Grantblings

Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 10 – Off

Whenever I’m on one of these Puppet Up Tours I am always eternally grateful. I understand there are a ton of people who’d love to be able to do this job and I’m extremely thankful that I get to do it. As such, I do my best to keep a positive outlook on the show and the travel aspect of bringing this show on the road. I look at things like bus rides with half blind drivers and 4 hour bus trips that turn into 7 hour bus trips as adventures. Look, I could be stuck in an office somewhere instead of stepping onto a stage with a puppet on my hand. So, I very rarely complain. I try not to complain at all, again, because I know I’m lucky to be here.

This trip has been great in that after the first day flight, there hasn’t been any travel. It’s been city living. Sure the wifi in the hotel and the wifi at the theatre are spotty, but I’m not here to surf the web. I’m here to do the best puppet improv I can. That’s my job. No complaining.

And this isn’t a complaint. I will simply say that housekeeping here at the hotel, love to do their job. Either that or they get paid by the number of rooms they clean a day because the Housekeeping staff here will not let any Do Not Disturb sign hinder them from doing their job. In fact, if that sign is up, they will call the room just to make absolutely sure you really, really mean ‘Do Not Disturb.’ That is dedication. Again, not complaining. It’s all an adventure.

Speaking of a having a job to do, today was the return to shows! Patrick is a great director and great at changing up who is in what improv and even the improv structures to keep things fresh. He sent out an email earlier in the day listing a few of the changes coming this week and it’s going to make for some really fun shows.

Tonight show was a decent show. The audience had a great time and in the lobby after, they were really complimentary. I will say it wasn’t my best show on this tour. Just off a little. Maybe sleeping in too long today put me in a low key mood. I’m not sure. I started off pretty good with a New Choice scene with Colleen that really did well, but after that I just sort of felt out of it.

For alien barbershop I just could not think of a rhyme. I was trying and trying but I couldn’t think of anything. I finally settled on something and the MOMENT I began singing I came up with another rhyme that would have been better, but by then it was far too late. Anyway, the topic was ‘Setting Things on Fire.’ My rhyme:

I set thing on fire.
I create my own hell.
The flames are so pretty.
(then here I had my alien sniff a little bit.)
What is that smell?

The joke being something was on fire. Ugh. I don’t know, it was poor. The whole rest of the show I just seemed off. Gotta get my head in the game tomorrow, for sure!

After the show, Dan and I went out to the Chinese Dumpling place next door. I ordered Pineapple Chicken and was just not thrilled with it. Ate there twice and officially ruling out a return trip.

That was the adventure of today. Looking forward to tomorrow and to stepping up my improv/puppetry game. And, as always, more than grateful that I get to do this.