Writing is hard.
I am trying so hard to finish my play right now. I have a lot of scenes written and I know what I want to write, the plot, where the characters end up, but I have no idea where to start. I tend to write tangents and then have to go back and edit them down.
Frustrating!
Its weird because this play is about me. Its about things that happened either to me or close friends. I know what happened, I was there. But do you think I can write about it? Nope! My dialogue sounds like this:
Man 1: Hello.
Man 2: Oh, hey. What's up?
Man 1: Not too much.
Man 2: Hey remember that time...(insert exposition).
Man 1: As a matter of fact, I do remember that. Funny! Bye!!
Great scene.
Anyway, hopefully this thing writes itself after I drink a bottle of wine. Maybe there will be a reading soon. Who knows.
It is true what they say though, turning pain into literature is such a super way of getting over it. Some of the crap I've been through is hilarious when looked at from another perspective. I couldn't write some of this stuff, too unreal and if it hadn't happened to be, I would call it bullshit.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Every Little Step
Hey hey!
I just watched the documentary "Every Little Step" with my best friend Chris. We were going to go to "Alice in Wonderland in 3D" but it was raining and cold so it didn't take much to convince us to rent something and make cookies.
Anyway, I highly recommend that anyone who has ambitions to be a musical theatre performer watch this film. It was very eye-opening. HUGE reality check. The performers auditioning for "A Chorus Line" on Broadway were so amazingly talented and still getting turned away. That's what was really disturbing. I know I personally have a lot of work to do to be as good as the least talented person in this film - and that sucks! A lot of the hopeful auditioners had the same thing to say, "I was born to do this!" or "I've dreamed of being on Broadway since I was a little kid." Not only that, but their parents wanted them to be on Broadway too and enrolled them in dance classes when they were four!
Now, I started taking dance when I was twelve and then quit and then got back into it last year. Needless to say, I kinda suck (well, I'm better off than some people I've worked with, which still isn't encouraging.) Just to think that I might be auditioning with people who have been dancing as long as I've been alive, is some seriously scary shit!
Toronto isn't quite Broadway. I understand that. But if you have seen some Toronto musicals (real ones, not American national tours that Mirvish brings in so they don't have to employ Canadian talent), you tend to see the same few faces again and again. This is because in Toronto it isn't about who you know, its about who knows your work. If you haven't had any work, no one knows you and you never work! Its like the circle of death.
Then, I remembered I also had the opportunity to watch a documentary last week about the Toronto production of "The Toxic Avenger." They sort of followed the show's two leads, stage veteran and my hero, Louis Pitre and newcomer Evan Alexander Smith. It was so encouraging to see someone like Evan break into the theatre scene in a huge way. Playing the lead in a show which also featured big-wigs like Pitre (who was Tony nominated for originating the role of Donna in "Mamma Mia!"), Jamie McKnight (who was one of the Canadian Tenors) and Peter Deiwick (who's abs have been in, like, every Mirvish show, ever), must have been nerve-wracking, but he did it and he was amazing. Not once did he look out of place up there with those seasoned performers. Landing a job like that straight out of theatre school is everyone's dream, and look!, it happens!!
I guess the moral of the story is, just keep doing what you do. Hope to God you're good at it. Pray someone sees you doing it. Then hope that person is a major casting director or agent.
In the meantime, I'm going to eat the rest of this unused cookie dough and step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch, turn, turn, out, in, jump, step, step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch down the hall a few times for good measure. God I hope I get it.
I just watched the documentary "Every Little Step" with my best friend Chris. We were going to go to "Alice in Wonderland in 3D" but it was raining and cold so it didn't take much to convince us to rent something and make cookies.
Anyway, I highly recommend that anyone who has ambitions to be a musical theatre performer watch this film. It was very eye-opening. HUGE reality check. The performers auditioning for "A Chorus Line" on Broadway were so amazingly talented and still getting turned away. That's what was really disturbing. I know I personally have a lot of work to do to be as good as the least talented person in this film - and that sucks! A lot of the hopeful auditioners had the same thing to say, "I was born to do this!" or "I've dreamed of being on Broadway since I was a little kid." Not only that, but their parents wanted them to be on Broadway too and enrolled them in dance classes when they were four!
Now, I started taking dance when I was twelve and then quit and then got back into it last year. Needless to say, I kinda suck (well, I'm better off than some people I've worked with, which still isn't encouraging.) Just to think that I might be auditioning with people who have been dancing as long as I've been alive, is some seriously scary shit!
Toronto isn't quite Broadway. I understand that. But if you have seen some Toronto musicals (real ones, not American national tours that Mirvish brings in so they don't have to employ Canadian talent), you tend to see the same few faces again and again. This is because in Toronto it isn't about who you know, its about who knows your work. If you haven't had any work, no one knows you and you never work! Its like the circle of death.
Then, I remembered I also had the opportunity to watch a documentary last week about the Toronto production of "The Toxic Avenger." They sort of followed the show's two leads, stage veteran and my hero, Louis Pitre and newcomer Evan Alexander Smith. It was so encouraging to see someone like Evan break into the theatre scene in a huge way. Playing the lead in a show which also featured big-wigs like Pitre (who was Tony nominated for originating the role of Donna in "Mamma Mia!"), Jamie McKnight (who was one of the Canadian Tenors) and Peter Deiwick (who's abs have been in, like, every Mirvish show, ever), must have been nerve-wracking, but he did it and he was amazing. Not once did he look out of place up there with those seasoned performers. Landing a job like that straight out of theatre school is everyone's dream, and look!, it happens!!
I guess the moral of the story is, just keep doing what you do. Hope to God you're good at it. Pray someone sees you doing it. Then hope that person is a major casting director or agent.
In the meantime, I'm going to eat the rest of this unused cookie dough and step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch, turn, turn, out, in, jump, step, step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch down the hall a few times for good measure. God I hope I get it.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The "new" BMT
I'm not sure how I feel right now. It's been six months since the Canadian premiere of Bare closed and I have been fairly busy doing some theatre since.
In September, I was added, last minute, to the cast of the remount of the Canadian premiere of Jerry Springer - The Opera. Because I'm sort of a musical theatre snob, I could appreciate the art behind the subject matter but not its execution or message. I pretty much did the show so I could meet some people and sing some pretty songs. I succeeded in doing both of these things, so the experience wasn't a total loss.
Then, I was thrown into the original Canadian cast of High Fidelity: the Musical which was a great experience, though I'm not too sure the show was that good. I mean, it was good. People came to see it in droves but I didn't see it for myself and from what I hear, we did the best we could with shotty material.
Anyway, I'm writing this post because I'm feeling so overwhelmed with defeat. I just read a review of Urinetown by a professor who I truly respect as an artist. This show is being staged by a company called BMT, which I founded and Artistic Directed from 2005-2008. For four years I ate, slept and shat this company and made it in to something amazing. The whole point of this company was to create another opportunity for artistic growth in the students at Brock. It was completely self-sufficient and was completely staffed and run by students. We had some great shows and some not-so-great shows, but we always had a good time.
When I graduated and started attending Sheridan, the students at Brock took control of the company and kept it going. Urinetown is the second show that BMT has done without me and I am so proud of everything these students have accomplished. I remember having to fight tooth and nail to make this company succeed, raise money, find rehearsal space, negotiate performance rights and on top of all of that, direct the show! I had no idea what I was doing when I started, but decided just to dive on in. If you know me, you know I don't do anything in a small way, so the first show I decided to do was Jesus Christ Superstar. This is a show that some seasoned theatre companies stay away from, simply because it is a huge undertaking, expensive and vocally demanding. Though our staging of this musical could possibly go down in history as one of the worst ever (though my mother still says this was her favourite of all my shows), we still put on a show and didn't give up. Since then, I directed Tommy (a production people are still talking about) and High School Musical (which I wish people would stop talking about because it was pretty terrible).
The reason I preface with a summary of what I did while at Brock is this: never once did I think this was going to be a competition for best staging of a musical. I would simply choose a show I thought would be fun and did it. I wish I would have known that five years later a phrase like this would enter a review,
"This is BMT's most successful show to date of the ones I've seen, with reduced numbers on stage leading to more controlled and clean stages images as well as much more effective storytelling...With their new off-campus digs, one gets a sense of this being a producing organization beginning to grow into their own. My challenge to the group: either find as interesting a musical as Urinetown for next year, or write your own. Please don't lapse back into the ever so cheesy and un-ironized american musicals: successfully tackling a piece like Urinetown is a testament to your creative and critical intelligence."
Perhaps Urinetown is the company's best show to date. It might very well be. It is directed by Spencer Smith who I have worked with and have come to know as a first-rate peformer, writer and all-around intelligent theatre practicioner. I will be the first to admit that he has entered this show with much more knowledge and know-how than I had when I first helmed Superstar.
However, I don't think this should ever have been a competition. Why didn't anyone tell me that this little thing I was doing for fun was going to end up tarnishing my name for years to come. Yes, High School Musical was a bad show, but does that make it okay to say, "This show wasn't great, but at least it wasn't as bad as Brian's High School Musical." Why compare the new with the old? If I had known this were the case, I would have tried a little harder.
I was looking forward to seeing this production. Not to compare this show to mine, but to support my friends and see the amazing things BMT is accomplishing and how it has grown. But this article suggests I do something else. Should the gloves come off? Should I get defensive and critical?
I don't mean to sound bitter and jealous because these are not the things I am feeling. I owe my entire career as an artist to the work I did with BMT. This is where I was taught everything I know about theatre and I know that the students involved with the company today will take what they learned and do amazing things in the "real world." I do, however, feel as though the "challenge" set out by the reviewer shows he has missed the point. This company was not started in order to make it to Broadway or win a Dora award. It was simply to have some fun putting on a musical that you either never got to do or always wanted to do. Why judge? Maybe the next director wants to direct Hairspray. Is that not okay anymore?
I say it is. Do all the mainstream, fluffy, meaningless, cookie-cutter musicals you want! Do them badly!! But break your back doing them badly and suck every last bit of experience out of doing them. Learn everything to can doing these shows because when you're done and you're ready to direct something out in the world (like the Canadian premiere of Bare, perhaps [which got positive reviews from four out of five national publications]) you don't have that luxury. You have to be on your guard 100% of the time. This is when the gloves come off. This is when you get defensive and critical.
Theatre doesn't have to be cut-throat all the time. It can simply be a group of artists doing their best to put on a show and have fun at the same time. I hope the cast and crew of Urinetown had the time of their lives and did a lot of learning at the same time. I also hope that when I travel back to St. Catharines next year, I am not pummled by some pretentious peice of metaphorical darkness. Instead, I want to see something beautiful. Whether it be Mamma Mia or The Black Rider, I want to see young people having a great time and committing 100% to whatever it is.
In September, I was added, last minute, to the cast of the remount of the Canadian premiere of Jerry Springer - The Opera. Because I'm sort of a musical theatre snob, I could appreciate the art behind the subject matter but not its execution or message. I pretty much did the show so I could meet some people and sing some pretty songs. I succeeded in doing both of these things, so the experience wasn't a total loss.
Then, I was thrown into the original Canadian cast of High Fidelity: the Musical which was a great experience, though I'm not too sure the show was that good. I mean, it was good. People came to see it in droves but I didn't see it for myself and from what I hear, we did the best we could with shotty material.
Anyway, I'm writing this post because I'm feeling so overwhelmed with defeat. I just read a review of Urinetown by a professor who I truly respect as an artist. This show is being staged by a company called BMT, which I founded and Artistic Directed from 2005-2008. For four years I ate, slept and shat this company and made it in to something amazing. The whole point of this company was to create another opportunity for artistic growth in the students at Brock. It was completely self-sufficient and was completely staffed and run by students. We had some great shows and some not-so-great shows, but we always had a good time.
When I graduated and started attending Sheridan, the students at Brock took control of the company and kept it going. Urinetown is the second show that BMT has done without me and I am so proud of everything these students have accomplished. I remember having to fight tooth and nail to make this company succeed, raise money, find rehearsal space, negotiate performance rights and on top of all of that, direct the show! I had no idea what I was doing when I started, but decided just to dive on in. If you know me, you know I don't do anything in a small way, so the first show I decided to do was Jesus Christ Superstar. This is a show that some seasoned theatre companies stay away from, simply because it is a huge undertaking, expensive and vocally demanding. Though our staging of this musical could possibly go down in history as one of the worst ever (though my mother still says this was her favourite of all my shows), we still put on a show and didn't give up. Since then, I directed Tommy (a production people are still talking about) and High School Musical (which I wish people would stop talking about because it was pretty terrible).
The reason I preface with a summary of what I did while at Brock is this: never once did I think this was going to be a competition for best staging of a musical. I would simply choose a show I thought would be fun and did it. I wish I would have known that five years later a phrase like this would enter a review,
"This is BMT's most successful show to date of the ones I've seen, with reduced numbers on stage leading to more controlled and clean stages images as well as much more effective storytelling...With their new off-campus digs, one gets a sense of this being a producing organization beginning to grow into their own. My challenge to the group: either find as interesting a musical as Urinetown for next year, or write your own. Please don't lapse back into the ever so cheesy and un-ironized american musicals: successfully tackling a piece like Urinetown is a testament to your creative and critical intelligence."
Perhaps Urinetown is the company's best show to date. It might very well be. It is directed by Spencer Smith who I have worked with and have come to know as a first-rate peformer, writer and all-around intelligent theatre practicioner. I will be the first to admit that he has entered this show with much more knowledge and know-how than I had when I first helmed Superstar.
However, I don't think this should ever have been a competition. Why didn't anyone tell me that this little thing I was doing for fun was going to end up tarnishing my name for years to come. Yes, High School Musical was a bad show, but does that make it okay to say, "This show wasn't great, but at least it wasn't as bad as Brian's High School Musical." Why compare the new with the old? If I had known this were the case, I would have tried a little harder.
I was looking forward to seeing this production. Not to compare this show to mine, but to support my friends and see the amazing things BMT is accomplishing and how it has grown. But this article suggests I do something else. Should the gloves come off? Should I get defensive and critical?
I don't mean to sound bitter and jealous because these are not the things I am feeling. I owe my entire career as an artist to the work I did with BMT. This is where I was taught everything I know about theatre and I know that the students involved with the company today will take what they learned and do amazing things in the "real world." I do, however, feel as though the "challenge" set out by the reviewer shows he has missed the point. This company was not started in order to make it to Broadway or win a Dora award. It was simply to have some fun putting on a musical that you either never got to do or always wanted to do. Why judge? Maybe the next director wants to direct Hairspray. Is that not okay anymore?
I say it is. Do all the mainstream, fluffy, meaningless, cookie-cutter musicals you want! Do them badly!! But break your back doing them badly and suck every last bit of experience out of doing them. Learn everything to can doing these shows because when you're done and you're ready to direct something out in the world (like the Canadian premiere of Bare, perhaps [which got positive reviews from four out of five national publications]) you don't have that luxury. You have to be on your guard 100% of the time. This is when the gloves come off. This is when you get defensive and critical.
Theatre doesn't have to be cut-throat all the time. It can simply be a group of artists doing their best to put on a show and have fun at the same time. I hope the cast and crew of Urinetown had the time of their lives and did a lot of learning at the same time. I also hope that when I travel back to St. Catharines next year, I am not pummled by some pretentious peice of metaphorical darkness. Instead, I want to see something beautiful. Whether it be Mamma Mia or The Black Rider, I want to see young people having a great time and committing 100% to whatever it is.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The holidays are over...
This month I saw two films that totally rocked my world. The first was Milk, starring a remarkable Sean Penn. This movie really opened my eyes to what the gay community in America went through and are still going through in getting and maintaining their civil rights. From the opening montage of actual police footage of gay men being herded into the backs of cruisers to the recreation of some of Harvey Milk's most famous speeches, there was rarely a moment that I wasn't either outraged, encouraged or almost brought to tears. It is really depressing to think that even after 30 years, the gay population is still fighting for civil rights (Prop 8 anyone?). I feel extra luck to be living in a country that treats everyone (or at least mostly everyone) as equals. I know that Canada still has a ways to go and is not at all the perfect country but it is a damn good one and I am proud to be Canadian (we just need to work on our arts and media....it's a little sad).
Last night I saw Doubt with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The performances from Streep, Hoffman and Amy Adams were incredible and I highly recommend anyone (especially actors) to go see this movie. It's based on a play, so there are a lot of long scenes of dialogue, but they're executed so well that I didn't mind.
Yesterday morning I had an audition for a TV show for the Family/Disney channel. It is basically "Charles in Charge" only called something different. I read for "Blake" a rebellious teen who moves into a woman's home to take care of her kids. I don't think it went well, but the little kid I read with was amazing. I wish I was as good and funny and smart as him when I was six! I can't wait to see what he does!
Tomorrow I'm back to school after a month's break. I am not ready to go back and don't want to start being not-lazy. We'll see what happens.
Last night I saw Doubt with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The performances from Streep, Hoffman and Amy Adams were incredible and I highly recommend anyone (especially actors) to go see this movie. It's based on a play, so there are a lot of long scenes of dialogue, but they're executed so well that I didn't mind.
Yesterday morning I had an audition for a TV show for the Family/Disney channel. It is basically "Charles in Charge" only called something different. I read for "Blake" a rebellious teen who moves into a woman's home to take care of her kids. I don't think it went well, but the little kid I read with was amazing. I wish I was as good and funny and smart as him when I was six! I can't wait to see what he does!
Tomorrow I'm back to school after a month's break. I am not ready to go back and don't want to start being not-lazy. We'll see what happens.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
One Word
My friend Fiona sent this to me and I thought it might be fun...
USING ONLY ONE WORD
Not as easy as you might think! It's really hard to only use one word answers.
Where is your cell phone? Floor
USING ONLY ONE WORD
Not as easy as you might think! It's really hard to only use one word answers.
Where is your cell phone? Floor
Your significant other? Imaginary
Your hair? Dry
Your mother? Cute
Your mother? Cute
Your father? Quiet
Your favorite thing? iPod
Your dream last night? Hot
Your favorite drink? Whiskey
Your dream/goal? Theatre
Your favorite thing? iPod
Your dream last night? Hot
Your favorite drink? Whiskey
Your dream/goal? Theatre
What room are you in? Fort
Your hobby? Theatre
Your fear? Failure
Where do you want to be in 6 Yrs? NYC
Where were you last night? Date
Something that you aren't? Patient
Something that you aren't? Patient
Muffins? Elderly
Wish list item? iPhone
Last thing you did ? Facebook
What are you wearing? PJs
TV? Gone
Your pet? Cross-eyed
Friends? Missing
Your life? Busy
Friends? Missing
Your life? Busy
Your mood? Tired
Missing someone? Yes
Drinking? Water
Missing someone? Yes
Drinking? Water
Smoking? Nothing
Your car? Missing
Something you're not wearing? Bubblewrap
Your favorite store? TheatreBooks
Your favorite color? Blue
last time you cried? Milk
Who will resend this? Nobody
Where do you go to over and over? Sheridan(?)
Who will resend this? Nobody
Where do you go to over and over? Sheridan(?)
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Holidazed
So it's only been about two months since I last updated. To be honest, it's been a boring and busy couple of months, all at once. Boring in that I haven't done anything exciting because the "busy" mostly encompasses rehearsals, homework and the holidays.
My show went well, I suppose. I definitely dropped one of my fellow cast members when I was supposed to catch her in a trust fall. I'm pretty sure it was the first time she actually trusted me. Anyway, she learned a valuable lesson that day. Luckily, no one was injured (just our pride). The whole Winter Festival thing was a very valuable learning experience. I don't think a lot of actors can honestly say they had a paid performing gig right beside a herd of mooing cows and shared their stage with snakes and flying squirrels.
The holidays were good. I had to work three all-nighters at American Eagle, which kinda ruined Christmas Eve (I slept till 7pm, when I could have been spending time with the fam), but I didn't have to deal with any customers, who are at their worst behavior at Christmas. I also got Boxing day off, which was a godsend.
I don't really understand why people are so miserable during the holidays. I always thought that it was a time of joy and giving. But all my joy came from a bottle and the only thing I got was a headache and violent thoughts. It is very difficult to stay in the holiday spirit while working in retail. I'm a stock person, who rarely sees the sales floor, and even I was going nuts.
I think the best part of Christmas this year was a DVD my uncle made for everyone on my mom's side of the family. It was a compilation of home videos he had filmed since the '70s. I don't ever remember him having a camcorder, but the video showed my parents' wedding, my first Christmas, my brother's first Christmas, and pretty much every family get-together since we were babies. It was surreal. I love how excited I was at Christmas when I was a kid, before I had a VISA card, student debt and parking tickets.
Anyway, it's 2009 and I feel like the whole world is at my beck and call. One of my new years resolutions (besides the usual 'gain weight' and 'save money') is to read the Bible again. I read it once before, back when I was really into the church scene, and I'm interested on my interpretation of it now that I have a few more years' experience under my belt. This was triggered while I was at home for Christmas and going through some old boxes. I found my yearbooks and some old magazines, along with a box full of Bibles and Christian rock CDs. Needless to say, my iPod is a little more pack with Christian rock now. Oh, the memories.
Until next time...
My show went well, I suppose. I definitely dropped one of my fellow cast members when I was supposed to catch her in a trust fall. I'm pretty sure it was the first time she actually trusted me. Anyway, she learned a valuable lesson that day. Luckily, no one was injured (just our pride). The whole Winter Festival thing was a very valuable learning experience. I don't think a lot of actors can honestly say they had a paid performing gig right beside a herd of mooing cows and shared their stage with snakes and flying squirrels.
The holidays were good. I had to work three all-nighters at American Eagle, which kinda ruined Christmas Eve (I slept till 7pm, when I could have been spending time with the fam), but I didn't have to deal with any customers, who are at their worst behavior at Christmas. I also got Boxing day off, which was a godsend.
I don't really understand why people are so miserable during the holidays. I always thought that it was a time of joy and giving. But all my joy came from a bottle and the only thing I got was a headache and violent thoughts. It is very difficult to stay in the holiday spirit while working in retail. I'm a stock person, who rarely sees the sales floor, and even I was going nuts.
I think the best part of Christmas this year was a DVD my uncle made for everyone on my mom's side of the family. It was a compilation of home videos he had filmed since the '70s. I don't ever remember him having a camcorder, but the video showed my parents' wedding, my first Christmas, my brother's first Christmas, and pretty much every family get-together since we were babies. It was surreal. I love how excited I was at Christmas when I was a kid, before I had a VISA card, student debt and parking tickets.
Anyway, it's 2009 and I feel like the whole world is at my beck and call. One of my new years resolutions (besides the usual 'gain weight' and 'save money') is to read the Bible again. I read it once before, back when I was really into the church scene, and I'm interested on my interpretation of it now that I have a few more years' experience under my belt. This was triggered while I was at home for Christmas and going through some old boxes. I found my yearbooks and some old magazines, along with a box full of Bibles and Christian rock CDs. Needless to say, my iPod is a little more pack with Christian rock now. Oh, the memories.
Until next time...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Reading Week
I just got back to Oakville from a week in Niagara! I actually have mixed feelings about reading week being over. I love school, but it is still school and there is a lot of work to be done in the coming weeks.
For one, I'm going to be appearing in a play at the Toronto Winter Fair next month, so I've been in rehearsals for that on top of my regular classes. I also have to memorize a script for tomorrow (its my own damn fault for not doing it this week) and I have to sing the song "Dogs in the Yard" from Fame tomorrow, which I haven't started preparing for.
I'm excited to get back to dance class...though there is a project due tomorrow that I haven't started, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to finish it during my lunch break...I am the worst procrastinator in the world.
On Friday the Wildcats and I went to see HSM3. It was opening night, so naturally we went in full costume and danced in the lobby and in the theatre, to the sheer joy of all the tweens who thought we were their heroes. People even came up to us to get their pictures taken.
In all, it was the best movie-going experience of my life. The movie was surprisingly good and I have a new respect for Zac Efron, who was awesome in this. He didn't even have to take his shirt off! Go see it if you haven't already.
It was also my mission to have a good time with my friends without drinking this week, and I managed to do it! I had a couple of beers, but nothing that left me inebriated or hating my life the next day.
My very good friend Claire is currently playing the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, which I got to see this weekend as well. She was awesome, as usual, and pretty much stole the show! Congrat's Claire!!
Anyway, I'd better get to singing so I don't fall flat on my face tomorrow morning!
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