tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84311960927964432832012-02-02T02:47:56.452-06:00Life upon the wicked stage ain't never what a girl supposesValerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.comBlogger2201100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-47563034808742609692012-01-31T21:11:00.001-06:002012-01-31T21:25:16.904-06:00

In which our Diva has a few irons in the fire Who says things slow down in winter? Not the Chicagoland indie film community! Just updated my website with deets on upcoming projects, including The Dragon's Alley, a sci-fi webseries slated to premiere on February 9. Details are under pretty close wraps until then, but I can tell you I play an alien weapons expert named Tchind Vifge (say that ten

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-59432177464130670162012-01-03T22:22:00.005-06:002012-01-13T07:48:08.311-06:00

In which our Diva has been missing the obvious If you've been around this blog a while, you might remember me mentioning that the whole Lizzie Siddal thing started for me with her self-portrait. It's been a solid twenty years now, but I still vividly recall flipping through Jan Marsh's Pre-Raphaelite Women in the bookstore at Okemos Mall (a relatively convenient bus ride from my Michigan State

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-80927232337942258122011-12-12T21:36:00.000-06:002011-12-12T21:36:34.395-06:00

In which our Diva babbles about supernatural housemates for fun and no profit I mentioned Being Human briefly in my last post, but in my other life as an  Unapologetic Squeeing Fangirl, I've been known to go on at far, far greater length and in rather exhaustive detail. :-) Fortunately for me, there are other people who go in for that sort of thing, including the ever-charming Andy, host of

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-62024760143351194532011-12-04T11:32:00.003-06:002011-12-08T10:12:44.325-06:00

In which our Diva checks out the view from the Victorian mom zone A few years ago, a stage manager said to me, "You know, you're the most wholesome person I know." Before I could do more than smile, she followed it up with, "But I mean it as a good thing!" Then, as now, I thought, what the heck does it say about us -- as theatre people, and as a larger culture -- that "wholesome" is presumed

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-64228618425879330982011-10-06T20:41:00.003-05:002011-10-06T20:53:15.069-05:00

In which our Diva heads back on stage and back in time One of the best groups of theatre people anywhere, Babes With Blades, has a fabulous in-depth New Plays Development Program, and much to my delight they've invited me to be part of it again. I'm one of the cast for the public reading of Deeds Not Words: The Rise of The Jujitsu Suffragettes by Anne Bertram, which tells the complex story of

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-48803549001438382902011-09-13T20:50:00.000-05:002011-09-13T20:50:18.759-05:00

In which our Diva ponders leaves falling and cameras rolling Long time, no blog, once again. Oops.  Part of that I can blame on a one-two punch of a nasty summer cold and a sneaky computer virus that took out both my netbook and my desktop within 24 hours.  I've also been auditioning a lot and doing a little bit of background work on a couple of TV shows. Being an extra is a funny thing. I joke

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-1539495593514851512011-08-03T22:06:00.004-05:002011-08-06T21:59:42.870-05:00

In which our Diva is officially tired of the word "empowerment" In the wake of The Playboy Club's moment in the spotlight at the annual Television Critics Association press tour, debate is bouncing around the internet about just what the show means. Personally, I think what it means is really damn complicated, and that's exactly what I like about it. Is what I'm about to say colored by the fact

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-40156909739553190632011-07-18T17:16:00.000-05:002011-07-18T17:16:49.975-05:00

In which our Diva is, well, shameless Keep meaning to write nice meaty posts on a couple of topics, keep not quite getting to it. Until I manage it, here are a few things that have come down the pike since my last post: Photographer Daryl Darko's new book Cemetery People is now available for ordering, and looks amazing! You can preview it on the linked site. I'm delighted to be featured among

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-76150300760705143852011-06-28T07:32:00.002-05:002011-06-28T07:34:47.698-05:00

In which our Diva is available on podcast and DVD Two and half years after our time at the Icebox Inn (not unusual for an indie feature), Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer is out on DVD today! I'm honored to be part of such a knockout cast, and proud to have played sidekick to the fabulous Patricia Belcher. My friend (and fellow Resonance collaborator) Mary Czerwinski is co-host of DVD Geeks on

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-24215573900766089682011-06-09T19:15:00.000-05:002011-06-09T19:15:02.571-05:00

Things are moving fast in the Resonance world today! As I type this, the summer party is probably still going strong in London, though it's fast approaching 1 am there. I'd be lying if I claimed not to have a pang at not making it over there this time, but it's been fun to watch various attendees tweeting about it, and I'm looking forward to more pictures and impressions once they've gone home

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-56956981279385448352011-06-07T20:27:00.000-05:002011-06-07T20:27:15.542-05:00

In which our Diva boosts a signal If you follow LizzieSiddal.com and/or the Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood blog, you probably know that the family of their creator, the lovely and dedicated Stephanie Pina, is going through some trying times involving large medical bills. Enter WAG Screen, producers of the amazing-looking independent film version of The Lady of Shalott that Stephanie has been

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-11572991149354312172011-06-02T07:27:00.002-05:002011-06-02T09:49:31.370-05:00

In which our Diva heads into a busy summer Last week was one of my craziest ever, and that's saying something! It was funny -- as of Sunday night, my evenings were entirely free, but by Monday night, the calendar was a wall-to-wall patchwork of deadlines, auditions, day-job shifts, and a day as an extra on Boss, a new Starz series starring Kelsey Grammer as the mayor of Chicago. (I didn't work

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-14077291789937555042011-05-05T18:20:00.000-05:002011-05-05T18:20:23.298-05:00

In which our Diva is heard but not yet seen Take a gander at the lovely and spooky teaser for Rose White! As previously noted, my role is a small one, so I didn't expect to appear in the teaser at all. But my voice does (and thankfully doesn't sound as ragged as it felt that night)! Even though I was only on set a few hours, the great group of people involved in this unique film (who continue to

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-49153873073830673002011-05-04T19:25:00.003-05:002011-05-04T19:58:19.548-05:00

In which our Diva wears her geekitude on her sleeve I had the weirdest thought in the shower this morning, and it's been circling around my head all day, picking up threads and particles of thoughts that weren't initially attached to it. (I was having a Monday disguised as a Wednesday at my day job, so it injected an interesting dimension into solving the various little crises that were pinging

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-68556023453885174282011-04-23T17:16:00.000-05:002011-04-23T17:16:16.791-05:00

In which our Diva blogs for Shakespeare's birthday About six weeks back, NPR's All Things Considered ran a piece on Cliff's Notes entering the digital age with a series of viral videos targeting their student consumers. The story included several disparate opinions on whether this was a good, a bad, or an indifferent thing, as such a story should. The closing interview was with the author of

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-79460808445236976502011-04-19T11:34:00.000-05:002011-04-19T11:34:02.465-05:00

In which our Diva is back in front of the camera So that film role I mentioned in my last post? Already shot! It's spring, and things are moving fast. As producer and star Deneen Melody has pointed out, the on-screen appearance of Mother in Rose White is brief but dramatically pivotal, and her presence is felt throughout the film. Those few moments were some of the most intense emotional work

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-50842265217852509162011-03-29T15:46:00.001-05:002011-03-29T15:49:15.134-05:00

In which our Diva ventures into the deep, dark forest As I've been hinting for a couple days over on Twitter and Facebook, I've been sitting on some good casting news. With the green light from production, I can tell you I'll be playing Mother in Rose White, a dark fantasy retelling of "Snow White and Rose Red."  I'm a sucker for that sort of thing anyway, so it's doubly delightful to be a part

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-8988793082627740862011-03-27T15:30:00.000-05:002011-03-27T15:30:11.734-05:00

In which our Diva has been looking forward to this And I'm pretty excited about how it looks. I've had a great time creating the character of Scarlet, and am looking forward to digging in and shooting more this spring/summer. In the meantime, I don't have a date yet for the release of the first webisode (time is the enemy of indie projects everywhere!), but it shouldn't be too terribly long, and

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-60962817766386386212011-03-20T10:11:00.005-05:002011-03-20T10:45:31.086-05:00

In which our Diva is once again thankful for Netflix recommendations Watched the most unexpectedly extraordinary movie yesterday: Phoebe in Wonderland. It was actually my husband who picked up the recommendation, and the DVD has been sitting on our coffee table for a bit, since we've both been pretty occupied lately. But we finally sat down to watch today, and what we thought was going to be a

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-57271792852015896342011-03-12T18:45:00.002-06:002011-03-12T21:12:42.326-06:00

In which our Diva is kind of a wee bit all over the place tonight, and rolling with it Watch: Mao's Last Dancer, which I had never heard of until it happened to be one of the movies on my flight back from London. A bit heavy-handed at times, as these things tend to be, but generally an interesting biopic and the dancing is superb and (a clincher for me) mostly even filmed well. The funny thing

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-8733576598719121492011-03-02T22:02:00.004-06:002011-03-12T21:14:32.019-06:00

In which our Diva has a resonating good time in London "Something is happening." Tantalizing words on the front page of the Resonance website, and the name of the event held in London last Friday to celebrate what we've been building for months (or longer, for a few of the core team). Annie, Dorina, Phil Marriott, Barry Pilling and I enjoy the party. Thanks to Dorina for the photo! Various "

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-48388301640178911242011-03-01T10:03:00.001-06:002011-03-01T10:03:51.352-06:00

In which our Diva is safely home and reacclimated to Central Standard Time A few things I need to accomplish before writing up a proper blog post (or three) about my UK trip. In this meantime, there's this. Yes, I cried. I'm a sap. Deal. :-)

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-17323571904135571492011-02-05T15:04:00.004-06:002011-02-05T22:09:14.240-06:00

In which our Diva is getting out of the house in a major way Whoops! Been neglecting the blog again. As I'm sure you can guess, it's because I've been all kinds of busy, mostly with Resonance, Scarlet X, and Elgin OPERA. I'm proud of my work on the opera website (and had fun writing the trivia quiz you'll find in your program if you go to the February 12 gala), and we're getting ever closer to

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-50952380842901804902011-01-15T16:19:00.008-06:002011-01-15T19:23:09.713-06:00

In which our Diva's DVD collection is growing again Earlier this week I finally saw Agora, an extraordinary film that I didn't have the opportunity to catch during its brief visit to US cinema screens. I'd wanted to ever since I read about it at Women & Hollywood, both because I will happily watch Rachel Weisz do pretty much anything and because Alejandro Amenabar previously directed The Others,

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-25472967667881744092011-01-09T16:26:00.009-06:002011-01-15T14:22:56.133-06:00

In which our Diva is thoroughly disgusted, but also hopeful Earlier this week, I tweeted: Andrew Wakefield made a fortune by lying, without regard for harm to others. Last I checked, the word for that was "sociopath." That's pretty much all I have to say on the topic. It will be years before we'll be able to calculate the damage done by the falsified study linking vaccines to autism, if indeed

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-16074782780485379752011-01-02T21:06:00.004-06:002011-01-02T21:30:31.265-06:00

In which our Diva is never quite sure where she picked them all up On a shelf in my spare room closet, there are four hatboxes full of vintage hats, mostly from the 50s and 60s. A few belonged to my grandmother. Several more (and two of the hatboxes) came from a friends' parents' garage sale a few years ago. And there are a couple I honestly don't remember how I came by. I seem to accumulate

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-74344644939654946272010-12-25T15:07:00.000-06:002010-12-25T15:07:43.242-06:00

From writer/director Travis Legge and the whole Plastic Age Productions team. Not content with being up to his eyebrows in final post-production on Travis' debut feature Raymond Did It, we shot this short just last weekend, and the crack team had it completed and online for Christmas morning. I love these people. And you're pretty darn cool too! Have a very merry Christmas, and/or a blessed (

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-14128069721283845522010-12-21T16:01:00.001-06:002010-12-21T16:01:39.174-06:00

Or rather, the weekend before it. To wit, shooting this heartwarming tale of holiday togetherness: If I thought a camera could capture what I see looking out my window right now, I'd snap a photo. Snow and fog, just at the edge of twilight. Magical. But I think a photo would just end up looking dreary. So ephemeral, these things. Blessed Solstice to all and to all a good night!

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-53108695321856732902010-12-19T16:11:00.006-06:002010-12-20T09:21:59.652-06:00

In which our Diva just doesn't want to be perfect I saw Black Swan the other day. Like pretty much everyone else, I was blown away. Like Roger Ebert, I almost immediately wanted to rewatch The Red Shoes, something I haven't done in several years. That's partly because, though it's one of my all-time favorite films, it is -- for some of the same reasons as Black Swan, albeit not as intensely --

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-24645298883854909672010-12-07T09:02:00.003-06:002010-12-07T14:00:59.379-06:00

In which our Diva is settling in for a long winter's homework session If you're keeping score, you know I have three very different women living in my head this winter.  One died 148 years ago, nine years younger than I am now.  One is nearly 400 years old, and has lived most of that time under a curse and in the midst of violent circumstances.  One... well, she has to wait a bit longer before

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-56462528947674893342010-11-30T19:48:00.005-06:002010-11-30T20:44:26.793-06:00

In which our Diva is polishing her holday repertoire Yesterday I was asked on Formspring what was the most challenging song I've learned to sing. I answered that it was a tossup between the Gounod Ave Maria and "The Finer Things" from Jane Eyre, but as I think about it, it's really no contest. That Ave Maria just fills my heart and makes me cry every time, if it's sung right. And oh, it's that

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-45219197556873399462010-11-23T22:05:00.004-06:002010-11-25T10:48:43.859-06:00

In which our Diva alliterates, ruminates and collaborates In modern popular culture, our modes of storytelling, and of talking about stories, place a high premium on the element of surprise. We're all about the twist, the stunning revelation, the "everything changes." Creators of hotly-anticipated projects pile safeguard on safeguard to keep their story details under wraps, the spoiler mill

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-91717432202979417062010-11-09T22:30:00.005-06:002010-11-10T10:53:09.166-06:00

In which our Diva follows a flower through a labyrinth of meaning This week marks Armistice Day, more commonly referred to as Veteran's Day here in the US, and Remembrance Day in the UK, where its specific reference to World War I tends to be more noted than here. Digital poppies have been scattered through my Twitter feed for a week or more, adorning the userpics of Brits and Canadians, many of

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-28874791278966109412010-11-03T18:24:00.000-05:002010-11-03T18:24:52.856-05:00

Insighful, thought-provoking post over at Hoyden About Town on Ophelia, violence, and what is and is not in the text: On Ophelia, Who Never Got to Be a Hoyden: There is no indication in the text that Hamlet harms Ophelia physically in this scene, no stage direction and no line that specifically requires such an action for it to make sense. If anything the text suggests a Hamlet who is trying to

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-66857871536327799882010-11-02T21:16:00.000-05:002010-11-02T21:16:41.832-05:00

In which our Diva wonders how the heck that happened Halloween down (and much fun -- my first one in this house without a show, so I finally got to hand out candy and freak out the neighborhood kids as Zombie Tinkerbell), Election Day nearly done, and birthday just around the corner! This fall has flown. Realized I forgot in my last post to mention one of my favorite moments in the Divine

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-90817682450997591862010-10-25T22:49:00.003-05:002010-10-25T23:09:06.626-05:00

In which our Diva had a serendipitous week Or most of one, anyway. First there was the reading of excerpts from the Divine Comedy, in the original Italian by classical actor Gian Paolo Poddigue and in the Longfellow translation by Storefront Shakespeare artistic director Nora Manca, who directed me as Titania last summer. I arrived to the reading a little late -- Benedictine could use a few

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-64225008264357972382010-10-22T09:51:00.000-05:002010-10-22T09:51:20.825-05:00

In which our Diva appears on a talk show in a very small, very cute car Life has been so busy recently, I completely forgot about this until I looked at Derek Dow's blog this morning. Live From Sour Apple is not actually live (as you can tell by our summery attire!), but was recorded in "Sour Apple," as Derek christened the Fiesta he drove as one of the promotional agents Ford selected in a

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-32019949297844986742010-10-15T09:26:00.000-05:002010-10-15T09:26:50.583-05:00

In which our Diva finally spills the beans With the blessing of creator Derry Sexton, I'm excited to announce that I'm playing the vampire heroine known as Scarlet in the upcoming urban-fantasy webseries Scarlet X. As it turns out, I'm one of the final pieces put into place, so last week was a whirlwind of wardrobe shopping, learning lines, and going straight into filming with a cast that has

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-41063388461313476152010-10-08T12:19:00.001-05:002010-10-08T12:20:42.021-05:00

In which our Diva has a busy fall on tap Posting on the fly, as I learn lines and get my set bag together to shoot on location in the woods all weekend. This is the exciting new webseries project I've been cryptically babbling about (shush! babbling can too be cryptic!) on Twitter all week, and I promise to give you all the details just as soon I can! In the meantime, I can tell you it involves

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-90549761196756243182010-10-03T09:46:00.001-05:002010-10-03T09:53:53.487-05:00

In which our Diva is all for a bit of blood on one's hands Some of you lovely folks follow the horror blogosphere, but I think most don't, so you may not be aware of the buzz around this weekend's watershed release of Hatchet II. What makes it watershed, as discussed in more detail in this article over at Dread Central, is that it marks the first theatrical release of an unrated horror movie in

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-69103594403793094172010-09-17T08:05:00.004-05:002011-03-10T15:58:07.469-06:00

In which our Diva seeks musical inspiration yet again A friend recently pointed out a curious thing about the Pre-Raphaelites as a group that should have been obvious, but which had never occurred to me: None of them really cared a fig about music. They drew or painted people making and listening to it, and DGR drove people nuts by humming constantly while he worked, but they didn't think of it

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-67735086910304487522010-09-12T10:23:00.000-05:002010-09-12T10:23:36.439-05:00

Eventually I'll hire someone to do this who's better at it than I am, but in the current economy, it's good to be a geek. :-)

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-66158230662578254392010-09-11T12:52:00.000-05:002010-09-11T12:52:56.906-05:00

In which our Diva has rather a wide range of projects Ooops! I really didn't mean to go nearly a month between posts, but I got really busy with auditions and geekiness. The latter involved getting ready for and attending Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con and Dragon*Con, both of which were ridiculous amounts of fun. Now they're done, and I've emerged from my sewing room to find that Cyrus: Mind

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-24387212992421246352010-08-15T10:22:00.000-05:002010-08-15T10:22:43.062-05:00

In which our Diva wishes she could be there, and hopes you can As I noted in passing recently, Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer is the closing feature at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival, tonight at 9:30. I'm a bit bummed that I can't make it, when I'll be in that very city three weeks from now for Dragon*Con! But such is life, and I hope a bloody good time is had by all!

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-17978549581543848072010-08-10T10:01:00.000-05:002010-08-10T10:01:52.630-05:00

In which our Diva borrows another's perspective for a moment I talk a lot here about the physical aspects of acting, of developing and being aware of my body and what it can do in the course of telling a story. I was a dancer first, so that thinking is second nature to me, which makes it difficult to articulate what's so important and valuable about those aspects of our craft. Enter Ben Hopkin,

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-25308254392979823542010-07-30T20:25:00.010-05:002011-02-08T13:34:27.896-06:00

In which our Diva has all sorts of inspiration Look what I finally went to visit a couple weekends ago! If you're not able to get to the Art Institute (which I highly recommend if you can), you can get a much better look at the painting on their website. For the benefit of those not mildly obsessed with the Pre-Raphaelites, it is of course Dante Gabriel Rossetti's Beata Beatrix, famously

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-15455314052022782492010-07-28T22:29:00.001-05:002010-08-01T09:23:16.594-05:00

In which our Diva was planning to blog about something else entirely today, but... First, the good news: As mentioned in this Fangoria interview with director Mark Vadik, Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer will be the closing feature at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival on August 15.  There's a bit of a kicker in the fact that it'll be in a city where I'm going to be (for Dragon*Con) just three weeks

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-33905553037615434912010-07-13T18:04:00.001-05:002010-07-13T18:09:55.326-05:00

A Midsummer Night's Dream Official Quote List Storefront Shakespeare, Summer 2010 Is it gonna be a wall? Like, a wall wall... I am so tired. Proceed. I will sacrifice my body if I need to. -- But we need your body! So there's a frog and an alcoholic chainsaw-wielding princess. There will be audience everywhere. You'll be tripping over them. But don't actually trip over them. I have anointed

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-46213441534117823362010-07-13T14:07:00.002-05:002010-08-01T09:23:31.093-05:00

In which our Diva is a snarky waitress named Sheila The feature I worked in last summer, One Night, is now available on DVD! I've seen my scene, but not the whole film, and I'm excited to check it out. I really loved the script. It's a sort of postmodern romantic comedy in the vein of Garden State or The Pompatus of Love, and was very much a labor of love for the writer/director,

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-7893788204690959972010-07-11T10:10:00.000-05:002010-07-11T10:10:19.745-05:00

Last chance to see Midsummer tonight! It's been a wild ride sometimes, but I wouldn't have missed it. I do rather miss our Geneva space, but yoga studio (which is where we are now) = amazing bower. The quote list is EPIC.

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-66112657462931501362010-07-09T10:22:00.000-05:002010-07-09T10:22:32.943-05:00

In which our Diva encourages you to get violent For anyone who's wanted to dip their toe in without committing the time/money/risk-of-intimidation for a full college course or what-have-you, the ever-awesome Babes have just the ticket! Stage Combat Basics For Adults Sunday, August 1 10 am - 1 pm Interested in playing with swords onstage, but never had a chance to take a stage combat

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-54551521744144713662010-07-04T13:17:00.002-05:002010-07-05T09:28:14.993-05:00

In which our Diva celebrates independence in a musical way Love this movie so, so much. Of course, TCM is starting it fifteen minutes after I have to leave for the theatre! Only a matinee today, so that we can grill and gawk at fireworks with our families. (Remember, six more performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream!) Yes, it's about a bunch of landholding white men squabbling amongst

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-39561973185188432012010-07-01T11:43:00.000-05:002010-07-01T11:43:26.244-05:00

In which our Diva wishes a safe and happy one to north-of-the-border friends Last time I was there for the occasion, it was in this form (in the Windsor parade). Needless to say, the blue spangly outfit doesn't fit anymore. But I can still twirl my tiny baton for you!

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-9466749747363609442010-06-25T13:17:00.000-05:002010-06-25T13:17:18.509-05:00

In which our Diva shares her musical inspiration The playlist I compiled for this rehearsal process... 1. Invocation ~ Loreena McKennitt 2. Love And Anger ~ Kate Bush 3. Summerland ~ Gypsy Nomads 4. Beauty Has Her Way ~ Mummy Calls 5. Stolen Child ~ Loreena McKennitt 6. Sweet About Me ~ Gabriella Cilmi 7. Elan ~ Secret Garden 8. Siren ~ Sarah Brightman 9. Endless Dream ~ Conjure One 10. The

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-58387774098842241562010-06-04T22:58:00.002-05:002010-06-04T23:08:31.895-05:00

In which our Diva outlines the particulars of how this summer doth tend upon her state Storefront Shakespeare presents A Midsummer Night's Dream 228 S Third St, Geneva, IL: Friday June 25th at 7pm Saturday June 26th at 3pm and 7pm Sunday June 27th at 3pm Thursday July 1st at 7pm Friday July 2nd at 7pm Saturday July 3rd at 3pm and 7pm Sunday July 4th at 3pm Monday July 5th at 7pm 2035 S

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-27324403094084578292010-05-31T11:01:00.002-05:002010-08-01T09:23:49.246-05:00

In which our Diva displays her preference for experiences over stuff, though stuff is nice too If I had a spare few hundred bucks lying around: When I designed costumes for Barnum a few years back, I got to participate in one of the circus workshops arranged for the cast at The Actor's Gymasium. A. Maze. Ing. I've wanted ever since to do a full session of their aerial class. I'm still

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-39067274399035080222010-05-07T11:15:00.000-05:002010-05-07T11:15:21.628-05:00

In which our Diva has a Song for Today and a challenge to meet Brought to my attention by our Midsummer director, who also happens to be an Old Hollywood aficionado as well as the host of the "Sunday Standards" radio show. Quoth she, "Titania is very much that kind of woman." Clearly I'm going to have to check out more of this Emma Wallace person. Love the song. And love how many times Cyd

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-44920575477302707352010-05-05T18:02:00.000-05:002010-05-05T18:02:18.483-05:00

In which our Diva has a signal to boost Melissa Silverstein at Women & Hollywood has been tracking developments in the lineup at this year's Cannes Film Festival, at which not a single film directed by a woman is in competition for the Palme d'Or. (If this doesn't immediately strike you as a problem, W&H is a great place to start reading up on why it is.) She's by no means alone, and now

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-63281409614960987682010-04-28T19:13:00.002-05:002010-04-28T19:15:09.833-05:00

Busy week, no time to write a proper blog post. (And when I do, I owe Travis a guest blog about Raymond Did It.) But I get antsy if I go more than a week (OH NOES THEY WILL THINK I AM DED!!!11!!), so in lieu of a proper post, I give you forty-eight seconds of a snoring duckling. I am not even kidding. We are talking lethal levels of cute here.

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-60579895149806143682010-04-20T15:03:00.006-05:002010-04-20T16:11:35.467-05:00

In which our Diva takes on one of her dream rolesThat audition I was all cagey about the other day? Turned out very well indeed, and I shall be playing Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, the inaugural production of Storefront Shakespeare.I'm excited about this for a number of reasons, not least because I've wanted to play Titania for ages. Fourth... possibly fifth? Time's the charm. The first

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-48068612876132931042010-04-18T11:54:00.007-05:002010-08-01T09:24:19.111-05:00

In which our Diva is all along the continuum This weekend is like a microcosm of the various stages (in the first sense) of what I do. Yesterday during the day was all about shooting another student film, which was a lot of fun because this one was all improvised within a relatively loose structure. I thought it was going to be mostly nonverbal, which as you may have read before I'm kind of

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-61210885391671648512010-04-07T18:34:00.004-05:002010-04-07T18:59:02.644-05:00

In which our Diva has finally posted a new video diaryI've been saying for years I should write up an "extra's survival guide," assuming someone hasn't beaten me to it. In the meantime, here are some top tips from my fellow background players during a recent four-day stint on the ABC pilot Matadors.

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-47404715614027473292010-04-02T15:16:00.009-05:002010-04-03T21:18:07.562-05:00

In which our Diva spins a whole post out of her Song for TodayThis time of year, you see The Ten Commandments on a lot of TV stations' schedules. For about a decade now, my tradition has been to bypass Charlton Heston in favor of The Prince of Egypt. It didn't make the money Dreamworks wanted, but it's a gorgeous and heartfelt movie that deserved far better attention than it got. If it had

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-73145078219482696842010-03-27T11:31:00.003-05:002010-08-01T09:24:35.456-05:00

In which our Diva has acquired a teenage son Casting has just been announced for a couple more roles in Raymond Did It, including Alex Smeltzer as my character's son Edgar. I had a great time reading with all the young actors at callbacks, and was very glad I didn't have to choose among them! I remember a couple points of really "clicking" with Alex in our reading, and I'm looking forward to

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-25188079304544955162010-03-26T14:03:00.003-05:002010-03-26T14:06:59.974-05:00

J.A. Cummings now has book 2 of her "Clans" series available in e-format.(Full disclosure compels me to point out that this particular author happens to be my college roommate, maid of honor and one of my best buds. This does not make her books any less awesome. It does, however, mean I can testify that she used "clans" before White Wolf did. *g*)Go forth and read.

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-45506048341668093792010-03-18T18:26:00.002-05:002010-03-18T18:36:21.491-05:00

In which our Diva is blown away on so many levelsText of Theresa Rebeck Laura Pels Keynote Address (over at Melissa Silverstein's consistently must-read Women and Hollywood blog):As an aside let me add, I would rather be called a witch than a man hater. Honestly ‘man hater’ really does need to be simply off the table... Someone actually called me that at a party a couple of weeks ago and I

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-2331359033139575362010-03-17T16:37:00.007-05:002010-03-17T17:03:43.074-05:00

In which our Diva is at least half kidding about that subject lineI wore my green today, in the form of a nice comfy soft wrap sweater that I barely needed. It's over 60, sunny, and amazing, and I will soon be taking a walk to take advantage of it!For those at my primary day job, it's also Free Lunch Day. (Benefit of the company being owned by a first-generation Irish-American. We won't talk

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-31602410776876570242010-03-10T17:33:00.005-06:002010-08-01T09:24:58.876-05:00

In which our Diva spoke too soon Want something to blog about? Post that you have nothing to blog about! Not that I regret the bunny, mind you, but almost no sooner had I made my previous post than the hot-off-the-editing-suite trailer went up on the Facebook page for Tasting the End, the black comedy short in which I play a hospice home-care nurse. Check me out in my stylin' scrubs! Tasting

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-65074410905270497922010-03-10T16:50:00.003-06:002010-03-10T16:55:57.990-06:00

In which our Diva is hibernating, sort ofIt's been solidly above freezing for several days here in Chicagoland, and only scraps of snow remain on the ground. I can smell spring, and oh, I can't wait. Meanwhile, there have been auditions and a bit of writing and a couple of not-entirely-disastrous cooking experiments, but nothing to really hang a blog on.Therefore, thanks to a heads-up from an old

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-63840576757463316862010-03-05T08:03:00.006-06:002010-03-05T12:26:35.723-06:00

In which our Diva has been neglecting her blog again. Bad Diva. No cookie.Watch: Being Human, the BBC series that sounds like the setup for a joke -- a werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost share a pink house in Bristol -- but is in fact one of the more brilliant things to hit my TV in years. Anyone who knows me knows that my favorites list has always included various supernatural dramas, but the

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-8124835483535321182010-02-19T15:09:00.005-06:002010-08-01T09:25:19.232-05:00

In which our Diva probably should have done better than that pun Oops, nine days since my last post. I'm basically over being sick, so I think I'll blame the Olympics. Who wants to blog when they can watch Evan Lysacek? (YAY LOCAL BOY YAY!) In the midst of the sick, I had a very busy January, and one of the projects I shot during it was Ken Cohen's Tasting the End, which is slated to be

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-3218260112672136862010-02-10T09:14:00.001-06:002010-02-10T09:17:01.611-06:00

Woke up about 4 am to what sounded like a semi-nearby explosion or crash. Turned to hubby, whom it had also awakened, said "WTF?" Briefly considered looking out the windows to see if someone had driven a car into a house or if there was smoke rising somewhere, then decided I didn't want to leave my nice warm bed and there'd be sirens if it were something like that anyway.Which there weren't,

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-8009814133433858632010-02-02T21:29:00.006-06:002010-08-01T09:25:44.339-05:00

Quickie post, as I need to get to bed. I'm still trying to get 9-10 hours sleep (or at least being in bed; I tend to lie awake a lot on this particular antibiotic) until the rest of the ick clears out of my chest. And there is plenty of ick -- I made it through Monday and Tuesday by the great good fortune of their both being short shooting days for me, and kept getting worse until I landed at

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-48546273697790251022010-01-24T17:33:00.005-06:002010-01-24T17:54:43.768-06:00

In which our Diva did not see that one comingWas supposed to do a fun vintage-style photoshoot today. Unfortunately, my body had other ideas, as I woke up with a hacking cough, pounding headache, and 101.3-degree fever. Didn't I just do this a month ago?? Photoshoot duly rescheduled, fingers crossed that I'll be better in the morning to start shooting My Cousin Radu.This post, however, is not to

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-38675268104433022202010-01-22T21:49:00.008-06:002010-08-01T09:26:23.765-05:00

In which our Diva continues to have a very busy January indeed I should theoretically be exhausted and/or stressed, but all the stuff going on is under control and it's all stuff I love. And one of the keys to this game of Schedule Tetris that I often find myself playing is to make the most of the pockets of downtime. I always have a dozen projects I could be chipping at when I have a couple

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-83753992492105972882010-01-17T21:31:00.005-06:002010-08-01T09:27:26.365-05:00

In which our Diva waves on her way by in a bit of a blur Whew! Since I last posted here: Three auditions, one of which scored me a fun day-player part in an indie feature, shooting the end of February (more info soon) Rehearsals for two projects (My Cousin Radu, which shoots next week, and Elgin Opera's upcoming gala) One rush web promo video -- I submitted on it this morning, and shot it this

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-41544332539524973362010-01-08T09:31:00.009-06:002010-01-08T11:09:45.432-06:00

In which our Diva ruminates on a form that is more than the sum of its feathers, rhinestones and g-stringsI love Netflix recommendations. Sometimes they disappoint, but more often they bring my attention to a gem I would never have heard of otherwise.Such was the case with A Wink and a Smile: The Art of Burlesque. Which, from the synopsis, I expected to focus on the rise of neo-burlesque, the

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-21272513515531448462010-01-06T19:45:00.003-06:002010-01-06T19:49:43.742-06:00

In which our Diva's little video recorder is not equal to low-light cabaret conditionsA good time was had by all at last night's "Holiday Leftovers" variety show. Thanks, n.u.f.a.n. ensemble! Hope we can do it again sometime.I'm not afraid of anything... even singing in the dark!

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-29693140525790961482010-01-03T09:22:00.008-06:002010-01-03T12:55:22.467-06:00

In which our Diva is a little behind with her shameless pluggingFor some reason I was thinking I already posted about this one, but I realized this morning I had only updated my website. Oops!Chicago folks, if you want to hear me sing without trekking out to the suburbs, this Tuesday, January 5, is your chance! I'll be doing a couple numbers as part of n.u.f.a.n. ensemble's "Holiday Leftovers"

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-37958420561940532622009-12-30T20:42:00.006-06:002009-12-30T21:08:10.874-06:00

I have Practical Magic on DVD -- it's been one of my standard comfort movies for years -- but right now it's on ABC Family in my living room because the hubby happened across it as background noise for both of us working.Different things jump out at me when half-watching something (especially something familiar) than when I'm giving it my full attention. Tonight I happen to particularly notice

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-83771282391505652312009-12-24T14:04:00.005-06:002009-12-24T14:13:53.090-06:00

In which our Diva wishes a merry Christmas to all and to all a good nightI would be headed up to my brother's house right now to meet my Shiny New Niece. Unfortunately, the common cold had other ideas -- I'm coughing and sneezing WAY too much to be anywhere near a nine-day-old baby!Instead, I'll be spending Christmas Eve snug at home with my hubby, then my parents will arrive tomorrow afternoon.

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-17072769547941984122009-12-20T12:01:00.001-06:002010-03-05T11:15:22.709-06:00

In which our Diva does not think Miss Lucas so very plain, but then she is our particular friendWhen playing a historical or literary character, there's both a blessing and a curse in the easy availability of other people's opinions about that person. I understand -- intellectually, at least -- why many actors avoid those opinions. (Some with a fervor generally reserved for, say, Barney the

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-2849915567123981982009-12-13T08:51:00.010-06:002009-12-13T10:08:02.151-06:00

In which our Diva finds new reasons to believe in peopleYou hear a lot about the "dark side of fandom," about unstable people who go beyond love of a shared story, sometimes to the extreme of threatening or even harming the storytellers.If you're even casually around the virtual water coolers centered on TV shows or movies, you're also aware of the harmless bulk of fannish activity, the

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-16760249370376174762009-12-12T16:54:00.004-06:002009-12-12T16:57:28.717-06:00

In which our Diva is finally getting around to playing with vacation videos from SeptemberIf you're going to be there, check out Big Island Eco Adventures. Definitely glad we did!

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-91346191926103060912009-12-12T08:47:00.001-06:002009-12-12T08:49:49.387-06:00

In which our Diva figures this is one kid who won't be afraid of Shakespeare in high schoolThis is brilliant and utterly adorable. I've always respected Brian Cox, but I think I just became a big fan.

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-27771192182811022032009-12-07T21:44:00.016-06:002010-04-03T09:19:00.525-05:00

In which our Diva settles into her seat at the grownup tableLately I've been hearing a lot that "40 is the new 30." Just in time for me -- casting-wise, at least, I haven't had much in the way of 30s. I was still playing 19 at 32, and it's only in the last year or so that I've been getting tapped for moms. It's kind of ridiculous how much fun I had at an audition the other day, watching half a

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-28567707655954398312009-11-22T10:40:00.004-06:002009-11-22T11:06:02.506-06:00

In which our Diva is a bit under the weatherI've been excited to get back to Villa Verone for the Festival of Singers, but I'm going to have to wait a little longer, as the flu has caught up with me. :-(My initial response was to be bummed about the timing. But on the other hand, if I'm going to get it (and pretty much everyone is right now -- if not "THE" flu, at least a flu), there's no such

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-4882493545690607452009-11-18T08:52:00.003-06:002009-11-18T08:56:33.252-06:00

In which our Diva hopes she still remembers how to singWhat with all the pride and the prejudice, it's been a while since I showed my face at Villa Verone for Elgin Opera's weekly "Festival of Singers" cabaret. I'll be back this Sunday, November 22, and also December 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. It's a great, relaxed atmosphere complete with to-die-for Italian food and free live music. What more could

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-79433929713449088512009-11-15T13:37:00.002-06:002009-11-15T13:38:21.643-06:00

In which our Diva chronicles ringlets, Bennet sisters rocking out, and meat-on-a-stick

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-49608322284414757812009-11-12T19:00:00.011-06:002009-11-13T09:23:25.770-06:00

In which our Diva has some recommendationsSee: The Men Who Stare at Goats. Every time I saw a trailer or commercial, I said "I have to see that movie." I was prepared to be disappointed, because what lives up to its trailer these days? This does. Funny and earnest and irreverent and poignant and crazy in the best possible way. I don't know if they set out to make a modern-day Don Quixote on

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-63555571581416107372009-11-08T10:24:00.005-06:002009-12-08T14:11:45.497-06:00

In which our Diva wasn't going to post any further on this topic, but must express her reliefWhen I posted the "No" list, naming industry professionals who had made public statements indicating that the petition to release Roman Polanski did not speak for them, I deliberately did not comment upon any particular individual who had chosen to sign it. While I remain dismayed that it exists, and

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-67219052642948631752009-11-05T16:49:00.002-06:002009-11-05T17:09:10.739-06:00

In which our Diva trades in Austen for SophoclesI've been missing the ever-awesome Babes With Blades something fierce lately. There's been so much crazy in the last couple years (starting not too long after I had the privilege and fun of acting with them in Horror Academy, come to think of it), and every time they invite me to a workshop or fight jam I always have something else already

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-5453655798233185322009-11-02T21:44:00.004-06:002009-11-02T22:51:18.581-06:00

I had no idea what a big deal Darcy was. I put it on my Facebook status, and five minutes later there were comments from sixteen women saying "I'm so there!"-- They do know we're not dunking you in the pond, right?That is just what I say.-- But a great deal shorter.Con-de-scen-sion.I come on soon as a young military officer. Get Kitty all hot for me. Not sure how I'm going to pull that off.I hope

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-73503105586308194722009-10-26T12:17:00.005-05:002009-10-29T17:32:01.841-05:00

Or princesses. Or pandas. Or poodles. Or, of course, zombies.Chicagoland peeps: Discounted tickets for P&P this Saturday night, October 31, if you come in costume! That's $5 off the already-reasonable $15.Don't worry, you get the same show from us. (Alas, the constraints of scheduling, budget and intellectual property law guarantee that the ongoing jokes about the P&P&Z midnight show on

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-39470252563861691822009-10-20T16:31:00.007-05:002010-08-01T09:27:40.715-05:00

In which our Diva is thinking happy distribution thoughts Cyrus will have two screenings at the American Film Market, November 5 and 7. Wouldn't it be an awesome birthday present to hear that it got snapped up? Stay tuned! Song for today: "Good Behavior" by Plumb, just because it's been running through my head the last couple days. Probably something to do with last week being hella stressful

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-48189720118024248782009-10-08T12:03:00.002-05:002009-10-08T12:10:52.463-05:00

In which our Diva isn't sure three years qualify as "many," but isn't looking a nice writeup in the mouth Pioneer Press: Theatre takes 'Pride' in Jane Austen classicEight days to opening night! Buy your tickets here.

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-38917033190317721362009-10-06T12:18:00.004-05:002009-10-09T18:33:47.581-05:00

One week ago, I posted a list of film industry professionals who had publicly stated their thoughts on Roman Polanski, and who did not subscribe to the petition and presumed Hollywood party line calling for his release.As of this morning, there are 45 names on the list. And that's being pretty strict about keeping to people who work directly on the production films and TV shows: producers,

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-23804334605446052472009-10-01T12:52:00.003-05:002009-10-01T12:59:15.962-05:00

In which our Diva plays dress-upGot my first glimpse of P&P costumes at fittings last night. Can't wait to see them finished, of course, but all indications are that we're going to look pretty darn good.Non-profit theatre being what it is, I'm amused that Charlotte's day dress is a makeover of Lucy's striped dress from Dracula (second photo in linked gallery). And that David (director of both

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-56949019027691939342009-09-29T19:30:00.031-05:002009-11-08T10:26:33.550-06:00

This is not the post I was going to make tonight.I was looking forward to taking advantage of my evening off to give you a nice Crunchy Process Goodness post that's been brewing in my brain about Pride and Prejudice. Then, this morning, I read this article about the petition demanding the release of Roman Polanski. I'm embarrassed for my industry. I'm embarrassed that this statement is being

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431196092796443283.post-80402480604598109772009-09-15T18:06:00.013-05:002009-09-16T15:19:57.687-05:00

In which our Diva plays catchup and flouts the Edna Mode "no capes!" ruleThis blog was supposed to happen a couple weeks ago, but it didn't quite get squeezed in around Pride and Prejudice rehearsals (which I'm loving and will post about soon) and Hawaii (which was absofrickenlutely AMAZING and will be posted about soon).I love serious acting. I love Shakespeare and edgy new works and digging in

Valerie Meachumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12521352135257689565noreply@blogger.com0