I would like to say I am here, but I'm not.

I would like to say I am here, but I'm not.

Everyone breathe a big sigh with me. Yes. And enjoy the feeling of air rushing through your nostirls, because it hasn't been doing that in mine for days. Finally I broke down and bought some Tylenol cold/sore throat/runny nose/conjestion/fever reducer/pain reliever stuff and...do it with me...*sigh*. A sigh for two reasons. One, I can breathe again, and two, tonight I have 2 hours after work before I have to be anywhere. *sigh*

Monday night I raced from work to go hear my friend's band play, and figure out if I want to be joining it as token chick/keyboard/occasional backup vocals. Good band. I have their music burned for me and we'll see if I can transform into what they want by next monday.

Tuesday:I worked both jobs, and in the afternoon the whole world was at the shop. A slew of foreign exchange students led by my mother tackled the piles of garbage sacks full of clothes in our backyard. I was sent running errands to the mission and for pizza all afternoon, joined by Kris, who had free time after his voice lesson at 1st Pres and hung out with me as I ran errands. Then, after work we three -- Me, Kris, and Allie went out for a blizzard, which I owed her for cleaning out my litterbox. Then I ran allie to band practice, laid down for 20 minutes, then put my contacts back in and went to two hours of Symphony Chorus rehearsal, followed by Kareoke. My self imposed curfew was 11 this time instead of almost-2.

Today: Worked both jobs again, closed the doors, counted money, and *sigh*. I don't have line-through for Proof until 8 this evening. I think I'll go indulge in Chinese takeout and a good book. Or perhaps learn the rest of "Mr. Brightside" on keyboard. *sigh*

End of Week Two

End of Week Two

Week two of shows is over. They went well, I think.

Thursday was a hellish day all around for me. I worked 7:30-5:30, spent my lunch break in a meeting with my principal, and ran to dinner and the show after that. I felt terrible. It was like pulling teeth to get up enough energy to start the show off. And then I hear the sound of my parents in the audience. The show went off alright. Kris and I nearly chipped teeth in our drunken lunge. Ouch. My folks seemed pleased with it, other than giving Kris a hard time about making out with me in front of them. And mom was upset that my black dress doesn't fit correctly. Well, it did several weeks and about 10 pounds ago. Oh well. There will be time to eat later.

Friday I called in sick to both jobs and slept all day. I felt terrible at the show, but it was a great audience. They laughed at odd stuff. Things that others didn't laugh at. It threw us off a little because we'd become accustomed to the "pause for laughter" moments, but where we paused, they didn't, and where we didn't pause, they did. Oh, and a lady in the front row had a breathing machine that sounded like Darth Vader. Every quiet moment was dominated by sssssss....tssssssss. And then she'd start choking or hacking up a lung. What a way to get in the mood in the kissing scenes, I'll tell you. And on that subject, they were much more docile after the painful night before. Claire skipped several lines in the confrontation scene, but that happened at the dress rehearsal to, so we're prepared for that jump. After that I went straight to my folks' house to watch the dog while they're away, and crashed until noon.

Last night. Wow. What a silent audience. It would have been disheartening, but we could tell they were into it, just quietly. Claire keeps getting more and more emotional in our confrontation scenes. Friday night she almost cried in the last one, and had to shove past me to get offstage. Last night she almost lost it in the second one as we're screaming our heads off about whether or not Dad should have been put away somewhere. And Dad and my cold scene has been really emotional the last few nights. He's been getting crazier as I try to pull him back inside the house and then screams at me to open the book and read him the lines, so I have more reason to be afraid of him. It works well for the audience when I'm trying to mollify him instead of just giving in to a little whining. And, the crowning moment in the first scene, Kris and I did our lines entirely out of order in one part, but we kept up with the right answer, and somehow ended up right where we needed to be, at the same time. It was lovely.

So, I'm spending the day in bed once I get home. Have a great Sunday!

Sick

And now I'm sick. Gross! Sore throat and exhaustion, I staid home from both jobs today, but I'm on call. So several times I've been downstairs in my pajamas to take care of things. yay.

What I love about Washington

What I love about Washington

Having long, involved, passionate conversations about fry sauce.

Letters to the Editor

10/06/05 Letters to the Editor

'Proof' impresses

To the editor — My wife, Michele Besso, and I had the chance to see the Warehouse Theater's production of David Auburn's "Proof" this past weekend and were very impressed. Rachel Kunze's portrayal of lead character Katharyn was exceptional. The three other actors did a great job as well. The play explores sibling rivalry, trust, loyalty, the meaning of sanity, love and gender equality in academic circles. Congratulations to Leah Hieber on her directoral debut and bravo to all involved.

We encourage all theater lovers and anyone interested in a rich story to buy their tickets now for the remaining two weekends' performances.

MATT FAIRBANK

Yakima

I keep trying to catch up

I keep trying to take things one day at a time, but lately several days have attacked me at once...

I was so excited coming into this weekend about resting, finally. But it wasn't to be. Sunday I ran around half the day -- and watched about 20 friends episodes, one of Lost, and Hitchhiker's Guide. Monday I worked morning on my sleep in day because a girl no-showed again. Then Jeff came into town for a suprise -- yay -- and I spent the rest of the day with Wycliffe people until 10. Then tuesday was two jobs day, Symphony Chorus, and Kareoke. Some friends of mine have been bugging me to go for months. It..wasn't...that...bad. I had fun. But stayed a lot later than I meant to. Which brings us to today, another two job day with horrid little second graders. They are out of control most of the time. Then a line through at Starbucks. I had to eat crow and talk it out with a cast member who thought I hate him. I don't. But we got off to a bad start and never recovered. Then running lines and gabbing with Claire. And finally the new Lost episode. I'm going to bed now. Tomorrow is my 7:30-5:30 day followed by a show. Arrgh. If I can only make it to Saturday!

Review of Proof

Here is what the Herald is saying:

Human conflict propels drama past cold academics

By DEWEY MEE For the Yakima Herald-Republic


I always bristle when I have to see a play that's been heralded as a modern masterpiece. David Auburn's "Proof" has received the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award, but this only made me skeptical as to whether the play was worthy of the awards and acclaim.

In my mind, "Proof" is a thin, rather self-important play with grand ideas. By sheer coincidence, the Warehouse Theatre Company's production opens just as the film version goes into wide release.

It helps, though, that director Leah Hieber has a good fix on the play. She writes, "It is particularly interesting that Auburn's play combines two extremes of where we build our belief systems; mathematics and family."

Thankfully, the play is more about family dynamics than dry, academic mathematics. Subtract all the dialog about mathematical and scientific theories - and there's plenty of that - and you still have a play about family; specifically parents and children, and good and bad traits that may or may not be inherited.


Rachel Kunze gives an outstanding performance as Catherine, who has sacrificed much of her young life to care for her father. As the play flashes between the present and the past, we see Terry Langley as her father, Robert, a brilliant man who, ironically, after writing complicated mathematical theories and theories on rational behavior, has gone insane.

Langley is especially good at communicating Robert's futile attempts to grab a semblance of order and reason as both slip away from him. In addition to his death and the legacy he leaves behind, Catherine must contend with big sister, Claire, (Aimee Hostetler) who arrives for the funeral and seems intent on taking Catherine back to New York City with her.

There's also Hal Dobbs (Kristofer Sundquist), a persistent but worshipful grad student of Robert's. Hal insists on looking through all 103 notebooks that Robert let behind in the hope of finding proof that, even as late as four years ago in his last lucid period, Robert was brilliant, not bonkers.

Catherine insists that all the notebooks are full of disconnected ramblings - all except one. In that notebook, Hal discovers the gem he has searched for; a groundbreaking, 40-page mathematical proof that will confirm Robert's genius for all time.

When Catherine says it was she, not Robert, who wrote this proof, Claire and Hal react with complete disbelief. At the moment she reaches out for some desperately needed support and validation, she is literally and metaphorically slapped down by the last two people she thought she could trust. Hal, in fact, says Catherine could not have written the proof because it is "too advanced."

"Proof" is best when the characters are in conflict, either with each other or themselves. Kunze and Hostetler are especially strong in their many confrontational scenes.

But when the play tries for hope, a tidy ending, and its own theories as to Catherine's fate, it is terribly contrived. The suggestion of a romance between Catherine and Hal is worse than contrived - it's cheap, since it appears that Hal feigns romantic interest for completely self-serving ends.

Nobody is completely what he or she appears to be. For instance, Claire is not the cold, self-involved sister, and Hal comes off as less than sincere and genuine.

The only thing that "Proof" absolutely proves is that life offers proof of absolutely nothing.

But, as a theater critic I can tell you that Kunze's extraordinary performance (which earned a "Bravo!" from me at curtain call - and I never shout "Bravo!" unless it is richly deserved) elevates "Proof" to the level of greatness to which it aspires.

The Warehouse Theatre Company presents "Proof" at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and Oct. 13-15 at the Warehouse Theatre in the Allied ArtsCenter, 5000 W. Lincoln Ave. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, and are available through the Warehouse Theatre box office. Call 966-0951.

* Dewey Mee has been involved in theater for more than 30 years. The veteran free-lance arts critic is based in Ellensburg.

I suppose you can't get much better than that. He was also quite impressed with Aimee, who plays my sister. And rightfully so - she's a great actress that has gotten overlooked by the Warehouse in the past. And he's right. Aimee and my scenes together are the best in the show -- thanks to a four hour shouting marathon at Starbucks one night.

Basic Exhaustion plus Euphoria

Exhaustion + Euphoria

Last night was opening night. It went very well with great feedback at the post-opening night reception. Then the whole cast went out to Gasperetti's for drinks. Not me. I mean, I went, but I had mine virgin. Anyway. Lovely flowers from Grandma and Ken and my parents. The florist was working overtime. The same shop had orders for me and for the director.

Today I was supposed to work to make up for missing Thursday. I made up 4 of the 7 hours and called it good. I'm so tired it's not funny, but I'll have a few minutes to rest before I have to be at the theater. My favorite part of the show? Sitting on stage as the audience comes in napping and reading magazines. Lovely bit of downtime.

We made it through

We made it through...

Dress rehearsal was tonight, with the entire Wycliffe team in attendence plus everyone's highschool students. Terry got stuck in a line loop in the opening scene, and of course those of us that never have line trouble got stuck in places. That's the nature of having an audience for the first time. You end up in an adrenalyn cycle. We skipped half a page in one scene, and I muffed some lines at the end, but the good part is we recovered and went on without an obvious hitch to the audience. So it was good. And the team member who came strictly to watch me mack on a guy walked out satisfied, so there.

Tomorrow is the Wycliffe show, and then opening night!

Testing Lipstick

Last night I discovered an immediate need for kiss-proof lipstick. I bought one variety and tested it last evening. Works like a charm and no smearing. Thank goodness, because otherwise I get tickled at the mess and can't make it through the scene.