MAKE UP

My pal Kenji came over to give Misha and I a lesson on stage make-up. I worked with Kenji last year on a short film (directed by Erica Leung) that required Kenji to do this to me:

Amazing, right?

Unfortunately (or fortunately...?) G & L aren't burn victims, members of the undead or Lady Gaga so our make-up is a lot more tame.

Kenji taught us how to age ourselves slightly by changing the shape of our faces and the results were amazing--when I looked at Misha I saw LEONA and it gave me a slight prickle of goosebumps.

Kenji is a great teacher, not to mention a lovely person and very good at what he does. Here he is drawing a map of a face so we know what the hell we're doing when he's not around:

Thank you, Kenji, for being patient with us--especially Misha who doesn't like when the mascara wand comes close to her eye. ("It's like a goddamn millipede coming at me..!") To check out more of Kenji's work and to see why he was recently named the winner of the 2010 International Make-Up Artist Trade show in Vancouver, visit his blog HERE.

If you want to see the results of what he taught us (and whether or not we can pull it off on our own!), you will just have to come see the show.

Overheard at Rehearsal

"A pig would eat Gary Oldman, for chrissakes!"

--Misha, on the extent of what a pig would be willing to ingest.

BLOGS! (Our kids are growing up...)

Georgia & Leona are making their way into the world! We feel like proud parents over here...

Wavelength and Art & Culture Maven have done us a great service. Thanks a mil! Here are the links, if you get a sec:

http://www.artandculturemaven.com/2010/06/georgia-leona-at-toronto-fringe.htm

http://www.wavelengthtoronto.com/

!!!!!!!!

LESS THAN ONE WEEK TO OPENING NIGHT.

And.. script changes.

Misha said something to me last night about how, in high school, we were appalled to hear about script changes happening in the professional theatre down to the wire, even *gasp* between shows! And now we are doing it. To our own selves. And, honestly, it's not as bad as we imagined. Because with every change or cut, the show is getting tighter and more true to its theme. I support them, wholeheartedly. (Until, of course, I have to memorize new lines...)

Rehearsals are going well!

Jacqui has been bringing vegan baked goods. We've seen some really good performances as well but, MAN, those chocolate cookies with the peanut butter in the middle... best performance so far.

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We made a trailer!

Happy Birthday Georgia. I mean LARA...!

It's Lara's birthday today. She passed the midnight threshold cutting together our trailer, which we filmed yesterday. Well, her and Jak filmed it. I lifted stuff and made tea and chirped in with things like, "Holy shit, is that a computer...?!" But it looks great and sending it out makes me feel good - like we're doing all we can to draw a crowd.

Did I mention it's Lara's birthday today? I always defer to her wisdom and today I defer to her age. Every five minutes. I ring a bell and shout "HAPPY BIRTHDAY LARA" into the world. Just to make it right, you know?

Anyways. We're in the final stretch. Rehearsals have become unexpectedly personal. Reaching deep into the self in order to act based on who you are, what you know - like what they say about wearing makeup so it looks like you're not wearing it? (...the phrase "act natural" suddenly comes back to me in a reexamined and clearer way--)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LARA...! (I almost missed you that time...!) -love yr Leona