Odd.

So I guess it's normal for the Columbia Marching Band to play songs in the Quad at 1:00 a.m. the day of finals? Oh... and of course play Havah Nagilah?

As tough as it is... it's endearing.

Is He Dead?

So in addition to celebrating my brother's Bar-Mitzvah (mazal tov!), I saw an excellent play last week called Is He Dead? by Mark Twain and adapted by David Ives.

Go see it! It's hilarious, I mean really hilarious with just a superb cast. Truly, it is a hoot.

Happy Chanukkah!

HAPPY CHANUKKAH!!

Light the menorah, eat some latkes, and play dreidel!
I know that my Chanukkia is right next to my roommate's Christmas tree... we're a multicultural bunch.

But, I will have to say, is it somewhat ironic that I'm going to see The Nutcracker tonight?

Celebrate! :)

First Snow in New York

Happy Winter!

Today, after sleeping over at Stephanie's at NYU we woke up to snow on the ground :)

And now... back to horrible studying for finals a long with many papers.

Post-Theatre Hilarities

So today the stage hand strike ended and the lights were back on Broadway. Because of the mad rush to fill seats, Stephanie and I got decent tickets to see Chicago. Afterwards we went to a French cafe in midtown:

Like the theatre students we are, we both began to talk about the woes of acting and how we didn't know how to avoid type casting and starting talking about Law and Order.

Suddenly...

MAN IN TABLE NEXT TO US: I'm not one to eavesdrop, but I'm a TV agent at William Morris and have to say that Law and Order is my crack. If I could roll it up and smoke it that would be it.

Stephanie and I were both in shock and didn't know what to say until he left with his date about fifteen minutes later.

If you don't know, William Morris Agency is one of the top agencies in the world... think A-list.

And so you see the closest I have ever been to being "discovered" in a New York City cafe... my encounter with the William Morris agent.

Being a College Student

Above you will see my new obsession: Pinkberry. It is an amazing frozen yogurt place (REAL frozen yogurt) where you add real fruit toppings. Amazing. And of course, my good friend Leslie is above in the picture with me. We look very much like New Yorkers in our long black down jackets!

Pippin has ended and I have to say it is unbelievably weird. From the first week of college I was doing something almost every night and now I have my evenings free until the end of the semester. As relaxing as it is to actually get a full night's sleep and have more freedom (and more time to procrastinate), I miss seeing the same people every night. There is something that happens during shows where everyone seems to bond and now I am not seeing these amazing people every day. I just hope to maintain good social skills and stay in touch with these wonderfully talented, funny, and amusing people.

On another note, where one door closes another opens. I am now in the midst of looking for internships. My life is going to be crazy enough over the next two years, but being in New York as a freshman I am already seeing the wealth of internship opportunities. I'm planning on applying to intern at a top talent and literary agency and an Off-Broadway theatre. Who knows what will happen, but as much as I want to be an actor, I want to know the business side from the other side of the table. What better place than the metropolis of the theatre world?

Well, it seems odd that in four weeks I'll be home for three weeks and then the whirlwind will start again. So much will happen within now and December 20th, when I return home. Sometimes I wonder how I even accomplish what I am expected to do.

Lauren

Opening Night Jitters!

Well, tonight is opening night for Pippin. I am absolutely thrilled and excited. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little nervous. But there is nothing like a live audience a few feet from you and the energy of live theatre.

Fastrada, though seemingly one dimensional, is really brilliant. As a character, I can play with her manipulativeness but also find the truth in her. She is a loving mother but she is also unbelievably smart though no one really thinks she is.

Pippin is more than just a musical comedy. It is full of metaphors and satire. I truly believe that theatre, whether through comedy, musicals, or drama, is the place to express political and social attitudes through entertainment.

So, for those who are coming to see it... get ready to laugh, but also think about the multiple layers of this show. Stephen Schwartz is a little farcical at times and it's fascinating.

Also, if you so choose, there is a "review" about Pippin in Columbia's independent newspaper: The Columbia Spectator:

http://www.columbiaspectator.com/?q=node/28126

Enjoy!

November - wow!

It's hard to believe that it is November! Here's the Pippin poster that's floating around campus. I thought that you all would like to see it! The boy in the white shirt is Pippin and the boy in the picture with me plays my son. It's a slightly Oedipal relationship.

Pippin!

For those who read this:

Pippin at Columbia!!

November 15: 8 p.m.
November 16: 8p.m.
November 17: 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Lerner Black Box - 115th and Broadway, it's the building with the Barnes and Noble in it, I'll figure out how you can get in.

Reserve tickets at: columbiapippin@gmail.com

I play Fastrada, she's really fun and devious, and just... it will be a good time!

Lauren

American Gangster

I just saw American Gangster. I highly recommend it. Yes, it's a mafia-type movie but it has some great acting, a good story, and if you look close enough, it says a lot about New York City during the 1970s and morals.

Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe

Fall, Museums, and a Sense of Humor!

So today I decided to take a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What's wonderful about Columbia University is that we get free admission to ALL of the NYC museums. I had never been to the Met and it was quite an experience. It is truly such an amazing museum. They have artifacts and galleries from Ancient Egypt to Medieval Europe to today! I really enjoyed my limited time there and I recommend everyone to go even to just roam around. What's wonderful about the Met is that they actually recreate rooms and structures the way they would have been in their original form with authentic artifacts.






I truly love this city. It just has so much to offer. But on another hand, you really do need to have a sense of humor. When the trains don't come and the smelly homeless man asks you for money you just have to smile and say, "Well, that's New York for you!" Everyday truly is an experience.

Things to do:

- Go to Chinatown and get moon cakes
- See Cyrano de Bourgeac (it got a great NY Times review!)
- See Young Frankenstein

New discovery?

Rain boots. Warm jackets.

Lauren :)

Some requested photos

So Dad suggested that I post some photos. Here they are!





Above are some pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge and Riverside Park at sunset.

Here are some pictures of the protests from Ahmadinejad's visit:




Yay!

Lauren

Well here it goes.

So I've decided to start a web blog. What does this mean? I think in some ways it shows that I am incredibly bored and also somewhat self-centered. But, I think what I am aiming to do is share some of my adventures and thoughts during this exciting time. Yes, college is exciting but living in a new city is even more exciting. Maybe this is just another way for me to sort out my crazy thoughts. So what are my goals for this blog? They are:

-Share good news with family and friends
-Reflect on experiences and adventures
-Document my own experiences in a techno-savvy way

Few people may read this, so this may be for me than anyone else. But read it if you like, comment, and most importantly - stay in touch.

Sometimes I feel like I am trying so hard to move forward that I forget to live in the present and forget the past.

There are too many important and special people I have come to know for me to lose touch.

Love,
Lauren