June Reflections
Doing
Baking
I’ve often discussed baking with my therapist as something that helps with my anxiety because it is soothing and doesn’t leave much room for you to be thinking about anything else. You have to pay attention to your measurements, stir for the safe amount of time and never, ever, take your dish out of the oven too soon, for fear of a soggy bottom.
Getting Crafty
Most people’s seasonal depression takes place in the cold - but as a winter baby, the summer is very much my personal hell. Feeling that a lack of motivation was making me lethargic, I turned to what brings everyone’s inner child joy - arts and crafts! I made my bulletin board fun to look at and made myself a vision board (and what kind of a vision board would it be without the absolute G.O.A.T on it??).
In the wise words of Lizzo-
“I get flowers every Sunday - Imma marry me one day”. I have only started getting into buying myself flowers, not as a reward or because I feel I deserve them but because I want something pretty and fleeting and virtually useless (the amount of dopamine it brings is, in fact, debatable in an apartment with very little light). But I love doing it now and it makes me happy to walk out of Trader Joe’s with a large bouquet, as if I’m in a romcom.
Reading
Constellations by Adrien Bosc
A story about the lives of 37 passengers who died during flight F-BAZN in 1949. A deep dive into the lives of each person and what intertwined them beyond this fatal accident, and why the plane crashed in the first place. An incredibly intricate view of how each life is so different yet so inherently similar.
Lessons for the ___Professional Actor by Michael Chekhov
Revisiting method books is incredibly important to me as I fully believe we are never done learning as actors. I also don’t believe in fully devoting myself to one method, but rather taking what works for us from different places. As a disciple of Stanislavsky, Chekhov is actually a great read as a less intense version of his teacher.
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
A must- read for everyone - my physical therapist recommended this book and I am so glad I listened to him. This book is not only a scientific analysis of sleep itself but also a guide to better sleep. You would think an informational book like this would be incredibly boring and sleep-inducing, and though the author encourages that exact activity, this book is quite humorous and entertaining.
Seeing
Epiphany
Big big shout-out to David Ryan Smith who was absolutely incredible in this - I saw it during previews and it was mind-blowing, every actor in the cast was so strong and the writing was beautiful. It is about a dinner party where the host never arrives - all while touching on universal themes and remaining reminiscent of every family dinner party (during which you can go from an argument to a soft conversation in seconds). The best plays are those that you process for days and this one definitely took about a week to fully digest.
Eiffel
Petite Maman was already out of theaters when I was finally free to go see it, so I thought Eiffel would be a good placeholder until PM is available on streaming services. Romain Duris never disappoints and although Emma Mackey was way too young for the role she was quite good in the film as well. A usual French blockbuster, I can see that French cinema is branching out into the American custom of biopics while retaining a very French take. As with most French films, Eiffel doesn’t have an incredibly joyous ending, which is quite refreshing to see in an American cinematic world of Happily Ever Afters.
How I Learned To Drive
Absolutely blown away by the performances of every single member of the cast. The subject matters of assault and pedophilia are not treated with kid gloves, but at the same time are introduced with grace and an impending sense of dread that you forget time and time again throughout this play. Mary Louise Parker’s younger version of her character is incredible, and while I am not usually a fan of jumping around through time and space, it made sense for this show and I never felt lost or jostled. Special mention has to go to David Morse’s fishing scene as the object work there was so minute and detailed you saw the pole, line and hook.