Last Week - Where Did It Go?

The illness in my house last week (mine and the kids) knocked me out of circulation and left me feeling behind in everything. Thankfully I had chunks of time in my very busy Saturday where I could read some of my scripts. The one thing about kid's classes is that while they are in the class you have to sit and wait for them, and reading is a very good thing to do to fill your time. I read Hosanna, The Rez Sisters and Lion in the Streets and I started The Tale of the Allergists Wife. Two were for homework, and 2 for consideration for Walterdale. Check! I still have many more to read, but I always bring one or two along with me wherever I go.

I am trying to get on top of things this week and change the momentum of last week. Already I have coloured my hair (the blond was getting to me - too hard to maintain without the proper salon time and money), cleaned the upstairs bathroom, and I am doing a whole house garbage round-up. I also have 2 reference letters to write and I have an important decision to make about whether or not we leave From Something in the ADFA StageStruck! The schedules of those involved (myself included) are getting stressed to the limit and I don't want to put it up if it is not what I want it to be. It was a great idea in the summer, but now that the reality of my life (and the lives of my cast and crew) has bubbled up it is looking like the proverbial back-breaking straw. We will talk tomorrow and see what the task actually is once we do the read-through. Maybe it isn't as big a job as we think?

I have a sitter booked tonight. We (the From Something girls) were going to go for dinner tonight. Two of the cast is ill and one cannot get to the restaurant and I haven't heard from another so it might just be two of us. I am going to do something. I am not going to waste a sitter!

We Won Some Stuff!

Interplay
Theatrical Excellence Awards
Sponsored by Julio Florez of Royal LePage True North Realty

Best Play, $500 – Haiku
Best Actor, $250 – Jeff Rivet, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog
Best Actress, $250 – Julie Sinclair, From Something
Best Director, $250 – Kristen Finlay, From Something
Technical Achievement, $250 – Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog

Road Trip...

Tomorrow I leave for Fort McMurray for Interplay. I spent this morning photocopying leaflets and programs. I am unsure as to how many to make. I made 280 leaflets and 300 programs. If we need more programs we will photocopy more there. If we sell 300 tickets I will be delighted! We will also ask people to recycle, so hopefully they will. Nothing bugs me more than wasted paper and if you aren't going to use the thing again, then recycle it! I am looking forward to seeing all my old friends and the old haunts and I hope to see them at the show and at the Interplay site. I just hope we don' t forget anything!

I just did an interview with the Fort McMurray Today on the play and coming back to McMurray and aside from Gibson crying non-stop in the background it went really well. I hope we get a nice article from it!

We are In!

It pays to think positively. I just felt it. I knew it from the beginning when we were #12, then when we moved up to #9 and then #6, I was not worried. When we sat at #1 for over 3 weeks, I felt we were already there. Yesterday we got the call... We are in the Edmonton International Fringe. Our venue is great (The Westbury - Transalta Stage), our Times are great, we get 75 minutes and a 3 1/2 hour tech on a night we are in town.

Finally Sauces presents From Something
Stage #1 - Transalta/Westbury
Thurs, Aug 13 - 8:00 p.m.Sat, Aug 15 - 12:15 p.m.
Tues, Aug 18 - 2:45 p.m.
Thurs, Aug 20 - 6:15 p.m.
Fri, Aug 21 - 11:15 p.m.
Sun, Aug 23 - 4:15 p.m.

Hopping Into the Director's Chair...

Ah. It seems as though I may have to direct my Fringe show myself this summer. I was hoping to just be producer and playwright, but things happen and I think I will have to direct as well. My first choice was keen to do it, but her life has become swamped with things and she doesn't think she can serve the project properly so she bowed out. I respect that. I know that I have had times in my life when life overwhelmed me and I was unable to do all the tasks I had to do as well as I would have liked. I wish I still had her on board though, because she is a rock star and I totally trust her with my script. I hope that I will have the ability to separate the two jobs in my head.

Still Number 12 on the Wait List....

A conversation the other evening with Magnolia while the techs focused the lights reminded me that I needed to see where we were at with my Fringe show so I sent off an email to the Fringe. I am still #12 on the Wait List, but I was told not to fret, that I should check back in April and that things were likely (but not guaranteed) to change with regards to my number. So, I am still waiting. That's alright. I have more than enough to keep me waiting until April. Perhaps I shall review the script. It has been a while since I tracked through it. I picked it up last weekend and got discouraged as it all sounded familiar (I did write it - it should be familiar), but maybe after this week and The Last Five Years is done, I can truly focus. Speaking of, the show is quite lovely. I may be bias in this assessment, but I don't think I am. I just want the heat on in the theatre so my actors don't get sick. It is a big sing for both of them (though Martin will say he has the harder stuff - ha!) as each has 1/2 of the 80 minute show to sing. The songs are challenging and push at both ends of their ranges and they are fabulous. This week will be a marathon for them.

Levelling the playing field...

Rush, rush, rush....

So, this week I submitted an application for a position I really, really want... more on that when and if I get it. I won't know for at least a month.

Yesterday I submitted my application for an indoor venue at the 2009 Fringe. That is for From Something. Cross your fingers and think good thoughts for me on December 1st. That's the lottery day. I am hopeful and I feel good about it.

This month I developed a draft policy for auditions at Walterdale Theatre. The Board is currently reviewing it and making suggestions and we will vote on it at the next Board meeting.