Running: Light Techs do it when something explodes or catches fire

Thank you facebook flair... :)

So let's see, picking up whence I left off earlier today... where was I? Ah yes! Stage Managing!

It was certainly an experience and a half. I'd only stage managed once before, and that for an already well-established system, with two amazing assistants, and a director who wrote the book on stage managing (and was therefore very on top of everything!). However, I also had a part-time job, 16.5 credit hours of class, a play I was writing & prepping to direct the next semester, and two or three other shows I had some measure of involvement in going on at the same time. Macbeth was so amazing in that I had more to do, it was the premier show of Theatre Coup d'Etat, and I only had a very flexible day job vying for my attentions.

Looking back on the experience is rather... fascinating would be a good word I s'pose. I went into the production feeling so sorry for Peter. I knew him to be a fantastic director, and felt he deserved a stage manager who knew & enjoyed what they were doing. Now, well...

It's amazing, really, the huge gift you give someone, just by having faith in them when they have none in themselves. Now I know, not only can I stage manage, but I can do a pretty amazing job of it. It's still probably never going to be my first choice of jobs, but I can do it & do it well. Thank you, Stacy & Derrick, for being there for me the first time, and giving me the foundation that allowed me to soar this time.

Yet I must confess, I am extremely glad I no longer have to be the tactful & diplomatic rock of patience. :P And that being said, is all I shall say of that.

I think designing lights was my saving grace during the show. Well, not the sole one, but it helped a lot. Something about having that creative outlet and having a capacity to function in as an artist as well as a manager--it made my soul sing and transported me from struggling to thriving. My passion had an out and didn't just boil within.

Hahaha... sorry, I can't help it. My brain keep wandering, and when I write semi-seriously on any of this I suddenly realize how... well, let's just say I suddenly stop taking myself so seriously, and start laughing at such a ridiculous occurrence.

Funny stories about stage managing: I can only share a select few, because some of you reading are not stage managers. For the uncut version, feel free to contact me. If you're a stage manager I'll share gladly! If you're not, I'll probably just laugh at you. Sorry. :)

To give a general idea of what I was working with: there were 16 in the cast, including one 7 year old boy named Arie who played the son of Macduff, our director's name was Peter, our "producer" co-founded Theatre Coup d'Etat with Peter and was our lead actor, James. The space was in downtown St. Paul (which has a very different flavour than Minneapolis), and has a house of about 90. The lighting instruments were 28 in number (29 if you count the one under the seats, which you should actually, because it was awesome), and run by a decently advanced board.

One of my more interesting responsibilities included opening the trapdoor in the light booth. There were two occasions when actors entered from the back of the house, in which case they took a circuitous route and came up the trapdoor that was situated in the light booth, that they might enter from thence into the house. This was all well & fine after the sole time when the actors tried coming up through the trapdoor on their own. It wouldn't have been so terrifying, but for the fact that I was sitting on it, trying to run the lights at the moment... :)

Anyhoo, fun Stage Manager stories will have to wait, as shall tales of Light Designing, Animals class, Gigs to come, and the rest of life. The night is coming on apace and my bed calls to me.

G'night all. See ya tomorrow!