Everyone ready for this? I am actually keeping up with my blog. WHAT. I know, it's ridiculous.

So I just got back last night from my trip to Scotland and OH HOW I MISS IT ALREADY. Scotland is gorgeous and the people are just amazing. We first got to Lockerbie for our performance of The Bird and the Two-Ton Weight. First off, Lockerbie is a lovely, quaint little town and Lockerbie Academy could not have kinder people. I stayed with the Ferrie family, the father of which is a Depute at the academy, and they were the kindest, most generous people who I hope to remain in contact with. As for the show itself, we came across a little snag. See, we have two casts, one for Lockerbie and one for London and I am in the Lockerbie cast. But we had three shows scheduled for Friday, so our director Brian decided to give the middle show to the London cast to give Lockerbie a break. But the guy playing Colin (my part) in the London cast wasn't going to make it, so I had to understudy. In short I did three shows back to back. Needless to say, I slept quite well that night. But the production story gets so much better. A week ago, Darcy Fowler, the PLAYWRIGHT for the show showed up to work with us. What a privilege and blessing. She also came to the performances and brought who else with her but the original star of the New York production. No pressure.

The run went wonderfully and the show was so moving we could see tissue boxes going around the audience. These people really have a strong connection to the Pan-Am 103 story, not only for their own losses but their connections with those from Syracuse who lost somebody. They felt for these losses in so many ways and I am so glad to have been part of a production that celebrated the lives of those lost.

On a more upbeat note, a news came and filmed us!!! They interviewed me and several other people from the show and we were on Scottish television that night! How awesome is that? People loved the production and raved about how it was so touching and well done. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this.

We are still in rehearsals for our Globe final and it's just getting better and better. Our scene is going very well and classes are going swimmingly, although as the semester winds down, I realize I will soon be leaving these people who have become such an important part of my life. I wish to keep in touch, but the fact is it will be harder to do so, not to mention just to see them in person. Here is hoping they remain in my life for years to come.

The next three weeks are going to be tough, not only because of final work here, but preparing for grad school auditions, mainstage auditions, and my own show which I am attempting to prepare for next semester! Details on that to come, but first I have to make sure it is going to happen, so stay tuned. ;)

Hope the states are still doing well with me away! Cheers!

Posted by Mark at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hm. Seems I'm bad at keeping promises. Here is my next blog a MONTH later. Way to go Mark.

Last I left you I was getting ready for Fall Break, and boy was it fantastic!!! I went with three other friends to Madrid and Lisbon for a week. First, Madrid. Very nice city. Very urban. Great museums. Go to the Reina Sofia and see La Guernica. Just stand there for about 15 minutes. It's just the most magical moment. We also saw a Spanish production of Sweeney Todd at the TeatroEspanol, which was very good actually! Great food, great people. But the best is yet to come.

Lisbon came next and boy did I have no idea I would like it so much. This city is GORGEOUS. Right on the coast, beaches everywhere, markets all around, a castle right at the top of the cliffs of the city. Go. Please. Next time you decide "I wanna go to Europe", hit Lisbon. Oh, and go to the Goodnight Hostel. It's fantastic.

We got back and school started right back. I did a monologue from Seven for film class, which was a ton of fun! Globe classes are wonderful, as always. I was assigned my scene for our final presentation and I will be playing Lysander in a Midsummer Night's Dream! My group met our director, Tom, who has the most unique and amazing approach to directing that is very inspiring to me.

The next weekend after Fall Break, I actually went to Dublin! Honestly, I was slightly disappointed but had fun nonetheless. If you are keeping up with your math, that would have been Halloween, and Dublin is the place to go for Halloween. Pub hopping in the Temple Bar area and tours of all of the beer factories (Guinness Factory especially!), and plenty of other things to do. It's kind of a tiny London, actually. See it once, at least. Especially if, like me, you have ancestors there!

So we open The Bird and the Two Ton Weight in two weeks. I'm a little nervous, but it should be fun. I am going to be doing three back to back performances in one day. Eek. It's like summerstock all over again. Well, that means I should be fine, right?

I've been actually busier over here preparing for next semester than this one. I have grad school applications (yes, I am applying to grad school, Lord help me) and a lab show proposal to get off the ground. In addition I have to prepare more monologues for auditions next semester (we are doing two Sam Shepard one acts and The Misanthrope) and grad school auditions. Pray for me? Please?

I would just like to say if you are looking for an experience that gives you inspiration, that gives you the push you need to do something with your life when you are stuck somewhere in the middle, and you just want to do what you love with people who are the same way, go abroad. Simple as that.

See you next time! ........ Whenever that will be!

Posted by Mark at 5:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)