tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534591542313247042024-03-05T15:52:36.455-08:00Views From BackstageStories from my life working in Theatre.
Best read from the oldest posts to newest for normal chronological order.Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.comBlogger230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-7896755741481963252021-05-17T09:57:00.002-07:002021-05-17T09:59:14.426-07:00Festival of Ten - XII<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">With the Covid-19 shutdown I thought I would have plenty of
time to work on my Blog.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Time yes, interest no.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We did have one department production this spring semester
plus several smaller student productions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Most were filmed and one done live with masks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The student one acts were all done in our black box theatre.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The biggest production was of The Dumb Waiter complete with
a set and working dumb waiter.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The actors wore masks and there was a small socially spaced audience.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2N_OGFQjh5JvUgEL2Zu5tZdqLSzqGei0pmOoSil6QENNhWiwMnKutx4F04p6uFDkENxh8u-UQ-0qyMo_-9nxq4S_Xz08IvSA54fdO72T4Q01UGmnIWbi7WBVt-jtFuscb1koHp8Rig/s2048/IMG_0116.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2N_OGFQjh5JvUgEL2Zu5tZdqLSzqGei0pmOoSil6QENNhWiwMnKutx4F04p6uFDkENxh8u-UQ-0qyMo_-9nxq4S_Xz08IvSA54fdO72T4Q01UGmnIWbi7WBVt-jtFuscb1koHp8Rig/s320/IMG_0116.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3gMlTG-K4-w/YKKftqbsmzI/AAAAAAAABhQ/xphZpn34wz0fMfJXyXbi-we57EOTeFv1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s5184/IMG_0129.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3gMlTG-K4-w/YKKftqbsmzI/AAAAAAAABhQ/xphZpn34wz0fMfJXyXbi-we57EOTeFv1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0129.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tNHCzg_RR12XOk6kYnYrig7a2kNaSOItEM1J1uppgkth0rA0ipZJiaxwrqJBCn7TxoasHzpsInjFVB9LRGQKSsYt3X-c7HP_Jm9MrK7zhvk0EXqkUsF2BvnOLcdRW9JMzGi7ehiVyQ/s2048/IMG_0108.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tNHCzg_RR12XOk6kYnYrig7a2kNaSOItEM1J1uppgkth0rA0ipZJiaxwrqJBCn7TxoasHzpsInjFVB9LRGQKSsYt3X-c7HP_Jm9MrK7zhvk0EXqkUsF2BvnOLcdRW9JMzGi7ehiVyQ/s320/IMG_0108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Our department mainstage show was our 12<sup>th</sup>
edition of our Festival of Ten-Minute plays.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We built an outdoor stage next to the historic Erie Canal
and filmed the plays in one long day.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">We were lucky with a cool be sunny day and except for a bit
of wind things went well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dLPbQzEB20/YKKfDf8bPnI/AAAAAAAABgs/rss3_-wYEnAiTn5YUfqXTCDvdgBxKnrkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2556/IMG_0128.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="2556" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dLPbQzEB20/YKKfDf8bPnI/AAAAAAAABgs/rss3_-wYEnAiTn5YUfqXTCDvdgBxKnrkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0128.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5AjM2U64RU/YKKfD3nsPQI/AAAAAAAABg4/kidyb_PW6JoDYvN2ZFPHuu7jg4nVIC_VwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0144.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1852" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V5AjM2U64RU/YKKfD3nsPQI/AAAAAAAABg4/kidyb_PW6JoDYvN2ZFPHuu7jg4nVIC_VwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0144.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The ten plays were edited with the addition of music and
sound effects and were streamed online.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Over 40 students, alumni, faculty and staff all worked
together to mount the show.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I write this post as the mask mandates are just being lifted
and there is hope things will be next to normal when school begins again in the
fall and we can get back into the theatres again.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k1HkUUewVyU/YKKfEB7wnLI/AAAAAAAABg8/y91k8FfsPqsEn1A6otBsXCHnlrV3z1j7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0154.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1503" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k1HkUUewVyU/YKKfEB7wnLI/AAAAAAAABg8/y91k8FfsPqsEn1A6otBsXCHnlrV3z1j7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0154.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80tRYQT46a8/YKKgzunSMVI/AAAAAAAABhg/3H51AoHB294Ls4jBUsaG4YqLBufqEVa9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1601" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-80tRYQT46a8/YKKgzunSMVI/AAAAAAAABhg/3H51AoHB294Ls4jBUsaG4YqLBufqEVa9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_0087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-48470133379422037632020-12-31T14:46:00.001-08:002020-12-31T14:46:31.159-08:00The New World of Civid-19<p> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well
2020 the year of Covid-19 is finally over.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
had thought, hoped, that I could have caught up on my Blog posts but
it never happened.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
couldn't get my mind on my Blog and funny stories of the past when
there was this new uncertain crazy world flying all around us.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My
brother-in-Law, who had been declining fast to the ravages of
dementia, was one of the early victims of the virus.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
brought it too close to home.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
the school closed down in March it became a waiting period to see
what the world would through at us next and I never seemed to get a
solid grip on getting anything new done.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When
school began again this fall it turned out that we had only one
production to work on.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
recorded a stage reading of <span style="color: #262626;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Voices
of Freedom Summer—A Reflection on the Turbulent Summer of 1964</span></i></span>
and it was streamed online.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TGrbJzb-RpY/X-5S68b6O_I/AAAAAAAABeQ/9Fyxs8smMgUXx--QUYKCeuwZ6X7aT5EAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1913/VoicesPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1913" data-original-width="1238" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TGrbJzb-RpY/X-5S68b6O_I/AAAAAAAABeQ/9Fyxs8smMgUXx--QUYKCeuwZ6X7aT5EAQCLcBGAsYHQ/w259-h400/VoicesPoster.jpg" width="259" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My
students set up eight music practice rooms for the filming.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Extra
furniture was cleared out of the rooms and “Green Screen”
material was attached to one wall.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
video camera, lights and a microphone were added to each room.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Each
actor also had ear buds so that they could hear each other and be
cued when to begin.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All
the wires ran out to the hall were it was all recorded.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
a week of rehearsals and recording the sound and videos were mixed
into the final product and posted online.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
was not live theatre but gave our students a good experience.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My
stagecraft students worked on setting up the rooms and making changes
as needed.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
biggest addition to the rooms was adding panels to deaden the sound.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Carpet
scraps and blankets were attached to small flats and placed in the
rooms.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
segment with all the performers wearing masks was recorded on the
Mainstage and used at the beginning and end of the piece.</span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For
much of the semester my students worked on small projects on the
stage and in the shop. </span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
built a new rehearsal table, re-built another and cleaned the stage
and shop several times times over.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At
the end of the semester all classes went online and I had my students
watch a variety of tech videos.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
spring semester is going to start with online classes and hopefully
move to face-to-face meetings early in March.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This
spring we are planning to do our <i>Festival of Ten, XII.</i></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
am not sure what format we will be doing the 10 ten-minute plays.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">They
will most likely be filmed with the current plan is to do some, if
not all, on the stage with the actors wearing masks. </span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
will have to wait and see as things seem to change fast in these days
of Covid-19.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
became clear to me early on in the pandemic that live theatre, with
many people sitting close together in theatres would be one of the
last things to reopen.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let
us all hope the vaccines work and we can get back to a more normal
world.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-24466347139980253632020-05-22T19:26:00.002-07:002020-05-23T13:58:26.211-07:00Theatre in the age of Corvid-19<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">For everyone the past few months has not been anything like what we had hoped for 2020 to be. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">As a Theatre Educator I had been busy as usual working on music concerts, theatrical productions, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">teaching classes and supervising student projects when the world changed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Our production of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Stupid Fucking Bird </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">was selected to go to the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">American College Theatre Festival</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">in Maryland </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and our students came back a few weeks early in January to rehearse and make necessary </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">changes for the tour.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Festival theatre was different than ours so a few set changes were needed and blocking modified.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">After just a few short days of rehearsal the set was packed into a truck and the cast and crew were off.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The performance went well and all our students did a great job.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The truck with the set and costumes returned just a few days before classes began.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The experience was very positive to all the students involved and this gave a general energy boost </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre;">department as the new semester was underway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Even back at the start of the semester stories of this new </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Virus</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> was popping up in the news.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Our first sign that things ahead were going to be different is that our first music event had </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">to be postponed </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre;">because of bad weather.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It put a little bump in our plans but we moved on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Our first play of the semester was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Crimes of the Heart</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, it would be the third time we have done </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">it on the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre;">Mainstage and the students have also produced the play twice in the Black Box. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It had been twenty years since our last production so it was not too fresh in most people's memory.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The production went well, the cast worked hard and seemed to enjoy working with each other.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">My Stagecraft class, only 5 in number, worked hard to get the set done.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The set was a little late getting finished but all the students came together and pushed hard to get</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> it painted </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and the last details done.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">In the end it looked good and the performances went well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">As the weeks of the production went on the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Virus</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> was more prominent in the news and various</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> plans started </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre;">to be discussed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">By the end of the production we were a week from spring break and it was clear something </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">was going to happen.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Each day the reports got more dire and plans changed, sometimes several times a day.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We had one last concert before the school and state shut down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The last thing we did before the shutdown was the r</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">escheduled cello/piano </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">concert from February. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was very good, almost bittersweet, as we all knew that the world was about to change for us all and we would not be back for a while.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">.</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">So here we are two months later.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We finished the semester with a hastily put together distance learning program and our plans</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> for moving </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre;">forward are ever changing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Our future production plans have changed several times and I bet that they will change </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">again before school </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre;">resumes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">In the words of the old Chinese curse:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>May you live in interesting times.</i></span></div>
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Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-37695228858058261632019-10-17T13:48:00.002-07:002019-10-17T13:48:29.712-07:00"Oleanna" and "The Crucible", Spring 1996<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our first play back in the Mainstage Theatre after the
renovation was David Mamet’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oleanna</i></b>, not my favorite play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it was the pathetic weak-willed nature of the
characters rather than the subject that made me dislike the play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I did not LIKE either of the characters and did not care
what happened to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The two person play had a single set made up of many
bookcases suggesting a round office.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the show many of the bookcases wandered off to various
staff offices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our spring production of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Crucible</i></b> by Arthur
Miller was a much more interesting production.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Written in 1953, the play was a reaction to Joseph McCarthy
and the Red Scare of the late 1940’s but the play was set during the Salem
witch trials of 1692.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our Director chose to set the play to the 1950’s during the
time of the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At first I was not sure about it but the play was over 40
years old at that point so the time shifting seemed to work fine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The settings were fragmented suggestions of locations, with
the courtroom have the most detail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the courtroom we
had two large TV monitors with a video feed coming from a 1950’s looking TV
camera. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The TV camera was made from a 1950’s effect projector
mounted on the heavy base of an old Strong Super Trooper follow spot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A small video camera was hidden in the unit with a cable
running out to the two TV’s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The camera was focused on the accused who was facing upstage
and the judges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The effect was great and added to the tension of the trial
scene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It come as no
surprise to my regular readers that we still have the makeshift TV camera down
in storage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Several local adult actors supplemented the large student
cast for a strong and powerful production</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Department had done a production of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Crucible</i></b> back in 1967
and those past cast members who were located were invited to the newer
production.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One returning cast member was a former minor local TV
personality who unfortunately passed away soon after his visit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another former actor with a degenerative disease came in a
wheelchair and her family said that she was just so happy to have been invited
and return to Brockport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The other returning cast members enjoyed the show but
enjoyed seeing each other even more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The show ran fine and another school year was done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After a two year break it was time again for summer theatre
at Brockport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Coming up: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barnum</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-18950836388823250252019-08-13T10:44:00.002-07:002019-09-06T15:24:06.777-07:00Renovations of 1995<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The main goal of the renovation of Tower Fine Arts Mainstage
Theatre in 1995 was to remove and replace the drop ceiling over the seats which
contain tons of asbestos. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Also done at that time was the instillation of a new
lighting catwalk and two access ladders up to the cove.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The original fire curtain, also full of asbestos, was replaced.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
During the renovation all of the seats were removed and the original
purple fabric was updated to a nice boring grey.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Now almost twenty-five years later it might be time to replace
the seating fabric.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5l1vNqS3Eew/XXLaA2b3-oI/AAAAAAAABYs/fZjdTZ9R5RM2-fGhuPYD1P4EasQ4AsH6ACLcBGAs/s1600/q2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="966" height="291" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5l1vNqS3Eew/XXLaA2b3-oI/AAAAAAAABYs/fZjdTZ9R5RM2-fGhuPYD1P4EasQ4AsH6ACLcBGAs/s400/q2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scaffold in the Mainstage over the frames for the seats.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
One day during the renovation work several of my tech
students working in the shop practicing their welding skills.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
One of the construction workers who was passing through the
space stopped to see what the students were doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
He gave them an impromptu ten minute master class in welding;
showing how to adjust the welder, hold the MIG gun and what sound to listen for
when making a good weld.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Frying eggs</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
In just a short time the students learned more than I could
have ever taught them as welding is not one of my strongest skills.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The students thanked the man and continued practicing and making
much better welds.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
When we got the Mainstage back in January of 1996 we had to
explore the space and see what changes were made and to see what we had to do
to get ready for another semester of plays and music concerts..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The first thing we found is that the stage floor was ruined.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
During the asbestos removal they had built a clean-up shower
right in the middle of the stage and a good deal of water had leaked out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The original stage floor was covered with ¾ inch particle board
and the water had swelled the floor panels so much that it was almost 18 inches
off the sub-floor in spots.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The worst panels had to be removed and replaced but still much
of the rest of the floor was in bad shape.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Somehow and someplace money was found and we replaced the
whole stage floor during one of the next free summers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Soon we all had to see the new lighting catwalk and found
that the floor was steel diamond plate with raised texture bumps.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Not good on the knees when working on the lights.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZVM4OfV3r9WHE0N2WX8FWcCHvAbtQM2FnUd4s-uT9GilEj7fSvlTZMASLubgYSegbpOMtpmK5qztmPewNJC5wInV-XhlrCYOtfDTgtw83_z8Pt5ZlT3Ci0QOGN7uc0Xr0obfnu-B9w/s1600/IMG_6662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZVM4OfV3r9WHE0N2WX8FWcCHvAbtQM2FnUd4s-uT9GilEj7fSvlTZMASLubgYSegbpOMtpmK5qztmPewNJC5wInV-XhlrCYOtfDTgtw83_z8Pt5ZlT3Ci0QOGN7uc0Xr0obfnu-B9w/s320/IMG_6662.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Catwalk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It did not take too long for us to find and put as much
scrap carpet as we could to cover the floor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
My students worked hard to replace the lights to the cove
and learn how to work with the new lighting catwalk and the extra pipe added to
allow the lights to be focused on the stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The first event of 1996 was a music concert at the end of the
second week of classes which did not take too much effort but the real test
would be the first play a few weeks later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-24776244530539460812019-08-12T09:03:00.001-07:002019-08-12T09:03:18.604-07:00‘Twas the Night before Christmas, 1995<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Because the planned renovations to the Tower Theatre Mainstage
was behind schedule we changed our Christmas show from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Christmas Carol</i></b> to a
children’s version of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Twas the Night before Christmas</i></b> and
moved the show to the Dance Theatre in Hartwell Hall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The set had several restrictions put on it in order for it to be able to be
used in the Dance Theatre.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It had to be small enough to build in Tower and ship over to
Hartwell and be easy to be set up and taken down each day so dance classes
could be held between rehearsals.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AoaQYq4o7O8/XVGNCE1RHXI/AAAAAAAABYE/IzGsRv5iM2QmB9XSez6LikagQwSHlYlcQCLcBGAs/s1600/TwasProgram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="941" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AoaQYq4o7O8/XVGNCE1RHXI/AAAAAAAABYE/IzGsRv5iM2QmB9XSez6LikagQwSHlYlcQCLcBGAs/s320/TwasProgram.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Because the dance theatre has a Marley floor we could not
nail or screw anything to the floor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
In addition all of the set pieces all had carpet pieces attached
to their bottoms as not to damage the floor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The set was fairly simple with a few pieces of furniture, a
door way, a large fireplace and of course a Christmas tree.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The one big special effect was a plywood cut-out of a silhouette
of Santa in his sleigh with reindeer that flew across the sky.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The cut-out was about 18 inches to two feet long and rode on
some cables from one side of the stage to the other powered by a stagehand
turning a drum with cable that pulled the Santa through the sky.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OC33ZfKN8GY/XVGNHl1q5zI/AAAAAAAABYI/CFa5OnU9S4QcFPMujUURBsJDLYnTHOECACLcBGAs/s1600/santa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="467" height="211" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OC33ZfKN8GY/XVGNHl1q5zI/AAAAAAAABYI/CFa5OnU9S4QcFPMujUURBsJDLYnTHOECACLcBGAs/s320/santa1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The kids loved it and it was a big monument in the play but
not as big as at the end of the play “Santa” came off the stage and met with
the kids and passed out mini candy canes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The actor who played “Santa” seemed to have candy canes in
his pockets for months after the play.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We moved the set and costumes over to the dance Theatre at
the end of November on a day when we got hit with an early Artic Blast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It was only about 14 degrees plus wind, ice and snow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A simple job of unloading the truck took three times as long
as everyone’s fingers were numb.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I do not recall the same problem when we brought the set
back to Tower a few weeks later.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eDRaCv3LPwI/XVGNOfhOkMI/AAAAAAAABYM/fpJmyraLx_kY510nCMlQqLbS6rtzYr9hQCLcBGAs/s1600/Twas95.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="683" height="207" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eDRaCv3LPwI/XVGNOfhOkMI/AAAAAAAABYM/fpJmyraLx_kY510nCMlQqLbS6rtzYr9hQCLcBGAs/s320/Twas95.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Cast onstage</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It was not the greatest piece of literature ever written but
the sixteen students in it and the many backstage all did a good job and had
fun doing it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Again we had student lighting and sound designers for this
show.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The spring of 1996 was up next and a return to the Mainstage
Theatre after six months of renovations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-16191266946409365012019-08-09T10:14:00.002-07:002019-09-06T15:22:37.776-07:00The Voice of the Prairie, Fall 1995<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The summer of 1995 we had no show at the college for the
second year in a row. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I spent my time trying to make sure the renovations of the
Mainstage Theatre were going well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I met several times trying to ensure that the new lighting
catwalk’s problems could be overcome.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I addition to the many issues of the building renovations
there were going to be big staff changes in the fall of 1995. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
In addition to the sudden loss of the scene designer we also
lost our production manager/shop foreman who left to take a new job at Ithaca
College.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A temporary scene designer was found and a search for a full
time replacement would soon begin with me has the chair of the search
committee. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The choice of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Voice of the Prairie</i></b> by John
Olive worked well for our first fall production in the Black Box theatre.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPsx0a55thM/XXLaLodn3nI/AAAAAAAABYw/bvCEmsDXCuctw2T6OMIpiRfnk6LjzFztwCLcBGAs/s1600/q3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="695" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sPsx0a55thM/XXLaLodn3nI/AAAAAAAABYw/bvCEmsDXCuctw2T6OMIpiRfnk6LjzFztwCLcBGAs/s400/q3.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note student working up on the Old Grid.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
There were only four actors in the cast and the scene design
used a unit set with several moving pieces to change the look of the space.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I remember that all of the students did a good job both on and
off stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The scenic design was mostly a large barn-like wall with a large
sliding door and a smaller door that had to fly in and out in a space without a
fly system.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I worked with several of my advanced students to make the several
scenic challenges, including the flying door, work smoothly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The show had both student lighting and sound designers who did a good job.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We had used the Black Box Theatre for three “Mainstage”
productions my first few years at Brockport but it had been a while since we
had used it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After our more recent renovations forced us to use the Black
Box Theatre again,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one director found
that he liked it and has used it several times even after the renovation were
done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Some productions work much better in the intimate Black Box
Theatre than on the larger Mainstage. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The building renovations along with other issues made it was
a difficult time for the department.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Because the Arts for Children faculty were made into their
own area for a few years, our department was down to just four full time
faculty, several adjuncts, a guest designer and myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We could have had more issues with unhappy students because
of the loss of a popular teacher and other staff losses, but our low number of
majors at the time and the fact many others had graduated left few hold overs
who might be unhappy but they all stepped up and help keep things going.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-77049319687725588812019-08-02T08:38:00.004-07:002019-08-09T09:27:14.364-07:00A Disturbance in the Force<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The shows in the spring of 1995 should have been more
eventful to me but there was several distractions going on at that time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
One of our teachers was up for tenure at the time but he
seemed to have several some personal troubles at the time and choose to leave
Brockport.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
This of course became a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Disturbance
in the Force</i> of our department as we figured out what was going on and what
we would do to continue on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
At the same time planning for the long awaited renovations
to the theatre were underway.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
This first renovation was to remove the dropped ceiling over
the main seating area because it contained lots of asbestos.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A metal lighting catwalk and laddered up to it were to be
installed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The original plan called for the work to be done over the
summer but it was expanded into the fall semester.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I remember that a year or two earlier some “suit” with a
clipboard and tape measure showed up one day and was looking around the theatre
so I asked him what he was doing and if he need some help.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
He talked about some upcoming renovations that no one else
had heard of yet and I forgot about until a few years later when it came to
pass.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
As more information about the renovation became clear I had
to fight with the college to make some changes to the planned new catwalk as
the one designed would not be usable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The new metal catwalk would be very safe as it ran across
the lighting cove opening but the problem was they was no place to hang the
lights.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
There was to be safety rail every six inches from the bottom to the top.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
They suggested adding a pipe outside the railing to hang the lights but when I asked how we would get them there they said that they would get back to me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Not waiting for their answer I went to the University at Buffalo and took photos of the lighting catwalks in their new theatre to show what was needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
As changes were made but a second problem came up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The planned new drop ceiling would extend out so far from
the lighting catwalk as to block the stage lights from being able to be focused
on the stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Instead of cutting back the ceiling their solution was to
weld another pipe a foot outside of the catwalk forcing my students to lean out
of the catwalk to focus the lights.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So much for safety. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I would finally get the college to cut back the lip of the
drop ceiling 20 years during another round of renovations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To accommodate the renovations we had to make changes to our
productions as we could not use the mainstage theatre and moved the first
production in the fall to the Black Box Theatre.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The selected season included another production of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A
Christmas Carol</i></b> but that could not be done in the Black Box. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The department arranged to do our second show in the dance
theatre but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Christmas Carol </i></b>was too big for that stage and so we change
the show to <b><i>Twas the Night Before Christmas </i></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">a children’s show.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Through some negotiations we ended up producing the play in the dance
theatre in Hartwell Hall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">After we chose our season of plays I had a ”Vision” for a concept for
the design for the poster for one of the plays.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Being a stamp collector I happened to see a set of Australian stamps that honored the golden days of radio of radio.</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I worked the concept into designs for the other three plays and
submitted my rough designs to the college design team that produced the final
posters.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JWaTZn8HWXE/XU2erzw4OJI/AAAAAAAABX0/GfPPjP-PcNoueNQ8C-K7RlK3iS0jBEeEwCLcBGAs/s1600/Voc1995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1070" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JWaTZn8HWXE/XU2erzw4OJI/AAAAAAAABX0/GfPPjP-PcNoueNQ8C-K7RlK3iS0jBEeEwCLcBGAs/s320/Voc1995.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The posters were already finished by the time we had to change the
Christmas play and a new design and poster was made. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The 1995-96 season would start with the Mainstage theatre under
construction, a new scenic designer and some other unforeseen challenges. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So for <b>Brockport</b> nothing new.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-18314693519106700942019-05-24T10:04:00.000-07:002019-05-24T10:04:00.808-07:00Spring 2019<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My 37<sup>th</sup> year at The College Brockport is now complete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The productions were good this year and I enjoyed working my students. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(<i>Which is not always the case; you know who you are.</i>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am thinking about retiring in three years after a nice
even forty years of teaching, but we will see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This spring we had two good department productions plus the students
produced a nice production of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spring Awakening.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In February we did our 11<sup>th</sup> biennial Festival of Ten which we
started back in 1999.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nATDLCXHgEA/XOghvjdF2bI/AAAAAAAABV4/p12I_Ihh1pw9ffQ6D1Of0msvDv14r6tEgCLcBGAs/s1600/FestAct2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nATDLCXHgEA/XOghvjdF2bI/AAAAAAAABV4/p12I_Ihh1pw9ffQ6D1Of0msvDv14r6tEgCLcBGAs/s320/FestAct2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our last play of the year was <span style="background: white; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><i>Intimate Apparel</i></b> by Lynn Nottage</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mixed in with the plays
were several music concerts and student projects.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coming up next year:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Department of Theatre and Music Studies <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Theatrical Productions for the 2019-20 Season<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Stupid F#*king Bird </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">by Aaron Posner<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Directed by Frank Kuhn <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">October 4-6 and 17-19, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Twelfth Night </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">by William Shakespeare <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Directed by GEVA Guest Artist <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">November 22-24 and December 5-7, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>Crimes of the Heart </b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">by Beth Henley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Directed by Michael C. Krickmire <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">February 28-29 and March 1, 5-7, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Music & Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Directed by Ruth Childs <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">April 24-26, 30 and May 1-2, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For more photos and information check out our Facebook page:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/brockporttheatredept/">https://www.facebook.com/brockporttheatredept/</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />x</span></div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-72946422528436896422018-12-10T11:24:00.001-08:002019-09-06T15:15:20.391-07:00Spring 1995 Productions<br />
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The plays for the spring of 1995 were fine but poorly
planned and advertised.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our two productions were <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Antigone</i></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Another
Antigone</i></b>, yes the same show I worked on just a few months before.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now you would think that would be an obvious PR opportunity
and we could get some good and free press and a bigger audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You could think that but you would be wrong.<o:p></o:p></div>
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PR has never been our strong point and there have been many
missed chances over the years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Every once in a blue moon we do get some good press but it
really has increased our audience numbers to our regular shows.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Musicals have always done better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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First mistake, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Antigone</i></b> was done as a traditional
Greek Tragedy complete with period dress and in masks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Great for teaching acting students, bad for drawing any
audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We had a student designer who did a great job and the set
looked fine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The faculty scene designer did the lighting for the
production.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The play was well done, looked good and even smelled good as
they burned some incense onstage before each show.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I do not know how we came to do<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Another Antigone</i></b> that
season as it replaced another play that had been previously been selected.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The set was designed by another student and she did a fine
job but it did not have the magic of the production I had worked on the
previous summer in Connecticut.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was not the students fault as she just gave the director
what he wanted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The setting was a literal interpretation of the functional
requirements of the script.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The set had a turntable with two small box sets along with
two curved brick benches, one on each side of the stage, that were used for
several outdoor scenes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Surprise! Yes we still have the two brick benches and they
have been reused several times over the past twenty-four years.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I think we have an office desk that was made for the show as
well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The production was fine, not good, not bad just Okay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can not find photos of this play at this time.</div>
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There was much more going on at the college outside of these
two plays that would bring major changes to our department over the next few
months.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Big changes ahead . . . . <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 13;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>``<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> * * *</o:p></div>
<br />Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-4028211607446677262018-12-08T15:43:00.002-08:002018-12-09T10:30:59.528-08:00Recycled Set<br />
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I enjoy writing my Blog but often get side tracked as my
regular readers can well note.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I posted photos from my last two productions at the college
but I have no funny stories to tell you about.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The most interesting thing is how we were able to recycle
the set from one into the other.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have noted many times in my Blog how I have been able to reuse sets pieces from past productions.</div>
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This practice saves both time and money although there are times we choose to build from scratch as a teaching moment for our students..</div>
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The scene designer for the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Triangle Factory Fire Project</i></b>
design a set that was made up of approximately 40 two wide flats ranging in length
from 1’-2” up to 12’-0”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A little less than half of them came from our stock.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The scene designer for the next play, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prelude to a Kiss</i></b> wanted
to use a multi-panel projection screen and decided to re-use the flats from the
previous production.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We cut some of the flats to new sizes and only had to make
one from scratch.<o:p></o:p><br />
We had to remove the newspaper that was pasted on the flats for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Triangle Factory Fire Project</i></b>.<br />
I bought special wallpaper removing spray and tools, but it was just plain old water and elbow grease that worked best.<br />
Once dry, a bit of light sanding and a fresh coat of grey paint made the flats ready to use again.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_mDTe-A3uXo/XA1fQNga5oI/AAAAAAAABR8/c9Rx2_vWm-M78ycdEgvmVaGWkEei1dxAQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_mDTe-A3uXo/XA1fQNga5oI/AAAAAAAABR8/c9Rx2_vWm-M78ycdEgvmVaGWkEei1dxAQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9399.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear View<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We did have to make 65 sections of threaded rod cut to about
10 inches long that connected the panels and kept them evenly spaced apart.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I think both sets looked good and worked well for the shows.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-59536799332521032432018-12-03T11:01:00.001-08:002018-12-03T11:01:26.904-08:00Prelude to a Kiss, December 2018<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Prelude to a Kiss</h2>
<h3>
</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Craig Lucas</div>
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December 2018</div>
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Lighting Design and Technical Direction</div>
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<br />Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-63322189223550500582018-12-03T10:58:00.001-08:002018-12-03T10:58:36.012-08:00Triangle Factory Fire Project, October 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Triangle Factory Fire Project<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">by Christopher Piehler in collaboration with Scott Alan Evans</span></h2>
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October 2018 </div>
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Lighting Design and Technical Direction</div>
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<br />Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-49713182807362155302018-08-14T10:35:00.001-07:002018-08-14T10:35:24.661-07:00Rise of the Machines<br />
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Back in 1995 computers were becoming more common place in
the day-to-day world and the college did not want to be left out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With that in mind the college put out a call for
applications for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Technology Incentive
Grants </i>for the purchase of computers to be used as part of teaching or
research.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I received a $12,000
grant to purchase a state-of-art computer, an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">AutoCAD</i></b> program and 36”
wide pen plotter plus other accessories. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The purchasing office called me to double check my order.<o:p></o:p></div>
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First they wanted to know why I did not want the new <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Windows
95</i></b> operating system and I told them that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">AutoCAD</i></b> was not ready to
run on it yet.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They also wanted to know if I really wanted and needed 12
megabytes of RAM when most computers were coming with only 4 megabytes at that
time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I would soon add even more RAM before my next computer
upgrade.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My current computer has 4 gigabytes of RAM, a thousand times
more than the average computer of 1995.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Around the same time I signed up to take several <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">AutoCAD</i></b>
classes at the local adult education program that helped me learn the program
and I really enjoyed it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was nice to be back in a classroom on the student side
again and even better to go someplace away from the college once a week and be
with some “normal” people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Because I had the computer and program I had an advantage
over most of the other students who did not access to the equipment outside of
class.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have looked for another class to take but I have yet to
find something that interested me or I wanted to take.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It took a while, but not too long, for me to do all my
working drawings and light plots on the computer and put away my drafting
tools.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I really enjoyed drafting by hand but enjoy more the time
that the computer freed up for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Even after using <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">AutoCAD</i></b> for 20 plus years I am far
from an expert and only use just a small portion of the programs capabilities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The Pen Plotter was nice to have as it printed out full size
working drawings, it was fun to watch but slow by today’s standards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It could take an hour or more to print out a full lighting
plot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Architecture firms at the time would hire special staff to
work overnight to stay and print out large and complex drawings that could take
hours to print.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A few years later we would replace the Pen Plotter with a wide
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Desk Jet</i> printer that printed out
much faster and also allowed us to print out other items, not just draftings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Soon we would use the printer to produce reproductions of
paintings and other pictures to use on sets.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Each year there is another use for computers in our Theatre
productions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Back in the 1990’s we first used computers to burn CDs for
our sound effects and music used in plays and soon people forgot how to use <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reel-to-Reel</i> tape decks or more
importantly how to splice the tape.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BBC</i> sound
effects library on vinyl records was soon replaced with sounds on CDs and then
through internet sites like <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Find Sounds.Com</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
With the birth of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Napster</i></b> in 1999 and then <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I-Tunes</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>in 2001, finding music for plays became
very easy, but questions for paying royalties still linger.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Soon after the turn of the new century I received another
technology grant, this time for the sound playback program <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SFX</i></b> and a dedicated
computer and sound card to run it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Since that time we use have used a computer to run our sound
effects and music for our various productions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
At first it took some time to train students to run the
computerized lighting and sound boards but it has gotten much easier in recent
years as most student have grown up using computers and smart phones their
whole lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Computers now can do many things in theatre from controlling
the movement of scenery, production communications, box office sales and much
more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Several of our recent productions have used computer generated
images projected on the stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We have a 3-D printer here at the college and although we
have yet to use in it a production but I am sure we soon will.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It is amazing that the $175 tablet that I recently bought is
hundreds of times more power than the computers we bought back in 1995 and can
do everything they did plus even more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Who knows what computers and other technology we will have available
to us in the next five, ten and twenty years ahead and where they will take us
both on and offstage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Should be interesting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-49863701944485058302018-08-10T09:48:00.000-07:002018-08-10T10:07:49.672-07:00Cinderella, 1994<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The last play I worked on in 1994 was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cinderella</i></b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am sure it was a wonderful production but I have few
clear memories of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I do not have a copy of the program and few photos of
it but mostly my haziness of the show was caused by the death of my grandmother
just before the show.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She was 102 and had lived quite an interesting life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wrote about her in an earlier blog post and will
write more about her as I recently came into more photos and paperwork about
her early life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">https://viewsfrombackstage.blogspot.com/2012/03/oh-boy-by-jerome-kern-and-p-g-woodhouse.html</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So what can I tell you about our <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cinderella.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First thing is that we rented, bought or stole the set
from another local college who had recently done a production of the play.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PsYxOkA8Ux0/W23BdP5inhI/AAAAAAAABOY/nteipyHzNq8gA7ymOj6rWuQI16k4HDBTQCLcBGAs/s1600/Cindy94.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1600" height="168" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PsYxOkA8Ux0/W23BdP5inhI/AAAAAAAABOY/nteipyHzNq8gA7ymOj6rWuQI16k4HDBTQCLcBGAs/s320/Cindy94.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cinderella</i>, 1994</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I do not think that they were the same script, one of
them might have been a musical version, but I am not sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It took at least three trips, 25 miles each way, to
move the set to Brockport.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The large pumpkin seen in the photo above was stolen by some college boys who saw the show but we got it back and yes we still have it, now under lock and key.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here is a photo of me carrying a big foam nose that
was part of a giant face you can see on the fireplace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zo4uXD1mYRU/W23BdNmQjAI/AAAAAAAABOU/QmSwaAjcKpIzsNaeC_nF6Gv21WGij7X9gCEwYBhgL/s1600/qqqq%2B001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1600" height="168" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zo4uXD1mYRU/W23BdNmQjAI/AAAAAAAABOU/QmSwaAjcKpIzsNaeC_nF6Gv21WGij7X9gCEwYBhgL/s320/qqqq%2B001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me carrying in the Nose.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I do remember that we had a carriage for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cinderella </i>that was able to fly in from across
the stage and land on the ground and roll off the other side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I recall, Colin, my ATD did most of the rigging to
make all the magic work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think we used a trap door from which <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cinderella’s</i> ball gown would rise up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That is about all I remember, I do not even know if I
designed the lighting or even saw the finished show.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For all the many little things that I remember from
shows from even longer ago it is surprising how little I remember about this
one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well they did not close down the department or college
so it could not have been all that bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On to 1995 and some new adventures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">* * *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-47476359814075707702018-08-03T09:10:00.004-07:002018-08-03T09:13:15.295-07:00The Glass Menagerie, 1994<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Glass Menagerie</i></b> by Tennessee Williams was directed by guest James Steinmeyer whose daughter Joleen just happened to be the stage manager
for the show.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Joleen was a talented student who would go on the design the
set for a Mainstage production the following year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Glass Menagerie </i></b>has only four characters and does not require
a large or complex playing space.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A memory play, the action takes place in a small apartment
in St. Louis in the 1935.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
In our production two rooms were seen, the living room which
was downstage center and the dining room which was mid-stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The rest of the apartment was indicated upstage through an
arch and doorway.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The somewhat small set on the Tower Mainstage was surrounded
by most of our stock of large flats and window units to represent the
surrounding tenements.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SNbzst7x6NU/W2R-IboLWUI/AAAAAAAABN8/EMeBccNlAy8fkhZHBUNGLcamX3l577XOACLcBGAs/s1600/Qglass2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SNbzst7x6NU/W2R-IboLWUI/AAAAAAAABN8/EMeBccNlAy8fkhZHBUNGLcamX3l577XOACLcBGAs/s1600/Qglass2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Most of the window units were distressed with broken glass
and boards over some of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
To enter the set the actors walked on a raised sidewalk that
started upstage left, came downstage to the lowered pit and back around to
stage right ending outside the front door on a steel framed fire escape
platform.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Of course we still
have the fire escape in stock.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After the actors were in the set the lighting for the surrounding
areas was lowered and the focus was just on the two rooms.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The set had several lighting practices but I wanted
something more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The biggest lighting moment of the show is when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Laura</i> shows <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Gentleman Caller</i> her menagerie of glass figurines lit with just
a candle. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU48zoKEQ60qdUf2Bc_OnPmb-Gyl4SdIi9-BjXysghZGkYNLIs-8N0zk_0_ufGtjOLzK5AIzeI2GQQR2z6JT-Gh6sxI6FxoD3tcPpAbsrzWksocegjZAFASNG0hl-zemoq4OHczNSpMg/s1600/QGlass1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU48zoKEQ60qdUf2Bc_OnPmb-Gyl4SdIi9-BjXysghZGkYNLIs-8N0zk_0_ufGtjOLzK5AIzeI2GQQR2z6JT-Gh6sxI6FxoD3tcPpAbsrzWksocegjZAFASNG0hl-zemoq4OHczNSpMg/s1600/QGlass1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I wanted to be able to add just a little fill light to the
scene but there was no good place to hide a lighting instrument.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Working with Drew the scene designer I told him what I
needed and suggested making a box in the front of the pit to hide the light but
thought it would be too low to the ground.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
After some thought Drew designed two posts that would be
added to the edge of the sidewalk in which I could hide a small light.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The posts looked that were always part of the set and light
was just in the right place.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I was afraid of having the old horror movie effect that when
people were walking in the dark with a lamp there would be in a spot on them
and you would see the shadow of the lamp on the wall behind them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
That did not happen as I added just enough light to fill in
the actors faces.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The combination of all of the elements, set, lights,
costumes, acting and direction, made this a very successful production.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-43781767136271842892018-07-31T11:49:00.001-07:002018-07-31T12:07:00.882-07:00Transition<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">For me the 1990’s was a time of transition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">Teaching at a college there is always change as new
students come while others graduate and the staff changes, maybe a bit slower, but
still always seems in flux.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">With my return from Connecticut in the fall of 1994 </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">the world itself was changing a bit faster than it had in recent years</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> big
changes were about to happen but I could not see them at the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">Computers had been around for a while and we were slowly
using them more and more each year and with the coming of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Windows 95</i> and the growth of the internet we would became more reliant
on technology more and more in the years ahead.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">I will comment more about computers as they were integrated a little more each year to productions and daily lives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="height: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">Maybe it was because I was getting older, all of thirty-eight in 1994, but I saw the world and what was happening through a different, perhaps a more mature, perspective.</span><br />x</div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">In the summer of 1993 I went to my last <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grateful Dead</i> concert in Buffalo with
tens of thousands of fans at the old <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rich
Stadium</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">Just a side note, the three women I went to the
concert with had all been to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Woodstock</i>
as young teenagers, I did not go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">In the fall of 1994 I saw the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barenaked Ladies</i> in the college ballroom with just a few hundred
people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">I was just a few rows from the stage during the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If I had a $1,000,000</i>” song and got to
see the boxes of Mac and Cheese flying towards the stage along with clouds of
cheese mix in the air.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">They returned a year later and played to a sell-out
crowd of several thousand in the gym.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">Music, people, technology and the whole world around us is always
changing but it is hard to see it as it is happening.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Time and distance, the magic of hindsight, gives of different, maybe clearer, view of what we have lived through.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">The first play of the 1994-5 season was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Glass Menagerie</i></b> by Tennessee Williams with an outside guest director.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">I did not know it at the time but this was going to be
the last production with the full design and production team that had created
some outstanding productions over the past five years. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">There were still many more wonderful plays to work on
and some very talented students to mentor, but I felt obliged to mark this time
as special.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">More adventures ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">* * *</span></div>
<br />Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-43864966367544526892018-07-11T11:16:00.002-07:002018-07-11T11:19:10.816-07:00Bob Feller<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once
the last show was up and running I had over a week of free time to relax before
the final set strike and clean up at the end of the season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
took a few days and went to my family cabin near Hancock, NY and spent time
with the chipmunks sitting in an Adirondack chair by the outside fireplace and
just enjoying it all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
also stopped by a used book store (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and
let’s hear for used book stores</i>) and looked for something a bit different
than my usual mystery or detective novels I read .<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
picked up the autobiography of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hall of
Fame</i> pitcher Bob Feller.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
few days after I returned home from Connecticut I heard on the radio that Bob
Feller would be signing autographs at the local minor league ball park and so I
decided to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
went through my card collection and found one of his cards and went off to the
game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At
76 Bob was still flying his own plane around to ball parks and would sign for
hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
got my turn and he signed my card with a blunted <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sharpie</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
tried to talk with him about his book I had just read but because he was hard
of hearing he did not really hold conversations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He
was supposed to sign for an hour before the game but was still there well past the sixth
inning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gk2ryLe9nwg/W0ZJEQHtF8I/AAAAAAAABNk/-rJIgeDnDpgbsP_aGOO_-JWpjdakjl-swCLcBGAs/s1600/bob_feller_autograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="220" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gk2ryLe9nwg/W0ZJEQHtF8I/AAAAAAAABNk/-rJIgeDnDpgbsP_aGOO_-JWpjdakjl-swCLcBGAs/s1600/bob_feller_autograph.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
still had a few weeks before the new school year would begin again and a new
set of adventures were about to begin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Each
year some students graduate or leave and new ones arrive but although I still
had some very good students the total number of technical/design majors was
falling off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the early 1990’s we were able to build large and complex sets because of the
staff and large number of skilled students we had.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
start of the 1994-5 school year was the beginning of several years of
transition as there would be several staff changes, fewer tech students and
building renovations that all effected our productions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There
will still be many well done productions ahead but I still think of the
previous few years and a special period and I am proud of what we, the faculty
and students, had accomplished.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Up
first in the fall of 1994 was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Glass
Menagerie</i> by Tennessee Williams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-22967289622785302142018-07-09T10:49:00.000-07:002018-07-09T10:56:01.041-07:00One Big Thorn<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I had a great time in Connecticut in the summer of 1994.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I was proud of the work that my staff and I did and enjoyed
meeting an interesting mix of people.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Because the actors and tech staff lived together in the dorm
we talked and joked in our free time and told a few “War Stories” about our
experiences working in Theatre.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
From the director of the first play I learned a few things about
how Soap Operas are filmed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
She told me that each day of the week had its own director who
filmed only the scenes to be shown on that day, so a party scene that goes on
for three or four shows is filmed each day by a different director and not all
at once.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
One of the actresses in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Dress for Dinner</i></b>, Melissa
Hurst, had a recent baby and her husband, Richard Council, was staying at the
school to care for the baby and his was seen walking all over the campus with
the baby in a stroller. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
On occasion the two would stop by the shop for a visit and
see what we were doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A few months later while watching <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cosby Mysteries</i> I realized that one of the actors on the show
was indeed Richard Council.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The company producer had a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fourth of July</i> pool party at his house and from time-to-time there
would be special dinners served outside on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Veranda</i> hosted by the company chef.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It was an almost perfect summer except for one thing or
should I say one person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
There was one woman working at the Festival that I did not
get along with or should I say she did not get along with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I will not mention her name or the job she did but will call
her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane</i> as in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane Doe.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I will note that from what I saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane</i> did her job very well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Our work schedules only overlapped a little bit but from the
first day she made it clear that she felt that my crew and I were in her way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
My guys were working with the Genie lift and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane</i> walks in and said that she needed
it now; I told her she could have it as soon as they were finished with the
job.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
When I left to work in Connecticut I told myself that I was
going to have a good time and not let little things bother me so as Jane
continued with her curt and rude remarks I just let them go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I remember my crew telling me; “hey she was just really rude
to you” and I just smiled and said yes she was.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane</i> would often
come into work just as we were finishing up our workday in the shop and I would
always ask she needed us to help her with anything before we left.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
She would always bark back: “No I don’t need any help!” and
I would smile and say goodnight.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
One day when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane</i>
was working earlier than normal and as we all went to lunch I asked her if she
was coming too and she just barked something I did not understand and walked
away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A few days later she did show up for lunch and I said
without really thinking: “Hey just because I invited you to lunch didn’t mean
you could come”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Of course she exploded and went on and on about not needing
my permission to eat and all of us just laughed at her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I did make an effort to figure out what was going on tried
to stop it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I went to two women in the company who knew what was going
on to ask them what I was doing wrong and what I could do about it but both
said I was doing nothing wrong and that she was just a bitch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I think it pissed her off that I just responded to her rudeness
with “Have a nice day” and smiles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Near the end of the summer I did lose my cool and yelled
back at her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We were working with a guest dance company and trying to set
up the theatre when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane</i> starting
yelling at me from across the theatre about who knows what.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I told her to stop talking and that I had taken enough of
her shit and it was unacceptable for her to talk that way in front of our
guests and she needed to apologize to them.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I wish the producer had done something to stop her rude
conduct but that never happened.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
In the months of returning to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Brockport</b> one of my former students, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and I have them working everywhere</i>, told a story of working at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane’s</i> home theatre and how she was rude
to people there too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Another former student working at a theatre that was doing a
joint production with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane’s</i> home
theatre told of receiving an overly packed package of what most would consider
as consumable items marked with the message: “These items are the property of so-in-so
Theatre and are expected to be returned in good condition blah, blah, blah”.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
As I said earlier, I thought she was good at her job but had some problem
that I could not solve. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
If I had found the big thorn in her paw I would have gladly pulled
it out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oo2EnhFBoF8/W0OfusFlljI/AAAAAAAABNQ/uVRqsxTGYDEfiJhsJ34xUjSyipIkKbUFwCEwYBhgL/s1600/androcles-lion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oo2EnhFBoF8/W0OfusFlljI/AAAAAAAABNQ/uVRqsxTGYDEfiJhsJ34xUjSyipIkKbUFwCEwYBhgL/s320/androcles-lion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
* * *</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-41811779270388078742018-07-06T11:52:00.000-07:002018-07-06T11:52:08.808-07:00Statues and a few Odd Bitz<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The sets for three plays that summer each offered their
own interesting challenges that made the hard work enjoyable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The last play required a few unique elements, three life-size
statues. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With the Greek Theatre theme to the play the statues
would be white but in contemporary poses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was decided to use plaster bandage wraps used for
broken bone casts and cast whole people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even back in 1994 plaster casts were becoming less
common place but we found a supplier in Hartford.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I let my assistant Rich take the lead on the casting
process in which he did a great job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who to cast?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well it is time for a side story. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Westminster
School</i> where the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Theatre Festival</i>
was held was a boarding school for rich kids from all over the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some teenage boy was traveling across America that
summer and was looking for interesting places to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Somebody who knew somebody suggested he make a stop
in Simsbury.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The only thing going on at the school in the summer
was soccer camps and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Theatre Festival</i>
so he came to hang out with us for week or so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So this boy who nobody knew hung out with us in the
scene shop just as we were about to do the body casting so he became our first victim,
I mean model.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So on a hot summer day dressed in shorts; wearing a
black garbage bag and covered with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vaseline</i>
we began to cover him in plaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-roI8mATdZ8E/Wz-5NU2oBTI/AAAAAAAABMo/WdGzaSF40jQGKAU8adFfwgi4fOvj9rZvQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1505" height="272" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-roI8mATdZ8E/Wz-5NU2oBTI/AAAAAAAABMo/WdGzaSF40jQGKAU8adFfwgi4fOvj9rZvQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_4295.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ken, British Teen and Rich<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We learned a few things on the first attempt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First we tried to cast too much of the body at once
and also plaster gives off a lot of heat as it sets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Look up exothermic reaction online for hours of fun scientific
facts to read and enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For the next two bodies we did only parts of each
body and then joined them together after they were set.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We cast Ken, the other shop assistant, and even Ellen,
the scene designer, let us cast her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You can see two of the body casts in the photos I
have posted but Ellen’s body double was sitting just out of the camera’s range.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We did not work all the time that summer and did
have some time for fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I brought my bicycle and we all rode it around the
campus and to town from time to time, plus we played some tennis, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">badly</i>, and used to school pool a few
times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The company had a good chef on staff and fed us three
meals a day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The chef was cool guy who let us know where the key
to the freezer was so we had a few midnight ice cream raids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Early on I remember going into town to check out one
of the bars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was a typical bar with several T.V.s on each one
with something different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There were baseball games on a few T.Vs but one had
a news channel on that was showing an aerial shot of a slow moving SUV.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course that was the infamous O.J. slow chase in
the white <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ford Bronco</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Someone recommended we check out the view from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heublein Tower </i>on Talcott Mountain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We stopped by and took the very steep path mile or
so up to near the tower.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGV6IRm5G_8WXyo6MtZjZ6UsQOWTyc6WgoPjoPSmc1yf9Wr2sl8KBHKEmk5Yu1P5xjwrF1ddrIH5hbPk_h0Jt9aER77I1ue4tpGnO9br20ZhYKo06IAj560zdnOyGn4I1dcOr5JztsA/s1600/tower1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="703" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGV6IRm5G_8WXyo6MtZjZ6UsQOWTyc6WgoPjoPSmc1yf9Wr2sl8KBHKEmk5Yu1P5xjwrF1ddrIH5hbPk_h0Jt9aER77I1ue4tpGnO9br20ZhYKo06IAj560zdnOyGn4I1dcOr5JztsA/s320/tower1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliff by Heublein Tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was amazed that people were riding mountain bikes
on the path and even more shocked that several people were carrying what looked
like large beach umbrellas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When we got to the top the view was great and the umbrellas
turned out to be hang gliders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is a very steep cliff edge and those who jump
have no room for error.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">You can see a video of people flying from that spot
at the following link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.ct-hanggliding.org/">http://www.ct-hanggliding.org/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had a great time that summer and only had one
problem that I tried not let bother me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">More next time . . . . . <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-82759691856905583662018-06-25T10:09:00.004-07:002018-07-05T09:55:02.632-07:00 Another Antigone, 1994<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our third and last show of the season was <b><i>Another
Antigone</i></b> by A. R. Gurney.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The set was designed by Ellen W who had designed the
set for the first show and because she also designed the lighting we hired an
outside scene painter to help with this show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">More about the scene painter later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The casts for the first two shows were professional
actors who had been auditioned and hired out of New York City.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-733D2bar5BI/WzEhcaRRNiI/AAAAAAAABLY/XIvOPV7o4e4u--IRjz_glLrt6m0VIH2SwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_8092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-733D2bar5BI/WzEhcaRRNiI/AAAAAAAABLY/XIvOPV7o4e4u--IRjz_glLrt6m0VIH2SwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_8092.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
Antigone </span></i></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">was prepared at the University of
Michigan were the director and leading actor taught.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The director’s wife and brother-in-law were also in
the cast along with a recent Michigan graduate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They all came to Michigan after I had been a student
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like the first two plays I thought the set for this
show was great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The play is simple, a student writes a play, an
updated version of <b><i>Antigone</i></b>, rather than the formal critical paper the teacher
required and the fight over it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was not a classic box set with walls of the
teacher’s office and other locations, but rather a minimal amount of furniture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaKEx4ZFMRnWlCmLWOBANHy70ukVfje6h2yqXNNKN5mTFOAFp_FSxTL49EdhwADIN6UsyPAmsCvIMCjhOuMtWwikHnYhaWzAkzWR6-d203JBNAiFEJ8tjFi0-E6PNpUWTURxivKr3WA/s1600/IMG_8078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="1600" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaKEx4ZFMRnWlCmLWOBANHy70ukVfje6h2yqXNNKN5mTFOAFp_FSxTL49EdhwADIN6UsyPAmsCvIMCjhOuMtWwikHnYhaWzAkzWR6-d203JBNAiFEJ8tjFi0-E6PNpUWTURxivKr3WA/s320/IMG_8078.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The office area, downstage center, was surrounded by
tall Greek columns on both sides and amphitheater seating in a skeletal form upstage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Behind all of that on the far sides and along the
upstage of the acting area there were tall burlap panels hanging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lightly painted on the panels were buildings
representing a large college campus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By the last show my small crew and I were working
well together and were ready to take on the new challenges of the show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The large columns were not an issue as I had just ordered
and used large <i>Sonotubes</i> for a
production a few months before and knew what to look for in dealing with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Large foam pieces were cut and glued together then
placed on top of the columns as capitals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The burlap panels were just long fabric pieces which
we hung with simple sandwich battens that offered just one problem, we had to
fireproof them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fortunately the weather was on our side as it took
several days to lay out all the fabric, spray them with the fireproofing liquid
wait for them to dry, test, and then reapply.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The fireproofing liquid even came with a <i>Bic</i> lighter and a simple instruction
sheet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Keep
applying liquid until fabric does not burn.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It took three applications.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9AbkkCbcAPtli54iZrrgCBJkyi9G6bsD9PmlXKm6QULmLd2V4OzRtC7T8A8Z4nX6U-vllQvySJhScz4hthOd9CDaqSsz3ptGpkbSKkfMpSwqKhP0v8waTxAaLsgZbsgaR3Drw4H-7w/s1600/IMG_8079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9AbkkCbcAPtli54iZrrgCBJkyi9G6bsD9PmlXKm6QULmLd2V4OzRtC7T8A8Z4nX6U-vllQvySJhScz4hthOd9CDaqSsz3ptGpkbSKkfMpSwqKhP0v8waTxAaLsgZbsgaR3Drw4H-7w/s320/IMG_8079.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The amphitheater seating structure gave me some difficulties
at first, but after some thought I figured out what to do and we built it
without any problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If a set does not offer some challenges then it is
not enjoyable to build.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I mentioned above that we needed to hire an
outside scene painter and it became my job to find one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I did not know where to look for scene painters in Connecticut
as first but remembered that two former students were working fifty miles away
at the <i>Goodspeed Opera House</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I made a call and unfortunately one of the formers
students had just left to move to California and the other was not available
nor did she have any leads on another painter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCvM8_Dda38CjKT45jR2pV3Xu6Ot9zr-mBLinLKB7KYc7zlhyphenhyphenkRTtOe6AXRNtwGyCsxoHEDsdqhKkhDV4zR743JaTGpU51wSJyHT4xjlKhiHR1epP0LWmyVC_Po31S8xxn3D2kAHtSQ/s1600/IMG_8090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCvM8_Dda38CjKT45jR2pV3Xu6Ot9zr-mBLinLKB7KYc7zlhyphenhyphenkRTtOe6AXRNtwGyCsxoHEDsdqhKkhDV4zR743JaTGpU51wSJyHT4xjlKhiHR1epP0LWmyVC_Po31S8xxn3D2kAHtSQ/s320/IMG_8090.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Almost giving up my assistant mentioned that another
former student was working at <i>Emelin
Theatre</i> in Mamaroneck, NY which was not too far away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another phone call and I had a painter who was happy
to come over and paint for a few days and make some extra money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over the years the <i>Emelin Theatre</i> is one of those places where I have had several
former students end up working. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although the set had a few tricky elements it ended
up looking good and was fun to work on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was just one special scenic element that was
more challenging than anything else the whole summer and I will talk about that
in the next post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-22050320693642931552018-06-25T09:53:00.003-07:002018-06-27T11:07:56.446-07:00Don't Dress for Dinner. 1994<div style="text-align: center;">
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Preparations for the <b><i>Don’t Dress for Dinner, </i></b>a French sex
farce by Marc Camoletti, began even before the first play opened.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The company producer, Dean Adams, both directed and designed
the set for the play.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I met with him and discussed his ideas for the set and then
drafted the working drawing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I worked on the drawings I would occasionally met with
him to discuss building methods and materials to be used. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6x2BDi-3I14rF4DIaQNG-QsYFAP7IKfAY_NX3D4qUNB3AbRwFV8I91ZzkKdsw-iS96BMoewwjHjp02fYehA7LdRS0ruvclus-POZ5pvofuyrqXB2xEYJ-aN-nXByisLBMnFx-Il365A/s1600/Dont1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="640" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6x2BDi-3I14rF4DIaQNG-QsYFAP7IKfAY_NX3D4qUNB3AbRwFV8I91ZzkKdsw-iS96BMoewwjHjp02fYehA7LdRS0ruvclus-POZ5pvofuyrqXB2xEYJ-aN-nXByisLBMnFx-Il365A/s320/Dont1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lumber and other materials needed to be ordered so that we
could start to build the set as soon as the first play opened.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was little to no storage at the theatre so all of the
sets were built from scratch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For this show we had to build a box set that had exposed wooden
beams both on the walls and hanging above plus a field stone wall upstage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fortunately I had past experiences with these elements and how
to achieve the desired look.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The stone was relatively easy to make as we cut <i>Homasote</i> to the shapes required and then
split each stone down the middle with wide-bladed putty knives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Honestly it was a little difficult to split the larger
stones but the result was well worth it as the stones looked great when
painted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dA8wqWS_oFs/WzEgjzkBuFI/AAAAAAAABK4/SfPdrAnO36c_qCI8MPMm59xr2aUMXus1gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_8088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dA8wqWS_oFs/WzEgjzkBuFI/AAAAAAAABK4/SfPdrAnO36c_qCI8MPMm59xr2aUMXus1gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_8088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Five doors were also made using 1x6 planks with two cross members
and large rustic hardware.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All of the wood, both the beams and doors, were to be
distressed in some manner.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not looking forward to beating all the boards with a chain
for days on end I came up with an easier solution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I first came into town I toured some of the local
lumber and tool suppliers and I had seen a grinder wheel at a local shop that
was just what we needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The wheel had about five chain saw type teeth on it and chewed
nicely into the wood.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was a good deal on lumber to distress, it made a big
mess and it did take us a while to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We found that we could only work about a half an hour before
our hands went numb so we had to take turns as we worked on the project.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hYDO30UNmpw/WzEgjwvktjI/AAAAAAAABK8/JcLxKmrKHJED_nUTI1F4OJEzRGjsratKwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_8081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1600" height="206" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hYDO30UNmpw/WzEgjwvktjI/AAAAAAAABK8/JcLxKmrKHJED_nUTI1F4OJEzRGjsratKwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_8081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I thought the hard work was worth it and the finished set
looked very good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At the time I felt the design of all of the sets that summer
were very good and as I have recently looked back at these and other designs of
the same shows I must say the sets still look good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I feel that the set for this play and the other two shows that
summer were all designed well and not only fit the needs of the plays but
worked well the theatre space itself.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes I know I am biased, but I looked at over a dozen photos
of other productions of the play and I still like this one the best.</div>
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Some of the other productions are bigger and more time and money
spent on them, but the design for this production really worked for me and the
others just look like “sets”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the nice touches that I had forgotten about until I
looked again at the photos of the show was the back stone wall.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Because the set is supposed to be an up-dated farm house,
the stone pattern on the back wall had sections that were meant to show ghosts of
windows that was no longer used and had been filled in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> * * *</o:p></div>
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Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-26078644922207149352018-06-25T09:50:00.000-07:002018-06-25T10:11:34.061-07:00Pump Boys and Dinettes, 1994<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Typical of most summer stock theatres, we had very
little time to build the shows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had about three weeks to build the set for the
first show, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pump Boys and Dinettes</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maybe more of a concert, it was a small musical in
which the actors played all off the instruments onstage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Knowing the space well, the scene designer did a
great job fitting the set into the space while working with all of the needs of
the play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As is the case for many good looking sets, it looked
deceptively simple but it had some interesting elements and was not too
difficult to build.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3Qve59b3UA/WzEcqFDLP1I/AAAAAAAABJ4/P9P22LDUvaEnFFdrT9wIaEVx8DeiujrNACLcBGAs/s1600/Pump1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="640" height="201" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3Qve59b3UA/WzEcqFDLP1I/AAAAAAAABJ4/P9P22LDUvaEnFFdrT9wIaEVx8DeiujrNACLcBGAs/s320/Pump1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was a unit set with four main parts, a small diner
and gas station unit on either side of the stage, a forced perspective road
running upstage to the painted horizon and a large curved false proscenium
covered with 6 inch wooden planks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Luckily the producer bought, rented or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stole</i> most of the props and set dressings
form another production of the show. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCohVuNIzlKxlbby3uWl_h4M05TQJ_ObMY1FfpCqIMstxrwMv_StnlfWLdAk026tYJTBDpEZyTviMuIcq649aWhAm9qGVBkri7480H0eJmctSnYzuNtRcBb0GeaIE2hmLc6H31qhFAqg/s1600/Pump2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCohVuNIzlKxlbby3uWl_h4M05TQJ_ObMY1FfpCqIMstxrwMv_StnlfWLdAk026tYJTBDpEZyTviMuIcq649aWhAm9qGVBkri7480H0eJmctSnYzuNtRcBb0GeaIE2hmLc6H31qhFAqg/s320/Pump2.JPG" width="224" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because of that we did not have to make the counters,
swiveling seats or advertising menu signage for the diner set the build went
fast with few problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The false proscenium was the only thing that gave me
a concern. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I was not sure how, with a limited crew, that we
could put it up but as I continued to work on the construction drawings it came
to me how to divide the unit into smaller pieces that could be easily handled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The pieces of the upper part of the proscenium were
joined side-by-side and then the hanging hardware and cables were attached.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After the top section was flown out the two narrower
side pieces were stood up and attached.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is a great feeling when the vision of how to get
something done right and safely comes to you, but until it does there can be
some moments of anguish. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fortunately past experiences and learning from
earlier mistakes (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">someone else's, not
mine off course</i>) makes each new project a bit easier and less stressful but
still there always can be some difficult moments on any production.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The set required some nice touches as we made a
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diner</i>" sign that lit up
and hung a big round "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gas</i>"
sign on the other side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gas</i>”
did not look quite right and I thought that the pole holding the sign needed a
little something at the end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course the something that I thought it needed was
back in my shop in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Brockport</b> so I
called one of my assistants who was back in town to go into my shop and mailed
me a 8" pointed metal finial.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It came in time for the show and I think it was the
right thing to finish the set.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The set looked great and I think everyone was happy
with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was this one little distraction during the run
of the show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I did not run the shows, I spent most show nights
either in my room or drafting working drawings for the next production.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On show just I got back to my room there was a large
BANG and the lighting flashed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not sure what happened I went back to theatre to
find out that the building had been hit by lightning causing a limited power
outage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although some power and lighting was restored the
stage lighting was out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After an almost hour delay the producer decided to
continue the show with just two 1000 watt work lights on the stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The audience was offered tickets to another show if
they did not want to stay but after arranging for baby sitters and a nice dinner
out nobody took the offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The audience who stayed had a very interesting evening
that must have stories to talk about for a long time after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The stage lighting was restored the next day and the
rest of the run went off without a hitch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-55184421421029447662018-06-18T12:14:00.002-07:002018-06-25T09:51:12.398-07:00Getting Started<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had work to do even before I left for Connecticut.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As Technical Director I needed to help hire a shop
staff for the summer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The producer sent me several resumes of people who
had applied to work at the theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was told I could hire two additional staff as
there were several others that had already been hired.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had tried to hire one of my recent students but he
told me he already had plans for the summer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There were not too many great choices in the resumes
but one stood out as a promising prospect from <i>Dickinson College</i> in
Pennsylvania and I offered him a job.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Dickinson College</i> is a very old college with a long
history including a former president and the early home of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JenniCam</i> a ground-breaking website in the evolution of the
internet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If
you do not know about JenniCam you need to Google it as it is not the subject
of this blog</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was having a hard time finding another person for
the shop as some of the candidates had taken other jobs but I was lucky that my
former student’s summer plans had fallen through and was available and willing
to work with me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soon after driving to Connecticut and moving in I
met the rest of the staff and began work on the summer season.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I had only two full time shop staff workers but the were both </span></span>excellent<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and worked very hard.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">They would make a little extra money serving as the run crew for some of the productions.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I will talk about them in more detail and what happened to them in a future Blog post.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean Adams, the producer of the festival and
director of one of the plays, was a teacher at the host school and had run the
festival for several seasons. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An interesting and talented man, he was originally
from Seattle and went to high school with Bill Gates.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dean’s sister-in-law was his assistant and kept the budget
in line among other duties. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like most theatres it seemed that everyone had
duties beyond their job description with the goal of putting on a good
production.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The scene designer, Ellen Waggett, was a talented young woman just
out of college who had been a student at the <i>Westminster School </i>some years
before.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ellen went on to work in NYC and continues to have an excellent career in Theatre and Television and has designed for both the <i>Tonight Show</i> and <i>Late
Night with Seth Meyers</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Summer Theatre has little extra time and I had to
start right away on the first two music events and the first play.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I worked with my staff to set up the shop, order
supplies and ready the stage for the first music events by day and did set working
drawings at night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although I had just started working a bit with CAD I
drafted my working drawings by hand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The opening Gala event was very simple with just a
grand piano onstage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watching from the back of the house I was shocked
when I saw the condition of the piano as it had many small chips in the paint,
so much that it looked like it had been hit with birdshot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before the next event I spent my free time coloring
in as many of the chips as I could with a black sharpie.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was not a proper fix but it looked a hundred
times better the next time it was onstage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There were a few local recent graduates of the
school that worked with us that summer and we would get a bonus worker later in
the summer that I will talk about in future Blog posts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">Finally<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt;"> it was time to build the set for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pump Boys and Dinettes</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> * * *</span></o:p></span></div>
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Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753459154231324704.post-81797691840725160752018-05-17T10:07:00.000-07:002018-06-25T09:50:58.130-07:00Centennial Theatre Festival, 1994<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have enjoyed working at The College at Brockport
but my position is a twelve month appointment and I do not have the summers off
like those teachers on nine month contracts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the early days I was very busy with our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Summer Arts Festival</i> with both a musical
and straight play production and occasional dance concert as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The second play which ran only one weekend was held
over and performed again the first weekend of school in September.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After my third summer the second play production was
dropped and we would just musicals until the festival ended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I enjoyed doing the second plays because I got to
design the sets for them which included <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bus Stop, Wait Until Dark and The Good
Doctor</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We often did not start building the sets for the
second plays until after the musicals opened and we had only about a week to
knock the sets together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because of the summer shows and my other duties I have
had little time to work outside of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Brockport</b>
over the years and I found this frustrating at times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the summer of 1994 there was to be no summer
musical because of planned construction work in the theatre so I wanted to do
something else outside of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Brockport</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once I cleared that I could be away I looked for an
interesting summer theatre job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I landed a job as the Technical Director for the
summer season of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Centennial Theatre
Festival</i> in Simsbury, Connecticut.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The festival was housed in a very nice theatre at a
private boarding school, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Westminster School,</i> and the season
consisted of three plays, two music concerts and a dance performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was a great summer for me as I got to work in a
new space with some talented people and was lucky that I was able to bring one
of my recent students as my assistant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was one of the best decisions I made, he worked
hard and he made me look good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was one pesky thorn in the mix, but I went
with it, had some fun with it and went on to have a great experience that made
me better in the long run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Every production I have worked on is unique but I
have found many stories in my recent posts may have gotten a bit repetitive, but I had many new and fun experiences that summer in Connecticut.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have an outline of things I may write about with
over twenty topics so I am sure I will have several posts about the summer of
1994.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To begin with I had to make plans to be away for the
whole summer, having my mail forwarded and other such things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I loaded up my car with everything I thought I would
need for the summer and headed out for my new adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was impressed by the look of the school buildings
when I arrived. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Most of the classroom and dorm buildings had a
classic Tudor style architecture look on a sprawling wooded campus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There were no students there in the summer so it had
an odd feeling with most buildings closed for the summer.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The actors and technical staff were housed in one of
the dorms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As I moved in I had the choice of any of the rooms
but was advised I might want to try one of the rooms on the lower level (almost
basement level) as there was no air conditioning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The rooms were indeed cooler but they were prone to
mildew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being summer theatre there is always little time to
rehearse and build the shows so after moving in and meeting everyone it was
time to get to work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After two simple music events it was time to get to
work on the first show of the season: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pump Boys and Dinettes</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">* * *</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Gary Musantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01395407743510719278noreply@blogger.com0