becky haycox

Month: June 2006

  • of boy and ships and sealing wax

    For me, a perk of working on a campus is being around student workers. Oh stop it you pervs, not in anykind of cougar sense. Just being witness to the occasional excellentness of 18-to-20-year-olds. Life is often breathlessly exciting or excrutiatingly difficult or weepingly mundane. Crushes are felt, deeply. Grades are a source of contant irritation and anxiety. Ring tones are changed a lot [“My Humps” gave way to something I totally don’t recognize]. The art of the whispered conversation [in an office filled with cubicles and open doors] is perfected. We old folk are alternately regarded with friendliness and suspicion. I’m pretty amazed at how together most of them seem [although they would disagree I’m sure]. Fascinating creatures. It makes me miss my nieces and nephews.

    In other news, I blame the DMV for everything that has gone wrong in my life, up to and including my romance problems and chronic hayfever. I know that it’s so cliche to hate them, but! God!

    Event: April 2005. The ever-conscientous Carpinteria police pull me over [twice], pointing out my expired registration.
    Why it’s the DMV’s fault: DMV never processed my address change when I moved to Ventura, so I never got my 2005 registration stickers [that I paid for in Nov. 2004]. I had to jump through some hoops but eventually got replacement stickers and my address changed […or did I?]

    Event: Just as I was being handed back my boarding pass and license at the Seattle Airport earlier this month, poised to board a flight in time for the wedding, the agent noticed my license expired in May. This caused me to pay $100 to travel to Denver to hook up with an LA flight that would bring me in JUST enough time to make it. But United [you suck!!!] was wrong, and I got in 1.5 hours later than they said I would.
    Why it’s the DMV’s fault: DMV never processed my license address change, so I never received a renewal reminder in the mail.

    Event: My life sucks and I have chronic hayfever.
    Why it’s the DMV’s fault: Because!

    Fastidious readers might point out that there is some accountability, on my part, on why some of the things went wrong, above. But you don’t want to be fastidious, do you? Just be my friend!

  • dude i got blogged

    Evany’s blog contains news of the first leg of her book tour, in fantastic, fearful detail. I admire the girl even more [if that can be possible] now that I realize the extent of her fear of public speaking. I very occasionally get panicky before going on stage .. it happens when it’s unusually hot and when I’m about to improvise with people I don’t know well. And MAN it sucks. Sweat, tunnel vision, near-faint, tears. Phew. Imagine that happening regularly. Props to the Ev!

    Oh hey! Do you see? A photo of me on Evany’s blog. And she’s right — I’m totally thinking about sleep. So now I’ve been mentioned on my three | favorite | blogs [not that I’ve been trying to make this happen in any kind of weirdo stalker way].

    World domination is complete, yes?

  • hear the orchestra?

    So I was smoking the television crackpipe this AM and paused on the vision of of Edward Everett Horton. I love him alot. His voice, of course, takes me right back to Saturday mornings and Fractured Fairy Tales on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show. The rest of him is delicious, too… it’s a good day when come across an Art Deco confection of a movie, in which EEH is wearing a tux and being flustered.

    The movie I came across was a bit later and in glorious, hue-vomiting Technicolor. The scene was a funny one where EEH and Eugene Pallette harrumphed and reacted their way though a scene. This is the point where I thought I’d share my love of EEH on you, my blog.

    However, the movie I saw happened to be The Gang’s All Here. Holy mother. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, and I got walloped by it this time. How genius (and mean, crazy, and straight, according to lore) was Busby Berkeley. And don’t get me started on Carmen Miranda. Really, don’t. The fact she existed, when she existed, and that she was a beloved star, proves there is goodness in the world. Look, a quilt!

    The finale, with the neon hula hoops and backwards footage and blue-screen floating heads and … and … oh god. This is why I exist on earth. This is what it’s all about for me. Sounds like hyperbole, but it isn’t. I feel a deep rightness with the world when I am presented with visions like this.

    Man, one of the rooms is my personal heaven is going to be awesome.

  • united airlines: you suck!!

    So I missed my 6am flight thanks to a minor error that escalated into a major, tangled, foul knot. I travelled to Colorado to try to get to Santa Barbara on time to get to this wedding. There were tears, there was epic driving, there was gratitude at the last-week Becky for planting some wedding-ready clothing at cousin Laurie’s house in LA.

    I made it to half the wedding and it was well worth it. Everything (esp. bride/groom) was beyond beautiful. Lots of improvisers there, including the freshly-hitched Floyd, my VATS crew, and Dan O (about to head to the World Cup of TheatreSports in Germany!) There are just a few pics on my flickr site; I was too busy stuffing food into me to behave like a normal, picture-taking wedding guest.

    I don’t want to go back to my regular life. I want to travel the world and improvise.

  • so many parties and they’re all over

    The chances are low I’ll be getting out of bed anytime today. I’m home, oh crap!

    My last evening with the Seattle Improv Fest on 6/16 was excellent. We had a mega-show. The early show was divided into two parts. The first half we called “First/Last”. Half the group performed “First”: the audience supplied us with the suggestion of the first time we drove a car. I was in this group. It was fun and connected and so enjoyable to work it. The “Last” group was given the last time they took a test. Oh, man, it was so good I actually had that thought “this can’t be improvised!”

    [I’m noticing how hard it is to write about performances. Probably because, unless it is specific criticism or comment, improv shows just can’t be described. It’s all a you-had-to-be-there moment. Bittersweet fleetingness.]

    There was another show at 10:30 and it was TheatreSports. I was on a team with Trenton, Marc C, Sonja, and Yann. I have trouble remembering the show, as it was one of the longest days I’ve ever experienced, but two scenes stand out. One was Marc, Trenton and me performing a short scene filled with typical uber-American ridiculousness; then the scene was replayed by Yann, Sonja and Per (borrowed from the other team), recreating the scene with a distinctly European take. Also, “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears” performed as a Western story by the other team. I loved it.

    I loved it all! So sad to be gone from it all. Anxiety about how to bring it back to my group. Wondering about how to keep this renewed spirit in my soul.

    This festival was an intense labor of love by Unexpected Productions. All the machination and hard work by a lot of people was made effortless-looking and made for a week of pure enjoyment. Thanks UP! And thank you VATS, for sending me to this thing.

    Once I get the list of participants and their websites, I’ll post them to this blog, so you can check out all the talented people and their groups.

  • killing improv

    Wow, I missed an entry and feel like I missed commenting on a lifetime of events. The second part of Shishir’s workshop witnessed us pulling together two mini-productions, based on a J.M. Synge play and incorporating all our personal histories as well as Viewpoints work. Phew! Hard to describe here but really exciting and interesting and bonding. For me at least! It was interesting to work with someone used to prepared stage productions.. I got a little nervous about the idea of preparing and rehearsing, but having the challenge of a structured framework (you must present a 10-20 minute piece in 3 hours — it must include a song, a minute of silence; it must incorporate lines from each actors’ personal history; it must loosely following a pre-existing script) made it exciting and weird. I can’t wait to see Cornerstone’s future productions.

    The minute Shishir’s workshop concluded, a group of us went on a field trip to Archie McPhee’s and spent too much money. At least I did. I am about to pack and am queasy at the thought of my expanded belongings. I am also queasy at getting up at 4:00am tomorrow morning for my flight home.

    The second we got back from McPhee’s we met before our performances at Unexpected Productions. The first half of the evening, the participants performed in their own languages (no matter what).. the second half (in which I participated), we performed in our “worst language” — whatever languaage atwhich we were not very proficient. I spoke using my 10 words of Bahasa Indonesia. Interesting moments in both shows.

    Then, of course we went to karaoke, my absolute favoritist thing in the world to do. The pictures speak for themselves.

    Sleep: a commodity.

    Today was part one of Randy’s workshop, which was great. We are turning inwards, examining ourselves and the improv community in general and it really couldn’t be coming at a better time for me, and for VATS. I also got bonus time with Randy and tried to steal as much information from him to apply to Ventura TheatreSports.

    And now I’m surrounded at the hostel by a international gaggle of ladies all showing off their scores from Nordstrom Rack and Ross.

    One hour before we meet in preparation for our 2 shows tonight. Holy crap!

  • the word “snack” exists in many languages

    Now we’re cooking. Amazing workshop today by an amazing individual. Shishir Kurup, member of the Cornerstone Theatre Company. Please, see the website and see what they do. Cornerstone’s mission and creativity simply fill me with joy. It was quite a day, very intense, very revealing. There were some Viewpoints exercises (I forgot how much I like that stuff!), and quite a bit of cultural mapping. We’re midpoint on what Shishir is intending for us, so it’s a little premature to comment on it.Besides, I’m so tired! Tired! Is it a good tired? Who cares! Everyone’s got a bit of the glassy eye.

    A full day was capped off by a wonderful, elegant dinner prepared by my friend Timothy and shared with our friend Rebecca. I have not seen them for many years, but it was just delightful to catch up and have a little breather. Timothy and Patrick’s house is a visual feast. As they are artists with the most marvelous eyes, every surface is covered with objets.

    I like Seattle. I walk about a mile or so downtown every morning to the theatre and I totally charge up on the urban feel. I miss city! I do. I miss walking to my destination. The weather here is a bit of a drama queen and I could see how the novelty might wear off on that end.

  • ups and downs

    Have I mentioned: god bless Moya and Leanne? Not only do I have the luxe lodgings, but Eggs Florentine and an adorable toddler in the mornings? Just stop it!

    Sandra Hernandes’ Workshop Part Two was intense, odd, fun, confusing! There were some frustrations and subsequent discussions regarding our purposes, what we were intending to do with the workshops. I think most can agree, however, that the Theatre of the Oppressed is very interesting stuff. There’s a Playback-like familiarity to what I was witnessing and was touched by some of the stories and observations that come out. Also, my eyes are more open now, to observe how we regard, lead, and engage our audiences, and the ultimate purpose of our shows. Also, observing and using the physical space of the theatre.

    We had a few minutes to regroup at the end of the day before heading to West Seattle to have a softball-a-thon! It was great. The grasp of the rules were, at times, quite fluid, smoking seemed to be the pasttime at 2nd base (including a pipe continually clamped in Yann-from-Belgium’s mouth), and the trash talk was truly a rainbow of languages. However, jocks are jocks and the game actually got exciting! Trenton (San Diego), Bronwyn (Australia/Austria) and I were the bench warmers and general rabble-rousers. I tried to psych out batters in their native tongues, using phrases such as “one two three four five”, “I forgot my watch” and a Dutch phrase that apparently is really rude (verified by an impartial Dutch gent staying with Moya and Leanne). The pictures are entertaining.

    And then some food and drinking then back here for sleep. This is quite a schedule!

  • my ass hurts. straight up fo sho

    God bless Moya and Leanne. I’m now in a quiet, lovely home with two rooms to myself. I might brave the hostel again but right this second it’s pretty blissful to know that I will sleep tonight without

    1. trying to ignore the overhead lights shining a foot from my head;
    2. moving in my bed, knowing that I’m shaking the entire bunk bed structure;
    3. my card key ceasing, randomly, to work;
    4. dropping my pillow on the Dutch gal below;
    5. bothering anyone with my sleep farts.

    My goodness, listen to that litany! It appears that I am not nineteen any longer!In less complainy news, I really am starting to dig everyone that is here for the fest. Familiarity is established in shorthand in situations like these — everyone becomes close, fast. And everyone is keen to interact, learn and play.

    Part one of Sandra Hernandes’ workshop today (10a-5pm) focused on the concepts of Carl Jung. Lots and lots of Jung! Sandra is passionate about what she teaches and I like her vibe a lot. I did at times get antsy and wished maybe for a little more action and a tetch less talk. But it’s always interesting to visit the Land of the Inner Child. It really applies to improv in a big way.. often in improv, we strive to be the child we would have liked to have been. I am anxious to do more work with others and get some scenework happening! Tomorrow we’ll work on some of Boal‘s Theatre of the Oppressed work. I can’t wait for that!

  • tower of babel

    I have started a flicker photoset for Festival photos here. So far, some non-person shots. I’ll start taking shots of peeps tomorrow once everyone is bathed and happy and settled in.

    We got to see the first show of the festival tonight, put on by several int’l people that were here for the past week, working out and getting the group mind going. 9 people from 8 countries (only 2 were native English speakers) — and you couldn’t ask for a more coherent show. It was a long-form developed by Randy Dixon called “City Life” wherein the players (basically) enact their day in a non-linear kind of way. Very satisfying to see all the agreement. And the physicality was wonderful. Trusting and big and subtle, all at the same time. The occasionally limited English was no factor at all, except in delightful ways (“White Snow and the Dwarves”).. it was also a pastiche of interesting impressions of America, Seattle, and being a foreigner here. Confusion regarding non-metric measurements, persecution of smokers, and the cost of traffic tickets were big themes.

    At some point I’ll start remembering names of people. Everyone seems to be nice. I found Trenton from San Diego early on and am trying not to cling to him as I work through my initial shyness. I just have to take the bravery cue from Masako from Japan, who is here on her own, has a little Japanese-English translater gizmo, and is working it hard, and she seems totally comfortable.

    Really, I’m just worried about farting in my sleep.