undercurrents theatre festival: Just Go!

It's only it's opening weekend, but I'm going to call it right now: Best. undercurrents. Ever. It's been a long time since I could gush about a whole slew of shows in one sitting. Major kudos and congratulations go out to festival organizer, Patrick Gauthier, for assembling a stellar line-up of shows that practically scream upgradeyoursingletickettoasixshowpassrightnowZOMGWHYAREYOUSTILLSITTINGTHERE!

On Friday night, my adventure began with Little Iliad (which also played at World Stage Toronto). I loved it and later on a friend asked me why they should see it. I spent about five minutes ranting about my joy at seeing the incorporation of theatre and new media/multi-media done well (and seriously, most of the time I just kept wondering how they were doing that), the solid acting, the story, feeling like I wasn't actually watching theatre, but creeping in on someone's conversation, the fact that it's a super short show, so why not take the chance? By the time I was done, I think I had convinced two other people to see it.

Then it was off to Bread. Another super short show, but what it lacked in length it definitely made up for in sweetness. Ruby and Seth are moving out of the neighbourhood, but they've invited us over to teach us to bake bread before they go. I shouldn't have been surprised that this show goes straight to your heart and stomach since it was directed by the queen of whimsy herself, the most divine Emily Pearlman. Only ten people get to make bread with them at the time and the spots fill up super quickly so make sure you reserve in advance.

I ended the night with Little Orange Man, a show I had seen almost three years ago at the Calgary Fringe Festival when it was called Gnomeward Bound. I was super excited to see the updated version since the original was a real sucker-punch to my heart and a reminder of the kind of theatre I like to see and create. It definitely did not disappoint. For those of you who saw the show, all I have to say is: coatrack, amitrite?

So that was day one. Started day two with Ladies of the Lake. Patrick Gauthier stated at the post-show talkbalk that this was probably the prettiest show to ever fill the studio space. He's not wrong. The design team have done an absolutely brilliant and seamless job. This is also probably one of the most polished shows I've ever seen at the undercurrents festival.

Then it was off to SKIN. To be honest, I was worried about this one. With a program description that starts with "What if you don't feel comfortable in your own skin?" I thought it might be a very heavy show, but I was wrong. It was incredibly funny, honest and featured an ensemble of multi-talented women that work so cohesively together... SKIN is a very special show that struck a chord.

Ended this night with The Public Servant, probably my favorite show at a festival already filled with favorites. But I may be a bit biased since I've worked in the public service in the past and so has my mom. The show was so funny and true to life. Opening monologue aside, the main character was me. The first day excitement, the clothes, the projects, the cutbacks, the voice mail... I laughed until I wanted to cry. The cast is so good! It's some of the best work I've seen Sarah McVie do. And my arts crush on Jennifer Brewin, which started at the Next Stage Theatre Festival (The Peace Maker was my favorite show at that festival too) just keeps getting stronger. I'm going to have to see more from Theatre Columbus.

Oh, I guess that wasn't the end of my night, since the festival had a great little party for everyone set up in the lobby. There was food, dancing and the return of Two Little Birds Theatre with Recess.

Last but not least, ended the entire festival on a high note with Hip-Hop Shakespeare:Live Music Videos! I missed it at the Ottawa Fringe last year and man, oh man, was I glad to correct that mistake. It's absolutely phenomenal. Personal favorites included Melanie's Lady M and David's Rich 3. Go see it! Go see it! Go see it!

Seriously though, why are you still here? Get your butt down to the Great Canadian Theatre Company RIGHT NOW (unless you're reading this on Monday, then wait a day) before all the good theatre is gone.

Cold Night, Hot Theatre

It was -3 when I left Toronto yesterday morning and -24 when I arrived in Ottawa four hours later. But at the risk of plagiarizing myself, just like last year, the best way to fight a cold snap in Ottawa is with some red hot theatre. They're not kidding when they say the undercurrents festival has "Ottawa’s hottest plays at the coldest time of the year." Have you seen the line-up? (Seriously, have you? Click that link if you haven't!)

The festival started earlier this week and it's been really hard for me not to read some reviews and get spoilers on all 6 shows... I'm sorry did I say 6? Ooooooh! It seems the little undercurrents festival is growing and possibly taking a page out of the Next Stage Theatre Festival's book by hosting a show in the Great Canadian Theatre's Festival lobby.

Of course, this means I'm going to have to catch them all!

As for my viewing schedule, feel free to join me at the following: Friday, February 8 7:45 pm Little Iliad - a show that played at World Stage Toronto, and you all know how I feel about those guys! 8:30 pm BREAD - the lobby show with the awesome photo 9:00 pm Little Orange Man - saw it at the Calgary Fringe in 2010 when it was still called Gnomeward Bound. It was one of the most fringetastic things I had ever seen and I look forward to findin gout how the show has progressed.

Saturday, February 9 3:00 pm Ladies of the Lake - the brilliant Catriona Leger & Kate Smith premiere a new work at the festival. With pedigree this strong, you know you're in for something special. 7:00 pm SKIN - take everything I just said about Ladies of the Lake and add a few more lady chromosones. Deluxe Hot Sauces' new work has been getting a lot of buzz for shaking people up and I'm the type of gal who likes to be shook. 9:00 pm The Public Servant - a show from the incredibly talented folks behind Theatre Columbus in Toronto and featuring Ottawa's own Sarah McVie. The show is already selling out, which isn't much of a surprise in Ottawa.

Sunday, February 10 1:00 pm Hip-Hop Shakespeare - Shakepeare! Hip-Hop! There is no way this could go wrong! This is a show I missed at last year's Ottawa Fringe and I am thrilled for the opportunity to correct that mistake.

What will you be seeing?

How to Fight a Cold Snap in Ottawa

Winter in Toronto, this year at least, has been amazing. Most days have hovered somewhere between 1 and 5 degrees (Celsius for any Americans reading this) and the snow melts away as soon as it arrives.  But I will be in Ottawa this weekend, in the middle of what is being dubbed a "cold snap". I don't like the sound of that at all.

So here's what I plan on doing about it - stay in one spot.  More specifically, the Studio Theatre at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre for the undercurrents Festival.

Care to join me?

Saturday

2:00 pm HIGHWAY 63: THE FORT MAC SHOW 4:00 pm LIVE FROM THE BELLY OF A WHALE 7:00 pm AND THEN IT HAPPENS 9:00 pm FALLING OPEN

And on Sunday, I'll be closing out my festival adventures at 2:00 pm with recent Canada Reads winner CARMEN AGUIRRE’S BLUE BOX.

You can also expect some Live Tweeting between shows and maybe a blog update or two thanks to the Great Canadian Theatre Company's free public WiFi. How most other theatre companies have not gotten on board the WiFi band wagon, I do not know, but kudos to GCTC for leading the charge.

As always, I'll be seeing you at the theatre!

Cool People Doing Cool Things

Though I obviously haven't managed to make this a regular weekly feature, I'll still be throwing around some more Cool People Doing Cool Things, you know, for your own good. So this time around, meet Patrick Gauthier.

Among many many job titles to his name, Patrick is the Festival Producer of the undercurrents "theatre below the mainstream" Festival.  Tonight marks the opening night of the festival, now entering it's sophomore year and recently called one of the most 'promising developments in the (Ottawa) theatre scene in the past few years.'  The festival serves a much needed purpose for indie theatre companies looking to go beyond that 'Fringe Festival' status, but who don't have the resources (audience, funds, ect.) to fill one of those big fancy-schmancy places like the Oiving Greenberg (TM - The Visitorium).  In fact, one of the ideas behind the undercurrents Festival was to give these indie performers access to the Great Canadian Theatre Company's regular audience base.  And it seems to be working: in it's inaugural year, the festival had a whopping 86% attendance rate!

(ed. note - after posting this blog update, I learned that one show is already completely sold out - Live from the Belly of a Whale - which was also directed by Patrick Gauthier. It seems the festival is well on its way to beat last years attendance records and it hasn't even opened yet. Better get your tickets now for all the other great productions. Congratulations, Pat!)

If you read about how crazy excited I was for the Next Stage Theatre Festival, you can probably imagine how I am feeling about undercurrents.  You guys, this is going to be shitballz fantastic! (somebody quote me on that)

So what makes a successful theatre festival in NancyKenny's book?

• Keep it small - I hate missing out on things. With only 6 productions at undercurrents, I can easily catch them all.
• Keep it cheap - I want to see everything! I can't do that if I can't afford it. A $60 Flex pass gives you access to every single show at $10 a pop. Amazing! (Or you can claim blogger status, that sometimes works too...)
• Keep it central - in this case, one venue means no running around to catch the next production, which means more time to hang around, drink and socialize.  Because to me, theatre is a communal thing. I want to talk to you about what you've seen so far, what was good, and is Pat Gauthier wearing new Converse shoes?
• Keep it casual and easy - No theatre festival is complete without ample beverage opportunities and undercurrents has pretty much become the greatest theatre festival in the world by allowing drinks inside the theatre.  This means no chugging wine (ew!) at the last minute so that you don't miss your start time.  It's the little things, you know?

This is all so great that I'll be heading up to Ottawa this weekend to marathon my way through all the shows.  I'll talk about individual productions later on in the week, but for now I just want to extend a very big thank you to Pat Gauthier and the Great Canadian Theatre Company for putting together this little gem of a theatre festival.  undercurrents is just what the doctor ordered.

As always, I'll be seeing you at the theatre!

Hero Worship

I am a professional. I have been working in the theatre industry for many years. I have some good skills and I know how to use them. I'd also like to think that I am a pleasant individual, a people person who's passionate about what she does and knows how to get other people passionate too. But most of all, I have a strong professional attitude and work ethic. And then someone comes along that just shakes all that up.

I've been working at the Great Canadian Theatre Company recently and they've got a show coming up that's also a part of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival. That show? This Is What Happens Next by Daniel MacIvor.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but I am a HUUUUUUGE fan of MacIvor's - notice the many U's in HUGE so you know I'm serious. The man's writing speaks to me on a level that hits me square in the gut. I own most of his plays. I've had the privilege of performing in one of them and regularly use a monologue from another for all of my theatre audition purposes. I can honestly say that his work is one of the reasons I was inspired to create my own one-woman show. I was incredibly disappointed when I missed his appearance in Ottawa a few years ago as part of Transgress, an event at the Writer's Festival.

And on Tuesday, I get to meet him.

My mind is racing. Just thinking about it I feel like I must be 12 and my I.Q. just dropped about 30 points. Will he like me? What if I spent all this time with one massive arts crush and it turns out he's a dick? Can I "accidentally" leave a script to my Roller Derby show lying all over the theatre? DoIhaveanythinginmyteethWhycan'tIstopsweatingWHOISTHISPERSONTALKING? Dear Jeebus please don't let anyone catch me mumbling practice conversations...

I am such a dork.

Reflections on 2010

2010 has come and gone and here I am alone in my condo reflecting on the time that has gone by with the Simpsons/Family Guy marathon that seems to be continuously  on Global on Saturday afternoons playing in the background. January 2010 was a pretty dark time for me. After months of no work, I was starting a new job at the Great Canadian Theatre Company and feeling completely overwhelmed by it all. My finances were a mess, my heart was broken, I was experiencing panic attacks... I was feeling utterly and completely lost.

And then someone very special walked into my life. Our time together was brief, but also incredibly illuminating. His lust for life was contagious and, as he disappeared back into whatever magic vortex he came from, he left me with a very simple: "Hey, life is awesome."

I'm very grateful to this person because my entire attitude changed after our encounter and every risk, every move, every dream I've dared to pursue to its fullest this past year can be directly traced back to the impact he had on me.

After that, things began to change almost immediately and 2010 was a very good year.

I had more professional acting gigs than ever before. It started out with this fun little number: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBDXhhuEfDA&feature=related]

There was not one, but two jobs as a stand-in where I got to work alongside people like Adam Beach, Elisabeth Shue and Jennifer Lawrence; a school tour with A Company of Fools (which I may very well be reprising in 2011) that lead to a one-off in Montreal and at the Lumiere Festival; a seven or eight week contract in Morrisburg at the Upper Canada Playhouse and a Fringe Festival run in Ottawa and Calgary; a workshop for Evolution Theatre's Little Martyrs as well as a reading of We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! for our five year anniversary party; a voice-over contract in French for a birth control website; and a bilingual gig at the Upper Canada Village.

All of this led to accomplishing two of my goals for the year: I became a full union member of ACTRA and CAEA (and got a few more credits towards my full UdA status) and found an agent to represent me in the Toronto market.

And if you're looking at that pseudo goal list I created at this time last year, my laptop died and I moved myself into the wonderful world of the MacBook Pro. I didn't schedule time to write, but I did finish a first draft of my Roller Derby script. I completed a 5K Race and I'm now working towards being able to run a 10K. I took a bunch of incredible acting classes in order to keep training with more consistency and, as many of you know, I traveled a whole heck of a lot.

As for my marketing work, I was at the GCTC where, among other things, I implemented a social media marketing policy and gave my first workshop on the subject to the staff. Since they're still going strong in this area now that I'm gone, I'd like to think I did pretty alright there. After giving a presentation under the banner Art as Business, Business as Art - my chosen topic being Branding the Artist - during the Ottawa Fringe Festival's brilliant Lunchtime Artist Series Ignite the Fringe event, I was approached by Odyssey Theatre to help them with their marketing and promotions for They All Do It. (Oh and I learned that I probably influenced at least one new blogger in town.) And I also ran a pretty successful publicity campaign for 'I', which took place at The Gladstone in November.

As I briefly mentioned above, my theatre company, Evolution Theatre, after a year of workshopping new shows, celebrated its five year anniversary, became a resident company of Arts Court and announced the two shows we will be producing in February and May of 2011 (which will be a whole other post in the ver near future).

And though I can't beat this guy, I saw over 75 stage productions - give or take a couple that I'm sure I'm forgetting.

Oh and I became an auntie and a godmother to the most adorable little boy in the world.

It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops though: my grandparents passed away; I kissed a lot of frogs, but didn't find any real princes; I got sick, tired and depressed more often than I cared for; I never knew where I would be sleeping next or how I might be able to pay for my next meal; and, sadly, until I've figured out a more permanent home for myself, I've had to leave my cat, Winston, with someone else.

But Winston is being well taken cared of, my life feels like an incredible adventure, I've discovered that I have wonderful and generous friends, and there was making out. All in all, 2010 was pretty gosh-darn amazing!

I can't wait to see what's going to happen in 2011.

The Hustle and Bustle of an Artistic Ottawa

There's always something to see and do in Ottawa. Say what?

Yup, it's true.  Don't believe me?  Then look at what I've been up to and what I've still got going during this two week time frame that I am in town: last Friday, I saw the incredible Hamlet (solo) at the Great Canadian Theatre Company.

Saturday night I was at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word Finals where Ottawa took home first and second place (Teams Capital Slam & Urban Legends respectively).  Check out the very awesome Wizard of Love from Capital Slam:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGqWGRALbYs]

Tonight, I'm checking out the launch of the undercurrent festival at the Great Canadian Theatre Company followed by the Wrecking Ball: Acting Over Politics.

Tomorrow, A Flea in her Ear at The Gladstone. Wednesday, I'm checking out a preview of the vampire play St. Nicholas at Cube Gallery.  Thursday there's a free public lecture about the importance of arts and culture in enhancing the quality of life in the urban environment at the Canadian Museum of Nature. And finally on Friday, it's opening night of Romeo and Juliet at the National Arts Centre.

Though some of these events are one night only, many go on for a few weeks.  And this is just what I'm seeing.  I haven't included a myriad of other events happening in and around town.

Really, what's your excuse?

Back on the Chain Gang

I'm back at work in an office today and I'm ok with that.  After a few months of craziness, it's nice to have just one thing to focus on... Ok, it's me we're talking about here, so I've got 2 or 3 things I'm focusing on, but that's still a much smaller number than before.  I've got a little over two weeks left at the Great Canadian Theatre Company before I fly off to the Calgary Fringe on July 27th. As much as I would love to consider myself a bohemian of sorts, I have to say it was nice to know exactly where I was going to be for a 6 month span of time and to get a regular paycheck.  Right now, I know I'm in Ottawa until the end of the month, then Calgary & Red Deer until I'm-not-sure-when... and when I get back, well, who knows?

I have some exciting meetings set up over the next couple of weeks that will decide my future prospects.  Stay tuned!

My Last Day at the Toronto Fringe

So I didn't blog as much as I had hoped too, but that's because I ended up being much busier than I could have possibly anticipated. I think my time in Toronto is exactly what I needed.  I saw some fabulous shows and a few duds - 16 shows in total.  I didn't get to see everything I had wanted to, obviously, but I did see a lot.  Highlights included Chris Craddock's Public Speaking, Morro and Jasp: Gone Wild!, Christel Bartelse's ONEymoon & The Shakespeare Show. I got to audit an acting class with my favorite teacher.  I spent time with friends I hadn't seen in a very long time, made some new connections, and learned all about another fringe festival happening in Canada. But best of all, I got my inspiration back.  I feel refreshed and ready to work harder than before.

Tomorrow, I'm back at the Great Canadian Theatre Company for another two weeks, I'm working for Odyssey Theatre, I've received some excellent news about Evolution Theatre, and I'm back to creating my own work.

I can't wait to see what comes up next!

My First Day at the Toronto Fringe

We finished the last matinee performance of The Amorous Ambassador (what is with ending a show on a matinee?) on Sunday and had hit the road to Toronto by 4 pm. While I was hoping to be in town with plenty of time to catch a late show, the holiday traffic on the 401 made sure that was not meant to be.  7 hours later, after many bouts of going 20 km/hr on the highway, I finally arrived at my friend's condo in TO. Ok, no Fringe for me that night.

Monday rolled around and after a delicious brunch at a place called Insomnia (OMG SO GOOD!), I found myself at the very empty Fringe Beer Tent.  Well, it was early afternoon, so I guess that makes sense.

I caught three official Fringe shows that day: The Shakespeare Show, Fruitcake & Carnegie Hall.  But the highlight of my day really came that night with a special one-off presentation of Uncalled For's Hypnogogic Logic.  You see, Uncalled For didn't get into the Toronto Fringe (like most festival's across the country entrance is through a lottery system) and, since the guys were all in town with other projects, they presented their new show at The Second City.  It was absolutely brilliant!  Keep your eyes and ears open for this one next year on the circuit, people, you'll be in for an incredible treat!

Today, I am taking another break from the Fringe.  Daily work life calls.  In addition to stuff I'm doing for the GCTC, I've picked up a marketing contract for Odyssey Theatre's upcoming production of They All Do It (expect to hear more on that particular one very soon).  Somehow, I think my Ignite the Fringe presentation (now available through Ottawa Tonite) had something to do with landing me the gig.  So a big thank you to Heather-Marie Scheerschmidt and the Ottawa Fringe for that one!

Now, however, with work done, I'm off to an acting class. But fear not, fellow #FringeTO members! I'll be back tonight for more.

Danger, Will Robinson!

My brain exploded this morning. The June theatre overload (overdose?) has finally caught up to me. Last night, quite sober and lucid, though tired, I went to bed knowing that I had my regular Tuesday staff meeting at the GCTC at 9:30 a.m. I went to bed at 1 a.m. and woke up at 8 a.m. for a reasonable 7 hours of sleep. Somehow, I looked at my clock this morning and felt very pleased with myself that I didn't have anything to do until I had to leave for Morrisburg at noon for my SUNDAY matinee. I rolled over and went back to sleep.

Today is not Sunday, is it?

At 9:30, I got out of bed in a big "oh shit!" panic. How the heck did I think it was Sunday? Trying to get through my morning routine, I stumbled and often re-did actions I had already done. My billet was a little worried and so I decided going in to work was probably not the best idea in my frame of mind. I sat around outside for a few minutes, cleaned the filth off my balcony windows, took the car for gas and then headed down to the Fringe Courtyard for another lunchtime artist event.

The coffee from Bridgehead did me some good. I still feel a bit foggy, but it's settled a bit more. I think all I need now is rest and reading through a few blogs, I can see I'm not the only one.

While this unfortunately means I won't be fringing tonight and possibly tomorrow, I really need to just take care of myself right now (and finish my Ignite the Fringe presentation for Friday).

To my fellow Marathon Fringers out there, be safe and well. I'll see you in a few days.

Why Twitter?

I often forget that there are a lot of people out there who don't use Twitter or other forms of social media. Some people just don't want to learn, but many simply don't see the use in it. It's for those latter people that I write this post. Here are the top 5 reasons I use Twitter:

Customer Service Thanks to a program like Tweetdeck, I track specific keywords related to my business and my day job. Thanks to this tracking system, I caught a conversation where someone said they used to be subscribers to the Great Canadian Theatre Company but hadn't been in years because they saw a "terrible Joni Mitchell play" that made them lose interest. This play was produced almost 8 years ago and a lot has changed at the theatre since then, including a move to our new location on Wellington Street.

I immediately got in touch with this person to offer them free tickets to opening night of our next production (which at the time was blood.claat: one ooman story). He was shocked that someone would actually take the time to listen to a complaint, gladly accepted my offer and had a wonderful time at the theatre with his fiancé.

Twitter made it possible for me to discover that such a complaint existed and do something about it.

First Hand News Coverage Though the information can at times be incorrect (see for example "Gordon Lightfoot is dead" hoax), for the most part Twitter has been a great place for me to get first hand, breaking news on a variety of topics. For instance, it was on Twitter that I first learned about Charles McFarland stepping down as Artistic Associate with Third Wall Theatre (I was also the first to Tweet it back) and how I found out about the City of Ottawa's Arts & Heritage Cultural Advisory Meeting, a discovery that has led to some very interesting research at work. Lots of events will also live tweet what's going on for those who cannot be there. That's how I knew all about the National Arts Centre's French and English Theatre season launches.

New Connections Twitter has served as an introduction to many theatre practitioners in Canada and across the world. Thanks to this introduction, whenever I've found myself in a different city like Montreal or Toronto, I've had the opportunity to meet these people and make new business connections. I've also been able to meet some great people in Ottawa as well. People like @suzemuse, @cherylgain & @snobiwan among others.

Stay Connected Many of my "real life" friends are on Twitter. This gives me an opportunity to stay connected and see what they are currently doing. This has led to easy spontaneous meetings for coffee or drinks. If you're not following them already, you should say hello to @patgauthier, @HMsurfacing, @nadinethornhill, @SterlingLynch, @evanthornton, @catrionaleger among many many many others. Oh and @krisjoseph is always good for a laugh, but you probably knew that already.

Contests There is always someone having some sort of contest on Twitter and sometimes a quick reply is all it takes. So far I've won movie & theatre tickets, Easter Brunch @CanadasNAC & free passes to @ottawafolk. and those are the only things I can think of right now off the top of my head.

Again, these are my own personal reasons for using Twitter. What are some of yours?

Working to Distraction

Feast or Famine right? Why does that currently present itself as my only option? Let's say you are hungry and you've been hungry for a long time. Suddenly, someone comes up to you and not only offers you ONE sandwich, they offer you FIVE sandwiches. And you are so hungry that you take those five sandwiches and eat them all up because DAMMIT! You will be so full that you will NEVER BE HUNGRY AGAIN!

And then you get a tummy ache.

That's the predicament I found myself in. However, I couldn't be happier now that I've realized the best way to deal with all of this was just to just say no. I've currently turned down two work opportunities and I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I was stressing about how I was going to fit everything in, I wasn't enjoying myself anymore and found my focus incredibly lacking. If I spoke to you at the Rideau Awards, I don't remember. Not because I was drunk, but because my brain was somewhere else entirely.

Do I worry that by turning something down I may not have anything else coming up? No. I don't. I feel liberated by this new decision... this new philosophy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUw2Zx1WjJE&feature=related]

(Ok, ok, so it's not entirely new. But we all need reminders, right? I know I need an inspiration reboot.)

I want to focus on what matters to me right now: my job at the GCTC & the performances I've got coming up. I want to write and I want to have some fun. By letting go of those time consuming projects, I can actually go to a festival in London I adored last year and reconnect with some old and inspirational friends.

So, who's ready to play?

2009 Les Prix Rideau Awards Results!

Being a publicist has it's perks. You've read it here first! Third Annual Prix Rideau Awards Winners Announced!

Winners have been announced for Ottawa's 3rd annual Prix Rideau Awards, which celebrate achievement in English and French professional theatre in Ottawa-Gatineau. The awards were presented during a celebration at L’École secondaire De La Salle on Sunday, April 18, 2010.

The winners for English-language productions are:

Outstanding Performance – Female Patricia Fagan, The Syringa Tree, Great Canadian Theatre Company Outstanding Performance – Male Paul Rainville, The Drawer Boy, Great Canadian Theatre Company

Outstanding Lighting Design Jock Munro, The Syringa Tree, Great Canadian Theatre Company

Outstanding Set Design Ivo Valentik, A Midwinter's Dream Tale, A Company of Fools/Gladstone Productions

Outstanding Costume Design Louise Hayden, A Midwinter's Dream Tale, A Company of Fools/Gladstone Productions Outstanding Stage Management / Technical Award Donna Bourgeault, A View from the Bridge, Ottawa Chamber Theatre

Outstanding Fringe Production Countries Shaped Like Stars, Mi Casa

Outstanding Director Lise Ann Johnson, The Syringa Tree, Great Canadian Theatre Company

Emerging Artist Award Emily Pearlman, Creator/Actor/Writer of Countries Shaped Like Stars, Mi Casa

Outstanding Adaptation A Midwinter's Dream Tale, A Company of Fools/Gladstone Productions

Outstanding New Creation Countries Shaped Like Stars, Mi Casa

Outstanding Production The Syringa Tree, Great Canadian Theatre Company

The winners for French-language productions are:

Interprétation féminine de l'année Geneviève Couture, L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique Interprétation masculine de l'année Pierre Antoine Lafon Simard, L'Illusion comique, Théâtre la Catapulte

Conception de l'année Guillaume Houët-Brisebois, Éclairages, L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique

Artiste en émergence Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez , Interprétation, Le bout du monde, Le Théâtre du Trillium

Prix technique / de la regie Lindsay Tremblay, Le Projet Rideau, Théâtre la Catapulte

Mise en scène de l'année Marc Lemyre, L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique

Adaptation de l'année Cyrano Tag, Compagnie Vox Théâtre

Nouvelle création de l'année L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique

Production de l'année L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique

Les Prix Rideau Awards celebrate achievement in professional theatre in the region of Ottawa-Gatineau. The peer-juried awards program was initiated in 2006 as a result of discussion at an open meeting of the regional Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. This year for the first time, Les Prix Rideau Awards goes fully bilingual, with a full slate of awards being presented for both English and French-language productions.

For the calendar year 2009, 40 English and 11 French professional theatre productions were juried by two teams of local arts professionals (14 English and 8 French). Nominations were submitted by secret ballot and tallied by local accountants, Chong Pelot and Marcil-Lavallée. Complete details on award definitions, terms and criteria are available at www.rideauawards.ca

Have You Got Your Tickets Yet?

The 2010-2011 Great Canadian Theatre Season is launched and it's latest production, Facts, is open and running.  All I'm really going to say about it all is that the new season looks exciting (buy your subscription before April 30th to save on the HST!) and Facts is well-worth seeing (remember, Rush Tickets go on sale as of noon the day of the performance!). Though I'm still working on a video from the launch (I hate you, Windows Movie Maker!), I'm now almost entirely consumed with thoughts of the Rideau Awards.  I've been doing a constant follow-up with media, getting a press release ready, and worrying about what to wear.  This is after all THE Ottawa theatre event of the year.  You've got your ticket, right?

On top of moderating English media communications and live tweeting throughout the event (follow along with the #rideauawards hashtag - conversation is currently about what to wear - I'm going to be very disappointed if @SterlingLynch doesn't follow through on his assless chaps outfit), I will also be appearing with Sanitas Playback Theatre.  Normally, I would be performing with the group, however with my focus split that night, we've come to a different arrangement, albeit one that I find fits better with this year's co-lingual awards mandate.

The theatre company and I have decided that I will be co-conducting the event with Artistic Director Brie Barker and acting as a French translator throughout our segments.  It is silly to assume that all francophones in attendance are fluently bilingual.  In addition, many anglophones do not speak French and would require the interpretation.  It will be nice to finally showcase what we've been doing for the past few months and I think Playback will add an interesting touch to the awards.  I'm really excited to be introducing this "new" form of theatre to my peers.

I can't wait to see you there, but before then, the question on everyone's mind really is: what will you be wearing?

Can You Keep A Secret?

Apparently, some people think a girl with a blog and an unhealthy addiction to her iPhone social media programs is the best person to entrust with the most TOP SECRET news in Ottawa Theatredom. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, somewhere among the hanging out on movies sets (with Cuba Gooding Jr!), working at the Great Canadian Theatre Company (season launch on Monday!), learning to rap Shakespeare, making women feel beautiful, discovering hidden abilities to translate small documents from English to French, watching some "bloody" good theatre (check out a solid production of Blood Relations at the University of Ottawa before it closes this weekend, as well as the musical Blood Brothers at The Gladstone), working on my own theatre company's project, performing improv with some lovely ladies, and training for a 5K race; somewhere among all that, I became the new anglophone publicist for the upcoming Les Prix Rideau Awards.

(Of course, all of this must have happened after I discovered that necklace from Harry Potter that allows Hermione to attend to classes at the same time, because there is nothing short of wizardry to explain how I manage to do all this stuff...)

After learning that Über Publicist, Crystal Parsons would be leaving the wonderful world of theatre promotion for the civil service, I was approached by the awards committee to see if I could fill her sexy shoes.

My first answer, of course, was no. Re: see above schedule & need for a clone/develop magical powers.

However, after much discussion, I eventually said yes for the following reasons:

• The workload isn't as excessive as I first anticipated.  There is no need for me to translate documents for these bilingual awards, since there already is a francophone publicist, and I'd be doing a lot of stuff from a social media perspective that I'm doing already.
• This could all wait until I was done my stand-in gig.
• Being able to say that I'm the publicist for Ottawa's professional theatre awards is a pretty big deal and adds another notch of legitimacy to my marketing belt.
• With the GCTC holding a whopping 16 nominations, I can make a lot of what I'll be doing relevant to the day job.
• I think the awards are important and I want to support them in some way.  This is more than just a big party where people dress up to watch somebody get an award.  By recognizing the contribution of theatre professionals in the community, we are raising awareness of our work and acknowledging that there is a a place what we do here in town.  My dream? That one day, when I tell someone I am a professional actor, they will not ask me when I will be moving to Montreal or Toronto because it will simply be common knowledge that such a scene exists here as well.

All that to say that I will now be only one of three people to know the award winner's identities before they are revealed on April 18th because I need to have the press release handy for media as soon as the ceremony is over.  (Note to self: find dress that coordinates well with handcuffs and a briefcase *insert your own joke here*)  And this confidentiality agreement I signed says that no amount of bribing can make me reveal the secrets before then.

But have no fear!  You too may know the results as soon as they become available.  Tickets are on sale now!  Details below (this also reminds me that I will be performing in my first public Sanitas Playback Theatre show that night as well... where the heck is my clone?):

The 3rd Annual Les Prix Rideau Awards celebration is taking place at De La Salle High School (501 Old St Patrick Road, Ottawa) on Sunday, April 18, 2010.  The first-ever fully bilingual awards ceremony will be cohosted by CBC Ottawa’s Alan Neal and not-from-CBC-Ottawa's Annie Lefebvre, with theatrical reflections by Sanitas Playback Theatre and music by DJ AL Connors.

Tickets are $25 each and may be purchased through the Nouvelle Scène box office:

• online at nouvellescene.com
• by telephone at 613-241-2727 ext 1
• in person at 333 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa

Les Prix Rideau Awards III -- Sunday, April 18, 2010 De La Salle High School, 501 Old St Patrick Road, Ottawa Doors open at 6:30 PM; presentation begins at 7:30 PM - Tickets: $25

What's Going On?

Let me just say my life is pretty awesome and I am incredibly grateful for all the wonderful things that have been happening lately. I am currently sitting on the set of a TV movie shooting in Ottawa. At 9 p.m. on Friday night, I learned that I was booked for a stand-in gig starting at noon on Sunday.

This situation really exemplifies to me the absurd nature of the working actor's life. You can go through incredibly long periods of drought in which you still have to remain readily available when that often elusive gig decides to fall in your lap. Not exactly something most employers approve of.

That's why I am so fortunate to be working at the GCTC with people who understand the situation. Flexibility is so important to me. Not to mention: the fact that I can still do what I love recharges me (even after long hours on set) and makes me want to work even harder at my day job in order to show my appreciation.

It's funny how I spent over a year without work and now that I have a job I start booking gigs like mad. I've got two other big projects coming up and I can't wait until I get my contracts in order to be able to talk about them here.

As for my current stand-in job, some of you might be wondering what that is. Stay tuned for a post on that subject in the very near future.

Rideau Awards Nominations

From the Official Press Release: NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL RIDEAU AWARDS Peer-assessed awards celebrate Ottawa-Gatineauʼs professional theatre in both official languages

The votes have been tallied and it's time to announce the nominees for the third annual Rideau Awards, which celebrate achievement in professional theatre in the region of Ottawa-Gatineau. This year for the first time, Les Prix Rideau Awards will be fully bilingual, with a full slate of awards to be presented for both English and French-language productions. The awards will be handed out during a celebration to take place on Sunday, April 18, 2010, at De La Salle High School. Tickets go on sale March 15 at La Nouvelle Scène.

The nominees for English-language productions are: Outstanding Performance – Female Mary Ellis, Doubt Patricia Fagan, The Syringa Tree Teri Rata Loretto, Shirley Valentine Margo MacDonald, A Midwinterʼs Dream Tale Emily Pearlman, Countries Shaped Like Stars

Outstanding Performance – Male Pierre Brault, Portrait of an Unidentified Man David Fox, The Net Kris Joseph, Doubt Andy Massingham, Peer Gynt Paul Rainville, The Drawer Boy

Outstanding Lighting Design Martin Conboy, Portrait of an Unidentified Man Martin Conboy, The Drawer Boy Rebecca Miller, Henry V David Mcgladry, A Midwinterʼs Dream Tale Jock Munro, The Children's Republic Jock Munro, The Syringa Tree

Outstanding Set Design Robin Fisher, The Drawer Boy Robin Fisher, The Syringa Tree Ivo Valentik, A Midwinterʼs Dream Tale Ivo Valentik, The Final Twist Sarah Waghorn, Old Times

Outstanding Costume Design Louise Hayden, A Midwinterʼs Dream Tale Louise Hayden, The Girl Who Was Eaten by the Dark Jennifer Triemstra & Karen Rodd, A Guy Named Joe Sarah Waghorn, Henry V Sarah Waghorn, Old Times

Outstanding Stage Management / Technical Award Donna Bourgeault, A View from the Bridge Sean Green & Tina Goralski, Noises Off Louisa Hache, The Children's Republic Samira Rose, The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Outstanding Fringe Production Countries Shaped Like Stars, Mi Casa The Girl Who Was Eaten by the Dark, Ottawa Stilt Union Inclement Weather, Mi Casa Squatter Heart, ReduxDelux We Never Clothed, People with Principles

Outstanding Director AL Connors, A Midwinterʼs Dream Tale Todd Duckworth, The Drawer Boy Janet Irwin, The Children's Republic Lise Ann Johnson, The Syringa Tree Brian Quirt, Portrait of an Unidentified Man

Emerging Artist Award Simon Bradshaw, Actor, The Rideau Project Nicolas Di Gaetano, Creator/Actor, Countries Shaped Like Stars Patrick Gauthier, Director, Countries Shaped Like Stars Brad Long, Actor, The Pillowman Emily Pearlman, Creator/Actor/Writer, Countries Shaped Like Stars

Outstanding Adaptation A Midwinterʼs Dream Tale, A Company of Fools Much Ado About Nothing, A Company of Fools The Net, Great Canadian Theatre Company Pirate Jennyʼs Circus, Counterpoint Players The Radio Show, Gladstone Productions Outstanding New Creation The Children's Republic, Great Canadian Theatre Company/Ottawa School of Speech and Drama Countries Shaped Like Stars, Mi Casa The Girl Who Was Eaten by the Dark, Ottawa Stilt Union Inclement Weather, Mi Casa The Rideau Project, Théâtre la Catapulte

Outstanding Production Countries Shaped Like Stars, Mi Casa The Drawer Boy, Great Canadian Theatre Company A Midwinterʼs Dream Tale, A Company of Fools Portrait of an Unidentified Man, Sleeping Dog Theatre The Syringa Tree, Great Canadian Theatre Company

The nominees for French-language productions are:

Interprétation féminine de l'année Nathaly Charrette, (RAGE) Larissa Corriveau, (L'Illusion comique) Geneviève Couture, (L'honnête homme/ une one woman show) Magali Lemèle, (Le Bout du monde) Emmanuelle Lussier, Martinez (Le Bout du monde) Interprétation masculine de l'année Benjamin Gaillard, (Projet Rideau) Richard Léger, (Et si on tuait l'ennui?) Gilles Provost, (Mardis avec Morrie) Pierre Antoine, Lafon Simard (L'Illusion comique) Victor Trelles, (RAGE)

Conception de l'année Marcel Aymar, (Le Bout du monde), env. sonore Josée Bergeron-Proulx, (Le Bout du monde), décor Diane Bouchard, (L'effet réel des polluants sur les animaux imaginaries), marionnettes Julie Giroux, (Les sept jours de Simon Labrosse), décor Guillaume Houët- Brisebois, (L'honnête homme/ une one woman show), éclairage

Artiste en émergence Josée Bergeron-Proulx, (Le Bout du monde) Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez , interprète, (Le Bout du monde) Pierre Antoine Lafon Simard, interprète, (L'Illusion comique)

Prix technique / de la regie Tina Goralski, (L'Illusion comique) Guillaume Houët- Brisebois, (L'honnête homme/ une one woman show) Benoît Roy, (Le Bout du monde) Lindsay Tremblay, (Le Projet Rideau)

Mise en scène de l'année Joël Beddows (RAGE) Dominique Lafon (L'Illusion comique) Marc Lemyre (L'honnête homme/ une one woman show) Pier Rodier (Cyrano Tag) Anne-Marie White (Le Bout du monde)

Adaptation de l'année Le Bout du monde, Le Théâtre du Trillium Cyrano Tag, Vox Théâtre

Nouvelle création de l'année Cyrano Tag, Vox Théâtre L'effet réel des polluants sur les animaux imaginaires, GESTES théâtre Et si on tuait l'ennui?, Théâtre Dérives Urbaines L'honnête homme/ une one woman show, poésie électrique Le Projet Rideau, Théâtre la Catapulte

Production de l'année Le Bout du monde, Théâtre du Trillium Et si on tuait l'ennui?, Théâtre Dérives Urbaines L'honnête homme/ une one woman show, poésie électrique Le Projet Rideau, Théâtre la Catapulte RAGE, Théâtre la Catapulte

40 English and 11 French professional theatre productions were juried by two teams of local arts professionals (14 English and 10 French) during the 2009 calendar year. Nominations were submitted by secret ballot and tallied by local accountants, Chong Pelot and Marcil-Lavallée. Complete details on award definitions, terms and criteria are available at www.rideauawards.ca

Les Prix Rideau Awards initiative was undertaken in late 2006 as a result of discussion at an open meeting of the regional Canadian Actorsʼ Equity Association. The program aims to raise the profile of locally-produced professional theatre by celebrating its successes.

Enjoying Theatre on a Budget

It bothers me when actors tell me they don't go to the theatre. Excuse me? What? How can you not go to the theatre? How can you consider yourself an actor in this town and not know what the local companies are producing? Or who the key people involved are? Or who your competition might be? Often actors and crew go for drinks post-show, which then becomes a valuable opportunity to network, socialize and find out what the next big project coming to town might be.

"But Nancy, going to the theatre is expensive!" I hear you clamour. "Ah! But it does not have to be," is my reply.

As many of you know, I see almost every bit of theatre that comes to Ottawa. Out of 45 professional productions juried by Les Prix Rideau Awards in 2009, I've seen 40. that's not including the community theatre, Fringe, Magnetic North and student productions I've seen. I think last year I probably saw over 100 theatre performances. That averages out to 2 a week, which sounds about right.

This may come as a shock to you, but I am not the type to sit around in my tub with my bath pillow eating bonbons and drinking wine as I use my laptop to peruse the "next big theatrical event" I will be attending (though that's probably because using your laptop in a tub is just asking for trouble). Nor do I have an ample supply of disposable income which I use on $20 to $40 theatre tickets. No. I am a poor broke artist who just wanted to know everything there was to know about my local theatre community and I figured out the cheapest way to do it.

So, dear friends, this is how you too can enjoy your theatre on a budget.

Are you a student? TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT! Both the National Arts Centre, the Great Canadian Theatre Company and Third Wall Theatre in Ottawa have rush tickets for students that go for something like $10 or $11 a piece if you purchase your tickets the day of the performance. Not ideal if it's a show like The Drowsy Chaperone, which sold out rather quickly, but trust me, there are a lot of performances in town that do not sell out and you would be more than happy to see your smiling face walking to the door for your rush ticket.

Of course, the tricky thing here is that most of these companies do not clearly advertise their rush ticket availabilities, which I can understand to a point. So how can you find out about them? Well, you could just call and ask. Then again, why would you do that when you have me?

I almost never took advantage of my student status when I had a valid student card and it still bothers me to this day. Think of all the great shows I missed... As an added bonus, the GCTC also has ADULT Rush Tickets for $20. No i.d. necessary, just show up after noon on any show day to get your discounted ticket.

Are You An Artist? Well, since this blog is loosely geared towards actors and other artists, I'm going to go with yes, you probably are. A lot of companies like the NAC, GCTC, Third Wall, Evolution Theatre offer artist rates. How do you prove you're an artist? Usually with your union card. That said, if you are not in any performers union, I believe they will all accept two contrasting monologues at the box office... but don't quote me on that.

Volunteer! Every theatre company in town needs volunteers and it does come with benefits. In most cases, volunteers actually get to see the show on the night of their shift. I know this is the case for Evolution Theatre and it sometimes works out for other companies like The Gladstone and A Company of Fools (unless they happen to need all their volunteers for a secret ice cream experiment...) I wanted to see the amazing Inclement Weather/Countries Shaped Like Stars again when it was presented at the GCTC, but couldn't afford the $20. I offered my services on opening night and boom! I got to fall in love all over again.

The added bonus of volunteering means you get to know the people involved with the production. Today's front of house volunteer may be tomorrow's performer... or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

Join Mailing Lists, Facebook Groups and watch Twitter Feeds How else will you know what shows are playing in town? (Other than the brilliantly up-to-date What’s On – À l’affiche listing by the Ottawa Theatre Network) Lots of theatre companies (perhaps taking a page from my book) run online contests and special promotions for their members. Vision Theatre, Evolution Theatre and Third Wall Theatre have all been known to do this. The Ottawa Fringe Festival ran a brilliant Friday Trivia contest on Twitter where you could win free tickets and other gift certificates. A Company of Fools also sends out a very informed newsletter every once in a while, so you probably want to sign up for that one too.

Pay Attention to Pay-What-You-Can! Every single company in town has a Pay-What-You-Can performance at some point in their run (and if they don't, they probably should). For instance, when I did Shining City with SevenThirty Productions, we had a PWYC matinee on the first Saturday in the run. During the summer, the Fools shows are by Pass The Hat donations. PWYC/PTH means whatever you can afford. Really, you have absolutely no excuse not to go. And how do you find out about the PWYC? See the point above this one.

Previews and Dress Rehearsals These shows are often free or cheap and take place before the official opening night. Sure you might not be getting a final polished performance, but when is a performance ever final? Besides, you're doing the theatre company a great service by being part of the test audience.

Know Somebody Finally, if not a single one of these suggestions works for you, call someone you know who might be involved with the production. (See, this is where all the networking you've been doing after attending performances is going to pay off.) Let whomever know that you can't afford to see their show but you really want to. Perhaps they will be able to offer you a comp or a discounted ticket. That said, only use this method if you really can't make it to the show otherwise. You do not want to abuse of this privilege! It's just not nice.

Or be friends with someone who happens to get a lot of invitations to shows (you know, like me). Typically these people get two free tickets to a performance and they might not have anyone to go with that night (because they happen to be single and can't meet anyone new because they spend all their time attending the theatre by themselves... ahem) I'm sure I they would be happy to have some company with which to discuss the performance post-show. Just make sure you buy me them a drink after. It's only fair.

....

What? This still isn't working for you? Alright. Fine. Here's my final solution: start your own theatre company, build it from the ground up over at least five years, somewhere in there start a blog, become a valued and indispensable part of your city's theatre scene, and watch the invitations pour in. It worked for me, but it's a lot of work. You might just want to pay the $10 instead.

I'll be seeing you at the theatre!

What A Week!

Things were off to a great start last Sunday with the closing performance of BASH'd: A Gay Rap Opera at the GCTC followed by a theatre audition for a company in town. Then I spent some time with a friend and watched Heath Ledger's last performance in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnasus, an odd little film in which I learned it's best not to make a deal with Tom Waits. I had taken the time on the prior Saturday to come in and complete the finishing touches on a big project I was involved with at the GCTC. Oddly enough, my boss also decided to come in that day. There really is nothing better than choosing to work overtime and having your boss catch you at it. It's just like How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, only I was really trying. I was then able to take Monday off without much fuss.

It only got better after that. I received a call from a friend. Apparently their non-union film project got approved for union status and would I happen to be available on Thursday for a shoot? (More on this in my next blog post.)

Needless to say, I was super excited to be on set again and even more so when I contacted my union's branch office and found out that I would be getting another apprentice credit for my work. When you start out with ACTRA (The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), you typically begin as an Apprentice Member and you need to collect 6 credits before you can become a Full Member. More details on being an Apprentice can be found here. In the past, only one low budget film could be used towards your six credits. The reasoning being, I guess, that anyone could go out and make their own low budget films and get all their credits. However times change and so do some rules and regulations. I am now only one credit away from Full Member status (and some kind of minimal health insurance coverage!)

Oh and my agent also contacted me to let me know that I would be auditioning for a feature film on the Friday. so who knows, maybe I'm not that far away from Full Member status after all...

Somehow, I managed to do all this while juggling 40 hours of work and the big audience development project we had going on over the weekend. Oh and Thursday was also payday! Gosh, I wish all my weeks could be like that, but right now I am just grateful that everything just came together so well.