More Fringe odds and ends

I do wish I had been just a bit more prepared, as I really should have had the Equity info printed out for the 5 Equity (and ACTRA) members to sign last night.  I've been meaning to deal with this, but the form was lost in a deep email chain, and I have been so busy (including being behind on some work work).  I'm pretty sure as long as I drop this off with Equity (with the cheque* to cover insurance!) they will overlook this, or in the worst case I can get the signatures before the show on Thurs.  (I did get the cast to sign one of the big posters, as discussed here.)

I also got everyone to sign off on their bios in the program, so I will run a bunch of those off, as well as one more round of postcards from the printer.  If I had had them ready, I could have done a bit of a folding party last night at my place.  Oh well.  It would have been premature in case someone needed any rewrites; then I would have had to reprint the programs.

Anyway, the cast came by and we did two more run-throughs of just the lines.  I don't think it was a mistake doing this, though a few of them found it hard to do their lines without all the blocking and the set, etc., since it is all tied together in their mind now.  I'm actually at the point where I don't need to hear the play again; I need to see how outsiders react to it, which is why Thurs. and Sat. will be so exciting and terrifying.  (Tickets here!)

The lanyards still haven't come in, which is annoying, though I worked pretty late on Monday anyway, which would have made it hard to break and mosey on over to Fringe HQ.  I sure hope they are in soon, though I am not sure if there will be a way to get them on Wed. (Canada Day!) if they aren't in today.  I'm not even sure how I would pick them up today, though maybe if I took the Queen streetcar over, then I could hit Equity as well.  That's probably not a terrible plan...  But it does depend a great deal on when the lanyards actually come in.

Our t-shirts came in and look quite snazzy.  (They do run a bit small, which I was pretty sure would be the case.)

I'm off to Tarragon this evening to see two improv shows, so I will wear the t-shirt and hand out some of the remaining postcards while I am there.  Two birds with one stone, as it were...

 

* Between the extra fees and more postcards and covering part of the cast t-shirts, we are back in the red (appropriate given the t-shirts, I guess).  I'm not sure I really want to know how many tickets we would need to sell to cover everything.  Maybe 500 or 600.  Probably even more than that now that I think about it.  But we are at 150 sold, and the Fringe is just starting, and I'm actually hoping for pretty good word of mouth, so here's hoping...

Drawing a Blank at the Doras

The Doras are the local Toronto theatre awards.  Curiously, a few years back Mirvish pulled out from the umbrella organization that supports these awards, perhaps miffed that they often lost out to much smaller theatres in the musical awards' categories, so the awards now generally go to mid-sized theatre companies like Soulpepper, Crow's and sometimes Tarragon, and sometimes to even smaller indy companies.

Generally, I find there is relatively little overlap between what has won an award and what I enjoyed (or even seen).  I had debated going to see The Division at Crow's, but it just didn't grab me, and of course that was one of the big winners of the evening.  I also passed on The Neighbours at Tarragon.  I don't even remember if I heard about Through the Eyes of God, over at Theatre Passe Muraille, but I probably did and decided it was just too damn depressing (like A Fine Balance will be and thus it will inevitably win a Dora next year...).  I actually had wanted to see Camus's Le malentendu (which won in the costume design category), but I thought the tickets were too darn expensive and the one night I could go (when they finally announced there would be rush tickets) they sold out.  Now perhaps I should have still dropped by just to see what would happen as often something does open up, but the Theatre Centre is nowhere near my house.  I probably would have if Theatre francaise was still putting on shows at the space on Berkeley Street.*

Now it isn't literally a complete shut out.  I did see Red Hats' Narnia and Octet at Crow's, and they both won Doras as well.  But it does suggest I am not particularly attuned with the critical community in Toronto (and not just Joshua Chong at the Star).  Well, so be it.

 

* I actually have already subscribed to Crow's for one more season, even though I think this next season is a bit weak, but I am really appalled at the prices, so I think this will be my last go around.  In addition, I am even more appalled at their rush ticket policy, which is if you show up an hour before the show, looking for a rush ticket, they still will charge full price, which I find unconscionable.  I wasn't willing to do that so my wife didn't go see Primary Trust (which was ok but vastly overpraised for what was a low-key retelling of the movie Harvey!  And absolutely not worth $100 for a ticket!!!).  I actually find this abusive, and I told the house manager that, that these policies and overall high prices were going to drive me away from Crow's completely.  She said she had been hearing a lot of that... 

Tech Date

I now have the photos from our Tech. date on Sunday.

Here we are, just slowly getting set up, deciding how much space we need between the table and the cart and so on.  We actually have much more space in front of the furniture, though the stage isn't actually as wide as I had thought, due to how the side curtains are arranged.  (And oddly enough, their back curtain has a bit of a gap in it stage left, which really shouldn't be that hard to fix...)

This is the view from the stage out into the audience.  Not a view I am used to...  (And the ladder will be gone during the actual performances...)

Then we worked on the transitions and the sound and lighting cues, and then had nearly enough time for a full run.  Probably needed 10 more minutes.  So things are definitely falling into place.

Here are some shots from that last run-through.

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And practicing for the curtain call...

We may or may not have time for shout-outs to other companies.  I don't think we'll really know until we've gotten through an actual performance or two.

Anyway, it is all very exciting to see it come together finally.  More info on the schedule and links to tickets here.

Dress Rehearsal - Sat.

Quite a bit of news, but I am running quite late.

Saturday, I did a fair bit of postering, which I'll discuss separately.  I made it there around 7:15, and the actors were just assembling.  Then they ran some lines in the parking lot, making it midway through Scene 3, then we did the first dress rehearsal.  The actors were definitely off book, though there were a couple of weird exchanges where someone skipped a few lines.  I'll post quite a few photos below.

Sunday was tech day over at Alumnae.  I think the best moment for me was when I realized we did have (just) enough space to get all the props in place, and there is even a bar in our space so the actors can leave costumes if they so choose.  It's good I picked up some extra bungee cords!

It took a bit longer than I had hoped to get the tech down, and there was some miscommunication at the end where the actors thought we were starting with a full run-through, but we were actually working out the cues between the scenes.  We needed perhaps 10 more minutes to get through the whole show, but it looks like we are on track for a 55 minute show, which would be incredible.  And there were very few significant goofs, except one actor missing a cue.  At this point, I have simply seen it too many times.  I'm very curious how it will seem to someone coming at it fresh.

I actually had to cab it over with my 5 folding chairs.  Everything else was brought by other people.  (At least it was only a regular cab and not the extra charge for a cargo van...)  In the end, we only needed one parking permit for Alumnae.  It was a close thing, but I managed to return it to Alumnae before the performer drove off, and then I caught a ride from Lynn.  It was only a few blocks, but I didn't have my bike with me for once.  I put in a couple of hours at work, though truthfully I mostly worked on the program, which I sent around to the cast for comments.  It looks like I did manage to get it down to 1 page, double-sided, though there was no remaining space for ads or sharing space with another company.  C'est la vie.

I missed one group I had wanted to see at the Jazz Festival, but I did make it up to Yorkville to see the Charley Rose Trio.  I was about 10 minutes late, but I managed to catch the vast majority of the set.  I was going to stop in at a Kupfert and Kim's, but they weren't serving any more food, so I backtracked to Spadina and went to the burrito place.  My favorite server was there, and we briefly talked about books.  I left a poster to see if they might put it up, but they didn't really have space for it.

I got home and did a fair bit of work, then just crashed.  My hopes to see Jen Lo at the Pilot were just not that realistic with everything else that's been going on.

Anyway, here are some of the photos from the dress rehearsal.

Jazz Festival interlude

A bit of a break from all the Fringe posting, though it isn't what I planned on posting...

I don't always get out to that much at the Toronto Jazz Fest, as the headliners don't grab my attention (and haven't for many years).  Indeed, at the moment, I've done more at the Luminato Festival (You See, Pearle Harbour Walks into a Bar, and then stumbling across a few outdoor art installations).

I did get a ticket to see the Jeremy Ledbetter Trio at the Rex last week (immediately before Pearle Harbour in fact), and I am just back from seeing Kokoroko at the Phoenix.  If I didn't have Fringe rehearsal, I probably would have gone to see Cassandra Wilson (despite her MAGA-leanings), but I didn't.  I did consider seeing Isaiah Collier at Hugh's Room, as well as Ibrahim Maalouf at Danforth Music Hall, but I didn't.  It's definitely just as well that I didn't get a ticket to that, as we switched our final rehearsal to Sat. at 8, so I would have had to miss it.

What I did do is head over to Yorkville and saw Irene Torres, backed by Eric St. Laurent on guitar.  I did get there about 10 minutes late, since I just did not want to leave until I had submitted this massive report to a client, as well as uploaded the Access Guide to our Fringe show.  (There was a lot of small stuff to do for Fringe, like getting some posters laminated and dropping them off at Fringe Central, but I have to go back on Monday because the artist lanyards weren't ready.  I am maybe 35% done putting our program together, so I need to finish that tonight, as well as just get the Equity stuff mailed off.  Sigh...)

I enjoyed the set, though it wasn't straight-ahead jazz, more of a South American groove.  I was also a bit distracted because I was trying to finish up Laura Graham's Rove, which is due back at Robarts (today in fact!).  I got ready to bike over to the Phoenix and found someone had stolen my bike light.  (As it happens, I had outsmarted myself by taking it off in advance, but I hadn't remembered this, and it did put me in a bit of a foul mood the rest of the evening...)

I made it over to Phoenix around 7:40 and got in line.  I've never been to Phoenix.  It was pretty much an even more bare-bones version of Lee's Palace, though I guess the dance floor is even bigger.  (And my goodness the security guards were handsy...)  It was pretty crowded even for the opening act, Witch Prophet, and there was nowhere to sit, as the very small number of seats up in the balcony had been snatched up ages ago.  I really don't like standing for concerts and it is generally making me less and less likely to go.  I was surprised that I was able to read inside up until the music started, and I finished Rove and started in on her Settler Education. 

I'll just cut to the chase and say I didn't care much for Kokoroko.  They were so vocal heavy and basically were playing a bunch of nu soul tracks.  They didn't even play that much off of Tuff Times Never Last, and I don't think they played anything from their latest release, a self-titled EP (which I do enjoy a fair bit, definitely more than Tuff Times).  I'm sure a large part of it was standing for 2 hours before they even came on (and the 30 minutes or so in Yorkville).  And it was even more cramped on the dance floor by this point.  I finally fled to the back where I was able to get some water and lean against the wall.  I guess I stuck it out another 25-30 minutes, but I still wasn't having a good time, and they still were basically playing nu soul, so I left.  It's incredibly rare I leave early from a concert, esp. when I paid for the ticket.  I'm struggling to remember the last time, though I guess my wife and I finally bailed on Stevie Wonder before his second or third encore...  So I certainly won't see them again.  And I am almost certainly never going to go to the Phoenix again either, unless it is a band I simply cannot pass up.

Had I had perfect fore-knowledge, I probably would have stayed in Yorkville and seen the Orbital Ensemble (and skipped Kokoroko).  Oh well.  There is a small chance I will see the Orbital Ensemble on the 30th after work at Sonic Boom, though it likely conflicts with my Fringe schedule.  In addition, they are opening for Tinariwen in Sept.  This is quite exciting, as I wasn't even aware they were coming back.  So I will just have to check my schedule (and clear it if at all possible) and go see them then.

In terms of the rest of the festival, there is a moderate chance I will see the Stuart Brignell Organ Trio at the rock in Yorkville at 5:45 tonight.  Then I'll come home and try to rest up a bit.  I was going to go swimming at Jimmie Simpson, but the pool is closed this week.  I guess I'll see if I can convince myself to get over to the gym for a bit, and I can go swimming on Sat. in Regent Park.  Now Virginia MacDonald is playing a free set at the Pilot tonight at 10:30, but I am not sure I am going to want to get back out for that.  I guess I'll see how I feel in a few hours and how much I manage to get done.

There isn't much that grabs my attention at the Jazz Fest on Sat., but Sun. after our tech time at Alumnae, I may try to see the Tak Arikushi Trio at 5 (@ 55 Bloor St. W), perhaps the Charley Rose Trio at 6:30 in Yorkville, and much less likely the percussionist Agneya at 8:30.  The Jen Lo will be playing a free set at the Pilot on Sun. at 10:30, and I'm more inclined to see that, but again it just be one too many things going on.

There is a Herbie Hancock show at Massey Hall in late July, which is sort of associated with the Jazz Fest.  I am leaning towards going, as he is really getting up there, but I haven't picked up any tickets.  And with that, I need to get back to work...

 

Back from the Printers

Last night, I got dragged into a meeting right before I had to leave to pick up all the posters and post cards from the printer before rehearsal.  I left the meeting a bit early, but this really through me off my game.  Also, I had the large backpack with me, in addition to my already full pannier.

I ran upstairs to the printer and suddenly realized I didn't have my pannier!  I guess because I am used to having one thing or the other.  I had them ring me up and ran back downstairs.  That would have been quite tragic had the pannier been stolen, as it had the script, my second pair of shoes and my laptop.  I can't quite imagine what explaining this to IT would have been like if the pannier had been stolen.

The printer liked the poster quite a bit, and said they wished they could stay at the Bed and Breakfast.

I biked over to rehearsal, not having enough time to go to the Indian place after all.  I stopped in a tiny variety store on Symington, but I don't plan on going back after they gave me so much grief about using a debit card.  Rehearsals are almost over anyway.\

I thought rehearsal went well.  We are running about 8 minutes long, but if the actors really get their lines down and we pick up the pace, we should be fine.  Fingers crossed.

I managed to get the whole cast (minus Victoria, our stage manager) to sign one of the posters. 

I distributed a bunch of the larger posters and most of the postcards. 

This is what I have left:

I wonder if I am going to have to do another run of postcards.  I guess that's fine as long as it actually leads to some people buying tickets.

Anyway, we have one more rehearsal Sat. evening (and maybe I will finally get to that Indian place near Lansdowne that evening), tech on Sun. afternoon, then a night of running lines Monday evening at my place.  And then it's three days or so before our opening.  It truly is right around the corner!

Happy Fringing!

The Fringe poster out in the wild

I do apologize for posting about almost nothing except Fringe these days.  I'll see if I can sprinkle in a few other topics, but mostly Fringe is going to be all-consuming for three more weeks, so check in after that if you are looking for a change of pace...

I will be picking up the larger posters and the postcards today from the printer.  We actually have a run with a mis-spelling of my name, which I could live with, and "playright" instead of "playwright," which I couldn't.  But I guess they could become rare collector's items.  If you want to put in a bid for a misprinted poster, just let me know.

I was going to put up a few on the Danforth on my way over to Robarts yesterday morning.  I even bought a mini-stapler from Dollarama, but the darn thing refused to unlatch and swing open.  So frustrating!

After hitting up Robarts, I made an extra stop at Staples on University and found a stapler that will work.  I put up a couple of posters downtown, and then one in Regent Park and two by Riverdale Library.

 
I even put one up on my front gate.  It does look awfully small at this distance, but I thought I would show off that after many years, I finally managed to train the flowers to start crossing (partway at least) over the trellis.

The only other thing of note is that I had to call this IRS this morning to prove my identity.  Nothing's ever smooth with them, but it could have been a lot worse.  I managed to sew up a tear in my shirt sleeve while on hold.  (One of many small tasks that keep getting deferred while I am gearing up for the Fringe...)

P.S. We've jumped from 80 tickets to 100+ tickets.  Maybe joining Instagram helped, or maybe it was the mention in the Stageworthy podcast, or maybe it's just that we are getting closer to the time people make their last-minute picks for Fringe.  Don't be left out!  Tickets here.