We’re happy, healthy individuals who seek to share joy with others through our work and growth.
‘Nuff said.
Vote today to help spread a little joy yourself.
http://pep.si/hDkj1N
WE’RE positive!
We’re happy, healthy individuals who seek to share joy with others through our work and growth. ‘Nuff said. Vote today to help spread a little joy yourself. http://pep.si/hDkj1N
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It’s a positive event!
How do you define positivity? Progression Improvement Constructive Happy Beneficial Good Of quality Certainty An affirmation To describe it in feeling: It’s like a big golden crescent moon has bounced up in my stomach with such buoyancy that I have to let it out through my fingers, toes, and face. The rest of my body just seems to follow suit after that. As my dear friend Joe said to me: “I mean what I said in the most positive and self-affirming way.” That. We’re all of that. And a bag of chips. We are doing something that we hope will improve the quality of people’s lives. We are doing something that we hope will bring happiness. We are looking to add something constructive to society. We want to help through spreading a little joy, which can offer an opportunity for growth. If that’s not positivity, I don’t know what is. So, If you are looking for a reason to vote today, do it to spread a little positivity yourself, because this event can bring happiness, positivity, growth, -whatever you want to call it- into people’s lives. http://pep.si/hDkj1N To further spread the positivity and growth, check out this amazing man’s quest for meeting the people who have inspired him most: http://mimeticonline.wordpress.com/
For a short time, we
are creating a community.
Something almost magical happens when we are in a performance: Life gets examined under a microscope, we pick apart moments, laugh, cry, and experience situations that we would normally never put ourselves in. The actors come and share themselves and their stories with us. But what happens to the audience? The audiences we had on the T.T.C. were very interesting to watch as we performed. Some would give their focus, some would look away. Some would get angry, or move away (to which we always responded by moving away as well- we were not there to cause hostility or anger, and dealt with each situation appropriately), others would applaud, cheer, or smile at us- but the most interesting part of it all, was that patrons would turn to each other- total strangers- and start talking about what they just saw. The T.T.C.. An area where you usually avoid eye-contact, keep your head down, pretend that you are in a little box to stay away from any means of human contact. And people are talking to each other out of the blue? No freakin’ way. If there was anything that I had learned from this experience, it was that people are more willing to accept a performance than a direct address. But I digress… A community was created in seconds. Everyone had been witness to a shocking, out-of-the-blue event. And it was positive. How often do surprise events happen in this world with a positive result? With total strangers, for that matter? That is a big deal to me. I’d like to believe that to some extent, everyone wants to be involved in a community. Everyone wants to feel a part of something. And we did that for people on the subway. Now I’d like to bring that feeling to hospitals and senior residences. In places that can sometimes isolate, it’s very necessary. So, if you are looking for a reason to vote today, do it because for a short time, you will be helping us to create a community. By doing so, you will be a part of one too. Cheesy, but true. http://pep.si/hDkj1N
Some audiences may not get to do or see this again.
It is unfortunate to face, but it is a cold fact: some of the patrons who walk in to these hospitals and seniors residences will not leave. This past year I was given a very painful, and yet eye-opening experience. This event changed my motivation on this project from “Gee, this would be something cool to do,” to “If I don’t do this, I will regret it.” In November, I received a call from my father, telling me that my grandmother had suffered a severe heart attack. The odds of her surviving were very small. I rushed to the hospital to be with my family, and say our goodbyes. Needless to say, I was heartbroken. My grandmother and I had been very close; a lot of the work I had done on Shakespeare, I shared with her. She was a dancer in her time. She was well ahead of her time. She did not know very much about Shakespeare, but she loved to read (she essentially got a modern university education from the amount of reading and discussion that she did), and go to the theatre, so we explored classical text together. I actually went to her Senior Residence two days prior to the event to perform for some of her friends. When it came time to saying my goodbyes, I found myself speaking every piece of classical text that I had memorized. It felt like the best thing to do. I didn’t know if she could hear me or not- that was a large conflict for me at the time. It felt like talking to a breathing brick wall- but I wanted to feel connected to her. So, I wanted her last day to be of something that we had shared together. Above all, I wanted her to feel comfortable, and happy. That night, my grandmother passed away, quietly. We received the call before going to bed. Looking back, I feel absolutely blessed to have had that moment with her. The likelihood of her actually having heard or recognized me is slim to nil, but it was important that I put it out there. Conscious or not, I know she would have appreciated it. She was very fortunate to have had such a full life, and we were fortunate to have shared that with her, right up to her last hours. Some of the hospital patients and senior residence members won’t leave the facilities. Some of them are regular theatre-goers, some of them have never seen theatre in their lives. I hope that by sharing a live event such as this, we can give those patients and patrons an experience of community and connection in a way that may either be warm and familiar, or new and exciting. Although that may not solve the issues they face, and although the issues they face may be inevitable, this can still offer a reprieve from the despair that they may feel over the situation. And when it comes to quality of life, a little joy could mean all of the difference between “I can’t do this,” and “Let’s do this.” So, if you are looking for a reason to vote today, do it because some audiences may not get to do or see this ever again, and it will enrich their quality of life. http://pep.si/hDkj1N
We’re youth-founded
and run, and there needs to be more of that.
Whenever I told people that I was attending school for Acting, I would get the usual response, “Oh, wow. Risky future, eh?” or “Not much you can do with that.” I used to shrug and say “I’ve accepted my cardboard box future.” Lies. All of it. The education I’ve gotten has given me a lot of life skills that I’m proud of. On top of re-learning how to be a human being, I’ve learned how to be that ever-terrifying term, “a contributing member to society”, and furthermore, a creative, thriving, independent individual. So why the hell would I not want to do something with that? Part of being motivated comes from how we were raised. I’d like to think a large part comes from having enough information and tools. I didn’t really see myself as a leader walking into the last project, just someone who had the right information and tools. So long as I had that, motivation came easily. My perspective has changed a lot since then, and I now believe that leadership is more of something that can be cultivated by example. “Be the change you want to see in the world.”- Mahatma Ghandi A quote that I used to take lightly, but not anymore. So, if you are looking for a reason to vote today, do it because there needs to be more youth-founded work, and we’re ready to step up to the plate to make the example. http://www.refresheverything.ca/shakespeareinhospitals Let’s make it happen folks! We went up more than ten spots last night!
We’re learning, and
we want to share what we’ve learned with others.
Well, I’m a graduate of the University of Windsor B.F.A. Acting program. Very fresh-faced. Half of our cast from the summer was still in school. None of us claimed to know everything about Shakespeare, but all of us were committed to sharing what we knew to further our experience and performance of the Bard. I don’t claim to know it all, but I want to learn. Sometimes I have to switch my focus to the administration or directorial side of things to make sure that the next project can actually happen- but that never stops me from wanting to learn, and share what I’ve learned with others. The same goes for the collective. We’re ready, and we’re eager. After all, that’s a part of being an artist: you have to be a professional at learning new skills, and gaining new perspectives. So, if you are looking for a reason to vote for us today, do it because we are open to gaining new experiences, and we are eager to learn. It’ll be the easiest opportunity for learning and growth that you ever gave. http://www.refresheverything.ca/shakespeareinhospitals It’s not about the money; even if we don’t get the grant, we’re going to do it anyways.
There are very few times that I have ever stopped a project due to lack of interest. Usually there is a lack in information, or communication- but not a lack in interest. The best example that I have of this is with the work that we did on the T.T.C.- We applied to a few different places for funding, and all of them turned us down. Just because you don’t get a grant doesn’t mean the idea’s not possible. So I kept going. We constantly edited and re-edited our operating budget, kept our expenses in check, and actually ended up with a surplus- all of which has been put towards this project. And in this case, it wasn’t a lack in interest- on our last run, we had accumulated more media than we had ever imagined. So clearly it was interesting enough, but it took us a while to break into enough mediums, and get the right information out there. So, whether we gain the corporate interest from a Grant Committee or not, this project is happening. So if you are looking for a reason to vote today, do it because we are determined to make it happen, grant or no grant! http://www.refresheverything.ca/shakespeareinhospitals
It’s wonderfully human.
I found myself talking about this with a co-worker recently, by using the text in Romeo and Juliet- Ironically, we have each listed it as our favourite Shakespeare play. We are both saps. When you hear Romeo and Juliet speak, the poetry that they use makes them sound as if they have been lovers for ages. To give a brief example, in Act 1 Scene 5: “…My Lips, two blushing pilgrims ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” To describe someone’s lips as “two blushing pilgrims”, builds up the image of kissing at the end of the thought to sound- beyond amazing, beyond right, but holy. It certainly gives a sensation of the weight and importance implied by what Romeo is saying. When we read this text in our heads, this won’t necessarily be heard. It’s simply processed as data on the page. But when this text is given such elements as breath, cadence, tone- such things that we do not necessarily recognize, realize, or remember until we hear them- we feel the timelessness in the text. We are given the idea of soul-mates, or age-old lovers- even though they are only teenagers (Well, ok, one’s a teenager, one’s more or less a pre-teen. Depending on what you define as a teenager, really). That is what brings on the idea or theme of love at first sight. This is one of many different examples that can be shared, and not always read- nowhere does Shakespeare interrupt this scene to say THIS IS WHAT LOVE-AT-FIRST-SIGHT IS. Long story short, this is the kind of experience we wish to bring to our audiences. So, if you are looking for a reason to vote for us today, do it because Shakespeare is a very human experience, and we want to share that. Help us bring a very human experience to those who are not physically able to attend a theatre. http://www.refresheverything.ca/shakespeareinhospitals That, and, as human beings, we put the best typo ever in our own grant goals. Five edits, including two from myself, and three from separate, well-educated sources, somehow skimmed over how to spell “professional”. REALLY?! Well if that isn’t human, I don’t know what is. Hey Everyone!
This is indeed the first post for the SOTMSC blog, and what a time to get started. First off, I want to thank all of our long-distance supporters involved in the SOTS process. Thanks to your viewing and interest, we went viral and hit four mediums of news, letting people know who we are and why we’re here. What an entrance. Now, we are using that momentum to bring on our next project, entitled “Shakespeare’s Briefs”. For full project description, I invite you to check it out on the Pepsi Grant website: http://www.refresheverything.ca/shakespeareinhospitals …Oh yeah. About that: For those of you who don't know, we have entered the Pepsi Refresh Grant for funding for bringing Shakespeare to those who are not physically capable. In short, we want to bring the bard to hospitals and seniors residences! We are in the running for $10,000. They pick the winners by letting the public vote on these ideas. I will be making a post for each day you can vote, listing a reason why you should vote for us- Asides from the fact that we are funny, good looking, have great personalities... Reason #55: It’s a random act of kindness. They help make the world go ‘round. So please, help us with our random act, by doing one of your own and voting! …for those of you who don’t know how: 1) go to http://www.refresheverything.ca/ 2) go to the bottom of the window and hit "Join Refresh Everything" 3)Fill in the sign up info (name, age, valid email address, password, retyped password, prove you're not a robot, click 'done') 4)Search the idea "I want to bring Shakespeare to those who can't physically attend the theatre". Go to our profile page. 5)Hit "vote for this idea" 6) Repeat each day 7)TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME! A big Thank You once again to our supporters. We couldn’t do this without you! Victoria |
AuthorVictoria Urquhart: Executive/Artistic Director of the SOTMSC. Archives
January 2020
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