Post 41: 100606 Rehearsals

Today was our second to last rehearsal. The space is almost as we want it, apart from the blown bulb and the entire channel of eight lights that mysteriously stopped working. Not to mention the gobo's we had made but proved to be unusable because their 10cm diameter was just too small to produce an image. Ah but these things are sent to try us and if we didn’t have problems how would we improve.

We ran through both plays twice, the second being a full dress and tomorrow we hope to run both three times. Less fluffing with the lights should give us the time we chewed through today.

But how well we do tomorrow may well depend on how much alcohol is consumed this evening. It is Amanda’s birthday so the majority of actors and crew have gone out on the terps to share the day and make sure it’s seen off in an appropriate manner. I have crawled home and these longs days are taking it out on me and I would much rather get a good nights sleep and leave the partying until the season is over. Signs I’m getting old: Number 306.

By the second run I must admit that both plays were looking good. All the actors were bringing more to the party and letting the growing comfort with the space produce a deeper level of expression. They must be congratulated for the work they have been putting in. I’m very pleased with they way both are turning out. I have no doubts it will be a good nights entertainment. But more than that, for the sake of the art, these guys are growing as actors, both in terms of experience and in range and in the heights they can achieve. I don’t have enough compliments for them. It’s just as I wanted it to be when I craved to become involved.

Post 40: 070606 In the Theatre

Yesterday we spent the whole day in the theatre. Bumping in as they say. As well as rigging the lights and que to que runs. It was a very long, very buggering day. But it's done and now only small tweeking is required. Touch wood.

Post 39: 050606 Photos from Sunday

Post 38: 056606 Photos from Saturday

Post 37: 040606 Rehearsals

With the final climb up that damn hill made, our time at Hanyang Dae has come to a close. As of Tuesday we will be in the theatre and counting down the days until opening night with fervor. And boy what a way to end it.

Yesterday we ran through the play without stops twice and I was not satisfied as to where the actors where at. They needed more, more effort from me to help them get to their characters and more of a sense of what they must demand of themselves, if that makes any sense.

To finish yesterday I attempted to look at the simple things, the walk. In turn I had each actor walk through the space, firstly as themselves, then as the character within the play and lastly and with more difficulty, as the actor they were portraying. Oh, if it were a simple play and they could be a single entity. I felt by the end of the day that progress had been made and they were all closer to the goal. That of hiding themselves, getting to the actor, then hiding the actor sporadically within the guise of another character. Confused yet?

Today began with the goal of performing in front of the cast of the other play, as they had done for us last week. I didn’t want to rush into things however. So with another agenda in mind I had the cast and chief director, Amanda, try a little experimental theatre I had been craving to try for some time. I had them all reduce their capacity for communication down to a single number and placed them all in a remote space in which none of them would be at home and attempt to bounce them off each other with varying intentions and back stories. To see an idea I had been holding onto for some time have its first outing was a pleasure. There is something in it after all.

Once they were loosened up we went for a run through and even though progress had been made over the previous day it was still not where it could have been. Keeping them in character I treated the preparation for the open performance as if it were indeed a fully blown production. The audience sat themselves and I made the introductions, cell phones off and all that.

Without over embellishing my sentiment in the slightest, I could not have been more proud. They rose to the occasion and blasted away the layers to find the well turned characters underneath. Each of them found feet to walk upon, leap from and bound unhindered from. I was overwhelmed with what they produced and all my fears were shredded like useless flotsam. We are in an outstanding place as we move into the theatre and the tech side of things takes over for a while.

I thank our fine actors most sincerely for their effort, patience and finely crafted 24 carat creations. Cheers guys!!

Post 36: 010606 Garden of Morning Calm

Yesterday was one of those glorious mid week days off. All due to the mayoral elections that swept the country in their trucks bedazzled in billboards and screens that showed highly contrived images of kindly middle-aged men willing to go that extra mile if you only give them a vote and flocks of sash wearing supporters that stood on street corners and waved at passing buses, cars, cyclists, pedestrians and excited pets with their white gloved hands and periodically burst into a song and dance routine that would have made Mick Jagger look like a ballerina.

And what does one do with a glorious mid week day off? One comes up with the glorious idea of fleeing the city in secret and finding an isolated spot amongst nature where you can sit and watch the bees buzzing and listen to the gentle babble of a fresh water stream as it bounces over sand coloured rocks. And proud of yourself for thinking of such an original glorious idea one jumps in the car and heads out onto the motorway only to discover that ten thousand other people were given the same thought. But still clinging to the slimmest of hopes you continue on you way and believe that once you get there you will find peace.

As the journey continues and the roads get narrower, giving way to a dirt track you finally admit to your partner that it doesn’t look like anyone else is going to change their mind and find someplace else. So you end up spending a glorious day in nature surrounded by the buzzing of bees, the babble of a childlike brook and the population of a small city.

Despite this our destination more than made up for the gaggle around us. A man made slice of nature filled with a variety of themed gardens nestled on the edge of a lush mountain range. 300 year old bonsai trees gave way to weeping willows and flowers of every shade including blue. A gnarled Juniper tree stood alone and drew the focus of couples wishing their photo taken beneath its wizened glare. Many areas were set aside in the shade of tall pines to enjoy the picnic we had brought with us but should we have wished we could have dined in the restaurant, café or traditional tea house. In this Garden of Morning Calm we found peace and serenity. Bizzzzzzzzzzz

Post 35: 290506 Rehearsals

As opening night gets nearer my focus has moved toward ‘This is a Play’. The weekends now consist of only a single rehearsal a day, giving me a little breathing space. Saturday was spent cleaning up moments and attempting to give the actors as much fodder as possible to draw from. Sunday began with 1 on 1’s running monologues with the ladies before Steven arrived after which when ran the play twice.

We have one more weekend of rehearsals then into the theatre on the 6th of June.

Post 34: 290506 Tournament Day 3

Saturday night and I was fit for a fight or so I thought as I sat on my plush pink pillow before my sleek silver laptop with while Miles wailed in my ears. But the bubble soon burst and left me surly.

I jumping into the Tantrix lobby hoping to see someone I’m yet to play from group A but alas there was none. ‘tzubobo’ invited me to a game and in need of a warm up I obliged but while we were trading turns, ‘kina’ from South Africa jumped into our room to announce her presence. She needed to play both of us and I was the lucky schtick who got to go first.

The first game was close until a late run saw ‘kina’ take it 20 to 16 but I wasn’t overly worried as I still felt like I could win the next to. In the second game I lead early on and needed a single tile to join two lines and take a commanding win but the tile was not to fall and my lead was erased and I lost 23 to 19. In game three saw a repeat of game two but at the very least it thought I could win one and take some much needed points away from our sparring. But again the lead was squashed and a third loss was recorded, 22 to 18.

So now my record stands at 6 wins and 5 losses with four games left to play.

Post 33: 250506 Tournament Day 2

It took a while to arrange the next set of games and as yet it has proved impossible for anyone in Group A to play the competitors from South Africa. This evening saw 3 games squared away against another Taiwanese hopeful. He flies under the name ‘joky’ and from around 8pm while I was still at work until just before 10pm as I sat in the comforts of home we completed our set.

Game 1 saw me take a casual approach that nearly ended in disaster but resulted in a win. The second game was a different story with ‘joky’ getting a 26 point loop and me playing catch up. At the final tile I was a point behind. The third game was close to begin with but I pulled away near the end to take a comfortable second victory.

My current record stands at 6 wins and two losses. With one member of Group A dropping out the number of games needed to be played has dropped to 15.

Post 32: 240506 Assistant Director Bio

It’s 20 minutes before I can walk out the door at the end of my day. I’m sitting here feeling a strange mix of vulnerability and confidence in my new orange striped shirt and watching the time tick down in the bottom right hand corner of the screen is not doing it for me. Teaching is a tough gig and don’t let anyone tell you any different.

Here is the bio I wrote for the play program. Too wanky?

"As sand fall though porous hands and tiny mounds attempt to amount to something more that shifting piles of sand, Craig McGeady attempts to gather the grains of life and call it lived. Granules of past performances drift away leaving the memories of wild times treading the boards for The Soul Players and numerous back stage affairs in both Korea and his home in New Zealand. He is comprised of abundant interests not the least of which is poetry, painting, play-craft and photography. "

Post 31: 230506 Tournament Day 1 Con't

A little while later a second competitor from Group A signed in to the Tantrix Lobby. ‘tzujoe’ is also from Taiwan. It was about midnight my time and I was a tad apprehensive at first of getting into it. I sucked it up and gave him a bell.

The first game was close and could have gone either way but a lucky fall meant I connected my tiles and took the win. The second game I was ahead but a late charge kept me nervous but when the tiles ran out I was still on top. 2 for 2. Understandably my opponent was not up for the third game so once we are better rested we’ll complete our set.

I currently stand at 4 wins and 1 loss. Phase 1 consists of a total of 18 games.

Post 30: 220506 Tantrix Tournament Day 1

And so it begins. I entered myself a little while ago into the AFRICAN & ASIAN TANTRIX CHAMPIONSHIPS (2006) and this evening played my first games in the opening round. There are fourteen players in the tournament divided into two groups. I am in Group A and seeded 8th overall.

I have to play each of the other six players in my group 3 times and it is up to us to organize the games. This can be tricky as some of the opponents are in Africa which is 7 or so hours behind Korea. All games in phase 1 have to be completed by the 16th of June.

My first opponent was ‘tzubobo’ from Taiwan. He is seeded sixth. I lost the first game and thought I was going to be on the receiving end of an old fashioned arse-womping. The second game went faster and I pulled it out of the bag for the win. The third game was closely fought but I came away with it. So after Day 1 my record stands at 2 wins and 1 loss.

Should you wish to check out the overall standing then follow the ‘Tantrix’ link under Current Escapes.

Post 29: 210506 Rehearsals Con't

And so it continues. Today was a lighter day that saw us starting at 12 o'clock and finishing at 3pm. Other commitments intrude so delicately into our time. I blew off the evening rehearsal to spend time with Suk-hi. After all, with these guys and at this stage i am expendable. They have things on track and as long as i know what and who needs to be where and when i should be fine.


Here's a shot i took today. It's posed but still dandy. From left to right stand, Ryan the lighting guy, Emily, McKenzie, Steven, Amanda the ditector and Brian the composer.

Post 28: 210506 Rehearsals Con't

It was a full day of rehearsals yesterday. With our usual venue being unavailable we headed to the directors school to tread the boards on the stage in the school library. But damn, if the climb wasn't a killer up to the school. We go upstairs, we go downstairs, we go upstairs, classroom, classroom, classroom, library. Phew. It was a nice space and a nice change and several kg lighter.

Then i headed off to the second rehearsal back at the Uni. Our room of course was booked but thankfully the huge outdoor stage was available. Great to be able to shake the cobwebs off the vocal cords.

The evening continued when we headed into Itaewon to have a meal and i'm guessing drink away the night. I'm not quite sure yet what they then got up to but i guess i'll hear about it in a few hours. I was knackered so made the long trek back to Uijeongbu for a good nights sleep.


The fine cast of 'Never Swim Alone' also written by Daniel Macivor and directed by Krista Sheen. From left to right: Stephanie Bogue Kerr, Sean Dudley and Ed Miller


Steph looking on from the back of the stage at Krista's school.


The outdoor stage at Hanyang University.

MaKenzie as Older Female Actress. Yes it is a bad wig but it says so in the script.

Post 27: 180506 The Poster

Here it is. Relatively hot off the press. The poster for the two plays i'm currently spending my weekends on. Stylish don't you think. It has that professional look about it, reflecting the fact it was actually designed by a professional.

Post 26: 170506 Gym Number 4

Joss Stone morphs into Norah Jones and I slink away into the back room to find a little space between me and myself. The sun has found its way into my bones and I glow a little with the bliss of memory. A simple memory, one that is only hours old. A simple thing done that makes me feel that little bit more alive. There’s nothing like pressing weights to get the blood going to the brain.

I used to belong to a gym so many years ago. A Gold’s Gym where the goal of everyone in there was to look like Arnie, women included. It wasn’t my bag; well that’s what I tell myself. I think I lasted three visits before I gave up and wrote off the money laid down. In only the last seven months I have now quadrupled the number of gyms I have belonged to.

The first was near the school where I worked. Big, new, expensive and on the top floor providing a commanding view. I forked out for three months and actually found a habit. It wasn’t like the habit of biting my finger nails which took me years to break. It was easier than that but it was a habit none the less.

The second gym was closer to my girlfriends’ apartment and we went together. It wasn’t as big or as high or as new but it was cheaper. As I spent an hour each morning on the treadmill I looked out over concrete mixers lining up to unload their stirred contents into the walls, floor and ultimately ceiling of a neighbouring development. The building’s finished now and shops are moving in and I’ve moved on.

Today was the first time at a new gym, if you can call it that. It is in a building that is part of the apartment complex where I now live with my girlfriend. It is on the ground floor with a view currently of green trees and a small sprinkling of road that big green buses frequently traverse. It’s 10,000 won a month which is way cheap and if we get there early enough we can have a good hour on one of the few treadmills the gym has before I sling my slowly ever increasing weights. There is nothing like reps in the morning to wake you up for the day.

Post 25: 140506 The cast

Several changes and a burst eardrum later the pieces have fallen into place and the perfect match is found. This is the cast of 'This is a Play' written by Daniel MacIvor and Directed by Amanda Doucet. From left to right: Emily Durant as Female Actor, Steven Kurowski as Male Actor and McKenzie Morrell as Older Female Actor. We open in just over a month on the 15th of June. Ample time.

Post 24: 130506 Rehearsals

These are the images from today’s rehearsals. As there are two plays comprising the evening, both are being rehearsed alternately in the same space at Hanyang University. One has Saturday day and Sunday night, the other naturally the opposite.

Post 23: 120506 Blogger’s Blab

Interpol snugly fit into my earlobes as I huddle in the back room cranking out words that are quickly lost. Multiple boxes open into my sister’s birthday and a mate’s update on his recent trip and forthcoming permanent departure. The dialogue is quickly folded onto the tool bar along the bottom of the screen to flash orange occasionally when a new comment is added.

It’s raining, ever so slightly. Not enough to warrant an umbrella but enough to annoy and stain the cobbles a darker shade of garbage. I’m minutes away from wiping off the rest of today’s daylight hours by retreating into a classroom and attempt to impart my native language to a mix of receptive and ungrateful ears. I have no love of this task, especially when most of the time can be taken up with just trying to keep the class quiet long enough to say a single sentence. I don’t think they are really into either.

How could they be? A full day of school already behind them and the prospect of private classes in varying schools before they get to go home, some as late as midnight. Can’t be a fun life. And to my untrained eye it appears to have stunted them socially. A trauma that takes years to evolve out of, if at all. A trip overseas usually helps.

I have the treat of a weekend of rehearsals ahead. Two each day for Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 11am and finishing at 8pm. That doesn’t include the hour and a half travel time to and from the University. Right now I’m still looking forward to them so I better stop thinking about all the time they will chew up. I’m not complaining, it’s what I want to do.

Last night an idea came for a quiet little film about a guy attempting to adjust to his quiet little life when his life collides with a wrongfully convicted woman on the wrong end of a policeman who has made a bad choice and can’t change it. It was a funky little idea that I would love to make but chances are it would go the way of all my other ideas, disappear without a trace. Ideas come to tease you.

Post 21: 100506 Where are the Blogosphere Celebs?

Now that I’ve been reading more blogs the question has arisen, are Blogs the natural evolution of reality television? Reality TV has given rise to the everyman celebrity. A new breed where their celebrity is based on seemingly natural events where what we know of the person is from what would normally be behind the scenes. All the stuff we desire to know about the big bucks, glamorous celebs that are draped across our movie screens and are seen only on red carpets and the odd sneaky peak from over the hedge.

Reality television celebrities fulfill that desire because we get to see them down and dirty. We find out their knee jerk reactions to daily situations. We see the times they blow their nose and excuse themselves to go to the can. Because of the repetition of their image we come to know them and develop an acquaintance with them, whatever that may be, positive or negative.

So now comes the Bloggers. There is an immediacy to their presence and the possibility to become acquainted with their style, feelings, inner most imaginings. As yet I am unacquainted with the Blogger celebrities but I’m sure they are out there. Bloggers control what we see or rather know of them but they want to be known. Some write freely, barfing their thoughts and feelings into the net without edit, others are cautious and shape their image. They want to be liked. Blogging gives rise to the possibility of becoming a celebrity.

When so many people want to garner that kind of fame by shaping their own Blog, their projected image, then where does the desire come from to rummage the blogs of others? What are they seeking? Are there different breeds co-existing within the blogosphere? Sure there are different styles and interests but that’s not what I’m asking. Are there those that eagerly hunt for celebrities and are there those that just as eagerly hunt for celebrity?

Then that begs the question, what do I want to get out of being a Blogger?