I am launching a project to produce a little show called Oleanna by David Mamet. You'd think that, considering I am an articulate and intelligent type, I would have a dozen great reasons for the why of this particular play. The project is going to take a lot of time and resources. I will be begging favours, I know, for months before this project is done. I will be drained when I am through. So what are all the reasons to embark on this craziness?
I can tell you it's an excellent piece. It's written by David Mamet, arguably the best American playwright alive today. Mamet has changed the way way we understand relationships -- even the way we hear ourselves. In Oleanna, a student goes to her professor seeking help with course material. In that first meeting, the student is convinced that the professor attempts to sexually exploit her. She subsequently accuses him of such and ruins his life. Their power struggle is riveting. But that's not really why I am doing the show.
I can tell you that if I don't do this show myself, I will likely not be able to do the show in Community Theatre. We are living in difficult times and the uncertain economy is having a huge impact on Community Theatres all over Toronto. These organizations are responding with material that is easily approachable, that is funny or heartwarming. It can be argued that all stories are worth telling but I think that we are shying away from stories that are challenging because we believe that no one is interested, that no one will come. I don't think this is true and I am looking seriously at many challenging titles. But that's not really why I am doing the show.
I can tell you that this show is in line with many of my sociopolitical interests. I am an unabashed feminist and interested in power as it impacts human relationships. This show deals with a lot of these issues and a lot of my friends are into discussions on these topics; so I am sure I have an audience - even if it might be a small one. But that's not really why I am doing the show.
I can tell you I will do a solid job. I have just finished two two-handers in a row and had a great time doing them: Wrong For Each Other for Encore Productions and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions. Both directing efforts were well received. But that's not really why I am doing the show.
Here are all the reasons why I am doing the show:
1) Because I want to.
That's it. That's all of it. I want to, committed to, ready to work like crazy over the next few months to do this thing. And despite the fact that folks would assume I am much more complex being, the truth is very simple.
And I hope you come and see it.
Support Raising Oleanna, a fundraiser (similar to Kickstarter) in support of this project.
Jacqui Burke is
a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing and producing Oleanna by David Mamet and is looking forward to directing Love Letters for Encore Entertainment, and directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild. She is, also,
serializing The
Pretender, her first novel,
online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.
She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp
sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui
Burke
Artistic
Director
Jaybird
Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo!
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2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am
– 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $155.
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July 16-20, 2012 for only $200. Both prices hold until May
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Warbles in the dark.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Invasion
On Wednesday, the Toronto Fringe Festival starts. It's a crazy invasion of over 150 shows, hundreds of artists, thousands of theatre lovers tipified, in my mind, by The Great Poster Sprint (in which artists can put up posters advertising their shows) on Wednesday at about 4:30 pm. I am on a jury that is adjudicating as many offerings as possible to choose eight or nine shows for The Best of the Toronto Fringe Uptown, a fantastic festival in August that showcases some of the best of what the Fringe is all about. As part of that jury, I will see, likely, thirty-five shows. And then, after, as many as I can.... :) I couldn't be happier.
But, you say, the Fringe can be so hit-and-miss! You might sit through a lot of bad stuff. Yes! Yes, it is and I do. And yay!
For those of you who don't know how the Fringe Toronto works: This festival is un-adjudicated. Entries are chosen by lottery. That's it. So, if you have an idea and you want to submit your name, ya pays yer entry fee and ya takes yer chances. Some of the companies who win are more than up to the task. Others struggle. Some very worthy companies do not get picked. It's completely random. Once picked, a company builds and presents its show and ticket sales determine how much a company makes. So, it's a good idea to do an entertaining show. Some shows are hits; some not. But the worthy ones tend to rise to the top.
Long and short, however, is this: The Fringe is the celebration of creative drive and spark. A festival of intent, a festival of initiative. Amazing. I am happy to sit through dozens of shows to see one terrific one. If you feel the way I do and want some company, message me and I will let you know what shows I am seeing.
But, even if you are leery, there are options. Hold off until Friday, for example. Many of the 'good' shows are determined in the first days of the festival. Take a look at the following for feedback but be aware that if you wait, the popular shows will be harder to get into:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/guides/fringe/2012/
http://www.mooneyontheatre.com/
@Toronto_Fringe
And there are many other options for vetting shows. Definitely by Friday, the hits of the Fringe will be apparent and you can go and see them without fear. As soon as I am able - bearing in mind that the committee deliberations need to be private - I will release what I can.
However, I invite you to come down right at the very beginning. Come see a show on Wednesday night. I think that part of the Fringe Festival is fear. The artists lay so much on the line every time they get out there. I think that, perhaps, audience members could also, from time to time, lay something on the line, too. Be an integral part of the process. Be a part of the invasion. Super fun.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening June 20. 2012 at the Palmerston Library Theatre for one night only, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions running July 20-21st, 2012 at the Alum Studio. Next year, she is looking forward to producing/directing her own show in the fall, directing Love Letters for Encore Entertainment, and directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $155. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $200. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read? Click on an ad!
But, you say, the Fringe can be so hit-and-miss! You might sit through a lot of bad stuff. Yes! Yes, it is and I do. And yay!
For those of you who don't know how the Fringe Toronto works: This festival is un-adjudicated. Entries are chosen by lottery. That's it. So, if you have an idea and you want to submit your name, ya pays yer entry fee and ya takes yer chances. Some of the companies who win are more than up to the task. Others struggle. Some very worthy companies do not get picked. It's completely random. Once picked, a company builds and presents its show and ticket sales determine how much a company makes. So, it's a good idea to do an entertaining show. Some shows are hits; some not. But the worthy ones tend to rise to the top.
Long and short, however, is this: The Fringe is the celebration of creative drive and spark. A festival of intent, a festival of initiative. Amazing. I am happy to sit through dozens of shows to see one terrific one. If you feel the way I do and want some company, message me and I will let you know what shows I am seeing.
But, even if you are leery, there are options. Hold off until Friday, for example. Many of the 'good' shows are determined in the first days of the festival. Take a look at the following for feedback but be aware that if you wait, the popular shows will be harder to get into:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/guides/fringe/2012/
http://www.mooneyontheatre.com/
@Toronto_Fringe
And there are many other options for vetting shows. Definitely by Friday, the hits of the Fringe will be apparent and you can go and see them without fear. As soon as I am able - bearing in mind that the committee deliberations need to be private - I will release what I can.
However, I invite you to come down right at the very beginning. Come see a show on Wednesday night. I think that part of the Fringe Festival is fear. The artists lay so much on the line every time they get out there. I think that, perhaps, audience members could also, from time to time, lay something on the line, too. Be an integral part of the process. Be a part of the invasion. Super fun.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening June 20. 2012 at the Palmerston Library Theatre for one night only, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions running July 20-21st, 2012 at the Alum Studio. Next year, she is looking forward to producing/directing her own show in the fall, directing Love Letters for Encore Entertainment, and directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $155. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $200. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read? Click on an ad!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Skipping to the End
Have you ever looked back at yourself a few years earlier and wondered: "Who the heck was I? I would never do that today!" Or: "I cannot believe I was so green." It is a natural part of life that we live and grow constantly and that what we become, sometimes, is so different to what we were that we can hardly acknowledge that the you-now and the you-then are even the same person. Some folks actively pursue change through self-improvement but most of us, without realizing it, are learning all the time, changing constantly, and becoming something new, something wiser, not always better, but always evolving.
Plays can be viewed as microcosms rife with change. Something is happening here: something very important; something by which absolutely everyone will be affected. Every character, from the chorus boy to the leading lady, will be touched in some way by the prominent story arc and, because of it, will change and will evolve into something new. In some cases, that evolution will entail the individual literally changing her mind or actions completely. In some cases, the change will involve the person becoming more rigid or justified in his beliefs. But, something will happen in that character's head out of the process of the show that will require or force that character to grow - for the good or the bad.
And it is that growth, that dawning understanding, that realization of caring or hatred, that ownership of need that we, as an audience, recognize in our bones, identify with, and makes us love that character. It's the journey that makes us care about them - whether they triumph in the end or no. It's the journey.
So, I invite all my gentle readers, when preparing to present a character onstage or in scene study, to ask yourself two questions:
And how the heck does she get from point A to point B? What moments affect her? Where does she have her epiphanies? Reading the story for moments of change is a great way to identify the character's journey and will fuel your own creativity as an artist trying to honestly portray a character in crisis.
So many shows lose the journey, somehow. We are often presented, at the beginning, with the creature into which the character should, finally, evolve. Sadly, so many shows skip to the end.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening June 20. 2012 at the Palmerston Library Theatre for one night only, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions running July 20-21st, 2012 at the Alum Studio. Next year, she is looking forward to producing/directing her own show in the fall, directing Love Letters for Encore Entertainment, and directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $155. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $200. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read? Click on an ad!
Plays can be viewed as microcosms rife with change. Something is happening here: something very important; something by which absolutely everyone will be affected. Every character, from the chorus boy to the leading lady, will be touched in some way by the prominent story arc and, because of it, will change and will evolve into something new. In some cases, that evolution will entail the individual literally changing her mind or actions completely. In some cases, the change will involve the person becoming more rigid or justified in his beliefs. But, something will happen in that character's head out of the process of the show that will require or force that character to grow - for the good or the bad.
And it is that growth, that dawning understanding, that realization of caring or hatred, that ownership of need that we, as an audience, recognize in our bones, identify with, and makes us love that character. It's the journey that makes us care about them - whether they triumph in the end or no. It's the journey.
So, I invite all my gentle readers, when preparing to present a character onstage or in scene study, to ask yourself two questions:
- Who is this person at the beginning of the play/scene?
- Who is this person at the end of the play/scene?
And how the heck does she get from point A to point B? What moments affect her? Where does she have her epiphanies? Reading the story for moments of change is a great way to identify the character's journey and will fuel your own creativity as an artist trying to honestly portray a character in crisis.
So many shows lose the journey, somehow. We are often presented, at the beginning, with the creature into which the character should, finally, evolve. Sadly, so many shows skip to the end.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening June 20. 2012 at the Palmerston Library Theatre for one night only, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions running July 20-21st, 2012 at the Alum Studio. Next year, she is looking forward to producing/directing her own show in the fall, directing Love Letters for Encore Entertainment, and directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $155. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $200. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read? Click on an ad!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Clay and Dirt.
I am starting The Last Five Years in just a couple of days. Now, just a week or
so ago, at the fundraising event for the show, I was pleased to meet
Toby, one of the industrious young folks producing and starring in this
show. I was dead impressed with the energy and talent at this
fundraising event and was happy to have attended. But Toby said the
funniest thing when I met him and I paraphrase: "You're the one who's
going to mold me into shape, huh?"
It was and, I suppose, still is common in theatre to see a director as the only truly active artist in the room, the one who takes dumb slabs of clay, bends them and molds them and returns a work of art of which only she can conceive. Actors are not a part of a generative artistic process and are considered vacant vessels waiting to be filled with the vision and wisdom of the director.
In my view, it's all poppycock, of course, but that's what some people believe. I think of the process as a more collaborative one in which I have done the most thinking and research and reserve the right to final decision-making (thereby avoiding unnecessary conflict) but enjoy those fantastic moments of discovery and epiphany in rehearsal that can lead to a solid show.
I prefer to think of myself more as a kind of gardener, helping a performer grow into a role. The performer is not a dead hunk of wet dirt but, more, a delicate plant trying to push itself up out of the ground and thrive in the sunlight. In this way, if I think of the creative process as something quivering and young, as opposed to dead in my hands, I believe I will be less likely to ground these seedlings into the dirt before they have a chance to grow into a beautiful, majestic performance.
And, I always like to add when I am discussing this analogy, it helps this process of growth that I am so full of shit.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening June 20. 2012 at the Palmerston Library Theatre for one night only, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions running July 20-21st, 2012 at the Alum Studio. Next year, she is looking forward to producing/directing her own show in the fall, directing Love Letters for Encore Entertainment, and directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $155. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $200. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read? Click on an ad!
It was and, I suppose, still is common in theatre to see a director as the only truly active artist in the room, the one who takes dumb slabs of clay, bends them and molds them and returns a work of art of which only she can conceive. Actors are not a part of a generative artistic process and are considered vacant vessels waiting to be filled with the vision and wisdom of the director.
In my view, it's all poppycock, of course, but that's what some people believe. I think of the process as a more collaborative one in which I have done the most thinking and research and reserve the right to final decision-making (thereby avoiding unnecessary conflict) but enjoy those fantastic moments of discovery and epiphany in rehearsal that can lead to a solid show.
I prefer to think of myself more as a kind of gardener, helping a performer grow into a role. The performer is not a dead hunk of wet dirt but, more, a delicate plant trying to push itself up out of the ground and thrive in the sunlight. In this way, if I think of the creative process as something quivering and young, as opposed to dead in my hands, I believe I will be less likely to ground these seedlings into the dirt before they have a chance to grow into a beautiful, majestic performance.
And, I always like to add when I am discussing this analogy, it helps this process of growth that I am so full of shit.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening June 20. 2012 at the Palmerston Library Theatre for one night only, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions running July 20-21st, 2012 at the Alum Studio. Next year, she is looking forward to producing/directing her own show in the fall, directing Love Letters for Encore Entertainment, and directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $155. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $200. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read? Click on an ad!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Balancing Fear
When I was a kid, people were still into afternoon tea parties at which foks were daintily and prettily dressed. Everyone spoke evenly and smiled, but nobody laughed, and one spent most of one's time precariously balancing a cup of tea on one's knee. Some thirty-five years later, things change. Now, it's definitely not afternoon parties and/or definitely not tea parties and I not only smile but, apparently, am famous for my laugh. What remains, though, is the balancing act.
I am embarking on two new personal projects for Jaybird Productions, my own company, besides the shows I have committed to directing for other companies next year. The first is David Mamet's Oleanna that I plan to mount in November of this year, assuming I can get the rights and a space. The second is an all woman version of The Taming of the Shrew which I plan to do in some park, somewhere, in the summer of 2013. Almost certainly in Leslieville or the Beaches. And, though I have developed significant skill over the last four or five years of directing consistently and some-odd forty years of theatrical experience, every time I think about doing these things, I lose my breath.
What you may not know about me (because, folks, I come across as confident - sometimes a bit cocky) is the stress reaction - the losing my breath - is almost certainly a good sign. But, usually, I get this reponse later in the process like, say, the day before rehearsal starts, for example. It's a sign to me that I am personally invested in the project. That I am committed. If I get the reaction, I breath. I steady myself. It's all about balance.
Though tea is a lovely, sometimes soothing, and healthy drink, the thing about it is it's hot. You can burn yourself if you spill it. So, too, with creative projects. We have a burning desire to work, to do yet another show, but we don't want to get burned. And when one is producing one's own projects, there's this wall, here. See it? White hot. And there, too. And there, another one. Must be steady. Navigate carefully.
Mamet's Oleanna is not usually a show that community theatres do - and, of course, in these economic times I should be doing a comedy - but I am desperate to do it and, therefore, am mounting it myself. Why? Well, it's not a dainty show. Not in the least. There's this little fight at the end. It has to be believable and vicious. Fun. And don't ask me why I want to do The Taming of the Shrew with an all woman cast. I can't articulate it (which means no Community Theatre would let me do it -- they like fast talkin' directors) but I am going to do it. And there I go, again. Just lost my breath.
How does one balance this fear? Funnily enough, for me, by applying a zen-like focus on the the detail, on the doing. By ignoring the big whys, the big picture. It's important to be at the party. The sun is shining. It's a nice afternoon. Everyone's here. Just focus on balancing that cup of tea and you won't spill it.
Of course, I now have not one but two cups of tea. Good thing I have a strong sense of balance, quite a bit of practice, and two knees.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening in June, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions opening in July. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $125. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $155. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
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I am embarking on two new personal projects for Jaybird Productions, my own company, besides the shows I have committed to directing for other companies next year. The first is David Mamet's Oleanna that I plan to mount in November of this year, assuming I can get the rights and a space. The second is an all woman version of The Taming of the Shrew which I plan to do in some park, somewhere, in the summer of 2013. Almost certainly in Leslieville or the Beaches. And, though I have developed significant skill over the last four or five years of directing consistently and some-odd forty years of theatrical experience, every time I think about doing these things, I lose my breath.
What you may not know about me (because, folks, I come across as confident - sometimes a bit cocky) is the stress reaction - the losing my breath - is almost certainly a good sign. But, usually, I get this reponse later in the process like, say, the day before rehearsal starts, for example. It's a sign to me that I am personally invested in the project. That I am committed. If I get the reaction, I breath. I steady myself. It's all about balance.
Though tea is a lovely, sometimes soothing, and healthy drink, the thing about it is it's hot. You can burn yourself if you spill it. So, too, with creative projects. We have a burning desire to work, to do yet another show, but we don't want to get burned. And when one is producing one's own projects, there's this wall, here. See it? White hot. And there, too. And there, another one. Must be steady. Navigate carefully.
Mamet's Oleanna is not usually a show that community theatres do - and, of course, in these economic times I should be doing a comedy - but I am desperate to do it and, therefore, am mounting it myself. Why? Well, it's not a dainty show. Not in the least. There's this little fight at the end. It has to be believable and vicious. Fun. And don't ask me why I want to do The Taming of the Shrew with an all woman cast. I can't articulate it (which means no Community Theatre would let me do it -- they like fast talkin' directors) but I am going to do it. And there I go, again. Just lost my breath.
How does one balance this fear? Funnily enough, for me, by applying a zen-like focus on the the detail, on the doing. By ignoring the big whys, the big picture. It's important to be at the party. The sun is shining. It's a nice afternoon. Everyone's here. Just focus on balancing that cup of tea and you won't spill it.
Of course, I now have not one but two cups of tea. Good thing I have a strong sense of balance, quite a bit of practice, and two knees.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening in June, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions opening in July. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $125. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $155. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
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Monday, May 7, 2012
Mr. Foster, I divorce you. Until next time.
Mr. Foster, I divorce you.
Because of the protracted nature of a community theatre rehearsal schedule, I have been involved in prepping or rehearsing or watching the run of one of your shows for about nine months, now. Don't take this badly. These were good shows. Good. Affections of May was the first. Produced by Scarborough Theatre Guild, it went up in January of this year and was well received. Great bunch of folks. Won itself some nominations. Nice. And we just finished Wrong For Each Other for Encore Entertainment yesterday. Also, well received. Truly lovely cast.
But I divorce you.
I have new playwrights' heads to inhabit and other projects on the go. Make no mistake; it was a marvellous love affair but I have to move on. Call me any name you will but I, definitely, love the one I'm with.
But, listen: If you come around again, whispering to me with these characters that feel like friends, this dialogue that trips along and volleys back and forth, these jokes that come in surprising places but are still funny not shocking.... If you come around again with your strong, established female characters, your kind male characters, with your basic, honest, believable moments.... If you come around, again....
As I have said before, you, sir, might prefer someone younger and cuter but you will never find someone more devoted. At least for a time. Because, when I am done, I will leave you again as flatly as I am doing today.
And, I am sure, you wouldn't have it any other way (not that I am calling you names). As Richard Bach says, "A farewell is necessary before we can meet again."
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Wrong for Each Other for Encore Productions opening in April, Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening in June, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions opening in July. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $125. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $155. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read?
Encourage me by clicking on one of these ads in this blog.
Because of the protracted nature of a community theatre rehearsal schedule, I have been involved in prepping or rehearsing or watching the run of one of your shows for about nine months, now. Don't take this badly. These were good shows. Good. Affections of May was the first. Produced by Scarborough Theatre Guild, it went up in January of this year and was well received. Great bunch of folks. Won itself some nominations. Nice. And we just finished Wrong For Each Other for Encore Entertainment yesterday. Also, well received. Truly lovely cast.
But I divorce you.
I have new playwrights' heads to inhabit and other projects on the go. Make no mistake; it was a marvellous love affair but I have to move on. Call me any name you will but I, definitely, love the one I'm with.
But, listen: If you come around again, whispering to me with these characters that feel like friends, this dialogue that trips along and volleys back and forth, these jokes that come in surprising places but are still funny not shocking.... If you come around again with your strong, established female characters, your kind male characters, with your basic, honest, believable moments.... If you come around, again....
As I have said before, you, sir, might prefer someone younger and cuter but you will never find someone more devoted. At least for a time. Because, when I am done, I will leave you again as flatly as I am doing today.
And, I am sure, you wouldn't have it any other way (not that I am calling you names). As Richard Bach says, "A farewell is necessary before we can meet again."
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Wrong for Each Other for Encore Productions opening in April, Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening in June, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions opening in July. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $125. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $155. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read?
Encourage me by clicking on one of these ads in this blog.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Bad dress rehearsal means...you had a bad dress rehearsal.
There is an old saying in theatre: A bad dress rehearsal means a great opening night and a good run. It's thought that the adrenalin produced on opening night after a disasterous dress rehearsal will solve all problems and even allow the show to transcend artistic expectations and really fly. Some people secretly hope for a bad dress rehearsal. After all, it makes for a great theatre story, right?
Not me. No way.
I want a dress rehearsal that is almost boring, we know what we're doing so well. I want a dress rehearsal in which the cast can start to move well through the space, listen to each other one last time, and make a few more discoveries before having to integrate the audience into what they are doing. I want a dress rehearsal during which it becomes painfully clear that we need an audience. And, I also want a black and white pony.
What I mean is that we can't always get that fantastic dress rehearsal. We sometimes (as we did with Wrong For Each Other produced by Encore Productions here in Toronto) get a little behind in our scheduling goals. This time we had a vacation half way through the rehearsal process, preceeded by a night of sickness (losing one rehearsal), and followed by Easter (losing two more rehearsals). All in all, we lost about two and a half weeks from about a seven week rehearsal process. This period (in the way I approach rehearsing), unfortunately, is the chunk of time normally allotted work the heck out of the scenes, doing them over and over and over again and practically learning the lines on our feet. But we lost all that time. Ooooookay.
What happened to us? Well, fear not, gentle reader. Enter my fabulous, glorious, hard-working cast. Mario D'Alimonte and Kelly Ann Woods spent the rest of what was left of our rehearsal period hammering out their lines, working very hard, solving problems, and gracefully adjusting as we understood how scenes transitions needed to flow (because we hadn't even had a chance to rehearse them either). We all had our eye fixed clearly on our goals and we worked hard.
And the process became about the lines. Remembering the lines. Not getting lost in the lines. See, they didn't get that awesome chance to learn those lines as they moved through the space over, and over, and over again. They literally had to learn them by rote. Ptui. As we moved into the theatre, there was very little forward momentum in terms of progress in performing the piece. After we moved in, we leapt ahead every night but, still, I had no idea what the dress rehearsal would bring.
It was a magical night. It's so amazing to see two actors relax into their roles and really listen. Turn off the part of the brain that worries about lines and turn on the part of the brain that understands timing and delivery. Turn off the part of the brain that tells them where to move and turn on the part of the brain that just allows you to be present. It's a kind of flowering of performance that usually happens a few runs in for most shows, sometimes later, and, sadly, sometimes never. And such a gift for a director. Notes were swift that night -- just remarking on this or that little problem and clearing up one interpretive issue. They did a fabulous job.
And are still doing it, by the way. We are getting excellent audience response. I am not necessarily saying that a bad dress rehearsal means a bad opening. Far from it. I am just saying that one can, even in the extreme circumstances as we had here, have an excellent dress rehearsal and an excellent run.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Wrong for Each Other for Encore Productions opening in April, Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening in June, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions opening in July. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $125. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $155. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read?
Encourage me by clicking on one of these ads in this blog.
Not me. No way.
I want a dress rehearsal that is almost boring, we know what we're doing so well. I want a dress rehearsal in which the cast can start to move well through the space, listen to each other one last time, and make a few more discoveries before having to integrate the audience into what they are doing. I want a dress rehearsal during which it becomes painfully clear that we need an audience. And, I also want a black and white pony.
What I mean is that we can't always get that fantastic dress rehearsal. We sometimes (as we did with Wrong For Each Other produced by Encore Productions here in Toronto) get a little behind in our scheduling goals. This time we had a vacation half way through the rehearsal process, preceeded by a night of sickness (losing one rehearsal), and followed by Easter (losing two more rehearsals). All in all, we lost about two and a half weeks from about a seven week rehearsal process. This period (in the way I approach rehearsing), unfortunately, is the chunk of time normally allotted work the heck out of the scenes, doing them over and over and over again and practically learning the lines on our feet. But we lost all that time. Ooooookay.
What happened to us? Well, fear not, gentle reader. Enter my fabulous, glorious, hard-working cast. Mario D'Alimonte and Kelly Ann Woods spent the rest of what was left of our rehearsal period hammering out their lines, working very hard, solving problems, and gracefully adjusting as we understood how scenes transitions needed to flow (because we hadn't even had a chance to rehearse them either). We all had our eye fixed clearly on our goals and we worked hard.
And the process became about the lines. Remembering the lines. Not getting lost in the lines. See, they didn't get that awesome chance to learn those lines as they moved through the space over, and over, and over again. They literally had to learn them by rote. Ptui. As we moved into the theatre, there was very little forward momentum in terms of progress in performing the piece. After we moved in, we leapt ahead every night but, still, I had no idea what the dress rehearsal would bring.
It was a magical night. It's so amazing to see two actors relax into their roles and really listen. Turn off the part of the brain that worries about lines and turn on the part of the brain that understands timing and delivery. Turn off the part of the brain that tells them where to move and turn on the part of the brain that just allows you to be present. It's a kind of flowering of performance that usually happens a few runs in for most shows, sometimes later, and, sadly, sometimes never. And such a gift for a director. Notes were swift that night -- just remarking on this or that little problem and clearing up one interpretive issue. They did a fabulous job.
And are still doing it, by the way. We are getting excellent audience response. I am not necessarily saying that a bad dress rehearsal means a bad opening. Far from it. I am just saying that one can, even in the extreme circumstances as we had here, have an excellent dress rehearsal and an excellent run.
Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is currently directing Wrong for Each Other for Encore Productions opening in April, Kidsplay 2012: The Mayan Prediction opening in June, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions opening in July. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/. She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.
Want to contact me?
Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/
Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids. Two installments in 2012: The Homeschoolers` Version: 11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $125. Premium Full Day Summer Camp: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $155. Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012. Spots are going fast. Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
Like what you read?
Encourage me by clicking on one of these ads in this blog.
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