(Why am I naming days?)

4/27/14, Day, 13, 692: Phases of Labor and Second Run of Jane the Plain

This day is so named because at our child birth class we discussed the phases of labor and began practicing support poses for the first stages. This was the first session I began to have a clearer picture of what labor is actually like, and how my support role will work. I’m also realizing that we’re basically rehearsing the labor in these classes, and in our work at home, which gives me some comfort and confidence–rehearsal is what we do, right?

Afterwards, I work hard on rewrites for Lightning Walks before heading into rehearsal for the second run-through of Jane the Plain. We’ve made huge strides in the past week, and now our main obstacle to progress is line-mastery. It’s also clear just how demanding a play this is for the actors: they are constantly in motion, never leave the stage and have arcs that move from farcical comedy to raw emotional vulnerability, often within the same scene. Adding to these challenges, this is the kind of play where we can get every scene right, but if we can’t catch the overall flow of the play, it won’t quite work. We have our work cut out for us in the final week before tech, but our spirits are still high and we’re making great strides.

I then returned home and nearly finished the second draft of Lightning Walks before crashing into sleep.

Technique never stands still: it only advances or retreats…

Writing: 101 out of 118 days (Lightning Walks, Jane the Plain)
Spanish: 90 out of 118 days
Music: 9 out of 23 days

What small things did I do yesterday to help build the Honeycomb?
(And what does it mean to “Help build the honeycomb?”)

• For Flux, rehearsed Jane the Plain;
• Asked FIFA to ensure safe and fair worker conditions in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup;
• Petitioned the corporate sponsors to drop their support of Los Angeles Clippers racist owner;
• Asked the Obama administration to support conservation of the sage-grouse and its sagebrush habitat;
• Cooked and ate all vegetarian meals (mostly organic, some local) and added no direct food waste (plastics bags, plastic water bottles, etc.).