2023
JAN
- I started as a professor of theatre at Concordia University - Saint Paul and taught in the same classrooms in which I was taught as an undergraduate student
- I survived
FEB
- I plowed
- And plowed
- And plowed
- And plowed
- I made some puppets
- And tea
- I saw my friend Lamar in Blues for an Alabama Sky at the flippin' Guthrie
- I saw Locomotion at CTC
- I met Constantine
- I taught some students about First Folio method
- I went to Pizza Luce for the first time since breaking up with my boyfriend in 2017
- I had my first audition at the Guthrie
- I saw a symphony with an old friend
- I got put in the spotlight!
- I made some new friends
- I sang karaoke off a laptop in a living room
- I said farewell to Texas for now
- I wrote this super fun monologue:
@abrigoa “No Pickles,” a monologue by Amy Abrigo #writer #words #playwright #actor #theatre #monologue #monologues #auditionmonologue #auditionmonologues #poet #performer #2023 #GetCrackin #fyp #oc #og #op #pickle #pickles #nopickles #nopickleschallenge #original #originalcontent #originalsound #sound #sounds #soundbite #tiktokchallenge #tiktoksound ♬ original sound - Amy Abrigo
MAR
- I was a little busy doing this thing called TEACHING
APR
- Still teaching
- And seeing shows
- And rehearsing for a dance concert that I was choreographing and dancing in...
- AND I GOT TO GO HOME :')
- Intimacy coach for Sylvia
- First time ever auditioning for the OPERA
- Saw this sign in a hallway at work. And realized it was written by one of my students. And wept.
MAY
- Saw a ghost. And What I Learned in Paris at Penumbra
- Danced in and choreographed for Spring Into Dance - also stepping in last minute to my own piece for the lead female dancer - oh and BOTH MY PARENTS CAME TO SEE IT, which was really truly such a gift
- Saw To Kill A Mocking Bird
- Began learning AND PERFORMING Sorority Quest at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and swung in for 4 out of 9 tracks and became a permanent member of the cast during the last 5 weeks of the summer season
- May 10th - Drove to Austin with my best friend and got my first professional headshots and on that same evening had my very first one on one social event with Michael David Burger Song. We saw Guardians of the Galaxy. He drank about 6 glasses of tea and didn't pee once. I peed about 6 times before the movie started and ran to the bathroom afterward. I had about a half cup of water. No ice. I was awkward, but god I was beautiful. We went as friends because I still thought he was dating someone else at the time. Thankfully, I was wrong. I saw two friends in the bathroom after the movie who I hadn't seen in a year and Michael needed to go home to get to bed so he could go teach the youths of America in the morning. I wanted to keep talking to my friends so I said goodbye to him and he charmingly smiled and said goodnight to me and my friends, turned around to leave and promptly tripped over a cardboard cutout on the ground. He did not fall, but I think I did.
- May 31st - I reported my rapist
JUN
- Opened THE GLOW-A-GOGO KID'S RAVE
- Fell in love with Greta Glow
- Met little baby chuckie
- Saw Josey be a fairy on the same day I gave my statement to the special victims unit detective
- Discovered my two favorite food trucks in San Antonio: Slider Providers and The Hot Dog Guy
- Opened a PARADE
- June 21st - Recorded VO for Season 8 of Strange Fantasy with Michael David Burger Song, Ashley & Travis. Post-recording, we watched Mystery Science Theatre in their rendition of "Mac & Me." Ashley & Travis were attending virtually. I held my breath when they hung up the phone. Michael and I were still in the "just friends" realm, and I still did not know if he was a single pringle ready to mingle. But I sure did know I loved his smile. And the way he listened. He sent me home at 9:30pm and apologized for keeping me "so late." He gave me a side hug, and that was when I knew he probably hated me.
- June 29 - I received a 6 hour long manicure becuase it was being done by a student at the Milan Institute. Good news is it cost me $6. Bad news is it lasted about 3 days. Full acrylic set. This was also the day and time when the special victims unit detective called me to tell me that my rapist confessed to the sex but said he thought it was consensual. The detective told me he gave my rapist a good talking to and said he was going to close the case. He did not accept my medical records for when I sought treatment the day after it happened. Or my Plan B receipt. Even though I had reasonable evidence to prove that this was non-consensual, the detective chose not to investigate it further, and, to top things off, he ended the conversation by telling me that my rapist "Seemed like a nice guy." This was the same day my Advocate from the Rape Crisis Center told me they were dropping me from their caseload because I no longer needed active support.
- June 30th - We began technical rehearsals for the Crackaxle County Fair Fourth of July Jubilee at Six Flags
JUL
- Continued to glow
- Met Miss Jubilee
- Went feral
- Lost my Uncle Oscar
- Am now famous duh
- Went in as Janice
- And Ferrah
- Played with makeup
- July 6th - Completed my first Fright Fest auditions at Six Flags Fiesta Texas followed by lunch with Michael. Bakudan Ramen at the Rim. Actually, we still thought we were just friends having a lunch date. Because we're crazy like that. The waitress gave us each the wrong credit cards back and we both accepted them as if they were correct with a smile and waited until she walked away to switch. We laughed.
- I sold the last thing I owned that existed in the same room where the rape happened. I bought a new bed.
- Tuesday, July 11th - Michael and I had a very lovely phone call. Michael and I already planned to spend time with each other on Thursday of this week, but, again, we thought we were just two stellar friends. But, instead, on this Tuesday, July 11th, 2023, Michael decided to be very vulnerable and asked me if, when we went out on Thursday, it could be a date. Because I did not respond immediately (I was doing something away from my phone), he immediately offered to take everything he offered back and that we could just be friends if I wasn't interested in him romantically, and he apologized if he misstepped and promised he would never mention it again. I smiled and said, "Aww Michael, I would love to."
- Thursday, July 13th - Michael and I went on our first date. When I asked what we were doing, he told me it was a surprise. He picked me up around 12pm and took me to my first escape room. The lady said that the room we reserved had an elevator that broke but that they did have another room available - the only thing was it was the most difficult and the most scary room in the entire building. Michael knew I did not like scary things, so he said, "It's up to you." I said yes and was thrilled to be challenged. I also figured, "How scary could it be" without scare actors. Boy, was I WRONG. But the fear factor allowed me to ask Michael if he would hold my hand, and he was very grateful for that. We worked incredibly well together, had an absolute blast, AND SOLVED THE ROOM! WE ESCAPED! It was seriously the most fun I had had in a LONG time. And the most thrilling. And then we were Starvin Marvin, so we went to a Chinese buffet and stuffed our faces in the most polite way possible. When we were walking into the buffet, we found a dollar on the floor. We saw it simultaneously, but I picked it up first. Our competitive instinct reared its head, but then the universe said, don't worry, and the single dollar was actually two dollars. One for him and one for me. So we entered the buffet in peace. Richer than we had been before. At the end of our meal, Michael opened his fortune cookie to reveal THREE fortunes. Truly a sign of good fortune if I ever saw one. And we sat and talked for hours. Michael drove me back home, parked in front of my house, looked over at me, and asked if he could kiss me. I said no. And then I sprinted my butt inside and giggled furiously. I later told him I didn't want our first kiss to be in broad daylight in his car parked in front of my 71-year-old godmother's house, and he understood. But I probably scared the daylights out of him in that moment. I made him wait a whole 4 days before I kissed him. <3
- July 17 - I introduced Michael to LEGO Batman
- July 20 - Michael and I saw Percy Jackson the musical at Magik Theatre
- July 28 - 2nd escape room with Michael (we solved it seriously in about 15minutes)
- Levitated
- Saw that I am officially famous
- Squish attacked my best friend at her staged reading
- We closed Sorority Quest
AUG
- Aug 1 - Had lunch and saw Theatre Camp with Michael
- Aug 4 - Nana had knee replacement surgery
- Aug 7 - Picked Michael up from the airport and he swooned when I told him I brought him water
- Aug 18 - Went with Josey to see Michael in House Party
- Aug 21 - Started game nights at the Flying Saucer
- Aug 26 - Saw Jurassic Park for the first time ever IN 3D with Michael
- Began rehearsals to learn and perform in 3 shows for Fright Fest
- Closed the summer rave
- Became Barbie Basically
- Won a freakin' grant
- Wrote this poem:
@abrigoa “Together,” an original short poem by Amy Abrigo #poem #poet #love #lovepoem #poetry #fyp #og #oc #original #poems #lovestory #poetrytok ♬ Fairy Dust - Abaco Music Library
SEP
- September 2 - Went to Hopscotch with Michael
- Had my first vacation since 2014....even though it was a staycation...IT STILL COUNTS. Stayed in an air bnb downtown. Ate fogo de chao and frozen curly fries we cooked in the microwave and cinnamon rolls I made in a makeshift stove top - once we turned off the child lock... Learned that Michael could survive on Marshmallows alone.
- Drove to Austin and auditioned for Austin Shakespeare. Heard nothing.
- Started watching Wednesday with Michael
- Sep 28 - Went to see Michael's show The Posession at the Overtime and brought all my friends
- Opened Fright Fest
OCT
- Began rehearsals for the public reading of my play, Monday: or the Other Rape Play
- Fright. Fest.
- Oh yeah and I swung in for the Bier Fest show so I got to learn how to do a very mediocre German accent
- Drove to Dallas and auditioned for Dallas Children's Theatre. Heard nothing but had fun.
- Saw Six
- Worked for The Eagle's Nest of San Antonio for approximately two days until my availability said otherwise.
- Had my orientation for substitute teaching and became a substitute teacher fro Northside Independent School District.
- Held hands with Taz
- Saw Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Movie with my 71-year-old godmother.
- Met Chester
- Michael visited me at work and my boss thought I was my own doppleganger
- Thought I was losing my vision, but was told it was just part of getting old. *thumbs up emoji*
- Wrote my first press release and invited every news outlet possible to my play reading. I contacted Texas Public Radio, and they asked to interview me and attend the play. They did an on-air spot (below) on the show as well as an online article.
NOV
- Went to 13th floor for the first time ever. Michael was very impressed at my lack of screaming. I held my breath and closed my eyes and reminded myself that they could not touch me. I did not appreciate the fishing line hanging from the ceiling that could. Or the places where there were no lights and you had to walk through the pitch black. But I survived. And I got a really cute photo.
- Went to see Michael in "Creature Feature"
- Learned Michael could live off candy if needed
- Nov 6th - Had a public reading of my play, Monday: or the Other Rape Play. Survived.
- Had my first commercial call back. Didn't get it, but I was happy to be called back.
- Went to see Catie Carlisle's incredible work at the Overtime called That Night. Was terrified to cry. Definitely cried.
- Nov 8th - began substitute teaching - all levels
- Nov 15th - Met Michael's family at his birthday dinner. Went to my first Japanese steak house. Politely scarfed the food down my gullet.
- Got to substitute teach at one of Michael's schools and it just so happened to be the same day they had their staff thanksgiving meal so we got to have lunch together AND I saw my friend Shelby AND I saw my former Coach Lori King. A few days earlier I saw another one of my former coaches, Coach Merry Brown.
- My family was out of town for Thanksgiving except for my godmother, so she joined me and Michael at his house with his family to feast
- Nov 29 - Saw the new hunger games movie with Michael and his sister
- Opened Holiday in the Park at Six Flags
- Nov 30 - Saw the LIFE CHANGING Renaissance Tour on Film with Selena. This is the same day I had a three hour rehearsal to learn a new show that I was going in for the next day.
- Saw Santa!
- Wrote stuff like this:
DEC
- Learned that my godmother really enjoys elf on the shelf
- Began to swing as Boss Elf for Sing Xmas with the Tinsel Tunes at Six Flags
- Drove to Little Elm, TX to the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience
- Was able to be part of Brayden's first experience going to a Waffle House
- Wassail Fest with Michael
- Spurs game with Michael
- Had a potluck 'closing' party to celebrate my play reading
- Dec 24 - the family met Michael for Xmas. And what a gift it was.
- Dec 25 - 28 - Michael's Christmas gift to me is... Hogwarts. And we get to visit our wonderful friends Ashley & Travis.
- Closed Holiday in the Park at Six Flags
- Drove to Fort Worth, TX to audition for Circle Arts Theatre. Felt great. Heard nothing but loved the venue and had fun.
- Completed my STEDI Special Education training as a substitute teacher for NISD
- Callbacks
- Sing for my LIFE
- Dec 28 (yes, still) - Surprise! I'm swinging in as a Wardrobe Dresser for Wicked at the Majestic! It's only for three days. (Jan 2 - just kidding, I'm going back!)
- That's all.
Oh and this recently came out:
Reel Talk:
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