Bernard and Boy Groove...

Life is good.

Today is my first weekday off in our shooting schedule. Bruce is here writing a song with the members of Boy Groove (an insanely talented group of actor/musicians who's show Boy Groove - by Chris Craddock, kicked some serious ass at Fringe Festivals across the country. With luck they will be returning to Toronto for a remount sometime very soon!) I have also discovered that White Rock is home to a Bernard Callebaut store!!!! I'm on a seriously delightful chocolate high right now...and seeing how I just blew $96.70 there...I may be on this high for sometime! ( for those of you who have never indulged in Callebaut chocolate - you lead a sad and hollow life.....Lucky for you they're available online: www.bernardcallebaut.com - if there's a lady in your life that you want to impress it's the ONLY way. And yes - I know that you non-Calgarians believe Lindt and Godiva chocolates to be the TOP - but you are WRONG.) I have purchased a large box to treat the crew tomorrow after lunch....

We have just finished shooting out first block. Block "A" was comprised of episodes 3,4 & 5, shot out of sequence. Weird. It really gives you no idea of how you're doing as an actor/character with an "arc", and all that wanky crap...but, c'est la vie. The underwear scene happened....and brought up many of my "chick issues"...but they had to be swept aside in the name of work. I also shot a scene where I had to flash my tits at a truck driver. (yes - this is a family show!) In the script it was meant to be shot from the back so you'd see just my bare back....The director however, chose to shoot if from 1/4 profile - so long as I was comfortable with it. Isn't it great that I have no shame? I was quickly introduced to some of the "insider-industry -secrets" of breast taping. First: a couple of flesh colored pasties to cover my nipples...because appearently nipples are the NAKED-OFFENSIVE part...and the rest is just boob-bag...THEN my breasts were pulled up into the ideal position and TAPED over my shoulders with Grip Tape!!!! Now - it wasn't pretty head on - but from the side I was able to lift my shirt and display a D-cup that was impervious to the laws of gravity! TV magic friends, TV magic! It will make you think twice next time you spy a pair of beautiful jugs in the entertainment industy: TAPE and PASTIES!

My favorite place to hang out is the hair and make-up trailer. Rosemaire & Fiona do hair, Alla and Trudy do make-up. They are all wonderful ladies with excellent senses of humour who make all of us look amazing everyday! They also have a lot of inside stories about Hollywood Stars and what they are like to work with. I was thrilled to find out that Rose had worked with John Cusak when I found a gorgeous picture of him in one of her books. I've been very clear with Bruce that if John Cusak ever asks me out that it will be over between us....and Rose has said she'll see what she can do to pass that on to John....

Soon Bruce will be off on his BC tour of the Canada Show and I will be on my own out in White Rock....Working 12 hour days is keeping me busy though and I'm so, so, so greatful for this experience! It's wonderful to be working in such a positive, supportive environment.

We went into Vancouver on the weekend to catch the end of the Fringe. Canada is a small, small country and the Fringe circuit is even smaller. How odd to walk into the Fringe Club on Granville Island and to meet up with friends and former U of C fellow-students. We had a great time hanging out with Shaker, JB, Len Stanga, Krusty, Carmen...and some surprise visits with Lyle St.Goddard, Kristina Agosti and Roger Fredricks! Little Calgary West Coast - home is everywhere....and they all want to know when Bruce and I are moving to Vancouver...Hmmmmmm.

Tomorrow we start Block "B" - episodes 1 & 2 with Gary Harvey....I'm sure I'll have more tales to tell very soon....

R

Sweet Dink Balls....

I made it!

I made it to the end of my first week of shooting! This job is a real adventure - one that is teaching me more than any school, and one that I am enjoying to the fullest!

I'm meeting lots of wonderful people. The ones I've connected with most, so far, are the lovely gentlemen from Transport who pick me up and drop me off everyday. Patrick is a fireman in his "real life". Yes - a FIREMAN - one of the last few REAL HEROS we have in this world. He's doing this gig because he cracked his ribs in the last fire he fought.(WOW!) Patrick doesn't think of himself as a hero so much as an adrenalin junkie. Simon is from Poland and did his thesis at the University in Moscow in early Egyptian Theatre. (WOW!) He has plans to move to Cuba to compose and record music with Che Guevera's son. He told me that he often drives out to Langley a little early so that he can pull over the van and take a morning walk in the woods. He brings his camera and takes pictures while he has his coffee. Curtis is a Cree Indian. He was once a social worker on a reserve - now he drives transport when he's not acting in film and TV. He taught me a WONDERFUL Cree word - here's the phonetic: ka-na-na-skoo-ti-min....which roughly translates to: "Thank you for your friendliness and for being open with your spirit." Isn't that beautiful?! WHY - don't we have words like that in English?

The daily grind of making a TV show is just that - a grind. LOTS of waiting around followed by a flury of activity. Things are even more stressful on this shoot because our two child actors are on very strict time constraints. We have to be done shooting their scenes no later than 6:30pm every day. The closer we get to 6:30, the more tense everyone gets.

I've been spending my down time between scenes in "video village". This is a little black-out tent where they keep the camera monitors. I sit in there with the script supervisor (she keeps track of every little detail in terms of lines, movements, prop placements, etc...for the sake of continuity), the Director of Photography (he lights everything and is responsible for the over-all LOOK of the show. In our case, Camal also speaks FIVE languages and is one of the best D.O.P's in Canada.), and the director (who works with the DOP, the actors, the camera man...and has final say on most of the shots). We're often joined by various producers, writers, stunt guys, make-up and hair people, etc. There are easily 40 - 50 people on set everyday running around doing a million things that have to get done so that it all comes together. People get tense - but it all comes down to "the work", and so great effort it made not to take anything personally. Davide is our camera man - and he is South American. He's got a great accent and an even better attitude....He keeps the environment light and fun at all times.

The acting is such a SMALL part of it - and it all happens so quickly! There is a quick blocking rehearsal for camera, they decide on the best way to shoot it...then we MAYBE do a scene 4-5 times max. That's it. I have NO IDEA how any of it is coming across, or what the final product will look like. Folks seems pleased, and there has been laughter coming from the tent - but who knows?!

Coming up this week - I will shoot a scene in my underwear. I'm not looking forward to it - but hey - it's all in the name of comedy, right? In preparation for this event I went and had my first ever bikini wax this afternoon. I have little to say about the experience other than: FUCK!

Enid-Rae ( an old friend from Shakespeare in the Park) is working on this show as the Assistant Production Manager. She's a real calming presence for me. We went for fantastic Indian food this week - an amazing buffet! And after dinner she introduced my to the BEST dessert I think I've ever tasted. I don't know what these things are called.....they're like little round dough balls, or donut hole type things...and are DRENCHED in warm honey! WOW! For lack of the proper name - we dubbed them "Sweet Dink Balls" - and I have no doubt that there are many more Sweet Dink Balls in my future!

My neck is still an issue so I will be looking for a physio therapist this week too. Hmmmm - I just realised that of the two adventures that I have blogged about here ( my trip to Spain, and now my TV show) I have been in serious PAIN in both of them. I will have to try and figure out WHY this happens to me....Perhaps I'm meant to lead a quiet life in the safety of my own home....Or, maybe I just need to RELAX and not put stress into my body!

Ah well.....

I hope that all of you are well - and I wish each of you a "Sweet Dink Ball" experience of your own!

R

Adventures in Wonderland....

At last an update!

Many things have happened recently! Some of you are up to date...and for those who are NOT - read on!

Bruce and I have packed up the warehouse space and moved everything to a new pad - formerly Peter Oldring's place! It's a wonderful studio apartment that will provide us the luxury of WINDOWS! (we've been living without natural light for almost two years....this may explain our palour, the dark circles and our unquenchable thirst for the blood of virgins....hard to find in Toronto!)

We're also planning our wedding....but I think I mentioned that before.....I did, didn't I? Oh -God....am I turning into ONE OF THOSE BRIDES??!!! Shit! Whatever. We will be tying the knot at the Loose Moose Theatre Company, on stage, in April. I'm thrilled to bits that Dennis agreed to let us have the theatre. Loose Moose is more my home that Rundlehorn Drive was - so it's only fitting.

I am NOT in Calgary rehearsing The Miracle Worker as I was meant to be at this time. I am instead out in Vancouver living out the actor's lottery winning of being cast in a new series! The show is called: "Alice, I Think" - based on a book by the same name by BC author Susan Juby. The book is funny, the TV scripts are funny...and, God willing, I will also be funny in the role of Alice's crazy-hippy-environmentalist Mom! Yes - I'm playing the mother of a 15 year old girl and a 10 year old boy.....The blow that this casting has dealt to my ego has been softened by the fact that I'm making some good coin doing what I LOVE! I am seriously grateful.....and have also been so stressed/excited about this new adventure that I woke up on my third day here with "torticolis"....Which basicly means that I CAN'T MOVE MY NECK, OR LEFT SHOULDER. ( this is a VAST improvement over the projectile vomitting that I suffered from as a child whenever I got stressed about BIG things!) I took myself into Emergency hoping they could inject some sort of relaxing medicinal into my rock hard muscles...and came away with a prescription for all sorts of wonderful "do not operate heavy machinery" drugs. I've been high ever since.....

With that - I will sign off.....The drugs are too powerful to fight....I'm going to give into this bilssful detachment and go lay down on one of the beds in my hotel room.....WHY are there TWO double beds in hotel rooms? A bit creepy don't you think?