Hurdles

When I think of overcoming obstacles, the first thing that comes to mind is hurdles. The abundance of metal frames placed along the track which athletes proceed to jump over. I can remember one workout this past summer when a friend of mine had them set out, and she dared me to jump over one. Being uncoordinated as I am, I fell to the ground.

            But I’m not writing about my lack of coordination. Overcoming obstacles is like running hurdles. There’s something obstructing your path, and if you don’t know how to handle it you may end up on your butt. However, with practice and the proper plan of action (in this case technique), you can soar over it and race towards your goal.

            There are different types of obstacles, and we each have our own unique blend. I can think of millions I’ve crossed paths with, however that would be a rather long blog post. When I run, my obstacles can range anywhere from the weather, to my mind set. This past December alone we had some terrible weather, and I had to adjust accordingly. There are also times when I am simply unmotivated, and I then have to kick myself back into high gear.           

There are also obstacles in the theatre. Malfunctions of any sort are a major obstacle. I can recall a prop malfunction from my run of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in which I played Lucy. One of the last performances, I reached into my cardigan pocket for the handkerchief (a vital aspect of the story line), and the only thing I found was pocket lint. And to be honest – I panicked! But myself and my friend playing Mr. Tumnus are both trained how to improvise in these situations… we just didn’t communicate very well. First I handed him my cardigan, asking him to “dry his tears” with it, since I had no handkerchief to offer him. He gave me a funny look as he took it from me, and then tossed it aside before continuing to mime the handkerchief. My character had then lost her beloved cardigan in Narnia… at least for the rest of the matinee. Regardless, it was something we could all laugh about afterwards. Sometimes the relationships between cast members, crew members, or between the two are not so friendly. Backstage drama is a monstrous thing to tame, and can sometimes be even worse when you’re caught in the middle...no man’s land. Needless to say, overcoming those obstacles requires talking things through and putting aside your differences. Sometimes overcoming these obstacles make us stronger. For example, I performed in the Haunted Village Hayrides at Fanshawe Pioneer Village every Halloween from 2005-2008. One of the largest obstacles there is the weather – how do you make sure every word you speak is heard by the audience if it’s raining? Let me describe the situation to you. It’s a large, open park with about 3 scenes running in different locations at the same time. The audience is about 10 feet away from you and sit above you on a wagon pulled by a tractor. Then add in the wind, the rain, sometimes even snow and hail. When I began in 2005, I was very quiet and found it difficult to be heard in normal circumstances. However the obstacle only benefitted me, because I learned how to project my voice without screaming all my lines. I learned how to deliver my lines clearly and loudly over the difficult conditions.

            Even when I blog, “writers block” or a tight schedule provide me with plenty of obstacles and challenges to overcome.

            Not everyone has the same obstacles. However, the dream may be the same for some, whether it’s running a strong race, giving a spectacular performance or simply coming up with the right words to say.

            Some obstacles are more visual than others. For those who were unaware, I was recently involved in the show “No Traveller Returns” by Maureen Jennings – a Murdoch Mystery set in 1895. The company who put on the production is a unique and inspiring company in London called Out of Sight Productions. This company brings visually impaired actors as well as non-visually impaired actors together in the theatre. I was very privileged to be working with everyone, and have learned a lot from the experience. Three of our actors were visually restricted, however I barely noticed. We were all working towards one common goal, despite our different obstacles.

            To be frank, I have retyped these particular paragraphs many times in fear of offending or misrepresenting someone. I have no wish to throw anyone a pity party or give excuses, only to point out the individual battles that each of us face. I can only imagine what it must be like for a blind high school athlete running laps around the track. I’ve only seen a small handful of these races at track meets myself, but I can’t help but marvel. 
            No matter who we are, what our goals are or despite our different abilities, we can all see our dreams clearly. And even though the hurdles may knock us down to the ground, we all eventually find a way to pick ourselves up and keep moving forward.

If you wish to view the webpage for Out of Sight Productions, please follow the link below:
http://www.oosproductions.com/

If you wish to view review for "No Traveller Returns", please follow these links below:
http://www.westerngazette.ca/2011/02/04/murder-in-huntsville-in-no-traveler-returns/
http://theatreinlondon.ca/2011/02/no-traveler-returns-review/

ZZZ

     I’ve done my fair share of sleeping the past couple of weeks. This month I’ve been prepping for and writing exams, training and rehearsing non-stop; my head has certainly been hitting the pillow hard. However, I had no idea that I was also falling asleep at the wheel.

     It’s seemed this winter (and winter’s past) my training seems to kick into a mild hibernation for the season. It’s not exactly where it needs to be, and I’m certainly not as focused as I am throughout the spring, summer and fall. I’ve been “asleep at the wheel” so to speak. However setting the time of year aside, I’ve been especially “asleep” this winter. My days can be so hectic, that as soon as things slow down my mind goes on vacation. Now I’m kicking myself back in to high gear.

     As I mentioned above, I had been rehearsing furiously with my cast and crew for our production which opened this weekend here in London. It’s been a delight working with everyone, and I learn and continue to grow every step of the way. However, I’ve done my fair share of sleeping in this portion of my life as well… but in a very literal sense.

     It’s a Murdoch murder mystery – set in Huntsville, 1895. A handful of colourful characters find themselves stuck together at the Inn against their wishes, partially because they’re snowed in and partially because they can not leave the scene of the crime after one of them is murdered for reasons unknown.

     During the performance, my character is absent during the last act (although I will not expose the reasoning behind it, as some may object to a spoiler). I have a decent chunk of time to kill with homework, reading, etc before entering the stage again for curtain call. During Thursday’s public dress rehearsal, I happened to doze off. Luckily I was awoken before we had to rush onstage to take our bows! It turns out that resting your head on the coat lying across a stack of chairs next to you can be quite comfortable.

     Everyone gets lazy, but it’s time for me to wake up. Perhaps I require a little chaos and craziness to keep me alert and on my toes… and to prevent myself from sleeping at the wheel.