| Laura |
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I probably should have reread last year's entry. It might be easier to begin if I knew where I'd left off.... Anyway, January threw me into the 2nd term of my MP1 year (Acting Mentorship Program One) at Rosebud School of the Arts. That meant stage combat, new voice and acting coaches and another student show.
Fight class was awesome! Even if I did injure myself weekly (I'm just clumsy - the point of the class was actually to learn to not injure yourself....). We mostly worked with unarmed and found weapon scenarios. Definitely my favourite class of the term!
My new voice coach (Burton) was determined to prove that I'm actually a soprano, so suddenly I was singing Poor Wandering One from Pirates of Penzance. I don't know if you're familiar with Gilbert and Sullivan but man - so ridiculous. This isn't me, but it is the song.... |
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Laura and cousin Ann |
Our student show was Triumph of Love. It had a very convoluted plot that I won't even try to explain. Suffice it to say that I played a 50 year old woman (yay age make-up!) who was tricked into loving a man, who was actually a woman not interested in me at all. Point of interest: because it was set in the 1700s (did I not mention that?) I got to wear a corset and paniers.
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In the middle of all that, my class (and the year above us) took a two week break and headed to England. We saw some really great shows (The Heretic, A Flea in Her Ear, War Horse, The Children's Hour...), we had some wonderful workshops (my favourite was at The Globe), and I got Kiera Knightley's autograph, but my favourite experience was the day I spent in Oxford. We had a day to ourselves with only an evening show to attend in London, so Jesse and I got on a train and headed for Oxford.
The group also spent some time in Stratford-Upon-Avon where one of our teachers used to live. She got her old theatre group to invite us to one of their Skittles nights. It was kind of like bowling, and in a pub. Hilarious. It was a fantastic trip and I'd love to go back some day.
April brought the opening of our show and a performance of Mozart's Requiem with one of the many communtiy choirs. I was honoured to be the alto soloist |
 Keira Knightly and Me! |
Amy, Natalie and Laura
Dinner Music at Rosebud |
Term ended on April 30th and not two days later I was in rehearsal for "Jake and the Kid", the Rosebud summer Opera House show. As a part of my course we have to complete an ASM (Assistant Stage Manager) credit and this was mine. That means I was calling lines, setting props, calling cues, sweeping.... I also had two small roles in the show: the CBC Announcer and a girl who plays trumpet the talent show. The run lasted for 93 shows and I loved every minute of it.
In August, as I was preparing to be a member of a dinner music ensemble for the fourth time, I decided I would try to learn the guitar.
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I had borrowed (possibly without asking) my Dad's guitar a few months before and, at the end of summer, I finally found the time to learn the thing. It's a work in progress but I love it and was thrilled to receive a guitar for my birthday!
This fall I begain MP2. Year two of the same course, but with a drastically different schedule. I was in regular classes (scene study, marketing, theatre history, coaching, etc.) for about a month and then, on October 11th, rehearsals for the Christmas show (Gifts of the Magi) began. Main stage shows mean full-time rehearsals: 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and no other classes. It was wonderful! And so much fun! The show is a musical so I was singing and dancing a lot - you really learn how to pace yourself.
We opened on the first weekend of November and then resumed our regularly scheduled classes (fewer than in September) in amongst our 7 shows from Wednesday - Saturday show schedule. It was an exhausting but rewarding 2 months. We had our final performance last night (yes, I'm writing this on Christmas Eve). I miss it already.
And that was my year.
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Merry Christmas! |
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| Fun with Friends |
Jesse and Laura at Oxford Castle
Standing on the tower |
Scott, Andrea, Sam and Laura |
Andrea, Sam and Laura |
Sam, Scott and Andrea |
| Laura in London |
Laura at Cotswolds |
Laura, Jesse, Amy and Matt
in front of Royal Shakespeare Theatre
in Stratford - Upon - Avon |
Jesse and Laura at
Warwick Castle |
Jesse and Laura
Stratford - Upon-Avon |
Laura and Jessee in a London Box |
Laura in London |
| Laura's Performances
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| Student Production of - Triumph of Love |
Laura and Nathan (instructor) |
Laura and Jesse |
| Rosebud Theatre Production of - Jake and the Kid |
Laura, Conrad, Nathan, Mike and Glenda |
Laura |
| Rosebud Theater Production of - The gifts of the Magi |
Laura & Joel (City Her and City Him) & Mike the Bum |
Joel, Laura and Sarah |
Joel, Laura and Mike (Soapy) |
Mike, Joel and Laura |
Gifts of the Magi Cast |
Mike, Joel and Laura |
| Just strumming around... Practicing for the evening of fame.. |
Laura and Amy |
| For extra fun - have a look at our Christmas Past !!! |
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