Every once in a while, I come across a device or peripheral that makes me wonder - why would anyone think of making this? And the 6x zoom lens for the iPhone made me ask just that.

I tend to classify photo takers into three groups: the professional types who carry around bulky cameras worth 2-5 grand; the casual types, who carry a small-form camera worth a few hundred for candid shots; and the cell-phone types, who can’t be bothered to buy an actual camera and choose to settle for their almost always sub-standard camera on their cell phone.

The question I pose is this: will anyone that fits into that last category (and uses only their iPhone for picture-taking) actually want to carry around a lens in their pocket?

More glorious pictures here.

I’ve found myself spending a lot more time downtown lately… Maybe it’s the gaping 2.5 hour window I have in the middle of every school day with nothing to do, maybe I’ve just needed some escape time from the rest of my busy life - who knows? All I know, is that it’s gotten bad. I’m in Java Java almost as much as Shawn Decker (who practically lives there), and I’m pretty sure the guys at Christian’s know my order at this point. It’s also a bit awkward when you’ve become so much a part of the downtown scene that others of a similar sexual orientation start cruising you. Let’s talk about feeling uncomfortable…

I’ll be spending even more time downtown this next month however (if that’s possible). Tonight I’m going to my first sit-in rehearsal for Mother Courage and Her Children over at Live Arts. I’m running sound for it, and it opens in a week - so I figured I should get a taste of what I’m signed myself up for. I’ll go out on a limb here and say you should all come see it when it opens next week - the script is amazing, I’ve heard the music is as well, and the renderings I’ve seen of the set design look pretty darn stunning.

Not only am I doing this month-long run of a show just days after Anything Goes wrapped up - but I’m also thinking about auditioning for The Complete History of America (Abridged) down at Play On Theatre. And of course I’ll be auditioning for the annual sketch comedy show Dessert Theatre 2008 at CHS next week [I'm trying to stock up on acting experiences before my 4-year-long theatre-free period known as film school].

I like killing myself with work, thank you very much.

You know, I’ve almost posted about a dozen times in past two months (even written a few posts out, but by the time I finished, they were irrelevant) – but it just never happened. I’m not even sure as I’m writing this that it’ll ever be read by anyone. I can use the general excuses: senior year, the musical that just wrapped up yesterday (Anything Goes), or even just 17-year-old laziness. But the truth is, I just never bothered.

So I figured I’d do a post on that musical:

Yesterday night, all the seniors involved in Charlottesville High School’s Theatre Department were sobbing on stage after their last main-stage show in high school. Surprisingly enough, I was the only senior not creating huge streaks in their stage makeup (which, given my reputation for sobbing at terribly cliché moments in every movie imaginable, was odd). That last show was probably the most depressing of my life, though. All the seniors were miserable for most of it – I spent the entire time consciously trying not to think about how this would be the last big show I ever did at CHS. Furthermore, since I won’t be doing theatre in college (and I somehow don’t think I’d be that competitive in New York anyway), last night was essentially the last show I’d be doing in years.

All of that hasn’t sunk in yet, or I probably wouldn’t able to type all that out with a straight head. As far as last shows go, however, I couldn’t have asked for it to have gone better. I had a lead role that was incredibly fun (British accent the entire time), a solo (which Allyson and I nailed for the last performance), and left much closer to everyone in the show.

I’ll link to the pictures that were taken as soon as I put them on the Theatre CHS website (my costumes included yellow running shorts a la Michael Cera in Juno, and a silk bath robe…).

Just an events post today.

As I was driving to the Jefferson District Theatre Competition this morning, a live version of The Fray’s “Over My Head (Cable Car)” came on the radio. As soon as the lyrics started, you could hear this sort of echo on about an eighth of a second delay, which turned out to be the audience singing along. Wow, was that annoying. Then for one chorus, the lead singer stopped singing to let the audience have their turn all by themselves. I had no idea that, collectively, fans of The Fray sound like an anorexic 9-year-old girl. Don’t ask me how I know what an anorexic 9-year-old sounds like.

Now, as for the District Theatre Competition… CHS won first place (which has happened three out of the four times in my high school experience). More surprising, however, was that every member of our cast won an “Outstanding Actor” award - something they normally only give out two of. This means we’ll be going to the Regional competition in Broad Run on November 10th (and also means that my schedule gets that much more complicated).

But honestly, the judging, or even performing, isn’t my favorite part of these competitions. The best part is getting to see all the different plays and hang out with the theatre kids from other schools. Aside from Gov School friends I saw again, I got to actually have conversations with people I haven’t spoken to in over a year, and put faces to various Facebook profiles of people I’ve never actually spoken to (Oh, Facebook - it all comes back to thee). I need to stay in touch more with my theatre friends…

In other news, I’ve finally sent off my application to NYU!!! After months of stressing out, the first (and hopefully last) leg of my college application process is now done. I don’t find out until December 15th, so I have a little bit a rest before I know whether I need to write tons more essays for the other colleges I’m thinking about applying to. And let me tell you, those six weeks are going to be killer. But it will be very good to know…

And gosh darn it, why do emotions have to be so complicated?

I bring you, Theatre CHS 2.0!!!

http://www.theatrechs.org/

Damn straight we’re an org!