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Saturday, December 18, 2010

Domini Blythe 1947-2010


 Toronto Star Obit





PlayBill Obit

What can I say. She was lovely. She was supremely talented. She was the devastatingly beautiful woman I got to work with in my first professional job.

We all played poker one night. She would always say something like "Darling I am so sorry that four of a kind beat your two pair" and take all my money.
I never minded because she was Domini Blythe.

I asked her once why she kept a couple of hundred dollars in her passport. And why she kept her passport with her all the time. She said "Darling you never know when you might have to run for the airport."

The story is told that while at the Citadel Theatre Lorraine Price's young son asked her why she said "Darling" all the time. Domini replied "Well Darling, it's because I'm affected."

I had not seen her for years but I will miss her.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

One Actor's Choice

Sabryn getting her hair in shape for Ruined.









Wednesday, December 8, 2010

You Need This

Shamelessly stolen from the Angry White Guy in Chicago blog a truly great article by Stephen Downes.

Things you really need to learn.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

The Future?

Ok, just go and read this from the Globe & Mail: Canadians are no longer giving to charities as they once did

and after that sit back and consider the future of your theatre company and all those nights that you have sat in a bar and dissed the blue rinse set.

Maybe we should stop and think about the future of theatre. Maybe we should consider that Rob Ford the new Toronto mayor suggest we look to the private sector for funding. Maybe we should consider that elephant grey is not the best colour for a living room.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Post Past

So I have heard of Post Modern and Post Modernism.
I have heard of Post-Realism and even of Post Racial .
But I have come to the conclusion that I am now Post Past. As in Post the Past. This came clearly into focus for me at the Prismatic conference where the split in thought was most clear. There are some people who still feel defined by what has gone on historically and there are some who have put that knowledge into a secondary or tertiary position and have other objectives as they move forward. I am really not one to deny folks what they need to do but for myself and Obsidian I am really trying to look forward instead of back.

Here is a very handy fellow. Used to be a god in fact.


So Janus for whom the month of January is named after is depicted both looking backward into the past and forward into the future at the same time. Kind of like the original "this door swings both ways" But I digress.
 
It seems to me that being focused in just one direction contains the seeds of problems just waiting to be born. Thus I am attempting to be Post Past where, while cognizant of the past, I am now directing my energies towards the future and spending more time on the creation of the art that I believe in as opposed to countless hours trying to un-stack the deck of the current funding modalities.

Until the reality of the changing demographics smack the Euro-based theatres square in the face nothing will change.

Until the councils move their funding models away from giving the lion's share of funding to the anchor / venue based organizations nothing will change. So be it.

I may not be able to effect that change but I can do the best of all work so that the quality of what we do is unquestioned.

Instead of trying to force our work into venues that don't understand it I am concentrating on our work in the sure and certain knowledge that what we do will be desirable, prepared and compelling in both its quality and scope.

I want history to colour my cloak but not my glasses.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Dear Don Rubin


Further to the last post regarding  Non-Traditional Casting and Criticism I have received permission from Tony Nardi to post this email.

Dear Don Rubin,

I just heard about your  event at Tarragon Theatre on Sunday, Nov. 21, to debate the subject of “Non-Traditional Casting and Criticism.”  I hope I can make it. I hope Rocco Galati (Constitutional lawyer and producer of the filmed version of "Two Letters... And Counting!") can make it, as well.
It's too bad I wasn't informed earlier about this panel. Given the subject of Letter Two, which specifically takes issue with cultural stereotyping by critics, directors, actors (even those from non-Anglo and non-Franco
backgrounds), and from a centuries-old infestation of colonial mindsetting, it would have been interesting to be a part of it.
I confess, I find "Non-Traditional Casting and Criticism" problematic. It presumes that there exists a normal, standard position, set by a casting God, and another standard that deviates form the norm, and, that there are
people who are "like this", 'this tight' with the casting God and could define normal for all the others. Is casting a white Canadian male as Treplev or Trigorin with a phony affected English accent considered traditional (normal) casting in Canada? The answer is ‘yes’. Has been ‘yes’ for many years.


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Oh...That Old Thing

So I got this today:   Event: Non-Traditional Casting and Criticism, Canadian Theatre Critics Association



and I thought...How nice. Another discussion about the relative merits of the Spider Phaeton 



vs



the Cocking Cart 

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Sunday Quickies

I hate the idea that this might be lurching our way as well.
Canary in the coal mine: Theatermaking gets scary in Hungary

 To intermission or not to intermission?
 Long Enough To Reach

Down that old road again.
 Make your auditions more color inclusive

I'm still working on this one.
The magic and challenge of 'sunk costs'

I'm not sure I'm buying as original but maybe.
First US performance of Shakespeare in the original pronunciation  

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Ad Hoc Assembly



 The Ad Hoc Assembly is a loose coalition of aboriginal and culturally diverse arts organizations that have come together to re-define the working arts landscape.


AD HOC ASSEMBLY STATEMENT OF INTENT

            The Ad Hoc Assembly is comprised of Aboriginal and culturally diverse companies and artists and other organizations that support their work. This group has joined together to create a new artistic working relationship between performing artists and organizations.

            We are seeking a new model that will reflect the specific needs of the Aboriginal and culturally diverse artists and organizations; a new model that redefines the role of artists by empowering them with choices that reflect their own artistic desires.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Denis Simpson: November 1950 – October 22, 2010

the Obit

Well what can I say. Denis was an old,old friend. He was always first in line to help when we needed a powerhouse entertainer for Obsidian.
We worked together years ago on the Colored Museum which was produced at the Tarragon Theatre. There is still a picture up of the cast in the theatre.
He was the guy with the biggest heart and the widest smile.
For years we would laugh about an Irie restaurant that managed to take the full hour of our meal break to make some veggies on rice. We would look at each other and with the biggest most exagerated Jamaican accent we would proclaim "But Waaaaiiiitt" and then laugh.

I wish someone could have just said to him the other day.....But Waaaiiit Denis.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sunday Quickies

The Obsidian 2010-2011 Season Brochure is now available online. Take a look at what's in store for the year.

Building "Real World" Relationships Online: Alan Cooke of Convio  the money quote for me is:  A lot of organizations are getting people's email addresses after they've attended one performance and then they get an email asking for, for example, a $150 donation. Marc Van Bree has made the point that that's like asking someone to marry you after the first date.

Some thoughts on how to Get That Grant 

On Why It's Time To Listen (or a love letter to theatre bloggers) 

Monday, September 6, 2010

Sunday Quickies on a Holiday Monday

First up...kudos to Lynn Nottage for being one of the inaugural winners of the Horton Foote Prize

At the opening night of our production of Intimate Apparel {2008} Lynn told me that she didn't think her play Ruined would do very much because of the subject matter. Whoa was that ever a miss.


Via The Angry Deaf Guy in Atlanta  comes talkbackr.com  that comes complete with the following blurb

This is your chance to offer an informal, anonymous talkback/feedback mechanism for your audience members. Put the name of your event below, along with a contact email, and follow the instructions on the next page.

Best of all, it's ABSOLUTELY FREE!


This is a bit like the Constructive Criticism blog but a bit different.
 

Can cruise ships keep the theatre industry afloat? 
Oh the mind boggles.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

That's Gonna Leave a Bruise

So as I was reading Kelly Nestruck in the Globe and Mail this morning I followed the links and ended up an hour later shaking my head. Thanks Kelly.

  The link is this: So much drama!

  Really, go, follow, be astounded and lose an hour of your life.

So a couple of thoughts. One great comment asked why this exchange would get national and international coverage but nary a word in the local papers. Just one of those crazy things I guess.

But this does give me the perfect opportunity to trot out a spectacularly new personal theory of mine. One that, alas, has no basis in scientific fact but one that I am positive about.

Like the deadly and dangerous effects of landfill gas or marsh gas I posit that modern society has left such a huge amount of rotting hubris laying about that as it decays it exudes clouds of low hanging stupid gas. When a usually rational person walks through a cloud of this gas they are instantly afflicted with Stupid Gas Syndrome that causes them to open their mouths {or write a comment, blog post etc} in the classic Ready, Fire, Aim manner.

The only way to actually redeem oneself in such a situation is to go someplace quiet, take deep cleansing breaths of fresh air, admit that you were stupid, apologize and move on.

Alas for many that never seems to happen.


P.S. Kelly closes his article with this. "In the meantime, Haslam’s delivered a lesson to all thin-skinned artists out there: Don’t Google yourself."

Back in the day that was called an "ego search" I have done a few of those myself albeit only when well fortified with suitable alcoholic beverages. Kelly has good advice. Just don't do it.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Abby Lincoln 1930-2010

Here is the obit from the New York Times

I don't care what they say about her Marilyn dress this is still my favourite album cover.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Sunday Quickies

Social Media and the Arts: A must read article from the Globe and Mail. I think I will come back to this one in a few days

Michael Kaiser's Arts in Crisis Tour 

Rada cuts Alexander Technique classes and the crew is not happy

And finally.....the ummm joys of forced audience participation humiliation: Warning: You will be humiliated

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Silver Ticket Award


On June 28, 2010 I was honoured by receiving the Silver Ticket Award For an Outstanding Contribution to the Stage. I wanted to write about this earlier but I wanted to include the speech that I made but as I did not know beforehand that I was actually getting this award the speech was ex tempore and I wanted to make a transcript so that I could include it here. I have deleted the various pauses and ummms but here is what I said.


“You know I’m going to use this. 

 Thanks Marlene. I didn’t know and I didn’t have a speech.

35 years ago, almost to the month, I walked onto the stage at the Shaw Festival and said my first words as a professional actor. And on that stage were Teddy Atienza, Mary Savidge and Domini Blythe. I was playing the requisite slave in Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra. I was fresh out of theatre school and the only person who was wearing less clothes on the stage than me was Domini Blythe. For a young man fresh out of the Ryerson Theatre School walking on stage to see Domini Blythe in a skirt and a necklace was like heaven.

Last year in the last performance that I played….oh the very first words I said at the Shaw Festival was..The Romans are in the courtyard.
Last year in Birdland’s production of the remount of the Last Days of Judas Iscariot I played Pontius Pilate and my first words were… Your Honor I have a 2 o’clock tee time. Can I go now?

And so I went from slave to Roman in 35 years.

It’s been an interesting 35 years. You know, you can’t sharpen a knife with cotton batton. And you can’t get rigorous artistic ideas without a really strong intellectual and artistic challenge. You need granite to sharpen and so tonight, for this award, I would like to thank not only the people who have been dear friends and supporters and artistic collaborators but I would like to thank all those who don’t like me. 
Who have fought…I don’t know if David Ferry is in the house. David and I, were years ago, almost came to blows over dinner one night. And I respect him to this day as a man of great intellectual vigour.
And to all those people I have not agreed with or who have not agreed with me, who have challenged and we fought and we struggled and everything we have done is to make this a better community, to make this a better art. To make theatre something that is powerful and living and necessary.

Because without art we have no soul and without a soul we have nothing.

And so I welcome this award and I thank everybody for this award because I want to keep going to theatre. I want to keep seeing those intellectual ideas. I want to keep seeing those artistic challenges. To not only challenge me but to challenge everybody else.

Thank you so very much."



 

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Sunday Quickies

Three interesting posts on theatre philosophies:  What's so wrong with proscenium arch theatre?Noises off: What's the difference between performance art and theatre?Theater Talkback: Doing Your Homework.


When the living playwright writes about the living then things can get a little interesting.  The Play on Madoff, Without Wiesel 

The ever popular continuing debate on theatre tweeting:  Tweeting At the Theatre

Finally:  Two by Wendy Rosenfield:   ATCA 2010: Onward Christian Bloggers and  Seven Minutes in Hell

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Sunday Quickies

Starting off with what I like to call Theatre for the Bears:  Theater Talkback: Facing the Elements

and then moving right on to the the filthy lucre of    We cannot offset arts cuts, say philanthropists
 
and then to women in the arts:   Much ado about women: Modern-day reading or distortion?

and Black Pioneers:     Stanley E. Williams left major mark in theater

and finally to    From South Africa's townships to the opera house
 

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Sunday Quickies

Lynn Nottage hosts a party to   Forge a Festival for Black Playwrights and the Harlem Stage attacks a hefty deficit by expanding their programming and having it work.   A Harlem Arts Group Exhales

In the ongoing story of subsidiary rights a new round has been won.    NYMF Bows to Dramatists Guild

And a couple of articles that are not perhaps theatre related but some interesting food for thought.

Why Copyright

Out of Line 

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Sunday Quickies

A new project here in Toronto is Hub Theatre's "Constructive Critcism" Project. I will be keeping an eye on this and hopefully adding some comments as things get moving. I hope it doesn't go the way of the ill fated "Review the Reviewer" blog that vanished quietly one night.

And speaking of reviews...well this review by Wendy Rosenfield of "Love Jerry" (Nice People Theatre) sure has the Phillie scene going crazy. Really, follow the links and see how polarized this discussion has become.

Nalaga'at Theatre has a pretty interesting play called Not by Bread Alone that is performed by deaf-blind actors. A very interesting piece from all accounts.

The Arena Stage is doing something a bit different by putting playwrights on the payroll as employees and The Guardian wonders if Drama Courses are Rubbish.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Office Move #1

The new office space as it slowly goes from empty to full. There is a small back room as well which is not pictured. As you can see there are windows all along the west and north sides which does make for some cooling issues in the summer as we cannot do window mounted air conditioners. But it is a bright, bright space in a funky building and I think it will serve us well. I will picture update as I can.

Oh yeah....I know the curtains are guy-ish but it was only Michael and I in the room at the time.






Friday, June 25, 2010

Dora #1

So the latest round of throw mud on the wall and see what sticks regarding this year's Dora awards is in full swing. Here are the articles in some kind of order. The comments have the vested interests pros and cons.

Ouzounian - The Star #1
Ouzounian - The Star #2
Tapa Communique
Nestruck - G&M - Blog
Mooney on Theatre - I made a comment so you can see some of my thoughts there.

Full disclosure: I have been a TAPA Board Member for the last 5 years and am Chair of the Dora Re-Design Committee. You can only imagine the shrieks that will be heard when a new statue appears.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Update

Well it has been a somewhat crazy six weeks. What with all the ongoing prep for next year, finding an office space, losing said office space, finding another better space, moving in and the creme de la creme, a cervical laminectomy. You can look at the link if you want. For myself I had it done and I am just trying to forget.

Thus the long winded lamentation regarding lack of posting. I will be attempting to remedy that over the next few days as I have actually had time to think about things instead of just be reactive.

Thanks for hanging in.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sunday Quickies

It's an interesting thing about previews. I believe in them fully and always schedule at least 4 before an opening but I sometimes wonder at the "get it open so we can make some real money" mentality that truly seems to place the quality of the work in second place.
We have found ourselves bound into a format of 3 weeks rehearsal, jam in tech week {what a misnomer that is} into really about 4 days and then into previews and fall face forward into "community opening" then opening opening { the real one since the critics are invited.} They may not show up but one can always hope.
This is a pretty wacked system. It sacrifices artistic growth to a nebulous ideal of maximizing revenues.
I have been working to push budgets to give Obsidian 4 weeks before tech but that also presents some interesting challenges. We are all somewhat trained to the 3 week model and I don't know if either actors or directors truly know how to expand the process to richly fill 4 weeks.
Anyway this is all a bit of a segue into

Are preview performances worth it?

My rant and the link don't match up too much but hey, you take the road as it comes open.


Something that has been long done here and is a continuing source of very, very slow progress between the indie arts community and Equity.
Artists are doing it for themselves

Is Stephen Sondheim the Shakespeare of musical theatre?

'nuff said.



Late breaking addition: All-too-fleeting pleasure of the Actors Company

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Writing About Africans

When writing about Africans:

"Broad brushstrokes throughout are good. Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life—but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause."


Read more of How to Write about Africa

h/t 99 & Ta-Nehisi Coates

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Ruined Blog

If you look over at the blogroll you will see a new blog called Ruined. It is a research and information site for the creative team and cast of our production of Ruined. There will be links, pics and embeds etc but mostly it will be a way to package a lot of information about the Congo so that we can have a shared basic understanding of the world we are going to be living in.

If you find anything that you think might be of interest please send it on to me and I will get it up.

So for those of you who like to follow a process all the way through from pictures on line to sitting through the performance, the Ruined Blog will be a place for you to check in on.

Monday, March 29, 2010

who knew grannie: a dub aria...last week


Miranda Edwards


The cast with Ordena in the centre


Andrea Scott, Marcel Stewart, Joseph Pierre, Ordena, Miranda Edwards


Amina Alfred


all photos by Nicola Betts

Sunday, March 28, 2010

World Theatre Day

A particularly stunning message for World Theatre Day by Lynn Nottage. I love where she says "I challenge all of us to sustain the complexity of our world" as this is a re-statement of what was said to her by a Rwandan refugee.

Sunday Quickies

At long last the return of the Sunday Quickies.

So to start off an interesting coupling of sounds: Just What Ahk-Sent Is That Onstage? and Accent Speaks Louder Than Race for Finding Friends

There is something intriguing about this as it has often been said that like hires like. But if accent is a stronger binding factor then shouldn't we be seeing more mixed hiring if people sound the same?


If you don't shy away from The Messiness Ghetto and you Want to be a theatre director? then maybe you will reach The Mountaintop pulls off shock win at Olivier Awards

A bit of lighter fare in How to fake tattoos for the stage and the Roundabout Theater changes course with playwrights

Finally an Obsidian salute to Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti: 'I'm not scared'

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

2010/11 Season Announcement

OBSIDIAN THEATRE COMPANY

For Immediate Release:
March 24, 2010

New addition to the 2010/2011 Season:
Citadel Theatre Company (Edmonton) presents Obsidian’s touring production of Intimate Apparel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage, October 2010.
-Dora Award-winner Raven Dauda, Kevin Hanchard and Alex Poch Goldin star

**** (out of 4) TORONTO STAR

“It's work not only of star quality, but of profound spiritual beauty as well.”

“Intimate Apparel is one of those productions so perfect in every way, it's hard to praise properly. It's better to say that you simply have to see it.” R. Ouzounian, TORONTO STAR



Edmonton, AB (October 2-24, 2010)- Citadel Theatre Company presents the touring production of Obsidian Theatre’s acclaimed production of Intimate Apparel by Pulitzer Prize- winning playwright Lynn Nottage. A turn-of-the-century love story set in New York, the production reunites director Philip Akin with original Canadian cast members and creative team. Intimate Apparel runs October 2-24, 2010 at the Shocter Theatre, and tickets are available in person, by phone (780) 425-1820 or online at www.citadeltheatre.com

Intimate Apparel made The Wall Street Journal’s list of America’s top 10 most produced plays of the decade. It was originally co-commissioned and produced by South Coast Repertory (California) and CENTRESTAGE (Baltimore) and had its world première in early 2003. The play made its Off-Broadway debut at Roundabout Theatre Company in April 2004 where it received numerous awards, including the 2004 New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award for Best Play, the Outer Circle Critics Best Play Award, the John Gassner Award and the American Theatre Critics/Steinberg 2004 New Play Award among others. Obsidian Theatre Company brought the play to Toronto’s 167 seat Berkeley Street Theatre Upstairs for its Canadian première. In 2010, the Canadian Stage Company presented the Obsidian Theatre production in the 876 seat Bluma Appel Theatre. The 2008 Canadian première garnered Dora Mavor Moore nominations for Production and Direction and won for Costume Design.

Toronto, ON (January 16-Feb 13, 2011)- Obsidian Theatre, in association with Nightwood Theatre present the Canadian première of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Ruined directed by Philip Akin at the Berkeley Street Theatre. In addition to winning the 2009 Pulitzer, Ruined has won seven Best Play awards including the New York Critics’ Circle Award, two Drama Desk Awards, four OBIE Awards—and most recently, four Joseph Jefferson Awards. Ruined was also chosen by Time Magazine as the #1 Play for 2009.

Ruined- Set in a present-day small mining town in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ruined follows a young woman's nightmarish path to Mama Nadi, a savvy businesswoman who—in the midst of a complex civil war— both protects and profits from the women whose bodies have become battlegrounds. At once heartbreaking and captivating, Ruined pays homage to the courageous and resilient women who must piece themselves together after the ruin.

Ruined reaches well beyond the regular theatre audience and opens up very real and devastating issues that are of vital importance.

For more information, please visit: www.obsidian-theatre.com

Friday, March 12, 2010

June Faulkner 1926-2010



June Faulkner

What a pleasure it was to have worked at TWP with June and Calvin.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Monday, March 1, 2010

All about the Voice

I remember reading that when sound engineers first digitally created the sound of an orchestra it sounded wrong because it was too clear. So they added in the sounds of fingers / bows on strings: breath flowing over reeds: the rasp and slides. All the messiness of music and life was added back in and then it sounded right.

It is those seeming peripherals, those barely acknowledged touches where rich connotations lay. It is as if the notes without the rest only tell us a part of the story.

So, why go on about this. It is because I believe that the same principles exist in the actor’s voice.

I listen to plays, direct actors, coach auditions and for the vast majority it is clear that from the day that they left theatre school people stopped doing whatever voice exercises that they had learned. I cannot speak to how they are taught but what I hear is vocal disconnection, unsupported imprecise diction and no vocal richness.

I am often heard to say: “stay in the center of your voice”. Sometimes people take that to mean that there is only one note that is perfect. In fact it is not that at all. The center of your voice is the place where there is an unconstrained open passage from crotch to mouth where the full richness of every emotion has free and easy passage. Thus the voice gets to carry all the emotional messiness of the character in each and every word.

Mostly what happens though is a constraint in the throat that strips emotional connotations so that the artist begins to push harder emotionally and vocally which further thins the emotional voice.

Fecund: \FEE-kuhnd; FEK-uhnd\ , adjective;
1. Capable of producing offspring or vegetation; fruitful; prolific.
2. Intellectually productive or inventive.

For me fecundity is rich, ripe, an oak log rotting in a forest that is home to moss and mushrooms. It is amber and alto and soprano ribbons of autumnal honey sunlight. It is a place where life and death are in a slow motion dance. It is the primeval, primordial home (center) of our voice. And so the voice must become the conduit of that emotional fecundity.

Why do we shy away from it? Is it only the lack of vocal exercise? I think not. It takes a profound leap of courage, faith and desire to actually live in that place. It forces us to be open, to reveal ourselves, to know that after the minutiae of work that we do not need to push and strain but know confidently that we can allow that fecundity to flow out of us complete, multi-layered, carefully woven and right for the character.

So the character’s voice can be whatever it needs to be as long as it is part of that open emotional corridor.

In Intimate Apparel I have pushed this kind of work fully into the performances and I am grateful that the cast has followed me to this place. Once you do this kind of work and your director’s ear is tuned to this it becomes both amazing and frustrating.

Amazing for when it soars it is like being wrapped in subliminal textures that have you feeling with your whole body.

Frustrating because even ½ a note too high and seduction becomes lecture and drawing in becomes sitting back.

So finally for me it is all about the voice. The voice and the necessary emotional connotations that must cozen it. The actor’s voice should sit atop of emotional nuances as deep as the Mariana Trench but all too often what we get is just the vocal thinness of a puddle

And that is the great shame of our theatre.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

who knew grannie : rehearsal pic



I caught this shot during the run of who knew grannie last Sunday. You can see the child friendly configuration next to Amina Alfred the percussionist. Far right is Miranda Edwards.
I like this shot not because you could see all that much but for it's ghostly or duppie qualities.

Monday, February 15, 2010

IA Final Set Up + Reviews


The Pre-set look



The Cast, Crew & Artistic Team




Another LX look


Reviews:

The Star: Intimate Apparel: An intimate journey into love's depths
The Globe & Mail: Intimate Apparel is well worth slipping into


Pictures by David Hou

Monday, February 1, 2010

Intimate Apparel Load In

The Intimate Apparel set being loaded into the Bluma Appel Theatre



But what puzzles me is how a set so big can still look like a model.




Thanks to Chris Carlton for the pics

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sunday Quickies

Rising from the depths of rehearsal and grants just long enough to leave you with a taste of Sunday Quickies.

You got to hand it to Classical Theatre Projects. They make an R & J that provokes nary a dispute here in Canada but they are Just too Racy for Nashville. I wonder if anyone in Nashville actually listens to the words in country songs.

An interesting retreat in Sacramento on how to make the case that the arts matter.

The rest of this post seems to be all about shuffling off the mortal coil. I mean we always hear how the audiences are getting older, how it also seems that actors get older too. Who knew?

Some German actors in an attempt to make things more real get close to too real.

And finally Taffety Punk Theatre Company and their show, suicide.chat.room

And so Shakespeare to wrap this post.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

First post for the New Year

So a new year.
What with the Canada Council moving up its multi-year applications to Feb.1 it has been a time of head down and keep running on the wheel.
While I have been doing all this long range planning it came to me that there must have been a time when theatre was actually a more immediate art form. There must have been a time when something would come up, a play would be created and then bingo...on the deck.
Not so much anymore. Everything is a year or a year and a half away. It feels too much like living in the future and somehow letting the present slip by. I think it sucks.
I am starting rehearsals tomorrow for the remount of Intimate Apparel and frankly, instead of working on that I am working on the 2011-2012 season.
So until something comes up to change this particular paradigm I will leave you with a couple of links to fully buy into long range planning.

Here is a a recipe for egg nog that you can make right now so that it is ready for Christmas 2010. And here is the blog that got me thinking of doing this.