I have a dream. It’s a particularly geeky dream, but nevertheless…
I dream of a future where there is an open network of theatrists exchanging ideas, debating and supporting each other throughout the Greater Vancouver area, and doing it through the rather convenient medium of the internet. A sort of focusing of the existing theatre portion of the blogosphere, if you will, creating a virtual town hall that generates buzz and challenges us to be bigger and better.
So whenever a new local theatre blog is fired across our bow, it is with this dream in mind that we draw your attention to it. Or to them, as the case may be…
The proudly Vancouver-based PuSh festival has entered the blog world with PuShing it, and it’s already proving to be a great read. Today’s entry on festival staffer Jenn Upham reveals her great taste in books, TV, music and *ahem*, web sites.
And then I tripped over this blog and immediately resented it for having the name that I wish I’d given this blog. It’s mysteriously anonymous, but a little internet sleuthing (turns out his name is right there in the URL, I shoulda been a private dick) unveiled the author as one Amiel Gladstone, a local playwright and director out of Victoria who helmed Dollhouse 2000, Theatre Skam’s delightful meta-theatre entry in the recent Vancouver indie funhouse Hive 2, which I was lucky enough to catch at the Mag North Festival. Great stuff. (Amiel, email me if you’re down to be interviewed for This One Goes to Eleven. We’d love to have you on the show.)
And finally, we’re…um, we’re, ah…well we’re…it seems we’re um…well, twittering. Yes, that’s right, twittering. I know, I know, I don’t really get what the business sense in it is either, but people whom I admire and trust and who have much larger readerships than me say it’s the next stage in marketing and connectivity, so I figure we should at least take it out for a spin. The beauty of it is that it doesn’t suck up huge chunks of my time, as a certain other social network site that shall remain faceless is wont to do. Anyway, that’s what all that business at the bottom of the sidebar is about. So far it’s been mighty handy in my quest for a new espresso machine. My last one failed.
Simon Ogden 
I dunno about Twitter being the next thing in marketing. It’s the next thing in personal branding, THAT’s for sure.
Oh, that’s interesting. As it relates to your blog, you mean?
Well, no. It’s no great shakes for blog hits; I get maybe four a day from Twitter. It’s more about if you, yourself are the product, it’s a great way to advertise your fabulousness. It builds brand awareness, because people have seen you or seen replies to you or seen references to you.
And for espresso machines, get a Cimbali if you can afford it. Otherwise, just get a stovetop machine; all steam-powered machines (rather than pump) make more or less equivalent coffee, and the stovetop ones last longer and are cheaper.
Seven years of Starbucks experience speaking there. I know what I’m talking about. Actually, if you can find a reconditioned pump machine at Starbucks, buy it. Theirs are pretty good, and the reconditioned ones are a steal. I got a $700 machine for $150 and the only thing wrong with it was the dimwit who bought it first couldn’t figure out how it worked.
“…you, yourself are the product”
That is tremendous food for thought, thank you.
And thanks for the advice on the java problem, that’s becoming an increasing priority…
Congrats on entering the twittersphere! There are an increasing number of arts and culture-related folks on Twitter, so I think it’s a good move. see you there!
I’ve been holding out on Twitter, mostly because I haven’t wanted to spend hours tracking down people again like I did for fb and MySpace for a return I’m doubtful of because it just consists of statuses, right? I’d be happy for someone to enlighten me on its usefulness before I implement something else that also takes up my time.
Thanks jcovert, good to be here! And that’s what I’m hoping (increasing numbers wise), I know there’s a lot of it going on in the States already.
Hey MK, that’s exactly where I’ve been lately too, I think curiosity has gotten the better of me and so I’m just going to find out for myself. It could take years to wait to see how it affects the theatre industry, considering the dearth of bloggers out there in our neck of the woods.
I’ll check in with you on my progress!
If you are set on a budget espresso machine, go see Ming Wo in Chinatown. I’ve had mine for a couple of years, and when I bought it they let me go upstairs to the stock room so I could have a cup made by the same machine, which they both sell and use.
Can’t remember what kind it is, but it makes good espresso with some crema and everything; it’s cheaper than a Cimbali by about $200. Plus, the Ming Wo gals are very, very nice.
Thanks Emma, great heads up. I’d forgotten there even was a Ming Wo in Chinatown, how dumb is that?