It's Christmas Time in the City

In Montreal, that is!


SO, so, so. It has been over 5 months since my last post.

This is awful considering my constant babble about how "I'll keep the posts coming!"

As if I am the mailman.

These last few months have been a whirlwind. I have literally had little to no time by myself, it has been me and 10 of my fellow actors duking it out for 12 hours a day 6 days a week. The school was not exacgerrating when they stated that "They tear you apart emotionally and physically, then build you back up".

I have never cried so much in my life. And for those who don't know me, I don't cry. To counter this rather depressing statement I would like to follow with saying that I have also never laughed as hard as I have at this school. I am throughly enjoying my time and they are working me to the bone.

For the first couple months I thought I had made the wrong choice about coming because my body just wasn't able to take the physical demands, I would come home at night bleeding and bruised. Feeling as though I was training for World War 3. Then over time my bruises faded and my bleeding orifices calloused and I came back stronger and more determine to prove my worth.

This school is wonderful in making you feel inadequate as an artist, in attempts of getting you to a moulding point where they can show you the potential you have to morph into. Its beautiful. It may seems as though everyone is out to get you at some points but really they are just trying to find your strength. I feel so honoured to be training under these talented individuals.

On that note, the people who have trained us this term have been phenomenal. The amount of well known artists that come through our school is just amazing. Again, opportunity of a life time. I had the pleasure of meeting Sandra Oh this term as well and she gifted me with some wonderful advice and helped me to pull up my boot straps and give it my all. The thing about this school is that everyone who has passed through knows that it is so supportive about fostering young artists, so they are so grateful, and thus in return making you feel so special to be walking the same halls as they once did. Its inspirational and dream like to know all the people who have sweated and cried and bleed in this place and have gone on to do great things for theatre and film in Canada.

I have not been able to auction for anything as of late due to my hectic schedule and lack of knowledge of the Montreal film scene, so no audition updates..

Yesterday I found out that Shakespeare by the Sea is holding auditions for their summer contracts and I was thinking about auditioning. I really haven't learned too much about Shakespeare yet and am unsure if I would be able to out together two well done monologues by the time the deadline is due. I am still debating this because I really want to book as much film and TV work as I can this summer when I go back to Nova Scotia. Apparently it is going to be a lucrative summer....

What do you think?

Recently I won the Theatre Nova Scotia Award for an excellence in Theatre in Nova Scotia. I was thrilled and completely unaware that I had been nominated. Unfortunately I was unable to be there to accept the award so my parents had to go and accept it for me. I just felt so honoured by the gesture and award that I wish I could have been there to express my gratitude. The Nova Scotia Talent Trust is a wonderful organization and if you are an artist in need of money don't hesitate to look them up!

I leave montreal for a Christmas break tomorrow and I am pumped to finally just be back to my town. I have a lot of catching up to do and am looking forward to every minute.

For my faithful fans, thank you for your support.

Night Abyss,

http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/43196-talent-trust-honours-young-nova-scotians

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4517763/

Holy Movement Batman!

Alright,

I am slowly but quickly, as oxymoronic as that sounds, coming upon my leaving. The good thing is that you get to filter through things again and see what really matters and what is qualifying as hoarder material.

I am about half and half.

Good news though! I got a part on a National TV show!

Granted it is only one episode, but I am still stoked. I am gonna have my last bit of work before I head out and have to put myself off the market for 8 months.

I film next week and play the "Teenage Referee" on Mr. D. I know with that name it seems of lesser significance but I do have a substantial amount of lines and am interacting with Gerry Dee who is the main character on the show, as well as producer.

For those of you unfamiliar with the show and Gerry Dee I will post some links below.

Basically today I have been doing tons of laundry and cleaning my current apartment before I move back to my home town and teach for two weeks.

The best part of laundry, besides your clothes being clean is that you find your favourite clothes at the bottom of the hamper that you totally forgot you had. It's like Christmas.

These next few weeks are going to hopefully be relaxing and not as stressful as my Mother is making them seem. I am stoked to move and cannot wait for school to start.

This is a rather short post, but I can promise more will come!

Night Abyss

The Help

Alright Abyss,

So again, another month gone by and my posting habits have failed to come into effect. Rather then makes excuses for my lack of commitment I will just fill you in on what has been happening.

As stated before in my last post I was filming a commercial that day, it was a bomb time and I had a lot of fun (how's that for short and sweet). I am hoping, considering that finally got paid for it today, that it will be airing soon. I have been auditioning a lot for things and have yet to pick something up. I leave to go back to my home town on Sunday to see my best friend perform in The Secret Garden, written by Paul Ledoux. Then I am teaching for two weeks before I leave for the BIG MO, on the 26th.

It is going to be an intense couple of weeks and I am pretty tight for money.

I have now discovered how to make kraft dinner with an iron.

I have an audition today for a new TV show that is similar to The Office only it is about teachers in a public school. It would be some awesome last minute work before I leave and get me some good coverage to boot. Here's hoping.

These next few weeks, as stated, will be mildly intense. In lieu of these trying times I vacationed to the woods last week and realizes that being one with nature for too long can drive you loopy. I was literally dying of solitude. Needless to say when I came back I felt much better about myself and had a decent tan.

Food for Thought: Spending 5 days in the woods without a whole lot of human contact can alter how you normally deal with life. This endeavor can also lead others to believe you are a serial killer.

Anyway that's about it for now. I went to see Crazy, Stupid, Love and it was brilliant. If you get the chance go see it, as well as go see the Help, which I am posting below.

EMMA STONE all the way :)

Night Abyss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GYmhc8Xk8g

Harry Potter

Hey Abyss,

It's almost been a month since my last entry and as always a lot has happened in between posts.

I am quitting my Joe job on the 15th and will be going to teach kids ages 7-11 at a theatre in a rural area outside the city. I am stoked because the theatre is giving me accommodations while I am there and also paying for my ride up. This enables me to save some money due to the fact I am super poor and am slowly finding out how much money this trip to montreal is costing.

I seriously do not comprehend large amounts of money, like I am an avid follower of films and see how much money celebrities make and how much box office totals equal, but when it pertains to my life it just scares me to be putting so much money into one thing.

I found out last week that I am receiving a scholarship to the school which lightens the pressure some and I am truly grateful for that!

Today I am filming a commercial and am stoked for that, I just thought I would get in a post before I headed out.  It's the launch of a new product so hopefully it will get some decent air time. Look for me on a television near you!

Some one who is really inspiring me lately is Ryan Gosling. I watched the trailer for Stupid, Crazy, Love and felt I should watch all his previous movies. He is a really interesting dude, his prep for roles is inspiring and unique. He is def a method actor. I am attaching the link to Stupid, Crazy, Love below.

I am sorry to disappoint the people who read this hoping to hear about the new Harry Potter movie, I have tricked you.

Night Abyss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK68Y3oMEk8

Back to Routine; Excitement vs. Frightment

Hello,

I think it has been just shy of a week since last post, so it is due time for one!

First of all; School is back in session tomorrow which proves both exciting and frightening at the same time. I am excited to get back into the educational and routine aspects, but have procrastinated amazingly over the break and am quite worried that I will be behind.

This is probably the case, who am I kidding.

I have spent most of the day reading and memorizing monologues and plays, which people say doesn't take as long as reading a book but I find it just as time consuming. For those of you who may know me I have a very short attention span and although I like to read, especially plays, I find it hard to stay focused.

Also, my cats have been extremely hyperactive recently and it is stressing me out. They are seriously like monkeys jumping everywhere and ignoring me. Worse than kids sometimes.

I applied to NTS, George Brown and Sheridan today though, so I feel extremely excited and frightened about that as well. I was talking to one of my close friends tonight who is currently at Ryerson, which i will be applying to later on when I have the money, and he is validating the intimidating process of audition for the schools. I guess there is just some days where I feel like I am no better than the average kid trying to make it as an actor. Like, my friend was saying that if there is like 1500 kids that audition there is a third of them that just plain suck, then there are some that are good, and then the last third are the ones that are your competition. I just feel like even the bad kids are the competition, like who is saying that I am in the last third? I guess that is my mission to make sure I am in the best portion. I am just intimidated because I have such short amounts of time to prepare everything. But alas, the job of an actor.

I just want to get accepted at least somewhere, you know, for my dignity. That I am not a complete waste of life. I always feel like I don't have enough time for things, like if I don't go for things now I wont have a chance later. I really just want to feel like I am doing the most in my life. I have this phobia of becoming a deadbeat, among other things.

Last weekend I took part in a show called Teenage Sex Party written by Thom Fitzgerald. I performed it at an event called 24 hour theatre, something I stumbled upon that has been happening for 5 years! It was such an awesome experience due to the time restraint of 24 hours. You as actors get the script for the latter of the 24 hours and have 12 to make it a show with costumes lighting and sound. Ours turned out great. Surprisingly we had a great turnout for audience with some rather important people in it.


I will continue filming the short film in the next coming weeks and am looking forward to that.

I hate winter.

I lost my mittens.

and I refuse to wear long johns.

I should live in Florida.

I have school tomorrow so I am going to get ready for bed now. I will do my best to keep with the updates.

Night, Abyss.

Sometimes I feel like a Priest . . .

Man Oh Man,


11 days since my last post! Sorry Abyss, I have been super busy, as per always. I am going to do my best to at least (the stress on least) have an entry a week. That's my goal. So here we go...

I love my day job, I say that in the most sincere way possible. I really do love it. The people whom I have to service however I do not enjoy. The last few days for me have been more painstaking than usual. I have had the most difficult customers I think I have ever dealt with. It is awful how people think they have the right to treat you like crap because you are a young person and are working. Personally, those are rather illegitimate excuses to have it out for someone, especially someone who's generation are the people who are going to be changing your diapers and writing your prescriptions.

Just food for thought.

I understand that it is a two way street, for all those devil's advocates out there reading this. Let me assure you I could have been more nice, but when you offend me I get defensive. So again, reiterating the two way street; I will be nice to you if you are nice to me. I always do my best to be a positive person when it comes to customer service because you are the face of the company you represent, so I strive to be pleasant to deal with.

In all  honesty though, sometimes I actually feel like a priest.

Which was not part of my job listing.

Today, a man came in with his father (no pun intended) and felt the need to disclose how much money the man was making and how many Master Degrees he had and ranted on and on about his life in general and how phones are designed badly because the end call button is also the power off button. After explaining that I myself could not call up Samsung and tell them that their, and the rest of the companies, cellphone designs are ridiculous for people with 5 Masters Degrees to understand I was actually considering telling him to also do a few "Hail Mary" --s before he left. I am all for listening to some people ramble sometimes, but my store is the busiest in our region and there were other people waiting. It is hard to keep the pleasantries up at that rate.

I mean of course this is customer service and I know there will be the random crazies, but alas I get frustrated easily when things aren't compliant to the over all situation, probably due to my organization needs. I am hoping for a more productive day tomorrow.

Audition update: Nothing yet. I have been enlisted to participate in a show for one night only in attempts  to raise money for a young girl who is dying of cancer. A cause I am very eager to aid in. That is on October 4.


Also, school starts Monday. I am stoked!

Bought some sweatpants from GAP and I will be looking fresh the first day.

As much of a paradox as that may seem due to the purchase of sweatpants.

Anyway, G'night AByss.

25 cents for a warm feeling.

I never thought that I would be so anxious for school to start. Alas, I am.

I am excited to meet new people and just start to push myself again. Routine is a must with Wayne.

Audition update: They are still casting for the educational video.

Life is going at a good pace as per usual. We had a hurricane here the other day and I was without power for a bit. I was able to discover what it is like to shower blind and in the cold. An experience that I would have probably never have been able to experience otherwise. So thanks hurricane.

My car was also affected by the hurricane. Nothing dire, other than the fact that my muffler now sounds like it is missing. You know those people who drive down the road like a bat out of hell with the crappiest sounding muffler or lack there of and you always yell at them, "GET A MUFFLER!!"

I am now the recipient of those phrases.

The awful part is that I just had a new muffler installed so I am at a loss. Damn hurricane.

But I guess the positive thing is that I still have a house and my eyes and at least a muffler of some kind.

Today was my day off so I slept in till noon and then woke up and went to get shaving cream. That is about the extent of my day. Shaving was a priority but shower was not.

I also, in my post sleep state, went to my first laundromat. It was a rather interesting experience.

I always judge when I need to do laundry by the amount of clean underwear I have left. Now to fully understand the desperation of my need for clean clothes you have to understand how much underwear I have.

I have a lot.

I was getting low so I felt it was definitely time.

I walked in and there was only one person there; the owner. She was an interesting woman who looked about late thirties. She was middle eastern and she greeted me with a smile saying. "You have the place to yourself!"

I took her kind words of solitude as a sign that I could be friendly with her and I admitted that I had never partook the laundromat thing before. She reassured me that it was easy and we shared a moment watching the dry cycles of my underwear go round and round. I pictured her seeing some weird things in her time here.

The laundromat was of typical appearance except for the glorious Mrs. Pacman arcade game at the back of the room. I was in love. It was this moment that I decided that if I ever made enough money I would buy this machine off of this woman and give her more than she wants for it for her generosity of helping me wash my sweaters. I feel that is only fair.

Needless to say I washed all my clothes for under 10 bucks. I was happy and underwear laden again.

There is nothing like warm clean clothes.

Apple Hortens; a 4am Joke provided by Colin.

So Abyss,

I have some good and bad news.

First off, I have recently moved all of my belonging into my new apartment as I am currently still living with my roommate. I am basically sleeping on the floor without any of my things here to just be here when him and my friends are here so I have people to hang out with. I know this sounds pathetic but it is true, and I enjoy my friends so why would I leave them early if I don't have too? This is my thought process anyway.

Audition update: Ziltch for the previous ones. Ehh, on a new one that I applied for last night and have yet to find out if they so desire to see my face.

I encompassed the bad news in those two sentences.

This week is quite intense with rehearsals for my performance on Saturday (which Ellen Page should be coming too) and working and such. Hence the reason why I haven't written in a while.

Good News is that I am officially the recipient of the Scholarship to my theatre program! So that makes two years of post secondary education that I have not had to dig in my own pockets to pay for. Yay for other people's money! So I now have plans for September and am excited to start learning -- Hold up... I never thought those words would be spelled by my fingers... This year has to be a developmental year to help me prepare for the good stuff coming up. I am determined that there is good things coming along my conveyor belt of a life. I am stoked to put the pieces together and make something I can be proud of.

I thoroughly hate transitions. I always want my life to be a Star Trek episode. Not for the geeky reasons but for the transporter. I hate drive/walking between places sometimes. I wish you could just hop into a transporter and arrive. Think of the gas money people would save, more than enough to buy a freaking transporter that's for sure. I'm just thinking of the big picture.

Well I am exhausted, and even though it is 6pm I am going to sleep.

G'night Abyss.