Come See Sullivan & Gilbert!

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Come See Sullivan & Gilbert!

Are you looking for something fun to do this week?  Well, you should definitely come on down to the Palace Theatre and check out Sullivan & Gilbert!  It’s a fantastic show that I’m very proud to have played a small part in.

Check out this great promo from London Downtown Theatre Online:

Sullivan and Gilbert– by Ken Ludwig

The glorious music of Gilbert and Sullivan is interwoven into Ken Ludwig’s warm and affectionate behind the scenes look at the tempestuous, hilarious relationship of these two artists as they prepare for a Command Performance for Queen Victoria.  A very special treat for Gilbert and Sullivan fans and everyone who enjoys great comedy.

“For fans of this duo’s music, Sullivan and Gilbert is a must see.” – Contra Costa Times

Directed by Ceris Thomas

Performing at the Palace Theatre: 710 Dundas Street, London, Ontario |  Box Office: 519-432-1029

May 16th  Preview Performance $10 adult, $8 for 18 and under (This performance is also available for holders of the Cultural Access Pass)

All evening shows start at 8pm — May 17, 18, 19 (2pm matinee), 22, 23, 24, 25

Tickets $22.00 adults, $18 Seniors, $16 Students, $8 children under 18

Running Daze: Run for Ovarian Cancer!

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Running Daze: Run for Ovarian Cancer!

Beta Sigma Phi sisters running for Ovarian Cancer!

The Run for Ovarian Cancer was yesterday, May 12, and it was a smashing success!  I ran with some of my sorority sisters from Beta Sigma Phi and it was FREEZING today!  It was only 4 degrees Celsius!  It alternated between raining, sunshine, overcast, and even snowing briefly, but we soldiered on.  Victoria and I ran the 5k, and Carrie and Angela walked the 5k.

There were a ton of people attending — men, women, children, and even a couple of dogs were running!  While we certainly weren’t the fastest runners out there (there were people passing us before we even made it to the halfway point!) but I did run a personal best of 40 minutes and 54 seconds.  The race was actually a little longer than 5k — approximately 5.35k.  I know there are people who can do 10k in less than that, but I’m proud of myself for finishing today.  Seeing as I was basically a non-runner when I started a month ago… that’s pretty darn good!

I’m also proud of myself for raising $255 for the cause, between online and in-person donations!  That’s pretty awesome!  I’m not sure how much the other girls raised, but I’m sure as a group we’ve raised a lot!  I do want to thank all the wonderful people who sponsored me: Cathy Hishon, Wayne Cole, Frank & Catherine Flood, Gerry Hishon, Gary & Candy Clark, Lillian Wyatt, Andrew Tribe, Peter Janes, and Steve & Meghan Cole.  I appreciate you all, so much.  Thank you!

I do want to keep going and continue with my running, because I’m really feeling great about myself and I think it’s great for my health.  So (as I mentioned before) I’ve signed up for a second 5k race — Josiah’s Journey for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, on Sunday, June 2.  This one has special meaning for me, as my very dear friends’ son was born two months premature, and they spent quite a lot of time at the NICU here in London during the first weeks of his life.  V is now a happy, healthy, energetic two-year-old, and he’s a great kiddo!

Kerry and Baby V

Way back when V was born. He was so tiny!

If you’d like to sponsor me personally, you need to sponsor me “in real life” using my sponsor form.  If you’d like to donate online to the cause in general, you’re able to donate online here!  I definitely encourage you to donate — it’s such a fantastic cause!

Getting it all together…

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Getting it all together...

This has been me for the past week — in the car, driving from one destination to the next!

It’s been radio silence for the past week around here, just because it’s been so nutty “in real life”!  Trying to keep balanced has always been a challenge for me, especially since I have this habit of being totally go-go-go all the time.  If there’s a free hour on my calendar, I’ll fill it with something.  But I have been sadly neglecting this blog for the past week… *bad Kerry*

We’ve had four rehearsals for [THEY FIGHT!] and four of the seven fights have been choreographed.  I’m really excited about the work that we’re doing.  I’ve taken the lead in choreographing two of the fights, and I’m really happy with the way they’re turning out.  I don’t want to give anything away though… you’ll have to come see the show to find out what fights we’re doing!

I can say that in one of the fights I’ve been choreographing, I’m also a featured fighter, and this experience has been extremely challenging.  I can’t speak for anyone else, but it’s crazy hard trying to fight direct yourself.  I’ve had a much easier time working on the “other” fight, since I’m not in it, and I had a very clear vision of what I wanted that fight to look like.  The fight I’m in is very martial arts based, which I have very little experience in, and it’s very fast-paced.  The other fight is a comedic fight, and I’m pretty sure that when my friends come to see the show, they’ll immediately be able to pick out which fight I did.  Apparently I have a “style” of directing that’s very much mine.  I don’t see it, but that’s probably because I’m too close to it… being me, ya know.  :P

Of interest… Check out this timely post from Bitter Gertrude: Get It Together and Hire a Fight Director.  Amazing!!!

When I’m not beating people up, I’ve been assisting with Sullivan & Gilbert, which goes up at the Palace Theatre on May 17!  It’s coming up so quickly!  For this show, I’ve been assisting the actors with lines and choreography while the director is working with other groups of people.  I’ve also been “on book” during practice runs of the show (sitting in the front row and feeding actors lines when they forget).  This is a very challenging script, particularly because of the sheer volume of lines.  Gilbert and Sullivan are famous for their “patter songs,” which to me seem like exercises in “HOW MANY WORDS CAN WE POSSIBLY CRAM INTO ONE SONG?!” and then “SING IT AT WARP SPEED 12!”  Crazy amounts of words at crazy fast speeds.  Here’s a famous example of a patter song.  I don’t know how he gets those words out so fast — you can see where they build in places for him to breathe!

On top of that, my stepsister Stephanie got married on Saturday (May the 4th… Star Wars Day!) and I was the MC for her reception.  It was an honour to be asked, but it was crazy stressful trying to get my speech written and make sure that Steph and Matt had everything included in the reception that they wanted!  In the end everything went well, the wedding was lovely, and the bride and groom were so happy.  So it was all worth it!  It’s also given Shawn and I the kick in the pants we needed to start getting the details for our wedding worked out, especially since it’s coming up pretty darn quickly!

Getting it all together...

Shawn and I at Steph’s wedding. Not sure why I look unimpressed…

With being so busy lately, I have sadly neglected my work on The Artist’s Way.  I’ve been stuck on Week 8 for almost 2 1/2 weeks.  I’ve kept up with my morning pages, but I have been very tempted to quit the exercises.  However, this is just a temporary setback.  I will continue to work towards finishing… I’m so close.  It’s kind of a kick in the pants to realize that I should be on Week 10 right now, but perhaps there’s something going on in Week 8 that I haven’t quite figured out yet, or that I need to work more deeply on.  My goal is to finish up the exercises and get it posted tomorrow and get back on schedule!

I’ve also neglected my running this week.  The Run for Ovarian Cancer is coming up on May 12 — only 4 days away!  I don’t expect a spectacular result, but of course I will do my best.  There is still time to sponsor me, and of course I’d be honoured if you’d consider doing so!  I’ve also signed up for a second 5k race — Josiah’s Journey for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  This one has special meaning for me, as my very dear friends’ son was born two months premature, and they spent quite a lot of time at the NICU here in London during the first weeks of his life.  I signed up too late to do the runner sponsorship, but you’re still able to donate to the cause here!

I think that’s about it for now.  I’ve barely had time to sit down, let alone write a blog post.  I need to get my act together!  Wish me luck!

Theatre Thoughts: Creating Community

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Theatre Thoughts: Creating Community

The cast of OKTC’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Clearly a tight-knit group!
Photo Credit: Andrew Tribe

I recently got an email from a friend who is stage managing a show and is finding that some of the actors are not feeling very included and separated from the rest of the cast.  That seriously sucks!  As I’ve said before, theatre is such a creative medium.  It’s absolutely crucial to create a sense of community right from the get-go.  Unfortunately, my friend’s show opened last week, so it’s a little bit late now – but it’s not impossible to salvage some of that community feeling.  However – it’s best not to wait until opening night to bond with your fellow cast and crew members.  So without further ado, here are some tips for creating community within your theatre group!

1.  Start Early.  This is aimed at directors first and foremost, but this is something everyone can do.  Foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork right from the very first read-through.  Encourage an open-door policy and make yourself available to speak to the cast and crew when they need it.  If you start on the right foot, you’ll set yourself up for success.

2.  Participate In The Process.  You know those dorky games that you played in drama class?  Or even better, the ever-hated “ice breaker” questions?  Well, if your director asks you do to them, slap a smile on your face and jump in with both feet.  You may feel a little silly but so does everyone else.  Give your best effort and show enthusiasm — it’s contagious!  Besides, you don’t want to earn the reputation as “ol’ stick-in-the-mud who won’t join in.”

3.  Create Rituals.  During rehearsals for The Little Mermaid Jr., our weekly ritual was “Sunday Afternoon Dance Party.”  I’d play an upbeat, popular song on the stereo and lead my actors in a goofy dance warm-up that generally got everyone laughing and loosened up.  Each week the kids would ask, “What’s the song this week?” and started requesting songs!  One of my actors even led the Sunday Afternoon Dance Party for me when I was exhausted after finishing Edward II.  It was great to see one of my 11-year-olds step up and lead the rest of the group — that took some serious moxie!

Ceris and I also gave out “gold stars” at the end of some rehearsals for those actors who worked really hard or performed particularly well.  These “gold stars” were literally nothing but an over-the-top splayed-hand gesture in the air (think jazz hands) but the kids LOVED them!

4.  Ask For/Offer Help.  If your cast mate is struggling with memorization, offer to run lines with them.  In the same vein, if you’re needing help with something, simply speak up and ask.  “Hey, does anyone want to go over the choreography from ‘Kiss the Girl’ with me?”  Help yourself by helping each other — it opens everyone up to being ok with asking for help.  It might make you feel a little vulnerable — but chances are, if you’re struggling with something, someone else is too.

As well, be the person to lend a hand.  Help tidy up the rehearsal room.  Come out to the set build.  Offer to go for a coffee run.  You’ll be everyone’s new favourite person!

5.  Put Yourself Out There.  Is the cast going for after-rehearsal drinks?  Go with them.  Heading to a restaurant for lunch in between the matinee and evening performances?  Tag along.  Euchre tournament in between scenes?  Join in.  Everyone’s bringing food and drinks for a pot luck on tech day?  Where’s the sign up sheet?!  I’m bringing the brownies!

It’s not easy putting yourself out there, especially if you’re shy or don’t know many people in your cast.  But believe me — having a strong sense of community is absolutely vital to your show.  It creates a feeling of “home away from home,” particularly since you’re spending so many hours with these people.  Having a sense of community opens everyone up to taking risks, and knowing that the rehearsal space is a safe place to experiment, learn, and grow.

Do you have any tips for creating community within the theatre?  Share them in the comments!

Linktastic – April 30, 2013

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Linktastic - April 30, 2013

Fun at the Blue Jays game on Edwin Encarnacion bobblehead day!

Linktastic - April 30, 2013

Bad grammar aside, that’s totally Shawn and I.