"Purpose"

Well, today I got something that I've been wanting for awhile. My supervisor gave me a purpose to what I am doing. She told me all the background information for the Development Department...how it works, what processes they use, etc. Although working in the Development Department is not something that exactly interests me for a permanent position, it is important for me to understand how the fundraising works in an arts organization and how best to go about it. I am learning from some of the best. There are so many people that really do great things and I am looking forward to learning from them. I realize that I need to really get into this internship if I am going to take anything away from it for the future. Even though this isn't the most fun thing that I've ever done, someone told me that to get to the great stuff there's gotta be the not so great stuff along the way. So true! Hopefully there will be great things that lie ahead for me, but there's going to be some things along the way that I may not enjoy immensely. It will all be for good. I will still struggle some days with this experience, but I really need to focus on the positives of this experience and my summer in the Twin Cities. The purpose of this internship will help me to discover my pupose in life and how it is displayed throughout my life. Here goes! *Left ear tug!*

"UUUGGGHHHH!!!!"

Ok, so my forever optimist attitude is kind of on the back burner lately. To be completely honest, I am really bored at this internship and I'm wishing there was more to my life. I've been keeping busy running and spending time with the roommates, but I just don't feel like myself. I realized that this feeling has been going on for a long time...about a year. I've been trying to do things to fix it and to get back to the loving life-not caring about what others think-good natured person that I used to be. Well, there's no going back, right? There's only forward motion. I've been trying to get back into the Word and be closer to God, but that's hard when you haven't been that close in awhile. I'm really focusing on that right now and staying positive. Sorry there isn't much to report from the Guthrie....but there's not much to report. I already feel bored by what I'm doing and I really wish I didn't feel that way. So, for all you followers out there, please be praying that I get hit over the head with the "positivity stick." *Left ear tug!*

"Update!"

Well hello again my faithful followers (although there are few of you as my sister pointed out...thanks Laur!) After a rough weekend, I was not ready for a week of entering information into the system at the Guthrie. I'm tired and I do not have much concentration. Yet, today, I decided that I can't let myself get bogged down by sometimes boring work or by situations in life that don't go as planned. I have to be the forever optimist. Not a false optimism, but finding the good in life that I sometimes look over. I have this fantastic internship, I'm living in an area with so much going on (although I've given up a lot of my time that I could have used to explore and now have a yearning to see EVERYTHING), I have fun roommates that are so great to me, I have a family that I talk to almost everyday, and I have friends who support me although I'm far away from them. I need to learn all that I can this summer and really focus on what I'm here for. I can't wait for what will come up this summer...anything is possible! :) *Left ear tug!*

"Running Thoughts"

Heya Followers! So, I haven't blogged for awhile, but that is because not much has been going on at the Guthrie in my department. We had our intern orientation last week and I made a friend, Helen. We eat lunch together every once in awhile. She is very nice and a theater education major. She is working in the education department this summer. My supervisor, Emily, is out of town on vacation for about a week, so I am on my own! Not really...there are quite a few other people that are still helping me out if I need anything. As I went home this past weekend, I gave my tickets to "M. Butterfly" to my roommates, Christy and Linsey. They said it was really good. Tomorrow night, we are all going to "Dollhouse." I may see it again on Tuesday with Mama New! I have been told what events I have been scheduled to work and am excited to get to interact with the people and learn all I can about special events. That part of the development department really is very interesting to me.

There's an update on what has been going on at the Guthrie. Now, I would like to focus this blog on my personal thoughts about what is going to happen in the future. During interim of next year, I will be directing a University Theatre production of "Steel Magnolias." A director's job starts very early and I have just read the play again for about the fortieth time. As I set out for my evening jog (yes, I've started to run...crazy, I know!) I began to imagine all of the things that would go into this production. I think that is the funnest thing about directing...imagining what it will look like, feel like, sound like, etc. and then seeing the end product. I see the actresses who are going to play the parts and I haven't even met them yet. I'm sure they will be completely different from what I am imagining, but that's the fun and creative part. There is so much to do and I can't wait to get started! :) *Left ear tug!*

"Long-Term Goals"

Today wasn't all that exciting. I just did a lot of research and learned more about the program that Guthrie uses to keep all of their information on their donors, Tessitura. I like the organization about this job, but it is not exceptionally compelling. I hope that maybe things will heat up a bit in the Development Department. Truthfully, the thing that I really find intriguing is the special events section of the department. I hope I get to work some more with special events. Well, today is the day for the weekly staff meeting. As soon as I got to work, I headed into the Cowles Board room where we meet and sat down to hear the updates from the Development Department. We talked about many things including special events, budgets, etc. The last item that Dianne brought up to the staff was to go through the long-term plan for the theater that Joe Dowling sat down and wrote five years ago. We were to see if the long-term goals for the theater were being met and how they were being fulfilled. Some of the subjects were education, community outreach, Shakespearean principles, etc. Most of the goals were being fulfilled and the theater was even going farther with some of these long-term goals. It got me thinking about my long-term goals. I've never really thought about them seriously. So, here goes: First of all, I want to get straight A's my senior year. That will be tough with B-Law and MacroEcon on my plate first semester, but I'm really going to work hard to accomplish this goal. It can be done! Second, I want to run a half-marathon next summer (not a full marathon...I am NOT that ambitious). Third, I want to go to grad school for directing. This year I am going to start looking at grad schools all over the country that I could apply to someday. I say someday because as my supervisor at Spencer Comm. Theater, Cara, told me, "No grad school for directing will accept you right out of college without any experience...that is, no good one." So, I am going to try to get as much experience directing as possible. I thought for a long time that I wanted to act, but I've found that, although I love to act, directing is really where my passion lies. I like to be organized around a project, but I also love the crazy creativity and unexpected surprises that come with directing a show and collaborating with other creative individuals. I am planning three years after college to start applying to schools. Now, to go on to my more personal life: I would like to be married and start a family before I am thirty. I realize that this is a lot to accomplish when working so hard toward a career goal, but family is one of the most important things to me, so I will make it a top priority. And, it shouldn't be that big of a problem...my sister already has my wedding all planned out for me (no, seriously, down to how I'm going to wear my hair and everything!) so all I need to do is find the guy. Last, but not least, I want to read the entire Bible. I've planned on doing it so many times, but never really gotten it done. I want to finish it before I graduate college...here goes next year! Now that I've established all my long-term goals (well, I guess if you really think about it, these are short-term, but...) I can go on with my life and I know exactly how its going to be. NOT! Sue New (mi madre) has a magnet on her fridge that says, "Make plans, make God laugh." I have a feeling not all of my long-term goals will come into actualization like they have at the Guthrie, but that's ok...I like making God laugh. All I know is that I can have ideas about what I want to do and live a life that is glorifying and solid. There will be disappointments in life, especially in the theatre world. I'm prepared for that. Well, sorry this got so inspirational and preacher-like, but its what I felt that I should write today. If you see me around, please ask me how I'm doing on my long-term goals...gotta have people to keep you accountable. *Left ear tug!*

"Meet and Greet"

Today was a pretty full day...a really good full day. I got to work around 9:30 and worked until around noon...then got a surprise! The girl that I share an office space with, Jill, reminded me that the first meet and greet that I was able to go to was going to begin soon. The director, artistic team, and cast of "A Streetcar Named Desire" were introduced to the staff before they began their first read-through. A big name that a lot of you might know is Ricardo Antonio Chavira, who will be playing the part of Stanley. He is best known for his role as Carlos in "Desperate Housewives" (the one married to Eva Longoria's character). The director, John Miller-Stephany, explained the process that he and Joe Dowling went through in picking this show as one of the summer shows. They wanted to do a great American classic, and although there were a lot to choose from, this one struck a chord with the artistic team. John was a little timid to take on such a big play with so many "ghosts," as he called them. But he was inspired by some of Tennessee Williams' letters to Arthur Miller (the original director of the 1947 Broadway debut) to take on the show and make it great. From what the scenic and costume designers explained, it should be a fantastic show. After my first great meet and greet, I had lunch out on the Endless Bridge, and then got back to work. When I finished up the day at 3:30, I headed home, picked up my roommate and then headed to IKEA (you can be jealous Nina!). I was set to buy myself a mattress. As much fun as sleeping on the floor has been, I felt the need for a little more cushion. I found a great mattress at a great price and bought it (thank you, Dad, for the transfer of money into my account). Then we came back to our apartment, set up my bed, ate some dinner, hung out with our other roommate, and went to a show! Christy (one of my roommates) and I were able to see "Circle Mirror Transformation" in the Dowling Studio, the black box-type theatre. It was a great show about adults in an acting class finding out about themselves and reaching their limits. It was really funny and hilarious to watch all the silly warm-ups and exercises that we actors do from the outside. We really do make a fool of ourselves...but we volunteer to do so, right? Well, it has been a jam-packed day full of theatre. Good day. Time for me to hit the sack. *Left ear tug*