Adventures in Utah

[utahkeeboch]

abandoned blog

Sadly, I have not been posting to this blog.  However, if you would like to see what I have been up to this summer just check out keebochpics.tumblr.com.

[utahkeeboch]

read: summer stock

[utahkeeboch]

to skydive or not to skydive...

...that is the question.

The "2nd Annual USF Let's Throw Ourselves Out of a Perfectly Good Airplane" event has just gone up on facebook. The date is set for June 17th...I now can't decide if I want to skydive again...hmmm...

[utahkeeboch]

Patrick Wilson's Keynote Speech from my commencement 

[utahkeeboch]

PlayUtah just announced its first ever PlayUtah Patron Awards (similar to a Tony Award, but just for Utah theatres and plays). You can join in on the fun, learn more about PlayUtah and its new awards, and vote for your favorite theatre, plays, and artists by visiting the PlayUtah website and clocking on the link to Cast Your Ballot. But hurry; the deadline is May 31.

[utahkeeboch]

graduation!

Well we did it! We graduated from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama all in one piece.  

It was an amazing day filled with lots of emotions! I love my classmates more than anything, over the last four years they have become family and a great support system through all the ups and downs of SOD.  It's weird knowing that in the fall we won't all be back together, instead we will all be out on different adventures doing what we love around the world.  

Graduation itself was hot and sweaty.  We all gathered outside of CFA to walk over to the commencement ceremony in the stadium in our lovely black cap and gowns.  The day was hot and we sat there baking for a very long time.  Speaker after  speaker talked and congratulated us on our accomplishments.  Our student speaker called us abnormal and not typical students.  Our official commencement speaker was Patrick Wilson, a '95 Drama alum who we at School of Drama have met many times before now so we cheered extra loud.  His speech was funny and gave some perspective of what you remember and what becomes important in life.  He made fun of our mascot, the scotty dog, he made us laugh and cry and told us we probably won't remember him when we look back at graduation, we'll see. 

School of Drama's diploma ceremony was luckily inside Purnell in the Chosky Theatre which was nicely air conditioned.  Patrick Wilson was once again our speaker, this time with no script, just talking from his heart.  While most was directed toward actors, it still applies to everyone, go out there and use the fact that you are young. Try everything and take any opportunity that you can, even if you are writing a resume out on a scrap piece of paper to audition for a national tour.  Our student speaker, Nicole Lauren, made most of us cry when she herself started crying thanking her family.  The musical theatre kids sang some songs and we got our diplomas.  All the ladies got to hug Patrick Wilson and get a kiss on the cheek! All the guys got was a hand shake, suckers!

After the ceremony was a reception and lots of photos. My class all gathered for pictures and we got some fun group shot.  I'll have to downsize some and post from what my dad took and pull others off of facebook to share here.  My favorite picture though is this one that I think Max took.  It is perfectly me!

[utahkeeboch]

New Blog is Up!

Check out my new photo a day blog at keebochpics.tumblr.com. So far there's been a picture everyday since graduation. Enjoy! Also, Utah updates coming soon!

[utahkeeboch]

Yay Utah Shakespeare Festival!!!

[utahkeeboch]

preparing for the future

Graduation is days away.  Soon I will have a BFA in Drama from Carnegie Mellon! I am so excited! My parents and extended family are coming to see me graduate.  While it's exciting to finally be done with school, I am very nervous about jobs and beginning to work in the real world.  At least I have a first gig.

I'm heading back to the Utah Shakespeare Festival for a second season as a stage crew head. I don't know what shows I am specifically working on yet, but I am hired through the fall season, ending in late October.  What happens after USF, I don't know yet.  I am waiting to hear about a few jobs or I might move somewhere and make it work. 

As I prepare for Utah and graduation I am packing up my room which contains so many memories from the last four years.  I am trying to sort through and throw things away, but it's hard sometimes.  It all has to be done by Monday, so the deadline is getting close.

As for this blog I am hoping to bring in back and add another blog.  I want to post more about my experiences in Utah here and actually keep it up to date.  As for my new blog, I want to post a picture showing what I am up to everyday after graduation for at least one year.  One of my friends gave me this idea, completing hers on facebook, but I think I am going to create another tumblr.  I know that means more for you to follow, but it will have a better URL so I can hopefully keep it going for longer.

Enjoy the postings!

[utahkeeboch]

[utahkeeboch]

home and school

After a long day of flying, and almost missing my connection in Detroit I have made it home.  The flight out of Salt Lake had us waiting in the plane for over an hour before actually taking off. Because of this many people missed their flights and I had to run through the Detroit airport to make it to my final flight. I was the last one on the plane, but unfortunately my luggage did not.  When I arrived in Pittsburgh I was able to check in with the Delta baggage claim and have my bag dropped off at my house. Berger and Sophie were waiting for me when I was done dealing with my bag.

Once home I started unpacking a little and sorting through all the random stuff I have now acquired from the summer before going to Sushi Too to meet up with my classmates.  Dinner was good and it was nice to see some people before school started.  Once back home Berger and I hung out for a bit until Jeremy got home and then the whole house had a great night of swapping summer stories and just hanging out before my first day of school.  

Really all of this has been surreal.  I feel like I should be at a load in at the Adams right now or doing a changeover in the Randall.

[utahkeeboch]

airports

I am currently waiting in Salt Lake City Airport for my second flight of the day to Detroit.  This will be my first flight alone and my fourth flight ever.  Today will double the number of planes I have ever been on.  Previously I have flown to Florida for a funeral with my mom and Max and back from Disney with Chase and his family.  My last flight from Cedar City was in a tiny plane for a 45 minute trip, but it was basically all USF people, Gary, Patrick, Bri, Jeb, and Dan.  Gary has been telling me all morning to stop freaking out but I can't completely, don't know why, but this flying thing freaks me out a little. Really wish I could have driven back across the country, but oh well. 

In under 12 hours I will be back in Pittsburgh and going to dinner with my classmates at Sushi Too! I can't wait to be back with everyone though I am really going to miss all my new friends from Utah.  I hope I can visit some or at least make it out to USITT to see everyone again.  

Back to waiting, maybe I will finish Boeing Boeing for Costume Management while I wait.

[utahkeeboch]

schedule for my last day at USF! please note the dance break

[utahkeeboch]

summer is ending

We closed the outdoor Midsummer last night and tonight we close Music Man.  It's kind of sad how quickly everything is ending, but it's been a pretty amazing summer. I had my exit interview with James today and it went very well.  He would love to have me back and I might even be able to swing being a carpenter and a crew head in one summer.  Plus depending what my next job is I could stay through the fall, which would be amazing.  I am so grateful for this summer and can't wait to go back to school and tell everyone about my crazy adventures and how amazing Utah Shakespeare Festival is. 

I have 3 days left, 4 shows to strike, 1 rain stage to bring down and pack into a truck, and 3 planes standing between me and Pittsburgh. I am so excited about strike, Midsummer's went great yesterday. The thing I am dreading is flying, I have never flown by myself before and only been on a plane twice to this date.  I'm ready for the adventure though.

[utahkeeboch]

recap of my favorite adventures

There have so many memories from this summer and I have no idea how I am going to explain some of the ridiculousness to friends back at school and home.  This summer has been amazing and exactly what I needed to grow up that much more. I am so grateful to the people I have met and become great friends with over the last three months.  With one week left I am beginning to take everything in that much more as I don't want this wonderful summer to end. Here is my recap of some of the amazing and ridiculous times I have encountered.

car breaking down in the middle of utah

tony awards party

skydiving over zion

meat fest - sleeping by the fire under the stars

props fireworks and our own in the ave parking lot

camping with friends multiples times, each one a crazy new adventure

kanarraville water hike through the canyon

las vegas to see O 

movies: harry potter, captain america, cowboys & aliens, the help

the narrows and late night chinese buffet

zombie prom and jumping in the pool after hours

REACH auction

sprinkler fights

running through the rain to tarp and just because we could

jumping off a cliff into a lake

[utahkeeboch]

things i am going to miss about utah

all the amazing people i have gotten to work with this summer, especially Kelsey, Gary, Jaime, and Nik

the adventures, so many excellent weekend camping and hiking trips

no humidity = happy hair and skin

the shows, I am going to miss singing along to Music Man every night and operating the trap for Midsummer

taco bell as a reward for dealing with rain stage

chilling on the porch after shows with amazing friends

pool time during our afternoons off, playing basketball or keep away

sprinkler fights after work

the local restaurants, especially pastry pub and the grind

reading and brauns books, i have read an incredible amount this summer most of which were bought from the local used bookstore

epic rain storms that happen sporadically

the mountains! such a gorgeous backdrop for life

PIZZA CART = most delicious pizza ever

[utahkeeboch]

running through the rain

equals pure happiness

especially at 3 am in cedar city.