opheliamuse

1. Leave me a comment saying, 'interview me'.
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. Update your LJ with the answers to the questions. (You must do this, even if it's filtered for my eyes only!)
4. Include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

1. How's Cherry Docs going?
Cherry Docs is going well, it's been cast and I seem to be getting an email at least once a day from my director. I can't wait to get into rehearsals! It's with the same company that did Othello, but a much smaller team...from three designers and a fight director to one designer is quite a jump, our total team (director, assistant director, stage manager, lighting & set designer, two actors, publicist) is fewer people than the cast of Othello. I always feel this but I can't wait to see how it takes shape, Cherry Docs is a pretty incredible script and putting it up onto that stage will be a challenge, but it's shaping up to be another great journey.

2. What are you writing now?
Where do I begin? Okay, here in no particular order--

Little Dancer...again, still, I swear it's into it's tenth draft at the moment. I actually got a friend of mine in Montreal to read it (he was in playwriting with me, and he's a sometimes dramaturge), still have to meet with him about it. And I want to submit to this contest Tarragon Theatre is doing, deadline is the end of April.

This Rough Magic...finally finished a full draft of this, after a year and three months. It's the antithesis of Little Dancer, three actors with one set. It's kind of like my love letter to theatre: set in a dressing room, with a cast list of an actress, her understudy, and a producer. This was the play that I wrote for a certain Ottawa actor, at least to begin with, I recently sent it to her but she hasn't yet read it. Kind of on the busy side, but now that her latest show is up she'd promised she'd read it (pleased I wrote it)!

Bred in Your Bones...it's gone through some changes, haven't really shared this piece within anyone except family, been working on it on and off for awhile. In a nutshell it's my great grandfather's life, he lived an extraordinary one.

3. If you got to choose where your next job would be, where would you go and why?
A tough one! I'd love to be touring with a show, I think it would be really neat and frivolous to work on some big scale musical.

4. If you could spend 5 hours in any city in the world, which one would it be and why?
I'd have to say...right now, at the moment, Melbourne. My best friend from the ship is there.

5. What do you think you'll be doing this time next year?
With a permanent home someplace. Finally doing my dream production of Richard III. Maybe done or at least halfway through an Equity Apprenticeship. Writing & Directing more, but in demand as a Stage Manager too (a girl can have it all, can't she?)

Here, it is, New Year's Eve...the last couple hours of 2008, and at midnight eastern standard time it will be 2009. I'm having a quiet night, spending it at home with some family, however if I was in Montreal I'd probably be out somewhere, at a party perhaps, and sometimes I feel like that would be fun and sometimes I just feel like spending it quietly; perhaps that's because I've reached my mid-twenties (there I said it, I'm 25, and damn proud of it...even though I can hardly believe it sometimes).

What a year I have had, out of university and into the wide wonderful world. Something that was entirely and quite literally true for me this year, what with working on the cruise ship and all. I got to travel, work, meet incredible people, and have what I can only describe as an adventure in the highest standards. I got the chance to return to Montreal, after coming back to Canada, stage managing and now working with the same company early in the new year. I've grown a lot, in so many ways, and have had numerous experiences that have changed me incredibly. I'm still the same person, but in another ways I'm different. I have friends now all over the world, they were my family on the ship and I really miss some of them, but I have no doubt (that if we're meant to) our paths will cross again. I also worked with an incredible group of actors on "Othello", a family of 15 equally talented & wonderful theatre artists, for an amazing three months. 2008: I loved, lost, but am coming out stronger at the end of it.

Been more than a month now since signing off the Splendour...and it took a month to get my land legs back (more emotionally) and adjusting back to living on land...it does take that long. I was, after all, on a ship for six months.

It's so wonderful being back in Montreal, keeping on running into people I know. Rehearsals are going quite well. It's a challenge this production, in many ways, but I'm relishing it.

Turning 25 on Friday, and I think finally I'm ready too. Was in Ottawa last weekend for Thanksgiving, my birthday with my family, a breakfast with my dear friends, and an early Christmas with my grandparents who are snowbirds and head to Florida for the winter. It was a wonderful weekend, just the kind of rest I needed.

Still missing people from the ship though. Not everybody, but the majority. It seems a little odd that life continues there when you sign-off. You're immersed into that world and it's gossip and then you sign-off, most of the time feeling bittersweet, both happy and sad at the same time. And sometimes your mind wanders back to the ship and all the dramas that continue on. It's damn annoying when it does that in the middle of rehearsal, although an actor calling line brings me back soon enough. I have come to the realizations: I do not regret anything (I know I have said this before, I just need to reinforce it, or maybe just put it in writing); I know why people have not been responding to my questions of what is going on (if this sounds cryptic, don't worry); and my heart finally feels free...I think it does. I was never sure about it in the situation.

I deserve only the best, not simply a moment repeated. I am writing. I am living. I am who I am (to paraphase Iago...his "I am not what I am"). A Montreal night beckons.

Okay, okay, I know I haven't updated in ages (since before I left for the crusin' workin' and livin' life) but I have been meaning too and have been keeping pretty much up with everyone else's entries.

Life for me right now sure is an adventure, to say the least, and I can't believe I'm more than halfway through my contract (finished Sept.6). Sure there's hard work, but I'm seeing amazing places and hanging out with incredible people; not to mention all the stories I'm collecting.

I feel like to write an adequate livejournal entry to cover everything would take me quite awhile, and I'm not entirely sure I'm up to that right now (not to mention I pay by the minute for the internets). So you shall just all have to wait till I return home to hear all the stories. To sum up: I'm trying to live every moment to it's fullest, taking lots of pictures, and living in a way I've never quite lived before. I'm going to returning home a different person (not unrecognizable, and kind of similar) but I've become a lot more comfortable and confident in who I am and what I want to do with my life.

The ports are still out of this world for me, although when you go all the way up to Santorini (one of the Greek ports, absolutely gorgeous with only three ways of getting up: walking, donkey, or cable car) and buy shampoo (along with a gyro and an iced coffee)...life seems a little crazy but crazy in a good way. When the streets of Corfu, Greece are pretty much recognizable. And I've been to Piazza San Marco a few times, and the first place I made a beeline for last Venice was the grocery store. When we dock in Mykonos or Dubrovnik and head straight for the beach. Or arrive in Split, Croatia and go to the same place for pizza. Needless to say it is still out of this world.

I am still working, hard, but the hours vary from week to week depending on the schedule and who's on duty (the stage staff on duty has the pager 24/7 and can't get off the ship for a week) or who's backstage that week (for all the headliner shows). This week it's pretty quiet for me, I had rock wall this morning and besides that it's spotlight operation for headliner shows and backstage for the two production shows we have onboard.

Friendships are strong, but at the same time precarious. You're with people all the time, work and play mixing boundaries. Plus everything is heightened in way. Everyone knows everyone's business, we always joke it's like highschool. But when I leave I'll have friendships with people all over the world, and that's pretty damn awesome. My love life...well...that's a whole other story.

That's all for now folks.

Yes, this is the general news, I have received a position with Royal Caribbean as a stage hand and am leaving March 2nd for Miami. All the stories I've heard is that you wait months after actually getting the job to get a position (for me it was six months) and then you get a call and have two weeks to pack and get everything done. And I got the call when in Montreal with the Company of Fools! What a world. So, I'll be doing the first week of Richard III in Ottawa then off a grand adventure. It still doesn't seem quite real to me. So, to those in Ottawa, let's get together within the next week. Except for the next couple days, I'm free during the day.

In rehearsal today. Will be in rehearsal tommorrow with a stumblethrough. 'Nuff said. It's so wonderful to be back in that headspace and that kind of atmosphere, even though I'm tired and I think I'm starting to get sick. But I'm happy. We open next week in Montreal, which still a little surreal, and then open in Ottawa on Feb. 27 at Arts Court so I'll be feeling a little like a chicken with their head cut off for the next couple weeks but you know in a good way. I'm soooooo looking forward to Montreal, even if just for the week (alas), and seeing people I know and love. And playing again at Mainline Theatre. Working on Richard III in Bouffon, with the Company of Fools, involves eight heads, lots of fake blood, donuts, strawberries, a cellphone, and two mock tasers among various other asundry things. And a cast of six, all with bouffon bodies: no arms, or no legs, or or no hands. Those quick changes will be fun!

That's all for now folks.

Originally from: http://playwrightsmuse.blogspot.com/

Some days you're up and others you're down...not sure exactly how I'm feeling about this particular holiday season considering how much I'm working: give or take about three jobs, two of them seasonal retail; hence A LOT of time on my feet. One of them is front of house at a theatre, which I thoroughly enjoy heading to for my 6:45pm call no matter how exhausted or not exhausted I may be. The third show of the season closes this Saturday, so after that I will just have two jobs to deal with till around mid-January.

Some point in the new year I'm jetting off to work as a stage hand with Royal Caribbean Cruises. Getting back into working the twisting, dark corridors of a theatre; albeit on a ship. These theatres on the cruise ships, they're fully fledged members of the profession, let me tell you, the equipment, the lights, the rigging, the works.

Writing, and writing, and more writing away. But it's hard to concentrate on that when I'm practically working nonstop and on my day's off I only have energy to read, nap, and watch tv. I can do this, I have to take one day at a time, one shift at a time. No day but today.

Missing Montreal, and all the crazy and beautiful gang there. It's a constant. I will return there and work and create and produce.

Missing the backstage ghosts and headset conversations.

A little bit of everything in tonight's post. That's all for now folks.

Well, here is the general news: there's A LOT of snow outside. But everyone in Ottawa knows that and I ended up helping shovel the driveway twice today. Still working at the Ottawa Little Theatre, had one coat check shift this show and the rest are usher shifts. It's a pretty funny show, a farce, with a guy dressed up as a nun, but it's like 2 and a half hours long, needs some editing & cutting. Have two (count them, two) retail jobs at St Laurent for the holidays. One is at a kiosk, it's the one I got first, called Kitchen Connaisseurs and the other is at the Body Shop. So I will be basically living at St Laurent over the holidays. It's money and discounts.

I'm writing, so yeah for me, for that. Got "Little Dancer" on the go, which I'm restructuring, writing some new scenes, major surgery in a sense (I decided to have a chorus, I like writing their diaglogue). Also have "Bred In Your Bones", which is essentially the life story of the my great-grandfather in a non-linear fashion. And I have another one (yes, I know) but I got an idea and then characters and then dialogue and when you have all that you have to write. It's a three hander, which is good, because the other two are fairly large casts. It doesn't have a title yet, but this what first came to about the play: "An Actress, Her Understudy and the Producer in their lives. A comedy about biting thumbs, breaking legs, and the proverbial dirty dressing room." So far I'm loving it and it's a lot of fun to write, but still in that honeymoon stage.

It's off somewhere in the world in the new year, that sounds so exciting, for the stage hand cruise job. In the midst of getting all my various medical tests done. Had a chance at a stage management job in Montreal but it didn't work out because of financial reasons (sigh).
And reading various plays and perenially planning my dream production of "Richard III" under the bridge, that does rhyme. It's a perfect space in downtown Ottawa, between the NAC and the Chateau Laurier. Also reading various theatrical books and the such.

Well, that's about it for now. I know it was long, but hopefully suitably amusing.

I got the cruise job! I mentioned a little bit about it in my last entry, it's a stage hand position with Royal Caribbean! And now I will be placed on a list, and I wait and see when they will call me. Wow, this is surreal but very very exciting.

What have I been up to? Well, there was the oddness of not going back to school this September (I went into university right after highschool) and for awhile there it was really worrying me about employment, I applied to anything I could find in theatre, but not so much anymore. I have a had a number of interviews, a couple of them over the phone and one I traveled to Toronto for. I had an interview with Great Canadian Theatre Company for an apprenticeship stage manager, which I didn't get for their first show of the season but they have at least five more so there's still a chance there, the interview did go really well. I did not get Stratford, which I had a phone interview for, it was for a production assistant. But they did say to apply again next time around, apparently I do not yet have the experience needed to type up rehearsal notes, schedules and deal with actors (the position isn't in the rehearsal hall, it's the stage manangement office).

I did however get a front of house position at Ottawa Little Theatre, I usher and work in the cloakroom. It's pretty easy, and the staff is great, it's a good job to have right now. Not exactly what I was looking for, but keeps my hand in working at a theatre.

I had a telephone interview yesterday with Royal Caribbean Cruises, with a woman from the Canadian office. I applied with them back around June, for a stage hand position, and I was actually surprised when they called but pleased. I guess it went well, because I have another one today. It would be exciting if I got it.

That's about it right now.

My summer plans have changed, and in the biggest news: I will be back in Ottawa for the summer and perhaps even longer. I have gotten a job in Ottawa, with Shouldice, who I worked with last summer. It's a job, they like me, I enjoyed it, I got to spend the summer outside and I get to do it again. I'll be able to make some money while looking for job(s) in my field, or if I get a place in NTS and their Technical Production program...right now I'm on their waiting list...then, once again, I'll have made some money.

Officially I have my room till the end of June but will be in Ottawa for most of that, I'm going back to Montreal for Convocation and all that jazz, which for Fine Arts is June 20 at Place Des Arts.

Keep your fingers crossed that I'll get an offer of a place from National Theatre School, in the letter it said I would be "contacted immediately" if there was a space available. It's a really intense but incredible program.

mary has so much work to do. mary doesn't want to do this work, or at least right now. but there is no other time to do it. mary is wasting time on the internet. mary is tired. very very very very tired. mary is now worried that she doesn't yet know what she is doing this summer. mary is graduating. mary must stop writing about herself in third person and get back to work.

Attempting would be the ideal word in this situation...operation second draft. I feel like because I've been focusing more on directing and stage mananging this year that my playwriting has fallen by the wayside. It's probably a good thing that I'm still taking advanced drama workshop, it forces me to keep on writing, which I still love but sometimes... I just have this looming deadline, and it's got me paralyzed in many ways: March 19th, second draft of my full length, ready to hand out to the class so they can prepare for the workshop of the play the following Monday. I don't have to completely rewrite the damn thing but there is some serous amputation and surgery to do and it certainly doesn't help matters that I'm in rehearsal all weekend.

Must get back to the trenches.

I call myself a proud incurable romantic and yet on the other hand an independent woman coming into her own. The balancing of paradoxes and contradictions is such a difficult thing. Perhaps somewhere within me, lurking on the edges of my soul, there is an irrational fear of being an old maid, a spinster, chaste not out of choice but ugly circumstance. I sometimes wish those two who broke my heart knew it but yet I know I cannot blame them. It was not them. It was me. It’s always me. Damn. I don’t want to be the lady of shallot, the girl always watching the horizon, watching the full moons come and go. And yet I know I am her.