Day in the Life of an ISAS Arts Festival actress
From left: senior Irene Vazquez and junior Nicole Vermeulen reenact a scene from the play “Intimate Apparel” by Lynn Nottage.
April 17, 2017
6:15 am: Wake up bright and early to a wake-up call from Ms. Keany.
6:16: Fall back asleep.
6:30: Jump out of bed because Ms. Keany is knocking at the door, and I have to pretend I’ve been awake for the last 15 minutes.
7:00: The hotel has Keurig coffee (God bless)!
7:15: Run downstairs and hop on the bus
7:20: After waiting for Prithvi to come downstairs, depart for the Casady school (which has a lake! How cool is that?).
7:50: Arrive at Casady and eat some dry cereal.
8:00: Frantically search the campus for coffee.
8:15: Discover that there is no coffee anywhere! How horrible!
8:20: Be delighted that Miss Cordes has agreed to get you coffee from the faculty lounge.
8:30: Off to a class on travel writing hosted by a former writer for 24.
9:00: Briefly doze off because you lost sleep last night waiting for the pizza guy.
10:00: Chat with a girl from Albuquerque Academy about your recent trips to San Miguel de Allende.
10:30-12:00: Lounge in a nice patch of grass and try to write poetry about Mexico City, inspired by the travel writing workshop.
12:00: Eat lunch with your lovely director.
12:30 pm: Meet your castmates in the homeroom.
12:45: Change into costume, character shoes and all.
1:00: Start vocal warm-ups as the visual arts kid looks on in a mix of shock and horror.
1:30: Walk over to the performance venue (the Casady Lower School Library).
1:45: Get in the zone (aka listen to “Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid Cudi and take a lot of deep breaths).
2:00: Watch as the other Duet Scene (in “Dry Land” by Ruby Rae Spiegel) takes the stage.
From left: Nicole Vermeulen, senior Irene Vazquez and sophomores Juliette Draper and Anna-William Kornberg meet the judge.
2:05: Spot former head of the middle school Eric Lombardi in the audience and nearly cry.
2:09: Hug your scene partner (junior Nicole VerMeulen).
2:10: Slate your name (slating is an acting practice in which you say your name, the name of the scene you’re performing, and the name of the character you’re playing).
2:10: Go time!
2:20: Come down from the performance high.
2:21: Receive verbal critique from the adjudicator, who once acted in Hello, Dolly! on Broadway as well as Season 3. ep. 1 of Sex in the City. Good notes all around!
2:30: Emerge into the Oklahoma sunshine, proud as can be.
