My theatre roots

This week I picked up a gig working on a dance show in Nelsonville, which has been a nice diversion (and source of income). Factory Dance is putting on their spring concert, and I am the backstage manager. And unofficial ME.

Monday night, I spent a few hours hanging a mutating light plot. This involved 3 electrics on stage, some really ancient equipment and the perpetual challenge of finding enough circuits for everything. I had the stage manager, the facilities manager, and a couple of volunteers. I love having volunteers, but I hate just having them stand around, so I sort of took charge, by assigning tasks. I don't think that is technically what I supposed to do, but it needed to get done. My only regret is not taking the time to teach the volunteers with more accuracy, although I am always a proponent of "Get-it-done" theatre. For focus, I was in the air with my 6", and the 4 of us knocked out focus in about 90 minutes. It was so much fun to be an electrician again! It's been ages since I got to do much wrench-slinging.

Now that everything is in the air, I am settling in to my backstage manager role. It's mostly herding. I had braced myself for much worse, but the tech schedule was perfectly constructed, I had teachers rather than parents backstage with the little ones, and at one point we were even ahead of schedule! However, since it has also been a while since I did stage management, I forgot supplies last night. So I have a nice long list of crap to pack tonight, including a vacuum cleaner, which isn't usually on the list, but when you have 15 little butts sitting on a NASTY area rug, it makes the list. Also have to remember the dance-specific stuff (barf bucket, ice pack, safety pins). But all in all, backstage is quiet, the rehearsals are running pretty smoothly so far, even if a bit long.

The dancing looks pretty good. The little tappers in their polka dots are adorable, even if it does minorly freak me out that they are dancing to "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul. A couple of the pieces are really cool. And one of the little girls looks exactly like my friend from pre-school.

Another funny part of this - I am working closely with two of my former students. Who I have always liked. I try to resist the temptation to be my bossy self, but sometimes it is called for and sometimes it's inappropriate. If the lighting designer needs a boot to the head to get back into gear, then a boot to the head I will provide. But the stage manager was one of my favorites from a past discussion section. Probably the calmest, lowest maintenance actor, super-intelligent and on the ball. Also makes carpooling easy since we're all at Kantner all the time anyways.

on iTunes: "Ghetto Ways" - Scissors for Lefty