Being on the road has it’s challenges.  It takes a little while to find grocery stores and places to hang out, but this makes for great adventures!  I eat organically as much as I can, and am on a gluten and wheat free diet.  But this hasn’t proved too difficult in this city, which is great!  I just went to Market Organic today, and ate at the Green Door last weekend.  There are a few other places I’ll be checking out this weekend!

Before coming to Ottawa, everyone told me how beautiful it is here in the summer… which has proved to be very true!  I rode my bike to Parliament Hill and was stunned – it is so magical!  I have also sat and read in numerous parks all over the city, and I’m currently sitting by the Rideau Canal.  The Rideau Canal bike path is my favorite path so far.

I bought a bike on the first day of rehearsal, which proved to be the best idea ever.  I love how Ottawa is full of cyclists, and that there are many designated spots on the roads.  Not having a car can sometimes be annoying when you’re in a new city, but having a bike in this city is the way to go!

I’m meeting up with some old friends from high school tonight!  Hopefully they’ll fill me in on more places to check out in the city.  On my day off tomorrow I’m going to check out The Glebe and do a little shopping.

This summer is just flying by.  Our director, David S. Craig, is amazing!  He’s so full of insight and hilarious ideas.  The cast is awesome.  I’m learning so much about comedy and timing and mask work and the baroque era and… I could go on and on .  Plus we’re outside in beautiful Strathcona Park!  I constantly have to pinch myself to remember how lucky I am that this is my JOB!

Thanks Odyssey for this fantastic summer!

Being away from friends has been difficult, but on the other hand… being in Ottawa has allowed me to connect with other friends who have moved here over the years.

As always with our kind of work, being an actor means being away for many important family events.  I’ve missed several, but I also have quite a bit of family in the Ottawa Valley and it’s been nice to re-connect with extended family who I don’t get to see as often.

Being away from my wife is by far the most difficult thing for me.  My wife Kerry and I talk several times a day so Skype is just a God-send.  We will often wake up and have breakfast together on Skype.  Absence truly makes the heart grow fonder.  We really work at making the long distance part of our relationship succeed.  In a way, it makes you value your partner and we are always sending little notes, care packages, texts, and cute voicemails to each other.  After a decade together, we know what it takes to make distance work… but it is NEVER easy.

Pets… this is a hard one.  I am an animal lover.  We have two crazy cats – Simeon & Pandora.  Both of them delight us each day.  Pandora is our newest member of the family, she’s still a kitten but is very smart.  Kerry shares hilarious stories about the silliness with our cats – a daily occurrence.

Here is a video of Pandora – who likes to play fetch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJw2_KtBKZ4

There simply is no bed better than your own.  I’ve stayed in the fanciest hotels, in over-water bungalows in Bora Bora, Sleep Numbers, Tempur Pedic, Posturpedic… the list goes on but, there is no bed that is more comfortable than the one you have at home!

Coming to a ‘home away from home,’ I always take little steps to ensure my comfort.  I always buy a new foam mattress topper and new pillows.  It seems like a small thing, but it makes all the difference in the world.

I am often asked if being away from home is a “nice break.”

I wouldn’t describe Ottawa as a ‘nice break,’ but rather a ‘new adventure.’  I delight in discovering the things about a city that a visitor would overlook if they were staying for only a short period.  Certainly I make the rounds to see all the major attractions, but I also have the time to really discover the hidden gems that locals share with me.  Whenever I travel to work in a new city, I am constantly reminded what a wonderful country we have and how many fantastic people & places there are to discover.

Is being on the road part of the fun or just part of the job you ask?

It is both, of course!  Being on the road often bonds you tighter to a cast – they become your family away from home.  The bonds forged in contracts away from home often become the foundation of friendships that last a lifetime.  Sometimes the ‘Part of the Job’ side can take over.  Performing in Thunder Bay in the winter… at the time it might have had a ‘part of the job’ feel, but the wonderful stories you get from it are often are the only memories you walk away with.

This is my first time in Ottawa for any real duration. I often come to Ottawa to teach dance at the local competitive studios or to adjudicate a dance competition.

It seems every time I come to Ottawa there is a cause for celebration.  The last time I was here was during the Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Sens were playing.  This time it’s the Royals visiting.  Boy, this city knows how to throw a party!

I’ve just begun my adventures here.  So far I’ve been to the Byward Market, biked all over downtown, traveled the beautiful network of bike paths, and celebrated on Odyssey’s 25th Anniversary (speaking of parties!).  By far the most fun has been working alongside such a talented cast and the team at Odyssey.  There are so many people bringing all their talents to this production.  Every day we laugh, we learn, and we revel in the process of mounting this production.

I always love trying new places to eat & have a drink when I am in a new city.  Finding the hidden gems takes some work, but it always pays off.  I have only just started to get my feet wet with this kind of thing here in Ottawa… recommendations are always appreciated!!

I DID have one of the best burgers of my life at “The Works.”

Fortunately some of my friends who I performed with in Mamma Mia are from Ottawa, so I will be connecting with them while I am here.  I’m also guest teaching at Greta Leeming Studio of Dance while I am here for the summer.

I hope you will come out to enjoy our show!!

Well, first off, I have found the schedule relatively demanding, 8 hour days 6 days a week, however I can think of approximately 1001 worse places to spend 50 hours a week than in a park rehearsing a show.  The atmosphere is unbelievable and there have been days where we finish an eight hour day and I just want to keep going.

The cast and crew are amazing.  It was (admittedly) a little intimidating for me to come in to work with all these professionals who I’ve seen in action and/or read about.  It’s been amazing to get to know them and find out they’re all so down to earth and friendly.  I feel extremely lucky to have the opportunity to learn from all of them and I’m blown away that they are all willing to help out some kid from Stevensville (near Niagra Falls).

The biggest challenge for me thus far, as more of a contemporary actor, has been to master basic 17th/18th century courtier movement and posture.  I find myself doing constant body checks to make sure I’m getting the baroque movements; it was a little frustrating at first, but I’m getting more confident and comfortable with it everyday.  I’ve found it enjoyable aside from the realization of just how bad my posture really is.  Jay T. Schramek (playing the role of Crespino) has been especially helpful and encouraging with this whole process, making sure I get the bows right, straightening my posture, and keeping off my darn heels!  A big BIG thanks to him for taking the time and being patient with me!!

We’ve just finished our third week and things are moving at an impressive pace in terms of how far we’ve come and how much we’ve covered so far.  Again, the talent and dedication of the cast and crew is evident.

It’s my first time working in an outdoor venue and working in the park has been a great experience so far.  Strathcona Park is SUCH a beautiful location.  We’ve already gained some returning spectators – a family of groundhogs, a red squirrel, and two ducks.

Working outside comes with concerns about projecting my voice, as well as staying hydrated throughout the day and trying to avoid too much sun exposure… a lesson quickly learned after a bad case of sun stroke after our first day at the park.

We have rain locations that change depending on location availability.  After a couple days in a row working inside, I find myself looking forward to getting back to our home in the park.

The stage itself, which was built brand new this year, is pretty incredible and I’m really looking forward to seeing the finished set; from what I’ve seen, it should be pretty amazing. Costuming too, they look SO incredible!

All-in-all the whole process has been a great experience and my only real worry for now is keeping pace with such a talented group of professionals.

Ben Clost was born in Ottawa and raised in various European countries. This diverse upbringing enlightens many talents in him as he is not only a professional actor with a rich repertoire in theatre, but a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist as well.

Odyssey Theatre: What kind of character do you play in Janet Irwin’s They All Do It?

Ben: I play Antonio, a restaurant owner who has been divorced three times and has a very poor opinion of women.  He is a manipulative, selfish, but incredibly sexy.

Odyssey Theatre: Can you relate to your character in any way?

Ben: Well I’ve never owned a restaurant and I love women so you could say not at all….  But I understand heartbreak and I can relate to feeling jaded about love and marriage.  As the name of this play is “They All Do It”, I can relate to that, having done it myself, a few times.

Odyssey Theatre: Has trusting the opposite sex come easy to you so far in your life?

Ben: At first yes, and then gradually over time I learned better.

Odyssey Theatre: What advice do you have for young singles and/or couples?

Ben: To give advice would imply that I had some knowledge of the way love/women work.  I have no such knowledge.   I CAN say that in my experience a long, slow courtship is best.  It’s really one of the best times in a relationship; the butterflies in the stomach stage.  Love that stage!

Odyssey Theatre: What other productions have you performed in?

Ben: Some plays I performed in are The Lion King, Amadeus, Of Mice and Men, As You Like It, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Of the Fields Lately, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Dining Room, The Colours in the Storm, I Am Yours, Road, My Fellow Creatures.

Emma Hunter is a talented young actress who is making her Odyssey Theatre debut this summer playing the role of Lark in Janet Irwin’s  new play They All Do It. We were fortunate enough to have a chance to sit with her one-on-one, and ask her a few questions.

Odyssey Theatre: Describe the Character you play in They All Do It

Emma Hunter: I play Lark, the younger sister in the play. She is obsessed with love as many young women are and perhaps more obsessed with the idea than the actual lover…hence “They All Do It.” Loyalty to a lover will be replaced with desire at all times for Lark. She is a beautiful combination of naive, opinionated and proactive which is a lethal cocktail in the human character. I will just adore playing this young and silly girl.

Odyssey Theatre: How do you relate to this play?

Emma Hunter: Although, I would love to pretend that high school and university were simply places of education, they also provided a perfect environment to meet boys. I loved English, history, the bars and boys, so I can understand Lark’s excitement when it comes to dating and looking for her ideal mate. In terms of her approach we differ a great deal…I’m glad.

Odyssey Theatre: Has trusting the opposite sex come easy to you?

Emma Hunter: Trusting the opposite sex has come easy to me as I have been with same guy for five years and we are currently happily engaged. This is the part where I find out he’s been having it off with a strange tattooed woman in his office at the bike shop. Just kidding, hopefully my story will work out better than Sandra Bullock’s. Poor thing.

Odyssey Theatre: What kind of advice do you have for young singles and/or couples?

Emma Hunter: In terms of advice, I’m probably not the best candidate as I have been quite lucky in love and truly forget the single life. I would probably say, if you’re not married and you have to “work through things” a lot you probably shouldn’t get married. If you are married, well then you’re already ahead of me and you probably could give me some good advice.

Odyssey Theatre: What other productions have you performed in?

Emma Hunter: I played Eden Dundee in The Final Twist (The Gladstone Theatre); Isasbella in Measure for Measure; Phoebe in As You Like It; Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (St. Lawrence Shakespeare festival); Perdita in The Winter’s Tale; Proserpine in Candida; Lola in Rough Magic (Theatre Kingston); Katherine in Henry V (Single Thread); Mephistophilis in Dr. Faustus; Natasha in Three Sisters (Queen’s University); as well as Charlotte Murray Pace in Discovery Channel’s Forensic Factor.