Character Work for Gypsy/A Fangirl Writing Fanfiction

Something that I like to do is ask the what if's. What if it didn't go the way it did? What if another character was here? What would happen if he didn't feel that way? What would she do? I ask these questions, reading books, watching TV shows, reading a script, watching movies, or even acting in a musical. I play the part of Louise in Gypsy. We finished up Act 1 run through last night and it was great. Everyone was mostly off book which was good for just being the third week in. Anyways, this thought came to me while I was thinking about the end of Act 1. Careful, there are spoilers. ;) We (the audience) are missing an entire chunk of the story from the train station to the Toreadorables. What happened? When did Louise become okay with doing the act even though it is awful? How does she and Herbie make up for all the time that Louise pushed him away? This is my take on what might have happened...

Fear crept into my chest as Momma kept talking. She was just plowing ahead with no thought. She was trying to forget June, forget Tulsa, and forget the past. I was her future, she said. I was the dream she had. But I wasn’t. She’s saying we can do it. All I wanted to do was to run, to run far away, to find June and forget all this. I tried to run. Herbie caught me and brought me back, holding me in his arms because I knew that I would fall to the ground if he wasn’t there, holding me. There was nothing left, just Momma’s dreams that would never come true, not with me. I looked at Herbie and I knew that he knew, but he loved her so he would stand beside her the entire way. At the end of her rant, Momma left the train platform, leaving Herbie and me in his arms. We both stood there in shock at what just happened. Dry sobs wracked my chest.

“C’mon, Plug,” Herbie said softly. “We gotta go.”

~

It was dark on the train that night after...after everything. I couldn’t look at Momma because I would start crying. I wouldn’t let her see, or Herbie. The pain in my chest wasn’t sharp like I thought it would be. It was an ache, an ache that would not let up. I couldn’t breathe, which sent my body into a panic. I started hyperventilating and then the tears came pouring down my cheeks. I muffled my cries in that stupid blanket coat I made for me, for Chowsie, for Momma, for...I couldn’t even say her name, because the very thought of her and Tulsa made me cry more. Did I not show how I felt about Tulsa? Was I that oblivious and naive to think that he would love me, talentless me without any hope for the future? What on earth was Momma gonna do? What were we all gonna do?

Momma made a sleepy sound in the seat next to Herbie. I quickly dried my eyes, but the tears kept coming. Why couldn’t Momma accept Herbie’s proposal? Why? I wanted to shake that woman and tell her to be sensible, to marry Herbie, so we could be a family. I wanted to be Herbie’s daughter. I didn’t want to be a star. Momma thinks I can be a star. She thinks I’m beautiful. She believes that I’m beautiful. Can she see me at all? I’m not June. Herbie can see it. He knows.

A hand touched my shoulder. I turned my head and saw Herbie standing there, his suit shirt rumpled from sleeping in a train seat. His brown eyes filled with the same pain I felt. Momma wasn’t going to marry him until she got her way.

“C’mere, Plug.” He whispered, holding out his arms. I slowly rose from my seat and went to him. As his arms wrapped around me, the tears began again and the knot in my chest made it difficult to breathe. “Shh, Louise, it’s gonna be all right, darlin’.” Herbie said, rubbing my back.

“No, it’s not,” I cried softly. “Momma’s not gonna marry you. All she cares about is the act. I was wrong, Herbie. Wrong about you, wrong about Momma, wrong about the act, and June, and Tuls--” I couldn’t finish his name.

“You loved him, didn’t you?” Herbie asked, softly. I nodded in his chest, smudging his shirt. “What’s funny is that Angie loved you, did you know that?”

I looked at him, my brown eyes meeting his. Both of us had tears coming down our faces. “I had no idea,” I admitted. Herbie nodded. “I never really saw him. He was just another boy in the act.”

“Seems to me that you and Angie are in the same boat.” Herbie smiled. I nodded.

“What are we gonna do, Herbie?” I asked, sniffling. Herbie looked over at Momma.

“We stick together,” Herbie said. “Your mother needs us both with what happened to June.”

“I don’t want to do the act,” I confessed. “I just want a family and a house and a yard for the animals. I want you for my father and Momma to be happy.”

“I know, Plug, I know.” Herbie kissed the top of my head. “It’s gonna be okay, it’s gonna be okay.”

“You don’t know that,” I pulled away from him. “You don’t know that at all, Herbie.”

“We’ll make it through this, Louise.” Herbie said kindly. “I promise you we will make it through this.” He handed me a tissue to wipe my eyes. I blew my nose and sat down on the train seat. Herbie patted my shoulder. I looked up again into his brown eyes, those kind, wonderful, worrying brown eyes. I know now that he loved Momma and, by consequence, loved me as well. I wanted him to be my father.

“Herbie, thank you!” I said softly.

“You’re welcome, Louise, but why are you thanking me?” Herbie asked.

“For staying. For being there. For being Herbie!” I said. I looked over at Momma, who was snoring softly. “We both need you.”

“And I need you two as well,” Herbie replied. He bent and kissed my cheek. “Get some sleep, dear.”

“Goodnight, Herbie.”

“Goodnight, Plug.”

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day! I would like to dedicate this post to all of the men and women dedicated to fight for liberty and this country, to my neighbor, Mr. Weedon, who is in the National Guard, my cousin's husband, Myles, who is in the army, and all the others who are constantly in danger because they are out there protecting our country and ensuring that we are able to live without fear, without want, with the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion. Thank you for your commitment to this country! You are always in our prayers!

P.S. Memorizing lines for Gypsy...done and ready for tomorrow's rehearsal!!! :)

Insight into Gypsy

Currently I am a member of the Gypsy cast playing Louise. We are just started blocking for the show and I've been working on songs and memorizing lines. So far, I have the entire Act 1 memorized. 

I've also been trying to explore my character from reading the script and how the book describes her interactions with other characters. Louise loves her sister and her mother and desperately wants to please her mother. The girl has had 3 fathers so when Herbie, the agent, tried to be a father figure to her, Louise pushes him away, thinking he's just an agent, he doesn't really care. It's not until Herbie tries to make real the dream Louise has of having a plain man for a father and a house and a family does Louise truly accept Herbie into their "family." Louise also has a huge crush on Tulsa, one of the boys in the acts. For the longest time, Louise was always a boy in the acts her mother puts on, so she was probably buddies with all the boys. However, she can't help liking this boy, who is cute, talented, and nice. 

This is just a little insight into who Gypsy Rose Lee was before she was Gypsy Rose Lee.

Gates of Fire

So for the past two summer, I've put together a list of books that I have always wanted to read during the school year, yet lacked the time to read all of them. This summer's book list include: Gates of Fire, Clash of Kings, Mere Christianity, Problem of Pain, Killer Angels, Doctor Who and Philosophy, and The Problems of Philosophy. Now seven books to read in a summer is very ambitious. Especially now that I'm in Gypsy, and helping my mom with art camps, and working.


So far, I'm twelve chapters into Gates of Fire. It's a novel about the Battle of Thermopylae. The narrator is a poor Greek young man who joins the Spartan ranks under King Leonidas. The whole thing about the novel is that this certain king and 300 Greeks held a pass against the mighty Persian army.


Two things come to mind when I think of Sparta, Persia, and Thermopylae. The first thing that comes to mind is a movie quote from The Last Samurai. In the last stand of the Samurai, the American tells the Samurai about the battle of Thermopylae because it pertains to their situation.

"There was once a battle at a place called Thermopylae, where three hundred brave Greeks held off a Persian army of a million men... a million, you understand this number?""I understand this number." 

The Samurai later asks the question to which the American responds.

"What happened to the warriors at Thermopylae?" "Dead to the last man."

Probably one of the most powerful memories in my subconscious is this moment. For some reason, I thought the quote would be in some cheesy movie where there were big explosions and bad guys, not cultural changes from the past to the more modern.


The second thing that comes to mind is nothing that matters to anyone, but it still is funny. It's the word Persia. Now this word does not just mean the most mighty empire in the East in antiquity, it is also a nickname. It's a nickname for a boy I know who doesn't even know it. It is my personal pleasure, along with some of my best friends, to call him as such, because we didn't know him at first and we needed a way of referencing him instead of that guy who blah blah blah blah. Or something confusing like that. :) That's my little schpeal (if that is even a word) for today. Nothing intellectual...I just thought I should post. Have a wonderful day, faithful readers!

Moo, Moo, Moo, Moo!

Earlier this week, Monday, actually, my littlest sister, Bella, was auditioning for the show, Gypsy. The show is about the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, a burlesque stripper, and the whole musical surrounds her life and her relationship with her mother, Rose. Bella was up for either a little girl in the chorus, or Baby June or Louise. So when I walked into the theatre, I was not expecting to try out. The director looks at me and says, "You are auditioning, right?" I looked at my calendar and said, "Why not?" My mom and I rushed home. I put on a dress and heels and ran back up to the theatre, searching for a song to audition with. I decided on Once Upon a December. Note: I have not auditioned in two years exactly. The last show I did was Light in the Piazza, beautiful show, if you haven't seen it or listened to it, do! It's amazing.

Anyways, I start getting those nervous jitters that I always get before auditions. Trying to breath and trying not to shake, it's probably one of the worst forms of torture there is. Bella gets up there and blows everyone away with her little song. Silently, in my head, I'm praying that Randy doesn't call me up next because following up that much cute in one person is just not fair. I haven't had that much cute since I was 8. Finally it's my turn. I try not to shake as I walk up the ramp to the stage.

I sing my song and the worst is over. The next step of the audition is dancing, which honestly is no problem whatsoever. I have danced since I was 5. I did choreography for the theatre before. This part was no problem at all. Needless to say, the director says, "Young girls and young women, if you can do the splits, try them at the end." Challenge accepted! Note: I haven't dance seriously in over a year. I am now sporting a bruise that could be described as rainbow on my knee. I had a ton of fun that night of auditions.

The next night, Tuesday, was the callback audition. This means we sing from the show and possibly read from the script. So far, I was content with just being in a show again. However, the further I progressed in the audition, the more I wanted to be one of the older versions of the daughter. I did not really care which one. With a mindset to have fun and do my best, I sang "If Momma was Married" and "Little Lamb." Then I was called up to read for the daughter parts.

Going home that night, I had no idea what I was gonna get. Content with being in the chorus, I went home for a cup of tea with my family and our friend, Cesara, who also auditioned for the part of Mama Rose. We were sitting around the kitchen, all on our various iPads, laptops, and smart-phones. :) Suddenly the cast list pops up on the Facebook group. Searching frantically for people we knew, we found that Bella got Baby June, Cesara got Mama Rose, and I got Dainty Louise....who later becomes Gypsy Rose Lee. :) Needless to say, I'm very excited for this show. I can't wait to work with the wonderful people in this cast and with Randy.

By the way, you should come see the show: Gypsy. It opens June 15th and runs through June 24th. It's going to be a blast. 28 days till opening night!!!

Iron Man Fan Art!

So I'm a huge Avengers fan, scratch that, I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan. When I found out he was doing the Avengers movie, I just about had a fan heart attack! :) In celebration of the wonderful, awesome film, Avengers, I decided to do a little fan art of my own.

This was the first pencil drawing that was inspired by a cartoon version of Iron Man. He happens to be one of my favorite Avengers and my mother, who does art camps in the summer, was doing a super hero art camp and since she wasn't feeling very well, she asked me to do an example for that particular art camp.

This was a photocopy that I colored in with marker. I did this so that the students could see the succession of how they were going to complete their super hero project during the camp. I'm very proud of my Iron Man to say the least. My little sister begged me for a copy of the Iron Man and asked me to draw Captain America for one of her friends. You might be seeing a post about Captain America fairly soon, I hope!

A Dedication

I apologize. I am awful at keeping up with a blog. Sometimes I have no idea what to write about. And then I decide well, I can just make something up and hope that it makes sense. So I've decided to start off with a poem I wrote earlier in the semester. This is dedicated to Knox Anderson and the Anderson Family. We love you guys!!!!

Big smile and blue eyes,
Runny nose and chubby cheeks.
Looking up at blue skies,
I keep remembering this week. 

You were a bundle of joy,
A picture of new life.
You are their precious boy,
Not knowing any strife. 

And then you were taken,
Leaving us bereft.
We miss you, dear boy,
Ever since you left. 

Now it's just one of those days,
Another one of those pilgrim days.
Where I walk through life and think of you,
Free of strife and mourning too. 

We love you, dear boy,
Live on in our hearts.
You are our joy,
Nothing will keep us apart.

School Pride...I Love My School!!!

Baylor University is a wonderful  university with a community for all kinds of students and for Anthropology majors like me. As a freshman, I came into Baylor not knowing what was going on. The Residential Community played an important part in making me feel right at home at Baylor. I moved into the Honors Residential College and immediately felt right at home. The Campus Living and Learning make it more comfortable and safe than I could ever have imagined. The transition to living at Baylor started when my family drove up in front of my dorm. Within five minutes of me being at Baylor, I met my roommate, and all my stuff that was packed was taken out of my car and taken up to my room. This is the beginning of Welcome Week at Baylor. The community at Baylor is eager to bring students into the community and feel at home. Baylor’s philosophy about student community is that community aids in a student’s ability to do well in classes. Baylor demonstrates this philosophy in every aspect from making room for more on-campus Residential Colleges to providing transportation to and from football games from campus to Floyd Casey Stadium.

The academics for Anthropology majors are very inspiring. There is no graduate department for Anthropology so all of the faculty members in the department are focused on the Anthropology students. The advisors work closely with the students and push students to experience hands on work in the field. The program Baylor has for Anthropology students will contribute to their career field by helping them get hands-on experience. Anthropology students are required by the university to do six hours of research or attend an outside field school for anthropology or archaeology. This part of the program ensures that the students have an adequate amount of field world under their belt before going off to graduate school for archaeology, or anthropology. The classes offered to Anthropology students incite hard work and individual research within the class with advising from the professor. In one class, Historical Archaeology, I participated in original research that is now an unpublished manuscript in the Texas Collection Library and in a field dig in Salado, Texas.

These things both offered at Baylor have made my life at Baylor amazing. I feel that Baylor’s community and academia has been both beneficial and preparatory for my career in Anthropology. These two things have shaped who I am personally and academically so that I can go on and have a great career in the field of my choice. I love Baylor for doing this for all of their students.