The final addition!!

Good morning or afternoon I guess... but I just woke up so it's morning to me.

ANYWAYS! Lots has happened since our last update!

We gained and lost and gained internet!
Long story short, Verizon sucks and so we ended up canceling with them and going with Time Warner... (who sucked originally but is now fine...)

Karli moved in!
We are glad someone is bringing some femininity to this apartment... pink everywhere. HA! But it's great! She moved in on Friday and has been getting things settled since. Currently she is building an ikea bed... so you get the picture.

Both of our shows opened!
Let me just say that FringeNYC tech was maybe the most stressful and brain frying 4 and a half hours of my life. (Miami people- imagine doing load-in, cue writing, q2q with sound and lights, load-out, then load-in again, and a full run thru all in 4 hours... yeah... it was crazy to say the least.) (Lys would like to add that it would have been nice to have all Miami tech's like this... instead of 2-12 hour days) But yeah! Opening was fabulous! We were sold out and it was so great finally having an audience. Lys's opening show was also sold out and I went to see it. While I didn't really get all of it... I definitely was impressed with the work and appreciated it. Supposedly we are sold out for our re-opening show on Wednesday so that's good! And last night I went and partied with the cast and my asm, Adam! We had a blast! They are really such a talented and inspiring group of people.
Lys wants to add that her Fringe ASMing has forced her to understudy, paint the set, and SM all in 1 rehearsal. Thank you BA!

We've had job interviews and auditions!
I won't go into too much detail about my stuff because I don't want to jinx anything but I had an interview with a touring company to be a PSM. Lys, however, has been interviewing and auditioning like crazy!! It seems like every day she's either off to some kind of meeting or some audition!

Lys got her headshots!
She definitely felt like a glamourous model that day! She was saying that they made her feel like the most beautiful creature to walk this earth... (i'm impressed though because my beauty is unsurmountable) "Actors get headshots not because they need them for their calling card, but because they get told for 3 hours how good looking they are." -Lys
Oh along with her getting headshots, she forced me to go shopping for about 3 and a half hours to find headshot worthy shirts. Anyone that knows me knows that I can shop for maybe 2 hours MAX but only if I'm feeling really up for it. So by the end I was drained and exhausted so naps ensued. But I should add I am very good at picking out shirts for headshots... future profession maybe?

We've been exploring!
Since we are both in the same venue for Fringe we have been exploring the Lower East Side which is where our theatre is and we have discovered some great bars and restaurants and karaoke bars... It's been a fun few weeks with some great people!

So yeah I think that's all our updates... today I think we're having a chill day because there is supposed to be this severe storm with large hail... I know I'm going to avoid being outside... :) (Maybe I'll go get some paint real quick since Karli has inspired me with her wall painting... it's super cute)

More updates coming soon as we hear more about potential jobs and as Karli gets settled!

Love to all!
Stef
(and Lys from the other couch)
(and Karli from her construction zone)

Our first week in our new apartment!!!

Hello world! (And for you Wiz readers... you know I just did the stomp salute)

We are celebrating the 1 week-iversary of living in our apartment by sitting around enjoying our new internet. The past week has been very revealing to how dependent we are on the internet.... and therefore we will never go a week without it again. We came up with a list of things to do when you don't have internet which we have created from our own experiences...

Things to Do When You Don't Have Internet:
-Watch James Bond
-Bake 24 cupcakes for Stefanie and the cast of Lys's show
-Shop at 2 different 99 cent stores
-Walk in the rain
-Organize the cups and glasses Lys's way
-Re-organize the cups and glasses to Stefanie's way
-Construct a tv stand, dining room table and chairs, and nightstand
-Drink beer and wine on the roof
-Drink beer and wine in the living room
-Find all places with wi-fi in a 10 block radius
-Look through every photo from the past 3 years on iPhoto to determine when we became friends
-Brainstorm ideas for a play that Lys wants to write but will never actually write
-Call or text everyone in our contacts
-Have philosophical and religious discussions
-Create a new religion
-Color code closets
-Sweep and mop 3 days in a row
-Eat ramen noodles 3 days in a row
-Eat cheese toast
-Eat cupcakes
-Eat chips and salsa
-Eat easy mac
-Eat frozen grapes
-Make a list of things to do when you don't have internet

So yeah! Things have been going well. We have furniture, kitchen supplies, and are starting to decorate slowly but surely! Karli is moving in on the 19th and we are SO excited! Also Lys and I had to have our first night in a month in separate rooms and let's just say we had a little withdrawal... absolutely pathetic... haha

Our Fringe shows have been going very well and we're both having a great time! My show opens on Friday and it's starting to get stressful with this being tech week but I am so so so thrilled with how it's going!
(Shout out to my Pearl's Gone Blue ladies that have been stalking my blog... that means you Pamela)

My family is coming up this weekend from the beach to see the opening night show and to hang out in the city with Lys and me! So that will obviously be a blast!

I think that's about it as far as updates go... Oh I think I burst a blood vessel in my thumb yesterday... it's the size of a small cucumber... waiting until the end of the day to see if it has gone down at all before I really start freaking out. :)

We miss you all and can't wait to see all your lovely faces in our new apartment over the next year!
Stefanie
(and Lys from a distance)
(and by distance I mean just sitting on the other couch)

The Beginning of Our Permanent Year in NYC

There’s no place like home! Home being our new apartment in Astoria! Yesterday we spent most of the morning carting all of our stuff from Stef’s other sublet to the new place. Special thanks to all our NY friends who lent a hand! It only took us two trips, which was a miracle. There wasn’t much unpacking to be done because we have no furniture yet. That’s correct, none. SO last night Stef and I shared a twin air mattress (check out pics on Facebook!!) Guess it’s the traditional NY experience, but we couldn’t be happier with the new place. It’s a work in progress. Can’t wait for Karli to get here!!

*Stef here… I should add that moving was the most miserable experience of my life. It was hot and sticky, and EVERYTHING was so freaking heavy after 14 blocks and 2 flights of stairs. And I got sun poisoning on one of my hands. BUT I have never been happier being in a new place, so it was definitely worth it. It doesn’t quite feel like home yet but seeing as we only have a side table and an air mattress to our names, I think it’s to be expected. I can’t wait to get our furniture! Also we are without internet until Friday or Saturday so we will be frequenting cafes with free wifi for the next week. I should add that it is nearly impossible to stage manage a show without internet or a smart phone. But I just gotta make it work. J Definitely getting excited to see my immediate family this week. It was great seeing the aunts and uncles over the past week but it really just made me miss my mom, dad, and brosef even more. ALSO I miss Milo more than anything…. (no offense family) I realized today that this is the longest I’ve gone without seeing my immdeiate family EVER. And it’s also the most extended amount of time I’ve spent outside of Ohio. So it’s definitely an adjustment and I’ve been struggling with some home-sickness here and there. I honestly don’t think I’d be able to do this if I didn’t have Lys. Having someone you consider family with you makes the transition way easier. But as much as I love her to pieces, I still don’t recommend sharing a twin air mattresss with anyone. OH also... 99 cent stores are the best thing in the world. The aisles are jam-packed full of the most random assortment of things... all so cheap. And everything seems necessary... :)*

In other news I (Lys) have been ASMing for a wonderful show called “What the Sparrow Said” in the fringe festival. Well, one of our actors had a prior commitment and is out for a week, so now I get to understudy!! I got off book in a day, so I could really “act” the part during rehearsals. I am having SO much fun. It felt great to be doing a scene with other super talented actors and just being a character. I love the cast and crew and am having a wonderful experience. As I was telling Stef last night as we snuggled, “ I couldn’t be happier that I moved here, and am pursuing acting. I really do love it more than anything else in the world”. They say, only do acting if you can’t do anything else. I say, act if it is the only thing that makes you truly happy and you are willing to give up everything to do it. Seriously, if I have to work every temp, retail, and food job imaginable, and eat bread and butter daily to be here creating art, I will. (Okay sorry, it’s getting sappy, but I am really just that happy right now!....so if you need anything from me ask me in the next few days.)

*Hi. I guess I should add some bits about my work here. Let’s just say I have been absolutely exhausted stage managing these 2 shows. Mistress Ilsa ended on Saturday and it was kind of a relief just so I could not be spread so thin. I had fun working on it though. It’s interesting to see how working for the 2 different festivals is such a diverse experience. I’m getting really excited for the fringe show to go up. I am noticing that I really couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I am dreading trying to find a day job just because it won’t be nearly as rewarding as stage managing. Oh well! Gotta do what you gotta do!*

So now that we have a place, everyone is welcome to come visit whenever! If you want to send us cards, love, gifts, or MONEY message one of us and we will send you the address.

*Yeah what she said. Although visitors will be asked to pay a small fee of food and/or alcohol.*

Love to all!

Lys and Stef 


*P.S. In trying to come up with clever blog entry names Lys said "Maybe 'You are what you own...' oh wait that means nothing."*

Our new apartment!!!!

Hi everyone!

Since our last entry, everything has been falling into place ever so nicely! We just signed a 1-year lease yesterday for this beautiful apartment in Astoria, Queens. When I say beautiful, I really mean it. It has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, mongo kitchen/dining room, beautiful living room, baby balcony, permanent air conditioning units, and to finish it all of we have this cute little Indian/Arab landlord that feeds us fruit every time we see him. We will be moving in sometime within the next week or so!

And on top of all that our furniture worries were dispelled by my wonderful family who are bringing out all my furniture and accessories from college when they come out for vacation.

So right now things are pretty good!

The first week we'll only have 2 air mattresses in the entire apartment but I told Lys that I think it would be fun to have a slumber party in every room!!

ALSO we are allowed to paint! So interior decorator Stefanie will be going crazy once we have some money. And I'm sure Karli will make us some beautiful decorations as well since she's pretty artsy fartsy.

We are pretty excited for move in day. Some of our friends are going to help us and we are literally just going to roll things over in our suitcases and we are going to invest in a laundry cart.

We will be accepting house warming gifts when we move in... hint hint. :) 

Let us know via email or facebook if you'd like our address to at least send us some fun mail! 

Love you all!

Stefanie

Officially Roomies!!

Herrro Readers,

A lot has happened since our last post...that's right, Stef and I are officially living together!!!

Now, before you get too excited, let me explain. I have now officially lugged one of my 2 suitcases of all my personal possessions to Stef's sublet because mine was up, and I did not want to sleep in the cockroach infested basement of my sublet any longer. Stef and I now share a cozy 10X12 ft room with a twin bed and an air mattress. Talk about love. So far it has worked out pretty nicely. Stef has been working her 2 stage managing jobs, and I have been auditioning, cooking dinner, and trying to find us a more permanent spot (more on that in a bit).

Two weekends ago Ian, one of my best friends from Miami, visited, and this weekend Nick, Stef's best friend from high school visited. So we've been happily exploring more of the city! Ian and I went to a bunch of street fairs which were super fun! Stef and I came very close to buying a puppy at Broadway Barks adoption fundraiser (Dont worry, we didn't. We had no where to put it). But our favorite spot we found was an Indian Restaurant called Panna II...it's FULL/COVERED/COATED in as many Christmas lights imaginable. They kept giving us free stuff and it was a trippy, fun experience. (Side note: As a recent grad the word "free" is among the best in the english language) Stef and Nick also explored the Brooklyn Bridge and said it was stunning!

I had my first day as an ASM (Well, SM cause the stage manager won't be there the first week). I must say, I was a wonderful actor...I acted exactly as if I knew how to be a SM and they bought it! I also got to be a corpse on a gurney for the photo shoot, which was really fun, and the company seems wonderful to work with, so I'm excited! Stef loves her job as well, despite the exhaustion--she comes home and has the songs stuck in her head! This week she is attempting to battle both rehearsals at the same time--god bless her.

Now comes the not so happy part of the post. You see, starting August 15th, we will be homeless. No, this is not a joke. We have yet to find a permanent rental in Astoria and going through a broker is proving to be the worst idea ever because it's super expensive. I have spent most of the past few days walking up and down every street in Astoria trying to find signs that say "For Sale by Owner" and Stef is on craiglists every two seconds calling places that are "No Fee" It's proving to be a lot more difficult than expected. Hopefully something falls into our laps, or we may just be in a sublet for a month or two longer until we can find the right spot. So Dear Reader, if you know of a 3 bedroom apartment in Astoria that is cheap and not through a broker please do email, call, knock on our door, or scream it in our faces! (Oh and it's a 3 bedroom because the lovely Karli will be joining us at the end of August, which we are thrilled about!!!) But other than this minor stressor, we are still loving life in this fantastic city!

P.S Stef has gotten me addicted to 30 Rock. If you don't watch it, you should. If you do, make sure you read Tina Fey's book BossyPants, I am now super obsessed with her. Also, I am the exact reincarnation of a younger version of Liz Lemon, which I think is why I am in love with the show.

Happy Hopeful and Homeless,
Lys

Our 1 month anniversary with NYC!

Hello Fam, Friends, Fans, and Bored People! It has been awhile since an update because Stef and I have been busy making NYC home! That's right, we have officially been here over a month!
 
This past weekend Joseph and John came to visit, which was extremely fun! It was wonderful to have friends from "home" visit and feel like a pretty good tour guide. We did a lot including exploring Central Park, Rockafellar Center, MET, The Highline, Serendipity, The Fireworks, grand central, drama bookstore, FAO Swartz, the sex museum, saw Jerusalem (and they each saw another show) and had a cookout. You guys should definitely check out the pics on facebook! If you don't know what some of the things I mentioned above are...YOU should come visit us too! Needless to say it was an adventure filled weekend, and I miss the boys already. 
 
Now, to eleborate on one event I'm sure you are all wondering about--the fireworks over the Hudson on July 4th...There are like 6 displays, they last awhile, are absolutely beautiful, and a super fun experience BUT (and this is a big but) it makes New York SO packed and it took like an hour to get to the subway afterwards. It's a once in a lifetime experience (literally, only do it once in your life). I am glad I got to see them with Joseph and John though! 

**This is Stefanie… Lys told me to add to the post so here I go. I also really enjoyed having the guys here this weekend. But I have now vowed to never be in the city for Fourth of July EVER AGAIN! Just being in Times Square drove me absolutely crazy. I think Lys being from Atlanta can deal with crowds better than me. I will admit though the fireworks absolutely blew my mind. I went to a cookout with the York people and they were all saying that it’s not worth it (and they are probably right) but I’m glad I did it once. I think more than anything it felt weird not being at CityFolk for the fourth. I’ve literally been either watching or working at that festival for the past 6 years. I got a little homesick texting Monika (my boss) about it. But it was definitely fun being here… Maybe next year I’ll just go home and work CityFolk? Haha! **
 
This week I am temping as a receptionist...I hate it. How do people do this for a living?!? I answer maybe 20 calls a day and sign for packages and that's it! What a boring job!  Thank goodness it is only temp work, but I definitely need to find a more permanet job (which, since I spend all day doing nothing on the computer, I have time to look!) (P.S Yes, I am writing this blog at work). Also got exciting news that Ian is coming to visit this weekend! Last minute and it made me SO happy to have more friends coming into town! 

**Stefanie again… I have spent my week detoxing from crowds in Manhattan. Yesterday I sat around and then went to Central Park in which I found a secluded area surrounded by nature and was actually able to breath. And today I am running little errands in Astoria. Also my friend Nick is coming here next week with family and I could not be more excited!!! We’re going to have so much fun. I don’t even care what we do, I just am glad he’s going to be here! **
 
I also signed on to help a friend out at the Fringe Festival because the Stage Manager will be gone for the first week of rehearsals, so I am going to do that (Yes, I am taking lessons from Stef since I haven't done it since high school!) But it should be fun and a good way to meet people! HOWEVER the biggest news in our household is that Stef got a SMing job with Broadway actors!!!!!! It's super professional and pays well! It is a huge deal, and we are so happy and excited and thrilled for her!!! I am sure she will update you and tell you the specifics, but it's just really awesome all the jobs she is getting!! 

**Guess who!? Ok so yes I’m sure many of you have read on twitter and facebook about my new jobs! Well I was actually offered 3 different gigs and I had to turn one down because there was just no way to work around the conflicts. So I’m working on one called “Mistress Ilsa” which is being performed in the Midtown International Theatre Festival. And then I just accepted another last night, which is called “Pearl’s Gone Blue” which is in FringeNYC. As many of you remember I was signed on to be a PA for Fringe so I ended up telling them that I was offered a paid gig and they were very understanding and excited for me! If any of you want to check out the links here they are:
http://www.mergatroyd.org/mistressilsa/

http://pearlsgoneblue.com/ (check out the music on this one… it’s pretty awesome)

They are both really interesting shows! And I’m definitely excited to be working on both of them!! I had my first rehearsal for “Mistress Ilsa” this past Saturday and I really enjoyed the people and it looks like it’s going to be a very fun show. My first rehearsal for the second one is on July 12!

It really feels good to be getting jobs because it’s kind of pushing away any doubts I had about making it in NYC. 

(Also I need to give a little shout-out to Sarah Butke... I honestly don't know what I'd do without her right now. For those of you who don't know, she helped me get the internship at the York and has been mentoring me and advising me since way before I even got here. She's amazing!)**
 
So those are the continuing adventures of Stef and I...also since the equality bill passed we have been joking that we are going to get married, so beware we may refer to each other as life partners (we are kind of inseperable) :D 

**It’s not a joke?**

Love and miss you all,

Lys and Stef

My experience at the York Theatre!

Hi everyone!

Well I'm a little sick today which is no surprise after the mass amount of hours I've worked over the past 2 weeks.

I was at the theatre at least 12 hours a day because I was assisting both shows and I am not complaining at all. I met the coolest people in both casts and got to work with great people on the two separate stage management teams. I just did whatever they needed done from running errands, to making copies, to helping set up and clean up, to making props. And then this past weekend of performances I got to run the show as the ASM, who is the only crew person backstage during the show, AND I got to call the show another night. I was so excited and nervous at the same time. It was the first time I had called a show on the fly and I think I did a pretty good job!!

I have to say I felt like a part of their little York family pretty much instantly. I asked them all so many questions and loved hearing their stories about everything. I still feel like I have so much to learn but I know that I have some great people who can kind of guide me. All in all, this was definitely a great experience. I feel so lucky and I hope that I get to work with them all again in the future!!

So now this week I have to catch up with chores, grocery shopping, etc. And Lys and I are going to try and see some apartments this week!

I'm hoping this sore throat will go away so Lys an I can check out Cinci night down at Edward's in TriBeCa with Lois and Sarah! (York peeps who are both from Ohio as well) And Lys wants to go see a staged reading presented by one of our professor's theatre company.

So I'm outta here to get some rest and drink tea!

Peace out for now!!
Stefanie