Grateful Bread

So as i've mentioned we as a company have been eating a great deal of Grateful Bread lately. Here are some of the highlights:

  

Hungry

I don't really know why, perhaps because its been so cold the last few days, I have be craving scones. Rosemary and Goat Cheese Scones. With Tea. So basically i've just been craving Alice's Tea Cup

My friend Katie took me there when i was last in NY with her. Some weekend in December. The weather was similarly crisp but rainy that day, and the little shop (the one off 64th I think) was so warm and the food amazing. We got two pots of tea and sandwiches and warm scones.

Stuff

So i feel as though so many of my posts lately are photos...and not much about what is going on with me. Lordy. I'm not really even sure where to begin. The start of the Tour looms closer! This is exciting! We've had a few guests come into rehearsals and their reactions seem really favorable. The shows are really in great places and Hamlet especially shines (i think).

J's Hamlet is truly joyous. I really love just sitting backstage and listening to him. I have encountered very few people that i am just compelled to watch onstage. You know, the sort of people you can't quite take your eyes from. There are a number in this show, which is really special for me. It gives me something to strive for. Have you ever met people like that?

In other news. Life has been stressful. P90X is kicking my butt and i'm loving it. I am striving mightily to turn the nervous energy and worry that i am carrying around into something productive that doesn't involve food. HARD. I am, if anything, a nervous eater. My salvation comes in these exercise videos. So my abs hurt, but i've eaten a few fewer things that are bad for me. Mission accomplished.

Timeless

Timeless, originally uploaded by Darien Chin.

My mind has been wandering a lot. I would love to travel more. I want to go back to the west coast. This is from Olympia.

Book pages bird collage - back - 2-21-2007

Book pages bird collage - back - 2-21-2007, originally uploaded by ssmamiya.

I love the wire embellishments. I definitely want to try something like this.

bird collage gift card

bird collage gift card, originally uploaded by Georgia Hoad.

Cool collage from Flickr.

collages

from Luphia Loves by Endofmarch

So i'm working on unpacking my stuff. The first bit i got out were some of my collages to put around the room. I wish i had more places to hang them. I always love looking at the work that others do...Tina from Luphia posted recently about Katy Gromball and I found this older post where she displays some work by EndofMarch. Both are really awesome. Everything is really clean. I like it.

From Katie Gromball via Luphia Loves

HOW ?

How have i been out of the loop for this? http://washington.org/restaurantwk/

I was reading Sunday Supper's post about awesome food events this weekend  in NY.http://sunday-suppers.blogspot.com/2010/01/weekend-guide-122210.html OH MY how i wish i was there! And they mentioned Restaurant week NY is upcoming. SO i thought how lovely. Maybe they do that in DC also...and I missed it. Last week. ::cry::

Work work work

I've been piddling around with banners for the new EC blog. Here is one.

I hate it when one arrives at the weekend and still has a plethora of things to do. Oh well.

Lately, in addition to work at the Shakespeare Festival (plays are coming together nicely i think) I'm trying to make some additions to Empty Chair's media products. For instance, creating a press kit. I've been reading a great deal about Arts Marketing lately and am attempting to bend some of these ideas to my will.

Decorating

The rest of my things from home have finally arrived and now i get to decorate my room! I've been living in the Company housing for 2+ weeks with nothing at ALL on the walls. I've been inspired by some of these photos.

From Aubrey Road

from Luphia Loves

I'm in a super nesting mood. In a way i can't wait to get off the work road, get into grad school and make myself a home.

OMG. New Blogs

So i'm following a few new blogs. I'm always looking for colorful things. They keep my mind percolating in images. And by always i mean recently since i found a set design idea for Richard II on a fashion/design blog i follow. I now am seeing the value of these new fangled picture blogs.

Sunday Suppers is my new favorite. Living a life of vagrancy i so rarely have the opportunity to hostess things anymore, but back in college there was nothing that i enjoyed more than entertaining no matter how casual. I have found this harder to do now, since i'm moving so frequently for work. I haven't nested in a kitchen again, but looking at these photos and reading their recipes is really inspirational!

A few other new blogs of note are as follows :
http://theenglishmuse.blogspot.com/
The City Sage
Aubrey Road

SOUP NIGHT !

Tuesdays and Thursdays are beginning to be my favorite days of the week! I have gotten my cast mates hooked on Grateful Bread! They are really fun nights of hanging and chatting. Soup Night is a particular experience since its turned into "How many bowls of soup can Shunan eat?" The first week it was 4, last week 5.5 and this week 7! He's training for a marathon though. After running 12 miles i guess one gets hungry.

Minds Wide Open

Empty Chair is for the first time ever, doing a spring benefit (contributions go to the Susan G Komen For the Cure) in the form of a Shakespearean Showcase. This is super cool because additionally we have become part of program called Minds Wide Open 

From their website : MINDS WIDE OPEN: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts

is the first statewide celebration of its kind. Between March and June of 2010, thousands of special events will occur to honor contributions by women to arts and culture. Any individual or group can participate by presenting at least one public program focused on women.

Its really exciting to see this project move towards realization! We are listed on the MWO Calendar in late May! Look for us in Arlington. More information is certainly forthcoming. 

Gnu

So i haven't posted about food in a while, so i thought i'd share these great bars that Mr. F has been eating. I've tried them and they are great and raw! http://www.gnufoods.com/

Obviously these images aren't mine.

Magazines

So while i was in the office of the festival the other day our Booking Agent gave me two old Anthropologie Catalogs. One of my dearest friends in enamoured with their clothes so i have taken an interest myself. I don't really shop there yet for clothes (lets save some money and lose some weight...i feel like size 6 is probably about as big as it gets at Anthopologie they boast a size 14 but i'm not sure i believe it), but i do TRULY TRULY adore their home decor and their eclectic selection of books etc. etc. I really like their style and i find it really inspirational for my collaging. From the November 2009 catalog here are some images i think are just wonderful. Pilfered from http://anthropologieaddict.blogspot.com/

Art's been on my mind

I always think its super cool when artists cross mediums

Scott Avett Printmaking from Ramseur Records on Vimeo.

A little restless

I miss having something to do with my hands that does not involve my computer. I'm going home this weekend so i'll pick up my collaging materials. That will be a relief. During times of stress there is nothing that i enjoy so much as just getting lost in some other activity that enables the mind to work in a different way.

Sky as i was leaving work.

Rational

Today Martha said to me: You have the tendency as an actor to build and then rather than continuing to build, you revert back to the rational. (Or something to that effect).

I was so struck by that off handed comment (it was rather thrown in to our discussion of the pacing of the scene in Shrew we were working....pacing is so often my problem. I have to work hard (especially when straining to remember lines) to not let the air out). It was a bit like being shown a mirror for just a moment. But in that moment the axis of the world tilts and you realize some sort of resounding truth and then per force continue along. I was aghast at how true a statement it was. In life, i think my default is to bring things back to the rational. This is so worth taking note of, since what I admire about some of my coworkers, and actors in general, is the ability to be spontaneous. One of my cast mates perpetually surprises me. A scene can be moving along and then poof! Something absolutely new and off the wall and I (of course) forget my line. While these moments are never really fun (for me) I have to marvel at them and sometimes laugh too.

Coming Home

Its really funny how people latch on to places. I suppose, as i didn't go away for college, High Point kind of became that idyllic "college town" that i fell in love with on last years tour. This is amusing to me because it is in no way idyllic, but the memories i have of my time there, fill me with joy. Returning has been great. After a challenging but fun Ren-Run of Hamlet today, i went to Soup Night at my absolute favorite restaurant: The Grateful Bread Company.

Soups on the menu were :
Cabbage with beef

Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Bisque

Beef and Roasted Root Vegetables

Tomato Basil

(some other that i cannot remember right off hand)

This was served with all you can eat bread.

For $9.00.

Amazing. It was also just great to see all of my old friends at this place. When i was most lonely and homesick last year, i would go to this Restaurant for some savory local food and some conversation. It is so heartwarming to enter a place after half a year and still be called by name.

On the other hand, i am missing some Arlington. The days before my departure were really just filled with joy and work and good times with Empty Chair. Not only was i holding my own auditions, but able to help out with the current production of Much Ado About Nothing. Check it out! They're great.