Monday, June 21, 2010
♥ 6:59 PM
I started this on the 21st of June but am only finishing it up now, 8th July, oops. It's been almost a month since I last updated ! Then again, I'm what miss chua su lin calls a tweetdict.
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SAF '10 was a blast like it was the past two years. :) I got my first theatre group, yay ! (Slovenians- dance, Brits- music, Maestro Tan- music, Brazilians- dance, South Africans- musical theatre but mostly music, Russians- music) This year I was assigned an American theatre group, a Canadian, Brit, French collaboration in dance theatre and a Belgian dance-music group.
I don't know but I always love the first group most. Maybe it's because along the way I get increasingly tired.
First time at the theatre studio with the lovely lot from Elevator Repair Service for Gatz the 6 hour marathon reading of Fitzgerald's seminal work. It really was quite an experience, it being so freaking long.
See those boxes ? My awesome counterpart Matthew and I had to put a whole ton of them together. Meaning folding and lotsa tape. Just so it can look like any average office. At times backbreaking (almost literally, strained my shoulder area, some boxes contained some heavy shizzle), it felt good at the end to help create part of the set. :D Hey it seems lame but it feels so much better than just sitting around.
Always wanted a typewriter, stage right.
This is Ben. He's the sound dude but also is cleverly involved as the calafare in the show. (errand boy, guy who sells puppies..) Ben, John and Scott are very into foosball. They play it during breaks backstage. I really suck at it, was trashed each time by like 6-0 by Mark, Jim and Matthew.
George ! Ariana (tour manager)'s 3.5 year old daughter. She is adorable ! Really smart. Spent an hour during their rehearsal playing ball with her. (omgah, I actually look nice in this picture, phwoaar)
About half of the Gatz cast (still in costume) doing a CSI Singapore poster. Or maybe just a boyband photo. Jay Gatsby, Owl eyed man in library (the photographer in the 'artistic game' and various other parts), Myrtle, Tom Buchanan, Nick Carraway (also, narrator and guy who memorised entire book) and Guy who sells puppies.
About half of the Gatz cast (still in costume) doing a CSI Singapore poster. Or maybe just a boyband photo. Jay Gatsby, Owl eyed man in library (the photographer in the 'artistic game' and various other parts), Myrtle, Tom Buchanan, Nick Carraway (also, narrator and guy who memorised entire book) and Guy who sells puppies.
With Mike in the trishaw (they call it a 'surrey') just before I sent them off. Shucks, looks like I'm balding as much as he is. So here's to the awesome cast and crew of Gatz. Non-cast first. Ariana's the tour manager. Was pretty scared of her cos she can be quite firm when she speaks. She brought her 3.5 year old daughter George (don't ask) with her. George is adorable ! I spent a rehearsal playing ball with her, she's lovely. :) John, the director.. I remember that after one of the rehearsals it could've ended better so the cast was saying 'no cuddles for kristen' that night, haha. B.D. (or brian) who was in charge of building the set. I was quite intimidated by the man actually. :S Mark did lighting and I looove mark. He's my favourite person to talk to and he's always super nice. Just sad I didn't manage to get a picture with him. Sarah's the stage manager and she's only three years older than me ! Very young for a stage manager. But very capable and really nice too. :) Ben even though he's half cast member, half sound guy. Was quite intimidated by him too, until the cab ride to the airport. I guess he can be quite retarded, he said SMRT meant 'death' in some slavic tongue which is apt for the taxis here. From the cast there was Scott who is awesome as Nick although also intimidating. I found that he competed for most dao with John. Only opened up at the airport before departure when I asked him about his ukulele. But he has a lovely speaking voice. Jim was the eponymous gatsby. It was funny cos he shares the same name, James, with the character he plays. He's such a dear, felt so bad when I had to chase him out after rehearsal and he couldn't do his yoga. Took him to chinatown but I think he really couldn't stand the heat. Had a real nice conversation with him at the salad bar, haha. And he has the deepest voice I know ! Easily an octave and more below mine. Vin the owl eyed man is really funny in a dead pan way. Mike played klipspringer the piano player and I really loved his weird piano bit in the show ! He really does have a nice voice and is quite the joker. Pity I didn't bring them for karaoke. I got 4 hugs from him ! 'Just in case I don't see you again'. They always think I'll send them off at the hotel but really we stay till they go past immigration. Frank the mellow one who played the garage owner, Wilson. He's pretty cool and we had a nice conversation about his travels in cambodia and such. Bob really fits the bill as Tom Buchanan but he's really very sweet. He showed me pictures of his kids.. I love it when they do that. Ross is Jim's dad and it's funny cos in the show he plays Gatsby's dad ! Haha.. It's kinda ironic. I heard he's a neurologist (the mother is a surgeon, jim's brother is some medical/accountant person) and acts just as a hobby. Before he came, matthew and I kept referring to him as the 80 year old man. Seriously he looks very fragile.. But in a conversation once I mentioned that he partied hard and he said how could he not when kristen's dad was buying them free food. Haha he's funny ! Kate is the secretary and also Chester (Vin)'s wife. She reminds me a bit of me. Vintage dresses, holga camera.. Lucy is the perfect Daisy. Ethereal, very lovely. She insisted that matthew and I took turns to watch the actual show. Awesome, love her for that. Sibyl is a huge favourite of mine because she is such a darling. Ben's girlfriend and she played Jordan.. Matthew and I agree that she has a very attractive personality haha. Hope we keep in touch ! Laurena is the excitable Myrtle which is a very suitable role for her. I remember her excitement at learning 3 little tigers, that chinese nursery song and our amusement. Kristen, John's girlfriend and also Catherine, is prettayyy but we didn't get to talk to her much.
Pity that I didn't have time to get them to autograph my copy of the book. Work days were really long ! But yup, it was quite the experience and a fun one at that. It's always crazy and we're kinda sleep deprived during the fest but I already miss work. Shall update about Maybe Forever and Eonnagata another time. First, a bintan update !
Friday, June 11, 2010
♥ 11:28 AM
Can't believe I haven't blogged for almost a month !
Have to get ready for work soon. THREE MORE DAYS to the end of SAF10 for me. Maybe this is my last SAF. Maybe I'm getting old but am just really really tired. When I'm not asleep, I am hankering for sleep. Or food. Like Garfield, not good.
I miss the Gatz cast and crew and the lovely folks from Eonnagata especially Sylvie, Gilles, Robert, Russell, Claude, Isabelle and Eric (even though they spoke french most of the time). Was also blessed with two awesome colleagues in Jafnie and Matthew. :) Hope it all ends with a good bang !
Am really looking forward to resting at home and not working 14 hour days. Have been extremely annoyed lately with the lack of initiative and participation from the rest for the bali trip. If I can find time to research in spite of my schedule, I don't see why those who are on holiday cannot. What's worse, they do not reply or comment on the emails going around. Seriously. If you cannot even muster a simple 'yup that sounds fine, thanks for planning' then I suggest you don't go. The only thing that is preventing me from not going altogether (EXTREME MONETARY WOES) is the fact that bali itself will be beautiful and exciting (although paranoid about terrorism, hijacking, tectonic activity etc etc). Haven't been there since I was what, 5 ?
Anyway the trip to KL is confirmed with the booking of the King's Singers tickets, woohoo ! :D Somehow I feel safer traveling with mark, pity jasper can't make it. Maybe it's just the mentality that they're older and more experienced.
Till after the 13th !