2013.

Hello, Nobody. How was your Christmas? Did you get that iSomething you were hoping for? I sure hope so. You deserve it.


It just occurred to me that this year is coming to a close. Like, it being late December...obviously I realized that 2013 was nearing an end...but it just dawned on me what that means to me. This year has been hectic, I'll give it that. It's also been lovely. And full of new experiences. I feel I owe it some kind of overview. A snapshot of the past twelve months of my life.

So. Here we go.

Kelsey's List of List Worthy Things That Happened in 2013
(in no particular order)


The plays:

"Anton in Show Business", "Glass Menagerie", "Measure for Measure"

I'll state the obvious by saying "Man, that's a weird little mixture of theatre, huh?". This year I had to step outside of my theatrical comfort zone in many, many different ways. Each play brought a new lesson (as plays always should) and I feel that I grew from each experience (as I always should).

-"Anton" taught me to be more of a team player, an ensemble member. I was very comfortable filling the big clown-like shoes of my zany characters, but on the other side of that I had to hone in on how to not only fill the space with the silliness of my characters...but to also capture the kind of dark and intellectual sides. Tell the story. Not just get a laugh. It was also my first time working with a professor that I now consider to be not only a mentor, but a great friend. Dr. Kato Buss. The way his mind works is truly remarkable. Downright bizarre, yes. But remarkable. I've never worked with a director that was so focused on finding the quiet human moments, if only for a second. Vulnerability in little snapshots interlaced with big comedy and high drama. I can't wait to work on our next project together because I have so much still to learn from him. Anyways. It was all great fun. And it was about Chekhov so you really can't go wrong there.

-"Glass Menagerie". Oh man. I was just so honored to be in this play. I love Tennessee Williams and have studied this particular script since I was a freshman. Most girls my age dream of playing Laura. (Given that I could never play Laura anyways as she is literally the opposite of my type in every aspect) I always dreamed of bringing Amanda to life. Yes I was 22 and yes I won't REALLY play Amanda for another twenty plus years, but man it was nice to pull on those too big shoes and fight like hell. People always read Amanda as some harping egomaniac that mistreats her children and is stuck forever in the years of her youth. I read her as a strong, intelligent woman that is trying to survive in this world she wasn't really meant to be in. She always belonged among the chiffon and the iced tea and the long conversations with chivalrous men. But she's here and now and she's trying. That was my challenge. Everyone leaves the playing thinking "Oh poor Tom. Poor Laura. Their mother has driven them away or sucked them too close and they'll never escape." Call me selfish, but for once I wanted an audience to leave thinking "God, that woman gave them her all." I really tried. I also got to work again with my personal hero, Dr. Bob McGill. I could gush about the brilliance of this man for pages and pages. He is perfection, truly. And every chance I work with him I feel myself grow immensely.

-"Measure for Measure". Another monumental thing to put on a resume. Any Shakespeare, really. I was excited to audition even though I knew the women parts were pretty sparse. Imagine my surprise when I was cast as the lead. Man. The Duke. My head literally spun. Everything about this part was a challenge...but in the best way. Once the show was wrapped, I found myself wishing it could have gone on longer. It took me awhile to figure this character out. As an actor I find that I generally make big decisions first and refine them later...but this character was so much more complex than that. I was forced to shake my usual routine because the psychology and the text of 95% of my character simply didn't allow that kind of thinking. This play really shook me up and I'm so thankful for that. It also furthered the notion I've been having for awhile now...I think I really love performing Shakespeare. It's so rich and complex and you feel accomplished when you've even decoded ONE sentence, let alone performed a well developed and fully realized full play. And all of these lovely little revelations are once again due to Dr. Bob McGill. At UCO, he is my heart.


Mutz and Buchners Wedding:

Such a surreal experience in so many ways. This lady and I have been best friends since the awful days of hardcore music, glue on hair extensions, Myspace obsessions and boscoe stick day at PCN. (Ahhh, boscoe sticks. How I miss thee.) To see her in all white saying "I do" to the man she loves was such a crazy cool experience. You always hope your best friends end up with somebody that will truly make them happy and take care of them. Alex is that for Addie. Also, she's the first friend of ours to marry so it was a whirlwind of newness. Also my first time being a maid of honor! What? When did we get old enough to do things like BE A MAID OF HONOR? Well I guess sometimes 15 year olds do that...but I like to imagine it means we're all grown up and super important. So happy for The Buchner's and wish them all the happiness in the world.


SETC:

South Eastern Theatre Conference. (I knew you were wondering.) This November me and two of my gal pals trekked up to Mississippi to audition for a screening round that (if we advanced) pushed us on to the big deal actual conference in Alabama this March. After battling sickness, mean cops that give big tickets, awful traffic jams, overpriced food, crappy martinis and very little sleep-I was passed through. So in March I'll be taking my shot at getting into the grad schools that are attending the conference as well as auditioning for summer theatre work at the companies that will be present. It's a big deal and I don't like to talk about it much because I want it so badly and I feel like things you want with your whole heart should be said in soft whispers. Don't ask me why. I guess I'm superstitious. Or super lame. Or both. Anyways about it, I am so excited/nervous/anxious/scared/thrilled/any other emotion you can think of. I can't wait. Alabama, here I effing come. Well, in three months.

The semester from hell:

If you know me at all then you know how extremely trying this semester was for me, academically speaking. Dumb freshmen Kelsey left poor super senior Kelsey with a huge pile of crappy classes freshmen Kelsey just didn't feel like taking. Super senior Kelsey has been pisssssssssed. Anyways, I had to bite the bullet and finally take all the classes I've been absolutely dreading taking since before I even started my first semester of college. Classes I knew I'd be horrible at. Ballet, Math, Physical Science (with a lab), Stagecraft, and Stage Management. Yeah. I had to drag myself through this semester. I fought (mainly with myself) tooth and nail and somehow I survived. My pretty, shiny, near perfect GPA definitely took a hit but y'know what, y'all? I DON'T EVEN CARE BECAUSE I GOT THROUGH IT AND NOW I JUST HAVE ONE SEMESTER LEFT THAT STANDS BETWEEN ME AND A FREAKING COLLEGE DEGREE AND I'M SORRY FOR ALL THE SCREAMING CAPITOL LETTERS BUT I REALLY AM THRILLED.

Me and Tyler:

Engaged. Happy. Making it. Nothing really new to report, I just can't talk about my year without including my dude. Y'know?






A thousand more things happened this year, these are just the highlights. I learned a lot and grew a lot and laughed a lot and cried a lot and at the end of the day it is another year that I made it through. And so did you. We should be proud.


I'll grab some wine. Let's cheers, Nobody. We did it


Here's to 2014, y'all.


-Kelsey


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