Grinder's Grumblings

  Actors suffering for their art... I recently got a series of text messages from a friend of mine about an article she'd read entitled "Community Theatre Audition Red Flags." She didn't send me the link, so I can't share it, but I'm actually kind of glad she didn't. It sounds like something that was written by a director who's been burned by bad actors one too many times, and has finally taken to social media to vent their frustrations.  I get it. I understand. I have been hurt, badly, by many actors in my time in community theatre. I've been hurt by actors mentally, physically, emotionally, financially, and in lots of other ways I'd rather not mention. I've had my name dragged through the mud, my artistic decisions, competency, integrity, and even my sanity called into question by actors with whom I failed to connect with in a positive way. Actors have destroyed my scripts, my productions, my entire company (a few times over) and have mad...

Should we try to go back again?   It's been a few weeks since my last rather maudlin post, and while I do want to thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement, and while I have to admit that many of the tribulations I laid out (and many that I didn't) remain unresolved, some things have changed, for the better. We are in a slightly better place, and it's time to return my focus to more enlightening matters. First off, some good news - a script of mine was accepted! I can't say when or where yet, except to say that it's just a very modest staged reading of one of my short plays. It's not going to make me more than pocket change, if that, but it's still a win, and I will take it.  Casting for the summer shows are also underway. This year I'm working with an assistant director for Dirty Deeds at Handlebar Dan's House of Old Wives, and splitting the workload is proving to be a great choice for getting things done. Definitely more enjoyable being...

  The harsh glare of the supervisors I'm often unsure of how much of myself to share in this space. Is this a marketing vehicle for a company, a carefully curated personal brand, or an authentic snapshot of a given place and time in my life so far? I'm never really sure, and whenever I try to make it one thing or the other something else inevitably creeps in. Perhaps I should just quit trying to force this to be something that it's not, and simply let it live, as it is, where it's at. Sometimes that might be telling you about the awesome thing that I have coming up that I want you to be a part of. Other times it might be about my evolution as a writer, director, or whatever else in the world of all things theatre that I'm working on. And sometimes it might just be an authentic snapshot. I think tonight's post is one of those times.  Baby goats baby goating This has been a tough month. We're spending a lot of time in the barn right now, and it's been a di...

At least these two seem well-prepared It's been a long, long time since I tried rehearsing a play in January. It can be done here on the farm but it's not easy, and you have to have actors with some very steely resolve. Not that anyone would be able to get up the driveway right now anyways - even the four wheel drive isn't enough to tackle the drifts.  And it's also a busy time at the day job (annual maintenance) and on the farm - January is kidding season for us, and while things got off to slow start today was another day of multiple births, with many more definitely coming in the hours and days ahead. Apologies for the lack of pictures - there just hasn't been time.  But even with no rehearsals, lousy weather, long days at the top of a ladder and long nights in the barn I still have room in my thoughts for the summer, and getting ready for the shows that we're planning to do. It's something to think about after I'm tired of pushing through all the str...

Year of the Blue Jay? Dear friends and fans of Grinder Productions, Happy New Year! As always, this is the day when I announce the shows that I'm planning to do in the coming year. Sometimes I have a theme, sometimes I don't. For 2026 there is no theme, just a couple of shows that I hope you'll enjoy.  Our first show is called Dirty Deeds at Handlebar Dan's House of Old Wives, or, How Sally Simple Saved the Sarsaparilla Saloon. This is a “gay-nineties” melodrama (think of it as the American version of a Panto, if that helps). It calls for exaggerated, over-the-top performances. Actors shouldn't hold back, or try to over-analyse characters, and the audience is encouraged to cheer for the heroes, boo for the villains, and have as much fun as the actors on stage.  Instead of our usual set-up, for this play we're going to transform the Ennotville Library into Handlebar Dan's, with the patrons seated at tables, cabaret-style. Maybe we'll even get Dan to serv...

Picking a season is like playing chess... against an evil master! This post is just a quick reminder that the Grinder 2026 season will drop, as usual, on New Year's Day. I'll be announcing the two shows that we will be doing this summer at the Ennotville Library, and maybe one or two other things that may or may not come along.  Have we got a story for you! Picking the season is something that has always been very important to me. Out of an infinite number of plays and an infinite number of dramatic possibilities I narrow my choices down to just a handful of shows. In this case there are two, but sometimes a season is only one show, or three shows, or three dozen shows. I don't think the actual number of shows is all that important, actually. What matters is why you chose them.  The Assistant Director fell asleep on the couch... And the older I get, the reasons why I chose them become more and more important to me. I find that odd, because I thought as time went on I would ...