It's our last couple days in Ireland, and it's all feeling very bittersweet to me at the moment. It will be nice to get home and see everyone again, but I will definitely miss getting to know Ireland and spending time wandering each city, seeing sights, and meeting locals. I'll miss the large appreciative audiences and the great conversation in the pubs after every show.
I will especially miss living with the cast. At the first readthrough, Susan, our director, emphasized to us how carefully the cast was chosen, not merely for talent and type but for being on the tour, and I can see now that she was absolutely right. There is so much potential for things to go wrong or for people to get nasty when living together and being together 24/7, but that has never happened and I am honestly sorry that when we get back and start the run in DC we will all go back to living in our own homes.
Some of my favorite memories of this trip are of the bus rides from city to city, when Brad pulls out his guitar and people request songs and then everyone sings. And of being at the pub til the morning with the cast after the show, talking and drinking and enjoying getting to know new people in every city. Or of the potluck dinners we did in Kilkenny and now in Cork when everyone brought their favorite dishes (moussaka, shepherd's pie, beet and goat cheese salad, loaded nachos...) and we all ate and sang and danced and enjoyed the evening in.
While this hasn't exactly been a vacation and doing the show every evening has been everyone's priority, there still has been plenty of time to see sights, shop, and get to know each city. And I'm so glad I got to do it with this cast.
Today I'm taking it easy and relaxing a bit before meeting a friend who's flying in to visit, but tomorrow, I will be heading to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney stone before our last show in Ireland. Then Sunday, we leave Cork at 7am for a 10am flight from Dublin to Atlanta and arrive back in DC at 11pm, where I will ring in my 21st birthday, most likely at the airport.
Not a bad way to start my 21st year I think. ;)
Cheers!
Sarah
PS...if you haven't seen the trailer for our production of the Crucible, here's the youtube link. Enjoy and pass it on!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEaS9VHkCxk
Friday, September 30, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Cork is a Welcome Change
I'm sitting in an internet cafe outside our apartment, and the air is rife with excitement, or possibly just B.O. but I am feeling pretty happy nonetheless.
This morning at 10am we dragged our suitcases out of the Wallslough stone cottages and onto the bus, and it was goodbye Kilkenny! A two hour drive later, the load in to the Everyman Theater in Cork began. I think Everyman is the prettiest of all the theaters, but it also has the smallest stage so once again, the set crew have been working to downsize the set, and we will head into tech tomorrow to re-space and tech the show, just like we did in Galway and Kilkenny.
If Galway is a college/tourist town, Kilkenny is a medieval city, and Cork is an urban city. After spending a week in cottages 5 kilos from the theatre in the middle of nowhere, the cast is greatly excited to be moving into apartments which are right across the street from the theatre and right in the middle of the city centre! The Hotel Isaacs is a great little apartment complex that is not only across from the theatre, but also right near a Spar (the Irish 7-11), an internet cafe, a coffee shop, and some great pubs, so we are all pretty giddy about staying here the next 8 days.
As well, I have been informed that Cork is the best location for shopping out of the 3 cities we have visited, so I am ready for a few early birthday gifts and some souvenir hunting. My winter wardrobe may be fully Irish. ;)
Tonight, there is a rehearsal called to put in the new Cork girls for the roles of Mercy, Elizabeth, Betty, and Susanna. We said a bittersweet goodbye last night to the wonderfully talented Kilkenny girls: Annette, Connie, Esault, and Alex. Hopefully, the Cork cast will be every bit as fantastic as the Galway and Kilkenny casts have been!
It's hard to believe that October is almost upon us, and I will soon be returning home and then turning 21! I may be jet lagged on my birthday, but I consider the entire month of September a gift. :)
Cheers!
Sarah
This morning at 10am we dragged our suitcases out of the Wallslough stone cottages and onto the bus, and it was goodbye Kilkenny! A two hour drive later, the load in to the Everyman Theater in Cork began. I think Everyman is the prettiest of all the theaters, but it also has the smallest stage so once again, the set crew have been working to downsize the set, and we will head into tech tomorrow to re-space and tech the show, just like we did in Galway and Kilkenny.
If Galway is a college/tourist town, Kilkenny is a medieval city, and Cork is an urban city. After spending a week in cottages 5 kilos from the theatre in the middle of nowhere, the cast is greatly excited to be moving into apartments which are right across the street from the theatre and right in the middle of the city centre! The Hotel Isaacs is a great little apartment complex that is not only across from the theatre, but also right near a Spar (the Irish 7-11), an internet cafe, a coffee shop, and some great pubs, so we are all pretty giddy about staying here the next 8 days.
As well, I have been informed that Cork is the best location for shopping out of the 3 cities we have visited, so I am ready for a few early birthday gifts and some souvenir hunting. My winter wardrobe may be fully Irish. ;)
Tonight, there is a rehearsal called to put in the new Cork girls for the roles of Mercy, Elizabeth, Betty, and Susanna. We said a bittersweet goodbye last night to the wonderfully talented Kilkenny girls: Annette, Connie, Esault, and Alex. Hopefully, the Cork cast will be every bit as fantastic as the Galway and Kilkenny casts have been!
It's hard to believe that October is almost upon us, and I will soon be returning home and then turning 21! I may be jet lagged on my birthday, but I consider the entire month of September a gift. :)
Cheers!
Sarah
Friday, September 23, 2011
Kilkenny Brings Out the Best in Us: Friday Photoblog
While most of my daytimes have been spent wandering the streets of Kilkenny (read: shopping), I have to say that some of my best evenings of the trip have happened here nightly. Wednesday and Thursday we had our evenings free, so Wednesday a good portion of the cast got together and had a potluck dinner in the girls' cottage (A Keegan first, according to stage manager Christina). It was an evening of great food, great music, and great conversation, and I'm happy to say I got plenty of pictures from the night!
Thursday was Arthur Guinness day so pubs were serving free guinness and roast pork and playing trad music all night. We spent the early part of the evening in two pubs and then left around 11 to go dancing at Langton's, a Kilkenny nightclub. I'm a little sad that we have no more free evenings for the rest of the trip now, but they were well spent. :)
New living spaces. I share a room now with Emily (Mary Warren) and Karen (Elizabeth Proctor)...pardon my mess.
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The downstairs dining room/living room of our cottage
Wallslough Village, where we're staying. Those are thatch roofs!
The Watergate Theatre, our Kilkenny venue.
Potluck photos begin! Kevin made some ridiculously delicious roasted potatoes and butternut squash
Some of the spread...
Hors D'oevres...this cast has a mild obsession with cheese.
Emily looks cute while cutting a pepper
Brad brought some homemade garlic bread
Shadia made some amazing moussaka
The cast toast before the meal. Slainte!
Later Brad pulled out his guitar and the singing and dancing began
The glasses were filled, and re-filled...
Charlie shows off his dance skills with Carol...
...and then with me! He's a great dancer!
The living room became a makeshift dance floor
Carol plays the spoons
ANd some great memories were made. :)
The evening closed with a few more songs and a few slices of pie
Two more shows in Kilkenny, one more city to cover, and ten more days before I return home on my birthday! I hope you all are making the best of this gorgeous fall weather and enjoying the final week of September!
Cheers!
Sarah
Thursday was Arthur Guinness day so pubs were serving free guinness and roast pork and playing trad music all night. We spent the early part of the evening in two pubs and then left around 11 to go dancing at Langton's, a Kilkenny nightclub. I'm a little sad that we have no more free evenings for the rest of the trip now, but they were well spent. :)
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Two more shows in Kilkenny, one more city to cover, and ten more days before I return home on my birthday! I hope you all are making the best of this gorgeous fall weather and enjoying the final week of September!
Cheers!
Sarah
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Kilkenny is Lovely!
The show has moved to city #2 and had its opening last night at the Watergate Theatre to a lovely audience. It is a bit strange doing the show in a whole new theatre; the set is now smaller and slightly different as well. Also we are now living in Wallslough Village in thatch- and stone-roofed cottages that are so picturesque it's ridiculous. I will put up a picture blog of the new theatre and our new housing soon!
Last Saturday, we spent the entire day rehearsing the Kilkenny and Cork girls who will be joining the show in their respective cities. It is now the second time the Kilkenny girls have performed and they are doing wonderfully. They had a mere two days of rehearsal, but they are bringing a great new energy to the cast.
The city of Kilkenny is beautiful. I'd been here once before when I last studied abroad, but I only got to spend a single day here seeing Kilkenny Castle, so it's nice to be able to see the rest of the city...
And by rest of the city, I mean SHOPPING. :) I spent the entire day today wandering the streets of Kilkenny and hopping in and out of boutiques and department stores. Kilkenny is even better than Galway for shopping and every bit as beautiful!
As well, tomorrow we will be touring the Smithwick's Brewery, which happens to be conveniently located right next to the theatre. This week, we have two days of matinee performances, which means two nights off! I'm looking forward to going out to some nice restaurants and seeing a bit of the nightlife here; by the time we get out of the show, most restaurants are closed down for the night.
I'm shocked that it's already September 20th! This month has gone by so fast.
Cheers!
Sarah
Last Saturday, we spent the entire day rehearsing the Kilkenny and Cork girls who will be joining the show in their respective cities. It is now the second time the Kilkenny girls have performed and they are doing wonderfully. They had a mere two days of rehearsal, but they are bringing a great new energy to the cast.
The city of Kilkenny is beautiful. I'd been here once before when I last studied abroad, but I only got to spend a single day here seeing Kilkenny Castle, so it's nice to be able to see the rest of the city...
And by rest of the city, I mean SHOPPING. :) I spent the entire day today wandering the streets of Kilkenny and hopping in and out of boutiques and department stores. Kilkenny is even better than Galway for shopping and every bit as beautiful!
As well, tomorrow we will be touring the Smithwick's Brewery, which happens to be conveniently located right next to the theatre. This week, we have two days of matinee performances, which means two nights off! I'm looking forward to going out to some nice restaurants and seeing a bit of the nightlife here; by the time we get out of the show, most restaurants are closed down for the night.
I'm shocked that it's already September 20th! This month has gone by so fast.
Cheers!
Sarah
Monday, September 19, 2011
The Cliffs of Moher
We're here in Kilkenny! I'm sitting in the greenroom of the Watergate Theatre, about to go into tech for Act One. Unfortunately, with our arrival in Kilkenny, I caught a bit of a bug that seems to be jumping around the cast, but they say that everyone gets sick at some point during the tour so I'm glad I caught mine the one evening we didn't have a show.
Last Wednesday we spent the day at the Cliffs of Moher. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and there was hardly any wind at the top of the cliffs, which is good because we got pretty close to the edge.
The beautiful Irish countryside
Kevin Hasser and Charlie Abel and a very blue sky
In front of the Galway Bay
Our awesome and hilarious tour guide Desmond
Next to the Poulnabrone, a portal tomb dating back to the Neolithic Age
Read this before passing the "Do Not Go Beyond This Point" sign.
It was a steep climb to the top. Eventually the pavement ended and it was just a thin dirt path.
Kevin tempting fate...yes he is sitting right at the edge.
As close to the edge as I got...my fear of heights was definitely tested that day.
A truly amazing view
It was a gorgeous day, and I'm so glad I accomplished my goal of someday visiting the Cliffs of Moher.
The show starts in an hour so I'd better sign off and go get into costume. Unfortunately, the house we're staying in (pics to come soon!) has no internet, but the theatre does this time so I will be able to blog while I'm here in the theatre.
Feeling pretty under the weather, but it's better to be sick in Ireland than sick at home right? Anyway, this week we have two matinees which means two nights off, so I am looking forward to some fun evening activities and some more shopping!
Cheers!
Sarah
Last Wednesday we spent the day at the Cliffs of Moher. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and there was hardly any wind at the top of the cliffs, which is good because we got pretty close to the edge.
It was a gorgeous day, and I'm so glad I accomplished my goal of someday visiting the Cliffs of Moher.
The show starts in an hour so I'd better sign off and go get into costume. Unfortunately, the house we're staying in (pics to come soon!) has no internet, but the theatre does this time so I will be able to blog while I'm here in the theatre.
Feeling pretty under the weather, but it's better to be sick in Ireland than sick at home right? Anyway, this week we have two matinees which means two nights off, so I am looking forward to some fun evening activities and some more shopping!
Cheers!
Sarah
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Opening Night, Photo Blog Edition
OPENING NIGHT!
That's all the pictures I have from opening night, but yesterday we took a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and got some awesome photos, so I will have another blog up here as soon as I sort through those. Hope you're all having a good week!
Cheers!
Sarah
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Show Has Opened!
We opened last night to an audience of a little under 200 people (to have such a great house on a MONDAY...I was shocked), and we couldn't have asked for a better opening run. The audience responded so well to the show, and I know I was pumped with adrenaline throughout its entirety.
As my character only has scenes in Act 1 and 3, I have some downtime in between. Last night I spent it in the greenroom, planning on just relaxing and reading a book and drinking some throat coat, but I found myself riveted by what was happening on stage, or what I could hear through the sound system. I know it must sound a little corny, but it's really something to have heard a scene a million times (or so it seems :P) and still be totally drawn in by what's going on. Not to boast too much about the cast, but their energy and intensity is really amazing and totally energizes me for the third act courtroom scene. I found myself truly excited to be telling the story to an audience for the first time, and I'm looking forward to future performances.
After the show, we all met in the bar above the theatre for some drinks and after-show schmoozing. At the risk of gushing, I have to say I left feeling so happy and grateful to be a part of the Keegan cast. The culture of Keegan is so family-oriented; it's definitely more than just a job, it's a community, and I am thrilled to be a part of it.
I got a bunch of opening night pictures, so a photo blog will be up soon. As well, stage manager/roomie Christina has organized a Wednesday trip to the Cliffs of Moher and a friend of Keegan has put together a charter bus to take us to Connemara and Kildare Abbey on Thursday, so it looks like it will be an eventful week.
Hope you're all having a lovely September! I can't believe it's almost half over. Time flies!
Cheers!
Sarah
As my character only has scenes in Act 1 and 3, I have some downtime in between. Last night I spent it in the greenroom, planning on just relaxing and reading a book and drinking some throat coat, but I found myself riveted by what was happening on stage, or what I could hear through the sound system. I know it must sound a little corny, but it's really something to have heard a scene a million times (or so it seems :P) and still be totally drawn in by what's going on. Not to boast too much about the cast, but their energy and intensity is really amazing and totally energizes me for the third act courtroom scene. I found myself truly excited to be telling the story to an audience for the first time, and I'm looking forward to future performances.
After the show, we all met in the bar above the theatre for some drinks and after-show schmoozing. At the risk of gushing, I have to say I left feeling so happy and grateful to be a part of the Keegan cast. The culture of Keegan is so family-oriented; it's definitely more than just a job, it's a community, and I am thrilled to be a part of it.
I got a bunch of opening night pictures, so a photo blog will be up soon. As well, stage manager/roomie Christina has organized a Wednesday trip to the Cliffs of Moher and a friend of Keegan has put together a charter bus to take us to Connemara and Kildare Abbey on Thursday, so it looks like it will be an eventful week.
Hope you're all having a lovely September! I can't believe it's almost half over. Time flies!
Cheers!
Sarah
Friday, September 9, 2011
Set Designs, Zombies, and a Whole Lotta Guinness: The End of Week One Photo Blog
It may have been a busy week of rehearsals, but the Keegan folks still know how to have a good time. Here's some highlights from week one in Galway!
The costume crew work tirelessly before rehearsal
Tim Lynch (Giles Corey) has mad ironing skills
A photo of the beautiful interior of the Town Hall Theatre
A sneak peek at the not quite finished set...updated pics of the finished product to come soon!
Brad, our Cheever, shows his reaction to finally being in Ireland. Brad was held back from boarding the plane with the rest of the cast, due to a problematic passport. He got his re-done and joined us by Wednesday, much to our relief.
The cast joins co-producer Michael Diskin for a night out at the delicious Gourmet Tart Company in Salthill, Ireland
The perfect side dish
Mary Warren drinks a Guinness at O'Connor's Famous Pub in Salthill
Our 4 wonderful Galway actresses, who were given only a week to learn their roles and are already doing wonderfully
Guinness: the Keegan drink of choice, especially after a long day of rehearsal
Glad to be sitting at Neachtains after standing in tech all day
Our fearless leader-director Susan Rhea
We were all enjoying a few well-deserved drinks at Neachtains when all of a sudden, a huge zombie parade staggered down the street. I got a couple shots of some good ones
The lovely Kevin Adams, who plays a fearsome Judge Danforth
It's 1am here and we have our first costume run tomorrow, so I should probably be going to bed about now. I hear there's been some crazy flooding in the DC area recently, so I hope you all are staying safe!
Cheers!
Sarah
It's 1am here and we have our first costume run tomorrow, so I should probably be going to bed about now. I hear there's been some crazy flooding in the DC area recently, so I hope you all are staying safe!
Cheers!
Sarah
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