The Last 7:00pm Meeting in January 2010

If you've been following the festival for awhile, you should know the War Cry of 14/48:

Artist Liaison: 8 o'clock show?

All: OPENING NIGHT ENERGY!!!

Artist Liaison: 10:30 show?

All:  CLOSING NIGHT ENERGY!!!!

Artist Liaison:  If you think you're talking too loud?

All:  SPEAK UP

Artist Liaison: and if you start feeling tired?

All:  RAISE THE FUCKING STAKES!!!!!

Therese Henning, owner of the Seattle Body Bar, is providing massages for artists through the 8pm show.

Tech was a real bitch with the light board losing all pre-set cues from last week and last night.  Derek Van Heel restored EVERYTHING in 40 minutes.  That's why tech started late.  It was a technical error.  Nobody had anything to do with it.  If you could have fixed the board in under 40 minutes and you didn't have the exact tech experience you wanted, then you may bitch.

Otherwise, say "Thank you Derek Van Heel for staying calm and professional.  If I can write you a letter of recommendation to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts' MFA Lighting Design Program to which you're applying, I'd be happy to help you."

Play #4 has live fire in it.  Murphy is in charge of the fire extinguisher.  Do not fuck with it, do not fuck with her during show #4.

3pm Director's Meeting

We learned that stage manager Lou Butler has a Culinary Arts Degree form the University of Alaska.  Someone joked that her thesis was on venison. Lou replied "I know how to gut and skin a moose in 2 minutes.  A moose is bigger than you."

Anyway......

Only 2 directors were late (3:03pm ain't 3:00).  The following is paraphrased:

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Lou: You know there are no light changes when these scenes change, right?

Director: Derek said it could be done.

Lou:  If  Derek can do it in 20 minutes, it's yours.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#

Director: 3 pages, 187 cues

(pause)

Lou: (a look that speaks "Is this really how you want to use your time?")

Director: Okay.  Lights up when he exits with the sandwich, lights out.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#

 Director: The band has a number of golf ball cues.

Lou: I'm concerned about a golf ball going down the vom and being left there.

Director:  the actor can pick it up afterwards.

Lou: In the dark.

Director:  ....I'll make sure the actor picks it up.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#

Director:  The band will play the last 4 bars, and vamp while the the actors crawl downstage, then the lights will do a slow fade but cross into blue before going all the way out.  Simple yet complex

Lou:  ... Next?

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#

Director:  they argue "did not did too did not did too" til page six

Lou:  Whoa.  til page six?

Director:  Oh sorry.  I jumped from page one.  There aren't any cues until page six.

Lou:  I knew that.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#

Lou:  Good work everyone.  (Deb Fialkow whispers in Lou's ear)  I've just been informed that the light board has lost all its preset cues.  So tech will be a little delayed.  Please arrive to the theatre at your assigned time with the expectation that you will start at least 5 minutes late.

Directors:  Hm.

The Wall

Have you hit it yet?

I sure as shit haven't! Though I wouldn't complain if someone brought me an iced coffee. {EDIT: Deb Fialkow is getting me one, securing her position as the best. person. ever.} So never mind.

I'm up here in the theatre again, listening to some jams being concocted by the band. Hearing some original stuff, along with some Star Trek, some You Shook Me All Night Long...it's sounding pretty great I must say.

Ladies and gentleman, Lou Butler is in the building, and she is already stage managing up a storm. Shawn Belyea and Tim Hyland are on the stage, overseeing things and making sure the tech stuff, lights, etc. are, you know, working. There is a big ass scrim that can be backlit in beautiful, rich colors... I am hoping that its taken advantage of.

It's almost three and the time for the director's meeting is upon us. Wow, that went fast. It's pretty amazing how fast this whole process is. (Hint: Very) Tech starts pretty shortly after that.