dance is the soul of life. theatre is the voice.

Star Trek XII: Chekov Develops An Ulcer

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:53:45 -0400

Star Trek XII: Chekov Develops An Ulcer

dying…the things they do north of the wall

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:44:30 -0400

dying…the things they do north of the wall

How ‘Slut Shaming’ Has Been Written Into School Dress Codes Across The Country

Mon, 06 May 2013 21:56:45 -0400

How ‘Slut Shaming’ Has Been Written Into School Dress Codes Across The Country:

Last month, a New Jersey middle school banned girls from wearing strapless dresses to prom. Administrators claimed that the dresses were “distracting” — though they refused to specify exactly how or why. Parents reacted strongly to the rule; some supported the dress code while others deemed it “slut-shaming.” On Friday, the school compromised by allowing girls to wear single-strap or see-through-strap dresses.

This is no isolated incident in the United States. Across the country, young girls are being told what not to wear because it might be a “distraction” for boys, or because adults decide it makes them look “inappropriate.” At its core, every incident has a common thread: Putting the onus on young women to prevent from being ogled or objectified, instead of teaching those responsible to learn to respect a woman’s body. Here are five other recent examples:

1. A middle school in California banned tight pants. At the beginning of last month, a middle school in Northern California began telling girls to avoid wearing pants that are “too tight” because it “distracts the boys.” At a mandatory assembly for just the female students, the middle school girls were told that they’re no longer allowed to wear leggings or yoga pants. “We didn’t think it was fair how we have all these restrictions on our clothing while boys didn’t have to sit through [the assembly] at all,” one student told local press. Some parents also complained, leading the school’s assistant principal to record a voicemail explaining the new policy. “The guiding principle in all dress codes is that the manner in which students dress does not become a distraction in the learning environment,” the message said.

2. A high school principal in Minnesota emailed parents to ask them to cover up their daughters. A principal in Minnetonka, MN recently wrote an email telling parents to stop letting their daughters wear leggings or yoga pants to school. He says the tight-fitting pants are fine with longer shirts but, when worn with a shorter top, a girl’s “backside” can be “too closely defined.” The big risk of having a defined backside, he thinks, is that it can “be highly distracting for other students.”

3. Two girls in Ohio were turned away from their prom for being “improperly dressed.” Laneisha Williams and Nyasia Mitchell were barred from prom this spring for wearing dresses that administrators considered “too revealing.” The girls say that they didn’t believe they were violating a dress code that said dresses couldn’t be too short or show too much cleavage. But one administrator told local news that the high school girls were only allowed to wear dresses that had “no curvature of their breasts showing.”

4. A kindergarten student in Georgia was forced to change her “short” skirt because it was a “distraction to other students.” It’s hard to imagine that a kindergartener’s outfit could be “a distraction to other students,” but a mother in Georgia told locals news there that her daughter had been outfitted in someone else’s pants — without parental permission — after the principal deemed the skirt the young girl was wearing too short.” The girl had apparently wore the skirt, and accompanying leggings, just one week before without incident.

5. Forty high school girls were sent home from a winter dance in California after “degrading” clothing inspections “bordering on sexual harassment.” A school board member’s daughter was among the 40 girls turned away from Capistrano Valley High’s February dance for wearing dresses that either exposed their midriffs or were cut too low. Before the dance, girls were apparently required to flap their arms up and down and turn around for male administrators’ inspection. The school issues image guidelines for appropriate dress on its website — though the images were nearly all of women, and the only male image depicted proper attire. One girl alleges that the principal told her, “Not all dresses look good on certain body shapes.” A grandmother of one of the girls who was turned away from the dance also said that a teacher remarked about her granddaughter, “What mother would allow her daughter to wear a dress like that?” Apparently the school did receive some praise, though, from the parents of two male students.

When most Americans think about “rape culture,” they may think about the Steubenville boys’ defense arguing that an unconscious girl consented to her sexual assault because she “didn’t say no,” the school administrators who choose to protect their star athletes over those boys’ rape victims, or the bullying that led multiple victims of sexual assault to take their own lives. While those incidences of victim-blaming are certainly symptoms of a deeply-rooted rape culture in this country, they’re not the only examples of this dynamic at play. Rape culture is also evident in the attitudes that lead school administrators to treat young girls’ bodies as inherently “distracting” to the boys who simply can’t control themselves. That approach to gender roles simply encourages our youth to assume that sexual crimes must have something to do with women’s “suggestive” clothes or behavior, rather than teaching them that every individual is responsible for respecting others’ bodily autonomy.

who-lock-loki-lover: angel-icaaa: embr0: I CAN’T HANDLE...

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:23:26 -0400

who-lock-loki-lover:

angel-icaaa:

embr0:

I CAN’T HANDLE THIS

This ended completely different from what I expected

I like this. Don’t try to win someone’s love with gifts and flattery, just try to relate. It’s beautiful.

Photo

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:17:35 -0400

Through the Eyes of an Intern...part 3

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:05:13 -0400

So today marks the final day of my internship with the Thousand Islands Playhouse and I can say with absolute certainty that I learned a great deal about the ins-and-outs of marketing for a theatre company.

Being able to join the playhouse at such a crucial time in their season for the marketing department was a bit of a jump into the deep end. But I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have had it any other way, because then this experience would not have been what it was.

Both Debbie and Andrew welcomed me with open arms and were eager to put me to work. Meaning that I felt like a valued member of the team for the entire 3 week period that I spent in this job.

Truthfully, the Playhouse has always been great but the new staff are certainly adding to its legacy and are building to make it greater! I am thrilled by the direction Ashlie is taking the company in, and I love seeing a newer, younger, Playhouse emerging. I look forward to seeing what comes next!

this is so precious…but Max would kill me if I put him in...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:41:16 -0400

this is so precious…but Max would kill me if I put him in it.

reasons why i don’t drink beer :P

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:38:25 -0400

reasons why i don’t drink beer :P

heytheretrivara: Amazing<3 incredible contemporary!

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:33:09 -0400

heytheretrivara:

Amazing<3

incredible contemporary!

Through the Eyes of an intern (2)

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:56:42 -0400

Reflections of Week 2 of internship

This week was rather different than last week; no crazy animals (aside from one visit from Ducky), no ice cream cake (sadly)…but I did spend a good chunk of the week outside of the office working on distribution of promotional materials for the upcoming season! It’s coming up quick!

Wednesday was spent in Brockville, I wish I could say that I was lounging outside on a patio enjoying the gorgeous weather, but sadly I was not. I did however decide to walk the main street of downtown Brockville so I did get to soak up a little vitamin D.

It was really interesting seeing all the different places that promote the Playhouse simply by carrying rack cards or posters for their customers to look at. However my resolve was severely tested by the bakeries and other delicious smelling places I had to go to.

Fun fact that I learned on this distribution expedition, did you know that Brockville is home to the oldest train tunnel in Canada? I didn’t and I just had to document it as I passed:

Friday brought with it another trip out of the office, this time to Kingston to watch the Young Company debut Peg & the Yeti with a dress rehearsal at Rideau Heights Public School. It’s always interesting to see where the rehearsal process takes actors and creators and how things are adapted or sets are interacted with. HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the cast and crew of this show it’s sure to be a great run this summer!

Following this performance I set out in the rain to distribute more materials…less fun than the nice and sunny day I had in Brockville…wind and rain and I don’t really see eye to eye. But all in all another solid day interacting with merchants and hotels to promote the great season ahead.

This weekend we head back to Brockville for a “Zoomer Style” Expo, complete with a stage, lights, trivia questions and charades, and all the excellence the Playhouse has to offer!

And that’s week 2, only one more week to go of my time at the Playhouse…this one featuring the program insert (that i’ve been designing) deadline…exciting stuff! :)

Through the eyes of an intern...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:36:19 -0400

Reflections of Week 1 of internship

For those who don’t know me, my name is Alicia Jessup and I am a Business – Marketing student in my last semester at St Lawrence College. One of the requirements of my program is a three week placement in Marketing with the business of our choice. My choice was simple: I was bound and determined to intern with the Playhouse because theatre has always been a HUGE love of mine, and I thought it would be interesting to return to the Playhouse after so many years away (I was an usher in my formative years). I have to say I think I made a great choice because the staff here has been so welcoming, and willing to put me to work, that I feel comfortable really delving into the marketing side of an industry I hold so close to my heart.

And so as my first week of internship comes to a close I have to tell you how excited I am for the upcoming season! When I first received my season preview brochure in the mail I was thrilled by the choices Ashlie had made for her inaugural season. She is really showcasing some amazing shows, most exciting for me is the closing show Salt Water Moon as it is one of my favourites, and a show that I directed while doing my undergrad at the University of Ottawa. That said I plan to do my best to see all of the shows as they come here, and followers of my blog will definitely get my reactions!

This first week has been eventful, and not in the ways I was expecting.

Day 1: I was able to attend the first reading of the Young Company show Peg and the Yeti, which will certainly empower your imagination and take you on a journey. It was thrilling, as most first reads are, to watch the actors really experience the script for the first time and play with how they interpreted it. I look forward to seeing what comes out of the rehearsal process in Joel Stone Park this summer!

Day 1 (Part 2): Local radio station MyFM (home to my favourite news director Miss Meaghan Halloran-Berry) dropped by the office to catch some sound bites for the season…and yes mine will be one of them!

Day 2: I had an unexpected and most unwelcome visitor to my office. As you know, the Playhouse is located on the river and therefore can sometimes play host to some wildlife. I was joined on day 2 by a rather smelly weasel who decided to share my office space with me for a bit…until TD and animal catcher extraordinaire Kevin Tanner saved me (and it) by capturing the animal and releasing him outside, where I’m sure he is much happier. THANK YOU KEVIN!

Day 3: Miss Ducky the cat joined me for the morning before she headed off to the vet’s office. She was very helpful with cast bios and chose to spend the morning on my lap as I worked away. It’s a shame she wasn’t here to play weasel catcher for me.

Day 4: It’s my manager/boss/owner of Ducky/marketer extraordinaire’s birthday: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEBBIE! Which means ice cream cake (one of my not so secret weaknesses), featuring an excellent rendition of Miss Ducky!

While these are the most unexpectedly events to occur, I am thrilled to be contacting some artists (which really makes me excited for the season, since there’s some really great talent on their way to the Thousand Islands), putting together program inserts and connecting with community events listers to promote another upcoming event (Antiques and Collectibles Auction…which has some really nice stuff ready to go already). Knowing that all this happened in week one, surely means that there’s more fun to come!

Stay tuned for an update on the next few weeks of my internship!

Alicia

every group project ever: good thing I’m donezo!

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:05:18 -0400

every group project ever: good thing I’m donezo!

abby-lees-army: Best thing I’ve seen on instagram, ever. just...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:35:26 -0400

abby-lees-army:

Best thing I’ve seen on instagram, ever.

just sayin

bludgertothehead: The new ‘This Is The End’ Trailer, with lots...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:06:20 -0400

bludgertothehead:

The new ‘This Is The End’ Trailer, with lots of Emma Watson

Hilarious…

This was so moving…love this show @NBCchicagofire

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 03:07:01 -0400

This was so moving…love this show @NBCchicagofire

wingsofgossamer: Just Dance

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 02:56:01 -0400

wingsofgossamer:

Just Dance

Photo

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 22:42:12 -0400

Photo

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:58:59 -0400

mockingsarcasm: Les Miserables Cast Cats

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 01:36:49 -0400

mockingsarcasm:

Les Miserables ~~Cast~~ Cats

I am far too attached to this series…but it’s sooo...

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:22:15 -0400

I am far too attached to this series…but it’s sooo good!