17/10/11 – 22/10/11 – The Maritimes

Our drive to New Brunswick went well and we were looking forward to making a new home in Fredericton. Monday’s shows were off to a nice start with very sweet audiences that received the show well. Tuesday was a triple-hitter of “Weapons of Peace” and the high school provided us with a student tech crew that helped us set up, run the show, and strike. We broke the record for the biggest audience their theatre had ever held and it was wonderful to be surrounded by students that support the arts with such immense passion. Wednesday was a funny day at a school where the kids were loud and hilarious, calling out their opinions and laughing to no end. The question and answer period was just as entertaining and Koy had to convince the kids that he did indeed know how to make a paper crane even though his character struggles with it. We’re pretty sure they never did believe him. The kids were so funny that Jen started a list of quotes from the kids that she continues to add to. Thursday we once again had a helpful crew of students but unfortunately Cassandre and Koy had fallen ill. It was the first bug of the tour and hopefully the last. Luckily for us it was time to drive to Charlottetown which is the best medicine for anyone. Prince Edward Island was amazing and we had an incredible time. Cassandre had performed there a few years ago and so we all got to go behind the scenes in the Confederation Centre checking out the backstage of the theatre and playing in the dressing rooms. We ate the famous “Cows” ice cream, collected some red dirt, and went to an amazing restaurant called “The Globe”. The day trip did the crew well and Koy and Cassandre were already starting to feel better. The next day we took the ferry to Îles de la Madeleine and luckily experienced good weather and a smooth ride. We arrived late at night to a charming bed and breakfast and headed to sleep.

23/10/11-27/10/11 – Îles de la Madeleine and Québec

After a relaxing day off on the island we were ready to go again Monday morning. We drove from one end of the island to the other and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  After our performance, one of the students from the school, Maggie, helped give us a tour around her home which is surrounded by caves and a stunning beach. We met the oldest woman on the island who also lives in the oldest home on the island. Everyone was very kind to us and we were sad to not be able to stay longer. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in transit with a five hour ferry ride and a loooong drive from Prince Edward Island back to Montreal. Jen finally faced her fear of driving the Geordie van which allowed for James to practice his DJ skills so it was a win-win for everyone. The group was tired but happy upon arrival back home having been lucky enough to enjoy the island life for a brief time. On Thursday we drove out to Shawinigan and did two shows for two amazing Québec audiences. We had our longest question and answer period to date and we were so sorry to have to put it to an end or it would have gone on forever! It was a lovely week and the gang was looking forward to some time off in their home sweet city.

2/11/11 – 4/11/11 – Montréal (ish)

The Geordie gang was spoiled with a long weekend off but appreciated it as over the next three days they did eight shows. Wednesday we performed at an all boys school and the kids asked very critical questions. It was quite the successful Q & A and we were impressed with their interest in the deeper meaning of the play’s subject. That evening we performed both shows for a teacher/open audience preview which was really fun. We loved being back in the theatre where we rehearsed and it was wild to see how far we’ve come and how much more comfortable we are with the show. Thursday and Friday consisted of five shows at a French school where we did our first bilingual question and answer period. We were in a dome shaped theatre which was really cool and we met the oldest teacher in Quebec! We had then crossed into November and the gang was bewildered when realizing that it had been less than two months and yet we had been to so many places and met such incredible people! Time has become a weird thing where we can’t remember what happened yesterday and everything we do feels like ages ago. Who knew the Geordie School Tour has its own time zone?