On the Verge!!!

Okay, so classes start on Monday, but tomorrow is when everything really gets kicked off. Jen and I got a chance to meet my classmates the other night(there are five of us all together), and we made sure that we all had the schedule correct for the weekend. Tomorrow I have orientation from 330p -530p. Saturday the other "first years" and I are going to be taking the MFA Exam at noon. The exam is basically an exit test that all graduate students have to take before they can receive their degrees. However, they like for incoming grad students to take it when they first start so they can get an idea of what the test is going to be like. After the exam, we are all going to meet with the head of the acting program to perform, and work, our audition pieces for the first semester's shows. Sunday, the head of the Directing program is having a party for all the faculty, staff, and grad students. Then, classes start on Monday, of course, and things really start taking off. We have another meeting for all the grad students on Tuesday, where we will all perform our audition pieces again. Then, auditions start on Wednesday and continue through Saturday. So, the next few days should be really exciting as I get to meet and mingle with everyone in the Theatre Department.
I'm a bit anxious about my audition pieces. In the first round of auditions, we get two minutes to perform two contrasting monologues. I have chosen to perform Aaron from "Titus Andronicus" and Benoit Pinglet from "A Little Hotel On the Side". Aaron is definitely a dramatic piece and Pinglet is a comedic monologue. The first semester's shows include "Women's Minyan" by Naomi Reagan, "The Lion in Winter" by James Goldman, "Dearborn Americana" by Christian Krauspe (a recent WIU graduate who won the regional ACTF theatre festival playwriting competition), and a host of studio plays including "Closer" by Patrick Marber(a play that I directed a scene from in one of my undergraduate directing class). Needless to say, there will be lots of shows to see and hopefully take part in, but the focus, of course, will be on classes.

In Other News

Jennifer has started a job at the Catch a Star Learning Center, and is working with babies six weeks to a year old. She works Monday through Friday from 830a to 530p. The school is about two and a half blocks away from our duplex and enrolls kids from babies to five years in preschool. She is enjoying it so far and loves working with the babies. I get a little grossed out, though, when she comes home with her shirt tainted with infant side effects. Actually, Jen has contracted a cold in the last day or so, which I had to blame on the kids(damn carrier monkeys!! - sorry that's one of my catch phrases). Hopefully she will be better in the next couple of days, though. Jen is still going to keep an eye out for other job opportunities while we're here, and we'll see what happens when she starts her grad program next year.

Maggie has adapted to her new home well. We take her for walks around the neighborhood from time to time, and there is a small dog park not too far from the house as well. She's made a handful of friends is always the life of the party. She's still not quite sure what to make of all the sounds at night, though. Macomb is pretty much out in the country, and is surrounded by farms, so we have a lot of insects that Maggie is not used to hearing.

We've also been keeping up with Olympics. Actually we had to take a break tonight, and watch something else. We loved watching the Gymnastics, and were glad to see Shawn Johnson win a gold medal. Of course, the feats of Phelps were awesome to watch, and I caught the exciting beach volleyball match last night. Way to go May and Walsh!! I've been checking in on the Stars' website here and there. Jen and I are still hoping to maybe catch a Blackhawks/Stars game in Chicago, or Blues/Stars game in St. Louis this season, but we'll have to see if the schedules work out. In any case, GO STARS!!!

Stay tuned, though, as there will certainly be more to come.

Love,

Eric & Jen