OK, so I lied. I am going to post more.
When I posted the last time, I figured that my job was about over and essentially, it is. The cast and crew have done a masterful job of executing the show through the first weekend. I attended the preview performance on Thursday evening. It was very strange to sit in the audience and just watch. No notes to take, no changes to make. I just sat there and experienced the show with the rest of the audience, trying to get a sense of what they thought and if they enjoyed it. Apparently I didn't do a very good job of observing because, I really thought as I walked out of the theater that the audience didn't enjoy it. Even my wife sitting next to me, seemed polite but not emoting. I think that what I took for disinterest was really a bit of shock. The audience was sucked in and emotionally spent by the time it was over. GREAT!
This show is my first to be reviewed by media critics. I don't think that I realized how I would react to that process. Most of the critics attended Friday evening's performance and reviews began coming out over the weekend. While no one said anything negative about my design and some actually raved about my work, I still have a lingering feeling of insecurity. All but one mentioned the set and/or the lighting to some degree. A couple credited all of the furnishings to the props staff. Those of you who have followed me through this process, know that I went through great pains to find just the right pieces to furnish this "farmhouse in 1968". Oh well... They didn't dislike the furnishings, they just didn't realize that I had done it.
I read the first review as my wife and I drove to Chicago on Saturday for her to run in the Chicago marathon. I was so relieved and totally pumped as that reviewer glowed about my work using words like "magic" to describe the set. Each subsequent review had me nervous, like getting tests back in school...hoping for a perfect score, but just wanting to not be embarrassed with a failure. It was almost addictive, waiting impatiently for the page to load and reading through to see if there were any comments about set or lighting. I don't think I like the review thing...too nerve-wracking.
Now that this is passed, I can relax and enjoy the rest of the run. I am really proud of the whole company and the job that we have done with this show. ALL of the pieces fit together well and really make this show an experience.
I have three weeks to enjoy my first show at New Line. Then we tear it down and pack the pieces away for reuse in some undetermined future show. Normally, I don't get emotional when a show closes. I view theater as a temporary art and closing night is just as great as opening. The few people who came to see the show are the ones who are lucky enough to have the memory. That being said, this show's closing will be a little bittersweet for me, being my first. I poured my heart, sweat and tears into this project hoping to really knock it out of the park. I feel good about the results...critics or not.
R
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Cue to Cue...the end of my journey.
I spent a not-so-quiet evening at the theater last night, building each look and recording cues. It is not the most cue-intensive show that I have ever done, but it sure ranks up there in the top few. Probably the worst was the production of The 39 Steps a couple of years ago. That show had literally hundreds of cues.
I say not-so-quiet because Kerrie, the sound person was there for the 90 minutes or so, testing sound effects and wireless mics. It made us smile to have fire crackling sounds as I added the fire lighting effects. :) I will say that it was nice to have such pleasant company!
It has been an interesting and exciting journey over the past 3 months. From the initial design concept discussions with Scott in late July, through fabricating in the scenic shop, it has been a lot of work and a lot of fun. Patrick, Melanie and I grew to be closer friends and I think we really became a team.
By the time we got to load-in two weeks ago, (seems so long ago! So many hours at the theater since then) it was like having three superintendents. All three of us knew how it went together and all three of us shared a common vision for the completed project. I think that is why load-in went so smoothly. We knew every nook and cranny of that set...every little piece and how it had to fit together.
Lighting was an adventure, as I previously commented on. But we worked through it. The first time in a new facility is always a challenge. Like the set, I learned a lot about the space and how to light a show in it. I am sure that there will be holes in the light plot, shadows here and there that I cannot fix at this point because the instrument just can't stretch to fill it. Overall, I think that it will be OK.
The cast has been SUPER excited and supportive of me as I made my way through my first show with New Line. The kicker was to hear Marcy squeal when she walked in Thursday evening for rehearsal and the set was warmed with stage lighting. Thank you, folks, for being AWESOME!
And I especially appreciate working with Scott...he has had a unique balance of a clear, focused vision and allowing me artistic freedom. Hopefully not so much that I hang myself. I feel that I have been able to convey my ideas, and he either agreed or, without condescension, in a reasonable, thought-out, and frank manner, told me how his concept was different. It was a truly professional and collaborative process. It was not fraught with drama or ego. He made it a pleasure to do this show.
Now we come to cue-to-cue day. I have a few details to wrap up. I will need to adjust the lights on the band after they get set up. After sleeping on it, there are a couple of cues that I want to edit a bit for better transitions. And I have the last of the set dressing to coordinate...mostly granny clothes in the dresser and putting the set back the way it should be at the beginning of the show. WOW! Does it get trashed in 80 minutes of action! :)
Then I will give Gabe the cue marks in his script and we will walk through it with the cast. It is getting to be very, very close to where I must let it go and the cast and crew will bring it to life... what a great journey and tremendously rewarding process this had been.
Now I rest... See you at the show!
R
I say not-so-quiet because Kerrie, the sound person was there for the 90 minutes or so, testing sound effects and wireless mics. It made us smile to have fire crackling sounds as I added the fire lighting effects. :) I will say that it was nice to have such pleasant company!
It has been an interesting and exciting journey over the past 3 months. From the initial design concept discussions with Scott in late July, through fabricating in the scenic shop, it has been a lot of work and a lot of fun. Patrick, Melanie and I grew to be closer friends and I think we really became a team.
By the time we got to load-in two weeks ago, (seems so long ago! So many hours at the theater since then) it was like having three superintendents. All three of us knew how it went together and all three of us shared a common vision for the completed project. I think that is why load-in went so smoothly. We knew every nook and cranny of that set...every little piece and how it had to fit together.
Lighting was an adventure, as I previously commented on. But we worked through it. The first time in a new facility is always a challenge. Like the set, I learned a lot about the space and how to light a show in it. I am sure that there will be holes in the light plot, shadows here and there that I cannot fix at this point because the instrument just can't stretch to fill it. Overall, I think that it will be OK.
The cast has been SUPER excited and supportive of me as I made my way through my first show with New Line. The kicker was to hear Marcy squeal when she walked in Thursday evening for rehearsal and the set was warmed with stage lighting. Thank you, folks, for being AWESOME!
And I especially appreciate working with Scott...he has had a unique balance of a clear, focused vision and allowing me artistic freedom. Hopefully not so much that I hang myself. I feel that I have been able to convey my ideas, and he either agreed or, without condescension, in a reasonable, thought-out, and frank manner, told me how his concept was different. It was a truly professional and collaborative process. It was not fraught with drama or ego. He made it a pleasure to do this show.
Now we come to cue-to-cue day. I have a few details to wrap up. I will need to adjust the lights on the band after they get set up. After sleeping on it, there are a couple of cues that I want to edit a bit for better transitions. And I have the last of the set dressing to coordinate...mostly granny clothes in the dresser and putting the set back the way it should be at the beginning of the show. WOW! Does it get trashed in 80 minutes of action! :)
Then I will give Gabe the cue marks in his script and we will walk through it with the cast. It is getting to be very, very close to where I must let it go and the cast and crew will bring it to life... what a great journey and tremendously rewarding process this had been.
Now I rest... See you at the show!
R
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