Remember those sweet skills learned from helping paint the set to Sylvia? Well, they've been used quite a bit lately. I've been hired to work with my sister painting the set of White Christmas! (Lots of thanks to her as she knew I needed some income and could have hired others) One of my duties last week when I began was to be in charge of the volunteers that come to help paint. I was nervous out of my mind, mainly because I'm basically on their level of knowledge yet I was supposed to look like I knew what I was doing. Guess what helped me look more experienced?
I hope you guessed, "You're wearing Rebecca's awesome paint clothes," or a variation of that answer.
All of us Primms will be reunited opening weekend as Matthew is going to fly down from CT!
If you guessed, "Oh, you're wearing the key to the theatre around your neck," you get 100 bonus points, because that's really good attention to detail and extra guesswork you just did. (Opening up the theatre each morning and holding the key definitely gave a sense of power)
There were a couple of set pieces that seriously needed spackling, and I taught myself how! You should have seen the giant gap in the wood pieces. Spackling like a BOSS.
And what makes the start to your day better than crazy smilies on your work instructions?
(Ok, well maybe a Grande soy-no water-Chai and a croissant from Starbucks or even better Amelies waiting on the work table when you arrive would, but I'll make sure I'll let you know when that happens...)
It has been a humbling experience realizing the amount of work that gets put into the tech world of theatre. Everything from the design process to the building of the set has taken months. I remember Rebecca having skype meetings with the Technical director and working on the designs this past summer while she was in Chicago with me. Every day so far my whole body has ached from the previous day's work. I told this to Rebecca and Evan (the technical director), and Rebecca said, "That's how I feel every day" with an empathetic look. She wasn't exaggerating when I was in Chicago, and we talk on the phone, and she tells me how exhausted and aching she feels. Tech people work from the morning hours into the late hours of the night. They were there with me when we began work in the mornings and were still there after my rehearsals have ended that evening.
And it's all for the love of theatre. I've been guilty amongst many other actors who haven't thought twice about the tech side of things and haven't properly shown appreciation. I've mentioned this before, but this time I've experienced just a bit more of a taste of the work that's put in.
Here's a sneak peek at one of Rebecca's backdrops! It's for the number "I Love a Piano" which is a really big tap dance number and basically a showstopping number. The drop is unfinished in this photo, but last night the drop was raised and it is STUNNING!
This show has obviously been a great learning experience for me, and it solidifies even more how staying in Charlotte for this bit of time was the right decision. It has been the theatre tech class I've never had, a dance gaining experience, and also more character work experience. I really love our director, Ron Chisholm, the cast is all very pleasant and helpful (especially in the choreography remembering area), and being Rita is a constant laughing time as she and Rhoda are lots of fun.
 |
