I recently came across a post about gratitude. It was talking about theatre, specifically, but applies to every  career path, every artistic endeavour, and to life in general. It's about the positive impact of being thankful for what you have -- directly compared to the negativity of focusing on what you don't have or wish you had.

This is a problem for many artists. People love the arts, but often don't understand those who lend their lives to them. Support is not always forthcoming, and jobs and stability are a struggle. It's easy to let it chip away at you; to become jaded and cynical. It's easy to let it grind you down -- and when you get into that kind of mindset, you invite stress, negativity, and a host of other things that can tank your career before you get a chance to catch your stride. 

With a bit of gratitude, though, just a little change in perspective, you stand a much better chance of getting what you want and need. And of being happy. 

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It's almost New Year's Eve; Terry Fox Theatre is on break -- whatever are you to do for fun? Now, we're talking family fun, here, not your typical New Year's hoopla. You can get that stuff anywhere. Not to worry, though, Port Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities area actually have a lot going on to close out the year and ring in the new. We're going to hip you (you bet I said it!) to three of them that are fun for everyone, and won't utterly destroy your wallet and hopes for financial solvency in 2012.

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The time is upon us! Most of the kids are out of school, some of us are on vacation, and many of us are dealing with the joys and stresses of our various end-December holidays. The season is in full swing and now, more than ever we have to remember how to relax, how to have fun, and how to make the most out of what we have. In the spirit of the holiday season, Terry Fox Theatre would like to wish you all happiness and joy, point you at last year's still-relevant post on how to make the most out of your holiday, and remind you to not drink and drive.

Have a happy holiday, and be safe!

The title of this post may have you thinking "what the hell...?" -- but I promise you, this isn't about morbid or emo thought patterns for the jaded. This is about conducting ourselves as professionals, especially in a field like acting, where emotion is the stock and trade. This is about getting the job done (and getting it done well) in spite of ego, how we feel about the parts we're playing, whether the job will pay the rent, or how much or little talent the person opposite us has.

Nobody in the audience cares how we feel about these things. Nobody in the audience cares about actors one way or the other -- except for how well we show ourselves in the parts that we're playing. They expect us to be nothing less than the person we are committing ourselves to portray. For them, not us.

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If you are an actor or theatre aficionado -- scratch that -- If you are a person, there are two short videos on YouTube that you simply must watch. They are a combined approximate of 16 minutes, and they will impress you, tickle you, and inspire you at your very core. 

In just those few minutes, Patsy Rodenburg -- renowned teacher who has worked with some of the biggest names in both theatre and film (Helen Mirren, Ian Mckellan, and many more) -- will paint a picture of why theatre is so vital to us, as people, and open a door to a way of life -- of being -- that is both empowering and sustaining.

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Like any culture -- especially those that have so much riding on display of their craft -- theatre is awash in superstition. There are so many things that can and do go wrong with each show, from the minuscule to the devastating, and even deadly. Some of these things would occur seemingly without rhyme or reason, and many seemed to happen as a direct result to some common trigger. People needed to find ways to counteract them. And so they did -- perhaps in strange ways at times, but who cared, as long as the bad didn't happen?

It's important to be aware of these superstitions when working in theatre. If you're not, you could find yourself on the wrong side of some very unhappy people. Here are three of the most common: 

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I recently read an article on the Theatre Blog of the Manchester Guardian (guardian.co.uk) talking of writer Laura Barnett's experience watching plays in other languages. She was at the Avignon Festival in the south of France, and, while one of the four plays she took in had English surtitles, and another was in Italian, which she understands, the other two were in Flemish and French, respectively -- and without English surtitles or translations.

For her, the experience was both enlightening and spellbinding, as it drew her attention more toward the other aspects of the performances, such as movement and dance, visual appeal, and the music and audio intricacies. The languages and the plots and dialogue they painted were still important, and missed, but the overall production was illuminated in ways she hadn't considered.

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Most community artistic facilities -- ourselves included -- either close down or go into standby mode during the summer. Due to the transient nature of people in the months of July and August, it's difficult to maintain a steady program. Don't fret though! If you are jonesing from some culture over the next 6-8 weeks, Vancouver area, our very own city of Port Coquitlam has stepped up to save the day -- without costing you a dime!

Port Coquitlam may be a smaller city in the Lower Mainland, but we like our culture and there is strong support for the performing arts here. Every summer, the city puts on a weekly set of shows for your viewing pleasure, which is great for both tourists and "staycationers" alike.

This year, Port Coquitlam's Summer in the City presents three weekly (free!) cultural events: 

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Little things often affect what we do in large ways. It's not because they have any innate power of their own, or even that they (often) combine to shake the earth that you walk on. It’s because small things are always indicative of larger works in progress, and we are actively looking for those indications. They resonate with us.

Take, for example, a previously happy married couple who are now bitterly angry over backward toilet paper rolls and improperly squeezed toothpaste. Are these things truly the cause of their unhappiness with each other, or are they simply indicators that show a larger lack of respect for each other's feelings, and an inability to effectively communicate?

What about that small twitch of the mouth or subtle way of moving that seems to signify a character? Obviously, the affectation doesn't really define that character -- there's no detail there, no meat -- but it is a strong indication of who he is and what he's about. There’s a story there, and it gives us gut feeling about what to expect from that person; it makes us want to know more. The simple fact that the quirk stands out hits our body language translators like a fist, turning that small, potentially insignificant thing into a beacon that can make for a truly electrifying performance.

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People love quotes. It's the flash of truth, the insight those little groups of words give us into the minds and perspectives of the people who coin them. They catalyze us toward thought and action, debate, or even extreme ranges of emotion. Quotes give us a high level of empathic identification with our world and its peoples, especially those that have gained some level of status in our eyes -- and you can quote me on that. You know... if you want.

In any case, this is a theatre blog, and we do theatre tips, performance enhancing techniques of the non-chemical variety, applications of theatre in life, and even a bit of what to look for when renting a theatre. So, since we're talking about quotes, here are 30 of them -- all about acting, by actors, or somehow relating the world to the stage. Enjoy!

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It may sound a bit trite, but the statement "Theatre is many things to many people," also brings with it a great big bucket of truth. Nothing proves that sentiment more than the series of posts on the Praxis Theatre blog, titled 101 Sentences About Theatre. The posts, which were themselves inspired by writer George Hunka's 95 Sentences About Theatre, features the thoughts of the Praxis Theatre's creative team; in no particular order, and with no names attached. It is a manifesto about what the theatre is, what it can be, and how it resonates in the people who it inspires.

Praxis Theatre is a non-profit theatre in Toronto, Canada, that focuses its efforts on creating original theatre productions. They focus on their local area and like to challenge people on a socio-political level, without getting overbearing about it. This post is also a bit of a blog profile for them, as their site is a good read for anyone interested in the theatre scene. Check out some of their sentences on theatre, below -- and don't be afraid to add your own in the comments!

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In the Owning the Stage series, our aim is to bring you tips, tricks, and techniques that will help you to increase your confidence, power, and presence when performing. The very best tips, however, are the ones that can be applied not only to theatre performances or presentations, but to life in general. After all, when Shakespeare wrote the famous line "All the world's a stage," various versions of the phrase, all with the same meaning and connotations, had already seen wide use. We are all actors, presenting a different face or aspect of ourselves to different people, and are often put into positions where we need to perform for fun, profit, or necessity. We strive to put forth the best face that we can, and there has been many a self-help book written to help us do just that.

All we really need, though, is a few acting lessons and the willingness to broaden our scope of vision, applying the transferable skills we learn there to increase our confidence, ability to articulate, and overall performance in life, the theatre, and everything. In this particular instalment of Owning the Stage, we address how to keep your audience listening, especially in the face of lengthy monologues and speeches -- such as the one you just read...

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Volunteering is more than just a way to gain experience for the career you want, or look good on a university application. It is more than just a gift of your time, as well, and if approached with right attitude, volunteering can yield benefits that can echo throughout your entire life.

Many non-profit organizations are dominated by volunteers, from board members and decision makers to those who help keep venues clean and presentable. For many, the organization they are a part of represents an overriding passion in their lives, or simply a way to help make their community -- or even the world -- a better place. The people you meet as a volunteer, the things you are a part of, are experiences that can affect you in ways you might not expect.

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Forgetting your lines during an audition or a theatre performance is a sure step toward extended bouts of self-recrimination. It's a horrible feeling, and one that brings with it enough stress that it can compound on itself, causing even the words you were sure you would remember to melt from your mind as you slowly spiral into nose dive that ends with your performance crashing and burning -- sometimes quite impressively. 

Thankfully, there are techniques that you can apply to help you ingrain those elusive words into your very being.

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Confidence is a lot of smoke and mirrors when it comes right down to it. Everyone gets nervous. Everyone cares, at least to some degree, about what others think; how others see them -- especially when performing something that is truly important to them. When you see someone on stage, in the midst of the performance of their life, you can make a safe bet that person is -- or at least was -- afraid. It's entirely natural, and the best performers are no less human than you are.

How do they do it, then? How do they appear so calm, so cool? How, exactly, is it that they can command such attention from their audience, captivating them sometimes to the point of awe? Can it be learned? Is there some sort of trick to it?

The answer to both questions is yes -- and where tricks are concerned, there are many. Here are five of the most important of them:

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10 days ago, one of the most influential voices in Canadian theatre -- in theatre in general -- passed away. Michael Langham, the man who made the Stratford Shakespeare Festival into the theatrical force it has become, died at his home in Cranbrook, Kent, England, on Saturday the 15th of January, 2011, from a chest infection. He was 91 years old, and is survived by his wife, actress Helen Burns, his son, daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren.

Michael Langham was a native of England, born in 1919. He lived a rich and varied life that took him from study of law, to a five year stint as a prisoner of war in World War II, and finally to the Theatre. He ran several theatres in Great Britain, and was eventually brought to Canada by Tyrone Guthrie to be a part of the Stratford Festival. He served as the Stratford Festival's second Artistic Director, and carved out its permanent home. He is also credited with establishing the Stratford Music Festival, being a founder of the National Theatre School of Canada, and was instrumental in the creation of the Canada Council for the Arts.

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In so many ways, the stage is a microcosm of life. Things are amplified there, which is why even the most seemingly confident person can drown in their own insecurities. Stage fright -- also known as performance anxiety -- is one of the most common conditions in our society. It can be utterly debilitating, and can occur outside of traditional theatre, in any situation that requires you to give something personal of yourself in front of others.

Here are a few tips to help you deal with stage fright:

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Theatre is more than just a medium for entertainment. It's an expression of life, of self, of everything that makes us human. It's not always pretty, certainly, nor is it always happy -- but it is always inspiring.

What is it about theatre that captivates us? Why, in this era of home theatres, video games, and the internet, do we even bother to leave the house, let alone rub shoulders with strangers in the dark, watching people speak, sing, and dance on a stage? Why? Because theatre fulfils us in a way that none of those other things can -- even with next to no budget, no special and flashy effects, and nothing more than a single person and a chair on the stage, we can be inspired. Would you sit through a movie like that? Not likely. But a live show... you just might.

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The performing arts are not a ticket to fame, and they're most definitely not an easy ticket to fortune. They're not just for girls and gay males, and they're not going to turn your kid into a "slacker hippie." What the performing arts are is a surefire way to make your kid just a little bit smarter, a little bit more confident, a little stronger, and a whole lot more capable of dealing with what life throws his or her way. 

By way of example, here are five reasons kids need the performing arts:

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