Screw You Guys, I'm Going To China!

(ed. note - I hope no one thinks I'm being mean with this title, I'm just bastardizing a South Park quote because I think it's funny. It's funny, right? Right. Keep reading.) Va... ca... tion...?

What is this foreign work you speak of?

The last time I had a vacation, I was 16 years old and I went to Florida with my family (FYI Universal Studio kicked more ass than Disney, even though the Terminator ride broke down). Of course, you could claim that I went on a family vacation two years ago when my mom, my sister and I drove through the Rockies and ended up in lovely Nelson, BC, but that was more of a workaholic's vacation. I had my laptop with me and I distinctly remember spending an awful lot of time writing press releases for the Ottawa Fringe Festival and reworking drafts of a script. I also remember my mother often gently trying to persuade me (i.e. getting annoyed but trying not to show it in front of company) to get off the damn computer and come spend quality time outside, which I did... I sat on a deck with the Rocky Mountains rising above me and a lake spread out below me... and my laptop hugging my knees.

I'm sick. There is something definitely wrong with me. I'm addicted to work. Everything is work or becomes about work. Going to see a show is about work. Taking a new class to gain a new skill becomes "something I can put on a resume". About 95% of my friends are also my colleagues. I run Evolution Theatre with two such friends. We often say that we're just going to hang out, have lunch, watch a movie, or maybe plan a wedding... the discussion inevitably comes back to work.

Don't get me wrong. I love the work I do. I am blessed and grateful to be able to do what I do. But (and I can't believe I'm saying this) maybe I work too much? Is there such a thing? Yes, I guess there is.

I'm going on a trip tomorrow and, with lots of publicity work for Evolution Theatre's next show ahead of me, I started feeling massively guilty for doing anything that was for myself. Going to class or rehearsal, even eating and bathing were practically taking a back seat to what I so desperately thought "needed to be done". Like I said, I'm sick.

You know what, it did need to get done and, better yet, it did get done, but at what cost? My health? My sanity? My peace of mind? I learned a valuable lesson this week. I'm absolutely useless to anyone if I don't take care of myself first. I especially thank the folks in my Playback Theatre company for putting me back on the right track. Once I finally gave in to being at rehearsal, which was where I really wanted to be, and let go of the guilt, I suddenly got better. I was refreshed and recharged and that's why all my work got done this week.

So when my old roomate (and one of the 5% of my friends not involved in the arts - though Gruppo Rubato is trying to change that with Airport Security - check out a staged reading of it this weekend!), who is also a flight attendant, invited me to go with her to China of all places, I jumped at the chance. Yes, I really am going to China. Tomorrow. I leave tomorrow.

And I'm going to do something crazy... something drastic... something so beyond me...

I'm going to disconnect from the Matrix.

Yes, you read that right. No laptop, no iPhone, no Twitter, no Facebook, no email, no *gasp* flat iron. I'm leaving it all behind. It will just be me, my friend, and my poofy hair. As of tomorrow morning, I will be unreachable and not working... Ok, I'm going to cheat a wee bit because I'm going to be reading a book about Roller Derby but it's a NOVEL, so that's alright.

(And uh, BTW, if I'm not back in two weeks, could someone please call the Embassy in Beijing and make sure I'm not rotting in a Chinese prison somewhere... kthxbye!)

My guess is I'll be going into massive electronic withdrawal at some point over the Pacific Ocean. As long as I don't end up re-enacting the toilet scene from Trainspotting though, I should be ok.

So please go ahead and miss me. I know you will. But I'll be back refreshed, recharged and with plenty of photos to share on all sorts of new media outlets. And that? Is really, really nice.

Post-Class Ramblings

It's past midnight and I'm home from class. I'm starving but I don't want pizza, so I'm making the only thing any single gal who hasn't been grocery shopping in over three weeks can make: Pasta! Plain, no tomato sauce, pasta! Mmmmm! Finally finished all my grant writing today for both Evolution Theatre and my upcoming Roller Derby show. It is such a huge relief to have that off my shoulders. I can now fully focus on Birth and my class with Michele Lonsdale Smith from Vancouver.

I feel so blessed and grateful to be taking this class. I'm not just learning about acting, I'm learning to be a better human being. I wish everyone could see, feel, learn what I learn in these classes. I've been studying with her for almost four years now and I know that I would not be the person I am today if it wasn't for those classes. If you are in the Ottawa area and are interested in auditing a class, here's the event info, including how you can apply to audit.

I'm going to be working on a scene from Doubt with an absolutely lovely partner and I know we're going to have a lot of fun with it. I do, however, still need to find an outfit. I'm currently looking for a long black skirt, black shoes and a habit headpiece. Please message me below if you can help!

I am happy. I am exactly where I know I should be right now and for the first time ever I'm not scared to do the work. I'm actually thrilled to do it!

My heart is filled with so much love for everyone. If you are reading this, I love you very much and, even if we haven't met, I think you are beautiful and strong. You can accomplish everything you put your mind to. The only thing standing in your way is you.

Now, if you'll excuse me, my water is boiling.

Rambling Farewell to June

This was originally going to be a wrap-up post about the Ottawa Fringe Festival, but too many amazing things happened throughout the month of June that I feel the need to go a little more in dept. Adjectives like glorious, amazing, incredible and the ever popular fantabulous will get thrown about so be prepared. This is going to be one of those look at all the great things that happened to me posts. Not because I feel like boasting about it all (ok, maybe a little), but because I sometimes need to remind myself that I am on the right path, even when a few pebbles get in my shoes. June was a month of glorious theatre intensiveness. Both the Magnetic North Theatre Festival and the Ottawa Fringe Festival took up large chunks of my time through shows, drinking, workshops, networking, drinking, creation, performance, and did I mention there may have been some drinking?

By my calculations, if you include the reading series, almost 75 shows were presented to the general public. Fantabulous! I saw the vast majority, because my sanity is somewhat in doubt.

I did an incredible amount of networking which amounted in new contacts made here and across the country. My long dormant public speaking skills also made a brief resurgence during one particular MNTF workshop which directly resulted in having the Artistic Director of the National Arts Centre's English Theatre program attending my Fringe show and the Artistic Director of one of Ottawa's oldest professional theatre companies buying me a glass of wine (though honestly I think it was because he was bored with a certain workshop, but I'm not going to argue).

Other June highlights include a stack of auditions in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto; an extra union credit on the French side; some standardized patient work; the creation of a new production company; losing almost ten pounds; winning a crapload of gift certificates (MOST PERSISTENT DANCER FTW!) and, of course, this little show called No Exit Upstage - perhaps you've heard of it recently?

Oh, and the greatest of all my news: I received a creation grant from the City of Ottawa to develop my piece on Women's Roller Derby!!! A piece I hope to get off the ground with the help of my ultimate Fringe Crush, of course.

June was simply divine and July is shaping up to be even better: lots of get-togethers, a few tweaks and rewrites for No Exit Upstage, and then I ship off to the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

I'm not sure how much blogging will get done between now and then, but you can be sure I will be keeping everyone up-to-date on Nancy and Natasha's Adventures in Winnipeg... That sounds catchy, like a TV series I could pitch to YTV. We'd have to clean it up a bit, but Natasha's a mom so she'd know if something wasn't appropriate...

Uh, where was I? Oh yeah, blogging about Winnipeg. Anyway, if my stats throughout the Ottawa Fringe are any indication, there are a lot of you out there who seem to be interested in what I might have to say... either that or an Adorkable Thespian just likes repeatedly clicking on my links... (Psst, Nadine, you can totally click on my links ANYTIME! - Yes, I meant that to sound dirty.)

Roller Derby Saved My Soul

Give me a girl with some bruises on her butt and that killer look in her eye.

- Uncle Leon and the Alibis

Some of my followers (look at that, I've got "followers" now - ain't I special?) on Twitter and Facebook may have noticed that I was in Red Deer this past weekend attending a Roller Derby Boot Camp, hosted by the Canadian Women's Roller Derby Association. First off, yes, Roller Derby.  Yes, that sport on roller skates.  Yes, it still exists.  It's actually experiencing a pretty strong revival.  We good?  Can I continue?  Thanks!  Now, contrary to what you may be thinking, I haven't suddenly picked up a new sport (though after this weekend, I'm seriously tempted - apparently I'm quite a natural on quad skates). You see, a few months ago, when I began toying with the idea of creating my own work, I was looking for inspiration to hit. I was sitting in my office (Westboro Branch) and noticed a community paper on the seat. I flipped it over and, on the cover, saw something that sent light bulbs exploding in my brain: Roller Derby.

Since that day, I've been avidly researching the game in order to create a one woman show that I would like to tour on the Canadian Fringe Circuit next year. You see, the revival of this sport goes far above and beyond anything you could possibly imagine. Every week, I hear of a new team popping up somewhere across the country and the rest of the world. Even our fair Ottawa is working on getting it's third (yes, third!) team. From the Ottawa league, I heard about the Boot Camp happening in Red Deer. Of all the places in Canada where this weekend was taking place, it happened to be in the city where my sister currently lives... So, I jumped at the chance to go. And I do not regret it. I've now made a ton of connections which will serve me well on tour. You see, every city that has a Fringe Festival also has a Roller Derby team (or two or three or five - Hi Toronto!).

This is a really ambitious project for me, one that really pushes me to my absolute limit. I'm scared like you would not believe, but I am also incredibly excited. As usual, I will be posting my show developments here on my blog. Until then, I leave you with an awesome little music video for Roller Derby Saved My Soul by Uncle Leon and the Alibis. It will give you a good idea of the athleticism and theatricality involved in the sport.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlfCPc1ZhCQ]