A quandry

So, I’ve realized recently, that I don’t really have any theatre projects coming up.  I’m currently working on a dramatic reading of D.J. Sylvis’ play The Nefarious Bed and Breakfast (reading is on January 18 at the Centre for the Arts /plug), however, after this is done, I don’t have any acting projects.

Now, in theory, this should give me some time to do some writing, but I keep feeling like if I don’t do some acting, I’ll lose momentum.

I saw a couple of audition postings I might like to go for for the summer, but that presents a bit of a quandry.  One of these projects would take me out of town for a number of weeks, and that is something I’m not certain how to deal with.  I’m at my current job, and its going well, but I’m not quite sure what the logistics of taking a leave for several weeks would be.

That’s the big dilemma: the sacrifice between comfortable, well-paying job, and pursuing paid acting work.

What would you do if you had to chose?

Wow, this looks awesome

This exhibit looks just amazing.

The exhibit “Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids” was created by the American Museum of Natural History and is currently on display at the Museum of Science in Boston. The exhibit looks at mythical creatures from all over the world, from Greek legends of cyclopean giants to modern sightings of Bigfoot. It also compares similar regional myths, such as contrasting European images of the unicorn with similar Asian legends.

Fortunately, its coming to the Museum of civilization in Ottawa, starting in May.

Must plan to go.

Oh Friday…you and I were doi…

Oh Friday…you and I were doing so well. Why you gotta treat me like that?

Now I know

For a while, I have been wanting to write a play about the Upper Canada Rebellion.  I wanted, for a very long time, to write it in the manner of a Shakespearean History Play.  In my mind, it was a grand, epic play, of a kind with Henry V or other history plays.

But it was too unweildy.  I think I know how to do it now, though.

Of course, all I need is time.  Hopefully I’ll get some of that next week.

An interesting week

This week has been an interesting one, from the world of Canadian politics to the spectre of the Net Neutrality debate once again raising its head, there has been a lot that I’ve meant to mention this week.

Unfortunately, between work and the Keystone Theatre workshop, I haven’t had a moment to blog about these things.

Sparked by announcements from the Tory finance minister, the Opposition parties threatened to bring down Stephen Harper’s government in a non-confidence vote, and propose rule via a Coalition government.  Harper’s people immediately began a smear campaign regarding the whole thing, suggesting that the Coalition would not have legitimacy, since they weren’t voted into office, and that since the coalition included the Bloc, that it was tantamount to treason.  Eventually, Harper went to the Governor General, and asked her to Prorogue parliament.  This means that she would end the session.  She agreed, and the Tories got their protection from a non-confidence vote.

This of course is the second time that Harper has avoided a non-confidence vote in parliament.  The first is what sparked our last election.  He doesn’t want to test the confidence of parliament, because he knows he doesn’t have it.  Normally, this means that he doesn’t have a mandate to govern.  If there are enough votes against the party to state that the House of Commons doesn’t have confidence in the government…that government is dissolved.  That’s the way it works.  Its part of the constitution.

So, when Harper suggests that the Opposition parties were not voted into office, and lack a mandate, he’s lying.  He’s the one who lacks a mandate.  His is the party in the minority in the house.  Yes, the Tories hold the most seats, but the opposition parties outnumber them.  That’s what a minority government is.  A government in a minority needs to have the confidence of the house, or they lose their mandate to govern.  Harper needs a refresher course in how the Parliamentary system works.

In other news, Michael Geist noted that Friday Dec. 5 was the deadline for written submissions to the CRTC’s New Media hearings.  And I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed in a couple of organizations.  Geist points out that ACTRA (the Candian film and tv actor’s union) is leading the call for a levy placed on ISP subscribers to “fund the creation of Canadian new media”.  They also call for CANCON rules new media and wants the CRTC to licence new media undertaking, and think that user generated content should be regulated under the Broadcasting Act.

ACTRA is so completely wrong-headed on the issue of new media, that one wonders who is advising them.  I’m not quite sure why they are trying to hinder New Media this way.  I look at some of the success stories on the internet, from The Guild, to Dr. Horrible, to Ask a Ninja, to that guy singing a song on his webcam on youtube, are only possible with no licences.  These things would not have been possible if those making them were required to be licenced and comply with the broadcast act. 

ACTRA should revise this policy and come up with something that can encourage and assist their members in the creation of their own New Media, and help these members to use these creations to market themselves.  And perhaps even make some money from them.

But ACTRA seems to be playing the role of the dinosaur here, rather than looking to the future.

Its quite sad.

Rebellion Day

171 years ago on December 7, 1837, William Lyon MacKenzie led a group of farmers and other malcontents down Yonge Street with the intention of overthrowing the rule of the governor.

As the snow outside my window falls, covering the ground with the lightest dusting of snow, I can almost picture them, braving the December cold and stamping their feet against the chill.  Many of them had been sleeping outside since the 4th of December, there having been some confusion regarding the date.  Those who gathered at Montgomery’s Tavern that day were not hardened soldiers, or even really malcontents.  They were regular folk who had legitimate complaints about the way that they were governed.  Of course, many of them would never have considered a rebellion without a powerful voice to convince them, and that voice was William Lyon MacKenzie’s. Through his newspaper, he had been agitating for change, and now his rhetoric had grown to a fever pitch.  And then finally a date was set, and preparations began.

The would-be rebels would meet at Montgomery’s Tavern, a popular stop on the way to the Toronto Market, and from there march to the city gate and storm the armoury.  The plan was: to take control of the armoury, confront the governor and force him to make changes towards democracy, or to remove him and take steps towards sovereignty.

Things started going awry, however, when the rebels began arriving at Montgomery’s tavern to find that Montgomery (who had agreed to provide food for the rebels) had sold the place to a man who was less than sympathetic to the rebels, and who had made no such agreement.  Eventually, as more and more rebels arrived, the new owner of the tavern agreed to provide some food.

But there were other problems.  One of the organizers, and the only person with military experience at the tavern, was shot through an act of duplicity from a Tory supporter who had been captured, and died a slow, loud and painful death at the tavern (with all the rebels listening outside).  With the death of the only experienced soldier in attendance, many farmers began to leave.  MacKenzie, it can be imagined applied his considerable gift for speech to an impassioned plea that kept some of the men in their places.

It seems though that the pressure was mounting on MacKenzie, and that began losing his grip on his sanity.  Its said that he spent hours ranting, shouting and pacing around the tavern.  Few men slept that night, due to his ravings.  Was it the death of his friend that caused him to crack under the pressure? Or was it that the madness that drove him to publish his rants and editorials with such a frenzied passion demanded an outlet?  Whatever the cause, when morning came, it was time to march.

And they marched down Yonge street.  They marched from present day Yonge and Eglinton past the Bloor toll gate, and down to what is now Yonge and College.  And this is where the rebellion ended.

It was not the rebels alone who had experienced a comedy of errors along the way to this moment.  Rumours flew around the small city of Toronto about the possibility of a rebellion.  The governor, Francis Bond Head refused to entertain the idea of such a thing.  He had sent scouts North to check the rumoured gathering place of the rebels, but had not heard back.  Sheriff Jarvis, however, was certain the rumours were true, and he pleaded with the governor to let him take action.  Sir Francis was afraid of a panic, and so forbid Jarvis from doing anything.

Jarvis could not obey this order.  He gathered some young men, deputized them on the spot and took them quietly towards the rebels.  They hid in a cabbage patch at what is now Yonge and College.

As the rebels approached that fateful intersection, Jarvis and his deputies popped out of the cabbages and fired a volley.  The rebel’s riflemen, trained by the late Captain Anderson fired back.  Anderson had trained them well, their form was a perfect as non-soldiers could be: they had marched in two lines.  The first line, when faced with that initial volley, returned fire and then knelt to reload.  Alas, no one had bothered to inform the other rebels of how this would work.  And when the first line knelt to reload, many of the farmers thought they had all been shot, and so they threw down their weapons and fled.

MacKenzie fled, and made his way on foot towards Niagara, where he and a few allies, set about attempting to organize a coup. It was over, even though William wouldn’t admit it.  A short while later, the small group on Goat Island was forcibly disbanded and MacKenzie was exiled to the United States, lest he face death by hanging at home.

And with that, the rebellion was over.

Are you Effin’ kidding me?!

So, apparently, this morning, Prime Minster Harper asked the Governor General to prorogue the Parliamentary session. And she agreed.

Because of course, the last thing Canada needs in the current financial climate is a government, right?

I’m thinking the Conservatives got their advertising wrong, when they directed the “not a leader” thing at Dion.  Sure poor Dion might not be a great leader, but then…neither is Harper.

Apparently, our Prime Minister doesn’t have what it takes.  He doesn’t have the confidence of the House of Commons.  The Governor General should see that and give control to someone who does have the confidence of the people’s representatives. 

End of an Era

I heard over the weekend that Savage Garden will be closing its doors on January 4th 2009.

Although I haven’t been to the Garden in several years, this makes me a little sad.  I spent many many many weekends in my mid-late 20s at the Savage Garden.  I was first drawn to Savage Garden through the LARP that was played there at the time.  Additionally, the bar was open as a cafe during the day, and so during this per period of unemployment, I found my way there almost every day.  I became a fixture, and later became the busboy, removing glasses and empty bottles from tables, a task that earned me the nicknames of “Bottle Bitch” and “Drink Vulture”.

During that time, Savage Garden became my weekend living room, a place that I went to hang out, a place that I was comfortable in.  I’ll echo what I have heard from many others in the last couple of days: it was a second home.

I haven’t been back there in quite some time.  I’ve dropped in now and then to say hi to Paul and Brenda, usually early in the evening.  But I the few times I’ve gone back recently, I never felt as at home as I once did.  I hardly knew anyone there, and the bar had gone from that place where “everybody knew my name” (cue the music) to a place where I didn’t know anyone.

And so I haven’t really been back. 

But I’m going to have to go back soon.  Before January 4th.  I don’t know if the party that night is an invite-only affair, but if its not I may drop in.  If it is, I’ll have to find another night to go.  Because though I haven’t been back in a long time, the place was a fixture to me.  I’d just assumed it would always be there.

But really, the Garden is now the Grand Old lady of Queen West.  15 years is a long time for a club, and Savage Garden is one of those clubs that we particularly long lived.  It couldn’t last, however.

And I’ll be sad to see her go.

Beating myself up

I have to stop beating myself up for not writing.

When I refer to writing, I’m referring to the process of sitting down in front of a computer or with a notebook and writing fiction.  I tried to do that yesterday.  I’ve been trying to write something “new”, but my brain has not been cooperating.  Normally I think I’d be justified in struggling through the issue, but right now, I think its best to let my brain be.

The reason: I’m actually doing a bunch of writing without really realizing it.  Since the Keystone Theatre project is the creation of a play, there’s a lot of “writing” being done as a part of that.  Additionally, I have the Christmas story that I started last year that I need to continue working on.

And so, when I think about these things, I remember that I am writing.  And the writing that I’m doing needs to be the priority.  I don’t need to be writing something new, I just need to be more mindful of the things I am writing.

This was a triumph

I think I can call last night a success.  We had a good turn out in terms of numbers, and the crowd (yes, there were enough people to accurately be termed a “crowd”) were enthusiastic.  The performances by the folks who donated their time to appear at the event were great fun, and the performances that we did (two scenes illustrating the style of the show we’re working on) went over well.

I’d love to give a play-by-play of the evening, but its really a blur for me, and since I didn’t get home till 1am, my brain functions are also a bit of a blur.

But I thought it was important to update you on how I thought things went.