paperStrangers

Hello, out there!  I know I just posted yesterday about my brother...but then last night I came across some exciting new stuff on the web from some dear friends of mine.  If you're reading this post right now, please do yourself the favor of taking a little bit of time out of your day and looking into paperStrangers Performance Group!

I got an invitation from my pal Mikey, one of the two artistic directors of the company (the other being my other good friend Tommy), a while back to look at their stuff on Facebook.  I've been kind of out of it lately with being a bit sick...so I inadvertently put checking out the new developments of paperStrangersPG on the back burner.  Last night, however, I randomly remembered Mikey's earlier invitation and did some searching.  Much like I have always been amazed at paperStrangers performances...I was amazed at the website itself.  Websites are so common these days that they sometimes just seem to be cyber scrap paper...but not this one.  This website is a piece of art in itself...so much so that for a while I found myself just staring at it and taking it in.  If that sounds weird to you...stop reading what I have to say about it and just go look at it yourself.

As an acting/design student at Butler University Theatre, some of my most treasured experiences and memories have come from watching the development and growth of paperStrangers, and once even performing as a part of the group myself!

Out of the thirteen inspired and focused productions on the past productions page of the website, I have seen eight of them and performed in one (WhatWhere).  WhatWhere was one of the most challenging and rewarding acting experiences I have had to date and one that I will certainly never forget.

Upcoming for paperStrangersPG is The Women of Troy, by Euripides.  Michael has adapted this piece and is directing several of my friends in it.  It will take place at the Irving Theater in Indianapolis, Thursday through Saturday, April 8th, 9th, and 10th at 8pm.  Please go check this out if you are at all able.  Tickets are just $10 at the door!

Also coming soon for paperStrangersPG, my best friend, Melissa Fenton, will be touring in Medea, playing the title role.  This will be Michael's third incarnation of his brilliant adaptation of this astonishing play.

Enough jabber from me.  Check these guys out for yourself.  You'll be glad that you did.

paperStrangersPG official website
paperStrangersPG blog
follow paperStrangersPG on facebook
follow paperStrangersPG on twitter

Peace out,
LT

Oh Hey...My Little Brother's an Artist Too

Hey Readers!

I don't know if you're really there, but I'm just going to pretend that you are.  Why not, right?

Anyway, I've been trying to recover from a little illness recently.  During that time, along with trying to stay caught up with life, I've been trying to get some things done on the computer that I've been meaning to do.  One of which was putting up a video of my little brother throwing a pot in his studio.  We threw the video together for a party we were going to over winter break and he had asked me to put it up on Facebook.  I finally did so today, and decided why not put it into a little blog post as well?

So without further ado...here's my brother throwing a vase.

Until next time, folks...look someone in the eye and smile at them.  It may take them off guard...but that's not always a bad thing.

Peace,

LT

Stick Figures

"I think that, on average, I change what it is that I want to do with my life at least four times a day."

The above was said by myself.  Yes, that's right, I just quoted myself.  I never actually even said that.  I just said it in my brain.  Or thought it in my brain, I suppose that that's the correct way of putting it.  Regardless...I just put it in quotes because it made me feel of import and I'm all about self-empowerment these days.  Also...the four part is factually incorrect...I just like the number four.

Today, I've decided that I would like to express myself through stick figures.  Drawing them, however, is not my forté...oddly enough, more realistic sketching is easier for me.  (Must be those thousands of dollars that have been invested in theatre design courses.)

Anyway...here's my computer-made stick figure expression for today.  Please don't hope for more.  I'll probably want to do something else with my life come tomorrow...or maybe even later today.

Have an awesome day, everyone.  Peace.

Taking Surveys

I've just finished taking an online survey for our beloved Butler University.  Now don't get me wrong, I feel as if I'm getting a great education here, for the most part, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to even get an education, an opportunity that far too many are denied.  Also, to some extent, I do believe that an education is priceless.  (I get the feeling, however, that most of this unseemly money that my family is paying [I applied to Butler.  I was accepted to Butler.  I chose to go to Butler.  I agreed to pay these costs and I understand that.] is NOT going to my education at all.)

Anyway, after getting a second e-mail from someone about taking this survey I decided that, since I am sick in bed, I might as well take it.  I'm in a spot right now with Butler where for a while I just thought I would delete it, but hey, if they want to know what I'm thinking and are actually reaching out and asking me through an anonymous survey, then it would be silly for me to not let them know...no not silly, counterintuitive.  So I click the link to take the survey...wondering what I will be asked.

Mostly, the survey centered around my mental state, whether I drink, and if I drink, whether or not I do things that I either regret or do not remember due to the aforementioned drinking.  Other than the myriad of questions about whether or not I suffer from mental illness, it was pretty much the standard "hey how are you doing" survey.

Then I came upon a question that I'd not seen before.

"If you could do it all again, would you still come to Butler?"

Out of definitely yes, probably yes, definitely no, and probably no, I chose probably no.

Immediately after this question I was asked if I'd be enrolling next semester.  Out of the same options listed above, I chose probably yes.  (I believe that I am here at Butler for some greater reason than just acquiring an education, and so some unhappiness here, while it may not be negligible, may be worth it.)

Regardless, what I took away from these two questions was this:  If you could go back, knowing what you know now, would you still come to Butler?  Either way...are you coming back next year?


I'm glad that the powers that be are asking me if I'm pleased with how things are going, but I kind of felt like the question was a needle in a haystack...and that, when I could only select the appropriate bubble for my answer, I couldn't really express my feelings entirely.  I'd love to see a survey that contains more questions like this haystack dweller.  For example...

If you are unhappy with your experience at Butler, what are your reasons?
Do you feel you were given a false representation of what Butler really is all about?
Do you feel that you are paying to much to attend Butler?
Do you have issues about how Butler is using your money?
Do you have questions about how Butler is using your money?
Do you know how to get more information about how Butler is using your money?
Do you agree with Butler's housing policies i.e. Bobby Fong's push to make this a residential campus?

I have more ideas, but I'm going to head to class.  Anybody else have any ideas about questions?  I'm not looking for university bashing stuff here...I'm being entirely serious.  I wonder if there's a way that we could put together a collaborative survey that would really get to the heart of things.