Almost There

Ontario is big. It is really, really big. Once you get out of the prairies and get your first taste of Northern Ontario, and you think “I made it!”, you are actually only half way there. Because Lake Superior is big. It is really, really big.

Washed out highways, tornados 12 miles from us, thunderstorms, rainbows, moose crossing the road, lots of “Night Danger” signs (and it does feel dangerous at night even with no giant animals standing in the road) brings us about to where we are now. Montreal! And just when you think “I’m in Montreal!”, you are actually only half way there. Costumes, tech script, tech problems, blocking changes, missing cues, breaking down car (yes it is already breaking down), gridlock on highway, completely lost in Montreal…..and 4 days till show time. And did I mention HEAT WAVE? Why is there always a heat wave here in June? Then our first full day here, tornado warnings and a severe thunderstorm. But the show must go on, so on our way to tech we saw giant pieces of tree that had been ripped off like limbs off a body only hours before.

We are staying with lovely friends, Phyl and Peter, who have basically opened their door and are letting us come and go as we please. Had a great stopover at Golden Pond in Muskoka for a day, visiting Russ’ parents, who were also the most wonderful of hosts. Russ's dad is very angry at the beavers cutting down all the trees. We even heard one late at night splash loudly into the lake. So can you here a tree fall in the woods? Yes, you can.

Russ's dad helped us find tree stumps for our set (tree stumps ironically being all that beavers leave behind). Russ sanded them and put felt on the bottom.

Very tired. Long day and very long days ahead till we open. It’s almost one a.m . and Russ is filling out some kind of form for the Saskatoon Fringe on the net.

Why does everyone else seem more organized than us?

After a long and harrowing tech, we went to a Falafel joint and the guys there were so nice I almost cried. They even put up our poster on their garbage can. I love the people here. A trucker also asked if we were lost (with my map spread across the windshield on the highway). Oh yeah, Russ cut off a cop on our first day and he (the cop) was really mad.

Can I suggest, don’t quit smoking with your husband before traveling across the Country while trying to put a show together. Unless you want to see “There Will be Blood, Part II”. It ain’t pretty. If you must, though, bring lots of Bach’s Rescue Remedy (thanks Karen) and kleenex for when “smoking” the “imaginary” cigarettes just isn’t fun anymore.