Finally

I have never felt a larger sense of relief than I feel right now. The most difficult semester of my entire college career is almost over. Last weekend, we had our performances of The Good Doctor. I never realized how difficult directing a show can be. Working with the actors was only a tiny portion of what I had to do. Lighting, sound, programs, posters, ushering, and the set were all my (and the other four directors) responsibilities. And that's not even the half of it! It did pay off though because we put on a wonderful show. The actors were amazing, the audience loved it, and we sold more tickets in one week end than most IUS shows. Now, all I have is a final for Voice class on Wednesday, and my final project for Scene Design (including an eight page paper) is due next Monday. This I can handle. I hope.

Check It Out!

My webpage is almost complete! (The truth is, it will never be fully completed because I can always add more monologues.) But, at this point, it looks really good. There twenty-four monologues, a homepage with five pictures of IUS productions, an "about this site" page, and a link to this blog. So far, I have six classical comedy monologues, six classical dramatic monologues, six contemporary comedic monologues, and six contemporary dramatic monologues. Almost all the monologue pages have pictures of previous productions. This is because I believe it is easier to get a feel for the play if pictures are available. The "About This Site" page just explains how this webpage is specifically for women around my age in need of audition monologues. There is, also, an About Me section that just says my experience, what I am up to, and, of course, a goofy picture of me. I picked a girly color scheme and a simple layout (because I don't know how to do anything complex.) But, I think everything looks pretty good.

My Website

I've added some more monologues to my website including selections from Eve's Diary, The Casket Comedy, and Les Miserables. There are still quite a few that I plan to add. There will be a monologue from the movie Waiting for Guffman which will probably be the only movie monologue, but I wan to include it because it has worked really well for me in the past. I will, also, add some monologues from Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Midsummer Night's Dream.

By the way, I saw the movie Leatherheads last Saturday. This movie stars George Clooney, John Krasinski, and Renee Zellweger, and is directed by Clooney. I was really excited about this movie. Partially because it looked cute and funny, and partially because I love John Krasinski. However, I was pretty disappointed. I knew I wouldn't enjoy Renee Zellweger's performance and I didn't, but it wasn't just that; Leatherheads was not all that cute or funny. It had its moments, but for the most part it was just plain boring.

A Change of Pace

My blog is going to be shifting gears to topics relating to monologues. This is because I am in the process of creating a website about audition monologues for women. It can be very time consuming to find a good monologue. You have either spend hours seaching the web or reading through books. That's why I'm making a site that will be a collection of monologues that have worked for me. This site is a work in progress, but so far I have monologues from The House of Blue Leaves by John Guare, Voice of the Prairie by John Olive, A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, and some others. If anyone out there is in need of a monologue that works really well, go ahead and visit my site! www.ius.edu/abraune

Be Kind Rewind

I recently saw the movie Be Kind Rewind. It is written and directed by Michel Gondry, the genius who made Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep, and all those cool music videos for bands like Radiohead and The White Stripes. Be Kind Rewind stars Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, and Mia Farrow. In a nutshell, all the movies in a small, vintage video store are erased, so Black and Def try to save the store by remaking or "sweding" all the movies, including Ghostbusters, Rush Hour 2, and 2001 Space Odyssey. I love this movie, obviously, since I tend not to write about movies I don't like. I was very disappointed with some of the American public when I heard people leaving the theater sputtering, "Well that was a disaster..." Kids these days just don't understand. These people wouldn't know a work of art if it slapped them in the face. Anyway, despite what some may say, Be Kind Rewind is a wonderful movie. Go see it now.

No New Movies

I've been so busy lately that I have not been able to go see any new movies. To be honest there's really not any good movies out right now anyway. I might go see Definitely, Maybe, but I just haven't had any spare time. So, today I will discuss the play The Phantom of the Opera. It seemed the right thing to do considering I am listening to the soundtrack right now. I saw The Phantom of the Opera about a month ago at Kentucky Center for the Arts. It was so amazing that I went out and bought the soundtrack. I had never seen it on the stage, but I saw the movie a few years ago. The movie just doesn't do it justice, as is with pretty much any play turned into a film. You can see a movie over and over again and it will always be the same, but theatre is a once in a lifetime experience. A play is unique every time it is performed. Back to the point, The Phantom of the Opera was really incredible. That moment when the chandelier is first revealed made me jump out my seat. My only two problems with it are: our seats were really far away (which of course is not the fault of the play) and the Phantom seemed a little short. I realize this sounds very superficial, but, what can I say, it bothered me. Other than that, it was a wonderful experience.

Arrested Development: The Movie

In case you don't already know, Arrested Development is one of the funniest TV shows ever created. Unfortunately, it was canceled after just three seasons. Obviously, this was an outrage, however I have learned to accept it considering the cancelation occurred several years ago. Now, there is talk of an Arrested Development movie. Apparently, all of the original cast and a production company has already signed on to the idea. Of course, the movie is not set in stone at this point; however, I can't help but get excited just at the thought of it. Anyway, Arrested Development stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Jeffery Tambor, David Cross, and it is narrated by Ron Howard. All three seasons are for sale, so check it out!