Talkin With Blair Young on Becoming a Unionized Actor

In this episode of "Talent Talk", we sit down with ACTRA Alberta President and actor Blair Young. He shares his journey from being a theatre and film actor to becoming the ACTRA Alberta president and shares what it takes to become a unionized actor.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
That's a pretty evil dude. Yeah, that's not a nice guy, but
I mean it was. It's sucha rich thing to play someone who is
generally accepted as being, you know, because the evil guy doesn't believe that
they're evil, doesn't think they're doingwrong, and so to try and come
at that from a completely different side, like the you know, he was
listed as professor, but honestly,I think they should have named a creepy
professor and to be able to sortof just come at things from a completely

(00:23):
different angle than what you would That'sthat's where the real acting is. That's
where the real fun is. TalentTalk is sponsored by Company of Rogues Actors
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With our part time classes and fulltime masterclass program, Rogues provides a unique
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(00:45):
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(01:25):
everybody, I'm Gary McClain and you'rewatching Talent Talk. Thanks for tuning in.
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(01:49):
finally, we have sponsors this year, which I'm super excited about, very
happy with that. We have sixDegree Sound in Music, who's booth we
are currently in, so thanks tothose guys for helping out. And then
we have Workflow Film, who's I'mlooking at them right now, so thank
you to Workflow Film for doing thecamera work here. Today we have heard

(02:10):
of one media. We have CountingCoup Indigenous Film Academy. We have r
J Talent, a local agency here. We have Company of Rogues which is
a Calgary local acting studio, sogreat to school so check them out online.
And finally we have Actra Alberta.And on that note of Actra Belberta

(02:34):
being a sponsor, we have aguest from Actra. So today we have
the Alberta Present. Yeah, yes, actual Alberta Present. Started just taking
a drink from my lovely Talent Talkmug. They're available online for forty nine
Yes, do that because it's verylimited right now, so let's get those
on order. So, yes,we have Blair Young today. So explayer

(03:00):
for joining us today, for havingme Gary. I mean where you talked
about this. We were in ameeting somewhere and you were talking about the
show, and you were talking aboutthe people are having on I'm like,
when the hell are you going toinvite me to get on this show?
So this is great, exactly right. I'm a little behind schedule. It
seems to be my daily thing,just be behind schedule. So but here
we are. Yeah, we're heretoday, excited, So I do want

(03:21):
to talk. Let's let's get rightto the brass of things. You have
been an actor for how long?Yeah? Well, I graduated from Queen's
University back in the eighties with awith a drama degree. He went back
home to Toronto and started acting rightaway. But I took a whole decade
gap after I just after I gotmarried, where I just kind of like
you know, I'm not really mate. I have to I have to be
a contributing member of this family andprovide for my family. So I went

(03:45):
actually back to school and taught fora few years that I was working in
media for almost a decade, andmy wife's job brought us to Calgary back
in two thousand and five, andso for the first year I worked at
CITYTV, I was a camera maneditor that's and then there was a whole
convergence of and sale of the ofthe property of Chum Properties, and so

(04:09):
I wasn't there anymore. And thenI worked for three and a half years
at six sixty News six sixty NewsTime ten forty four. That's what I
did for, you know, threeand a half years, which was a
very fun job. But it turnsout that there's actually a cycle to news,
and it actually became amazingly repetitive,like you'd think, oh, it's
different every day, yes and no. And then eventually I got out of

(04:30):
that and I was in my lateforties, going what the hell am I
going to do now? And Iwas like, you know, I guess
got to go back to what towhat I love, And so I went
back to acting and literally within thefirst week, I booked a Christmas show
out at Stage S and I waslike, Okay, this feels like the
universe is telling me that this isthe right choice. Nice. Yeah.
Well, and then so that thatnews experience, if you will, Kim

(04:53):
in Handy, because I've noticed youactually played a few of those types of
roles. I did. Yeah,I played in News. I've had the
longest, the longest chunk of dialoguemonologue I've ever had to learn was for
Fortunate Son, where I played theCBC anchor, and I was just he's
just supposed to be sort of talkingin the background, and then he pipes
up when he's and that's when RobertKennedy's is shot. That's what he's the

(05:15):
He's the CBC version of that onthe day, and I remember is that
and I remember I didn't. Ihad like one line and there, and
they put me as principle and I'mlike, that's strange why they'd give me
one line, but maybe a principle. And then night before, like at
seven o'clock at night, I getthis two page monologue. Could you please
have this ready for tomorrow? AndI'm like, oh, there's going to
be a teleprompter, right, becausethat's what real news guys have as at

(05:38):
TAD No, there's not gonna bea teleprompter and so um, I didn't
get any sleep that night, butand I managed to spit it all out
once or twice. But yeah,no, I love playing the news roles
because I mean, you know all, I mean, we all grew up
with various you know, we're allfrom different regions. I grew up mostly
in Toronto and so but we allhave those memories of watching news with their
parents and those news guys were likeimportant because they you know, they told

(06:00):
us what was going on. Soto you know, to get the chance
to play. And plus my unclewas a news guy for CBC in uh
um Quebec for a while. Soit's kind of fun to do something like
that. Yeah, I love,I love. I love the chance to
use my voice, right, Andso do you do actually a lot of
voice work as well. I do. I've been in this studio more than
once recording uh vos um. Ithink the most fun one is the Last

(06:26):
East, the Last Easter. Itwas the seventieth anniversary of the Lindoor Chocolate
Bunny and so there's that that samecommercial we've seen every every Easter of like
the you know, the chocolate tierpouring chocolate into the molds. It's the
same commercial every year. But theydecided for this one year they were going
to add a little something, sothey needed a new voice just for the
one year. So for for forfor one year, I was the voice

(06:47):
of the Swiss Chocolate Tier. AndI had to you know, I put
a little bit of an accent onit. But yeah, I know.
I've done ads for as for Lindoor. I did a huge one for Subway
the play during during COVID, andI had people who just randomly texts me
suddenly have the have the urge toorder Subway. And there was one I
did a tagline. I think Iliterally said freedom is something like it was

(07:11):
like three words. And the thing, the damn thing just keeps pulling,
you know, keeps paying out likea like a slot machine. The voice
world is a really weird thing becauseit's really tough to break in right and
then but if, if, ifyou can do it, there's the chance
to you know, to get somepretty lucrative deals. I love I love
the voice work because it's just likeit's just the chance to like, you

(07:31):
have one thing. It's not acostume, and it's not a set,
and it's not your eyes and it'snot your face. You have one thing
to get across. What you knowthe ad agency wants you to get across.
So I've I love doing voice work. I always have yes, And
I understand what you're saying about difficultto break in. I'm still looking to

(07:51):
break in. So if anybody's looking, and if you're listening and he liked
my voice, I mean, obviouslythat's key. I'm here. Um,
well, that's that's amazing. Umwhen it comes like, how long have
you actually been in Calgary? Iguess because you so back. Yeah,
this summer, it'll be eighteen years, which I just can't like. We
came as it, um Leanne,my wife works for Imperial Oil and they

(08:16):
had their head office in Toronto.They decided to move to Calgary and at
the time we just had her secondchild, she was lesson two, and
we're like, oh, this soundslike a good adventure. They said,
if you stay for two years,you can come back Toronto and it's all
even. You just have to stayfor two years. And then because they
gave us all sorts of benefits forcoming out here, and and we'll,
yeah, let's go for two years, go back to Toronto, will be
great. But you know, thekids get their hooks in a community when

(08:39):
they're young, and we're like,huh, this place is sunny? Is
it really that gray in Toronto?Do we both grow up in Toronto not
realizing what a gray and it actuallyis a fairly gray city. I think
it's more about the fact that thisis just a you know, just a
remarkably sunny place, right. Butand so you know, suddenly two years
has turned into eighteen. We stillhave three or four boxes in the basement

(09:01):
that have yet to be on backedfrom that two thousand and five move.
But it looks like we're here forthe long haul. I know the feeling.
We actually moved to Ontario. Wewere only there for about two and
a half years, but yeah,a little town called Norwich, the south
of Woodstock. Basically yeah, anddecided it wasn't for us, but it
was a good experience to at leastmake that trip. Can't be young enough

(09:22):
where we could actually do that,But yeah, we missed it. What
we actually missed the most was themountains. Yeah, well, and it's
funny you said that, because bothmy girls have I kind of said,
get out of here and go awayto school and become your own people.
So my oldest graduated from from Queensand my youngest is now going to UNB
in Fredericton. So the oldest wentto Queens, which is where I went,

(09:45):
which was as kind of a remarkablyemotional moment when she hadn't even talked
about that school and suddenly said,you know, Dan, I applied to
Queens and if I get in athing, I'm gonna go. And I
was like, oh my god,that's so amazing. I had no idea
would impact me. But I wasreally proud that she went to the same
school, and but just as proudof the other one who's in this beauty
and like, Fredericton's a beautiful townand that campus is like two hundred years

(10:05):
old and it's gorgeous. So she'shaving a great time out out in UNB.
And drama related, no, neitherof them, I mean they've both.
The older one took some drama classes, but no, um. The
older one graduated with a with abiology degree and she's trying to get into
med school. And the other one'sdoing a psychology slash criminology degree, so

(10:26):
very cool. Yeah, yeah,um, like, do they have an
interest or are you like that?Oh yeah, in the family. You
know, they've been if if ifyou look really hard, you will see
them in some of the productions thathave been shot here. They played David
Tremble's daughters in Forsaken, for example, and they were recently, even just
this past a little while, theywere both in the in the rave scenes
that in the high School series,and they've been on you know, they

(10:50):
were on far Ago, and they'vedone heart Land and so yeah, no,
they've always participated in those things,but they didn't find the same pull
to it that I that I have. Okay, And I kind of want
to jump to under the banner ofheaven because for me anyway, and I
think you had mentioned some other folkshad mentioned things to you as well that

(11:11):
was an interesting character and I thinkdefinitely out of character for you, well
was it, let's hope. Soyou know what. I It's funny because
the last two or three roles thatI've gotten, both in theater and film,
have been that sort of not quitea bad guy, but just you
know, not a nice guy,and that is the most fun. In

(11:33):
fact, you know, the firstone I did um Bright Star out at
Rosebud, which is the sort ofslightly bluegrass musical written by Stevie Martin and
Eadie Burkell, Beautiful, beautiful show, And it's based on a story back
in the long time ago where therewas this child found basically sitting in a
suitcase alongside a train track, andnobody knew knew where I came from,

(11:54):
and people trying to figure out whothis baby was and where they came from,
and that inspired Eadie Brikell to rightthis story, and my character,
at one point, to try andprotect a family name, throws a baby
that's in a suitcase off a train. That's a pretty evil dude. Yes
that's not a nice guy, butI mean it was. So it's such
a rich thing to play someone whois generally accepted as being, you know,

(12:16):
because the evil guy doesn't believe thatthey're evil, doesn't think they're doing
wrong, and so to try andcome at that from a completely different side,
like the you know, he waslisted as professor, but honestly,
I think they should have named acreepy professor and to be able to sort
of just come at things from acompletely different angle than what you would That's
that's that's where the real acting is. That's where the real fun is.
I mean, yeah, of courseit's nice to play good guys just because

(12:39):
people like good guys. But um, I certainly I get response. You
know, I show up on septto do, you know, to do
some standing workers, to do anotherrole, and people would like, oh,
man, I saw you on underthe banner. I just want to
say, and I'm peaking us fromlike different departments like hair and makeup and
grips, and then other actors youknow who I haven't seen in a while.
So it's and you know, towork with someone who was right then,

(13:00):
so current and so um you know, busy and hot and so of
the moment. Yes, she wasa lovely, lovely lady. And it
was just it was really odd becausewe shot that thing like thirty times.
It was it was all handheld,so we basically did you know, the
whole thing over and over and overagain, and it was it was it
was a lot of fun to workon, for sure. Well it was
again creepy, it was, yeah, he was creepy. He was a

(13:22):
bit of a misogynist and two timeor five time or whatever. Yeah,
but I loved her reaction to itas well, Like I thought she played
that brilliantly just to shut you rightdown. Yeah, put me right in
my back foot probably and probably inthat character the first time that that's ever
happened, sort of. I thinkI think we sort of came back conclusion
that you know that is that didnever no one else had ever reacted that

(13:45):
way, and it's Kennedy. Thatwas strange. So yeah, there was
all sorts of fun things to playthere. Yeah, absolutely, so.
Um, first off, I'm justgonna say, if you haven't seen Under
the Banners of Heaven, it's currentlyon Disney, check it out. Fun
tons of local talents on that showingfun series. But I don't know if
it's a fun SI. Yeah,it's an interesting show for sure, so

(14:07):
definitely check it out. So becauseit was such a little bit of a
different character in terms of creepiness andstuff like that, where did you actually
have to go or how did youget there to actually portray that character?
I mean, everybody acts in adifferent way. I don't do a lot
of this is gonna make it soundlike I was typecasting that I am that
guy. I don't do a lotof I mean, I guess I try

(14:28):
to find, like you always tryto find though, what is the you
know, as I said, theevil guy doesn't think he's evil, So
you have to find where they're comingfrom. So in that baby Train was
like, I gotta protect my family'sname. My son is being you know,
there's an illegitimate child. This isthe safest and most sure way that
he doesn't lose the family. Andso for that one, he's just you
know, I don't want to maligna you know, particular religion, but

(14:52):
you know, the community worked insuch a way that that was normal for
him, you know, the wayhe acted. And it was at a
time, just in the early eightieswhen women were just kind of starting to
become anchors. Um, I'm givingaway the whole scene almost now. But
so I think I just I thinkI just used the words and I use
the person. I mean, there'sa lot of people that go for you

(15:13):
know, method acting, and Ithink I guess ultimately I'm more of the
John Gilgod's school, John Gilgood know, who's the guy that was opposite Dustin
Hoffman, A marathon man. Hebecause there's that famous line where Dustin's characters
has been literally awake for like thirtytwo hours, and uh, sir,
oh my gosh, thank you,good lord. Fifty seven is awful.

(15:37):
By the way, now I'm noteven fifty seven yet, I'm almost there.
But um, and so you know, he looks like crap. And
so I guess you know the famousquotas Eddie says, my dear boy,
will you look like trash? Whathappened? Well, I know's character is
supposed to be wake for three twohours, so I didn't. I didn't.
I didn't go to see for thirtytwo hours, to which he allegedly
replied, why don't you just actdear boy? Something like that? So

(15:58):
I guess I'm more of that schoolultimately that um, I use the words,
use who's opposite me, and makethat and help that build fun enough.
When I remember doing the callback,which was a zoom callback, first
I've ever done that before, andthe director David McKenzie was always like,
I know that. You know it'seasy to make everything very obvious about who

(16:19):
he is and what he is,but let's try and make it subtler.
And so I did another time,It's like, that's good, Let's make
it subtler. That was good,Let's make it subtler. So he wanted
it to be barely bubbling at thesurface, and so I thought that was
that was though. Those were greatnotes because I think it really helped a
to make sure that Daisy's character,who's really that's what this who's the story

(16:40):
is about? Make sure that thatcomes out more than it's not about me,
which is why that character doesn't havea name, like it's just professor.
I think that was part of justthe whole thing that we're telling her
story, we're not telling his story. And I think that, and you
know, he kept grounding, andevery once in a while he did come
up to me. One time Isaid, I like that take. That
was creepy. I was creeped out. So I think I think we're right
where we should be. So soI'm wondering, because again, you've been

(17:00):
acting for so long, how didthis all transition to your role with an
actra So yeah, I've just alwayskind of run for stuff. And so
I remember Tina was talking tin Alfredis a branch rep. I'm sure most
people out there know who she is. But I remember I was only recently
had maybe I had two credits,and I was calling the office and asking
questions about the IPA and about whatwas appropriate. And this was happening to

(17:25):
me on set and I don't thinkthat that's supposed to be right. And
she was like, huh, thisis a guy who obviously likes to ask
questions. So I think on likethe phone third phone call, she's like,
hey, do you want to beon counsel? Like, oh,
is there a counsel? That soundslike fun? And yeah, that was
a long time ago. Now,I think it's nine years ago roughly,
and duve Lange was the president atthe time, and he'd just been president
for ten years and after my firstterm just being a quote unquote a member

(17:48):
at large is what it's called.He was like, hey, do you
want to have you thought about beingpresident? And I'm like, it seems
like a big step, But inthe end I took it on and it's
become a big part of my lifefor sure. I mean, now we've
changed the structure bit for actual burtis, so now the president is also the
national counselor. So I go toToronto for meetings I've been involved on the
IPA negotiation, so that's the IndependentProduction Agreement that that that garner that governs

(18:14):
how we're treated on set, howmuch we're paid, all those things.
I've been in the committee for thelast three iterations of that. I'm participated
in the actual negotiations, and I'mon committees. And it's just I think
it's important to to ab to beinformed about what you do as much as
you can be, and then tooto try and not necessarily give back.

(18:36):
That sounds so trite and so patbut just to I think give forward,
I guess is more of the thing. And so you know, at some
point someone's going to take the presidencyfrom me, from my cold dead hands,
but you know, and so I'malready I know, I already see
from the current council people that Ithink would make great leaders. And so
yeah, it's just been, asI said, it's just been a part

(18:56):
of what I do. It's notit's not like we make a ton of
money at small per dms and honorarea for the days you know that we
go and attend meetings. It's justbecause I like to be part of the
process, and I think it's importantto be part of the process now for
actors, and I know I wasone of them as well when I first
started doing the acting. Thing likethat seems to be the goal for a

(19:17):
lot of fresh actress It's like,I need to become union. Yeah.
Yeah, So from your perspective,what would somebody what would be the path
for someone trying to get there?It's just, you know, it's you
know, people say, how canI join the union? And of course
you can't just join the union.You sort of asked to join. I
mean, there's there's the three levels, right, There's the there's the background

(19:37):
performer, and all I have todo is have worked fifteen days in a
year and you just bring your vouchersand you become a background member. And
then there's the apprentice member in thefull member. And to become an apprentice
member, you have to do anumbered role, doesn't have to have lines.
It can be silent role, oryou do a principal or even a
silent on camera roll and a commercial, or do a voice role. My
first thing was a voice role.My first thing was singing tenor in a

(20:02):
GMC financing commercial. It was recordedright here actually, and it was for
the States only, and it waslike it was a reworking of we wish
you Merry Christmas, but it waslike we wish you a happy financing,
Like the words were atrocious. Butit was my first It was my first
actor gig. And once you getone, then they invite you to be
in the Union as an apprentice,and then once you get three you become

(20:23):
a full member. The path issimply to show an interest. I think
you pretty much have to find anagent. I think that is the probably
the most important thing. And wedo have a page on the actual Alberta
website that is a good resource forthat. It shows a list of agents
who have signed onto a code ofconduct just so because they're especially like it's

(20:45):
where you're starting to see it onFacebook. There are those scam places that
are it seems like every day Iscroll past another one. Come and you
know, be on Disney shows,Come this weekend, And I try whenever
I can to write in there.Don't sign and anything, and do not
pay anything. You do not haveto pay to have an agent. You
only pay them when you get work, don't you know. Don't don't be

(21:07):
pressured. And it's tough, likeparents want to know. In part they're
living through their kids and they wantthe best for their kids, and so
they get pressured to give. Andthere's some just heartbreaking stories of the thousands
of dollars that parents have paid fortheir child for essentially worthless. Right,
So when in doubt, talk toother people you know, and don't feel

(21:30):
afraid to call the Actor office.All the ladies there are sympathetic, and
they know the ins and outs,and they know these companies. They know
who they are, and they knowwho the good ones and the bad ones
are. I shouldn't say good onesand bad ones. Ultimately that's a bit
of an a character assessment. Butas I say, there's a list of
agencies that are totally above board andthey've signed on and once you get on
there and it's becoming hard because we'regetting pretty busy and so like a lot

(21:52):
of these agencies are pretty full.I'm expecting, you know, two or
three new ones to pop up soon, and maybe they haven't. I just
I'm just not aware of them yet. UM, But start with the agents,
because that's how you get found byum by the casting directors, who
mostly is Rhonda Feseki. There's JackieLynd who often works here because she's from
here originally, and Sue Bristow andnow you see Jayson Terry and getting involved

(22:15):
in you know, there's there's lotsof lots of ways to get involved.
Um, but yeah, you justyou just have to get in there and
get those auditions and then start showingup and being you. And you know,
the hardest thing to come to cometo terms with as an actor is
that the only role you ultimately haveto play as yourself. And it's so

(22:37):
hard to accept that because we allassume that we're not we're not. Well,
no, they can't want me.The story's not about me. It's
about this other person. But theywant your version of that person. And
no one else can, you know, no one else can act the way
you act or be the way youare, and you just have to.
You just have to eventually sink intothat and live that through those words.
And if you do that, andyou do it, you know from from

(23:00):
from a place of honesty and truth. I think eventually that is what the
talent is, is it just beingable to apply who you are to that
character and people will see it andeventually you will get cast. So once
you are. Remember, I'm justand this is actually more of a personal
curiosity. The one thing I've alwaysstruggled with, in my opinion, is
the transferability of saying working in BCToronto. Yeah, Like, obviously a

(23:25):
lot of that's due to tax breaks, that kind of thing. Yeah,
but would you have any thoughts orrecommendations for somebody who is looking to expand
outside our Alberta borders? For sure? I mean it makes sense to go
elsewhere, for sure and try thatand and become known there. It's really
tough to find agents in those citiesI found. I tried that, tried
finding one in Vancouver. I hadone briefly, it didn't It didn't really

(23:48):
change things in terms of me gettingauditions in Vancouver. So I think it's
all about where you are in lifetoo. Like, I mean, you
know, when when I had mytwo kids growing up, I wasn't going
to suddenly uproot my self and goto Vancouver while my wife stays here with
the kids. I was, youknow, and I'd already lived in Toronto,
and I didn't really want to goback after experiencing all the beautiful sunniness

(24:10):
of Calgary. But yeah, certainlythere's lots of stories of Calgarians who have
gone abroad and abroad I mean Toronto, Vancouver and done a role or two
and come back and suddenly And it'sfunny how even just when they go there,
they'll they'll get the phone call,hey, can you come back and
do this role? Even though Iknow you just moved to Toronto. But

(24:30):
now so there is and you knowI can't. It's hard to fight.
But there is this notion from producersthat Calgary equals not great performers, not
a deep talent pool, and soif you're young and you're really hungry,
then that might be an option foryou. Obviously, we are exploding right
now, a little blip in thehorizon what with the writers strike and the

(24:55):
potential other strikes that might follow,but thanks to the last of us,
we are firmly on. I mean, we just want a big award at
the can Festival for like best FilmDestination or something, and then all the
all the sort of ranch properties togetherkind of one best location for this year.
Um, so the world knows we'rehere and they're going to keep coming,

(25:18):
and it's just a question of howdo we convert that into making them
realize that not only are is theis the is the nature beautiful? And
not only are the crews talented,but the the acting talent is just as
vibrant, just as broad. Andwe can not only can Alberta represent everything

(25:40):
from small town to big city,to the to the mountains, but the
actors can represent all those things too, and all the different people in the
world. And so we need toIt's going to be it's gonna be tough
to convince them, for sure.But you know, twelve fifteen years ago
Atlanta was us they had three hundredmillion dollars in filming and now the seven
billion. So and are we goingto go there that far that fast?

(26:03):
Probably not. But I see nothingbut positives for the Calgary film scene.
And we see Calgarians coming back,the chad Rooks of the world coming back
and making this their home. Wesee crew people that were in Vancouver or
even Winnipeg, in Toronto and they'recoming back because they see and they hear
that Calgary is pretty piping hot rightnow. So it's a it's a pretty
good place to be. So,yes, you can travel those other things

(26:26):
for sure, nothing wrong with that. And it's it's a great experience to
you, it's it's sort of youknow, it's just a different feel everywhere.
And it's funny how people when whenthey're on set from Toronto Vancouver and
they're just like, it's just so, it's such a different feel here.
It's nice. It's such a communitygroup feeling. Some of them feel like
sometimes, you know, somebody wouldwould stab them in the back in a

(26:47):
heartbeat to get that role, andthey feel that this doesn't feel like that
here, that it's everybody's happy foreverybody else's success and hopefully our success won't
change that. Maybe, you know, I guess it's possible that we could
turn into that, but definitely not, yeah, hopefully not. I mean,
this is uh, it's a greatit's a great community here a film
and TV and I I love beinga part of it. Every day on

(27:10):
set is better than any other day, you know, at an office desk.
No offense to those people who haveoffice desk jobs, that is my
day job. But for me beingon set, it's just it's it's I
think I've said it before, it'slike going to camp. It's like going
to day camp. You know,everybody knows everybody and there's and there's a
little hut that gives you snack foodsand you know it's I love set.

(27:32):
That's just the best place in theworld. No, and I completely agree,
and I also agree, and that'skind of why we do the show.
Yeah, there's so much talent herein Alberto and it's a great community,
so we like to share that knowledge. Um, and that people make
people who wear So on that note, I think we're going to kind of
wrap things up here because we arenear the end of the show. But
one last question, what's next onthe horizon acting wise for Blair Young?

(27:55):
So Um, I'm currently as Iset. I'm standing in right now on
Billy the Kid. That's going tocome busy for most of the summer,
and then the big thing I'm lookingforward to is at the fall. The
Christmas show at Rosebud Theater is aplay called All Is Calm. I think
it's subtitled The nineteen seventeen Soldier Storiessomething like that, But basically it's a
musical. There's like eight or tenguys, all harmony, no instruments,

(28:17):
beautiful arrangements of Christmas carols and interspersedwith you remember in the nineteen in the
first World War nineteen seventeen, Iguess it was. There's that story of
the British and German soldiers who cameout of their fox holes and on Christmas
they had a sort of unofficial ceasefireand they exchanged pictures and presents and chocolate
and talked about families and played socceras in that Pipes of Piece video from

(28:41):
Paul McCartney back in the eighties,and so all the all of the text
is from actual letters of soldiers ofthe day explaining what happened on that amazing
day, both from the German soldiersand from the English soldiers. So it's
a really cool, very intimate littlestory, little Chris story. And it
was supposed to happen back in twentytwenty and got canceled because of COVID,

(29:03):
So I was really hoping that Iget the chance to be part of it,
and sure enough, it is partof the season this year at Rosebuds,
so I urge everybody. I thinkwe opened like November third ish and
we'll be playing right through until Christmastime. So if you're looking for a
different Christmas experience, it can bea bit treacherous in the roads, but
I've never had an issue getting thereor back. But Rosebud's a beautiful place.
It's allowed me to do some really, really fun and great theater work,

(29:29):
and it's a little known gem.I think I think people have sort
of heard of it. But ifyou ever get the chance, head out
there and check out what they're doing, and hopefully you'll come and see me
in all is calm and I willbe more than welcome, more than excited
to talk to you about it afterthe show. Perfect, awesome. Well,
thank you Claire so much for comingon the show and chatting me.
Appreciate it. And for the folksout there watching listening, thanks for joining

(29:52):
in watching the show. Definitely appreciateit. Just a reminder, please do
subscribe on that YouTube channel. Youcan help us out shure let people know
about it. Thank you, havea great weekend and we'll see you next
week. Thanks Gary, Thanks everybody,