Toronto - week 2

I'm sorry for the lack of posting lately, but I'm so bloody tired every night when I get home. Traveling for two hours and sitting for five hours will do that to a person. I was less tired when I got home from a day of class and an evening of rehearsals for my own play. Plus, when I get to my sister's place, I try to spend some time with them, spend some time with the baby and spend some time on my homework. Not much of the homework is getting done, let me tell you.

So, again, because I'm still in rehearsals for The Real Thing, I don't want to make too many comments about the show itself... if they were positive, I'd be ruining surprises for you and if they were negative, I'd be very unprofessional. I will say that a lot has changed in two weeks/27 hours of rehearsal. We did our first stumble-through yesterday and many of the actors are mostly offbook already. I got to spend some time with the director the other day and we are on the same wavelength, for the most part. What's killing me is sitting in the same place, day after day, taking notes and staying quiet. I haven't been put to work on anything really. I did a bit of research at the beginning, but until we start doing run-throughs where my notes might count, it looks like I'm in observer mode for a while.

So, here are some other random thoughts from Toronto:
- This business really is all about who you know. I can't tell you how often someone has told an anecdote about a fellow actor/director/playwright and, while everyone else is laughing hysterically, I've smiled and nodded.

- I decided to get more exercise since I gained weight during my last show and I now walk from King St. subway station to the theatre. All in all, I'm on the subway about 25 minutes and I walk for 20... not a bad journey. Except it has decided to rain in Toronto... a lot. Plus, instead of getting off the subway at Broadview and taking the streetcar straight to the theatre (which is what I was doing before), the subway goes to Bloor/Yonge. Then I have to get off and taken the sourthbound train. But that's not the annoying part. Most subways are underground, right? But during this trek, the train goes over a bridge, not a covered one either, what feels like thousands of feet above ground. I hate heights and, sure enough, the train decided to stop on this bridge the other day... it creaked and groaned sounding like it was trying to move... it jolted forward for a split second then braked again... until, what seemed like 10 minutes later (though it was probably only 1) it smoothly coasted ahead. My heart raced more while on the subway than while walking that day.

- Megan (or "Meegs" as I like to call her... ok, not really) and I have found a flavor of gum we don't like.

- I've discovered that, even though I've already done this show twice before, there are still lines I don't understand.

- Marc - Stewart owes you a shiny quarter.

- I'm still completely in love with Natalia. Last night, the smile she gave me was so large I cried.