Biscuit's NYC

Best Laid Plans

2011-01-31T12:13:00.004-05:00

I live in one of the most exciting, fast paced cities in the country - in the world. Arts, culture, history, New York has it all. And yet, I can sometimes lose sight of that in the daily grind, traversing the same tired blocks between work and home, home and work. And it's worse in the slush and grime of winter; It doesn't exactly encourage one to take in the sights. But (amazingly!) I'm coming up on two years here, and have yet to see some quintessential New York neighborhoods and must-see attractions. So I've made a new goal for 2011: I'm going to get out and see my city.

In the spirit of this resolution, Aidan and I journeyed to the Upper East Side this past weekend to visit the Whitney Museum. Smaller than the Met and less visually striking than the iconic Guggenheim, the Whitney nevertheless boasts an interesting and varied collection in its five galleries. The Hopper exhibit currently on display was particularly engaging, as it put his work into context by displaying it alongside his contemporaries.

We also saw "workworkworkworkwork", a bizarre yet intriguing collection of pieces by New York artist Charles Ledray (picture). Composed mostly of miniature clothing, tiny ceramics and other textiles, it wavered between absurd and thought provoking. I admit I was somewhat annoyed at first by what looked like just a single shaft of wheat in a glass case - I mean, I'm all about modern art, but really? It wasn't until I was about two inches away that I realized it was actually sculpted out of human bone. Pretty incredible to see.

The Singular Visions exhibit had some arresting pieces as well, incuding"The Wait" (which juxtaposed a decaying, skeletal woman waiting for her beloved with a live parakeet twittering and chirping to itself) and "Running People" (a piece of art installed by projecting a gel onto any surface and painting it in, therefore making the installer a co-artist of sorts). Musing on these works as we made our way out to the street, Aidan and I both agreed that there's something to be said for a smaller museum. The sense of completion you get after making it through all the galleries is very satisfying.

But it also makes one hungry.

Fortunately, we knew exactly how to fix this problem: Soom Soom falafel. We'd discovered it last summer while he visited, and were so eager to try the delicious little place again that we gladly traipsed across Central Park to get to its west side location. Normally, this would be a pleasant jaunt across gorgeous woods and sprawling meadows. However, in January, these gorgeous vistas turn into a blinding, slippery tundra studded with pint-sized sledders and their exhausted parents. Needless to say, it took a little longer than normal to slog through the drifts, but it was actually very refreshing to get some fresh air. And we knew the falafel would be worth it...

Alas, the best laid plans of mice and men.

Our paced quickened as we saw the awning, both of us eagerly anticipating fried chickpeas and mint-lemonade ... and then it faltered, slowed, and screeched to a halt. Soom Soom was closed! I would like to report that the skies darkened and a dreary rain began to fall at this moment of cinematic disappointment, but the crisp sunshine refused to play along. Resigned to believe our quest was for naught, we slowly made our way towards the subway. But then, a glimmer of hope: Aidan spotted a tiny place called Sido Falafel, and we decided to give it a try (our rumbling stomachs both had a large say in this, they being not so discerning).

Wow. These are the moments that make men believe in fate.

It was delicious - dare I say, better than Soom Soom - and the staff was super friendly to boot. We both downed way too many of the scrumptious fried bites, and left heartily satisfied with our find. Trying new things was working out pretty well for us, we agreed. But that didn't stop us from visiting another old favorite, Levain Bakery. When a place sells cookies the size of your face, it's almost automatically worth a repeat visit. And sometimes, rediscovering the old is just as important as discovering the new.

Snow Blankets

2011-01-07T12:37:00.008-05:00

This post is dedicated to an avid reader who has recently celebrated a birthday AND is powering through rehabilitation after his knee replacement surgery. As my belated gift to you, grandpa, this post brings the blog up to (drum roll please)... TODAY!

Now back to September.

The play I directed at Manhattan Rep was called Chinatown is Full of Rooms. A dark look at relationships and how we hurt ourselves, the play packed a lot into one act (and managed to pack the house most nights). I loved sinking my teeth into the near-poetic language, especially equipped with the stellar cast we put together. We had some issues with the venue (ie, them keeping all the profits, trying to insist we use an air mattress, etc.), but the team made up for it. We even got a nice little review on a blog. We also partnered with a local bar called The Hourglass Tavern, which allowed us to have an opening night party there - replete with show-themed drinks!

This past fall also saw a lot of visitors swing through our new Brooklyn home. My cousin Sara and her boyfriend Michael bought the awesome Jet Blue "All You Can Jet" passes, and used one of their flights to come check out the Big Apple. The plan was to check out the baking scene in as many city as possible, since Sara has started her own baking business after going to culinary school. Read about their NYC journey on their Jetsetters blog... and then continue to read, because it's a great blog!

Aidan's sister Taylor also visited us for a weekend (before leaving to spend six months in Patagonia!), and gave me an excuse to check out the amazing "Big Bambu" installation on the roof of the Met - otherworldly! Then a week later Rachel and my parents came out too. It was great showing the family around the new neighborhood, especially with all the gorgeous fall foliage. Brooklyn Heights also goes all out when it comes to Halloween decorations; Stoops were filled with giant pumpkins, ghoulish gravestones, and enough webbing to encase a fleet of toddlers. But the night of Halloween found us very far from home - in Queens, in fact. Dressed in the most horrifying of New York costumes (a bedbug and a bedbug victim), Aidan and I made our way out to Astoria to my friend (and former roommate) Stephanie's house, where she had put together a wild haunted house party. Spooky appetizers, dry ice, great costumes... and oh yeah, fire spinners.

Steph knows how to throw a party.

After Halloween, the rest of the year just flew by. Aidan and I had our own mini-Thanksgiving with lots of friends (and TONS of stuffing), and then flew home to be with our families. Following tradition, the Bisker women ran the Flying Feather Four Miler again, despite the miserable drizzle outside. But we also got some news: Someone made an offer on the house! It'd been on the market since Spring, and Mom and Dad were definitely getting anxious to get into a new place. Not that there was anything wrong with it; It was a great house for the twenty years we were there, and a wonderful neighborhood to grow up in. But with Rachel and I officially out of the nest, they were ready to start the next chapter. And after a few counter offers - they did. In fact, just this past Monday they officially closed on the new place. A very exciting start to 2011!

Of course, that meant A LOT of packing between Thanksgiving and January. Before I knew it, I was back home again for Christmas, enjoying such time-honored holiday traditions as cookie baking and visiting with family ... and the not-so-traditional cleaning out the basement, running things up to storage, and filling up the dumpster parked in the driveway. But of course, we managed to have a lot of fun with it, discovering all sorts of fun things during the process. I also became quite the Craigslist seller, posting everything from old TVs to my dad's 70's record player. We met the most interesting people through it; The college student who was just getting into vinyl, the boy who was using his Christmas money to buy his very own ping pong table. A very cool experience.

As it turns out, I spent more time at home than I had anticipated, thanks to the NYC blizzard. Between canceled flights and standbys, I was at Port Columbus for the better part of the week - NOT my idea of a good time. But it did allow me to catch up with some friends while I was home, so it all worked out okay.

And though the snow was still thick when I got back to New York, that didn't stop our New Year's celebration. We rang in 2011 with a raucous party in our apartment and then drank champagne on the roof while watching fireworks over the Hudson. A pretty good start to the year, I think.

But it wasn't long before our apartment was again filled with visitors. This time it was my sister and two of her friends, checking out different neighborhoods and seeing how they liked the feel of NY life (the picture is us walking through a snowy Fort Tyron park). Our cozy one bedroom bulged a little at the seams, but held everyone in the end. We also had some Michigan friends stay this past weekend while they attended a music festival, and then had a small birthday celebration for me last night with cake and euchre!

And 2011 is just kicking off... Many more adventures to come!

A Thousand Words of Summer

2010-10-29T16:17:00.013-04:00

It’s a balmy, overcast day here in the city. Particularly calm and pleasant for this time of year, yet somehow it feels ominous, like the deep breath before a long dive into winter. I guess it is about that time though. Fall has turned out to keep me plenty busy already. So busy in fact that I figured I’d do a whirlwind back tracking session now to allow for a bit and focus on more recent events in upcoming posts. And so, without further ado, here it is: My summer in one thousand words or less.

May started off with a bang. I got to see Aidan graduate from Michigan with two degrees (and hear a commencement speech given by President Obama!). I also got in another bike adventure, putting in a solid 35 miles during the trek from Inwood to Far Rockaway Beach. The brisk spring air was invigorating, but also deceiving – the sunburn I got wasn’t spring-like at all. My legs are STILL retaining the oh-so-sexy mid-thigh bike short tan line. Everyone was sympathetic at the BBQ I attended afterwards out in Brooklyn (the scrumptious meal and homemade marshmallows were a good consolation too). I also flew home for Memorial Day weekend and thoroughly surprised my mom and sister for their shared birthday. Besides getting to share in the celebration, I got to catch up with neighbors and friends at all the graduation parties, which made it an extra fun time.

When I got back to New York after all the burgers and cake, I got some more good news: Once my internship with A.R.T./New York was finished, Carl wanted to hire me on full time! I was thrilled at the prospect of steady work in my industry, especially with such great people. So in mid-June, once the A.R.T./New York Gala (the event my internship was designed around) was finished, having gone off beautifully without a hitch, I said goodbye and began what is now my full time job with Eleven Entertainment and Ambassador Theatre Group.

But the next round of excitement wasn’t far off. With Aidan finally graduated and ready to move to the city, it was time to tackle, yet again, the nefarious beast that is New York city apartment hunting. Even though I (finally) had a steady job, we wanted to be cautious about our price range – Aidan hadn’t received any programming offers yet, and dance can be just as fickle as theatre when it comes to steady pay. So we threw a wide net, looking at Inwood, Brooklyn, and the Upper West Side as possibilities. Our wants seemed pretty reasonable: a place in a safe neighborhood that was close to a subway (preferably the A, C, E) that had enough room for two people live in relative comfort. But this IS New York we’re talking about, so to be on the safe side, we booked several appointments with different brokers.

And by several I mean seventeen.

In one day.

Armed with bikes, diligent notes, directions, and a few farmer’s market muffins, we began our quest early on a Saturday morning. We saw every sort of place imaginable… duplexes, new renovations, bad new renovations, garden levels, elevator buildings, walk-ups, brownstones. We took lots of notes and snapped pictures of our favorites to help us keep track. But by midday, we were pretty convinced that we would stay in Inwood, just a few blocks from where I’d been living. The amount of space you get for your money made the apartments up there the best value by far. And besides, I already knew it very well.

By that time, our quest had taken us to Brooklyn, where we’d be seeing the rest of the apartments. This sprawling outer borough (home to 2.5 million New Yorkers) is just as varied and culturally rich as its Manhattan sister, and it boasts neighborhoods just as distinct and varied. Our first stop wasn’t too far out though – just one subway stop away from Manhattan, picturesque Brooklyn Heights definitely fit the location bill. And as we rode up a tree-lined street towards our appointment, passing rows of cafes and snug 1800’s brownstones, the old world charm of the neighborhood began to work its magic. In fairness, it’s hard NOT to be taken in by sun-dappled lanes and lovely promenades – but trust me, we weren’t complaining.

Not large by any standards, the apartment we viewed was still comfortable and very well laid out. The kitchen was gorgeous, and there was also a surprising amount of closet space. And then, there was the roof deck; Offering a sweeping, unobstructed panorama of lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, the view was both breathtaking and mundane – you have, after all, seen it on hundreds of postcards from NYC. It was a little outside of our conservative price range though, so we trekked on to our other showings.

But try as we might, this little one bedroom on Cranberry Street continued to haunt us. It became our point of comparison through the remainder of our search, and our wistful “If only…” as we put down the deposit on a new building in Inwood. Then, that very afternoon, full of relief at having secured a residence, we got the good news – Aidan had three job offers! And, what’s more, they were offering enough that our Cranberry Street dream could actually work. We sprang into action, retracting our deposit (amazingly, we got it all back) and starting the new application process.

A month later, we moved into our first apartment together, happily assuming the title of Brooklynites.

August was a blur. After our busy move-in on the first (using a Zipcar pickup named “Thunder”) I dove right into MCC Theatre’s Freshplay festival, where I was working as a production assistant. With that in the evenings, and my new full time job during the day, it make for some long hours. Aidan was busy as well, balancing dance auditions with his job at American Express Publishing, where he works on the website for Food and Wine Magazine. We barely had time to unpack! But we did manage to make a short trip to Philadelphia, where we visited with my Aunt Linda, her family and my grandparents. It was only for short time, but it was nice to catch up with everyone and get out of the city for a bit. Of course, by the time I got back the MCC festival was finished, and I was already itching for a new project of my own. Luckily for me, my fellow Michigan alum Seth had a new play he was looking to get up. We submitted it to a festival at Manhattan Repertory Theatre – and got in! With September right around the corner, it was nice to have the familiar rhythm of auditions and rehearsals to look forward to. So nice, in fact, that I think I’ll leave you with it too.

S'Mac and Awe

2010-09-03T11:41:00.011-04:00

Brittany and I have been friends for a long, long time - over eighteen years, actually. From the first day of first grade, all the way through our joint high school graduation speech and beyond. But what with different colleges and career paths, we hadn't seen each other as often as we would have liked to over the last few years. Needless to say, we were both thrilled when she was able to come visit for a weekend in March. (One perk of her travel-intensive consulting job? "Alt-Travel" - instead of flying back home to Ohio, she can fly to somewhere else... like NYC!)

Once she arrived, we dove headfirst into New York activities while catching up on our crazy lives. We hit up classic touristy stuff (Times Square, the incredible roller coaster-esque indoor elevator at the Marriott Marquee, the M&Ms store) but also visited Fort Tryon and walked the length of Central Park. She also got to see some theater - directed by yours truly! I'd been working on this show "Hearting Linds" for the past month, and it worked out perfectly that Britt was in town to see the performances. It was a fun, quirky new play about falling in love with your heart, and everyone in our packed houses seemed to enjoy it. I think she especially enjoyed seeing the show multiple times, seeing exactly how unique each performance really is.

Even though it was a brief visit, we had a great time. We both enjoyed catching up, and I was pleased that the weather had cooperated and allowed a bit of spring sunshine into the mix, letting us take leisurely strolls around the city (instead of the sprints from building to building I'd been experiencing most of the winter). But no sooner had I said goodbye to Brittany than I was saying hello to yet another fun visitor - Rachel! I'd been anxiously awaiting her visit for a while, eager to show her around "my" city and get in some much-needed sister time. But Rachel was in for a little surprise: Before our adventures could begin, she'd have to put in some work... at my job! A little back story: One of the biggest projects I was working on at A.R.T./New York was readying the save-the-dates and invitations for the annual gala - I helped streamline the organization's contacts, mail merged everything, and went through stacks of returns to find correct addresses (Tangent: Researching the addresses of the returned mail was actually an incredibly interesting project. While Googling the addresses and names I ran across stories of lost homes, estate sales, death, love, even parents of famous playwrights. Read my favorite one, about a couple who fell in love after WWII, here; I found it while trying to trace where Elmer had moved to. Who never RTS could be so interesting?) But the culmination of all this work was, naturally, a day of mass stamping and envelope licking, otherwise known as actually sending out the invitations. It just so happened that Rachel's visit coincided with this monumental day, so she tagged along and was a huge help throughout the process.

To celebrate our success, Rach and I headed to a scrumptious Indian dinner and a really fun, unique show: The New York Neo-Futurists "Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind." In this wild production, the Neo-Futurists put on 30 plays in 60 minutes... some are 5 minutes long, some only 15 seconds. But the real fun is in the sequencing: the numbers 1-30 are strung up on a clothesline across the stage, and as you're seated each member of the audience is given a "menu" with all of the thirty play titles. Once a play finishes on stage, the audience yells out the number they want to see performed next. It made for a hilarious evening and I highly recommend it. (P.S. The cost of admission? $10 plus the roll of a die. They always find a way to work in the random...)

But the fun didn't stop there. Our numerous other adventures included The Strand bookstore, the West Village, and the Central Park Conservatory Gardens. Our gastronomical adventures were pretty impressive too, including old favorites like Red Bamboo and new ones, like S'Mac - serving incredible gourmet Mac 'n' Cheese (our favorite was the Parisian, which included Brie, Rosemary, Mushrooms and Figs)! As you can see from the picture, Rachel was not a fan of sharing. We also stumbled upon Baked by Melissa miniature cupcakes ... tiny bites of awesome! (If your mouth isn't water after looking at that website, have your eyes checked). And by the end of the trip, Rachel even (mostly) figured out the subway. Not a bad visit, if I do say so myself ... All in a day's (or week's) work for big sis!

Mothballs

2010-08-05T10:34:00.015-04:00

The first week of March was Michigan's spring break, which meant that Aidan got to come up for a whole week! Of course, that turned out to be the week of the MCC performances at AND the week I started with A.R.T./New York (seriously? Break couldn't have fallen during all those weeks of unemployment?). He managed to fill up the time while I was at work though, both with job interviews and a dance intensive at the Paul Taylor Dance Company. We still managed to fit in lots of mini-adventures too, like going to The Moth Mainstage with our friend Meagan, who was also visiting that week. This series of shows is held at a variety of locations around NYC, and at each event people get up on stage karaoke style and, well, tell a story. There's always a theme to the evening (at the show we saw it was "The Distance") but you'd be amazed at all the different ways people incorporate it. And each story (5 minutes or less) is judged by several random groups around the room on presentation, content, and how well it relates to the theme - an aspect that adds a nice competitive flavor to the whole thing. A really fun time (even worth the freezing cold trek to Brooklyn and the wait to get in!). You can also listen to their podcast online - definitely recommended!

Later on that week, we explored some other parts of lower Manhattan that I hadn't really been to yet, like Battery Park, Ground Zero, and the Financial District. There was a lot to take in, but I was most fascinated by the beautiful Trinity Church at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street. It's history dates back over 300 years and is full of interesting tidbits: It served as the British Headquarters during the Revolutionary War, Alexander Hamilton is buried in the cemetery next door, and the beautiful sculpture in its courtyard (that we're standing under in the picture) is made from the branches of a giant sycamore tree that was downed during the 9/11 attacks. It was pretty amazing to read about how much it's been through.

All in all, it was a great visit. It was so nice to see Meagan, and of course I loved seeing Aidan for more than a long weekend. It made it hard to say goodbye again, but I got some great news the next week that helped to cheer me up: I got a second internship! I had applied on a whim late one night, and was shocked to find an interview request in my inbox the very next morning. I wasn't familiar with the company - all I knew about the place was that it was a theatrical producing organization - but it sounded interesting (and it paid!) so I went in for an interview before heading to A.R.T./New York for the day. Turns out that the position entailed working on projects for two separate companies: the New York branch of Ambassador Theatre Group (one of the largest producing entities in the U.K.) and Rock of Ages Broadway. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked. After spending so much time in the non-profit world, I'd been very curious about the commercial side of things, and this was the perfect opportunity. They offered me the internship the next day, and with that added on to my A.R.T./New York work, I suddenly went back to a 40 hour work week.

Life was good. Not only was I fully employed again, but my roommate Stephanie was also back in town for the Brooklyn leg of the tour she was working (she was on the road from January - March with the children's musical "Frog and Toad"). We got to hang out a bit, catch up, exchange crazy stories. And I also began rehearsals for the staged reading of "Hearting Linds" I was going to direct in the coming weeks.

Not a bad way to welcome Spring to the city.

Upswings

2010-07-22T15:14:00.004-04:00

At one point during the course of my "f-unemployment" I was given some helpful advice: broadcast your need. Seemed like a good idea, seeing as how people won't usually offer you work if they don't know you're looking. And when that friend of a friend mentions they have a gig, you want YOUR name to be the first one to pop up in your friend's head. So I forced myself to stop being embarrassed and managed to slip my job hunt into every conversation I had. Friends, acquaintances, random people on the subway... throw the net wide, right?

Then one random afternoon in the first few days of February, I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. It was the co-producer of MCC Theater's Youth Company's winter show. He explained that he needed a production assistant for this show, maybe even an assistant director. And the job started immediately. And it paid.

What?

Turns out my friend (and former summer camp RA) John had mentioned my name when they were brainstorming ideas of people to help with the show. I'd worked with MCC's Youth Company a few years back on their annual UNCENSORED show as an unpaid assistant, so I was a good fit for this project - many of the kids I'd worked with then were still involved. Naturally, I was overjoyed to have this new show to work on, especially when I got to see the great team they'd assembled. Working with such bright, talented High School kids was a good reminder too, proving to me again that I did love this, despite the hardships of the field. (The picture is from opening night!)

I didn't stop looking for other jobs though. I was still applying like mad, checking Playbill's online job postings every day. And then I heard back from one, an organization called the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (or A.R.T./New York for short). They were looking for a development intern, which wasn't exactly what I was looking to do, but their mission sounded so interesting I figured I would at least go to the interview (watch the video on the front page of their website, and you'll understand!). As soon as I met the Director and the Associate Director of Development, I knew I wanted to work there. They were funny, smart, and excited about what they they were doing - and why wouldn't they be, since their job was to get money for the use of nearly 300 member theatres?

I found out I got the job a few days later, and started with them right at the beginning of March. Most of my work involved cleaning up data related to their annual gala (to be held in June) and making it usable. It was decent pay too, but it was only twenty hours a week, so I kept looking for other jobs to fill up my days/wallet. And it's a good thing I did...

Bounced Reality Check

2010-07-10T10:25:00.014-04:00

Never thought I'd catch this blog up to the current year did ya? Yeah... neither did I!

I spent New Year's Eve in Chicago with Aidan, where we had a lovely dinner with friends before bundling up and trying to head downtown for the fireworks. We just missed the train though, and decided to trudge back and watch the televised ball drop (slightly ironic that I end up watching Times Square coverage after having just left? Perhaps). Then after the festivities, we kicked off 2010 right - with an all night road trip. Yes, it was back to Ohio for us, in preparation for my friend Julie's wedding (!) that Saturday. I was the maid of honor, and after being hundreds of miles away during most of the planning, I was determined to be there for all of the day-before prep.

We pulled in as the sun was rising, and I managed to get in a few hours of sleep before heading to her mom's house (which is exactly 5k/3.1 miles from my house; Julz and I used to run from one to the other for cross country practice)! We got working right away, assembling bouquets, packing up reception supplies, and running errands. The day flew by, but we manged to get just about everything finished. Saturday dawned bright and chilly, with a gentle snow. Of course, there was last minute rushing and a few frantic moments, but everything turned out beautifully. Most importantly, Cory and Julie seemed to have a great time.

A few days later, I packed up and headed back to the city. It was a little surreal; I'd done several internships before in places like Minneapolis and Chicago, but I'd always headed back to Ann Arbor when they were finished. There I was, having just wrapped up MTC... and still in New York. A definite "Welcome to adulthood" moment, made even more real by the fact that I was without a job. I tried not to focus on that though. I still had enough money left from my Dr. Phil gig to survive for a month, maybe two, so I got right to work hunting through job postings for the right fit. I soon got an assistant-director position at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, working alongside Burke Walker (founder of the The Empty Space Theatre in Seattle) on a production of the 1937 play "Time and the Conways". It was only temporary though, and it certainly wasn't enough to pay the bills, so I kept looking for some supplemental work.

And so a routine was born: Wake up, travel to the lower east side, rehearse, come home, apply for jobs. Sleep. Repeat.

After a few weeks of this, my optimism began to wear thin. As did my savings.

It was the first time since arriving in New York that I really questioned myself. Was working in the arts worth all the pressure and stress of struggling to survive? Now, let me be clear on one point: Never during this admittedly low period was I in danger of living on the street, or not eating, or burning my manuscripts for heat a la RENT style. Thanks to incredibly supportive parents, I knew there was a safety net there should I fall. But that didn't make me any more okay with falling. Fortunately, along with the promise of financial support, my family was always there to give me emotional support. At times, that meant listening to my fears. At others, it meant telling me to stop whining and remember that many more experienced people had been out of work for six months. Or a year. And that this is what I wanted to do.

I could not - could NOT - have survived without them. And I can't begin to thank them enough.

Of course, this odd period of semi-employment did lend itself to some unique sort of adventures and mini-jobs. I hawked comedy show flyers for a day, dreamed up a dog-walking business, and trained to be an SAT tutor, among other things. I also went back to MTC for a day and helped them with their Winter Benefit at the Plaza (my duty was to escort SNL alum Ana Gasteyer). But when February rolled around, things took a whole new turn...

Turkeys and Yaks

2010-07-08T15:44:00.005-04:00

Somehow amidst all the adventures, the holiday season snuck up on me. I flew back to Ohio for Thanksgiving, and had a wonderful time visiting my family. It was a short trip, but we packed in a lot of fun (like our annual "Flying Feather Four-Miler" run the morning of; the picture is of Rachel and I crossing the finish line together). Rachel regaled us all with stories from her Bhutan trip too (if you haven't checked it out already, take a look at her page on the Bisker wiki; the pictures are wild! And yes, our family does have a wiki. Top THAT!). She brought home some cool trinkets too; some families just have pumpkin pie at thanksgiving... we got prayer flags and yak-hair scarves!

Once I got back to New York, I only had two and a half weeks left at my Manhattan Theatre Club casting internship. After a lot of thought, I'd decided not to stay on with MTC for the entire theatrical season (Sept-May) as originally planned. It was a great experience, and I learned so much about the casting world, but the work hours to pay ratio was wearing me out. I also felt that it was simply too large of an organization for me in the long run. So, despite not having anything else lined up, I went ahead and told them I'd be leaving after the winter break. It was harder than I'd expected; MTC had been a sort of first home for me after landing in New York. But it was the right choice. Of course, right before I flew home for Christmas, I got one last great invite because of MTC (we got a lot of nice comp offers to various shows while I was there). This one was to a private pre-screening of the movie Nine (a film which was based on the Broadway musical Nine, which itself was based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½. Follow that?) at the Crosby Street Hotel Film Club. I found the movie enjoyable, despite its flaws, and was excited to listen to the talk back with director Rob Marshall, of musical-movie Chicago fame. I was even more excited when a surprise guest showed up to join the talk back: the star of the film, Mr. Daniel Day-Lewis himself. Hearing him talk about acting and art and the industry was exactly the send-off I needed. I left for home in high spirits, eager for the challenges 2010 would bring.

Stars in Our Eyes

2010-06-22T17:43:00.022-04:00

When I moved to New York, I took it as a given that there would be some trade-offs. Like never having to search for parking... but having to sit through 15 additional stops when the A train runs local. Or always having something to do in 'the city that never sleeps'... but actually wanting it to quiet down so I could sleep occasionally. And of course, to be near all those bright Broadway lights, I knew I'd have to give up the stars. Not a huge deal; after all, this sort of give-and-take was to be expected... or so I thought.

One November day as I was coming home from work, I noticed a flyer for the Inwood Astronomy Project. I was thrilled to discover that not only did they have a star-gazing event every Saturday night, but that they were also hosting a special viewing for the Lenoid Metor Shower that week. I'm a total science geek at heart, and instantly decided that I was going to convince/force my roommates to come with me. Turns out, they were actually pretty excited too, and we decided to make an evening of it and invite some friends over as well.

When the night finally arrived, we kicked off the evening by cooking up a delicious vegan dinner of orange-glazed tofu, kiwi-Lime soaked asparagus, watercress salad and brown rice. We also baked some vegan cookies, but promptly stuffed them in a ziplock to save them for star-gazing. Then we bundled up, grabbed some thick blankets, and headed out. Turns out the correct entrance to the park is only a block from our apartment, but somehow someone overlooked it and dragged everyone all the way up to Indian Road Cafe before realizing her mistake (that person may or may not have been me; I plead the fifth). But the adventure didn't stop once we reached the park. Inwood Hill Park is a "forever wild" park, meaning that that park service tries to minimize the human footprint on the ecosystem. One way they do this? No streetlights. Awesome for astronomy... no so awesome for finding the astronomy club, especially considering that the 'Hill' portion of Inwood Hill Park is mighty step, and over 200 yards up. But if you looked closely along the path, you could just make out the little orange flags leading the way, so we headed off into the brush.

After a few wrong turns, we eventually made it to the top of the park where we were met by several telescopes and about twenty or so stargazers laying out in a tiny meadow. We spread our blankets, broke out the cookies, and settled in to scan the sky. As a regular viewer of the always-impressive Perseids (which are visible every August), I knew that the somewhat less spectacular Lenoids would be an adjustment. It was a new moon though, so the hope was that without the interference of moonshine, a lot more would actually be visible. But as we played silly sentence games to pass the time, some heavy cloud cover started to obscure the view and our optimism began to fade. After an hour, the November chill was also really starting to seep through our blankets, and we still hadn't seen any meteors. Once the yawns set in, we knew it was time to pack it in. No one complained as we sleepily headed down the path though... between the cookies, the games, the great meal and great company, who needed stars?

The Seas of Manhattan

2010-06-22T16:43:00.010-04:00

After a Saturday packed with such random fun, you wouldn't think we'd be able to fit much more craziness into Jaime's visit.

You'd be wrong.

A few weeks before he arrived, I had agreed to take part in a chashama window project called A Moral Aquarium on 37th Street. Chashama is a wonderful organization that helps artists in a variety of ways, including offering subsidized rehearsal space, performance venues, and opportunities to enliven abandoned store fronts by putting up exhibitions or shows - window projects. The one I was involved with (created by Dillon de Give) basically turned this tiny little storefront into an aquarium, complete with paper mache coral, seaweed, sand, and every other underwater environ staple you could imagine. Performers dressed in sea-creature garb "swam" around inside the space, enacting (and sometimes reacting to) pre-recorded interviews with passerby that focused on an instance when the person had been faced with a moral dilemma.

So, not your typical Sunday in the park.

Fortunately, Jaime was totally game. My roommate, Brittany, even got in on the fun, and once we all arrived at the little spot in the fashion district, the only problem was deciding who got to be which creature. We soon discovered which ones we clicked with though; Jaime totally fit the large purple lobster get up. Brittany loved the jellyfish tendrils. And I was (unexpectedly? naturally?) drawn to the hammerhead. Then the real fun began.

Sure, there were a lot of folks who passed by without noticing. Or who pretended not to notice. But you'd be amazed at how many did pause to take a look; performance art can really make people stop in their tracks. Some laughed, some shook their heads. My favorites were the "car-gawkers" who peered out at us from their vehicles on 37th street. There was no staring shame from these folks; when you've got some distance and a car door between you and the sea-creature freaks, you feel pretty invincible. That's what made it fun though... acting, jumping around for them. Then just at the last moment, right as the light changed, we'd crack open the glass door they hadn't paid attention to and reach out to them... talk about your great facial expressions! Of course, the kids were awesome too. They whole "moral" idea behind it may have been a little over their heads, but the total joy they felt at seeing these unexpected creatures was beautiful to watch.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty stellar NYC weekend.

A Circus Grows in Brooklyn

2010-06-22T15:24:00.015-04:00

The other day, an elderly woman boarded the train I was riding home after a long rehearsal. I wouldn't have paid her any special attention, except that she didn't manage to grab a hold of the pole before the train lurched forward. She was thrown at least five feet, landing hard on her back. Instantaneously, the people on either side of the aisle leapt up, helped her to her feet and sat her down in one of the empty seats. They made sure she was alright, dusted off her handbag, and after she gave a reassuring smile everyone went back to their books or ipods.

That same afternoon, I was sitting at one of Schnipper's Quality Kitchen's street tables outside the New York Times building, half-reading, half-mulling over some impending decisions, when a woman approached me. "Sweetie, are you alright? You look sad," she said, obviously concerned. I assured her I was fine, that I was just thinking over some things, to which she responded,"Well, you're very pretty, too pretty to look so sad. I just know that everything's gonna be okay for you." Then she wished me good afternoon, and went on her way.

Anyone who tells you New York is only full of mean people obviously hasn't lived here.

Getting back to my November adventure: Jaime and I took our time wandering through Brooklyn, following Flatbush avenue and stopping to look at any graffiti or odd house that interested us. Eventually we stopped for some hot chocolate (and a chance to warm up/dry off) before heading to our real destination: Galapagos Art Space. This unique performance venue in DUMBO, Brooklyn (which stands for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass") boasts an indoor lake (with "island" tables in the middle of it) and quirky, out-there shows. We planned to see one show at 7:00 PM, then stay for their weekly "Floating Kabarette" at 10:00 PM, but we ended up getting there a bit early; they were still teching the first show. Of course, DUMBO is full of all sorts of fun little nooks and crannies, so we just ambled over across the alley to what looked like a party in a warehouse. I mean, that kind of randomness is what NYC adventures are all about right?

The warehouse actually turned out to be The Powerhouse Arena, a sort of gallery/performance space/book store hybrid, which was amazingly beautiful. And the party was actually the culmination of Page Turner: The Asian American Literary Festival. Not a bad event to stumble upon, when you consider they welcomed us right in to the free drinks, snacks, and readings from such notables as Tony-winner David Henry Hwang and Pulitzer-Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri. I can think of worse ways to kill time.

Unfortunately, the first show at Galapagos was a bit of a wash - not near as much fun as waiting around for it was. After it finished, we decided to find some food and see if we felt up for the second round. We were pretty hungry at this point, and would have settled for just about anything. However, inexplicably, we happened to stumble upon one of the most legendary Brooklyn pizza joints, Grimaldi 's. Even more inexplicable: there was no wait (sometimes, it takes upwards of an hour to get into this little pizza place). Needless to say, it was incredible. The pizza itself was classic New York, with its big, floppy slices and tons of cheese. It was only surpassed by the enormus cannoli we split afterwards (yes, somehow after downing an entire pizza, we found room for dessert too). Un-believable.

By the time we headed out for the Galapagos Floating Kabarette, we were stuffed but determined to give the venue another shot. We were glad we did; this show more than made up for the first. How to describe it? It was sort of an underground circus/burlesque show with singing, and lots of aerial acts. And free hair cuts. And remember, there's an indoor lake too.

Yeah, it was sorta wild. And lotsa awesome.

After staying way too late at the crazy show, Jaime and I slowly made our way back to Inwood (choosing to go by subway rather than foot this time, thankfully). But the adventures didn't stop there... little did Jaime know that he was going to make his theatrical debut the very next day!

Planes, Bridges, and Strange Streets

2010-04-30T00:44:00.011-04:00

As I write this, I am gliding majestically through frigid air currents towards the welcoming embrace of Detroit. Whatever elegant picture this conjures in your mind, savor it. For at the moment I am squarely flanked by two wailing German toddlers and cramped neatly behind a rather large body builder whose seat back reclines remarkably deep into my lap and subsequently askew tray table. Seeing as a 10,000 foot drop awaits my other side, ample space to type, wiggle, or dare I suggest, breathe, is distinctly lacking. Yet, I persevere, my laptop folded in on itself into a glowing piece of origami. (Apple, I patent the iGami here and now. Eat your heart out.)

Such is the love this grandchild has for her dear, persistent Grandfather. Let it be noted.

Back to November.

After our tree nursery run-in, Jaime and I continued our adventure at a leisurely pace, making our way up Sixth Avenue towards the heart of SOHO. (Note: This far down in Manhattan, ie, at some random point indiscernible to native Ohioans, Sixth Avenue is referred to only as “Avenue of the Americas”. However, the understandable confusion that arises in those of us whose hometown’s have street names that stay put like obedient Labradors should be suppressed at all costs, lest one earns the despised moniker of “tourist”.) We stopped in at various galleries, cultivating our stoic art-appreciator gazes. Some were more interesting than others. I particularly liked one little shop that displayed bicycles trussed up by different artists; one even incorporated a fully functional tequila shot bar (bucket of limes included) that the owner swore worked perfectly in transit. But before long, we gave in to our grumbling stomachs and popped into a posh little Italian Bistro. The pasta was delightful, but both Jaime and I were swooning too much over the amazing root beer to notice. Sated, we started to make our way down to Chambers Street.

At this point, it’s probably worth mentioning the ominous gray skies that had been hanging over us for a good part of the morning. Of course, it being November, gray was the weather’s typical color of choice, so I hadn’t been overly worried. At least at the start. But as we made our way towards lower Manhattan, it became clear that any worries I was harboring should hurry up and make way for absolute, soaking certainty. Not to be outdone by a little (read: a lot of) water, Jaime and I pressed on towards our destination: The Brooklyn Bridge. I had been in the city for almost three months, but had yet to lay eyes on the modern marvel. Today, we weren’t just going to have a look either. No, we were going to walk it. Truly the best way to experience the first steel cable suspension bridge, and certainly the only way to fully appreciate it. Plus, you get a great view of Manhattan.

And so we pressed on. Despite soaked sneakers, lashing rain, and an all-encompassing fog. As wet as I was, it was actually a stunningly beautiful walk. The architecture was so unique and held so much history, and the vistas from the middle of the river made even the stormy day lovely. The 1,595.5 feet went by quickly though, and we soon found ourselves in another world entirely: Brooklyn.

More to come!

Ladders Leading to Nowhere

2010-02-12T20:59:00.014-05:00

November turned out to be just as exciting. That Tuesday was the opening night of MTC's Nightingale, a one-woman show written and performed by Lynn Redgrave. She'd gone through a lot during the rehearsal process, and due to a medical problem she performed the play "on book" (with the script in front of her). Nevertheless, it was a lovely evening; she's such a gifted storyteller that it was enchanting just to listen. The opening night party was great as well, though it was admittedly a bit more reserved than the one for The Royal Family, being on a Tuesday instead of a Thursday. And the theatrical surprises didn't stop there! That Friday, my mom's friend Sherri was in town. An avid theater-goer herself, she invited me to come along to a show with her. We saw Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking at the Roundabout Theatre, which was a ton of fun. Ms. Fisher made fun of herself (and Star Wars - endlessly), but told an engaging story too. Afterward, we had some delicious dessert at an Italian eatery across the way, a perfect ending to the evening.

The next week marked the much-anticipated arrival of my good friend Jamie. Now, this is a pretty well traveled guy we're talking about here, his passport stamped in places ranging from Spain to Peru. Yet he'd never set foot in the Big Apple! Obviously, this was going to be a weekend of adventure. We started off pretty low-key though - or at least, I did. I had to work on Friday, so Jaime took in a lot of the sites on his own (things like the Empire State Building and a tour of the U. N. Building). We met up for some Thai food on 9th Avenue afterward, and he caught me up on his adventures. Then we set out for the KGB bar. This tiny little dive is a fascinating place (read the history if you have a moment) and can be somewhat difficult to find at first (it's on the second floor of a building with plenty of character). It's known for it's soviet-themed decor but mostly for it's awesome literary reading series; It boasts some sort of reading nearly every night of the week. Sadly, we made it just in time to see the crowds of the last reading leave, but we had fun soaking up the ambiance anyway. Hopefully I'll make it back sometime to check them out!

Saturday was when the real adventures began. First, we headed down to SOHO. It's a pretty wild experience going below ground in my Inwood neighborhood and reemerging in this swanky area of galleries and eateries; I'm still constantly amazed with the diversity found within this thirteen mile-long island. SOHO is always full of surprises too, as we soon found out. While Jamie and I made our way up from the Canal Street station, we noticed a fenced in lot along the Avenue of the Americas (which is actually 6th Ave, but don't call it that this far downtown or people look at you funny - not that I know this from experience or anything...). Now, that's not that unusual, even in this neck of the woods. But along the fencing there were sheets of plywood studded with hundreds and hundreds of tiny shimmering discs... and that just begged to be investigated. Upon closer inspection, we saw that in addition to the discs, there was an entrance. Turns out we had inadvertently stumbled upon LentSpace, a bizarre art project/nursery concocted by some developers who had the land but weren't sure what to do with it yet. So, until they do decide, it sits as this odd sort of urban sculpture garden (piles of rock and ladders sunk into concrete qualify as art... right?). Oh and there are baby trees strewn about too. A few parts intriguing... several parts odd... definitely New York.

To be continued!

Talking With Strangers

2010-02-10T21:48:00.018-05:00

So, it’s 2010. I’m snowed in during a blizzard and realize my blog hasn’t been updated since… October? Alright, four months is where I draw the line (you may have been wondering where that line was exactly – now you know). I’m going to try and catch this up as efficiently as possible without sacrificing any details, so bear with me – and enjoy!

After a thoroughly soaked through Halloween parade and a late night rendezvous with friends in the village, I was eager to sleep through Sunday. My bed was cozy and warm, and a distinct chill had crept into the air, a chill that made the thought of leaving the house nightmarish at best. However, that Sunday happened to be the New York City Marathon, and I’d promised myself that I’d get to witness this awesome feat in the flesh. Somehow, I managed to get myself going (maybe the guilt in realizing that by the time I opened my eyes several thousand runners had already traversed 26 miles). I’d so glad I did.

I’d already scouted out the route during the week, so I hopped the A train with a specific spot in mind. I was headed for mile 23, a notoriously brutal part of the course that batters runners with the rolling hills of Central Park West. I figured any extra encouragement at this juncture would be much appreciated.

Instead of trying to get across town via subway (always a nightmare) I got off around the American Museum of Natural History (which I’ve yet to visit) at 81st, and decided to walk across the park itself. This was actually a strangely eerie experience. Other would-be-spectators started to appear and join in my journey, and eventually we began to resemble a sort of slow, east-west exodus, all moving silently towards the distant murmur of cheers. Or at least, we were mostly silent. I couldn't help but smile as I watched one anxious child bolt ahead from his father then wait a few hundred paces ahead until he caught up, only to start all over again. The boy seemed infinitely amused at this simple game, and shrieked with laughter every few steps. Once, as he began to sprint away, he slipped on some wet leaves and went down hard. He lay still for just a split second - a second in which the father's pulse visibly quickened - but then bounced back up again. The dad sighed as he watched the boy bound away, and I chuckled out loud. He smiled in return, and I told him I wished I had that kind of energy. By way of reply, he told me that they had to take the boy to the hospital again the night before, for breathing trouble - he was just glad he could run at all.

By the time we reached the actual course, our odd band of travelers was full of excitement, eager to join the raucous crowds cheering on the runners. I was amazed at the number of people already lining the sidelines. And they took their encouragement duties very seriously! They loved to yell “You can do it!” to those who were struggling and went wild each time they got someone to pick up the pace. There was no silent watching allowed either; you were scowled at if you weren’t cheering, and would soon be prodded to join in. That wasn’t difficult though – watching all of these amazing runners whizzing by made you want to jump in full force. A few were sporting some Halloween outfits (Winne the Pooh was my favorite) and many had written their names across their chests so people could call out personal encouragement. It was a wonderful time, inspiring and exhausting even to watch. But a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Trick or...Parade?

2009-11-24T14:44:00.002-05:00

It’s listed as one of the top One Hundred Things to Do Before You Die. It attracts over two million visitors each year, disrupts traffic all over town, and boasts some of the most elaborate displays of puppetry to found anywhere in the U.S.. Yes, I’m talking about none other than New York’s Village Halloween Parade, and yes, this was the adventure that Stephanie and I chose to partake in the last weekend of October.

Originally, our game plan had involved elaborate paper mache costumes that would shock and awe all those who looked upon us. Alas, work, visitors, and other New York adventures got in the way and we arrived at the 31st with nothing to show for ourselves. Resilient, we quickly assembled some costumes with old clothes and cheap eye-shadow-turned-face-paint. Stephanie ended up as a wandering gypsy woman, and I was a unicorn (with a somewhat dubious head-piece – I think I looked more like an uncoordinated rabbit that had an unfortunate run in with a poll).

Pleased with our quick thinking, we headed down to the village. As we drew nearer, more and more interesting folk appeared in the subway cars – Santa Clause and the Mario Brothers, to name a few. When we finally stepped off onto the platform, there wasn’t an un-costumed face in sight. The press of people was so thick that it took a good ten minutes to get through the turn styles and up the stairs. When we finally did emerge, the first thing I noticed was the ubiquitous police presence. Everywhere you looked there were officers, giving directions, keeping the crowd flowing, and making it clear that this was going to be a safe event.

After some wandering and crowd weaving, we eventually made it to a holding pen for parade walkers (we weren’t about to just watch this – we wanted to march!). At first, it was just fun looking at all the bizarre outfits swirling around us. There was a Satyr that looked remarkably real, and a glowing firefly too. But the pen was packed pretty tight, and despite the party vibe and thumping music coming from the float next to us, our feet were starting to feel it after a half hour of waiting. The rain sealed the deal for us – we were busting out! (And by busting out I mean saying a lot of “excuse me”, “pardon me”, “excuse me” as we squirmed through the press of people and clambered unceremoniously over the side barricades). Once we were free of the pen, it was easy to slip into the actual parade. We walked next to a zombie pirate ship for awhile, then tailed an LGBT marching band, and got stuck behind a huge group of “Thriller” dancers. All in all, it probably would have been more fun if the rain wasn’t coming down in sheets by this time. Sufficiently soaked and satisfied with the experience, we soon turned our attention to escaping the parade itself – a feat which proved even more challenging than getting in. Despite the rain, the crowd watching was between five and ten people deep, and protected by barricades. It took us a good half mile of walking before we glimpsed a weak spot and made a break for it.

Once we were free of the parade, we shuffled along bovine-like with the herds of people milling through the village. Eventually we came to a little Mexican Restaurant where we relaxed and dried off while eating super-spicy salsa. We met up with friends after that, then began the long trek home (there was a line above ground for the subway). Needless to say, there were lots of rowdy, intoxicated riders packed in with us. We found their loud antics amusing, to say the least, but we were just as excited when we found out that yes, the train would be going express. Joyous high fives all around!

Wandering the City

2009-11-04T17:10:00.014-05:00

It's been a few weeks. It's actually been quite a full few weeks too, so I'll do my best to get this up to date. And thus, this entry goes out to my Grandpa – hopefully I won't be so negligent in my writing in the future!

Aidan's visit was relaxing. We took it easy, opting for lazy mornings over sight-seeing and movies over Broadway shows. Really, after six weeks apart, it was just nice to spend time together again. Of course, being the couple that we are, we still managed to get in our fair share of adventure. Among other things (including a fruitless SoHo cupcake search), one such adventure was our Sunday trek out to Brooklyn. The train ride was long, but the invitation from our Michigan friends (Alex and Zan) had included a homemade dinner, and a sneak peak at the new dance piece they were putting together – an irresistible combination. So when Sunday morning rolled around we got ourselves out of bed at a reasonable hour, whipped up a carrot cake, and hopped the downtown A train.

Once we finally got above ground on the other side of the river, Aidan and I found ourselves in a semi-industrial neighborhood. It’s amazing how other-worldly different neighborhoods (and boroughs) can feel in New York, especially when you remember how small the city actually is. But it was nice taking in the different sights as we made our way over to the small but impressive studio space their company was rehearsing in. We climbed the creaky stairs and settled in for the show which, to our delight, incorporated big wheels! The piece turned out to be both playful and moving, full of all the energy and unique movement of the best kinds of modern dance. You learn so much from sitting in on rehearsals as well: back story, tricky spots, differing opinions and the reasoning behind choices. It really fleshes out the experience (and almost always leaves me aching to create my own work!)

Afterwards, we helped pack the props into their car and headed over to their home in Park Slope. It was a beautiful, large, first floor apartment with a bay window – and a yard! We had a wonderfully autumnal meal of vegetarian chili with avocado (I still need to swipe the recipe) with thick carrot cake slices for dessert. And the conversation was just as good; it was so refreshing to talk to another young “artsy” couple that was making it work in the city. Every once in a while you need a reminder that yeah, even though there are rough days, you can get through them – and it’s worth it in the end.

Aidan stayed until Tuesday morning, when he boarded a terribly early flight back to Ann Arbor. But I wasn’t left without company for long. That Friday, my friend Julie arrived in Times Square ready to take on the city. Our first item on the agenda was the Broadway show “In the Heights”, winner of the 2008 Tony Award for best new musical. With a few hours to kill before curtain, I led Julie away from the bright lights and over to the sleek bars of ninth avenue. We snacked and sauntered around Hell’s Kitchen for a bit before heading over to the theater. The show was fun, full of romance, impressive dancing, and numerous references to upper Manhattan (the set looked like my street corner)!

And that was just the beginning. On Saturday, we really hit the town. After showing off the farmer’s market, headed down to the Hell’s Kitchen flea market (which was disappointingly small) and then over to Bryant Park, the New York Public Library, and the fashion district. We popped into all sorts of little boutiques, each of us succumbing to a least one fun purchase. Then later on we happened upon a street fair that we wandered through all the way to the edge of the park. Now, it wasn’t a particularly nice day out – cold, gray, with occasional spits of rain – but Central Park in the fall isn’t something to be missed. We wandered through the east side paths for a good twenty blocks, taking in the foliage, the carriages, and the harvest festival. We finally emerged around 81^st, where we quickly found a diner to soothe our grumbling stomachs. Then, it was on to the Met! Julie had never been to the enormous museum before (or the city, for that matter) so it was a lot of fun to point out the big highlights, like the Egyptian Temple and the Sculpture courtyard. However, I had never visited on a Saturday before, and the press of tourists was overwhelming at times. Nevertheless, we got in a good amount of browsing, and by the time we left, it was getting dark.

Originally, we had planned to go over to the Guggenheim (which is free Saturday evenings from 5:45-7:45pm), but it would seem that every other person in the city had the same idea; the line was around the avenue length block. Fortunately, we had our trusty Time Out with us, and were able to find a suitable alternative. Switching gears from visual to performing art, we headed down to the Public Theatre for a free staged reading of a LAByrinth play. Not without its flaws, the show was nonetheless engaging, and I’m glad that Julie’s first experience with staged readings was at such a great theatre.

On Sunday we headed up to Fort Tryon Park, strolled through the Heather Garden, and had a delicious brunch at the New Leaf Café (our “splurge” meal). Then it was off to SoHo for more gallery hopping and boutique shopping. It was a much prettier afternoon, and it was all too easy to pass the hours strolling through the gorgeous neighborhood. Eventually we made our way over to the west village as well, ending up at the Chelsea Market. I could spend days there! I love all of the eccentric little food and culinary supply shops. I must say I was impressed with my own restraint; I only ended up with some thai spices and shortbread!

We ended our whirlwind tour of the city with some karaoke at our favorite local spot, The Piper’s Kilt. It was a thoroughly fun and exhausting weekend, and I was so happy that Julie was able to make it out. Of course, the next weekend was just as packed…

To be continued!

Time to Start Checking 'Em Off

2009-10-14T13:46:00.004-04:00

I am both overwhelmed and enthralled by Time Out New York's 101 things to do in New York city in the fall list. So many adventures, so little time! (Have a favorite? Help me out and recommend a number you want me to try!)

Unicorns and Openings and Mothers, oh my!

2009-10-13T19:39:00.002-04:00

Continuing where I left off…

The rest of Saturday was spent relaxing. The first thing I did once I got back from my biking adventure was to cook up some tasty lunch with my market goods. I’ve recently gotten into sauteing vegetables with garlic, shallots, and a splash of wine, then putting them over pasta (I kept a stash of pre-cooked penne in the fridge in case I’m in a big rush). It’s a quick, easy fix that still tastes amazing, and I’m perfecting it every time.

Sunday started off much the same, although this time the rain clouds were nowhere to be seen. The sunshine also made for a perfect excuse to explore the neighborhood, something I’d been meaning to do for a while. After eating my fill, I strapped on my backpack and headed down Broadway. To be honest, I didn’t find too many interesting bits that direction (seems that 207th is the happening place). The walk was nice though, and by the time I got to the 190th street subway I was just bored enough to be curious about the large throngs of people entering the half-hidden entrance. Following their lead, I was packed into a giant elevator that let me out at the entrance of Fort Tyron Park, where I finally got to see what all the fuss was about: The 2009 Medieval Festival.

It was the perfect event to stumble upon. Brightly colored pennants snapped in the breeze as I strolled along the booths, admiring the intricate costumes of warriors, maidens, and knights. Although it was already quite crowded, I managed to dodge the wooden swords of rambunctious children and miss the projectiles of the tiny toy catapults for sale—mostly. I took my time browsing through the abundance of masks and jewelry and silver figurines, enjoying the high spirits of the vendors and the sounds of lutes and lyres. And then of course, there was the food. Turkey legs dripped and simmered over open-fire spits while fried dough crackled and popped in boiling oil. The spicy smell of mulled wine was overwhelming at first, but it mingled nicely with the cacophony of autumn fair-food deliciousness.

After wandering the length of the fair (and spying a unicorn!), I returned to the jousting arena and promptly settled down with a sugary elephant ear. There was no jousting at the moment, so I settled for the somewhat amateur hawking demonstration that was going on. The two men seemed to be better trainers than entertainers. I stayed just long enough to eat my treat and lick every last bit of cinnamon off my fingers, then made one last loop of the grounds and headed for home. After a short nap, I returned with my roommate Stephanie, and we did get to see a bit of jousting. We left soon after though, opting for a relaxing evening at home.

On Monday it was back to work. There I learned that Tony Roberts, one of the actors in the MTC production of THE ROYAL FAMILY, had suffered a minor seizure during the Sunday matinee, a literal “is there a doctor in the house?” moment (his understudy took over for the evening show). Everyone was glad he was alright, though the plan for opening night (four days away) was still unclear.

That evening, I headed over to NYU with another intern to see their production of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. I knew I was going to be a hard audience member to please, as I directed the same show this past March at the University of Michigan, through the producing organization MUSKET. I did not expect to be so thoroughly disappointed, however. Without going into the details (again, this is not a theater criticism blog!), all I can say is that it made me miss the high standards of Umich. The opening talk with Terrence McNally (librettist) and John Kander (music and lyrics) was very interesting though, and I was glad I went.

Then on Wednesday it was Stephanie's birthday. I somehow managed to get out of work that evening, and was able to meet her at Red Bamboo, a swanky little vegetarian place in the village that specializes in meat-like dishes. It's a tiny hole-in-the-wall place, and you end up sitting very close to your neighbors (we struck up a fun conversation with ours though, so we didn't mind). Once we got settled, we ordered some tasty "crab" rangoon for our appetizer and then had "beef" stir-fry, and portabello mushrooms for the main course. We had both been eyeing the vegan desserts, but we were completely stuffed after our meal so we passed this time. After that, we made our way up to a theater district bar called Deacon Brodie's (a popular techie hangout, I'm told). It was lots of fun meeting up with all of Steph's friends, telling stories and playing strange games. Steph even got some birthday wishes from a troupe of European tourists!

That late night wouldn't have been so bad if the next day wasn't opening night for THE ROYAL FAMILY. The atmosphere in the office that day was akin to Christmas eve; everyone was giddy and excited. Fortunately, the day passed quickly, and by the time we left it was confirmed that Tony Roberts would be able to make the performance. Most people went to the show (with an early 6:45pm curtain), but I already had plans to attend a Umich alumni event, so I decided to just show up to the after party. Unfortunately, the alumni event was a disappointment; there were too many people in too small of a space, it was too loud, and there was no where to sit. We ate our Ann Arbor food (Cottage Inn pizza and Pizza House breadsticks - the highlight of the evening!) and left soon after.

The after party was a totally different story. It was at Planet Hollywood in Times Square, and everyone was dressed to the nines (see the picture above of me and some fellow interns). Waiters roamed the crowd, armed with wine and tasty snacks, including milkshake shots. It was lots of fun, as was the after-after party at Sardi's where the MTC staff hung out until the wee hours. It was very interesting reading the reviews (released once the curtain goes down on opening night); they were mostly positive, with a few surprising quibbles. The New York Times review is good example of this - check it out if you have a moment.

It was a thoroughly exhausting two days, but the fun wasn't over yet. Friday night, my mom flew into the city. I met her at the airport and took her out to the Piper's Kilt for a late dinner, where we got to catch up and enjoy "the best hamburger in inwood" (or in my case, the veggie wrap!). On Saturday we woke up early and hit the town. First, I showed off the Farmer's Market and cooked up a scrumtous lunch of veggies and multi-grain bread. Once the dishes were all cleaned up, we headed downtown, with no particular destination in mind. I had avoided making any solid plans for the day, prefering instead the freedom to wander. It worked out wonderfully, as we got to explore Times Square before stumbling into a street festival. After walking up and down the merchandise, we continued on to Bryant Park. I showed off the reading rooms and the library, and we both enjoyed the juxtaposition of events taking place, namely wedding photographs and a halloween costume contest. Soon after that we headed down to Washington Square Park, where we checked out the dog run and met up with Stephanie for some Thai food.

The next day we stayed closer to home, exploring Inwood. We had a lovely brunch at the Garden Cafe, and then walked up to the Cloisters and all through Fort Tyron Park. I had never ventured that deeply into the grounds, and we ending up finding some wonderful spots, like the bloom-filled Heather Garden. Showing off my neighboorhood, I was reminded of how happy I was with it. The combination of nature and city is perfect for me. Mom seemed to like it too - I know she was eyeing those dog runs and thinking how much our puppies would enjoy it!

It was harder to say goodbye than I thought it would be, but I know we both had a lot of fun. This week should be a bit slower, at least until Friday - then Aidan arrives!

Bikes Make Friends

2009-10-10T10:14:00.002-04:00

It’s been a raucous week here in New York, full of the sorts of ups, downs, laughs and good times that make you remember why you came.

Last Friday, I worked my first full shift at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Patron’s Lounge, a private club for supporters of the theatre who have donated a minimum of one thousand dollars. Nestled between the main floor and the mezzanine of the Friedman Theatre on 47^th Street, the lounge is a great perk of the Patron’s Program. It offers true theatre-lovers a chance to mingle with one another before the show and during intermission, and ensures they have a place to hang their coats and relax before curtain time. The complimentary coffee, wine, and snacks sweeten the deal too!

Working in the Patron’s Lounge (or PLO for short) is one way for MTC interns to make a little extra money during our internship, so I was figured I would give it a try. I was admittedly somewhat less than eager to spend the night pouring drinks for rich people though. Stuffy seniors demanding food, endless bottles to uncork - not exactly my idea of a fun time, I thought.

As happens with so many assumptions, turns out mine were completely wrong.

The Patrons proved to be wonderful people, a true pleasure to spend time with. One couple regaled me with stories of the trip they took to London to see plays at the West End, how much they enjoyed the show WAR HORSE and how different the theatre scene is over there. Another woman and I chatted about how much she liked the program because it allowed her and her friend to have consistent evenings out. Everyone was curious to hear what I thought of the play as well. They brought back their own thoughts after the two intermissions and discussed the show thoughtfully and intelligently, which was a breath of fresh air. Everyone was genuinely interested that I was an intern as well, and it was obvious that they felt enough a part of the theatre to welcome me into the “family” (some had been patrons for over twenty years!). It was a good reminder that these people donate because they love the theatre and want to ensure its continued success. Working PLO was a great way to connect with them directly, and I have to say I enjoyed every minute.

Afterwards, I met up with a few fellow interns and headed out to one of the many swanky midtown bars off of 9^th Avenue. Loud, fast dance music surrounded us as we descended from the street into the main room. It’s curved walls and soft lighting gave it the look of some sort of desert bunker – in a hip way. The long, sleek bar was stocked only with giant vats of fruit-infused vodka (the bar’s specialty) which added to the surreal look. We didn’t stay downstairs long though, choosing instead to head upstairs to the dancing. It was a good time; the DJ spun bizarre remixes while even more bizarre videos were projected on the walls. I stayed just long enough unwind from the week, then said goodnite and grabbed the A train home.

The forecast for Saturday had promised perpetual thunderstorms, so I decided to lay aside my bike ride plans and sleep in. When I finally tumbled out of bed, the air was thick with the promise of rain, but there didn’t seem to be any downpour yet. Feeling invigorated after my rest, I figured that at the very least I could check out the farmer’s market via pedal and make a plan of action after that.

The fall harvest was definitely in, and the crowd was hopping at the 207th Street Farmer's Market. Determined to expand my horizons, I checked out some different stands (although I of course had to return to my staples, including the irresistible cider vendor). I ended up with a bag of button mushrooms, a couple peppers, an onion, a stellar loaf of multi-grain bread, a birthday bottle of ice wine for Stephanie and a healthy bunch of yellow and red tomatoes. It was quite a haul, and stuffing it all in my backpack was a bit of a challenge. As I was doing this, I headed back to my bike, where I happened to run into a woman unlocking hers. We struck up a conversation about how dangerous it was to come to the market hungry, and she showed off her amazingly large saddle bag, totally loaded up with vegetables. Totally the right kind of accessory!

With the rain still at bay, I made up my mind to go ahead with the bike ride (it’s only water after all). I stopped back at my apartment first to drop off my purchases and suit up. A few minutes later I was standing outside my building, struggling with my helmet strap, when I was startled by a loud shout from across the street. I looked around to see what was up and spotted a short, gray-haired woman waving at me. “Hey you,” she called. “Good job, wearing a helmet!” I smiled and waved back, so she promptly crossed the street and introduced herself. Turned out her name is Johanna, and she’s the pastor at the beautiful church across the way. An avid biker herself, we had a great time talking about how important helmets are and the reservoirs she “bags” on the weekends. She even invited me to come along on one of these day trips where the church’s small cycling club throws their bikes on her four-bike rack and heads out of the city. It sounded like a great time – I definitely plan to take her up on the offer!

After that, I hopped on my bike and headed west towards the river. I’m only a few blocks away from the Riverside path that runs the length of Manhattan, so my plan was to find the start of this trail and follow it down for a few miles. The last time I’d done this with Aidan, we’d only been able to find stairs that lead up to the elevated path. I was sure there must be way to get on it without hauling my bike up stairs though, so I traveled north towards Inwood Park, looking for a cross over. It took a little looking around, but eventually I spotted a little semi-paved path peaking out of the brush. Pleased with my investigative skills, I headed down it.

The trail was lovely. Narrow, right next to the river, with the trees on either side seeming to arch up over the top... I was certain I had found the hidden way and was already planning how to smuggly brag about it on my blog. However, while plotting out my tale, I failed to notice the lack of bikers. Or the abundance of fishermen. It was only after I cleared the woods that I began to suspect my mistake, and even then I pushed on out of sheer stubbornness. That too was cut short though when the path dead-ended into the rail-road tracks. Hopping off of my bike, I stared in dismay at the large rocks lining the railroad bed and was forced to admit that my secret path was actually the route fisherman took to get right up along the bank.

Now, I am positive that had my morning not been so lovely and had my veins not been coursing with pedaling-induced adrenaline, I would have made a different decision at this juncture. But in the moment, hefting my bike on my shoulder and walking along the tracks in search of the path seemed perfectly logical; after all, the fisherman had to get in from somewhere and it made sense that it would be the big Riverside path. At the very least, I knew that the trail I wanted was directly underneath the George Washington bridge looming large in the distance. So away I went, staying way to the side of the actual tracks.

It was hard going. Those rocks are not meant for walking, and certainly not for walking with a giant, oddly shaped object across your shoulder. It took a good fifteen minutes before my perpetual optimism started to wear thin. I kept eyeballing the tall fencing on either side, looking for a man-made hole to escape through. There were none. Thoughts of eternal wandering along the New York rails flitted through my head. I wondered if this was just an exercise in stupidity and decided that maybe I should give in, turn around, and go back the way I came. But then up ahead, I spotted it - the path! Bikers zoomed across, joggers seemed to bob along. Grinning, I congratulated myself on my superior geographical skills and my spirit of adventure. Finally! Only problem was, this path was crossing the railroad tracks perpendicularly - at an elevation of about forty feet.

Once again, I blame the pedaling high. (Biking is obviously a gateway drug into more stupid acts of adventure, so please cycle with caution.) Readjusting my bike, I lumbered over to the fencing and looked carefully at some weaker rusted points. It wasn't long before I found the loose sheet of fencing, propped up to make it look like nothing was amiss. I slipped through the hole to the other side (this is a bit of writing flourish, I admit, because one does not "slip" through any sort of opening, let alone one this size, with unwieldy two-wheeled cargo - wiggled, squirmed, yanked, and heaved are all more accurate descriptors). The fun didn't stop there though, since the "other side" was one of those massive sheer rock formations that make northern Manhattan so beautiful. It was pretty impressive, and more than a little daunting, but knowing now that someone had done this before me, I wasn't about to give up. So up I went.

It was slow going. The rock face was mossy and damp, so I took my time finding solid footing. I clung to saplings for support, and eased my bike up along the rock when I couldn't carry it any longer. After what seemed like ages, I reached the top. A few steps later, and I was on the path. It would be an understatement to say I was glowing with accomplishment though, much to my dismay, there were no crowds of impressed fans waiting to cheer me on. But nothing could get me down after all that. Once I took a moment to catch my breath, I hopped on the bike and began a long (and long-awaited), leisurely ride along the river.

There were lots of people out, despite the gray skies. After a while, I stopped at a rock outcropping along the bank (a shorter one this time) where I sat down and took a moment to take in the beautiful scenery: the just-changing leaves, the gray-blue water lapping at the shore. I sipped some cider and stretched my muscles. Just then, a gentle rain began to fall.

To be continued!

Unique Breeds

2009-09-29T00:08:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, Stephanie and I partook in our first true New York adventure. With us both being theatrical and curious kids (with a secret love for mischief), we had signed up to receive updates from the infamous Improv Everywhere group a while back. Known for "causing scenes of chaos and joy in public places", this is the organization behind such fun (and notably, harmless) pranks as "Frozen Grand Central" and the annual "No Pants Subway Rides". Naturally, we were pretty stoked when we got our first top secret mission. All they sent was an address and a time to meet, so when Sunday rolled around, we hopped on the A train and headed for Cobble Hill Brooklyn. For those of you unfamiliar with New York geography, it's about an hour long subway ride from Inwood, so we had plenty of time to speculate about what we'd be doing. We had deduced that we were meeting in an art gallery of sorts, so we hoped it might involve some kind of art project. When we finally got to our destination we tried to act casual, stroll around a bit. It soon became pretty obvious that we weren't the only ones though; everywhere we went we overheard snippets of conversation, all centering around "What do you think we're going to do?!"

Finally, it was time. We made our way to the gallery, which turned out to be an old belt factory that had been acquired by this awesome organization called No Longer Empty. They basically take old industrial spaces and turn them into spaces for art:

"NO LONGER EMPTY is an innovative project involving a group of artists and curators who are interested in exploring a new paradigm for making and presenting art. It was conceived specifically to encourage an artistic response to our present economic condition and the effect on both the urban landscape and the national psyche. The numerous vacated buildings in New York City provide an opportunity for artists to revitalize these spaces with thoughtful, sustainable art installations."

I would absolutley love to be part of an organization like that, or in the umbrella sponsoring organization Fractured Atlas, which "facilitates the creation of art by offering vital support to the artists who produce it. [Fractured Atlas] helps artists and arts organizations function more effectively as businesses by providing access to funding, healthcare, education and more." Wonderful, innovative missions... totally worth donating to if you're in a position to give back.

But now, to get back to our adventure: We finally got inside the space, and it was jam packed with some of the coolest, most outgoing people you'd ever care to meet. There were lots of young twenty-somethings, but also a lot of middle-aged people, and a surprising number of kids. Everyone was packed in pretty tight, but there was a smile on every face; the whole room was literally buzzing with anticipation. The cool art installations strewn about gave us all something to look at at least, something to keep our mind off the burning question of what we were about to participate in. After what seemed like ages, a bearded, 30ish looking guy in jeans and a Tshirt stood up on a wooden pallet and quieted the crowd. I was amazed at the instant hush that feel over the group once he started explaining about the mission. It actually turned out to be pretty brief and straight forward. The space we were standing in had at one time been a belt factory, but had also come to be the birthplace of the popular "Invisible Dog" toy - a stiff leash with a muzzle on the end that, when held at the right angle and viewed with the proper amount of imagination, made it look like you were walking... you guessed it... an invisible dog. Thus, the crew of NO LONGER EMPTY had found themselves in possession of around 2,000 of these things, packed away in every nook and cranny of the place. And so of course, they called Improv Everywhere, because I mean come on...

... what could be better than 2,000 people out for a Sunday stroll with their invisible dogs?

The crowd went nuts. Fun, non-confrontational, and just quirky enough, the prank had all the makings of a great time. Surprisingly, everyone was very patient and calm about getting their "dogs". We had all been told to simply tell anyone who asked that we were just out with our puppies, totally ignoring the fact that "some" people might not see them. And so, after retrieving our retrievers (we decided they were Golden puppies, from the same litter) Steph and I started off.

The range of responses we ran into was AMAZING. Some folks we ran into were angry; they just couldn't understand what was going on and why no one they asked about thought something was going on. Lots of people played along, complementing our pooches, or excitedly pointing them out to their slightly more dubious children. It was great walking around Cobble Hill too, an area that I really hadn't explored at all. There are some beautiful shops and lovely tree-lined side streets that almost made you forget you were in New York City. All in all, we had an amazing time. We returned our doggies at the end, and slowly made our way back up to Inwood. But the adventure didn't end there! After a short break, we were back on the streets, this time headed to karaoke at the Piper's Kilt. I was, admittedly, less than enthused at first. But after some tasty sweet potatoe fries and some irrestiable songs, I was hooked. We ended up singing along until our voices were hoarse, and leaving completley happy with our Sunday adventures.

Sugared Vegetables

2009-09-26T01:42:00.000-04:00

Last week, my roommate Stephanie and I decided to sign up for Urban Organic home produce delivery. Basically, every week they deliver a box full of whatever fruit and vegetables are ripest right to your door. It's a great way to ensure you get plenty of tasty green things, and it's always fun to see what all you'll end up with in the box. For example, after the first delivery, Stephanie made some hearty soup with all the kale we got, then used the leftover veggies in a pasta dish. This week, among other things, we had quite a few carrots. Naturally, we figured the only proper way to treat this super healthy root was to smoother it in sugar and cream cheese frosting.

Yes, it was carrot cake time.

Now, Steph and I are close friends. And we get along very well. But if there's one thing I've learned over the last few weeks it's that I am no match for her in the kitchen. Sure, I can whip something together, but she can cook. So I've come to accept my role as su-chef, focusing primarily on preparation, and she's agreed to (mostly) look the other way at my unique and sometimes messy ways of cooking. Thus, I was put to work grating our giant bag of carrots. With both of us on the project, it actually all mixed up pretty quick, and the baking itself flew by too (with the help of a few episodes of Dexter). The frosting turned out to be a bit of an issue though. We probably needed at least twice the powered sugar we had, but neither of us wanted to head out for more (even though the store's only on the corner). So it sort of turned into a cream cheese glaze. The runniness wasn't helped by our impatience to ice it either; hot cakes equal runny frosting. But it tasted delicious nonetheless, and it even looked pretty decent in the end, right before we dug in (see Stephanie about to have at it with the knife, above). My hands are still faintly orange, and we're still finding tiny shreds of carrot all over the kitchen, but it was so, so worth it.

Is That Man Wearing a Cat on His Head?

2009-09-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was wonderful. After sleeping in good and long, I finally got to go back to the Inwood farmer’s market (one of the sad truths about working as a PA: the inability to get to fresh produce). Even at 11:00am, it was bustling with activity. Children and dogs were getting tangled up underfoot, and the smell of sizzling turkey sausage filled the air. The colors alone were overwhelming; I had to circle a few times before diving in to make my purchases. I came away with some red and yellow tomatoes, a few apples and pears, a bunch of fresh cilantro and some sheep and cow’s milk ricotta. I also picked up a bottle of fresh cider for the walk home, the cool crispness of which removed any doubt of fall’s arrival.

When I got home, I quickly set about using my food finds to make some lunch. It really is amazing the difference that fresh produce makes. Everything tastes so rich and distinctive! I threw together a sliced tomato and ricotta salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, and I could pick out the flavors of each different type of tomato I used. It was lovely.

Afterwards I made my way down to Christopher Street to see MCC’s production of STILL LIFE (this excursion made possible by a generous comp offer from my friend John). I met up with another MTC intern, Annah, and was mostly happy with the new work, at least for the first act. But I won’t go into details here, as the last thing I want this to become is a theatre criticism blog! So, moving along, Annah and I wandered into a street market after we got out of the theatre. It was a lot of fun strolling down the packed streets, looking at all the cheap purses and bizarre knick-knacks for sale. We both got fruit smoothies and laughed at a man walking around with a cat on his head, then parted ways. As I had to see a show on 54^th at 8:00pm, I headed up to Central Park to kill some time and enjoy the day. Thick, creamy sunshine and long cool shadows – some of my favorite things about September afternoons. It was made even better by a funky trio of jazz musicians playing near the statue I was sitting under. They got the crowd into it; tourists and locals alike paused for a few moments and smiled. Some stayed. A few even danced. It was the perfect way to wile away the hours.

The next show I saw was fairly unremarkable. I stopped by another intern’s (Madeline’s) birthday party on the way back to the train though, and was warmly welcomed by her group of theatre friends. It’s funny to see a group of people identical and yet entirely different to one that you yourself are a part of, like peaking in on a parallel universe. The cupcakes were delicious though, and the hotel itself was wild (see the picture of some of the crazy backlit murals above).

Today has been much tamer, involving an early morning start and seven hours of manning the front desk at MTC. It was good to have some forced productive time, read some plays, pay some bills. I also had some excellent Thai food delivered. But I was feeling worn down and so passed on seeing another show tonight, opting instead for a home cooked meal (eggplant and tomato casserole with garlic sautéed broccoli on the side) and getting some laundry done. A good choice.

Jet Planes and Doctors

2009-09-09T22:28:00.000-04:00

Somehow, during the two days I just spent in Philadelphia, fall has come to New York. There's a chill in the air and the sweaters are coming out; I can't wait for the leaves to turn!

It's been a busy few weeks. Highly exhausting but hugely entertaining too. Lots of fun things to report... First, I'll back track a bit to labor day weekend. I got off early from work that Friday, so I met up with my roommate Stephanie for some lunch in Bryant Park. We ate at a small table and watched the old men play chess while in the background the Fashion Week crew set up the enormous tents that house the famous shows. Then we wandered around a bit, poking into different stores and finally lounging on the steps of the New York Public Library. After some good people watching, I made my way to the airport and boarded a flight for Columbus, OH. My parents met me there and we got a chance to catch up in person, which was great. The dogs were both happy to see me too!

The next morning I headed out early for Ann Arbor. It's an easy drive, a straight 2 1/2 hour shot up Route 23, and there's nothing better for a road trip than lazy sunshine and Saturday morning NPR. Between "Car Talk", "All Things Considered" and "Wait, Wait - Don't Tell Me" the miles flew by. Soon enough I was literally leaping into Aidan's arms and cooking up a labor day barbecue with friends. Later on, we visited the Humane Society and looked at some very adorable kittens and puppies. Somehow, we managed to leave without an extra passenger; I was pretty impressed by our restraint. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, then met up with more friends for dinner and pints of ice cream enjoyed in front of a good movie. Sunday and Monday were more of the same - visiting theater friends (at Pizza House of course, our regular haunt), taking in Ann Arbor. On Monday, Aidan also had some headshots taken by Angie Cesere, the same girl who shot my production photos for Kiss of the Spiderwoman and The Full Monty, plus my own headshots. As you can see from the picture above, I managed to sneak my way into a few...

I drove back down to Columbus on Monday night. It was hard leaving, but it was nice to have some more time with my family, get to see them a little before my very, very early flight the next morning. I crawled out of bed slowly at 3:00am, sleepily enjoying the similarities between Ohio crickets and New York traffic, and then managed to get packed up and ready. Dad drove me to the airport, and my busy week began.

Before I go on to explain this busy week, I feel a little explanation is needed. Back in August, right before I moved in to my apartment in New York, I worked as a Production Assistant for the Dr. Phil show. A good friend had called me and offered me the position, and what with a generous stipend and all expenses paid, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. So for three days I went along with the director, the location manager, and the executive in charge of production scouting different locations to shoot the opening of Dr. Phil's eighth season. These included Kleinfeld's Bridal in Manhattan, and numerous places in Philadelphia, like the U.S.S. New Jersey battleship (see picture to the left), the "Rocky" steps of the Philadelphia art museum, and Liberty Plaza. We also shot a commercial spot in Times Square and ate some wonderful food at The Waterworks restaurant. Needless to say, it was a lot of fun! Now, although I was (and am) currently working as an intern at MTC, when the Dr. Phil people called and offered for me to work on the actual shoot in September, I was really eager to help out (and make some extra money!). Luckily for me, my boss was very understanding and gave me quite a few days off to take advantage of the opportunity. And so, that Tuesday morning after Labor Day I arrived in New York at 7:15am, just in time to hop in a taxi and dash off to the 7:30am production meeting on Central Park South.

More to come on the Dr. Phil adventures!

Inner Life of an Intern

2009-09-01T19:31:00.000-04:00

I've been working as a casting intern at Manhattan Theatre Club for just about two weeks now, and there hasn't really been a dull moment since I started. Besides fielding phone calls and filing headshot/resumes, there are lots of other tasks to be done, like finding out actor availibity for an upcoming project, putting together audition materials, and assembling sides (sections of the script that an actor reads during auditions). It's a great office to intern for because everyone is really willing to take the time to teach me what needs done. I also work some nights at the front desk of MTC, which is a really nice way to make some extra money. And today I had lunch with one of the other new interns from the Literary department. Lots of fun; I think we're going to try and get all of the interns together after work on Thursday night, get to know each other and relax before the long weekend.

In other news, I checked out the new gym that opened up near me yesterday. It's nice, though a bit crowded (no surprise at 7:00pm). It's very basic, only sporting cardio and weight equipment, which lets them charge only $10 a month - a great thing for a new grad like me! After that, I settled in for some script reading... a task which I return to now...

Moving in to Inwood

2009-08-30T14:51:00.000-04:00

So after being prepared for an all-out real estate battle, I found the actual process of procuring an apartment in New York City to be surprisingly easy. I think the key is a lot of research; we looked at neighborhood blogs to see what realistic prices were and where the "good" parts were and we were also very careful not to set up appointments to view places that were farther than two blocks from a subway. This meant we passed on a lot of almost-good Craigslist ads, but in the end it meant that all of the four places we looked at were true, feasible options for us.

We ended up with a lovely three bedroom place just north of Dyckman Street, in the Manhattan neighborhood of Inwood (which I had never heard of before this adventure). For those that aren't familiar with the island, it's on the west side of the north-most tip. But thanks to an A train express stop on the corner it's only 25 minutes to Times Square. It's also close to beautiful parks and restaurants, of which I'll write more later.

Most of our furniture has been purchased through Craigslist as well, and that's lead to some bizarre and funny times. Take, for instance, the sofa bed we got from a sweet man named Eric. I've never seen a man so buff and so knowledgeable about how to remove spots with Woolite. ("Do NOT use water, sweetie. Ya just gonna rub it in.") Between the two of us, we managed to finagle this couch down a narrow three flight walk up - and now we have a perfect bed for visitors! There was also the adventure with the (free!) kitchen table that we got down a five story walk up, only to discover that it was too large for the car. After lugging it back up the five flights, we managed to shove a kitchen storage unit into the backseat. At least, we almost did. The door wouldn't quite shut. But that's not a huge biggie, right? So, we set off. It seemed fine at first, but after a few blocks we came to a hard stop and whoosh, the door was open wide. So, with my roommate navigating the crazy traffic, I stuck myself halfway outside the car and held the door shut, sometimes with my body, sometimes with sheer force of will. The constant laughter from the drivers seat paired with the stares from pedestrians was not helpful.

We've also discovered a lot of wonderful little spots in our new neighborhood, like The Cloisters (picture). This beautiful Spanish Castle was relocated block by block from Europe to it's current home two streets down from us. It sits high atop a hill overlooking the river, and makes a great place for a picnic! The Garden Cafe has also quickly become a favorite of ours. Located at Broadway and 207th, it has gorgeous outdoor seating and terrific service, not to mention fabulous food. For our first visit we had pear and zucchini soup, pumpkin and sage raviloi, strawberry and mango stuffed chicken in chipotle sauce, chocolate cake, and white sangria. Delicious! And speaking of delicious... the Inwood farmer's market is full of great produce and smiling faces. This past Saturday we purchased a local blush wine from the friendly couple that owns the winery and were very impressed.

Some other activites we hope to check out soon include...

Sunday garden tours at Ft. Tyron Park
Triva night at Coogan's bar
Kayaking on the Hudson River

http://www.washington-heights.us/calendar/

That's all for now; more to come on Inwood adventures, plus the life of an MTC intern!