WOOOOOHOOOOO!!! Toot Tootin' My Horn!!!

In my first semester of my freshman year at St. Olaf College, I was cast in a speaking role of the mainstage production of "Our Town," directed by Gary Gisselman (granted it was the crazy loud neighbor lady...which isn't some theatrical stretch...but still.) It was a huge deal, especially in my insecure little 18 year old mind. I still remember how nervous I was when I checked that cast list. I still remember how I walked back to the theatre building really late at night, after my roommate had fallen asleep, to check the cast list one more time to make sure I hadn't imagined it all. I hadn't.

Two years later, one of my best friend's from college (Lesexa) and I were laying on the hill of Old Main at midnight. We weren't drunk (I think) but we were lost in some 20 year old deep deep philosophical college conversation. About our dreams and our future and all that deep deep philosophical stuff that college girls talk so deeply about. We were playing the James Lipton question game that he always asks the stars at the end of the Inside the Actors Studio episode.

"What profession would you want other than the one you have?" Leslie asked.
"Well if I wasn't in theatre, I would want to be a rock 'n' roll photographer circa 1970's," I answered.

This year, I'm no longer involved in theater in the same capacity I had been for the past 15 years. It's still a part of my life but being involved in the arts means something different to me now. I don't audition for shows any more. I don't seek out directing gigs. It's different. I dance in pieces at Zenon (choreographed by my wonderfully awesome friend Chipmunk Holway.) I burlesque in pieces at Bryant Lake Bowl (pastie fest '06.) I act in pieces at the Fringe Festival (god I enjoy collaboration.) I direct pieces at other random theatres (expecially awesome when I get paid for this.) But it's not the most important part of my life. It's just a part of my life.

This year, I bought an SLR camera. Last week, I bought a professional lens. This weekend, I took it out for my first rock 'n' roll photography adventure at the Cloud Cult show. Last night, I spent 10 hours editing my photos. Last night, I posted a link to the flickr set in the HowWasTheShow.com "Weekend Thread 3/30-4/1." Then I went to bed. This morning, I woke up, checked my email, myspace and the HowWasTheShow website to see what people had said about their weekend musical adventures.

AND I SAW THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I looked down, saw the photo and thought "hey that photo looks familiar."
And then I thought "HOLY SHIT, THAT'S MY PHOTO!"
And then I saw my name and thought "HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT THAT'S MY FUCKING NAME NEXT TO MY FUCKING PHOTO!"

And I looked up when my heart stopped for a second and I looked down again just to make sure it was real.

MY PHOTO IS THE HOW WAS THE SHOW PHOTO OF THE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I looked down again and reinforced the awesomeness, I was reminded of that 18 year old version of me sneaking back into the theatre building at midnight to check the cast list to make sure it was real. Except now I'm 25 and I just happen to own a totally kickass camera with an even more kickass lens. And I just happen to love music like that 18 year old loved theatre.

When I ran out of my apartment building, late to work, I actually made an audible WEEEEEEEEEEEE sound and wiggled my hands back and forth (much like Wallace of Wallace & Gromit does whenever he sees cheese.) Then I spent about 7 of my 8 hours of work rambling off about HowWasTheShow and my picture to all my coworkers, texting 15 people to check the website, and just generally feeling really good. Since I was first introduced to HowWasTheShow by an old roommate 2.5 years ago, I wanted to be a part of it. And every week I looked at the photos and thought about how much I wanted one of my photos to be Photo of the Week. I have accomplished a goal!!

It's not like it's a nobel peace prize or a Caribou coffee scratch card free trip to Costa Rica or anything. It's just really fucking cool!

I feel closer to that girl on the hill now more than ever.