Plays and play

Sitting in the sun in a strapless bra, while the Gondola's go overhead up to the mountain/ski field. Music playing from the next room is mildly annoying as it is Sondheim and you have to listen to appreciate and I'm trying to focus.

Every so often a Mexican gardener wanders past and grins at me. Have eaten a bag of carrots today, some grapes and some yoghurt. Weird feeling not being hungry - could this mean my metabolism has changed with my Steamboat lifestyle?

I was remembering in our hungover state on Saturday going down to the river. Just divine. Picturesque. And in the background a bunch of bogans doing rodeo. I cannot wait until the 4th of July. We will all wear white and channel our most huckery, Western American inside each of us. Woo.

Also, a wonderful, wonderful thing happened on Saturday. We were waiting for the bus, and Em and Asa were having a sing. And this skinny 50-something year old woman with a turqoise top on, slaps her on the arm and says - in a heavily Texan accent - "Oh yer bee-yootifool. Yerv gota beeyotifool voiice. Mike-al, mike-al. Listen to that. Keep singin' - please sing for me" and Emma, who is the essence of politeness, obliged. She then says "Arr those yer ree-al eyys? Thems not fake? Yer beeyootifool" And she makes her son, Mike-al (who - and I don't want to be mean - but quite frankly looked like the product of said woman and her cousin or brother) take a photo with Emma. All of us, highly bemused, get on the bus and this woman, says a very strange compliment about each of the party, except me, she took agin me, very funny. Alex got told she appreciated his American voice, Emma already said, Tane handsome, Adam was never to stop having his beautiful smile and Asa was told, when she asked his name, that it was a "gowjus name, where's it from?" He says "Samoa" she leans over and 'whispers' to her son "Mexican"

Then she slaps me on the leg and says "I can't wait to get back to my boyfren in Texas!" And he's awrr-sum! I started goin out with him two weeks ago and we prayed together and I said 'Lord, thank you for my soulmate' - who was my 'usband who died two yers ago - 'Thank you for finding me a nee-u lover interest' And I already got him a Chris-mass present! And we 'ave already talked about getin married. It is going to 'appen and I said to him, I said 'I am wearin' a gown!' but not a whiite one, coz thems are fer the ver-gins. And look at these - aren't they kee-yoot?! I got these from Fuzziwigs candee shop! Aren't they Awrr-sum? Thems are frogs. And did you know that FROG means Forever Rely On God? And I didn't even know that beefer I started collectin' em"

It was just the most bizarre meeting. Her parting words were to Emma, "You keep going girl, because you cood be very talented one dae!" BRILLIANT

Asa, Emma and Trish the Texan

Yesterday, I went out to Perry Mansfield again, this time to see a new play 'Maple and Vine' which, even though a seated play-reading, was really interesting and evocative.

The actors, to start with were fabulous, especially the women - so versatile and funny.

The play in two parts did not sit well as a first and second act. I thought they shoulda made the whole thing 1 and a half hours and no interval! The piece was about an incredibly intelligent, depressed literary agent in NYC and her plastic surgeon husband joining a sort of cult. The cult happened to be living in 1955 - everything made easier and people more ignorant because of lack of technology etc. There were topics around racism, sexism, homophobia... mainly all about escaping something. Very well thought out. However, it is rare that I see a play and think it should be a TV series, but it could be a ridiculous cross between Pleasantville and Desperate Housewives (except not as feckin' stupid as DH)

On the way home, I picked up some courgettes and a $7 cotton skirt from WalMart which has had great success all day, with the purpose of keeping me cool and make me look good. Booyah.

Then at the home front, Em and I made curry... lovely. However, then I averaged maybe two hours sleep. I was so annoyed and had a chat to the gals about being considerate of noise etc.

Off to rehearsal today and I'm trying to strike the balance between Helena's innocence and also her worldliness. i think there are heaps of clues as to her intelligence, including the fact she is very knowledgeable about society and the world and has had sex with Demetrius, where as Hermia is purely love focussed. I don't like Helena played a sap. Our director is v cool, but she is encouraging me to play the victim, and I want to convey innocence but I think only at the climax of the lovers scene does she show any sense of pity me, pity me.

We had breakthroughs with COLONISATION today, Adam and Tane worked on a schema that is very thorough, clear and has made it easier to write, improv and generally be in the thing!!

Ok, so now at home and attempting to write some solo material. I made a list of events that I have to write a page on each as a point of generating. Good plan. Just gotta do it!

In a couple of hours, we are off to a BBQ at Nick's (Puck in MSND and Reginald in COL)

and then hopefully, a good sleep.

I'll get some more photos from last week on here too. Got one of mad Texan woman.