Ignite the Hype

If someone had told me ten years ago that I could have a successful career as a marketing professional, I would have laughed in their face. These days, however, it seems to make perfect sense. As part of the Ottawa Fringe Festival's Lunchtime Artist Series, I've been asked to participate in the Ignite the Fringe event on Friday June 25th at noon.

My topic is on "Branding the Artist" - though I'm not going to spoil it all here because I'd love for you to join us in the Fringe Courtyard (or "Beer Tent" as I sometimes hear it's called), I am going to tell you that my mind has been wandering towards promotion, buzz and hype lately.

On Friday night, I had the privilege of seeing the Shadows opening night. This show came with a lot of hype. Amazing professional production team, award-winning actresses, incredible promotional material, and a curiosity factor around this being the writer's first solo produced play. Fortunately, it beautifully lived up, in my mind, to all of that. I was incredibly moved by this piece to the point where I just needed to be alone for a little bit afterwards to decompress (My apologies to anyone whom I may have been rude to and ignored while running away from the venue. I just wanted to settle for a moment before the craziness that is the beer tent.) I also know that I am adding to the hype just by writing this, but if you can get tickets to this show (it's been selling out!), go and see it. It's fucking awesome.

I've also been thinking a lot about my own hype lately. I mean, I'm "nancykenny". I've been somewhat taking it as a joke around the beer tent, but part of me wonders how much weight that actually carries.

Tonight, I will be doing my one and only performance at the Ottawa Fringe Festival in Jayson McDonald's The Last Goddamned Performance Piece at 11pm in Venue 5 - Studio Leonard-Beaulne. The marketer (and ego hungry individual) in me worries that I won't live up to the hype and the only people in attendance will be the director, the performer I'm billeting, and that guy who stalks me on Facebook (OMG! What if my stalker DOESN't come?). It is after all a late show and tomorrow is a work day.

Realistically, I know there will be more people than that. And my artist is simply thrilled to be performing this beautiful play, no matter how many people see it.

There is no way to control who will or will not come, no matter how good your promotion is, which is such a weird situation to be in. However, though the marketer can build up the hype, the only thing the artist can do is the best job she can. My artist is now taking over and she doesn't care about the hype.

So, if you come and see my show tonight, I will do my very best to be present, truthful, and entertaining for your viewing pleasure.

I hope to see you there!

Why Twitter?

I often forget that there are a lot of people out there who don't use Twitter or other forms of social media. Some people just don't want to learn, but many simply don't see the use in it. It's for those latter people that I write this post. Here are the top 5 reasons I use Twitter:

Customer Service Thanks to a program like Tweetdeck, I track specific keywords related to my business and my day job. Thanks to this tracking system, I caught a conversation where someone said they used to be subscribers to the Great Canadian Theatre Company but hadn't been in years because they saw a "terrible Joni Mitchell play" that made them lose interest. This play was produced almost 8 years ago and a lot has changed at the theatre since then, including a move to our new location on Wellington Street.

I immediately got in touch with this person to offer them free tickets to opening night of our next production (which at the time was blood.claat: one ooman story). He was shocked that someone would actually take the time to listen to a complaint, gladly accepted my offer and had a wonderful time at the theatre with his fiancé.

Twitter made it possible for me to discover that such a complaint existed and do something about it.

First Hand News Coverage Though the information can at times be incorrect (see for example "Gordon Lightfoot is dead" hoax), for the most part Twitter has been a great place for me to get first hand, breaking news on a variety of topics. For instance, it was on Twitter that I first learned about Charles McFarland stepping down as Artistic Associate with Third Wall Theatre (I was also the first to Tweet it back) and how I found out about the City of Ottawa's Arts & Heritage Cultural Advisory Meeting, a discovery that has led to some very interesting research at work. Lots of events will also live tweet what's going on for those who cannot be there. That's how I knew all about the National Arts Centre's French and English Theatre season launches.

New Connections Twitter has served as an introduction to many theatre practitioners in Canada and across the world. Thanks to this introduction, whenever I've found myself in a different city like Montreal or Toronto, I've had the opportunity to meet these people and make new business connections. I've also been able to meet some great people in Ottawa as well. People like @suzemuse, @cherylgain & @snobiwan among others.

Stay Connected Many of my "real life" friends are on Twitter. This gives me an opportunity to stay connected and see what they are currently doing. This has led to easy spontaneous meetings for coffee or drinks. If you're not following them already, you should say hello to @patgauthier, @HMsurfacing, @nadinethornhill, @SterlingLynch, @evanthornton, @catrionaleger among many many many others. Oh and @krisjoseph is always good for a laugh, but you probably knew that already.

Contests There is always someone having some sort of contest on Twitter and sometimes a quick reply is all it takes. So far I've won movie & theatre tickets, Easter Brunch @CanadasNAC & free passes to @ottawafolk. and those are the only things I can think of right now off the top of my head.

Again, these are my own personal reasons for using Twitter. What are some of yours?

2009 Les Prix Rideau Awards Results!

Being a publicist has it's perks. You've read it here first! Third Annual Prix Rideau Awards Winners Announced!

Winners have been announced for Ottawa's 3rd annual Prix Rideau Awards, which celebrate achievement in English and French professional theatre in Ottawa-Gatineau. The awards were presented during a celebration at L’École secondaire De La Salle on Sunday, April 18, 2010.

The winners for English-language productions are:

Outstanding Performance – Female Patricia Fagan, The Syringa Tree, Great Canadian Theatre Company Outstanding Performance – Male Paul Rainville, The Drawer Boy, Great Canadian Theatre Company

Outstanding Lighting Design Jock Munro, The Syringa Tree, Great Canadian Theatre Company

Outstanding Set Design Ivo Valentik, A Midwinter's Dream Tale, A Company of Fools/Gladstone Productions

Outstanding Costume Design Louise Hayden, A Midwinter's Dream Tale, A Company of Fools/Gladstone Productions Outstanding Stage Management / Technical Award Donna Bourgeault, A View from the Bridge, Ottawa Chamber Theatre

Outstanding Fringe Production Countries Shaped Like Stars, Mi Casa

Outstanding Director Lise Ann Johnson, The Syringa Tree, Great Canadian Theatre Company

Emerging Artist Award Emily Pearlman, Creator/Actor/Writer of Countries Shaped Like Stars, Mi Casa

Outstanding Adaptation A Midwinter's Dream Tale, A Company of Fools/Gladstone Productions

Outstanding New Creation Countries Shaped Like Stars, Mi Casa

Outstanding Production The Syringa Tree, Great Canadian Theatre Company

The winners for French-language productions are:

Interprétation féminine de l'année Geneviève Couture, L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique Interprétation masculine de l'année Pierre Antoine Lafon Simard, L'Illusion comique, Théâtre la Catapulte

Conception de l'année Guillaume Houët-Brisebois, Éclairages, L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique

Artiste en émergence Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez , Interprétation, Le bout du monde, Le Théâtre du Trillium

Prix technique / de la regie Lindsay Tremblay, Le Projet Rideau, Théâtre la Catapulte

Mise en scène de l'année Marc Lemyre, L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique

Adaptation de l'année Cyrano Tag, Compagnie Vox Théâtre

Nouvelle création de l'année L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique

Production de l'année L'honnête homme/un one woman show, Poésie électrique

Les Prix Rideau Awards celebrate achievement in professional theatre in the region of Ottawa-Gatineau. The peer-juried awards program was initiated in 2006 as a result of discussion at an open meeting of the regional Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. This year for the first time, Les Prix Rideau Awards goes fully bilingual, with a full slate of awards being presented for both English and French-language productions.

For the calendar year 2009, 40 English and 11 French professional theatre productions were juried by two teams of local arts professionals (14 English and 8 French). Nominations were submitted by secret ballot and tallied by local accountants, Chong Pelot and Marcil-Lavallée. Complete details on award definitions, terms and criteria are available at www.rideauawards.ca

Have You Got Your Tickets Yet?

The 2010-2011 Great Canadian Theatre Season is launched and it's latest production, Facts, is open and running.  All I'm really going to say about it all is that the new season looks exciting (buy your subscription before April 30th to save on the HST!) and Facts is well-worth seeing (remember, Rush Tickets go on sale as of noon the day of the performance!). Though I'm still working on a video from the launch (I hate you, Windows Movie Maker!), I'm now almost entirely consumed with thoughts of the Rideau Awards.  I've been doing a constant follow-up with media, getting a press release ready, and worrying about what to wear.  This is after all THE Ottawa theatre event of the year.  You've got your ticket, right?

On top of moderating English media communications and live tweeting throughout the event (follow along with the #rideauawards hashtag - conversation is currently about what to wear - I'm going to be very disappointed if @SterlingLynch doesn't follow through on his assless chaps outfit), I will also be appearing with Sanitas Playback Theatre.  Normally, I would be performing with the group, however with my focus split that night, we've come to a different arrangement, albeit one that I find fits better with this year's co-lingual awards mandate.

The theatre company and I have decided that I will be co-conducting the event with Artistic Director Brie Barker and acting as a French translator throughout our segments.  It is silly to assume that all francophones in attendance are fluently bilingual.  In addition, many anglophones do not speak French and would require the interpretation.  It will be nice to finally showcase what we've been doing for the past few months and I think Playback will add an interesting touch to the awards.  I'm really excited to be introducing this "new" form of theatre to my peers.

I can't wait to see you there, but before then, the question on everyone's mind really is: what will you be wearing?

Can You Keep A Secret?

Apparently, some people think a girl with a blog and an unhealthy addiction to her iPhone social media programs is the best person to entrust with the most TOP SECRET news in Ottawa Theatredom. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, somewhere among the hanging out on movies sets (with Cuba Gooding Jr!), working at the Great Canadian Theatre Company (season launch on Monday!), learning to rap Shakespeare, making women feel beautiful, discovering hidden abilities to translate small documents from English to French, watching some "bloody" good theatre (check out a solid production of Blood Relations at the University of Ottawa before it closes this weekend, as well as the musical Blood Brothers at The Gladstone), working on my own theatre company's project, performing improv with some lovely ladies, and training for a 5K race; somewhere among all that, I became the new anglophone publicist for the upcoming Les Prix Rideau Awards.

(Of course, all of this must have happened after I discovered that necklace from Harry Potter that allows Hermione to attend to classes at the same time, because there is nothing short of wizardry to explain how I manage to do all this stuff...)

After learning that Über Publicist, Crystal Parsons would be leaving the wonderful world of theatre promotion for the civil service, I was approached by the awards committee to see if I could fill her sexy shoes.

My first answer, of course, was no. Re: see above schedule & need for a clone/develop magical powers.

However, after much discussion, I eventually said yes for the following reasons:

• The workload isn't as excessive as I first anticipated.  There is no need for me to translate documents for these bilingual awards, since there already is a francophone publicist, and I'd be doing a lot of stuff from a social media perspective that I'm doing already.
• This could all wait until I was done my stand-in gig.
• Being able to say that I'm the publicist for Ottawa's professional theatre awards is a pretty big deal and adds another notch of legitimacy to my marketing belt.
• With the GCTC holding a whopping 16 nominations, I can make a lot of what I'll be doing relevant to the day job.
• I think the awards are important and I want to support them in some way.  This is more than just a big party where people dress up to watch somebody get an award.  By recognizing the contribution of theatre professionals in the community, we are raising awareness of our work and acknowledging that there is a a place what we do here in town.  My dream? That one day, when I tell someone I am a professional actor, they will not ask me when I will be moving to Montreal or Toronto because it will simply be common knowledge that such a scene exists here as well.

All that to say that I will now be only one of three people to know the award winner's identities before they are revealed on April 18th because I need to have the press release handy for media as soon as the ceremony is over.  (Note to self: find dress that coordinates well with handcuffs and a briefcase *insert your own joke here*)  And this confidentiality agreement I signed says that no amount of bribing can make me reveal the secrets before then.

But have no fear!  You too may know the results as soon as they become available.  Tickets are on sale now!  Details below (this also reminds me that I will be performing in my first public Sanitas Playback Theatre show that night as well... where the heck is my clone?):

The 3rd Annual Les Prix Rideau Awards celebration is taking place at De La Salle High School (501 Old St Patrick Road, Ottawa) on Sunday, April 18, 2010.  The first-ever fully bilingual awards ceremony will be cohosted by CBC Ottawa’s Alan Neal and not-from-CBC-Ottawa's Annie Lefebvre, with theatrical reflections by Sanitas Playback Theatre and music by DJ AL Connors.

Tickets are $25 each and may be purchased through the Nouvelle Scène box office:

• online at nouvellescene.com
• by telephone at 613-241-2727 ext 1
• in person at 333 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa

Les Prix Rideau Awards III -- Sunday, April 18, 2010 De La Salle High School, 501 Old St Patrick Road, Ottawa Doors open at 6:30 PM; presentation begins at 7:30 PM - Tickets: $25

That's a First

If a blog post gets published on the internet and nobody is there to read it, did it really happen? You're reading this right? I mean, I know you're reading this because I've got those nifty little wordpress stats that tell me you are reading this. In fact, in the past two weeks, an extra 50% of you have been reading what I have to say (unless that just comes from the Adorkable Thespian getting an itchy mouse finger with no sexual outlet in sight...)

I'm grateful for that. I'm also grateful for the discussion my recent posts have been creating. You guys don't comment on my posts very often and so it's not hard to believe that what I say just goes out into some sort of void. Especially when I see my friend's blogs... Yup, I've got comment envy.

Anyway, most of you seem to have been really keen on my recent posts, especially the one on The Value of Me. Rebecca Coleman (her again?) sent me a really great post she wrote a few years ago on putting value on your work (originally for The Next Stage Magazine - another great blog you should be reading!), which I had completely forgotten about.

However, what really amazed me with that post was that another blogger actually picked it up and used it as inspiration for their own writing. Whoa. That's a first.

Michael Di Lauro uses words like "thought-provoking" and "evocatively," and said I speak "plainly and concisely."

Me?

That sounds so very very different from the stuff I heard about my writing at a certain Fringe Festival that shall remain nameless (though still linked for good measure).

I thought I was over that. I thought I was optimistically over that. But I haven't been. I've been very bad at working on a new script and I realize now that this was the main reason why. I've been letting the meanies, the bullies, the critics, and all the people who "mean well" win. And I convinced myself that that's all that was out there.

It didn't hit me until I read Michael's post how much I love writing and how I continued to do it from the safety mind zone of thinking no one was reading. Now that I know people are and I know that it actually inspires, entertains, heck maybe helps them in some way, well, I want to do it even more. Critics be damned!

So thank you, dear readers, I'm glad you are sticking around. Just don't be afraid to say "Hi!" every now and then, m'kay?

How to Get Started with Social Media Marketing

I just got back from the Social Media Breakfast - Ottawa. I like these events because they give me an opportunity to network with other like-minded individuals and even meet up (or tweet up) with some Twitter followers. The event also includes a presentation from various people/groups involved in social media. Today's presentation was from folks with the United Way - Ottawa and how they have been using new media to get more people engaged in what they do.

It was a good presentation, but I was glad that someone spoke up at the end to point out that you still need a strategy and time commitment when it comes to using social media - setting up a Twitter account or a Facebook page simply isn't enough.

So, keeping the focus on artists and arts organizations, how do you develop that strategy? Well, if you've got the money, hire me and I will help you out. However, if you don't have the resources to hire me, let me suggest two excellent tools to get you started.

First up, there is a most excellent book called Getting Started with Social Networking for Artists and Arts Organizations by Rebecca Coleman. This book has everything you could possible need to get going in an easy to read format. It even includes fill-in-the-blank social media marketing plan worksheets. This book is an absolute must have for anyone who needs to advertise their art or their arts organization. It's only $20 and you can download the e-book immediately. You can even pay an extra $10 (TEN!) and get a consultation with Ms. Coleman thrown in for good measure. What more could you want?

I know! More information about Twitter!

Well, you're in luck! Meet Dave Charest. Dave came up with an awesome (and FREE!) Beginner's Guide to Twitter. I've already downloaded and devoured part 1 and can't wait to see what he comes up next.

Check them both out and if you have any suggestions of other guides or books people should get their hands on, feel free to post them in the comments section.

The Value of Me

There have been a lot of blog posts lately on working for free. A nice examination of what working for free can mean from the Mission Paradox and a fantastic call-to-arms on the Culture of Free by Suzemuse (it also introduced me to Feedly for which I am incredibly grateful - now if they only made an app...) and how it's got to change. This, combined with my boss asking me how much I would charge for my social media work, got me thinking: How much am I worth?

This is a very difficult question for me to answer because I love what I do so much and there's this false belief inside me that if I love my job and it's easy for me to do, then it's not work so how can I justify getting paid for it?

Crazy I know. This goes for both my acting work and my marketing work. For years I did community theatre, sometimes appearing in more than one play at the same time, because I love performing. I had to finally stop though. It no longer felt satisfying creatively, I didn't feel like I was gaining any sort of meaningful experience, and it was taking up an awful lot of my time for no compensation whatsoever.

Now, before anyone slams me, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with community theatre; it served as a valuable training ground in which to get my feet wet. I'm just saying that I was at the point where I had to take a stand. To continue on my path, I had to say "I am a professional artist. I have studied my craft for many years, I have a wealth of experience and knowledge, and, yes, I'm actually good at what I do. And that? Deserves compensation."

I don't know if you can understand how hard that was for me to do. By deciding to take that route, I ended up doing a lot less shows. I am constantly filled with doubt and fears along the lines of "what the hell do I know? Who am I to ask for more?" But I had to stand firm. I had to believe in myself. Now, the only way I would do a show for free would be if a) it's for some kind of fundraiser or cause I believe in, b) I was doing my own work (though that's in the hopes of eventually getting paid), or c) I was doing a friend a favour.

So, having said all that, why is it so hard for me to take the same stand in my marketing work?

I want money. Heck, I actually NEED money. But I am really uncomfortable around money. I don't like it and I wish I didn't need it. Unfortunately, I have a mortgage to pay and a cat to feed and those thing just don't take care of themselves (stupid cat should get a job already...).

For a while now, I've been trying to put myself out there as a marketing person for hire. That always gets me thinking of my favorite quote:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3hn6fFTxeo]

"Do. Or do not. There is no try."

So this "trying" thing wasn't exactly working out because I wasn't doing anything. The thing is, I didn't even know where to begin or how much I should charge for my services. Finally though, when asked by work to send them a list of responsibilities and a price quote, I had to do some research. I contacted the best arts marketing person I know and asked her advice.

To be perfectly frank, her response kind of floored me. You charge HOW MUCH? I got self-conscious. I can't actually be expected to ask people for that, can I? Just to set up a Twitter account, a Facebook page... I mean, it's so easy! It hardly seems fair.

However, then I started to put things into perspective. Just because it's easy for me, doesn't mean it comes easily for everyone else. I work in an office of maybe 25 people - about three quarters of those have no idea what to do with digital media and most would probably be more than happy to pay someone else to do something about it.

I also had to put myself into perspective. I have a lot of experience. I've been working in Marketing, Promotions and Event Planning for over seven years now (wow, SEVEN!). I've got two B.A.s and a college certificate. I'm always taking classes, reading books and staying up-to-date on the next best thing in the world of marketing. People who hire me are paying me for that knowledge and experience, for the fact that they didn't have to go and do all that research. On top of that, contract work does not come with health benefits and vacation pay, so it's also normal that you would request more money on that front.

All this to say, I'm going to start charging for my services. You can check out my professional work resume on my LinkedIn profile to give you an idea of what I can do for you. Please send an email to nancyjkenny at yahoo dot com if you would like to discuss how I can help market your business. You can also schedule a meeting by using Tungle and checking my availability. If you buy me lunch, the initial consultation will be free.

In the meantime, I leave you with this awesome video on not giving it all away for free:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE]

Toronto Tweetup

People thought I was weird when I told them that I would be meeting some friends in Toronto, friends that I had never once met in person. "You like, met them online or something?"

Yup, that's exactly right.

Digital media (just for you, Amanda!) and Twitter in particular has given me the wonderful opportunity to reach out and connect with theatre practitioners from across the country. It's taken networking to a whole other level.

Unless they are located in Ottawa, chances are I've never met these people. We've read each other's blogs and About pages, we've had conversations at 2 a.m., and we've figured out mutual friends, but there's never been a face-to-face. The odd thing is, even though I don't "know" them in the present sense, it still feels like I "know" them, you know? Friendships that develop from 140 characters or less.

When two such wonderful people heard I was coming down to their Toronto stomping grounds, we immediately decided that it would be time to meet. In nerdy terms, we decided to have "Tweetup". It's exactly what you think it is. Twitter buddies having a meet-up.

It was awesome and exciting! I think we all felt like we were going on some sort of blind date. What should I wear? Will they like me? Will we still have stuff to talk about in person? (Answer: Black turtleneck, yes, and definitely yes!)

We had some amazing conversations about theatre and social media (sorry Amanda!). I learned a lot about the Toronto scene (including info about a company who's online presence makes me very curious), they seemed impressed with the one in Ottawa. I've got a place to stay in downtown TO whenever I go back and I may have someone willing to do new headshots for me for free. We've already started making plans to meet again.

I really do believe this is the wave of the future and that there is a lot of potential here for artistic growth and development. So far, my favorite story (and one that actually falls into my current circle of friends) is about Sterling Lynch getting his play produced in Phoenix thanks to Mare Biddle. You can listen to Dave Charest's (another person "met" through Twitter) podcast interview on that subject here.

That said, I still won't touch online dating with a ten-foot pole.

In the meantime, I leave you with some visuals from out Toronto Tweetup. Special thanks to the nice stranger at Starbucks who took our picture (also the instigator of the quote mentioned above)!

AKA - @a_mandolin, @bfg85 & @nancykenny (Insert @SMLois)

Not in this picture, but totally in our hearts - @rebeccacoleman

BASH'd Reviews

Okay, just so everyone doesn't think it's all doom and gloom. BASH'd! A Gay Rap Opera has been receiving incredibly positive reviews across the board and so I thought I'd give you a sampling of them here.

Oh and if you'd like to meet the guys from BASH'd, Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow will be at The Lookout Bar in Ottawa tonight. Tomorrow's show (affectionately dubbed BASH'd Bash) is also a fundraiser for a variety of local groups in town, including Toto Too Theatre. The guys will be participating in a post-show talkback and there will be a reception following the performance and chat at the GCTC. Click on the links for ticket information.

What the critics are saying:

"…BASH’d is simply that good." - Denis Armstrong, Ottawa Sun

"...a performance that, on Thursday night, left the audience practically humming with energy." Patrick Langston, Ottawa Citizen

"The rapping… is very clever and easy to follow." - Katie Marsh, Apartment 613

"BASH'd: a gay rap opera for everyone." - Wayne Current, The Wellington Oracle

"I defy anyone to keep their foot from tapping or head from bobbing…" - Connie Meng, North Country Public Radio

"Don't fear the rapper" - Andrew Snowdon, Ottawa Tonite

What the audience is saying:

“Amazing show. You Rock.”

“It was brilliant on every level!”

“That was friggin awesome!”

Remember, those are their Viewpoints, come on down and let us know yours! BASH’d! A Gay Rap Opera continues until January 31.

The 9 to 5 Shift

I am now a week and a half into my new job at the Great Canadian Theatre Company. Now, this is a pretty sweet gig as Joe-jobs go. First of all, it combines my love of theatre with my love of social media into a geektacular sandwich that these days tastes like the best cupcakes ever made. It offers some great flexibility for when acting projects come up and I get to define a lot of what my role within the company is. There are some great people to work with and some sweet benefits like an Eco Pass, free coffee (well, technically free), and leftover food from opening nights. (Side Note: Ahem. I'm a simple person. I will work for food, drinks and transportation. Please don't tell the union!) All in all, I like my job.

That said, even after being here this long, my body has not gotten used to this 9 to 5 lifestyle. It involves a lot of sitting and this little thing called "waking up in the morning." Also, I still haven't found the best way to balance the job with everything else I'm doing in my life. Currently, I'm incredibly exhausted and could probably use a couple days off to decompress, but instead I'm going to be spending my weekend doing a workshop, watching shows and writing grant applications (in addition to regular housework that needs to be done, some focus on my Mary Kay business, going over lines with my scene partner for another workshop I'm involved with, and any other thing that inevitably always come up).

I hate to say it, but I need to start cutting back. Forty hours a week are now missing from my regularly scheduled programming which means it's time to change the channel. (What? That doesn't even make sense. Man, I really do need rest.) I need to start prioritizing, work towards those goals and take out anything that isn't relevant.

This pretty much means that I *gasp* can't go out as much anymore.

So You Need To Pay Your Bills

The bank wouldn't accept my mortgage payments in the form of artistic integrity. I tried, but they just kind of looked at me funny; this "What is artistic integrity?" kind of look before realizing it wasn't money and then having security guards beat me with clubs for having a bohemian on their premises. I may have made some of that up.

Being a full-time actor often feels virtually impossible. Gigs are few and far between and, let's be honest, you don't become an actor for the money (though you always keep faith that the money will one day be there). So you typically need a job to pay your bills and will still offer you the flexibility you need JUST IN CASE an audition pops up.

Back in October, I knew things were getting tough financially and so I started figuring out what I could do. I have a strong background in Marketing, Special Events, and Promotions, but I didn't feel like I had enough clout or contacts to try and push myself out there for contract work. I had applied for jobs through a temp agency because I still wanted the flexibility to do my performance work, but it wasn't enough. That's when I stumbled across the Metcalf Foundation.

I won't go into everything they do, but basically, the Foundation "will support the creation of internship opportunities for administrators, choreographers, composers, conductors, designers, directors, playwrights, and production staff. In this program, the Foundation is particularly interested in assisting individuals who have completed formal training and are in the early stages of their careers."

A quick bit of research and a few emails later and I found myself at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa with a proposal. They applied on my behalf and by December we knew that they had received the funding from the Foundation. And so you're looking at (or more accurately now reading about) the new Marketing Associate for the GCTC.

My contract runs until June (which leaves me the rest of the summer for Fringe or Summer Stock Theatre) and I almost cried when I read my Letter or Agreement:

The Employer recognizes that the Intern is a working theatre professional, and that the Intern may negotiate time off to undertake select independant projects that contribute to the Intern's professional development.

This is exactly what I wanted! A day job that understands my artistic aspirations and actively encourages them. They do exist!

So what will I be doing at the GCTC? First up, I will be undertaking the instigation of a social media marketing plan for the company. In fact, I just finished setting up our Twitter account this morning. Please follow us @GCTCLive. This is a really great opportunity because I will gain credibility and experience as a social media strategist, which will allow me to help my own theatre company and follow up on my goal to teach this new wave to the general public (for crying out loud this guy charges over $1000 for his weekend workshop so why couldn't I?)

I'll also be doing some work in Outreach and Development, sectors I'm less familiar with, and will be learning a great deal about traditional marketing methods. (Won't it be nice to attend a media call where the media actually shows up?)

I was scared to come back to an office environment, but this place is just great. Stick around this blog if you'd like to find out more about what goes on behind the scenes of a major Canadian theatre company... that is if I haven't already set up a blog for them on their own site by then.

******************************************************* Sidebar (or an absolutely shameless plug):

Ok, so an internship isn't exactly the most lucrative of endeavors. In addition to my work for the GCTC, I've also picked up a bit of a part-time job. I am also a brand-spanking new Mary Kay rep. Yup, I sell makeup and skin care products now.

It makes sense. As an actor, my face is one of my biggest assets and so I need to take good care of it. Mary Kay offers quality products and the cost is similar to anything you'd find in a major department store. Plus, I just really like makeup and this is a job I can do whenever I am available.

So, dear readers, wouldn't you like to have a little spa pampering session for you and your friends? Or maybe you'd like to treat yourself to a little makeover? Just contact me (nancykenny.mk (at) gmail.com) and we can book a party at your place or mine. As the host, you also get lots of free stuff and there is absolutely no pressure to buy. Besides, this is great practice for me.

Or maybe you're just looking for a new lipstick? Or a gift for someone special? Check out my website and order online. If you spend over $50, you'll get a wonderful free gift from me. And if you live in Ottawa, I will personally deliver your purchase to your home or workplace.

Oh and gentlemen, skin care isn't just for the ladies, you know.

In the future, I'll probably be posting my reviews of certain products, but if you have any questions at the moment, please feel free to ask.

And if you're looking for some sort of home business for yourself, why not think about becoming a rep? I could help you with that too.

Besides, don't you want to see me in a pink Cadillac?

A New Post - Sorta

I know, I know! I promised this was going to be a New Year's Week Blogtacular with a post per day. Unfortunately, the new job, as well as life, have gotten in the way. It's well past midnight, I just got back from a most challenging, inspiring and beautiful acting class and I have to be at the GCTC for 9 a.m (BTW, you can start following them on Twitter now - @GCTCLive!). Too much is running through my head at the moment and I need the time for the words to sink in.

So in the meantime, I hope you will forgive if I cop out slightly tonight and send you back in time to September 3, 2009. Charge up the flux capacitor because Patty Griffin will tell you how I feel tonight.

Sweet dreams, my precious!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktpTyT1Wj_I&feature=related]

Stats, Stats, Stats

I've been inspired by Mr. Sterling Lynch's recent post on his blog's traffic numbers (and absolutely fascinated as well!). He was right: I do find it useful to compare his traffic numbers to mine. After some investigation, I've realized that I'm doing pretty well. Therefore, in the spirit of sharing, I've also decided to publish my blog stats to all of you in the hopes that it might be useful to someone else. I currently don't have any other statistic program running on my site and so my statistics all come directly from Wordpress.

Since 29/08/08 I have had 11, 769 visits to this site. Now, this number is relatively small compared to Sterling's, but that's because I wasn't really all that active on my blog until about March 2008, which is when I started pushing it more by linking the notes to my Facebook account and updates. My individual site visits hit over the 1000 mark in June. In fact my busiest months have been June 2009 - 1,880 and July 2009 - 2,152. This makes sense for a few reasons. First of all, it was around this time that I started using Twitter to promote my blog. It was also during the Ottawa and Winnipeg Fringe Festivals, where I was writing practically everyday and was getting tons of pingback links through their sites. My busiest day was 22/06/09 with 206 visits - right smack in the middle of the Ottawa Fringe Festival.

Not counting this one, I have 117 posts and 235 comments. I don't respond to every comment like Sterling does, so this number is actually pretty close to reality. That said, because he replies to the comments on his site, Sterling encourages discussion, which then brings in more comments and more page views. I can learn from that.

Search engine terms to find my blog usually have to do with some variation of my name or the blog title. Though I was interested to see that a lot of people found me by searching for "Countries Shaped Like Stars" (which sends you to my review of the show) and "Gladstone Theatre Ottawa" (which puzzled me because I went through 5 Google search pages and found nothing about this blog). What terms a person used to find my site is a great source of enjoyment for me. You can find some real gems there including: "hairpulling catfight", "so", "la in me love you long time 9" (not making that one up), "vehicle registration plates in manitoba", and "im struggling upcoming artist?"

Visitors have been referred to my site mostly through Facebook, Twitter and a link from my old blog incarnation. The rest come from something called Alpha Inventions (which I haven't fully figured out) and my friend's blogs. In order of popularity, I get most of my friendly traffic from the Adorkable Thespian, The Many Faces of Wayne, The Ottawa Arts Newsletter, Reverberations, and finally Movement (Welcome to the party, Sterling. Nadine, I owe you a drink.)

Finally, my top 5 most popular posts and pages are as follows:

Nancy's Must See List at the Winnipeg Fringe - 428 Upcoming Appearances - 396 About Nancy - 386 Nancy's Must See List at the Ottawa Fringe - 373 In Loving Memory of my Friend - 161

I'm not surprised by these numbers and they do corroborate Sterling's theory that "When people like a blog post, they often want to know more about the person writing the blog post." I encourage you to read the rest of his theory on the effectiveness of social media tools with regards to personal interactions with the writer. I pretty much completely agree with him on that point.

All in all, this has been a very interesting exercise. Based on the information collected, I'm quite certain that I have approximately 35 to 40 regular readers who check my site everyday for new stuff. When I write a new post, that number easily doubles or even triples.

I'd like to think that this readership also translates into my business world (attendance at shows, networking opportunities, ect.) but I have no way of verifying that information.

So, thank you dear readers, I definitely would not be here on the interwebs without you.

Shining City Promo/Reviews

More links will be added as they come in. Did you miss the interview I did with Richard Gélinas on CHUO 89.1? Well you are in luck. Here it is in full with host Mitchell Caplan on Click Here. It even includes a segment from the show. Check it out here! (It may take a while to get the link and you may have to sift through some ads, but it was the best I could do in finding a free server host for the very large file. If anyone has a better idea, I'm all ears!)

If you'd prefer to see our faces, then go visit our friends at Ottawa Tonite (a great new resource on local arts and entertainment!) and check out the rehearsal footage video created by Cheryl Gain, which also includes an interview with director John P Kelly.

(Cult)ure Magazine and the EMC News also have some great preview articles. (Apparently the print version of the EMC runs for a page and a half, has three photos and is on the cover - if anyone could get me a print copy, that's be grand!)

As if that wasn't enough, (Cult)ure Magazine also has a lovely review of the piece, which you can find here.

I also highly recommend you check out the glowing review the show got from Patrick Langston and the Ottawa Citizen. You may do so here.

Shining City

You've probably noticed, if you are a regular to this site, that I haven't been up to my usual blogging vigor this month. That's because the majority of my month was spent in rehearsals (and public relations work) for Shining City by Conor McPherson, produced by SevenThirty Productions in Ottawa. Well, tonight, live from the Arts Court Theatre, is opening night.

I'm incredibly proud of the work that I and the rest of the cast and crew have been doing on this production. I'm just trying to see tonight as another part of the process of creation. This will be the first time we have an audience and I find that prospect kind of scary. (You mean I have to act in front of... PEOPLE?!?) I hope that throughout the two week run you will all be able to come out and see it.

Details for the production can be found below. If you come out tonight, we will be holding a small party in the theatre lobby with food, drinks, and Irish music. Please stick around after the show to say hi and share a bevy. See you at the theatre!

Shining City by Conor McPherson Directed by John P Kelly Featuring Richard Gélinas, Tom Charlebois, Nancy Kenny & Garrett Quirk

Arts Court Theatre – 2 Daly Avenue – Ottawa, ON

November 17 to 28, 2009 – 8 p.m. Sat/Sun matinees - 2:30 p.m. (No show on Sunday & Monday night)

Tickets: $25 - $20 students/seniors/underemployed Pay-What-You-Can Matinee on Sunday, November 22nd

Box Office: 613-564-7240

Keep the Halloween chills going with the perfect November play!

Set in present-day Dublin, Shining City takes place in the disheveled office of Ian, a former priest turned therapist. Ian's latest patient, John, is in trouble. His wife has just died tragically... and he is visited more than once by her ghost. John is now terrified to return home, but Ian has his own troubles, including a new baby and a crumbling relationship.

"Literally lifted the hairs on my scalp." - London's Evening Standard McPherson is "the finest dramatist of his generation..." - London's Daily Telegraph

Sealing the Deal

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.

Evolution Theatre's Arabian Night

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

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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.

No Absolutes - The Life of the Artist

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.

The Return of Blogger Row

A few months ago, I was granted a wonderful opportunity by the National Arts Centre, as a blogger, to attend a concert with the NAC Orchestra (and totally geek out from a meeting with Mr. Sulu - yes THE Mr. Sulu). The only catch was that I had to blog and tweet about the event. I had seats in the very last row of the very last balcony of the NAC's Southam Hall, which I affectionately dubbed "Blogger Row" in a tweet after realizing that I was sitting with a lot of people I followed on Twitter.

Well, the name's stuck and the NAC is doing it again. I was invited to attend Beyond the Score: Mozart's Final Piano Concerto. I won't be able to attend tonight due to a prior engagement, but I just wanted to take the time to note my appreciation to the NAC for this offer.

I've been incredibly impressed with the NAC and their social media marketing campaign. Here is a great example of an art's organization who has fully embraced new media. Their website includes videos and podcasts to make your experience more interactive; they use Youtube, Facebook and Flickr; you can access live recording's from the NAC Orchestra through their Musicbox; most of their marketing staff can also be found on Twitter.

If you're a blogger, you should definitely get in touch with these people!

As the Director of Communications for Evolution Theatre, I find this inspiring. We don't have a budget that compares to that of the National Arts Centre, but all of these means of promotion are fairly inexpensive to implement. Mostly, you just need the time to keep things up to date.

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With all this in mind, we, at Evolution Theatre, have decided to take on our own social media experiment.

Would you like a discount on our next production - the Ottawa English language premiere of Arabian Night? Then you should be our friend on Facebook!

October 15th will officially be our Facebook Friends' Night for Arabian Night at the Cube Gallery. Everyone in this group will be granted $5 off their regular ticket price ($20 general admission / $15 students, seniors and starving artists - valid id required) for this night only.

Here's what you need to do. Go to the Arabian Night event page and indicate that you will be attending the show:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6838688181#/event.php?eid=147376941961

(Check out the incredibly hot publicity photos by the amazing Tim Ginley while you're at it!)

We will be printing out the invitation list as of 3 p.m. on October 15th. You MUST let us know you are attending the event or we won't be able to verify that you are in our group and give you your discount.

Only one ticket discount per person. If your friends would like a discount, just have them join the event and the group! It's that simple.

Seating is limited, so if you would like to reserve your seats in advance (cash payment required at the door), you can do so by calling the Cube Gallery at 613-728-1750.