1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 Welcome back to YQG In Bloom where we celebrate everything Windsor and Essex County. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:11,000 Today my guest is Cristina Orlando and when she's on stage she's known as Cristina No H. 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:18,000 Cristina teaches a local improv class. Now whether you're running a shop, managing a team, or recording a podcast, 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:25,000 there's something to learn from the art of improv. So let's dive in, have some fun and start saying yes and... 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:35,000 I have with me today Cristina Orlando. Yes, that's me. She was the teacher and you do improv. 6 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:43,000 She does one woman's show and you do everything. Not everything but I'm busy. I'm busy. I'm busy. Yes. 7 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:48,000 I love to do all those things. Yes. Now how long have you been doing improv? 8 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:55,000 I started training at the second city 20 years ago. So we're 20-25. 20 years ago. 9 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,000 Oh my cow. Okay, first of all, what is improv? 10 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:09,000 Improv is a type of art that is created out of a suggestion and there are so many moving parts to it. 11 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:26,000 There's a yes and you have to listen. We don't say no and we build a sketch or a piece or a story based off of a suggestion from an audience member. 12 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:34,000 And there you go. A lot of people think stand-up comics are improv and they're not the same thing. 13 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:44,000 A stand-up comic will tell jokes. An improv piece or an improv game helps to build skill in many different facets. 14 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:53,000 But it brings you along a journey and a supportive one and you come up with a story basically that's never been told before. 15 00:01:53,000 --> 00:02:04,000 And it is just so much fun because it is a risk. It's thrilling and you don't know what's coming. 16 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:10,000 You show up to do a set. You just don't know. The audience is going to let you know. They want to come along for the ride. 17 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,000 I really believe in it for so many different reasons. 18 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:29,000 Now I found that you don't have to take an improv class just to get on stage. A lot of people in our class were taking it to kind of learn how to break out of their shell 19 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:37,000 or get a little bit more self-confidence whether it be in real life, in their job, whatever. 20 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:46,000 I love it. I couldn't believe that I actually could do that kind of stuff because I'm the type that when I'm with people that I know, 21 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:58,000 I'm an extrovert but when I'm with people I don't know, I'm an introvert. So for me to go in there that first night and actually participate was just something I don't do. 22 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:11,000 It's incredible. Even when I started it took me a long time to come off the back line and I had already had a history in doing plays and being on stage and I danced for a long time. 23 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:19,000 But this was a different ball game. This was a different ball game. There were pieces to learn. There is a way to do it. 24 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:30,000 I realized along the way the change in myself and the journey that I took both as I teach for the Greater Essex County District School Board. 25 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:43,000 I'm an early childhood educator. I have been one for 25 years. And who I was as a teacher, who I was as a mother, who I was as a wife, a community member, an employee, 26 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:56,000 just how I was with the public and I saw people so differently after and I felt so much stronger. I felt stronger. I felt that I wanted to do better by myself and by others. 27 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:07,000 And it sounds so cheeseball, right? It's so cheeseball when I tell people. But it is so important because improv is a supportive art. 28 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:14,000 If you are on the back line and you're not listening and you're letting your teammates out there flounder, that's just not the way to play. 29 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:28,000 You have to be listening. You want to be out there to move things along and raise the stakes and entertain. Could you imagine if every corporate, every business brought improv in as a way to support their employees 30 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:38,000 and you are all of a sudden yes-and-ing at your meeting and you're thriving because you're building off of ideas and you're learning how to be supportive. 31 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,000 A lot of people are thinking about their answer while you're talking. 32 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:48,000 Exactly. Now, how long have you been in improv? It's been, I think you said 20 years? 33 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,000 20 years. 34 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,000 Where did you find in this area to train? 35 00:04:53,000 --> 00:05:08,000 So I went to, and I still have the playbill from that day. It was August of 1992 and my husband, the second city was in Hockey Town, right downtown Detroit. 36 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:21,000 And my husband's like, let's go see a show because I'd read every book I had. He just knew who I was and everything around the house was, you know, an SNL book, history of improv, all these things. 37 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,000 And I didn't think I could ever do it. I didn't think that was ever going to come to fruition. 38 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:31,000 So he's like, let's go see a show. And I was like, oh my gosh, yeah, I guess. 39 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:39,000 So when the audience, and there was a woman in the show, her name was Margaret Edwardowski. She was bigger than life. She was so good. 40 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:44,000 She just drew me right in. I was just at the edge of my seat like, who is this woman, right? 41 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:54,000 So I kept the playbill and I just had it on the fridge for the longest time and it had the players that were in the show on the front. 42 00:05:54,000 --> 00:06:05,000 So one day my husband came home. The second city lost its, it didn't lose anything. It moved to Novi, Andeamos in Novi. 43 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:17,000 And my husband happened to be working out there and he was, it wasn't ready yet at the Andeamos, but so they moved into a space in a strip mall. 44 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:22,000 So my husband happened to be at that strip mall. There was a sign in the door that said second city classes. 45 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,000 So my husband walked in and he's like, what do I do for my wife? The lady's like, fire an intro class. 46 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:35,000 So he bought me an intro class and from, and he drove me because I had no idea how to drive in the state. I'm already a terrible driver. 47 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:40,000 I'm already a terrible driver. So he was like, well, you know, I don't want this to be the reason why you die. 48 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:52,000 So he drove me every week. I took a three hour class and he waited with my two year old for three hours while I trained until I finally learned how to drive myself. 49 00:06:52,000 --> 00:07:02,000 When the GPS came, I was like, thank you Jesus. Okay. Thank you GPS. Okay. What happened? You know, so I started training there. 50 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:10,000 And I was one of the last to graduate out of the conservatory last classes before the second city shut down in Michigan. 51 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:16,000 And then, but the great thing was, was the community is pretty big over there. 52 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:28,000 And I started training. I was playing Monday nights at planet and while I was training at the second city, they had an improv jam after the home team played. 53 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:37,000 So at 10 o'clock, you could put your name in the jar and they pick your name out and you'd go up with whoever and they'd say, okay, we're going to play this game. 54 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:45,000 And it was run by one of the seasoned players and you got stage time. You had to meet people. You got to do all these things. So many things happened. 55 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:54,000 So once the I graduated from the second city, the conservatory, I then went to the planet and an opportunity just, it just took off from there. 56 00:07:54,000 --> 00:08:08,000 Like it was so like I started sketch writing and turning things into turning the sketches into pieces and getting shows up on their feet, both on the writing side and on the performance side. 57 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,000 And that was that that's that 20 years. 58 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,000 You are on stage. You're Christina, no H. 59 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:23,000 That's the one though the name of the one woman show. Yeah, that's the one moment show. Now is that classified as improv as well? Or is that a stand up? 60 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:33,000 So half and half. I wrote down all the things that I would want to tell people because the show is based on my own life. 61 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:49,000 So I wrote down all the things that I would want to tell people. And then I would set up my camera and I would improvise on my own in my basement, the topic, and until I finally had the script. 62 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:54,000 So based out of sketch comedy, that's how that show was born. 63 00:08:54,000 --> 00:09:10,000 For sure. I took your class, the intro through act, which I never knew we had improv in the city. I see online through Instagram and that there's comedy shows and that. 64 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:19,000 But I didn't realize that there was classes and stuff. So I saw yours and I took it and now I'm taking one at Cortison Theater. 65 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:34,000 Yeah, there. And then now the online one, I think it's the writing beginning here in Windsor. No, with the Emery on Zoom. That'll be the world's good. 66 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:54,000 She was a turning point along the journey. When I took that class, I found her out of nowhere and canceled what I had previously said. I was supposed to go to Los Angeles and train at the groundlings for a week and for my 40th birthday. 67 00:09:54,000 --> 00:10:10,000 But then I found her and I was like something said like just just cancel Los Angeles and just go to her. So I did. I hopped the train after work on a Friday, the May 2 for weekend, got to Toronto super super late. 68 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:18,000 The city was incredibly busy. The Tiff was going on. There was so many things. I couldn't even sleep. I was so excited. 69 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:31,000 And then I like that morning I like ran to the second city and we're supposed to be a group of 20. And there were there were five or six of us in that class who she was able to give us attention. 70 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:43,000 She was born to perform number one. Number two, she knows how to put a show together. She knows she knows it and she punded the pavement. She built herself. 71 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:59,000 She sold herself. She wrote herself and I knew I said, I didn't even know these things were possible. So after I left her and she was so encouraging in class and informative. 72 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:13,000 I'll never forget. She said, you have to be like the phoenix rising. And I had never had that image in my head ever once in my life. Yeah. But now that image in my head all the time because it's a hard industry. 73 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:23,000 If you're taking if you're improvising and training to be on stage. That is it's a very hard industry. Super hard. Oh, I couldn't. I could imagine. 74 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:34,000 I mean, like I was intimidated just being on that zoom and there was I think there were six of us. There's supposed to be seven one sick. And I mean, okay, I've been Windsor Ontario. 75 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:47,000 I'm just this little person that does a freebie podcast and there's actresses in there. There's writers in there from Australia, from Europe, from Atlanta. 76 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:58,000 And I'm like, oh my God, she's in New York doing this whole event thing. And I'm like, I just wanted to learn how to do a little bit of and you will. 77 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:12,000 I was I was it was I was like, I just keep thinking in my head. She said, we're going to have homework and create a fairy tale, kind of like a trailer trash meets Roseanne type thing. 78 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:23,000 And if it's something that you want to do, it's almost like an addiction. I found that like I'm thinking about it all the time. Oh my gosh, this would be a good skit. 79 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:35,000 Just a story of John painting that room. I'm terrible. 11 years. I have a whole thing in my head about it and write it down. That's you. I have been I've been writing like crazy. 80 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:45,000 So is this something that you always wanted to do? Yes, it was just kind of ingrained in you from the time you were born. I was always so I have an older sister. 81 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:55,000 She's eight years older. I was born. My parents are Italian 100%. They were both immigrants to this country. So that's right there. Not easy. 82 00:12:55,000 --> 00:13:08,000 And my sister was like the studious made all the good choices. You know, she went on to receive her doctorate in education. She's a superintendent. 83 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:15,000 She's done all these things and like the family so incredibly proud of her. She does all these great things. Me gypsy. 84 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:29,000 So I always wanted to just perform like I started out in dance classes and I was out there and I just loved it. I can't wait to get there. And my parents are like, Christina, please, can you just do something with your life? 85 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:41,000 Like, can you just focus? And I'm like, I am born to be a star. Don't you don't you understand? It's like, you know, please, please. What is this university you speak of? 86 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:50,000 You know, it was so hard growing up like my parents. And I know like when you're going through it, you're like, oh my God, you don't understand me. 87 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:59,000 What the hell. And but as a girl to understand it was more out of fear. They're like, please just get a study job. Please do something in school. 88 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:09,000 I went to the University of Windsor. Okay, so here's the kicker. I was always busy in dance and performing and doing things in the city. 89 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:18,000 And, you know, it was going great. Like it was fun. Right. And I was I didn't know that I was learning like I was just like, oh my gosh, I get to be in this play and I get to do all these things. 90 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:28,000 And I was so happy. And then I graduated from high school and I applied to the University of Windsor to the BFA acting program. 91 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:46,000 I, I eventually got in and I flunked out. What I realized later in life, I don't even have a like to stand on now. What do I tell my parents? I want to be an actress, but I just got kicked out of the BFA acting program at the University of Windsor. 92 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:57,000 And I was devastated. I didn't want to be there. That wasn't what I wanted. But I didn't understand that then. I didn't know. I didn't know myself. I didn't know any of those things. 93 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:09,000 And so I, I, well, I didn't leave. They kicked me out. And I went to the college and I did sign language and they kicked me out of that. 94 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:18,000 And then I did early childhood education. And I feel like I excelled in it because like I have my own personal audience on the daily. 95 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:27,000 They think I'm amazing. Like they just, you know, like, oh my God, it's miso. Like it's a show on the daily for that. Right. 96 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:38,000 So maybe that's why I excelled in it. And then I landed myself in a full time life, full time work life. I became a mother and I got married. I became a mother. 97 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:50,000 And, but I realized later in life that I was always so ashamed of being kicked out of the University of Windsor. Like I felt like I just was, I wasn't good enough to do anything. 98 00:15:50,000 --> 00:16:02,000 Like who would even consider me now? But one thing I realized was you, you need to do the right thing for yourself. The BFA acting program was not it. Industry was it. 99 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:14,000 Once I started training in improv and got a solid foundation on how everything is burst out of that. Then I got clear. I got clear. 100 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:26,000 And I had some of the best instructors. I admire them to this day. I will honor them for all the live long day until I take my last breath. 101 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:43,000 They were patient and they were, they had a high bar. And even though I struggled in the beginning, the moment that it changed for me, I felt it. And I was really proud of myself. 102 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:57,000 And then eventually I'm here now and I was lucky to have received what I got. And I'm just thrilled to be able to do it here and share what I was taught with other people. 103 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:02,000 Now, have you had a chance to travel around to do your show? 104 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:15,000 That's what's on the docket now. So it's so close to being to its final edit. I do have a producer interested in the show who's been so incredibly supportive. 105 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:28,000 And the idea is to, I have to make the pitch, right? I have to make the pitch. And these are the hardships. This is what's hard about industry. Nothing's free. 106 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:41,000 So I have to make sure that the show is at its best. It did. Christina and OH debuted in Windsor. And then I took it to Detroit and I was able to get it up there. 107 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:48,000 And then coming out of the pandemic, the Women's Comedy Festival had me do it there. 108 00:17:48,000 --> 00:18:04,000 And so I was thrilled. Like I was thrilled to just take it out of our country and into another country. But then the pandemic just cut me off at the knees and I had to start all over again. 109 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:14,000 I will continue to strive to do my very best. And I hope one day that I can give opportunity to people like I was given, right? 110 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:24,000 You are. So I hope, like I just really want to get back. Like it sounds again, cheeseballs, cheeseballs, cheeseballs, cheeseballs. But it is pretty gratifying. 111 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:32,000 And it is like when I was even this past session at ACT, like we were 20 people in that room. 112 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:37,000 That was insane. It started off like, I think there was what? 113 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:47,000 Maybe 12. 10 or 12 people. And by the end of the month, there was like 20 there the last day. And it's like, why even bother coming for the last one? 114 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:58,000 But it got huge. And it was one thing I noticed too, like being on the instructor side. And I teach improv for the music performance students at Sinclair College. 115 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:12,000 That is truly one of the best experiences working with these young kids. And they are naturally like, I don't know what it is about this generation, but they're natural supporters of each other. 116 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:24,000 Right? They are so on board with each other and they're eager. They're eager and they're risk takers. And I get to do that. 117 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:34,000 I get to be part of that. I graduated from Sinclair College. I'm St. Nation. And now I'm, oh my God, never in a million years, never in a million years. 118 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:42,000 But I've been like, yeah, I'm part of the faculty of Sinclair College. I was like, do you know many times I tried to graduate out of this place? 119 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:55,000 But then I was so proud of making, like, you don't go to school to become a professional improviser. Right? Nobody gives you a degree in professional improvising. 120 00:19:55,000 --> 00:20:06,000 You have to do all the work. You have to find the training. You have to get out there. You have to, it's a hustle, right? You have to build. You have to understand. 121 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:15,000 You have to be humbled. You have to do all these things to move forward and to be able to share it with somebody else. So, yeah. 122 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:24,000 That's the one thing that has shocked me is I was kind of like you only worse. I quit school when I was 17. 123 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:31,000 My mom said to me, the day of school for grade 11, she's like, what are you wearing to school? Nothing. I'm not going. 124 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:45,000 She says, you have a month to get a job, go back to school, or GTFO. It's like, okay, so I got a job and I went four nights a week to the adult learning center. 125 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:57,000 I just, I wasn't good in school. But could I figure out what I wanted to do? I had dental receptionist training certificate, but couldn't get a job because I didn't have experience. 126 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:04,000 I had a business common. I have aesthetics, horticulture, everything under the sun. 127 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:05,000 Basket weaving. 128 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:15,000 I swear to goodness. I don't know how to knit when I was eight years old and do crafts and I've done craft shows. I do everything. 129 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,000 I can't sit still or else I'll fall asleep. 130 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:28,000 And now it's like coming home, going to those classes. It's like, I'm nervous, but excited and I'm walking around with these books and I'm writing out. 131 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:38,000 It's either going to be a really cool one woman show or it's going to end up being an autobiography because it's long. 132 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:39,000 But it's yours. 133 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:40,000 It's fun. 134 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,000 It is so much fun. 135 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:51,000 I was really shocked when you said that improv is a community where you really stand back, help each other out. 136 00:21:51,000 --> 00:22:02,000 And noticing that in some of the different games that you were having us do and where people were screwing up and the other people aren't saying, hey, you screwed up. 137 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:12,000 They were going along with it and putting it as part of the show and changing it around as we're going around the circle and how it changed because people just weren't letting the other person fall. 138 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:13,000 No. 139 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,000 It was so wonderful. It was so nice to see. 140 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:20,000 When I was training, I learned if you feel like there's a mistake, lean into it. 141 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:21,000 Yeah. 142 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,000 Right? 143 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:23,000 Come off the back line. 144 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,000 It turns out funnier sometimes. 145 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:33,000 And people know and an audience can appreciate it. The troop lives longer. 146 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,000 I swear it adds years to your life. 147 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,000 But lean into those things. 148 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:44,000 And, you know, even when we played the game, the generals cat where you had to, the generals cat is an abby cat. 149 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:45,000 The generals cat is a booby cat. 150 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,000 The generals cat is whatever. 151 00:22:47,000 --> 00:23:01,000 You know, like remember if someone skips the letter, if someone is just pick up from where they left off, it's important to just listen, stay grounded. 152 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:02,000 Don't go for the funny. 153 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:14,000 It'll, if you simply react to what the person is saying, you will be able to build the blocks of that scene and just like that tick, tick, tick, boom. 154 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:15,000 And there you go. 155 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:16,000 Yay. 156 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:17,000 And that's what I like. 157 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:21,000 And that's probably why I gravitated towards that. 158 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:34,000 Because even in the podcast, like I literally threw this page together of just in cases this afternoon, I like to meet the people and then it's just a conversation. 159 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:35,000 We'll see where it goes. 160 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:39,000 I've tried having a question and answer, but you always tend to veer off. 161 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,000 So I just like to go with wherever it goes. 162 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:48,000 So it felt really good to actually be in a class where that's actually what you're supposed to do. 163 00:23:48,000 --> 00:24:00,000 And it's like, it turns out better, I think, because you learn more or it'll take the show in a completely different direction than what you were expecting. 164 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,000 And it was so much fun. 165 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:09,000 I last year, I wrote the social exchange for act for their North of 50 program. 166 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:18,000 Chris asked me, Chris Babadou, the artistic director, he said, Christina, is there a way that we can build this show with the community? 167 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:22,000 And I was like, I guess there's no other way to do that, right? 168 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:29,000 So we had four weeks of workshops and I ran improv sessions for four weeks. 169 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:35,000 So the first hour and a half, I was playing games and you have to get this room is filled. 170 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,000 This was this was a brand new experience for me. 171 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:42,000 The room was filled with seniors, right? 172 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,000 But we made it intergenerational so anybody could come. 173 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,000 But the focus was seniors. 174 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:53,000 And it was probably one of the most enriching, again, cheese balls, cheese balls. 175 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,000 Like when people talk like this, I'm like, oh, but then I'm here. 176 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,000 I am. I'm like, oh, I'm so enriching. 177 00:24:58,000 --> 00:24:59,000 Wow. 178 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:03,000 So but it was and the insight was insane. 179 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:10,000 And there was one woman, Shelly from our class, Shelly Davis, what a wonderful woman, right? 180 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:11,000 What a wonderful woman. 181 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:18,000 And one night we were going over the script and she told me this story. 182 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:24,000 She's like, you know, I've been a nurse for I think it was I can't remember how many years, like 30 years. 183 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,000 And I don't drive. 184 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,000 I've never had a license. 185 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:29,000 She's terrified of it. 186 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:33,000 Yeah, she's terrified of it, but there was the bus scene. 187 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:40,000 And I was in the background at the two babies and that scene was based off of Shelly's experience. 188 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:47,000 And she's like, nobody, she's like, nobody smiles anymore or like looks up from their phone on the bus. 189 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,000 And she's just talking and talking. 190 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:54,000 And the show was based on the gap between Gen X and everybody else. 191 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,000 And so and I'm a Gen Xer. 192 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:04,000 So the show started to morph into the difference in how we can bridge it. 193 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,000 Right. 194 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:13,000 And, you know, some of the fun things and improv that people do is they like role reversals or age reversals. 195 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,000 Like Robin played the chit-chat. 196 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:24,000 And he was he just, I really liked working with the seniors. 197 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,000 They helped drive that show. 198 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:32,000 Like I was writing and writing and writing and writing based off all these workshops that we had had. 199 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:36,000 And so many different people came to this workshop. 200 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,000 We had women from the house of soft-facing. 201 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,000 That was super impactful. 202 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,000 Yeah. 203 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,000 They were abrasive of the nature of improv. 204 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:49,000 And, you know, the I've heard so many times improv is for everyone. 205 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,000 And I believed it. 206 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:55,000 Like on the surface, I was like, I had the basic understanding of it. 207 00:26:55,000 --> 00:27:02,000 But watching the seniors, the women from the house of soft-facing, there were young kids. 208 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:08,000 There were, you know, the bracket of that 22 to 35, whatever. 209 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:12,000 And everybody had something to say, but it was a safe place. 210 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,000 And people just shared experience. 211 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:20,000 And then the last hour, we ate together at a round table. 212 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,000 And we just continued the conversation, except we were eating. 213 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:28,000 So that was a brilliant idea that I had. 214 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,000 And I was really grateful that they invited me to do that. 215 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,000 And it was crazy. 216 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:40,000 Before we go any further, that show, how much of it was improvised and how much of it was written? 217 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,000 We improvised to the written scene. 218 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:45,000 So I took the bullets. 219 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,000 You just gave them, this is what I want and they went with it. 220 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:50,000 Well, we played games. 221 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,000 And through those games, stories were shared. 222 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,000 And some of them were so funny. 223 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:03,000 Like there was one woman, we did a scene had morphed into a genie. 224 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,000 Do you remember the genie scene? 225 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:06,000 Okay. 226 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,000 So that happened in the workshop. 227 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:13,000 And there was one lady there, she was from the house of soft-facing. 228 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:19,000 She had shared an incredible journey with us that was, I don't even know sometimes how people hang in there. 229 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:20,000 Yeah. 230 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:21,000 Okay. 231 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:22,000 And I'm just blown away. 232 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,000 But she was sitting in the scene. 233 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,000 She was one of the workers, like the genie appeared in the office and was like, 234 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:34,000 you guys have to decide what your wish is, but you all have to be at the same place. 235 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:35,000 They have to be the same wish. 236 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:39,000 And so the genie disappears and I'll be back to hear your wish. 237 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:43,000 And so they're talking and talking. She's so quiet and she's just playing a character where she was like, 238 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:50,000 she has one line, I think we should buy a cabin in the Muscovques. 239 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,000 That's all she said. 240 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:57,000 And then she just kind of hung out while there was this banter between all the people. 241 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,000 And then it just got quiet for a second and she's like, 242 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:04,000 so are we getting the cabin in the Muscovques? 243 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,000 Like, she didn't participate in the whole conversation. 244 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,000 It was so grounded and so real. 245 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:15,000 I was like, this has to be, and it ended up being a three parter. 246 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,000 Like we called it back three times in the show. 247 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:25,000 And so, and all based on her, all based on that one moment that she just gave that was so grounded. 248 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:26,000 I was like, that's right. 249 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:30,000 There's always that person that's like, they're not listening to anybody. 250 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,000 They're just like, so what about that cabin in the Muscovques? 251 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,000 That's my mom. 252 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:40,000 Unless you're talking about her, she doesn't hear anything. 253 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,000 She's not hearing anything. 254 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:43,000 No. 255 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,000 And that's, that's, and it helps people learn. 256 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:46,000 Okay. 257 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:47,000 There's my one woman. 258 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,000 She just couldn't be my mom and ignore everybody. 259 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:55,000 Just answer about herself to questions that have nothing to do with her. 260 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:56,000 Exactly. 261 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,000 It's an insane process. 262 00:29:58,000 --> 00:29:59,000 Love it. 263 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:13,000 Learning how to approach the sketch writing process in a little bit of a different way and to involve more of the community, which I guess maybe has always been kind of a need of mine to be part of something. 264 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,000 And there it was. 265 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:22,000 So I'm really grateful to, to Arts Collective Theater between Moyan McAllister and Chris Rapido. 266 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:23,000 I don't even know. 267 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:25,000 Like I don't even, I don't even know. 268 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:26,000 I don't know everything. 269 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:27,000 There's enough words. 270 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:31,000 They are amazing with all the programs that they have. 271 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:34,000 And for the kids, like they're going to be doing Annie. 272 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:35,000 Yeah. 273 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:36,000 Pretty soon. 274 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:48,000 What's wonderful is they are trying to raise money so that inner city kids that can't afford to be part of these programs can still go. 275 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:51,000 I don't think they've ever turned anybody away. 276 00:30:51,000 --> 00:31:06,000 And I mean, even going to do your, your classes, they keep it so reasonably priced and I noticed Act is just building and you also are an actress for them. 277 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:08,000 I just got cast in. 278 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:10,000 I heard you're a bitch in this one. 279 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:11,000 Badly. 280 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:17,000 You know, you know, it's funny is he asked me, he's like Christina, will you be the AD on the show? 281 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:21,000 I had AD guys and dolls that was a crazy experience. 282 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,000 I didn't know that level of production existed in the city. 283 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,000 So I was like, I had no idea. 284 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,000 Josie introduced me to act. 285 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:37,000 Chris came to one of my improv sessions when I was teaching out at show and he's like, why don't you just come and visit the company? 286 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,000 Why don't you just come and see what it's all about? 287 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:46,000 So I was like, you know, what a great opportunity because the only time I'm ever backstage is when I'm waiting to go on stage. 288 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,000 That's been my whole thing. 289 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:49,000 Right. 290 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:54,000 So he's like, Christina, why don't you come and see what rehearsals are like and what we're all about? 291 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:56,000 I was like, great, that sounds great. 292 00:31:56,000 --> 00:32:02,000 I went to a production meeting and then I would go to every rehearsal and I would sit at the table and I would just make notes. 293 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:07,000 They gave me a script and I was just kind of practicing like, what would it be like to be on the other side? 294 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:08,000 Because I don't know. 295 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,000 I don't know what's going on back. 296 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:11,000 I never did know. 297 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:15,000 I know people do all these crazy things with tech, which I am inept. 298 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:26,000 I know people are pulling things and people are running with everybody else knows what's happening so that the people in the show can be on stage and tell the story. 299 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,000 And they've got 30 arms and they're doing all these great things. 300 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:30,000 I just never knew. 301 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:32,000 I knew, but I didn't know. 302 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:38,000 So then during one rehearsal, he's like, my AD, Christina, and I was like, AD. 303 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:41,000 So like I went home and I was like, what is AD? 304 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:45,000 I was like, give the checklist. 305 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:49,000 And so like we're working at a rapid pace and then guys and dolls and I remember it. 306 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,000 Then I ended up backstage at that. 307 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:55,000 Like when I say at the midnight hour, they're like, you're going to have to do stage right. 308 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,000 I never saw so many big props in my life. 309 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:02,000 Like a lamp, like a light post was coming out a whole second stage. 310 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,000 I was pushing out. 311 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:05,000 They were there. 312 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,000 I don't know how many flies he had in the show. 313 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:12,000 And I was always like, I've never said this so many times in my life with the hell's that noise? 314 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,000 With the hell's that noise? 315 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:14,000 With the hell's that noise? 316 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,000 I'm just going to be sure what the hell's that noise. 317 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:21,000 And so just keeping things together, the pressure was on and it was like thrilling. 318 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,000 I was like, I was like, oh my God, oh my God. 319 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:27,000 And then he's like, what do you think about coming on to rent? 320 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:30,000 And I was like, I don't know if I can do that again. 321 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:31,000 Like it's crazy. 322 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,000 And then I was like, yes, one of the better decisions I made in my life. 323 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,000 That show was beyond amazing. 324 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:45,000 I was just, I had coffee on Sunday morning with Maya and Chris and the person who played Angel works at the Starbucks. 325 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:48,000 And that's where Chris found him. 326 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:57,000 He has this way of just finding people and he heard him singing and oh my God, do you want to do this? 327 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:01,000 And finding you and like he just has this knack that's insane. 328 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,000 He has a superior knack for it. 329 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,000 And it's so funny. 330 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:09,000 And they will be like, hey, I just want to learn how to work backstage. 331 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:10,000 Do you think there's a spot for me? 332 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:14,000 And they're like, of course, come to rehearsal, come see what we're all about. 333 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:17,000 And then they're like, okay, that same person. 334 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,000 They're like, could you come and stand in for so and so? 335 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:25,000 And all of a sudden they're in the show and they are realizing dreams they never knew they had. 336 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:28,000 I go, it's crazy. 337 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:38,000 After I did the podcast with them last October, they were having a workshop for kids for Teenagers Net and they had E. Clay. 338 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:42,000 E. Clay was, he was the guest speaker the afternoon. 339 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:48,000 Yeah, they let, I'm like, okay, he's going to hate this and he probably won't see it anyway. 340 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:54,000 But I remember him from when he started as a soap opera star, Ari in the soaps. 341 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:55,000 He was a teenager. 342 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:56,000 E. Clay Cornelius? 343 00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:01,000 He was a teenager. He won't put it in his IMDB, but it is on his resume. 344 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,000 I didn't know. 345 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:05,000 Because we talked about it. 346 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:06,000 I'm on a new college. 347 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:12,000 Yeah, he was a teen and I'm like, dude, Lear Hagman could do it and all these famous people can do it. 348 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,000 Be proud of it. 349 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:19,000 But he is on Broadway now and he writes, he directs, he acts. 350 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,000 He's brilliant, but I asked my interest. 351 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,000 I'm like, oh my God, love this guy. 352 00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:25,000 Can I come? 353 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:29,000 So I'm with all these kids, all these high school kids. 354 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,000 Oh, I said the audience. 355 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:31,000 I was there too. 356 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,000 I said up the chair, I did everything he needed. 357 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,000 I got him lunch and then I was like, peace out. 358 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:38,000 I've been in the audience because I want to hear you. 359 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,000 Yeah, I was sitting there amongst all the kids. 360 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:46,000 I was so excited and then they branched out and I'm like, okay, I'm going to let the kids have their time. 361 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:47,000 You know, it was so cool about him. 362 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:53,000 He said we were, after the kids had all come and gone, it was just a couple of us left in the theater. 363 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:56,000 And he's like, Christina, what do you do? 364 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,000 And I was like, I pound the pavement. 365 00:35:58,000 --> 00:35:59,000 That's what I do. 366 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,000 I'm like, that's what I do. 367 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:09,000 I said, if these kids only knew how hard it is or how hard it was, like for, you know, you could say like, I didn't have YouTube. 368 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:11,000 I didn't have social media. 369 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:16,000 I couldn't just get on a zoom and do an audition or whatever. 370 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:27,000 I had to look in the paper and get an agent and do all these things where now kids are like, make a TikTok and all of a sudden they got 3.5 billion followers. 371 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:36,000 And they've, you know, and all they're doing like right now, I think the thing is like they eat into the camera and they shove as much as they can in their mouth. 372 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:45,000 And I'm like, well, I'm glad I work as hard as I do to, you know, I spend, I don't know how much money crossing the border and risking, you know, all the time. 373 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:53,000 I was like, I was like, all I had to do was fill a bowl of Chipotle and eat it and let it drip down my chin. 374 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:57,000 And that are going now only chance to start at the feet. 375 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,000 Start at the feet. 376 00:36:58,000 --> 00:36:59,000 Just started. 377 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:05,000 But I know I met him before they started doing some, the individual workshops. 378 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,000 He's like, well, why didn't you ask any questions? 379 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:12,000 I'm like, our kids and Windsor for some reason are insanely brilliant. 380 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,000 All of those questions. 381 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:15,000 Great. 382 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,000 The questions that they were asking. 383 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:18,000 It's like, I didn't need to. 384 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:22,000 I'm a 54 year old and they were catching it all for me. 385 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:23,000 They're really good. 386 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:24,000 Yeah, I was impressed. 387 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:43,000 We are going to have a magical artistic group of kids turn in adults here and hopefully they stay with it because even some of them are would be really good as directors or producers because they were asking some tough questions about money and design. 388 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:45,000 And I'm like, wow. 389 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:46,000 It's a hustle. 390 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:52,000 Even right now on the price of freedom, there was a few that came in and they just really proved their ground. 391 00:37:52,000 --> 00:38:07,000 We had one BFA graduate come in last night and he did one of the physical scenes where there's an altercation and he took them out of the room. 392 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,000 We had moved on onto something else and he brought them back. 393 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:11,000 But that wasn't why he was there. 394 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:16,000 He just happened to have that in his repertoire and Chris was like, just give it a shot. 395 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:21,000 So he went and he did it and he came back and it's the scene. 396 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:22,000 It's the scene. 397 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:26,000 I have to work with him one Sunday because I have an altercation in the show. 398 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:33,000 So I'm very, very, very, very nervous because this is completely outside. 399 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:34,000 I don't typically play. 400 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:40,000 I don't audition for leads because I just, I don't think that's who I am. 401 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:41,000 That's not who I am. 402 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:44,000 I love a good supporting role. 403 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:49,000 Even if that, even if she just has three lines, I'll take it. 404 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:53,000 My title with the school board is support stuff. 405 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,000 Like this is just who I am. 406 00:38:56,000 --> 00:39:09,000 But sitting beside Chris as an AD on the show, having been with Carlos, the writer of the price of freedom and watching the show morph through workshop has been quite impressive. 407 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:15,000 And now being in the show is, I'm not going to lie. 408 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:16,000 I'm a lot nervous. 409 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:22,000 The first, the two out of the two, the one character, she's more like me. 410 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,000 Robin's going to play my husband. 411 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:29,000 And, but the second one, I'm the overseer's wife and I don't like. 412 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:33,000 Well, the overseer's wife doesn't like what she sees. 413 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,000 So that's going to be a lot out of my room. 414 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:44,000 Just so you guys know, I'm going to be having some future podcasts coming up during Black History Month in February. 415 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:56,000 And we're going to be talking about the price of freedom, which is written by a gentleman in the Windsor-Essex County area directly for act. 416 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:57,000 So they're producing it. 417 00:39:57,000 --> 00:39:59,000 Now, what is it about? 418 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:07,000 So the story is of John Anderson who fled to Canada in 1853. 419 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:21,000 He fled because he killed a slave owner in Missouri and or about that area and protecting himself and knew he had to leave his wife. 420 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:22,000 He had to leave his children. 421 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:26,000 He was born into slavery, crossed over into Canada. 422 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:34,000 And for about seven years, he kind of was able to stay under the radar until he told the wrong person the story and that person outed him. 423 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:43,000 And the bounty hunter found him, then he was put on trial and he was found guilty the first time. 424 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:54,000 But due to a particular act that had because the altercation that resulted in murder happened while he was a slave. 425 00:40:54,000 --> 00:41:04,000 He then was that it was overturned and he, I think he, I think in the end he ended up in England. 426 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:08,000 But the show wraps around his story. 427 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:15,000 It always comes back to him, but the characters that he's met along the way, there was a there were people that helped on the Underground Railroad. 428 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:20,000 So he crossed into Windsor, but the trial and where he ended up was in the Brampton area. 429 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:25,000 So it is pretty powerful how Carlos brought it to life. 430 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,000 So to be part of it, huge privilege. 431 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:37,000 When I did Christina Noh and one of the things I like to do, I like to race to the lobby as soon as I bow and I say thank you to everybody for coming to the show. 432 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:40,000 I race out there because I just want to say thank you to people. 433 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:44,000 I'm like, thank you for taking time buying a ticket, supporting me. 434 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:49,000 And they're like, oh, my, you know, some people said to me, oh, my God, like, I feel like I'm going to be a slave. 435 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:54,000 I feel like I can do something now too, because I am, I'm 48 years old. 436 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:57,000 I, you know, my family comes first. 437 00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:04,000 So like when you, when I think about my day, I get up, I make sure like everybody's got a water, a lunch and whatever they need. 438 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:11,000 And I'll try to get the wet laundry to the dryer before I leave for work, right? 439 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:26,000 And I'm doing all these things and I get to work and I'm focusing on the kids and I'm writing on my lunch, you know, as soon as that clock switches over, I just, I write, I write and I write and I write and I write until the bell rings again. 440 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:30,000 And then I, after school, I got to get someone to soccer. 441 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:32,000 I got to get to a doctor's appointment. 442 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:33,000 I got to pick up some groceries. 443 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:39,000 I got to do all these things that I, I'm like, oh, okay, these are the things I need to get done, right? 444 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:42,000 And then I get home and I'm like, oh, let's get the dishes done. 445 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:43,000 And I got to be here. 446 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:44,000 I'm teaching. 447 00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:45,000 I got to do this. 448 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:46,000 I got to do that. 449 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:47,000 I have rehearsal. 450 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:48,000 I have to do this. 451 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:49,000 The kids need something. 452 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:52,000 And like then I was like, oh, quality time, right? 453 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:55,000 Husband, husband, how are you husband? 454 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:57,000 Husband, did you have a good day at work? 455 00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:58,000 Husband. 456 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:06,000 And then, you know, everything like all of a sudden it's like 11:30, 11:45 at night consistently. 457 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:13,000 And I'm like, okay, I will, like there's been plenty of times my husband has found me on the kitchen table. 458 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:22,000 What I want people to know, and if I offer anything or anything to whatever I've ever done in my life is just don't give up. 459 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:24,000 Don't give up. 460 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:29,000 And no matter what it is, no matter where you land, like it all matters. 461 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:31,000 It all matters. 462 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:38,000 The parts that made you cry, the parts that made you laugh, the parts that made you think you just can't do this. 463 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:40,000 What was I thinking? 464 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:41,000 It all matters. 465 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:45,000 It's like, people think it's this mad dash to the end, but it's not. 466 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:50,000 It's like, take everything for what it is and do your best. 467 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:52,000 And that is possible. 468 00:43:52,000 --> 00:44:00,000 Like in the end, Christina Noyes just spoke to a woman who had a big dream and decided that I had everything I need here. 469 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:07,000 Like I had this family, there's a theater community in this city where border city, so much more can happen in this city. 470 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:11,000 And I'm so grateful to the people who try really hard. 471 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:18,000 The Shadow Box Theater, Cortisone Theater, Arts Collective Theater, Windsor Light Opera. 472 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:26,000 Everybody, I think it's, I know I'm forgetting someone, but all the theaters that exist, all the art based programs that exist. 473 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:30,000 Just try, just try, be perseverant. 474 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:35,000 And there are days, I was talking to my mom the other day and I was like, Mom, I don't even know. 475 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,000 Like, I don't know, I don't know. 476 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,000 What do I do? What do I do? 477 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:44,000 And she was the one that's always like, could you just get a full time job and with benefits and be done with it? 478 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:45,000 Please. 479 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:48,000 But now she's, you know, my dad's like, you're crazy. 480 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:50,000 Christina, why do you do these things? 481 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:51,000 You're crazy. 482 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:52,000 I don't understand. 483 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:54,000 And now I'm like, Daddy. 484 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:56,000 Like, don't you, don't you get it? 485 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,000 Now he's like, oh, I am too old. 486 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,000 Do what you want. 487 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,000 And I'm like, I did, I did along the way. 488 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,000 Pick yourself up every day. 489 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:06,000 The dust will clear. 490 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:14,000 And if you are passionate, whatever you want to do, whether you want to be a doctor, you want to be an actress or an improviser, just do it. 491 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:15,000 Find out about it. 492 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:16,000 Study it. 493 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:17,000 Read the book. 494 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:18,000 Take the class. 495 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:19,000 Travel. 496 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:20,000 Try it. 497 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,000 And so I encourage everybody. 498 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:25,000 I feel like improv should be part of everybody's life. 499 00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:27,000 I think so too. 500 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:34,000 I really do because I, it's, I know it's changed me in a lot of ways in a short amount of time. 501 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:35,000 Yeah. 502 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:47,000 And if you're in the Windsor-Oscar County area, Christina is still teaching these classes and we're finally getting at the next level from beginner. 503 00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:48,000 Right. 504 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:50,000 So in February, we'll start. 505 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:51,000 We're going to go. 506 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:53,000 We've played the games. 507 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:54,000 We've played the games. 508 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:56,000 We always will always play the games. 509 00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:57,000 Always, always, always. 510 00:45:57,000 --> 00:46:00,000 But I'd like to see the backline form now. 511 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:03,000 I'd like to see the ensemble piece come together. 512 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:09,000 People swiping the scene, getting the suggestion and building and raising the stakes on it. 513 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:12,000 So I'm really excited to move forward with it. 514 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:14,000 And I hope you come and take the class. 515 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:17,000 I hope you come and take the class or take a class. 516 00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:18,000 Take any class. 517 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:23,000 I mean, even court of zone theater has classes, online classes. 518 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:33,000 It really honestly helps you to get out of your own shell, get out of, break out of your comfort zone. 519 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:37,000 One of the things they say is when you're improvising is what makes a stay different. 520 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:39,000 And you will use it. 521 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:47,000 Like even, I remember when I was early studying and I was working at Shoppers Drug Mart and customers are, can be hard sometimes. 522 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:50,000 Some are easier to like than others. 523 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:57,000 But I used to, before taking improv and learning all these things, I used to be like, you're a jerk. 524 00:46:57,000 --> 00:46:59,000 Like, literally, you don't watch. 525 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:03,000 I make like, I make nothing working behind this counter. 526 00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:09,000 And I'm not sure why you're yelling at me as I evolved as an improviser. 527 00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:13,000 I started to appreciate people way more than I ever did. 528 00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:22,000 And even more so to the people who struggled and maybe were yelling at me, that I'm wondering what brought you to this point and to care a little bit more. 529 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:24,000 I'm like, you know what? 530 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:26,000 I'm sorry, let me help you out. 531 00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:33,000 Seeing calm, playing the part and improvising and just diffusing things. 532 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:34,000 So it just does. 533 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:35,000 Take the class. 534 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:37,000 Any class, just take the class. 535 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:40,000 Christina, thank you so much. 536 00:47:40,000 --> 00:47:41,000 This was so exciting. 537 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:43,000 It was so much fun. 538 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:45,000 And again, my name is Tracy. 539 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:52,000 I want to thank you so much for staying with us and watching this episode of YQG In Bloom. 540 00:47:52,000 --> 00:48:01,000 Make sure that you support your arts, your creative theaters, everything you have in wherever you are. 541 00:48:01,000 --> 00:48:07,000 Because that is the base of everything I think. 542 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:08,000 And I hope you will. 543 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:09,000 How much you believe. 544 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:11,000 It's true. 545 00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:40,000 And I hope you all have a wonderful day.