We can rebuild her, we have the technology

Roller Derby is a very physically demanding sport and injuries are common. One of the main reasons I don't play in any actual games is, in fact, to avoid injury at all cost. After all, if I get hurt, I wouldn't be able to do my show. It never really occurred to me that I could get hurt doing the show. First of all, I'm by myself, so there's no chance of getting knocked down hard and all the falls I do do are carefully choreographed. But I'm doing a show on roller skates practically every day for the past 3 months. In some cities, like Edmonton, I would even flyer on my skates, spending 4 to 5 hours a day in them. Like runners training, there's bound to be some wear and tear overtime.

And I'm not quite sure if that's what it was? Overuse and bad posture maybe? Or maybe the floors in the Falsecreek Community Centre were just harder than what I've been used to - I've been told it's a sprung floor but it doesn't feel that way. Or maybe, this one time, I landed funny? But during my tech rehearsal for the Vancouver Fringe on Wednesday, when I practiced my jump and landed on my skates as I zip around my makeshift track, something felt off in my right knee. With the limited amount of time you get to tech, I brushed it off, finished the rehearsal, and with a half hour to spare, tried it again on different skates, since my outdoor wheels have more cushioning than my indoor ones. Then I tried it one more time on my regular skates before thinking that maybe I should stop now...

I called my director. Her first suggestion was the sensible one - "Cut the jump." - So of course I didn't want to hear it. Thoughts of a Calgary Fringe review ran through my head: "The novelty of wheel-powered theatre eventually wears off." 

I'd worked damn hard on that jump and I wanted to show it off, but ugh... Yup, I was letting my one meh review from the summer dictate my personal safety because I was scared of losing any more Wow factor from the show.

I met with the team and started icing my knee. It did feel better. But I didn't want to take any chances that it could get worse. My greatest fear was that I wouldn't be able to do the show at all. Or at least not skate in it. So I managed to get a last minute physiotherapy appointment. And am I ever glad I did!

My physiotherapist was amazing! She immediately noticed there was swelling in my knee, but after some light testing deduced that it was a minor injury. My knee got tapped up. I was given some exercises to work on, as well as some kind of electrotherapy, told to keep icing it when it hurt and Just. Be. Careful. It was really awesome to talk to someone who worked with athletes and knew how important it was for them to be able to perform the next day. She made me feel at ease and like I had options.

Opening night in Vancouver. A sold out house! I really was not expecting that at all! My knee is feeling better so I decide to go for it with the jump. Boom! Nailed it. No twitch, no pain. I feel relieved. After the show, other then residual muscle stiffness, I feel pretty alright. Five more performances to go so let's keep it that way.

Toronto the Good for Me?

Happy Canada Day! The Ottawa Fringe Festival closed on Sunday night with the usual fanfare (i.e. the wonderful Ross May on the bagpipes) and it was a much celebrated, yet bittersweet affair as this marked the last year of the Beer Tent in the Arts Court Courtyard. Dave Dawson gave a goodbye speech that combined the right amount of funny and nostalgia, while we toasted to what the future Son of Beer Tent might be. It was then and there that I realized I had 12 years of memories in that courtyard and it was one of the main reasons the Ottawa Fringe has always been one of my very favourites.

I am now spending one of my few days of non-Fringe activity this summer doing... Fringe related activity. It hit me this morning when I woke up that I head for Toronto tomorrow and I am incredibly nervous. Even though I lived there for almost two years, I've waited a really long time before bringing Roller Derby Saved My Soul to town. You may be asking yourself why; many of my friends there sure have. In my high school analogy of Canadian Theatre, Toronto is the cool kid whose opinion means I might get to eat at the best table in the cafeteria at lunchtime. And anytime I think about high school, I can't help but feel like the nerdy kid who doesn't quite know how to dress herself, but dammit if I can't help you with your homework.

...

I have no idea where this analogy is going except to say that Toronto theatre intimidates the fuck out of me. I am already nervous when I go to a new Fringe city because I never know if anyone is going to show up, but I am even more worried now because I have this idea that the people in Toronto who do come will all sit there with their arms crossed and judge.

All this to say, I am super stressed. My printing wasn't ready as quickly as I would have liked it to be and part of me wonders if I have completely forgotten how the show goes now that I've had a week off. I've finally found a place for us to stay for most of the festival and it's great, but I have to pay for it and it's only from the 5th to the 11th, so I still have to find room from the 2nd to the 4th. I'm literally shaking as I write this blog post, though that may also be from the coffee.

Tomorrow, the documentary team and I will be stopping by Ganonoque to interview the divine Julia Mackay about her incredibly successful Jake's Gift before I arrive in Toronto for my technical rehearsal at the Tarragon Extra Space. I will also be back with another blog post, this time my Must-See List for the Toronto Fringe.

City number 4, here I come!

Nancy's Must-See List at the 2014 Montreal Fringe

I arrived in Montreal on Sunday night and spent the entire day on Monday running around Fringe grounds, checking in, buying props, printing programs, doing an interview before teching the show and jumping right into my opening night performance minutes later. After running on very little sleep for the past week and driving all day Sunday, I used up all the joy and energy I had and pumped it right into the show. After the run, I was completely exhausted and empty, which lead to feelings of bitterness and doubt. Lucky for me, I have incredibly supportive friends.

Then this morning, after a wake-up call from the Ottawa Citizen who is doing an article on the documentary, I received the loveliest of surprises through Twitter: Roller Derby Saved My Soul is nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best One-Person show!

You know, if getting a good night's sleep means I get to wake up to awesome stuff like this every morning, I'm going to start going to bed a 9 from now on.

So, if you are in Montreal and want to see what the fuss is about, get your tickets now for Roller Derby Saved My Soul.

Now that that's done, here are a bunch of other shows you should check out based on my personal preferences and who bought me drinks the night before:

Untitled Sam Mullins Project

I'd be remiss not to include my fellow CCA nominee, Sam Mullins. He is nominated for his one-person show Weaksauce and I have been excited to see his work now for quite some time.

God is a Scottish Drag Queen II

God is my homeboy. I saw part one in London and thought it was the funniest show there, consistently selling out the 150-seat venue we shared. Part deux is sure to be just as big a hit.

Drag Queen Stole My Dress

I hung out with Gillian last year during the Atlantic Fringe and heard much about the creation of this show. I'm excited to finally see it on stage here in Montreal.

Spitting in the Face of the Devil

Saw this with my producing partner in London. The story is gorgeous and his character work is impeccable. A must-see for sure.

my playwright sister

I loved my pregnant brother when I first saw it in Ottawa. I look forward to hearing the other side of the story.

Aiden Flynn Lost His Brother So He Makes Another

From the beautiful people who created Matchstick, this is another show that has sleeper hit written all over it.

jem rolls: One Man Traffic Jam

Because. Duh.

Kitt & Jane: an interactive survival guide to the near post-apocalyptic future

Little Orange Man, which I've seen multiple times, including the original version at the Calgary Fringe under a different name, remains one of my favorite Fringe shows ever. I may not be able to see this one in Montreal, as I hear it is selling out, but you can bet I'm going to catch it at some point across the circuit.

Lotus

I met playwright Caitlin Murphy in London, where her Ladies Room was a sold out hit. Many people commented on our similar writing styles. Plus she's a super cool chick.

A Bandolier of Dreams

Former UnCalled For members in a brand new show!

Shakespeare Crackpot

After all these years, I still haven't seen a Keir Cutler show. I am beyond due.

The Quitter

Al Lafrance is just great. He's also touring across the country. If I don't see it here, I'll see it later, but I will see it.

Story Whore

Jon Bennett is incredibly funny and charming and known for his shows about cock. I have no idea what this one is about but I can't wait to find out.

Wolves > Boys

I love the MayCan boys so much, I hired one of them to work on my documentary. Their shows are incredibly charming and will make your heart melt in all the right ways.

As always, you should see as many shows as you possibly can. There are gems everywhere at this festival. Feel free to share your own in the comment section below.

One Down, Seven to Go

Wow. Is it really over already? This morning, my producing partner, Natalie Watson and I packed up our VW Passat (courtesy of the fine folks at Hunt Club Volkswagen in Ottawa), said goodbye to our awesome billet, Peter, and headed out on the road to Montreal. See ya later, London! The London Fringe Festival went pretty well for me. I had decent sized houses, incredibly enthusiastic audiences (some people even saw the show twice) that bought plenty of RDSMS merchandise, and actually walked away with money in my pocket. I also love that my final payout was waiting for me by the time I was done my last show. The staff and volunteers were great and unbelievably supportive. I saw festival producer, Kathy Navackas, at everything, including the NO Show, which was the late-night cabaret organized by Jayson McDonald. The cabaret was tons of fun and the staff at the Poacher's Arms were the absolute best! If the Fringe could manage to keep that space as a venue while working out the sound issue, this place would be perfect. My documentary team also had a great time. Maybe too good...

We've collected awesome footage for the documentary. The team followed me to the Fringe Preview, tech rehearsal and first performances. They were at almost every NO Show and filmed plenty of the activities there. We have interviews with Kathy Navackas, Jayson McDonald, Keith Brown, Bill Pats, God, Kurt Fitzpatrick, a retiring Reverend Nudgent, and my billet, Peter Janes. Oh and not enough can be said about my amazing billet. Not only has he been a huge supporter of this tour and documentary, but he also generously took in 3 wandering artists who took over half of his apartment for almost 2 weeks. Thank you, Peter!

If you want to see more about where we were living, check out my director's earlier vlog:

VLOG - Filming away from Wolf Pelt Productions on Vimeo.

Other than that, he's a random list of things I really liked about my time in London, ON:

• Slushy sake drinks with umbrellas from the Poacher's Arms, which we often got for free because the manager is awesome.
• The Early Bird Dinner and their Fat Elvis - that's peanut butter, honey, panko crusted bananas and house cured bacon smooshed between French Toast and drizzled in maple syrup with powder sugar on top.

  

• $1 tacos & beers at Jacks - locals will tell you not to go, because it attracts just the type of clientele you imagine it would. But some on! $1 tacos!
• The weather was great! And we had multiple access to pools and gyms throughout our time here.
• High-fiving Fringe Volunteers!
• The Convent Gardens Market - fresh groceries and cheap eats. Not to mention random 6/49 hammocks & free lemonade.

  

Fringe Crushes:

For Nancy - Mike Delamont of God is a Scottish Drag Queen

For Natalie - Bob Brader of Spitting in the Face of the Devil

For Cory - Jayson McDonald of Magic Unicorn Island

And now, as I write this in the car, we are getting closer and closer to Montreal. The next leg of our adventure begins. I'm slightly concerned. Since I've been in London, Montreal has already started. I've had little to no advertising in the media, no posters are up and, since I have to tech right before my first show, I won't be able to flyer. So, I ponder: Is anyone coming?

Roller Derby Saved My Soul runs from June 16 to June 23, 2014 at the Montreal Fringe Festival.

Injured Midway Through the London Fringe

Well, here we are at what is ostensibly, for me, the half-way mark of the London Fringe Festival. This has definitely been a wonderful place to start my first leg of the tour and ease into a new version of the script. The advanced press has been fantastic, the reviews great and the people watching the show stick around after to tell me how much they loved it. I've even sold more merch in this city than I did in Montreal or Edmonton last year. I have to say, my biggest thrill comes from running into folks wearing my shirts while I'm flyering a line-up.

Unfortunately, I ran into the reviewer from the London Free Press over the weekend and he told me he probably wasn't going to make it out to my show. With two performances left, even if he made it out for my 10 p.m. on Thursday, I'm not sure the review would even be out on time for my Friday show. This is unfortunate because I think not being reviewed by THE major publication in town has affected my ticket sales. I can't prove this, of course, but I know it's a factor.

In other news, I also had a pretty bad scare that I might lose a toenail. On my first night in town, after the Fringe preview, I was packing up my beautiful new banner while speaking to a fellow performer. The banner slipped out of my hand and the metal stand landed directly on my left index toe, near the nail bed. Now it hurt like a mother and even bled a little, but I did what I always do in these situations: curse a whole bunch and then try to walk it off. The Fringe volunteer coordinator saw what happened and found me a band-aid and some ice, which I kept trying to refuse because I was just embarrassed by the whole situation. For the next two days it hurt to walk. It didn't feel any better shoved into a tight roller skate either. I put ice on it at night and didn't see any additional bruising, so I was relieved that it wasn't broken. I took the band-aid off on Friday, saw that my toe was bruised beneath the nail, shrugged it off and went on my merry way in sandals to Toronto for an audition. I stayed there overnight and as I was getting ready to head back to London the next day, I felt a wetness on my foot. I looked down and saw that my nail bed was now bleeding profusely. I had a minor panic attack as my old roommate let me wash my foot in her tub, cover the toe in polysporin and wrap a fresh band-aid over it. My panic stemmed mostly from the thinking that if I lost a toenail it would not grow back. Somehow the thought of never having a proper pedicure again was on par with some of the worst world crises. Yeah... I've got my priorities straight.

Almost a week later and the toe has not yet fully healed, though the nail seems to still be hanging on. The show is on pause for the next two days so I hope that may stop some of the bleeding that is still happening. Funny though that I always thought if I got injured doing a roller derby show, it would be for a cool reason in a badass way. You know, for actual derby reasons and not just clumsy ones.

And yes, we have a caught a lot of this splendid grossness on film. Is it weird I almost want to lose the nail now because it would make for a more interesting narrative? "Hey guys, false alarm, my toe's all better now," just doesn't have the same kick to it.

Filming is going well. My team is off doing interviews today while I do admin work and head to the gym. I'll be catching quite a few shows tonight, so if you're in London, Ontario, come on down to the Fringe and say hi to the gal in the smelly roller derby tank top with the busted toe.

Roller Derby Saved My Soul is on for two more nights during the London Fringe Festival at the McManus Studio Theatre on Thursday, June 12 at 10 p.m. and Friday, June 13 at 7 p.m.

You Don't Look Stressed Out...

That's the first thing the wonderful owner of Hunt Club Volkswagen said to me during our meeting on Friday: "You don't look stressed out..." With my producing partner flying into town on Wednesday, shooting starting on Thursday, film production prep, rehearsals for the show, a pitch session for the delightful Soup Ottawa community and premiere of a completely revised version of Roller Derby Saved My Soul on May 30th, no one is more surprised than me at my lack of stress.

Don't get me wrong. I did go through a brief period of self-doubt, but got through it thanks to some pretty amazing friends.

I feel incredibly loved and supported and, to be honest, I'm just too fucking happy to be stressing out right now. With 8 days left to go, my Indiegogo campaign for the documentary is still going strong, we're looking at a sold out performance on the 30th in Ottawa (seriously, you might want to get your tickets now if you haven't already), I've got a free car, and more sponsors are now coming onboard thanks to my connection to the great Love Ottawa website.

So thank you. All of you. I couldn't do any of this without you and the incredible team I surround myself with. I can't wait to share the re-vamped Roller Derby Saved My Soul this summer!

It's a Brand New Derby

On Saturday, we had the first table read of my revised draft of Roller Derby Saved My Soul. And I think I made my sound designer's head explode.

You see, it's a different show now. And I didn't realize how different until he pointed it out. In my mind, I had moved a scene here, cut out another one there... sure there was some new content, but it wasn't that much, was it? And he, consummate professional that he is, now wants to create some new music to go with this new version of the show.

That's why I was so happy to finally read this new version to a group of people, so I could hear this kind of feedback. I feel really good about it. For a long time, though I loved the old version of Roller Derby Saved My Soul, I always felt it was more like popcorn: light and fluffy but without much sustenance. Now, the new show structure, without losing any of its heart and humour, feels more grounded.

The brilliant Tania Levy has been instrumental in helping me develop the piece. We work incredibly well together. To the point where I think she might be reading my mind. Folks, I can't say this enough, but you should really hire Tania for all your projects. All of them. She will make them magic and I think we could all use a little more magic in our lives.

So all this to say that if you saw Roller Derby Saved My Soul in the past few years, you should come and check it out again this summer because it will be a very different experience. Tickets are selling fast for Ottawa. And they are now on sale for both the London Fringe Festival and the Montreal Fringe Festival.

And if you're curious, the documentary campaign is going very well. Please consider making a contribution to our Indiegogo campaign and make this film about life On the Fringe happen!

On the Fringe is launched!

After quite some time putting together the team (including my new producing partners, Dale and Jamison Windle of Aventus Films), editing and polishing the video and campaign pitch, we are finally ready to release the first bits of On the Fringe to the general public.

And here it is! Just click on the Indiegogo widget and it will take you to the video.

As of writing this, we've already reached 8% of our goal in our first day online. I am incredibly proud of this video, this campaign and this project as a whole. I hope you'll take a moment to check it out and, if you can't support us financially, please share it with everyone you know.

Thanks for joining me, On the Fringe!

The Evolution of a Show

2009 - The idea of a roller derby show  comes to mind. I start researching the sport, interview people involved and writing scenes. My show is nowhere near ready for Fringe so I decide to do something else. Something else bombs and I give up writing for a whole year. 2011 - Opportunity to be in the Ottawa Fringe Festival presents itself and I take it. I dust off the old scenes and start writing a show. It goes... not that well at first.

Regardless, it becomes an unquestionable success. And after Ottawa, I took all the feedback I got and wrote another draft for the Hamilton Fringe, where things also went well. Did one more performance in Ottawa that year with a few minor changes and that was that. As I needed money, I took a self-imposed break from the arts to work a few full-time jobs. I was not going to tour in 2012.

2012 - A roller derby lady in Swift Current, SK had heard about the show and wanted it for a theatre festival she curates. Barely any changes are made to the script. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I set up a successful Indiegogo campaign to take the show on a full cross-Canada tour in 2013.

2013 - I only get into two festivals - three after all was said and done. I decide to finally get a proper sound design for the show. There's a few more minor script rewrites with some Toronto dramaturgy help, but the main focus is on sound. Once more, the show does well, but I end the year with an unsettled feeling. I decide to tour again next year and apply to the big Canadian Fringe Festival lottery. I put in almost every city on the tour because I don't think I will actually win.

2014 - I win the lottery and start preparing for the biggest tour yet. I've hired a choreographer and we've changed the show's set design, but the unsettled feeling has returned. If it ain't broke don't fix it, but... Parts of the script just don't feel right anymore. I have a chat with my director and she agrees. I've grown up and, if I want to keep doing it, the show has to grow up too. In fact, this sums it up pretty well:

THE GAP by Ira Glass from frohlocke on Vimeo.

My taste is so high and, as good and fun as RDSMS has been, it's not as great as it could be. This is a scary thought. The show is a proven entity. It does well. If I leave it as is, I will have a good summer. It won't be a creatively fulfilling summer, but it will be a good, safe one.

But I didn't get into this business to be safe. So, I've decided to go back to the beginning and dig deeper. Will you like it? I hope so. In fact, I think you will because I'm still going to be a charming little presence on stage. But my goal is to be a truer one in both my writing and my performance.

Will I ever be satisfied? I don't know. I'd love to hear from other creators on that one. Are you ever done? Is a painting done when you finally hang it on a wall? Is a song complete just because it's been recorded? Is a writer ever satisfied when he or she has scribbled out the last page?

I, in the meantime, will go back to a writing exercise that my lovely creative partner has asked me to finish before our story meeting tonight. An exercise I have judiciously procrastinated on by doing my taxes and writing this blog post. Because when I know something is good for me, I'm going to put it off as long as I can.

Stay tuned...

On the Fringe

 

I've been involved with Fringe in some way or another since 2002.

Ever wonder what the heck a Fringe Festival is? Ever wonder why people participate in Fringe Festivals?  Ever wonder what the heck happens behind the scenes? This summer, I hope to answer some of these questions and more.

I briefly touched upon it in my last post, but I am creating a documentary of my upcoming summer tour. The current working title is On the Fringe and I am thrilled with how things are coming together.

From the end of May until mid-September, I'm going to have two people following me around with cameras as I go through the highs, the lows and the roadtrippyness of performing/producing a Fringe show on the Canadian circuit. There will be interviews with performers, audience members, staff, volunteers and critics... basically everyone who lives and breathes this crazy little world we've created for ourselves.

Since my team is based in Vancouver, they've started preliminary interviews with performers out there, along with David Jordan, Executive Director of the Vancouver Fringe and President of CAFF, which we will be using in the upcoming trailer to be released in March. My goal, at the end of this year, is to have a feature-length documentary which we will send to a variety of film festivals and release for world-wide distribution.

My days are currently filled with budgets and potential sponsorship pitches. Things I know we currently need:

• A car that can comfortably seat at least 4 people, all our luggage, film equipment & my show gear;
• Gas for a 4 month road trip across the country;
• Insurance;
• Accommodations along the way;
• Food for my documentary team who is currently volunteering 4 months of their lives to follow me around;
• Flights for 2 from Vancouver to Ottawa;
• Money to pay my team (because it is crazy that 2 people would give up their summer like that without compensation);
• Camera & other related equipment - It's actually cheaper to buy the equipment than rent it for 4 months;
• Emergency fund - Car breaks down? Equipment gets stolen? I want none of these things to happen, but I want to be prepared for them if they do.

Can you help?

If you have a company that would love to get some national & international exposure, please feel free to email me at info at nancykenny dot ca for a sponsorship package. Also, stay tuned for a crowdfunding campaign at some point in March when we will release the trailer.

Oh and if you're a performer/Fringe person who wants to be included in the doc, feel free to contact me closer to April-May, or just walk up and talk to me at some point during the summer. I'll be the girl on roller skates with a camera crew so I'll be pretty hard to miss.

So you want to do a Fringe show in the United States?

Are you an American citizen who has a cool little show you want to produce on the Canadian Fringe Festival Circuit? No problem! You DO NOT need a work permit if you are a performing artist who:

• will perform in Canada for a limited period of time,
• will not perform in a bar or restaurant,
• are not being hired for ongoing employment by the Canadian group that has contracted you and
• are not involved in making a movie, television or radio broadcast.

You just need a letter from the festivals you will be participating in confirming the items above.

Are you a Canadian citizen who would like to take your cool little Fringe show to one of the American Fringes (New York, Orlando, San Diego, Indianapolis, San Francisco, and Boulder) who are members of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, or one of the many other unrelated Fringe Festivals in the U.S.? No probl...

Wait, what?

**************************************************************

As some of you may know, I was accepted into the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival where I was planning on producing Roller Derby Saved My Soul. Going into the US to produce/perform in a show is way more complicated for Canadians than it is for Americans coming our way. Some folks have whispered to me that perhaps it might just be easier to lie and say I was going on vacation. I'm not comfortable with that for one second. I am the worst when it comes to lying to authority figures and the BORDER is the very last place where I would like to push my luck. I've heard too many nightmare stories of people being detained or, even  worse, banned from entering the States to ever want to do that.

However, by wanting to produce my work honestly and following the rules, I now found myself in a bureaucratic nightmare worthy of Asterix & Obelix's task in "The Place That Sends You Mad". I expected some fees and some paperwork, but this is just too much and, as such, I've had to sadly withdraw from the Orlando Fringe.

While this was one of my favorite Asterix & Obelix movies as a kid, it is my hope that if you want to pursue this avenue, my adventures might save you from going completely insane in the process.

Please note, I am not an immigration lawyer, nor have I consulted one at the moment. This is simply the process that I have been going through. If there is an immigration lawyer out there who would be able to speak to me pro bono about all this, I would be very happy to hear from you.

*****************************************************

It all started with the CAFF website and their page on Information for Canadian Artists Entering the US where I learned about the P-2 Artist Visa, which is for a reciprocal exchange with a labour organization in the States and one in Canada. For me, that comes from the agreement between the Canadian Actor's Equity Association and the American Actor's Equity Association. The association needs to petition on your behalf to the US Government in order to let you into the country. If you are not a union member, I don't know what other options are out there for you unless you are internationally recognized in your field.

I called CAEA, but they did not have any information for me, so I then called the AEA. If you call them, make sure you contact the national office and not the regional ones. I was informed that I should send them Form I-129 with all proper support materials. But more on that in a second.

First you need to fill out a form called DS-160. Other then the completely un-user friendly name, this form is pretty basic and requires you to include your name, address, passport info, US travel history, ect. Make sure you save your application I.D. number in case you want to finish it at a later time. You'll also need to upload a picture of yourself. You need to fill out this form if you want to get appointment to talk to someone at a local U.S. Embassy. For some reason, you can't just call or walk up to the Embassy for a chat... imagine that.

That was the easy part. Now, since you're looking for a P-2 Artist Visa, you also need to fill out Form I-129. This is a 34-page document (yes, 3-4) that typically your US employer would fill out for you that needs to be submitted in duplicate. However, you're doing a Fringe show, so technically you don't have an employer. No, the Fringe does not fill out this form. From my understanding, I think AEA should be the ones to fill it out, but trust me they are not going to do it for you. But don't worry, US Citizenship and Immigration Services has come up with a little 24-page instruction manual on how to fill out this form that should clear everything right up...

Oh and signatures need to be original and not photocopied. My research tells me you should sign everything in blue ink so that this fact can never be contested.

I'm not quite sure how long every step takes, but from my understanding it can take anywhere from 14 days to 60 to more... Basically, one site tells me you should get started at least 6 months in advance.

SUPPORT MATERIALS

• Passport
• Letter of no objection from your labour organization
• Artist Background Info
• Travel itinerary
• Contract or support letter from the festivals you are attending
• Cover letter
• Proof of residency in Canada to prove you have no plans of staying in the U.S.

Now, once all of this gets approved *fingers crossed* which can take up to 60 days, you should get something called an I-797, which you will need to include in your Visa application. Because up to this point, none of this is your actual application.

I believe you then have to go to an interview where they will collect your fingerprints (?!) and officially determine that you are not a crazy person or a threat and that you are not there to take jobs away from hard-working Americans.

FEES

Now here's the tricky part. I can't seem to get much of a straight answer anywhere, but here's what I have found out so far:

• $325 just to file form I-129
• want to expedite that filing process? Just add an additional $1125 to that $325.
• $250 to AEA for the consultation
• $190 Visa Issuance Fee (though I think this fee is waived for Canadians)
• either $405 or $720 in application processing fees from the consular's office

These are just the dollar amounts that I was able to find on my own. I'm pretty sure there are more surprises out there too. If anyone has any additional info on this, please let me know in the comments.

Please note that at any step throughout this process, someone could say no and there are no refunds. And even if you get all your papers in order, you could still get turned away at the border.

I did find one website who will do all the work for you by charging a legal fee of $645 and a filing fee of $420. I don't know how legit that is, and they say there are no hidden fees, but I'm pretty sure there has to be more to it than that.

If you would like additional information, this handy website called Artists from Abroad has a lot to get you started.

********************************************************

The sad thing about all this is that my participation in the Orlando Fringe does not take jobs away from American citizens. Fringes reserve a certain number of spots for international performers as part of their mandates. If anything, I would have been investing into the U.S. economy through my Fringe fees, travel expenses, food & lodging, ect.

Also, to be clear, I don't blame the Fringes for any of this. The staff at the Orlando Fringe and CAFF have been very kind and offered up any information they might have. This is purely a government matter and as such I am putting together a dossier that I will be sending to my local MP, as well as other key members of the Canadian government in the hopes that one day we may have the same access to the Fringe and other small festivals that our American peers get here.

New Year, Same Story, New Beginnings

Wow! 2014! You're looking pretty amazing if I do say so myself.

And what is looking to be so amazing about 2014, you ask? EVERYTHING!

Let's start at the beginning, shall we? Today I'm back into rehearsals for Pop Fiction. A wicked new work in both French and English that is sure to impress. I can't say much more than that for now, but stay tuned for future blog posts. The show runs from January 22nd to February 1st at the Arts Court Theatre Studio.

I've also just launched the new website for Roller Derby Saved My Soul. It's still a work in progress, so feedback is appreciated, but I am super proud to finally have that little gem out there in the world. And speaking of RDSMS, in 2014 I will be taking on my biggest tour to date: 8 cities, possibly more, from Orlando to Vancouver from May to September. And and and if THAT wasn't enough, I will be creating a documentary of the tour. Again, more on that in another post, but I am thrilled to announce that, yes this documentary is happening!

Are you excited yet?

But wait, there's more!

I have a birthday this year. I know, I know, I have one every year, but this is a bit of a landmark one, one of the last landmarks for a while: my Jesus year. I never do anything special for my birthday. I never really bothered, but this year the timing is just too perfect to ignore. My birthday is in May, a mere week or two before I head out to the Orlando Fringe. So, to everyone in Ottawa (Yes, everyone! Someone call the mayor!) you are invited to one heck of a party where, for one night only, you will get to see the newest version of Roller Derby Saved My Soul - I'm taking new sound design, new choreography, new set - and then we will party like I'm turning 33. More details to come, but think of this as your official save the date for May 3rd. All proceeds will go to help finance the tour and the aforementioned documentary.

I did say there would probably be more than 8 cities to this tour. I guess that makes 9.

Oh and for those of you who remember Dolores, well that one is still on the table too. I'm still in talks for venues & festivals, so keep an eye out for that. We will also be going into pre-production for a film based on my translation of the script.

I'm excited. I'm very excited, but I know I have to be careful and pace myself. I've spent the past month working from home. I love it. I absolutely do. But I've noticed how easy it is for me to just sit at my computer doing work and not taking a break since I don't have to go anywhere. This is how burnout begins. I suffered one towards the end of 2013 and I definitely don't want to go through that again. Having staff is going to help, but going on vacation in February is probably going to help more. I'm going to Thailand and for the first time since... ever, I'm going to be off the grid for a whole three weeks. No work. No thinking about work. Just taking care of myself.

And when it comes to 2014, this is just the stuff I know about. I wonder what other surprises and adventures are in store for me? Let's find out together, shall we?

Winning the Lottery

"Nancy Kenny, you just won the CAFF lottery. What are you going to do now?"

I'm going to Winnipeg! And London, and Montreal, and Toronto, and, and, and ...

For the past two years now, I've applied to Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF) annual lottery. I've explained what the CAFF is here and how much it costs to sign up. Cost being the main factor as to why I hadn't applied for it in the past. It was just easier to budget for individual festivals when you could spread the payment out over a few months. Last year, I was ready for it, but was not selected. This year, however, was different.

I received the phone call at around 8:00 a.m. Vancouver time. Since the name "Fringe Theater" popped up on the call display and I knew the draw was probably happening today, I could guess what this was about. From experience, I know they don't call if you didn't get it. They told me I was actually the first name they had drawn and confirmed that I still wanted to do it. I hung up, both in shock that I actually got the CAFF and that I just put a very large sum of money on my credit card.

A few days later and I'm ready to celebrate. How often does an actor get to know what they will be doing for a few months? Roller Derby Saved My Soul is going back on the road!

Without further ado, here's where you're guaranteed to find me and my little show on wheels during the summer of 2014 (actual show dates, times and venues to be confirmed at a much much later date):

London Fringe Theatre Festival - June 4-15, 2014 Montreal St-Ambroise Fringe - June 12-22, 2014 (yes, Montreal I'm coming back!) Toronto Fringe Festival - July 2-13, 2014 Winnipeg Fringe Festival - July 16-27, 2014 Calgary Fringe Festival - August 1-9, 2014 Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival - August 21-31, 2014 Vancouver International Fringe Festival - September 3-13, 2014

Of course, I may still apply for a few festivals to fill in the gaps, I may have another show up my sleeve... or I may just take a week off here and there. Who knows? The only thing that's certain are those dates up there and I, for one, am looking forward to it. I hope you are too!

Where Do We Go From Here?

More than halfway through the Atlantic Fringe. Can you believe it? I've already given 5 performances of Roller Derby Saved My Soul with 4 more to come. I'm incredibly excited for tonight's performance since the Halifax Roller Derby Association will be in the audience. Things have been going well. The reviews are great and everywhere I go, everyone I've flyered seems to be buzzing about the show. I've seen about a dozen shows so far (though this post title might be misleading since I've yet to see Once More With Feeling - aka the Buffy Musical - at the festival), I've made some awesome new friends and every night I get to sleep in my own private room. Yeah, things are pretty grand. Check out this great little interview I did for the Fringe's Late Night Talk Show: But I've also started hitting a wall. Three months on the road is starting to take its toll. I'm tired more often than before, I'm fighting off some kind of cold, and I find myself homesick for... well, I'm not quite sure what. And to top it all off, the 2013 Fringe season isn't even over yet and already applications for next year are hitting the interwebs. Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of cities I'd like to hit up with Roller Derby Saved My Soul (Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, maybe a return to Montreal?), but I don't know why I'm doing it anymore. Yes, I love this show and the Fringe, but I'm feeling mighty burnt out. Organizing a tour is A LOT of work and, if it weren't for my day job, I'm not sure how I'd be able to afford it at all. My friend Andrew Wade posted a very candid look at his tour numbers for the past summer. Though I don't know my final numbers yet and I do know quite a few people who achieve great success on the Fringe, I'd say Andrew's numbers are what the average performer/producer can expect. So, is this what I would want for myself again next year? Like I said, I'm Fringe Burnt, but I'm also having a lot of trouble sleeping as my mind races with plenty of questions. I feel adrift without specific goals to cling to. Thoughts of "What now?" and "What's next?" but what it really boils down to is "What do I want?" And for the first time in a long time, I don't have an answer to that question.

I Don't Believe in Coincidences

Last night, the Halifax Roller Derby Association was holding their last game of the season in Dartmouth against the Red Rock n Roller Derby league from Prince Edward Island. Unfortunately, the game was at the same time as my show, so I was unable to attend. It was a good show, probably one of my strongest ones to date, and after I got to catch up with an old university friend I hadn't seen in over 10 years. I was hungry and tired, but still headed out to the Bus Stop Theatre to catch the opening of the very funny Panel Show. Fortunately, a friend showed up with extra food, which I eagerly chowed down. I was ready, then and there, to call it a night, but one of our group wanted to go to the Menz Bar for showtunes. Since it was just across the street, I figured why not.

And boy was I glad I did.

As we walked up, a familiar sight caught my eyes... short shorts, numbers written in sharpie on the arm, jerseys with wicked cool names on the back... Could it be?

"HEY! You guys the roller derby team?!?!"

A group of women and men turned around as I proudly displayed the "Roller Derby Saved My Soul" emblazoned on my chest. Drunken cheers erupted from the group. It was the Red Rock n Roller Derby Team. Turns out the Menz Bar is where Halifax celebrates its post-derby triumphs. The PEI folks gave me team pins, which I wore all night on my shirt.

I walked into the bar. Two ladies in blue jerseys took one look at me and pointed: "YOU! We're coming to see you on Thursday!!!" Halifax Roller Derby was in the house. Congratz to the teams. Halifax won 233-210.

The Fringe performers I was with thought I had planned it. Others cursed me and decided that they too would write a show about a certain sub-culture from now on. All I know is that I had an amazing night and I don't believe in coincidences.

Oh and a room full of Fringe performers singing "One Fine Day" to piano accompaniment is the funnest thing ever.

Nancy's MUST-SEE List at the 2013 Edmonton Fringe (Part 1)

I am hours away from the launch of the 2013 Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival and for once in my life I have nothing to worry about. Yes, there is still plenty of work to do, errands to do, lines to run, and choreography to attempt with new equipment, but everything has been going smoothly (QUICK: everyone knock on wood RIGHT NOW!) It's been so smooth that I've started worrying about how smooth it is. Advance ticket sales are going better than I could have imagined - I've already made back my festival fee - and the roller derby support in town has been incredible. Not only have I received some great sponsorship/help from Bad Girlfriend Skates in Sherwood Park, but members of all three Edmonton roller derby leagues, yes even the junior girls, will be joining me tonight for the Fringe Parade, which starts tonight at 7:30 p.m. near the Kids' Fringe. I cannot wait to try out these shiny new outdoor wheels of mine on the fringe grounds!

But enough about me (sort of). You're here for one reason and one reason only, to find out what you should be seeing at this year's Fringe (or to find out if I put your show on my list). With over 200 productions, that is no simple task. In fact, this festival is so big, I've had to break down my list into a few parts. Part 2 will come out later on.

This list is not the be all and end all of fringe lists and it is based solely on personal preference, what I've seen, and what I've heard about. What you will not find here: musicals, dance and improv. There are some really great acts at this years festival in all three of those categories, but I'm not the one to tell you about them. And I can guarantee that there are some amazing shows that I just don't know about yet. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comment section at the end.

First up: the Ottawa Connection!

When they think "Amazing Fringe Show", I'm not quite sure "Ottawa" comes to mind for the fine folks of Edmonton, but this year they are in for a treat. All the way from our Nation's Capital, you've got 3 (THREE!) incredible fringe shows, all with their own strong pedigree.

Roller Derby Saved My Soul Of course, you simply must see my show first. Not just tooting my own horn here when I say this show has been loved by everyone who's seen it. It's fun, it's lighthearted, I spend half the performance on roller skates. It speaks to that awkward and shy little guy hiding in all of us.But don't just take my word for it.

Countries Shaped Like Stars It's rare for me to see a show more than once, but I've seen Countries Shaped Like Stars three times already, I own the soundtrack and I would definitely go and see it again. Read my impressions after the first time I saw it.

RiderGirl One that I have not seen but that has been taking the Fringe circuit (and Rider Nation) by storm. I'm told you don't have to be a football fan to enjoy this one. Can't wait!

Up Next: the stuff I missed in Ottawa

The Ottawa Fringe Festival is it's own incredible thing. Unfortunately, this year I was incredibly busy and didn't get to see nearly as many shows as I would have liked to. Fortunately, many of these fine fine folks are here in Edmonton as well. These are all productions that had incredible buzz & sold out houses, so you might want to get your tickets now.

Ask Aggie: The Advice Diva How much do I love Christine Lesiak? She is an incredibly funny woman with a quick wit that is sure to make this show quite the experience. From what I've been told, audience members write down questions they want the "Advice Diva" to answer. So think up some good questions and meet me at the show!

Be A Man I was so hoping to see this one in Ottawa, but an accident marked an early end to the run. Fortunately, everyone is ok and the show is here in Edmonton. The preview I saw was incredibly funny and I can't wait to see more.

The Pit Unless you've been living under a rock where no Fringe or anything wonderful ever enters your life, you know who Martin Dockery is. Now he doubles the amazing with the lovely Vanessa Quesnelle. This show completely sold out in Ottawa, so you better start camping out for tickets now.

The Show Must Go On I saw a preview of this show in Ottawa and I was immediately hooked by Jeff Leard's storytelling abilities and character work. I've been dying to see the full performance ever since. I also hear he just got a 5 star review from the Calgary Herald which is pretty darn impressive.

Monster Shout-Out-Out-Out

Monster Theatre was my first introduction to the Fringe life with the Canada Show way back in 2002 and I have adored them ever since. This year Edmonton gets not one, not two, but THREE Monster productions and you should catch them all.

Assassinating Thomson Caught this one in Ottawa, got the painting from the show and I would definitely go and see it again. Bruce Horak is an incredibly charming & personable performer who mixes stories/coincidences from his life as a legally blind artist and the mystery of Tom Thomson's death. Oh and he happens to paint a portrait of the audience while he does it. Bonus: this one is also happening in my venue - Venue 4 Academy at King Edward School.

Hockey Night at the Puck and Pickle Pub Honestly, if it wasn't a Monster Theatre show, the poster itself would have sold me on it.  It also brings together two of my favorite people: Ryan Gladstone and Jon Paterson. Not to be missed.

Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII Tara Travis wowed me when I first saw her in The Shakespeare Show. She's an absolute chameleon and this is one show that has been on the top of my list for a few years now. Another one that's been selling out all summer, so get your tickets ASAP.

Venue 4 - Academy at King Edward aka My Venue There are some great great shows happening in my venue. Along with Roller Derby Saved My Soul and Assassinating Thomson, I'm looking forward to the following:

Sex, Religion and Other Hang-ups James Gangel won last year's Canadian Comedy Award for Best Solo Show with this one and it is also directed by the fantastic Chris Gibbs. I've missed this show every time it played in Toronto so I was super excited to find it here.

Tap Me on the Shoulder Nerd girls unite!

Unpossible! Deep down, I'm still a dorky little kid who wants to believe in magic. Don't tell me how it's done, just make me believe. No pressure or anything.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this guide!

Welcome to Edmonton

After 3 nights and two days on the train, I arrived in Edmonton. My old Ottawa pal, Kris Joseph, was up bright and early to meet me. Since then I've had a lovely walking tour of the city and checked in to the Edmonton Fringe in order to get my artist package. I'm doing final tweaks on the sound and costume design, putting together the program, and successfully teched my show. In fact, I would like to give a huge shout out to my venue techs at Venue 4 - Academy at King Edward School for being so awesome.

But despite all that, I am stressing the hell out. My posters and flyers should have arrived last Friday. It is now Tuesday morning and, after multiple phone calls and "guarantees" from UPS, they still haven't arrived. I'm now wondering if I should wait longer or start calling local print shops to do a new batch, which is an expense that I haven't budgeted for. I think I could still do ok without the posters, especially since so many wall spaces around the festival grounds are already taken, but without flyers to promote the show... Is anyone going to come?

This is my first time at the Edmonton Fringe. Roller Derby Saved My Soul is a great show. I just want it all to go well, you know?

Talking to Designers

One of the main goals of my Indiegogo fundraising campaign for Roller Derby Saved My Soul was to hire a sound designer for the show. Since the show is currently set up for touring small festivals like the Fringe, getting a proper lighting design seemed like a poor investment at the time when needing something simple & flexible for a variety of spaces (strip club, anyone?). But sound! That was something within my control.

The original music selected was simply based on my own, or my director Tania Levy's personal preference for setting a specific mood/tone within the show. Unfortunately, I don't own the rights to any of it, though I do have permission to use the eponymous "Roller Derby Saved My Soul" by Uncle Leon and the Alibis (you can also get your own copy for free off the band's website, but I'd highly recommend sending a couple dollars their way).

With funds now in place, I sought out the incredibly talented Steve Lafond to compose original music for the show. He hadn't seen the show, but I gave him a copy of the script, the archival video and a list of the music we had used with one incredibly clear guideline:

"Uh... can you kind of make it sound like that?"

And that's where the problems started.

You see, I forgot that I hired a fellow artist. Someone who is both highly creative and capable. What I should have said was "Take a look at this. What does it make you feel? Make something new that goes with that."

Starting from scratch. Begin again. That's the best place to be.

Then once I realized my mistake, I ran into another issue: I don't know anything about music.

Conversations went something like this:

Steven - So what do you think of this? Does *insert technical jargon here* work for you?

Me: Uh... I... Can you make it, uh... more fun?...

Steven: ...

Me: Hey, let's ask Tania what she thinks!

Tania: *responds with equivalent technical jargon*

Me: Maybe you guys should talk.

I am the writer, actor and producer of Roller Derby Saved My Soul, but at the end of the day, the final vision, the actual visual for the show boils down to the director. And Tania Levy is one heck of a director with a very good eye/ear for what's happening on stage. As the producer, I already did my part, I hired the best people for the job. Now, I have to shut up, let go, and let them do that job.

And when you do that, magic happens.

Ottawa folks, I'm sorry you won't get to see RDSMS with this new sound design because I think it has taken the show to a whole other level. It feels more gown up now, more polished and professional, without losing the heart that made it so fun. Edmonton and Halifax? You are in for a treat!

Tickets now on sale for Roller Derby Saved My Soul at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.

Au coin de Ste-Catherine et St-Laurent

Oh Montréal! You took me by the heartstrings and didn't let go.

I arrived in Montreal last Monday before I premiered Roller Derby Saved My Soul on Tuesday at Zoofest. I met up with some Fringe friends and then did something I had not done in almost two years. I drank beer. Beer is so cheap in Montreal! I had no choice if I wanted to get buzzed on a budget. And boy did I need to get buzzed.

I had asked my venue manager how many tickets were sold for opening night:

"Three or four," he replies.

...

I was still burnt from Ottawa Fringe. There I produced a great French show at an English festival and no one came to see it. Now I was producing a great English show at a mostly French festival and I was terrified the same thing would happen again.

On Tuesday, the day of my tech, the day of my opening night, on Tuesday, I had a nervous fucking breakdown. I sat and choked back tears into a water bottle on the corner of Ste-Catherine and St-Laurent. No, it wasn't just about the ticket sales, other things had happened that day that completely threw me for a loop, but in that time I questioned every life choice that had brought me here. I questioned my abilities as an actor and a writer. I questioned my ability to tour a show. Obviously, I was not cut out for this lifestyle. Obviously, I had made a big fucking mistake in coming to Montreal. Obviously. I wondered if it was too late to back out of Edmonton Fringe?

Though I had a lovely Fringe friend try and comfort me, after a decent enough tech rehearsal with a brand new stage manager, I fully broke down in tears. I turned to this incredibly patient and enthusiastic kid who I had never met before and told him that I was terrified.

He looked at me and with utmost kindness told me that he would be worried right now if I wasn't feeling that way. He told me the show was great and very funny and maybe I should go eat something because everything was going to be fine.

Needless to say, he was right. Over 60 people were at the show that night. At least those are the registered attendance numbers. That doesn't include media, other artists and volunteers. All in all, I think I had an average of 75 people per night. I was the only English show to be reviewed by the Montreal Gazette and it was a glowing one at that:

"Kenny is a charmer... undeniably original."

Damn.

By the end of the week, the festival was ready to offer me a holdover performance. Unfortunately there was no room left in the schedule and so I am now back in Ottawa getting ready for the next adventure.

Montreal, you surprised me. You surprised me big time.

It's a Zoo!

For those of you who don't know, I am taking Roller Derby Saved My Soul to Montreal next week (after a one-night only event in Ottawa on Saturday) for Zoofest. Now, from what I can tell, Zoofest was an off-shoot of the Just for Laughs festival before recently becoming it's own thing. I have no idea how things will go, but needless to say I am a bit worried. I was a late addition to the festival, so I only get 4 performances, whereas most acts get 6 or more. In addition, the festival is bilingual and there seems to be a 70/30 split in French and English acts respectively. Part of me worries that I am going to encounter the reverse of what I had in Ottawa with Dolores (French show at an English festival). I've also seen a lot of support both in regular and social media circles for the French performances, but very little for the English.

Now, this could very well be just because I am not onsite at the moment and many of the English productions haven't actually started yet. But just in case, for all you anglophones & English-speakers in Montreal, here are my thoughts on what you absolutely should not miss at Zoofest.

Roller Derby Saved My Soul Of course you can't miss this one! This is the show that's put me on the Google map. You've got Buffy the Vampire Slayer, superheroes, short shorts & roller skates all rolled in to (see what I did there?) a funny and fun little story about one gal trying to find her place in the world. Awards, rave reviews, and in Montreal I get to perform the whole thing in a strip club... on a raised stage... This may bring a whole new meaning to suicide seats... July 16, 17, 18 & 20 - 7:30 p.m. at Cafe Cleopatre.

Die Roten Puntke - Kunst Rock (Art Rock) You guys! It's Otto and Astrid! I've seen Die Roten Punkte twice now in Ottawa and it is always always always an absolute blast! I may actually stick around Montreal for a few extra days after my show because that's how good these guys are.

Here's one of my favorites from their other show, Super Musikant:

July 22 to 27 - 10:00 p.m. at Theatre La Chapelle - ROCK BANG!

Kuwaiti Moonshine This show was at the Ottawa Fringe last year (also known as the year I missed ALL the good shows) and was getting rave reviews from everyone I talked to. I had the pleasure of meeting Tim Murphy recently and was even happier to find out we'd be at the same festival so I could finally see this one. July 18 to 27 - 8:45 p.m. at La Balustrade du Monument National

Progressive Polygamist: The Sweetest Reformers Another show that I heard amazing things about on the Fringe. I missed it the year it was in Toronto, but everyone I spoke to was in love with these women. I am also a big fan of supporting funny women. July 18 to 21 - 11:30 p.m.; July 25-27 - 8:30 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. at Theatre La Chapelle

Slut (r)evolution Speaking of funny women: It's Cameryn Moore! I absolutely adored Cameryn's Phone Whore when I saw it in Calgary all those moons ago and I put off seeing Slut (r)evolution in Ottawa because I knew I'd be seeing her in Montreal. She is sexy, she is brash, she is the hardest working woman on the circuit today. Her show has already started and runs almost nightly (check the link) until July 21 - 10 p.m. at the Katacombes

Underbelly A personal favorite and a constant source of inspiration, Jayson McDonald is one of the best and most underrated writer/performers I know. I've been told Underbelly is one of his most brilliant works to date and completely different from other favorites like Giant Invisible Robot and Boatload. Someone who is pushing his work into new, exciting and uncharted territories? Jayson McDonald is the Lawren Harris of this Group of Seven... minus all the money... and the fact that we're not actually seven, but sue me, neither were the actual Group of Seven. July 15 to 17 - 7:30 p.m.; July 23 to 25 - 7:30 p.m. Cabaret du 4e du Monument National

So there you have it Montreal! Don't be afraid to let me know what you are seeing in the comments below. I'll see you soon!