What you want to do? Isn't that what I said?

This past summer I directed two shows at Fringe, one of which I wrote (Little Monsters) and one written by my friend Anne Marie Szucs (Crack). Over the last several weeks a few lines from the latter have been rattling in my head, making me think hard about what my time is filled by.

     ANGELA: Sometimes I wish there were 2 of me - just to do everything I want to do.
     PAM: What you want to do.
     ANGELA: Yes. Isn't that what I said?
     CHRISTINE: Pam.
     PAM: Sometimes I think you do what everyone else wants you to do – Andy, the kids, church.  Where do you fit into the list?

I find myself coming back to that question... what is it I want to be doing?  I have many things I 'have' to do.  Some are things I have put in place, some are work or store related, some are volunteer commitments, some are things that people have asked me to do and I couldn't say no to...  I would say that most of them are things I like doing, even enjoy doing, but I think the big problem is that I am just finding more and more that there are simply too many things.  I know this because the thing I wish I was doing the most - writing - is not getting done.  It is the thing that gets pushed to the back burner by all the other stuff. 

I'm trying to clear the decks a little bit.  Some of the obligations will take longer to clear up.  Some will never go away because they are related to the children and you can't just absolve yourself of them once you have them. But I do intend to take some time to write this year, AND I do plan on getting onstage this year.  Those are my two 'Things I Want to Do' that I will make happen in between all the other things I have to do. And if you catch me saying to myself, what do I want to do, know that this is what's running through my head. 

A Smallish Project on the Horizon...

This Sunday I will be starting a smallish project for Walterdale Theatre.  When I was asked to be Master Painter for the first show of the season way back in the early summer I had to say No.  I knew that I would be too busy with the advent of the new theatre season and my new position at the Citadel.  However, a request from the set designer, former student Brendan Boyd, for help with painting the floor made me do a slight reversal. It's hard to say No to former students, especially those like Brendan. I came in with conditions, because my time is tight, but this Sunday I will go in and start the process.  I have yet to see the set design, so I am hopeful that I will have the right colours in the shop (it's a wood floor and there were a lot of varied browns in the paint shop). It should only take a couple days - for me, this month,that means Sundays.  There are a couple of wrenches in the works with the theatre being over-shared and the surprise of finding out an Open House and Tour is being held on one of my limited painting days, but I am optimistic about getting it done. I might be a little 'grumpy old man' about it, but it will get done.  I'm looking for suggestions for a good place for a massage in early October to recover from floor painting (it's the hardest on my back) so if you know any, let me know...

"Woah! Slooooooow Down There Lady!" - What my body is telling me...

We were returned to the audience last night after our 10 day hiatus and it was a fabulous show.  The emotional energy in the space was the best and other than a few issues with mics, it was another awesome show.  So pleased and proud.  A friend of mine, who has seen almost 50 shows this season, was there and she related the following on FB:


"I just had the best experience I've had all season at the theatre. And since I've seen nearly 50 shows, that's saying something.  I laughed a tonne, I wept for the pain of childhood. And I was blown away by the incredible performances - on stage and off.  Congrats, Kristen Finlay and the rest of the 'Bee' participants - you are all T-A-L-E-N-T-E-D!!"

She's also someone who wouldn't just say that to be nice, so I was very touched by her post.

I hope that people make it out.  It has been selling really well though, so I recommend getting tickets in advance.  But I have lost count of the number of people who tell me they can't believe it's a community theatre production, and these are people who see a lot of theatre.  I think the community aspect is merely in that we are a community of players, friends as well as performers, many of whom will be life-long friends after this.  I think there are quite a few people in this cast who on the basis of their training and talent should be working in theatre. There are people in this cast that are just as good, if not better, than some professional actors I have seen over the last few years.   I feel honoured to have been able to direct them.

For my really good friends, I really do not want to hear you say to me next week or the week after that, "Oh I wanted to make it, but I missed it." Even thought I am not onstage myself, I am so very proud of this, that I will be a touch disappointed if you don't try harder.

Anyhow, tonight I must stay home.  I am glad that I went last night and saw it again with an audience, but I wasn't feeling well then and it has gotten worse today.  It's that bone-aching exhaustion thing that tells me I really need time off, and since I want to be up for Closing Night, I figure I better rest now.

Photo Credit: Janine Hodder

My Harshest Critic... Me

Well, we wrapped up From Cradle to Stage for another year.  Overall things went really well.  I think the playwrights were happy with their plays and from the feedback from the rest of the production team everything ran very smoothly.  We finished up with a super fast strike and had a great turnout in terms of audience.  And then today, as a finishing touch to the festival, in conjunction with APN, Walterdale hosted a playwriting workshop facilitated by Tracy Carroll that ran smoothly and was very well received by the participants.  I am also extremely confident that we are well under budget which is never a bad thing! There were several times in the months leading up to this festival that I wondered if I could get it all done. Luckily I had a great team who understood my time situation who rose to the occasion and did the work fabulously. So I am glad that I did not resign months ago, when it could have meant a much less stressful season for me.

So, as I drove home, why couldn't I just enjoy it?  Why? Because my mind was running through the 4-5 things I forgot or didn't do as well as I wished. Instead of being content and happy about all the success of the production and festival,  I was thinking of the three people I forgot to offer comps to and the prop that I realized was still at the theatre that needed to be returned to the person who lent it to us.  I was thinking about the branches I never actually put on the trees on the set. I was dwelling on the stereo I forgot to lock up and turn off and the incomplete cleaning job we did because I felt the incoming group was in a rush to get in the space since they moved in 20 minutes earlier than I expected. I know.  I should be thinking about the kudos and thank yous, and those good things are definitely there, but I also was thinking about a couple negative emails I received from people who should have been working to help me not criticize me, and things beyond my control like a website that with wrong times and emails sent out to the membership with limited and incorrect information. Things I had no control over, but that I felt responsible for.  I constantly go over in my mind - how could I have prevented this or that? Sometimes there is nothing I could have done, but it still bugs me.

Theatre is one of the places in my life where I consistently have this desire to be perfect and yet never feel I am.  I'd like to get over it... Maybe someday.  But maybe not. Maybe it's what pushes me to do better work.

I don't think I am alone in this.  I think a lot of people over-assess things.  I also know that one of the reasons I have grown to feel this way is because very often the only time people give any feedback is to report something gone wrong, and perhaps they are not always the kindest or most diplomatic about it.  So now I sit, waiting for the feedback about the things that weren't perfect... Things I have already accounted for in my mind.

Over Halfway Through Hell Month! And it's not so bad...

Well, I have made it through the toughest part of the month... having both shows Open and up and running.  Spelling Bee is a resounding success so far with audiences leaving with aching ribs from laughing so hard.  I have gotten so many wonderful comments from people on the show.  I hope that you all find the time to make it out to the last part of the run (May 29th - June 1st).  It's an extremely high caliber show in terms of the talent onstage and even if you are not a musical theatre fan, I dare you not to enjoy it.  The script itself is so smart and sharp and funny. From what I have heard tickets are going fast for the remainder of the run so I would advise people to pick them up sooner rather than later. For me it's a weird feeling to be in the middle of a run but technically on a break from a show.  I miss them all!

Last Night From Cradle to Stage opened on Walterdale's stage.  All the pieces were in place and the shows themselves ran very smoothly.  It was great to have an audience there reacting and laughing.  I hadn't realized how funny the second show was until the audience came in.  But to be honest, I was worrying about my set and props and other details of the production.  The best thing for me was to see these brand new works up on our stage.  Because one play was written by three playwrights, that meant we actually helped four young playwrights get their work onstage!  It remains a point of pride for me that Walterdale continues to foster new, local playwrights in this way.  The Festival just started and there are 5 more shows (we run to Saturday, May 25th) and for those of you who wanted to know more about playwriting, there is a Playwriting Workshop on Sunday, May 26th that is free to all Walterdale Members ($25 for anyone else and we throw in a membership!).

But the hardest part of this was getting to Opening Night.  It's opened and it was well received and now I can relax a bit before Strike and the next Opening of Spelling Bee! I don't know if I will pile as much into one month again, but it is nice to know I can handle it!

Sundays are always busy...

Yesterday I had another delightfully full-of-arts Sunday.  I started the day at the boys' piano lessons, then hustled across town to Walterdale Playhouse to catch Burning Vision.  My date and I grabbed some supper and visited and then we headed off to rehearsal for Spelling Bee.  Following rehearsal i let myself be talked into ending the long day with karaoke at Rosario's. So, it was a full day full of music and theatre. The day had ups and downs.

Although I love hearing my boys play piano, it was clear that there were things they had not really spent much time practicing this week.

The play was interesting - it's a challenging piece - more of a poem onstage, than a traditional piece of theatre.  I will admit I struggled with it a bit. However, I was very impressed with the complicated sound design which gave the audience a very layered sensory experience, and there were several lovely performances. I was most impressed with Amy Chow as Tokyo Rose, as she has a true glow onstage and there always seemed to be many layers beneath what she was saying and thinking.  She was always so clearly present.

Rehearsal went well, but it was the first time we put together a large chunk of units so there was the usual crunchiness than comes with that process.  We also discovered 3 little micro-units that needed to be finished.  I feel like we can now concentrate on cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning, and in that cleaning strengthen the arc and pace of the show.  I am blessed with actors who have thought hard about character and who know how to play and make big choices, now I just have to help them finesse their choices so that it's all the same show!

And ah, Karaoke.  It has been so long and I don't usually sing, but it was nice to end the day that way.  I went with my lovely friend Amanda and it is always terrific to hear her sing - she can wail!  A long day, but certainly not a wasted one.

Strangely Drained...

I've been without an active project for about 3 weeks now and I am feeling really punchy about it.  I have filled my time with reading and cleaning and working out, but without a structured project I feel at wit's end. I do have projects coming up and some that I am somewhat involved in (painting in September, a bit of dramaturgy for a friend's Fringe show [more on that in a later post], overdue writing projects, etc...), but now in the heat of summer with kids home and all that I feel a bit trapped and bored. I have read many books over the last few weeks.  A bit of junk food reading, some non-fiction, some police procedurals, some young adult fantasy stuff and all that has been good.  I just don't function well when not busy.  That is not to say I want people to load me up with their tasks (no phone calls, please).  There is something that happens when you are chained to the house because of kids (it is summertime and they are home) and so you can't do things you want to do and even when you do some of the stuff you want to get done at home (cleaning and organizing and all that kind of crap) it is not necessarily fulfilling and you are quite likely to spend 2 hours cleaning a room and you can find it messed up again later that same day.  It happens in my house... grumble.

This weekend we went to a family reunion. I had a nice visit with some of the family - those that stuck around to visit. Some people left 1/2 an hour after we got there and came back just in time for supper when we had to leave about 1/2 an hour after that - what's up with that? The kids had a great time with their cousins and that was what counted.  Those that stayed to visit were pleasant to catch up with.  I don't often get to this one because if I am committed to Fringe stuff it is a challenge for me to go too.  My hip is killing me and I think the 6+ hours of driving had something to do with that, but whatever... grumble.

So tomorrow, to get out of the house and feel productive, I will work a casino.  Hi Ho, the Glamorous Life!

I should write more.  I technically have the time.  I should work out more (as soon as my hip stops killing me - I have actually been good about this the last two weeks). I should clean/sort out more of the house (I am working on it).  But I really need a project!

Busy Week - then I get serious about writing!!!!

This Friday I will be onstage for the Drama 483 scene I am in. I am enjoying the people I am working with and my director is positive and organized. We run too much, but that's my knees talking. Oliver has an additional basketball practice tonight to help get the team in better shape before Saturday's game. I have dress rehearsal for my midterm Drama 257 presentation tomorrow and I have to get a handle on it. I am doing it okay, but I want to be far more 'in' than I feel. I also have this tiny monologue that is kicking my butt for some bizarre reason. Once this week is over I shall have some breathing room. Hopefully I will no longer be sick (it's hanging on - grrr) and I will get to writing.

At least that's the plan. In the view of my lack of focus recently I am trying to figure out where I want to go. If I am honest with myself it is the writing. However, I do enjoy the acting and directing, as well, and feel that those things enrich my writing, but the time they take interferes. I might have to scale back. I cannot just NOT do the Mom stuff and the Store stuff because the kids would suffer and we have to pay the bills, so the areas I need to cut back on are in acting. I am committed to, and excited about Nine, so I will be ready for that, but I will work hard to ignore other offers until then. I will also think carefully about what I want to do in terms of writing workshops. I want to do this intentionally, with purpose and quality. I cannot do it on the fly or in tiny bits and pieces. It might be time to think about applying for grants...

A To-Do List Builds...

We have a wee 2 weeks off from rehearsing Pieces (Fringe 2011) while 2 of our actors are away and I am not accumulating an unanticipated To-Do List. I should have anticipated it, but sometimes I have to put my brain into the 'let's just get the next thing done' mode or I would get overwhelmed. Anyhow, the next two weeks will be about media materials, photos, posters, media releases, programs, etc... and I think I will be able to handle it. The once relatively free calendar is filling up (ugh), but the boys scoot off to camp next week so I should have much more time in the daytime to do any running around required. I am really thinking hard about a camp the following week, but in August they go three weeks straight in various camps so I am hesitant to do that. Somewhere in there I want to get a haircut...

The show itself is in good shape. The arc defined and present, but the big thing now is lines. It's tricky because of the overlapping dialogue so I do not pity the actors having to work on it in a vacuum over the next 2 weeks, but we will go hard in August when everyone is back. I will also work with anyone who wants a line running partner (I'll even do different voices for the different characters!). I am happy with where I have brought the script to. It could likely go further but I would have needed more time. It is a challenge to schedule with the my own schedule and the schedules of the people involved (a couple of them are in 1 or more other Fringe shows and then there are holidays and workshops - it is summer). In any case, I feel the script has taken leaps and bounds from where it was and my cast is very committed to making it work.

Last night I had rehearsal for A Little Night Music. We did a run of the show, off book. It was my first time off book for the whole show. I had put in some time on the lines earlier in the day, but the run told me I have some work to do. I generally know what I have to say, but I will need the reinforcement. We don't go up until September, so I know the task at hand is well within management. We run the show once a week for the next few weeks until after Fringe and then after Fringe we get serious. I feel like we are in great shape there.

Now I can get to next week...

Had a great lunch/meeting with AM about life and our Fringe show. We are on track. I got there 1/2 an hour early and that gave me time to look at the script and make some really good notes for where it needs to go. I shall work on that tonight, tomorrow and Saturday. I am excited about ideas that came up for the script both from my head and from suggestions from AM. It is a good place to be.

Also, got the email about schedules for next week for A Little Night Music - YAY! I only rehearse Tuesday next week (which means I have to cancel one other item and decline another - sigh), so I can look at planning with the Fringe Team for a read through of the script. May should be a reading and re-writing month with June getting busier, so hopefully I will get more schedule information from ALNM and then I can plan with my team. I know that I will have Monday nights free... I can also use those.

Anyhow, I am in a better place now than I was earlier. I even got some more done on that Character Study thing.

Behind Again... and here I am Blogging...

Yesterday was demolished by errands and cyberspace. I have to get a computer that is not linked to the internet so I don't waste so much time on Facebook and Twitter. My great writing push from earlier in the week did not extend into yesterday and today has been tied up with errands, Store work (payday tomorrow!), and a lunch date. Hopefully I will get something done this afternoon. There is tomorrow, but I plan to be napping after the wedding. Yes, I am planning on watching. I am hoping it takes my mind off the election.

Tonight I have my one-on-one for A Little Night Music. I haven't finished my Character Study, but I have done a bit on it. It feels weird to do it when I haven't done anything but a read-through on the show. I am really adverse to making definitive choices for my character until I work with the text aloud and with the other actors. I know, it sounds like excuses, but those of you who have worked with me as a Director, you know that I work very intensively with the text for many, many, many hours of rehearsal before I start pushing for more concrete choices. I just don't know what to expect from this one-on-one and I worry it will be a waste of time after we get it on it's feet and start hearing and speaking the words. sigh. I also want a schedule for next week and after sooner rather than later. I can only hold those days open for so long. It will burn my butt if I save them and find out last minute that we aren't rehearsing. I have three other shows on the go, so time is valuable for me. I messaged the Director yesterday and she said we should be getting a schedule asap, but it has not showed up in my in-box yet. Frustrating. I will ask tonight at the one-on-one. I just need to know so that I can plan my life and the rest of the stuff I have to get scheduled.

On a more positive note - I will be seeing Into the Woods (ELOPE) and Boygroove (Impulse Theatre) this weekend. Two musicals, very different, in one weekend. Should be fun!

Is it possible to have too much theatre to see?

Maybe. Or maybe with rehearsals my life is just pretty full. This is the mixed blessing of Edmonton - there is so much to see and not enough time to see it. And sometimes you make the wrong choice and see the wrong thing instead of something that would have been better/different. Anyhow, I have seen a few shows this month and missed a few and rehearsed quite a bit (and oh those are my children), and now I feel overloaded. The most expensive show I saw was one of the furthest from the best. The most inexpensive show I saw was the best I have seen in forever - the rest were scattered in the middle on both price and quality. I missed at least four (The Crucible, Laramie, Legion Blues, and Edward Muybridge) that I wanted to catch and having not seen them I do not know how they were, but reports were good so I feel regret.

Anyhow, those of you who might think there is nothing to do in Edmonton are sadly deluded. There is so much and at times too, too much. I am now gearing up for Much Ado About Nothing, and White Christmas and Beckett's Shorts and those are just the ones I know off the top of my head... no doubt the invites are going to start rolling in and I will have to figure out when and if I can get to them.

On another note - Mark has a cast on his wrist - he may or may not have a broken wrist. He has to wear it for 10 days and then they will re-x-ray and see what it looks like. Not fun. This means he will be in cast for his birthday and with snow and all that we have going on this weekend it will not be fun. Well, we will make do, I guess. It's not the first cast we have dealt with.

Feast or Famine...

It seems as though I can never get the balance just right. I am either incredibly busy I am stressed about it or so under-busy I am bored and stir crazy. When I get my stuff sorted out to the right level, then 16 of my friends have shows on and I need to see them, but I can't possibly get to all of them. Sigh. It's feast or famine. I squeeze in a book a week (which feels like under performing in the reading area for me) and I agonize that I have yet to start my Drama Paper (due in two weeks - yikes! - at least I've done my reading and have my research books). I have glitter and green paint on my fingers from building props and have somehow managed to feed the kids (that's a good thing) and get them to their activities. I feel overwhelmed, but I know that once all the shows are done I will feel at loose ends. Sigh.

Kids are Back in School and it is Quiet...

The kids went back to school on Wednesday. The first day was pretty busy as I had some running around to do during the day with Mark's court thing and getting photocopies made for the callbacks for Much Ado. Thursday was also a write off because I was so tired from being out so late after the call backs for the deliberations. I slept quite late on Thursday after making the lunches and packing the backpacks. Today I finally 'used' my day without kids home. I did a little organizing and finally cleaned my kitchen floor. It has needed a good wash for a couple of weeks and other than sweeping and spot cleaning, I haven't had time to really clean it. Of course, that meant that Gibson would spill a full glass on it at supper time, but it was only water so that was lucky. I found a variety of fruit that needed to be thrown out and did so. I also did some running around errands in the morning. It was a good start to the school year.

I am anxious to see how my time is going to suss out this year. I have Child Check one day a week and my Theatre History class 3 days a week and I plan to do some work at the theatre in the daytime (especially painting). Mark is talking about me working at the store, but I am not sure how that would fit in. I still have so much work to get done around the house. I was looking forward to using this time to get things done that we have put off for 2-4 years and if all the time gets filled, I will feel as out of control with my household as I have for the last year. I made some good progress with purging early in the summer and I loved how that felt. I want more of that!

I also want to get in shape - both nutritionally and physically. If I run from thing to thing, that's not going to happen.

A little bit stir crazy...

I like it when I am busy, busy, busy. I think that is my preferred state of being. It gets challenging, because when I am busy it means I can't always do everything I'd like because of commitments and such, but I recognize it totally is my naturally preferred state of being. So, this summer, I deliberately took time off. I didn't enter anything for the Fringe. I turned down a couple of opportunities for the Fringe and I was determined to not do anything between Whorehouse and Rabbit Hole (other than normal AD duties). So here I am, anxiously awaiting Fringe because I need to be doing something and at least I can watch shows and enjoy them and be doing something. I do have a design meeting with my set designer next week for Rabbit Hole and that is exciting, but I am going a little crazy here. There are things I want to do around the house, but every time I start one I get interrupted repeatedly by the warring tribes of Oliver and Gibson. Next week when they are in camp I will get a better handle on those projects.

This is actually how I get over-committed. I get stir crazy and then I commit to multiple projects yet to start and then when they do I am swamped. I have to learn to wait it out, because in a few weeks school will start and so will my class at the Uni and we will have to get a move on with Rabbit Hole and the new season for Walterdale and it will all start rolling along.

Getting Level

Despite lingering tiredness, we had a great rehearsal last night. The first real scene of the play (the one that starts the present day action) wasn't working as I originally blocked it. Part of it was just getting everyone used to the dynamics and part of it was that I had some over-choreographed sections that weren't working. We pulled in the 4 ladies we needed and they had so obviously done the homework I had assigned them and it now is working so much better. I am so anxious to get to next week when we will have everyone and we can really jump into work on the show. So far it has been like little jig-saw puzzle pieces, but tonight we start choreography and I am excited to grab big handfuls of the play and put it all together! I am really enjoying having Stacey there as Assistant Director. She is sharp and has an eye that complements my own so I think it is a good team at the table. After so many years of not having an assistant director I am finding that they are a very valuable thing to have. I am glad that I went with my instinct and asked her!

I am also feeling more level, less tired and actually did some cleaning today. My house has been sorely neglected as of late and I need to get on top of the mess! Purging of toys and clothes and other junk will follow next week!

Prehistoric Exhaustion...

We took a little trip as a family to Drumheller this weekend. Mark closed up the store early and we drove to Threehills on Saturday and then spent the day in Drumheller at the Tyrell and at a number of playgrounds in the area and generally had a good time. We were all a little sleep deprived. The boys were because they wanted to go and go and go and we were because the boys were... if that makes sense. I am tired today despite sleeping in. I am still making up for a week ago when I was wiped out because of going out after Hamlet and then going into a tech weekend while rehearsing another show.

With regards to exhaustion I am realizing that I have to get this under control. I had a fantastic offer last week that would have taken up a lot of time and I was both relieved and disappointed when it fell through (they asked too many people expecting some to say no, but apparently everyone said yes so they had to deliver bad news to a few - since I took a bit of time to think about it I figure I was lower on the list - no worries - it sounds like I might get to do it in the future, just not this year). I look at the calendar and know that I have a month and a half of incredibly busy time ahead of me and then relative calm. I shall use this summer to rejuvenate. Next season at Walterdale should be easier time wise. I won't be required to do all the reading and putting together another season and I have a show that won't have the massive cast of my current one. I already have that rehearsal schedule mapped out for the Fall so I feel like I might be a bit more relaxed. I also may just need to nap if the body is asking for it. I can do that. I should do that, if I need to.

Burning the candle at both ends...

This past week I have been out every night for either From Cradle to Stage or Whorehouse. Rehearsals, Production Meetings and Opening night loaded up my nights. I unfortunately combined that with having really full days as well as I supervised field trips for both boys and did Child Check. Monday was free in the day but I had a bit of running around to do - last minute gift buying, some props to acquire, that sort of thing. Anyhow, it all caught up with me and I was so delighted to get to sleep in this morning. I don't feel 100%, but I am getting there. I will know for sure when my left eyelid stops twitching.

In any case, the Opening for From Cradle to Stage went well. I hope that the audiences are what they deserve. It is a strong evening of theatre and I am so pleased with how tight all three pieces are. I know that there will be some people who prefer one show or the other, but I also am confident that it will not all be the same show. I think that speaks to the strength of the evening. Truly there is something for everyone. I am glad I will get to see it again on Closing Night. I look forward to seeing how it has grown.

I am looking forward to disconnecting a bit this weekend. The boys have no piano lesson tomorrow and due to horrible schedules there is no Whorehouse rehearsal on Sunday so I am off duty until Monday night. I shall certainly appreciate the family time.

Countdown...

I always say this to myself: once this is done, I will have so much more time, and I always hope that it will be true. Let's hope I stick to my resolve to not audition for any Fringe thing and to just be the audience this summer. I am looking forward to seeing Uncle Robert's Funeral, Kiss Within a Kiss and Sea of Green onstage and I am also looking forward to them being done so that I can focus on Whorehouse exclusively. I have found a way to compartmentalize so that I feel I am in the right place both physically and mentally. So anyhow, I am in countdown again for one thing or another - juggling parenthood and theatre and writing and ADing and all that stuff, knowing that there will always be the next thing and the countdown is completely a way to fool myself!

Today I looked into what I need to do to return to work as a teacher in the Fall if I so choose. I am not sure what I want to do as I am busy as it is, but it might be good to have the option to sub and get back in there that way. I know that there are not a lot of people who have my bag of tricks with regards to subjects who are subbing so I might be able to book some work here and there and maybe that would be good OR there might be a part-time position that would work nicely for us. I don't know - it's early days.

Ah, that felt good...

I didn't realize how hard I had been working until last night when I was watching the Oscars at AM's house. It was so nice to just sit and laugh and watch and eat and not think about the stuff to do. I have a few days this month where I should be able to do more of this, including a trip to Toronto at the end of the month, but then Whorehouse will start up and I will be on the ride again! The thing is, it doesn't really stop even if I am not directing involved in a show, because as AD there are other things I am always working on - the next thing on the list - things with the current show - getting rights - reading scripts - planning calendars - checking in with directors -answering questions from members at the theatre - answering questions from other theatres - responding to emails - board meetings - writing reference letters - writing thank you letters - writing other letters - coordinating auditions - attending auditions - seeing shows - the list goes on. Add to that the other things I do (because I am crazy) like University, and New Works, and directing Sweeney Todd and I have very little down time. Now most of that stuff I do because I like it, but I rarely get time to just sit and be with no expectation of completing any tasks ('cause when I am home I am often folding laundry, cleaning, preparing food, etc...).

Last night was good.