258/365

We have this really lovely rehearsal space which has these great windows so we don't feel trapped inside all day, and they have all these lovely double curtains.

257/365

Today was our first official rehearsal, despite seeing the kids the day before. Today was the day where we heard the principals, the adult chorus and the children's chorus for the very first time. All I can say is that this show is going to be great.

I know this looks so ordinary, but we had to set up rows and rows of chairs... and every time I walked by them in certain angles, I kept seeing this great picture. It was hard to capture with the camera what my eye could see... but that's the whole point of this project.

256/365

Stage managers by nature are a) organized and b) get really excited about an office supply store. These are the hanging file folders in our little portable filing system that will soon be chock full of paperwork for our show. Isn't it pretty??

255/365

One of the great things about the arts is that their storage tends to be in non-traditional spaces. A lot of theatres I've worked with have stored in old mills and warehouses. The company I'm working for now has storage in an old piano mill. This is the next room over from our storage - isn't it beautiful?

253/365

I didn't miss a day, I just uploaded them in the wrong order. This is the delicious blueberry pie that my mom made for my dad's birthday - which we celebrated on the eve since I left the actual morning of.

254/365

Hello, Boston! After traveling most of the day, here I am in Beantown. The bed at the place I'm staying in has this unique structure that is like a four-poster bed unlike anything I've seen. And it has these cute little cut-outs.

This bed was a very welcome sight that evening.

252/365

This is what remains of Northwest Plaza - a once-bustling, popular mall is now stripped down, almost empty shell. Once an outdoor mall, then turned indoors in the 80s, once boasted many many stores. Now there are five... and one of the last remaining anchor stores is leaving: Macy's. I had heard about the sad and sorry state of Northwest Plaza, but I didn't really understand it until I saw it for myself. My heart almost broke when I walked in the door. The cinema-shuttered, the food court-abandoned. Familiar facades were coated in black plastic and nameplates stripped or covered.

Truly sad. When Macy's leaves in March - all that will be left is Sears. Makes me so sad.

Where have all the shoppers gone?

251/365

I came over to the house so we could see Avatar in 3-D as a family. BTW, very nice movie... though I'm not so sure I enjoyed the 3-D part as much - the glasses were kind of distracting on glasses. My eyes seemed to get tired. A movie very well done though.

I came over early to play with the pups and Pippin obligingly posed for a picture. I'm only sorry that the pic of her in 3-D glasses didn't turn out because it was pretty priceless!

250/365

This is hands-down, my favorite dish at the Pasta House, a local St. Louis chain of italian restaurants. It's Cavatelli al Crema and it used to be on the menu. Now it's not, but you can still order it because they still make the garlicky cream sauce and offer it as a side dish. Except those in the know can order it as an entree.

Yum!

249/365

There really isn't anything like sleeping in one's own bed. It'd been far too long. Ahh... bliss...

248/365

I drove in very very very foggy weather, but arrived happily in St Louis without mishap. I was enthusiastically greeted by both dogs, Pippin practically moved her crate on her own through her enthusiasm. Before she can complain about being left out of this picture, I can say that she didn't really hold still long enough for a non-blurry picture. So there.

I love my dogs. Both of them.

242/365-247/365

247/365



Happy Closing... a two show weekend and it's all over. I'll miss this performance space - the staff (student and faculty/professional-alike) were incredibly helpful.

246/365



A delicious dinner on the day off inbetween shows with colleagues. Refreshing food and conversation, not always about opera or music.

245/365



Happy Opening to us! This is our neo-classical modern setting of Salome. Meant to be set in the construction area of the back of an upper society party. The set and lights were stunning as well as the singing. An amazing hour and a half of opera...

244/365



A day off after three days of tech meant a huge catch-up day in sleep lost during the past week. I finally went to dinner around 9pm with my assistant. We had Olive Garden - good pastas and tasty drinks.

243/365



Fun sculpture/lighting fixtures in the lobby of our performance space. I love hologram-y, rainbow-y things. It's the girl in me, I guess.

242/365



Don't worry... that's a fake head... and stage blood... (that tastes like peppermint).

239/365-241/365

241/365



Day 241 was spent mostly in airplanes, trying to get back to Cedar Rapids to drive an hour and half north to Cedar Falls, move into our hotel and get to the theatre in time to work a piano dress. Needless to say with the stress of the weekend plus the flying all day, I was slightly delirious and slap happy by the time rehearsal rolled around. Nevertheless, I got a good test on a difficult opera score because all my assistant and I could hear was the piano playing, and occasionally singing. The piano reduction is fairly faithful to the orchestra score, but... still, it was a challenge and I'm pleased to say I conquered it fairly well, especially considering the circumstances.

240/365



My grandfather died on Day 237, and my job graciously allowed me to be with my family in the aftermath, hopefully for the service. I was awakened quite early one morning - this was the only good thing about that early wake-up call.

239/365



This is Henry, my buddy in Cedar Rapids. He's my hosts' dog and he's adorable. He waited outside my door most mornings and would quickly let everyone else know that I was awake! I do miss this adorable face...

237/365 and 238/365

238/365



Yes, those are real snowflakes on the windshield of my car. Aren't they lovely?

237/365



A day off was a snowy, snowy day... good grief. My ASM and I went for a chilly walk to take fun photos and it was well-worth the chill.

235/365 & 236/365

236/365



I've not really had a real winter in years (excepting a year ago), so I'm really getting it in spades now... This was our last day in the rehearsal space and it snowed like this the entire time we moved out.

235/365



This box of candy, made semi-locally, has been taunting the production table the entire time.

234/365

See a running theme here? It's all about the champagne...

233/365

Champagne glasses figure heavily into our production...

232/365

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. This scarf is wholly necessary up here. I haven't had a winter like this... even in Alaska. No kidding. *shiver*

Sorry that I've gotten behind. Sporadic internet access, family emergency, travel all have gotten me behind... I'm not planning to do a catch-up post unless I get more behind...

231/365

Day 231 was New Year's Day. I spent it with some family friends who were nearby visiting another friend. It was lovely to spend the afternoon with them and stuff myself silly with a delicious home-cooked meal.

We opened Christmas Crackers and this was my crown. I picked the right one! This is MY shade of purple.

230/365

I spent New Year's Eve with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, all in the name of art. No, really. Our production required the champagne bottles in the show. The solution that was presented was that the champagne was donated and we had to empty the bottles ourselves.

All in the name of art, right?

229/365

This is the front bumper of my car. Coated in ice and snow. It snowed for the first few days I was here, causing me to almost NOT be able to get up the driveway of the place I'm staying. Luckily when this picture was taken, the temperatures were still chilly but above freezing.

Days later, the temperatures are below freezing with a windchill making them even colder. How come Iowa is colder than Alaska?? Can anyone explain that?

228/365

Earlier in the 365 project, I seemed to be in a reflections phase. I think I'm still in it but I also seem to have picked up a textures phase. It's all about changing perspectives on what I see which is the whole goal of the project. That and the side benefit of it being a visual diary of my 28th year of life.

This is actually a lawn chair, photographed after rehearsal onstage under stage lights. A lawn chair, you say, in Iowa, in sub-zero Fahrenheit temperatures. Well, we've placed our production of Salome in modern times, and the thrones are lawn and lounge chairs. There's a bit more to the story. But that's for another time.

So there you have it. I'm getting closer and closer every day...

227/365

Looks boring, but spike tape and gaffers tape are staples of my job just as easily as hole punches and binders are. Day 227 was the first day of rehearsal at the new job... and included taping down the groundplan of the set so we could rehearse "on" the set.

225/365

These are my babies... sitting pretty so I can have a cute picture of them before I leave.

2009 in Review

2009 was a busy year for me... and it brought along changes. I also did a lot of traveling.

January found me heading off to the final frontier, Alaska. It was a great time and I made some great friendships from there.

February was adventurous at work (oh the stories I can tell) and also found me celebrating my first blogiversary.

March was a crazy month traveling on an amazing (but short) trip to Hawaii, a madcap weekend in Indy where I ended up working at the last minute and heading to Amarillo, TX.

April was more Amarillo time where I had a great cast and we had a grand 'ol time.

May was Das Rheingold, my first Wagner, and the beginning of Butterfly. Oh, and it may have also been my birthday month. Celebrated with one of my best friends and the cast of Das Rheingold.

June found me celebrating a marriage between WS & GS and doing Butterfly with a schoolmate from college. It also found me mourning the loss of a dear friend.

July was when I made the big move from Houston to St. Louis. Much happier in St Louis... even though I do miss my Houston friends and favorite resturants.

August found me unpacking, organizing and generally relaxing. A welcome change.

September had me in Indianapolis again, working on another German opera. I also started Assignment: St Louis on Flickr.

October was my grandfather's 90th birthday and also sent me back to Alaska for a second time to do a double-bill of operas. I took seven flights in one week. Never again... (hopefully).

November found me finishing up my time in Anchorage and heading home for the holidays and a break.

December was blissfully quiet and work free. Sometimes that's a good thing. I got to hang out with a friend and see parts of St Louis that I don't get to normally see. I also participated in the bi-annual roommate reunion with my sophomore year roommates. We got it in just under 2 years and we had a blast.

I completed #1, #49 and #75 on my life list, as well as revamping it to be more realistic and attainable. You can't cross things off if they're vague.

I know a lot of my friends had rough, rotten 2009s. Mine wasn't 100% great, but it wasn't 100% bad either. I was lucky enough to keep up a freelance/contract job in a recession. I survived many companies closing.

May 2010 bring me many more adventures and hopefully more stability. And many new and fun photographic opportunities.