Are You Ready For This? No, Not Really.

Holy shit. It's mid-August already? After the sheer busy-ness that was the Winnipeg Fringe, Calgary was a much welcome breather. Calgary was probably my smallest festival on the circuit; only 27 shows and nothing starting before 5pm on weekdays. The staff/volunteers are amazing, I met some incredible roller derby peeps and I even had a great opportunity to perform a one-night only in Cochrane. I also got my weakest reviews for the show from the mainstream print media and the rest of my houses were definitely on the smaller side of what I was used to. That said, I did sell out one performance in a 116 seat venue, got a lovely 5 star review from a local blogger, and met up with some local producers who might want to bring in the show next year. So, all in all, the experience was a positive one.

Plus, I got to spend a day in Banff where apparently my ass has never looked better in shorts.

But the adventure continues and after a 3 hour drive, we find ourselves in Edmonton, days before the biggest festival on the circuit. And I... don't feel ready one bit. I feel like I've missed important deadlines, I've got no media coverage whatsoever and my posters and flyers aren't ready yet.

I'm incredibly grateful for my beautiful billet's home, which is offering me an oasis in what I'm building up to be a giant storm. I need to remember to breathe, to stay healthy, and to have fun. I think that last one is the most important one for me right now. This thing I'm doing? These people I'm seeing? This is fun.

If you see me around this week, just remind me of that once in a while, ok?

Ready... Set... Fringe!

My Own Personal Reboot

There isn't a day that goes by that my Facebook feed isn't inundated with announcements of film franchise reboots. Now, the cynic in me knows that this is a blatant cash grab toying with our feelings of nostalgia, but the artist in me has started thinking differently. I think we just love to tell stories and every time we just want to see if we can add our mark to the tale and make it "better". When it comes to film, the internet goes into an uproar whenever a reboot is announced. Didn't Spiderman just come out last year? Why should I see this again?

But in theatre, the attitude is different. I've seen 7 different productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Not because it's my favourite Shakespearean play - that would be A Comedy of Errors, which I've seen twice and is actually a reboot of The Brothers Manaechmi - but because I wanted to see what could be done with it this time. Like kids around a campfire telling ghost stories around a couple making out in a car with a serial killer on the loose... how's it going to end this time?

Which brings me back, as most things do these days, to Roller Derby Saved My Soul. My former stage manager is sure to grown when I say this, but I'm still doing rewrites. I still want to tell a better story. As some of you know, I undertook some pretty massive revisions of the script this past spring. And yes, I am happy with them, but... There were still a few areas that were bugging me.

The completionist in me hates going on tour with what I might consider an "unfinished" product, but the artist in me has been patiently waiting for inspiration to strike. After all, creating your own work is a fluid process. Yesterday I performed in the lovely community of Cochrane while on break from the Calgary Fringe for a special event called Fringe on the Ranche.

I was really proud of that show. It felt like my strongest performance to date and plenty of new discoveries were made. This morning, after chatting with my new documentary team member who had just seen the show for the first time, it finally hit me. I knew exactly what I wanted to change and I have the perfect opportunity tonight at the Fringe to try it out.

I'm scared, of course, but what is art without exploration? I just want to tell a "better" story.

What Is Success?

The other night, while flyering, I ran into a couple who told me their friend saw my show, loved it and had already come up with her roller derby name - Green Widow. I thought it was a pretty cool name, making the mental association that it was some kind of Black Widow reference. They said they were pretty sure she was going to try out for roller derby now and thanked me profusely for helping her out. I told them they were being too kind, but the woman kept going, saying that it was really nice to see their friend getting interested in doing stuff again... As she got chocked up telling me this, I finally clued in: Green Widow - as in "new" widow. Not knowing what else to do, I gave the woman a hug, told them I looked forward to seeing them at the show and walked away in a daze. Small houses? Bad reviews? Fuck them all.

The knowledge that something I created had the power to do that? Priceless.

When it gets rough, and it always gets rough, these are the things I need to remember.

Nancy's Must-See List at the 2014 Calgary Fringe Festival

I never got around to doing a Must-See list for the Winnipeg Fringe because, with over 160 shows, there were just too many that I wanted to see for me to write about. I honestly couldn't narrow the list down. Now in Calgary, with 27 shows in the festival, that list is much more manageable. We're now half-way through the festival so I have seen most of these by now and can pretty much guarantee you a good time at the theatre. So without further ado, you should see:

Roller Derby Saved My Soul

Duh.

Promise and Promiscuity: a new musical by Jane Austen and Penny Ashton

Probably one of my favorite shows from the Winnipeg Fringe this summer. You don't have to be a Jane Austen fan to love this one.

Mr. & Mrs. Alexander: Sideshows and Psychics

Just saw this one a few nights ago and it was not what I expected. Come for the magic, but stay for the wicked cool story.

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

Consistently on my list of shows to see regardless of the festival you find yourself at.

The Dark Fantastic

Probably my favorite of all Martin Dockery's solo shows. This is the one that made me realize he is not only a great story-teller but an incredible artist as well.

Paleoncology

One of my favorite shows from the Montreal Fringe. Simply gorgeous. Watch out for the dust in your eyes. *sniffle*

Who Killed Gertrude Crump?

Little know fact, I was a huge Agatha Christie fan growing up. And then there were none remains one of my favorite books. So a show based on her stories, along with the divine Tara Travis AND puppets? No brainer. Also NO SPOILERS!

The Sama Kutra

Met these clowns on Manitoulin Island. Any show directed by Mike Kennard is tops in my books.

Smartarse

Rob Gee is one of my favorite people on the Fringe. His show Fruitcake consistently sells out on tour. Looking forward to checking out his other work.

A Mind Full of Dopamine

Heard amazing things about this one in Ottawa and Rory Ledbetter is one of the best people you can meet on the circuit. Add to it that I have a personal connection to the source material which makes this show tops on my list.

Chase & Stacey's Joyride

Chase Padgett is that genius behind 6 Guitars & Nashville Hurricane. Stacey Hallal is the sassy improviser who toured last year with Ruby Rocket. Together they are a dynamite team who are sure to make you smile.

The Balding

All the way from Montreal, you will cringe-laugh through this show in the best way possible.

Oh and one little bonus: on Thursday I head out to Cochrane, just outside Calgary, to perform a one-night only presentation of Roller Derby Saved My Soul at an event called Fringe on the Ranche. This double-bill includes my show as well as Me and My Monkey. I will be seeing that show there that night, but you can also catch it at the Calgary Fringe for a few more days.

If you have any favorites, be sure to let me know what to see in the comment section below!

What Happens Now?

 Robert S. Donovan via Compfight

Most of the major Fringe Festival lotteries have come and gone and, after applying to Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton, I find myself only accepted into Edmonton. Now, don't get me wrong, I am absolutely thrilled to be taking part in this festival, but it does put a bit of a chink in my summer touring plans for Roller Derby Saved My Soul. I'm also a little nervous about showing up in Edmonton without any kind of advance summer press or reviews.

So what happens now?

Well, while there are still a few Fringe festivals I could apply for - currently debating between Victoria and the Atlantic Fringes; Victoria because it's close to Edmonton and doesn't overlap next year, and the Atlantic Fringe because it brings me closer to home - I've now been setting my sights on festivals and organizations outside the Fringe circuit.

I've got my own list going, and a few applications already in the mail, but this is a fairly new phenomenon for me, so if you have any thoughts or ideas please feel free to share them in the comment section.

We're Going to Edmonton!

Both the Edmonton & Toronto Fringe lotteries were held last night. I didn't get in to Toronto. In fact, much like that time I applied for Edmonton in 2008, I wasn't even selected for the wait-list. With 334 applications and only 53 spots for the Ontario 60 minute slots, the odds, as they say, were ever not in my favour. But Edmonton! Oh Edmonton! How you've decided to be good to me this year! Broken Turtle Productions' Roller Derby Saved My Soul was drawn 6th for the National list.

Getting into Edmonton means that I will definitely be applying for Winnipeg & Calgary Fringes now. Even if I don't get into those other two, Edmonton, who prides itself as the oldest, biggest, baddest Fringe on the Canadian circuit is still a totally viable one-off opportunity.

I've never participated in the Edmonton Fringe before and I can't help feeling a little scared about it all (see: oldest, biggest baddest Fringe comment). I just assume that their audience are these super Fringe connoisseurs who, unlike my über-connoisseur Fringe pal The Visitorium, won't be as enamored by my little show on roller skates. In my head they all wear monocles, look like the Monopoly guy & will tut tut at my Buffy the Vampire Slayer references. ("Do Edmontonians even know what comic books are?" says the girl from the Maritimes.)

Monocle via Compfight

Of course, deep down I know this is silly talk. After all, Edmonton is home to the deliciously named E-Ville Roller Derby League, as well as the Oil City Derby Girls, so you know there will be good company.

(Sidebar - True story for those who've seen the show: back when RDSMS was just an idea in the back of my head, I attended a Roller Derby boot camp in Red Deer, AB. Met a lot of cool cats from the prairies, including a lady with a sword tattooed on her chest. I really did tell her I didn't mean to stare at her boobs and she really did say "If I didn't want people to stare, I wouldn't have gotten one there.")

Paolo Marconi via Compfight

So, all in all, I am very excited for what's in store with #RDSMS. Fingers crossed that more festivals will be coming up as well!

Thank you, Hamilton!

Well, the Hamilton Fringe Festival has come and gone and I now find myself with that dull, empty, "what now" feeling that often plagues me after a show. The festival was great on so many levels: amazingly accommodating staff and volunteers, good venues in close proximity to each other, free shows for performers & volunteers and all shows get reviewed to boot. In total, I saw about a dozen shows and not a single one of them would I not recommend, which is no small feat. It's a young festival and it's not perfect, but it gets a soft spot in my heart, right alongside the Calgary Fringe Festival. I walked away with some great reviews, feedback from real live Roller Derby players and some great audience comments like:

"Loved this. It was good for the soul." - William Fairholm

"This is an outstanding play in every respect. Nancy Kenny’s performance never flags, and endows each character with distinctive and instantly recognizable traits. Her physicality, especially when getting changed into her roller derby outfit, is remarkable. This is a show that deserves to sell out each performance." - Julian Nicholson

And I got some pretty sweet gifts, including this hand-drawn gem:

The only real downside was that I didn't make any money, but I didn't lose any either, additional family members and roommates got to see the performance, the narrative structure of my show is better than what it was in Ottawa, I'm stronger than I was on skates, more at ease with the characters, and I've got a pretty cool war story to share from now on too. So, yeah, lots more pluses than minuses.

Now, I head back to Ottawa for a bit for some work, theatre and hopefully new ways to fill the void as I take a little break from the show. But have no fear, Roller Derby Saved My Soul WILL ride roll again. Maybe even sooner than you think...

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.

A Few of my Favourite Things

Was I really just in Calgary? I'm writing this on the bus, on my way to my first day on set for the feature film House at the End of the Street, and it all just feels like a blur. Especially after two days of catching up on Lost - Season 3 (What do you mean "We have to go back"?!?! - rhetorical question - please no spoilers!) But, it did happen, and it was wonderful!

The Calgary Fringe was just grand.  I don't think I know of a single performer who had any major complaints.  And catching up on my friend Amy's blog about her Saskatoon Fringe Adventures, I really don't feel like I'm missing out (no beer gardens or place for performers to hang out?  Tsk tsk, Saskatoon!)

My only issue with the entire Fringe didn't have anything to do with the  festival, but rather the neighbourhood it was located in: It was impossible to get any food after 11 pm.

That said, there were so many other amazing things, including really responsive patrons, wicked cool volunteers, a Fringe Festival app for your smartphone, two reviews for almost every performance, and an executive director that gives hugs instead of handshakes and, well, you can be sure that I already want to go back next year!

And if/when I do, here are a few things I want to remember for the future:

Best Coffee - Wildernest Dream Cafe - you get your coffee in an individualized French press with a little timer - the place also includes free WiFi

Best Food (Quality & Price) - Eat Eat - my personal fave is the homemade buffalo chicken burger - also includes free WiFi

Best Place to Hang Out: The Fringe Club - enjoy some late night cabaret performances at The Stroke! - oh and more free WiFi

Best Beer - Wild Rose Raspberry Ale - it gives the Apricot Wheat Beer in Ottawa a run for it's money

Best Bike/Running Path - all along the river near the festival site - go north instead of south

If you were in Calgary for the Festival, what are some of your favourite things?

Hoedown in Cowtown

The Last Goddamned Performance Piece has come to a close in Calgary.  We had some great houses throughout the run, as well as some amazing reviews in the Calgary Herald (four stars) and the Fast Forward (no star system there). My favourite pull quotes include:

Meuser and Kenny both delivered such strong, confident, funny performances - Stephen Hunt, Calgary Helrad

But nothing rings truer than the quiet moments in this play, showing fragmented scenes of a relationship so honest that it couldn’t be anything but. This is one to watch, and then watch again to see what you missed. - Richard Lam, Fast Forward

Heck, the Calgary Herald even added us to the list of Fringe shows to see along with Best in Fest Winner Gemma Wilcox (I can't seem to find the link to that one anymore, but it felt pretty sweet at the time).

We had good houses for most of the run, though I did feel shafted by TWO 3 p.m. weekday matinees.  We in fact closed on a 3 p.m. performance this past Friday with only 6 people in attendance, not a single one of which paid.  The show was still solid, it just would have been nicer to go out with a bang instead of a whimper.

I didn't have too much time to think about that though.  When I was away visiting family, my scene partner was "kind enough" to sign me up for the Fringe Club Burlesque night without my knowledge.

I'd never done burlesque before.  And from the show I got to see earlier in the week, I really did not see the difference between it and stripping, except that your nipples are covered.  If I won't do "a live sex show for $15 a ticket" what makes you think I would do that for free?

Fortunately, the lovely Cameryn Moore (of Phone Whore fame) came to my rescue.  She explained that burlesque is supposed to have a story and be titillating.  We paired up and she came up with a little "script" for us to perform to Missy Elliot's Fake Spender.  She was going to play the guy who's throwing his cash around and I was going to be the girl who is totally attracted to that, until I realize he doesn't have any money.

We had no time to prepare, but it was still pretty awesome!  So many people came to tell us how much they enjoyed it after.  Note to self: if that's what burlesque really is, maybe I should look into it some more.  I don't know if there were any pictures or video taken.  Someone please let me know if there were.

Today, I get to hang out and watch shows before the big closing party tonight.

Stay tuned for some more blog posts on Promoting Yourself at the Fringe & my list of the Top Ten Things I Loved About the Calgary Fringe!

So Ready for This

Just a quick update on my last post. I got the gig, I start on Tuesday.  And I get to stay in Calgary until the end of the Festival.

Sa-weet!

Are You Ready for This?

A couple of days ago, mere hours before opening night, I get a call. "Can you be back in Ottawa on August 6th to meet with the Director of Photography of a major motion picture starring Elisabeth Shue in the hopes of getting a month-long job as a stand-in?"

Uh. Whaa?

This caught me a little off-guard.  Sure, I had heard that they needed experienced stand-ins, but since I was in Calgary, I never thought I would even be considered.

I had hoped The Last Goddamned Performance Piece would have been accepted into the Edmonton Fringe Festival, which would have kept me out West until at least August 22nd.  In between Calgary and Edmonton, I would have visited with my sister in Red Deer.

Since we didn't get into that festival and I had no return ticket home, I was still going to visit family and join the rest of my crew (who have now confirmed work with various other shows) in Edmonton for a bit.

But now?

I checked flight schedules. I called my mom.  I talked to my cast & crew.  If I leave right after our final (Goddamned) performance on Friday, I can just catch the last direct flight from Calgary to Ottawa.

I'm writing this from my sister's place in Red Deer.  I've used my one day off in Calgary to come down and visit her and her new baby.  I'll be heading back soon because I have a show to perform in tonight.

This feels so crazy sometimes, this business.  Can you be consistently available?  Can you drop everything and turn on a dime when a work opportunity presents itself?  I know I can.

Welcome to the wonderful life of an actor!

In other news, Ottawa, I'll see you soon!

It's Midnight, Cinderella

It's midnight, Cinderella, but don't you worry none. / 'Cause I'm Peter Peter the Pumpkin Eater /And the party's just begun. - Garth Brooks

(Being in Calgary, I felt like country music would be appropriate.)

So our Opening Night in Calgary was good.  Crazy good, but still good.  Heck, we had a reviewer that night and we were anointed later on with a lovely 4 Star Review from the Calgary Herald!  If you don't want to read the whole thing, here's my favourite section:

Basically, The Last G-D Performance Piece is a comedy about an incomprehensible performance art piece where everything that possibly can go wrong, does.

And on opening night, guess what? The lights blew out!

And we (the audience) hardly noticed. I mean, I noticed a few odd lighting cues, such as the time one of them flickered, and then left both actors standing onstage in total darkness. But since the show was about a disastrous theatre performance, I didn't give it much thought at all. Meuser and Kenny both delivered such strong, confident, funny performances that I just figured it was all in the script.

So the first show was done and all the adrenaline in my body had left in one big giant rush that left me teetering between giggling uncontrollably and practically crying with relief.  I went to the Swans for a beer with the director and ran into the gang from Dale Beaner and the Turtle Boy, which I had decided I would watch that night.

It's a fun show that really isn't getting the audience it deserves.  Please come and check it out!

After the show, the Turtle Boy gang, the Peter n Chris duo and I made our way down to what I have now dubbed "The Happiest Place on Earth" (take that Disney!) - The Fringe Club!

The Calgary Fringe Festival doesn't have a beer tent or beer gardens, but on Saturday night they opened up an awesome new venue in the back of an art gallery.  In true Fringe fashion, you have to go through a sketchy alley (made less sketchy by the string of Christmas lights along the wall).  The place has WiFi and beer.  The only thing missing is some cheap food, but one thing at a time.

The place was filled with performers, volunteers, techs and friends, all there for the new late-night cabaret event called The Stroke.  We walked in just in time to catch the end of Paul Hutcheson's stand-up set/bits from his show.  There's a nice big stage set-up and the folks from The Goodtimes helped provide additional lighting, which they conveniently had stored in their awesome and thematically painted van.

It was just pure fun and magic.  And it was so nice to know that there was now a place for all of us to get together and relax and be silly.  Other bits included a chat with Cameryn Moore, The Phone Whore, the house music by The Ben Rose Wedding Band (which is apparently one guy who I'm going to assume is named Ben Rose), some brilliantly fun accordion music from Bob Wiseman, and even more awesomely hilarious music from The Goodtimes, with special additional accompaniment from Bob Wiseman.

A huge round of applause goes out to Nicole Zylstra & Peter Strand Rumpel for putting all of this together and hosting every night.  This little hotspot was probably the only thing missing from an already pretty great festival.

Friends, if you're in Calgary, you should stop on by 1222 9th Ave SE (after you've seen The Last Goddamned Performance Piece at 922 9th Ave SE, of course!) around 11 pm as I am signed up to do something at The Stroke...

I better start figuring out what that something is going to be.

Baptismal by Fire... or Lack Thereof

Ah, opening night!  The butterflies are flopping around in my stomach.  My scene partner and I hug and randomly giggle at the identical looks on our faces: part terror, part adrenaline, part I-so-want-to-puke right now.  It's like slowly going up the first hill of a roller coaster when you know that big drop is coming up.  Whatever happens now, you're strapped in for the long haul. We are prepared though.  We've done everything we could.  We've done this show before, so we know we can handle whatever gets thrown at us in this crazy little business called "theatre".

Honestly, I thought the worse thing that could happen would be no one showing up.

But they did show up!  31 people to be exact.  And if you are not familiar with the logistics of Fringe, having 31 people for our first show at a small festival where no one knows us and we've received no advanced press?  That's really really good.

(And on a positive side note, I was proud to notice that a good half-dozen of the people in attendance, maybe more, were people I had flyered earlier that day.)

So if the worse thing that could possibly happen didn't happen, everything else is just gravy, right?

Right.

Though I never could have predicted what happened next:

The lights went out.

All of them.

Gone.

It was weird because at first I didn't notice.  I did notice that a lighting cue seemed a little off, but I shrugged it off as an opening night jitters thing in the booth.  But then, a lighting tower flickered out.  And then the other.  Two minutes into the show and we are entirely in the dark.

Um.  Ok.

Well, we weren't ENTIRELY in the dark.  The venue is a converted gym that has garbage bags on the windows.  Since the sun never seems to set in Calgary, trickles of light were coming in.

So we kept going.  I managed to comment on the lights at one point in the text.  I thought a guy in the front row was going to piss himself at that one.  There was one beautiful moment too when my scene partner delivers a "message from God" when one single light just flashed back on.  You seriously cannot write that shit.

I didn't realize it at the time, but we'd been handed a gift.  The show is about a performance piece where everything is just going wrong.  Heck, when things do go "wrong" in the script, we flat out tell the audience it's part of the show.  Even as our technician is running around trying to fix the lights during the performance and turning the fluorescents on so that people can at least see what we are doing, most people in the audience thought it was all part of the show.

At some point the lights did come back on properly but it didn't matter anymore.  We're still not sure what happened.  Rebooting the whole building seemed to have reset everything back to normal.  I wondered if maybe I was cursed since my opening night in Winnipeg last year was also plagued by massive technical failures.  Our technicians felt bad, but honestly, unless they took a giant knife to the lighting board, this was not their fault.  My scene partner ate a fortune cookie earlier in the day which predicted that things would not go as planned, so personally, I blame the cookie.

The audience was incredibly lovely and supportive.   They were with us the whole way.  Even with all of this happening, I don't have a single complaint about the Calgary Fringe Festival.  It is well run, well organized, well appreciated by the patrons and I couldn't be happier.

Or so I thought.  Last night, I discovered the Fringe Club - more on that in my next post.

Oh and guess what?  The Last Goddamned Performance Piece is now OPEN!

One Fringe

You have to enjoy being alone. Sure, there are people with me to put on a show, but at the end of the day it really comes down to one.

One on one interactions with the public to try and charm them into thinking your show is THE ONE THING you do not want to miss at this festival.  Listen, pay attention to what they are saying and how they respond so that your pitch does not become robotic and mechanical.

And then, run.  To the next venue. Pit stop along the way because you notice this prime section of fence that does not have a poster on it. One more poster on the wall.

Lather, rince, repeat. Once again.

Connections.  It's all about connections.  Say hi to the volunteers. The board members. Anyone in a funky black t-shirt with backwards writing.  Introduce yourself. Learn their names. Remember their names. One more name.

This festival likes hugs.  The executive producer doesn't want to shake your hand. She will give you a hug. I believe handshakes are for diplomats and business associates. She's my kind of gal.  One more hug.

Go see your friend's show.  Be supportive. Laugh hard.  Don't forget to flyer on the way out. One more flyer.

Run lines. Remember the lines. Forget about the lines. The lines are not the show. Breathe. Try not to puke. One opening night. Tonight.

One more Fringe underway.  Are we having fun yet?

Nancy's MUST SEE List at the 2010 Calgary Fringe

I was beaten to the punch.  Another local Ottawa blogger has already put out a pretty stellar list of things to see at the Calgary Fringe this year AND HE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO BE HERE! So go ahead.  Click the link and see what The Visitor has to say.  See if I care.  I'm just going to go ahead and put out an almost identical list below.

Actually, the main difference with his list and mine is that he's actually seen all of those shows, whereas I've been saving up until Calgary to finally catch them all.

So without further ado, here's what I think should not be missed at the 2010 Calgary Fringe Festival (have you downloaded the App yet?)

Of course, you just HAVE to come and see The Last Goddamned Performance Piece, featuring yours truly and the incredibly talented Ben Meuser.  The show goes from hilarious to touching to hilarious again in 2.5 scenes.  And everything will go wrong due to the actions of a certain ass-faced ex-boyfriend.  You will enjoy yourself, I promise!

Actionable - This show has gotten a lot of buzz throughout the Fringe Festival Circuit, in no small part to Bob Wiseman's history with Blue Rodeo and the fascinating subject matter.  There are already three or four Calgary Fringe preview articles that include him as a show to see.  On a personal note, I just met him in a Starbucks in Calgary and he was really nice.

Antoine Feval - The incredibly funny Chris Gibbs (who I saw in Toronto recently and had no clue he would be here as well) has another one man show that I am just dying to see after the brilliance that was The Power of Ignorance, which I saw at the Big Comedy Go-To in London two years ago.

Dale Beaner and the Turtle Boy - missed this Best in Venue winner in Ottawa and again in Toronto.  I was thrilled when I looked at the program and saw it was here.  Caught the two guys in this show at the Midnight Cabaret in Ottawa and vowed that I would see this show if it was the last thing I do!

Phone Whore - Cameryn Moore has pretty much been doing the entire Fringe circuit and I promised myself I would see her show in Calgary.  Everyone I've talked to who has seen this show has been affected by it and I can't wait!

SEEKING - The cast has changed and now includes Ottawa locals Zach Counsil (who is my stage manager for The Last Goddamned Performance Piece) and my former doppleganger Celine Filion (which Ottawa audiences will remember for her turn in TLGPP).  You can be sure I'll be there to support them with this new incarnation of the show.

The Honeymoon Period is Officially Over - I saw the amazing Gemma Wilcox last year in Ottawa when she did Shadows in Bloom and regretted never having seen this one when it was in town a few years prior.  You have no idea how happy I was when I realized that it was being put on at this festival.  The woman is a veritable chameleon.  She will quite simply blow your mind.

The Peter n' Chris Show! with Peter n' Chris!! - won best duo at the Ottawa Fringe Festival.  I have a soft spot for people who are vain enough to repeat their own name twice in their show title.  Oh and EXCLAMATION MARKS!  I honestly don't know what this show is about, but I do know they bring on the funny.  I like the funny.

And last, but not least, one of my most favourite Fringe performers of all time, my dirrty muppet and yours! Mr. Paul Hutcheson and Third Time Lucky - This show is Rated "R" for "Rock Your World" - This is the one show that I absolutely, 110% DO NOT WANT TO MISS!! (you know, except for mine...)

If there's anything at this festival you feel I should have mentioned, please feel free to bring it up in the comments section.

I'll be seeing you at the theatre! (or the bar...)

Calgary - Day 1

At my billet's house, waiting for the shower (who knew boys took so long?) after a really great morning run.

So far so good.  We're a stone's throw away from the Calgary Fringe Festival area, though I don't know if this festival has a beer gardens or a festival plaza of sorts where people gather.  We have our technical rehearsal this afternoon, though the Fringe doesn't start until Friday.

My first show is this Saturday at 7 pm - here are the details if you happen to be in town.

There's four of us living together with one billet who works lots and won't be around much.  The place comes with free WiFi courtesy of the nice landlady upstairs, which is great.  I don't need much, but I do need my interweb.

Though I haven't met anyone from the Fringe yet, I've been very impressed with their web presence.  They've got a good looking website, they are all up to date on their social media stuff and, best of all, they've got their own iPhone app!

My one minor complaint (and since the festival is really small, it is fairly minor) is that there is no venue map anywhere.  Not online, not in the printed program, and not even on the app.  If anyone from the Fringe reads this and would like to have a chat about additional functions, please feel free to get in touch with me. I love talking web!

Coming soon: my 2010 Calgary Fringe Festival MUST SEE List!

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!

It's Been A While...

... since my last blog post. 9 days. That's a while for me. I just haven't been in a good head and body space lately. I've talked about show withdrawal twice before. With the Fools show now closed, it hit me so much harder and longer than before that I figured it couldn't possibly be at the root of the issue. But looking back, I think it may very well have been. When you go from playing all day, everyday to sitting in an office, no matter how great that office job might be, you're going to get blue.

I got more than blue though. Only recently did someone point out that I was being downright nasty to myself. Not cool. Since then, I've been making a lot of positive changes and feeling better.

I'm trying to eat better and I've gotten back into my running routine.

I've also started rehearsals for the Calgary Fringe (with a potential stopover in Edmonton) and I'm excited to be starting rehearsals in Morrisburg on Tuesday for The Amorous Ambassador at the Upper Canada Playhouse.

My show in Morrisburg runs from June 10th to July 4th and we do 8 performances a week (Tues to Sat night & matiness on Wed, Sat & Sun). For those of you who know your Fringe dates, you realize that this means I am not doing a show at the Ottawa Fringe, nor will I be able to beat last year's record viewing of 35 shows (while using an additional 6 time slots to perform in one of my own) throughout the festival.

However, don't count me down and out just yet. I'll be billeting someone and plan on being at the beer tent every night after the show.

Oh... and you may want to keep Sunday, June 20th at 11 pm free for a specific Ottawa Fringe Festival show. Just saying. More details on that soon!