Love Notes

In honor of the approaching Mother's Day, I am going to stop being selfish by sharing some words of wisdom I recieved from my mother recently via the card pictured above. Below are her excellent TIPS:

"Debbi,
Thought you could use some [love] today.
April and May are hard college months. Keep up with all your homework and 'steady on.' As is said, 'one day at a time' and sometimes it is one hour at a time and even one minute at a time. Hold tight to your belief in yourself and in God's blessing you with talents in music and drama and how well you write. We believe in you!
Love, Mom and Dad"

My mom likes to show her love best through cards and gifts. I cannot tell you how many cards I have received in my life from this woman. However, I can't remember ever receiving one like this. With so much thought and care and love and so many words. I'll probably frame it and cherish it forever as I cherish my mom. So in her words, believe in yourself, friends! And one [adventure] at a time.

African Playboy Butterfly Mashup

It's been an emotional past couple days. Death of a Salesman truly affected me. It was marvelous, but I can't stop thinking about my family since. I got to talk to my sister Becca yesterday on the phone and that was wonderful. I've been trying to decide how I'm going to spend my summer. Every year when I plan this, I think to myself... Ah what the hell. One more summer of being a kid, running around, maybe waitressing a little. I fear this will be the case until I'm 100. And she suggested that after I finish nannying her kids for a few weeks in June, I jump on a plane to Germany and visit my second cousins. 


Now there's a thought! 


Thing is, I've been running around a lot the last couple years. Bali, Belize, Europe, Missouri, Florida, California, ACTF, now NYC... I haven't taken much time to sit back and be comfortable. But for some reason, I feel like that would be a sin. I've been living my life like the Kimya Dawson song, Tire Swing:

"Now I’m home for less than twenty-four hours

That’s hardly time to take a shower

Hug my family and take your picture off the wall

Check my email write a song and make a few phone calls

Before it’s time to leave again

I’ve got one hand on the steering wheel 

One waving out the window"

Today, a New Yorker woman sat down with me in the street. She's know to her friends as Butterfly. She never told me her real name. A few minutes into our chat, Anna and Brittany joined us. And hence the life lessons began. I even took notes! Sometimes she made sure I was writing things down. Here's what we learned:

1) Live for your dreams and your passions. Don't live for anyone else. In the end, it's between you and that spirit. 

2) Tough love means not letting anyone rob you of your dreams or who you are, including your family, your close friends, even your husband. We can compromise. But we can't let go. 

3) Don't ever lose yourself or stop being yourself. 

4) Always remember where you come from. You have to give back. Outreach. 

5) However, you must also step out of your comfort zone--that's the only way you can grow. Change is good.

And lately I've been rethinking my plans of foreign exchanging to Africa. I love traveling, but I also love being home. Comfortable. I'm an introvert and get overwhelmed by so many new people after a bit. It drains me. But that's not who I want to be necessarily. So perhaps Africa is what I need, though it's scary as all hell. As much as I like to pretend I'm a worldly traveler, I'm a terrible one. I don't do directions or research or anything! (Though I did totally find my way back on the subway the other day by myself). 

Random: So we met Christine Vienna (http://www.icedpanty.com/#!about) on the Subway yesterday. And she told me that South Africa was her favorite place she's ever lived in. Who better to take advice from then a former Play Boy model?

But I dunno. Right now, I'm just really excited for Easter Break, to get a couple of days to just sit back at home, see my best friends, and hopefully get caught up on the homework that I am ridiculously behind on. I had a paper due... last Friday? I have less then a page done. Oops. Though I wish wish wish I could stay here for at least one more day. I should have planned a little better on the shows I wanted to see. Now I'll be scrambling tomorrow to get the last two shows in as well as the last bit of sight-seeing. So I'll be starting my day, standing in line for tickets at 6:30 am. 

Oh God. That's in less then four hours. Wish me luck!

With love, from NYC.

Today's Count: 4 things dropped

Oh, What A Night

More like "Oh What a Day", but after all the experiences of yesterday, the chorus of this song constantly popped into my head. Taking the afternoon to sit in a lovely coffee shop a couple steps away from our apartment and blog/homework/soak everything that's happened.  I'll go over the action packed events as they happened:

8 am Wake up suddenly, slip on some so that Kim and I can run to the theater (in our PJ's) to pick up some cheap rush tickets to Death of a Salesman. We get in the line and thank God Anne and Brandon had gotten there soon enough so at least a couple of us could get tickets, but they just ran out when it came to my spot in line. So it looked like Kim and I would be seeing the show without Brit and Anna. However it's a Wednesday, so that means we can also try to hit up rush tickets for an afternoon show all together. We decide to shoot for Pricilla, Queen of the Desert lottery which starts at 11:30.

10:45 am So, since we have a bit of time, Kim shows me the fashion district (in our PJ's). It's fantastic!

11:15 am Holy shit. Fifteen minutes until the lotto. How many blocks have we gone? No idea. Commence sprinting through NYC (in our PJ's). What a way to start the day! We make it in good time as they don't actually pull tickets until noon. Sit and wait and meet Anna and Brit.

12 pm Win the lotto fro cheap tickets! We all get front row seats. :) Head back to the apartment to change out of PJs

1:30 pm Holy shit! THe show starts at 2! Are we really going to be late? Yes. Luck was not on our side in the subway.

2:45 pmish After intermission to this (SUPER AWESOME FUN) show, Anna and I are invited to dance on the stage. I kid you not. My Broadway Debut. It was the first time I've ever actually responded and raised my hand fast enough for something. Usually I react way too slow and regret everything. This time? No way. My partner even complimented my skillz! SO MUCH FUN! I could have died.

4 pmish Meet up with Pricilla cast member and former South Dakota resident, Mike McGowan (http://broadwayworld.com/people/Mike_McGowan/) who proceeds to give us a backstage tour! Showing us costumes, answering all our theater questions and being altogether wonderful. We also snagged autographs from one of the leads. :)

5:30 pmish We've grabbed coffee and are heading to the Wicked lottery. We're all putting our names in to up the chances for Brit and Anna to go. Even Anne and Brandon join. Thankfully, Kim wins the tickets. We grab food at Bourbon Street, a loud and delicious cajun themed bar. However, I'm not really having fun. I feel very anxious for some reason. Like, verge of tears anxious. I haven't really been hungry all day and I'm not now either, which is also strange. I hope all my friends and family are ok and it's not one of those feelings. But I don't know.

7:30 pm Kim and I part from our friends and head to the theater to see Death of a Salesman directed by Mike Nichols, starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Kim gets the feeling too. There is something strange with this crowd, she observes. We kinda wade through the people just to see whats up and who do we come across but Mike Nichols! The director himself! Kim chats with him a bit--he's a little short with her (chatting wise, not height fyi).

The crowds staart to dissipate through the doors. We let them go by. And THEN! WHO do we see but...

(drumroll)

Liza. Minnelli.

Just.... standing there. Chatting with a couple of friends. No crowds.

If you don't know, she's kind of my idol.

I don't really know what happened. I tried to ask her for a picture. I think all that came out was "I'm a huge fan." But I froze up. I would have started crying if I kept talking. I was tearing up already. Thank God Kim stepped in and said, "Hi this is my student. She's trying to be bold. Can I take your picture?" Liza replied, smiling and lovely as she is, "Oh BE bold, hunny! Be Bold. Sure I'll take a picture." And I thanked her and walked away balling.

I wish I could've been memorable, clever, fun with her. I'd love to be her friend. But, after the anxiety I was feeling, and the shock that came with meeting her, there was nothing I could have said.

Then, at intermission, Kim reports seeing Tony Danza and various other stars at the bar. This audience was something special.

The performance was AMAZING. I balled again. It made me think so much of my own family. It doesn't help that Phillip Seymour Hoffman even looks a bit like my dad and grandpa. However, during the climax, the crucial moments in the ending, disaster strikes.

Old woman's phone rings.

Continually.

Old woman who, not only showed up late, but also brought two pillows, an ice pack, a giant squeaky bag, and a hopeless sleepy attitude.

Two minutes later, the man next to us checks his phone after a couple missed call things go off.

We wanted to die.

After the show, we make loud comments about it with the people around us. Usually, you can get fined up to $500 for having your phone on. The man's girlfriend tries to start a catfight with Kim. I was a little nervous.

Crowds surround the stage doors, waiting Hoffman to exit so they can ask for his autograph, etc. We don't feel like dealing with that. It's been a long day. And after that performance, I'd left the theater a different person then before, with more compassion then  So we go to the opposite side instead. Suddenly, Kim asks me to follow her. I hesitate for a moment then run to catch up. I look up and who do I see but

drumroll

Phillip. Seymour. Hoffman.

"It was an honor to be in your audience," I said.
We actually conversed. He even asked what year I was in college. And signed my playbill. And Touched my shoulder and wished me luck.

He left and I was squealing with delight. Holy balls. Then, Kim meets one of her idols, Alan Alda, complimenting him on his essays.

We met back up with the girls, found a quaint little Italian restaurant and went to bed.

Oh, what a night.

Thin Spread

They say you haven't lived until you've been lost in NYC (and by "they," I mean the board of directors inside my head who occasionally review how well I am living my life) and well... I can say I have lived now. Specifically, I got lost in the subways. By myself. And my phone died in the midst of it. Welcome to the story of my life! Obviously, I am now alive and well. Thank you, God, for bringing me back to my apartment safely!

I'm so grateful to be in this city with Kim. She is basically South Dakota's Elizabeth Gilbert as far as being an expert adventurer goes. One of the great parts about being here with her is that though she knows the city well enough to show us around, there's still enough she doesn't know that makes the art of exploration an adventure we all share! Of course, that could even be more of a statement about the wonder of NYC - there's always something new to see! When Liz and I went to Bali, exploration was not exactly our greatest skill (especially considering it was our first major journey on our own). TIP: For amateur adventurers, its a good idea to start with some sort of guide who's at least relatively familiar with the area. But man, I would love to figure out how travel like she does on my own. I think that will be my adventure guide goal! Because unfortunately, I'm not gonna be able to pack her up for every journey I make. However Kim has taught me an excellent TIP: Cities like NYC are too darn big to wander aimlessly all the time. Ask around for recommendations for places to eat and see. And ask those people questions about their lives. You never know when you'll meet your new best friend!

Despite my befuddlement at direction, I have still managed to find some clarity in my life on this journey. At least, as clear as clarity gets in the cloudy night NYC skies. I've done some serious reflection  on what I might want to do after I graduate USF. There’s a few people I know from Sioux Falls who moved straight to NYC after graduating which is totally awesomely cool. Fantastic! But it makes me sad (not on their behalf, but rather on society’s) that a so many people with talent for theater just hone to the same cities. Chicago and New York and Minneapolis and LA (sort of). The talent is glopped like unspread jelly in a few places and everywhere else in the country is kind of screwed. it's time to spread it out a little more! Why not share your talents in your own home? Do what you love where you are as best you can? Now keep in mind that I am not discouraging people from living their dreams or moving to a new place. But I think feel called to stay in the Midwest. At least, for now.

My Tentative Post-Graduate Plans in an Ideal World

1) Do theater in the Twin Cities

2) As well as be a journalist type thing for money

3) Become successful

4) Still continue traveling and being young throughout this

5) Maybe do grad school?

6) Become successful enough to be called to NYC

7) Continue making money doing theater

8) Eventually grow bored

9)  Instantly hired to be a teacher in the midwest somewhere

10) Die sometime and have an epic party funeral

The end. In a nutshell. :)

Lost in Yonkers

Absolutely amazing day. Ho-ly-crap. Thanks to the man upstairs for everything!


10 am - We've grabbed some breakfast to bring to Kim's good old man Italian friend, Mario Fratti (http://www.mariofratti.com/) at his house. Such a classic Italian man--ten steps in, the first things you notice are A) there's art everywhere and B) most of the art is of sexy women. He was so so so kind to us. Ha... while also kind of ignoring Brandon. (He's not a woman, if you didn't guess.) Mario, if you didn't follow the link, is a playwright, most famous for his musical, Nine. And he's also a wonderful, insightful, Obama-loving man.


We probably sat on his patio for 3 hours talking. Here are some of the highlights:
1) One of the pieces of advices he gave us was to look into playwriting and journalism--"real careers"--to back up our acting dreams and pay the bills. Well... I like writing. :)
2) I got to play Katherine Hepburn's piano, which she left to him.
3) He gave us signed copies of a couple of his plays.
4) And best of all, we had amazing open discussion about sex, money, religion, and politics. Three things not often discussed back home outside of class.


He's 80-something and has more energy then I do. Damn.

And we must not forget that it's St. Patrick's Day in NYC! After bidding Mario farewell, we headed to Central Park amidst crowds and crowds of green sporting peoples and explored Central Park. Which is truly gorgeous. I started to get a little over whelmed by the amount of people, especially while watching the parade, but then the crowds thinned a little and it got better. As the day progressed, I grew hungrier and hungrier. When I was little I always felt like a loser when I ate before everyone else, but now I’ve learned… I turn into kind of a crabster when I’m hungry. Headaches and everything. By the time we finally got food, I was doing everything I could to hold back tears…. from hunger. Which leads to TIP #?: If you’re like me, then either a) travel prepared with a granola bar or something or b) get the balls to order some street food and look like a loser. Most likely everyone in your group will just be jealous and order some when they see that you got the balls. 

After our explorations today, we met up with Kim’s other playwright friend (drum roll please)…. Neil LaBute.

Yeah. Be jealous. It was awesome.

We grabbed tea and dessert with him and tell you what, he is funny and fun to be around. We were expecting more insightful conversation, like we had with Mario; instead, we had laid back, pleasant, fun conversation. I’m actually acting in one of his plays right now—Some Girls. (Alex Bahney’s directing it for his senior show.) And I just stage managed another one of his plays, Fat Pig (Brandon Hanson’s senior show). I think he may have even laughed at some of my jokes today. Which is a rarity for me. Every day, I feel like I’m getting less funny. Everyone is used to my mannerisms now I think.

Then, Anna, Brit and I snagged some cheap student rush tickets to the last showing of W;t, starring Cynthia Nixon. It was fabulous. We even got her autograph.

After the show, we attempted to meet back up with various other people from USF but, what seems to often happen in groups larger then 3 or 4 people, there was a lot of waiting around for people, division on what to do exactly and a little confusion. So after an hour or so of the messiness, we three broke off again with the intentions of hitting up an Irish Pub in the Village and then heading back home. What happened instead was us getting lost. For a long time. But that’s ok.

People in New York are actually pretty kind and helpful for the most part. I haven’t met any douche bags yet anyway.

Yup. Still loving life. A lot. 


Today's Count: 2

New York, New York!

New Yawk--the citeh that nevah sleeps. Though I am most definitely ready for it. Spring break technically doesn't start until now, but I left a little early. I'm still stressing over homework which I'm only just now realizing I will most likely not have time to do. In the stress of yesterday, I even forgot to clip the nails on one hand. And still got only an hour-ish of sleep last night.

Brittany and I arrived in NYC around two and boy what a day it has been! Most of it has been spent walking around with Kim, my beloved theater professor who I spent my time in Belize with last year. Unfortunately, she is resigning after this semester--so I gotta reel in all the time I can get with her!

As we walk, Kim teaches us about the real landmarks of New York, like the White Horse Tavern, where the poet Dylan Thomas drank himself to death and also where we ate the best tuna melt ever. We got to meet with one of her friends who is also aspiring to be an actor from South Dakota. Kim also told us about how to live in NYC on the cheap.

Later, Brittany and I snagged some standing room tickets to the show Jersey Boys for cheap! Like, $28 cheap! And man, it was AWESOME. SO GOOD. Our standing room was near the open sound booth where Brittany, using her massive chatting skillz, found out the sound guy was from Minnesota and totally gained a connection. After the show, we were leaving the building in total post-awesomeshow ecstasy and decide that we're gonna go back and see if Minnesota boy will tell us where the stage door is so that we could meet the actors. Little did we know that he would then proceed to take us on a personal backstage TOUR! It was amazing. 

After departing from our new friend and having a giggle fit like little girls, we met back up with Kim and Anna (who had just arrived) and grabbed some amazing dessert served by an awesome actor server. The talks I've had just today have been ridiculously wonderful. 

There's so many people everywhere. And it smells weird. I can't decide if I'm on sensory overload yet, or if I'm just adjusting. 

I'm loving loving loving life.

Edit: Keeping track of how many times I drop stuff per day. Today's count: 6