I know when I'm beat. I had a good start on Monday and the writing has gone downhill ever since. I'm just plunking words on the page. Not good. I'm shutting down for the rest of the week. Maybe the guilt of not working will spur me to work harder next week. Ta ta, folks. For this weekend, I'm going to pretend to be an American and enjoy Thanksgiving with no trimmings, no turkey, and no work.
November 2008 Archives
Okay, now I'm in even bigger trouble. Not only have I lost my momentum, but in an attempt to revise the first chapter of A Close Shave, I've ended up in some weird limbo where I don't know what's happening in the story now. Cut and paste is not always a friend of the writer. I'm going to print off the first chapter and take a look at it. Hopefully, I can set myself back on the right course.
Tried for the last 2 days to get cracking on the next chapter of A Close Shave. My brain is sludge. Can't even string together a coherent sentence without wanting to gag. I've never felt this awful about working on a story. Should I walk away for a week or should I bash through the doldrums and find my passion for the story again? Tomorrow's another day. Must keep slogging on. One more kick at the story. Let's see what happens.
Well, it's a slow start, but at least it's a start. Yesterday, I revised the first chapter of A Close Shave. Today, I'm supposed to move on to the second chapter, but I'm staring at the screen and wondering what's on TV. Maybe I'll read the rest of the Dewey book, but I know the ending is going to be sad, so I'm not sure if I want to. Hmm, maybe I'll wash dishes and cook some muffins for breakfast. It's going to be a long week.
At first, I felt awkward showing up at the reunion. I had made the mistake of looking at everyone's yearbook photo before I showed up. Twenty-five years had turned us all into strangers. I could sort of see my old friends encased in 25 years of life after high school. Then we chiselled away time with our memories of youth and suddenly everyone looked exactly the way they did in my memory. I was glad to have seen my friends. I was sad not to have seen everyone. But I understand that not everyone looks back on the past with fondness.
Anyway, chalk up another milestone in my life. What's next? The retirement party? I hope there's something before that.
I'm going to try to get to A Close Shave this week. Let's see if I can sail past the writing doldrums.
Tomorrow, I get to see some of my old high school friends. Oh boy, I can't believe that 25 years have passed since our class graduated. My hair's thinner. My waist is wider. And I can't remember what happened two days ago, let alone 25 years ago. Part of me dreads having to see my old friends because the memory of who they were is going to be so different than who they actually are now. Part of me is thrilled to relive the past even if it's only for one night. At the very least, I'll come away with some cool stories about the lives of people who made up a large part of my childhood. What's really interesting is that I'm seeing that dynamic when I go into schools, and I keep thinking all the kids who are BFF in school will most likely be passing acquaintances when they grow up. Funny how time can crowbar apart spit-sealed friendships.
Just heard from my agent about another round of rejections for my graphic novel proposal. Builds character... I think that's what people say about this. Boy, do I have a lot of character this year. I wonder if the constant rejections over the last few months are the reason why I'm losing my motivation to write. Hmm. Something to consider.
Wow, it was very cool to see some of the students starting to bring their writing to life. I'm amazed about how quick a lot of the students grabbed on to the notion of using their real life experiences as the starting point for their stories. I was really impressed by some of today's work. I hope the kids retain the cheat code and remember how to work backwards from the climax. I can't wait to see the next drafts. Maybe their enthusiasm will ignite my passion to tackle A Close Shave. I have to get cracking on that project and get it done before I can seriously move into another project.
Another bad weekend. I have no motivation to write anything substantial. Even the blog seems a chore. Not certain what's going on. Since I'm not working on any specific project, I can't really call this writer's block. Maybe I need to get away for a couple of days with a laptop and just work on a project that is brand new. I have to finish a residency this week, but if I have time next week, I might just try to do that. I feel like a family car that's been around for years... used to do the job, but now I'm ready to be put out on the used car lot or sold off for parts.
Now that The Forbidden Phoenix premiere is over, I feel like I need to start on another major project, but I'm feeling anxious about what to tackle. The Forbidden Phoenix was such an ambitious project that took so much out of me that I'm not sure if I want to invest myself in another major play. There's part of me that feels like I've done all that I can in theatre, and I'm not really sure if I want to write a new play. Even the thought of tackling a theatrical script gives me stomach pains. Maybe I need a break away from theatre for a few months to rekindle my love of it. I never thought I'd feel this away about theatre, but I'm just feeling like I put all this work into something and it disappears after the closing night performance. I'm going to have to figure out my next steps. Not a good time to be me right now.
Oh man, is my brain toast today. I was at Fulton Place School working with the high energy elementary students. I've learned very quickly that Friday is a crazy day for students. They can smell the weekend. I had to figure out how to keep the focus in a lot of the classes, but I'll always take high energy over no energy. I'm glad the kids were excited and I hope they get down to some serious writing next week. It's been a blast at the school, and I'm surprised this week flew by so quickly.
I'm still trying to sort out the niggly details about the picture book. I have to apply to get a bar code and I have to pull together catalogue information for the book. I have to make sure the information is correct so that people can find the book. Tonight, I'm talking at the CLRT about the book and then I'm negotiating the contract with my illustrator. It's kind of cool to see the publishing industry from this end of things. Certainly gives me a greater appreciation for what my publisher has to do. Would I ever get involved with publishing full-time? I doubt it. Way too much work on administration and way too little fun time to be creative. Still, I'm glad I'm working on this project. If anything, I'm learning how the machine works. Once I know that, I think I'll be better able to market my future books.
Yikes. I barely had time to recover from The Forbidden Phoenix and now I'm in the middle of a residency at Fulton Place School. The students are wonderful and surprisingly eager to write. I'm trying to squeeze out some time to get cracking on A Close Shave this week. I hope to be able to at least tweak the first book in the series and get it ready for my agent to shop around. Then I'll jump into writing the second book. I think this could be a very fun series for reluctant readers. I just need a bit of time to focus on the writing.
Ooops! I've been so busy getting ready for my residency at Fulton Place School, I forgot to update everyone on the final performance of The Forbidden Phoenix. Our injured actor came in and was feeling a little better. We cut out any major moves so that he didn't have to put too much pressure on his heels. Of course, when the adrenalin kicked in he performed 95 percent of his original blocking during the show. We've since found out that he just has serious bruising of his heels. Nothing that will put him out of commission, but I imagine he was thankful for Tylenol that Sunday.
The show wrapped up well. No other injuries. I was sad to see all the actors go at the wrap party, but I know they'll be doing the show again in February, so I won't miss them that much. I'm still not sure if I can go or not. Canada Council has a travel grant for artists to see their shows (provided Prime Minister Harper hasn't axed that program yet). I'm going to apply for the airfare, but if I don't get the funding, I'll just wish everyone well from Edmonton.
Sigh. This is the lot of the playwright. Seven years of work and once the party starts, I'm sitting at home. On to the next project... True Story! I must get the picture book together. I'm meeting with Lorna later this week to go over contracts and some of the sketches. I'm more excited about this project than The Forbidden Phoenix, mainly because I really enjoy working with Lorna. She's been so positive and generous with her talent and time.
Okay, so this just happened, so I'm still trying to sort things out. Last night, one of the actors hurt his heels when he slipped off a ladder. Today, he's having trouble even walking. We're going early to re-block the fights so that they won't involve the actor too much, but if that doesn't work, the Citadel will cancel today's show. It'll be unfortunate to finish on this note, but an actor's well being is way more important than a show. I know he's devastated about the thought of having to cancel the final show (the old adage, the show must go on, isn't a cliche), but no show is worth the risk. Personal health comes first, followed by family, and then it's the show.
I can't believe the Citadel's luck over the last couple of years. On Noises Off, they lost two actors (one had to have heart surgery and the other lost his father). The lead actor of Trying pulled out of the final weekend. Pride and Prejudice lost an actor to a stabbing. Now, we might have to cancel due to an injury. Talk about bad karma.
If I wasn't tone deaf and a klutz, I'd offer to do the role, but no one ever wants to see me act. I'll blog later about the decision. Welcome to live theatre. Anything can and will happen.
I didn't see the show, but I was told the audience was a bit quieter than the cheering kids of the Wednesday and Thursday matinees. The audience members who came up to me after seemed to genuinely enjoy the show. I was thrilled that so many people were introducing their kids to theatre for the first time with this production.
Today, I had kids come up to me and tell me how much they enjoyed the show. I also talked to a couple who had seen Mom, Dad, I'm Living with A White Girl. And I heard from an older Chinese man who doesn't like theatre, but liked this show a lot. I'm pretty impressed that audiences of all ages have found something enjoyable about the show.
One funny story from the show. One of our chorus members was leaving the stage at the top of the second act and noticed that an arrow had been left on stage. He dutifully picked up the arrow and showed the assistant stage manager, who freaked out! The arrow was preset for Laosan to use in the very next scene. See, even after a couple of weeks, actors can still make mistakes. I laughed when I heard what happened. Welcome to live theatre.
I missed what was one of the best audiences yesterday. Mostly elementary students were at the performance (about 650 kids), and they roared after every song and even let out whoops when Horne fell. I'm so sad to have missed the performance. Now I have only the weekend performances to enjoy. I'm sure the audiences will give us great reactions, but nothing tops a theatre full of kids cheering.
The cast is feeling pretty good about the show. I think our lead said he found the groove. Basically, that's the sweet spot for an actor where he knows what the show is and how to milk the scenes. Because I know the production is going to Toronto in February, this doesn't really feel like the end. Also, knowing that there's a production slated for 2010 makes me feel like the ride is just beginning.
And of course, just as it happens at the end of any of my productions, I'm coming down with a cold. I guess my body is telling me I can be sick now... well, only for two days. I start a residency on Monday. Cold FX do your job!
I'm still trying to get the handle on this technology stuff. I came back from a video conferencing session with students in the Grande Prairie area. Very strange to be talking to tiny images on a large screen. A lot of my presentations are supposed to be funny, but when the mute button is on, I have no idea how people are reacting. I just pretended I was getting laughs where I should. I suddenly know how actors must feel when they are making a movie comedy. There's no audience laughing, so you have to hope you're funny.
But I'd rather do a video conferencing session than have to drive five hours to do a session, especially now that snow is in the forecast. Snow! Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!
Well, it seems the cast have found their groove for the show. I sat in on a student matinee today, and the actors just rocked the show. The students roared at the end of the first act, howled in the second act and cheered wildly at the end of the play. I think the actors are very comfortable with what they are doing and can milk the scenes for comedy, pathos and drama. Just in time for the show to close. That's the way it usually goes in theatre.
I was sad to have missed the morning show, where most of the audience were Chinese kids. According to the stage manager, the kids' reaction this morning was even bigger than the one this afternoon. I'm thrilled the kids are liking the show. Hopefully, the adults enjoyed it as well, but I really wanted the kids to see what theatre can be. Next up for me... The Bone House... a very different piece of theatre. Not for young kids.
Those who know the show by the old name, be warned that I'm changing the title and many of the elements in the show. The new name is The Bone House Lecture Series by Eugene Crowley. His latest presentation is Notorious: The Deification of a Modern Serial Killer.
Watch for it in 2009.
Weird how print quality and colour can change perceptions. I've been walking around with the colour copy of the cover and testing it on students. They've been happy with the cover, but I wasn't sure about the colour. The printer wasn't great, so I took the image to a local photocopy house and had the cover printed on a glossy card stock, which would be closer to the final product. What a difference the quality of paper and printer made. The colours are much closer to what I saw on the computer screen, and I'm really excited about the cover now. The difference is slight, but the colours do pop, and I'm going to see how kids respond to this version of the cover. I can't wait to see the picture book sketches. The process is long, but rewarding.
Sat in on my first student matinee for the show. The kids were primed and ready to see the show. Great start to everything... almost. Two glitches. One was okay; the other unforgiveable. The first glitch was the curtain that is pulled acrossed the stage lost one of its clips and came loose during the first scene. The stagehands were able to fix the problem for the next scene. Phew.
The other glitch wasn't a glitch so much as it was a case of disrespect. Some young gentlemen (and I use the term ironically) opted to show their disdain for the show by tossing coins on stage. For a highly physical show, this was not only disrespectful, but it was downright dangerous. I hope that the people who witnessed the young men tossing the coins will report them to their teachers. It's been my experience that evil tends to grow in silence. When good people do not speak up against horrible acts like this, evil will thrive. I'm ashamed to know that this happened during a show that was about how disrespect for another culture can lead to racism.
Were the coin tossers racists? I honestly don't know, but I do believe that they were ignorant, and ignorance is often the first warning sign of prejudice. These young men undoubtedly have little respect for themselves, which may be why they are so quick to disrespect others. Maybe their parents never instilled in them a sense of self-esteem. Maybe these young men want to prove their manhood by injuring others. Maybe they are reaching out for attention. Whatever their motives, they had the power to destroy everyone's morning.
The rest of the people at the show can take away their power by reporting them so that they know that this kind of behaviour will no longer be tolerated. If you were at the show today, and you saw who did this, please speak up and tell your teachers. Silence will only give these young men the permission to continue their disrespectful ways. And if they are given enough power, they will shape the world into a place none of us want.
The first act was very smooth. I think the audience enjoyed the show, because normally there's a mass exodus before the talkback session at the end of the show, and last night only a few people left while the actors were getting ready for the talkback. One of my favourite comments was a Chinese man saying that he grew up listening to his grandmother tell stories of the Monkey King. At first, he was worried we would screw up the Monkey King figure, but he said that we did justice to the Monkey King and his stories. I have to admit it was risky to use a classic trickster figure from Chinese mythology to tell the story of the bachelor men. Heck, every part of this show was risky. I'm just amazed the production even got off the ground.
Today, the matinee should be better attended than yesterday's matinee. I guess the concept of Saturday matinees at theatres still hasn't caught on in Edmonton. If you're looking for something to do next Saturday afternoon, please think about coming to The Forbidden Phoenix. It's our last weekend.
My wife calls them Gremlins. These are the little tech glitches that spring up unexpectedly and wreak havoc on actors in a show. Audiences may not notice the glitches, but the cast and crew sweat bullets waiting for the Gremlins to go away. Today, was a Gremlin show. I didn't get a chance to see it, but I heard all about it after the performance. Sound cues came up at weird places and the Chun split in half. Yikes! Anyway, this is the reality of live theatre. Nothing you can do but try to make the most of what's been given to you. The feedback from the audience was pretty positive.
The weird thing was that I spotted two audience members who skipped out on the second act. They must have had friends inside, so they stuck around to wait for their friends. Nothing fills a playwright's heart with more joy than watching two audience members skip out on a show like high school students on a field trip. I wanted to tell them to go have a coffee and come back at 3:30 so that I wouldn't have to look at them killing time in the lobby. Sigh. Sometimes, a play will connect with an audience; sometimes it won't.
My big beef is that I'm a magnet for the most negative audience members. Whenever I sit in a show, I will always end up next to the person who most hates it. Today, I thought I was safe by sitting in the lobby and manning the CD sales table. Guess I was wrong.
Tonight, I'm sitting in on the show. I've yet to see the show with an night-time audience and a student audience. I'll get a good dose of adult reactions tonight and I hope to see the show during the week for the student reactions. Wish me luck tonight.
