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!

Where Did the Money Go?

Since I'm going to be teaching my first Crowdfunding workshop tonight for Theatre Ontario, I can't help but look back on my own campaign success. So what have I done with the 4,445.52$ (after fees) that I raised?

Well, first of all, there were the festival application fees. While I only got into the Edmonton Fringe Festival (708.75$), I also applied to close to a dozen festivals with admin fees ranging from 25$ to 50$. So in festival fees, we're looking at approximately 1000$ so far.

From the practical roller derby side of things, I signed up for skate sessions with the West En Waywards Roller Skating Association, the not-for-profit behind the Rollergettes. Membership, insurance and skate sessions have totaled about 150$ so far.

I also bought a derby gear travel bag, which will be key for touring as I can take it as a carry-on, and some new knee pads for approximately 250$. I will still be using the old ones for the show, but I definitely needed the new ones for skate practice. As my instructor told me, the old ones were good for preventing scrapes and that's about it.

And finally, I went ahead and hired a sound designer for the show. I was first introduced to Steven Lafond during Mary Magdalene and Adventures in Sobriety. While that particular show wasn't too heavy in terms of sound design, its companion piece, [boxhead] sure was. Since then, Steven has been working fairly regularly in the Ottawa theatre community. But the design that really sealed the deal for director, Tania Levy, and I, was his absolutely gorgeous work on Ladies of the Lake at the undercurrents theatre festival this past February. We've had multiple chats since then and he just keeps blowing my mind every time. You guys, we're not just talking sound design anymore, we're talking original compositions. Who knows? A Roller Derby Saved My Soul soundtrack could be coming to you in the near future...

Of course, I'm not going to mention how much I'm paying him here, but let's just say this guy is so good that I am probably underpaying.

Well, while this leaves me with money for rehearsal space, dramaturgy and travel expenses, there are always new festivals & production opportunities (perhaps, dare I say, even in Toronto?), as well as a pretty sweet merchandising deal with my pal Uncle Leon on the horizon (he of the original Roller Derby Saved My Soul song). So, just because my Indiegogo campaign is over, does not mean that I am still not accepting donations.

If you would like to contribute to Roller Derby Saved My Soul or to my upcoming production of Dolores at the Ottawa Fringe Festival, please be sure to get in touch by email at info at nancykenny dot ca. Lots of sponsorship opportunities still available for both those productions.

Stay tuned. More updates on the horizon.