Best Gathering of all time…

Wed evening's Gathering.
Top: Chuck, Edgar and Nonnie.
Middle: Lorne and David.
Bottom: Sharon and Julia

What a great couple of Gatherings we had this week! I must say, Wednesday night was the best one ever: not only for the number of participants (which allowed us to work for 2 great hours) but also the quality of work that was shared and played with. David Calderisi had 2 of his scripts roughly put on their feet with staged cold reads by Chuck and Nonnie doing one and him and Julia playing the other. It was quite the show. Sharon and Edgar met for the first time and started work on another Harold Pinter scene from Betrayal. Then I got a chance to work on a couple of monologues (N. Richard Nash's Rainmaker and Landford Wilson's Burn This) that I was preparing for an upcoming general audition for London, ON's Grand Theatre.


On this last point, I have to say that Actors' Playground is quite the God-send! Working on monologues by myself for an audition has always been a major disappointment for me. It's such a different energy and there is no objective feedback to help point out where things are not as clear as they could be. But when I did my monologues at the Gathering and asked, "Comments?" it was such a wonderful moment to hear observations. 


Let's face it, doing a monologue is not the same as doing a scene. There is no one to work or react off of and 90% of it relies on imagination. Now to be clear, no one was telling me how to act. I was given specific answers to specific questions around clarity in regards to what I am communicating and believe me, it makes all the difference in the world. Also, one of the pieces was brand new to me. So to actually do it in front of people before an audition gives me an experience that really prepares me for when I'm to perform it in front of strangers who can give me a job. And when I do it at the Playground, I'm doing it in front of peers rather than friends, spouses or relatives who wouldn't know what to say.

Thur afternoon's Gathering.
Lorne and Alex

The next day, I spent an hour for a Thursday afternoon Gathering with Alex and we practiced a scene from David Mamet's American Buffalo. I only know Alex from a performance I saw him do… I think it was 2 years ago. He reached out to me via email and told me he wanted to be involved in what I was offering. So I sent him the scene and we did nothing but cold reads. What I loved about this Gathering was that we did thorough exploratory work with the text without discussing, planning or telling each other what to do. Essentially, we did what Harold Guskin refers to in his book, How to Stop Acting, as "taking it off the page." This opened up a lot of spontaneous and unpredictable responses. We kept remarking this and have committed to meeting up on a weekly basis.


Nothing beats communal practice!


To see photos of this and other Gatherings, just go to actorsplayground.ca and click the Photos tab near the top of the page.

Size doesn't matter… just the quality of the practice!

Lorne Hiro, Deborah Merrick & Edgar Fraser

It was only a small group the other night at the Playground but that didn't matter. What mattered was gathering and "jamming." I practiced a monologue script that I wanted to finesse for future possible performances, Deborah experimented with a short monologue to see if it can still be a compelling audition piece (the answer being a resounding YES) and Edgar fooled around with some new material that he wants to use for a stand-up routine. Then Edgar and I battled out the Pinter scene we were working on to find new possibilities and discover where we still have flaws… Great feedback!

Premier of Crack for Actors…

At our second Gathering, David Strauss brought a script in development for us to read. Its working title was: Little Keepsakes. It's going to be read aloud at Natalie Fehéregyházi opening monthly Crack for Actors series, and by members of the Actors' Playground. 


This is a PWYC event.


Here's Natalie with the deets:

Hi again everyone!

Just a reminder that this coming Monday is the first installment of a new Open Stage at The One in the Only Coffee House called "Crack for Actors".  The title, which has proven to stir up mixed reactions, came out of the motive for the event.

Long ago, I came to the conclusion that the drive within an artist that propels him/her to work, is very similar to that which fuels an addict.  After much rational consideration of what I do, I decided that there is no practical reason to be an artist of any kind.

The difficulties that accompany it way outnumber the general payoffs. The only thing that keeps me coming back is the absolute rush and ecstasy I feel when I know I've done something that has connected to an audience member and made an impact.  The rush of that feeling is the highest high I can imagine and so, when thinking about the title for the show, I came up with Crack for Actors because the motive behind it was to give performers an opportunity to connect with an audience on a regular basis and get that fix that is only possible through live performance.

Anyway, that long-winded explanation aside.  This coming Monday at 8 pm will be the first Open stage.  We have a number of very talented performers who will be taking the stage to share monologues, scenes, sketches, new works and standup.  Whether you're an art enthusiast, performer yourself or just have time to kill Monday night, come check us out.  It's a great opportunity to meet new people, get connected and kick back with a tasty beer or coffee while we do what we do and attempt to entertain.  Also, if you're considering participating, it's a good opportunity to check it out before committing.

So, once again, this Monday, Feb 28 at 8 pm, Apuka Theatre's first Open Stage at The One in the Only Coffee Shop - 966 Danforth Ave just west of Donlands station.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Nat

Co-op Performance Opportunity…

Midsummer’s Nights Dream 

Proposal for a co-operative to rehearse and perform Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Nights Dream” as an imaginative traveling outdoor festival and farmers market show. Also to be performed at the Carrot Common Green Roof. The play is adapted for brevity, and modernized to take place during a summer outdoor festival. Focusing on the mystery of passion and the magic of folklore and fairies the production will showcase a theatrical blend of artists, dancers, clowns, and fire spinners and be performed during the Carrot Green Roof’s Inaugural Season as a fun summer dream location. 

Rehearsal/Performance Schedule

Casting date: Please contact Matthew Krist, 647-454-7333 (anytime after 12 noon) icanfarm@gmail.com for details.
Mondays thru Wednesdays and Sunday Afternoons till performance week
Tech and Dress Rehearsals Saturday-Monday the weekend before, 10-10
Performances: Mid July Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30-10:00

Proposed Engagement Structure

- Member based co-operative, $50 for membership. 
- The money pooled will be used for fundraising and production(s)
- Profit Sharing, the cast and crew of this show will receive equal percentages based on net profits divided by the number of members.

Union Status: TBD

Roles

Hippolyta/Titania
Theseus/Oberon
Egeus
Demetrius
Lysander
Hermia
Helena

Robin Goodfellow/Puck


Nic Bottom
Tom Snout the Tinker/Mustard Seed, Cobweb
Snug the Joiner/ Peaseblossom
Peter Quince the Tailor/First Fairy

Crew Positions

Stage Management Team
Video and Graphics
Marketing/Advertising: Social Media Campaign
Promotions
Set and Props
Costume Design: Beverly Law
Ushers, and Front of House Crew

Box Office: Tickets could be available at the Big Carrot, through Choco-Sol at farmers markets, Evergreen Brickworks permissions and logistics required.

Please contact Matthew Krist, 647-454-7333 (anytime after 12 noon) icanfarm@gmail.com to get involved.

Some kind words from a talented actor…

David Calderisi

Dear Lorne,

It was a pleasure to meet you tonight (Wed, Feb 24th's Evening Gathering). I want to say again that I admire your initiative in setting out to do this thing.

I enjoyed watching you and Edgar play so well together — and yes, so truly — in the early stage of familiarizing yourselves with a quirky dramatic “score.”

Wed, Feb 24th's Gathering:
David and Nonnie dive into
Chekov while Lorne and Edgar
explore more Pinter.

And of course I enjoyed playing with Nonnie on such a rich and complex scene. We both know we only scratched the surface. That’s why your idea is so valuable. I think it’s likely we’ll be bringing that scene back to the PLAYGROUND several times over coming months, if that’s okay with you.

Once again, my good wishes and admiration for what you’re doing.

Yours,

DAVID C.

To see David's resume, go to imdb.com/name/nm0129514/

The passing of beautiful talent…

Cayle Chernin

Yesterday afternoon, I saw an old neighbourhood colleague of mine in a grocery store commercial (I think it was for Metro). Later that evening, I was informed that she had passed away. I knew she was fighting ovarian cancer, so it wasn't a complete surprise but still…

The name of this lovely actress is Cayle Chernin.

Today, I received an email from Theresa Tova that told me something that I did not know:

Cayle was a fighter. She told me she had "no investment in the outcome of her disease" and continued to pitch producers with new movie projects and even performed scenes in her Monday night acting group which moved to the palliative care unit to accommodate Cayle's continued participation.

Thanks for those words Theresa. I can only hope that no matter how dire my circumstances in health ever be, that I will always pursue what makes me happy in life (for both my art and my relationships) with such gusto until the end of my days!

Some wise words about practice…

Rae Ellen Bodie

Rae Ellen Bodie is a great voice teacher that teaches at Pro Actors Lab. I have had the privilege of having her as a coach and every other month, I get inspiring words of wisdom whenever she is promoting her upcoming classes. 

I really liked what she said in her last message

because it also relates to what it is I want Actors' Playground to be for all actors and she has allowed me to share it with you here. So here it is and I hope it inspires you to take action with your craft.

Hello to you all!

Yes this is an email about the application deadline for the Lab, but I thought I'd offer up a little something before I get to those details...

In the last week or so I have coached several actors on auditions for US pilots that are being shot here...  In each case, I have asked these actors to let me know what their experience was of the audition and what, if any, feedback they got from the casting agents they auditioned for...  All of them, w/out exception, got back to me and described how well their auditions went, how good they felt before and after, and how the casting agents they saw congratulated and thanked them for their excellent work...  As far as I know, at least one of them booked and most of the others got called back...  

So why am I telling you this?  Because those actors inspire me...  all of them have solid voice/acting practices, get coached for big auditions, take care of themselves mentally and physically, and are totally committed to their work - in short, they're not fooling around.  They have the dedication of athletes.  As a result, the work they're doing in "the room" is solid, grounded and inspired, and all of them walk out of their auditions feeling satisfied, excited, hopeful and like professional actors.  

What do they have in common?

They practice.  Even when they don't have a gig, they practice.  Even when it's the dead of winter, they practice.  Even when they haven't had an audition in weeks, they practice.  Even when they don't want to - ESPECIALLY when they don't want to - they practice...

Do you?

Yes - it's absolutely a challenge.  A challenge for you to shake off winter and get back to practice.  Spring, and full-out audition season is just around the corner...  

Now if that all weren't enough, I leave you w/ a quote that a beautiful, hard-working, talented student of mine sent me many, many weeks ago that says it all...

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights." - Muhammad Ali

 For more info on Rae Ellen and her fabulous classes, go to proactorslab.com.