An interview with Daniel MacIvor November 2, 2009

In December, Ruby Slippers Theatre mounts a production of Daniel MacIvor’s A Beautiful View. One of five published in MacIvor’s Governor General’s Award-winning collection, I Still Love You, it runs December 4-13 at Performance Works on Granville Island, and December 16-19 at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby. What makes this show unique is that MacIvor is also directing Colleen Wheeler and Diane Brown in this production.

That’s the publicist talking. Let me put the actor on.

I have been a huge fan of MacIvor’s work for many years, and I feel all giggly and star-struck that he agreed to do an interview with me. After I read his responses to my questions, I was completely blown away. Well, he is a writer, after all. But don’t take my word for it, read on….

 

RC: You’re from Nova Scotia. I grew up in Newfoundland, and I know that growing up in the Maritimes had a profound affect on the person I became. How did being from Canada’s East Coast affect the person you became?

DM: I think of myself first as a Cape Bretoner, that’s somewhat different than being from New Brunswick or even mainland Nova Scotia. I am an Islander. That is, I’m sure, something that someone from Newfoundland understands. When one is raised on an island one is always aware that the earth ends at a certain point. Especially an island like Cape Breton, small enough to circle in single day. One can walk or drive only so many miles until land stops and water begins. Then, one turns and heads in any other direction and soon enough land ends again. I imagine that instills in me a respect for endings and a perspective that I am on the earth rather than owning the earth. Also island life – a feeling of disconnectedness from the larger world – supports certain elements of old-world living like storytelling. Having been born on Cape Breton probably makes me more naturally a storyteller.

 

RC: What was the first play you ever wrote? Was it an abysmal failure, or were you proud of it?

DM: It took me many years of writing before I had an abysmal failure. I had to develop a whole bunch of expectations and an unhealthy concern for the approval of others before I could fail that profoundly. My very first play was “One Arm Free” about some kind of king character who was tied to a throne but had … you guessed it … one arm free. It was an absurdist thing influenced by “Ubu Roi” and Beckett I think. It was never produced and I’m not even sure I showed it to anyone. My first real “play” – as in people actually read it and it was produced – was called “Blue Bells” and I wrote it my first year in the theatre department at Dalhousie University in Halifax. It was based on my parents volatile/passionate relationship. My classmate Amy House and I ended up doing it in one of the school’s studios as an independent project. It was directed by my acting teacher John Dunsworth. I was a minimalist even then, the set consisted of two chairs. We went on to perform the play at the University of Cape Breton’s One Act Play Festival and it won every award they offered. Including Best Set Design. So I guess it was something to be proud of.

 

RC: Do you like to write old-school: pen-to-paper, or do you like to write on a computer?

DM: I often start on paper with notes and then move to my laptop once I have a sense of structure in place. The whole process of playwrighting feels architectural to me and the computer supports that. However these days I feel laptop writing is old-school – people are probably writing plays on iPhones now.

 

RC: Do you prefer writing to acting?

DM: I like both. Writing connects me to something more personal and acting connects me to a broader sense of humanity. In terms of acting I think I’m best with my own writing. I haven’t done a lot of theatre acting in other people’s plays. The last time was over ten years ago in a Morris Panych directed revival of Judith Thompson’s “White Biting Dog”. I think I may have rather sucked in the role actually. When I’m going through customs I identify myself as “writer”. So I guess that’s how I see myself.

 

RC: Twitch City was a brilliant show. Like all brilliant shows, it died quickly. What was your experience of working on that show?

DM: I had a great time doing Twitch. It was a family affair. Socially we were all part of the same gang, so it felt more like a theatre thing than a TV thing in terms of energy on set and around the show generally. The show was originally conceived by Don McKellar and Bruce MacDonald as a 90 minute TV movie, but the CBC convinced Don to create a one-season-only series instead. When the first season went well the CBC wanted another cycle of shows. Don didn’t want to do it again so Bruce asked me to write a treatment for a second series. I wrote up a scenario of twelve episodes where Curtis (Don’s character) and Nathan (my character) are in high school back in the 70’s and trying to get Trooper to play the high school prom. Each episode was named after a Trooper song. In the final episode we ended up having Trooper cover band play the prom. The cover band was to be played by Sloan. Don looked at the treatment and immediately agreed to write a second season on his own.

 

RC: I love the story of how you created da da kamera. All of us who are struggling to make it and produce our own work look up to you, because you made it! Do you have any words of advice?

DM: I think the best advice is Don’t Make Money Your God. If you worry about money, money will become a problem. Don’t worry about money. Just do it. (I think I said that before Nike.)

 

RC: I love blogging. How did you get into blogging, and what are your thoughts on it?

DM: Blogging keeps me grounded. Also, I love photography and since I use a photograph with each post the blog means I’m always looking for photographs as I move through my day. I try to blog every day and it forces me to consider how to talk about what I’m doing. For the most part I blog only about work related stuff. And I try to keep it as positive as possible. If I see a show I don’t particularly like I won’t usually blog about it. There’s enough negative shit out there.

 

RC: Many of your plays are set in surreal other-worlds. Can you say a little about why that is?

DM: Theatre is a surreal other-world already. I’m just using the truth of the medium.

 

RC: What are your thoughts on Vancouver?

DM: When I was first in Vancouver in the mid-80’s – (I was going to move there – it was for “love” – never do that) – I remember being absolutely confounded about why people would drink decaf-cappuccino and then go running. Now I drink decaf-soy-lattes and go to the gym five times a week – Vancouver was twenty years ahead of me. One of the things I love about Vancouver is how light and dark it is at the same time. The brutality of Hastings and Main up against the beauty of Stanley Park. This kind of juxtaposition is a reality of life on earth and what a real city is made of.

 

RC: What is A Beautiful View about, and what inspired you to write it?

DM: A Beautiful View is a love story about friendship. I wrote the play as a response to how we have become so comfortable with labeling ourselves and our relationships, even when those labels are restricting.  The star of the play really is the friendship between the two women, that means that beyond everything else it’s all about what the actors bring to the play.  I’m very excited about working with Diane and Colleen – I’ve been a fan of them both for some time.

Diane Brown and Colleen Wheeler. Photo credit: Tim Matheson

 

RC: Why should people come and see A Beautiful View?

DM: Because it will make you laugh and remind you of the exquisite sadness of being.

 

For more information on Daniel, or to read his blog, visit his website.

For more information on A Beautiful View, visit the Ruby Slippers Theatre website.

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Updates October 30, 2009

Today is an aggregate post, a bunch of links and news items about what I’ve been up to and what’s coming up.

First off, I have just finished a major rewrite of my Guide to Getting Started with Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations.
The rewrites include:

• A fully re-worked chapter on Facebook
• A new chapter on You Tube
• Updated screenshots
• More exercises, which makes it feel more like a workbook.

For those of you who have already bought a copy, thanks. And I’ll be sending you the updates in the next little while. For those of you who are interested, you can purchase a copy by clicking here. It will also be available, in hard-copy, workbook format, later today at Biz Books, 302 W. Cordova St.

I did a couple of interviews last week, too.

One with another Rebecca (Krause-Hardie) who does stuff that is surprisingly similiar to what I do, only in the States.

One with Toronto’s Ian MacKenzie, for his company’s marketing blog, The Big Orange Slide.

One final reminder that Simon and I will be on a panel this weekend entitled The Power of Social Media. We’ll be joined by Angela Crocker and Ryan Mooney, and the discussion will be moderated by Sean Allen. This takes place Saturday, Oct 31, at the Making a Scene Theatre confrence at Granville Island, from 1:30-3 pm.

Finally, stay tuned to my blog next week for an interview I just did with that wonderful Canadian playwright, Daniel MacIvor.

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Please don’t call me a “social media expert” August 17, 2009

I recently did an interview with Corwin Christie for the Technology in the Arts blog. As you know, in June, I launched my e-book: Getting Started With Social Media for Artists and Arts Organizations. Since then, the good little marketer that I am, I’ve been exploring every avenue to promote it, so I was totally jazzed when Corwin found me and asked to do an interview with me.

I have to say, those were some some tough questions, but I like a challenge. You can read the final post here.

The back says "because this t-shirt says so"

In the introduction to the post, Corwin rightly goes on to reflects on the term “social media expert”, which is a term that I have always felt uncomfortable applied to myself.

Really, anyone with a Twitter account can call themselves a social media expert. I mean, there’s nothing to stop them. There is no professional association of social media experts, no university or college certifications. Our world is so new, we are literally making it up as we go along.

What alarms me about the term “social media expert” is, people who are just jumping on the social media bandwagon may come across a self-professed “social media expert” and purchase services from them: a course, some consulting, or yes, an e-book. And it’s really buyer beware. Just because you call yourself a social media expert, doesn’t mean you are Gary Vanderchuck or Guy Kawasaki.

So, here’s  a couple of ways to tell if someone is really an expert or not.

1.    What are the numbers? Check out their profiles on Facebook and Twitter. How many friends do they have? What is their Twitter follower-to-followee ratio? Do they have a Facebook Fan page? And if so, how many fans? This point is about sheer quantity.
2.    Do they offer value? Check out their posts on Facebook and Twitter. Are they all personal? Are they all links to cute YouTube puppy videos? Or are they links of value, linking to their own blog, or someone elses’ about the latest and greatest in social media?
3.    Do they have a website? Is their website entirely dedicated to selling, or are there some freebies or useful information? Is there an about page so that you can get to know a little about them?
4.    Do they have a blog? How long have they been blogging for? Does their blog have an about page? A blogroll?

These are all useful criteria for judging expert status.

Personally, I’m uncomfortable with the term. I prefer to think of myself as someone who is learning about this stuff, but I’m just a little ahead of the curve. And maybe a couple of people along the way can benefit from my experience.

For a bit of fun (and some solid info) on the topic, check this out.

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Fighting Chance brings RENT and Tick.. Tick… Boom! To Vancouver! March 18, 2009

There is arguably one guy in Vancouver who is a bigger RENT fan that I am, and that person is Ryan Mooney. Artistic Director of Fighting Chance Productions, next month, they mount a production of  tick…tick…BOOM! at The Jericho Arts Centre.

I interviewed him about the play, the life-changing phenomenon of RENT, and all that publicity around The Laramie Project.

TAOTB: Tick.. Tick.. Boom! Has it been produced in Vancouver, before?

RM: TTB has never been produced in Vancouver before. In fact I’d wager a bet that it’s never been produced in BC before. We’ve been very fortunate to “premiere” a few shows in the past few years in BC. One of our biggest hits, Musical of Musicals… the Musical was the BC premiere, as was Autobahn.

TAOTB: Why are you producing this play?

RM: I love the music. The show was put together after the immense success of Rent, after Jon died, which means that it wasn’t entirely finished. I think that what the producers did was excellent, given what they had to work with. TTB was originally a one man monologue that Jon did on stage by himself with a band. They took that and created a three person show that functions very well on it’s own. The music, as I said, is also stellar. It’s a story about a guy closing in on his 30th birthday and wondering what the fuck (can I swear? I think it’s more powerful) he’s doing with his life. He wants to write music and have a successful show on Broadway. He wants to make a career out of doing what he loves – and that’s something that I can relate to.

TAOTB: What is Larsen’s essential message?

RM: I’m not sure if there’s an essential message in TTB. There’s not even a specific resolve at the end of the show. What I think people will get from it though is the idea of – you can do what you want, and you can be happy at it… it just might not be possible for you to own a BMW. There’s sacrifices you have to make in life, crossroads you come to – and there’s no right or wrong decision – just the one you have to make.

TAOTB: This show was written more than 10 years ago… why is it relevant to today?

RM: For the same reason that Stephen Sondheim’s Company, which was written over 30 years ago is still relevant. There’s always going to be people turning 30 wondering what they’re doing with their lives and where they’re going in their lives. Their friends are getting married, having kids and they’re still trying to scratch out a living doing what they love. That’s timeless.

TAOTB: Fighting Chance is a relatively new theatre company in Vancouver, but you’ve gotten a lot of media attention. What has this journey been like for you?

RM: Intense. We went from the Musical of Musicals which was a huge hit at the Fringe (sold out 10 shows, got “Pick of the Fringe” sold out another 3) to The Laramie Project, which was supposed to be a bit more of a relaxing experience… then we got the call about Phelps coming to protest… and then it all blew up. We sold out all 12 shows of Laramie. My mom came to see the show and people offered her double what she paid for her ticket. It was insane. But after that we remounted both shows – to much lower attendance. The shows hadn’t really changed – the quality of work was still there, but it was January – I learned a lot from that, what to do next time… perhaps not to have two of our shows running at the same time. We had our first “AGM” in February just at my apartment and had a great group of people come out. It went from me doing a lot of the work myself (because we were so small I could) to having this great artistic advisory committee and board. It’s a very exciting time.

TAOTB: Tell me about your Jonathan Larsen/RENT obsession.

RM: I have a funny feeling this is going to be a story that I’ll be re-telling for months to come.

When I was in grade 12 Rent came to town at the Vogue. It was the first time it had been here. I had listened to the CD – but it wasn’t too much a part of my life at that point. We decided we wanted to do the rush line up. We headed into downtown Granville Street at about 1 int he morning (we had heard that people lined up early.) and so here we are – 5 kids on Granville Street on a Friday night at one in the morning. And, of course, nobody had lined up yet – so we wandered for a bit, and under Robson Street where they used to do Ice Skating. We hung out there until about 7 in the morning when people actually start lining up. It was an incredible experience. Rent left my life for a few years until it toured here again to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. I saw it twice there and just fell in love with that cast. Friend and I traveled to San Francisco to see it again (5 times in 3 days), where I met a guy named Kevin Spencer who ended up playing Roger in another tour. So we went to Bellingham to see him twice (in one day). The last time I saw it was in NYC at the Nederlander. It was such a special experience, and the last time I had seen it. I chose not to see it at the Centre. If there’s on thing I’ve learned Rent works best in intimate theatres.

TAOTB: What’s next for Fighting Chance?

RM: Funny you should ask – we just got the rights to be the Canadian Regional Theatre Premiere of Rent. It’s huge for us – and we announced it two days ago and have already received upwards of 50 headshots and resumes. There are people messaging me on Facebook asking if we need people for the band. This show touches people in such a way that people who normally wouldn’t be interested in musical theatre, all of a sudden are. It’s very very exciting to be a part of it. And to be bringing it to Vancouver in (I hope) a way that people haven’t seen it before.
Also,  after TTB, we are doing a three week run of two of Neil Labute’s plays that have never been done here. some girl(s) and The Distance from Here at the Havana Theatre. Both Vancouver premieres again and both I am stoked about. It’ll be the first time someone else has directed for Fighting Chance and I’m thrilled that Matthew Clarke, who was a part of our first show Autobahn and also The Laramie Project will be making his directorial debut with The Distance from Here.

Tick… Tick… BOOM! runs April 7-22 at the Jericho Arts Centre, and RENT runs August 1-16, at a location yet to be determined.

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Backstage with Carmen Moore March 13, 2009

I’m starting an interview series! Because… well. Just because I want to. And it’s my blog.

To kick it off, the lovely and talented Carmen Moore. You’ll probably remember her best at Simone, the sexy bartender from Godiva’s. Or maybe as Rebecca from Carl Bassai’s Unnatural and Accidental. She returns to the stage this month, after a 12-year hiatus. This Jessie- and Leo-nominated actor plays the lead role of Lu-Anne in Yukon playwright Patti Flather’s Where the River Meets the Sea, opening March 20 at Presentation House Theatre.

RC: What brings you back to the stage?

CM: I have been missing theatre for 12 years. I think it would have been a little traumatic for my son while he was very young to take that kind of time away from him… he would be in school all day, and then not see me at night while I’m doing a show. Also, the whole money thing! I have been a single parent for most of his life, so childcare was an issue… while doing film and TV I made enough to pay for childcare while working, but it’s just not possible with theatre! Jaden is now old enough that he really likes being given some freedom and trust to take care of himself. He can do 11 year old boy things without his mother looking over his shoulder!

RC: Tell me about Lu-Anne. Do you see yourself in her? Or are you more dissimilar?

CM: I think there are always aspects of yourself in characters you choose to play.  I’m definitely becoming aware of things about myself that I don’t necessarily like, playing this character! I think that she’s holding on so desperately to everything important to her, so fearful that she’s going to lose it all, that she’s actually pushing it away. I don’t think that’s something that I alone do… maybe everyone does it to a certain degree. Isn’t that where the saying ‘if you love something, set it free’ comes from?!   I am seeing how that kind of fear really makes us crazy!

RC: The cast includes two younger women, one of whom plays your daughter. Do you feel like you are in a mentorship position to the younger actresses in the cast?

CM: I don’t ever feel like I’m in a mentorship position… at least it never occurs to me! I don’t think it would be good

As Lu-Anne in Where the River Meets the Sea

for my ego! I might get a little carried away! I certainly hope that I can be an inspiration, but it’s not something that I assume I’m doing. I’m at a stage in my career where I do realize that I’ve been doing this for close to 20 years (Oh good golly…), and that someone just starting out may look to me for guidance or inspiration, but it takes a lifetime to learn this craft… and I’m still learning every step of the way. I’m human; sometimes I have no clue what I’m doing! I make mistakes… and I try to learn from them like everyone else.

RC: Your boyfriend, David Patrick Flemming, plays your love interest in this play. What’s it like to work with your boyfriend on stage?

CM: Working with David is something that I’ve wanted to do for sometime now! He’s an incredible actor and writer and I’ve always been inspired by his creativity and his ability to invent characters that are so interesting and funny. He’s so much more talented than I! I thought at first it might be uncomfortable and intimidating, but not at all; he gives me so much to work from. It’s also been very nice to debrief after rehearsal; get some insight from someone you love and trust that understands what it is you’re going through in this process because he’s a part of the process too…

RC: You have a young son: does he show any interest in becoming an actor? If he did/does, how would that make you feel?

CM: Jaden did a few commercials when he was very young and got a couple of jobs from being in the waiting room at my auditions! But, he had a gift for the ‘crying’ and ‘upsetting’ roles and he said to me one day sadly “I only want to do happy roles”… poor kid! Then, he was introduced to organized sports… and it was all over, much to my relief. As much as I love acting, the industry itself can be heartbreaking and if I can deter him from getting into it, I will! Forever the protective mother! I think he’s more interested in being in the NHL at this point…

RC: What’s next for Carmen Moore?

CM: I’m not really sure what’s next for me…which brings me back to the heartbreaking and difficult industry. You never know what’s coming next, which can be really hard. I just shot a pilot that I can’t really talk about, but I’m pretty proud of.  The producers will shop that around and see if anyone wants to throw money at us to get the series up and running… it’s always nice to have a steady job… but you never know, and it’s always back to the audition process…

Thanks, Carmen!

Carmen’s website

Carmen’s IMDB page

Presentation House Theatre

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Business Mentoring for the Arts February 6, 2009

In the business world, mentorship is a widely-respected and -practiced phenomenon. I don’t see it happening as much in the arts world–apprenticeships, yes, but mentorships, not so much.

I, myself have had mentors in the past, most recently through The Wired Women mentorship program. A connection I made through that program was with Mojgan Fay, and we immediately connected on our goal to help artists become better business people. Mojgan has a program called Business Mentoring for The Arts. I’ll let her tell you about it:

TAoTB: Tell me about Business Mentoring for the Arts.

Mojgan: Business Mentoring for the Arts (BMA) is a six-month mentorship program which pairs students in BA/MA/PhD and fine arts with a mentor from the business world who has an arts background.

This career mentorship experience is enhanced with monthly workshops, networking events, in addition to seminars in partnership with New Ventures BC.

Mentors and mentees meet at least once per month for about an hour for the duration of the mentoring relationship.

TAoTB: How can this program help artists?

Mojgan: Business Mentoring for the Arts can help by linking artists to a supportive environment where they can network with peers, attend workshops, gain insight and mentorship — ultimately finding a path and necessary guidance to follow careers they are passionate about.

Through this mentorship experience, the mentees will be provided with business perspective to achieve their goals.

TAoTB: How can artists get involved, either as mentors, or mentees?

Mojgan: We are always accepting applications for mentees and mentors. To apply on-line visit: http://www.bmaprogram.ca/applications/applications.html.

TAoTB: What is your personal philosophy about mentoring in general, and about mentoring with artists, specifically?

Mojgan: As a mentee, I have gained great value and inspiration from my mentors, and believe that a mutually beneficial relationship to help the move to the next step when it seems far away.

Currently, there are not many resources for students in the arts and we are excited to be able to help students with their career paths.

TAoTB: Tell me about your artistic background.

Mojgan: I have a degree in computer science. After moving back to Vancouver, I joined Wired Woman and was really inspired by all these accomplished women in the tech industry, found my career path, and so decided to help start a mentorship program for Wired Woman.

After the launch of the program and a couple of years of experience as a programmer I discovered my true passion actually was in communication technology. I’m really interested in how technology can help facilitate social inclusion.

I’m currently going to Simon Fraser University studying Communication and noticed that a lot of my classmates don’t realize the value of their education to organizations and don’t have very many resources helping them with plans after school.

With my partner’s vision, Dan Schick, we decided to start this program and help students gain a business perspective, discover their value, and realize that they can have careers they are passionate about.

It is great to have a “community” with entrepreneurs, artists, writers, communications analysts, or even corporate professionals who have arts backgrounds ALL wanting to help each other and bringing forward a different perspective. We don’t envision this program to be a one-on-one mentoring match only. You do have your mentor, but you also have access to all these other mentors that can answer your questions — it’s all geared towards helping people find their passions.

And all the workshops we put forward are topics generated by our members, and facilitated by both mentees and mentors.

Thanks Mojgan!!

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Ten seconds with David French January 14, 2009

The summer I turned 13, my parents and I, and my older brother Stan, moved from the heart of Kitsilano, on the edge of UBC’s Endowment Lands, to Frenchman’s Cove, Newfoundland. Population: 200.

I spent my formative teenage years growing up the Maritimes, and I can’t even begin to tell  you what an impact it had on my adult life. I will say this: I know that my deep and abiding love of the arts was a seed planted in Newfoundland soil.

Because it is an island, it has withstood outside influences longer than other places in Canada, and the culture is more preserved there. There is a tradition of songs and storytelling that goes very deep.

I have two favorite plays by Newfoundland playwrights: the first is A Rope Against the Sun by Al Pittman, and the second is Salt Water Moon by David French.

I was, as you can imagine, quite thrilled when I got the job of doing publicity for an upcoming production of French’s 1949 at Capilano University. The play follows the Mercer family (we meet Jacob and Mary and their young love in Salt Water Moon) who have married, had children, and moved to Toronto. They struggle with feelings of belonging and displacement the eve of Newfoundland joining confederation.

We emailed Mr. French’s agent, and asked if we could ask him a few questions, and he said yes.

TAoTB: Give your impressions on the state of Canadian playwriting?
DF: I’ve seen many excellent Canadian plays, and I’ve also seen plays that I wish I hadn’t seen. Theatre is a constant invalid, but sometimes he hops out of bed and runs around.

TAoTB: What’s next for David French?
DF: I’m working on two new plays and a novel.

TAoTB: Your plays about the Mercer family are produced all over the world. What is the appeal of a play about a family from a small Newfoundland outport that is so universal?
DF: It deals with our common humanity.

TAoTB: Do you sometimes miss Newfoundland? And long to move back?
DF: No. For years now, it’s existed in my imagination.

TAoTB: What is your favorite production of your work you’ve ever seen?
DF: That’s a tough question. Several are special to me, including the original production of Leaving Home at the Tarragon Theatre back in 1972, the production of Salt-Water Moon at the Saidye Bronfman Theatre in Montreal, and, during the last few years, the revival of those two plays at Soulpepper was outstanding.

For more information on David French, visit his website.

For more information on the upcoming production of 1949, please click here.

Special thanks to the director of 1949, Colin Legge, who supplied some of the questions.

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Inside the (UBC) Actor’s Studio with… Kim Cattrall January 12, 2009

Last week, I got a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and by golly, I took it!

Jerry Wasserman and Kim Cattrall (photo by Martin Dee)

Billed A Conversation with Kim Cattrall, this was, in actuality, an hour-long Inside the Actor’s Studio-like interview of Kim with Jerry Wasserman, head of the Theatre Department at UBC.

Jerry started out by welcoming the Courtenay-born, BC native back home, they talked a little about her home life, growing up on Vancovuer Island. She then talked about her professional training at both RADA and AMDA, and her brief career (and first professional Equity gig) in lunch theatre, here in Vancouver. She said it never occurred to her to not work here–she was from here, why would she want to leave?

Finding work was challenging, however, so her path eventually took her to Toronto. While working in theatre in Toronto, she was offered a seven-year contract at one of the big film studios. Feeling like she needed to learn more about film acting, she saw this opportunity as an apprenticeship (and thought it would get her back to New York, where she had a close circle of friends). Instead, the studio sent her to LA, but Jaimie Lee Curtis was there to show her the ropes.

And when it came to Sex and the City, she turned down the role of Samantha Jones several times. She said the part scared her. But then she remembered a conversation she had once had with Jack Lemmon, who said he always took roles that scared him–that meant there was learning in that role. She said they all knew that the show was going to be magic from the first read-through.

She spoke about her three books and the documentary she has made, all on the topic of sexuality. She regaled us with ‘backstage stories’ of plays she’s been in, and encouraged us to “take care of yourselves and eat good food.” She also encouraged the audience, primarily made up of students from the UBC Theatre and Film departments, to “listen to your gut.”

For me, there was one thing she said that I took away and prized above all others. An audience member asked her if she thought that there were starting to be better roles for women, and especially women ‘of a certain age’ out there. And she simply replied: “that’s why I started my own production company.”

Oh–and it looks good for a sequel to the Sex and the City movie.

You can listen to the entire conversation with Kim Cattrall and Jerry Wasserman here.

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What the Tweet?!?? A rookie’s guide to Twitter November 21, 2008

You’ve probably heard of Twitter. It is rapidly becoming extremely popular–some say, even more popular than Facebook. If you’re wondering what all the hoopla is about, and what the point is of joining another huge time-waster, read on!

For this blog post, I interview Trilby Jeeves, actor and instructor of the fine art of “Le Bouffon”. She says of

Trilby Jeeves

her Twitter experience:

“I started a few months ago, and was very reticent to get involved. Then slowly I started joining some conversations, and when I got some responses I started getting hooked. Then I started being encouraged for my writing, and I started learning from different people’s blogs, and then I started enjoying helping others, too. I like giving book suggestions, video suggestions, moral support…. It’s all about building trust. You find your voice and the people who like your voice and vice versa. I’m still finding my twitter voice, but its coming. I read someone’s twitter advice which was don’t just try to be clever… be true to you and that’s when the followers come. I still wish there was a better word for “follower”!!”

TAoTB: What is Twitter?
TJ: Twitter is micro-blogging. You have only 140 characters to express or share a thought. For me, it’s an online global networking party, and it’s live–conversations and information are being shared constantly. Because it is global there are always people sharing thoughts, and they can be personal or informational. Maybe the best thing to compare it to is your status line on Facebook. I would like to start a blog and I find this is a great introduction to that world.

TAoTB: How does it work?
TJ: Once you sign up, you start looking for interesting people to “follow”, namely, people who share similar interests or who have experience from which you would like to learn. You can do this by uploading your email address book and seeing how many people you already know are on Twitter (note: the ‘Search’ feature is disabled on Twitter right now). You can also use a site like Twellow. Once you are following someone, you can look at who else is following him or her or who they are following and link up with them. It’s amazing how quickly your list of followers can grow.

TAoTB: How can Twitter help me to market my arts-based business?
TJ: Through developing relationships online, you have an opportunity to help people, and to have people help you. A lot of artists, actors, writers, and people in the creative world won’t venture into social networking because they are scared it will take them away from their work. Once you have figured out the system, though, you can let it work for you, and it takes up less of your time.  It really is like any networking where everyone shares his or her work, and maybe someone knows someone who could use your service. All Twitter does is increase the possibility of more exposure, both in your own community, and globally. I know that traffic to my own website has increased a lot from Twitter. And people are hearing about “Le Bouffon” in an indirect way, which is also good for me. This could eventually translate to business!

Marketing is traditionally where artists fall short because it isn’t where their interests lie, but the reality is, if you wish to make a living from your art you need to let people know it exists! Setting aside a small amount of daily time to use the social networking tools can open up doors for you. I’ve already made some super interesting contacts. I needed an actor to help with our workshop in Singapore and we found him on Twitter! (He also took us to a great restaurant for seafood!)

TAoTB: What do I need to know to get started?

TJ: Go to www.twitter.com and choose a user name. This is the name you will be known by online, so make sure it has something to do with your business. For example, my Twitter name is TJBuffonery. Or if you are branding your name, use your own name. Once you choose your username and password, you need to set up your profile, which should reflect who you are and what you do, and it’s the place to put your blog, or your website.

Now you can start looking for people to ‘Follow’. You do this by looking at their profile page, and then you click the little grey button beneath their name that says “Follow.” You are now following them, and when they publish a post, or “Tweet”, you will see it when you log on to Twitter. Conversely, anyone who is following you will be able to read your Tweets.

You can now also start posting. But you only have 140 characters for your post so you get good at concise writing. You can ask for advice or help, or respond to someone else’s request, or it’s equally okay to write personal stuff. I think the best Tweeters are those that post a mix of personal and business. If you are a blogger, Twitter is a great place to announce a new blog post or invite people to look at your latest Flickr stream.

Some notes about using Twitter:

• Although the space is limited in Twitter, most people still use full sentences whenever possible, instead of using shorthand like a text message. For example, you should write “later” instead of “l8tr”
• When you are posting a URL that you want people to look at, it is common to use a service like Tiny URL or SnipURL to shorten the size of your URL. That way your whole post is not taken up with just the URL.
• There are two ways to directly message your followers or people you are following on Twitter. One is through Direct Messaging (DM), which is kind of like sending an email–only that person will see the message. The second way is an @ message, where you write something like “Writing a blog post on Twitter for newbies with @rebeccacoleman.” This kind of post will be able to be viewed by anyone following you. It’s a way of introducing people to other people in your network. Also, if you include another person in the post with @ that person will also see the update.

Those are the basics of Twitter, but before you get too into it, you might want to read an online resource that can give you some more detailed rules, like  http://twitterhandbook.com/blog. This article by Jeff Woekler is also great: Seven Secrets of Highly Successful Twitters.

Trilby Jeeves is an actor and instructor of “Le Bouffon.” She is passionate about helping people break through their critical and overworked thoughts to reach the honest depths of instinctive performance. She is an active social networker, and you may follow her on Twitter @tjbuffoonery. Her website is: www.buffooneryworkshops.com

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Survival Skills for Artists: Chris Tyrell Interview October 23, 2008

Okay, visual artists, this one’s for you…. (but those of you who aren’t painters, sculptors or photographers, you can benefit from this one, too)

This month I interview Chris Tyrell, author of Artist’s Survival Skills, subtitled How to Make a Living as a Canadian Visual Artist.

No stranger to the Vancouver arts scene, Chris began as a drama teacher at West Vancouver Secondary and Capilano College. He designed, built and managed Presentation House Theatre and established the Presentation House Gallery of photography. As well, he co-founded the BC Touring Council and the Alliance for Arts and Culture. He’s probably best known, however, for being the editor of The Opus Visual Arts Newsletter for, oh, like, forever.
I asked him some questions about how to survive and thrive as a visual artist.

AotB: If I’m a visual artist who is interested in selling more of my work, and possibly even making a living from my artistic practice, how can your book help me?

CT: I have never heard an artist say, “I wish I earned less money from my art.” However, after every one of my workshops for artists on ways to increase income, I see expressions of despair on some faces. “I don’t like thinking about my art like a business,” says one. “Oh my god, I couldn’t possibly take all that on,” says another, “I’m going to get a gallery to do all that for me.”

“Then make art for enjoyment, keep your job, and stop thinking about making more money from your art,” I say. My book is for artists who want to make a career of their creative skills. It addresses art-making in the context of self-employment; it uses business language and subscribes to principles of small business development applicable to any small manufacturing business.

My book reveals how much work it takes to develop an artistic career. Starting a small business (and this is what we do when we set out to be self-employed artists who sell our work) is a serious challenge regardless of the nature of the business. And while there are many worthwhile books for Canadian entrepreneurs on starting and growing a small business, my book looks at key components of small business theory and discusses them in the context of a creative, skills-based small business—the self-employed Canadian visual artist.

There are many associations that support professional artists in Canada. The writers have the Writers Union of Canada, actors, stage managers, and dancers have the Canadian Actors Equity Association and ACRTA; musicians have the Musicians Union. Directors, choreographers, and composers—all artistic professions in Canada have a trade association or union to which they belong. These professional organizations provide support to their members in areas such as health, taxation, and copyrights, and they negotiate collective agreements with employer associations that cover salaries and benefits. Visual artists, however, do not have sufficient professional guidance and support. My book seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of professional development issues for the committed Canadian visual artist.

AotB: Why shouldn’t I just hire an agent/accountant/publicist? Won’t that leave me more time for my artistic practice?

CT: You can do all that if you can afford it. Often, artists who get represented by a gallery get a lot of management services, but unless the artists takes responsibility for his or herself and his or her career, it will never be as successful as it might be. An artist may well take advantage of the professional services of others, but still, the drive and direction of one’s career is best self-managed. It all depends on what the artist wants, and that is why my book begins with a chapter on planning.

A lot of artists want success but are not prepared to work hard for it. Those who have genuine genius need not worry, their career will unfold for them (Brian Jungen, for example), but those with admirable, even great talent, require HARD WORK to establish an enduring successful career, and no one works better for an artist than the artist his- or her self. Gallery owners have many artists to represent and cannot do for an artist what the artist can do for themselves.

AotB: What are some of the most important things I can do to help my artistic business along in the areas of marketing and finances?

CT:Read my book.
Set realistic, achievable, measurable and incremental annual sales goals.
Study small business management, take marketing courses.
Have a fabulous, selected and diverse product line visible in your portfolio.
Study the best practices of other visual artists.
Provide interesting insight into your work—people do not buy what they do not understand.
DO NOT RELY ON OTHERS TO SELL YOUR WORK. (Chris’ caps!)
Join a co-op, work with other artists to achieve goals.

AotB: Thanks, Chris. Really great stuff.

Artist’s Survival Skills is available for purchase at Opus Visual Art Supplies.

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