Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Nightmares
I spoke too soon. I awoke several times between 3:00 and 5:00 this morning, thinking I had missed a light cue.
"Burning Man," the fire which has recently consumed my life.
It's been a while. Sorry. I think it goes without saying that a lot has happened since my last post, over two weeks ago. Oops. If it makes you feel better, my loyal five followers, I've been neglecting facebook just as much as I have this blog. Let's not even get into email.
Where do I begin? We experienced our first four-show weekend and survived, barely. This weekend included a Friday 7:30 performance of Snoopy!!!, a Saturday matinee of Grand Prize, a 7:30 Home is Where Your Clothes Are on the same day, and a Sunday matinee of Snoopy!!!. Gah. This weekend also included a visit from my parents AND my roommates, which was awesome. Getting to unwind with Sonic and some serious girl-talk was an uncommon luxury. We, the company, also experienced and enjoyed the world's most receptive audience - Home ran somewhere around forty minutes longer than usual because we were holding for so many laughs. Yay!
Well before that intense weekend, we began rehearsals for Burning Man, the show for which I am the Script Supervisor. My responsibilities include running rehearsals (woodshedding, combo-ing, the lot), calling light and sound cues, collecting actors, overseeing line bashes, and more. Basically, I'm a glorified stage manager. I've never done any stage managing before. so this new task has proved a little daunting. The work itself seemed simple enough, but after a couple of days of rehearsals I began having nightmares, waking up around 5:00 am thinking I had missed a call for line. This continued for a quite a few nights, but I'm happy to say that I've now been nightmare-free for over 48 hours. Today was our first (and last) full dress rehearsal for Burning Man. I'm still relishing the fact that I get a headset backstage to call light cues. Having a headset, I feel, is about the only thing that really makes a stage manager legit. So, I'm legit. And it feels good. Somehow this headset has the power to make me feel that the hours sitting in a hard, wooden chair while listening to the same scene six consecutive times, only to continue to the next scene six more, the running up and down stairs to collect actors from the shop, the hours of lost sleep due to rehearsal nightmares, and the meals I've tried to eat between feeding lines to actors at a break-time line bash, were all worth it. And you know what? Maybe they actually were...
Where do I begin? We experienced our first four-show weekend and survived, barely. This weekend included a Friday 7:30 performance of Snoopy!!!, a Saturday matinee of Grand Prize, a 7:30 Home is Where Your Clothes Are on the same day, and a Sunday matinee of Snoopy!!!. Gah. This weekend also included a visit from my parents AND my roommates, which was awesome. Getting to unwind with Sonic and some serious girl-talk was an uncommon luxury. We, the company, also experienced and enjoyed the world's most receptive audience - Home ran somewhere around forty minutes longer than usual because we were holding for so many laughs. Yay!
Well before that intense weekend, we began rehearsals for Burning Man, the show for which I am the Script Supervisor. My responsibilities include running rehearsals (woodshedding, combo-ing, the lot), calling light and sound cues, collecting actors, overseeing line bashes, and more. Basically, I'm a glorified stage manager. I've never done any stage managing before. so this new task has proved a little daunting. The work itself seemed simple enough, but after a couple of days of rehearsals I began having nightmares, waking up around 5:00 am thinking I had missed a call for line. This continued for a quite a few nights, but I'm happy to say that I've now been nightmare-free for over 48 hours. Today was our first (and last) full dress rehearsal for Burning Man. I'm still relishing the fact that I get a headset backstage to call light cues. Having a headset, I feel, is about the only thing that really makes a stage manager legit. So, I'm legit. And it feels good. Somehow this headset has the power to make me feel that the hours sitting in a hard, wooden chair while listening to the same scene six consecutive times, only to continue to the next scene six more, the running up and down stairs to collect actors from the shop, the hours of lost sleep due to rehearsal nightmares, and the meals I've tried to eat between feeding lines to actors at a break-time line bash, were all worth it. And you know what? Maybe they actually were...
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Things to Know if You Visit Brownville, in no particular order
1. Tickets do sell pretty well, so call ahead for reservations. The number is at the bottom of the website.
2. We don't take credit or debit payment. Check or cash only.
3. Get here on time, but don't expect the show to start at the designated curtain time. Doc (the boss) does a curtain talk that usually lasts a while.
4. Leave some time to explore the bookstores in town. The Antiquarium is my favorite.
5. If you're coming through Rockport, leave some extra time. The bridge over the Missouri River is under construction so you'll probably have to wait at a stoplight there for about 5 minutes.
6. Wear bug spray if you're coming to a nighttime performance. There will be a reception outside after the show and the bugs are horrible here.
7. If you want to come say hi to the actors before the show, we'll be busy, but you're welcome to come in the basement box office door and hang out.
8. If you're a brokecollegestudentfriendofmine and want to stay in the house I live in, give me a heads up because I need to ask the boss first.
I hope to see some friends out here this summer :) "Snoopy!!!" opens this Saturday!
2. We don't take credit or debit payment. Check or cash only.
3. Get here on time, but don't expect the show to start at the designated curtain time. Doc (the boss) does a curtain talk that usually lasts a while.
4. Leave some time to explore the bookstores in town. The Antiquarium is my favorite.
5. If you're coming through Rockport, leave some extra time. The bridge over the Missouri River is under construction so you'll probably have to wait at a stoplight there for about 5 minutes.
6. Wear bug spray if you're coming to a nighttime performance. There will be a reception outside after the show and the bugs are horrible here.
7. If you want to come say hi to the actors before the show, we'll be busy, but you're welcome to come in the basement box office door and hang out.
8. If you're a brokecollegestudentfriendofmine and want to stay in the house I live in, give me a heads up because I need to ask the boss first.
I hope to see some friends out here this summer :) "Snoopy!!!" opens this Saturday!
Post-Opening Weekend
We opened our first two shows, "Home is Where Your Clothes Are," and "Grand Prize" last weekend. Tomorrow the plan is to finish blocking Act I of "Snoopy!!!"
We've had a little time to familiarize ourselves with the local attractions here in Brownville. My new favorite place is a huge used bookstore called The Antiquarium. After a couple of breaks spent there, I have a pile of books that will probably take me years to read but I'm still looking forward to going back and searching for more.
I'm exhausted and my contacts are dry, so I'll end this for tonight with my favorite compliment from opening weekend. It came from an eight-year-old girl and pertains to the show in which I play a hooker. After watching the show, the girl told her aunt, "I liked the lady with the whip."
We've had a little time to familiarize ourselves with the local attractions here in Brownville. My new favorite place is a huge used bookstore called The Antiquarium. After a couple of breaks spent there, I have a pile of books that will probably take me years to read but I'm still looking forward to going back and searching for more.
I'm exhausted and my contacts are dry, so I'll end this for tonight with my favorite compliment from opening weekend. It came from an eight-year-old girl and pertains to the show in which I play a hooker. After watching the show, the girl told her aunt, "I liked the lady with the whip."
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Life Skills and Romance Novels
Over the course of the past week, I've either learned or re-learned the following skills:
Ironing
Using a sewing machine
Using a serger
Manufacturing a false moustache
Making alterations on a shirt
Hemming
...these are just a few. I'm going to know everything about theatre, ever, by the end of this summer.
I may have mentioned the flea market that took place here last weekend. It was like peopleofwalmart.com had engulfed the entire town. That being said, Jeff bought a shirt.
Also, the company has started a late-night routine of reading romance novels before bed. There's talk about turning one of them into a movie. Casting has already begun.
Ironing
Using a sewing machine
Using a serger
Manufacturing a false moustache
Making alterations on a shirt
Hemming
...these are just a few. I'm going to know everything about theatre, ever, by the end of this summer.
I may have mentioned the flea market that took place here last weekend. It was like peopleofwalmart.com had engulfed the entire town. That being said, Jeff bought a shirt.
Also, the company has started a late-night routine of reading romance novels before bed. There's talk about turning one of them into a movie. Casting has already begun.
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