Mrs. Who Will Do (:

17 hour day. Almost every moment of it filled with theatre. Whew.

I attended BYU's Writer's Conference this morning from 9am-12pm. The Shoelace was read and moderated at the end of the ten minute play portion of the conference and I received some interesting and compelling feedback. As this play has been ripped apart and put back together again for almost 2 years, I believe the play is in a final stage that doesn't need too many more changes. Much of what the other writers had questions and concerns I've decided can be cleared up with a director who knows how to pull and prod thoughtful and committed actors. Today the actors were kind of thrown into the reading without any direction and therefore some important lines and motivations were lost in translation. But overall, it was a huge success with all present and generated some powerful discussion.

What does it mean to have doubt? What is personal worthiness? What is faith, both to an LDS audience and to others? 

After the talkback session, several film students introduced themselves to me and asked what I wanted to do with The Shoelace now. I mentioned turning it into a film and THEY HIT THE ROOF. Immediately, they wanted my contact information and gave me positive encouragement with helping me getting it on film. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT. AH.

I had to leave for A Wrinkle in Time right then and waved goodbye. Our matinee (or manatee show as we like to call it) went pretty well. I was struggling, not gonna lie but pulled through for my cast. (: We had an hour or so for dinner and then sat outside and played "I Spy." (: And then it was time for our evening performance and IT WENT BEAUTIFULLY. The audience's energy was off the charts and I gloried in it.
Guys. I can't express just how amazing this show is. Agency, love, persistence, doubt, fear, encouragement, faith, love and more love. I get to PLAY. I get to PLAY with a cast I've come to love. How great is that? (:

One of my very good friends told me tonight after the show, "How perfect are you as Mrs. Who? You shine through Mrs. Who! It's you through Who!" hahaha! Greatest compliment of all time, me thinks.

bumblebee chelsea (part one)

Sunday evening through this morning was magical. Zac and I got to spend time with his family, who we haven’t seen in about a year. They drove up from California and stayed with a family friend in Syracuse while visiting us. Zac’s four year old brother, Ian, was so excited to see us. He couldn’t stop saying “Zac and…Chelsea!” His little lisp when he says my name just about broke my heart. By the end of their stay, he was calling me “Bumblebee Chelsea.”
Hugging Danielle, Marc, and Amer when they first arrived was so wonderful. Laughs were shared and memories made. Marc made us his famous Sunday breakfast dinner, we played Apples to Apples, and we sat under summer trees watching Ian run about our quad’s playground. We saw The Lorax at the dollar theatre and had an Outback dinner. Amer and I got pedicures together, watching the beach volleyball Olympics. And we had dinner last night with the Latham’s in Syracuse (yummy kfc haha). Zac and I had a super soaker fight, rode an airplane, and I clucked at the chickens. Then we had game after game of volleyball. I may or may not have hit the ball over the fence several times... haha Most fun I’ve had in a long time! We got back into Provo last night around midnight or so and they camped out in our small Wymount living room. We hugged them goodbye this morning as they pulled out of our parking lot.

I’m one lucky girl having married into such an awesome family!

:]

Part Two coming soon!

(more pictures haha)

SO MANY FRIENDS SO MANY HUGS

Gosh, today has been a great day! I ran into three friends I haven't seen in a long time: Emma (3 years), Alex (almost 2 years) and Tess (a week haha). Emma Tan was in my first ward here at BYU...gosh so long ago. :) Summer term 2009. When Emma and I saw each other in the jkb, we hugged so hard and then held hands/hugged while walking. hahah I never thought I'd be one of those girls who screams really loud when spotting a friend a ways away. hahhaa But I guess it's come to that. :) Alex Nichols was a missionary serving in Burlington, Kansas when I went home for summer break 2010 and has become a wonderful friend to my younger brother, Jim.  Alex served in Manhattan, Lawrence, Topeka, and our humble town, Burlington. :) I found out he came home 3 months and 3 days ago and is studying Exercise Science here at BYU, mega rad. Tess Richmond became a wonderful friend a year ago when we took the same Creative Writing class. Plans will be made to eat lunch at the moa soon, I'm sure. :) 

Overall, the past few days have ruled:

1) Zac and I made chicken fajita tacos with corn tortillas an hour ago...om nom nom

2)I cleaned the apartment--the whole thing--as soon as I got home from classes today.

3)I'm getting awesome grades back in all my classes.

4)I hardly have any hw due tomorrow or Friday! Hazzah!

5) My novel is coming along so nicely and I can't wait to write some more tonight.

6) Last night/this morning Zac and I read scriptures together before falling asleep. :)

7)I have a great idea for my next play writing assignment...It's gonna be cool.

8) Zac and I went on a date Saturday night. I drove in the crazy snow...in the dark. And I didn't kill us. Obviously. :)

I want you to laugh, right now. So watch this. Thank you.

Love,
Chelsea

year reviewzorz

January

My family moved from Burlington, Kansas to Buckeye, Arizona! I turned 20 two days before Zac...and broke up with him on fb to scare some people. hahahha We had some fun.

February

I was in "The Importance of Being Earnest" with Utah Shakespeare in the Park and got engaged to my very very best friend, Zac Hickman.

Gosh, I love them.

March

I had some fun in my first makeup class, found my wedding dress, and wondered if I should keep pursuing an acting major.

April

I finished up the hardest semester of my life, did my proficiency audition, and found out I was ready to move on. I said goodbye to my wonderful roommates: Emily, Amber, Lori, and Hannah. I went back to Arizona to be with my family before getting hitched!

Arizona chicken. Odd.

May

I went on a road trip with mom and Julie to Kansas to see my brother graduate high school. I got to meet up with some old amazing awesome friends, including Wooge. I went to California to visit Zac for the first time in three and a half months. I also touched a sea urchin for the first time ever! :O I then came back to Arizona to do some last minute wedding planning with mommy.

 Photo cred: Logan Whittington

I love you guys.

June

Mom and I made a road trip out to California together the week of the wedding and HAD A BLAST. We stopped by a huge outlet mall somewhere in California where I found a dress for both the honeymoon and the day of my endowment session. Lots of crazy things happened that week: dates, cake testing, reception decorating, friends flying out, and mass confusion/excitement. But it all came down to the best day of my life:

I was married on June 24, 2011 in the Los Angeles Temple to Zac Hickman.

And then four days later, on our honeymoon in Hawaii, he did a back flip into a pool hit his head and was rushed to the hospital. He didn't remember us getting married. He didn't remember me for a while. Oh, wow. Biggest scare of my life.

Do not approve.

>:(

July
I started to get used to the word "wife" and "husband." We came home from Hawaii, took a break in Arizona with my fam, and then went back to California so Zac could work before we headed off to school. We saw the 3am showing of HP7p2!

A Hawaiian cave. o.O

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

We got to watch the 4th of July fireworks on a beach in Hawaii.

Luckiest girl ever is me.

Harry Potter happy excited satisfied obsessed ecstatic faces.

5:30 am, don't judge.

August

Zac, Poter, and I went to see Ludo live in LA! AMAZING.
Zac, Karen, Stephanie, and I loaded up the car and drove from California to Utah. We stopped by Vegas and had a great time! (No gambling or booze drinking for me and Zac! haha) BYU started and I figured out I wanted to be a playwriting major and an English minor. :)

September

I was cast in a one act play, "The Stronger" by August Strindberg. 

We rehearsed for 3 weeks then it went up in early October.

Definitely changed my life.

October

We carved pumpkins with Emily and Tim!

I was a zombie for Halloween.

November

I got to see my dad for the first time in a year and a half for Thanksgiving. We rode a Greyhound bus to Colorado from Utah.

I.Hate.Buses.

December

We wrapped up our finals, celebrated Emily and Tim getting married, enjoyed our 6 month anniversary and had our first Christmas together!

I also learned how to do a hairbow.

:)

An amazing year, to say the least. The best is yet to come, methinks.

I'm ready for you 2012.