Never Really Done...

My first year of College is officially DONE!! There are a few things I have learned in my time so far at Weber State: 

1)DON'T take HIST 1500 (pre-historic history) and DON'T take it from Moffett. 

2)DON'T proctrastinate on analysis

3)DON'T do shows outside of school. Practicum hours are a bitch.

4)STUDY!

5)Pay attention in class

6)Go to class

7)Be positive and happy and you will be positive and happy.

All this, and other things I have learned here at the Weeb. I couldn't be more excited to embark on another exciting year in the Theatre Dept. at WSU. I really love it there/here. 

Next fall Weber is doing "Charm" by Kathleen Cahill (play) and "Lucky Stiff" (musical) I have been lucky enough to be called back for BOTH shows. I am currently tunnel visioned and preparing for "Charm" right now. Those call backs are in just 2 short hours. I am trying to prepare to speak in Italian, which isn't easy when you don't speak Italian. But it has been kind of fun, and funny. "Lucky Stiff" callbacks are tomorrow and I will stress about those tomorrow. Hah! 

I really just want to be cast in one of the shows. I don't really care particularly which one, it depends on the moment lately. I just really want to be cast! 

ANYWAY, I just needed a "study break" I will further my preparation at this time.

Peace.

GOOD WEEK

I am loving where I am at right now. Had a fantastic week at school and with the run of "The Cradle Will Rock" which closes tonight. I have had SUCH a blast working on this show and I don't even think I realize how much I am gonna miss doing this show, BUT I am excited to move on to my next endeavour, Xanadu. Anywho, I just wanted to rant about how happy I am right now, as many times as I have said it, I think I am really find out who I really am. I am starting to make friends and meet more people that I just absolutely click with and people who are going to be very important in my life. I really feel, up at Weber, that I am a part of something great and HUGE and that for just a little bit I get to go to class/rehearsal/show and just think about that, and just think about where I am and what I am doing instead of stressing about where I am going for just a few seconds. It really is just a great, good-sized, fantastic program that I can constantly feel myself grow in and I would reccomend it to anybody. Even though these next few weeks are gonna be HELL with Juries(auditions for scholarships, audition only classes, and program admittance), audtions for the fall shows (Charm(play) and Lucky Stiff(Musical)), finals, Xanadu rehearsal, moving back home, and finding a job. Its gonna be HELL. But I think I seek out Hell, I like to place myself in stressful situations. I should stop that. But hey, I'm a theatre major.
Anywho, I really don't post a lot of my true, deep feelings because...frankly nobody wants to read that, so just for the record, there ARE other things that go on in my life besides the shows that I am in...but its all too... uninteresting to post. SO there ya go. Basically I need to hang out with my old pals, namely Jenna and Britny and Matt and my good pal Lauren. That's about all.
Peace.

There's Gonna Be A Party All Over The World!!

After my many, many auditions I got some shitty news.
Playmill said no. Which was kind of a kick in the pants at first. Then I realized I was happier, and better off. I STILL haven't heard from Tuacahn. However, that is fine because at this point I really don't want it anymore. I started to actually get stressed about being cast there. In January I was gung-ho (???) about it. I was totally fine to take Fall semester off and get me some equity points, mostly because I wasn't LOVING school. After I got cast in 3 fun directing scenes, and am working with a KILLER cast and director for The Cradle Will Rock (Playing March 23-31st, no show on Monday, in the Eccles Theatre at Weber State Univeristy) and playing a pretty fun part, AND going through KCACTF (sorry about all of the bad grammar). I realized that I REALLY like Weber. I REALLY like the people that I go to school with, and I REALLY like the professors that I get to work with every day. I have got the opportunity to play two awesome and completely opposing characters in two iconic plays in my Acting 1 class. I am just really having fun and learning SO MUCH, even though I HATE character analysis....and I have to do two. WAH WAH! Anyway, my point. I decided to audition for a show at The Grand in SLC that Jim Christian is directing. I am crewing for a show at school that conflicted with auditions, so I had to do a little special auditon with some other people that couldn't make it. Well long story short. I started to want this REALLY bad. It was perfect. Working with Jim. A paid gig. AND I got to come back to school in the Fall. I GOT CAST!! Wahoo!! I will be playing Hephaestus in XANADU at The Grand this May!

CLICK THE PICTURE TO BUY TICKETS!!!

And I literally COULDN'T be happier. I get to work with a KILLER cast and get reunited with some old friends. Like my old summer show buddy Ashley Carlson. So basically that is just GREAT!! And that way I get to go to San Fransisco with my friends in June and go to Vegas and the Beach House with my family! Then get ready to go back to good ol Ogden in the fall.
I am also making new friends. I have known people for a while, but it is always good when you start to get to know them better. And maybe I have a crush on someone too....maybe I am just super happy. :) Anyway. Just wanted to let you know. COME SEE XANADU!!!!!
Peace.

2012

Long time no see. I presume that it is my fault.
Well, its January. A new year, and the worst month. Back to school. Coming down from party highs, and eating too much. BUT, this January hasn't been too bad so far. But I am getting ahead of myself.
Lets get into what you have missed while I was out.
1. My sister got married. Big deal!! hah!

It was a very fun night and I am so happy for the two of them!!

2. Towards the end of the semester, I started to fall behind on things, those things being math and my practicum hours. There was so much stress at the end of the semester, those things being school work, math practicum, directing scenes, and New York, which we'll get to. WELL, I fell way far behind. I didn't finish math, I will have to finish that next fall. And I didn't finish my practicum. That is a problem. Practicum hours are a requirement for my scholarship. Lucky to a very great man named Jim Christian, along with the rest of the department staff,  I continue to keep my scholarship, and will definitely finish my practicum this semester. So far this semester has been going much smoother.

3.NEW YORK! In December, I finished my finals early and traveled to New York with my friend Matt Davies and my dad, so Matt and I could audition for Newsies! That's right, I auditioned for a BROADWAY show in December. It was one of the single greatest experiences of my life!! Unfortunately, it didn't work out for me this time. This was solidified seeing as the announced the cast a couple days ago! But, still, I am quite proud of myself. Matt and I showed up to Ripley-Grier studios at about 6:30 and sat in the front lobby and waited for a couple hours until they came and let us in at about 9:00. Matt and I were numbers 15 and 16. The first group. They pulled us in, in groups of 21. We took about 15 minutes to learn the short audition piece, then we did it in halves, quarters, and then finally the auditon in groups of 3. Now, I had been told time and time again that these people are mean. Not here they weren't. Not intimidating at all. When the came over to judge us, the didn't sit in a panel behind a table, they came over with all of our headshots and resumes and sat on the floor in front of us. Pretty cool. We auditioned and Matt and I both NAILED it. We weren't lost in this sea of talent, we were staying afloat with all the best in the room. It was really cool. At this point it was time to make cuts. Now Matt and I both could have sworn that they were holding my headshot and resume when they were announcing who got to stay. When all the names were read, Matt and mine's name weren't read. Slightly disappointed, we left the studio. Wish our good friend John, who we happened to run into, good luck! Throughout the trip, I only got more proud of Matt and I. We literally went and auditioned for Broadway, and actually did well. Turns out, they only were casting about 4 new people, so technicially it came down to: Who fit in the costumes, who looked different from everyone else. So I feel really good about it.

4. Just recently (last Thursday) I audition for the summer season of Tuacahn. My initial audition started with my walking in and singing "It Takes Two" from Hairspray (one of the show selections for this summer), I nailed it. After I sang, I was asked to come to the dance call, BUT Deann, the choreographer for Aladdin, asked me to sing another song first. So, I did. I sang "Build a Wall" from Shrek: The Musical. Nailed that one as well. The director even said so himself. Hours later it was time for the dance call. Learned the dance, nailed the dance. Got a callback! 6 people got a callback. 2 guys got a callback! Felt really good! Callbacks were supposed to be held that night, BUT time had run over and there wasn't any time! So, that Saturday morning, Mike, Tony, and I drove out to the armpit of Utah, Provo. And worse, BYU. We did the dance call again, got another callback, read some stuff, then we were on our way. I feel really good about it. Now I just have to wait, and wait and wait and wait. 

Well that is some stuff that has happened to me, I am sure that there is more. But I can't really keep my life straight.....:/

I will post more on life tomorrow.

Peace.

"You suddenly connect, with a thing that you forgot"

Just registered for MOST of my second semester classes. Feelin good about next semester. My 18 credit hour schedule plus being cast in a show and HOPEFULLY crewing the other show.......I am gonna have my plate FULL! But I feel good about it. I am feeling like I have things figured out and like I know what steps I need to take. My Fair Lady has been a great experience, but it will be "LOVERLY" to not have to drive to West Valley. It will be good for me to just be here. Next semester I will practically LIVE at school. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I will start school at 8:30 after that class I will study until 12:00 when I have my second class...I will run home and grab some lunch and start my final class at 2:30....after that at 4:30....I WILL GO TO THE GYM!!! That's right, I am gonna go to the gym. I just decided that just now as I was writing that. Afer the gym I will have rehearsal at 7 and finally get home at 10:00ish to shower, have dinner......?? and sleep. Yes you read that right...I will be AT SCHOOL from 8:30 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. ONLY a theatre major could have that schedule. As crazy and as stressfull as that sounds. I feel GREAT about it.
If only I could get RIGHT NOW figured out, that would be SWELL! I am just so excited for this show and this semester to be over. I don't even care what happens. I just need it to be done. I need to clean my room and KEEP it clean. I just don't get why: If I like a clean room....why do I let it get messy? I know why. Because I also like to be lazy. And lazy always wins. No matter who you are or what you are doing. I also need to get ALL of my laundry done. I am sick of being told what to wear....(meaning....the one and only thing that is in my closet.....) I am ready to have choices again. So this weekend, I am doin ALL my laundry. Also what is happening this weekend is SHIRTS ARE GETTING DONE. Yes that is right. Batman shirts...will be DONE this weekend. LONG WAY PAST OVER DUE Seven Brides shirts.........will be............Sufficiently dented in......this weekend.  I just NEED TO GET SHIT DONE!
......
It wouldn't really be a "Tanner Rampton Blog Post" if I didn't talk about theatre somewhere......(somewhere besides my crazy schedule.) Today I really realized what this is going to take and I think that may be why I am so excited to get next semester going. Dedication and Discipline. That is what needs to happen. Now I often say I am a very passionate person, and I am very passionate about what I do, but I am not sure that up until now I have been "dedicated." Now right now my mother is saying "Of course you are dedicated. You devote your WHOLE LIFE to what you do." And yes, that's true. But that's not what I mean. What I mean is that...I have to be NOT lazy and I have to be willing to work harder than everyone else. And I DON'T do that. But I will now. Today in my Voice and Movement class, Tracy Callahan lectured us. To start the lecture, she made us get out a sheet of paper and write various things like: Excuses we give ourselves, weaknesses, strengths, things we are afraid of. This opened my eyes SO much. I don't need to just take the assignment and do it. I need to take it and do it the best. I need to be the one that blows her away.
To quote a good song about theatre from [title of show]
          "And when you least expect, opportunity walks through the door. You suddenly connect with a thing that you forgot, that you've been looking for. And there you are, right in the middle of what you love. With the craziest of company, you're having a KICK ASS time. You're being who you want to be in this world."

Just something I have been thinking about. It's time for my beauty sleep.
Peace.

Stumbleupon

Well for those of you who don't know, I am OBSESSED with Stumbleupon. I have found so many fantastic things that I need to share.....and I normally do.
For those of you who dont stumble...DO IT! NOW! go to www.stumbleupon.com and sign up. You wont regret it.
From now on, every once in a while I will post things I stumble upon.....lets call it...a Second-Hand Stumble Whether it be cool, funny, inspiring, sad, or just awesome......you will get the chance to experience what I stumble.
ALSO I am going to try to post everyday.....like that'll happen......
SO FOR YOU FIRST SECOND-HAND STUMBLE....an incredible photo.

Isn't it INCREDIBLE!? I thought so.
That's all for today.
Peace.

A Very Long, Very Scatterbrained, Unorganized Vignette of my Crazy Life.

A lot has happened since I last blogged. Time to catch it all up.
1) If you haven't seen My Fair Lady at Hale Centre Theatre you still have until 11/26/11. There is a link to buy tickets in my last post....BUT they may be no tickets left. Why? Becuase I rock, and you are a slacker.
2) I just never quit. I have just been cast as the lovely "Gent/Dr. Specialist" in Weber State's production of The Cradle Will Rock. I Honestly couldn't be more excited. I am honored to be cast in a mainstage show as a freshman and I am honored to be working with SUCH a BRILLIANT cast and production team.
3) I have discovered alot about myself in just the last few days. I wont really get into too much detail because I am really not the type of person to gush about feelings and such, but I now am a firm believer in "Just going for it." If you don't go for it you will NEVER know and you will constantly wonder what would have been. For me, this applies for relationships, school, and my "career." I need to just follow my heart all of the time, always.  I also am a firm beliver in "everything happens for a reason." While these statements sound cliche, they are 100% true and totally applicable to my life right now. We could venture ALL the way back to November of 2010. In November of 2010 VHS had auditions for The Scarlet Pimpernel. I was so excited for this show. I worked my ASS off on my audition and NAILED it. I got a callback for the part I wanted (Chauvelin) and I nailed that as well. List comes and I didn't get the part. I didn't even get A part. I got a role she made up that didn't have a line, a solo, nothing. Being in this show would have done absolutely NOTHING for my career. SO what do I do? I do something I never thought I would do. I consider dropping out. I go to callbacks for Hairspray at CPT. I called Krista Davies, who in turn called Jim Christian and they said I could come. I go and I nail my callback. By this point I was completely relying on signs and completely trusting in everything that happened. If I made Hairspray then it was a sign for me to drop out of Pimpernel and if I  didn't make Hairspray, then I was meant to stick with The Scarlet Pimpernel.  Well I got cast in Hairspray as "Fender" and I accepted the role. Quitting the other show was a mess and a completely different story that maybe I will try to tell another time. Hairspray was a great experience and I got to bond with old friends like Taryn Tolman, Nick Morris, Taylor Knuth, Austin Hull, and Jenna Cole. And I got to meet new people like Cameron Garner, Nicole Burton, Camille Crawley, Gray Aydelott, amongst many others.... When it was almost time for the show to open(around early February) Taryn and Gray were getting ready to auditon for the summer Lagoon shows. I decided to go with them and audition. At the audition I sang, they kept me to dance, I danced, they kept me to dance more, I danced more, they kept me to sing again. Then when calls went to Taryn and Gray. I never got one. To this day I hope the reason I was cut was due to my novel of conflicts and not to lack of talent. When I didn't make Lagoon, I hopped right up and moved on to the next thing. Taryn suggested that I auditon for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Hale Centre Theatre. I didn't really think that I would get cast, I am young, they were looking for a small cast, and did I mention that I am young. Well I made that. Also at about this time I auditoned for the Musical Theatre program at Weber State and got awarded a full tuition waiver for the program. (I belive working with Jim on Hairspray helped with this.) In Dirty Rotten Scoundrels I also made some great friends. Debra Weed, Jennifer Barlow, Reba Johnson, Dave Tinney, DeLaney Westfall, Angela Jeffries, Kalyn West and my summer show buddy Ashley Carlson. During rehearsals Ashley conviced me to audition for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at CPT. I in turn made that and spent almost EVERY waking day of the summer of 2011 with Ashley. It was a BLAST. During Dirty Rotten I auditioned for My Fair Lady at HCT. On my auditon form I wrote that I wouldn't accept any role but "Freddy Eynsford-Hill." I KNEW FULL WELL that I was COMPLETELY wrong for the part, and entirely too young, but I wanted to keep auditoning for the folks at Hale and I knew that I had to be available for the shows at Weber. After my group went I waited in the hall to see if I got called back. I didn't. But I did. Tammy Morgan just told me that Jenny would call me. Later that day I saw Jenny at the show and she manipulated me into coming to the Ensemble callback. I am SOO glad that I did. I have had a BLAST in My Fair Lady and it has really changed my life. Jenny has now convinced me to audition for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. And I also met some great people. One of them being Jessica Kennedy. Too basically sum up to avoid boredum tears and to conclude. If Ms. M hadn't of shafted me, I would have never been Hairspray which got me a scholarship, and I would have never done a show with Taryn who urged me to audition for Diry Rotten and if I hadn't have been in Dirty Rotten I wouldn't have met awesome people in Seven Brides and I wouln't have audtioned for My Fair Lady in which I have made future plans and met great people. So in a nutshell, thanks Ms. M for helping me expound on my career!  Well I highly doubt that anyone expect my mom.....maybe Lauren.....and maybe a select other few....have read until now. But thank you. Thank you to everyone. Follow your heart, go for it, and know that EVERYTHING happens for a reason.
Peace.