The Great Green Way!

In the quest to be more environmentally responsible in the production of entertainment, the Broadway theatre community announced today the launch of BROADWAY GOES GREEN, an industry-wide initiative to reduce Broadway's carbon footprint, adopt environmentally sustainable practices and promote environmental awareness in the creation and presentation of Broadway shows.
* The Broadway League press release, November 25, 2008

The Great White Way has gone green!

The initiative is meant to be long term, but here is a sampling of some of the first year goals:
1) Find green alternatives for new shows, meaning greener designs from the beginning and greener cleanups in the end.
2) Inform running shows about proven ways to reduce carbon emissions, waste, and other non-green things, including "more efficient use of energy, water & paper."
3) Energy efficient bulbs for marquees! Just one step towards a smaller carbon footprint.

But it isn't just about Broadway. The Broadway League wants to lead the way to making productions greener everywhere. One of their goals is also to use the information they gather to help theatres across the country go greener.

And it isn't just about the theatres. It's everyone.

Here is some of what has already happened:

PLAYBILL, in addition to being more green themselves, is going to report on the initiative, give updates, etc. and print "theatre related eco-tips" in their magazines.

Of 39 Broadway theatres, 10 have already switched their marquee lights to the more energy efficient bulbs. At least 14 more are in the process of following suite.

Scene production shops are coming up with ways to recycle and reuse scenery as well as offering more environmentally friendly materials in their original constructions.

Cold water washing for costumes! (This makes it harder to shrink things, too!!)

Sound equipment has switched to re-chargeable batteries.

Several touring shows are investing in renewal energy and "have purchased nearly 1,900 tons of offsets through the Touring Green program." This allows them to still transport everything a production requires while making more of a positive impact on the environment.

This might be the greatest thing to hit Broadway since wireless mics and tkts!

It certainly makes you think as an artist, if the most corporate of theatrical production can make a real effort to go green, certainly we can do our part. So next time you are in a show or a theatre or producing any kind of art, think about what you can do to follow the trend...Sometimes it's as simple as turning off the lights, at least long enough to switch to that more energy efficient bulb!

Bad sex wins awards...

The simple fact that this award exists is sheer brilliance.

John Updike has won a lifetime achievement award for bad sex in fiction.

Britain's Bad Sex in Fiction award is handed out each year to honour (or not) the author of the year's worst sex scene in fiction.

Mr. Updike has never won the annual award, but this year the good people responsible for the award judged it only appropriate to give him the lifetime achievement nod for four years of consecutive nominations. He's like the Susan Lucci of bad sex.

The prize has been awarded annually since 1993 to "draw attention to the crude, tasteless, often perfunctory use of redundant passages of sexual description in the modern novel, and to discourage it."

The strictly erotic or pornographic is ineligible; this is an entirely literary pursuit.

Here are excerpts from some of this years nominees. The winner is Rachel Johnson's Shire Hell. She was awarded a plaster foot.

William Gibson

William Gibson, the man behind The Miracle Worker, passed away on Tuesday. He was 94; the obituary in the Globe and Mail is better than anything I might write.

The Miracle Worker debuted in broadcast form in 1957 under the title Playhouse 90. It debuted on Broadway in 1959 and became a film in 1962. It has seen countless productions since and can certainly be considered a classic.

Get in the holiday spirit...

Turkey day in the U.S. is just barely over. It's the biggest shopping day of the year (although I prefer boxing day). This must mean the holiday season has arrived. Personally, I prefer to wait until the month of December actually hits...but we're pretty close this year.

Anyway, Soulpepper's production of A Christmas Carol just got an excellent review in the Toronto Star. While I appreciate its message, the play itself isn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I have to admit this sounds like an interesting production.

It is playing until December 24 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts (55 Mill Street). Call 416.866. 8666 for tickets.

Don't be a humbug, support our local artists!

(starbucks) red

Just passing this along. I think it's important to pay it forward. And while maybe it would be better to just donate the $5 you'll spend on the coffee, here is a really easy way of doing good...and every little bit counts. Never underestimate the impact of your small acts on the world.

(Starbucks) RED
Here's the story:

Every time you purchase a (STARBUCKS)RED EXCLUSIVE beverage at participating US and Canadian locations between now and January 2, 2009, Starbucks will give 5¢ to the Global Fund to help save lives in Africa.

AND

In recognition of World Aids Day, December 1, Starbucks will give 5¢ to the Global Fund to help save lives in Africa for every drink you purchase (excluding the bottled, pre-prepared ones).

I've read some comments on the www. that Starbucks could do more and that 5¢ per drink is a pathetic contribution. Perhaps they could do better. But 5¢ is something, and something is better than nothing. So good for you, Starbucks.

And if anyone does feel Starbucks could do more, take your $5 and donate it instead of participating. Do it your way, do more.

Day jobs are painful.

I electrocuted myself at work today.
Seriously.

I'm a receptionist.
Electrocution is not in my job description.

Audition monologues are basically the devil.

I submitted for a whole bunch of general auditions this past week and went home last night with this total sense of accomplishment. I was all gung-ho and totally excited about being so pro-active (because it really is harder to send in a headshot and resume than one might think...I was actually so wishy washy about one of them that I waited until the absolute last moment and had to have it couriered...ridiculous. But I digress). Until I realized that submitting is one thing, but if I actually get an audition, I am beyond screwed. Why is that? Because most general auditions require an audition monologue, no reading sides, and...

Audition monologues are the devil.

I am one of those rare actors that would so much rather read sides, cold read, do anything that is not an audition monologue. Here is why:

1) Audition monologues psych you out because they feel like a performance.
There is a whole performance mentality that comes into play when you get into audition monologues. It's something you have (supposedly) prepared and it's very difficult to go into it without thinking of it as a performance. Because what is it really? It's not a performance but you would gather that whoever is conducting the audition is expecting to see something more polished than if you were to walk in and pick up sides...For many people, myself included, this is crippling. It takes away from the idea that auditions are supposed to be (at least a little bit) fun and that they're about playing, exploring, taking direction, etc. and not about being perfect.

2) Picking an audition monologue is like trying to decide you'd rather be stabbed or shot while someone is standing over you with a knife and a 9 mm.
Finding the right audition monologue is unique to every audition because you want whoever is casting to see you in a particular role. I was told at drama school to treat casting directors like they're idiots and spell it out for them. Now, not all of them are idiots, but I did have one tell me once that based on my headshot, in which I am wearing a scarf, he wasn't sure whether or not I had a neck. I didn't ask what exactly he thought my head might be attached to if not a neck? The point is, even if they're not idiots, it is beneficial to you if you can help them. Which is why picking a good monologue is a key part of getting the part. And why you may frequently find yourself crying on the floor of your bathroom with a million Samuel French scripts scattered about you... Let's just say, it can be ugly. And "contemporary contrasting monologues?" Don't even get me started.

3) Cold reads are just a better way of assessing your skills as an actor (which may be why so many actors despise them--it's harder to hide).
Now, in reality, the best way may be to use both the cold read and the monologue. But if we're saying you have to choose between one or the other, the cold read is the better choice, in my opinion. They allow you to be more open and to make strong choices, "strong but wrong" is more acceptable in this environment, given that you don't know the material as well. In monologues, many of us tend to play it safe...Also, cold reads feel like acting class, a little bit dangerous, mostly supportive, and always creative. You discover things as you're doing it, which may just be what you need to illuminate your brilliance as an actor, in a way that is much more difficult to do with a monologue. From a casting standpoint, I would think it would be easier to assess whether or not someone is right for a particular role, how they work, what they might bring to the table in terms of creativity, and whether or not they can take direction.

There is obviously a certain bias to my statement that audition monologues are not, indeed, where it's at, but I really do believe that there are many good arguments against them.

Of course, that doesn't eliminate them.

So, if I am fortunate enough to score an audition or two out of my recent submissions, I guess I'm going to have to figure it out. I have an old favourite that is sort of appropriate (it's maybe a little old for me). I have never been good at finding audition monologues. So if anyone knows of any good resources, I would love if you passed them on to me! And I would certainly share them because I'm sure I'm not the only one with this frustration...

Getting Started...

If I had to sum up the last year or so of my life in one word, it would be "lost." If I could use two words, I would add "frustrating." Unfortunately, that is sometimes how life happens. But the ball has begun rolling in the last few months and I finally feel like I'm heading in the right direction (or moving, at the very least). It's time to emerge from "lost" and "frustrating."

So I've started a blog. Clearly.

In the last week or so, life has become clearer to me. I'm not interested in going into all the details--there's a difference between blogging and whining about your personal life and the time for the latter has come and gone. That being said, the details are probably critical to understanding the clarity:

1.) I submitted myself for a bunch of auditions. It may go nowhere, but at least I've done something. Simply being pro-active produces a warm fuzzy feeling.
2.) I've been in a long-distance relationship for a long time. We had a talk this past weekend that helped me figure out my direction from here...
3.) I spend a lot of time on the internet reading, see below.

There's more, I'm sure, but those are the most relevant.

One of my day job co-workers introduced me to Penelope Trunk the other day. I've only been reading her blog for, like, a second in www time, but I am fairly convinced at this point that she's brilliant. First of all, she writes a good blog. She's funny and insightful and smart. Very smart. And honest, I think, which is increasingly difficult to find these days. Anyway, she said that she thinks everyone should have a blog. She even has a guide to starting a blog. All very helpful advice. The point of this, other than to introduce you to a very cool blog, is that I've been thinking about the "blogosphere" for some time now, and Penelope really made me stop and say, "Why not? And why not now?" So I jumped in...

It's in its infancy, obviously, so I cannot promise brilliance just yet. But I will try. I figure the best way to get somewhere is to start...and we'll see what emerges.