Hello friend,
It’s been a while.
Not much has fundamentally changed since I last wrote here; not much has - in effect - happened, and yet, everything has happened. Everything has changed. Only…it all feels the same?
We are still in a pandemic. What a time. And it looks like we will be stuck in this strange, nebulous time for a while. I hope you’re well.
My brain certainly feels painful. My heart definitely feels heavy. All of the energy and excitement that was feeding me coming off of making Hallmark’s delightful film Snowkissed has been depleted. I feel empty, creatively. Sort of…in a weird limbo.
I wrapped up my teaching gigs at the University of Winnipeg and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet for the year. Hopefully, in September, I shall resume both. I had a delightful time. I adore teaching; I really adore it.
Last week I conducted an acting/improv/theatre games workshop with SOCCER PLAYERS, at the University of Manitoba. It was truly amazing. I love the intersections between Sports and Theatre/Performance.
And I have 3 days on set for a film coming up. I’ll be playing Diego, a Chilean consular officer. I’m excited!
So yes. There is plenty to do, don’t get me wrong. Also, my theatre company, Shakespeare in the Ruins, is full steam ahead with plans to produce theatre-on-screen this year.
But…within, the artist in me is a bit…well, sad.
It’s just not a very happy time in the world, is it?
And it’s bonkers to think that I haven’t rehearsed a play in well over a year (theatre remains my lifeblood, I cannot deny that). When will we really KNOW our stages can come back full force…? We don’t know.
I miss rooms that vibrate with creative energy. I miss the electricity of discovering something together. I miss the unpredictable little events of normal daily life, like running into a friend at a coffee shop…
Anyway. You know all this already. You feel it too. I know.
So. What else is happening lately…? We are preparing for a digital season at Shakespeare in the Ruins, and I have been auditioning on/off for screen projects, while trying to keep my kids fed and clean and happy. I think I have three or four full time jobs going all at once at the moment, all done from home. One day we will look back on this time and go HOW did we even manage to put on pants in the morning?
Well, we live on Zoom, so pants are actually not even a priority anymore! Hey, a win! Down with the tyranny of the pants!
There is plenty going on, yes…but why am I finding it so hard to feel BUZZED about it all?!
I guess it’s the loss. The collective loss. It feels like Spring 2020 all over again. The uncertainty. The loss.
My home country has been registering almost 5 thousand deaths daily. My sister in Brazil had Covid, and it was bad (she’s ok now). My friends are unemployed. My baby girl still hasn’t met other babies…
It’s mess, eh?
Anyway.
Enough moping.
Here are some fun things.
My theatre company has this coming up: LINK.
I recorded this awesome webinar with my best friend, Jessica B. Hill: LINK.
I had a great chat with a very kind artist on this podcast here (we talked life and theatre and being down in the sexy dirt): LINK.
I recorded a super fun interview in Portuguese with some fine folk in Brazil about my work in Shakespeare, here: LINK.
I also got published - in Brazil ! A small article about my love for Shakespeare is part of this book here: LINK.
And THIS podcast here with Ben Naylor on the question WHY SHAKESPEARE, had my brain on fire: LINK.
I believe that’s all for now…there’s more but I can’t remember at the moment. Hey, Covid brain. It’s a thing.
Stay well, my friend. I wish gentle days upon you.
RB.