Disclaimer: This is from one of my first meetings, finally able to post them!

I have erased my first sentence now a solid 15 times. I am sitting at my desk in my room, trying to decide what to write on this Blog.... Now I am eating an apple. Beginnings are always hard for me, the commitment level required to start something and see it through, either gets me excited or causes me a small amount of nausea.

Commitments that make me queasy: running, of any type. Eating a grapefruit, I generally avoid that. Cleaning my room, I get stressed out with the stuff vs. space ratio and how I always have more stuff than space. Buying jeans, I can never find the right fit, always struggling with the gap in the back!

However there are commitments that get me excited! I love swimming, losing yourself in the water and completing a good set is one of the finer things in life. Writing a good story or journal entry. Shopping, for anything really, organizing my grocery lists is a low key passion of mine. Reading my Bible and talking about God. And finally directing, acting and impacting peoples lives through performance art!

Signing up for the commitment of directing a show for the 2016 One Act Festival at OSU got me excited out of my mind! This year I am directing, The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of where Babies Come from, by Christopher Durang. The Hardy boys are two 20 year old men who have never been educated about sex, babies, or how any of it happens, and how their ignorance is a detriment to them. Durang, takes a hard topic, like the lacking sex education programs in America, and puts them in a campy over exaggerated setting, causing us to laugh uproariously, and hopefully, think.

Casting. My cast is top notch. J and G who play the Hardy Boys are friends from high school and have an amazing chemistry and are so willing to take risks and go above and beyond during rehearsal. R is a beautiful lovely soul and asking her to play a cougar type character is a very funny juxtaposition. Finally J#2 is playing Mr. Hardy, J#2 is the kind of actor all directors dream of, someone willing to work until it is right.

Scheduling is HARD. Trying to fit four different people onto one rehearsal schedule is challenging and frustrating, however I now have a beautiful calendar that I slaved over and I'm severely proud of it.

Finally scene working. I had my first rehearsal the other night, J and G were awesome, G came with most of his lines memorized already, and J had some amazing ideas that I hadn't thought of that added another dynamic to the story. Chatting with them, throwing around ideas during rehearsal, laughing, and working hard, is something that I want to strive for every rehearsal.
My rules so far:
1. Be over the top! I'll tell you if you go to far.
2. Speak your mind, I love new ideas, and am not afraid to say no if I don't like it.
3. Don't be afraid to "get physical" in the movement sense.
4. J stop walking so much, plant your feet, quite "Posing for the camera."
5. G, plant your feet, stop slouching and get rid of your T-rex arms!

Overall it was a wonderful first rehearsal and for HW I made them watch Africa Screams with Abbott and Costello for inspiration on their on stage relationship.

I am glad I got through this first blog entry. *pat myself on back* *cookie for reward* *Maybe pop popcorn*