Synecdoche/Schenectady

Has anyone seen this movie?

We threw it on the other day (part of our beloved Netflix instant queue), and proceeded to sit there, mouths agape, for two hours trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Not that it wasn't enjoyable or that the acting wasn't good - the cast is packed with top notch actors I always love watching (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Diane Wiest, Catherine Keener) and they all do some beautiful work in this film... But dang. This is some weird cinema. And I cannot claim to understand it. I can't even begin to explain to you the 'plot'.

But the nice thing about movies like this is that they make you ask questions, and who better to ask than the internet?

So the internet tells me this is a Charlie Kaufman project, which explains a lot (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation). Okay, so this is a movie about the brain. This guy loves to tackle the brain: how little we understand of it, but how we're constantly trying to tame or control it when really we are completely hopeless in those efforts because our hearts are more powerful. (Wow, that sounds kind of intelligent... maybe I understand more than I think... what do you think, brain?)

The internet also tells me the definition of "Synedoche":

syn·ec·do·che[si-nek-duh-kee]
from Greek synekdoche (συνεκδοχή), meaning "simultaneous understanding".
a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special

e.g.,
"Legs" as a nickname
"The White House" referring to the executive branch of the United States government
"John Hancock" for a signature
"Bug" for any kind of insect or spider

So how does that help me understand "Synecdoche, New York"? To be honest... not very much at all. Maybe if I saw it again I'd understand better. Me and my brain will definitely be thinking about it for a while, trying to figure it out. But what I DO know for sure now is the meaning of 'synecdoche', and so do you.

And if you are in the mood to watch a winding, monstrous puzzle of a flick with missing pieces and no answers I would recommend this one - as long as you don't mind experiencing some mild hypochondria for a few days.

Okay, I can tell you now

This morning Chad and I got up at dawn and drove two hours for the much-anticipated audition that I have resisted divulging here (so as not to jinx anything - you know us actors: skeptical of superstitions, yet superstitious all the same.) The audition was for the Old Globe/University of San Diego MFA program -- one of the top Masters degree programs in acting in the nation.

We've been really excited about this audition for a while, but at the same time we've really worked to temper our enthusiasm with reality: the chances of just one of us being accepted - let alone BOTH of us - are very, very slim. They admit just seven students every year (auditioning hundreds), and of those only two or three tend to be actresses.
But good golly this would be an incredible experience. Two years of intensive study and constant employment of your craft, all the while working with Broadway-level actors and directors at an amazing theatre like the Old Globe. And not only that, tuition is completely paid for, and each student gets a living stiped as well. How can you beat that??

So there you have it! It's all in their hands now, and we'll find out in a month or so. If we both get in - it would be a miracle. If one of us gets in - either of us would be happy living in San Diego if the other were in the program. If neither of us gets in - we've got plenty to keep us busy here in LA, and we wouldn't have to part with our friends, so we'd be happy with that outcome as well. So all in all - we're in a pretty good situation here!

Heart.

Chad and I made our Valentines day all about hearts!

And by that I mean we made it all about OUR hearts - on a 16 mile bike ride around north Glendale. It was a tough one for sure - mostly straight up hill - but the upside of doing hills is that there is always a downside. :)

It was a perfect day for a ride, and we found ourselves overlooking a couple of nice vistas. Though some of them were being zipped by at 30mph, so we didn't catch ALL of them on film.

A great start to our Valentines Day, which didn't have the greatest end - I started a small fire in our oven trying to bake a special Valentines Day chocolate cake. :/ Oops.

Rainbow on our doorstep

This is from earlier this week - we had a torrential (Seattleites: read "moderate") afternoon of rain, at the end of which the sky stilled and lit up in an eerie orange hue. I went outside to try to capture that strange phenomenon and instead was greeted with an entire, intact rainbow. Lamentably I did not find a pot of gold at either end.

At the same time over in Hollywood someone else was witnessing this incredible sight:

Say what you will about rainy days - they're okay in my book.

Ten on Ten :: February 2010

Ten on Ten :: The Blog

Comfort Zone

On a rainy, thunder-y day like this I desire little else than to cozy up on the couch with a toasty grilled cheese sandwich and a big mug of tomato soup...

We've been getting so much rain lately - and while you know I love it, here's hoping the sun comes out for 10 on 10 tomorrow!

Insight for the Sighted.

Chad and I watched the documentary "Blindsight" yesterday. What an inspiring story, and shot so effectively - without being overly glossy or pushing the feel-good/heartstring-tugging agenda. It doesn't need either since the story is so inherently stirring.

The film follows 6 blind Tibeten children (ages 14-19) who attend a school for the blind in Tibet run by a blind woman from Germany. Inspired by the accomplishments of Eric Weihenmayer - the first blind person to climb Mt. Everest - they embark on an expedition with him and a team of guides to climb one of the peaks near Everest.

If that weren't enough to start you believing you can accomplish anything, to top it off in Tibetan culture blindness is considered a "curse" for evil acts committed in a previous life. These kids are ostracized, humiliated and repeatedly told they are broken & won't be able to do anything in life - even by their families. What these children have to overcome in life is beyond anything I know. Which of course gets you thinking - what on earth is stopping me from climbing my own Everest?

Anyway, check it out if you get a chance, it's definitely worth it. If for no other reason than the priceless footage over the end credits of the little Tibetan boy singing his heart out for the cameras. :)

Good things to come.

I’m back. Hi. How are you?

It’s been a little while! I guess we all need a break now and then. I haven’t been exceedingly busy or anything lately, and it’s certainly not that there’s nothing to write about. I’ve just been uninspired. I find myself wondering who this blog is for, who actually reads this, is it worth reading at all... I like to write. I like the idea that I’m keeping friends and family in the know about my life. But sometimes I have a hard time imagining you out there, in your busy and hectic life, sitting at your computer, taking the time to read about what I’m doing when it isn't very interested to begin with. So is it worth it for me to say anything at all?

So there’s my little pity party – it’s done, I’m taking down the streamers and the Eeyore-shaped piñata. Glad it’s out of my system! And of course I am going to keep writing. Even if it’s just for myself, to make some sense out of the world and try to capture the things I might forget if I don’t put them down "on paper”.

So. Life. What’s happening.

I’m in a play. Chad is in the same play. This is a different play than the play we were in together before. I love that we have had the chance twice in less than two months to be in the same show. Chad is amazing.

We’re trying to run more, cycle more. It’s hard when we don’t get home from rehearsal until 11:30pm and I have to get up 5:30 or 6am. This is one early-bird who is used to hitting the hay at 10. But we found a gorgeous new cycling route and a running path near our house which I think will help get us out the door more often.

I’ve been walking to work (2 miles each way) and I relish the time to think.

I’ve stopped eating meat.

My great-aunt Annie passed away in January. She was a wonderful lady, kind and warm. She came to Canada from Holland, and we called her Tante Annie. She was an amazing cook - I remember her delicious lasagna, Appelbollen on New Years Eve (battered and fried apple slices dusted with powdered sugar) and "tipsy pudding", which was sort of like an English trifle. She had a beautiful, sweetly lilting Dutch accent. She is missed.

We have a big audition coming up later this month and, as with a lot of big auditions, I don’t really want to elaborate because I feel like that might jinx it. I will say that it would be absolutely life changing – and that the odds are not in our favor. I try not to focus on it too much (aside from preparing, of course!) but its hard when you want something so badly you can envision exactly what it would be like if you got it. But we’re prepared to accept whatever happens and either way there are good things to come.

We’re really enjoying “Dexter” on Netflix. It’s gory, but golly the acting is great. Netflix is the best thing that ever happened to our TV.

I’m excited for the Oscars. For once I’ve seen almost every Best Pic nominee!

Thanks for reading, I really hope you are doing well. I promise I will be back here soon, with photos, updates, thoughts and/or stories!