Grinder's Grumblings

I'm handling the tech this weekend for Wingfield on Ice, the 5th installment in the Wingfield Farm series of plays. These plays feature Rod Beattie as Walt Wingfield, the Bay Street stock broker turned farmer. Directed by his brother Doug, Rod plays a multitude of characters in this one-man show, written by Dan Needles (of Harrowsmith's Country Living, for those of you familiar with the magazine). This is some top-notch Canadian theatre, right in our very own Fergus Grand Theatre. The Wingfield shows have over 3500 performances to their credit - all with same actor - and they have played in Canada and the US, as well as been adapted for television by CBC. I can't think of a better example of "getting it right" when it comes to theatre than these plays. Click here for info and tickets. May 29th and 30th at the Fergus Grand Theatre.

Click here to get your tickets!

Here it is again, in case you haven't seen it already - the best season subscription packadge in summer theatre - $10 per show! The Grinder Card works just like a season ticket, but instead of being tied to a specific venue or series of shows it is tied only to you. Your $100 card is good for ten admissions to any Grinder show, in any venue, at any time. You only come to the shows you want, when you want, where you want. Come alone and use one admission, or bring a date and use two, it’s up to you. The Grinder Card. It’s fast, easy and even makes a great gift. Get yours by calling 519-780-7593, via e-mail at grinder@grinderproductions.org, or better yet, just see me after the show and I’ll sell you one on the spot!

I was talking with a fellow member of Grinder Productions the other night, and we got to talking about all the Grinder people that we knew who had gone on to "bigger and better things" - be it careers in film, modelling, Broadway, etc - Grinder has been the starting place for people who have wound up in these and other places. We then lamented our own lack of advancement "in the biz," but then quickly recanted, realizing how much satisfaction we had both taken from the years of working on shows in our simple journeyman's existence. We are the cottage industry of theatre, the grass-roots of a creative force that ends, not begins, on the stages of New York, Stratford and the West End, to say nothing of Hollywood. I told my fellow member that there weren't a lot of people who would do what I do - many producers would leave what we're doing to community theatre and high school drama departments, choosing instead to pursue more lucrative endeavours. I rema...

It's been a leisurely weekend at the Grinder estate. The world's greatest girlfriend was off sick Thursday and Friday, so I was spared my weekly insomniac's coma that usually settles in on about Wednesday (we already had the Monday off) and stays with me until the weekend brings a reprieve. But with her at home for four days, and a weekend spent on pre-matrimonial celebrations (ones organized by other people, a welcome relief from our task of organizing the main event) made for a good time on Saturday and Sunday. We caught up with some old friends, worked hard to recall the names of just-introduced relatives (and those that we've known for years but have completely forgotten who they are), and we ate cake two days in a row. All in all, not too shabby. So here it is, 6:30am on Monday morning, and I'm all alone again, save for a computer screen, and a loudly purring ring-tailed kitten who's just gorged himself on kibble for the third time in an hour settling d...

I sometimes wonder why I write this blog. It's certainly not a vibrant, two-way discussion like some of them are. Yes, it does help get the word out about the company, but only to the people who care to know, and many of them know what's going on already. I think though, that one of the best reasons I write this blog is that it helps me find the narrative of Grinder Productions. It is what gives me a voice. For a writer, finding a voice is critical. Being able to express my thoughts in such an open platform allows me to clear a lot of the rubbish out of my head, get down on the screen that which is filling my head with nonsense, long before I ever get to the day's writing that demands an impeccable command of language, spelling, grammar and rhetoric. So how much of that nonsense is allowed to stay and thrive online, and how much of it is consigned to the Recycle Bin? I'll never tell. But in the stuff that does make the cut I still find value, in that it helps me...

Did you know that Grinder Productions is looking for new plays to produce? I'll gladly read submissions of plays from members and non-members alike to consider for upcoming seasons. Original scripts only please, and no, this isn't a professional company, so you won't be paid anything except the satisfaction of seeing your work come to life on the stage. In the coming months I'd like to develop a "Playwright's Circle" within the company to encourage the development of new plays, both for active consideration for production with Grinder, and for aspiring playwrights to have materials with which to pursue a professional career. Please get in touch with me if you have a script you'd like to see brought to life, or if you know of someone who does!

... then just click on the title of this post. You'll be taken to a Craigslist posting that I've submitted looking for new talent for Stage 4, our Elora Division of Grinder Productions. This isn't a standard casting call, which is why I haven't put it out in the newsletter or been in touch with any of you directly. I'd like to take Stage 4 in a new, more contemporary direction next season, and most of the Stage 4 shows will feature some sort of "discretionary content," so they won't have the broad appeal as some of our regular Grinder shows. Take a look at the posting, and if you're over 18 and you think it might be something you are interested in, please get in touch with me. Not that it would be a lot, but if we can cast these shows and combine them with a marketing strategy that works for their particular set of circumstances we could offer actors and crew a small honourarium in exchange for their efforts on Stage 4 projects next season.

This past weekend marked the official close of the Fall-Winter-Spring season at Grinder, and the official beginning of summer programming. Though summer preparations have been underway for some time now they will now begin in earnest, and we'll embark on a whirlwind journey that won't ease up until Labour Day. I've had a lot to think about the past winter, both onstage and off. I've thought about how to keep the company going through the winter. I've thought about how to find ever more actors for ever more shows. I've thought about the great shows and the not so great shows, the great audiences and the not so great audiences. I've thought long and hard about our company's survival through this persistent econcomic downturn, and about the things we can do now to make sure that we're in the best possible position to make the most of the recovery. So yes, I've thought about a lot of things. But what struck me this morning as I groggily fumbled...

No post today, as I'm setting up for the weekend... please come on out and see Yes, Your Worship and The Heart of Eden. These are two great little shows, with casts that have put in so much time and effort - show your fellow Grinder members your support!

We still have employment opportunities available! We are looking for more Ticket Sellers and a Temporary Production Manager. Click on the links to go directly to the Craigslist postings for more information on either of these two exciting jobs at Grinder Productions.

Just letting you know that summer is almost here! We're pulling cast together for our first two shows at the Ennotville Library, Dulcitus and The Birth of Merlin. Both are shaping up to be great projects! Please get in touch with me if you would like to be involved in any way in either of these two shows. And if you're more the type who likes to watch shows rather than be in them just a reminder that Grinder Cards are now on sale. This is by far your most flexible, most economical way to see a lot of great theatre this summer and beyond. You only come to the shows you want to, you can come whenever you feel like, and you don't have to come with just one guest! See me at the shows, or call 519-780-7593 and I'll get you set up with this great season pass.

Help us launch the newest division of Grinder Productions this weekend at the Ennotville Library! The Heart of Eden is a one-act romantic musical comedy, and it will be given a demo production this weekend as half of a double bill, in conjunction with Yes, Your Worship. This story is simple enough. Boy meets girl, boy likes girl, girl likes boy. But both of the characters are trapped behind their own insecurities, and finding their way to each other's heart's isn't going to be as easy as things might have first seemed. The show is our inauguaral offering from the "Hopeless Romantics" touring division. After this production the show will go back to rehearsals for some more tweaking, and then be remounted thorughout the summer as entertainment for weddings and other special events (including a little event on the 6th of June....) Come on out and let us know what you think, as the show is still very much a work-in-progress, and we're definitely interested in r...

Just letting you know that Yes, Your Worship opens as half of a double bill with The Heart of Eden this Friday and Saturday at the Ennotville Library. Quite possibly the silliest play I've ever written, Yes, Your Worship is a fun romp through the foibles of one small town's politics (the town of Lesser Fergundia, in case you were wondering). Will the town's new mayor Jimmy Clueless be able to deal with raging Hockey Moms, meddling councillors, teenagers, the clergy and his two completely opposing secretaries? You'll have to come on out and see for yourself! The show starts a 8pm on Friday, and runs 2pm and 8pm on Saturday. Tickets are $15 and are available at the door, or in advance from any cast member, or by phone at 519-780-7593.

I've been cleaning up around the farm this past little while, getting a lot of the accumulated junk off of the property (thank-you Great Refrigerator Round-up! Click here to get rid of your old fridge for free), and I've also been trying to clean up the rehearsal hall, props storage and production spaces as well. Part of my goal in all of this is simply to be able to find things - I'm uncovering so much stuff that I had completely forgotten that I had, or knew I had but was never able to find - but part of it is also a new-found satisfaction in simply getting things cleaned up. It's starting to look like a farm around here again. After years of nothing more lively than several generations of raccoons getting busy in the grainery there's now horses grazing in the pasture, cows in the stable, and somewhere in there I think there's a goat too. Even though these are just the tenant's stock, it's nice to see and hear the barn being used again. And our ani...

Just some links today, to articles on Helium you might be interested in: Why theatres should join community organizations Which High School Courses should be mandatory? Post-modern Theatre Tips for Preventing Mailbox Vandalism The Basic Concepts and Fundamentals of Geography Where the English Language Originated

(Are you sensing a pattern yet?) We're looking for new blood! Please let me know if I can entice you into considering helping us out this summer in one or more of the following capacities: Stage Manager. We can never have too many of these brave, capable individuals. Despite some of the negative stereotypes that have become attached to this position in the theatre over the years it's actually quite enjoyable, as long as you know what you're doing. Fortunately, I willing to provide full training to anyone who's interested. If you're good at it, I may even ask you to SM a Hopeless Romantics show, in which case you could even make a little money. House Manager/Host. Help me relieve the burden on the directors this summer by having someone there to take and sell tickets, hand out programs, and ensure everyone is in their seats by the time the show starts. Easy job, and as long as you're okay handling a bit of money and keeping a record of who comes through th...

Some tidbits about the company... We still have employment opportunities available! We are looking for more Ticket Sellers and a Temporary Production Manager. Click on the links to go directly to the Craigslist postings for more information on either of these two exciting employment opportunities with Grinder Productions. Just had a thought the other day about another job for the summer - the concession. It would be the perfect way for a young person to make a little cash this summer if they were to run a small business selling bottled water, pop, juice, chocolate bars and maybe even some baked goods at the intermissions of our shows in Ennotville and Belwood. It would be one less job for us to do, and it would be an excellent introduction to business for a budding entrepreneur. E-mail me at grinder@grinderproductions.org if you or someone you know might be interested. ... and some tidbits about acting and theatre: Steps to Success in Acting Getting Involved in Community Theatre...

A couple of things on the Grinder front... Congratulations to the cast of "School Shooting" for a great run this past weekend at the Elora Centre for the Arts. You've closed out our second ECA season in style, and your passion, dedication and sense of style were a great help in bringing this show to life, and finally getting School Shooting off of my "Plays I must do" list. Another award! Grinder Productions has just one the first "Hroswitha Challenge Award" from the American feminist theatre company Guerrilla Girls on Tour . This award has been offered to any professional theatre that chooses to produce a Hroswitha play, instead of just another classical tragedy. Even though we're not fully professional they decided to give it to us any ways - a great start to our first production in Ennotville! ...and some news you can use, from Helium.com: Advice for Young People on Avoiding Debt Ways to Search the Internet More Efficiently Manager vs. Entre...

What is Dulcitus? Dulcitus is the first show in our 2009 Ennotville Summer Theatre Season. It is a boisterous little farce, and it was written by the world's first known woman playwright, the abbess Hroswitha of Gandershiem, in or around 960AD (our best guesses for Hroswitha's life and death are c935 - c975), and concerns the fate of three Christian martyrs at the hands of an unscrupulous but comically inept Roman prefect named Dulcitus. Besides being remarkable as the first female dramatist that we know of, Hroswitha's work is also remarkable in that it provides a very rare glimpse into the world of Medieaval Drama - after the fall of the Roman Empire but before the start of the Rennaissance. While it's true we do have drama from that period (the cycle plays, Everyman, etc), most of it is closer to the end of the period than the start of the period. Hroswitha is closer to Rome. She wrote in Latin, and admittedly copies her style from the Roman playwright Terrence, ...