Thursday Thirteen - 195 - 13 Theatres Where I've Enjoyed Plays or Dance Performances

1 - Prince Andrew High School Auditorium - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Where my stage bug hit and my love affair with theatres began. Performed in plays including Charley's Aunt and musicals including Oklahoma!















2 - Rebecca Cohn Auditorium - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Saw both the National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet companies here on tour when I was a girl.








3 - Neptune Theatre - Halifax

First felt the emotional electric charge between the audience and the performers when I was a girl, in the audience for Gypsy.










4 - Pond Playhouse, Theatre Arts Guild - Halifax

Performed in community theatre out at this small performance space, as well as assistant stage managed and assistant directed productions including The Children's Hour.












5 - O'Keefe Centre / Hummingbird Centre (now Sony Centre) - Toronto, Ontario

Worked as front of house staff for eight years here, enjoying 24 seasons of both the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company, including personal favorites such as Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake and Giselle; and Tosca, Carmen and Bluebeard's Castle/Erwartung. And don't forget about the touring companies with stellar productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar.










6 - Pantages Theatre (now Canon Theatre) - Toronto

I saw the first run cast of The Phantom of the Opera here. Shivery goodness.















7 - North York Performing Arts Centre (now Toronto Centre for the Arts) - Toronto

I was very lucky to see Showboat, Sunset Boulevard and Ragtime here.












8 - The Royal Alexandra Theatre - Toronto

Brad and I saw the Gershwin musical Crazy for You here on our anniversary.











9 - Princess of Wales Theatre - Toronto

I saw my favorite play of all here, The Importance of Being Ernest.















10 - Young Peoples Theatre (now Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People) - Toronto

I saw Road to Avonlea's Gus Pike - otherwise known as Michael Mahonen - in Salt Water Moon here.










11 - Bathurst Street Theatre - Toronto

My husband and I saw a two-man comedy show featuring Mike Myers here.









12 - Sir James Dunn Theatre - Halifax

Once I'd moved back to Halifax, I was beyond thrilled to catch a ballet performance by Rex Harrington and Evelyn Hart here with my mom and sister.















13 - Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts - Toronto

On trips back to Toronto, I've sighed with bliss to watch the National Ballet of Canada's Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker in this glorious-acoustics space.

Poetry Train Monday - 83 - When He First Appeared at The Bottom of the Stairs

For today's Poetry Train I'm doing the first in what will be a series of found poems. This one is from a diary entry I made on Jan. 12th, 1980 when I was 15.

When He First Appeared at The Bottom of the Stairs


Michelle and I
Watched
Star Trek - it was Charlie X

That's so
Funny too
Because
Every Friday night
Michelle and I
Guess
What episode Star Trek will be
And Michelle had guessed
Charlie X

Mom, Dad
Michelle
Connie and I
Went
To the Rebecca Cohn
This evening
To see
Gone With the Wind

So many people came

At intermission, the
Line-up in the washroom was
A mile long

The movie was astounding

It overwhelmed me

Vivien Leigh
Was
So good
As Scarlett

What an actress

Clark Gable, of course
Was
Terrific

When he first appeared
At
The bottom of the staircase

At Tara
During the barbeque

The whole audience
Sighed
And burst
Into applause

Copyright - Jan. 11, 2009 - Julia Smith

Original diary entry - Jan. 12, 1980