Ned Donovan - Ithaca ‘12

Hey everyone,

The reference in the title is how I feel (and I think most of my classmates feel) right about now.  Sophomore year is not easy, and part of the reason for my silence is the amount of work needed in the last couple weeks.  So we’ll recap to start.  Children of Eden entered tech week, and my life went away.  Then Children of Eden opened, and the amount of energy to keep that show alive is immense.  It’s not just that our production is great (which if I do say so myself, it is), it’s that everyone is onstage almost the entire time.  When not onstage as a character, the “storytellers” are there to help the audience along.  Think a giant Greek chorus that sings and dances.  So there’s very little room for water breaks, and to keep energized for the entire show is a daunting task.  I think we succeeded however, because we’ve had nothing but fabulous reviews.  Here are four examples (one, two, three, four).  As Eden opened, everything started to set in, such as the knowledge that the second acting review of the year is coming up in about three weeks, singing review is this afternoon, final projects for classes have kicked into full swing, and frankly there are so few hours in the day that sleep is basically not an option.  This may sound like I’m complaining, and that might be the lack of sleep talking, but the fact of the matter is, I love every second of what’s going on.  The challenges are many, but all of us seem to be pulling through and working to create some really fantastic work together as a group.

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know that I just came across the blog for the Ithaca College people in Moscow this semester.  I thought you guys would maybe want to check in with them and see what they’ve been up to, so here’s the link.  http://therussianzolls.blogspot.com/

My best to everyone,

~Ned Donovan

Hey everyone,

So on April 22, we put on the freshman cabaret here at Ithaca College. Despite a few complications and scheduling issues we got it off the ground and running. We did songs from shows such as: Spring Awakening, All Shook up, The Drowsy Chaperone, as well as standards such as “I’m a Woman” by Lieber and Stoller. All in all I think it went pretty well, there were some minor problems but such things happen in a cabaret.

Thanks to everyone who got involved, and all the people who stuck it out despite scheduling conflicts, and to all of you who couldn’t be a part in this but wanted to, I’m sorry that we couldn’t make it. Thanks to Mitchell Murdock for filming the affair and editing it together. Thanks to Jen Shaw and Lucy Gram for Stage Managing and helping me get everything together. Thanks to the School of Music for the use of Presser Hall. Thanks to Laura Intravia and Omar Najimi for playing for us and being flexible about what songs were in it (many of them got added the day before). Thanks to my lovely girlfriend Nicole who put up with me through random rehearsal times and barely got to see me.

Hey everyone, below is a link to an article on Forbes.com.  Portland Maine has been called America’s number 1 most liveable city!  I knew someday other people would realize how awesome our city is.

All the best
~Ned 

America’s Most Livable Cities - Forbes.com.

Hey everyone,

Last April I took a bartending course through a Portland Maine based company called the University Bartending program.  They are a subcompany of the dogfish company (http://www.thedogfishcompany.com/) and they send a team around to different states every year to give classes to various cities.  They are coming to Ithaca at the end of april!  So if anyone is interested in taking their course, I will give you the information here.

The University Bartending program will be giving a class at the Holiday Inn in Ithaca’s downtown.  The will be there April 24-26.  The class lasts the whole weekend, at the end of which you will be well trained in the skill of bartending, as well as given a letter of recommendation.  The class being offered is what’s known as a “weekend Professional” class.  The class description from their website is as follows:

Description: The Professional Course is designed for the student who is interested in working as a bartender after completing the course. In theProfessional Course, students are trained in all aspects of professional bartending. Students in the Professional Course learn “hands on” during extensive pouring lab sessions.