ROB BLOG #586

It's fun with Oscar Time.

For the past couple of months Oscar Wilde and I have had an intimate relationship.
No, there's nothing dirty going on since Oscar died on November 30th 1900. Theatre Orillia is presenting The Importance of Being Earnest as the final production in the 2015 season.

I first met Oscar- sort of, at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris a couple of years ago.
Tom and I stood in front of his tomb emblazoned with red-lipped kisses from adoring fans. So many people leave red lip prints that the Wilde family surrounded the tomb with plexiglass. Didn't quite work though because people manage to climb over the glass and kiss the monument anyway.

Maybe Oscar spoke to me at that point when we stood before his shrine.
"My Dear Fellow Robert! What have you been up to? Perfectly marvelous you dropping by like this. Would absolutely love to offer you tea and cucumber sandwiches but, well my Dear Boy, under the circumstances... maybe we could just chat for I'd like to talk to you about you performing my absolutely perfect play Earnest"."

Whether he did or not, here I am directing and playing the part of Algernon Moncrieff in Earnest.

We have a splendid cast! Some professional- like Clair Acott, Gayle Carlyle, Sue Dosso and Jim Dwyer. Others- Val Krausse Ted Tiffany, Bev Totten and Michael Abernethy, from the community theatre circuit. It was a first time professional experience for several actors but they seemed to suck up the atmosphere and the smarts from the rest of us and got on track in just over a week.
I am sure it has been an experience they will not soon forget! They should be proud of how they brought their characters to life in the words and in the "speak" of 1895 Victorian London.

After 10 days of intense rehearsal, I can now tell you we have a splendid, contemporary version of Mr. Wilde's Earnest. There are those who said and still say one cannot perform Earnest in present times. Hogwash, poppycock, absolutely absurd rubbish!

I believe this show works in present. Our audiences believe it too- especially both our Thursday audiences! It is amazing how well the dialogue stands up in 2015. I wonder if Oscar ever thought about his play being performed 120 years in the future?

Algy pulls out his cell phone at one point to make a note of his friend Earnest's country address.
We changed the word "dogcart" in the script to "Uber"- that gets a chuckle or to. Our Cecily is pregnant- and it shows. Oscar's words work there too. I read and re-read the script and realized how many lines of dialogue pointed to Miss Cardew's pregnancy- as is the case with real-life Cecily, actor Claire Acott. Of course, the audience has to believe and understand humour and they do. Friday night's laugh at Cecily's "bump" was a roar!
Thank you and the soon to be newborn has to take at least part of the credit.

Our set is simple with a huge, wool British Union Jack front and centre. The flag- given to me by my Dad, originally hung on the federal building in downtown Peterborough in the 1920's.We have Victorian style furniture in Algy's flat as a homage to the original production at the St. James Theatre in London. On stage right, a 1960's rotary dial telephone sits on what is part of the pulpit at St. Paul's Centre. Actually, Algy's on the phone at the top of the show while his maid- Lanee (usually played by a man as Lane) boogies to Roger Miller's hit 1960's song "England Swings".

Then, we whirl round a backdrop and voila it's a garden at a manor house in Hertfordshire! True Brit songs like "English Country Garden", Rule Britannia" and others populate our show.

The audience laughs and smiles are infectious in the hollow chamber that is St. Paul's Centre but the audience is mic'd so you'll hear every word. Being in that cavernous space continues to be one of the major obstacles to overcome both for cast and our Stage Manager Tom- to say nothing of the challenges of the dialogue- but it's working.
Friday evening some cast members had to pass through an AA meeting being held in Memorial Hall beneath the auditorium to make their way to the stage. Algy and Cecily exited through a side door, trotting along Peter Street a few hundred feet to enter through the front theatre doors to make their entrance.
Theatre huh?

We have had many delightful, positive references to our set and our reserved lighting design. My brother Scott and Husband Tom worked out the kinks with our LED lighting with me saying more red, less yellow, brighter, brighter. Our Box Office Manager- Mary Lou Kempton and Front of House Jo Anne Debreczeni keep the theatre running smoothly, welcoming audience members and selling tickets at the box office.

 The dialogue is rapid and copious but we can assure you of a fine time.

So take some time for a little bit of EARNEST My Dear Boy. It's perfectly marvelous!
We play to October 9th at St Paul's Centre.
Check out our website www.theatreorillia.ca

ROBBLOG #585

Below is an abridged interview written by Billy Cox from Best Buddy magazine where Billy talks to a 17 year old male. The interview appears in the September Issue.

 

Today I am in conversation with Homosexual Ontario Teen Dick Ryan. Mr. Ryan is just like any other Gay teen you might come across in a beachside change room on a hot summer afternoon or in a dark, well-treed neighbourhood park late in the evening. Dick suffers- in part, from blue balls and regularly seeks relief from other Male Gay teens just like him.

 

However, this is where Dick’s similarity and normality ends when you compare Dick to any other average 17 year old Male Homosexual. This Dick in front of me finds himself increasingly drawn to anyone from the conservative, religious, political right.

 

“I can’t explain it.”- says Dick, “Sometimes I pass by a church with a huge cross on the lawn or see a newspaper story about a local guy who’s supposed to be flaming and I just go nuts. Once there was a colour photo of this born again guy on page ten of the newspaper. The rumours said he was Gay and closeted and right-wing religious. I thought it was too good to be true all in one package but it still made me bust a nut. At times like that, I don’t feel like I can control my urges.”

 

Dick says he wants to be just like everyone else but admits he finds himself more and more drawn to any conservative church’s religious pamphlet and Gay guys who go to church and vote for the right.

 

“I have newspaper clippings of a certain right wing politician stuffed under my mattress. I know that ain’t normal but it’s just these eruptive urges I feel. Sometimes, I even draw crosses on photographs of right-wingers with a black Sharpie I’ve doused in Holy Water from St. Anne of the Apostles church. How hot is that?” –says Dick while repeatedly pulling at the crotch of his faded denims.

 

 

“It used to be I could control my urges and I’d talk about it to the guys I’d see sitting around partially naked at the change house down at the park. They’d call me fairyboy and stuff and we’d even horse around a bit but even that couldn’t take my mind off the possibility of knowing a devout, right-wing Fundamentalist.”

 

When questioned about their son’s sexual/religious leanings Mr. and Mrs. Ryan would only say they’d like to have a normal, homosexual, teenage son who does normal Gay Teen things like blowing Uncle Bo when he takes a bubble bath in the old cast iron tub up in the hot attic bathroom.

 

“We just want him to do normal Fag stuff like that! We don’t know where he got the idea of blowing his semen all over the place while thinking about the Christian Right or politicians- if that indeed is what he does. His Father and I believe that to be so.”- says Mrs. Ryan.

 

Dick says that maybe he’ll grow out of it one day and have proper wet dreams about Hugh Jackman or Stephen Harper like the other normal butt pokers he knows.

 

I wish you the best Dick!

 

 

ROBBLOG #584

It's time folks. Time for another little chat with the "Big Guy". The most omnipresent
presence that I know of. It's another conversation with God Almighty.

Me: Hey God, thanks for once again opening yourself up to a down home chat.

God: Why hello Rob. Anytime. You know that- even though I also know you're a card-carrying Atheist.

Me: I'm that transparent am I?

God: I am God after all and I can see through people and things. No big whup. Although I must say seeing you portray that Nun- Sister Mary Margaret, this summer I marvel at how you can allow your undefined religiosity to show and yet remain so convincing.

Me: Undefined Religiosity? That's a line from my All for Nun show. How? What?? Did? But...

God: Yes, Rob. I was at the show right in row 6. Aisle Seat. remember the day all those Caribbean Folks packed the theatre?

Me: ...yes...

God: I was there. You even placed your hand on my shoulder.

Me: I can't believe it?

God: Oh, I'm one of your biggest fans- even though you don't believe in me.

Me: Well, thanks...I guess.

God: You're welcome...I guess. ~grins~

Me: Actually I'm flattered that you took the time to come all the way down...

God: Over. Not down Rob.

Me: Over?

God: Yes I wasn't up here in Heaven, I was over at the summer place on my private planet. So it's more over than up.

Me: Cripes. I forget that you have that little vacation planet all to yourself.

God: Not quite to myself. I have a couple of dozen Angels with me to keep the place tidy and to look after me. I'm no spring chicken these days Rob.

Me: No, I guess not. Would I be too bold to ask how many years "young" you are?

God: I'm not sure. We didn't keep great records way back then at the dawn of creation and such. My Mother...

Me: Your Mother? Not the Holy Mother Mary?

God: Oh Gawd no! I mean Gertrude Ruth Natasha- my birth Mother.

Me: Gee, I had no idea. Gertrude? Really? Was she from down here?

God: No. Down there didn't exist. No big bang before I came into the world. I was the BIG BANG.

~he laughs~

Me: Gee, I never thought about your birth being the "big bang".

God: Well, to be truthful- and I am God and truth is important to me, it wasn't just my birth alone that created the "big bag". There was a whole bunch of crazy stuff going on back then- long before Stephen Harper was a glint in his mother's eye.

Me: Or Patrick Brown...

God: Oh for St. Paul's Sake! Don't get me started on that queer fellah.

Me: Queer?

God: NO! I don't mean "queer" as in Gay, I mean "queer" as in "strange". Jesus, Mary and Joe, I keep forgetting you folks have progressed so far. Still he does show signs...

Me: Signs of what?

God: No, I better not say.

Me: Is he going to win his seat?

God: Now Rob, I can't go foretelling the future like that. Goodness knows what might happen. The planets might start to leave their orbit or some people might stop being such big assholes.

Me: Wow God- Your Extremeness! You said "assholes"!!

God: Yes. That's not a swearword here. At least to me it isn't. I just call someone what they really are and if they are one- an asshole I mean, they deserve to be called one.

Me: God, why can't you just make some people not be such assholes.

God: Well Rob, the earth would be a dull place without them. Same with the Green Party. It takes all kinds as you know. Say...how are the ticket sales going for "Earnest".

Me: You know about Earnest?

God: Yes, I picked up a brochure in the OCC lobby as I was leaving your All for Nun show. Boy, the air conditioning really keeps things cool out there- doesn't it?

Me: Yes. ~pause~ OH!. I see. Yes. Yes. It does. ~chuckle~ Tickets are going slow but we have some time.

God: Well I applaud you for soldiering on. Hey Rob, I was thinking..

Me: Yes,

God: Now an Angel- Angel David,o brought this to my attention, He suggested I encourage you to write a show using me as a character.

Me: You? Geez I dunno...

God: Hey they did it on Broadway this summer and it was a hit. I think you could write a real funny play. You'd have my blessing, Rob, to do it

Me: Really?

God: Of course.

Me: Now that gives me something to think about over the winter.

God: Oh yes Rob, about your winter this year...if you thought the last two years were bad, well...

Me: No! I don't want to know.

God: Not even a hint?

Me: Nope! Look God, I gotta be running along.

God: Yes you do. You have Earnest dialogue to learn.

Me: How did you...know?

God: I'm omnipresent. I know all and see all. Oh by the way, that package of bologna in your meat bin in the fridge?

Me: Yes?

God: Toss it. It's gone off!

Me: I will and thanks God. This was terrific!

God: Same back at you. See you next time Rob. All the best.

ROBBLOG #583

Hello Again,

I say that because it's been a couple of weeks since I blogged. However, now that our show All for Nun- A Stage Xtravaganza has closed, I will have some more time at least till mid-September.

All for Nun is the Theatre Orillia Show I wrote that ran for 3 successful weeks. We successfully paid cast and crew and our venue.
We did so putting mostly out-of-town bums in our seats!

This 2015 Summer Theatre Season would not have lasted a week is it weren't for the bus tours and the out-of-town folks on Sunshine Getaway tours. Now, to be fair we do pick up some locals on Thursday Matinees and Thursday nights but that is mainly due to the fact that it's 2 for 1 pricing. Friday nights at full, regular prices are a bust.
You can't give a ticket away some Fridays. Our Theatre Orillia shows are populated with professional, paid actors. They are a cut above and yet we struggle.

The middle Friday in our run was cancelled because of only 2 seats sold, whereas the day before- a Thursday, we were almost a full house for two shows. Same thing for our final Thursday. Full houses and yet Friday- our closing night, only had 7 seats sold until two days before when we gave away seats to make sure the cast had an audience.
You know how people say things happen for a reason?
That Friday night we cancelled?
Turned out it was a good decision because I lost my voice. My vocal chords started to go caput on Thursday, so Friday I had not voice. I spoke in a whisper. 5 shows a week and two shows on Thursdays can wreak havoc on one's un-mic'd voice.

On the subject of comps. They're not a bad idea but they don't pay the bills.
Yet, on a final night, what do we have to lose?
Word of mouth does nothing- since it's the last show anyway.
I will say Sister Mary Margaret took up a "free will offering" at the top of the second act and we managed to recoup some expenses.
Good on her!

Theatre Orillia/Double R Productions  have brought in close to 20 busloads of theatre guests who shop locally, dine locally, take boat cruises and see summer theatre. Our Getaway Guests stay overnight and do even more. One Matinee bus came all the way from Barry's Bay just to see our show and have lunch! Another afternoon two buses filled with members of the Caribbean Community of Toronto came to dine at the Golden Wok Buffet on Front Street, South and see our show.
They were a terrific audience to be sure.

We're not even sure many downtown merchants are aware that we bring in these people.
We are grateful for the advertising support of small businesses we receive, as well as the cash flow from our Season and Show sponsors. We couldn't do it without them.

If you missed The Affections of May and All for Nun- A Stage Xtravaganza, you still have time to see The Importance of Being Earnest the St Paul's Centre beginning September 29th. The St Paul Gals will be cooking a turkey dinner Thursday and Friday Nights so you can sup well and see our show. The Box Office is 705.242.8011.

We really need a ton of support for this autumn show and I sincerely hope we can count on you.

Finally, if you did see All for Nun, you should know that now you can follow Sister Mary Margaret
at her twitter account:
https://twitter.com/SisterMMargaret

ROBBOG #582

Note: I haven't written a Blog in a month! I have an excuse.
I just finished performing in a Theatre Orillia show- The Affections of May, two weeks ago.
Since then, I have spent 9 days in rehearsal for another show and now less than two weeks later the new show All for Nun- A Stage Xtravaganza, which I wrote, is up and running at the OCC in Orillia.
Today, I write a Message from the Artistic Director- which I am. I've had almost 800 reads on Facebook and now I present it in its entirety to you.
                                                                                  -Rob*

A Message from the Artistic Director of Theatre Orillia/Double R Productions 

I am Rob Reid Artistic Director for Theatre Orillia/Double R Productions. That sounds like an important title doesn’t it? It isn’t really. It just looks good on a business card. Besides the card, I wear many hats as Artistic Director- Actor and Playwright among them. I spent several months and countless hours writing the script for the current Theatre Orillia Production- All for Nun- A Stage Xtravaganza.

We have just started our second Summer Production of our inaugural three show season at the OCC- former Cinema 4, on Colborne Street, in Downtown Orillia. Our final show will be in September/October at the newly named St. Paul’s Centre at Coldwater Street and Peter Street North.

To date- with Norm Foster’s The Affections of May and the current on stage production- All For Nun- and up to and including our fall production of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” we have tried our best to be “a Part of our Community”- as our tag line says. 

We have or will be bringing up to 20 buses, countless groups and dozens of Sunshine Getaway Tours’ guests to The City or Orillia and to our Downtown, Waterfront and Restaurants. 

That’s a lot of people who will shop in Orillia’s stores, dine in our restaurants or see the sites. Being a not-for-profit theatre company we run on a bare minimum budget. We started out with zero dollars. To help us pay for our season we have received one $500 grant from the City of Orillia, money from our Season and Show Sponsors, Kickstarter supporters and advertisers but it doesn’t pay all our expenses. 

We pay our cast and crew weekly as well as our venue- the OCC. That’s a very large outlay of cash. The four of us who started this company have so far not received one cent of pay. We funnel all our funds towards paying for the shows, the OCC, costumes, rights, props and Cast & Crew.

It is a large undertaking. 

Looking at the audience numbers we bring to the OCC, I should mention that the majority of the audience members are from out-of-town. Local and area support is meagre at best. Oh, there are the hard core theatre goers who support us time and time again and we thank them every time they show up. This year Lake Country is supporting us. The Island Princess too. Our charities that we promote at each show- Green Haven, Dress for Success, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Sharing Place Food Bank all try their best to bring patrons to our shows. 

There are times we offer comp tickets to fill seats. Many theatres do. However, giving out “free” tickets does not pay our bills. We offer comps in the hope that those people seeing our show(s) will spread the word. 

Some Media types are a great help to us. The Packet and Times have been more than generous with advertising. John Swartz of the Packet is always a stalwart supporter of our company, as is Frank Matys and Orillia Today. Ross McIntyre has written terrific articles as well. UPS Orillia has been very generous as has Swisssh Radio- an Online station. We get snippets from other groups but Radio and Television media- not so much. They are tough nuts to crack. True, we don’t have hundreds or thousands to spend but what if we are successful and return for a second season and we have extra dollars for advertising? Will we hot-foot it to the media that offers no help when we need it most- during this inaugural season? 

Then, there’s our Cultural Department at City Hall. We haven’t seen nor heard from anyone there nor has a representative- to my knowledge attended our show(s). We have given some comps to those folks who work at the Orillia Opera House as the Sunshine Getaway Package includes Theatre Orillia as well as The Opera House, The Island Princess, OMAH and The Mariposa Inn.

We have seen our Mayor Steve Clarke and a couple of Councillors in our theatre. We have even invited Mayors and Councillors from Severn and Ramara. 

I can hear you saying- so what do you want?

Simple.

Support.

Local support from citizens and businesses.

Attend one of our shows.

Give us a leg up. Hang up a poster.

Recognize we are a viable theatre company and pass on the word to others.  

Imagine, our small city of 30,000+ people has two summer Theatre Companies and has had for two years! We are a Part of Our Community.

We bring tourists to Orillia including folks from Toronto, London, Cambridge, Hamilton, Huntsville, Haliburton, Burlington and more. They leave our Theatre Orillia at the OCC beaming. They love the shows, our actors, our sets, our comfortable, air-conditioned, easily accessible venue. 

Theatre Orillia has a good thing going here. Why there are those who ignore that fact is a mystery to us. Yes, we can give out comps to fill our theatre but we really need the cash. We have brought in the various charities to show you that we want to be here. We want to help other organizations as well as ourselves. 

Our Actors in our shows come from not only Orillia but further afield from the North, East and South. Everyone has an equal opportunity to audition for us. Our Actors and Crew are hard-working, professionals and give you a big, big bang for your buck.  

We do too.

Thursday’s are Two for One. Buy one adult ticket at $30, Senior $25 or Student $15 and receive the second free! There are special rates for groups of 30 or more. Details are on our website www.theatreorillia.ca or call our Box Office at 705.242.8011. Our Box Office is open at the OCC Monday thru Saturday from 11 until 2PM. 

This past Tuesday we had four, local "theatre virgins" in the audience. They had never seen a "live" stage show before.  A Sister Mary Margaret would say- "Isn't that grand?" 

If you’re Media, we’d be happy to help you by displaying logos and ensuring your “brand” is displayed before and during the show. Call us and we’ll see what we can do. 

We don’t want to flounder wondering how we can get local bums in our Theatre Orillia seats. If we do, we won’t be able to afford to do this for another year. 

Thanks and see you at the theatre!

Theatre Orillia that is… 

Best Regards,

Rob Reid

Artistic Director Theatre Orillia/ Double R Productions

 

ROBBLOG #581

Halfway through June.

Where did May go? June's on the downswing now. I saw a poster in a shop window the other day advertising Canada Day in Orillia.
Geesh. Time flies when you're busy....and I am busy.
The first show in our Theatre Orillia/Double R Productions 2015 Season is hitting the boards.
The Affections of May runs through July 3.

A professional show that went from read-thru to dress rehearsal in 11 days! Actors, Stage Crew and Director have to be on their toes. There's no time for slouching or falling behind. Sets are built. Lights are hung. Dialogue is memorized and costumes are fitted all in less than two weeks.
Yikes!!

We have a spectacular Norm Foster product- The Affections of May. Funny, heart-warming and just plain Norm Foster silliness. It's the perfect show for a summer afternoon- especially if it's raining, or a summer evening out. We suggest dinner first- then the show.

This show is at the OCC- formerly Cinema 4 in downtown Orillia, as is the next show All for Nun.

Come join us for a laugh and support our theatre company's inaugural season.
Besides Affections and All for Nun, we offer Oscar Wilde's classic 1895 comedy- The Importance of Being Earnest! That show goes up at St. Paul's Centre in September and October.

Check out our website www.theatreorillia.ca and order your tickets online. You can also call our Box Office at 705.242.8011. Our Box office at the OCC is open 11 to 2PM daily and up to including show times on show days Tuesday through Friday.

C'mon and have a laugh at the OCC with Theatre Orillia.

You'll be glad you did and we'll be glad you did because if enough of you come- we'll be able to pay our bills!!
That will make up very, very happy!

ROBBLOG #580

Cripes!

I can't believe it's been a few weeks since I blogged. I'll bet a lot of you have given up on me.
It's just that my mind has been elsewhere these past weeks and I really need to slap a post-it note on my forehead and start blogging on a more regular basis.

So, this is BLOG #580. Maybe I'll stop at #600. Of course I said that about #500 and here I am- most of the time. Usually, when I sit down here at the keyboard something comes from this brain of mine. I usually find writing a little story the easiest. I type a line and I just build the story from there- never knowing where it will take me. I should look back and see how many little tales I have written. Maybe they would fill a book.

I had full intentions a couple of years ago to self-publish a book and call it Banana Oil- something my Dad always said when he found something silly or unbelievable. I still think it's a good idea, it's just getting around to it.

That's not happening over the next two months. My company Double R Productions- in association with Theatre Orillia, is presenting a season of three "live" theatrical shows at the OCC- formerly Orillia Cinema 4. By the time you read this, rehearsals will be underway for the first show- Norm Foster's The Affections of May.

The second show opening in July, is one I wrote called- "All for Nun- A Stage Xtravaganza. Just read the previous Blog to find out more about the show and the "Diva-like" Star I wrote it for. That one will be tons of fun and is certainly beating Affections and The Importance of Being Earnest- our Fall show, at the box office. More than a dozen bus tours have booked in for that show alone. Sister Mary Margaret- the star, will be pleased.

I am pleased too. I do worry though.
You see, selling tickets is one thing, now I have to make sure the show is really, really good or it will all come back to haunt me.

I believe it is a funny, funny show and with the actors we've hired I can guarantee it!
Get your tickets soon. One show is already sold out- more pressure!
Box Office is 705.242.8011.

So, that my readers will take up a great deal of my time throughout June and July. Then, a small break before rehearsals start mid-September for Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. I stood next to Mr. Wilde once.
"You don't say!"- I hear you mutter surprisingly.
Yes, it's true however, Mr. Wilde may not have noticed me, since he was lying dead inside his tomb at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris at the time. Sounds good though doesn't it?

Oscar Wilde "At Rest" in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris

If you live in the Orillia/Central Ontario area, come and support Theatre Orillia and our actors and crew. They've been working hard so far and I have no reason to doubt the quality of all three shows will be extremely high- and professional.

That's the name of the game in summer theatre. The show rehearses for 10 days or so, then it gets up and runs for three week. Towards the end of the first show's run- Affections of May, we start to rehearse the second show All for Nun. Some actors are in both shows, so it's a credit to their work ethic to pull off rehearsals and a running show at the same time.

Go to our website www.theatreorillia.ca to find out more.

See you at the Theatre!