It’s Getting Interesting… from Azalea Micketti

I am so fascinated by the daily change in the rehearsal room. Some days it is smooth as butter, easy as making tea. Everything clicks, everyone is in sync, it’s quick, efficient, and organized. Other days it is like wading through a bog. Nothing lines up, words don’t make sense, time moves slowly and talking is painful. It is at these times that you truly see the nature of our human experience. Everyone reacts differently, experiences differently, copes differently. I have learned so much all ready, not just about theatre, but about being an adult. About letting go, not taking things personally, knowing when to hold your tongue, and understanding that someone else’s bad day doesn’t have to effect yours. Emotions run so high and it is so important to be respectful of the individual’s process as well as the collective exploration that takes place.

More than anything, this internship has only increased my desire to be an actor, a writer, and even a director. I want to continue to experience life through theatre, and share that with others. But more than that, it has begun to teach me what sort of person I want to be, what sort of art I want to create, and what sort of relationships I want to cultivate. I think it is so important to maintain artistic integrity in everything you do, no matter how ridiculous it is. For the first time I actually like The Taming of the Shrew, and I attribute a lot of that to the attention to detail and the importance of story that has been beautifully encouraged by the director and incredibly well manifested by the entire company.

“A Tale of Two Designers” from Cynthia Booker

It’s been a whole week, however, I feel like I’ve lived through a month. Every evening I have been in techs for the three Elizabethan productions for this season. I have the opportunity to work with two different designers. I’ve never teched three shows simultaneously, so that in itself is interesting. Further, I am working with two different designers. The most fascinating observance I have made is how both designers are polar opposites and how each production environment is completely different. The two designers I am currently working with are Sarah Picket and Paul James. Paul James is sound designing Cymbeline and The Heart of Robin Hood. He is very independent and seems to have all his thoughts written on an invisible black board directly in front of him. He is very intriguing to watch work. He kind of reminds me of how Tony Stark works in his laboratory with his digital information floating around. He just sort of reaches up and pulls what he needs out of the air. Each of his designs he approaches differently. With Cymbeline, he has a very close and open relationship with the director, so he is able to work more organically. He seems more at peace with this approach. With Robin Hood, he has to be very prepared and precise due to the large number of cues and the director knowing exactly what he wants. I was surprised at the difference in one artist in the same space with a different production. It really illustrates a great example of why we as artist must stay flexible with each production process in order to best serve each production fully.

Sarah is designing A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is much more controlled in her design than Paul James. She was very quick to assign an immediate task in order for me to assist her. I believe she truly enjoys investing in my sound design knowledge. I wasn’t surprised to hear that she is a professor. Paul James is also really great at telling me why he made certain choices within each design and sharing his development as a theater professional. It’s interesting to see the differences between the academic and the freelancer. I’m learning much from both designers. I can also feel myself settling in and feeling more confident with my work here. It’s very relieving. J Douglas and the sound staff have also been really encouraging and instructive in the engineering and technical side of things. I’m definitely adding more skills into my rolodex of knowledge.

“A Whole New World” from Cynthia Booker

Wow! It’s so fun to be thrown into a whole new world and environment! There are so many new faces, names, and places to learn. For the next for months, I have been blessed with a place to call home and invest in the town and the people. This is day two of work for me and so much has happened. I feel as though I have been here for a week already. I was wrapping my head around everything I learned and everyone I met yesterday to have it settle in my brain.

I was absolutely amazed at how welcoming the staff is and how excited they were to meet me. I do feel like this will feel like home within a couple of weeks. I was so excited last night to start in my role as Sound Design Assistant. I became giddy once I started to be utilized. I also really respected the love the staff in the sound department have for their jobs. It’s amazing how happy these guys can be when they are presented with a new problem. I know I will learn much this summer both in sound and also how to enjoy life with a positive spin.

It was also really nice to be able to make the move across the country and not have to worry about furniture, utilities, and searching for an apartment. This something that has been a constant for me this past, so I feel really blessed and thankful to not have this worry. So, here’s to learning and growing in a new home with new people! Cheers!

 

“Handwriting or Typing?” from Cynthia Booker

I like paperwork. Call me nerdy, but I thrive off of it. Maybe it’s the stage manager in me or maybe its just the academic who likes things notated in a proper fashion. I get so excited when someone tells me that I’m responsible for cue sheets and such. I’m probably one of few who take joy in discovering new (to me) ways to make Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel easier. I was trying to remember the actual act of learning HOW to type. I just did it. I remember taking “keyboarding” classes in order to learn how to type more efficiently. This gift of ease with typing I feel is a new thing.

I notice when I’ve seen my little siblings or nephews/nieces homework that penmanship really isn’t emphasized that much in grade school. I try to physically write as much as I can. I usually never type notes unless I can’t find a paper or pen. I think it is quite sad that it is a romantic idea now to actually write someone a handwritten letter. But I also take great joy in paperwork, well-laid out and easy to navigate paper work. I would never dream of handing someone a handwritten cue sheet. I think this is how I separate personal notes from business/public notes or paperwork. In twenty years, will my way of doing things seem antique? I don’t know, but this is how I do things now. I do them with great joy like the nerd I am.

A Medley of Firsts from Kayo Jijina

Those who have experienced being around infants or children know what it’s like to look for that first…; whether it be that first smile, first step or first words such as mama or papa – mine was cat! As young adults we transition into celebrating our own first experiences as we begin expressing ourselves in the world – some of those first experiences may include: our first love, our first car or our first job. The trail of firsts follows us into adulthood an

d is often met with enthusiasm or anguish as the case may be. These experiences shape our outlook on life, as well as our view of ourselves.

At some point as we grow in years the frequency of our firsts begin to diminish. Many of us cease to notice or celebrate these small but important steps in our journey to who we are. It is time for me to celebrate a few of my firsts in this past week, as these are the steps that will eventually lead me to a work I love.

My first experience as an Intern with FAIR

My first work with a Professional Theatre Company

My first opening – Streetcar

My first encounter with audience members as an intern employee

My first introductions within OSF

– names I will have to graciously be reminded of again

Exploring Diversity: On a Personal Level from Kayo Jijina

 

This is my second week as an intern with OSF under the auspices of the FAIR Apprentice program. OSF is a warm and friendly community; I feel welcomed and supported by everyone I meet. In addition to my responsibilities with the Company Management group, I am responsible for attending a FAIR Forum, which is held once a week from 9am to 12pm at OSF with other FAIR members.

The FAIR Forum, under the direction of Sharifa Johka, provides “enrichment activities… talks by company members and guests regarding their roles at OSF, other education events…” A few of the topics for discussion have included Terminology for Anti-Bias Language, OSF Audience Development Manifesto and Stages of Racial Identity Development.

I am encouraged by the level of discussions and sharing that has taken place in the FAIR Forum. I am beginning to gain a better understanding of OSF’s commitment to education, diversity and community outreach.

On a personal level these topics have provided me with an opportunity for self-reflection, a chance to face my own fears regarding these topics and a desire to know more about the rich heritage that inherently seems to follow me around everywhere I go.

My parents were both born in India, as were their parents and their parents before them going back I don’t know how many generations. Independently, my mother’s family and my father moved from India to Iran for work; they met and I was born. After my father passed away and we began searching through his reams and paperwork/ documents (as he never threw anything away) much to my surprise I found I had two birth certificates; one from Iran and a second from India. A year after my father passed away my cousin on my father’s side sent in a DNA sample and participated in National Geographic’s – “The Genographic Project.”

The results show my last name – Jijina is of Russian origin and traces our family origins to Ossetia, Georgia. For all of this to make some semblance of sense to me, I have come to the conclusion the trail I must follow is not one of geography but one of religion – it is the story of the Zoroastrians. Now some of the pieces of the puzzle may begin to come together for me and allow for a sharing.