Crazytown

A GLIMPSE IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

As the school year draws to a close, this writer reevaluates her relative position in the creative universe. Introspection, reflection, and pensive distance-gazing abound.
By Annissa Omran (Writer/College Student) 

I try to avoid turning these blog posts into virtual diary entries, but this week marks a big event that leaves me with no choice but to get a little personal.

As of the day this post is published, I will officially be done with my first year of college.

(This was my exact face almost a year ago when they told me that orientation would be comprised of three 12 hour days with no breaks)

Anna Kendrick and I totally were freshmen at the same time this year. She worked at the campus radio station, I worked in the campus computer labs. She helped an underdog a cappella group take the competition world by storm, I studied for biology exams. She made out with Skylar Astin, I watched Skylar Astin in the movie theater and cried over Spring Awakening flashbacks.

We were practically sisters!

(I swear she is me. If I were a rising actress, previous kisser of Skylar Astin, and a legitimate Twitter comedian extrordinare)

But all joking aside, this year has been a real eye-opener for me.

I went through a lot to end up where I am now. For starters, I went in thinking I knew EXACTLY what I was going to do with my life. I was that kid who brushed off the sage advice of guidance counselors and wizened upperclassmen.

Switch majors? Question my career path? Me? I was so certain that neither of these things would ever come to pass that I arrogantly ignored the advice that explained what to do if you did find yourself in an existential crisis.

Not only did I come to learn that I really had NO idea what I was doing with my life, but I also came to realize that what I thought was just a hobby turned out to be something I simply could not live without.

HATCHED: FRESH WORK. FRESHMEN

The coolest night in New York.
By Jen Littlefield (Choreographer/Librettist)

On Wednesday May 8th, the youngest students of Pace University's Musical Theater program will take over 54 Below at 9:30 and 11:30pm. Pace's tradition of introducing its freshmen class has developed into a big cabaret produced and curated by none other than our fearless leader, RSO, and held at Joe's Pub (the last two years) and now Midtown's IT venue. And don't get me wrong, this is a big deal for these kids, to perform in a reputable NYC venue their first year of college. But some of our students come to Pace with Broadway, Off-Broadway and tour credits already in their pocket (Annie, 13, Spring Awakening, Shrek, A Chorus LIne, I'm sure I'm forgetting some…), and this is a cool show in their already really cool lives in this business.

So the real reason I'm completely in love with this night and concept is that RSO uses the songs and short musicals written by his Musical Theater Writing classes as the material the freshmen sing. Just think about that for a minute: brand new composers and lyricists, many of which are seriously talented, are presenting their work created in the last four months in the most talked-about cabaret space in NYC. How f*cking amazing is that? 

BULLY

A topic very near to me, and a documentary that EVERYBODY needs to see.
By Michael Kras (Actor/Playwright/Director)

Last night, I watched a documentary called Bully. I'd heard about it, and ended up renting it on iTunes on a whim. And for an hour and forty minutes straight, I sat there with tears in my eyes and my heart in my stomach.

As the title suggests, Bully is a documentary focusing on the issue of bullying inside, and outside, of schools and the impact it can have not only on the victim, but the victim's family. I watched this movie and emerged heartbroken, disgusted, saddened, and enraged. In my opinion, this documentary should be required viewing in schools across North America, because the issue of bullying is still ever present and perhaps even growing.

Please indulge me as I get a bit personal.

EXCUSE ME, YOUR PARTICIPLE IS DANGLING.

That's what she said.
By Alisha Giampola (Actor) 

Good grammar is sexy, you guys. Proper usage of punctuation marks, excellent spelling, and knowing when to use "whom" instead of "who" will all get me hot under the collar; you get bonus points for using a semicolon correctly. 

Here's the problem: somewhere between AOL chat rooms and Twitter, we seem to have collectively lost our ability as humans to write without degenerating into abbreviations and totally phonetic spelling. I admit, I find an abbrev here and there to be both useful and funny. But this is a case where I feel like it is only okay to break the rules if you know what the rules are in the first place. AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE RULES ARE ANYMORE YOU GUYS IT IS SO AWFUL IT MAKES ME WRITE ANGRY RUN-ON SENTENCES AHHHHHHH!!!!!!

THIS WHOLE THEATRE THING...

...And why we do it.
By Michael Kras (Actor/Playwright/Director)

It's that time of year again, folks.

 My friends, emerging from their status as high school seniors and propelling themselves into the world of post secondary education, are slowly finding a letter in their mailboxes with news of just how they'll be spending the next three or four years of their life.

I see Facebook statuses like this every day now. "Got accepted to ______ for ________!!!"

 And while I naturally feel happy for them all, there is an occasional feeling of sadness too. Why? Because I know some of them are about to spend four years, and then the rest of their life, doing something they don't really care about.

And for what?

THEATRE FOR ALL

TOFT Should Get Online
By Rob Shapiro (musical theatre writer)

The Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT) at Lincoln Center Library is theatre heaven. If you've never been there, here's the summary from their website:

"Since 1970, the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT) has preserved live theatrical productions and documented the creative contributions of distinguished artists and legendary figures of the theatre. With the consent and cooperation of the theatrical unions and each production's artistic collaborators, TOFT produces video recordings of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theatre productions as well as dialogues between notable theatre personalities." 

If you live in the New York City area, you can walk up and watch most of the shows (some are restricted) if you have an academic-ish reason. "The Archive is available to theatre professionals, students, or researchers with work or study-related reasons for viewing." But if you don't live nearby, you won't be able to access to one of the ultimate theatre treasure troves. So, here's my wish for the day: put TOFT online!

LIVIN' ON A DREAM AND A PRAYER PART 2

The thrilling conclusion to last week's blast from the past.
By Jen Littlefield (Choreographer/Librettist)

Welcome back Crazytown! As you might remember, we left off with me in LA killing time as I waited to hear if I'd made it into the life-changing, year-long training program at the EDGE Performing Arts Center (for the whole story, click here). I have no idea what the other 24 did to pass the time that night, but I went out with my friend and host for the weekend and his close friend who happened to be one of the judges. All I remember is this teacher telling me how much everyone in the room liked me, especially Cindra, and how he was sure I would be on the list tomorrow; don't worry.

Famous last words.

I got to the studio at 9am and headed straight to the bulletin board. I read the list. I read it again. Then I saw below; the alternate list. I was the third or fourth alternate. I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing for a while. How could this happen? This was my dream, my life. I was meant to be in LA training every day and preparing for my future as a dancer who was going to make a living dancing, and dance forever. I have no memory of the time between reading the list and finding myself in the director's office listening to his explanations of why I didn't make it:

"Jennifer, (I was still a Jennifer then), it just seemed like you didn't want it bad enough. I couldn't find the passion in your eyes."

THE VIRTUAL RABBIT HOLE

Ali explores how one simple Google search can become so much more.
By Ali Gordon

I've been doing an awful lot of writing lately. Firstly, I'm writing/filming/editing some sketch comedy and I'm writing a comedic cabaret for a me and a friend to perform. Then there's Crazytown, of course, as well as a company's website that I'm helping them redraft. Sometimes, when I'm feeling particularly stuck for a word or turn of phrase, I like to hang backwards off my bed so I'm mostly upside-down. All it takes is 20 seconds, but the blood rushing to my head (or so I imagined) helps jolt me into mental action.

Recently, I was bored and decided to Google if other people hung upside down to jog their brains.

But instead, I fell into a virtual rabbit hole and learned many other unecessary facts about oh, so many other things. Let's follow that journey with me, shall we?

HANDLING REJECTION: WHY I'M NOT AN ACTRESS

As kids, we think that being an actor means Broadway! or The Movies! or TV! It's all a bit more complicated than that, which is why this writer is a WRITER and not an ACTRESS.
by Lara Paquette (Writer) 

When I was a kid I was absolutely positive that one day I would be an actress.  Not just an actress, I wanted to be on Broadway.  I was in every school play, after school programs, and when I was a sophomore in high school I had seen every musical on Broadway.  I was convinced that one day I would be on that stage as well.

Then, when I was a junior in high school my plan changed.  For many reasons at the time I decided to become a teacher.  I'm still not sure why everyone in my life just let me decide my life plan at 16, but I think my parents were excited I wanted to do something more stable than be a performer.  So I went to school for education and haven't really looked back.  

I have learned a lot though, about what it really means to be an actress.  I know a lot of people who are pursuing a career in theater and I have seen first hand what being a professional really means.  This probably won't be a surprise to anyone reading this, but many of the people I know don't have consistent jobs on Broadway (WHAT?! SHOCKING!).  They tour and they do shows all over the place.  Their lives are spent looking for the next job.  I am so not that person.  When I wake up in the morning I like to know where my next pay check is coming from.

MAXIMIZE YOUR MAXIMIZATION! PART 2

Big test on the horizon?  Here's how to handle the dreaded "test day!"
By Bob Simpson (Writer) 

In last week's post, we talked over some fun strategies for surviving advanced-degree standardized tests. For the second, and final, chapter on how to maximize your maximization, we'll discuss some tips for spending the day of the test, preparing yourself for a multi-hour journey, being tested on crap that you will never, ever, really need to know (i.e., finding the slope of something, or how to spell).

How to survive test day:

1.  Wake up early, gather all of your testing-prep materials, and set them on fire.

Sound a little rash?  Trust me, friends.  You should approach the day of the test the same way someone approaches the beginning of a diet, or quitting a nasty habit like smoking or enjoying The Big Bang Theory (which is how Hollywood views nerds...the same way they viewed them in the 80s).

In each of those previously mentioned endeavors, you should cut off all methods of escape.  When you diet, you throw out tempting foods.  When quitting smoking, you throw out all cigarettes, matches and lighters.  So, when you take that standardized test, you should burn all your prep materials, so you know that you have to do well on the test, because now you literally can't retake it.  

Shut down those escape routes, my friends.  Shut them down!