OH BY THE WAY
Feb. 16th, 2007 11:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jhameiaOkay, you guys must be getting so sick of my bad news by now.
So I've got good news.
No, better than good, GREAT news.
As you probably know, I was made production manager of the play. We're doing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
This production is going to be SO big. We really made a limitation into an advantage. Let me explain.
The theatre was revamped year before last, so there's this huge empty area by the stage. During shows or events we bring out chairs and tables and set them up. On the other end of the theatre from the stage are tiered seats. During a normal class day, a curtain is drawn so students don't see the stage from the seats, and a projector screen is pulled down.
Because the theatre was made not for theatrical purposes, but for business and academic purposes, the stage is, although sturdy, rather lackluster. We also have a huge problem: we lack stage lights. When Lenny, our tech director, discovered this, he went a little nuts - he's been involved in the tech side of the theatre since his first year, so he pretty much knows where all the wiring goes and what needs to be done, stage-wise, but no one asked him anything.
For the past year, Lenny has had to build his own stage lights whenever there was a performance in the theatre, which obviously isn't really the best way to go about it.
Recently (as early as last semester), the university bought two sets of lights which can be used to light up the stage. They were kinda left standing in the theatre for no reason, and no one took responsibility for them. Lenny and the rest of us were extremely pleased, of course, and we (the Drama Society, that is) offered to be responsible for the lights. Conference Services refused, because they said they couldn't afford to hire somebody to take care of the lights.
Within a fortnight, an XLR cable was lost, and Lenny got so furious, he locked away the lights. Conference Services called to ask what happened, and when he explained, they said, "that's not your call. If something goes missing, the university will replace them."
Talk about making no money sense!! With that quality of equipment, it would be cheaper to hire someone in the long run to take care of the lights!
Someone from the university administration asked Lenny about this, and when Lenny explained, he gave Lenny a part-time job working the lights for special events.
Anyways. Last year's production of Earnest went well, but Glenn Walton, our director, knew that the tiered seating being so far away from the stage would be a problem.
So, instead of working with the stage, we decided we'd just use the floor of the theatre in front of the seats. That way we bring the audience closer to the set, and we have a lot more space to run around on during the play.
This means, however, that a giant set had to be built. A platform representing Orsino's court, and a platform representing Olivia's household. There would be trees and bushes, benches, a giant arch as an entrance from backstage. From behind this arch in the entrance you're supposed to see a pear tree.
The pear tree is basically a frame with plywood screwed on, and it's going to be painted on. Same with Olivia and Orsino's apartment windows. Looks terribly impressive, if you ask me.
This archway, when it was being built, was a mess of wood and frames and latticework. Then we finally put it together, and it lay on the floor like a dead thing. When we lifted it up, it was this ten-foot-tall glory. We nailed in the stands, and it lives! It lives! The walkthrough space is SO huge, the two Festes can both drag our Sir Toby (who's six feet tall) through without having to squeeze!
Painting will commence this coming week. The show will play on March 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.
It'll be quite terrific.
So I've got good news.
No, better than good, GREAT news.
As you probably know, I was made production manager of the play. We're doing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
This production is going to be SO big. We really made a limitation into an advantage. Let me explain.
The theatre was revamped year before last, so there's this huge empty area by the stage. During shows or events we bring out chairs and tables and set them up. On the other end of the theatre from the stage are tiered seats. During a normal class day, a curtain is drawn so students don't see the stage from the seats, and a projector screen is pulled down.
Because the theatre was made not for theatrical purposes, but for business and academic purposes, the stage is, although sturdy, rather lackluster. We also have a huge problem: we lack stage lights. When Lenny, our tech director, discovered this, he went a little nuts - he's been involved in the tech side of the theatre since his first year, so he pretty much knows where all the wiring goes and what needs to be done, stage-wise, but no one asked him anything.
For the past year, Lenny has had to build his own stage lights whenever there was a performance in the theatre, which obviously isn't really the best way to go about it.
Recently (as early as last semester), the university bought two sets of lights which can be used to light up the stage. They were kinda left standing in the theatre for no reason, and no one took responsibility for them. Lenny and the rest of us were extremely pleased, of course, and we (the Drama Society, that is) offered to be responsible for the lights. Conference Services refused, because they said they couldn't afford to hire somebody to take care of the lights.
Within a fortnight, an XLR cable was lost, and Lenny got so furious, he locked away the lights. Conference Services called to ask what happened, and when he explained, they said, "that's not your call. If something goes missing, the university will replace them."
Talk about making no money sense!! With that quality of equipment, it would be cheaper to hire someone in the long run to take care of the lights!
Someone from the university administration asked Lenny about this, and when Lenny explained, he gave Lenny a part-time job working the lights for special events.
Anyways. Last year's production of Earnest went well, but Glenn Walton, our director, knew that the tiered seating being so far away from the stage would be a problem.
So, instead of working with the stage, we decided we'd just use the floor of the theatre in front of the seats. That way we bring the audience closer to the set, and we have a lot more space to run around on during the play.
This means, however, that a giant set had to be built. A platform representing Orsino's court, and a platform representing Olivia's household. There would be trees and bushes, benches, a giant arch as an entrance from backstage. From behind this arch in the entrance you're supposed to see a pear tree.
The pear tree is basically a frame with plywood screwed on, and it's going to be painted on. Same with Olivia and Orsino's apartment windows. Looks terribly impressive, if you ask me.
This archway, when it was being built, was a mess of wood and frames and latticework. Then we finally put it together, and it lay on the floor like a dead thing. When we lifted it up, it was this ten-foot-tall glory. We nailed in the stands, and it lives! It lives! The walkthrough space is SO huge, the two Festes can both drag our Sir Toby (who's six feet tall) through without having to squeeze!
Painting will commence this coming week. The show will play on March 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.
It'll be quite terrific.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-16 10:12 pm (UTC)How much will the tickets be? This is going to be AWESOME! I'm going to go on the last night, right before my birthday. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-16 10:23 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-17 01:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-17 03:18 am (UTC)