Hello Halifax! Welcome to The Present Presence! I’m Meghan Hubley, Haligonian theatre-maker. I don’t know really know how to tell you who I am so here’s a bio I wrote last week for a theatre festival:

MEGHAN HUBLEY is a poet, playwright and arts writer from Halifax, and a founding member of Once Upon a Theatre Collective  (writer: Honey&Jupiter, collaborator/performer: 11:11, Waltz of the Fae, Some Sunny Day [Fringe Hit 2012]). She also performs and goofs around as one-half of the award winning Tomato & Tomato. Meghan has worked for The Theatre Department, CanStage, Nightswimming, Factory Theatre’s Lab Cab, LITF, Sarasvati, Forerunner Playwright’s Theatre and spent two seasons at Theatre Passe Muraille with The National Theatre of the World’s Impromptu Splendor. Meghan is a graduate of Neptune Theatre’s PPTP, and will someday finish her BA. She currently has a bean-bun in the oven.

Hopefully that makes you trust in me to be the voice of this brand spankin’ new theatre blog. One time I worked on a show backstage/in rehearsals and The National Post didn’t understand my title in the program, so Cushman just said “I’m sure she’s very good,” if that helps.

SO. The Present Presence. What’s this going to be?! Well, it’s going to be many things. Here are some ideas…

What is this blog:

• The Present Presence observes trends within our theatre community. It is a think tank. A dialogue starter. A call to arms. What is working for our theatre scene? What do we as Nova Scotian theatre artists need? For audience members, it is a place to find out who’s doing what — interviews with local artists promoting independent theatre in our city. But beyond that, The Present Presence will reflect on how the shows we produce speak to our community in the current moment.

• And also, probably ramblings and musings from me within productions I am working on. Maybe when I can’t focus on writing a new draft of a play, I’ll write a blog instead. Feel free to comment and tell me to get back to work.

What could this blog be:
It could be a place for guest-bloggers to interview fellow theatre makers. It could offer sneak-peeks of works in progress (mine or others)! It could be opened up as a safe space to the brave but private ‘Anonymous,’ if they feel the need to say something to our community, or to our audience members, or if anonymous has some words to share with me, Queen of the Blog.

What this blog is not:

• Reviews of shows. As someone who wishes to remain an artistic member of the community, I have little desire to offer criticism of specific productions or performances. Nor do I really have the credentials. I’m more interested in what our productions add to the community and history of independent Nova Scotian theatre.
• But who knows I may change my mind.

SO! That’s that! I’ll be seeing Neptune Theatre’s Into The Woods on Wednesday, my very favorite musical. I’m sure I’ll be sparked up to sit down and share my experience with you!