On Friday, I had the privilege of seeing a wonderful little show at the National Arts Centre called Elephant Wake. I’m not going to write a review. However, I will say that I liked it and that it hit me on more than just a cultural stand-point (being from a town divided between French and English lines will do that – though I do wonder how people who cannot speak French appreciated the show?) To me, the show was about loneliness and finding refuge in the past. Though not always perfect, it was beautiful to watch. If you’d like to read a review of the piece, I recommend Jessica Ruano’s at the Ottawa Arts Newsletter. I agree with most of what she says.

No, what really struck me with this production was where it came from. Elephant Wake was originally created as a production for the Edmonton Fringe Festival in 1995. I’ve latched on to this little tidbit of information for over three days now. This was a FRINGE SHOW! Now, almost 15 years later, it was being presented at the National Arts Centre, the Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver and even the Magnetic North Theatre Festival next June in Kitchener-Waterloo.

According to the program, it wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops for the production. When the show was presented at the Edinburgh Fringe, they were lucky to have 8 to 10 audience members a night. One day, they only had 3 people in the audience. Two people left partway through the show apologizing that they did not speak English. I know many actors who would have canceled a production after that, but Joey Tremblay kept going and performed a one man show for one person. It takes an incredible amount of dedication and integrity to keep going (and I’m sure it didn’t hurt that he started winning awards shortly after, guaranteeing a sold-out run for the rest of the festival, but still, he didn’t know that.)

I am realistic. This isn’t easy and not all shows blossom like this. But what hope this fills me with as I try and create my own work!

Elephant Wake is at the NAC Studio until November 14.

… but I sure do miss those film sets.

The last time I actually performed on a film set (and not just background work) was in August of 2008 for Death Rally.

Recently, a friend asked me to appear in a short she’d written. It’s an MIP (Member Initiated Project). This means it’s a type of co-op production for ACTRA members. I won’t get any money or union credits for the work I do, but I’ll be toning my film acting muscles and I’ll also be working with pals. Oh, and I actually get to perform in French for once! I don’t see anything wrong with that.

There’s a certain vibe on a film set that makes it different from a stage production. On sets, at least the ones I’ve worked on, I always find there’s this kind of hive mind going on. Some kind of uber sense of teamwork that comes from knowing you have a very limited and often intensely condensed time frame to work with.

Not to say stage work isn’t intense, it’s just different, often a touch more relaxed. Today at rehearsal, I wasn’t happy with the work I was doing. I was promptly told not to worry about it because we still had two weeks to work out the kinks. And it’s true, I do have some time, but if this was film? Forget it! Make it work now or forever hold your peace (or you know, pray you have a good editor).

Oh and film sets often have food. I like food.

It’s a regular blogapalooza week here at So You Want To Be An Actor (Redux). For some reason I’ve been blogging almost every day. I guess there’s just a lot going on, including the following on how you can help the Ottawa Theatre Network.

I know that this is very much a popularity contest for money. That said, with funding being so difficult to get in the first place, I don’t really like passing up any opportunity that might help support my theatre community.

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Be a Part of Ottawa’s Renaissance: Vote Now, Vote Daily, Tell A Friend

Do you care about Ottawa professional theatre?

Do you want to help the Ottawa Theatre Network and the Great Canadian Theatre Company make a lasting contribution to Ottawa professional theatre?

Here’s you chance! It will only take a few minutes of your time. We promise.

To find out more, click here:

http://ottawatheatrenetwork.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/be-a-part-of-ottawas-renaissance-vote-now-vote-daily-tell-a-friend/

Remember, you don’t even have to live in Ottawa to vote and you can do so daily!

A direct link to our proposal itself can be found here: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf1624

In addition, Third Wall Theatre is also looking for support for their Shakespeare Ensemble Project. Since you can vote for multiple proposals, I suggest you also check them out here: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf2384

By Tegan and Sara

I won’t regret saying this,
This thing
That I’m saying.
Is it better than
Keeping my mouth shut?
That goes without saying.
Call, break it off.
Call, break my own heart.
Maybe I would have been
Something you’d be good at.
Maybe you would have been
Something I’d be good at.
But now, we’ll never know.
I won’t be sad
But in case
I’ll go there
Everyday,
To make myself feel bad;
There’s a chance
I’ll start to wonder
If this was the thing to do.
I won’t be out long
But I still think it better if
You take your time
Coming over here.
I think that’s for the best.
Call, break it off.
Call, break my own heart.
Maybe I would have been
Something you’d be good at.
Maybe you would have been
Something I’d be good at.
But now,
We’ll never know.
I won’t be sad
But in case
I’ll go there
Everyday,
To make myself feel bad.
There’s a chance
I’ll start to wonder
If this was the thing to do.
I’ll start to wonder
If this was the thing to do.

As previously mentioned, I am doing double-duty of acting and publicity for the upcoming production of Shining City by Conor McPherson for SevenThirty Productions.

After speaking with the director at a production meeting, he made it clear to me that as publicist my job is to “let people know about the show, not sell tickets.” I have to say that this is a bit of a change from my current perspective on arts marketing, which is that it’s my job to put bums in seats.

Now, a part of me would love to have this weight taken off my shoulders. I’d love to just sit back, write a press release, create a facebook event and then wash my hands of the whole thing as I focus on my lines and character development.

How many people here believe that’s what I will actually do?

*Cue tumbleweed*

The workaholic in me won’t let me do that. The control freak in me won’t let me do that. The go-getter in me won’t let me do that. The financially desperate in me won’t let me do that. The artist in me won’t let me do that. I can’t sit back and do nothing when I know there is something I can do. And do well.

So, I’m looking at group sales and program advertisement. I’m attending events and talking up the show. I’m looking at potential cross-promotion opportunities. My time line is very tight with opening night on November 17, but everything is automatic and second-nature. And I even have help. Our assistant director has also taken up the call to arms and is going far above and beyond the call of duty. He’s doing most of our design work and I think we’ll be tackling a flyer distribution this weekend.

If I don’t do this, then whose job is it?

There is also a major difference with this show from all the promo work I’ve done in the past. I am in it. Sure, I can invite people to anything I’m doing publicity for, but if I’m not directly involved in the creation and presentation of a piece, why would my non-theatre friends come and see it?

I have over 800 friends on facebook; 70% of which, I am sure, live in the Ottawa area. There is no reason I shouldn’t be able to get the majority of these people to see me in a play. Right? You’ll come see me in a play, right?

*Cue tumbleweed* ???

(Am I basically saying that if you cast me in your show I can probably get about 500 people to see it/me? … Uh, maybe. I’ll let you know how that worked out on November 29th.)

In the meantime, I’m going to go work on my lines now so that you may have sometime worth seeing.

I’ve never been a big fan of ultimatums. Not in relationships, in work or in life in general. They’re just so… final.

As you may know, I’ve been working on a one woman roller derby show that I would like to tour cross-country next year on the Canadian Fringe Festival Circuit. Applications to the majority of festivals is by lottery. To make touring a tad easier on the performer, an organization called the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals holds their own lottery every fall for the chance to participate in every festival of your choosing. You may or may not get in, but if you do, your entire touring schedule is now secured for the summer, months ahead of most local lottery deadlines.

The only hick? You need to have the cash for every single festival you want to apply to upfront. In my case, a potential 7 city tour, that comes up to almost $5000. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of money lying around (and if you do have that kind of money lying around, we should talk!). If I did, I wouldn’t have been emptying out my cupboards of all canned goods since I’ve come back from China because my bills need paying and groceries seem to be a luxury at the moment.

So, I did the only thing a starving artist can do: I called my mom.

My mom was somewhat open to the idea. After all, I did get a grant from the City of Ottawa to write this piece. I talked to her about the lottery and how if I did not get in there would be no charges on her part. I would then apply individually to the various festivals and try my luck there. And of course she would be getting her money back by the end of the summer once my tour is done. However, my mom may have misunderstood my initial request. She seemed to think all I needed for the tour was $5000. After reviewing my budget plan, which brings expenses closer to the $20,000 mark, she did what all good moms would do. She kinda freaked.

And that’s when the ultimatum reared it’s ugly head. I’ve got until March to make this work. March is approximately when you can drop out of most festivals without incurring too much of a penalty.

I’m waiting to hear if I’ve received some grants that I’ve already applied for in December and there are new deadlines for other funding opportunities as well, but I’m scared. There is so much in this that involves chance and I’ve never really been that lucky before. This project means so much to me, but will it sell? Audiences across Canada are fickle. If I knew what they wanted, I’d be the greatest publicist on earth. But I don’t know. All I can do is go about on blind faith (with a strong dash of hard work) and pray that it all pays off. My mother does not doubt that a Fringe tour would be a wonderful, soul-fulfilling experience. She just does not want me to go into a 5-digit debt load to accomplish that.

I guess there’s no use in worrying about this right now. With my lotto luck, I may not get into a single festival next summer.

A few months ago, I mentioned that I do work as a Standardized Patient. I’ve signed confidentiality agreements and so I can’t talk about the specifics of cases, especially not in this blog. These are medical exams after all and, I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to have a doctor who passed his exam because he cheated through regular readership on some chicky’s acting blog. Oh, and I don’t want to get sued. There’s that too.

That said, I am allowed to mention that I do the work in general. So far, I had always found SP work to be quite simple. Learn some case details, show up for training, show up for exam, listen to the candidate, improv a little when thrown a curve ball, eat some free food, done. Easy paycheck.

Yesterday though, things changed. I didn’t realize I had a case that would be both tough on me physically and mentally until it started. Some details started hitting close to home and, during a break, I broke down a bit. When you put yourself into a position where you try to be as believable as possible with your “part” and you keep repeating the same issue over and over again, it’s understandable that your mind and body might get a little confused. It starts to take a toll. (This actually got me thinking about Hugh Laurie and his current leg issues on House.) They do have spares that are available to replace us if something happens, but it was late in the day and the spare was already sent home. I did talk to the trainers/supervisors. They would have let me sit it out if I absolutely needed to, but I knew I would be leaving them in a bind. My actor survival instinct kind of kicked in at that moment. I splashed some water on my face, had a soda and a good stretch and then I jumped right back in. It was difficult, but I managed.

We were debriefed on the case post-exam and I know they will propose some changes, which might include an SP rotation and more frequent breaks. That said, the shadow of this case followed me home and haunted me for a good two to three hours later. I just couldn’t shake it off. Finally, I did the one thing I realized always clears my head these days. I went for a run. I pumped my legs harder than I ever had before with angry music blaring in my ears. In the damp night air, the coolness on my face was invigorating and I started feeling like myself again.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? Have you ever had difficulty letting go of a part or a character? Am I just weird?

The reviews have been pouring in for Evolution Theatre’s Arabian Night. See what everyone is saying and then call Cube Gallery to reserve your tickets – 613-728-1750

The show runs from Wednesday to Saturday at 8pm and half the tickets for Friday and Saturday night’s performances are already gone.

If you want to stop on top of what Evolution Theatre is doing, be sure to join our facebook group!

See you at the Theatre!

Nancy

Photo by Tim Ginley - Stewart Matthews (front) and Richard Gélinas

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Patrick Langston – Ottawa Citizen
“Emily Pearlman(’s) physical expressiveness always delights”
“Richard Gélinas… does his best work in these disconnected roles”
“Evolution Theatre to its credit continues to take risks with its play selection.”

Read the full review here.

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Alvina Rupretch – CBC Radio
“A VERY (capital letters hers, not mine) interesting play. Good ensemble work. And it’s sure that no other company in Ottawa is doing what Evolution dares to do. So do take a chance and go see it. It’s very good.”

Listen to the full review here, after the Drowsy Chaperone review

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Wayne Current – (Cult)ure Magazine
“One of the strongest casts assembled this year.”

Read the full review here.

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Lesley Buxton – The Wellington Oracle
“The acting is first rate.”
“This is an important production…”

Read the full review here.

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Erika Morey – Apt613
“Most noteworthy, however, was Kate Smith’s riveting performance…”
“…take advantage of the opportunity to see high-calibre experimental theatre right here in the city…”

Read the full review here.

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Nadine Tornhill – Local Blogger
“Emily Pearlman and … Kate Smith are some of this city’s strongest performers.”
“Evolution Theatre is never boring.”

Read the full review here.

I have some news. I’ve been avoiding posting this news because I didn’t want to overshadow Evolution Theatre’s production of Arabian Night. However, since that show is going into it’s second week and the wonderful reviews are now pouring in (more on that soon!), I figured it might be a good time to make my announcement.

I’ve finally been cast, after a year of nothing, in a professional theatrical production! Are you doing a happy dance for me? I know I did.

The play is called Shining City. It’s directed by John P Kelly (who was just recently nominated for a Capital Critic’s Circle Award) and will be taking place at the Arts Court Theatre from November 17 to 28.

On its own, this is a pretty big deal for me, but this is only a preface to what I want to talk about here.

You see, I was also asked by the production company to do the publicity work for the show (which reminds me, I should probably update the website…). Though I find the part I will be playing to be incredibly challenging, it is a relatively small role and I would therefore have the time to dedicate to this side venture. Besides, who would be better at promoting a show than someone who has a vested interest in it’s success?

A while back, I had decided that I no longer wanted to handle marketing a show I was performing in. I found it to quite often be a headache and a hassle. I knew when reviewers were in the audience and, when ticket sales were low, I took it to mean I was not doing a good job. This in turn was awkward and affected my work as a performer.

Recently, however, I’ve come to realize that it’s my own insecurity and not my ability to do my work that’s the problem. I didn’t believe in myself as an actor (and, in the case of Fringe, as a writer) enough. If I didn’t fully believe that people should see me in a show, why should I be surprised when they don’t?

It was also a form of laziness on my part or, better yet, a sense of entitlement; the ‘I just want to be an actor’ factor. To be perfectly honest, I don’t want to ‘just be an actor.’ How boring is that? I want to be a creator, an innovator, an artist. I believe that a true artist is one who is well-rounded and well-versed in all aspects of his art. And yes, even the business side can be an art.

The best example I can think of involve the myriad of people I met on the Fringe Festival circuit. No one there does just one task. Everyone works their fingers to the absolute bone and then spends their nights chilling out, enjoying the fruits of their labour. It’s beautiful. It’s amazing. It’s inspiring. It’s exactly where I want to be.

My name is Nancy Kenny and I’m an artist.

Dear Sleep, I know we haven’t been on the best of terms lately and, although I think most of the blame lies with your commitment issues, I am willing to be the bigger person here by putting all that behind us.

I think the root of our conflict lies in the fact that you are a big fucking tease. You just come in at all hours of the day or night, you make me all happy to see you, and then, instead of sticking around for some cuddle time like we used to, you just up and leave. What is up with that? I’m all for a booty call every once in a while, but let’s have some moderation please! What happened to us? It was China, wasn’t it?

Listen, I’ve got a pretty big day tomorrow filled with a lot of running around. I know, I know, when do I not have a day filled with running around? But this one is different. You see, I’ve got this event I’ve kinda organized and it’s a bit of a big deal. It involves diplomats. You really wouldn’t want to be blamed for some kind of international incident, would you sleep?

Also, please, don’t decide to show up all of a sudden at my big event either. You know I’m powerless to resist you. If you’re there with me, other people might think you are an appropriate guest to bring to the theatre.

I know I sound harsh, but it’s just that I miss you so much, you know, and it’s driving me a little crazy. It’s just not the same without you around anymore. So how about we try and work things out tonight? I’ve cleaned the sheets and everything.

What do you say?

Love,

Insomnia in Ottawa