Update from Jacqui Land

okay.

it's been a while. my lack of posting on this blog has brought me back to my days of trying to keep a journal. i put it off and put it off until it's been so long since i've written that i feel like such a fake when i write again. at least i don't have to face the facts that i've long since lost the pen i last wrote with and that my handwriting has severely devolved.

anyhow, this won't quite be a ryan hoke post, which i know everyone's waiting with baited breath for, but at least i can fill everyone in on what my life's been about recently.

i just finished a week off after getting to be backstage for our last show, The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townwomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of A Christmas Carol. Pretty awesome name, huh? let's just say the craziness of the name was outdone by both the craziness of the show and the craziness of the cast and crew (and by crew, i mean me....and the stage manager). i was the props and costume running/stage running/assistant stage manager/productions assitant/girl-who-wore-a-funny-dress-and-answered-to-the-stage-
name-of-joyce person. i'm actually impressed with myself for using the phrase "getting to be" in the first sentence of this paragraph because if you'd asked me about the show in the first week i probably would've...well, screamed, cried and then used a less excited verb choice. but, by the end i was thoroughly enjoying myself. and for those of you with a vested interest in my theatre knowledge (maybe some people who want to start a company with me someday), you'll be glad to know that i learned a whole lot during the process too. basically, after calvin i didn't know too much about stage managment, lights, costumes, or props...and i came to know them quite intimately.

so that was the show. i spent most of my time on that so, there's not too much more to update about...ok, so maybe there are a few things...

1. well, talking about being backstage reminds me that we probably haven't gotten the chance to talk about the show we were recently cast in. ryan and i will be performing in the last show of the season, A Bright Particular Star. it's a fabulous script and, besides enjoying the excitement of getting to act alongside our talented sister-in-law, rebecca, we feel honored to have been cast in two of the larger roles; ryan as rebecca's love interest (yes, they kiss, get over it), and me as her best friend. (i'd also like to make a side note that i have chosen to alternate between the british and the american spelling of words such as "honoured", so as to not alienate any of my audience...i could have chosen to avoid such words, or to use solely the neglected canadian spelling, but instead i chose to live on the edge of calvin college's inclusive language rules and opted for the more confusing, but more interesting, alternation).

2. christmas! it was good. nice to be with family again and so good to hear from (and receive packages from--thanks everyone!) people all over the place. ryan and i really felt blessed and provided for during the season of empty wallets. i think the reminder that we're being taken care of was the best christmas gift ever (besides that year i got gordon, my brown freckled pony--thanks again grandma!)

3. this may come as a surprise to some, but i actually finished a book! it was really good. (well, clearly, it did make it into the update list afterall) it's called the madman and the professor, by simon winchester. i highly recommend it. it's about the editor of the oxford english dictionary and one of the project's greatest volunteer contributors, who sent all of his contributions from an insane assylum. i'll leave it at that for those who want to read it...and those who want to eventually see mel gibson's movie version, if he ever makes it.

4. dogville. we watched this movie yesterday--since we've had the week off, we've had the chance to watch some movies and it's been awesome. this movie in particular was so good to finally get to see. it has stopped me in my tracks and inspired me to make art like it. for any of you who haven't seen it, lars von trier has made a beautiful and evocative film. see it.

5. 6 more months. that's how long we're here in vancouver; i guess we'll have to change the name of the blog after that. we've enjoyed being here in vancouver. it is a beautiful town and i will miss it's weather dearly..however, ryan and i are getting the itch to see the shores of lake michigan again and our longing to see our friends in the midwest is growing.

well, i think that's about it. we still haven't written a post about our ethnographic project that we're hoping to shape into a play but we will soon. for now let me just say that's it's going pretty well and we're excited to see how it works out. lord willing...

and remember as david letterman says: "there's no business like show business, but there are several businesses like accounting."