I’m a little bit shocked that the last time I wrote here was my birthday–almost 6 months ago. Wow. So much has happened since then. I guess I should do a mini-catch-up.

In chronological order:

I directed the Fraser Valley Gilbert and Sullivan’s production of The Gondoliers. It was great fun, a great cast, great voices. I took a Jersey Shore spin on it which entertained me to no end. It’s been a while since I directed and I’m glad to be bringing that skill back to the forefront.

I took the Actor’s Intensive at the Arts Club again (2nd year! — Woot!). A lovely group of people. Much intensity. I loved it just as much this year as last.

I’ve been working on a site specific theatre piece since April. It’s the inaugural year of a partnership between the Only Animal Theatre Company and the Vancouver Fringe Festival to mentor a bunch of artists in the development of site specific theatre. Tentative Equinox has been one of those companies. You can find out all about our piece called ROVE: The Legend of Rusty Point by clicking the tab at the top, or simply clicking here.

My Dad died. Exactly 9 months to the day after my Mom died, my Dad passed away from metastasized cancer of the kidney collection ducts–a cancer so rare that the urological oncologist had seen only one other case in her career. All the other doctors had seen none. At the end of the school year in June he was fine. In mid-July one eye stopped tracking. He was admitted to hospital towards the end of July due to acute leg pain and blood clotting problems. He died just before school went back in. I have much more to say and process and mourn about this dual loss, but that will come in time.

It’s interesting to me (although ‘interesting‘ is a wholly inadequate word) that ROVE has a dual track storyline where you, as the audience, can follow either the sister of light or the sister of shadow and my life feels very much like that right now–dual tracked. Tomorrow, my father’s funeral is at 11am, and ROVE opens at 7:15pm. Shadow and Light.

Instead of a tentative equinox, I’m having an intense equinox. More of a collision of light and dark rather than a balance.