Stay on Course

I just climbed onto a bus at the Moncton Acadian station. In about fifteen minutes, i'll be homeward bound, having brought an enjoyable week to a mildly aggravating conclusion.

I had previously mentioned how relieved and happy i was to find that our Director has been approaching this play like one would any piece of theatre; i.e. from the perspective of someone trying to tell a story as well and as engagingly as possible, not simply using an arbitrarily-constructed narrative peopled with paper-thin characters to deliver a "message." And she has, bless her heart, and as a result we've got a nice little play going here. Turns out that ensuring the play is a message-conveyance mechanism first and an interesting story second was someone else's job.

And so, today we met with the representative from the organization i think of affectionately as the Money People. It was a fascinating study in pain-tolerance, and an object lesson in what happens when people who know nothing about theatre attempt to control it. I never realized how much i knew about character and scene study until i found myself taking direction from someone who apparently understood next to nothing about it.

Fortunately, the play seems to have survived her contributions more or less unscathed, and we can continue onward from here.

And when we get back on Tuesday, when we dive right back in again, it'll be in French! If you see me this weekend, do me a favour and make me recite a monologue or something en français. I'll need the practice.

Hey, the bus just started moving. I'm on my way home.

I bought a jean jacket, and spoke some French. There, you're up to date.

Yeah, i've been slack on updating lately. I've, uh, just been so busy...you know, working hard...well, anyway, i'll be heading back to beautiful Saint John for the long weekend, and since i've disconnected my Internet access at home, updates might continue to be scarce for the next few days. Technically, though, since this is supposed to be a travel journal, posting from home seems wrong somehow.

If i don't see you while i'm home, have a safe and sensational Thanksgiving. Aw, heck, have a great one even if i do see you.

Have a dice weekend!
(This terrible pun brought to you by Photobucket and the Canon PowerShot)

Under the Weather

"Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!
You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout
Till you have drench’d our steeples, drown’d the cocks!"
-King Lear, III:2

Well, okay, it wasn't quite that bad, but we were all under some rather nasty weather here in Moncton today. A cold, wet wind has blown away the last lingering scraps of summer like so many dead, soggy leaves. If it didn't feel like autumn before, boy, it does now.

However, in the case of our female castmate (whom i'll call Meryl, although her real name is Melissa {no, it isn't}), it's the actual truth. She's battling what is, by all reports, a decidedly ugly flu, and so she was sort of in isolation today. We're under strict orders from Director to avoid Meryl, if not like the plague, then at least like a really bad flu.

So Director, who actually played Meryl's role in a previous life, stood in for us in a couple of scenes during rehearsal today. It was fun to have a new version of the character to play off of, especially since Director also wrote this play. Mostly, though, today was about working around the scenes in which Meryl's character appears, giving us fellas a chance to really focus on a few other key scenes, getting lines, blocking, and various bits of business properly co-ordinated.

In short, it's like every rehearsal any of us have ever been to. I keep expecting someone to come along and tell me to stop slacking off and get to work. I keep wondering when the hard part comes along. These rehearsals, this script-study, character analysis, all this stuff that we're doing doesn't seem any more like work to me now than it ever does at home. If not for the fact that Director seems genuinely and consistently pleased with the progress we're making from day to day, i'd almost be worried.

I guess i'm just really not used to liking my job this much.

Mind you, we'll see how i feel after a few weeks living in a minivan, doing the show two or three times a day.

Speaking of which, before you ask: No, i don't know where we'll be performing, nor when (okay, there's a good chance you personally weren't going to ask about that, but trust me, someone else reading this was.). We'll be getting our itinerary any time now; Director is just awaiting certain confirmations to be...well you know, confirmed. If you're one of the few lying awake at night wondering when i'll be playing an inveterate gambler in a highschool gymnasium in Gander, Newfoundland, rest easy: when i know, you'll know.

And finally, speaking of resting easy (i love a good segue), i was very very happy to hear tonight that our dear friend Bob is in good shape and mending well, having undergone something of a tune-up today. Lord knows he's got better things to do than read blogs right now, but my thoughts, best hopes, and love are with him, as are those of many, many others tonight. I hope to see him soon.

And, of course, if any of you nice folks can keep me updated on how he's doing, i'd be most grateful.

Okay, it's getting late. Whatever i'm forgetting is gonna have to wait til next time. Hugs and kisses, all.

Back again

So, at some point last week i decided to go home for the weekend. I was starting to feel like i should take every opportunity that presents itself to spend time with loved ones. Once the touring starts, those opportunities won't be as easy to come by. And anyway, it saves my kindly employers a couple of nights' hotel costs.

We got an early start at rehearsal on Friday, so we were more or less wrapped up by early afternoon. We (the cast and Director - that's her real name, you'll recall) went for lunch, but i had to skip out on the food (i abandoned hummus! HUMMUS!) lest i miss the Saint John bus.

I enjoyed seeing the few people i did get a chance to see, however briefly, while i was in town. The weekend went by so quickly that there wasn't time to see everyone or do everything that i would have liked. (If i didn't see you, don't take it personal. It just means i don't love you. Just kidding.) I will say that i definitely made the most of my short time at home. I will say that.

Then, this afternoon, rather than taking the bus, my parents kindly insisted upon driving me back to Moncton, after which we had a little dinner at the Pumphouse. (They have beers there, you know.)

And now, here i am, again, back in the beautiful Moncton Comfort Inn, wondering what i should do with myself. Alone, for the moment, and just a little bit lonely. I could be trying to track down my castmates and co-workers and see what they're up to, but i'm not. I should be going over my script, since we're off-book as of tomorrow morning, but i'm not doing that either.

For the moment, i'm just adjusting to being back here in this temporary little life again.

I miss you all already.


Time to focus.
Time to get back to work.