Classes Begin - Familiar Faces with Theatre History!

The kids got back to school yesterday, but I didn't go back until today.  I am taking Drama 308 (The Modernist Stage) this semester and I think it is going to be a good adventure.  We are starting with Ibsen and I am 1/3 of the way through The Wild Duck.  I am familiar with the plot as I had to look it up when doing A Little Night Music (my character made a reference to it) so as I read the play it feels very deja vu. It was great to see so many familiar faces from all of my 4 previous years in the U of A Drama Department.  I have staked out the front row with Gil (just like 208/209) and we were joined by Harley from my 257 class.  I like the tone of the Prof. and the class itself promises to be good.

Back in the Rehearsal Hall

I spent this last week re-acclimatizing to University and sorting out exactly what I would be taking. I decided that I would stick to Drama 409 (Contemporary Theatre) and dropped Drama 240 (Oral Communication and Interpretation). I quite liked 240, but could quickly see that 409 was going to take a lot of time for homework and the steepness of the learning curve as we dived into Phillip Glass and Hamletmachine and the like was going to require I scale back. After two classes my brain is hurting (a good thing) and I am excited about what the course will bring. I feel like this exploration into contemporary and post-modern theatre will enrich my play writing as it might encourage me to play with structure and language. I know that I am fairly traditional in my writing, but I am excited to push myself.

I also got back into rehearsals of Playmates for New Works. We did a bit of exploration and text work before the break and Bevin came back with a tighter and even more effective script. I think she finds my process helpful to the writing for which I am glad. I really feel that new work is a type of theatre that I am a good Director for. The piece is nicely challenging and I have to work to keep the tensions and engagement up through a lot of silences and pauses (intentional) and I like that. We started some initial blocking yesterday and got through about a 1/4 of the script and I like the initial shape.

I am also looking into fulfilling my obligation to theatre-going this month. I saw a youtube clip of Ghost River Theatre's The Highest Step in the World, that is playing at The Arden in St. Albert January 27-28 and I really want to check it out. I want to take my oldest son, as well, as I think he will be amazed by it. Here's the link to the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4eEQChOs18

That's all I have on the radar. If I can make it to Big Shot at the Roxy I will. I am also hoping to check out more of the Canoe Festival, especially since some of it is at the University.

New Year's Resolutions

A New Year - 2012

So, first of all, I will work on my weight and fitness. My extended family has a group of us working on this in 10 week chunks. We check in via email and we did one leading up to New Years. I did okay - losing 10.3 lbs and then gaining a bit of that back over Christmas (sigh). I am down 8 lbs from that starting point. I like the 10 week chunks of time and plan to make 10 lbs per 10 weeks my goal. I like the 10 weeks because it means I can 're-new' my plan every ten weeks and not let it get lost in the busy of my life. I do find that I do much worse when I have the kids home so hopefully when they go back to school on Monday I can get back on track. Recovering from Christmas et al has been a challenge.

Second is my theatrical goal. I plan on seeing a minimum of 40 theatre or arts events this year. I actually think that is lower than what I want, but manageable. I have never kept track before so I may find that after this year I will up that total! The way I see it, that is only 3-4 events per month and that hardly sounds difficult! The hardest part will be when I am in rehearsal for Nine, because I know that my instincts will be to stay home on the nights off from rehearsal. This month I am starting out with Beauty & the Beast (Broadway Across Canada), and I hope to make it to the Canoe Festival (Workshop West). Surreal SoReal has Big Shot, and I have my ear to the ground for other shows to see. Next month is a lot more dense but I also have a show opening so I have to get to them when I can! Anyhow, I am excited about this goal!

Third is my writing goal. I want to write more. I am determined to have a script finished to submit to the APN Competition in March. This might just be the matter of choosing which to work on and dedicate time to.

That's enough for goals for now. I also want to sort out what exactly I am doing with my education at the University of Alberta. Something is holding me back from dropping Drama 240, but I am pretty sure I need to as I do not think I can handle 2 classes and I think Drama 409 is a better fit for what I want to get out of the experience. I think I need to sleep on it.

New Educational Journey Has Begun!

Today was class three of my Fall course, Drama 257. I was a little leery (as usual) at the beginning, but I am really enjoying it. The 'kids' are nice and I like the style of our instructor, Donna Marie, and I think that I can get something out of it. I always worry about those things when I take classes at the Uni now. Being that I am 20 or more years older than most (read: all) the other kids in class and I might even be older than the instructor, I tend to worry about how I will fit into the dynamic. However, this group of students seem to like me and accept me as one of them (whew!) not just 'the old lady' in the class. The first two Projects that we presented I think demonstrated that I am not just a dilettante, but that I am serious about this and that I have something to offer.

I am anxious for script work. I understand the vocabulary of intention and specificity and choice and being present, so I want to apply that to some script work. I am curious as to who I will be paired with. As I have done in my previous acting classes, I am trying to work with as many different people now to get a sense of who they are. I can definitely tell there are stronger and weaker students in the class and students who will be easier or harder to work with (they unfortunately do not all match up). I think I offer a variety to scene choices for the instructor as I am older and that contrast in age and maturity will mean different situations to explore. I hope that she pushes me from where I am now, not from where the majority of the class is. I think that if I feel she isn't, I could easily talk to her about and she would be keen to do so. Anyhow, it is going well. Thursdays are like my Fridays and I am enjoying the rhythm of the Tuesday/Thursday schedule. Let's go!

Out of My Control...

Last week I was sick. It hit Mon Night/Tuesday Morning and hung on until Sunday. I still have remnants but I am functional. In fact, I was functional for most of the week because I had things on the go that I could not opt out of. This week it is a slightly different picture. I am at about 95% but both boys have a cold. This is worse than when I was sick. I will struggle through things when I am ill, but with both boys ill it basically creates a situation where I am stuck at home. Yesterday this wasn't so bad, because I had nothing on the go that was urgent. Today it is much worse, because I have class and an assignment due in class. I emailed and phoned my prof and sent the assignment via email in the hope that she will accept it. I was contemplating dragging the kids to campus with me, but frankly, at this point, I will take a loss on the assignment rather than do that. One kid - I could handle that trip; Two kids - no way. Normally I would have my Mom as back-up, but my parents are away. If it were only one of the boys I could drop him at the store while I ran to class and back - I can't do that with both. This doesn't happen often, but when it does I really earn my salary. They better be well enough to go to school tomorrow!

Life Proceeds Apace...

Well, for a long weekend, I didn't feel like I got much rest. Perhaps it was the child-activity filled day with show with friends out in Sherwood Park in the evening on Saturday (winding up with a late night at a Irish Pub), followed by rehearsing all afternoon and going to the movie with Mark on Sunday. Then Monday, all kid activities were still on (including school). On Tuesday, Remembrance Day, I did not have class, but my Final Project group met for 3 1/2 hours in the afternoon and then I rehearsed for Black Hearts in the evening. Wednesday, actually felt like a break, even though I had to go in to the University to meet up with my group again for an hour.

Black Hearts is starting to feel more solid. It has been the most challenging script I have ever had to learn and I don't even have that many lines compared to Steel Magnolias or Gypsy. It is the nature of having ghosts in the script, who we can't hear, but who may be our cues lines. It is hard for the brain. Also, a lot of the early work was useless. We could have been beating at the script, but instead we were doing all this improv stuff. Finally we are working, working, working the script and it feels like it is solidifying. I just wish we had done more work on the text earlier so I didn't feel like I am always having to shake away insecurities about lines. This Sunday we are no longer allowed to call line... which I personally feel is a mistake. We have 2 weeks to Q2Q. There are so many things that we are still adding and whenever a new element gets added the lines will regress. Maybe if we had more time working the text earlier, but, I just don't feel we are ready and I think it is a needlessly early deadline.

Evaluation

This past week we received our midterm marks for my drama course. I was a little disappointed, but was reassured when I was informed that it is extremely rare to see an A in a first year drama class. I was also disappointed in the mark for my midterm group project. We didn't do as well as I had hoped. The comments and mark were likely valid, but I was frustrated because they were things we had cleaned in rehearsal but apparently regressed to in performance. This frustrated me, because I like to work to full potential and I saw those things and worked to clean them, but there they were. I don't anticipate the same issues with my group for Final as we have a much different dynamic. I find it hard to deal with evaluation in drama. It makes me second guess myself.

New Projects are Exciting!

So, two good friends of mine asked me to direct them in the show, The Last 5 Years. It will be a co-production between their 2 production companies and it will go up in March. We met yesterday to check in and discuss the project and see if I am on board. I am. Oh yeah! I am very excited about this. It is a beautiful musical for 2 with really great songs that are dramatic and compelling. Very much the stuff I like to do and see. Plus, the two of them are great for the roles so it is not one of those 'okay, I'll do it - yikes, how will I direct them?' kind of things. (And I am not just saying that because one of them reads this blog!) There are still a few pieces of the team to put together and we probably won't start actually working on it until late January, early February, but that is alright because it gives me time to plan and structure the work time. Finally, a musical to direct in Edmonton!

Great weekend over and done with. Friday was Halloween and the boys had a blast. Saturday I shipped them off to my Mom's and had my 2nd Annual 40th Birthday Party. Great turn-out and a lot of fun and wonderful people from my life came and sang and drank and ate and talked. Everything a party should be! Yesterday was crazy busy, but I survived a pre-production meeting in Sherwood Park, then a group project meeting at the University, then a rehearsal at Walterdale, dinner at the Act and then back to Walterdale for a Board Meeting! Whew! I was a little punchy at the end of the evening, but in a silly way not a cranky one...

Class Participation...

Week three of my return to University has begun and I am really enjoying it. I actually got up and participated in front of the other 'kids' today and it was pretty cool. I actually got a nice compliment from our instructor who thanked me personally for my heightened emotional commitment to the activity. Tres cool! I guess it pays off to take those risks. I know I have a bit of an unfair advantage considering my background so I think I was holding back but really, I am paying for this, I need to get the most out of it for myself so I have to stop staying in the background and get myself out there.

I met Merran (of Cinderella fame) for lunch and Kayla joined us at the beginning and then Martin and Laura (from class) joined us for the end. Nice to hang with the 'kids' and feel like an equal and not a freaky old person (although I do make jokes about my age - it is my way... can't explain it).

On Sunday night I auditioned for the melodrama at Walterdale (Black Hearts in the Green Room). I know I kicked it, but you never know who else came out and what the total picture was so now I wait and hope for the best. I shall try to be cautiously optimistic. I feel I did good enough to get one of the two roles I want, but others may have too, so I can't really call it. Cross your fingers for me.

Keener...

Today was my first class! Hurray! We played Yes Let's and it felt a little weird to be playing as opposed to running the game! I like the atmosphere in the room and I am not the only 'older than 18' person in there, thank goodness. I have already completed my first journal entry. I think it was thoughtful and reflective and I feel like a keener. Cool.

On Saturday Mark and I will be going to Olds for the funeral for Amber and Sarah Olsen. I expect it will break my heart, but my Mom volunteered to take the boys for the day so that we could go. I really didn't want them to come since Oliver gets quite emotional and you can't predict it. I don't think there is anything to say or do for Dave and Shauna, except be there.

First Day of School...

Today Oliver starts grade 2 and I do my registration for my return to University. The lunches are packed, the hair is combed and the teeth are brushed. We are early because normally Oliver will be getting on the bus so I wanted to be sure I could get it done by the right time. It is nice to have this little bit of time before we go. Gibson has decided he will fuss about going to daycare (3rd day in a row) but I am not reacting to it as I know him and I know that he is trying to see if a little fussing will get him out of it. Hopefully that will stop soon.

I am excited.

Oliver has been expressing a dislike for school, but further questioning has determined it is because he doesn't like the fact that he can't play DS or computer games at school. Those are not reasons I am prepared to give much weight to. I am anxious to find out which of the two classes he is in. Last Spring M. Alyre said he was in the straight 2. Last week they said he was in the split. It is quite possible it could go either way. I am personally not sure which is the best place for him.

Trial Run...

Today I got the boys up and fed and dressed and out the door at the soon to be usual time and did a trial run of my Tuesday morning trip. Yes, it's Thursday, but on Tuesday we didn't get out the door early enough. In any case, we made it with time to spare. I circled the block so that I was leaving the bus stop at 8:06 AM and made it to the daycare by 8:27 AM and out of the daycare by 8:35 AM. I passed the Timm's at 8:40 AM. That would mean I would have 20 minutes to park and get to class. Completely doable. And if it turns out to be tighter (bus running late... etc...) then I should still have some buffer time. I will also ask the bus driver about whether or not I can put Ollie on the bus at an earlier (and closer to the University) stop. I feel better about the whole thing. And it will only be Tuesdays. On Thursday, I can take Gibson earlier and not have to wait for the bus.

Back to School Time...

I now have everything arranged for 'back to school'. I never heard back from the Before School Care place, despite going in twice and speaking to 2 different people. I also didn't get the best feeling about the place (noisy, disorganized, funny smell...) so I started to look for another option. I started to think about the bus for Oliver and I investigated and that is what we are doing. The benefits are a consistent start time in the morning (Mark will drop off on his days and he will get to work earlier), way cheaper (French Immersion is a 'special program' not offered at my community school so the bus rate is about 1/2 what you would regularly pay), and I can still pick Oliver up after school. I think Tuesdays will still be tight for travel time, but I will make it work (somehow!).

I am also lining up what I want to be doing this Fall. There seems to be so many opportunities and unfortunately talking about possibilities with friends has leaked things out to people who may want me (I was approached by an ELOPE Board member with an 'I heard you were interested...') and I am not sure exactly what I want to be doing. I wish all the offers came at the same time... but they trickle in and you have to decide on one before you get the next and then if that's what you'd rather be doing you are stuck unless you want to be super-busy. I have a few Boards to decide on, and I am waiting to hear about helping with an Independent Production and I am meeting to see about how I could contribute to ArtStart. I am also starting the University course and I really want to get in shape, eat better and WRITE (alone and with AM). The good thing is, I am planning it out. I have a weekly schedule started and I am looking at how it all fits together. Maybe it is a good thing that the boys are on wait lists for swimming at the YMCA... Two less things to worry about...

Looking for the Beat...

I am back home now for over a week and I am in search of the rhythm for the summer. The boys have had one week of Daycamp and I used that week to get quite a bit done.

I got 4 large bags of 'stuff' for Goodwill packed and out of the house. I cleaned the front vestibule (vestibule... I like that word) which was smelling like little and big boys shoes (because that's mostly what is in the vestibule). The vestibule now smells a lot like pine-sol.

I set up the Daycare arrangement for Gibson for the Fall (yay!). I now believe that the 1 - 1.5 year waiting list hype about daycares is a myth. The lists look that long because everyone gets themselves on 10-15 waiting lists and then when people start calling with a spot they get through it fairly quickly. My 1-1.5 year wait was in actuality 2 weeks! Ah, but the daycare is nice and close to the Uni and is a university affiliated daycare (good quality generally) and I liked it. I think it will be good for Gibson.

I called the University about my application... still waiting on the Keyano Transcript. Only 14 spaces left in the class I want... hurry up!

I rehearsed twice this week. I am about 75% off book, which I should be happy with, but I am kicking myself. It is still a month away. I have also been making chocolate Cinderella Lollipops for the press packets. I am quite enamoured of this and haven't been eating much chocolate at all. I promise. I spent a bit of time at Michael's to get the stuff for the press packets and I really love Michael's. Perhaps too much so. I also wrote my bio for the program (check!).

Yesterday I went for lunch with my good friend Tanya, who I had not seen since her ill-fated wedding over 8 years ago. We have written and talked on the phone, but this was a long over due face-to-face visit. We (and Gibby) had a nice 2 hour power chat over lunch at BP's. So great to see her again and reconnect. I have these wonderful friends from over the years and I am glad they feel the same way about me!

So, where is the beat to the summer? I am still trying to find it. There are too many small chores to do that an actual identifiable beat may not be possible.