Watch out for those falling houses

Especially if you like red shoes... or silver slippers... ;)

So I haven't been here in a couple of days, and there's good reason for it! I do actually have something worth writing about... ish... hopefully? I suppose if you're reading you must think it's possible at least. :D

One reason was because I was editing a script... The title is still in the works, but it's a 10 minute work I did back in my sophomore year for playwrighting class. It was the final, and each student was given a "commission" (this just meant we actually had parameters to stay in--we didn't actually get paid... I wish!) to write for. Our professor tried to give each of us something that would push us outside our norm that we'd been writing in all that semester. Here's the one I was given:

"RACHEL... YOU MUST WRITE A PLAY ABOUT A GUY AND A GIRL WHO ARE IN THE SAME APARTMENT BUILDING WITH NO LOVE PROSPECTS...THEY ARE TOO ODD FOR ANYONE AND ONE NIGHT THEY REALIZE IT AND DECIDE TO MAKE OTHER DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR LIVES..HOWEVER THERE IS NOT TO BE ANY LOVING JESTER THAT DECIDES THE OUTCOME...MUST BE GRITTY WITH NO POLICEMEN AS CHARACTERS... NO DEATHS BUT NO DISNEY OR ROMANTIC LOVE COMEDY...DOES NOT WRAP UP NEATLY...OTHERS CHARACTERS CAN BE ADDED"

(By the by, the prof. emailed everything in all caps... not my doing!)

Guy & girl? No love prospects? Too odd for anyone? Decision making? No loving jesters, policemen, or death? No romance, comedy, or wrapping up neatly? Lots of grit?

Piece o' cake.

I wrote about a married couple. ;)

Did I mention we had a weekend to do this in?

No seriously, the assignment was emailed to us on Friday, it was due by 5pm the following Monday.

Yeah, some serious editing is needed. But It's coming along--& I kind of like it! It's been so much fun, getting back into script-writing. I'm currently working on stuff like developing distinct voices for the characters, fixing the ending, imbuing the script with some kind of purpose (not the kind of thing you worry about when writing it in 48 hours), and cutting extraneous lines... my wonderful editor told me my script was too wordy.. imagine, me? Write something too wordy? Noooo... what? :D I'll probably write later about how that goes...

Something else I've been doing is reading "God is Great, God is Good: Why Believing in God is Reasonable and Responsible" by William Lane Craig & Chad V. Meister.

Funny story... Since this is a philosophy book I wanted to take my time & kind of digest the material as I went, so I was reading a lot slower than I usually do. Suddenly I realized today (Monday) that the book is due back at the library on Thursday, and I haven't even reached the half-way point!!

Guess what I did all day today... booyah... :) Book is read, and I think I even retained most of what I read! Woot!

You may remember that I commented earlier about "god is not Great" by Christopher Hitchins. "God is Great, God is Good" was written as a refutation of Hitchins' book, and the rest of the claims being made by the movement commonly known as "New Atheism". The leaders of this movement are Christopher Hitchins, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris--all of whom are responded to in this compilation of essays.

Credentials abound among the authors of these essays--writers include leading thinkers in cosmology, astrophysics, biology, theology, and (of course) philosophy. I found it very easy to understand, helpful in its articulation, and written in an irenic spirit.

But don't take my word for it. Read it for yourself! Anyone who considers themselves a thinker should do so, if for no other reason than because it presents a very articulate & well-reasoned viewpoint that should at least be considered. Atheists should read it, because these are the kinds of arguments being posited against the proclaimed leaders of the day. Christians should read it because these are articulations of your faith! If you haven't thought about the issues raised in this book, you should! & trying to be able to answer such questions intelligently is a duty we have when defending the faith.

So yeah, that's what I've been up to for the last couple of days. :)

Before I go, one last thing! I've noticed that my directing style is vastly different when I'm directing children than it was when I was directing college-age actors. Namely, I never sit down. I'm constantly going to the back of the room to see if they're loud enough, running to the front to answer a question, jumping onstage to show an actor how-to, even dashing up to the sound guy--after two hours I was sore & exhausted! I have no idea how the kids' energy held up, but I have the sneaking suspicion they weren't half as tired as I was.

I managed to keep their attention almost the whole time though--without losing my voice! :) & rehearsal was fantastic!

I'm so glad it's almost over... & so sad.