No Flowers for Stagehands

Well, I haven’t posted on this in a year I think.

Mainly because I’ve been so busy with my high school troupe the whole year.

To recap my year:

Thespian President of Troupe 6162

Hosted Both Days of Individual Events for District 8 at our high school.

• made the schedule of all the door holders, timers, and extraneous positions.
• performed in the large group “Money” from Cabaret (Superior)
• performed in a duet scene from Fool for Love by Sam Shepard (Superior)
• performed in ensemble scene from Lysistrata (Excellent [put together in less than a week]
• Stage Managed closing ceremony.

Stage Managed Battle of the Bands

Stage Managed our Original One Act “J.F. Caesar” we performed it at District 8’s One Act festival on Thursday, we got Superior and we chosen to take our One Act to The Florida State Thespian Festival.

For Little Shop of Horrors did Lighting Design, Sound Design (with my friend Rashaud), and Set Painting (with a bunch of other people, mainly Rashaud and Alexa)

Went to Florida State Thespian Festival

• Stage Managed our original One Act “J.F. Caesar” 

(part of a costume was left at our high school, so I had to make an undergarment for one actor who wore a chiton while walking to the performance space for load in at 6am. All I had to make said undergarment were of two of my sponsor’s T-shirts and safety pins. I made it work.)

Then a nut from the set fell of towards the beginning of the show.

We were disqualified by going over for less than a minute.

We still got Superior

We were un-disqualified because another troupe went over by way more and  an exception had been made for them.

• Performed in large group “Money” From Cabaret (Superior)
• Replaced a girl who was in ensemble scene from The Crucible (Superior)

Was Florence in The Odd Couple- Female Version

Was Irena Synkova in our Senior Showcase I Never Saw Another Butterfly

And during all of that, I was doing tech. (usually lighting) for random small shows and events, and helping with tech. for Pep Rallies.

Wow. Looking back at all of that, this past year was kind of crazy. It was a lot lighter in terms of Stage Managing, considering in my two previous years I managed at least 4 shows a year and this year I only did one show, but this year was hectic in many other ways. Overall though, I think it was a really great Senior Year.

And now I’m off to North Carolina School of the Arts for Stage Management! I’m so excited!!!

I guess since this is the first post, an introduction is in order.  I love theatre, and have loved it since the moment we first met. I was first exposed to theatre in kindergarten. My class went on a field trip to The Actor’s Playhouse in Florida to see “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” I don’t remember much from the show but I do remember the lights, set, costumes, and transitions. Especially the transitions. I loved how the stage would go black and then there would be the faintest blue. And I remember sitting in the still darkness hearing the soft murmur of large set pieces rolling in to place and seeing the hulking outline move across the stage. It was magical, I’d never seen anything like it. I felt a strange mix of elation, excitement, and comfort. Then in fifth grade my class put on a production of “Peter Pan”. I was Great Big Little Panther (which they turned into a role for a girl) and a mermaid (only because I had a costume, which was home made and didn’t look like The Little Mermaid). In middle school I took drama classes, first starting out on make-up crew then parts in various shows. I tended to get leads or at the least a supporting role. Then in high school, a small fish in a huge pond, I started crewing, not having the chance to audition as a freshman. I found my love for being back stage instead of on stage. Then I found the positions I particularly love: stage managing and lighting design. I have however dabbled in all areas of technical theatre available in a high school setting: make-up, costumes, props, sound, lights, runner, etc. And I love them all. I can’t think of anything else I’d want to do with my life other than this.