As you can imagine, being a new Dad and opening my first season at the Stratford Festival of Canada has kept me pretty wildly busy.
I currently have two shows up and running, Macbeth (photo above, where I stand in the background looking pretty scrappy), and All My Sons (wonderful, wonderful production). I begin rehearsals for my third show, The Aeneid, this week. You can get tickets and more information right HERE.
The most challenging experience thus far since joining the Company has been keeping up with my understudy duties. It's bloody hard stuff, because you're given very little rehearsal time to practice the roles you cover, and at the end of the day you're left alone; desperately trying to find free time within your own personal agenda to memorize lines and go over bits.
I cover 4 actors in Macbeth (roles of Malcolm, Menteth, Donalbain and Seyton), and the lead (actor Tim Campbell) in All My Sons - the role of the son, Chris Keller. So many lines...so many lines...
Also this week, aside from getting started on the Aeneid, we will perform the one-off Understudy Runs of both Macbeth and All My Sons. It all comes crashing this week.
It's indeed pretty neat that we are given this one public performance in our understudy parts; it's a great chance to have a crack at big meaty roles in front of people. But yes, I am also shitting my pants, since I feel - due to the very panic-filled nature of the understudy experience - pretty ill prepared.
But hey, living the dream, am I right?!
My baby boy, Zeke, is the best. He's the jewel of our lives. His smiles and bright eyes fill me with the hope that humanity might just get it right one day...
RB.