I auditioned and got a callback for a Christmas show, even with the above nasal and bronchial (???) problems. Score!
I can see some of you now, going "Huh? Christmas show? In the UK?"
I'm not going to grad school this fall. Yes, the plane leaves Wednesday. No, I won't be on it.
(a pause to absorb)
Now, this isn't bad news, it's not good news, it's just news (well, maybe it's good-and-bad news, or "disappointing-with-a-postive-side" news... ANYWAY) so no need to panic or get overly excited. (No engagement or death in the family or anything like that.) It's a weird feeling, knowing I'm not going now - but I'm OK. Here's what happened: It was a fairly bumpy process just getting into the grad school - I started really late, and didn't know anything about how to go about it. I had a wonderful cousin who did a lot of legwork for me (or I wouldn't have gotten accepted at all, I'm sure) but the Student Visa process was a confusing headache, the finances required all kinds of juggling, and I wasn't able to get on-campus housing (or any private housing, even with help from the local - UK - bishop).
This past week I got two emails from the school - one from Admin, saying, "You don't have a visa (although that did show up the next day), you don't have housing, are you sure you're coming? Please defer until next year." The other was from the Drama Department with an agenda concerning the pre-session seminars they hold for the post-grads that included course descriptions, and as I read them over I realized they had nothing to do with anything I was interested in. I called the school and found out I had been accepted into the wrong program. (Yes, I felt like a major idiot for figuring that out so late, and the lady I was talking to, though still very polite, confirmed that impression.) I emailed the program (or, "programme") director and he described for me the Drama Research program, which is the one I'd originally applied for. He agreed to let me switch programs - and mentioned that if I did, I'd be the only student in the program. Oy. And even then, Drama Research is still not specifically the work I want to be doing in theater.
So - I decided that what I should do is to take the next year and A) get into the program I really want, the Dramaturgy Masters Degree, B) get other people to pay for this degree, since I now know where to apply for grants and scholarships (it was way too late to apply for any of them this year), and C) find housing much further in advance than say, three weeks before I arrive. I plan to work like crazy this year to build up savings, hit up local theatres to work on shows to build up experience, and do fun new things with friends and good things for other people to keep me from getting discouraged or bored.*
This past week I got two emails from the school - one from Admin, saying, "You don't have a visa (although that did show up the next day), you don't have housing, are you sure you're coming? Please defer until next year." The other was from the Drama Department with an agenda concerning the pre-session seminars they hold for the post-grads that included course descriptions, and as I read them over I realized they had nothing to do with anything I was interested in. I called the school and found out I had been accepted into the wrong program. (Yes, I felt like a major idiot for figuring that out so late, and the lady I was talking to, though still very polite, confirmed that impression.) I emailed the program (or, "programme") director and he described for me the Drama Research program, which is the one I'd originally applied for. He agreed to let me switch programs - and mentioned that if I did, I'd be the only student in the program. Oy. And even then, Drama Research is still not specifically the work I want to be doing in theater.
So - I decided that what I should do is to take the next year and A) get into the program I really want, the Dramaturgy Masters Degree, B) get other people to pay for this degree, since I now know where to apply for grants and scholarships (it was way too late to apply for any of them this year), and C) find housing much further in advance than say, three weeks before I arrive. I plan to work like crazy this year to build up savings, hit up local theatres to work on shows to build up experience, and do fun new things with friends and good things for other people to keep me from getting discouraged or bored.*
Thanks so much to everyone who has been so supportive and excited for me! It's still going to happen - there'll just be a detour first!
* For example, some friends and I went to the British Tea Shoppe in Salt Lake for a going-away party that turned into a Happy "Talk Like a Pirate Day" Party but was really just an excuse to hang out, and it was delicious. Then we strolled around the neighborhood for a while and checked out houses, explored this funky little sculpture park, and ended up eating some really fantastic Thai food. See? Fun! New! Totally not boring!
4 comments:
I am glad that you are still going to go to England, just a little later than planned. You will probably enjoy school more if you are in the right program, have a place to live, and don't have to worry so much about money...but then, that is just my guess!
Sad, happy, relieved, content...man way to make me feel all those in one post! So this means you will be in SLC when I come next month! BONUS!!! I am so happy! Things always happen for a reason! Sounds like everything is working out in your favor! So let me know if you have time to hang when I am there. I will be there. Maybe I can give you a jingle and we can talk about it! So excited to see you...after all these years! Love ya!
You should exercise. No really. I haven't been sick since I started exercising 6 days a week, honestly. I did it randomly, but since I was "honest" about it, not even a cold. It's been great! A whole year and not a thing! (Don't breath on me now... I'm just saying...)
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