thornton wilder

“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”

-ThorntonWilder

versace

versace s/s 2010
arghhhh!!!

i know i know. this is supposed to be more theatre/art/mycareer/mylife oriented. but hey whats another shoe. and if it looks like art to me...

thanku glameccentric

God is good/ all the time

so 4 hours ago i posted this on my facebook:

Deltoiya Monique your current drama is an indicator of the blessing around the corner -z.tims

and this was the comment left from an old high school friend:
girl this is what i needed to hear, especially now. THANK GOD FOR USING YOU AS A VESSEL

my ♥ is swole! [thatsnotaword] compelled to share. was blessed "landing" on pastor zachery tims tonight on tbn and HAD to share the love. feels so good....i repeat. my heart is swole. :)

why some people think duke ellington is a member of the royal family

[clickimagetoenlarge]

:my first "pageant" platform [MissTeenJacksonville03] still near&dear to my heart...

idle hands.

described thyself for quite some time. but with this move, there's a new agenda. a new focus. redirecting my energies. positive. at least trying to keep it that way. will admit my first week here was rough. emotional. a lot of tears. unfocused. was in a disturbing place. not saying i wont feel that way again. but today. is that day. was it lou holtz. dont remember. but pick a day. and move on. i think this is it. was quite busy the past two days. a state i almost forgot the feeling of. feeling "productive" for lack of a better word. yesterday i went on campus. checked on a few things. ran an errand for mom. and went to an art gallery. [moreonthislater] today. woke up. had 2 cups o'morning jo, made some calls. got pretty. went to work. [ok so maybe i did a tweet or two in those few hours but i was at work ontime]. came home. checked on school. going to bed soon. seems so long ago the days of secondary school, dance classes, rehearsals, homework, volunteering, maybe an afterschool job, being a busy bee. i loved it. and i miss it. and i want it back. i know i spend too much time thinking about what i want to do rather than doing. my obsession with the internet has a lot to do with it. but im proud to say i havent gone through my blogroll in daaaays.[think i miss 2bd the most/&vsb] a task that takes hours of perusing, scanning, nothing to be honest. i have settled into my new luxurious day job."starting over again" with this schooling. edited stories for school paper. joining/joined the world of journalism. focused a heck of a lot more of time & energy on my career. and my love. [acting&theatre if theres any questions] been a really great big sister. and daughter. so i think. was kind of urgh coming home from work and my lovely mentor reminded me "do not despise small beginnings". right now i am where i think i am supposed to be. might not be where i want to be. but i have an overwhelming sense of "ok". and well i'll take that.

:clearly this blog has taken a trn for the more personal route. hence the end of toirajames. and well something new to arise. in the works. not that i have any followers. [ok. a couple & a few unofficial. hijess!] just 102 posts. and my musings. stay tuned.

when all else fails

fakeit. having one of those blue days. just in a funk and cant quite figure out why. maybe im lonely in this new city. maybe i wish i was somewhere else. maybe i need to go somewhere else. maybe i need to stop comparing myself to others. maybe i know thats true. maybe its easier said. maybe i should get off of twitter until i have a reason to be on twitter. maybe i need an agent. maybe i need headshots. maybe i should stop talking about it. maybe this blog needs to disappear into thin air. maybe i should remove myself from this world and rejoin the real world. maybe i am dwelling on the past again. maybe i want it all back. maybe i dont want any of it. maybe i get too down on my own self. maybe i should appreciate my life more. maybe i am blessed. maybe i know thats true too. maybe i should find a volunteer position. maybe i should see it. maybe i am too damn pessimistic. maybe i only pretend to be an extrovert. maybe sanguid doesnt describe me at all. maybe i should take a walk. maybe i should run. maybe i should go to the library. maybe i need to pull out my old barbie diary. maybe i need to pick up the good ole b.i.b.l.e. maybe. maybe i need a hug.

:maybe is one of those words that looks really funny after seeing/saying it repeatedly

the black snob/ on hair&men

"can i touch it?" read this article over @ theblacksnob that brought this conversation on....check it out.

i am not my hair. or am i? went natural a couple years back. no exact date because i dont remember. just one day i said. no more creamycrack. also love changing my hair. hence the extensions, the theatrical hairpieces [ok. lacewigs], and such. not only does the "fakehair" allow me to play with the many characters of d., also great "protective styling" if done properly. [still figuring out this natural journey] recently decided to change the look and had the opportunity to let my natural go "ahhhh". my locks say thankyou. but then shortly after reverted back to my longhairdontcare. i dont think i am my hair. but sometimes i wonder how much of a hold it has on me. is it for me? or is it for them?

tweeps.

never thought the day would come. actually i did. but my first tweet was gonna be "i just got signed to..." or "i am an agency-represented..." but one step at a time. going to try out this social marketing.social media.social networking thing. funny how before the world caught on i had a mini following. now that "it" has a name, at a stump as to the who.what.hows. its easier not trying. but lets get started. and to think this was supposed to be my hiding place.

http://twitter.com/deltoiyamoniQue.

:.stay tuned for the launch of a site. dont know what to name it. yes every actress uses their name. but you know me. got to be different.

for colored girls.../ update

so this is what tyler perry has to say about his new project, "for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf" :
tp: "My name will not be in front of the title because it's not an original work for me. There will be no Madea, so all of you can relax. It's going to be true to what it is. If you know anything about the play, you know that it's a bunch of poems. There's no real story, and that's probably why it's never been made into a movie. The way the movie opens is that all of these different women are leading their own lives, and they pass each other and you follow their stories. No one knows each other and halfway in the movie, they end up in this center that this woman started called 'The Colored Girl center,' where women go through like a 12-step program for healing. That's what the script is about. I want to make sure that I respect and honor the play because it was written before I was born."

and his dream cast!
"There are 15 characters in the film and my dream cast is Kimberly Elise, Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Thandie Newton, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Beyonce. I've talked to 6 of the women and they have said yes. You have to figure out that part."

source
:it is interesting to note that last year whoopi goldberg was producing a f.c.g project on broadway starring india.arie but had to pull out when financiers backed out due to lack of knowledge on the work. couldnt put on a show with 'for colored girl" and "suicide" in the title. *blank stare

?.

stop haaating.

rant. alert. why is when someone gives 'constructive criticism' people always liken it to 'hating'. i for one have never cared for that word. maybe it was because mommy used to say "hate is a very strong word". but what is "hate"? was having a conversation with someone regarding a particular performance* at last nights' [infamous?] vma awards. [in which this pic has nothing to do with the convo, just appropiate.] and in this conversation i critiqued this favorite person's performance which i personally thought was lackluster. maybe it was because i expect more/need to see growth. always think for artists who have talent they dont need the certain sexual gimmicks to sell. yet they insist upon it. i know its our culture. sex sells. yes yes. but that does that mean entertain the ridiculia. evolve. show me something i haven't seen. maybe i should stop expecting so much. but in this phone rant. i got the stop "hating".*blank stare. i feel strongly about a lot of things; whether it be film, music, dance, fine art, this 'industry' the world. therefore i will forever throw my 2 cents in. but why is it "hating" ? when im working on a scene and the director tells me, "that didnt work" do i stomp my feet, roll my eyes, pout and scream stop hating. no. i take my notes. in hopes of growth. of course there are those negative people who never have anything nice to say. and maybe that is "hate". but lets remember not everyone is attacking. some may just be giving a dose of constructive criticism. so in this i end. lets hear the rest of the album. try a new look. and please please better performances. [insert the labelle pics from patti's book] creativity rules! rant. end.



*:on him. if we have to use the word. this was "hating" at its finest. real mad joe jackson. not ok.

blogging with a purpose

mommy dearest [dearest in a good way] brought this cnn article to my attention. the story of a woman who turned to blogging as an outlet when her life was turned upside down and she found herself living in a wal-mart parking lot. not only is she writing for elle now, but after reading the article, did a drop by her blog [girls guide to homelessness] to discover that this week she taped for cnn, the today show and interviewed for npr . a story of living with purpose. despite the trials and tribulations. mama always says "its not where you start out-but where you end up".


:you may be homeless, but you dont have to be a bum*-brianna karp

tyler perry/ for colored girls...

[edited]* the buzz began about a week ago. it was announced that tyler perry would be writing, producing and directing the film version of the renowned theatrical work " for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf". a choreopoematic piece written by ntozake shange that is beyond respected&loved by the theatre community, & resonates with the black female tremendously. hence the controversy on various web outlets as the comments overflowed surrounding t.p.s involvement with the obie award winning play. folks were fuming. and that said many defended the super producer. i have to wonder what has t.p gotten himself into...only time will tell

[pause. watching the tyler perry show on tv guide channel. yes its that serious.*]

dont know the specifics on how t.p acquired the works after lionsgate secured the rights with nzingha stewart back in march. ? but from what i got, the debate lies in this. girls: "for colored girls" is a soul-stirring piece based on the black female experience. perry isnt female- so many question his ability to truly tell the plight that shange was attempting to bring to the forefront- properly. the madea factor: perry is known for his "gospel-like' approach to his films. and is criticized by his predictable format. his portryal of the black family. the black female. his film techniques. .... but we also praise perry for his beliefs, his uncanny rise as "the black filmmaker" and hello he is actually giving black actors work. there's the art. vs. commerce issue: as actors and theatre lovers we are artists who have a unique connection to our craft. dont intend to see it compromised for the dollar. there is also an honor and respect to the original playwrights to do justice to their works. to be honest....

*edited because truly no comment until further notice. the news is out. this is a share. judge, criticize, support. do as you must. im mum. [see links within for more & the debate. i.e. the comment sections on said sites.]

:all in all i like what what commenter posted on ajc, "you have to spread your wings in order to fly."

never give up on your silly little dreams

"they who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."

"hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly."
- langston hughes

some men see things as they are and say why... i dream of things that never were and say why not"
- george bernard shaw

you must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment”
- henry david thoreau

" you have brains in your head. you have feet in your shoes. you can steer yourself in any direction you choose. you're on your own. and you know what you know. you are they guy who'll decide where to go."
-dr.seuss

2am. and now i dream...

september to.do

"i have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."
- henry david thoreau

1. move for better opportunities and FOCUS
1a. break the bf heart in the process. ☑
2. register for classes. become a student again
3. find photographer/update headshots
3a. update m.m.
4. audition for at least one show
5. build monologue repertoire
6. read a play a week. starting with anthologies
7. watch a movie daily. beginning with gregory allen howard's list
8. spend time online with [craft] studies/research NOT lollygagging
9. submit for "falls" casting [in the am. dont put this off]
10. change hair.
11. find a [flexible] p.t. gig
12. update social media
12a. join twitter [ugh]
13. find out about BB3.
14. see a show in south florida
15. get immersed in the south florida theatre scene
16. start a workout regime. run. gym. etc.
17. treat myself to something [swarovski] when list is complete. preferably a big fat ring.

the code

Foreword to the Code
“A part of the great tradition of the theatre is the code of ethics which belong to every worker in the theatre. This code is not a superstition, nor a dogma, nor a ritual which is enforced by tribunals; it is an attitude toward your vocation, your fellow workers, your audiences and yourself. It is a kind of self-discipline which does not rob you of your invaluable individualism.
“Those of you who have been in show business know the full connotation of these precepts. Those of you who are new to show business will soon learn. The Circle Players, since its founding in 1945, has always striven to stand for the finest in theatre, and it will continue to do so. Therefore, it is with the sincere purpose of continued dedication to the great traditions of the theatre that these items are here presented.”

The “rules” follow:

1. I shall never miss a performance.
2. I shall play every performance with energy, enthusiasm and to the best of my ability regardless of size of audience, personal illness, bad weather, accident, or even death in my family.
3. I shall forego all social activities which interfere with rehearsals or any other scheduled work at the theatre, and I shall always be on time.
4. I shall never make a curtain late by my failure to be ready on time.
5. I shall never miss an entrance.
6. I shall never leave the theatre building or the stage area until I have completed my performance, unless I am specifically excused by the stage manager; curtain calls are a part of the show.
7. I shall not let the comments of friends, relatives or critics change any phase of my work without proper consultation; I shall not change lines, business, lights, properties, settings or costumes or any phase of the production without consultation with and permission of my director or producer or their agents, and I shall inform all people concerned.
8. I shall forego the gratification of my ego for the demands of the play.
9. I shall remember my business is to create illusion; therefore, I shall not break the illusion by appearing in costume and makeup off-stage or outside the theatre.
10. I shall accept my director’s and producer’s advice and counsel in the spirit in which it is given, for they can see the production as a whole and my work from the front.
11. I shall never “put on an act” while viewing other artists’ work as a member of an audience, nor shall I make caustic criticism from jealousy or for the sake of being smart.
12. I shall respect the play and the playwright and, remembering that “a work of art is not a work of art until it is finished,” I shall not condemn a play while it is in rehearsal.
13. I shall not spread rumor or gossip which is malicious and tends to reflect discredit on my show, the theatre, or any personnel connected with them-either to people inside or outside the group.
14. Since I respect the theatre in which I work, I shall do my best to keep it looking clean, orderly and attractive regardless of whether I am specifically assigned to such work or not.
15. I shall handle stage properties and costumes with care for I know they are part of the tools of my trade and are a vital part of the physical production.
16. I shall follow rules of courtesy, deportment and common decency applicable in all walks of life (and especially in a business in close contact with the public) when I am in the theatre, and I shall observe the rules and regulations of any specific theatre where I work.
17. I shall never lose my enthusiasm for theatre because of disappointments. !

:a code of ethics for theatre workers established in 1945 by kathleen freeman who at just 24 years old opened one of the first small theatres in la. talk about inspirational.
via blogstage. via lastage

birthday shoe.

ysl. divine. @netaporter
subtle hints

today. well tomorrow but it is 12 am so. today. marks the one month until my birthday. much like my favorite blogger. necole b. i've been 21 for a few years now. still deciding on what this year marks. im trying. but this shoe. is a grown up shoe. for big girls only. [sry twins :> ]

-might even polyvore for the first time. thats how much.

guess who?

....its the ever so beautiful, actress paula patton. even as "he" she's a beauty.
for ny times style. via ccw.

bape/ kid cudi

via ccw. via highsnobiety

so bathing ape and kid cudi [who is currently featured on my desktop layout] came together and produced this kid cudi x milo tee for fashion night out. and well right now. im all for supportin the kid. now only if i can get to bape new york by sept 10 to get my tee...and find the perfect pair of sneaks.

datnewcudi.com

right now this very moment

:im doing this to myself.

postsecret/blogsecret

but still. ok so im late. but have you seen these sites dedicated to people sharing their most intimate secrets. its quite therapeutic in my current state. an easy distraction. but when i pause.

http://blogsecret.tumblr.com
http://postsecret.blogspot.com

:there goes that lump again...
picsource.doworkdesign via parisrecycled

last twenty-four

and so it begins
and while i
hoped the pain to be
minimal
it feels so much worse
and while i
thought id know
what
to do
make it better
i dont
i cant
and
sorry
doesnt quite cut
it
-dmg