Driving back from Kitchener-Waterloo to Toronto at 1 am gives you plenty of time to think and to rant randomly. (First up, reason number 42 why I am different from my mom and my sister: I happen to like night driving - the roads are quiet and the car is bumpin'!) I can't even begin to describe how wonderful my evening was. Every song on the radio was a song I loved (though some ladies who lunch may argue that I love every song, which is mostly true but besides the point - come on, if you don't love C+C Music Factory, you have no soul!) Some of you may remember my previous adventures in KW. This time around, through some careful scheduling, I managed to be in town for the Asphalt Jungle Shorts, an absolutely wonderful little project of site specific theatre. Basically, you get taken on a trek through town and "witness" approximately 15 short plays on your journey. I had heard about the festival and applied with my own piece, Blind Date. I found out today that there were over 300 applications from playwrights so I feel very privileged to have been included.
My life is just such a beautiful dream and the best part is that I don't ever have to wake up. There is nothing quite like seeing some amazing and inspiring art taking place (and knowing that you played an albeit small part in making it happen) to really recharge your batteries. During one particularly heavy piece in the tour, two people walked up. They were covered in tattoos and scowls and didn't look like your typical theatre audience. I thought they would just walk around, but no, they stood there, and I saw giant grins form on their faces. When someone told them they could come along for the rest of the ride, they couldn't believe it. It was their first time seeing theatre and they were so enthralled, they will come back on another day to catch the show from the beginning. My heart melted. I am so amazed at this community of artists I keep finding all over the world and I am even more thrilled that all of them seem to be willing to let me sleep on their couches if I'm ever in town. And you can bet that I will one day take them up on that offer (especially with the Magnetic North Theatre Festival happening in KW next year!)
For those of you who won't be able to make it out, here is my live Twitter play-by-play of the evening (inspired by the lovely Lois and her frequent Tweets from backstage).
Enjoy!
We start at the Kava Bean Common on Gaukel Street:
@nancykenny - Free parking & french vanilla cappucino - rain or shine site specific theatre goes on
@nancykenny - Wondering if the crazy interview taking place at my table is part of the show...
@nancykenny - Groucho lookalike says something might happen
@nancykenny - Coffee shop argument We begin... I hope
@nancykenny - Aha! Interview is! part of it
@nancykenny - For copyright reasons, not Groucho but Whome
@nancykenny - Off to a great start - cat fight in the street over a clocktower - not a euphemism
@nancykenny - Group stopped by someone trying to figure out her cell camera
@nancykenny - Ah this is the clocktower
@nancykenny - Gosh lots of couples break up on this tour
@nancykenny - Group photo YAY robots!
@nancykenny - If we had chosen left would we get different shows?
@nancykenny - Whome runs all the way around the park to ensure being in the lead. Corny jokes abound
@nancykenny - Random ppl swear at the actors - not part of the show - geez learn to have fun
@nancykenny - Best valley explanation of Othello ever!
@nancykenny - Jaywalking is bad. Heard from Whome: I wish I had a camera for all the fascinating things that did not happen.
@nancykenny - That's what I like to see passerbys staring w/ joy n awe (these are the people I mentioned above)
@nancykenny - Whoa another breakup. Do not come to KW for love - come for the petting zoo
@nancykenny - Whome quote: Marriage is the leading cause of divorce
@nancykenny - Intermission in a bar - my show takes place in a bar! Anticipation!
@nancykenny - Now in the furthest room in the bar. Surprised I have reception. FYI-bar is Rum Runner
@nancykenny - Hmmm Whome has disappeared but a sexy married dragon lady is flirting w/ the bartender...
@nancykenny - My show's great!
@nancykenny - "There's a gay woman trapped inside this strait man's body" HA!
@nancykenny - Whome is back! Woo!
@nancykenny - Programs given at the end so as not to ruin the surprise - they asked me to bow! TY KW! Amazing show! Even the weather complied
@nancykenny - This has been a live tweetorama from the Asphalt Jungle Shorts