most nights sold out, and they added an extra show. Though the theatre is quite small, the intimacy of it made the viewer feel like part of the play.
The story is so intimate, and difficult to understand in some ways, as there is a lot of low german script so this location was perfect for the type of show. Not too big, not too small. The message could've easily been lost in a bigger space such as MTC or Pantages Playhouse.
The play itself was very entertaining, and not what I was expecting at all. The title does infer that it is a mennonite culture play (last name Blatz) but I was not expecting the sexual content. Generally, I would be very uncomfortable in a theatre environment where there is promiscuity, sexual tension, actions, and even nudity, but in this play I was okay with it. I think it's because the blocking was so well done, and the tone of the play was not of a sexual nature that it felt good.
Watching the play was very enjoyable, the actors were superb, perfect for their parts. As Wiebe in his talk to the students on Thursday April 14, 2011 said they were lucky to find someone who could play piano, as well as act (Beethoven Blatz - played by Eric Nyland). The most interesting part I thought of his talk, was how he said they had workshopped the play in Calgary. I've never had the opportunity to workshop any plays but I would love to as an actor, and that really intrigued me. Though I was disappointed to the lack of detail he gave of the changes that the actors had made, and the great impact that generally comes out of workshopping, I was impressed that his play got to do this and right away saw why it was so well done. Nyland was part of the workshopping, and it showed. When everyone gets to be a part of the creative process, it makes for a greater production. In high school, my drama class, wrote, and acted in a play for the Festival Theatre Jeunesse. Since it was our "baby" and we all contributed, everyone was more passionate about it and this same vibe was felt when watching Wiebe's first play.
I was also a bit puzzled by his response to the question "why did you choose Beethoven's Moonlight sonata?" asked by classmate Tom Asselin. I was expecting some kind of background story, one that I had already developped in my head from watching the play, and referrencing his past work (much of which is in low german as well), but all he said was "because I liked it, and it's easy to play." So I guess playwrights aren't always as profound in their choices as we think. Maybe I was over analyzing.
Though the play was good, and talking to Wiebe was nice, I thought it was a bit of an overkill having it twice. I was expecting to be able to talk back with the actors, ask them about their experiences, especially since this is what we were told and the fact that Wiebe was already scheduled to talk to us two days later. As an actor, I wanted to know what they were thinking, and though I did have an opportunity to greet them afterwards as they were just kind of standing around, it would have been much more beneficial to have an open Q&A with them.
Overall, the experience was great and I hope that Wiebe writes more plays so I can try my best to solve the puzzle that is mennonite drama written in half low german, knowing not a word but "nine" which means no from a little german girl I met on an airplane from Germany to Montreal in 2008.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Oh Summer, Where Art Thou?
It's April 13, 2011. Last year the temperature in Winnipeg 15 degrees celcius, and the minimum was 6! What do I wake up to this morning, just 365 days later? MINUS 9! Felt like minus 19 with the wind. What is this February? And the rest of this week has been gorgeous, Monday it got up to 18 degrees, and yesterday it went as his as 13 degrees. My poor Olympic mittens thought they were being retired for summer, but they were wrong.
The temperature isn't the only thing I want to change. I want summer to get here so I can start working full time, only problem is it seems impossible to find a job! There are only seven days left (school days) of first-year CreComm and I still don't have a summer job.
I want to work in communications, or in some kind of professional environment this summer so I can keep learning what I am doing in school right now, but it seems like most of the summer jobs out there are labour oriented (which is definitely NOT my strong suit). I'm hoping that with exams finishing up in University next week, and College classes finishing, there will be a lot more postings.
For now, I will keep sending my resume and cover letter to companies, even if there is no job posting, as well as applying to the ones that do exist. How many applications is too many? We'll have to wait and see.
The temperature isn't the only thing I want to change. I want summer to get here so I can start working full time, only problem is it seems impossible to find a job! There are only seven days left (school days) of first-year CreComm and I still don't have a summer job.
I want to work in communications, or in some kind of professional environment this summer so I can keep learning what I am doing in school right now, but it seems like most of the summer jobs out there are labour oriented (which is definitely NOT my strong suit). I'm hoping that with exams finishing up in University next week, and College classes finishing, there will be a lot more postings.
For now, I will keep sending my resume and cover letter to companies, even if there is no job posting, as well as applying to the ones that do exist. How many applications is too many? We'll have to wait and see.
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