Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Late June updates

I mentioned already that I scaled back my ambitions to a staged reading of my short plays sometime in September.  I sort of dreaded getting in touch with the theatre manager to cancel my tentative booking, but he didn't seem too fussed.  Now that that is over, I feel a bit better.  I've managed to sign up 3 actors (I need 6) and I have a solid lead on another.  Actually I have someone else considering signing on, depending on her schedule in August, so I may not need that many more actors.  I might not even need anyone professional working the sound/light booth, but we'll see about that.  So this weekend, I want to take some time to actually work on the pieces, the way I said that I would.

I did try several times, but in the end the scalped tickets for U2 never came down into a reasonable range, so I passed on seeing them.  That's probably all right, since I was out for so long on Sat.  In the meantime, we have picked up tickets for Depeche Mode and the Psychedelic Furs.  I may well enjoy the Furs show more, since it is in a small venue (Danforth Music Hall).  And I finally am going to catch the Lowest of the Low.  I missed a few of their previous reunion shows.  They are one of the Toronto-based bands I really liked from the 90s that I never managed to see, so I am looking forward to that.  Plus there is the Toronto Jazz Fest coming up, but I haven't booked anything so far.*  I'm definitely hoping to see Barenaked Ladies at Nathan Phillips Square this Friday, but the weather does not look like it will cooperate.

I managed to squeeze in two bike rides to work this week, but it was a challenge.  The weather has not cooperated at all, raining almost every day.  We may finally get a break next week.  I was particularly bummed that, for some reason, the Regents Park Aquatic Centre wasn't open for lane swimming this evening, as I had planned to go.  However, I have been doing fairly well going to the gym that opened up in Gerrard Square.  It's in good condition, and the place isn't too crowded, but it isn't completely empty and spooky either.  I am fairly sure I will be able to make it 2-3 times/week, and we'll see how I feel in a few more weeks and if there is any noticeable improvement to my physique.  Anyway, at $10/month, I only have to go 2 or 3 times per month to feel it is a good investment, and I think this time around, I'll be able to stick with it.

I'll be heading off to Stratford soon to catch School for Scandal and The Changeling.  Interestingly, School for Scandal has been getting good reviews, but The Changeling's have been middling, though Slotkin's review is quite positive.  Interestingly, she is the only critic who has been negative about this new version of Euripides' The Bacchae.  I was really trying to squeeze it in (mostly to see Mac Fyfe as Dionysus), but I have to say I find her the most persuasive on why the director has made a dreadful hash of things.  That said, in the unlikely event they do a transfer to Toronto, I will catch this production, but I am not going to knock myself out trying to get back to Stratford a second time this summer.  Then on the remaining weekends in July, I have some Fringe shows to catch (and I am leaning towards going to a burlesque version of Lysistrata) and then Soulpepper on the other days.  I will be super busy, but I am looking forward to all these shows.  And that doesn't even include the Bard on the Bus tour (Othello this year) or Shakespeare in High Park (though I would only go if my son really wants to see Twelfth Night).

If there is any time left over, I'll look into canoeing the Humber again with the kids, taking them to the blue whale exhibit at ROM and somehow squeezing in a trip to Ottawa.  And quilting of course.  Something tells me this won't exactly be a restful summer...


* I guess I should have paid more attention, but I have been so extremely swamped at work.  There were only two ticketed events of interest (to me) -- Bill Frisell (though this conflicted with my neighbour's band and their concert at Lee's Palace) and Jack DeJohnette w/ John Scofield, which is tomorrow night.  It turns out the DeJohnette show is sold out, which is a shame.  There is a free concert by the Claudia Quintet on Saturday at 7 that I will definitely try to make (and ideally take my son) and then potentially a few free concerts on Sunday up around Yorkville, so I'll see if any of those might work out.

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