Ballerina

I took a few months off from podcasting. And in that time new projects entered my life, which you will certainly hear about on the podcast, but not today. With September in the air, and as I prepared for a busy day ahead of me, I found myself thinking about the relationship between business and fun and was reminded about this podcast so I wanted to sit down and record an episode. This episode is about a fond memory I have of work and play. I performed the role of Helen in Martin McDonagh's "The Cripple of Inishmaan" (scene study) in grad school. I think I might be a little shy to discuss some of the characters I worked on in grad school because I didn't perform the whole play. In the same breath, I can also tell you how much I enjoyed working on this play and this character with my incredible scene partner Geoff Hymers, under the direction of the late Elizabeth Kemp. This process was hard, and satisfying. This relationship and story were personal and also completely foreign to me. I didn't mention it in the episode but I also had to speak with an Irish accent and worked with a dialect coach to achieve this. I hope your back to school and back to work season is off to a great start, and don't forget to schedule in some fun for yourself.

I began writing, producing, and directing film in 2016 in the summer after I graduated from my MFA. I wasn't crystal clear on what I wanted to share, but I began regardless, and I ended up making a couple of projects right away that summer, including "Girls Gone Mild" a satire on millenial married women. It's not something that I've shared publicly because it's not the best executed joke or storytelling, but it was a milestone in my learning and development as a filmmaker. I'm posting it on my Patreon for my members! Not a member yet? Join and I'll keep posting some fun things. Hope you're having a great start to the week. xo

I started dancing ballet when I was three. All the women in my family have danced. My mom is 69 years old and she still dances ballet twice a week, so does my sister. I only danced for 15 years, once a week, and although I really enjoyed elements of it, I never loved it. I find it hard to spend so much time on the warm-up exercises, I just want to do floor work the whole time. Can you tell I'm an actor? haha. I hope you enjoy today's short episode. More coming soon.

One of my all time favorite roles was Masha in Christopher Durang's "Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike". This was my thesis production in grad school in 2016, directed by Michael Blatt. We worked on this piece for an entire year, while we completed coursework in school and productions outside of school (and held down jobs, and relationships, and living in NYC). This role was a dream for me, because it was an escape from a lot of the things I find challenging in my own life. Masha is not a people-pleaser, she's loud, and confident, and full of herself, and it felt AMAZING to be able to slip into this character and do and say all the things that I would never say in my real life. This role was therapy (sort of)! If you haven't seen this play, I highly recommend. A modern farce and truly a hilarious script from one of the best comedic contemporary writers of the 21st century.

I performed as a part of the Box and Wine Festival in a show called "MacSpin" written by Seth Freeman. The show was directed by Micke Hayhurst, and featured Travis Stanton-Marrero, Blaine Mizer, and Julia Hays. This was a comedy mashup of Macbeth, and was all meant to be a little silly. And it was. Although it wasn't a huge production, we came second place for Audience Choice in the festival, we had a great time, and we got to play around with some of the most notable characters in the Shakespeare canon. Did it change my life, maybe not, but boy is it ever a sweet memory to enjoy. Some moments in my career have been sweet and enjoyable, and today I was taking time to enjoy the memory of working on such a light frothy piece with a talented and easy going cast. Much love as I think of them today!

And then I got the call. The feature film was crowdfunded in 24 hours. And I was going to get to play Tagi one last time. Listen here about the experience, how it went by so quickly, and how I got to say goodbye to a character I'd known for 15 years, in the best way possible.

Have you ever peed your pants onstage? I have. But I was only 8 years old, and it was an end of year school play about baseball (I think). I was a candy seller, and I was wearing white jeans, and I was completely mortified. I had this memory of this show come back to me and I couldn't figure out why that memory, or why now? I still don't know the answer but I think it has something to do with a leg injury I had overcome at the age of 7 when I broke my femur bone, and was hospitalized for a couple of months. I had to manage 3rd grade at a new school as the "girl in the wheelchair". I made it work, and I also managed to walk again, and dance again, and miraculously it didn't end my dream of being a performer. It could have, but it didn't. I'm grateful I got to have the change to perform again, physically unassisted and able bodied, even if I did pee my pants in the process.

I've had the pleasure of playing one of my favorite roles of all time, Cassie in "A Chorus Line". It played in 2004 for three weeks at Hart House Theatre in Toronto. We got rave reviews. Admittedly, I've been pretty shy about this experience and this role. I see now that I've had a really hard time accepting that I deserved to be the lead, believing that I was allowed to be excellent, and allowed to take credit for that great performance I did. But, all that self- punishing crap is over! I'm thrilled to share with you about my time in that role. From the audition, to the performance, to the things I loved, to a couple of mistakes I made, this episode is a celebration of one of my favorite roles. I'll post accompanying pictures on my Patreon!

In 2010 I recorded two small songs for the Pure Pwnage: teh TV Series show (Showcase/ Hulu). I wasn't cast in the show, but I did get a chance to see one of the main set locations, hang out with the cast and meet Melanie, and record a couple of tracks that appeared on the television series. It was always a good time getting to create with Geoff, and I loved working on the music with him, and was grateful for the chance to contribute. I attended the wrap party for the show (which coincidentally my brother had also worked on in the Locations dept.), and believe it or not, those tracks lead to me getting some other jobs. More about coming soon on the pod!

Around Valentines Day 2007 we opened Nine the Musical at Hart House Theatre in Toronto. I played a named character, but mostly was a member of the glorious chorus in this show, alongside some of my future best friends and favorite people. This show included beautiful music, gorgeous costumes, highly thematic staging and set design, and hilarious performances from my friends. This show was a pure joy to be apart of. And it's reminded me of how the creative process shoud be joyful, and that the best art that I can make should come from that childish and confidently joyful place. I'm looking forward to seeking out more of that feeling in the work I create!