A Title!

My show is called "Key to Key." It's an animation analogy about getting from one place to another. Animator to comedian being one of the changes I'll be presenting.

I also came up with a strong concept for the poster- something that suggests what the show is about and the fact that it's a workshop performance: A sheet of animation paper. That I will for sure whip up tomorrow.

Everyone seems to be on Aislinn's side about the workshop aspect. Seems like they're willing to come out and see the beginnings.

Which reminds me... my favourite movie of all time isn't actually Beauty and the Beast. It's Beauty and the Beast: Work in Progress. What happened was, an animation festival wanted to present the movie, but Disney wasn't done yet: So they pieced together what they had. Some scenes are in storyboard, others full colour, and my favourites... those in rough pencil animation. Animation legend has it that when the patchwork movie was finished screening, the audience lost it and gave a huge standing ovation.

I used to watch that movie over and over. (It was a super rare vhs find at the time.) I'm so excited about this show... and I'm now even more okay with it being a rough presentation.

Rewrites and Themes

I've come to the decision to yes, talk about my emotional stuff in much more detail. This will undoubtably have social repercussions. But I think it's a difference that gets the project in a more artful and purposeful direction. Jan said, "how do you want to change and challenge your audience." I realized I booked this thing for a reason... I do have something to say, so I shouldn't hold back in saying it. Now I have to do the rewrite.

I pitched a new structure (same ideas, new framework) to Aislinn. She said it was too early to throw my old script out... I think the opposite. Too late! Man this thing goes up in 20 days! 20 days that I mostly spend doing other things!

I had booked 2 days off work prior to the show... but now I quit my job and took another one. Oops. No more vaca days.
I had made a deadline for the script to be finished, so that I could spend time on the performance. Aislinn is for working the script until the very end... even gunning for me performing script in hand.

It is a workshop performance but I want to take it as far as I can.

Production Blog!

I decided to record the progress of my one woman show... so far I know what I want to say... and have a point of interest. No title yet... which is why I called this blog "Rented the Bad Dog." No matter what, there is a show going up at the Bad Dog Theatre March 14th: Hopefully good! Well, hopefully great promise. This show is and was always intended to be a workshop performance. I'm biting off a lot here, so my hope is that people will be excited to see the first incarnation.

I've gone a little mental... maybe about 20% as mental as I go. Internal conflicts galore.

This is the second weekend that I've devoted exclusively to the creation of this show. Last weekend I came up with 3/4 of a script. This weekend I re-wrote the 3/4 and made the beats for the ending.

Sushi on Bloor! Regular meeting place for me and Ms. Aislinn Rose, though it's been about a year. I met Aislinn when we were 16 and members of the inagural Theatre Orangeville Young Company. She's since gone on to great things, getting her theatre masters degree in Australia, and working here in production and directing.

I handed off what I had of my script, but based on our discussion, I already knew what she was going to say. This show is about old Amy turning into new Amy. Well, Aislinn knows old Amy. She knows what point "A" was... and that the trek to where I am now was a lot tougher than my script would lead one to believe.

Aislinn wants me to talk about "stuff." She wants me to reveal stuff. I don't know if that's the show I want... or on a social level, if that's what I want people to know about me. Comedians don't talk about stuff. They joke stuff away.

I'm a bit convinced though... and I'm doing a rewrite. Talking about stuff but with enough jokes to make it palatable.

I'm really glad I asked Aislinn to work with me.