So the election is over, thank Heavens.  Nothing more boring than democracy, I tell ya!  Ottawa, it turns out, went and booted its resident shitty mayor out of office, and brought back another, slightly-less-shitty one to replace him.  Pity…I’d been hoping self-styled senior rookie Julio Pita would pull off a miracle, sneak in on his ‘abolish unions’ platform, and finally have the chance to turn Lansdowne into a world-class soccer pitch/dance hall for seniors/portrait gallery (seriously, read his manifesto if you can find a copy, it’s comedy gold).   At least Toronto had the good entertainment sense to elect a frothing-at-the-mouth nazi rageaholic as THEIR mayor/fuhrer, whose antics I will be sure to enjoy from the minimum safe distance.

But politics away, there’s acting-type stuff to get to!  Yesterday was the sixth week of my now quite beloved acting course at the OSSD, and I made my usual keener error of getting there early.  Early now means I get to be the one who scavenges for seats from various parts of the building.  Hard to know exactly how many to get, as the number in the class seems to vary week to week.  I’m pretty sure we’re permanently down two students (who have both now missed three weeks), and besides them one other was absent this time.  We kicked off like usual, everyone looking a little more familiar and comfy with the startup routines.  Then Boss Karp got us doing some random improv, pairing up by chance and just doing a bit…sometimes he’d feed us an opening line or whatever.  David and I had a good one about hippies vs. squares.

Then we settled into groups of two for some more of the same, then groups of four.  We were just starting to work on a larger improved scene when the class was interrupted for a special announcement.  As a fundraiser for the school, pro photog Alan Dean made his services available to take a few headshots of willing students, to be available for later purchase.  Myself and two of the gals signed up and went to get snapped.  It was a fun little session…short, as we WERE cutting in to class time, but very cool.  Dean knows his stuff, and I’m kinda stoked to see what my shots look like.

Ran back to class one the maestro was done, just in time to join Sabrina, Julia and Erik in a scene they’d already started prepping, something based on America’s Next Top Model.  Oddly when we took our turn, almost nothing that we prepped actually made it IN, and we just winged the whole thing (but, kind of the point, no..?).  Had a blast as model Sissi, trying to out-banana Julia’s Buffy in a fruit-themed photoshoot (I later invented the cat-apple, and had an impromptu slapfight with Erik…goodfun!).

Breaktime then, and today I noticed that there was much more chitchat between the class during our little recess than previously…I think the step into improv has really gotten a little bonding going here, which is about time.  I likes my classmates, I do, I do.

When we got back, we spent pretty much the remainder of class working on a solo scene that Barry walked us through.  We were seated at a posh restaurant, enjoying our meal when in walks in the most beautiful person we’ve ever seen, the lust-object of our dreams.  Slowly, we see this dreamboat looking over at us, making eye contact, then slowly coming our way, tension rising…and shit, but this acting is a tricky bizness!  We practiced it for a while before the Boss set us up to perform it in groups of four at a time.  Trying to convey all that information without words…dang, like I needed MORE respect for real actors.  I was trying to be as physical as I could, Mr.Bean that shit up a little…hopefully I at least looked funny.

Last bit was another improv where we imagined our dream teaching job, and getting carried away at it.   All about the tension, ramping it up, and up, and UP…and then release.  Apparently we’re revisiting it next week, but with gibberish?  Sounds odd, but I trust Boss Karp.  We broke with instructions to people-watch during the week,and the promise of an animal-themed class next time.  Joy!  Catherine drove me away once again, my usual post-class high as high as ever.  Really gotta get some of the gang out with me after one of these days.  Maybe I’ll make that my personal project for next week.

Oh, and a quick update on Winston the cat, my current flatmate.  He’s still here, still shedding, and has now had a few kitty-sickie moments.  Nothing too bad, he cleans up easy enough (and that coat needed a wash anyhow).  He’s still greedy for laptime (I’m writing this around him even now), and making many pees and poos.  Just like a good kitty should.

The Visitor (and Winston)

PS  Next week is ‘take a friend to class’ week at the OSSD.  Anyone want to come along and watch me make a fool of myself?  Now accepting applicants.