Moving on up...

Tomorrow is the day --- The movers arrive at 9am. This is my first time ever using movers - I'm PSYCHED to not have to carry heavy objects up 3 flights of stairs. Yeah, our new place is on the 3rd floor. Awesome exercise when you coming and going from work --- awful to be carrying a box full of books!!! So, they come at 9. Sara and I will be filling the car with some smaller stuff (plus the TV - we want to take full responsibility for our expensive set....), and following behind. If things go fast (damn you impending snow), the movers should be done by 11, and we should be done completely by the end of the day (we can move slower...we're not on the clock!). I'll take pictures and post them of the new place, I promise.


On a related note, the condo we've lived in for 3 years actually belongs to a good friend of mine. He and his family moved back to Massachusetts 3 years ago, and we moved in just after they left. Now that we're leaving, he's trying to sell the condo. It's a great condo - if Sara and I were interested in a condo, we'd buy it ourselves. Here's a link to some more info about it, including some kick ass pictures. It is priced to sell as it is, but he is more than willing to entertain offers. Let me know if you want to contact him, or if I can put you in touch with the realtor, Connie, who is super nice.

PEOPLE OF CHICAGO!

I'm not sure if you're aware, but there are only ***3*** more chances to see our smash hit, "The (edward) Hopper Project". I am ridiculously proud of this production, and while I was only a small cog in the wheel, considering the massive numbers of people involved, I still know that my cog was NECESSARY.
(info and tickets - click here)

There are several pictures I could have used for this post, as we've had a bunch of pictures taken by a bunch of different people, but this one is by far my favorite. It sets the tone for the kind of show it is (dark but intriguing), I love the lighting (well done, Mr. Durst), the costumes are kick ass (woo hoo Rebar!), and these are truly 2 of my favorite people (not just in the show, but in life...). This little moment that Joe & Merrie's characters share is one of my favorite moments in the show, it's largely silent, and lasts only about 20 seconds tops. Brilliant.

(Photo by John Sisson - http://www.sissonphotography.com/ )

2 cents on diversity

There are far more intelligent discussions on diversity happening, for instance at Don's place,  99 Seats, not to mention the daily discussions on RVCBard's Blog. I don't consider myself even a SMIDGE smart enough to engage in this discussion. Sure, I would love to see some more diversity in Theatre, and Art in general, but I have no idea how to accomplish that.

Here's the ONE thing that has always needled me in the back of my brain, though. Cultivating diversity is a broader topic than just in the arts - how can I be expected to seek out and cultivate diversity in the arts when I'm not even doing it in my daily life? (and I'm sure I'm not alone). Personally, I need to refelct on MYSELF, and work on my stereotypes and pre-conceived notions that cloud MY head before I can work on coming up with ways to diversify an entire arts structure. Before we are artists, we are humans. The same white people who try to champion "Diversity in the Arts" are the same people who would change train cars if a group of black teenagers came on, or would cross the street to avoid a group of young hispanic kids. Do you look black people in the eye on the train or the bus? Do you choose to stand on the train rather than sit next to the black man?
I include myself in these questions - I *AM* that person. I am ashamed to say I have thought these thoughts. I don't know where they come from. Society? Upbringing? Personal experiences? Probably a fair helping of ALL of those things.
My growth as a HUMAN includes me now sitting anywhere on the bus or train, regardless of my seatmate. I don't change cars, I don't cross the street --- I look EVERYONE in the eye. And I even try to smile at all of them (depends on the mood - PMS usually derails Happy Dianna a little...)
Not looking for a pat on the back, or a parade proclaiming "Dianna is a CHAMPION of trying to bust through the stereotypes she has in her head! Good for her!". This isn't about how OTHERS percieve my changes in thought and action, it should be about how I percieve them. And I while I feel I've made some baby step style progress, I still feel I have miles to go.

At a recent post on Don's blog, Jesus left the following comment:

"Well, when I read all these discussions about diversity in theatre, and how we can expand the presence of minorities in casts and in the theatre as a whole, it feels like watching people wonder how best to spruce up the siding on a house that has no foundation. It all sounds great and pretty, but those communities have bigger issues than how many of their residents are on stages across the city."

And that sums up how I have always felt about this issue....diversity on the stage is the new vinyl siding, but the issues of racial equality and the breaking down of stereotypes is the FOUNDATION.

People, we can't make our house look pretty on the OUTSIDE unless we fix the INSIDE first.

The Facts (again)

I blatantly stole this from Brownlee about 3 years ago.

This is the third time I’ve updated “The Facts”

I am 35 years, 0 Months, 9 days and 10 hours old

I have lived in Chicago (total) for 8 years, 5 months & 20 days

I lived here in 99-01 for 1 yr, 11 mo & 5 days

I moved back here in 03, which now equals 6 yr, 6 mo, & 16 days (and counting)

I have lived in 5 different apartments – but I’m moving to apartment #6 in 2 weeks

1 of them I simply moved from upstairs to the downstairs.

In only 1 did I not have a room mate

Sara and I have been together (officially) since August 9, 2001

I have worked at my day job for 6 years, 5 month, 15 days.

I have produced 4 shows in Chicago.

I (still) have mixed feelings about all of them.

I have been in 1 play since college.

In it, I played mother to an actor who was only 8 years younger than me.

I knew only 1 of my great-grandmothers. She still spoke with an Irish brogue.

I have been to many funerals.

I am 2 degrees from Kevin Bacon. (Although it’s been almost 3 years since I typed this originally, and I can’t remember the connection)

I have skied many mountains many times.

I have owned 3 cars.

I have been in 2 car accidents. (::knock wood::)

I have ridden in 1 ambulance.

I have had 0 moles removed.

I had a throat abscess “lanced” when I was 16. My only hospital stay to date.

I am about 20 credits shy of a BFA in Theater.

I keep in touch with a few friends from high school.

Facebook changes that number from time to time

No offense to all ya’ll from EHS, but reconnecting with Shayna has been the best.

I actually enjoyed my 10 year reunion, and frankly am looking forward to the 20.

I have many fillings.

I have 2 missing teeth (thankfully, not in front)

I have had 0 broken bones. (::knock wood::)

I have been in 1 fist fight.

I have lost 1 fist fight. But became best friends afterward (we were 12)

I have never shot and killed an animal.

I have visited 19 states. This includes airport layovers, which count in my book.

After our planned road trip this June, that number will jump to 25.

This does not include Puerto Rico, which is not a state (yet). But which I have been to. But again, doesn’t count (but should…)

I own more movies than I can count anymore.

For the move, I am actually giving away a lot of them. While I love them, I don’t watch them the way I used to. And MAN, do they take up space. And they are HEAVY.

Pitchers and catchers report in a matter of days. That fills me with glee.

Friday

Just gotta keep sayin: "Good stuff on the horizon, good stuff on the horizon"

I've defintely had a week. The normal jabs and uppercuts of life have connected a little bit better due to my PMS - so, something that would normally just aggravate me for a little while and then fade, well, now it's bringing me to tears. Yesterday, I was so keyed up and stressed out I was choking back tears the entire 15 minutes I was shoveling my pre-show dinner in my mouth (yeah, see how I only had 15 minutes to relax and have dinner? icing on a shit day). Dealing with shit I shouldn't have to deal with, compromising on something only because I was guilted into it, spending the last hour at work dealing with ALL of this so that I left work late (hence, not a lot of time for dinner). What a crap freaking Thursday..

In the "life is good" column, though, I always have to remember that my cup pretty much runneth over. I have a well-paying stable job, where I have seniority, vacation & benefits (yeah, benefits for Sara too...). I have a roof over my head, a nice place to boot, as well as nice material things that make me feel comfy and cozy when I am at home. Best of all, I have Sara. I mean, I get home and she can see the stress on my face and she just wants to give me a hug. Never mind that she got home from work at 8 (she goes in at 7am) and she still had to do a full night of homework before goinmg to bed and doing it all over again tomorrow. She came to bed after I did, and she gets up way before I do. She's a rock star. :-)

So maybe I just feel bitchy and cranky ... maybe I need a vacation ... maybe I just need for it to be the weekend alrready... wait... it's Friday? Well isn't that just fan-freaking-tastic!!!!

35

I stupidly remembered why this birthday means more, why 35 for some crazy reason, is depressing me more than 34 did, and more than I suspect 36 will.

In exactly 9 days I'll be the same age my dad was when he passed away. Jeeeeez.

It hit me like a ton of bricks as I was falling asleep the other night. I was drifiting off, and I was thinking about my dad, and there it was. Dan Driscoll, dead at 35. It's one of those things that drifts along the edge - you can't quite reach it, but you know it's there, you know? I guess my subconsious always had a problem with turning this age, and I just had to pry it loose. And it was defintely bugging me. I mean, I don't feel old, or even old-er. I feel so normal, like I haven't even really aged in the last 5-8 years or so...So I just didn't understand my pre-occupation with 35.

But when it hit me, it really hit me. Sure, I cried a little. Anyone who knows me knows it doesn't take much for that to happen, really. It just made me so....sad. I look ahead to my life down the road, I see me and Sara, I see a kid (or kids), I see a house... I see contentment, and comfort, and LIFE.  About 2-3 months after his 35th birthday, my dad first noticed the lump on the back of his head. It all went quickly downhill from there, and he was gone 9 months later. I've always wondered how I would feel in that situation - and now, at this age, with all the joy and gifts I have in this life, I wonder what it would be like for me NOW.

There is truly nothing I can do about it except embrace my birthday. Embrace my age, and embrace that number.

Away away

Been away for awhile. Opening a show, dealing with life, finding a new apartment.

The Hopper opening went really well - lots of words of praise. Everyone all around really seemed to enjoy it. I'm really very proud of the show - it's ambitious, and scary and awesome all at once. And the food props are crazy but manageable. I'll survive :-)

The life stuff? hmmm.... I'm not comfortable blogging about it yet, since it's not my news. Just suffice to say some sad things afoot for Sara's family. Really kind of knocked us all for a loop, and we're all still dealing. Sad stuff, but a little personal right now. I guess that's probably one of the hardest things - not being able to unload about it. Well, think good thoughts. That's the best I can do.

New apartment has been found - we're in the process of getting the cashier check together for the first month. It's a HUGE one bedroom in Edgewater. (Right at Clark & Granville, just across from the Raven Theatre). It has a huge seperate dining room, which is important considering the behemouth table we just bought last year - plus it will give Sara the space to spread out and do her homework. Huge living room, big bedroom, 3 walk-in closets, heat included... and we'll be paying $315 less each month in rent. Savings account for house downpayment, here we come! Even if we ONLY banked that 315$ difference each month, at the end of our 3 year goal we'd have 10 grand for a downpayment. And trust me, we DON'T plan on just banking that difference.
We'll have a little overlap... our lease begins at the new place on 3/1, and our lease at our current place ENDS on 4/1, but it does give us the flexibility to move at our own pace, turn things off and turn others on at a slow pace as well.


Something that's been on my mind. During a weekend brunch trip to Ann Sather in Andersonville, Sara and I wanted to show her mom one of our favorite stores, Four Sided. It's this cool store that does custom framing, but also has these cool art pieces, antique items. It's really a one-of-a-kind store. Except of course that they have 3 locations. You know what I mean, though....
Anyway, while there, I noticed a print on the wall and asked about it... the staff told me it was this local artist Shawn Stucky, and I have to say I REALLY love all of the things I've seen of his so far.
This is the print that was on the wall. Awesome, right?

Not ready yet for the next box

Took a quick survey yesterday online.... at the end it asked if I were female or male, whether I worked full-time or part-time..... and of course, which age bracket do I fall under.
So for the next 31 days, I fall under the "25-34" range.
On February 6th, I start to mark the next box.

A small part of my heart just died.

Dianna's Inconsequential Year in Review

My Lame Year-End blog post -  Hurrah!

I’m not nearly the prolific blogger some others are, but I occasionally have some nuggets of humour and truth. I’ve read over most of my entries for the year (it is REALLY slow at work), and here are some of the highlights of 2009.


January
- I still get a little misty, reading over my blog entry about New Leaf’s production of “Touch”. “..I told her I was so sorry for being so out of sorts, and she just held me and stroked my head while we fell asleep…”

February
- The photographic evidence of my annual “slip and fall on the ice”. This year’s was a doozy. Well, actually every year is usually bad, but I had a trusty iPhone to take my embarrassing pictures, so maybe this year’s just FELT worse. Who knows.

March
- One of my favorite entries of the year – taking a personal topic and putting something shitty I did out into the wide open. And while the results aren’t what I’d like, it’s not for me to push the issue. It’s certainly better than it WAS and that alone is wonderful.
- Also in March, I chronicled my stupid month-long healing process from my slip on the ice. I should be put into incubation whenever I sprain something – I’m just a danger to myself in the healing process.

April
- Hahahaha! My entry about my root canal! Hilarious!

May
- The blog entry where I take the date of my father’s death and kick it to the curb. Love it.

June
- Ah yes… the “Sara decided she doesn’t want to move to Florida” post.  It still bums me out a little. Mostly because it's sub-zero temperatures right now.

July
- Wow…. July I was on a roll with the political rants:
        o My own personal health care costs
        o My thoughts on the arrest of Professor Gates
        o And then my disgust at the Birthers movement. Blech.

- I did, however, have some enjoyable times, like our trip to NYC. One of my best times all year. Loved that vacation. Best part was that Sara had never been, so I was able to experience the city again through her eyes. And it was July and MILD fer crissakes. It was a miracle.

August
- Anniversary post wherein I make an amusing parralel between photography and the steadfastness of a relationship. I know, I'm a nerd.
- Saying goodbye to Teddy Awful. 'nuff said.

September
- I appear to have opened a show that month? I have a couple of blog posts about lack of sleep as well as trying to not eat a million things during tech week

October
- My most prolific month of the year – 12 whole posts!!!! That’s an average of more than 2 a week! (hahahaha) Anyway, I am particularly fond of my post with the pic from my Bro’s wedding. I still think I looked smokin’ in that dress.

November
- Love this post about a poster that Jenn had when we were in college.

December
- And then I round out the year with my take on the utterly depressing and absolutely magnificent film version of “The Road”

2010 hopes to be a year of some changes. Sara and I are moving to a smaller (cheaper) apartment, with the motive of saving as much money as possible for a down payment for a house. We have some neighborhoods in the city that we like, and we think we’ll be able to snatch a good foreclosure or short sale property and get some bang for our limited bucks.

Many babies on the horizon…. Sara’s sister is currently pregnant with twin boys, so we’ll have nephews coming out of our EARS (When they’re born, that’s “Nephews 5 – Nieces 0”, not that we’re keeping count). Plus, our great friends Mace & Thales are expecting a baby girl in early summer. Hooray for lesbians having babies!!!

Sara will be entering year 2 of college – with the added bonus of having more responsibilities at work (she got a big raise & promotion a couple of months back). I’m sure it’ll be stressful, but with someone as charming as ME at home, how could it be all bad???

I artistically start off the new year on an incredible high note…. We open “The (edward) Hopper Project” on 1/15. All signs point to awesomeness on this one.

I have a couple of other possible artistic ventures in my pocket, but until they’re definite, I’ll just keep them there in my pocket.

In a little over a month I’ll be 35. I haven’t had any problems with that number until very recently. And it’s not even really a problem, more like an itch in the center of my back that I just can’t get to. I mean, time marches on, so what…. I just want to be sure I’m doing things I love to do and spending time with people I love to spend time with. Period.

So a toast to 2009, and a tip of the hat to the coming 2010.

Really???

Yesterday, in the comments section of Don’s blog, I was referred to as a “foul-mouthed fatty from Boston”.
That is such an accurate depiction of me, I’m really not sure I can pissed off at it.
(although “fatty” is a tad harsh… I prefer “tubby” personally)

Hopper's got a poster

As I head off into the holiday season, I bring this FREAKING AWESOME PICTURE.
(set your calenders folks, Hopper opens in 24 days)

poster design by Regan Davis

Back in the saddle again....

So I kind of took a flying leap off the Weight Watcher wagon over Thanksgiving. It was a whole week of trying our best but failing miserably to say no to everything.

"wanna go out for dinner?" "sure!"

"want some more sweet potatoes?"  "Sure!"

You see the pattern here....
Anyway. I gained back a little bit of what I had lost. Then it was hard to get on the wagon again, as it were. So here I am, almost a month after my last RECORDED weigh in, and I finally shed off the few pounds I put back on AND came out the other end with another pound and a half lost. Best part? it FINALLY put me over the 30 pound threshold. Woo hoo!!!!! (check out the updated tracker to the right--> )

It was a little depressing trying to get back into it over the last few weeks, but I just did the best I could and finally have some positive things - hooray!

Now, Christmas is looming. However, it is just a 2 day bump in the road as opposed to a 10 day gluttonous road trip. And honostly, after our 8 hour christmas cookie baking session at Sara's mom's last weekend, I don't want to see another christmas dessert or sweet for a LONG time.....

amen.

"You have to keep carrying the fire"

Back in October, I posted how excited I was to see the upcoming movie version of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer-Prize masterpiece, The Road.

So, on Monday night, Sara and I got our tickets and sat in a quite empty theatre (thank god) and beheld the depressing tale. I actually warned Sara in advance, as she hadn't read the book - I told her it was pretty depressing, and if she wasn't interested, I'd understand. She was all for it.

The movie is (overall) very loyal to the book - I only spotted maybe one or two things out of place (tiny) , plus the expansion of the wife character while not in the book was actually pretty welcome. The juxtaposition of the wife, who would do anything to get away from the apocalypse, and the husband who would hear of nothing but trying to survive it, it helped really show both sides, and makes you contemplate - in that situation what would you do? Would you give up, or would you always have one thread of hope?
The loyalty to the book was tested in one haunting scene. The book describes, in morbid detail, the Man discovering a wealth of half-eaten bodies in the basement of a home. The thing is these "people" are still alive (gotta keep the meat alive and fresh), and they have parts that have been hacked off one at a time to be eaten by the home owners who have resorted to cannibalism. I was so afraid they wouldn't show the scene in the movie, or back off it some and not give the full impact of what he had found. They didn't. It was haunting, visceral, bloody, and awful...and it had to be there.

There was so much I loved, it's hard to digest it all - my "cry" moment was after the Man made the thief strip down and give him all his clothes - and he left him there, shivering. The brutality of the moment was awful, and yet I also understood his reasoning for doing it.

Viggo is great, Charlize is surpisingly great and the boy is killer.
(there's also a couple of great cameos I had fogotten about - people who were transformed so well that I could only recognize them by their VOICE)

If you loved the book, you won't be dissapointed, I promise.

"I told the boy when you dream about bad things happening, it means you're still fighting and you're still alive. It's when you start to dream about good things that you should start to worry" - the Man

How Effing Exciting is THIS?

I mean come on, how often is it that the show you're working on has those cool BANNERS put up on the lightposts by the city? Well, when you're doing your show at the DCA, I guess that can happen!!!!
Hooray! I guess the only thing cooler is if you're Mary Jo Bolduc or Erin Orr, who are IN the picture and now have their FACES on those lampposts!!!!!

Outside....looking in.....

THIS to me is what Hopper will be all about.

(image from Rear Window, 1954)

Leaving for points due east

Tomorrow morning, Sara and I are leaving to drive to Boston for Thanksgiving. I'll have my laptop with me, but I'm sure I won't post any blogs.
I always say I will and then I never do. I'm sure I'll be posting pics and travel updates to facebook and twitter, so if you follow me there then you'll be a-ok.

Looking forward to this vacation - I've only had small doses of Boston over the last year, and I'm needin' my fix!

We leave tomorrow with hopes to be on the road by 6am at the latest. The cool thing is as soon as we cross over into Indiana, we lose the hour, so we're ahead of the game! The first day, we'll drive till we get to Syracuse (about 12 hours) and spend the night there. Then we'll sleep in a little on Sunday, and drive first to Sturbridge to spend the night. An old Salem buddy of mine runs a country inn there and has comped us a room for Sunday night (working for hotels rocks some of the time!), and we have plans to try and hit some of the nice antique shops from that area! Then, on Monday we drive to our hotel right outside Boston, where we park it for the next 6 nights. Hangouts with family, friends and a couple of bottles of wine will take place over those 6 days (plus, throw in some gambling and we're all set!). Then on Sunday the 29th, we leave early in the AM and drive for 12 hours - this will get us to Cleveland, where we'll spend the night Sunday. Monday morning the 30th, we'll wake up and drive back into the city, and then we're back to work on Dec 1st.

can't.
wait.

...and on a COMPLETELY seperate note.....

This poster excites the SHIT outta me....

The rumor is that the premiere will be 1/20....
I have a huge TV.....
Who's coming over????????

Speakin' my language

Don's post today is all about my FAVORITE THING.

Swear words.

Don says: "Favorites include "douchebag," "asshat," "shit stain," and, of course, any variation on the word "fuck." The Irish can use these words like Yo Yo Ma can play an arpeggio and I consider myself a near virtuoso."

A-fucking-men.

I have often told Don that his speech just goes over my head, much like the TV show 'Deadwood'. Back when it was on, I would talk to people that would say "Oh that Deadwood - I just can't get past the language, it's so coarse and vulgar!" And honostly - I don't hear it. I spent my life listening to a group of intelligent Irish souls (my family) weave obscenity into conversation like an oriental rug maker. Swears were just a part of my vernacular. I never actually realized how much I swear until I moved to Chicago. Not that it has changed anything - I still swear like I never moved.

Next week, I return to the mother ship for the holidays - and I promise that when I return to Chicago not only will I probably be swearing more, but my speech will lose all of it's "r"s. But that's a post for anothah day.

Reminiscing on a poster

Today, I was emailing back and forth with my pal Dennis, and I referenced a poster that Jenn Adams used to keep on her wall back in our college days. We used to discuss it often back then. The poster was called "How to Be an Artist" and it had a bunch of cool things on it like "swing high on the swingset" and "hug trees". Totally hippie, right? We would laugh at some, and fiercely embrace the others. The one that we would quote back and forth to each other all the time was the one "Do it now. The Money will follow".
I was only referencing it in the first place because Dennis was laid off recently, and I was trying to let him know that sometimes as long as you're passionate about what you're doing, the rest is just gravy. And then it reminded me of the poster, and of some of the fun times we would have sitting around and reading off the "How to's".

Now, in me and Jenn's case we would use the phrase all the time on each other as a basis for choosing one thing over the other.  Should I call in at work? Should I buy this sweater? Should I forgo paying this bill so I can do something more fun?
Sometimes stupid, and sometimes inspiring, we would still quote that line to each other even years later, after college, after we'd moved from Massachusetts out to Chicago together.

I know that Jenn is married and has 2 kids and has to be uber-responsible now and all, but a small part of me hopes that she still approaches some small parts of her life in the "Do it Now. The Money will Follow" kind of way.

Now pardon me, I'm off to build a fort with blankets.

"Nothin' worth having comes without some kind of fight..."

I'm so Angry I could punch someone. For reals. I even capitalized Angry.

You were SOOO close Maine. You and Iowa were set to duke it out as which state was the most surprisingly forward thinking. I've visisted you a kajillion times. I've enjoyed your beaches, your quaint cabins, your seafood restaurants, your beautiful forests, and your salt-of-the-earth people.

Now, it's over. You blew it. I will never again spend another dime of my heard earned money in your state (which will be difficult, as my own mother lives there). LL Bean outlet store? suck it. Shops in Kittery? suck it some more. Every mom and pop outlet leading from the highway to my mom's house? suck it, suck it, suck it some more.

How can you look at me and the love of my life and say no?
How can you honostly say that my happiness 1,000 miles away from you in Chicago has ANYTHING to do with the "sanctity" of your marriage?
Nearly 53% of you think that somehow protecting your marriage is more important than MY RIGHTS.

look at this picture, Maine

Does this picture of Love and Devotion spell out hellfire and damnation for you?
and if so, why?
How can you see anything but true love here? and how is that wrong by anyone's account?

I've tried over the years to understand where YOU are coming from, but now I'm done doing that, I'm done trying to be NICE during what constitutes a removal of my RIGHTS.


In fact, you know what Maine? FUCK YOU.



1:58pm 11/4 EDITED TO ADD:
Peter Sagal posted a link to an editorial piece by Andrew Sullivan that helped soothe the beast inside me. Let me be clear...it soothed, but did not heal.
It's a good read: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/11/the-pain-in-maine-ii.html