In fact quite the opposite, considering our work schedules and financial limitations we've seen a number of great productions here in Toronto. Goodness, The Boy in the Photograph, The Turning of the Screw, as well as a host of cabaret acts, Scott in the City, Sharron Mathews, Curtain's Down at Statler's and a few others. And we have been genuinely excited about all the theatre news we've been hearing. Factory is having a great season, and we are hoping to get over to see something there. I like what CanStage is doing this season, especially Art, which I am sad I am gonna miss. Plus a bunch of small production companies doing new musicals!
The cast of Jerry Springer was in at Statler's a few weeks back, and were super fun. Alter Boys just finished a Toronto cast run. The new off-Broadway show Toxic Avenger is in town. As well as the exciting double bill of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Debbie Does Dallas. Both casts have done teasers at Statler's recently. I saw the cast of Debbie last Monday and they were awesome. (Sadly I missed Hedwig last night.) EAP is also really proud of our friends at the Junction Art Collective, an up-and-coming production team who are busy getting their first production Rent off the ground. And we are going to follow their progress with interest.
Therefore it is a bit baffling for us why we haven't gotten back into the blog. We know it is an important tool to stay connected and a great way to disperse theatre news. And the more you use it the more useful it is. But lately we haven't been maximizing its potential. I think one of the reasons is because right now we are focused on individual projects and EAP doesn't have a timeline for any new productions. EAP itself is reevaluating what we want to do and how we'd like to see ourselves in the Toronto theatre community.
Some of you may know, but the reasons for our grant failure last fall were eye opening for us. And were glad to say, they were not related to the material at all. In fact we got lots of good feedback on Wood. But we also learned that we aren't in the position to receive any Federal, Provincial or City money. Which needless to say meant we couldn't produce a show. Mostly because the work and many of our connections aren't local, or even Canadian. But also because we weren't looking to be a profit venture, and hadn't really figured out where the money was going to come from. That is a hard sell for grant subsidies. They want you to balance the books. So we've taken a step back as far as our own projects. But we want to affirm to you, our loyal readers that we are committing until we leave and after we return, to stay on top of theatre news and local goings on. We're in this for the long haul.
And to that end we have been doing some theatre research lately, mostly via twitter, and came across this excellent piece written by Alan M. Berks, about "making it work." His piece was inspiring for me, because it reminded me that everyone in theatre goes through highs and lows, and that you have to just keep at it. If you are really committed to working in theatre, as opposed to television, film, or some other offshoot than you are going to always have to work at it, not just in it. And we would like to leave you, but not for too long, with this lovely quote from his piece about working in theatre as opposed to film or television. Something which is very poignant for us here at EAP.
...I’d sleep better if I accepted that scenario, but I don’t. In reality, I believe that television and movies, even the good ones, are analogous to nationwide chain restaurants. They can be good— though often they aren’t— but the experience they provide is very different than the experience a nice local restaurant provides.
