Normal for me is always changing...

No really, it is. I move from project to project so it's always a little bit different for me. Fringe is done for now but that didn't stop me from going and seeing one of the holdovers (Giant Invisible Robot) with a friend this week. Actually that was the first time I have ever gone to a Fringe Holdover. Usually I am too exhausted to partake. The show was good - would have liked to have seen it in a smaller venue for the sake of intimacy (it was a one man show), but it was good. You could tell the guy had mucho Improv background.

Now I am knee deep in A Little Night Music. We incorporated Elizabeth into the show today. She did amazingly well! I think I called line as many times as she did! Really, the lines are perfect in my car when I run them... they will come... now we have a more focused and intensive rehearsal period before we open so it will all come. We did a Sitz Probe on Wednesday night and it was lovely to sing with an orchestra again (after so long...). I am really happy with this production. I like everyone in the cast and the play and music are so good.

Today I read about a contemporary deciding to quit their job because of the success and fun of her Fringe experience. These things worry me. I know they shouldn't worry me personally - it's not my life... but a Fringe show does not a career make. You have to pay the rent... don't you? It would be nice if life could be fun like theatre is all the time, but a fun life seems like a shallow existence. Who is paying the bills? The taxes? I have known others who have done this over the years to varying degrees of success... I know it is their life... but I worry about their children and spouses and the fact that while some of them had some talent, they weren't necessarily tremendously talented. Mark occasionally asks about my goals... I just want to create and tell stories. If I am fortunate enough to be compensated for it - then that's a bonus. It's too fragile a world for me to stop the work I do for the store and my family for it. All I can do is to try to do it better. On that note - I am excited to be going to Playworks Ink this fall - Daniel MacIvor will be there!

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.

These last two weeks have been crazy!

I am off to A Grand Night For Singing (the ELOPE show) tonight. I worked Box Office on Tuesday and Thursday. I was at the Membership Round Table on Monday Night. That was coming off the trip to Fort McMurray and the Staged Readings on Sunday Night. Tomorrow I have Marissa and Kreg's wedding and the 2nd edition of the Staged Readings. I thought June would eases up but I am getting emails about meetings for contracts and Zachary and stuff! Plus I have some birthday parties and it never seems to quiet down.

I am up to 9 on the Waiting List for Fringe and potentially 6 by the end of the week. I feel closer but not close enough. I am going to propose the Interplay idea so the work is useful now.

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.

And in Conclusion...

So, now that I have seen everything I want to give my 'ratings'. Some of this is apples to oranges, but there it is. It is easier to assess now that I have seen more than one show. Some of the ratings are low because of script and direction (Quinn, Bellies and Daisies and to some degree Aloha and Bobby Gould) and some are low due to the actors/performers (Tap Attack, and to some degree Bellies). It is hard to compare because when you look at what they were supposed to be, some hit the mark but the mark wasn't that high. Some had a high mark to hit and failed to hit it. All in all I enjoyed the Fringe and none of the shows were a 'waste of time'. I got something out of all of them.

Diamond Dog (4 1/2*) note: I may have been tougher in my original rating. This is after seeing more shows. Clever script and wel-done production.
Aloha Pinafore (3*) note: Even with a 3* rating... I loved this fun little romp in the high seas. It is just hard to compare to the other more sophisticated scripts without being tougher.
Oleanna (3 1/2*) note: I debate on this... the first 1/2 got a 3* and the second half a 4 1/2*. I sort of split the difference. They just took a while to warm up and I think we should have hated the professor more after the first scene.
Don't Make Fun of Jesus (4*) note: a stand-out stand-up routine... not a play.
Bobby Gould in Hell (3*) note: The script was a little silly. I think it was well done, but the point was hard to get. I really liked the Devil and the girl-friend.
Tap Attack (2*) - note: dance recital...
A Body of Water (5*) - note: This was exactly what the show should have been. There was nothing more they could have done. Some people may have been unsatisfied with the script, but it is supposed to leave you hanging.
An Oak Tree (3 1/2*) - note: would have liked it more as a rehearsed production without the gimmick of the guest performer unfamiliar with the script.
Quinn's Death (2*) - note: I felt that the actors did the best they could with the material and direction that they were given. The script needed much more development and the production as a whole needed a concept.
Pagliacci (5*) - note: degree of difficulty was through the roof. The uncomfortable seats almost made me take 1/2 a * away, but it was just so good!
25 Plays About... Love (4*) - note: I debated on this. The script is not as strong as it could be, but the production as a whole was well put together. I almost gave it a 3 1/2,...
Pushin' Up Daisies (2 1/2*) - note: Cheesy, but not cheesy enough. Camp, but not camp enough. I do expect good things from these guys in the future.
Stars and Sons (4*) - note: I liked this. A stronger ending would have earned it a 4 1/2.
Bellies, Knees, and Ankles (2*) - note: The script was tres weak! The direction was heavy handed and misguided. Some of the actors were obvious and indicating.
Coffee Dad, Chicken Mom and the Fabulous Buddha Boi (4 1/2*) - note: Good script, GREAT actor.
Green Eggs and Kerouac (3 1/2*) - note: Clever script, well thought out production. Wanted a little more depth.
Sylvie (3 1/2*) - note: I liked this, but I thought that it could have been trimmed a bit and I am n into the narrated story as compared to the 'lived' scenes. I thought there could have been more choices by the actors explored.
Putting It Together (5*) - note: This show was EXACTLY what the show should have been. It was sophisticated and the level of difficulty such that to achieve what they did was amazing. It may not be for everyone (too sophisticated?), but it was phenomenal. The most polished and well-put together Fringe show I saw this year.

Wrapping Up....

Yesterday was our last show. It was a really good show, with a fun and involved audience. My parents were there along with my sister-in-law and niece. I could hear my folks laughing through most of it. I come from a family who are not shy about laughing and participating. My niece was decked out in full Cinderella dress. She looked gorgeous. She was too shy to come on stage but I went out after and we took a picture together and I gave her my wand. I hope she uses the magic for good.

I also saw a few more shows yesterday...

25 Plays About... Love - This show convinced me that Double, Double would work well at the Fringe. It was a series of sketches loosely around the theme of 'love'. I think that if the show is well performed, the sketch around a theme idea works really well. I was worried about that, but it is clear this one was well-received.

Pushin' Up Daisies - Very cute, if underdeveloped and under polished, musical. Some young talent that will do well when they gain some sophistication. A great song about always playing the character who dies. I don't know if it deserved the 4*s the Journal gave it, but it was cute.

Stars and Sons - I quite liked this. It was a real play and an interesting juxtaposition of character and story. I was unsatisfied with the ending as I felt it was just done and I don't know if was really as well-written as the rest of it. I thought it deserved more than the 3*s it got.

Bellies, Knees and Ankles - I went to see Linette. She was delightful onstage. She had a real lightness about her that the other three actresses lacked. The play was awkward and predictable and the directed underscored the already too predictable elements... too bad. I enjoyed parts of it and laughed a bit and I admired the actors commitment to the piece. Linette was clearly the most comfortable in her choices... nothing forced or contrived.

Today I shall go see 4 more shows and then I am done with Fringe this year.

Almost Done...

Well, my second Fringe as performer is drawing to a close. There is one more show tomorrow at 3 p.m. and then I retire the glitter for a while. I have a few shows to see and hopefully I can pick up a few more while I am there. It takes a bit of coordination. Tonight I am off to Pagliacci and I am toying with seeing something beforehand if Mark gets home in time, but I do feel dog tired so that may not happen!

This has been a fun Fringe for me. Last year I knew the show I was in was uneven so I was concerned. I gave it my all, but you can only do so much when you are in a big cast. This show I feel is much more even in tone and talent. I like the consistency of it. I like that everyone has expressed different 'favorites' so that no one was left out or felt bad about their performance. I also LOVE the fact that we have been so successful, selling out 6 of our 8 shows (and I know we were at least 90% full on the other 2). It will be gratifying to actually get a pay cheque for doing a show - tee hee! It was also so much fun to do a show that the boys could both come to. It is nice that they have an idea of what I am doing when I am out in the evenings and weekends.

Something Funny

I'm talking to Erik der Waal who has a kid's show here at the Fringe and he tells me that the reviewer from See or Vue (Sherry Dawn Nettles) who lambasted his show then went to the online Journal reviews and rebutted all the reviews that disagreed with her.  So, if she didn't like their review she wrote an even more scathing review to follow-up online.  What the?  didn't she have her chance to review?  

Assorted Online Reviews...

We have been getting pretty consistent reviews - 3*s and 3.5*s. The text has been positive with only one review commenting on the script having some flat dialogue but then clarifying that the little girl beside him didn't seem to mind. Here they are:

Global TV (you have to pick the Aug 18 clip)
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/edmonton/video/index.html

Edmonton Journal (Look! I got a nice mention!). If you scroll down you get audience reviews. I bet that a lot of them are from friends of ours... I'm a little cynical!
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/culture/features/festivals/story.html?id=151f887b-302d-4b3a-819a-7ccfe2da3d55

Vue Weekly (Note: the reviewer thinks the director writes the script...)
http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=9334

Can't find See Magazine Reviews online - but we got 3*s from them and a nice write up. We haven't been reviewed in the Edmonton Sun yet, but hopefully soon.

I saw A Body of Water and An Oak Tree today. Both were pretty good. A Body of Water was the better of the two. I would have liked An Oak Tree better without the gimmick of the guest actor who hadn't seen the script. Last night I saw Don't Make Fun of Jesus (a very funny stand-up routine), Tap Attack (a dance show that was technically good but lacked passion), and Bobby Gould in Hell (another Mamet play, this one a comedy, that was fun). Tonight I think I will stay home and clean up a bit.

Three Shows Down...

We have had wonderfully full houses and it seems to be going very well. Yesterday Mark and the boys came to see the show. They said they had fun. I got Gibson onstage 2x. The first time he got down and then said he didn't want to do it and I had the audience help him. The second time he bowed with a large group of people at the end and it was all good. Oliver participated but I didn't get him onstage. Apparently he was in a mini-play at the kids fringe so he wasn't too worried about it.

We were reviewed by The Vue and received a nice review and 3* which is what I thought we would get. We do a good job, but how do you compare Children's Theatre to work written for adults? It's apples and oranges. Most of the kid's shows got 3*, with a couple getting only 2* and only one getting 4* and it was a professional puppet show (The Ugly Duckling - KayBridge Company). I am happy with the review as it was generous to the cast as a whole and there was nothing negative in it.

Looking through The Vue Weekly's reviews I discovered that I have tickets for a no star, a couple of 2*, a 3* and some 4* shows. A real mixed bag. I will be positive for my friends. I like variety and I am enjoying supporting my friends as well as seeing new things. I am getting to a lot of theatre, even though I can't get to everything.

Two More Shows Seen...

I saw Aloha Pinafore and Oleanna tonight, so....

Aloha Pinafore - A fun little romp. I know all these people so it is hard for me to not just enjoy the show. It ain't high art (despite the G & S), but it is good, clean, silly fun. Very tight ensemble. Good vocals all around (boys and girls!). And it has the funniest Drag Queen bit which at the same time show-cased 4 amazing sopranos! It is not for everyone, but if you can relax about theatre and you recognize that some theatre is purely for the entertainment value, you will have a good time.

Oleanna - Mamet.... Okay, it took me a bit to get into this show because the first 1/3 sets up the rest and Mamet is very wordy and fragmented at the same time. The next 2/3 thirds will jar you. If you don't like to leave a theatre ANGRY then do not go. If you like to think and be challenged emotionally, ride this roller coaster. It's not what you think. Oh, but why is it called Oleanna? I don't get that...

After the shows I got to visit with a bunch of people I really like. Not enough time to 'really' visit with everyone, but there is never enough time! I enjoyed just being around all of them!

First Show Done!

This morning at 11 AM we had our first show. The house was full (yay!) and the kids seemed to have fun. It isn't a laugh a minute but there were certainly laughs and I think the show was enjoyed by most if not all. We had some interesting technical problems, no doubt due to the fact that we didn't get to have a complete Q to Q so the techs weren't as familiar with the show as we were. So lights came up early and late, as did sound cues and some lights were in the wrong places. We even skipped about a page when the bell tolled midnight very early! Yikes! We rolled with it. I stumbled over some of my words - which I usually don't do... I shall have to run them again tonight and tomorrow morning on book to clarify! It's fast, so there isn't much you can do but ride along!

If you missed it...

http://www.citytv.com/edmonton/yourcity_60572.aspx

It's out of your hands....

So, like, TV editing sucks. Well, I guess you never think you sound as dorky as you do until a news person chops up your interview and pieces it together and leaves things out. At least it was short... It's probably not as bad as I think... Maybe dorky is good for Children's Theatre?

What I am going to for sure at Fringe (so far...)...

Aloha Pinafore - Friday, Aug 15 - 7 pm
Oleanna - Fri, Aug 15 - 8:45 pm
Bobby Gould In Hell - Mon, Aug 18 - 9:30 pm
Quinn's Death - Thurs, Aug 21, 8 pm
One World Song - Sat, Aug 23 - 7:30 pm
Bellies, Knees, and Ankles - Sat, Aug 23 - 9:15 pm
Putting It together - Sun, Aug 24 - 8:15 pm

This is just so far because I am trying work out the schedule... there is much more I want to get to... wish me luck! There are many more I would love to get to, but there is only so much time and I do not have the life where I can just pick up and go. This list covers about 80% of the shows that I have friends in, though, so it's a good start! Mark and the boys come to Cinderella on Sunday and I am going to try to get the boys to Alberto the Dancing Alligator. It has a dancing Alligator and potty humor --> perfect for little boys!

This afternoon City TV is filming us for the 6:00 and 11:00 news. That means I have to sparkle up and get the boys to my Mom's house and head down to Strathcona! I have a rehearsal again later tonight so there is a lot of travelling today. Yikes!

Nervous? How'd that happen?

Last night there was a fundraiser/promotional evening for several Fringe shows at Wunderbar. The evening was hosted by Maggie Tree and we were lucky to get a spot on the docket to show our stuff. We did a little scene with myself and Cinderella and it went well, but I was SOOOO nervous. I will not be nervous in front of the little children, but in front of artists in the community (many of whom were professionals and semi-pros) I was nervous like I haven't been for years. I think I held my own and I think Merran and I made our little scene saucy enough to fit in with the bar crowd. Whew! Now I get to do a TV spot...

Shows from the review that really impressed me:

Don't Make Fun of Jesus
Diamond Dog
Chicken Mom, Chicken Dad and Buddha Boi (I think that's the title?)

Others that seemed like they will be good:

Sylvie
Maggie Now!
Why do Fools Fall In Love?

Crazy week(s) ahead...

We are less than a week from Fringe starting (first show is on Friday at 11 AM). So, that means that this is the push for the finish line week. It also means promotional activities. Tomorrow, Cinderella and I are doing a little scene at Wunderbar for a Fringe fundraiser/promotional activity. This will mean full make-up and costume (replete with sparkles galore) in a bar on Whyte Avenue. I hope it is not as hot tomorrow as it has been the last few days. Tuesday morning we have a TV spot to shoot at 10 AM. I will likely have to drop Gibson off at daycare in full make-up. I may hold back on putting on my costume until I get to the venue. Tuesday evening I have a Walterdale Board Meeting (lucky me) which I cannot miss despite it's poor timing. Wasn't thinking about the Fringe when we set that date! Wednesday there is another rehearsal to fix last minute things and run as our official dress rehearsal. On Thursday we are in the Free-For-All at 8:12 p.m. This should be good promotion for our show. Hopefully being on early and all will be good for getting parents with kids interested in our show. Then on Friday we open!

How am I feeling about it? Well, I think it is in good shape. I think we have done everything we can to serve the script. I think the run on Wednesday will be good to reinforce everything and I am glad we are not like other shows I know that won't have another rehearsal between their tech and opening. The make-up and costume are a lot, but we are air conditioned and that should alleviate the worst of the suffering I am doing! I think I will have a lot of fun and I think the audiences will too.

It Figures....

3/4 of my household is sick. That would be me and the 2 boys. All I planned to get done while Ollie and Gib were at Daycamp is not going to get done, because they are not at daycamp. They are at home in bed and I don't feel up to much. Although I did have some toast for breakfast. The only upside to being sick like this... I have finally lost a little weight this summer.

Aside - Yesterday was the media call for Fringe. We were interviewed by Graham Neal of CFRN and we had a photo done by the Edmonton Journal. 'Tis good. Hopefully some of that will appear over the next few weeks.