Seriously though,

We've begun rehearsal for our first show (Grand Prize). It's one of two shows directed by a company member, and the remaining three shows in the season are directed by the theater's creative director. It's a gratifying experience to be involved in a show that is almost entirely student produced; There's a very collaborative atmosphere that can't be achieved with a clear-cut authority figure playing puppeteer. Technical design and production is also in the hands of company members, including set construction, lighting design and costuming. The company's fourteen members are given various technical duties in addition to the roles they will perform and assigned to work in costuming, set construction or the prop shop. As the 'house manager' I belong to none of the groups listed above but rather have been placed on a strange sort of pedestal that instead of rising above the petty pace is buried under its weight. I do a lot of painting, weeding and general cleaning. I'm essentially responsible for the appearance of the theater everywhere EXCEPT for the stage. Although at first I was discouraged by the nature of the job my spirits have been steadily rising due largely to several factors. I've learned lots of very practical skills, theater related and otherwise. Despite tiny budgets, limited time and work-laden personnel I'm confident that we will be producing high quality shows. The set for Grand Prize is finished almost in its entirety after seven days and looks better than sets I've seen take six times as long to produce, a testament both to the skill of the construction crew and the extreme length of our work days, which start at 9:00 A.M and end at 11:30 P.M. Having been involved in rehearsals I can testify to the talent and work ethic of the other actors, all of whom have much to offer and will be (unbeknownst to them) teaching me as much or more than any cast I've worked with before. It's a great experience to be pursuing art surrounded by a bunch of people who are pursuing art surrounded by a building that has housed art for 44 years surrounded by... Nebraska. On a personal note I remain diligent in my pursuit of the ultimate farmer's tan. On a less personal note wasps are capable of reproducing at a disturbing rate and I'm only one man.

Song of the hour: Almost Crimes

Enthusiasm!

Brownville Village Theatre, 2 days without a-... shit. Brownville Village Theatre, 0 days without a cynical blog post.

P.S.

Tears of frustration don't deter wasps much either.

Heads Up

Raid® does not kill wasps on contact. Raid® annoys wasps on contact. Round Up® does not kill weeds on contact. Round Up® annoys wasps on contact.

First Day

Silly mistake; I would have had room to pack gardening gloves if I'd left behind my artistic integrity.

Last Night in Iowa

The human race has grown and developed in an incredible variety of ways, and no matter how much technology has succeeded in bringing us together there will always be cultural barriers that keep us apart. I was born in Iowa, and I've lived in Iowa for the past twenty years. Tomorrow I take a frightening first step into unfamiliar territory. As I look out my window at the land that has nourished and protected me for years I'm practically consumed by inner turmoil. Just how flexible is the human mind? Or, for that matter, the human body? Will I be able to sustain the drastic changes Nebraska has in store for me? I did a little research in an attempt to assuage my fears, and instead I've uncovered information that has whipped them into a frenzy. The average daily high temperature in Des Moines, Iowa in the month of July is 84°F. The average daily high temperature in Omaha, Nebraska in the month of July is 85.6°F. The difference in climate alone would be enough to discourage a lesser man, but in the pursuit of art my resolve is nigh unshakable. I wiped the sweat from my brow and delved deeper into the Wikipedia article on Nebraska. What I found next shook me to my very core. There is a little talked about area in Nebraska referred to as 'the Nebraska Panhandle'. It perches shameless on the western side of the state like a malignant tumor. This wasteland, aside from possessing an arid climate and about 5% of the state's total population, has another terrible secret. It would seem that the people of the Panhandle have no respect for the values that our forefathers fought and died for, the values that the citizens of Iowa have been upholding since Iowa was admitted to the union in 1846, 31 long years before Nebraska. The people of the Nebraska Panhandle belong to a time zone they call 'Mountain Time', and their clocks are set an hour behind Iowa's noble, God-fearing clocks. Tomorrow, as I head west across Iowa and towards a state that would dare to steal time itself, I will do my best to remain brave. I will meet this new world with the intrepid heart of the explorer.

Congratulations!

"Starving Artist in the Big City" has just been named one of The New York Times' top 100 blogs about Brownville, Nebraska in the past decade! I wish I could say I was responsible for the startling success this blog has found, but in all honesty my avid readers and contributors deserve as much, if not more, praise. We very much appreciate your support, and I will remind you that we rely very heavily on your continued financial contributions.

Introduction

Hello!

My name is Jeff White, and I created this blog in order to share my experiences this summer. I will be working at a theater in a small town in Nebraska, Brownville. Brownville Village Theater, henceforth referred to as BVT, will be producing five shows during its summer season. I will be acting in three of these shows and house managing for all five. This is an exciting opportunity for me, and I'm looking forward to employing the skills I've learned during my time at Iowa State University. I leave Iowa for Nebraska in four days, and I'm spending the little time I have left at home doing as little as possible to prepare for the coming months. I hope you've enjoyed this extremely formal first entry, I'm going to try to keep future entries equally as vague in order to maintain the widespread appeal I'll need in order to keep the very large numbers of readers I'll no doubt accrue.