A little slow on the uptake...

It is Buy Local Week in Toronto. The week is almost over, I realize, but I just found out about it. I read the paper daily, in fact, multiple papers, and I just found out about it...Publicity problem, I think. But there are still a few days left. And, really, do you need a special week to buy local? No. Here is a link to Green Enterprise Toronto. Their website lists local businesses in all sorts of markets. They also explain who they are and why it is important to buy local. Support your community, check it out!

My Experience.

After my previous post, I thought I should make more of an effort to actually introduce myself. I'm enjoying some of the anonymity at the moment, so I won't give it all away. But I thought I would give some insight into some of what has made me who I am. Pictures tell the story best, I think. Or at least they might be more interesting than my rambling. So here are some to tell the tale, bearing in mind that I am not on my laptop and am therefore limited to whatever photos were already on the web.

Please note that there are two pictures that are actually quite good. Those were taken by my boyfriend, The Photographer. They are copyrighted and you probably shouldn't take them. The rest are mine, which you may thieve and enjoy at will.

This is my fish. I made it with a flashlight and the bulb setting on The Photographer's camera at my cottage last summer. The cottage is my escape in life.

This is the Arch in Washington Square Park. I lived in the NYC for three years, more on that to come, no doubt...

This is Trinity in Dublin. I didn't actually study there. I just went to Ireland for Spring Break one year. I fell completely in love... Irish is one of my best dialects and I love their playwrights. And their beer.

This is the official residence of the royal family in Sweden. I went to Sweden for the weekend of my 21st birthday, on a whim. It was one of the things that opened my eyes to how little I know and have seen of the rest of the world...despite all my reading and traveling...there is always more to know.

This one comes from The Photographer. It's from the mountains in Utah. The landscape in Utah may be one of my new obsessions. His family lives there now, and he lost his wallet in these rapids crossing the fallen tree that made this picture possible.

This is Middle Pond in Cobham, Surrey, UK. The Photographer and I went there once when his family used to live there. It is also representative of my travels around the English countryside, since apparently none of those photos are online. I also have a really beautiful picture of the RADA building I was going to post because I studied there (a highly formative time), but it is also not online.

Outside the Sorbonne in Paris when the students went on strike. I was studying in Paris at the time, an interesting experience. The wall says, for those with little or no French, "Police everywhere, justice nowhere."

Algonquin Park. I secretly want to roam the wild. And canoe tripping might be my other passion. Another photo by The Photographer.

This is the chateau in Annecy in the French Alps, representative of my adventures in the French countryside whilst studying abroad. I liked these places better than Paris.

These are the swan boats on the pond in Boston Commons. My sister, The Writer, goes to school there. She's a bit whacked, in that creative genius kind of way.

And, finally, this is a fire from the summer camp outside Huntsville. I've spent almost all of my summers there and it has definitely been one of the most defining (if not the defining) experiences of my life.

Morning Musings on the Blog.

I've spent the morning surfing the theatrical blogosphere, mostly as it pertains to Toronto and environs, but with a little of the rest of Canada thrown in. How typically Toronto of me to make such a distinction...

There is actually a lot out there. And a fair amount of it is even good. Probably better than this. Most is definitely better than this. So that had me a little bummed, until I considered the difference between me and them..

There are many valuable voices of experience out there. And they all make excellent, valid points about a variety of topics--artistic, political, theatrical, etc. But there are very few, if any, valuable voices of inexperience...or less experience...people like me who are still sorting this whole "being an artist" thing out. My point is, there is no voice yet for the next generation. For those of us who are, as yet, unknown, without established careers. I think our voices are important, too. And I suspect those with the experience would agree with me.

I think we should all read what those who came before us have to say. See it through their eyes. Learn from them. But I also think there is a place in this blogosphere (although I flatter myself to think I could even be considered a real part of it) for those of us still making our way. We can learn from each other, too.

So maybe this is more like a support group. I don't know, it's still sorting itself out, too.

Mark Shaiman: Musical Genius

Apparently, the great musical mind behind Proposition 8: The Musical was none other than Mark Shaiman, also the composer of Hairspray and of many songs from South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut. It started when Shaiman emailed basically everyone he knew about the news that Scott Eckern, the musical director of Sacramento’s California Musical Theater, donated money to a Yes-on-Prop 8 campaign. Shaiman was totally outraged (and rightfully so, in my opinion) that someone who works so closely with a community that encompasses many, many gay, lesbian, and transgendered people and who profits by their work could do such a thing. Mr. Eckern has since resigned, for which Shaiman expresses some remorse as that was never his intention.

Proposition 8: The Musical was put together in about a week after Adam McKay, one of the co-founders of Funny or Die, having received Shaiman's email, asked him to write a song about it. Since then, the video has received more than a million hits. Though Shaiman feels it's unfortunate he didn't think of it several weeks earlier, he did say he felt better for having done it. See? Activism makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

For the full interview in the NY Times, click here. Photo AP/Funny or Die

Poetry On Stage.

Sylvia Plath

Anne Sexton

There is a really beautifully written review of Sylvia Plath Must Not Die in Nestruck on Theatre today. Nothing I can say, especially as I haven't seen the play, could possibly be more interesting. And aside from being a beautifully written review, the play, which is about Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath and their respective obsession with despair, sounds highly appealing, if a little depressing. But perhaps the perfect show for the tortured artist? Check out the review, see the show, I shall say no more on the subject.

My Favourite Holiday Tradition.

The Nutcracker has to be my absolute favourite holiday tradition. My mom used to take us every year when we lived in Toronto, back when the O'Keefe Centre was home to the National Ballet (and back when it was still called the O'Keefe Centre). It was never anything less than thrilling. Well, I have every intention of reviving the tradition this year and it looks as if the National Ballet is not the only Nutcracker in town. According to today's Star, from which I took the above picture because I couldn't find another one I liked anywhere else, there are no less than five productions of The Nutcracker going up this December. Unfortunately, all except the National Ballet's production have limited runs. All the info is here, but I'll give a brief run-down.

The Canadian Nutcracker: Pictured above, it's a Nutcracker inspired by a Group of Seven painting and set in Algonquin Park. This one sounds like the most interesting re-imagination. Ballet Jorgen's production is playing tomorrow and Saturday in Mississauga and then throughout Ontario.

The Classical Nutcracker: The closest you can get to the Russian original is playing from December 18-21 at the Winter Garden Theatre. It's put on by Canadian Ballet Theatre.

The Modern Nutcracker: Choreographed by Xing Ban Fu, performed by Xing Dance Theatre, it incorporates aspects of modern dance, too.

The Community Nutcracker: The Pia Bouman School's production is generally community based and usually features a local politician. It is also re-choreographed annually.

The National Nutcracker: By far the most spectacular, and with the most opportunities to see it, the National Ballet's production runs through December 28. It also has rush tickets, available the day of, for $30. It is otherwise the most expensive Nutcracker. And completely worth it.

I would absolutely love to see the Ballet Jorgen production, but I don't think I'm going to make it, sadly. I will definitely turn out for NBC's production, if not another in addition. Also, if you're a fan of the dance or are just looking for something to do, the National Ballet of Canada offers a discounted ticket program called DanceBreak if you're between the ages of 16-29. Check it out and sign up here.

The Battle For Parliament Hill.

The Canadian government is in turmoil at the moment, to say the least. Harper's minority Conservative Government is in danger and dancing as fast as they can to escape it. The threat of a confidence vote and the possibility of a coalition government, which would include basically everyone but the Conservatives, sent the Prime Minister on a begging mission to the Governor General this morning. The Governor General just granted them a reprieve until January 26, 2009 by suspending Parliament.

In the meantime, it seems as if the masses, many of whom did not vote in the recent giant waste of money election, have mobilized. Rallies are planned all over the country. But this has to be my favourite (note: you do have to log into facebook for that link to work):

There is a Conservative party rally at Queen's Park on Saturday, December 6. At the same time, the Progressive Coalition will be holding a rally at City Hall. So someone has decided that the best way to resolve the dispute is in a giant tug of war, with the Conservatives at Queen's Park, the Progressive Coalition downtown, and the rope stretching up University. After all, the struggle for power is largely a metaphorical tug of war anyway.

The Facebook event page says:

"An official binding Tug of War is unprecedented in Canadian history. While some members of the House of Commons requested that the results of the competition be proportional, the Governor General has ruled that all Tugs of War shall be decided by a "First Past the Post" system. In this case, the "post" is Dundas."

Quite clever. The Progressive Coalition rally in Toronto will be hosted by Mary Walsh (of 22 Minutes fame) and will feature Stephane Dion and Jack Layton as speakers. It will begin at noon on Saturday, December 6 in Nathan Phillips Square. For more info on this and on Progressive Coalition rallies around the country, many of which are taking place today, click here.

Also, I would encourage you to visit the website for the Department of Culture. This group is a community of Canadian citizens who work in or are invested in arts and culture and who are "concerned about ensuring the social and cultural health and prosperity of our nation in the face of a Federal Government that is aggressively undermining the values that define Canada." There is some good stuff on there.

I firmly believe it is the duty of every citizen to be involved in their government. We are fortunate enough in this country to have a voice in our political process and in (or against) our government. We should use it.

Patience & Anxiety: Helpful Hints

Patience is a virtue. Or so I've been told. I wouldn't really know as it certainly is not one of my virtues. An unfortunate character flaw, and one I am always working on, but a reality I have nonetheless come to know and accept.

Being an artist requires a great deal of patience. On the one hand, you have to go out there and make things happen! But on the other hand, you have to patiently trust that as long as you keep trying, eventually, things will happen. It's contradictory, messy, and a breeding ground for anxiety. But this is what you, as an artist, have gotten yourself into. If you can't handle it, you may want to get out while you can. If you aren't sure whether or not you can handle it, you probably can. Most of us can handle more than we give ourselves credit for.

Every now and then the anxiety, the "what-the-hell-am-I-doing" hits me. Generally at odd intervals, when I'm doing not much of anything, or when I think of a submission I haven't heard back about yet. It got me for a while last night, but I managed not to let it get out of control. Amazingly, I have developed some ways of coping recently.

1) Take deep breaths. Seriously. If you have any kind of training in relaxation, which you probably do if you have any kind of training in theatre, now is a good time to use it. Things that are useful in theatre are often also useful in life.

2) Focus on the positive. Think about the things you have accomplished. And think about what you consider to be an accomplishment. I once had a teacher, a well known agent/manager/producer, tell our class that most of us are too hard on ourselves--if all you do in the first year after you graduate is manage to pay the bills and live on your own, be proud of that. It is an accomplishment. So don't make it about what you think you should have accomplished or what other people have done. If managing to get out of bed in the morning is a big deal, celebrate the fact that you have done that much. Give yourself credit.

3) Think about what you can do in the future. This includes thinking about things you could do differently--I believe nothing is a total failure so long as you've learned something from it. It also includes all the things you haven't yet done. I guarantee there will always be something you haven't yet tried. I, for example, was worried about submitting to auditions. Then I thought about the fact that I haven't even begun submitting to agents...So there is still work to be done. And a lot of anxiety has to do with feeling like you're at a dead end.

4) Find a temporary distraction. A book, a movie, a tv show, a friend, a game, anything (well, anything not self destructive). If you think about anything for too long, you will lose your mind. Take a break. Give yourself permission to take a break.

5) Get it out. If you are having a freak out, sometimes all you need to do is get it out. Put it out there in the universe, get it out of your head. Keeping things in only makes you dwell on them more. This could mean talking to friends or family. Or, if you're like me and for whatever reason just can't talk about it, write a journal or start a blog! Or dance about it. Or paint it. Just get it out!!

Those are some of my hopefully helpful thoughts for this morning. I did notice I've had some hits on this blog in the last 24 hours, so I hope there is someone out there a) reading this and b) benefiting from it. Or it could just be people clicking that "next blog" tab up top. I do that sometimes. Whatever the case, it's kind of neat!

Leonard Cohen: Renaissance Man

The living legend that is Leonard Cohen--Canadian singer-songwriter, novelist, poet, and now visual artist--currently has an exhibition of his drawings in Vancouver. They were previously shown here in Toronto during the Luminato Festival. His son, Adam Cohen, talks about the exhibit and his famous father in this sweet article in The Globe and Mail.

The exhibit is at Linda Lando Fine Art, 2001 W. 41st Ave., Vancouver, from Friday until Dec. 31.
See where diversifying could lead some day?

Fighting Back Through The Magic of Song and Dance!

This is quite possibly the greatest thing I've seen all week. Better even than the Bad Sex Lifetime Achievement Award. Not possible, you say? Oh, but wait...

I found this on Perez Hilton (my guiltiest of all guilty pleasures). I have to say, it's pretty brilliant. It originally came from Funny or Die. What is it? You really should click the link to find out...

Okay, but I'll still tell you. It is Proposition 8: The Musical.

In case you've been living under a rock, Proposition 8 was the ballot initiative that just squeaked by in California, effectively writing discrimination into the state constitution. While the US took a massive step toward equality as a country in the recent November election (they Ba-rocked the vote, if you will), California banned gay marriage. This sparked mass outrage and became a hugely divisive issue...just as the country was on the brink of some sort of unity.

Anyway, I won't go totally political, but the video--a star-studded affair with Jack Black, John C. Reilly, Neil Patrick Harris, Maya Rudolph and many more--is hilarious. And, spoiler alert, basically says that gay marriage is the answer to the current economic crisis.

Funny or Die just keeps getting better.