A crazy thing happened to me on the way to the gym…

I wish more stories happened this way although I don’t go to the gym as often as I would like. So, on the morning I decide to get my but to the gym I figured I should check my messages first. GOOD THING!! It was Manitoba Theatre Centre!!! I was asked to come to a call back. IN AN HOUR!!! WHAT!!?? I was preparing for a separate audition later that day for the docu-drama film “We Were Children” so MTC was out my head already. “That was yesterday!” I replied as I scrambled to find my “old” script.

The MTC audition was quite a task. Ten pages of dialogue for the british speaking artist, Leonard Irving. It took an intensive 3 days of study to get it to flow and even then I was only getting started, so it was a real joy to do it again, although I still wish I had more time to prep. The director (Rick Ross) gave me a few notes and then let me do my thang. He was very gracious and seemed to like it yet I know that a few extra hours in the morning would have helped me “kill” it. Lesson learned. I’m checking my messages as we speak and every hour on the hour from now on. Of course a call like that will still come when I’m in the shower or shoveling the driveway or framing a door in my basement with the saw a blazing.

That’s right I also framed and installed a door yesterday. I’ll get to that.

The ‘We Were Children’ audition with the fantastic Shelly Anthis went quite well. Shelly is newer to the casting scene but I love how she gives the time and assurance that allows actors to do their best. She also fills in any story direction that might be helpful. I wish her well. At any rate a film script like this was so much easier to prepare than the MTC script as long as I didn’t slip back into british. Not saying I don’t put my time in. Not saying that.

Off to framing the door.

We’ve been finishing our basement for the past 2 months and hey, it’s not finished but it’s a great switch from acting because it offers a tangible reward for ones efforts. You get to see your accomplishment everyday. I do recommend it. Although I am a bit of a perfectionist as my wife will attest. The door wouldn’t close strait. It was baffling. I took off the hinge and banged it around. I lifted one side jam so that the door was level because the floor was not. I took out nails because the frame wasn’t strait. We removed frame, added smaller spacers, added shims, hated the shims. Needless to say Rose-Anne was not having a good time. She’s put a lot of work into the project and is great at the drywall but the game of inches with the door was something she was not interested in at the days end. So we parted ways at 10:30 and I gladly finished a smooth closing door at 12:05.

I couldn’t stop. I hate stopping in the middle. I hate sleeping like that. Grraah it makes me agitated thinking about it. Not at Rose-Anne, let’s be clear, just an unfinished half swinging door that is impossible to close and causes problems for 10 years. I will not die with that on my conscious. I refuse. I will not have you come to my house, open my lazy ass door while I’m dead and say, “There, this goes to show how much Dean Harder was obviously a sluggish lackadaisical sloth man. The door doesn’t even close. Cremation it is.”

No. There is nothing like ending a fantastic day, than to have a tangible accomplishment staring you in the face. It was icing on the cake. I am very proud of our work together. I am proud of where I’ve come in the past year as an actor, as a makeshift carpenter, as a fake british painter and I am excited for the future. A future where I can invite people to a party in my basement with my angled walls and smooth closing door and a makeshift green screen and my friends can finally rant the pride right out of me and tell me what I should have done instead.

Can’t wait.

Posted: under Acting, Auditions, Comedy, Rants, Theatre

Comments (0) Feb 16 2011

I auditioned for the role of Jimmy, a hoser who smokes pot during the Shiva for the late Sam Blecher. It was a fun role and my first audition for Less Than Kind. I was stoked. The director (Kelly Makin) was in the room. After doing 2 read-throughs I was asked to cold read for the part of the “Bartender” at the Shiva. This guy basically is a guest at the party and got designated as the bartender. I felt pretty good about that cold-read as well.

Then I got a call today from my agent, Tammy. I GOT THE PART. Which one? BOTH OF THEM. After seeing my audition they decided they could combine the roles of “The Bartender” and “Jimmy”. I also got a great complement from the casting agent who said, that this was by far the best audition I have ever done. He also suggested, that whatever acting style I’ve been using keep using it.

So if I were to credit people it would be clear. I need to thank Ivana Chubbuck, Ben Davis and Yonda Davis for coaching me in the Chubbuck Technique. As for the audition process for this particular part I need to thank Jackie Lind for showing me how to be confident at the audition.

As for this role, I have been waiting for this for a very long time. It’s an amazing show. It’s a great cast. I guess its time to bring the revolver to gunfight.

Oh, did I mention Mark McKinney is the show runner?

Amen.

Posted: under Acting, Auditions, Comedy, Film

Comments (0) Nov 06 2010

I lost my soul today. At least the lighting’s good.

No, I’m not talking about selling it to some man in a black hat in an alley. I’m talking about stepping into a Starbucks. I planned to do some writing at Bar Italia today. I think that was a good plan – absolutely a great plan, but the lighting was so bland there. I was already in a melancholy mood. I’m reeling over not doing any acting work since getting back from LA over a month ago. I want to audition I want to perform I want to make the floor move. I get antsy. I really needed better lighting.

So I move across the street to the local American take-over shop. I hate strong coffee. I drink it because it looks good on a resume. Or rather, it keeps me up all night. I really haven’t found a place where I think the coffee is AMAZING in Winnipeg. But seriously. I just ordered a hot chocolate and it tastes like pudding. This isn’t that far off from hell when you think of it. It’s so enticing. Atmosphere looks like it could be fun. The lighting is great and BAMB!!!!! The coffee is over indulgent and the hot chocolate spurs from the latest Jello recipe. And now I’m stuck here because it’s so heavy I can’t get up to move. My feet are stuck to the floor. The sugar high makes my brain go numb. My guts are churning my super from side to side. The guilt fills me soul. It’s too late. I’ll never get my money back. I better stay here, at least it’s warm. If anything I’ve learnt why I don’t want to go to hell, but like I said, the lighting’s good.

Posted: under Comedy, Rants

Comments (0) Jun 21 2010

Just saw Avatar 3D at a packed house in Arizona. (You must see it in 3D!!) When the Colonol spews his war speach he says “We must fight terror with terror!!”. I chuckled and CLAPPED at the irony.  Deep, dark, satircial statement filled with juicy goodness. My claps were followed by silence…. So I clapped more.  So Awkward.  SOOO Funny. Ohh America, you’ve enriched me so.

Posted: under Rants, Thoughts
Tags: avatar

Comments (0) Dec 23 2009

I just took a workshop with Mark McKinney on comedy writing for a TV series. It was a pure joy to take. I mean one on one questions with Mark McKinney. How could I say no. He is one of my top favorite comedy performers and sketch writers. He’s a Canadian whose taken the plunge in many areas and made it work. Plus he’s a really nice guy.

We met him coming off the plane and my wife is the co-ordinator at FTM who brought him out. Off the bat he was kind but not flamboyant or a constant talker as some performers are. It was obvious that he was a deep internal thinker. Once and awhile on our way home he’d let off a few quips here and there that gave off resinence of his comedic wisdom. But it wasn’t until the workshops that my mind was blown.

The workshop wasn’t a terms and best practices workshop. It was a hands on, axe to grindstone experience.

We integrated 5 new scenes into a show from “Less than Kind” based on side character stories that were visible but never seen in the show. Later on, we actually got to have the actors, Ross McMillan, Michael O’Brien and Brook Paulson read our work.

We re-wrote each scene in collective groups probably 3 different times. It was fullfilling, then collaborative, then ego breaking, then pride killing, then absolutely fulfilling. I woke up EARLY on second day of the workshop.

Mark would bring in hilarious characters out of no where in the middle of his speach. He was also keenly aware of “Scene Tone”. Does this match what came before or what came after. Usually I like to write a scene to see what happens. He stands at the front talking about what happens in a scene as he’s there. The scene just pops out. It’s a beautiful thing to watch. I’m the kind of person that finds the best ideas in the writing experience. It may be that the writing experience is so old hat to him that this isn’t true for him. Or maybe that’s just who he is.

I certainly got a lot from this workshop. One statement which rings true, and you see it in the work of “Less than Kind” is: ”Comedy is drama interrupted and drama is comedy interrupted.“

I concur.

Posted: under Comedy Offerings, Training

Comments (0) Nov 13 2009

I just did a reading as the main character, Jonathan, for Jonas Chernik and Sean Garrity’s new film entitled, “Kosher Sexy”. Jonas couldn’t make it out because his wife is due to have a baby plus he IS in Toronto. It was through Winnipeg Film Group’s new “Open Screen Door ” program where a draft of a feature film gets read once a month. What a great concept. Thanks Darcy Fehr and Cecilia Araneda.

I got the opportunity to read with some of the best in the city. A crew of great actors. Many who have not had the opportunity to connect with each other. There were people I knew but who never worked with me like: Read More

Posted: under Career, Comedy Offerings, Connecting, Film, Reading
Tags: CindyMarie Small, Graham Ashmore, Harry Nelkin, Jonas Chernik, Lisa Durupt, Melanie Dahling, Quinn Green, sean garrity, Sunny Sidhu

Comments (0) Nov 09 2009

I had 2 auditions today and they were both a lot of fun. One was for a commercial for Manitoba Securities Commission and the other was for a web series by Original Pictures. They were both humourous and fun and I’m always greatful for the opportunity. Techniques from the Chubbuck technique have really been helping me along.

Now I have to put props out to Kim Todd of Original pictures. I know she’s a producer Read More

Posted: under Auditions, Comedy, Film

Comments (0) Sep 11 2009

Look I’m a Bear-Goat.   This is one of the funniest costumes I’ve been placed in yet. I place the costume on in the background of the scene while Josh Blecher (Benjamin Arthur) and Shandra (Lisa Durupt) are having a fight. Look for it in Season 2. The amazing Jacqueline Guertin took the pics with her mobile.

Posted: under Comedy Offerings, Television
Tags: Comedy

Comments (0) May 07 2009

I’ve recently arranged a deal with with ShawTV, the local Cable channel in town, to perform my character, Johnald Slow on a monthly basis. They’d use it for a 7 minute slot on their SHAW TV loops. I’ll be bringing in local guests much I like I did for the Fringe Festival. The difference is that it will have a 3 camera set-up like other TV shows do. This is extremely exciting for me. SHAW TV is a fun local station and I’m glad that they are looking to bring back some local talent to work with them.

Posted: under Comedy Offerings, Johnald Slow, Television

Comments (2) Dec 16 2008

I took out “Grumpy Gus” from my arsenal of characters I performed at Comedy Loser at the Kings Head Pub last night.   He is an angry, grumpy Newfy character who rants with metaphors and language that no one really understands.  I half plan him and half improvise him.  That’s his beauty.  In the middle of the show I came up with this bit about how I saw the means baby seal with fangs like tooth brushes and eyes as big as pool balls who bit the tires on my van.  This character has so much potential.

Posted: under Comedy, Theatre
Tags: Acting, Comedy, comedy loser, improv, Theatre

Comments (0) Mar 27 2008