Costuming the Carmelites

A few quick pics from Dialogues of the Carmelites.  It was actually a really enjoyable (if at times incredibly stressful) show to do.  Such are the breaks when you're working on an immense show, double cast, with absolutely no support, help and a miniscule budget.  Despite all that, I feel it turned out rather well.  But as promised, here's a quick photographic journey through this depressing (as evidenced by the all the ominous guillotine shots) show.   Enjoy.

Another Open Letter

Dear George R.R. Martin-

I appreciate that you have created an extremely successful franchise in A Song of Fire and Ice. I appreciate that it is now on its way to HBO syndication and that it has inspired graphic novels, board games, card games, figures, armor and so much more. I really do. I love these books, and rightly so. They are a fantastic read. But I would greatly appreciate it if you would stop writing other random collaborations, cease reveling in the glory of your creations (now you can buy a reproduction of your favorite character's weapon!) and take some time to perhaps finish the series. Seriously. I started reading these books in 1998. 1998! In all that time there's only been four of them, and I'm starting to be concerned that if you continue at your current pace you'll either end up:

A) Like Robert Jordan (as an example; I don't care for his books) with some "hot new author" finishing out your series because you're dead.

or

B) With an HBO series that dies off because no end to the story has been written. Even if they were successful enough to flesh out the current plan of one book per season, that's seven seasons (a lot to hope for) and frankly that leaves you with only seven years to finish three books. Your current model for publishing won't support that and I'm slightly dubious since your website continues to purport that you'll have it done any time now... dated 2008.

The other option is that you'll outlive me and I'll be dead before I ever have a satisfying conclusion to this series.

Mr. Martin, take this as a compliment about your writing - its among the best stuff I've read. And I know that quality takes time. But throw your loyal readers a bone, if you would. It's been a feast of crows for all your readers for far too long.

Sincerely,
P-yo

New Bad Movie Blog!

Friends and Lovers, I have just started a new blog covering one of my
greatest loves, terrible movies. While it only has a few reviews, I
intend to grow it into an epicenter of movies to never watch.

Check it out, follow me, and revel in Cinematic Casualty.

http://cinematiccasualty.blogspot.com/

Also, there's far too many movies and too little time; I will welcome
submissions and suggestions for movies.

Enjoy!

Talisman Rising (3-Dimensionally!)

I suppose I ought to throw a little info in here. I am currently working on a 3d board for one of my all time favorite board games. Graciously, Capree has offered to be my project-cohort in crime, and together we will create an epic playing field! The board's dimensions are roughly twice that of the original board, equivalent to roughly 4' x 6'. Built from mdf, insulation foam, and all sorts of love, I am super pumped about this.

It's already led to some highly enjoyable learning experiences: how to get 4'x8' foam home on the top of your subaru... not to mention why laughing while cutting foam with a hot wire cutter isn't the best idea. Repairs necessary.

More to come.

A Day in the Life

Let's see...

Today consists of the usual:

Wake up far too early after staying up until 2:00 a.m. waiting for my husband who is MIA. (Ha ha, actually he was stuck at an accident turned block party, where no one could get through so they all hung out in the middle of the street).

Start coffee maker.

Talk to the roomie about how, now that he has a computer, he can troll the internet for cheap and easy women. Which, for the record is fine by me, since I was tired of him leaving a history trail of lesbian porn sites on our computer.

Listening to Little Big Planet music while writing a blog. This is not so unusual. Actually, I listen to a rather bizarre and eclectic mix of things, from some VERY selective current music, to electronica/trance to mostly soundtracks. Game soundtracks I particularly enjoy, but I do love my movie soundtracks too. Occasionally I like to throw in some 1930's old timey-whimey stuff. Yeah, I'm not usually asked to choose the party music, since people that see my iPod usually give me a "WTF, mate?"

Go total my car. If this totals, it will be my second car I've totaled. From accidents. Although only once was from me. This time it was all that crazy girl's fault. I suppose it's not a very interesting way to kill a car. Not like my brother Colin, who takes the Euro-van off-roading and breaks the front axel. Now that's a way to go.



Buy wine-keys for work. I get to teach a class on wine (who'd have thunk? Certainly not Teacher's Quorum President Me) to the employees, and give everyone new wine keys. I have to go pick them out from the restaurant supply, and am under strict instructions that I will not buy a bunch of random stuff for my house and charge it to Mac Grill. Damn.

Go to work. Serve people 1800 calorie bread while they talk about how they're watching their weight and will just have the salad, along with two more loaves of bread. Hmm.

Come home, have a drink and maybe get some, and go to bed. Yep, this is my exciting life.

But believe me, it's nothing compared to a day in the life of Thu Tran, host of Food Party on the Independent Film Channel. This is a show I simply cannot describe. You have to watch it for yourself and that's all I can say. Here's a delightful clip, for your mind-blowing pleasure. Oddly enough, this clip makes the show appear far more tame than it actually is. But maybe we'll ease you in, nice and slow.

Guess Who's Back?

My life has freed up, a bit. And thus, I will present, for your viewing pleasure, some images from the first production I worked on this last year. I will post the Opera images shortly after this.

Time and the Conways - A play that takes place both in 1919 and in 1938, watching the progression of a British family over these years. There are two notes I have about this show. 1) I can't stand the set color. It's a bit outta control. 2) The styles of women's dress in general during 1919 were the most bizarre collection of things you can imagine. It was right after the war, smack dab between Edwardian and the Roaring Twenties, and no definite style had been set. These dresses I designed are all accurate pieces that both fit the characters, and would fall into this year, but believe me when I tell you the range of this year is incredible. Most of my budget went to these dresses because we had to build all of them. It is not an easily stocked era. Also, many of these photos are from dress rehearsal, so the looks are not completely perfect (i.e. steamed, or wrong undergarments, etc). Still, enjoy.


1919 - Kay (the dreamer)


1919 - Joan ("such a foolish girl")


1919 - Hazel ("the pretty one")


1919 - Mrs. Conway ("I love all my children, even the silly ones")


1919 - Madge (a most unfortunate name)


1938 Hazel (in my favorite dress of the show) and Alan, the sad home-body brother.


1938 - Kay the Journalist, Robin the alcoholic schemer (in a gorgeous, actual vintage late 30's suit), and poor depressed Joan.


1938 - Madge, bitter girl's school matron


1938 - Mrs. Conway in, as the actress called it, her "Edwardian Snuggie." The script mentions that Mrs. C is still wearing Edwardian period clothes, which is funny since she's wearing clothing from an earlier period than when the play starts. Ah well. This balanced nicely with the color scheme though.

And there's some highlights for you kids. Enjoy!

The Nuns are Dead.

This means I may actually have a life again. In fact, too much of a life as school is just about over as well. I'll be graduated and... then what?