What an amazing opportunity!

I can't even begin to express what an amazing experience I have had during this past month.  From the work with Booking Dance, and now the whirlwind that has been Green Room Presents.  For GRP I have already seen 4 shows, and have 2 more to see tomorrow.  For each show we see we have to write up a ful review about it for Cal and Stuart to use when looking for acts for the coming years festivals etc.  That in itself has been an amazing experience, but it doesn't end there.  We have also written press releases for the happenings of their shows, made publicity reports with info of all industry people that came to each show, the number of tickets sold, and AL press about the show.  Of course, with all of this came more flyering, but I am fine with that sicne we have had such an amazing experience with everything else!  While it was much more intense, and busy, and crazy- it was so much more like the "Fringe" that I had been expecting.  LONG hours, running from place to place, everything.  Speaking about running- yesterday I found out I had to see a show in I think it was like 35 minutes or something, but I had to get to the OTHER side of town to get the pass, and then back to the side of town I was on in time.... Not to mention the path to and from included the CRAZY High Street, where it is like a stand still.  I RAN through the city in the bike lane in the streets, became part of a street performers act when he chased after me, but all in all made it to the show- AMAZING by the way.  And Cal said I broke the land speed record for getting from one side of Edinburgh to the other and back again!! :)

Anyways, I have LOTS and LOTS of amazing pictures that I will add tomorrow probably after I get out of work (I have the early shift tomorrow. YAY!) because the internet is being SUPER slow right now for some reason. 

But to give you a preview of what you will see...Hollyrood palace, pictures from the top of Arthurs seat, me in my new kilt!, and others as well!!!! GET READY!  Last full day in Edinburgh tomorrow (at least for now, but I know I will be back SOON!)

See you all tomorrow- pictures coming! :)

Booking Dance Festival- CHECK, two days off and Green Room Presents- HERE WE COME!

Well, just as quickly as it came, so too came the end of the first internship yesterday.  After 24 shows in 14 days we closed our four showcase shows.  I will miss this venue.  It was the coolest design.  In the picture of the back of the theatre the round wooden sections on both sides actually were on turn tables.  The theatre as is seats 600 but those two separate conference halls can actually turn to double the seating in the biggest theatre! OMG!

Main theatre from the stage!

One of the two smaller rooms that rotates

My view from the booth!

I had an amazing experience with this festival.  I met so many great people (a lot of connections in NY!!!) and got more experience in dance to add to my skills! YAY!  It was a bit crazy at times and expectations were very high, but in the end I am glad they were- it kept us on our toes!  I look forward to trying something new, but I will also miss this.

Now I have two days to see the city, see shows, and relax before we start bright and early Wednesday morning!  I plan to go out and see as much as I can today (hopefully the rain stops soon!)  and then tomorrow we are going on the Highland tour as well as having a chili cook off with our other interns at Green Room Presents!

Ok, some more random pictures etc.
First of all- the cigarette containers here really don't hold anything back!!

nasty mouth and open heart surgery!!!! WOW!

Here is a picture of us on our way to work the other day! I am going to miss this SOOOO MUCH! :)

Look at their crazy modern parliament building!!

And lastly...for now anyways, a picture of the really nice Friends of the Fringe party!

More to come about my days off!!!

More of beautiful Edinburgh!

Chalk drawings of Monet and Mary Queen of Scots!! OMG!

Just part of my backyard.  AKA where I like to run in the morning!

Gin and Tonic IN A CAN HERE!!!! AHHHH!!!

One of HUNDREDS of tiny cars here!

oh...hey castle

A clock made of flowers! WHAT!?!

 And now these last pictures are Harry Potter inspired! First is the Elephant House, which is where J.K Rowling came to write the Harry Potter books.  From the back room she had a view of the castle (with the Tattoo stands that remind me SO much of Quidditch stands), the Cemetery, and the private school that is pictured that is believed was to be the inspiration for the four houses.  ALSO, pictured are the first two of many gravestones that we plan to find in the cemetery that have Harry Potter names.  First- TOM RIDDEL, and second McGonagall!!! AHHHH

Week Two of Booking Dance Festival!

So, we are now in the third day of our Booking Dance Festival Week Two.  This week our shows are Rock it! and Athletic.  Rock it! Opened last night and we are currently in tech for Athletic and then we have two shows of Rock it! this afternoon! CRAZY DAY!  We are really getting a great experience here at the Fringe...learning lots from both the good and bad qualities of our bosses! :)  In any case, we are making TONS of great connections, having a great time...and OH YEAH- I AM IN SCOTLAND! IT IS AMAZING!  Last night we went on the haunted tour of both the Edinburgh graveyard as well as the underground city under the Royal Mile!  THEN, we went to see Sub Rosa (one of the 20 "Pick of the Fringe" shows! AMAZING!) It seriously was one of the most amazing theatrical experiences EVER.  It was in a Masonic Lodge where we moved from room to room with different actors in each!!!  It was the first time public had ever been allowed in many of the rooms in the lodge! It was VERY gory and gruesome, but it was an absolutely amazing show!!!!  I already have emailed the director and producer to get more information about the show!  Amazing!

Also, lesson learned... I was trying to cross the road yesterday morning to get to the venue, and the traffic was stopped, so  thought I would weave through the stopped car to get to the middle.  Around the bus and I am walking, all the sudden Talina pulls me back by my backpack and saved me! I would have been hit straight on by the second line of cars...haha.  Woops!  Luckily I walked away from it with just my toes run over and a skinned knee from the bumper hitting me......HOW STUPID AM I! haha  But I told everyone I was happy it happened, now I have a story to tell! YAY!

I am very excited to find out that one of my favorite monuments that we have walked by many times is called the Scott Monument!!!!! I cant wait to have time enough to go up into it! 

Isn't my monument beautiful!!!

Today the split bill opens!  Such exciting times, I dont want to leave. I just want time to see the city!  I love it here!

Some more random pictures...

Such happy plugs here

I mean...the architechture here is...ok

Such a nice walk to work every day!

Another nice street to walk on my way in the morning

Darn Seagull in the way!

Again...GOSH I want to see nice architecture here...is that too much to ask

Seeing shows at the Fringe

So last night we had another performance to another 130 or so people which was yet another good crowd for the Fringe.  After the performance we were invited to a gallery exhibition opening of a woman's prints.  There were eight really cool pieces, each dealing with another form of dance, and then there was one main word that embodied the dance form.  Each of these words was created from a bunch of smaller typed words, again all relating to the dance form in some sort or another.  It was a really cool exhibit.

After that I went and met mom and dad and we went to a comedy venue in which we watched Tricity Vouge's Ukulele Cabaret.  There were well over 50 people at this performance, and I would say about 20-30% of them all had their ukuleles with them as well!  Tricity, who was wearing a Ukulele tied to the top of her head mind you, picked audience members to be the UK's got talent judges and then there was audience members that had offered to perform in the Cabaret! SO FUNNY!  Only in Scotland at the Fringe would you see the sort of stuff we saw and heard. haha

Then after that we had tickets to see Showstoppers the Musical in which the audience picks the premise of the show, four musical theatre composers and other details of the show and they have to on the spot make up an entire hour long musical about this topic, using costumes and props, and incorporating the composers style into various songs throughout! It was REALLY amazing how well it all worked out.  Our musical was called Mafia-Mia, about the mafia and had to incorporate Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Bob Fosse, a mime sequence, and ABBA.  It was really really well done, FUNNY, and just a great time.

Today I am currently in tech for another one of our shows opening on Thursday, then we have a show this afternoon and then hopefully seeing Last Five Years this evening.  More to come soon!

OPENING!

So today we opened our first show!  We had 128 people in the audience, which while not seeming alot because our venue holds 600 and is capable of 1200 it is alot for the Fringe festival!  The Fringe Society actually says that the average number of people in the audiences is 2-5 people, with MANY shows that perform to no one at all... because there are over 1200 shows performing a day, and over 43,000 shows in total over the month, so there are only so many audience members, so 128 on our first show is not too bad!!  :)  After the show, my parents got here! Despite their tvs not working on the plane they made it just great!  We were all able to go to the opening night party for dinner and to talk to them in person which was really cool and then tonight we went to a VIP bar on the top floor of one of the venues!  We had a great time just talking to the Stage Manager and the International Festivals and Events Planner for the company.  Then as we were sitting by talking all the sudden in walks Caroline Rhea from Sabrina the Teenage Witch!!  She is performing here as one of the MANY MANY stand up comedians.  Anyways,  a good day all around, nothing crazy exciting to report besides the normal amazement of the European city.  As Leslie the Festival Planner told us today, the seed is planted you are going to want to travel everywhere now!  Ugh oh.... I think she is right! I LOVE IT HERE!

More to come soon!