Class Residental Weekend

The class residental weekend was pretty interesting.  It was quite fun actually.  We stayed at a two floor house which was booked for us.  The house had about five, six, or seven rooms.  I had brought my getter blaster so we could have some music to listen with and use it for our rehearsals.  We had to think about what we were going to do for our performance.  We had split up in to three groups, then it was up to us to present our work to the Instructor by Sunday.

The first night there at the house we all went out to this jazzy bar and had a nice atmosphere.  The bar was an open stage where anybody could be able to go up and play with the guitar.  Eddie, a classmate in his mid-twenties, went on up and played the song and sang to "Its probably me - Sting".

I think it was that next morning that we were awakened by one of our classmates, Mary, at 5.30am or 6am in the morning playing loud culture music playing her tamberines.  I went downstairs and I saw her in the livingroom jumping up and down.  I couldn't believe she was wide awake and full of energy.  I wasn't pissed off but it was interesting how Mary was full of life that time of the morning.

I remember Mary who was in her late fortys who was a nice woman and nice to talk to.  She expressed very well with her that some of the women in the group said something and it offended Mary and became very hostel and it made her feel uncomfortable.  Lizzy, who was a blond butch woman.  I think she was a lesbian because never discussed about boyfriends or that she was married or anything.  For some reason I had my doubts about Lizzy, and I knew she was going to start up something and she did with Mary.  Mary felt left out from the class and I thought it was wrong for them to do that.  I don't blame Mary for leaving the class completely during the residential weekend.

As for our group, we didn't start working on our piece until that Sunday and we had to present to the Instructor with something.  The five of us sat down in a room and started to put our minds together what to do.  We decided a comedy act.  I had such a buzz with our production C'mere.  I was very nervous about performing on stage but at the same time it was fun.  C'mere was such a great skit that we had created.

The show was completed and our drama class was finished.  It was kind of sad after the production because it meant we all had to depart and go on our own ways.  It was interesting how we have so much fun with something and suddenly have to finish it up.  Saying goodbye was really sad for me.  I really enjoyed the performance of C'mere and I wish we had performed several times before finishing off with our class.

To wrap it up, as a closure we each had to have a chance to say something, kind of like our final words and what we thought about the classes.  I thought that was a nice way to close up the class before we all went to our separate ways.

Today, I keep in touch with two of the performers who worked with me on C'mere.  Bernadette and Arny.  They were such great performers.

A piece of C'mere

Copyright © 1996

Copyright redesigned © 2009

Brian Doherty

All rights reserved

The McCleary family waits in the waiting room at a hospital where their mother was in the ICU waiting for their mother’s prognosis. The question is in the air who phoned for the ambulance and it was a big mystery to them as there wasn’t anybody at the house as far as they knew.

They all start rambling on about their lives and secrets started floating in the air which Blabber mouth Bernadette tries to solve as she loved to get into everybody’s business trying to solve everything. Caroline McCleary was the daughter just cannot stand her sister-in-law Bernadette.

Another question was in the air wondering who really was there for the money because they all knew their mother had alot of money stashed away and most likely it is in the Will somewhere.

Little that they suspect, all along in the waiting room the caller was been with them the whole time listening in every word that they say, every move that they made and gets very disgusted how they were behaving and suddenly explodes with rage due to the face that they aren't really there for her but there for the money.

Writer's Short Dialogue Notes:

Bernadette (Arnie's wife) is just about to leave to get some water for someone who has been waiting in the waiting area who she has been concerned during the whole time since she came into the waiting room. Caroline (Arnie's sister) is frustrated and she cannot wait for Bernadette to leave so she could get a moment's peace.

Bernie - Are you coming with me, Carly?

Caroline (folds arms across her chest snobbish) - HA!

Bernie - Your in some mood. I don't know what's wrong with everybody today? First Arnie, now you. I wonder who's going to be --

Caroline (frustrated) - Oh just go away, Berndatte.

Arnie is swaying getting really annoyed.

Bernie - C'mere, read this magazine.

Caroline - Give me that.

Bernie - Look at page 19. You could loose 6 pounds in 5 days. Alright 2 minutes. I'll be 2 minutes. Alright?

Caroline - Go Take your time. Take your time.

Bernie leaves stage. Caroline and Arnie goes crazy. Arnie sits down.

Caroline (grinds her teeth) Oh my gawd, ARnie. How do you stick that woman. How do you stick her?

Arnie (laughs) - I don't know Caroline. She DOES go on about it, doesn't she?

Caroline - She keeps going on about it? She goes on, and on and on and she never shuts up!

They sit down and suddenly started cracking jokes and laughing and giggling.

Arnie - You know, sometimes you just sound like mother when you said that.

Caroline - Well maybe that's the only one thing mother and I have in common.

Arnie - You know mother can't stand her.

Caroline - I know. She hates her costume.

Acting in the eyes

So yes, I had lived in Derry Northern Ireland for eight years, and I tell ya, that was an experience.  I was only supposedly to stay for thre months.  But after three months my aunt asked me what I was planning on to do the night before departure.  I ended up staying as I wanted to feel the nature and experience Northern Ireland.

Around 1994 I wanted to do something in my spare time, something fun, so I went to MaGee University and had taken up an acting class.  I had completed five out of six terms (two years) of Community Drama.  I still remember it as if it was yesterday.  The class had to travel for a residential weekend that we had to work together to prepare for our show as our final.  The production was divided in three group performances.

There were five of us in our group and we worked on a skit called C'mere, a 25-minute play, a family met up at a hospital's waiting area where their mother collapsed and someone called the ambulance.  It was a big mystery to the family.  They suddenly found themselves into a pile of secrets they didn't know about each other.

I could still hear the announcement in my head. "Arnold McCleary!  Arnold McCleary!  Your mother's condition is deteriorating rapidly, Doctors had diagnosed with a major cerebral thrombosis and they don't hold out much hope...at all.  Will you and your party care to proceed to the Intensive Care Unit where last rights are now being served.  The Mental Health and Social Services board would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your family for having a breavement with us at this hospital. We look forward to hearing from you again.  Thank you and have a nice day."

Our skit was so histerical that I couldn't believe that we were coming up with these funny ideas.  I had decided extend this 25-minute skit to a full length play because I believe that it has potential.

Brian welcomes you

I had created this blog so that I could express and share my feelings into this blog, and also to take you on this journey of mine.  Sad to say that I am not performing at the moment.  I have not performed since I was living in Northern Ireland in the late 90s.  So I returned to the United States year 2000.  I am in school at the moment and majoring in Programming, and some of you know that college can sometimes be difficult for students.

So lets get started with this journey.  Just sit back, get comfy, and enjoy reading these entries.