Better Late Than Never?
Hello everyone! It’s been a while since my last update, hasn’t it? It’s funny, Sarah credits me as being the one who inspired her to start a blog, but her blog posts remind me that I should update mine! I’ve been super busy and figured I should probably post about it; isn’t that what this blog is for? Buckle up, we’re in for eight months of updates. If that’s a little long for you, no worries. I’ve divided it into monthly summaries, and have captioned pictures along the way, too! Feel free to read as little or as much as you want!
January: Fresh Starts and Resolutions
I started working at a gym (huge thanks to my Sarah for the recommendation!) It’s great because most of my coworkers are artists, so we all understand the flexibility required for us to pay rent and lead our best artist lives!
I BECAME A PET MOM! I adopted Lily on the 31st of January and…I don’t know if I have the words to adequately describe how much better my life is because of her (which is so weird! I usually have so many words! All of the time!).
My New Year’s Resolution was to read more, and I definitely jumped head-first into it! This year, I want to read 150 books, and I drew myself a little tracker in the back of my planner! I’ll have a current picture at the end of this post, so you should check that out (haha now you HAVE to keep reading the post to find out! >:D)
February: The Month of Pets
When I went back to my camera roll for this month, I found all but five pictures were of Lily. She settled into life as the queen of our apartment, and Sarah and I became her adoring subjects. Those pictures not of Lily? They were of Biscuit, Bella and Connor’s puppy. My work schedule allowed us to spend a lot of aunty/puppy time together.
March: New Experiences
My parents came to visit! We explored the Field Museum and went to see Hadestown! I loved having them see the place I live and using them as an excuse to do some of the more touristy things in my beautiful city! And…Hadestown was incredible. It was theatrical in a way that reminded me why I love this art form and want to craft stories. Unsurprisingly, I cried.
I celebrated my first St. Patrick’s Day as a Chicagoan by spending the evening with friends and sampling Malört. And, now that I’ve tried it, I don’t think I need to again. Of course, I also went to see the green river, but I drove, so I didn’t grab any pictures (Safe Driving!!!!!).
It was Sarah’s Birthday! I love birthdays :)
I finished The Artist’s Way! Overall, it was hard and I had to face some…uncomfortable truths about myself. But, I feel like I’ve grown as both a person and an artist. And, what is growth without some healthy discomfort? Not growth. It helped me start a monthly submission schedule for auditions (at least 10/month), and I started getting a few callbacks! Wooo! Living the dream!
Karaoke on St. Patrick’s Day
April: The Month of Celebrations
There was Easter, and Sarah, Bella, and I got to welcome Kimmy to our city for a long weekend! In addition to exploring downtown, she got to celebrate Lily’s first birthday with us! It was such a joyful weekend.
So, back in February, I had gotten a callback for a show and booked it! Yay, right? You might be wondering, “Daria. I hadn’t heard anything about that! Why didn’t you post anything about it?” Well, I didn’t actually end up doing it. While it was a role I was beyond excited for, I kept getting signs that, perhaps, it wasn’t the right time for me to do this show. So, after a lot of deliberation (huge thanks to all of the people who let me use them as a sounding board), I withdrew. And that was hard. Like, really hard. I, like many of my colleagues, feel like we’re expected to jump for joy at every offer we receive, but I started feeling a dread about this project as our start date approached. As I waffled back and forth, I couldn’t stop thinking about something I heard from a guest speaker my freshman year at Millikin: every project we do should feed our souls. And, despite how badly I wanted (and still want) to do that show, I couldn’t shake the feeling that doing it with this company might end up killing my soul and my love for my craft. And I just wasn’t willing to do that for a resume credit. Yes, I was sad and yes I cried about it. But, I also celebrated my growth and hoped that something bigger and better was coming.
May: Upward and Onward
And something was! In April, I submitted for a zoom reading of the second and third Twilight movies. A couple of weeks passed, so I assumed nothing was going to come of it. And then, the night of my friend Mary’s birthday (I LOVE BIRTHDAYS), I got an offer from the company (Random Acts) to be part of a slightly different project. They were, instead, going to be doing the 2011 Red Riding Hood and if I were interested in reading for Henri–a corner of the main love triangle. Of course I said yes, and all of a sudden, I HAD BOOKED MY FIRST GIG. Well…technically my second, but… you know… The whole process was short and sweet. We had two zoom calls: one for a rehearsal, one for the filming. It was just a bunch of people playing around the whole time. I loved it so much. It helped remind me, amongst all of the auditioning and the never hearing back from companies, just why I love this process so much. (Side note: can we please normalize companies sending emails regardless of an audition’s outcome? This never hearing back is….aggravating. And mass emails… are not difficult to send.) Then we waited for the recording to be edited, sound effects to be added, and the night of the premiere to be announced. Something funny (cool? crazy?) was that our director had a history with Millikin! My freshman year, Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre did a little show called Strangest Things. Well, Bryan was one of the people who wrote it! So, that was a fun little connection :). Thank you Millikin connections. (This is not the last time I will say that phrase).
After finishing filming, I was asked if I wanted to continue working with Random Acts, and, as I enjoyed the process, of course I said yes. I ended up recording a story for their podcast. And then, the night of the Red Riding Hood premiere, I hosted a little party. It was so great to see the finished product, chat with everybody in the comments, some of whom were my former students :) A huge thank you to everyone who watched.
There was also a 10th anniversary gathering/performance for Shakespeare Corrected! I went on a whim, really–I had the afternoon open. And I am so happy that I did. I didn’t participate in Shakespeare Corrected while at Millikin, but I’ve always admired the work they do, and it was incredible to be able to see that work in action. It was nice to see a couple of friends from my time at Millikin, but the performance itself brought me to tears. The performers were so unapologetically true to themselves in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. So, thank you all for letting me witness your celebration, and I hope to attend many more anniversaries, if you’ll have me.
And! My parents came to visit again at the end of the month! I was able to take them biking along the lakefront, show them around my neighborhood, and spend Memorial Day with them (in air conditioning)! Wow! So much in a single month!
June: Hodgepodge
And it was only about to get busier! I picked up more shifts at work and kept on auditioning. I was getting callbacks (yay!) and my second gig was with...Random Acts! I was asked to come back for their next at home movie which was (drumroll) Die Hard! I would be reading for the villain, Hans Gruber! Hee hee! I was so excited. This was another great experience, particularly because we had some technical difficulties. That might sound a bit odd, but let me explain. Our narrator was one of the people experiencing wifi troubles, but, because of the ‘one-take’ nature of the project, we kept going and other people took turns narrating until she was able to rejoin the call. Again, it was another reminder why I love what I do. We filmed in the middle of the month, knowing that the video wouldn’t premiere until sometime in July. Hmmmm a Christmas movie premiering in July… I wonder when it got released (hee hee hee).
And! Connor, Bella, and I surprised Sarah at opening night of Mammia Mia! She was INCREDIBLE (as was the rest of the cast)!!! It was so fun to see the moment she realized we were sitting in the second row. :)
AND! It was Pride Month! I wanted to do something big, particularly because of the political climate regarding…basic human rights. As a white, bisexual woman, I do realize that I have quite a bit of privilege in…well… most areas in my life, and I wanted to use that to raise awareness and money for the Trevor Project! So, I set the goal of biking 51 miles in the month of June. And I ended up tripling that. I biked 150 miles! Actually, as I bike to work almost every day, I biked more than that, but I wanted to go out of my way for the first 51 miles. It got me outside during the summer, and, one beautiful day, I ended up biking 20 miles from my apartment to just past Soldier Field, and then all the way back! I hadn’t initially intended for the ride to be that long, but it was an absolutely gorgeous day! And I’ve accidentally done it a couple more times since then! Yes! I said accidentally! I just kept going and then realized I was over 10 miles away from home… he he
I also went to my first Pride parade!!!!!!! Sarah and I went together, and had a blast. My nose did get VERY sunburned because we were standing in the sun for about 4 hours, so next year I’ll definitely wear a hat. But I would not have missed this day for the world. We got to spend an entire afternoon surrounded by queer people and allies, all of whom were banding together after the repulsive overturning of Roe v Wade. I am furious. I am scared. And I know I’m one of the lucky ones. Regarding my individual body and person, those are the two big issues I have to face: being bi and having a uterus. I don’t have to worry about how I am treated based on the color of my skin or on my religion. But we can’t just worry about ourselves if we want to work toward an equitable society. So, I continue to learn, check my privilege, and find ways to fight. Because if we do not fight for equity for all, we will continue to stay where we are, mired in oppression, fear, and ignorance.
July: Whirlwind
Oh my word, July. At the end of June, I was asked if I was interested in being a part of a film project with…can anyone guess? Yes! It’s Random Acts! I love working with this company and am ecstatic that they seem to feel the same! We’ve been filming since the beginning of July and are wrapping up now. It’s been a fantastic process and a great learning experience. I’ve also gotten to meet some of my previous collaborators in person! (What an odd world we live in, where I can work with people on multiple projects and have never met them in person).
It was Bella’s birthday! Sarah and I took her and Connor out for breakfast at one of our favorite spots, Pick-Me-Up! Have I mentioned how much I love birthdays? ;)
Bella and Connor at Pick-Me-Up for her Birthday :)
The end of the month was definitely the busiest period I’ve had so far. Because I’ve actually posted about it, most of you probably know I’ve been cast in the ensemble of Big Noise Theatre’s production of The Sound of Music. I won’t lie, I cried when I got the call. A lot. My mom can confirm. Then there was a happy dance and root beer floats because I not only get to do a show I’ve loved for…my whole life, but I also get to do it with my roommate!) And thank you again Millikin connections, both our director and choreographer graduated from Millikin!
Die Hard premiered just in time for Christmas in July! I had another premiere party and baked Christmas cookies to eat in our festively decorated apartment! Those decorations might still be up…
Then, I took a short trip back to MN for a concert with my parents: Lake Street Dive and Brandi Carlile. AND! We were introduced to a new artist: Celisse. If you haven’t heard her stuff, run to your music streaming service–she’s INCREDIBLE. Lake Street Dive was fantastic, and I got to introduce my parents to a group that I love; it felt like proper thanks for them sharing their love of classic rock with me.
BUT BRANDI CARLILE. Oh. My. God. I…I’m still riding on that high, over a month later. It was the best concert I have ever been to. She was such a generous performer–to her audience, her band, her openers (she brought each of them back onstage during her set). And she was wearing a WHITE SILK SUIT?!?!?!?! Like…..ugh. Just so good. There is a picture down below of me crying. Yes, it’s while I’m trying to sing along to “You and Me on the Rock” which is about her loving the life she and her wife have built and being “happy gays.” I just…no words. No, I’m still not over it. Her being a happy gay makes me a happy gay. And what’s better than a bunch of gay gays? (hee hee. I couldn’t resist :) )
August: Getting Caught Up
This month has been one big balancing act of work, filming, rehearsing, auditioning for the next project, working on being a better activist, and finding time to rest. (A concept, I know.) But, in the midst of all that, a couple of really cool things have happened.
Lily and I napping together after an over-night shoot :)
I released a mood tracker that I drew! I’ve been working on this project for 8 months, so holding it in my hands and sending off my first order were incredible experiences. I made a thing! I did! And people can buy it! At this link! AGGGGGGHHHHHHH!
I feel like I’m gaining momentum in my career. And I can comfortably say that knowing that a lot of relatively unseen work has gone into that. I’m submitting to a lot of different theater companies, and, whether or not I get cast, lots of different people are seeing my work. I’m also actively developing relationships which, in turn, are helping me get cast.
I’m also becoming comfortable with showing myself on audition tapes. I know it sounds a bit odd. “Daria. It’s a self tape. Isn’t it literally showing yourself?” Yes, but I’m getting more comfortable with showing my goofy, non-performer self, which...I’ve not always been comfortable with. I’m working on fully loving myself and embracing the little tics that make me… well…me!
It was my grandma’s 80th birthday! It felt great to see her spend time with old friends, as well as getting to see her myself. And I got to see my parents again, too! I love having family in the area–it makes the move (which was almost a year ago already?!?!?!) a little less scary because I know I’ve got that support system already in place.
Now for that promised reading update. I’m currently on my 88th book for the year, which puts me a bit behind. But I’m enjoying how much I’ve been reading and value that more than the number of books I end up finishing. But make no mistake…I will finish that goal😤
88. Count them…88 books this year so far XD
Lastly, Sarah, Bella, and I went to the opening night of Glass Apple Theatre’s Dracula! We knew Dr. Seward, and he was incredible (it was Connor. We saw Connor’s opening night 😂). Anyway, I know this has been a whole novel, so thanks to those of you who read it! Bye for now, and, I shall try to update y’all before another 8 months has passed😅
