It feels as though it has has been quite a while since last I posted more than a link and quote. The trip to California was very good, and very packed. I had several meetings that were very productive. I saw several plays. I met with many friends. I celebrated my grandmother’s 94th birthday. All in all it was a lovely trip. And oh my! The weather. I forget sometimes just how wonderful the weather is in the Bay Area.
Things get rather hectic over here at Light Que 23 as of this afternoon. This week we are workshopping Antigona. There will be a reading on Thursday and Friday nights that may or may not have lighting. Details are still TBD as we are primarily focused on Rumania and getting all that stuff together. I think the play is coming together rather nicely. I have not seen anything since last Monday, but the direction it was going when last I saw a rehearsal and by all reports since it should be quite an exciting show.
I have a big design meeting this weekend for Aida. The director, set designer and I will sit down and do a listen through of the piece while discussing scenic and lighting ideas. It should be a good meeting although the piece is long to begin with and once discussion is added in it may well take the better part of the day. I met with the technical director of the theatre when I was in California and was able to figure out several of the quirky aspects to the space that will at least minimize surprises.
Next Monday we load-in for Fate’s Imagination at the Players Theatre. We had a bit of a snafu as the theatre drawings the set designer received were rather deceptive as to where certain walls were located, so the design had to be reworked for the realities of the space. Quite a lot to do so close to a load-in, but so it goes from time to time. At least we found this out before we were in the space thus the only problem is a time crunch rather than a full rebuild and delayed opening.
So much of this work must be taken on faith. Faith that the drawings are correct, that other people are doing their job, that your work on paper bears out in reality. All of this before even considering an audience and the performative aspects of the show. It feels like the work I do is one long series of hypothetical statements punctuated briefly by the answer of opening night. This “answer” as it were is in many if not most ways incidental to the journey of arriving there.
The hectic schedule continues as we leave for Rumania the same day as the first press preview for Fate’s Imagination. So at least with that one I miss the punctuation. I will be working on another show in another country when it opens. I still get a little surprise when that happens despite it being a fairly regular part of my work flow. By the opening the show is done, and usually has been for several performances. My work is and has been over for some time so really it shouldn’t feel strange. Of course a lot of it is the disappointment in missing out on the party.
