Phil Rickaby

Challenges and Changes

2012-05-18T20:05:41Z

As the days count down to the beginning of the Keystone Theatre Fringe Festival tour of The Last Man on Earth, I’ve been thinking about the challenges and changes ahead of me. The changes I’ve talked about: giving up my job and apartment and hoping for the best on this tour. That’s big for me. I’m doing my best not to even think about what I will do when I come back, because I’m a natural worrier and I know that if I start to think about it, I will not stop. So, the plan is to just concentrate on the tour and the summer adventure and worry about the rest when I get back. For now, all I have to really worry about is packing.

For the challenges:

- Getting out of my shell. Promotion for Fringe festivals is always about legwork; getting out and talking to people, schmoozing at the Fringe tent, and encouraging people in lines for other shows to come to your show. This will take me way out of my comfort zone, because I’m a closet introvert. Walking up to people and starting a conversation is not something I am good at, or even comfortable with, so that’s something I will have to overcome this summer.

- This whole summer will be a test of my social networking abilities. Trying to keep my own twitter feed up to date , while also updating @keystonetheatre and The Last Man on Earth Facebook page as well will be a challenge, but one I think I’m up to. I’ll have to make sure I keep taking pictures so I can tweet the Fringe experience and the show. And of course, I plan to blog the whole thing, in addition to tweeting and Facebooking. What I’m hoping is that I get better at doing all of these things, so that when I get back, I can add that to my skills to help with that whole “getting a new job” thing.

- Just sitting back and enjoying the ride. Like I said earlier, I’m a worrier, so just enjoying the ride isn’t in my nature. I like to know what’s happening tomorrow, and the day after that. But when we’re on the road, and in new cities, I really won’t know these things, so I will have to learn to just enjoy it. Or as the actors say “be in the moment”.

All in all, I’m looking forward to tackling these challenges. I think I can do it.

What challenges are you setting for yourself this summer?

A big risk, but a good risk

2012-05-03T01:21:54Z

Now that my fellow work mates have been officially informed, I can finally let the cat out of the bag. I haven’t been able to blog about it until now, because I needed to break the news at work.

I am about to take what is probably the biggest risk of my life. I have decided to leave my place of employment, give up my apartment and follow a dream. You see Keystone Theatre will be taking The Last Man on Earth to four Fringe Festivals across Canada, and I’m going to reprise my role as Gormless Joe in Keystone’s latest play in the style of silent film.

To make this work, I’m giving up a certain amount of comfort and security: giving up the job, giving up my apartment, putting my stuff into storage. But it will be worth it. I believe in this show, and I want people to see it. I believe that the benefits will outweigh the risks in the long run.

And its going to be a great adventure. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.

Specificity

2012-02-29T22:04:47Z

Working with Keystone Theatre has taught me about specificity in acting. When working without words, if you are not as specific as possible with your intentions or actions, then the audience will never understand what you are trying to do. When we use words, we can cheat: we can say what we mean. Working in the silent genre challenges you to be specific, since you no longer have the ability to cheat with words.

A starting point: 3 Silent shorts that are worth your time

2012-02-27T16:08:26Z

Buster Keaton’s was a great innovator in film. His Film Cops had the first use of a mobile camera (up to that point the camera was stationary and things moved around it). In The Playhouse, he comes up with one of the most spectacular special effects used to date: in the first part of the film, Keaton plays every part in the theatre, from all performers to audience members. There’s no CGI here, in order to come up with this effect, all parts of the camera lens, except where Keaton stood for this take were blocked, and the film shot, then the film was rolled back, and keaton moved to his new position (and if needed, new costume) and the film was re-exposed with the other spaces blocked. Time consuming, yes, but the gag is most definitely worth it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The short, Cops contains the afore mentioned use of the moving camera. It also displays Keaton’s acrobatic ability, which alone is worth the watch.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Chaplin’s The Pawnshop is an excellent example of the slapstick for which he was known. Also worth noting is how the Tramp goes from playful mischief to being ready to throw down in a flash, and how somehow the audience never loses the empathy they have with the character.

Click here to view the embedded video.

My Thoughts on The Artist, which I finally saw

2012-02-27T15:04:44Z

Today I finally saw The Artist, that modern silent Film that had everyone buzzing about a best picture Oscar.

Considering all the work I have done with Keystone Theatre you might be shocked that it took me this long to see it. Well it wasn’t for lack of trying. I have made a few attempts to see the film and each time it had been sold out. I supppse that was a a product of the theatre I was trying to see it at; a local theatre that caters more to the film buff crowd, and one that happened to be showing all the best film nominees.

Today I woke up early and decided to take in the earliest showing. The theatre was empty when I got there, but by the time the movie started, the place was pretty full.

So, what did I think of the movie? It was good, as a film, but it didn’t blow my mind. I supppse that if I hadn’t watched as much silent film in the last seven years as I have, then The Artist would definitely have blown my mind. I think I would have been surprised by how much can be conveyed without words, how deep a story that can be told, when the actors have to express what they are saying through non-verbal means. As Amanda pointed out, there’s a joy in The Artist, and an engagement with the audience as they invest themselves in the creation of the story and the characters. Watching films by Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin or Mary Pickford, you realize that you’re doing some of the work, as you imagine what the character sounds like, as you pay attention to the body language and facial expressions of the characters in the film. With silent film, you aren’t a passive audience member, like you are with most modern films: the audience is an integral part of the film experience, investing themselves in the characters on screen. For me, when a character “has me” (ie: I empathize and root for the character), I find myself involuntarily emoting along with the character. While watching The Artist, I did this quite a bit, as I invested in the journeys of both George Valentin and Peppy Miller. Because of this, The Artist succeeds in the recreation of the silent film genre, both visually and in the audience experience.

I enjoyed the film, and hope that it inspires more people to take the time to watch some classic silent films.

The Annual New Year Navel Gaze

2011-12-30T16:29:15Z

Like I’ve said before, I don’t do New Years resolutions. This is the time of year, when I do set some goals for myself. So here they are:

I am going to lose some weight.
I am going to write something every day, whether a story, a blog post, or work on a play.
I am going to see more theatre. There’s really no excuse for not seeing a ton of theatre in this city, so I’m going to stop making excuses, and go to see as much as I can.
I am going to stay a non-smoker.

Those are the goals for 2012.

Why don’t we look at how I did on the goals for 2011, shall we?

Get paid to act. When I wrote this, I was feeling a little taken advantage of. I felt like I had taken a few acting gigs for the wrong reasons. So, the upshot is, that I didn’t really get paid to act this past year. But the truth is that getting paid wasn’t what it was about (though, lets face it, that would have been nice). Really, it was bout being a little more choosy about where I put my acting energy. I didn’t want to act in just anything, I wanted to act in things I believed in. So, if that’s the case, I accomplished this goal.

Do more directing. I did a little more directing in 2011, as in, I did some.

Write more. I wrote some, but not as much as I should have. In fact, I wrote little enough that I feel like the writing muscles in my brain need to be worked out a little to get them in shape.

Become a better theatre marketer. Nope. Honestly, I feel like to be a better marketer, I have to learn how to be more comfortable in talking up the things I am working on. Its like, over the years, I have taught myself (or been taught, I’m not sure which) not to toot my own horn. In marketing, its necessary that you not only toot your horn, but find creative ways to do so. This is an area where I need work.

Become a better shmoozer. I put this in here, because I’m not good at the shmooze. Put me in a room full of people, and I’ll become more awkward than I am normally (and since I’m a pretty huge nerd, that’s pretty awkward). I am not good at the small talk, and not good at striking up conversations with people I don’t know. So this still needs work.

Get an agent. Mission not accomplished. And to be honest, I didn’t really pursue this all that much.

Maybe next year, I’ll be able to round up this list with some more “wins”.

The muse and the lack thereof

2011-12-16T11:42:07Z

Lately I have found myself talking a lot about writing, but actually doing very little of it. Oh, I will sit down at the computer, or with pen in hand, and I will turn off the Internet and focus only on writing for a bit, but no words end up in the page. And that has frustrated me. I haven’t been able to write that play, or even a short story. Which of course has frustrated me more.

The other day, Adrianna Prosser reminded me that writing needs to be practiced, and that if the writing muscle isn’t regularly exercised, it gets out of shape. So I need to exercise my writing muscles.

I need to write something every day, whether it’s a short (even a very short) story, a blog post or what ever. The important thing at this point is to just write.

So that’s the plan. Write something – anything – each day. Starting now.

Hey! I’m in that film…

2011-12-01T18:25:23Z

And if you look really closely, you might see me a couple of times in the trailer.

Click here to view the embedded video.

My Nuit Blanche 2011 Roundup

2011-10-02T22:52:49Z

Some images from Nuit Blanche 2011

The next few pictures are from an installation called “Soon”. This installation was described as the occurrence of something otherworldly happening. I felt like it was the arrival of the aliens from a science fiction movie. The over powering sounds were out of a movie where the aliens are landing, and the smoke and lights accentuated this. Spotlights played over the crowd, occasionally stopping to linger, and sometimes, to play.

Here is some video of the spotlight playing with a child in the crowd. You can really get a sense of the overpowering sound.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fluxe was a video installation, where people in the crowd could draw on a screen to create some amazing patterns.

This is what it looked like in motion.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a guy playing drums in the body of a car.

Inside the Gorilla Glass. I don’t understand the name, but it was kinda cool.

Here’s video showing what it looked like in motion.

Click here to view the embedded video.

From “Shannon’s Fireflies”

The Heart Machine

And video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Probably the biggest disappointment of the night was Flight Path. Its description was ambitious, giving people the opportunity to soar over Nathan Philips Square like birds. However, it looked like only a couple of the departure towers were functioning. The line for “Flight School” was two hours long, with another wait for your departure. And then a short slow slide across to the next tower. And that was it.

The lasers on the ground were neat to look at though.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Slipstream at the Eaton Centre was neat to look at.

While below, people tried to get the Paparazzi Robots to take their picture.

Overall, the night was good. There is a persistent and growing problem with Nuit Blanche however, and that is the public drunkenness. While walking down Yonge Street, it seemed as though every teenager in the city was drunk and on that street. There were buskers all the way down the street, and at points, I felt like some of them were in danger, as a press of drunks surrounded them. A few times, it seemed like it would not take much to turn the crowd violent. From reports I’ve seen on Twitter, there were fights, thefts, and as reported this morning: a shooting. This event is one of my favourite events of the year, but each year the crowds get drunker, louder, and more dangerous. The event is far too large for the police to be able to monitor the public drinking.

I don’t know if there is an answer. I can only hope that this amazing event keeps running on its own strength, undeterred by the drunken louts around it.

Why the National Post’s apology is almost as offensive as the ad they apologize for

2011-09-30T20:32:55Z

Today, The National Post published an apology for an ad that ran in their paper. I’m not going to link to it. If you’ve seen it, you know why it was offensive, and if you haven’t, you could probably find it.

Here is the problem:

The National Post believes strongly in the principles of free speech and open, unhindered debate. We believe unpopular points of view should not be censored simply because some readers may find them disturbing, or even offensive. Free speech does not apply only to views that will not offend anyone.

The ad in question was attempting to make the case that the Ontario curriculum was teaching very young children about issues that, at that age, should be the domain of parents. In addition, it made the case that even when parents or teachers may object to the material being taught, they did not have the right, in the case of parents, to remove their children from the class, or in the case of teachers, to decline to teach the material on the grounds that they objected to it.

In an open society, these positions are worthy of being part of a debate on this issue. They are also legitimate arguments to make in a paid advertisement in a media outlet.

The problem here is in the statement that anything needs to be debated. If the advertisement had been about another minority, the ad would never have been run, and they would certainly not be talking about. What if the advertisement had been about education about race issues. Substitute Gay or Transgender from the ad, and put in black, or Chinese, or muslim. Would they dare to defend the ad?

Look, National Post, hate is hate regardless of the minority. When will you get that into your heads?