Friday, May 30, 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Coffee Shop
I think that mindset is important to any activity.
You know what I mean
Taking that moment to mentally psyche yourself up
So you can get off the couch and go out to meet a friend
So you can get to work on a day you don't want to
To get in your head space.
Well for me learning new script requires:
The right head space
and
The right physical space
I don't know what makes it work so well for me
But sitting in a coffee shop and running lines
Feels so ideal
Coffee shop - not Starbucks, Timmies or some chain
That indie place that is tucked away and has just the right ambiance
Today I went to Merchants of Green Coffee.
They have what feels like a early pioneer general store
You order coffee find a spot and sit
Today I sat in an old couch with a cool railway trolley thing for coffee table
I rested my coffee on it
Reached into my bag
Pulled out the script
Two hours later
Left with a huge chunk of script understood and committed to my mind.
Day was good.
Felt like an actor.
Cost 3.00 and the coffee was amazing.
Oh to be able to do that every day of my life.
It is not far away come to the Fringe and see me in
The Assassination of Rob Ford: Dirty Little Coward
You know what I mean
Taking that moment to mentally psyche yourself up
So you can get off the couch and go out to meet a friend
So you can get to work on a day you don't want to
To get in your head space.
Well for me learning new script requires:
The right head space
and
The right physical space
I don't know what makes it work so well for me
But sitting in a coffee shop and running lines
Feels so ideal
Coffee shop - not Starbucks, Timmies or some chain
That indie place that is tucked away and has just the right ambiance
Today I went to Merchants of Green Coffee.
They have what feels like a early pioneer general store
You order coffee find a spot and sit
Today I sat in an old couch with a cool railway trolley thing for coffee table
I rested my coffee on it
Reached into my bag
Pulled out the script
Two hours later
Left with a huge chunk of script understood and committed to my mind.
Day was good.
Felt like an actor.
Cost 3.00 and the coffee was amazing.
Oh to be able to do that every day of my life.
It is not far away come to the Fringe and see me in
The Assassination of Rob Ford: Dirty Little Coward
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
The Assassination of Rob Ford
Everybody wants to see it happen.
Everyone wonders why he got away.
I was left to walk away
And still he came my way.
I avoided him even though it burned
For his insane fortunate life I yearned
And when I finally came from the fire
To see him peddling it became dire
So I shot him dead
Hope to be ahead
Oh what a tale
How I ended up in jail.
No I'm not talking about Toronto's mayor but it sounds like it.
I'm talking about me playing Ed O'Kelly in the new Canadian play
The Assassination of Rob Ford:Dirty Little Coward
by Adam Bailey.
This show will premiere at the Toronto Fringe in July 2014
We stared rehearsals last night and I love this script.
A true gritty piece and commentary on people.
Come out and see us.
Everyone wonders why he got away.
I was left to walk away
And still he came my way.
I avoided him even though it burned
For his insane fortunate life I yearned
And when I finally came from the fire
To see him peddling it became dire
So I shot him dead
Hope to be ahead
Oh what a tale
How I ended up in jail.
No I'm not talking about Toronto's mayor but it sounds like it.
I'm talking about me playing Ed O'Kelly in the new Canadian play
The Assassination of Rob Ford:Dirty Little Coward
by Adam Bailey.
This show will premiere at the Toronto Fringe in July 2014
We stared rehearsals last night and I love this script.
A true gritty piece and commentary on people.
Come out and see us.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Desensitization
I am returned from a Friday night meeting
Lead by Cindy Tanas of the Cindy Tanas Actor's Studio
The meeting was a discussion of the 1976 movie Network
As a group we viewed the film and discussed it after
What a great night.
The key question asked was:
What is our role as actors?
Many great suggestions were made.
I share with you my thoughts.
As a group, globally, culturally, driven by media, internet, technology and the love of money
We are becoming more and more desensitized.
They say children see more murders on TV by the age of ten than people twenty years ago.
We are losing our connection to humanity when we can turn a blind eye to the wrongs and lacking moral fortitude which innately lies at the pit of our souls.
So we turn to art
In some cases this art is the source of the desensitization
So first we posit: what is art?
I believe art is the truth of expression coming from an individual
When the truth comes out it will be taken by some and not by others
It does not matter, it is an individual truth shared and expressed through creativity
Under the moniker of acting what is the actor's (artist's) role
I turn to our founders our forefathers: the Greeks
In Greek society theatre provided a cultural experience where all the community came together to cathartically express themselves through the stories on stage
The Greeks held, on an annual basis, a festival of Tragedy, of Comedy and of Dionysian theatre
It was the communities job to go to these festivals so they could release their emotions and break the confines and restraints of society
It was the actor's job to provide a performance which the community could buy into
If you will it was the actor's job to guide the audience down the path to the emotion
It is the actor's job to help you find your feelings
As time went on these festivals went the way of the Dodo
We lost our guides and desensitization became more prevalent
I think this is wrong and I say that no matter which way in favour or against something
We must feel enough to voice.
To that I recall the practice of Shakespearian theatre
For a farthing the pit audience could purchase rotting fruit
If they did not enjoy the performance they were allowed to throw the fruit
At the actors, and thereby express their displeasure.
I reflect on desensitization and I think
At the least
"Here is my farthing give me a rotting orange to throw"
Or in the words of Network's Howard Beale
"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
Lead by Cindy Tanas of the Cindy Tanas Actor's Studio
The meeting was a discussion of the 1976 movie Network
As a group we viewed the film and discussed it after
What a great night.
The key question asked was:
What is our role as actors?
Many great suggestions were made.
I share with you my thoughts.
As a group, globally, culturally, driven by media, internet, technology and the love of money
We are becoming more and more desensitized.
They say children see more murders on TV by the age of ten than people twenty years ago.
We are losing our connection to humanity when we can turn a blind eye to the wrongs and lacking moral fortitude which innately lies at the pit of our souls.
So we turn to art
In some cases this art is the source of the desensitization
So first we posit: what is art?
I believe art is the truth of expression coming from an individual
When the truth comes out it will be taken by some and not by others
It does not matter, it is an individual truth shared and expressed through creativity
Under the moniker of acting what is the actor's (artist's) role
I turn to our founders our forefathers: the Greeks
In Greek society theatre provided a cultural experience where all the community came together to cathartically express themselves through the stories on stage
The Greeks held, on an annual basis, a festival of Tragedy, of Comedy and of Dionysian theatre
It was the communities job to go to these festivals so they could release their emotions and break the confines and restraints of society
It was the actor's job to provide a performance which the community could buy into
If you will it was the actor's job to guide the audience down the path to the emotion
It is the actor's job to help you find your feelings
As time went on these festivals went the way of the Dodo
We lost our guides and desensitization became more prevalent
I think this is wrong and I say that no matter which way in favour or against something
We must feel enough to voice.
To that I recall the practice of Shakespearian theatre
For a farthing the pit audience could purchase rotting fruit
If they did not enjoy the performance they were allowed to throw the fruit
At the actors, and thereby express their displeasure.
I reflect on desensitization and I think
At the least
"Here is my farthing give me a rotting orange to throw"
Or in the words of Network's Howard Beale
"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
 |
| Peter Finch as Howard Beale in Network |
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