what now?

Well, I've entered that point after a play where it's like "ok, I need to start working on another part so I don't feel like I'll never work again." Luckily, all of the pieces of Theatre by the River seem to be falling into place, so hopefully we'll be cast and off and running by the end of the month. Now it's just the financial side of the whole operation that is freaking me out. The problem with being a new company is that you're starting from scratch and have to dish out a whole wad of cash to buy the rights for plays, advertising, and pay for all of the production (sets, costumes, EVERYTHING) before seeing any money come in. So, now I'm off on the wonderful hunt for grant money. Luckily, Dan Kern (awesome headshot photographer - click on his link!) mentioned this great place called the Arts and Cultural Industries of Manitoba, whose mandate is to help artists with the business-side of the industry. SCORE!

After prepping all week for my audition with Shakespeare in the Ruins, I found out Thursday that they were cancelling pretty much all of the auditions for those who are non-Equity members. This I find un-tactful. A) don't have a sign-up sheet specifically for non-Equity members if you haven't alotted yourself time to see them. We who are non-union members work our ASSES off trying to get jobs so that one day we can join the union and actually make enough money in theatre so we don't have to slave away at our crappy regular jobs just to make the rent, so when we get an audition we put everything to the side to prepare for it, so when it's cancelled suddenly it is very disappointing. B) You can't just go to the list and pick-out who you'll see and who you won't. It's unfair and ... untactful. TACT people, tact is the word of the day.

I have a cold. It sucks. I don't like being sick. I only get sick when the weather changes. In Canada, the weather changes often. I hate living in Canada when this happens.

But on a happy note ... Shannon and Matt got into MTC's touring show The History of Manitoba from the Beginning of Time to the Present. Derek got into Dry/Cold's musical Assasins. Woot!! And guess what company they're members of ... Theatre by the River! Yay!

I'd like to recommend a book to anyone who enjoyed Angela's Ashes or just stories of the crazy Irish: Malachy McCourt's memoir A Monk Swimming. It's tragic, yet I laughed my butt off. Oh, the Irish, what story-tellers they are!