Laura
This year...hmmm.....this year went by really fast.

So, January was the start of a new term for me (still acting in Rosebud) and the class schedule was very busy.  However, I did find time to head to Lake Louise for a weekend with my friend Sarah (the pianist from Gifts of the Magi).  We had agreed to make a trip together during Gifts but had to wait for the new year because we couldn’t go while still under contract for the show.


Girls gone wild.....
An actor’s contract generally involves everything from payment and schedule, to not changing your appearance (hair cut, etc), to not putting yourself in the way of bodily harm (extreme sports, motorcycles, etc).   Well, the wait was worth it.  We had an awesome time with wonderful conditions.

In February, I went to New York with my class.  It was a lot of fun and we had some cool workshops and saw some good shows but I didn’t love it half as much as I loved last year’s trip to England.  Though I did see two shows that I thought were exceptional.  The first was a drama called Other Desert Cities and the second was a musical from the creators of South Park called The Book of Mormon.

When we got back from the trip we began rehearsals for The Crucible (the spring student show).  I had been cast as Danforth, the main judge in the Salem trials, who is usually played by a 65 year old man.... 
Fortunately, the director decided our Danforth could be a middle aged woman (only a little age make-up!).  Being a part of that show was incredible.

Other than the show I was still busy with classes (theatre history, acting, voice, stage combat).  This year’s stage combat class was a sword fighting class, an all girls sword fighting class.  We had a lot of fun.  Though, it was quite difficult to find fight scenes that had any girls in them at all, let alone only girls.  Most of us just picked our favourite fight scenes, gender be damned.

Voice over...

Laura in New York!
In April we had a class with a Rosebud graduate that was all about learning to have a good audition.  It was stressful and crazy but we learned a lot and got to meet some prominent directors in Calgary which was really cool.

In May, rehearsals for Anne of Green Gables (the summer Rosebud Theatre show) began.  I had a small role in the show and since I was not an ASM this was the most relaxing rehearsal process I’ve been a part of so far.

The show was a lot of fun but my favourite part of the summer was all the weekends I spent at home on the lake.  We didn’t have Sunday shows this summer so I had three day weekends for three months, and the weather was gorgeous so I spent very little time in Rosebud.  It was nice to spend so much time with my family and Camrose friends.
In the fall I settled back into a Rosebud routine with classes and work.  Since then I have been keeping busy in a student sort of way (a few classes, some homework, a lot of TV and unhealthy food...)  The big thing for me in the new year will be my Final Project.  As a fourth year student I have to produce my own show (instead of a final exam or paper).  The show I want to do is one that I wrote in a playwriting class last spring.  
So now, I have to get a team together to help me (director, designers, fellow actors) and I have to get approval from the Ed Team and I have to budget and market it and be super organized in general.  I’m further along in the process than I’ve made it sound and I’m pretty excited.

Well, that’s all for now.
Merry Christmas!

Nothing like a nice day on the water!

Fun with Friends

Snowboard trip to Lake Louise

Sarah & Laura

Laura

Wake surfing


Water skiing

Boat

Anna, Andrea and Sam

Natalie Surfing

Brian

Natalie on two skis

Laura

Laura

Kjel - learning to surf

Sam

Natalie - showing off on one ski!

Laura

Laura - another great day!


Laura in New York

Laura, Jesse, Natalie

...waiting for a performance in New York

in Times Square!





Natalie, Laura, Amy and Jesse - the "Final Four"
Last year of Acting School at Rosebud!!!


Laura sings the blues....




For extra fun - have a look at our Christmas Past !!!


Kiva - loans that change lives Wikipedia