Three Things that are making my life worth living at the moment

1. "Under Cover Darkness" By The Strokes

2. The Spanish Inquisition Sketch By Monty Python

3. The Last Waltz By Martin Scorsese and The Band

Top Ten Television Shows of all time

Over at Facebook, my friend Matt shared his thoughts on the greatest tv shows ever made. He told those few of us he tagged to share our lists, and since I have a blog and look for excuses to post something on it, I feel like I should share my list to the blogoverse.

1. The Simpsons Forget the fact that it should've gone off the air a few years ago. To me the first few years "The Simpsons" were on the air counted for the funniest television ever produced. The gags came a mile a minute, the stories had heart, it satirized everything. "The Simpsons" have lost their edge, I know it, you know it, but it can't erase the first half that this show was on the air was the gold.

2. Mad Men Easily my favorite show on right now, although I admit I don't watch a lot of television. If there is a debate that television has eclipsed film, I could hold "Mad Men" as an example to that. I intend to revisit the show and have a whole blog about it. I have watched episodes of this show and envied at the writing, how crisp and witty, and subtle it is. It's also a show with lots of style which I love, and the ongoing themes of identity, creativity, and basically gives us what I think is the most accurate portrayal of what the 1960s must've been like.

3. Cheers: This is in my mind the perfect example of the traditional sitcom. YEs it's episodic with a laughtrack, but it remained funny and clever without getting tiring for 11 seasons, even its spinoff "Frasier" seemed repetitive after its fifth season. But I must say the reason I love this show is in its characters, you wanna see what they're up to next. That's basically it.

4. Monty Python's Flying Circus: The greatest sketch comedy show ever produced, five british men and an animator. Basically Monty Python took comedy to weird, wild new territory. It hardly ever made sense, it stayed on the premise of being very silly. When I watch old footage of Saturday Night Live, it doesn't seem to hold up as well, but Monty Python has endured, the movies are pretty funny too.

5. Arrested Development If "Monty Python" were a sitcom, it would probably look a little like this show. The ultimate dysfuntional family, the Bluths left us too soon, we still pray for a movie that will probably never see the light of day. But really has there been a sitcom that has come along since to really surpass this? I didn't think so.

6. Dr. Who Because I'm a big kid, I love "Dr. Who". He along with Superman and Indiana Jones have the ability to make me feel like a ten year old boy when I'm watching them, because what they do is so amazing. David Tennant was the best Doctor in my opinion, however Matt Smith has taken the role on as his own and has done a great job. This is a british show, and over there it's described as a kid show, here it's a science fiction show, which just goes to show, British kids have cooler shows.

7. Extras: Ricky Gervais' second show after "The Office" I kinda liked a bit more. It's a satiric look at stardom, and fame with a lot of fun cameos from famous people, but it's really the story of friendship and the finale of this show was one of the most heartwarming finales I've ever experienced, very underrated in my opinion.

8. MASH: Much like "Cheers" at the top, this was another traditional sitcom which I watch just for the characters. This show went through many changes cast wise, but the constant was Alan Alda who to me made the show what it was in my opinion. MASH still has many emotional hitting episodes that have remained classic to this very day. Like "Cheers" it remained popular for 11 seasons and never really lost its edge. The series finale is still the highest rated program for any series anywhere, so that has to say something.

9. The West Wing Perhaps I have to revisit this show, but I do remember watching it when it was still on television, not wanting to miss a single episode, which is how I feel about "Mad Men" right now. I did stop watching it once Aaron Sorkin left the show, but came back for the last season to see the election with non-other than Alan Alda.

10. Twin Peaks: Who knows what this show could've been had David Lynch just been able to be left alone and do it his way, instead the bosses at ABC wanted him to reveal to the world who killed Laura Palmer, thus killing off one of the most intriguing series ever made. Once Laura Palmer's killer was revealed, everything afterward seemed very anti-climactic, David Lynch lost interest and it went into a creative funk. Still the first half of this series is brilliant, some of the best television I ever seen. In contrast, the last half is almost unwatchable, but fascinating just to see how much a show can derail once it loses its creative focus. Also watch David Lynch's feature film "Twin Peaks: Fire walk with me" which to me is vastly underrated.

Honorable mention: "The Office" (UK and US versions), "Lost", "Rocky and Bullwinkle" (It was "The Simpsons" of the 60s), "South Park", "ER", "Kids in the Hall", "The Muppet Show", "The Daily Show", "The Colbert Report", "How I Met Your Mother", "Columbo".

Just One more Thing: The Genius of Columbo

I was sad to hear about the passing of Peter Falk like most fans of the actor. Falk was a great actor, and his filmography should be seen by more people, not just "The Princess Bride" which he is known for.

But I just wanted to pause and mention Falk's great creation, "Columbo", the greatest detective in television history. I feel like I grew up with "Columbo", back before you could by any television series known to man, there was still this thing called re-runs, also television movies.

I'm not sure when I first watched "Columbo", my dad really liked it, he watched all the murdery mystery shows like "Murder She Wrote", right up to today's super sleuth "Monk", but even my dad will probably tell you, no one beats "Columbo".

"Columbo" had a unique premise which separated itself from other crime shows, it actually showed the murder being commited and who the cuprit was. The rest of the time, we got to see Columbo figure it all out.

Falk was able to make the detective endearing, you don't think much of him, he's a bit of a small guy, smoking a cigar, sometimes he would bring his hound dog with him, occasionally he would talk of his never seen Mrs. Columbo (Until she got her own show). But Columbo always came through, he would always surprise you.

My theory was Columbo always knew from the very beginning who the murderer was, but he just had to figure out how they did it before he could apprehend him. This usually meant unending questions to the suspect. "Just one more thing" or "just one more questions" would usually be his statements during his pleasant interrogation. Sometimes he would apologize for his excessive questions, he was always polite to the suspects.

The plots were usually ingenious, the first "Columbo" episode was directed by non-other than a young Steven Spielberg. Steven Bothco who created the series "Hillstreet Blues" and "NYPD Blue" wrote some episodes. But the magic really was with Falk's portrayal of the detective. To me as a kid, he was the epitome of what a great detective should be, yes even more than Bogart's depiction of Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe. Columbo was just that kind of decent detective who seemed rough on the inside but was soft on the outside. He was able to play dumb, but he always got his man.

I loved "Columbo" growing up, I bought my dad some DVDs of the show for Christmas one year, as far as I know it's the only show he does watch regularly on DVD, it just goes to show you, somethings never show their age, I hope Columbo lives forever.

The Magic of Petula Clark

One of the most unabashedly romantic songs ever sung.

A New Life: Mad Men

There's something inherently romantic about leaving the life you knew behind and starting a new one. Not just a new one, but one which is more successful, you can actually change your name, you have a new persona. This is one of the things I find so interesting and fascinating with "Mad Men".

In its best episodes, "Mad Men" can be an escape, we can admire a man like Don Draper, who is the ironic twist of a self made man. In reality Don Draper was killed in Korea, but his name is taken from him by Dick Whitman (Jon Hamm), a man who takes it and starts a new and successful life for himself. With that name he's able to leave his poverty stricken farming family and become an ad man.

Dick has paid dearly for his double life, when the past comes back to haunt him, he turns into a coward, a nervous wreck, yet at his best, we can't help but admire the man. It's an interesting juxtaposition "Mad Men" explores, to me Don Draper shows the best and worst in human nature, he's a hero, and a villain all in the same package, he is perhaps one of the most complex figures in fictional television.

I will probably get into "Mad Men" a bit more when I revisit the series, which I recommend to everyone who hasn't seen it. I guess the point I'm trying to make is reassessing your life, finding the faults in it, the mistakes, the regrets, does everyone get like that? Don't you sometimes wish you could just up and leave your life behind and starting all over? It's easier said than done, it has to do with an escape. I suppose that's why I enjoy writing so much, it's something you have control over, you can figure out an ending which can be much more satisfying than in real life. The same could be said for acting as well, where you literally can become a different person, go through the motions of a different life, different circumstances, it can be very liberating, for me it can be invigorating.

Maybe it also has something to do with expressing yourself, who you really are. When I see Don Draper, I see a man who is able to express himself better in his made up persona, perhaps it's his real persona all along, but he can only channel it through his facade. I've been told by people who think I'm quiet, they think I become a different person on stage, that's not a conceit, what I think it is is I feel more myself onstage than I sometimes do in real life. I sometimes don't like it that way, I wish I could express myself more freely in real life, I could feel more comfortable in my own skin. I feel like what I'm trying to say is getting away from me, this is not one of my more comprehensive blog entries.

So here is what I'm trying to say, I think. Life is sometimes tough, it restricts us to be ourselves. Sometimes we find ourselves in a rut, what better way to get out of that rut than to get up and be someone else, at least for awhile. Take that for what it is, perhaps these are the words of a man who rambles too much, or a man who tries to make sense of things that don't make sense to him right now. In conclusion, the world is a jigsaw puzzle, but I kinda like it that way, one mystery after another to unravel, one surprise after another. It's life really, let's get down to what it really is, life is so full of surprises, it's full of disappointments, it's full of pleasant things, I wouldn't give up life for anything.

So here's what I'm really saying, I had a bad day yesterday, things were not going my way when I thought they were, I walked home in the rain, I was feeling sorry for myself, I wanted to be Don Draper, I wanted to pack up and leave and become someone else, someone who I could be happy with and someone who people thought was a great guy. I sometimes look in the mirror, and I see someone who hasn't reached his full potential, I felt like my life was holding me back in some way. But I had some time to reflect, I've counted to ten and have calmed myself. We are what we make our life to be, we try to make sense of this giant jigsaw puzzle but it's really futile. I get frustrated sometimes because it is such a gigantic jigsaw puzzle, I feel like pieces are missing somewhere and I search for them everywhere I can, but I know it's part of what makes life so interesting, even if sometimes you just wish it go your way more often than not.

The Last Dickens

Moments ago, I finished "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" by Charles Dickens. It was Dickens last book, one he never finished for he died while he was in the middle of writing it. I have now read all of Dickens novels, it's a personal goal of mine I was both looking forward to and dreading. I was looking forward to it because it's been a personal goal for sometime and I wanted that feeling of accomplishment after you have finished something; but dreading it at the same time because I knew once I did accomplish it, there wouldn't be anymore new Dickens novels to enjoy.

I still remember when I first started reading "David Copperfield", the first book of Dickens that caught my eye. I had read "Hard Times" years before, but "David Copperfield" was the one that instigated my love of Dickens. I still remember reading that first line, still one of the best opening lines of any book I've ever read, suddenly I was grabbed. I was 22 or 23 at the time, I was a college student, I was still finding my own voice. I didn't really feel I got the chance to learn much in college, I took theatre, I was going into film school, but I was still feeling adrift.

I felt I had something to say and didn't quite know how do it yet, I was still learning who I was. Dickens came at the right moment, his books sort of steered me in the right direction. When I first read "David Copperfield" it was a difficult book, I kinda look at it as teaching myself how to read all over again. I knew how to read but I always struggled with classic literature. Scholars tell us we are suppose to appreciate these books yet I knew no one who really enjoyed them. Still there was something there with that first line of "David Copperfield" that intrigued me.

I enjoyed reading always, but I always found it difficult to concentrate on a book, I sometimes still do. Occasionally my mind would wonder as I would read and I wouldn't focus on the passages of the book and get lost in the story. I decided to kind of train myself to pay attention starting with "David Copperfield"; whenever there was a passage I didn't understand, I would go back and re-read it until it did make sense. Earlier on, I would read full chapters out loud thinking it would make more sense in my head; I did this until my voice would literally get hoarse. As I was doing this, I found myself enjoying the book more and understanding the way Dickens would write. It was as if a whole new world opened up to me, I soon could get lost in his language and his stories, it was no longer a chore.

"David Copperfield" took me about four months to finish, but afterwards I felt much more educated. Pretty soon I would go on to read "Oliver Twist" and simply fell in love with "Nicholas Nickleby". I became a convert almost over night, Dickens wasn't just an author to appreciate, he became a way of life for me. The way he saw the world, his attention to detail of London streets, or characters. He paid close attention to the way people spoke, he knew how real Londoners talked be they upper class or lower class, also depending on where they were from. There was warm humour in his books, sometimes he sentimentalized. His books had love stories in them, but rarely was that the focal point. The closest actual love story he did I would say was "Little Dorrit" which surprised me. His books usually contained a labyrinth of characters and plots, usually secrets were kept until the very end. His books were tremendously popular at the time, he gave people stories that they wanted. Sometimes that could hinder his writing. My two least favorite of his books were "Martin Chuzzlewit" and "The Old Curiosity Shop" both of which suffer from what seems to be Dickens trying to write for his audience rather than himself, yet despite there flaws, both books have wonderful passages in them.

Perhaps the one book by Dickens that had the biggest emotional effect on me was "A Tale of Two Cities". That book, which takes place during the french revolution had an ending so powerful, I can still remember how I felt when I first read it. It's the ultimate story of self-sacrifice and of one man who is able to find redemption through it. Perhaps it's old fashioned to think of values like these which I sometimes think are lost in today's world, but the book was very life affirming. It was like a spiritual awakening almost, I get that way when a piece of art moves me so much, it can have the power to change your perspective on things.

Years went by, I went through all of Dickens, "Bleak House", "A Christmas Carol", "Great Expectations" right up to "Our Mutual Friend", only "Edwin Drood" remained. It now seems a bit anti-climactic seeing how the book was never finished, and to end this journey of Dickens on such an incomplete note. Dickens has meant so much to me these past few years, I truly believe he was part of my life's education.

Today I consider myself a writer more than an actor, I like creating stories, making things up. Although I wouldn't say what I write is Dickensian in any way, I can feel his influence, mostly in my dialogue, I focus on trying to keep it as real as possible the way people really speak, that's from reading him. I hope someday perhaps to write something that could make someone feel the way I did when I read "A Tale of Two Cities", that emotional, life affirming essence that is only found with the most special of writers.

I look forward to revisiting my collection of Dickens books, I'd like to read "David Copperfield" again as it's the one I feel started this journey for me. Dickens is someone who will always be in my heart, I will never stop reading him, to me he represents what good writing is, he will never stop inspiring me and challenging me. Onward and upward.

Why I will never have an e-reader

I work at a Chapters book store, yet less and less people are coming in to buy books. Being an employee, I'm privy to some inside information, for instance, Chapters is no longer considered a bookstore, it is a retail store. This change in mandate came after a crisis with the Borders bookstore chain in America. That bookstore went belly-up because it failed to see the changing in tides with consumerism.

Borders was a bookstore which prided itself on selling only books, to my knowledge, it didn't have any other retail items. Last year, Boarders filed for bankruptcy, which sent out a message to other bookstore chains across North America: sell things other than books or suffer the same fate. Thus the Chapters retail store was born.

To keep up with the competition, Chapters has pulled out all the stops, along with books, we sell a plethora of gifts, electronics, toys, and games. We sometimes even sell t-shirts.

But the biggest draw to chapters is the Kobo Wireless e-reader, a machine which I fear will make the whole business of buying and selling books almost obsolete. The E-reader is a device which downloads books. It can store up to 1000 titles, it's small, easy to use with a built in wi-fi so it works anywhere with a wireless connection. How do I know all this? Because part of my job is to sell the Kobo E-reader.

I sometimes don't understand what I'm saying when I am selling this, I'm not computer savvy, yet I have read the manual and after saying the same speech in repetition, the words lose all there meaning anyway. Occasionally I get asked a question about the E-reader which I don't understand; whenever the word gigabytes is used, I track down a co-worker to finish up the sale.

Just recently the Kobo E-reader has upgraded to a touch-screen model, it has been so popular we have had trouble keeping them is stock. It's funny considering the original E-reader only came out a year ago, yet a majority of people who bought that are lining up to buy this new and improved one.

When I was first told of the Kobo E-reader, I was ignorant, I thought it would be popular but wouldn't catch on. Now I see many people with E-readers, either in cafes, on the bus, or on the street. I guess I was shocked by how many people are using it, shocked because of all the things that have succumbed to technology, books were the ones that I thought would endure in there traditional form.

Arguments can be made for music upgrading from record, to cassette, to disc, and now to downloads, or movies going from film to digital, but there's something about holding a book in your hands.

I'm a huge bookworm, I like collecting them, when I die, they will find a room filled with books, some of them probably will go untouched. It's almost a sacred thing when I open a book, I enjoy flipping through the pages before I start reading it. I like going back to passages I like, I rarely highlight in my books, although I know many people who love to do that. Sometimes I dog-ear my books, this is a controversial practice and I have been criticized many times for doing it, but it's that special relationship I have with the book, that sense of ownership I have that makes it okay.

There is also the love of seeing a used book, I could spend an afternoon in a used bookstore if I was granted the time just wondering, flipping through old books which used to belong to someone else. Sometimes you see passages underlined, the crease is bent, you could even make a story about the previous owner just by how the book looked.

As I am writing this, I've just finished a few chapters of the most recent book I'm reading, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" which was unfinished by Charles Dickens, he died before he could finish it. The book is lying beside me at this moment, sometimes I pick it up and look at it, I look at my shelve of books behind me to see which one I will read next, also I can see which ones I have still yet to read. There's a personal quality with owning physical books you can't get with an electronic one.

Reading a book from a screen seems almost soulless to me, imagine having every book in the world, look and feel the same, it would drive me crazy. Books should have there own personality, they should be aloud to invite you in to there unique little world.

Of the list of authors I have waiting for me in the wings, there are Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Victor Hugo, Mark Twain, Steve Martin, Raymond Chandler, Joseph Heller, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry David Thoreau, each person there,is an individual with a different voice, I'd much rather have the thrill of physically opening their books then click a button on a screen, there is an excitement to it, a romance, it has more to do with just reading the words, it's experiencing it in your own personal way, which to me is kinda special.

Summer

I don't know if I have a specific favorite season; fall brings about leaves changing color and I enjoy the cooling off before winter approaches. Winter of course brings harsh cold, but also warmth inside, it's probably my favorite season for staying in and reading a good book. Spring in Alberta is sort of like winter runoff, it takes awhile to get it all out, and by that time, we all long for the summer.

I love summers, we've had warm summers, cool summers, hot summers, I've enjoyed them all. My mood changes in the summer, I like going out with friends mostly in the summer, just hanging out. That escape of enjoying a lazy summer day outside has never escaped me since I was a kid. I have a strong affection for the story of Tom Sawyer, a boy who never took a nice summer day for granted, that feeling has never left me.

One of my earliest summer days I remember was when I must've been about seven. Record players were still being used back then, if you could believe it. I was laying around in shorts up against my dad's record player listening to music. I had the backyard door open too, I would go in and out of the house, either lazing on the carpet or the picnic table. I didn't do much other than listen to music. I remember listening to Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." and Elton John's "Live in Concert". My mom tried to make me listen to The Carpenters but that didn't take.

My dad showed me a record of The Beach Boys he had in his garage, a story I have recounted before. The Beach Boys always sound better in the summer, listening to their music on a warm sunny day is one of the pleasures of life, everyone should try it.

The beach was also an important function in summer time fun. Our family usually took a trip to Sylvan Lake at least once a year, one time I remember we rented a cabin there for a whole week. Today the lake seems crowded and overrun by tourists, maybe it was always like that, but I don't remember it being that way when I was young.

There's was so much to do at the lake, there were the amazing Wild Rapids water slides which were the main reason to go to Sylvan Lake, yet now they are overshadowed by real estate. I remember a giant maze on the beach, I use to love going in mazes as a kid, and being so proud of myself when I found the way out. There were bumper boats, go-karts, and mini-golf galore to keep us happy. Sylvan Lake was a child's paradise, today I don't even see it anymore, the beach remains the same, water levels have risen so it's even smaller than it was.

Gone are the beach side spectacles, replaced by high rising resorts or restaurants. On the far outskirts of town, there's no beach but still high traffic areas thanks mostly to the Wal-Mart, Boston Pizza, Sobeys grocery, and Blockbuster video now open.

It's sometimes too bad to think of how corporate everything has gotten, I miss the innocence, maybe it was always so corporate but as a kid I never took any notice.

Even the music I loved The Beach Boys were owned by a corporation, they brought out an image of the Californian dream, but I never thought were anything less than sincere, I still get a punch from listening to "Surfer Girl", "California Girls", and "In My Room", and it's a nice slice of nostalgia for a big kid like me who still looks at that music as something magical.

If anything, summer brings out my youth again, the smell of steak on a barbecue from a neighbour's yard is one of the oldest scents I remember, I never want it to go away. I remember watching fireworks, staying up late with friends having parties, not wanting nights like those to end. I do things like that less and less, life seems to get in the way more than it did. However I'm hardly old, new things happen, it's time to look at the future, new possibilities, new hopes, summer can bring that out as well, there's an optimism to it, it's not bleak like the dead of winter, it's a time when everything is at its most vibrant and alive.

This summer promises to be a hectic one, it's off to a nice start, I look outside and I see a chance to go out and do something, just live without a care in the world.

One of these Days

Today I got a pleasant surprise in the mail, I got a letter from a good friend of mine. I like that feeling of getting mail, facebook messaging and emails seem so impersonal now.

I must admit, I do use the Facebook, I also tweet, and I text message every so often. Rarely do I use more tradition modes of correspondence such as letter writing or even phoning people, but when I take pen in hand and write down my thoughts to someone else, it's much more satisfying.

When I'm writing to someone, I feel as if I'm carrying part of a dialogue to them, letters are more conversational than emails or even text messages. I find i take more time writing a letter then sending a message via internet, exceptions would be when I write in my blog.

Letters are meant to kept, they are meant to be re-read, sometimes they are like a memory, you sometimes remember how you felt when you read that letter when you first got it.

I remember going through some old stuff my dad saved for me after I moved out. There was a treasure trove of old memorabilia that I had all but forgotten. Some of the most meaningful things I found were letters, postcards, and birthday wishes I had received throughout the years by old friends. All these things brought back past experiences with these people, the fondness of their company, their humour, and their warmth. The letters were memories to me, they brought up emotions in me towards these people that laid dormant for years.

It's sometimes difficult to look into the past, when I do it, I prefer to remember the good things, yet that might be a bit foolish, I still have scars needing to heal, perhaps I look at the past too much, yet these letters remind me of the happiness those memories contained. It's easy to dwell on the past and hope better for the future. We are taught nostaligia may be a dangerous thing for it sometimes works as a trick to make us think things were better in the past, yet if you think about it, sometimes we only remember it that way.

But back to letters, what wonderful pieces of history they can be, they are documents unlike today's mode of communication. I like to think I'm pulling away from technology, I'm uncomforable with it sometimes, I find it useful when there is something I like to share with people, such as this blog. I don't like constant one-note emails, or text messages, ask anyone I'm sure they'll tell you I don't do it often. My cell phone is about three years old now, it's not a blackberry, it doesn't have the internet, it has no touchscreen, I inserted a picture of Homer Simpson on the cover of it because he makes me laugh, but that's about as technical as I will get with it.

Perhaps I will be left behind with the coming upgrades and advanced technology, I could care less. We now have E-Books which let you read books on an electronic screen, it's more convenient, but there's something about touching an actual novel, like a letter that feels more genuine.

Tonight I will sit down and write a letter to my friend, I want to continue the conversation she has started, I'm looking forward to it, these are the simple pleasures I appreciate more and more.

Review of Title of Show

Tonight I went to see "Title of Show" the final production at the Matchbox Theatre. The play is a musical about two guys who plan to write a musical. They give themselves three weeks to write it and what happens is they pretty much end up writing about the process of the musical. There are four cast members in the play who play the real people who took part in the musical. I'm not sure if what I just said makes sense, but it makes sense in my head as I write this, you will probably just have to go along.

Hunter and Jeff are the real creators of "Title of Show", they are also the main characters, we see them collaborate with their friends Susan and Heidi. The show starts off just with these four trying to write something for a festival, then it gets even bigger as the show gets workshopped for an off Broadway performance, but Hunter and Jeff don't stop there as it becomes their dream to have it shown on Broadway.

I think anyone will enjoy "Title of Show" it has a unique sense of humour about itself, it's fully aware it's a musical about writing a musical, it plays with pop culture references and even makes fun of the fact that it has so many pop culture references.

There is somewhat of a serious message beneath the surface about the pressure of compromising an original vision and staying loyal to your friends, the play remains lighthearted.

There was a moment I was moved near the end during one of the songs, it's a song Chantal Hutchinson sings, I don't remember the name of it and I don't have to remember the name of it for this review because nobodies paying me to post this, but despite not knowing the song, I was moved by it.

The play is full of great energetic performances, everyone seems perfectly cast for their roles playing very naturally. I wouldn't say this is one of the deepest plays The Matchbox has put on, but on a pure entertainment value it's one of their best, i was left with tears in my eyes from laughter and a smile in my face. As someone who tries to create new work all the time, it's nice to see the process on stage and not taking it too seriously.

If anything, "Title of Show" reminded how fun it could be to create something and having people enjoy it. It sometimes just comes down to creating something new and original and having a blast while doing it, and if you get a chance to be on Broadway, more power to you.

Sadly this is the last show at The Matchbox Theatre, which has become a treasure in Red Deer for the last four years. I was lucky enough to perform in The Matchbox on more than one occasion, as well as being invited to direct "It's a Wonderful Life" the radio play this past Christmas, which was one of the highlights of my artistic career. It also had a criterion film festival which me and about five other people attended, and if you pay attention to my other blog Jeremy and the Movies, you'd know how much of a treat it was to see films like "Jules and Jim", and "The Thin Man" on a big screen. It almost seemed for that weekend, Red Deer had an art house.

I'm sorry to see The Matchbox go, although I know theatre will still have a place in Red Deer, but the space itself offered itself to the community in a way it had never seen. It's a shame it has to close, so if you are a person living in Red Deer who reads this blog and you have no affiliation with me whatsoever, I urge you to go down to the Matchbox and see "Title of Show", just so you know what you'll be missing when it closes down.

Call me. On the line call me, call me anytime.

I don't remember the last time I spent more than an hour on a telephone just talking to someone, it's all text messaging now. Not that I'm opposed to the text message, I tried to avoid it as much as possible in my early cellphone days, now it has just become part of daily life. The only people who call me are my mom, my dad, my brother, and my friend Haley. Haley I'm pretty sure will never resort to text messaging and I applaud her for that, it's good to actually get a phone call and hearing the other person's voice from time to time.

There are times I miss talking on the phone, I used to do it so much, now I'm lucky if I get a phone call from someone who is not listed above. The other day I got a phone call from a friend who normally texts me and it caught me by surprise. The conversation was pretty spare with conversation, I don't know if I was too caught by surprise to say anything, or we just hadn't practised talking on the telephone that made it awkward. When we hung up, i had a feeling of regret of not talking more to this person, it probably meant more to me that she called than it did her.

I'm probably a little obsessed with conversation, it's the best way to find something out about someone, and the best way to share something with them as well. I've written a few small plays, all of them involve mostly two people talking, nothing much happens, but they talk. I find when I do try to write something, it starts off with a conversation. "My Dinner with Andre" is one of my favorite movies, as are "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset", if you watch those films you'll know what I'm talking about.

I can remember the best conversation I had with someone, it was at least a two hour conversation over the phone, we were up past midnight talking. I can't for the life of me remember what the conversation was about, I only remember the way I felt talking to this particular person, I haven't felt like that since. It was a comfort just listening to this person's voice, and understanding them and sharing our experiences together. Maybe we talked about nothing that night, I don't remember, but there was a closeness to it that can't be denied. Since then I've been trying to get that feeling back anyway I can, but of course this conversation happened when I was young, I wasn't doing much with my life, I was still just trying to figure things out. Today we all seem so busy, and when I'm with people, we're all so busy trying to have a good time, we don't seem to sit and talk intimately. That's really what I miss, feeling that connection with someone, where it's just me and them, I haven't really felt that in a long time.

Dog Sees God: Review

Last night, I went to see the latest production by Ignition Theatre "Dog Sees God". I will try to be fair and balanced, yet that might prove difficult considering I'm good friends with the director of the play, and I've worked with nearly everyone involved with the production in some capacity. However in my defence of choosing to write this review I like to think that I'm very picky about the things I choose to write about. I like to write a lot, and it's difficult to write about things you aren't interested or passionate about. In my other blog (yes I have two blogs) I either write about movies I really really love, or ones I really really hate, the same can be said for any type of art I want to write about. I have to feel strongly about the subject in one way or another in order to spend my time to write about my thoughts. So without digressing too much on the topic at hand, here is my review of "Dog Sees God".

First of all, I think it's important to know what my state of mind was before I came to see the play that night. I was in no mood to see the play, I had just come off work, I was tired, I was in my work clothes, I was happy to have the day off the next day, I just wanted to go home. Yet I had said I would show up to the play that night, there was a ticket put aside for me, I still wanted to see it, but I wished it were on another day when I didn't have to work. In short, I felt obligated to go.

I arrived begrudgingly to the theatre, received my ticket and took my seat. The first thing I saw was the set, which I thought was one of the most creative sets I've seen in an Ignition show, it was very colorful. It had a cartoon feel to it, but one that wasn't too out of this world, in other words, it remained believable.

I suppose I should explain to those of you reading this blog who have no idea what "Dog Sees God" is, that this is a play set in the Charlie Brown universe. All the Peanuts characters are now teenagers, and like all teenagers, even The Peanuts, the world has become a far more darker and confusing place.

The main character is C.B. (Ryan Matilla) who's dog has just died of rabies, he was hoping to have a funeral for his lovable beagle, but none of his friends arrive for it. C.B. starts having questions of the afterlife, but he doesn't find much solace from anyone,just mostly the obligatory condolence "Sorry to hear about your dog".

He does receive some comfort from Beethoven (Chad Pitura) a former friend of C.B.'s who has become the target of bullying from him and his friends. It's from beethoven, C.B. discovers more about himself than he ever thought.

While I was watching "Dog Sees God", I found myself totally engaged in the story, but also the presentation; I appreciated this alternative take on the Peanuts universe, while die-hard loyalists to the lovable comic strip might find seeing their favorite characters turn into dysfunctional teenagers a tad distressing, I found it to be an interesting approach to the issues the play focuses on. By putting topics such as teen suicide, gay bashing, depression, death, and grief in the Charlie Brown world, it makes such a harsh pill easier to swallow. "Dog Sees God" isn't depressing to watch, it's funny, and ultimately leaves you with a hopeful message.

The surprise for me came about half way when C.B. and Beethoven confront eachother for the first time, and I began to realize how richly textured this play was. It would've been so easy for playwright Bert V. Royal to make a satire oon the Peanuts gang as teenagers and just leave it at that, instead they are used as a springboard to dive into some real emotional territory. And it's not like The Peanuts have never been emotional at its very core, it is why I think the characters remain so beloved. Royal, stays true to the vision of Charles Schultz in a way by showing this character Charlie Brown going through life and realizing it isn't fair. It's also full of questions that aren't easy to answer, Charlie Brown is in fact, a philosopher, he ponders the big questions, about life and death, why bad things happen to good people, and he speaks for all of us, when he's trying desperately to understand.

The end of the play could be open for discussion, in a way C.B. doesn't find answers, but he finds comfort, perhaps what he receives is a sort of wish fulfillment we could all someday hope for. What it is, is reason to keep going through this life no matter what swings it takes at you.

The world today is rather depressing, it's worse when you're a teenager and you're just figuring this out for the first time, it's that gap between innocence, and the harsh realities that weigh so heavy in young lives. "Dog Sees God" captures that time when the world seems to hate you the most, and the best you can do is move forward.

Props also to the awesome Peanuts dance rendition which made me laugh harder than I have in a long time at the theatre, also the great ensemble of actors, I saw no bad performances here, they all stuck out, each one had their moment to shine and they made the most of it. The set was terrific, I loved the alternate take on the Charlie Brown theme song, it was just a great time at the theatre, I will not soon forget.

An Experiment in Film and what else I've been doing.

I've been neglectful in my blogging duties as of late, once more my laptop has crapped out on me for what I fear is the last time. I will bring it in for a tune up but until then, I'm borrowing the computer from the local library.

It's not so bad, I do miss the solitude a laptop brings you, I could type anywhere without the sound of people doing the same thing.

I've been busy as of late also, Bullskit had just finished its January show, where I was able to do some interesting and may I say (experimental) sketches which I was rather proud of. We had the usual crowd of people who were more than happy with our antics.

I also moved to a new place for the second time in less than four months, this one will hopefully see me through the winter before I find a more permanent residence.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I did in the month of January was I shot a short film. Based on my one act play "Good Morning", we shot it in a rather unorthodox but I think, exciting way. "Good Morning" is the story of a young couple and basically sees them through a morning routine of waking up, slight flirtation, and a small but meaningful talk about the past, the future, and how they see eachother.

As I was rehearsing with the actors, I blurted out "I think this is the best thing I've ever written". I'm very proud of this little 20 minute slice of life, it was inspired by a little moment in my life, and I like to think it has something to say.

I was told by multiple people that this play would make a good film and I must admit I was interested in the prospect of filming something. Film is a passion of mine, yet I've remained dormant behind the camera for far too long, I was hoping for a crack at it.

Along with my producer James Wilson and my DOP Don Armstrong, the three of us came up with a concept. Don's inspiration drew from a Woody Allen type of film where we follow these characters in and out of camera, sometimes they would both be on screen, but we would follow the more prominent personality.

My stress was on a quiet observational point of view, where we don't notice the camera movement, and at some point it stays completely motionless. There is one moment at the end of the film where there is a deliberate movement of the camera that is supposed to be noticed, other than that it was the objective not to notice any movement, but only the actors.

As a result of this concept, much of what is common in film language was thrown out the window, we didn't worry about insert shots, close-ups, coverage, or continuity. I felt this freed the actors up to run through the script from beginning to end, also give them a chance to improvise and explore their relationship.

We did very few shots, so the actors could get through big clumps of the script before we cut, this was also helpful to the continuity of the performances, as a result we did very few takes, the average number being around four in total.

As a director, I had two objectives, one was I wanted to be able to shoot a film on schedule and not run behind time. I'm happy that we finished one day ahead of schedule being able to give everyone Sunday off. My other objective was to create an environment for the actors to feel relaxed and let the pressure off, I think that was accomplished, I felt the environment was calm, everyone was professional and respectful, they were all there to do their duty and as a result we all had a good time.

I looked at the footage for the first time yesterday unedited. I feel what we have is a film that has the potential to be good, the performances are real and natural and I feel we captured it. Looking back at it though, I feel the frame was too tight at times, I wanted to pull back on them more and give the audience more space just to observe. I also felt that we might've done too many shots, that's strange thinking that we didn't do many in the first place, but I feel many of the shots could've gone on even longer. There is one shot that wasn't framed properly at all, and if I could re shoot one shot it would be that one, but honestly this is me nit-picking. I am happy with what we shot, hopefully in editing it will all come together as a whole.

The idea of this film was to capture a relationship at a crossroads, nothing more, and nothing less, and I think we have been mostly successful, when all is said and done, everyone was pleased with the shooting, the actors gave great performances, and I came away wanting to shoot something else.

I liked shooting in this style, I feel I still have to find my voice, and I need more experience composing shots, but I'm interested in stories about people and about relationships. I know many people who've had more experience behind the camera, they know more about the business and the film language. I'd like to think that film is still a new artform and it's important in order for this artform to grow, that new things must be tried to test the language of film, I suppose that was my objective too. I'm not saying what I did was new, I derived from a lot of movies I've seen to come up with this style, but I like to think that film becomes more exciting when it challenges the expectations of the viewer, it becomes unpredictable, and I guess that's what I was ultimately trying to accomplish. At the end my DOP Don saw some of the footage in black and white saying it felt very "European", I guess that's what I was excited about, the aim was more arthouse than multiplex.

The Fullness of Art

Today struck me as an inspirational day, nothing out of the ordinary happened, I woke up, I tended to my daily routine of getting groceries, and making myself dinner, but three instances had an influence on me today which made it somewhat more unique than had they never happened.

The first instance came when I was reading the news on the Internet about Jon Stewart's reaction to the tragedy in Tuscon Arizona where a crazed gunman killed six people and wounded fourteen including a congresswoman. The article inspired me to look up Stewart's speech myself. What I saw was nine minutes of an articulate intelligent speaker, a man who's job it is to satirize the daily events, humanizing a travesty. Stewart cut through the bullshit mostly seen on news stations where political pundits try to point fingers at who's to blame, you could tell he was speaking from the heart. I've been a loyal follower of Stewart since I first saw his show many years ago, he's the most forthright and honest man on television right now, it's no wonder he has more integrity than actual newsmen because he's allowed tell it as he sees it.

Watching the nine minute video put me in a reflective mood, I wanted to be alone with my thoughts after that, I wanted to digest what I had just seen, I was moved by Stewart's words.

A little while had past, it was now about six o'clock, dinner time, I was in my room, kinda wondering what I would do next, not sure. I started unpacking some stuff since I had just moved into a new place. Something struck me, it was a painting on my wall. I had purchased a calendar of Renoir paintings for the new year, it was the first thing I hung on my wall, but I realized I haven't really looked at it since I bought it. I noticed it past the corner of my eye, it was a painting of a crowd scene at a dance. There are many people in the painting, to me it's capturing a moment in time. I don't know much about Renoir or his paintings, but they struck me this one particular day when I saw the calendar. I liked the paintings for a very personal reason, they simply spoke to me, the faces, the people, what they were doing, how it was all captured, I found real truth in what he was trying to convey.

After viewing the painting for a few moments, I got the urge to watch a film, I went to my vast movie collection, the first thing I had unpacked fully and took out a film I had seen many times before. It was "Manhattan" from Woody Allen, I love the film I think it is probably my favorite Woody Allen film. Watching it this time, I happened to notice certain things I hadn't before, as well as remembering favorite scenes that have always struck me as marvelous. There is of course the scene with Woody and Diane Keaton walking through the planetarium, photographed as if they are in space.

The film ended, and I felt a fullness of life and love and wonder. I was suddenly hungry, I missed dinner time, it was now 8:45pm, I went upstairs, the kitchen was a mess, I took some time and cleaned the kitchen, not watching the clock or anything, I fixed myself a meal, I finished everything by 10:00pm, I now felt the urge to sit down and write about these three experiences I had today. Before I go to bed, I think I'll read a few chapters from a book.

New Years Resolutions

I have to say on a professional level, 2010 was a banner year, I was writing more than ever, I enjoyed my time on Bullskit better than before, I directed the "It's a Wonderful Life" radio play at The Matchbox, which was a tremendous success both professionally and personally, and I started prepping for a short film which is a personal passion of mine.

Right now I'd say I'm in a good place, despite the fact that I have to move yet again from the place I am (I was there for only three months), it's a slight setback. This year I hope for focus on more of the things that make me happy and do things I have yet to do that I haven't done yet. Here's a list of my New Years resolutions.

1. Go to Paris: Well Europe in general, this is the big thing I want to accomplish, I've never been over seas, yes I feel it's expensive, and I personally don't like being broke, since I've been that before. I don't know exactly what I want my plan to be, whether I should backpack there, go on a week long tour, go with someone, go alone, I don't know, but I know I want to experience a different culture than I have been, and right now Paris represents so much for me, it's a place for art, for intellectuals, for pretty much everything that excites me.

2. Write a full Length play.: I've written two small one-act plays, I've been struggling to move forward from that, to move out of my comfort zone sort of speak. I think I'm ready to write a full length play, I have ideas in my head that are developing into something more labyrinth in my mind, I'm sure whatever is in my head will find its place onto the page.

3. Get a place of my own.: It may be the fact that I turned 30 a month ago, or the fact that I'm tired of answering to untrustworthy landlords, but I'd like to find a permanent place for myself, somewhere I can have the space and comfort for all my belongings without feeling I'm in anyone's way. I'm not saying I'll buy a place, but at least find somewhere or be financially dependent to be 100% completely independent.

4. Spend more time with family: This past year hasn't been easy on the family Robinson, we had some tragedy that makes you remember what really is important in life. My family hasn't been that close, but we do come together in times it really counts. Many of my non-immediate family are like strangers to me, but I'd like to change that. Some of my cousins are the same age as me, and they are people I like to get to know more.

5. Finish all the books that I own: I've been a huge collector of books for years now, usually when I come into chapters I buy a new one, but I've made a solemn oath that I will not buy another book until all the ones on my shelf are read.

6. Direct another play: I did have a mini-panic attack after doing "It's a Wonderful Life", sometimes wondering what I was doing, but in the end I was happy and proud with the finished product, and I liked working with my whole creative team, so I wouldn't mind trying my hand in it again, it probably means having to read more plays than I am used to, but I think if I can find something that really interests me, I would love to do it.

So that's about it for now, I hope 2011 is another good year personally as well as professionally, I'll continue doing things that make me happy which includes writing in these two blogs as much as I can, happy New Year to everyone who reads this.