Tech!

So, its been a while. The chaos of The Life of Galileo has fully engulfed my life now and it is starting to draw near to its end. This past weekend was tech. Tech for a show like this is unlike just about anything else. People are running around everywhere: assistant stage managers are teaching run crew, designers are creating their cues, teaching their board ops, and telling the stage manager where to call everything, directors are working with actors and designers, actors a learning their new costumes new props and blocking the set may have slightly altered. Over all, the experience is orginized chaos.

As stage manager (just like as with any position in a process like this) I see things differently than anyone else involved. I have the joy of a headset on which about 8 other people are on. While I am on headset designers and the director are talking to me through the other ear. As I listen to at least 2 conversations at once I also have to pay close attention to what is happening on stage so I can get all the cues into my book.

This isn't so tough for the first time, you go through the show stopping and starting and get to be sure you understand everything. At least, you understand it at that time. The second run the trick is to decipher your previous notes, if that can be managed you are officially on your way to success in calling the show.

Something I find difficult in this process is reminding myself this is all still practice. The calls and all don't have to be perfect in a tech, the point is to learn it so it can be achieved by the time you open. I hold very high standards for myself which leads to unnecessary stress.

If there is one lesson that I will take from this tech experience  it is that everyone, including myself, deserves a little time to learn and adjust. You don't have to work exactly right the first time you do something.

Week 1: Success!

It's official: Theatre at Mason's The Life of Galileo has had its first successful week of rehearsals! Jumping between dance studios and confusing everyone from location to location and time changes hasn't stopped us from having a great start to the show process.

I've been trying my best to quickly get back into the groove of stage managing. Its funny how different directors can be. When I worked on Summer Brave in the fall, the schedule was laid out in detail, all I did was enforce it. Now, we schedule about 3 days in advance and I actually participate in it. Its interesting how different directing styles can be. And how because of that, the stage managing style needed is always changing. 

This time, for breaks, I took an idea from Jessica Poole and use little index cards to tell Rick about breaks, 10 minutes 'till, 5 'till, and then one in red with "break" on it. I never would have thought of cards for it, but its an awesome idea, doesn't always work out easier but mostly it does.

I also have found it to be really fascinating to study how they direct, to compare things in my head and make a note of what I like or don't like for when I direct in the future. As a stage manger I find it the perfect time to kind of be able to watch and really notice how a person directs and what works or doesn't, at least to me. It's pretty cool. 

Hopefully we will continue to florish in the dance spaces as we block more and more. Its hard not being able to tape things out, but so far so good. 

To be a...playwright?

The deadline for the First Light playwriting competition is fast approaching and I'm working out the kinks.

Its amazing. This play started as a tiny idea I've been longing to write about and slowly come to be. There are parts that I love, that are exactly how I'd like them to be...at least for now but now, it's all gone downhill. I'm struggling to write when I don't like the story I'm telling anymore. I've altered and tweaked so much. One character was once a hero, a love interest and a great guy. I had to destroy that to bring more life to the story, while I still think it is the right choice, it's totally changed where my story can be at the end.

There are very few stories I have finished in my life. I hope to finish this one. It has potential, I just have to find it again. I've lost it somewhere along the way. When you cant find the end, when you have lost sight of your goal what do you do? Delete a lot and go back to where its in sight again? Do you sit and try to rethink a reason?

I don't know what's going to happen. Its thrilling and terrifying. I took Heather's playwrighting class last semester and discovered I loved writing plays, its fascinating and really fun. I finished one 10 minute play, the first play, or really any story, I have ever finished in my life. On a whim, I figured why not try First Light? See what I can do and find out if it is really something I have an interest in outside of just the class. Also, I hoped that if I had someone to help me and real deadlines I'd be more motivated.

We'll see. 5 days until its due, will I finish my second play?

Lull before the storm of...Stage Managing!

I am currently enjoying the lull before the storm. That lovely piece of time where, maybe, you're even just a little bit bored. You feel horrible even thinking that though because you know, in a matter of days, time will be nothing but a stress inducing concept that you would like to personify and murder. 

I have about a week and a half before rehearsals begin for The Life of Galileo. I've been prepping. I have my notebook ready to go, cast list, conflicts, breakdowns (2 different kinds to be safe), schedule. I'm sending emails already almost everyday. The production meetings are going well, reports get posted ASAP for anyone who needs it. I'm even trying to make friends with virtual callboard. 

No matter what I do now though, on February 20th will find me with some sort of tiny thing I have forgotten. Its inevitable. 

Last semester I stage managed my first show ever. Summer Brave was pure trial and error. I basically had to learn as I went, I asked a million questions, I found out that I was supposed to do things after the fact. The problem is, people don't know what holes you have in knowledge and you aren't even aware of them yourself. I had no idea what to ask. I had no idea what I was doing. This time I have a better idea of what to ask and what to do, but I'm sure I'll still find myself lacking and not knowing it. I'm learning though, that's why you do this in college. It can be a little bit more forgiving of mistakes than the real world.

 That being said, I'll still do all I can to make this the most amazing production of Brecht's The Life of Galileo ever staged.

Lets get this rollin'

So. Pretty much, this lovely blog will be focusing on my trials with play writing, stage managing, acting, and probably random little other things. 

Right now the play writing is haunting me. Its fascinating how you can get to into writing, spend hours working on it, feel all inspired and stuff only to realize 3 hours later there's just one more page than before. The entire story has changed in the process but...it still feels so small. 

Plus, this particular play, is for First Light and its due date is quickly coming up. AND I'M STUCK. I've tried just sitting and writing random things, I've tried to just write, let whatever happen and then fix it later but I think waaay too much as I write. Focus can be bad, it can limit you. How do I get past this? How do I push through that when its not a brick wall but actually a barricade with tiny mines in it that blow you back to where you were 3 days ago?

That being said. I really love this play so far.