Little Falls, Greenbush, Duluth...oh my!

Last week was Little Falls, MN.  It was a nice town.  The population was around 8000 and it felt like Winfield, KS where I went to college.  The kids that week were amazing which was great because we needed a pick me up.  The kids had a lot of energy and most had experience with Prairie Fire so they knew how the week would go.  Personally, I worked with some really talented kids.  My Tinman and Lion were some of the best I had.  Good voices and willing to trust me when I gave them stuff to do.  The Lion is a great part and I am constantly peeved that I can't be it.  The Tin Man is not the best part.  I wasn't a fan of what it was doing so I changed and few things and added some stuff in during the solo to make it funnier for the audience and more fun for the kids.  So far it has worked but I was always worried about if my changes were cool with the people in charge.

This week one of our managers came to see the show along with some other people who had a week off and spent it in Barrett.  My changes were given approval which was a big relief.  We only had one performance this week on Friday night so the next day we went to a small river for a tubing experience.  We did not plan well.  I don't have a swimsuit with me because I can't remember the last time I went swimming so I wore a t-shirt and shorts.  Then the tubing rubbed off on my shirt so it has black marks all over it that didn't come out with a wash and the water was so low in some parts that I ran my ass into a tree and it ripped my favorite shorts.  We also didn't understand the tethering together part as well as bringing beer so we just floated along till we found a rope swing in a deep part so that was awesome.  Besides the awkward parts it was a lot of fun.  The rest of the time we just hung out, had dinner, and had some drinks in our room.

Speaking of rooms we thought we might have had bedbugs at the Super 8 we were staying in but they we realized it was just dirty.

The other thing we did in Little Falls was go to a cool zoo.  It was much nicer than the Paul Bunyan Animal Land.  That place was just depressing.  Two big black bears in a concrete cage the size of a single car garage.  The rest looked dirty and neglected to an extent.  I seriously want to call PETA and have them do what they are good at.  Thank goodness for the zoo in Little Falls.  It was much nicer.  The animals had more space and seemed happier.  They had two black bears who had a ton of space and Liz and I watched them for 20 minutes while they played together.

We also went to see Charles Lindbergh's childhood home.  It was really nice.  Charles Lindbergh was alive when they were putting they whole thing together so everything in the house originally belonged to him and his family so there was so much history.  We were very lucky because the day we went to see the house was the day before the government shut down.  The next day the museum was going to close because it is on state park land.  The other thing that is a problem is it was during travel season so no one can go to the state parks for vacation, rest stops are closed, everything...a lot of people are out of a job.  It is crazy.  

Then we went to Greenbush which is super north and about 30 minutes from Canada.  We were there for the 4th of July.  We did a parade with the kids to help advertise and then Liz went to a Rodeo.  After we went to the only place in town to eat and got burgers when a severe thunderstorm came through.  The teenage girls running the place ran out of the restaurant to the gas station next door.  We had already gotten our food but they left everything on.  The power had gone out but gas was still coming out for the flat top.  I actually turned all the equipment off, Liz and I finished out food and left.  It really was not that bad, just heavy rain and it was over in 10 minutes.  I basically made sure they didn't die when they came back.  The kids were really good and excited to be there because this was only their second year doing PFCT.  Th families were very nice and we got invited over for food which is always a positive.

This was a good week to finish because we knew we were coming up against a pretty rough week in Duluth.  We had a double booking which means we had two sets of kids.  It was pretty good throughout the week till we hit Thursday and we were just about to crash.  We worked and stayed on the College of St. Scholastica campus and it was nice because we had an actually kitchen although I was generally too tired to use it.  I went to bed between 9 and 10 each night and got up at 6.  We had some pretty good cast members but I did have some issues with my Lion.  He was a really good kid and had really good comic timing and ideas for the character but he basically had a breakdown every time he had to sing or put on his costume.  I was worried he wasn't going to show on the second day of rehearsal.  It was an issue you all week till the show when he did amazing.  Duluth is a nice city and has a lot of hippies.  We had kids with names like Roshi, Forestasia, and Tirzah.  But overall good kids with lots of energy.

Now we are in Mankato.  That is another story.  It isn't that we have bad kids or anything like that.  They do PFCT a lot, like 5 times and summer and it isn't new to all of them so there are some issues with attitude and enthusiasm.  I had one of my leads start to get really frustrated and started to swear.  This kid is like 12 so I had to lay some things on the line and that hasn't happened again...only jut some attitude.  I think this is going to be a basic week, nothing too bad and nothing extraordinary but I kind of like that because then those smaller towns and other kids seem that much more enthusiastic and excited so all in all a nice balance.   

Then we are off to Maple Grove outside the cities and then all the way up to Silver Bay which is north of Duluth and is right on Lake Superior which btw...is awesome.    

Cold Spring to Clearbrook

We finished up in Pierz in what was an amazing week.  The town was so nice we were swearing that it was going to disappear once we left.  We had a great cast, the town was super nice and had some of the best pie.  My tour partner won $250 at a drawing at the bar and gave me half which was too nice.  Plus the weather was wonderful and they had a swimming hole. We didn't go in but it was lovely to sit by.

Then we went to Cold Spring.  The town was about 3000 and was okay.  The kids were even better than Pierz and the sponsor was great.  The town was kind of sad.  There wasn't much to do or eat and was just plain boring.  It was my tour partner's birthday week and I felt kind of bad since there wasn't anything to do.  

Then we came to Clearbrook.  A town of maybe 500.  We passed through Bemidji to get here and that city is like a smaller version of Lawrence, KS and that was the best part of the week.  We walked around and bought groceries at a co-op and then we got to the middle pf nowhere.  There is nothing around, everything closes at 4 and the kids are okay.  I think we were spoiled after having two awesome weeks we almost deserve to have a crappy week.  I wish I was happier to be here because I can tell you that when you are in a better town or a town that makes you feel good you work better.  I know the kids can't tell that it isn't a great week...they are just happy we are here but I am ready to head to our next town in Little Falls.  

On a side note about our kids this week.  We have a little black girl who is about 8 and her name is OJ.  Not O.J. like it is short for something but legit OJ.  Her parents are white and who knows if she got her name from them or before she was adopted but I feel bad when people her age start to figure out what it can be connected to...it will be rough.  We sometimes joke that when we have bad kids or unfortunate kids that some people just shouldn't breed.  I know that sounds awful but joking and having funny really keeps you sane because the process is so intense.  It is great but nuts at the same time.

The Swimming Hole we found in Pierz.

Please, please, please!

Well thank goodness!

We found this on the side of the highway.

The first of many found.

The second one...maybe we can find some more.

I think I need to own this.

My new friend. 

We have a lot planned for our Sunday drive to Little Falls.  We are going to stop in Bemidji again and get breakfast and then stop at the co-op again for groceries, a local store with art and crafts by local artisans, a wool shop and a chocolate shop.  Then we are going to go Paul Bunyan's Animal Land and then stop in Walker and have a walk around and maybe a picnic lunch.  If time was on our said we would go to the co-op in Brainerd instead of Bemidji but I don't think we will make it on time.  Little Falls is going to be very nice. 

Pierz, Minnesota

Last Saturday we finished our last week in Jamestown, ND.  While we were there we saw this:

That is the World's Largest Buffalo and it is bigger than you would think.  It looks over the town.  I imagine that he protects it.  Along with that is a little pioneer village.  We arrived a little late that day and missed the shoot out but over all it was cute.  The only issue is that there are all these mannequins in costumes in all the rooms that you can look it.  Whoever is in charge obviously tried to make it look authentic but the jeans all say Levi's and were obviously picked up in a Goodwill but nice effort.  There was also a little museum dedicated to Louis L'Amour.  He is from the area and you can buy his books in every store.

As for the show.  It was okay.  The group we had is a summer program that is run in many different cities and the kids aren't necessarily signing up for a play so they didn't really want to be there.  Our Dorthy on the other hand was great.  She had everything memorized and was the sweetest girl.  We found out that she has been the lead in Prairie Fire shows for the past few years and one would worry we are going to give her a complex but she is not like that at all.  A genuinely nice girl with natural talent.  The rest of the kids were sweet with some talent but they were always tires because they had to walk a mile from the school to the performance space at the college.

We stayed on campus at the college.  We had wi-fi which was nice and a full kitchen but we had to share it with two other groups and they ate some of my food as well as my tour partners.  The teachers were really nice too.  They had either just received their teaching license or had been teaching for a year.   Plus, they were all boys so it was nice too.  One of them was interested in my tour partner and he invited us to a barbecue.  It was basically all the teachers from the summer program including the ladies working with K-1st.  It was nice to be around people who weren't under the age of 11.

Sunday we left and passed back through Barrett.  The second week of training was leaving and it was nice to be able to meet up with everyone for a few hours and chat.  We were all coming from the same direction and heading in the same so we may be able to meet later in the week for a movie or something.  I know that we are trying to do that because for the rest of the summer we aren't this close and we have become really good friends and want to keep that contact.

Then we arrived in Pierz, MN.  It is a great town.  Everything is within walking distance and it is cute.  We had auditions today and it was hard because we had so much talent.  Usually you are trying to figure out who you think could give you something but this time we had the exact opposite program.  Most of the kids had been doing Prairie Fire for a couple years so we had some really talented kids that we were sad that we couldn't give them all parts.  Plus everyone in the town in really nice and they have a wonderful space.  It is a gymatorium but  a ton of backstage space and the sponsor is very helpful.  Plus the place with wi-fi has the best pie ever.  I think this is going to be a good week!

P.S. We are staying at the Hillbilly Haven!

The Beginning

So I have officially finished my first week of training and started my first day of the show.

Oh My God!!

Insane and wonderful at the same time.  The first week was basically an intensive week.  We all had to learn the whole show plus all the training, paperwork, policies and various other things.  You can check out the site here.

Once you get the tour directors you can see the other people I trained with.  My partner and I are both named Elizabeth and we are doing The Wizard of Oz.  The other shows that went out this week were Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Tom Sawyer.  You would think you know the shows but they all have a twist.  Example: Sleeping Beauty is on a movie set and is like a film noir where they are getting the Sleeping Beauty to count sheep to get her to fall asleep.  I hope to one day do that one because it is too cute.

This is the whole group in our costumes.  A lot of great people.  We hope to be able to meet up at various points in the summer while driving on Sunday.  This week we are in Jamestown, ND...home of Louis L'Amour and the worlds largest buffalo.

Here we are in various bits of makeup from our show...no one is wearing the exact thing but we had way too much fun.

On our graduation on the last day I won "Best Minnesota Accent."  I owe it all to watching way too much "Drop Dead Gorgeous."

The kids seem great and I hope hard working but I am excited to get things going.  We are performing in a church so there are many changes we have to make but I think all things are going to be okay...and if not I can fix them next week.  Till then...much love.

Packing!

So, the madness begins!  I leave in basically a day and have finished packing.  The large worry is over-packing like in Wichita or under-packing like in England.  Then again how do you ever pack properly when you are planning for 3 months and have never been to the state!  This is an opportunity to keep everyone up to date on the things I will do this summer.  Perhaps I will get a book/movie deal out of my witty words and snazzy pictures a la Julie/Julia...perhaps with less swearing.  Perhaps not!

My reading list for the summer.  I think the creepy eye one will be left at home but who knows.  The red riding hood will be read and passed on as Emily intended...besides the fact that it is now in my possession at all is just plain sad.

I have all packed including a sweet 24 pack of cliff bars.  The only things not photoed are a backpack and a purse.

I only wonder what it will be like to actually live out of a suitcase.  Here goes nothing!