This is Why I Feel So Happy Lately...

I get to work with these people:



Most of the Cast of Nine and some of the Production Team (photo by Janine Hodder)

  
















We had the lovely Janine Hodder come in and take pictures for our call board and some rehearsal shots.  She got some wonderful pictures and I love the spirit of this one.  You can tell a lot about the people in my cast from it.  First, they are really good looking and second, they are a lot of fun!

Well, that helped...

After my last grumbly post I trundled off to the theatre for a Production Meeting, then a telephone Board Meeting, then to watch part of the Village of Idiots rehearsal. It is certainly the right show to watch to make you feel better. Even better than the silliness abounding was watching how the cast was using the props I found and made. One actor made a picnic basket into the most delightful piece of comedy. For me it was really wonderful. I love it when actors take something they've been given, be it a costume, a prop, a set or a script, and they play with it and make it even better than it was. Very nice.

A New Year!

I had a nice, relatively quiet Christmas with fun for the kids at Grandma and Grandpa Strand's on Christmas Eve and then having them (G&G) over for Christmas dinner on the actual day. The turkey was smaller to reflect the smaller crowd and that meant a later start time to the preparations and a much more relaxed day as a whole. I was surprised and delighted by a new camera (Yay!) and a few days later the arrival of The Tudors - Boxed set. Both were on my wish list. I recognize more and more as I get older that I am hard to buy for because I feel like I have everything I need except time and how can you give that? I also got 3 hours with a personal trainer from the Mom and Dad and that will be put to good use. My eldest brother and his wife got mine and Mark's names and they overwhelmed us with movie and restaurant gift certificates. We have used one of the movie gift certs to see the latest Harry Potter when the boys had school Monday but the store was closed. Very nice to be able to go out without the chilluns and although some of you might think 'what?! and you went to a kid's movie?!?!' I have to say it is not one that they are old enough to see in my opinion and although Oliver might be old enough, we have a rule that he has to read the book before he can see the movie and he is only on book 3 so far.

The boys were over-blessed again with bounty. Legos were assembled as were bionicles and puzzles and DS games were played abundantly. They wore the clothes that Mom and Dad got them and looked cute in their new pyjamas from G&G Finlay and Mom and Dad. I got to play a few Board Games because an adult was needed to figure out the rules and referee. Much fun. They also decorated their gingerbread men and ate their fair share of Lindor and Purdy's chocolate!

The week immediately following Christmas struck the household with illness. Mark and Oliver were throwing up for a few days and I was hit by something respiratory/achy all over/dry coughy... I am still in recovery as I feel okay for the most part but am still dealing with coughing fits that prevent me from sleeping well. I am hoping it is over soon... please... pretty please. Luckily I had The Tudors to keep me company as I lay on the couch for about a week.

This week is the week of beginnings... rehearsals start for Threepenny and re-start for Rabbit Hole. I have a very busy month and a half ahead of me. I am not sure how much singing I will be able to do tonight at the first Threepenny music rehearsal but I will bring my digital recorder to capture all the work and practise with that if I can't sing much myself.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I like birthdays! I always have. Maybe it was because I was one of 5 kids, and the middle child to boot. In a noisy, busy home with 5 kids and only 7 years separating the oldest and youngest it was great to have a day that was officially yours. A birthday meant a present in the morning - yay! And then the birthday kid would get to pick what we were having for dinner and then there would be cake. I usually wanted Spaghetti and meat sauce. I loved spaghetti! And when we were little, my mom would do these shaped cakes - Snoopy was her piece de resistance, but there were others. When I was a teenager I decided I liked Black Forest Cake and we would get that. It might have been a relief too, as my Mom was working then and making a cake would be a challenge time wise. My birthday also falls very near Thanksgiving, so even after I left for school, I was often home on or near my birthday so the celebrations continued and there was always cake. Good Times.

I like Birthdays! Bring 'em on!

Great Job Marsha!

Last night I got to see and hear the cast for my play, Pieces (it is being produced at Walterdale Playhouse in late May). There were two cast members missing due to conflicts, but I know one of the them and the fellow who filled in for the other person did a good job. I was VERY happy. It looked right and sounded right and felt good. Yay Marsha! Even though I wrote it, I felt it was a captivating story and it moved quickly in the read so I hope that can be maintained. Very nice feeling.

The other two plays we heard were good too. I imagine it is hard to cold read in front of strangers, but I think all three casts pulled it off. The three scripts are so nicely different that I hope the "comparison" thing doesn't happen. It's not a competition.

I was also delighted to see so many more "new" actors. I realize that I haven't done a lot of shows at Walterdale, but I have seen a few now and I didn't know any of the other actors, so that would mean that there was good turn out for auditions. Makes me even more appreciative of getting into Steel Magnolias.