Today

Snowed in a bit today so took the odd dog for a long walk down along the river and through the farmland there. Have been working on two short essays the CBC asked me for – as part of a series they do called “But then again”. The first essay states a point a view and the second argues against it. This version of the series is in honour of Valentine’s Day and will run on As It Happens that week. “Communion” rehearsals have been going well apparently – I’ve not spent much time in the room. I’ll be seeing the dress rehearsal on Friday and then the first preview on Tuesday before I hit the road for Toronto on Wednesday.

Photo by Stewart Legere

Met at Ann Marie’s place on Tuesday for a “star(dust)” debriefing dinner with Stewart, Stephanie and Lousia. Dale was the central unseen character in the “star(dust)” document we developed in the workshop. I guess Tuesday was his birthday. Making plans for another workshop later this year. The object will to be broaden the base of the work by making the point of the workshop – and potential public presentation – the dissection and analyzation of the document from the first the workshop. Of course this has the potential to become a bit of a devised theatre wank, but we feel that even that concern itself might broaden the base and make for interesting conflict. In the end though I guess it’s really all just about how in the world anyone can communicate with anyone considering … everything.

“Communion” is in rehearsal at Neptune. Dropped in on Tuesday to watch a work through. Good shape for the end of the first week. They preview on the 7th of February.  I’ll be departing for Toronto the next day.

Week Two

Ann Marie, Stephanie and Stewart.  No one is acting in the above photo.

We spent the week at the Bus Stop putting together the various ideas, bits, notions and scenes into a kind of document that we shared with a few other people. In the end it was more about the heart than anything else. Not sure if that’s really the basis of devised theatre – it seems to me more a theatre of ideas than emotion. However that’s where we ended up. Next week we meet for a dinner and a debriefing and decide what’s next. Lovely people.  Good times.

Morning Walk

That’s Louisa, Stewart and Stephanie during week one of the “(star)Dust” workshop. We spent the time in Avondale working on the basic ideas and this week we are in Halifax working at the Bus Stop generating new material. Devising theatre is both darkly challenging – impossible questions about purpose and point – and exhilarating – the forming of a group energy toward a goal. And sometimes the goal is unclear other than knowing that there is a goal. Everyone is participating very well, engaged and game. We finish this Sunday and will hopefully emerge with a sort of blueprint toward a further workshop.

Wentworth Park Bandshell, Sydney, Nova Scotia

Caroline and I were both in Sydney yesterday so we spent the day together. She is seen above doing her dance steps from “Oliver” in which she just performed at the National Arts Centre. I was her audience of one. As a dancer she’s a wonderful actor.

I’ve been working through my rewrite for “Inside” and as of tomorrow Ann Marie Kerr and Louisa Adamson and I will be in Avondale working on a new piece of devised theatre we’re … devising … along with Stewart Legere and Stephanie MacDonald called “(star)dust”. Thursday Stewart and Stephanie will be joining us for the weekend and then next week we will be working in Halifax at the Bus Stop Theatre and then showing the result on the final night of work. We’re working from a very rough outline I have been kicking around for the last couple of years but as of this point all bets are off and no holds are barred. We’ll see what will become of it. I will keep you posted, as it were.

The View Yesterday

The View Today

And suddenly it’s a winter wonderland. Tomorrow I head into Halifax to spend a couple of days with the MacLellan clan. The last couple of days I’ve been finishing up my rewrites on the drafts of “The Best Brothers” and “Was Spring”.  The “Was Spring” draft will be the rehearsal draft. There’s something about that play that rather terrifies me. I think it’s my ego concern about being current and hip. I suppose if “Marion Bridge” was a play I wrote for my Mother “Was Spring” is a play I wrote for my Grandmother. There’s also something … mysterious about the play. For the first time I don’t have the impulse to get to blocking the play immediately in rehearsal – not that I want to be sitting around the table with it but there’s something deep to be discovered in the movement of it. But for now that’s put to bed until we start rehearsals at the end of February. My next order of business is a major rewrite of “Inside” my play David Ferry directed last year at University of Victoria. David has set up a Toronto workshop for the play in February and I want to get my hands into it before we meet with the actors.

And if you’re at all feeling Christmassy – or perhaps more if you’re not – you should check out the McGarrigle Family Christmas concert on CBC Radio 2 tonight at 7pm.  Or listen to it here:

http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20111211mcgar

The Loft

The great thing about the Avondale house is that there is working space. The girls can be in the mail house and I basically live in the loft over the garage. That way I can sit with them to go over material and then leave them on their own to work through their beats and be far enough away that we can’t even hear one another. That wasn’t the original plan with the house but that is how is has worked out. It evolves as a place where group work can happen. Last night my neighbours Murray and Sherry and Greg and Nancy – down the hill and down the road respectively – came by and were treated to a evening of Newfoundland hospitality and conversation. Even this was constructive for the work – one one level it was great to see them since I love my neighbours but on another level it was good for the girls to interact with new people in this energy of creation, and good for me to see them in that energy. By the way I keep calling them “girls” because the working title for the play is “Girls, Girls, Girls”.

The Girls, Near Avondale

Arrived in Avondale on Monday. Allison Woolridge, Amy House and Berni Stapleton arrived from St. John’s on Tuesday morning and we have been working on their show all week. I’m serving as an animateur/dramaturge/ass-kicker. They’ve been working on the ideas for three years and this week is the last blast to get them ready to start staging. An excellent and warm process. The house here is very welcoming to this kind of work and we all have space that we can disappear to when necessary. So far we’re on schedule and we will continue working until their departure on Sunday. I have know all three of them separately and it’s great to get to know them as a team. The great news is not only am I getting a fee but they are cooking for me. I’m eating very well.

Iris and Dean

Read through the re-writes yesterday and spent some time in the theatre today. It’s a great room, not a bad seat really. Tomorrow a day in Toronto preparing to head to Nova Scotia. Unpacking and packing.

Dog Park Ontario Style

Arrived in Stratford Monday night for “The Best Brothers” workshop. An excellent day of work on Tuesday with John Beale, Iris, our SM MaryLu and director Dean Gabourie. Read through the script and did notes. Today Iris and I spent the day at my place working through the script and tonight I’ve emailed off the new draft for a second read tomorrow. All feels moving along at a good pace. Here is the poster image – with the odd dog featured prominently:

And here’s the link to the Stratford website:

http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/OnStage/productions.aspx?id=16145&utm_source=Homepage&utm_medium=billboardlink&utm_campaign=hp-billboard&prodid=41248