I’ve been meaning to write for a while.
There have been all these wonderful things going on and I’ve wanted to post about them but it never feels like I have time to say all I want to say and so… ironically… I don’t end up writing anything at all.
So here I am, writing something, because that’s better than nothing.
I think.
I must reflect on the fact that I’ve been doing some really wonderful work in theatre. By which I mean, the work has been wonderful and meaningful, the people I have been working with and encountering are wonderful, and I only hope the part I’ve played in doing my art has contributed to the wonder and the fullness of it all.
First, I was part of one of the most delightful casts, in one of the most delightful shows playing Mr. Bingley in Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley at Persephone Theatre. It was all so much fun and I trust we did our job in helping spread some Christmas Cheer. And yes, that’s me in the picture below with more sideburns on my face than I’ve ever been able to grow naturally.
Photo by Danielle Stasiuk Photography (That’s me and Mitchell Larson)
I was also very proud of the work I was able to do alongside so many other lovely people as I did the sound design for the thoughtful and beautiful show This Is How We Got Here, which was Persephone’s first show of 2024.
After that, I was back on the road with My Little Plastic Jesus, this time touring it out to BC. The whole tour was more than I could have hoped for, with packed houses and wonderful conversations alongside a long overdue visit to many of my favourite people and places out in the Vancouver area. If it weren’t for the fact that my rental SUVs (yes plural) kept on giving me engine light warnings the trip would have been close to perfect (But even then, Jesus was with me, as evidenced below).
Now It’s April. Spring has all but triumphed over the winter and I’m in the middle of putting together a sound design for another show, a unique reimagining of Shakespeare’s King Lear with parts translated into French & Cree. Now I hope my sound design for this show will be good, but if it’s any good at all it will be largely in thanks to my friend Wyndham Thiessen who has lent his cello playing to the cause and the cello sounds amazing. Don’t miss a chance to see Wyndham if you have a chance to see him in concert - wyndhamthiessen.ca/. As for the show, a lot of work has gone into this trilingual Lear, which is being presented without sur/subtitles. But even if you are totally monolingual like me I still encourage you to come see the show as I’m sure you’ll be able to follow the drama and appreciate the way the different languages serve the story. It opens in the backstage at Persephone later this month - tickets.persephonetheatre.org/TheatreMa…
Finally, (and this will be enough for now) I’m about to embark on rehearsals for an absurdly strange and absurdly wonderful little play called The Art of French Cooking being produced by 25th Street Theatre. This is not your standard theatre fare, and the central plot revolves around a woman, Blanche, and her augmented breasts that have decided, of their own volition, to leave Blanche and strike out on their own. It is an unbound absurdist comedy that is a feminist masterclass of self-discovery. If you want to experience something different, and maybe see me play several not-so-great men, then come on out to The Art of French Cooking which opens at the beginning of May - www.25thstreettheatre.org/productio…
Photo By Zach Greenhorn (Me and Clare Middleton in a workshop we did last year, and yes, my belt buckle is indeed, as large as a serving tray)