My Latest Dream

I had a dream last night. A glorious dream. I bought an abandoned Wal-Mart building back in my hometown and made it into a theatre. I don't know where this came from, but I also don't know why I've never thought of it before. I regularly see old warehouses and abandoned factories and think, "Wow, that would make an amazing theatre!" This one just came out of nowhere, but it makes perfect sense.

I've spent most of the day thinking about how perfectly everything works out. There's ample parking. The building is huge, and there's already a loading dock in the back. There would be plenty of space for a generously-sized stage/wings/backstage area/dressing rooms/offices. Concessions up front where the little McDonald's used to be. The area between the sets of automatic doors could be the box office, and the long area opposite that (where they kept the carts) could be coat check. Wall-in the garden center and make it into a scenic/electrics shop. There's some grassy space in the back where I would totally build a deck for a break area/employee picnics. I don't know how high the ceiling is, but I would imagine I could fit at least a bit of fly space.

I don't know if I would want to mount productions, or just bring in tours/concerts/rentals. I feel like in that area, tours and concerts would make out better. There also isn't as much turnaround time between shows, because you don't need rehearsal/build time. Plus, I feel like large-scale tours and popular artists would bring in people from farther away. So let's go with the thought that it's a road house. Then between tours, locals could rent the space for meetings, ceremonies, commuinty theatre, etc.

I would need all of the latest and best technical equipment, of course. Light/projection booth in the back of the house. Sound booth in the house. A full lighting/sound inventory in case of tours that don't come with their own equipment and need the plot hung before they get there....

I would be creating a lot of jobs for the area. I would need someone to do the books, PM/TD, ATD, techs, box office staff, house manager(s), ushers, security(?), company manager, marketing/development/outreach.... I could cooperate with other local businesses to come up with mutually beneficial agreements. Like... if I got a liquor license, team up with Fero and/or Shade Mountain wineries and some local microbreweries. Stock the concessions stand through Weis/Extrava/Purity/Ard's/Pardoe's/local baker friends/etc. Discount programs for local schools when I have children's shows. (My mom's school district gets a super special discount, of course!) Offer tours/workshops for local students interested in professional theatre. Maybe internships for high school and college students?

I don't actually know what my role would be.... I would want to do the scheduling/programming. Make HR-type decisions. Deal with contractors. I guess General Manager or CEO... or something...? My title will be "I Do Whatever The Hell I Want. Deal With It." That sounds about right.

So, yeah, I've been thinking about it a little. Just a little. I wanted to get my thoughts down somewhere, and this seemed like an acceptable forum. Feel free to ignore my rantings, but I think it's a good idea! Maybe I'll actually read one of the many books I have on running theatres/businesses...!

Big River

Time. is. flying. I'm not sure how August 9th happened. It still feels like June.... My life is basically just work and sleep. I could get up in the morning and do stuff... cook and/or bake for example, so I would have recipes to post here. But I usually end up sleeping till at least 1PM, then I have to get up, eat something quick and easy, shower and dress, and leave for work from 3:30PM till midnight or later. So I eat a lot of PB&J's, tuna salad, and chicken nuggets. Also a lot of fast food. I've lost 20 pounds since I moved to VA, but I've also started to eat a lot more fast food and junk food. If I could get my diet under control, I would look like a super model by now. (Or at least be down a few more pounds.)

I get one day off a week, and this past weekend I actually got out and did some stuff. I spent most of the day shopping... TJ Maxx, Wal-Mart, JoAnn Fabrics, some Sweet Frog froyo. Then Saturday night, I went to the Peninsula Community Theatre to see their production of Big River. I'd had the soundtrack for years, but never paid it much attention. It was only half an hour away, cost $16, and seemed like it might be fun. I'd like to share my thoughts about it. I don't have any pictures or anything since it wasn't allowed, but I don't talk about theatre nearly enough on here.

The show itself is good enough... I'd probably appreciate it more if I'd ever actually read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. (It's on my list, I promise.) But I don't think it made it onto my list of favorite musicals. This production in particular was pretty spectacular, though. The kid that played Huck Finn, and the guy that played Jim should both totally be on Broadway. They were amazing. If you know me, you know I don't hold back in my criticisms of theatrical productions, so if I thought they were amazing, you know they had to be great.

Almost everyone in the production was a great actor, and everyone had great singing voices. Some were better than others, of course, and Huck (Cory Steiger) and Jim (Rico Robinson) were by far my favorites. They both had incredible voices and stage presence. When Jim sang Free at Last, I had chills the entire time.  The girl that played Mary Jane did a little too well with You Oughta Be Here With Me. It's about her father who has just passed away, and no matter how lonely he might be wherever he is, he can't be as lonely as she is without him there. Wasn't quite prepared for that. There may have been a few tears.

I couldn't call myself a techie if I didn't comment on the technical aspects of the show. The set was actually pretty great. It took up a lot of the stage, but there were platforms made to look like docks at several heights, and all of the areas on the stage were very versatile. They used the space well, and the set looked great and very professional. My only criticism (oh, you knew it was coming) is that one of the platforms was a ramp made to look like a dock, on the end of the set towards the audience. Well, they could only build it out so far and make it so steep... so the end of the ramp was still at least a foot off the stage and they didn't put a step at the end. So in the very first scene when two older ladies came down the ramp and had to stop to try to step down to the stage without taking a header into the audience, it was a little distracting and awkward, not to mention unsafe. If they had just done something different with that, or even just put one step at the end, it would have been a near-perfect set.

The lighting was also pretty great. I mean, I would have done some of the design differently, but that's pretty much any show. My biggest complaint is that most of their fixtures are floods, so there were no shutter cuts off the curtains, and lots of bleed into parts of the set that may not have needed to be lit in certain scenes. For what they have to work with, and their lighting inventory, though, it was done well, and very pretty. The choices they made with regards to color were excellent. A few scenes, I was concerned when I looked up and saw bright yellow gels, but because of the colors they mixed it with, it worked really well.

I have no comments on sound. Mostly because there was none. I mean, I saw some angel mics hanging, but no one individual was mic-ed since it's a fairly intimate venue, and they all projected just fine. I think I would have been annoyed if they had been mic-ed!

Costuming was good. The clothes were all good choices, good colors, period appropriate. The make-up was a little iffy. When someone was supposed to look dirty (pretty much most of the cast, most of the time), they would just have a big brown splotch or two on their face. The amateurish make-up just seemed out of place when everything else about the production was so professional. Also, I just have to mention it because it drove me CRAZY... there was one little girl in the cast who had her glasses on the whole time she was on stage. Which would have been fine if they were at all period-looking. But they were thick black plastic frames with a bright blue and white design on the temples. The second she stepped out for the first time, it was all I could look at. I was personally offended on every level by those glasses. I know first hand that it's difficult to try to be on stage without your glasses, if you need them to see. I did it for 5 or 6 years. You just get used to not being able to see anyone and deal with it. Okay, sorry, end of rant. It's just... THOSE GLASSES. Ugh! Moving on.

So despite my few criticisms, I immensely enjoyed the show. When I see a community or school production that I don't like, I'm not afraid to say so. I will freely admit that I'm a bit of a theatre snob. So when I say that this is a great production by a great cast and crew, in an adorable little venue, in an adorable little part of town... you know I liked it. I would love to look into volunteering with them, but I have no idea when I would have the time. I'm sure they do most of the tech stuff in the evenings, when I'm at work. All of their shows are in the afternoons and evenings, when I'm at work.... So I will settle to just patronize them as often as possible, and to spread the word that they're doing great theatre there. Big River is playing on the weekends, through August 25th. If you're in the Newport News area, you should totally check it out. I'm thinking about seeing it again! Their next show is Blithe Spirit in October. I'm secretly hoping Angela Lansbury will be in it. Probably not. I will try my best to go see it anyway! Check out their website here.

I'm going to challenge everyone to find a local live theatre production to go see. This one was a great experience and only $16. I'm sure most people have a local community theatre, or a college nearby that does productions, or high school, or even a professional theatre. Get out there and patronize the arts!

Employed!

So I made a Banana-Rum Cake with Browned Butter Frosting for my mom's birthday. But. You're all just going to have to wait for that post because today I'm going to talk about my new job!

I guess the title of this post isn't entirely accurate. I've been employed at the Campus Theatre, but I only got to work a few hours a week. I LOVE the Campus, and I've been there about 7 months now (wow...), but I've really been looking for something full time. Well, I finally heard back from Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, and I start on the tech team in June! I'll be doing install/maintenance/tear-down for the Illumi-nights, Howl-o-Scream, and Christmas Town events. Illumi-nights is the back half of the season, when they light the park all up, and have fireworks every night. Obviously, Howl-o-Scream is the Halloween season, and Christmas Town is Christmastime. I'll be working on lighting and props, getting everything installed and pretty, keeping everything working and making adjustments, then tearing everything down and doing it again for the next event.

My contract will go through December, and there's an option to stay on for a strike crew in January. Then I'll re-interview in January for the 2013 season. So if all goes well and I'm not horrible at my job, I'll probably just have February off and start again in March to get the park ready to open. I've been researching apartments, and I have some appointments set up to go see a few places this weekend. Williamsburg is an expensive area, so my top two choices are in Newport News, right next door. Well... my top choice is in Williamsburg, but they don't have any openings. Newport News is only about a fifteen/twenty minute drive, though, and it seems like a great place, and maybe a little cheaper to live in.

Between Williamsburg and Newport News, they have every restaurant and store that you could ever have any desire to go to. Plus, Colonial Williamsburg is right there. Yorktown and Jamestown aren't far. Virginia Beach is an hour away, and the Outer Banks are about two hours. I'll be working at an amusement park. I mean, come on. I think I'm more excited about moving to Virginia than I would be about moving to New York City!

I'm mostly just happy to be able to use all of my stuff again! My big comfy bed, my new Keurig, my new pots and pans, my TVs, pretty much all of my kitchen stuff.... I'll be close enough that people can come visit if they want, or if I happen to have a weekend off, I could come home. It's really just the perfect location for me.

So hopefully I'll get an apartment squared away this weekend so I can move in mid-May. That way I can get settled, do my orientation at the park, and still get some beach time in before I start on June 4th! So excited! There may be a post about my apartment-hunting expedition. If not, there will certainly be a post when I move in to a place. And in the more immediate future, there will be a post about Banana-Rum Cake!

Busch Gardens Interview

Fair warning, this is a long post. I didn't want to break it up into two, though.

This weekend, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA had open interviews for stage technicians. They also had auditions for dancers, singers, and instrumentalists. As tempting as it was to bust a move, I decided to just go for the interview and forgo the auditions. :-P

Since I love Williamsburg, and went there pretty much every summer as a kid, I made a weekend of it. I left at 7AM on Friday so I could get there in time for lunch. I made it in almost exactly six hours, and went straight to the Williamsburg Winery.



I've been here once before, but I was only 19 or 20, so I couldn't do any tasting. I got there just as a tour was ending, so I joined in at the end for the tasting. I toured last time, so I didn't really need to again. After the tasting (and after buying a couple of bottles) I went across the way to the Gabriel Archer Tavern. It's a little pricey, but this was my mini-vacation, so I splurged. I had a glass of wine from the winery; a turkey sandwich with gouda, apple slices, lingonberry chutney, and honey mustard; and a bowl of French Onion soup.



It was all amazing. A. mazing. Well worth a few extra dollars.

After my winery adventure, I went to check into my motel. The ride there was awesome... my GPS took me right through the William and Mary campus, and along a back road right behind Colonial Williamsburg. It was relaxing and gorgeous. When I found my motel, it looked ok, and the location was amazing, but I was the only person there. It was back away from the road a little, and as it got later and darker, I was pretty sure I was going to be murdered/robbed/raped. The room was nice enough, though, and it was clean.



I got settled in, and played on my computer a little before heading out again. I drove around awhile, just poking around. I wanted Zaxby's for supper, so when it got to be about 6:30PM, I went into 'points of interest' in my GPS and typed in Zaxby's. Well, apparently the one in Williamsburg is newer than my GPS, because it told me that the nearest Zaxby's was 109 miles away. So I looked up the address and found it that way.



That bright blue sign was like music to my eyes... you know what I mean. Zaxby's is a southern thing, and I loved it during my time in SC. I got some fantabulous chicken, and stopped at Brusters next door for a milkshake before heading back to the motel. When I got back, there were actually two other cars there! It was less sketchy with other people around. I got comfy, watched some tv on my computer, and went to bed.

The next morning was my interview. Tech interviews started at 10AM, so I got around and checked out a little after 9AM. Busch Gardens was only about 5 minutes away, so I found a Starbucks and had breakfast while I killed some time. I had the strongest Americano ever. I think it was just a grande cup full of espresso. It was wonderful.

I got to the entertainment department at about 9:50AM, and there were already 7 other people there. I waited about an hour for my turn. The woman who interviewed me was the same woman that I met with two years ago when I interviewed there. Once I told her that I used to have hair, she remembered me.

My interview went very well, much better than last time when I didn't actually know anything about anything technical. This time, the only question I couldn't answer was about some kind of... system... or coding... or... something. I can't even remember. She didn't seem to expect me to know it, anyway, it just would have been a plus if I did. So she asked all of her questions, and I asked all of mine. She said the park opens at the end of March for spring breaks and whatnot, so if she wants me to start in time for that, I'll get a call within the next week. If she wants me for later in the summer, I'll hear from them in the next month. If they don't want me at all, I won't hear from them ever. So now I wait.

After my interview, I drove up Rt. 60. That's the road that has a million restaurants along it, some local stores, civil war stores, outlet malls, etc. I swear, any restaurant that you can think of has a franchise in Williamsburg. Go ahead, name a restaurant. There's probably one in Williamsburg, and it's probably along Rt. 60. There are also Pancake/Waffle Houses on every other corner. (Waffle Houses are to Williamsburg what Starbuck's are to New York.)

The Williamsburg Pottery Factory is also on 60. I love the Pottery. They've been there forever, and they've recently started renovating. This is what it used to look like:


(Photo courtesy of... somewhere on the internet. I did a Google image search, I don't remember. :-P)

This is what it looks like now:

(Click for a larger view.)

They're just finishing up the changes, so they aren't open yet. This was the first time in my 25 years of life that I've been to Williamsburg and couldn't shop at the Pottery. They're re-opening at the beginning of April. I'm super tempted to go back then (if I'm not already living and working there). As much as I'll miss the old version of the Pottery, and re-living my childhood whenever I was there, I hope the revamping will boost business and allow them to be open for another 74 years (they first opened in 1938).

After I took some pictures of the Pottery and trudged around the construction site a little, I went to Golden Corral for lunch before heading home. I love Golden Corral more than I should. The new Chocolate Wonderfall is wonderful. If I get this job, and end up back in the south, I'm going to have to join a gym or risk getting morbidly obese.

So that was my mini-vacation/interview weekend. I would love to work at Busch Gardens. This is the third year that I've applied. Maybe the third time will be the charm! I love Williamsburg almost as much as NYC. Hopefully I get a call this week!!

Moving Up?

This will be a short post, and no, I'm not posting a recipe. I have a potential life-development that I want to mull over.

I have a phone interview tomorrow afternoon with a theatre in Wisconsin. It's the American Players Theatre. They're pretty legit, but it would only be for 5 months since it's a partially-outdoor theatre in Wisconsin... can't really act in 20 feet of snow. It's a great opportunity to get some experience, boost my resume, make some contacts, and have an adventure!

But. If I get the job, I'd be leaving at the end of April and would get done mid-October. My only reservations about it are all the things I would miss. My friends are having a baby that would come right in the middle of my being away. I would also miss out on my annual beach trip to the Outer Banks. (I'm more sad about missing OBX than missing the baby, honestly. Sorry, Josh. :-P) I wouldn't get to hang out with my mom, go on family trips, have pool parties with my friends....

I mean, if they offer me the job and I like the answers to all of my questions, I will more than likely take it. I'm pretty much just using this post as a diary entry. I want to see all of my feelings and apprehensions written down so I can deal with them. I think I've just gotten spoiled living at home, being a mama's boy, and only working a few hours a week. It's probably time to grow up, man up, and get some work done. In Wisconsin.

5 months of making new friends, immersing myself in technical theatre, and exploring a new state can't be all bad! Right?!

Of Mice and Men

I went to see the stage adaptation of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men tonight. I said in my very first post that this blog would be partly about theatre... well for the past year, almost the only theatre I saw was when I was working. It's just not the same when you have to watch for ques, or keep a spotlight steady, or wrangle a hundred dancing children. Since Of Mice and Men is one of my favorite books ever, and this stage version was amazing, I thought I'd share.



First of all, it was a free performance at the Community Arts Center in Williamsport, PA. So already it's awesome because it's free. To make it even better, the company was the National Players. (http://www.nationalplayers.org/) Pretty legit.

The acting was great, for the most part. One of the guys (playing Whit) was the least convincing ranch hand ever... well, the least convincing straight ranch hand. The guy playing Slim would have been great if he would have spoken in his normal voice. He was obviously using his manly man acting voice. Other than that, the actors were entirely convincing. Lennie and George were especially great. George was pretty much exactly how I picture him in my head when I read the book. Lennie was adorable and played perfectly... which made it especially difficult to not sob at the end.

The sets were a little questionable. Everything was brown, and most of the costumes were brown. It was a little monotonous. The set did everything it needed to, though, and they used it well. It was mostly just burlap, crates, and 2x4s. The lighting was pretty incredible. Lots of up-lighting and side lights. There were 8 dark blue Parcans on on the second electric the whole time... which worked great for night scenes, but didn't make much sense for indoor and daytime scenes. That's probably the only lighting I would have changed... added some other colors, or just made them a more neutral color... I don't know, it just kind of bothered me.

I loved the script. It stuck to the book pretty accurately. I don't think they omitted anything, and actually added a little to some scenes... I think just to give Curley's dad and wife some more stage time. I was very pleasantly surprised that they didn't change anything. The only thing I didn't like about the staging is whenever a character left the scene, they didn't exit the stage... they just stood in the back and watched the action. It was a little distracting/weird/creepy. I'd like to hear the director's explanation.

Overall, I'd probably give it an 8 on a scale of 10. It was a wonderful production, with a wonderful cast. It would have been pretty impossible to get a full 10, because they would have had to let me design the set and lights... and have a hand in the directing... so an 8 from me is pretty amazing.

I would like to see more shows at the CAC. I'm pretty sure this is only the second time I've been there. If they ever hired anyone ever, I would work there in a heartbeat. It's a gorgeous space, and their tech seems pretty awesome. Maybe next time I see something there, I'll take a bunch of resumes and just give one to every employee I see. :-P

Plan?

So as most of you know, my internship is coming to an end soon. My lease is up at the end of July, so that's when I plan on moving... somewhere.... I've been trying to line up a job, but it doesn't appear to be working out. I've sent out about 30 applications in the past couple of months, and all I've gotten is one first-round interview and two rejection letters. A guy from New World Stages in NYC did call my boss for a reference the other day, but I never actually heard from him, so he either didn't like what he heard or found someone better. Today, I sent in my materials for a company manager job at the Olney Theatre in MD, and they e-mailed me back right away to say they couldn't open my cover letter. At least I know places are getting my stuff... most are just ignoring me, apparently. :-P

Well, if I can't line something up for after July, I'm seriously considering moving to Lancaster, PA. Random, I know, but there's logic behind this, I promise. Lancaster itself has 5 or 6 theatres in it. Sight & Sound Theatre (to which I've sent in about 5 applications) is right outside Lancaster. It's less than half an hour away from the Ren Faire and Mount Hope. It's an hour and a half from both Philly and Baltimore, 2 hours from my family, 3 hours from NYC, and an hour from Gettysburg. I would be surrounded by theatre opportunities, even if it's just volunteering at first and getting my name out there. I have friends in NYC, D.C., and Philly that I could stay with (whether they like it or not :-P) if I got short-term jobs any of those places. It just makes sense.

I think my mom is expecting me to move home if I don't get something lined up, but I really don't think I can go from having my own house to just having a room again. I know it's not like I would have a curfew or anything, but I've had a taste of my own place and I can't go back. I've found some nice-looking places with decent rent in Lancaster, and I have enough saved up that I could give myself at least two months after I move to find something, even if it's something crappy just to pay the rent and support my theatre career for awhile.

I considered other places, but bigger cities are too expensive to live in; Harrisburg actually has much less theatre; OBX has practically no theatre; and the Lewisburg/Milton/Newky area has no professional theatre. I think I'll give it until the end of June before I start looking for apartments in Lancaster, but I have 4 or 5 places already that I like, and I'm sure more will pop up. When I get closer to seriously looking, I'll send my parents to check some places out. I'm just excited about the prospect of being out of the south, and less than 12 hours away from everyone I know!