Feather Pen Fairy Tales - Workshop Number Three!

 L-R Back Row: Chris Beazely, Jeff Hibbert, Jared Kennett, Matt Jenson, Janelle Jenson, Tim Korthuis, Anika Gross, Aaron Glanfield, Elizabeth Christensen, Zach Ayers, Sarah Strong, Jayna butler, Ben Grunewald;  L-R Bottom Row: Tanis Taylor, Me, Whitney Smith, Barb Butler, Jenny Fitzner (missing Alysha Sladek).

(Photo cred: Alysha Sladek)

I just had my third workshop for "Feather Pen Fairy Tales" this past weekend.  I'm not sure how, but somehow I was able to sleep and NOT be sick leading up to that weekend.  I had about 6-7 people drop out last minute and it was very stressful!  I don't like spending that time running around trying to find replacements, but somehow it was able to all come together!  Things like this always do!  Usually at the cost of someone's sanity (me).  Actually, I think I did pretty well at not losing it.  I had Sarah, Jenny, Barb Butler and Jayna Butler drive down from Edmonton for it!!!  I couldn't believe it!  Alysha Sladek also came all the way from North Calgary too (AND was not only in my chorus, but also took all the video and photos!!)  I felt so loved.  And we had so much fun even though I was buck-tired (slumber party!).  And honestly, because I had the support of close friends and family, I feel like it really made a difference for me.  Like, in terms of chilling out and feeling confident and not worrying about too much.  It also probably had a little to do with knowing I had a different dramaturg.  My friend Whitney Smith ran the workshop and it was a lot less scary/rigid.  We have been back and forth leading up to this because Whitney will be acting as my Artistic Director for the show when we put it on.  We are looking at starting auditions this August then starting rehearsals in September.  It makes me a little sick thinking about it because I know all the work that needs to happen.  But it will be nice to share the load and work with someone who knows what they are doing!  I have been waiting for a partner like that since Jayna Butler in "Cursed By a Woman," and now that I have one, it's time to make this show happen!

Let's talk about some of my favourite moments this weekend.  I wrote three last minute song additions; "The Princes," "Twenty-Four Hours Reprise" and "Well's Story."  And I guess "Festival Reprise" should go in there as well, although I had a few weeks for that one.  I was really happy with how "The Princes" came together.  I started writing it a few weeks ago and then put it on the shelf because I didn't think it would work in the script.  Same with "Wells' Story."  But then I thought, that's what a workshop is all about!  To see if things work.  So I threw those in and I'm so glad I did!  Also, I wrote a rap section in "Twenty-Four Hours Reprise" and wasn't really sure how that was going to go, but it was hilarious!  Haha!  Exactly what I was hoping for.  The guys had a lot of fun with it and we had some good laughs!  We will keep the rap!  I also really felt things during "The Trade," "The Trade Reprise" and "Finale."  The first two are really intimate and haunting and I just love that that song takes me there.  Like, every time.  It is one of those songs that I can't explain writing.  It just fell out of me.  Like, I don't even know how something like that came from me.  But I'm glad it did.  And the Finale?  Wow!  Such a powerful ending.  My pride wants to own every last bit of it, but I send all of my songs to Mark Mitchell to score, and sometimes he adds a little pizzazz.  So, the ending of that song is just really WOW!  It also really helps that I had AMAZING singers for my workshop.  Every last one of those people in there are SO talented.  I feel really blessed.  I just can't get over that people are in this room working hard and volunteering their time away from their families and lives to be apart of my project.  Maybe some of them just really like to sing that much, or some of them are also writers and they want to learn from the workshop too.  Or maybe some of them are my friends and feel the guilt trip of having to help me out because I am a major nag.  But some of these people keep coming back.  I ask them again, and somehow they keep saying yes.  Even though they know the work involved.  It just makes me feel really special and loved and that maybe, just maybe, people believe in me.

Next steps?  Meeting with Whitney for more nitpicking.  Taking the next few months to edit and COMPLETE the script (which I may still continue to edit as we rehearse because I just can't seem to stop editing and changing it).  And then we put this puppy on stage!

Screens Are Wrecking My Kids

Screens are wrecking my kids.  They have forgotten how to not be on a screen.  How to be social.  How to be creative.  How to be bored.  I am not sure how this spiralled out of control, but it has.  I usually make them "earn" screen time by doing their chores and practicing piano after school (and there are no screens in the morning before school), but lately they come home from school and see how long they can get away with being on a screen before I figure out that they still have yet to do their chores and piano.  Or they do a crappy job with their chore and think they have earned their screen time.  And yes, they absolutely sneak screens in the morning before school starts because they are never ready for school on time!  I cannot keep up with it all.  Last Fall, Joe bought one of those Home devices that are supposed to keep track of that and turn off their screen when their time is up so I don't have to.  ...It still has yet to be set up!  Haha!  We have reached a new low though.  So it's TIME!  My kids are starting to hate school or anything that gets in the way of them being able to be on a screen.  They are starting to complain about how they didn't get enough screen time today because we were at the park instead!  Or at someone's evening sport.  Hmm.  I used to pride myself in being on top of it.  I knew who was on what screen when and how much screen time they were getting.  I think what happened is I started to just trust them.  I trusted that they could finish their tasks before screens.  I trusted that they could turn off screens when asked.  I trusted them.  And that was my mistake.  They are KIDS.  I am asking them to act like adults.  Even I have bad days where I am not my greatest and best self.  I cannot expect my kids to constantly be in line when I'm not watching.  It is a tough reality, but it's true.

Last Fall, we had a screen-fast for a whole week.  The first twenty-four hours were awful.  Full of complaints and tears.  One kid even tried to sneak because they were so desperate, and that kid got an extra day added to their fast.  It was wonderful!  I learned that Jackson and Noah really love to draw in their sketch books!  My kids went outside to play.  They made more of an effort to be social and spend time with friends. They created stories.  All in all, they were generally more creative and active.  AND they complained and whined WAY less.  So, I guess what I'm saying is it's time for a screen-fast again.  I'm kind of not ready for it because I don't want all the tears and hate tossed my way.  Joe is out of town this week, so it's all going to be aimed at me, even though Joe and I both agree it needs to happen.  Anywho.  And then after the week of fast, then what?  They go back into their old habits eventually?  Hopefully by then Joe will have set up that Home device to help me monitor the kids and their screen activity.  I need to figure this out.  It is out of control!