Launched!

Last Sunday saw the launch of our production and the anticipation (and weather-related anxiety) were thick in the air. We couldn't have asked for a more special night- a sold-out house with the L.G. in attendance, every kind of weather save for rain and a wonderful performance from all concerned.

Sunday's performance was the culmination of three years of work by Allen Cole, the company, and many of the artists who had been instrumental in its development. Here's to all of them and the great collaborative effort our opening represents.
The production has garnered perhaps the most glowing praise of any presentation in our 18 -year history, and we are thrilled to be sharing it with audiences at Ross Creek until the 9th of August.

Coming Together

The set for Rockbound is taking shape-we'll be working on our new outdoor stage after Canada Day! A massive wooden Island adjacent to a 30-foot long launch in a secluded forest clearing. It's being put together by our intrepid property manager Mike McMahon and an army of workers who are working feverishly (it's pretty hot) until opening. Here's a sneak peek.

Spaces

Every year I choose a different spot on our 186 acre site to present our Theatre Off The Grid productions- this year it's a spot nestled out of site of the road or the centre- and over time the site reverts to its original overgrown state.

Today I visited the stage from Our Town last year, and there isn't a trace of our production left. How wonderfully transitory the whole thing is- and how strangely sad too.

Over time the fields and forests of this place will fill with the ghosts of Homer, Wilder, Day and McKay- and the people who listened. At the same time the cycle of life here-Coyotes, turtles, birds, deer- comes eating its way through our stages. I think the impermanence of it all makes the drama we stage here more poignant. We're constantly reminded that, no matter how we try, it will all change.

Gatherings

Artists from across Canada are coming to our small corner of the world this week to begin rehearsals for Rockbound. It's incredible how in a few short weeks the Ross Creek Centre is transformed into a bustling hive of creativity in the middle of the forest. 14 performers and 8 other creative artists will gather here in June, along with many other artists-in-residence who are teaching and exploring here over the summer.

Each year we create a family- of sorts. Although for a brief time, artists do become very close while working here-it's a powerful experience very unlike working in a Canadian city, and one we are very proud to create.

Only 36 days until opening-the countdown begins.

Setting Sail

Only 10 days or so until we begin rehearsals for Rockbound, and something wonderful is beginning to happen in the fields behind the Centre complex. A 30-foot long boat-formerly a launch from the HMCS Bonaventure, is being converted into the set for our upcoming production as well as a writer's studio for the Centre.
The notion to convert the boat into a writer's studio came from Chris O'Neill, the Ross Creek Centre's founding executive director- but the idea to utilize this historic craft for a set for Rockbound came from company members who were working on the piece in a workshop situation in December of 2008. It's amazing what happens when artists begin to talk about crazy ideas at three in the morning- but this idea was too good to pass up.

Sir Paul Wreaks Havoc! Rehearsals for Rockbound Imminent!

Everything is falling into place for our summer production of Rockbound. Cast and crew will begin arriving on the 8th of June and rehearsals begin on the 16th at the Ross Creek Centre. We're also preparing to attend the season launch for the Chester Playhouse's summer season on the 12th of June, as they will be hosting a week of performances of Rockbound August 13th to 16th.

The Chester playhouse is a special place to Two Planks, as the company cut its teeth touring to the playhouse in the early 1990's. To return there with a work inspired by the south shore of Nova Scotia is a special opportunity indeed!

We'll be blogging every two days throughout this creative process-follow our trials and tribulations as we make our way towards opening night on July 12th- Thanks Paul McCartney for helping us move our opening night from the 11th- we love you, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Black and White a great night - what recession?

Fabulous night last night, with patrons coming out in their finest Black and White outfits. It has become a thing to try to outdo each other with fabulous black and white outfits and I am thrilled. Ken's quiz seeemed harder this year, but people still liked it. Ken did a great job of auctioneering, and the donors were amazing. We're so lucky to have the support of the visual artists and craftspeople of Nova Scotia and happy to be able to give our art back to them.

The meal was incredible, by Cocoa Pesto's Scott Geddes and what a wonderful guy to work with. Calm, easy going and everything went smoothly, also thanks to the twenty volunteers and staff. We even had two people, friends of Dan and Roxy's who spent part of their holiday volunteering in coat check! We want to know what people thought of doing a buffet instead fo table service - it seemed easier for sure, but is that okay for a gala night?

A minor glitch with the bar early on - last year no one drank white wine, this year they all wanted it - Mr. Strickland of Gaspereau Vineyards drove back to the winery in the early evening to restock us!

Bridget Bezanson and Steve Dooks performed, and were beautiful, as always. It will be a pleasure to have Bridget with us for the summer in Rockbound.

Two Planks wins Merritts

OK, so I am not so conflicted now :-) ...A lovely evening, hosted by Neptune Theatre in a generous move.

Monday March 23rd, Two Plank productions took home four awards (named in honour of Robert Merritt, a NS theatre professional). They were:
Denyse Karn for costumes for Jerome: The Historical Spectacle.
Allen Cole and Ami McKay for Sound for Jerome: The Historical Spectacle.
Ken Schwartz for best director for Our Town
Our Town as best production...

I am so proud of everyone who has worked on these seasons and these shows. Everyone had a part to play and they did it with style and generosity. Congrats.

See the chronicle Herald article here:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/ArtsLife/1113140.html

Funny, the newsprint edition says Two Planks took top honours...City vs rural? It's all good...

Thanks to Sue Leblanc for the pictures!

Merritt Awards

Monday night is the big night. It'll be an interesting switch to take the event in a sense out of the theatre ghetto and into the public eye when at Neptune. I did like the opportunity to see people I hadn't seen before - do we need to be on better behaviour now with more public there?

I am still conflicted about awards and the value of them, but as Ken says, if they're happening, nice to be recognized.

What to wear?

Here is the stuff about the Merritts:

Artistic Director Ken Schwartz ended his week well. The news was released on March 6 that his two productions of 2008 had garnered 9 Merritt Nominations for outstanding achievement in a variety of categories. Still to come are the final decisions at the end of March at the Merritt Awards themselves, but in the meantime, he is thrilled at the recognition for the work of so many talented artists both at Two Planks and at the other nominated companies.

The Two Planks nominations are:
Lead Actor: Graham Percy as the Stage Manager in Our Town
Supporting Actor: Ryan Rogerson as the Crazy Cajun Frog Man in Jerome: The Historical Spectacle
Supporting Actress: Burgundy Code as Mrs. Webb in Our Town AND
Melody Johnson as Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town
Costume Design: Denyse Karn for Jerome: The Historical Spectacle
Sound Design: Allen Cole and Ami McKay for Jerome: The Historical Spectacle
Outstanding new play or playwright: Ami McKay for Jerome: The Historical Spectacle
Outstanding Direction: Ken Schwartz for Our Town...
Outstanding Production: Our Town
Stay tuned for the results and congratulations to all of our colleagues!
Click here to go to the Merritt Awards Site.

Welcome to the first blog of Two Planks and a Passion Theatre, the little company that could...Since 1992, we've been creating magic, often with very little beyond talent and passion (hence the name of the company). Now we're based on the site of the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts and not touring so much, but producing award-winning professional outdoor theatre off the grid - no lights, no amplification, just the talent of the writers, director, designers and of course, the actors.

Artistic Director Ken Schwartz will begin to write soon here, about his process, the upcoming summer 2009 production of Rockbound by Allen Cole and his work in schools to use theatre to combat bullying....

Image of Ironbound Island, NS, Frank Parker Day's inspiration for the fictional island of Rockbound.