Kinda wanna be kissed kinda wanna be stabbed

sometimes i just lose my fucking mind and afterwards i’m like “what the fuck is wrong with me…why am i Like This™” and the answer is always the moon

me: *goes absolutely feral for a few days*

me: why the hell did i do that *checks the lunar calendar and sees the moon’s up to some freaky shit again* ah

literally i LOVE the moon but like is she almost done…like is it over…being unhinged 24/7 like this is so. Exhausting

Roll for what this post is about

so i took a modern architecture course to fulfill a creative arts university req this semester and i have several conclusions now that’s done:

1. modern architecture? ugly

2. brutalism? somehow, even uglier

3. post-modern architecture? okay so now they’re actively trying to make it as bad as possible

4. neogothic? art noveau? art deco? absolutely spectacular, let’s have more of that

to illustrate:

modern architecture:

ugly and boring

brutalism:

worse

post modern:

what the actual fuck am i looking at

art nouveau:

ooh hell yeah

me, dumping a load of freshly washed but unfolded laundry on my bed: boy i’m sure gonna be pissed about this when i want to go to bed

– Star Wars Episode VIII: We Need to Talk About Kylo

Synetic Theater’s Unforgettable Watery Worlds

In 2013, Arlington-based Synetic Theater took their signature cinematic style to a new level when they flooded the stage with water for a production of The Tempest. The physical theater company, well known for their wordless productions of Shakespeare plays, had previously created a water stage for their 2010 production of King Arthur. Known for their creative use of mixed media, Synetic Theater utilized the water to add an extra layer of magical realism to that production.

The Tempest was to be the 9th installment of  Synetic’s popular Wordless Shakespeare series and Founding Artistic Director Paata Tsikurishvili was inspired to use a water stage by the way in which water is closely tied to the plot. “The exiled Prospero is sent to an island, surrounded and inundated by water,” Tsikurshvili said. “His power and magic grows from it, and even the inciting action is created by water when Prospero uses a storm to bring his enemies to him.” Water is a versatile theatrical element, conveying a variety of emotions and feelings. It can be at once dramatic, comical, magical, and lyrical. Additionally, the hypnotic combination of water and physical theater captivated audiences’ imaginations in a totally new way.

Once Tsikurishvili decided on the watery world his Tempest would be set in, he tapped Synetic’s Resident Stage Manager Marley Giggey and Technical Director Phil Charlwood to figure out the logistics of getting water into a pool onstage. “It was the strangest combination of terror and excitement I have ever experienced,” Giggey said of her first meeting about working on a water stage. Technical Director Phil Charlwood had worked on King Arthur three years prior, and this time he strove to improve circumstances for the actors. The biggest challenge was keeping the water at a comfortable temperature. By using large heaters, Charlwood was able to keep the water warm during performances. 

Charlwood also used his innovative design and building techniques to create one of the most compelling elements of the production, a piano fountain that served as an important piece of the set.

Filling the pools and keeping the water clean and safe fell to Giggey. “The water came from several hoses running from two sinks in the laundry room backstage and in the lobby,” she said. “The drain was a series of PVC pipes that connected together and went to a hose. We would bring out all the pipes and connect them - going out the loading dock door and leading to a floor drain in the parking garage that could accommodate all that water!  Before each performance I would do a half drain and fill. “We would drain about half of the pool and then fill it back up to show levels with hot water.  On Fridays and Sundays we did a total drain of the pool and a very through scrub and clean. Then we let it dry for at least 12 hours before refilling.  It was a time consuming process, but keeping the pool safe and clean was key.”

Once the water was on stage, Giggey was faced with more challenges. The stage lights made it difficult for the actors to consistently see the spike marks. This problem was solved with a grid system that allowed the actors to line themselves up with the left and downstage points. The actors movement in the pool created a lot of splashing into the audience. Synetic offered branded ponchos to patrons in this “splash zone” and those seats became the most popular for the production.

Lighting designer Andrew Griffin enjoyed working with water and overcoming the challenge the water gave him in designing a light plot for the show. “The light would reflect and refract because the water floor was reminiscent of a mirror,” he said. Griffin used several low-angled sidelights to exploit the angles of light that would scrape across the floor, rendering less of a reflected impact on the architecture of the space. This effect made it seem as though the water was dancing along with the characters. “Through a lot of careful planning, we created some pretty great effects,” said Griffin.

When working with water, there was also the question of mold and mildew - particularly concerning costumes. The costumes were all treated with camp spray to help waterproof them. “Cleaning the costumes was very tricky,” Giggey said.  “They had to be thoroughly washed so we turned the back room of the theater into a ‘dry room’ with fans blowing from all directions and drip buckets to catch all the water.  The last thing any actor wanted was to put on damp costumes or shoes when they came in the next day.”

Working with water required Synetic’s creative team to master a free-flowing element that is not easy to control consistently. Synetic was able to overcome many obstacles and use the water to their advantage with the help of various theatrical elements, all while taking the necessary steps to protect their performers.

The hours of maintenance required to keep the pool clean and functional and the additional challenges of working with water in a theatrical setting paid off. “It was a moment that was so immersive and dramatic that it was difficult to believe it was happening live in front of you,” Giggey said. “The energy in the theater as the actors were jumping, spinning, and splashing was electric!” Overall, the creative team, crew, actors and audiences appreciated and valued this rare experience. The professionalism, ingenuity, and talent of the production crew, actors, and artistic team helped to make The Tempest Synetic’s highest grossing show to date.

I love that I get to work with these folks.  I love that this post keeps coming back.

i’d like to thank not only god but also whomever rejected joss whedon’s version of wonder woman

welcome to the age of female superheroes

this video is my sexuality

Okay that cut from Captain Marvel to Wonder Woman to Valkyrie–I have needed that my whole life.

The Pennsylvania Ballet shared the following Facebook post

Pennsylvania Ballet

“A Facebook user recently commented that the Eagles had “played like they were wearing tutus!!!” Our response: “With all due respect to the Eagles, let’s take a minute to look at what our tutu wearing women have done this month: By tomorrow afternoon, the ballerinas that wear tutus at Pennsylvania Ballet will have performed The Nutcracker 27 times in 21 days. Some of those women have performed the Snow scene and the Waltz of the Flowers without an understudy or second cast. No ‘second string’ to come in and spell them when they needed a break. When they have been sick they have come to the theater, put on make up and costume, smiled and performed. When they have felt an injury in the middle of a show there have been no injury timeouts. They have kept smiling, finished their job, bowed, left the stage, and then dealt with what hurts. Some of these tutu wearers have been tossed into a new position with only a moments notice. That’s like a cornerback being told at halftime that they’re going to play wide receiver for the second half, but they need to make sure that no one can tell they’ve never played wide receiver before. They have done all of this with such artistry and grace that audience after audience has clapped and cheered (no Boo Birds at the Academy) and the Philadelphia Inquirer has said this production looks “better than ever”. So no, the Eagles have not played like they were wearing tutus. If they had, Chip Kelly would still be a head coach and we’d all be looking forward to the playoffs.“ Happy New Year!”

Do not fuck with the PA ballet they will end you

GIVE BALLET DANCERS THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE

Look I have met professional ballerinas and you do not want them mad at you. They can crack a pumpkin between their thighs.

see this is why i’m conflicted when people call him a mysterious man of the forest or whatever because he’s literally just like this all the time

Where are his legs

I’m so mad I watched this 😂

where is her nobel prize

Strong Tina vibes

asmr

what did the french trademark lawyer say to her wife

je ™

After a year of developing prototypes, artist Jon Almeda successfully created a teeny, tiny pottery wheel that allows him to spin clay into quaint little pots.

Almeda makes vases, bowls, decor, and even tea kettles that are small enough to sit atop a piece of Scotch tape.

These pieces are sturdy enough to undergo standard glazing and firing, then transform into fully embellished ceramics.

JON ALMEDA Website | Facebook | Instagram

Source

EEEEEE

ohhh noooooo they’re so tiny

The whole Pepsi commercial thing reminded me that people always mis-remember the famous flower in the gun barrel photo as being a young woman. It wasn’t. The photo, taken by Bernie Boston, is of George Edgerly Harris III better known by his stage name Hibiscus. He was a member of the San Francisco based radical gay liberation theater troupe the Cockettes. He died of AIDS in 1982 at the time AIDS was still referred to by the name GRID which stood for Gay Related Immuno-Deficiency. The photo was taken at a protest at the Pentagon. 

I had no idea who he was, thank you.

This is one example of the Mandela Effect phenomena, where an iconic moment is reenacted with a hippy woman so many times that people think that’s the story and thus another gay man is written out of history. Thanks for the photo.

I had no idea. Wow.

This photo was taken by Bernie Boston, a black/native man who willingly stood up to a chapter of the KKK and earned their respect among other things

I get the subject is important, but please dont erase Bernie. I knew him personally and he deserves to be remembered and by only remembering the subject, a white man, you erase a black man.

@vaspider could you reblog this version too, please? I am deeply upset by Bernie’s erasure from his own work.

Reblogging for credit to the photographer, and so I can look up his work on desktop later.

I’m obsessed with these pictures of the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders wearing their real world professional work attire as their cheer uniforms

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement dir. Susan Muska and Gréta Ólafsdottir (2009)

<3