Have Love; Will Travel

Trucking on through

2010-05-22T22:45:00.005-04:00

It's been a rough couple of weeks at work. Crises I've worked through within the past month:

- bent axle on the trailer.
- Shorting out the electrical system in both the van and trailer.
- Actors getting sick and needing to swing out.
- Actors injuring themselves DURING a show, having to hold, and eventually stop the show.
- realizing we forgot half of a show's laundry when the venue is 2 hours away from the theatre. zippers breaking during the show. various other wardrobe malfunctions...
- Horrible. Horrible. Horrible vice principals/teachers/staff members. Worst confrontation to date involved a VP saying "I am hearing a lot of 'need', but I need to hear more 'please' and 'thank you'" and my reminding her I was not one of her students...

That all being said, there have been good, even some great, days on tour. You know those days, where the show really resonates with the students, and we walk out of the building feeling like we at least made their day, if not created some future theatre goers or even artisans. Those are the days I like.

Outside of work, I've got this thought rolling around through the back of my mind about moving to New York. A couple friends planted it a couple weeks ago, and I haven't gotten rid of it yet. As of now, it wouldn't be a possibility until next autumn, but we'll see. This whole not knowing what i'm doing/where i'm living in 6 months is not as glamorous as one might think, and part of me wants a 'big girl' job with a steady paycheck and benefits such as health insurance...

Not to mention i've had some great times in NYC the past couple of times i've been there. Concerts, museums, and restaurants, oh my! Throw in a day trip to the jersey shore, celebrating my birthday, doing some job hunting, and i've been pretty busy lately...

Waiting in line for a free concert...

Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys (free concert nirvana)

The boardwalk at Asbury Park, NJ

Jersey enjoying life at the shore

Sunshine can make everything better

2010-03-16T22:06:00.003-04:00

After the deluge that lasted for what felt like a week, we finally got to see the sun day! An added bonus was that we had about 2hrs of down time in south jersey, so the cast of Midsummer and I spent it on the boardwalk in Ocean City. The group (including myself) was feeling pretty demoralized over the 6hrs of driving/day, 12 show week, and general unhappiness...it's amazing what an hour of relaxation and fun in the sun can do!

March Madness

2010-03-13T14:08:00.006-05:00

Nope, not for Basketball (but Boiler UP! too).

We have almost 50 shows scheduled for the month of March, including a day trip to Maryland, performing for an US Air Force Base, a couple three-show days, and an overnight trip to southern North Carolina. *whew*

We've started to get into a groove for touring, thank goodness, and we've gotten a lot of positive responses from our audiences, which makes all the difference in the world. I don't know if I can explain my reaction to looking over the audience at the end of a Romeo and Juliet performance and seeing that the cast made multiple high schoolers cry, but it's definitely good.

We've had good days like that, and bad days where i've had principals, teachers, parents blow up at me, or had to work around some major obstacles like a costume breaking 2 minutes before a show, but all in all the tour has been running rather smoothly (knock on wood!)...

That all being said, I take advantage of my days off. Last week we had gorgeous sunny weather, so I packed up and drove to Harklebarney State Park (ok, I might have partly gone just for the name...) that's about 40 minutes from Madison, and spent the morning hiking and playing with my camera.

Today's weather has not been nice to me, so i'll be hanging out with the lovely Anna this afternoon; hopefully seeing a movie and just relaxing.

Peace, love, and warm thoughts to all...

On the roads again

2010-02-28T15:23:00.006-05:00

I've been back in Madison, NJ since the beginning of the year, once again working for the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, acting as Tour Manager for their off-season educational touring company, Shakespeare LIVE! We tour two shows, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, in repertory, and will be touring through June 6th.

January was full of rehearsals, working though the hour long cuts of both shows and tech rehearsal beginning the first week in February. Since then, we've technically been on tour for almost three weeks, but we've actually only been out on the road 7 days for a total of 14 performances so far.

We've had some good performances, and some crappy performances. Performing in schools can leave us at the will and whim of schools' schedules, students' behavior, and teachers' tolerance, with a wide variety of outcomes. As an ensemble, the cast is still learning how to perform for people who are not trained theatre-goers, and how to handle talking, laughter, and other distractions from their audience. For me, I spend most of my days switching between crisis management (when one of the actors informs me we forget a major scenic element, or when the lights stop working on the trailer) and smoozing (distracting the teachers, principals, and PTA reps while the show is loaded in and out).

Outside of work, I've been exploring the city and hanging out with friends as much as possible. Highlights include: a chance encounter with Mick Jagger at the Whitney Art Museum; hanging out for an afternoon in MoMA with Anna and Megan, and Anna and I being remembered at Scotland Yard, the blues bar in Hoboken that we used to frequent last summer (being a local - like you're part of a community - is a great feeling!)

Just thinking

2010-01-01T18:45:00.003-05:00

I'll be starting back at STNJ next week, and as i'm running around getting things ready, I keep having similar conversations with strangers. You know the type, the conversation that involves a basic explanation of what I do for a living, and their response. Their responses always seem to be a combination of excitement, envy, and trepidation. I hear comments about how thilling and exciting my life must be, how much fun I must have, how cool, etc. I do agree with them. My life does not tend to get boring, and is commonly interesting.

However, as i'm getting ready to head back, part of me keeps getting distracted. Somewhere inside my makeup, there's a part of me that wants the 'boring and normal'. What's it like to go to a 9-5 job that feels like work? To not really LOVE what you do, but to somewhat enjoy it, and to feel some sense of job security and the effects of a livable wage. Part of me desperately wants to pick a city, for better or for worse, find a day job and apartment, and make a place my own.

Is is bad to think about getting married, mostly so that I could register for fun toys that I otherwise could not afford, and to have a place to call home?

In a Holding Pattern...

2009-11-02T14:58:00.002-05:00

I've been back in Columbus for about 2 months now, and i'll be here for another two. I've accepted a job back at STNJ, which i'll begin on January 4th. I'll be acting as manager for Shakespeare LIVE! the winter touring company for The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. The first month of the 6 month contract will be spent in the rehearsal room with the ensemble, and then we'll have 5 months out on the road.

The 10-person ensemble will tour two productions, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, and we're responsible for our own scenery, costumes, props, and sound. We'll primarily be doing day tours, staying within the tristate area (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania; occasion ventures to Connecticut or WestVirginia), and performing in schools. I'm looking forward to a lot of days starting at 5am, and MANY hours spent in a 12 person cargo van.

As the manager for the group, i'll be responsible for time and space management of the group, being a communication hub between the artistic and production teams, maintaining the director's vision of the show throughout the touring process, acting as a liasion between the venues and STNJ, and making sure that the actors are given a workable condition. *phew*

In the mean time...

I've been babysitting, trying to figure out how to start a mural business, cooking, being with family, cooking some more, and enjoying being home. It's been a great 2 month battery re-charge. I'm looking forward to the holidays at home (being away last year was hard!), but boy, i'm ready for work as well. I've still have two months in this holding pattern though; it feels like i'm taxiing around the tarmac....

Blogging between jobs

2009-09-08T00:07:00.003-04:00

If this past summer is any indication of what my life might look like, i'll be blogging between jobs, not during them.

This summer kept me incredibly busy. Along with the 'expected projects' (overseeing crew calls, NSE overseeing, SM mentoring), I ended up taking one of the leadership roles in moving our production shops. It was a bit of a nightmare, one involving lots of dirt, dust, about 10,000 costume pieces, about 12,000 scenic/prop pieces, and tools/machines galore. packing and/or unpacking a box truck is old hat to me know, let's just leave it at that. The schedule didn't leave me much time for blogging unfortunately, so there haven't been posts that made their way up here...but I didn't forget about the blog, I promise!

I'm now back in Columbus, looking for work, which is kind of like a job unto itself. I check the industry websites daily, and i've sent out several resumes, and recieved several no's. Come on economy, buck up!

To fill in my time this past month, i've been starting some projects - I went up to Michigan and painted a mural for a friend's baby room, I went back east to visit some friends and explore Brooklyn, babysitting, and have been puttering around in the kitchen and art studio. next up, going through the last boxes left over from college, and purging my closet (do I really need the tshirt that's 4 sizes to big and from 1992?)

---Rebecca

I now understand the importance of Days Off.

2009-06-10T19:46:00.002-04:00

So, 80 Days closed. As soon as the curtain went down, I switched over to being SPTP Coordinator full time.

literally, full time. I've yet to have a day off (so, I've been at work for 2.5 weeks straight now, averaging about 90-100hrs/week), and I cannot wait for one.

The work i'm doing, while keeping me very busy, is also keeping me very interested. I've got several projects that i'm juggling, so let's just say I don't have time to get bored.

One of my major projects is acting as labor manager for the summer apprentice company. There are 24 acting apprentices here this summer, and part of their weekly schedule is to put in crew hours. I'm in charge of getting all crews together, tracking how many hours people work, and doing the followup to see how the crews worked.

Another is working with the Next Stage Ensemble, the summer touring company that STNJ produces. Last summer I managed the tour for NSE, and i'm acting as part of the production management team for it this summer. It's interesting to see the process of mounting a tour from a different perspective.

I'm also acting as mentor for the Stage Management interns who are here this summer. This means being available if they need to talk about work problems, answering questions they have about, well, anything, and leading/organizing weekly seminars for them. In general, I really like this aspect of my job, I like being in contact with more people that just the ones I see in the office everyday.

Being a mentor for the SM interns has also presented me with what might be the largest challenge I face this summer. One of the interns came here with the goal of deciding whether or not she wanted to pursue a career in stage management. Since starting her major project, she has decided that stage management is not a job for her (which is honestly a very sane reaction...). I am now trying to figure out how to work with her, and keep her motivated enough to do her job.

Coming up in my work: on Sunday i'm leading a symposium with the cast of The Little Foxes (currently on our mainstage) for all of the people involved with the summer intern program. (I vacilliate between being excited, scared, and apatheic about this). Also, We tech The Tempest, which will be playing on our Outdoor Stage, as well as The Odyssey, which will be one of the 2 shows that Next Stage tours with. On the same weekend. gulp.

Things in my life i'm looking forward to:
- Seeing some of the Michaels this weekend!!
- Hopefully getting to talk to Ben on the phone soon.
- Going to Michigan for Steve's wedding - which also means seeing some old friends!!
- Seeing some of the Gallis this summer ?!?!
- I'm working on arranging a day either at the Jersey Shore, or possibly at Six Flags with some work friends!

"The unforeseen does not exist"...until you work this show.

2009-05-18T13:53:00.004-04:00

80 Days is settling down, and by that, I mean it's in it's run, so the crises have slowed to a trickle.

Jack, who replaced Monal, the ASM who had to leave because of a family emergency, also had to leave us, as he had conflicts for the rest of the show. So, last week we trained Roderick for Jack/Monal's part, and Roderick has stepped in. We miss Monal and Jack, but Roderick is doing a bang up job (literally unfortunately. Last night he hit his head on a prop and chipped his tooth. ouch!!!).

Last week as a 9 show week, which included a 10:30 student matinee. Normally student matinees (or brat mats as we call them) tend to be very rowdy, loud houses, but not last week. we only had 42 kids in the house. (the theatre seats over 230). They seemed to love the show, but there just weren't a lot of them.

That's pretty much sums up this run. Everyone who sees the show loves it, people just are not seeing it. Which is scary. Come on economy, come back to us.

This past week or so i've also been getting started on my next gig for the summer, which has so far been a lot of paper and computer work. We'll see how it goes.

Not-work related stuff:

I had a great birthday last week (i'm now solidly in my mid 20s). I went out to dinner with some friends from work and then met up with some more people for a beer after. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!!

I'm also reading a book, A Voyage Long and Strange, by Tony Horwitz, which I recommend to anyone who loves history and/or adventure stories. It's a very intriguing, and funny, look at early American History (all the stuff that happened between Columbus and the Pilgrims - what we forget about), which he echoes with his own adventures while tracing the history he's writing/learning about.

Other than that, i'm hanging out with Anna whenever we get the chance (we've become regulars at a really good blues bar by her apt), saving up money to fly to Michigan this summer (Steve Spence is getting married!!?!?!), and generally having a blast!

Finally, we're open!!

2009-05-04T23:44:00.005-04:00

This show, Around the World in 80 Days, is probably the hardest show i've ever worked.

We cancelled the first preview, because we were not nearly ready.

The next morning, we lost one of our 2 non-equity company members (the actors we hired in the guise of ASMs - what I do). we then had 5 hours of rehearsal to prepare another person (Jack, my hero of the week) to go on stage that night, to do about 35 scene shifts and 8 costume changes. phew.

For this show, I spend three hours tracking props up and down stairs and playing "tetris" with scenery and actors. i'm going to loose weight and gain muscle definition. As long as I don't stress eat it all away.

Oh yeah, I also moved this week.

i'm exhausted.

Summer Update

2009-04-18T20:49:00.004-04:00

Guess what! I have employment through August!

I'll be staying out here on the East Coast, working again with The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. I am going to be taking a bit of a side step, as this isn't more of the same (ASM work), but it's not a direct promotion either.

I'm going to be acting as Production Coordinator for SPTP (the Summer Professional Training Program). I will be organizing crew calls for all of the SPTP members, and acting as a liason between the education department and the production department of the theatre.

I anticipate long hours, stress, fun, and little pay (what's new...)

I can't wait for the challange.

"But why do you keep calling him Oysterpuff?!"

2009-04-10T22:24:00.011-04:00

The cast of 80 Days is inspired, and that's the easiest way to explain it.

In the words of our director, "you know, laughing is supposed to make you life longer. I think this show is going to add about 20 years to my life."

It's a group of 6 actors, playing about 20 roles over the course of a couple hours. These guys, and gal, switch accents, physicality; demeanor on a dime, and they are great at it. They are truly comic geniuses, and I enjoy sitting in rehearsal, watching them 'create' (goof off until the director spits water from laughing) magic. Rehearsal grinding to a halt for a good couple of minutes for people to catch their breath is a common occurrence.

The eldest of the group, Ed, a long time theatre veteran, will do whatever he can to pause a rehearsal (telling stories and jokes are some of his standbys; the more inappropriate, the better in his book).

David and Jay are the other two musketeers in the trio of mischevious actors. These are the guys who might be off on the side heckling each other, giving each other ideas to try, or cracking fart jokes in the green room.

Kevin, who plays Passepartout, is slowly becoming the Frenchman he spends 8 hours a day rehearsing and perfecting. His accent will just stop in to say hi, even when he's not working.

Rob, carrying the weight of Phileas Fogg, started the rehearsals as a quieter, 'serious' actor, yet is making his presence known. He knows comedy, and he makes a great foil to the musketeers.

Maureen, 'the girl', has no problem whatsoever keeping up with the guys. Fart jokes included.

The show is going to be great.

If we can just get it to fit on the stage.

To give you a taste of the talent in the room - here's a video of two of the cast members doing a take on "Who's on First" for a local New Year's Celebration

On Headset; We're at Places.

2009-04-10T22:09:00.004-04:00

The Basics:

Author: Rebecca, a young 20something, trying to make it work in the Performing Arts industry, specifically in a stage management career. Tends to work long hours. Seems to move frequently. Loves Family. Loves music, movies, and reading. Loves formatting word.docs.

Purpose of this: Keep family and friends updated on major events in my life (and some not so major ones, i'm sure), while hopefully not being asinine and mundane. Share interesting anecdotes; happenings, ruminations.

I, Rebecca, hereby swear the following things:
1. To never blog about what I recently ate.
2. To never blog about what i'm currently wearing.
3. To never blog about, like, omg, how totally cute that guy I just met was.
4. In deference to my co-workers privacy, I will only use first names.

Enjoy; we're at curtain.