Up on Stage Reading for Walterdale's Donor Voted Show Event!

On Friday night, I found myself in a very comfortable place.  I was back up on the Walterdale stage reading for the Donor Voted Show Event. It was a great evening that saw a nice turn-out from the membership and raised $800 for the theatre as well as helping to select one of the shows for the 2016/17 Season.  The three shows up for consideration were Queen Milli of Galt; The Attic, The Pearls and Three Fine Girls; and The Glace Bay Miner's Museum. I had a great time reading from the second selection with Kristin Johnston and Kat Evans.  John Evans was also involved reading for the other shows. It was fun to read with some really good actors who I've been lucky enough to direct before, but not perform with.

After the votes were counted, Queen Milli of Galt was declared the winner! Now Artistic Director Anne Marie Szucs has one of her shows decided for next season and she has only to select the four others to round out the roster!

A fitting end to a week I spent getting prepped for Chess, which I am directing at Walterdale later this season!

The Body Hurts

All this week I have had this *pain* in my throat. It was mild, and stronger in the morning and at night. Tuesday I thought I had defeated it with hot tea and honey but when I woke up Wednesday it was back. It was fine in the day and then around 9:30 p.m. it started coming back. This morning I woke up and went back to sleep because I was not well. I am still not well and my right shoulder is slightly seized. It feels connected. After Oliver got home from school, I fed the boys and then had a nap. I managed to sleep in until 10 a.m. and then nap for 2.5 hours in the afternoon and if it wasn't because I thought I should feed the boys more I would still be asleep. I have a busy weekend so I plan to get to bed early - hopefully I will be able to go to sleep - and pray for a healthier morning!

Got the Donor Voted Show Event on Saturday Night. All Walterdale members are invited - doors open to the general membership at 7:00 p.m. The Donors are invited at 6:00 p.m. for a wine and cheese thing. The readings start at 7:30 p.m. Which play will they pick? I have my favorite but I won't say anything because I don't want to skew the voting!

In the Lull...

I am in between projects right now - not really, but it feels like it. I do have a script I need to work on for New Works, but the time to work on that is flexible, not scheduled like when you are in rehearsal. Soon I will be in rehearsal and that will shift my work schedule on that, but for right now, 2 weeks after Sweeney and a week before New Works auditions, I am in a lull. The worst thing about lull time is that I eat more. It is strictly boredom and because it's there eating, but it happens and that sucks.

So, to try and make the lull work for me, today I finally wrote several drafts for the Handbook we are putting together at Walterdale. I wrote about Theatre Etiquette for Audiences and Actors (and Production Teams as a whole) and I wrote about Rehearsals (for the Director and the Actor) and the Previews and Late-Comers Policies. There was a whole lot of writing. I think at the end I got kind of snippy, because some of the stuff I shouldn't have to spell out, but clearly we need to because people are frequently late to rehearsals and give notes to other actors and eat in costume. You know, that sort of stuff. But the drafts are done and all I have left is the Welcome Letter (from the AD) and the Chain of Communication Flow Chart (which I will hand draw and get a better computer person than I to make it digital!). I should be able to pull that off tonight.

I do have some rewrites on two plays that I need to get to work on, and I need to got through Much Ado, The Seagull and Hedda Gabler to find a good scene or scene(s) from each to sell them at the Donor Voted Show Gala Evening in January. Better get on that, I suppose!

So much for the lull...