So, I have been in NYC for the past three weeks almost! And it has certainly been an experience - one that i don't think i will forget! NYC is the busiest and noisiest city i have EVER been to. Initially it was a little overwhelming but now i am used to it (although i do think the metro system here is rather illogical compared to everywhere else in the world!). I have done a lot of the touristy things - seeing the Statue of Liberty and lower manhatten on a boat, going up the Empire State Building, seeing Central Park, going to Times Square, The natural history museum, MOMA, The brooklyn museum, the national library and seeing lots of other things! And then there is the show: Good Good Trouble on a bad bad Island. It has been an experience, but it hasn't been all fun and games! There was the incredibly short rehearsal period, which seemed very comfortable and not too short at all, depsite the box like rehearsal rooms! However, having our 3 hour tech halfway through the rehearsal process, having to contain a full run and pre-show/post-show practice, with only half a sound design, no chance to practice board-opping and missing two actors was more than a bit chaotic - but we did it with time to spare! (I swear i will have grey hair by the end of the fringe festival!). Working with an all-male team up here has been interesting, and it isn't something i would like to repeat again in a hurry - i FAR prefer working with directors like Susan! It has made my 'Alice' experience look even sweeter, if that was even possible! The guys who were up here got into an awkward habit of changing things without telling me, which made me want to bang my head against a brick wall, but boys will be boys i suppose. The shows here are stressful - you have to 'get in' within 15 minutes before they let the audience in, and get out at the end in the same time. When something breaks, like the sound did before the 2nd performance we did (for which i was also short of two stage hands and recieved none of the help that the rest of the team had promised...) it is SO stressful. But, it is all a good experience, especially operating sound. This show really tests my communication and multi-tasking skills, as well as my people skills - i have definitely learnt through this experience! But i do love the script a lot.
When not doing my show, i have been volunteering as a box office assistant to earn free tickets to see Fringe Shows - so far i have seen 4, two good(Pigpen Presents The Nightmare Story, and The conveniences of modern living), one okay (The Hyperbolist), and one quite terrible (Uba Bounce) - its always a bit hit and miss with fringe! But i am LOVING seeing all this theatre - its given me some awesome ideas with shadow puppets, and integration of music into effective storytelling, and the use of lamps/torches to light an entire show, and just playwrights to look out for in the future. I am looking forward to seeing some other good shows during the 9 days i have left!
I am getting more ready to return back to the uk in 9 days time. However, it is not working out perfectly. I may have to go almost directly back to Canterbury, and i am worried about being there and being lonely and not being on an exciting adventure anymore, and reverting back to who i was. But, no one can predict the future - i'm just going to have to go with it for a while. I am going to miss the USA endlessly. But all good things have to end.
Ciao Ragazzi xxx
