Mommy Rumination

Happy New Year! Let's make it a good one.

Three down...one to go.....

It's been a long and terrific weekend.  We opened Friday night to a full house and got wonderful reviews from our theater going friends.  Two shows yesterday reminded me of why we no longer DO two shows in a day.  Damn, am I tired!

One more matinee today, then we tear it down and start the next one.  Did I mention that all four performance are sold out?

I actually have about a month off between this closing and auditioning children's....but I have to finish the tech package for regionals during that month.....

Ah....a theater whore's work is never done....

News.....

There is lots of news here....and all about theater.  It's tech week for Oliver which opens Friday.  Last night, we had an unfortunate mishap with the coffin scene and sent Oliver out an ambulance with an injured arm.  Absolutely terrible.  I don't think the injury was terrible, but still, there was little sleep for me last night as I await news of his ER visit.  And worry about how our young star will feel physically and emotionally when we return to rehearsal tonight.

The Princess is as cute as ever and particularly so in her costume.  Who knew street urchins were so adorable?

I redesigned the set change plot last night because both the director and I are not happy with how it's going....

But I really didn't post to write about the woes of tech week.  I posted to share this story.....cuz it's pretty damn funny and it made international news. 

Prop 8 The Musical

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... by Jack Black

I heart this cat....

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Hope yours was PURRFECT!

Home....FINALLY

No, I have not been traveling or jet-setting around the globe.  I have simply been "out".  Endlessly, hopelessly over-committed.  Out equals:

• At a rehearsal
• At a work meeting
• Teaching a class
• At a performance
• At a festival meeting..... 

 

No, I have not been at girls' night out or enjoying a non-working dinner in a restaurant.  But tonight, I am finally HOME.  It's 7:15 and I am home.  Warmly ensconced in my robe and slippers, with a decaf latte and my laptop.  In truth, I *should* be a rehearsal, but a girl needs a break once in a while.  I also had a work meeting scheduled for tonight that thankfully was canceled.  The last time I was at home at 7:15 pm without needing to head right back outwas Oct 30th.  I think......

And Curt and Thea are at rehearsal.  It's me, the cats and the clicker......and a big pile of work to do, but at least I can do it here on my couch, in my peaceful house.....

Ahhhhhh.........................

I Gotta CROW!

Pardon me, everyone, while I have one of those big ole gigantic bragging-about-my-baby-girl fests.

A little background: Thea loves theater tech.  LOVES it.  A year or so ago, Curt was sitting in the theater while one of our lighting designers was hanging lights.  Thea was up in the booth and the light designer said, "Pumpkin, take everything out and run up circuit 12 for me."  So the stage when dark and a single light came on.  Curt looked up, shocked, and said, "She knows how to do that?!?!"  What can I say.  She takes after her mommy.

We are currently in production with Neil Simond's Broadway Bound.  I am running the tech booth (the light and sound boards) for most of the performances.  Thea was in the booth with me last Sunday and ran the last 10 light cues of the show.  Now, both systems are fully programmable, so the Stage Manager calls the cue over the headset and the operator literally presses a "go" button that executes what's been pre-programmed.  It's not like the old 2 channel pre-set boards when you had to run up each circuit on the X or Y channel and then run a cross-fade to the new setting......(that probably makes no sense to any non-technical-theater person...sorry)  BUT, there are a ton of visual cues in the show.  Everyone is constantly flipping light switches on and off which, as you'd expect, turns the light in the "room" on and off.  So the stage manager calls a warning for the "visual" cue and relies on the operator to execute the cue when the actor turns the light on or off. 

Tonight, I gave Thea a headset and she ran light board for the ENTIRE show.  She made two tiny errors that no one but us noticed.  Of course my little perfectionist beat the hell out of herself and was very upset that a bedroom light went out early - but she truly did an AMAZING job.  I was right with her the whole time running sound and ready to snap into action if there was a major error.  Silly me!  There was no need for that!

I am one proud as a peacock mama tonight!  :)

I've always known yellow is a terrible color on me......

Epic fall......EPIC.......truly.......

 

   

I feel SOOOO pretty!

An historic night

Last night, as I sat in the control booth at the theater, operating the lights and sound, my laptop was close by.  The stage manager sat next to me and instead of really watching the show we were supporting technically, we watched with bated breath as swing states slowly turned blue. 

McCain conceded before I shut down the light board.  I arrived home in time to listen to President-Elect Obama's powerful and inspiring speech.  Tears filled my eyes as I watched a rainbow sea of Americans cheer and shout and cry together.  I sat glued to my television as yesterday became today and I stayed up far too late.  This morning's sound bite of Obama's promise to his girls of a puppy certainly brought him up even higher in Thea's vision. 

For the first time last night, America elected a black man to lead this country.  For the first time yesterday, I had a candidate to vote FOR instead of choosing the lesser of two evils.  For the first time in Thea's lifetime, we have an incoming president to have faith in, to believe in.  For the first time in a long, long time, I am not embarrassed to be an American.

Congratulations, President Obama.  Thank you.....for so much hope and being brave enough and strong enough to break through.  The world is celebrating with and for you.  Perhaps we will be able to repair the "Bush Legacy" afterall.