Focus

Hey Abyss,

Not much has happened since my last entry, I have't heard back from the Haven audition that I submitted on Thursday of last week.

I am going to say its dead in the water, unfortunately. I guess it just wasn't my role. There will always be more!

I am back from teaching now and have two weeks before I start back up again in Truro at The Marigold Centre. I am excited to work back in my community again.

Yesterday I bussed down to Truro for an interview with Lenore Zann about theatre in Truro and how it is growing and the demand for it. It was awesome to have a chance to talk to Lenore about such progression and compare stories and have her voice such a positive insight into my own journey. She is local proof that it doesn't matter where you come from you can be successful if you believe.

It is this thought that continues to push me.

I went with my girlfriend to see The Dark Knight Rises last night and was yet again inspired to keep pushing to get there; in quality films. I am determined to make a name for myself, if not just in Nova Scotia but in Canada and wherever else will have me!

I have to continually keep reminding myself that the next two years are dedicated to my education and then my career can start full force. It is difficult to acknowledge that, but it is necessary. I have learned so much from this year and am only looking forward to becoming better and more aligned. I also have to keep reminding myself what things I have accomplished so far, which is a lot in a short period of time, and to relax and let things continue to come and focus on what is in front of me.

Right now I am focusing on my one line in All The Wrong Reasons that I say to Corey Monteith. Its been a struggle.

Thats all for now Abyss,

Night

When it Rains, It Pours.

Hey Abyss,

On Friday of last week I had an audition for a new film in Halifax called All the Wrong Reasons. I booked the part and am excited to say that I will be sharing a set with Corey Monteith, Adam Brody, Sarah Gadon, Emily Hampshire, Kevin Zegers and Denis Theriualt.

I am beyond stoked.

Hopefully I will get to meet them.

Now the reason for the title today is due to the fact that since being in Guysborough teaching drama to kids I have had more auditions offers then the rest of the summer.

Isn't that the way.

As soon as you are unavailable things start popping up. Luckily my agents are the best and are completely accommodating. Tomorrow morning I am auditioning for Haven yet again.

This is about my 7th time in three seasons. It is for two characters and I am learning the sides as we speak. It would be awesome to nab one of the roles because it films exactly when I am in between teaching jobs.

I was really worried that this summer I wouldn't work as much as I did last summer, but that seems to be perking up. Things have really be working out awesome in the last few days, which ties into my last post of when we stop stressing about life and what it holds for us, it can bring some wonderful opportunities to the table.

The kids I have been teaching this week have been really great and have been teaching me a lot about myself, which is always a plus. I sometimes forget how smart kids are, they are clever and always keep me on my toes. Tomorrow we are choreographing a piece together to prepare them for their performance on Friday and I am excited to see how they will react to being on an actual stage this year (last year we were in a community hall).

I am so happy with how things are going in my life right now, and I really looking forward to taking the happiness and inspiration back to school with me. I feel this year is going to be an important one developmentally and I am ready for the challenge.

Thanks for listening and follow me on Twitter @wayne_burns, and check out my IMDB.

All the Wrong Reasons --> http://seaandbescene.com/2012/07/all-the-wrong-reasons-filming-in-halifax/

Night Abyss

Sunny Days are for Sitting in Bed

Hey Abyss,

It's Wednesday and I am thinking that this may be a good day to get into the habit of writing on. At least for the rest of the summer, which is going by so quickly!

Not much has changed since my last post, I am still doing the readings for Mr. D which has been awesome. Hanging out with the cast and just being treated so equally has been really encouraging.

Not that I have been rejected my whole life, just its nice to feel like part of the team.  There is really no way I can make what I said sound less pathetic so lets just leave it as that...It has been a really wonderful experience.

I went into see my agents yesterday and I potentially have a feature film audition coming up, it just depends whether I can get into audition before I leave for Guysborugh, which is where I am teaching next week. So, that is good news, It would be a day player spot, which is perfect because I am not in the position to have anymore than a few days on set. I say this only because after my frugal two months of living off my girlfriend I will finally have a surplus of money from teaching for the last half of the summer, so I don't want to have to bail on the kids.

I am really looking forward to teaching again this year, I feel after being away at school and just coming into my own a little but more I have a clearer image of how I want to teach and what things to start instilling in the talented rascals that give me company every year for four weeks. Kids really teach me so much about my own craft, they are so true to their emotions and provide such a blunt and unfazed view of reality. They tell you straight up if you are bad or good, or funny or stupid and its with this honesty that you learn as an adult to stop being in your head so much and just let life move through you.

Teaching them truly is a continual inspiration.

Yesterday we received out tentative itinerary for the upcoming school year and I am beyond excited to work with the people we are which includes: Nina Lee Aquino, David Yee, Adam Lazarus, Jodi Essery, Wenyi Mengesha, Maiko Bae Yamamoto, Antoine Bedard AKA Montag, AndrewWade, Jill Kiely and Many others.

I feel so blessed to be attending a school that gives me such opportunity to explore so many facets of this profession.

Last week I went to see a show called She Has A Name, and I was rather disappointed with it. I paid 27 dollars for the show which had an amazing premise so I felt I was going to be blown away. The opposite happened and I was continually distracted by the moving fabric of the set pieces, instead of the text. The show is currently touring Canada and the company is based out of Red Deer. The piece is about sex trafficking in Bangkok, but never really delves into the sheer madness of what occurs there. They raise awareness with the piece but does not leave me with nightmares about what the poor boys and girls go through everyday. And in my opinion, if you are going to do something controversial I expect to see controversy. But perhaps that is just me. The text was written by Andrew Kooman and was produced by Burnt Thicket Theatre.

Then I went to see Shakepeare by the Sea here in Halifax and I was blown away. Perhaps it was due to the disappointment of the last show, or perhaps the cast was just phenomenal. I think it was bit of both.


Thats it for now,

Night Abyss.

Empty Pockets, Full Heart.

Hey Abyss,

I have been super lazy on the entries of late.

First off the important business.

Auditions to date: 2

Jobs Obtained from Audtions: 0

I am currently working as a reader on the set of Mr. D, which airs on CBC (I'll post more info on the show in a link below). A reader is either someone who reads the opposite character of the sides in an audition or, in my case, is asked to come in and read the day-player parts of the script in aid of the actors and writers to get a feel for how the episode will run.

Kind of like workshopping a theatre script.

I am having a blast doing that and get to hang out with all the main cast, which is awesome. And the money is great, which is really wonderful at this point considering I am still paying for THREE apartments. But that's a long story.

I have been going to as much theatre as I can afford and have seen a wide variety of it. The standout so far is a show called Science Inaction written by Griffin McInnis who is the playwright in house at 2b Theatre Company. The show was really really great in all respects. I love walking away from a show that excites me about my own career, that I say, "I want to do that kind of theatre". It made my week.

So thank you Griffin and Wits End Theatre.

I have basically stopped looking for a Joe Job considering that I start teaching in two weeks, but money is tight. It has been a real struggle this year for money, but I have finally come to terms with the fact that  I am going to continue to have money problems my entire under-waged actor life. Luckily I have a girlfriend who allows me to mooch off of her like a leech, I don't know how long that will last...

Coming up: I am currently involved with a public reading of Michael Healey's controversial play Proud, and that will be going up on the 7th of July, which is Saturday! I am stoked for that and am really hoping for a good turn out. I am playing Jake.

With all my spare time I have been trying to get on top of the things in my life that need some attention, such as getting my passport and acquiring my dual citizenship. As well as getting healthy again and trying to dress better.

It is funny, the less you have the more you experiment and make things work. I really only have enough money for food and the gym, so that is all I do. This is ultimately not a bad thing, I feel really great both inside and out and am not spending all my money on things I don't need. It really is sometimes better to downsize because then you see what you really need and use.

Life lessons.

What a trip.

I am going to post some links to the aforementioned things and hope that you check them out and enjoy them as much as I did.

Science Inaction --> http://www.witsendtheatre.ca/science-inaction.php

Proud --> http://torontoist.com/2012/03/first-outing-for-prouds-prime-minister/

Mr D. --> http://www.cbc.ca/revenuegroup/mr-d.html

Follow me on Twitter @wayne_burns and check out my IMDB.

Night Abyss