Cinderella Update!

I finally know our schedule and location for the 2008 Fringe Festival! I hope you all can come and out see this fantastic production of Cinderella. So far we have gotten a chunk of it blocked and off-book (about a 1/3 I think). The cast is gelling as we get to know one another and get comfortable with each other. We got the PCL (yay!) and the times are good. If you have a wee bairn or are a child at heart - check it out! If you want to help Mark with my kids, let me know and I will tell him and you can help with the wrangling. Just so you know, Oliver is hilarious to go with... especially when audience participation is required.

Who: Scott Brooks, Merran Carr-Wiggin, Michael Davidson, Kimberley Miller, Martin Kapusta, Gil Miciak, Chris Scott, Linette Smith, and myself (Kristen Finlay - if you are reading this blog you should know this!).
What: The Fringe runs August 14 - 24
Where: You can see our show at the PCL Studio Theatre in the Transalta Barns (10330 84 Ave)When:Friday, August 15 - 11:00 am
Saturday, August 16 - 6:45 pm
Sunday, August 17 - 12:45 pm
Monday, August 18 - 4:15 pm
Wednesday, August 20 - 1:15 pm
Thursday, August 21 - 2:30 pm
Friday, August 22 - 11:00 am
Saturday, August 23 - 2:45 pm

Let me know if you have any questions. I'd love to see you you there!

My Beautiful, Silly, Colour Co-ordinated Family!

This week ALL of my immediate family was in town for a period of about 48 hours and we planned ahead and got family pictures done. A bit of co-ordination was involved because we wanted some amount of colour matching without it looking too cheesy. It came together nicely.

We also did smaller groups and 'personality shots' like the one of just my family. I think that shot captures a lot! Between the expression on my and Mark's faces and Oliver's silliness and Gibson's earnestness I think you get it all.

We will now be going through the process of spending a lot of money since there were so many nice pictures. I am a real sucker for nice photos of my family.

10 years ago...

Magnolia did this and I have stolen the questions from her....

What were you doing 10 years ago?
1998 - This would have been 2 years into my marriage so Mark and I were trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant. It was before I started teaching drama so I was teaching Math and Science and I was Student's Council Advisor (busy, busy, busy). I was also playing the White Witch in Narnia. Since it was before children I was still able to do quite a bit of Keyano. Likely there was a British Smisles show in there and I think that might also have been the year Mark and I did Damn Yankees.

What are 5 things on my to-do list?
1. Get rid of the junk I have accumulated over the years (sort and throw out).
2. Lose weight and get in better shape.
3. My writing - my 3+ plays on the go and the novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo.
4. Coordinate childcare and documentation so that I can take the drama course I want to at the U of A in the Fall.
5. Learn my lines for Cinderella.

Where have I lived?
Two Harbours, Minnesota - can't remember the house
Levack, Ontario - We lived in a couple of places - I remember the house where all us kids were in the same room - fun, fun, fun!
Princeton, B.C. - I remember how excited the neighborhood kids were to learn that a family with 5 kids was moving in.
Fort McMurray, AB - the house on Silvanus
Edmonton - a variety of apartments, and residences during University. I lived in Lister (Mac), Garneau and HUB, as well as some off campus apartments.
Fort McMurray - 3 or 4 places before Mark and I married. Then we bought the house on Ross Street (with my blue room)
Edmonton - Up here in Castledowns in our nice big house that still needs work, but we plan to be here for a while.

What would I do if I was a billionaire?

Pay off my mortgage and business loan on the store. Put a bunch in the bank. Give endowments to Keyano theatre and Walterdale. Produce my own plays or work that I could direct or be in. Maybe AM and I would start that theatre company. Hey I could build me own theatre! Cool! Hire a nanny (who would likely be paid very well for very little work). Raise the wages of everyone at the store. Set up education funds for my nieces and nephews. Give Paul some money so he wouldn't bug me (ha ha ha). Travel. Hire a personal trainer and a house cleaner. Get everything done to the house that I want done (like a new kitchen and get the basement re-done and all that). Sit down and make a list of the charities I want to support and then give them money, anonymously.

Oh yes, and go shoe shopping.... Ahhhhh....

Who would I like to know more about? I don't know. Maybe myself. Whenever I do a part in a play I tend to research the topic, but there isn't anyone in particular...

Nice Words... Nice to Hear...

Wednesday night I went to Opening Night for Trading Stages at Walterdale Theatre. I Assistant Directed one of the shows that opening Thursday, but I went both nights to support the casts. After Wednesday's show there was the typical Opening Night Reception. Mark and I went up to eat some veggies and dip and fruit and other finger foods. While there I was approached by Frank Glenfield. Frank is one of the original Walterdale Members and he and his wife are sort of Walterdale Royalty. In any case, he came up to compliment me on Crimes of the Heart. He said he had seen the show 4 times (Shadow Theatre, U of A and the original Walterdale production) and he and his wife had even debated going at all, but decided to go. He said that of the 4 shows mine was the best production. He complimented the 3 sisters in particular, but the show as a whole. Nice to hear.

Keeping it all Organized...

When I get busy like this, it is often hard to make sure everything is looked after. Too often there are more things I want to do than I can do. I am also trying to sort out what I want to do and prioritize a bit so I don't make another large commitment mistake like the last one. And I feel bad about it, because other people may have been perfectly happy with the experience I had. It is not to belittle those that might have liked doing it, it was just my time might have been spent better somewhere else. In any case, I have had a lot of discussions with AM and others about my role in theatre in Edmonton and surrounding area. I have to find a way to work into the current system, but I hate playing social games. I like being upfront and really, at 40, I feel like I am too old to jump through hoops. Blah, blah, blah....

And now for something completely different. We got the yard landscaped this past week. Totally gutted and re-sodded. The old yucky garden/weed patch was dug out and sodded over, giving us a lovely big backyard far more suited to us and the children. The landscapers also removed the debris left behind from last year's new patio construction so the 'white trash' appearance of our backyard has completely disappeared. Yay! Now we just have to keep it watered over the next three weeks and we should be good.

Next, please!

Baby is done. I can move on to the next thing, and I am doing so tonight. Tonight we have a Q2Q for the One Act (Cellar Doors, Secret Gardens) at Walterdale's Trading Stages. I am dead tired, but I do not think I will have a tonne to do there. Mostly just sitting and getting through it.

Back to the Boards...

After 3 days off we get back on stage tonight for BABY. Only 3 shows left for those of you who haven't checked it out. In the interim I got fed up with myself and got back on the treadmill and now I am a bit sore. It's a good sore. Tonight I shall try to re-capture the rhythms of the show and deliver the same product to this audience as I have to the others. I am praying that I remembered all my costumes pieces (we took some home for washing) as I would like to be dressed correctly in all my scenes.

I spent most of today on Pharmacy-Payroll stuff. Things that I have neglected a bit because of being busy. I feel very productive and hope that I can find a way to be like that more frequently so I don't feel like I am playing catch-up all the time. I get frustrated at the CRA telephone system that will take a minimum of 10 minutes on hold to get through, or else you will be bounced to a busy signal 5 times in a row after pressing '2'. Finally I got my questions answered and my documents in an envelope. Feels good. Now all we need to do is find more part-time help for both the Pharmacy and the Front Store. Anyone out there looking?

Being More Comfortable in my own Skin...

Today was one of Gibby's Preschool days. While he was in class I sat with a couple of other mothers in the lobby chatting about this and that. They each had a younger child with them (around 6 mo- 9 mo) and the topic came up of 'going back to work'. Both spoke about it as though it was unavoidable and I got the impression that it was for different reasons, none of which were a desire to actually be at work. Both mothers cited financial reasons and one of them also cited the fear of losing seniority. I know this is one of the things that frustrates me. Not that I can't be home. Because I can. It is because it has become a luxury to be able to stay home. A few months ago, my sister sent me an article about daycare funding which summed it up for me... "Fund the Child". If the money follows the child, then people could determine more freely how to provide care for their children. By putting the funding solely into daycare, it leaves little option for those who might be 'on the cusp' of affording to stay home. I want more choice and I want social acceptability to come with all the choices. If, as a society, we only put dollars towards one choice then we are saying that that is the only choice with value. Personally, I think it might even be one of the least valuable choices for the children.

Fringe on the Horizon...

Last night we had the first read-thru for Cinderella, the Fringe show I am in. I play the Fairy Godmother. It is very cute and funny and I think it will be good for the kids. The style is Oscar Wilde so I am in heaven. I love the Wilde! My character is quite "Lady Bracknell" so that is fun! The rest of the cast seems nice. There is a definite range in age, but the range makes sense for the roles so I do not feel like a dinosaur. I am looking forward to working with Linette again. I had so much fun with her during Steel Magnolias.

Me, the stay at home mom....

A conversation happened this weekend that made me think about what I am as defined by what I do... I am a stay at home mom. I know why I am. I know that my reasons are my own and I know that as far as I can see it is the best for me, my kids and my family. I am also a fabulous person, intelligent, talented, gifted in many ways and I do not feel that I am wasting my life by being at home, but every so often I talk to someone and I can tell that they think less of me because of my staying home with my kids. I can tell that they have an idea about 'the kind of person' that stays home with their kids. Now, in the conversation this weekend, this was not how I was treated. We weren't even talking about me, but I keep coming back to it in my head and I wonder how many people would stay home if they didn't feel they would be judged and de-valued because they chose to do that.

And then I think... do I judge people who chose to go to work and put their kids in daycare? Probably. I don't want to be that 'judgy' person, but if I am honest, I probably do. But I know a lot of that is because I am paying for part of their daycare with my taxes and no one subsidizes my staying home to care for my kids.

Juggling Act

I am currently in the little break between weekends of "Baby". If you haven't seen it, come out. It is a pretty good show and although I am not in much, I think we will give you a fun night out. Only 3 shows left, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Tonight, I am going to the first rehearsal for Cinderella, the Fringe show I am in. If I didn't have that I would have had a rehearsal for the One Act I am Assistant Directing at Walterdale. I may drop by there after the Cinderella rehearsal ends just to see where it is at. I have been away from it for a week and a half because of "Baby" so I am interested in seeing what has happened with it. I am looking forward to when it settles into just one thing.

Anyhow, I did want to say that I got back on the Treadmill today. These shows really screw up my working out because I find myself craving sleep more than working out so I let it lapse. However, a lot of the dressing room talk has brought up fitness and fatness and then i watched Biggest Loser Australia last night and I figured I had to get back on. Even if I can't make it to the YMCA at 9 AM, I can certainly climb on the treadmill at 10 AM. It was tough, but I know it will get better.