Nerdist and Inspirationalist

Being a nerd used to be a bad thing. It isn’t anymore. The question now is, how do you share your nerd-iness?

The Nerdist Channel, (www.nerdist.com) has exploded in the last few years with celebrations of all things nerdy. Comics, theatre, music, gaming, Muppets, – you name it and they’ll celebrate it. And that’s wonderful.

I find the celebration of something you are passionate about always leads to something good. Maybe not right away, but if you are a dedicated nerd, then that dedication will pay off. Your audience, whomever they may be, will appreciate your passion, your attention to detail. It’s a great thing.

So, what are you a nerd about? Doesn’t really matter, does it? So long as you share it.

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What a difference a year makes.

I went out for groceries and such today, and the whole time I was running errands, I simply wanted to be at home making puppets. Me, making puppets. I wouldn’t have been doing that a year ago. This time last year, The Muppets was in theatres and I was enjoying sharing it with friends and family.  I was reading about them online, finding out more about muppetcentral.com, toughpigs.com, muppetmindset.blogspot.ca and I didn’t even know that The MuppetCast existed yet. One year later and I have multiple puppets that I’ve made, I’ve helped others to bring their own puppets into the world, I’ve appeared on The MuppetCast and interviewed Steve Swanson for my own podcast. I’ve seen the Muppets perform live in New York and Montreal and I’ve seen a performance of Stuffed and Unstrung.  I’ve also visited The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta and the PuppetsUp Festival in Almonte. Quite an adventure in one year. I wonder, what will this next year bring?

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Podcast #8 with Special Guest Steve Swanson!

It’s double your pleasure, double your fun this week as we say happy birthday to both Walt Disney and our very own Ceris Thomas!  This time we interview web designer, musician and fellow podcaster Steve Swanson of the MuppetCast!  Steve talks with us about his love of the Muppets and Disney and what drives him to share his love with the world.  Steve is the inspiration for our own little podcast and we are very excited to have him on.  Also stay tuned at the end for a moving rendition of “Sing” from Sesame Street, featuring Steve on piano and vocals and Ceris, Luke and Kerry on vocals!  Let us know what you think in the comments, we’d love to here from you!

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Podcast #7 with Special Guest Danny Ostropolec

Podcast #7 is here, and just in time for our special guest, Danny Ostropolec’s new show, Seussical! Now playing at the Palace theatre.  Danny is Horton in Seussical and is an author of  children’s books. He visits with us and we talk about writing, publishing, illustrating and performing. Give a listen, “Like” us on Facebook, follow us on twitter and comment below if there’s something special you’d like us to cover in a future podcast!

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Spread the love…

In the last little while I’ve had great opportunities to share passion for theatre and things theatrical and creative. We do that on our podcast regularly, but there’s been extensions of late.

A few days ago, my senior students and I traveled to Medway High School to share our plays with other students. The different classes, from almost opposite ends of our school board had finished a unit of playwriting and we created our First Annual Three Way Play Festival! It was great. We arrived, played a drama game and took turns showing off our short plays for each other. Then we had a wonderful lunch, hopped back on the bus and made the long journey back to our school. All the plays were wonderful and all the positive support for the work was great. I know my kids enjoyed visiting another school and making new friends because that was the last thing they were doing, getting in a circle and asking each other questions. They want to do it again next year and they want it to be a whole day. We’ll see what we can arrange.

This week, Shrew’d Business, (my husband and I) are working with the LYTE kids at The Palace. We are providing workshops in beginner techniques in Stage Combat and they are eating it up! At the time of this writing we have one workshop left and you can certainly tell that the kids are excited to learn something new.

Teaching how to safely pull someone’s hair. See the smiles?

And last weekend, I shared with friends how to make a “muppety” monster puppet. Seven new puppets came into the world and they all had so much fun. The energy was completely infectious and the delight they each had when they made a new piece of their puppet was heavenly. Such a wonderful thing to share. We shared some pics on the social media(s) and the response was equally positive. It looks like I’ll be doing more of the same in future months! Happy to do so!

A collage of creatures. Thanks to Kerry Hishon for the pics!

The thing with spreading the love is, you get more of it back – just the thing we all need, right?

“I’ve got a dream too. But it’s about singing and dancing and making people happy. That’s the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with. And well, I’ve found a whole bunch of friends who have the same dream. And it kind of makes us like a family.”

Kermit the Frog

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I love musicals.

I really love them. I love all theatre, but I really love musicals – almost all of them. It’s pretty darn rare to find a musical that I don’t really enjoy on some level. Even some of the rougher ones – cause let’s face it, there are a few old chestnuts out there that are rough around the edges, or new ones that are lacking in substance. But, I can generally find something I like in pretty much any musical.

I like watching them. I like listening to them. I like learning about them. I like reading them. I like directing/choreographing them – boy oh boy, do I like that, and of course, I like performing in them.

Right now I’m watching the lovely Dame Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria. I love this show. I only know the film and little bits of the Broadway show that I’ve seen on YouTube. Some of that inspired my choreography for FOLLIES that I directed and choreographed a little while ago.

It’s a funny thing with musicals, when you grow up performing in them you dream of getting a larger role than the chorus gal – the 2nd last Snow child in Carousel, a Jet Girl in West Side Story, etc., and then you actually start getting roles. Like all theatre, you start to find your niche, where you fit in the pantheon of roles. I generally get cast as the comedic lead – not the real lead, the romantic lead… nope, that’s not the part I get. And that’s okay, cause usually the comedic lead is much more fun than the romantic one, but you never get the guy – or at least you never get the scene that shows the romance of getting the guy. So, you always wonder what it would be like to get that role. There’s not a lot of shows where the funny girl gets the romantic scene. Funny Girl, sure. Gypsy, maybe… and Victor/Victoria… how I’d love a chance at that role… or any of those roles.

Anyone out there want to direct something like that? I promise, I’ll be directing something that’s perfect for you sometime soon.

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Red Carpet Connection at The Beat Awards!

Well fans and friends, we’ve got some exciting news! This January the team from The Lovers, the Dreamers and You will be in attendance at The Beat DISH awards to “dish” with you!

Think of us as your Red Carpet Connection – we’ll be there to catch your thoughts during the party and as you walk off the stage clutching your award! We’ll be able to capture your well wishes to those who are nominated and to snap snippets of plugs for your upcoming productions!

We also want you to tell us what you loved about the past year of theatre, what you dream about for the future and how YOU hope to be connected to the whole creativity scene!

Our team will catch you in the action and piece together a night to remember for the 4th Annual DISH Awards, so make sure you clean up pretty, cause some of the questions may just be about your fashion sense!

Are you excited? We are!

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Podcast #6 with Special Guest Elizabeth Newman!

Podcast #6 is here and we are proud to interview the one and only Elizabeth Newman!  Elizabeth is a native of New York City who recently directed the well received Goodnight Children Everywhere at the Palace Theatre.  She has worked with many great actors and artists during her time in film and we talk extensively about her experiences.  Elizabeth will be leaving for Texas soon for new adventures with her family and we wish her all the best!

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Quick – what are YOU proud of lately?

Certainly there are lots of things that a person could be proud of in their day to day activities. Raking all the leaves, cleaning out their make-up supplies, helping a child with homework, giving back to the community – all sorts of things, right? Well, today I’m proud, cause I helped someone vanquish a Vampire! I did.

You see, my friend Donna is preparing for a show. A very important show in fact. Her first solo venture, ever. She performs at Aeolian Hall this Friday night and her path to this particular performance has not been the easiest… but it’s imminent and I’m certain it’s going to be great.

I’m certain. But she isn’t. She’s plagued with all the doubts that every performer, director, composer/lyricist, musician, artist, whatever…. has ever been plagued with their entire life. She’s 4 days away from what I’m sure is going to be a great night and she keeps hearing the Vampires in her head from every facet of her past existence and she can’t help listening to them. Who can blame her, really? This IS a big deal. Even though she’s already broken even on the event, (her second night in Hamilton is sold out already), even though she knows she’s got the greatest musician’s backing her, (she’s got her final rehearsal with them tonight), and even though she knows that everyone who has told her they are attending Friday are doing so out of devotion and love for her, – even with all that, she’s listening to those demons in her head that tell her she’s a fool to even try this. Well, thank the heavens she broke down and told me about that today, because that gave me the opportunity to help kill a few of her personal vampires. Stake’d em through their shrivelled little hearts, I did!!!

If you don’t know what a personal Vampire is… well, then you didn’t see our performance of [title of show] last September in Procunier Hall at The Palace Theatre. “Die Vampire, Die!” is one of my favourite songs from the show and I take personal pride in having had the opportunity to perform such an inspirational song. I include a youtube clip here of the original company – give it a listen – fair warning – you’ll laugh and you’ll learn and you’ll hear some strong language. But it’s important language. It’s not gratuitous.

Die Vampire, Die! from [title of show] Susan Blackwell

Well, I told my friend Donna that those Vampire’s of hers needed to die and I started to explain why and how and what to her… and then I just let Susan Blackwell and the [tos] team take it home for her. It did the trick – at least temporarily. I know that Donna’s still going to be nervous, unsure and stressed – right up until the moment she takes the stage, but she knows she can do it and she knows the alternative is MUCH worse. And that’s to not do it, to not be creative, to stifle her voice and to listen to the Vampires.

So, I’m proud of killing Vampires. I’m proud of singing and spreading the message of Susan Blackwell and I’m proud of my friend Donna. I can’t wait to hear her sing on Friday. Join me, won’t you?

Here’s a link to an editorial about Donna and her concert. Check it out.

http://www.thebeatmagazine.ca/index.php/featured-posts/1307-donna-creighton-to-play-the-aeolian-nov-9

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Why new projects can help you get through the dark days…

Have you ever felt blue, you know, a little anxious for no particular reason? A little sad, a little self-conscious or perhaps even really sad during those long dark times that take us from the beautiful colourful days of fall into the bright sparkling days of rebirth in spring? How do you combat that? What keeps you going?

Let’s face it, it can be difficult to get up in what seems like the dead of night to face whatever challenges your day may bring, but we’ve got to do it, right? We’ve got bills to pay and houses to clean and all manner of other commitments that make us get out of that comfy cozy spot where we’d much rather stay until April. So what keeps you going?

For me, it’s the promise of creative projects. This fall, I have less on my plate than normal, but that’s quite alright as the new year will bring several exciting shows my way and stocking up energy now is vital for all that I’ll need to keep organized.

Of course the podcast and blog will continue, but then there’s also a production of Sullivan & Gilbert with LCP at The Palace Theatre, a staged reading of Under Milk Wood again with LCP, two Original Kids Productions – one which will see me working with one of my favourite things (PUPPETS!) – that’s of course Avenue Q, the alumni show in June of next year and finally just today we received word that our submission to the London Fringe – [THEY FIGHT!] was accepted for this year! It’s going to be a busy six months for sure.

So, while I may be feeling a little non-specific sadness in these months as the days get darker, I know there’s some real creative buzz coming in the new year and that will certainly speed the time towards the longer sunnier days. And that’s my advice, find something exciting that will keep you going and make you want to get up, regardless of the light. Then, share it with others. They may benefit from your creativity as well.

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