Looking Forward...

Tomorrow (Wed, July 6th) is Opening Night of Village of Idiots. I am excited and sad about this. It marks the last Opening Night of my tenure as Artistic Director, so there is a sadness about seeing this journey end. I have learned a lot and met a lot of friends over the last few years. I have made mistakes, and learned from them. I hope that I am passing on what is needed to the incoming AD. I have been trying to do so, but I also don't want to be overbearing or come across like I am trying to still do the job. I will miss it. I know that this job and what I learned from it will serve me in the future, but like anything 'unknown' it is scary to move on. I am also excited about the Opening. Openings are always fun and because I got the opportunity to design the set I am anxious to see the reception of that.

I also have to pack tomorrow. I am going on a wee holiday to San Francisco for my cousin's wedding. I am so looking forward to seeing my cousins and siblings and aunts and uncles who will be there. I have a list of things to do before I go... when I come back, I dive right back into Pieces and A Little Night Music and finishing the run of Village... I am looking forward, but the path is cluttered...

Future Planning...

Yesterday AM and I met for Finally Sauces and figured out what we will be doing for the Fringe. It is kind of exciting, as I will have another one of my scripts on a Fringe stage, and even more so because we know we are in and have none of that anxiety about 'will we get in or won't we'. We decided, after looking through a number possibilities, to remount Pieces, the one-act I wrote that was produced at Walterdale 4 years ago in From Cradle to Stage. It won't just be a remounting, however, as I have done a lot of writing since and I feel I can develop it more. Currently is runs 25-30 minutes and I would like to add 15-20 minutes to develop some of the background characters more. I will also be directing, which I feel more confident about after the last Fringe experience.

I also have to figure out what will happen to me next year. The new AD will shortly be selected and that will mean a job that has taken up a lot of my time will no longer be on my plate. I will certainly miss it as I really felt that it has been a position that suited me really well. I am deciding whether I submit to direct - although I know it may be unlikely that I will get a show since I have directed there the last two years. It might be nice to take a step back and do shorter term projects. I would like to be a master painter on a show, and I am also interested in set design (although I lack the drafting skills). I also could pursue more at the University. There have been projects there I have been interested in doing over the last 2 years but my time commitments to Walterdale have prevented that. I know that I will be busy and have opportunities, but I don't like not knowing what they will be.

My Walterdale A.D. Blog...

Because I like to compartmentalize I started a blog dealing strictly with my A.D. Adventures...

http://finster-wallyworld.blogspot.com/

I anticipate plenty of overlap.

It's Official

I am Walterdale Theatre Associates new Artistic Director for the 2009-2011 Seasons. There was an article in the Edmonton Journal with the announcement that called me Karen M. Finlay (a correction was printed today) and the Walterdale January Newsletter announced me, so I have been enjoying the congratulations from well-wishers. I now anxiously await submitted scripts for the season. I will sift and shuffle and try to put together a season that works in many ways since I serve so many masters in this new position. I will also remember to save something good for myself...

I have two more shows for Sky (tonight and tomorrow). We have done 2 very good shows, but to very small audiences (20 the first night and 5 the second night). We have not let the size of the house change our intensity, so that is good. It is just frustrating to put the whole thing together and drive all that way for 5 people... I am a little frustrated with the lack of promotion of the show and I know my director is as well. I hope that we have a bigger house tonight.

I am the Artistic Director...

Of Walterdale Theatre Associates for the 2009-2011 Seasons!

That's all I really wanted to say.

I am really excited about it. I am a little tired because I just came off the 24 Hour Playwriting Competition, but I am really excited and looking forward to those scripts that will come rolling in so that I can read them and design the season.

Ah.

Merry Christmas!

This time of year is busy. It was busier still coming out of a show. The craziest is done. I enjoyed a somewhat restrained Christmas Eve at my folks place replete with the traditional oyster stew and iced sugar cookies. On Christmas day the clan came to my place for a big turkey dinner. All went well. This was my second solo on making the meal. I made one security phone call and I figure that next time I shall be able to get through it without the phone call. I feel a great sense of accomplishment at being able to complete this meal without recipe book and with only a single phone call to check on times and procedures. I made far too many mashed potatoes, just the right amount of stuffing (although Mark would eat it for days and days so he might say there wasn't enough), the turkey was juicy and browned perfectly and certainly no one went hungry.

On Boxing Day we drove to Olds for a revisit of the Christmas meal. There was ham as well, so I escaped having to overdose on turkey. The visit was okay, but somewhat strained for no discernible reason. This is typical. I have learned to take a book. My being sick also allowed for a trip to the hotel in the afternoon on the 27th for a nap. We did not see Mark's sister. She did not come over or call and Mark is tired of doing all the work. It is easier to play the avoidance game. Too many imagined injuries from the past that we are unaware of to deal with. Perhaps she really did have migraines...

We returned home on the 28th. The drive was good. We had a flat tire in Olds that Mark got repaired but he said the truck handled funny the whole way home. I am sick and tired of the car troubles we have been having! I received good news regarding the position I have applied for via e-mail and a phone message. It has to go to the Board, but I am fairly certain of the outcome. Yay! More to come on that, when I can...

Show Down...

We wrapped up the show on Saturday night. We had a very nice sized house for the close which was a nice way to end it. The general feedback was that the 'theatre snobs' enjoyed themselves, but found the piece full of holes and lacking gravitas (ha ha - it was a melodrama) and that the non-theatre folk had a great time. I think we did what we could with the piece and with the talents and skills available. I did wish that the playwright had been more actively involved in the whole process so that some of the holes could have been sewn up a little. But I think we all committed to selling the piece as is and that worked. Our shows themselves were highly audience dependent. My best show of the run was the first Saturday, but the closing Friday and Saturday were up there. Again, the audience was a big factor and the success of the chair fall.

I enjoyed working with the group on this project. I was sick on and off (mostly on) for the majority of the rehearsal period which side-tracked my fitness plans. Illness also affected my mood so I was crankier than usual. I think that I pulled it together for the process, but you never know. The group, primarily new to Walterdale, was enthusiastic and fun and genuinely happy to be there so that made for a good experience. I hope to see many of them back for future shows as I think they had the right attitude. It wasn't the closeness of Magnolias or the near-perfection of Crimes, but I did make good friends and we entertained honestly and earnestly.

On Sunday, I interviewed for AD at Walterdale. The boys put me through a rigorous 2 1/4 hour interview. The questions were free-flowing, all over the place, hypothetical and practical. As far as I know I am the only candidate (I could be wrong), but they are not telling me until New Years (possibly this weekend). I am not sure why the wait. Personally I think they would be hard pressed to find a better candidate at this point in time.