Breathing Space

As is often the case, when I finish with an intense period of activity in the city, I escape to Lorne to find some breathing space. I took my time driving down the coast and enjoyed sitting on a few beaches and just looking out over the sea... until the torrential rains came.
I am quite content to just sit  and breathe salt air. The weather is immaterial. I needed to watch the sea move and gather my thoughts, allow some learning (personal and professional) to consolidate and to just let myself be.

I had lunch with Jas and Ava, and when the rain cleared, we wandered the main street, popped in to shops and said hi to people.... and yes, we giggled at the adorable baby Ava and her goofy smiles...but mostly we just talked and talked and talked.

I stayed on for dinner at the farm and overnight, and after a great visit, drove back into the city the next morning via Jas and Matt's preferred shortcut.... a new one for me.  These backroads revealed deep gullies, rolling fields, a few planted with bright yellow canola, some old farm windmills and twisted gum trees.
It's a good thing for me to take advantage of breathing space. It's good to really sit quietly. And, as I travel on new roads, to be reminded that I actually like new roads and adventure and not knowing what might happen next.

...and scene.

We got through this week's season of my production of A Second of Pleasure by Neil Labute. The week was rife with challenges, but we enjoyed a fair review in both the The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.

While Stephen and Carla worked throughout the week to solidify text, play objectives and negotiate the space, audiences seemed intrigued, curious, perplexed, and entertained.

Every evening, we had a handful of audience members there "on purpose", and we always picked up an even larger handful of randoms. People would glance as they passed, some rubbernecked, others slowed down and then stopped. Still others passed, but paused the turn around and watch at a safe distance.

Each night someone would stop and ask someone else who was watching, "What's going on? " "Is this real?" I loved watching the reactions of people as they passed to catch their trains. I loved it when no one applauded. It doesn't end on a happy note, and the two actors would leave each other at the end of the scene, each walking in their own separate direction: Stephen (Kurt), towards the trains, and Carla (Jess), back up to the street level.

Many people commented that they felt guilty and voyeuristic as they watched Jess and Kurt end their relationship. "I felt bad for watching!" "I felt a little bit wrong."
The grumpy Metro guy who turned out the lights and locked the roller doors at 7 pm every night watched the end of the show one evening and after Jess breaks up with Kurt and leaves him standing there with a train to catch, he said, "Poor bloke.... I had a lady do that to me last month. I was devastated."
And that's the beauty and the tension of site-generic work. Is it real, is it not real?How real do you try to make it? How performative do you make it?  Does it matter as long as people recognize the moment as one they themselves have experienced?

Bubblegum and Briquettes

As I cycled home from my rehearsal today, the city smelled like bubblegum and barbeques. It was a warm day, and a warm evening --- so maybe it was a concoction of jasmine, fresh mown grass, and other scented trees that filled the air with candy-like sweetness. There must have been someone in each neighborhood who was firing up some fresh briquettes to have a barbeque.

Spring Energy

Spring is sneaking into swing here in Melbourne. The jasmine is blooming and scenting the air, and camellias, irises and violets have been blooming for some time. Calla lilies and roses are starting to open.

I bought two bunches of ranunculus at the market on the weekend, and the riotous colours and open blossoms make me happy.

My fringe show opens next week, and things are busy. Often, I can put way too much pressure on myself to meet my own exacting standards in so many areas of my life. And, of course, this means hello to anxiety and sleepless nights.

I had a great yoga class tonight. At the end of class, when our heads were bowed in namaste,  my yoga instructor reminded us to "Be content with your effort".  Good timing. (How is it that this man always says the things that I need to hear the most? ...One reason why he's my favourite.)

Launch Party

Sapidah, Nadia and me

It's on! Turtle Lab has launched! We had a lovely afternoon at Provenance, with Benny and Jules playing cool jazz in the front of the restaurant, and our supporters (30 strong!) gathering at the back.

 Me and two of my students, Margot and Tristan.

Chris, Rinske and Xanthe

Elise, our producer and her crew.

Allen and Nick

Turtle Working Bee

Sapidah, Nadia and I got together on Saturday night to prepare and fill the gift bags we gave out to all those who attended the Launch party. I made and baked Brownies (gluten free and gluten full) and Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies to wrap and include in the goodies bag. Red wine was consumed and many laughs were had in the process.

Sapidah was in charge of cello wrap.

 Nadia was dogsbody: she poured, scooped, filled bags and tested the product. 

Hipstamatic shot of Brownies and Chocolate Pecan Cookies bonbonieres. 

Turtle Lab Online

CLICK HERE to check out our new website!
Nadia, Sapidah and I launch our new theatre collective tomorrow.
It's all happening...

Springtime in Melbourne

I have been ABSOLUTELY  PATHETIC in maintaining this fricking blog! August passed with one post and that's just shocking.
September will make up for it, believe me!

Here's a lovely post though: I had dinner with some beautiful friends of mine on Tuesday night. We ate lots, drank good red wine and talked about both the meaningful and the inconsequential.

Sapidah and Xanthe

Nadia hates having her photo taken, and she never poses. 

 This is Lara and Karen during one of the meaningful conversations...

Xanthe and I 

Rinkse

Lara and Sapidah

Ratatouille Goodness