Final post (for real this time) and a good-wrap up for my time with CdS.
When I left the internship I never thought that I would get asked back. I had no hope that I would ever work for Cirque again and that the internship would be the pinnacle of my career.
I was wrong. Not even two days after leaving Vegas I received a call from Montreal. They wanted to interview me for a Stage Management position with the touring show, Alegria. Wow. I went through the interview (stopping at a Cracker Barrel in TN for good reception), and felt like I did an alright job with it, but I wasn't sure if I really wanted to accept the tour. CdS Montreal seemed very interested in me...
A short week and a half later I received another e-mail from CdS--they wanted me for a second interview. They had narrowed the field down to two people, and this round would be conducted via Skype with two of the three people interviewing me using Skype to teleconference. Double Wow.
Now, let me interrupt for a moment to say that I already had a summer contract, and CdS was looking for someone to join in two weeks. This meant that I would have to had left my current company before or right at the beginning of their season. Responsibly I gave them a call and let them know I was being interviewed for CdS and it may mean trying to find a replacement SM for the latter part of the summer. I didn't want to leave the company in a lurch, but I knew that it was a possibility.
Now, this predicament got me thinking.... Here I am, straight out of college, straight from an internship, and I'm being interviewed for a full-time position with my dream company? Triple Wow. I couldn't believe it! But still, I had my misgivings. See, with Alegria being a tour, I would be moving every 5 days, and only be home every 10 weeks for 2 weeks at a time. I would miss holidays with family and homecomings with friends. Going to the tour meant never unpacking from Vegas or college and just re-shuffling to get myself on the road. I haven't had a real break in 8 years since I started the performance thing, and it might be time for a chill-pill. That's one reason I was looking forward to the summer I already had planned. But again, on the other-side--scoring a full time gig right out of undergrad would be a great accomplishment.
With all of these questions reeling in my mind, I called one of my co-workers from Mystère. She had been on tour before and loved it, so I asked her my questions and was able to get a better feel for what life on the road may be like. She also gave me some good advice, "Go with your gut-feeling." This, along with Elon's 2010 keynote speaking advising the class of 2010 to 'Take a break' guided me to understand my true feelings about the tour...
I don't want to go. Not yet at least. It's too soon for me. Though I have the ability to do a great job, I don't want to be on the road just yet. Maybe in a few months after some down-time, but for now I'm enjoying the good-ol Virginia weather sitting on my front porch sipping tea. I'm not quite sure what I want in life right now, but my 'gut-feeling' is not to take the tour.
So, within the first few minutes of the interview I told the team I wasn't available till August. They knew of this possible conflict from the first interview and went, "Okay. We'll keep you in the pool for something else. Perhaps we'll contact you in a few months." It took all of 5 minutes.
Whew... I have the biggest grin on my face. I'm so relieved. Sure, I turned down (in a way, as I was one of two final candidates) one the best entertainment companies of the world--but you know what? I'm young! There are so many opportunities out there, and I've just tipped the edge of possibilities. To me, I'm placing importance on enjoying and living life. Taking time for the activities and PEOPLE that mean something to me. Those, my friends, are the kinds of things you can't get back in life. Jobs will come and go, but life experiences and happiness are always worth pursuing.
So it it with these thoughts that I finally sign off. Perhaps in a few months I'll begin another blog about my next adventure, but until that time it's sunshine, The Sound of Music, southern bliss and The Road Not Taken.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Final Night Reflection
Well, it's been a few days since my final night, but I feel that I should quickly touch on the topic before the impression leaves me.
For my last night with CdS I ran the Rover track and then watched the show from the house 2nd show. Wow. I can't believe that I spent 9 weeks with these amazingly talented people. Watching the show from an audience seat was thrilling. For the opening I still heard show calls as if I were still wearing a headset, but after a while this settled down and I was drawn into the world of Mystère. From act to act I was enthralled with the performance onstage and was awed by the pure talent displayed. Again--I can't believe that I had the opportunity to work with these amazing people. I feel truly honored to have spent time with this cast and crew, and will greatly miss everyone. From getting tangled in wireless headsets to dealing with Big Baby antics and dealing with the pressures a large-scale show demands, my CdS experience was awesome.
NOW... I'm road-tripping it back to VA with my Mom. Currently we're sitting in a restaurant eating lunch in AZ. The past two days were dedicated to seeing the Grand Canyon (wow) and cruising through Sedona. We're camping on the way back, and thus far we've ben lucky with the weather. Last night we stayed at a beautiful campground and our site was right next to the Oak Creek that runs through the Sedona Canyon. It was fabulous listening to the birds and creek all night while being able to look up at a clear night of stars.
Virginia--2,240 miles, 32 hours--we're on our way!
For my last night with CdS I ran the Rover track and then watched the show from the house 2nd show. Wow. I can't believe that I spent 9 weeks with these amazingly talented people. Watching the show from an audience seat was thrilling. For the opening I still heard show calls as if I were still wearing a headset, but after a while this settled down and I was drawn into the world of Mystère. From act to act I was enthralled with the performance onstage and was awed by the pure talent displayed. Again--I can't believe that I had the opportunity to work with these amazing people. I feel truly honored to have spent time with this cast and crew, and will greatly miss everyone. From getting tangled in wireless headsets to dealing with Big Baby antics and dealing with the pressures a large-scale show demands, my CdS experience was awesome.
NOW... I'm road-tripping it back to VA with my Mom. Currently we're sitting in a restaurant eating lunch in AZ. The past two days were dedicated to seeing the Grand Canyon (wow) and cruising through Sedona. We're camping on the way back, and thus far we've ben lucky with the weather. Last night we stayed at a beautiful campground and our site was right next to the Oak Creek that runs through the Sedona Canyon. It was fabulous listening to the birds and creek all night while being able to look up at a clear night of stars.
Virginia--2,240 miles, 32 hours--we're on our way!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Winding Down...
And it all comes to a close--or it will in 5 days.
I'm going into my final week of CdS life today. This past week I completed my final project(s) and will continue to do these tasks throughout this coming week. This coming Monday I'll be running a Cube training, and throughout the week I'll be sitting in the booth doing the SM choreography, doing pre-show check in and line-up read and calling cues for the Main a Main act. Wow. Pretty cool. I can officially say that I've called cues during a live Cirque du Soleil show.
But anyway, as things wind down it's time to plan for my return trip back East. My Mom will be joining me for this adventure and on this trip we'll be taking some time to visit the Grand Canyon and visit family. Once in Virginia I'll spend a few days with the beau and then head back to North Carolina for commencement. After this I'll be heading back to Virginia for another summer with the Heritage Theatre Festival.
Looking back, I've had a great time. As I said to a friend recently, my time here has not only presented me with learning opportunities within Stage Management, but it's helped me grow more as a person. I've developed some new hobbies (who would have thought I'd ever do a 5k in my life, let alone 2 in two months!), made some new friends, and have developed a better understanding of myself. I've put myself in new situations and have continually accepted challenges where there was no guarantee that I would succeed. Without getting too philosophical--I've learned a lot of life-lessons out here and I hope that I'll hold onto these teachings rather than leave them behind.
So, needless to say, this may or may not be my last entry. I think there are plans for the SM team to go out for drinks before I leave, and that should be fun. Then, as I mentioned, my Mom and I will be making the trip back together--so there may be some fun things to report on there. Until those times--Au Revoir Mon Amie!
I'm going into my final week of CdS life today. This past week I completed my final project(s) and will continue to do these tasks throughout this coming week. This coming Monday I'll be running a Cube training, and throughout the week I'll be sitting in the booth doing the SM choreography, doing pre-show check in and line-up read and calling cues for the Main a Main act. Wow. Pretty cool. I can officially say that I've called cues during a live Cirque du Soleil show.
But anyway, as things wind down it's time to plan for my return trip back East. My Mom will be joining me for this adventure and on this trip we'll be taking some time to visit the Grand Canyon and visit family. Once in Virginia I'll spend a few days with the beau and then head back to North Carolina for commencement. After this I'll be heading back to Virginia for another summer with the Heritage Theatre Festival.
Looking back, I've had a great time. As I said to a friend recently, my time here has not only presented me with learning opportunities within Stage Management, but it's helped me grow more as a person. I've developed some new hobbies (who would have thought I'd ever do a 5k in my life, let alone 2 in two months!), made some new friends, and have developed a better understanding of myself. I've put myself in new situations and have continually accepted challenges where there was no guarantee that I would succeed. Without getting too philosophical--I've learned a lot of life-lessons out here and I hope that I'll hold onto these teachings rather than leave them behind.
So, needless to say, this may or may not be my last entry. I think there are plans for the SM team to go out for drinks before I leave, and that should be fun. Then, as I mentioned, my Mom and I will be making the trip back together--so there may be some fun things to report on there. Until those times--Au Revoir Mon Amie!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Ka, LOVE, and Beyond
Wow--time has flown for me out here. Since my computer has been out of commission my mother has come to visit me, I've gone to Red Rock Canyon, seen Lion King and shadowed Ka, LOVE and Blue Man Group. Where do I begin?! ...I guess the beginning is the most logical place.
My mother and my Aunt Dale came to Vegas week before last. They saw Mystère their first night, Ka the second, and then we went to see Lion King together. During the day we went and explored Red Rock Canyon--which was fantastic. In the park there's a 13 mile loop which we followed, stopping at scenic points to take pictures (and good-off with each other as is family protocol). There are several hikes in this canyon and I hope to go back to do at least one of them before I leave--but we'll see. I only have two weeks left with Cirque and then I head back to NC/VA! Lion King was enjoyable, and it was a nice reminder that there are other forms of entertainment other than CDS. My honest review of the show is that I feel it was lacking some spectacle that I feel Vegas shows should have--but it was a fun family-oriented performance that stayed true to the original Disney film. The Zebra and Giraffe puppets were our favorite animals and instead of Zazu singing "I've got a lovely bunch of cocanuts, deedle-de-de" he sang, "VIVA, LAS VEGAS!" while trapped in his skeleton cage during Scar's rule. I thought that this wasa funny touch, and my hard-core Disney fans will understand what part of the movie I'm attempting to reference.
After joining my mother and my Aunt for Breakfast at a local restaurant my roommates suggested (a place called 'The Cracked Egg') and dropping them off at the airport I went and shadowed Ka. This show is technically AMAZING. It has two giant decks that create their stage as well as bridges and trusses that wind through the house. The performers climb, jump and swing from these platforms and bridges for a majority of the show, and at the end of the performance Cirque wraps up the story with a celebration complete with Fireworks inside. Wow.
Ka seats 1,950 and the theater is 12 floors including 2 basement levels and two grids. The main grid is stationary, and then they have a lower grid that is raised and lowered for a particular scene. The two decks I mentioned previously are called 'Tatomie' (spelled phonetically) and the 'Cliff Deck.' Tatomie only slides forwards and backwards where as the Cliff Deck can be raised, lowered, rotate and angle itself to a 90 degree angle to the audience. the cliff deck has smart panels on it that connect to infared cameras that send information to projectors that produce images reactive to artist's movement. This same cliff deck also has 80 pegs that come out for artists to climb during a fight scene where the deck is at a 67 degree angle and spinning. This piece of the show is called Climb, and it's incredible. Non of the artists are safety-ed in while performing their acts, but there is a net that is set whenever an artist is on one of the decks, and around the stage walk (a pathway at the front of the house where performers make crosses) there are giant airbags for people to fall on. And just to clarify--these are GIANT airbags. Think the size of my living room for a small bag, and the size of my apartment or a large/average one. Oh--and I forgot--in addition to these two decks I've described there are 5 other lifts that raise and lower to create UR, DR, UL, DL and DC. Ka has a giant training room that has its own grid for rehearsal purposes and it takes a team of 6 SMs to run the show.
Anyone confused yet? It's a bit overwhelming I feel, but still very cool--that is if you understand what I tried to describe. If not, just ask me when I get back and I'll gladly tell you about it. I took notes during my visit. :)
Alright--now on to LOVE! This, I believe is Bill Webb's favorite show, so consider this another shout-out to him. I can certainly see why he likes this Cirque project. If you're a Beatles fan--this is the show to see. Through the acts the show tells the story of the Beatles coming together, the trials and tribulations of their time-period and demonstrates their impact on society... all by using the unique talent of CDS performers who do areal acts, bungee, skating, Russian Swing, and dance. Again, this show has a 6-member SM team and unlike the other Cirque shows--LOVE is in the round. To guide their performers they have labeled the theater directionally like a compass. The theater seats 2,000 people and there are 8 voms and entrances to the stage. The theater is three-levels with several traps, lifts and sloats. Which--BTW, I didn't know that sloat isn't just a word--it's an acronym. It stands for something like, "Sliding Lifts Over A Trap." Hm.
LOVE goes through several thousand streamers and pieces of confetti each week, and it's all cleaned up by hand after every performance (I definitely thought they would have some fancy trick for this, but no--it's just hard-working ushers!). During one act leaf-shaped confetti falls from the grid to symbolize the changing of seasons, and I was lucky enough to drop these leaves when I was backstage. Awesome. The team is integrating a new caller so I didn't see the call of the show, but I did obtain a copy of their script. Of course it's electronic (as I'm finding most CDS scripts are) and perhaps I'll find a use for this format later in my career. LOVE, unlike other shows, has actual lyrics to follow, so I found it easy to follow and interesting to read-through.
Whew... I don't think I warned anyone that this was going to be a long entry. Feel free to come back another time. ;) ...but onto the next topic of: BLUE MAN GROUP!
Tonight I went and shadowed Blue Man Group. When I went to visit Zumanity I met one of the BMG SMs who is an ASM at Zu. She and I talked, and she invited me to come shadow their show for an evening. Again--I had a blast. The show is comical and musical and I throughly entertained. BMG is run much more like a traditional theater show and the SM calls lights, sound and automation. This 2-hour show has over 300 cues that the SM is entirely in-charge of calling. Most of the cues are musical ('GO' on '7' of the third count of 8 during the second chorus-type stuff) but some are what my friend referred to as 'Zen' calling. She used this term to mean when an SM has to anticipate what a performer is going to do and call the cue as it's happening instead of slightly after. It's a small cast with three Blue Men, 7 band members and a run-crew of about 15ish. Every evening they have a 'Circle Meeting' where the cast and crew meet to receive notes for the show--and play pictionary. Ha ha, yes--they play one-round of pictionary every evening before the show. Winners are rewarded with candy.
AND... that's it. I've spit out a lot of information in this entry, and I hope that for the most part it all makes sense. I'm going into my second-to-last week with Mystère and I will be completing my 'final projects' within the next 3-7 days. My final challenges are to run a Cube Training, Do the SM hand-choreography during a live show, and to call a specific section of the show during a live performance. Cube training means calling cues during rehearsal and moving all the props that performers normally move during a show for this training (being a calling SM and a deck SM at the same time basically). SM hand choreography refers to the duties that the calling SM has to juggle while in the booth. The control the recording show-camera, timers for music and cue lights. I will be running these during several performances and Saturday may be my first day I do this. The calling SM will sit behind me to supervise and do the calls for the show. For my calling section I will be cueing a Turntable stop, several ball entrances and a artist's entrance. I also will be doing the check in and pre-show headset announcements while in this role. WHEW. Final Stretch--here I come!
My mother and my Aunt Dale came to Vegas week before last. They saw Mystère their first night, Ka the second, and then we went to see Lion King together. During the day we went and explored Red Rock Canyon--which was fantastic. In the park there's a 13 mile loop which we followed, stopping at scenic points to take pictures (and good-off with each other as is family protocol). There are several hikes in this canyon and I hope to go back to do at least one of them before I leave--but we'll see. I only have two weeks left with Cirque and then I head back to NC/VA! Lion King was enjoyable, and it was a nice reminder that there are other forms of entertainment other than CDS. My honest review of the show is that I feel it was lacking some spectacle that I feel Vegas shows should have--but it was a fun family-oriented performance that stayed true to the original Disney film. The Zebra and Giraffe puppets were our favorite animals and instead of Zazu singing "I've got a lovely bunch of cocanuts, deedle-de-de" he sang, "VIVA, LAS VEGAS!" while trapped in his skeleton cage during Scar's rule. I thought that this wasa funny touch, and my hard-core Disney fans will understand what part of the movie I'm attempting to reference.
After joining my mother and my Aunt for Breakfast at a local restaurant my roommates suggested (a place called 'The Cracked Egg') and dropping them off at the airport I went and shadowed Ka. This show is technically AMAZING. It has two giant decks that create their stage as well as bridges and trusses that wind through the house. The performers climb, jump and swing from these platforms and bridges for a majority of the show, and at the end of the performance Cirque wraps up the story with a celebration complete with Fireworks inside. Wow.
Ka seats 1,950 and the theater is 12 floors including 2 basement levels and two grids. The main grid is stationary, and then they have a lower grid that is raised and lowered for a particular scene. The two decks I mentioned previously are called 'Tatomie' (spelled phonetically) and the 'Cliff Deck.' Tatomie only slides forwards and backwards where as the Cliff Deck can be raised, lowered, rotate and angle itself to a 90 degree angle to the audience. the cliff deck has smart panels on it that connect to infared cameras that send information to projectors that produce images reactive to artist's movement. This same cliff deck also has 80 pegs that come out for artists to climb during a fight scene where the deck is at a 67 degree angle and spinning. This piece of the show is called Climb, and it's incredible. Non of the artists are safety-ed in while performing their acts, but there is a net that is set whenever an artist is on one of the decks, and around the stage walk (a pathway at the front of the house where performers make crosses) there are giant airbags for people to fall on. And just to clarify--these are GIANT airbags. Think the size of my living room for a small bag, and the size of my apartment or a large/average one. Oh--and I forgot--in addition to these two decks I've described there are 5 other lifts that raise and lower to create UR, DR, UL, DL and DC. Ka has a giant training room that has its own grid for rehearsal purposes and it takes a team of 6 SMs to run the show.
Anyone confused yet? It's a bit overwhelming I feel, but still very cool--that is if you understand what I tried to describe. If not, just ask me when I get back and I'll gladly tell you about it. I took notes during my visit. :)
Alright--now on to LOVE! This, I believe is Bill Webb's favorite show, so consider this another shout-out to him. I can certainly see why he likes this Cirque project. If you're a Beatles fan--this is the show to see. Through the acts the show tells the story of the Beatles coming together, the trials and tribulations of their time-period and demonstrates their impact on society... all by using the unique talent of CDS performers who do areal acts, bungee, skating, Russian Swing, and dance. Again, this show has a 6-member SM team and unlike the other Cirque shows--LOVE is in the round. To guide their performers they have labeled the theater directionally like a compass. The theater seats 2,000 people and there are 8 voms and entrances to the stage. The theater is three-levels with several traps, lifts and sloats. Which--BTW, I didn't know that sloat isn't just a word--it's an acronym. It stands for something like, "Sliding Lifts Over A Trap." Hm.
LOVE goes through several thousand streamers and pieces of confetti each week, and it's all cleaned up by hand after every performance (I definitely thought they would have some fancy trick for this, but no--it's just hard-working ushers!). During one act leaf-shaped confetti falls from the grid to symbolize the changing of seasons, and I was lucky enough to drop these leaves when I was backstage. Awesome. The team is integrating a new caller so I didn't see the call of the show, but I did obtain a copy of their script. Of course it's electronic (as I'm finding most CDS scripts are) and perhaps I'll find a use for this format later in my career. LOVE, unlike other shows, has actual lyrics to follow, so I found it easy to follow and interesting to read-through.
Whew... I don't think I warned anyone that this was going to be a long entry. Feel free to come back another time. ;) ...but onto the next topic of: BLUE MAN GROUP!
Tonight I went and shadowed Blue Man Group. When I went to visit Zumanity I met one of the BMG SMs who is an ASM at Zu. She and I talked, and she invited me to come shadow their show for an evening. Again--I had a blast. The show is comical and musical and I throughly entertained. BMG is run much more like a traditional theater show and the SM calls lights, sound and automation. This 2-hour show has over 300 cues that the SM is entirely in-charge of calling. Most of the cues are musical ('GO' on '7' of the third count of 8 during the second chorus-type stuff) but some are what my friend referred to as 'Zen' calling. She used this term to mean when an SM has to anticipate what a performer is going to do and call the cue as it's happening instead of slightly after. It's a small cast with three Blue Men, 7 band members and a run-crew of about 15ish. Every evening they have a 'Circle Meeting' where the cast and crew meet to receive notes for the show--and play pictionary. Ha ha, yes--they play one-round of pictionary every evening before the show. Winners are rewarded with candy.
AND... that's it. I've spit out a lot of information in this entry, and I hope that for the most part it all makes sense. I'm going into my second-to-last week with Mystère and I will be completing my 'final projects' within the next 3-7 days. My final challenges are to run a Cube Training, Do the SM hand-choreography during a live show, and to call a specific section of the show during a live performance. Cube training means calling cues during rehearsal and moving all the props that performers normally move during a show for this training (being a calling SM and a deck SM at the same time basically). SM hand choreography refers to the duties that the calling SM has to juggle while in the booth. The control the recording show-camera, timers for music and cue lights. I will be running these during several performances and Saturday may be my first day I do this. The calling SM will sit behind me to supervise and do the calls for the show. For my calling section I will be cueing a Turntable stop, several ball entrances and a artist's entrance. I also will be doing the check in and pre-show headset announcements while in this role. WHEW. Final Stretch--here I come!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Update!
Just got my computer back recently so I'm back online. I'll post soon about recent experiences which include shadowing Ka, Love and helping out with the Nevada Theatre Ballet.
In the mean time, I'm happy to announce that Cirque du Soleil is joing forces with the Michael Jackson estate for their new show in 2012. Check out this link for a little "preview":
In the mean time, I'm happy to announce that Cirque du Soleil is joing forces with the Michael Jackson estate for their new show in 2012. Check out this link for a little "preview":
Thursday, April 8, 2010
For the Hockey Fans...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
*
I've edited the title of my blog in light of recent updates with my internship...
Cirque offered me an extension on my internship. Though I was not able to accept the full offer (due to wanting to attend graduation, needing prep-time for my next contract, and having to move out of my apartment) I will be adding on more week to my time in Vegas. I'm very excited and honored to have been presented with this opportunity.
Some other quick updates about this week is that I was able to shadow most of the other departments during shows. I've been with Rigging, Carpentry, Lights and Sound, and today I will follow Automations and Props. By allowing me to tag along with the other departments, it's given me a greater appreciation of how complex this show really is. It also reminds me that I'm working with the best of the best. Everyone is very good at their job--which I guess is a given--and I truly believe that every person wants to be working where they are. I was also reminded that everyone is there to do *their* job. It's not my place to collect the rainsticks for the props guys--they'll be there. They'll do their job and I'll do mine and the show will go forward as needed. It's a great challenge and benefit for me to take the time to prefect and improve my track because there is no need--and again, it's not really my place or role--for me to worry about the other departments. It's all a great big, well-oiled (and time-tested) machine!
My other update is that my macbook has been sent off for repairs. I'm currently borrowing my roommate's computer to check in and update. I'll be offline for about a week or so, but again--this could be a good thing. Mom and Aunt are in town and I'll be spending time with them these next two days. Tomorrow's plan is to visit Red Rock Canyon (a favorite sight-seeing place of the locals and tourists--I hear it's beautiful) and to see Lion King tomorrow night. LK is a full Broadway-length play, and I think we'll all throughly enjoy it--but I might get a bit antsy between acts. I'm now accustomed to 90m shows!
Cheers to you for reading this again--a special shout-out to my friends in Elon, my family members in MD, TN, and FL, and the beau in VA. Thanks!
Cirque offered me an extension on my internship. Though I was not able to accept the full offer (due to wanting to attend graduation, needing prep-time for my next contract, and having to move out of my apartment) I will be adding on more week to my time in Vegas. I'm very excited and honored to have been presented with this opportunity.
Some other quick updates about this week is that I was able to shadow most of the other departments during shows. I've been with Rigging, Carpentry, Lights and Sound, and today I will follow Automations and Props. By allowing me to tag along with the other departments, it's given me a greater appreciation of how complex this show really is. It also reminds me that I'm working with the best of the best. Everyone is very good at their job--which I guess is a given--and I truly believe that every person wants to be working where they are. I was also reminded that everyone is there to do *their* job. It's not my place to collect the rainsticks for the props guys--they'll be there. They'll do their job and I'll do mine and the show will go forward as needed. It's a great challenge and benefit for me to take the time to prefect and improve my track because there is no need--and again, it's not really my place or role--for me to worry about the other departments. It's all a great big, well-oiled (and time-tested) machine!
My other update is that my macbook has been sent off for repairs. I'm currently borrowing my roommate's computer to check in and update. I'll be offline for about a week or so, but again--this could be a good thing. Mom and Aunt are in town and I'll be spending time with them these next two days. Tomorrow's plan is to visit Red Rock Canyon (a favorite sight-seeing place of the locals and tourists--I hear it's beautiful) and to see Lion King tomorrow night. LK is a full Broadway-length play, and I think we'll all throughly enjoy it--but I might get a bit antsy between acts. I'm now accustomed to 90m shows!
Cheers to you for reading this again--a special shout-out to my friends in Elon, my family members in MD, TN, and FL, and the beau in VA. Thanks!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Touristy
So this entry is going to be a little-less CDS oriented and more 'Las Vegas' themed.
This past weekend I spent in Las Vegas doing, "the Vegas thing." My wonderful beau flew across the country and we split the cost of two night's stay at New York New York. Now, I know that most people think, SIN CITY when they think of Las Vegas, but it's really about how you spend your time.
The Guy and I spent most of our time walking the strip and going in and out of casinos. We didn't gamble on the strip, but took our time admiring the themes and attractions each casino had to offer. We caught one of the Bellagio fountain shows which was themed to Pink Panther music. The Bellagio has a fountain show that runs every half-hour until 6p, where it then plays every 15 minutes. The Bellagio lake is 9 acres, has 1200 fountains 4500 lights and cost $75 million to build. Wow. We didn't make it to seeing the Volcando erupt in the Mirage or the Siren Show if TI, but I'll try to check out these events before I leave town.
Other fun facts we found out are:
-The Luxor can hold 9 Boeing 747's (the Luxor, if you're not sure which building this is, is the Black Pyramid-shaped casino)
-The replica Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty are both 1/2 size of the originals. (yes, you can go from Paris to New York in just a few blocks in Vegas)
-The MGM Grand Lion is 45 feet tall and wights 100,000 pounds. It is the largest bronzed statue in the U.S.
Pretty nifty stuff.
On our second day in Vegas we went and explored Fremont street. This is located on the North End of the strip and is what most people think of when they think 'old-school Vegas.' The Casinos have flashing lights all over them, and the entire street is blocked of for this carnival-like experience. The street is covered with an LED ceiling that will flash advertisements and light shows with corresponding music.
The Guy and I played Roulette for hours, and though it was a blast, didn't go very far with our winnings. Then again, we weren't betting anything high either. I lost $6, and the Guy won $4. ;) We did test the theory that if you gamble long enough casinos do provide you with free drinks. To us this notion seemed like a myth until a cocktail waitress strolled up to us and asked if she could get us a cocktail. Oh, and something else about Vegas--there's no open container law. if you grab a beer in one bar, please--feel free to cross the street with it and go gamble someplace else. Heck, I saw one woman with a beer in one hand, a cocktail in the other, and then a daiquiri tube hung around her neck with a straw sticking out.
The North end of Vegas is also where you can find most of your Vegas Wedding Chapels. You can get married with Tim McGraw, or Elvis--and there are even some places where you don't even have to leave your car to get married. Yup--they have drive-through wedding services.
All in all, the weekend was very enjoyable. I got to take some time off of work, explore the strip and spend some much needed time with my boyfriend. Now it's back to work at Mystère! This week I'm shadowing all of the other departments, so rather than do SR or Rover track, I'll be following and working with Lighting, Automations, Rigging, Properties and Wardrobe. I hope to gain a lot from this experience because Stage Management doesn't necessarily cross with these departments on a regular basis. I'll take dutiful notes and report next week!
This past weekend I spent in Las Vegas doing, "the Vegas thing." My wonderful beau flew across the country and we split the cost of two night's stay at New York New York. Now, I know that most people think, SIN CITY when they think of Las Vegas, but it's really about how you spend your time.
The Guy and I spent most of our time walking the strip and going in and out of casinos. We didn't gamble on the strip, but took our time admiring the themes and attractions each casino had to offer. We caught one of the Bellagio fountain shows which was themed to Pink Panther music. The Bellagio has a fountain show that runs every half-hour until 6p, where it then plays every 15 minutes. The Bellagio lake is 9 acres, has 1200 fountains 4500 lights and cost $75 million to build. Wow. We didn't make it to seeing the Volcando erupt in the Mirage or the Siren Show if TI, but I'll try to check out these events before I leave town.
Other fun facts we found out are:
-The Luxor can hold 9 Boeing 747's (the Luxor, if you're not sure which building this is, is the Black Pyramid-shaped casino)
-The replica Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty are both 1/2 size of the originals. (yes, you can go from Paris to New York in just a few blocks in Vegas)
-The MGM Grand Lion is 45 feet tall and wights 100,000 pounds. It is the largest bronzed statue in the U.S.
Pretty nifty stuff.
On our second day in Vegas we went and explored Fremont street. This is located on the North End of the strip and is what most people think of when they think 'old-school Vegas.' The Casinos have flashing lights all over them, and the entire street is blocked of for this carnival-like experience. The street is covered with an LED ceiling that will flash advertisements and light shows with corresponding music.
The Guy and I played Roulette for hours, and though it was a blast, didn't go very far with our winnings. Then again, we weren't betting anything high either. I lost $6, and the Guy won $4. ;) We did test the theory that if you gamble long enough casinos do provide you with free drinks. To us this notion seemed like a myth until a cocktail waitress strolled up to us and asked if she could get us a cocktail. Oh, and something else about Vegas--there's no open container law. if you grab a beer in one bar, please--feel free to cross the street with it and go gamble someplace else. Heck, I saw one woman with a beer in one hand, a cocktail in the other, and then a daiquiri tube hung around her neck with a straw sticking out.
The North end of Vegas is also where you can find most of your Vegas Wedding Chapels. You can get married with Tim McGraw, or Elvis--and there are even some places where you don't even have to leave your car to get married. Yup--they have drive-through wedding services.
All in all, the weekend was very enjoyable. I got to take some time off of work, explore the strip and spend some much needed time with my boyfriend. Now it's back to work at Mystère! This week I'm shadowing all of the other departments, so rather than do SR or Rover track, I'll be following and working with Lighting, Automations, Rigging, Properties and Wardrobe. I hope to gain a lot from this experience because Stage Management doesn't necessarily cross with these departments on a regular basis. I'll take dutiful notes and report next week!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
"O" CDS
This past week has been crazy--but in a good way.
After the 5k I jumped back into another full work week, shadowed another show and then worked a headliner gig at T.I.
This past Thursday I went and shadowed, "O." This show is UNBELIEVABLE. Not only are the performers extremely talented, but the technical details are inspiring and the artistic vision is mesmerizing. I could watch this show multiple times and still find new meaning. I plan on visiting the show again on one of my off days and purely watch the show for enjoyment rather than education.
The theater seats about 1,600 and it's quite often that this show sells out. Created by the same director that concocted, Le Rève and Mystère, "O" challenges the audience to re-evaluate their perspective on the world in which they live... but enough about that. Back to the technical side of things...
For those who are not familiar with this CDS avenue, "O" is a water show. It involves divers and swimmers completing acrobatic tricks on a stage that can be submerged in the water to reveal a pool. If all the lifts are up, the audience is presented with a dry stage. If the lifts are down, there is a 15' deep pool. I watched the first show from the booth with the caller, and then was backstage for the second show. Much like Mystère, "O" calls automations as well as performer entrances. I was lucky to witness a clean show with no technical faults, but mistakes do happen very often. When a fault occurs with a lift, the automators try to fix the problem asap, but if nothing can be done--they sink the lift and it stays at the bottom of the pool until the end of the show. This will sometime effect the symmetry of the show, but hey--the show must go on!
As the caller explained more about the procedures for accidents, faults and other complications, I felt a little relief in knowing that not everyone is perfect--even Cirque. Sure, it's what everyone strives for, but again--things happen. What is admirable is how people rise to the challenge. A show can plan for events, but the real test is when theory becomes reality or the unforeseeable happens.
ANYWAY--getting back to the show again--'O' has some awesome effects. Again, it has the lifts that can rise above or sink below water, automation to fly items in, out, across and around the stage, and a giant Kabuki curtain that sits in front of the stage and also floats above the water until it's triggered and disappears in a matter of seconds. At the end of the show (warning--this may be a spoiler) the kabuki curtain reappears by floating onstage in a basket and then re-setting to it's opening position hanging from the proscenium arch.
BACKSTAGE is another world unto itself. The backstage area is divided into 'wet halls' and 'dry halls.' What this simply means is that there are halls with non-slip surfaces that allow cast and crew to walk safely after being in or around the pool. Each dressing room has two entrances--one from the wet hall and one from the dry hall. Wardrobe is stationed between the dressing rooms and the stage and does lots of maintenance each day to repair and maintain all of the costumes that go in and out of the water. There are over 4,000 lights used for the show, and many of these lights also appear under-water. Under the stage there is a 'lighting tunnel' where there are lights and pumps for under the pool. Not only do these lights serve artistic purposes, but they're also there to guide divers and performers during the show. There are lights that mark center, SR and SL, as well as give warnings and cues. This level of the stage has glass paneling that allows someone to look into the pool and see any action that is occurring underwater... and there's a lot that goes on.
Each lift underwater has hundreds of safety levers attached. If one of these levers is activated, the lift stops moving. Sometimes these levers are intentionally engaged, and sometimes a person accidentally hits one. To re-engage the show the lever has to be restored and automations has to re-store the lift, or automations has to re-route the system to bypass the safety. How can an automator in the booth tell if a safety has been triggered on purpose or not? Why, by underwater clear-com of course! Yes... there are divers underwater, and they have clear-com and they can communicate to the caller if need be. The caller also calls several clears and go's underwater through his paging system. In the pool there's a sound system that plays the show music and the calling SMs voice.
As I mentioned before, I was backstage for the second show. What this meant is that I followed the two SMs on their show tracks. The SM team at "O" operates closer to how SM's are normally perceived. They are there to problem-solve, manage and cue more than any other task. This team is good at what they do, and during the second show there was a problem that arose. Rather than bother the caller with the concern, they took care of it on their own and moved on. I respect this Cirque attitude that a Stage Manager is a Stage Manager--no matter where they are. Why bother the caller with something you can fix and they have no control over? They have enough on their plate! Following the SMs backstage was refreshing because nothing ever happened in a rush, but everything has a purpose. All in all--and in summary--I had a very pleasant time shadowing "O" and I hope to go back again--either as an audience member or visiting backstage again.
Quickly touching on my next few nights--Friday I was the SM for Sinbad at TI. This was a simply gig, and all I really did was make sure his rider (contract basically) was fulfilled, and that he got onstage. I called houselights and walk-on music...and that was it. At the end of his act I took him back to the greenroom and gathered any guests he had to visit--which included Chris Tucker among others. For this little gig I got paid more than I make in a week at CDS (not complaining--just stating, please don't read this wrong!), and I now have Sinbad's name on my resume and in my phone. Yup--Sinbad texted me. I'll never have a use for it, but hey--it's still pretty cool. I'm glad that my SM team gave me this opportunity.
And after Sinbad it was back to another week of Mystère, and that's where I am now. Week 4 and halfway through the internship. I think I'm doing well, but I still feel as though there's so much to learn and not enough time. Most internships are 12 weeks, and mine is 8 just because of the timing in their season. This opportunity is allowing me to see what the company does in a short time and challenging me to rise to the occasion of learning and executing tasks in a short amount of time. I'm enjoying the challenge and hope that I'm doing well. We'll see. Success is not measured by job offers (as some past interns feel) but rather the experiences I'm able to learn from during my time here.
...alright. I'm getting a bit too philosophical. It's time for another night's rest after a long week. This weekend (weekend being Thursday/Friday) I get two days off to explore Las Vegas with the bf as he comes to visit. I'll try to take the time to write about any fun locations or discoveries we make about the town.
Thanks for reading again!
After the 5k I jumped back into another full work week, shadowed another show and then worked a headliner gig at T.I.
This past Thursday I went and shadowed, "O." This show is UNBELIEVABLE. Not only are the performers extremely talented, but the technical details are inspiring and the artistic vision is mesmerizing. I could watch this show multiple times and still find new meaning. I plan on visiting the show again on one of my off days and purely watch the show for enjoyment rather than education.
The theater seats about 1,600 and it's quite often that this show sells out. Created by the same director that concocted, Le Rève and Mystère, "O" challenges the audience to re-evaluate their perspective on the world in which they live... but enough about that. Back to the technical side of things...
For those who are not familiar with this CDS avenue, "O" is a water show. It involves divers and swimmers completing acrobatic tricks on a stage that can be submerged in the water to reveal a pool. If all the lifts are up, the audience is presented with a dry stage. If the lifts are down, there is a 15' deep pool. I watched the first show from the booth with the caller, and then was backstage for the second show. Much like Mystère, "O" calls automations as well as performer entrances. I was lucky to witness a clean show with no technical faults, but mistakes do happen very often. When a fault occurs with a lift, the automators try to fix the problem asap, but if nothing can be done--they sink the lift and it stays at the bottom of the pool until the end of the show. This will sometime effect the symmetry of the show, but hey--the show must go on!
As the caller explained more about the procedures for accidents, faults and other complications, I felt a little relief in knowing that not everyone is perfect--even Cirque. Sure, it's what everyone strives for, but again--things happen. What is admirable is how people rise to the challenge. A show can plan for events, but the real test is when theory becomes reality or the unforeseeable happens.
ANYWAY--getting back to the show again--'O' has some awesome effects. Again, it has the lifts that can rise above or sink below water, automation to fly items in, out, across and around the stage, and a giant Kabuki curtain that sits in front of the stage and also floats above the water until it's triggered and disappears in a matter of seconds. At the end of the show (warning--this may be a spoiler) the kabuki curtain reappears by floating onstage in a basket and then re-setting to it's opening position hanging from the proscenium arch.
BACKSTAGE is another world unto itself. The backstage area is divided into 'wet halls' and 'dry halls.' What this simply means is that there are halls with non-slip surfaces that allow cast and crew to walk safely after being in or around the pool. Each dressing room has two entrances--one from the wet hall and one from the dry hall. Wardrobe is stationed between the dressing rooms and the stage and does lots of maintenance each day to repair and maintain all of the costumes that go in and out of the water. There are over 4,000 lights used for the show, and many of these lights also appear under-water. Under the stage there is a 'lighting tunnel' where there are lights and pumps for under the pool. Not only do these lights serve artistic purposes, but they're also there to guide divers and performers during the show. There are lights that mark center, SR and SL, as well as give warnings and cues. This level of the stage has glass paneling that allows someone to look into the pool and see any action that is occurring underwater... and there's a lot that goes on.
Each lift underwater has hundreds of safety levers attached. If one of these levers is activated, the lift stops moving. Sometimes these levers are intentionally engaged, and sometimes a person accidentally hits one. To re-engage the show the lever has to be restored and automations has to re-store the lift, or automations has to re-route the system to bypass the safety. How can an automator in the booth tell if a safety has been triggered on purpose or not? Why, by underwater clear-com of course! Yes... there are divers underwater, and they have clear-com and they can communicate to the caller if need be. The caller also calls several clears and go's underwater through his paging system. In the pool there's a sound system that plays the show music and the calling SMs voice.
As I mentioned before, I was backstage for the second show. What this meant is that I followed the two SMs on their show tracks. The SM team at "O" operates closer to how SM's are normally perceived. They are there to problem-solve, manage and cue more than any other task. This team is good at what they do, and during the second show there was a problem that arose. Rather than bother the caller with the concern, they took care of it on their own and moved on. I respect this Cirque attitude that a Stage Manager is a Stage Manager--no matter where they are. Why bother the caller with something you can fix and they have no control over? They have enough on their plate! Following the SMs backstage was refreshing because nothing ever happened in a rush, but everything has a purpose. All in all--and in summary--I had a very pleasant time shadowing "O" and I hope to go back again--either as an audience member or visiting backstage again.
Quickly touching on my next few nights--Friday I was the SM for Sinbad at TI. This was a simply gig, and all I really did was make sure his rider (contract basically) was fulfilled, and that he got onstage. I called houselights and walk-on music...and that was it. At the end of his act I took him back to the greenroom and gathered any guests he had to visit--which included Chris Tucker among others. For this little gig I got paid more than I make in a week at CDS (not complaining--just stating, please don't read this wrong!), and I now have Sinbad's name on my resume and in my phone. Yup--Sinbad texted me. I'll never have a use for it, but hey--it's still pretty cool. I'm glad that my SM team gave me this opportunity.
And after Sinbad it was back to another week of Mystère, and that's where I am now. Week 4 and halfway through the internship. I think I'm doing well, but I still feel as though there's so much to learn and not enough time. Most internships are 12 weeks, and mine is 8 just because of the timing in their season. This opportunity is allowing me to see what the company does in a short time and challenging me to rise to the occasion of learning and executing tasks in a short amount of time. I'm enjoying the challenge and hope that I'm doing well. We'll see. Success is not measured by job offers (as some past interns feel) but rather the experiences I'm able to learn from during my time here.
...alright. I'm getting a bit too philosophical. It's time for another night's rest after a long week. This weekend (weekend being Thursday/Friday) I get two days off to explore Las Vegas with the bf as he comes to visit. I'll try to take the time to write about any fun locations or discoveries we make about the town.
Thanks for reading again!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Celebrities
So, in the past week I've had the pleasure of being in close proximity to 3 headliners:
-Zac Efron
-Vanessa Hudgens
-Criss Angel
Zac and Vanessa came to Mystère, and I went to see Criss Angel Believe. Due to the confidentiality contracts I've signed I can't do into detail about what I saw backstage, but I can share a few things about the space and the show.
The theater seats approximately 1,600 people and was not originally built for this CDS show. Prior to Believe it was the space for the Blue Man Group and Hairspray. The theater is a traditional proscenium arch venue. Criss's dressing room is 1,200 sq ft. ...that's larger than most of our college apartments combined. Due to the magical theme of this show, there are no acrobatic elements, but rather Criss's stunts and dancers. The cast number is a whopping 16 people.
I'm beginning to think of Cirque as less of a specific form of art and more of a producer. What I find great about this company; however, is that it's a family. From one show to another every one shares a common bond and is there for the same general purpose--to contribute to the production by giving their best in their area of expertise. It's pretty cool, and I'm glad I get to be around it for another 6 weeks.
So, on the same vein of my 'Celebrity' title, I have some exciting news to report. This coming weekend I will be free-lancing for the TI casino and will be Stage Managing the comedian using the Mystère stage. Want to find out who it is? Go to the TI site and look up their events. I'm managing the one of the 26th.
But, moving on and and checking out--the 5K is tomorrow. I'm waking up at 6:30 in the morning to drive 30 mins to go run 3 miles at 8:30 in the morning. Can't wait!
-Zac Efron
-Vanessa Hudgens
-Criss Angel
Zac and Vanessa came to Mystère, and I went to see Criss Angel Believe. Due to the confidentiality contracts I've signed I can't do into detail about what I saw backstage, but I can share a few things about the space and the show.
The theater seats approximately 1,600 people and was not originally built for this CDS show. Prior to Believe it was the space for the Blue Man Group and Hairspray. The theater is a traditional proscenium arch venue. Criss's dressing room is 1,200 sq ft. ...that's larger than most of our college apartments combined. Due to the magical theme of this show, there are no acrobatic elements, but rather Criss's stunts and dancers. The cast number is a whopping 16 people.
I'm beginning to think of Cirque as less of a specific form of art and more of a producer. What I find great about this company; however, is that it's a family. From one show to another every one shares a common bond and is there for the same general purpose--to contribute to the production by giving their best in their area of expertise. It's pretty cool, and I'm glad I get to be around it for another 6 weeks.
So, on the same vein of my 'Celebrity' title, I have some exciting news to report. This coming weekend I will be free-lancing for the TI casino and will be Stage Managing the comedian using the Mystère stage. Want to find out who it is? Go to the TI site and look up their events. I'm managing the one of the 26th.
But, moving on and and checking out--the 5K is tomorrow. I'm waking up at 6:30 in the morning to drive 30 mins to go run 3 miles at 8:30 in the morning. Can't wait!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
At the Zu
Shadowing Zu this past Friday was fun. It's interesting, but I kind of always thought that all Cirque shows followed the same vein of performance. I thought that they all had lots of acrobatic acts with a few clowning bits in between and that the themes just varied from show to show. Nope!
Zumanity is a smaller Cabaret show with very individualized acts. Their theater seats 1,250, and the proscenium arch for their stage is smaller than Elon's McCrary theater. Yup--no joke. This show has just about 40 performers (less than Midusmmer if you include the band!) and even fewer technicians. It's a very small, intimate space. Rather than have group acrobatic acts they have highlight specialized spotlight performances. Though this is unique, it means that if one of their artists is out it drastically changes the flow of their show. They have backup acts and can put them in as needed, but sometimes there's no back-up to the back-up's back-up. ;)
What also makes Zumanity unique from other Cirque shows is how intimate it is. The Emcee runs most of the show, and though he tends to follow a pattern, he's not actually scripted. Also, most of the female performers are topless. No, Zu is not a burlesque show, but rather a creative expression of the human sexual desire reflected in an erotically artistic form. Some of the acts include a school girl hula-hooping while swinging through the air, a woman pole-dancing in-front of a football game screen, a Gigilo strip dancing, and a clown act DIY 'scotch baggies' where she explains the best way to stuff your bra. I know--it probably doesn't sound very artistic, but never once did I think, 'wow, that's not tasteful.' Instead I was still blown away by their performances.
I watched the first show from the booth with the calling SM, and then roved backstage. Unlike the show I'm working on, Zu had a paper-book from which they called from. Though obviously typed and stored on a computer, each SM had their own book in which they wrote, scribbled and highlighted. The SM calls all of the automation cues that control scenic elements (lift, large wave screens tracked on-stage, lighting ladders) and is looking out for the safety of the performer's onstage.
When I roved backstage I was with an ASM in rotation. Rather than have one ASM at the show at all times, Zu has 2 people that come in every few days to do work. This particular girl is on the Stage Management team at Blue Man. After talking with her and spending time with her backstage she invited me to come see Blue Man backstage on one of my off days. Of course I'll look into this. ;) The rover track was much simpler than the one I had just learned. There were perhaps 10 cues in all for the show, and most of them involved opening doors, paging curtains and letting the cast know which audience members had already been chosen for participation. With the newer Cirque shows, ASMs and SMs are more os supervisors backstage rather than hands-on--which is how most people view the SM position should operate.
When Mystère opened, Cirque was still trying to figure things out, which is why their SM team has so much to do during shows. I don't have a preference, but I am enjoying the challenges that my show is presenting me. This week, for example, I'm learning the SR track. Is started last night and will continue for the next few days. The first show I shadowed was a bit hectic as one of the winches failed, and an act was shortened. What's neat about Cirque is that really--the show must go on. Mystère has never stopped or halted a show. What happens is they stall. The calling SM tried 3 times to call the winch in, and after the third attempt, moved on (i found out that it's either 3 quick tries or 20 seconds to try to fix the problem before moving on).
Onstage, you had your characters engaged and acting. Backstage people were ready to go on while another SM made the call to get into positions for the next act. Everyone responded very quickly. One way that Stage Management can communicate to the performers--both onstage and backstage--is a light system. There are sets of green, yellow and red lights located all around the stage that the audience can't see, but the performers and crew can. Green means everything is operating normally, yellow is proceed with caution or look for instructions if you can, and red is stop where you are. Another thing is that the SM team has the ability to page the entire backstage area with their headset. With one click a SM can let performers immediately know any changes. Very cool--very effective.
So--wrapping up that rant--the show went on and my second shadow of the track went much smoother. I continue today with another SM member, and then go back return to roving tomorrow (without a shadow for the second show). Tuesday and Wednesday I'll be back SR to try and do the track myself. But for now I'm going to peace out and go for a walk/jog... the Cirque 5K is this Saturday... fun. I'm not really worried about my ability to finish, but I would like to not be the very last person across the line. We'll see. No matter what, it's for a good cause, and a little exercise never hurt anyone... right?
Zumanity is a smaller Cabaret show with very individualized acts. Their theater seats 1,250, and the proscenium arch for their stage is smaller than Elon's McCrary theater. Yup--no joke. This show has just about 40 performers (less than Midusmmer if you include the band!) and even fewer technicians. It's a very small, intimate space. Rather than have group acrobatic acts they have highlight specialized spotlight performances. Though this is unique, it means that if one of their artists is out it drastically changes the flow of their show. They have backup acts and can put them in as needed, but sometimes there's no back-up to the back-up's back-up. ;)
What also makes Zumanity unique from other Cirque shows is how intimate it is. The Emcee runs most of the show, and though he tends to follow a pattern, he's not actually scripted. Also, most of the female performers are topless. No, Zu is not a burlesque show, but rather a creative expression of the human sexual desire reflected in an erotically artistic form. Some of the acts include a school girl hula-hooping while swinging through the air, a woman pole-dancing in-front of a football game screen, a Gigilo strip dancing, and a clown act DIY 'scotch baggies' where she explains the best way to stuff your bra. I know--it probably doesn't sound very artistic, but never once did I think, 'wow, that's not tasteful.' Instead I was still blown away by their performances.
I watched the first show from the booth with the calling SM, and then roved backstage. Unlike the show I'm working on, Zu had a paper-book from which they called from. Though obviously typed and stored on a computer, each SM had their own book in which they wrote, scribbled and highlighted. The SM calls all of the automation cues that control scenic elements (lift, large wave screens tracked on-stage, lighting ladders) and is looking out for the safety of the performer's onstage.
When I roved backstage I was with an ASM in rotation. Rather than have one ASM at the show at all times, Zu has 2 people that come in every few days to do work. This particular girl is on the Stage Management team at Blue Man. After talking with her and spending time with her backstage she invited me to come see Blue Man backstage on one of my off days. Of course I'll look into this. ;) The rover track was much simpler than the one I had just learned. There were perhaps 10 cues in all for the show, and most of them involved opening doors, paging curtains and letting the cast know which audience members had already been chosen for participation. With the newer Cirque shows, ASMs and SMs are more os supervisors backstage rather than hands-on--which is how most people view the SM position should operate.
When Mystère opened, Cirque was still trying to figure things out, which is why their SM team has so much to do during shows. I don't have a preference, but I am enjoying the challenges that my show is presenting me. This week, for example, I'm learning the SR track. Is started last night and will continue for the next few days. The first show I shadowed was a bit hectic as one of the winches failed, and an act was shortened. What's neat about Cirque is that really--the show must go on. Mystère has never stopped or halted a show. What happens is they stall. The calling SM tried 3 times to call the winch in, and after the third attempt, moved on (i found out that it's either 3 quick tries or 20 seconds to try to fix the problem before moving on).
Onstage, you had your characters engaged and acting. Backstage people were ready to go on while another SM made the call to get into positions for the next act. Everyone responded very quickly. One way that Stage Management can communicate to the performers--both onstage and backstage--is a light system. There are sets of green, yellow and red lights located all around the stage that the audience can't see, but the performers and crew can. Green means everything is operating normally, yellow is proceed with caution or look for instructions if you can, and red is stop where you are. Another thing is that the SM team has the ability to page the entire backstage area with their headset. With one click a SM can let performers immediately know any changes. Very cool--very effective.
So--wrapping up that rant--the show went on and my second shadow of the track went much smoother. I continue today with another SM member, and then go back return to roving tomorrow (without a shadow for the second show). Tuesday and Wednesday I'll be back SR to try and do the track myself. But for now I'm going to peace out and go for a walk/jog... the Cirque 5K is this Saturday... fun. I'm not really worried about my ability to finish, but I would like to not be the very last person across the line. We'll see. No matter what, it's for a good cause, and a little exercise never hurt anyone... right?
Friday, March 12, 2010
Updates
Just checking in. I've had the past two days off, and though my show is dark tonight, I'll be shadowing Zumanity. I'll update my blog accordingly.
Also, I've posted pictures of my trip out west to facebook. Here are the links:
NC-NM
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2145317&id=18208183&l=f8e45450c1
NM-AZ (Painted Desert & Petrified Forest National Park)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2145318&id=18208183&l=e6e4b3f4b0
Hoover Dam & Las Vegas Arrival
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2145319&id=18208183&l=bd73e04a05
Yes, most of them are taken out of the driver's side window...
Also, I've posted pictures of my trip out west to facebook. Here are the links:
NC-NM
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2145317&id=18208183&l=f8e45450c1
NM-AZ (Painted Desert & Petrified Forest National Park)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2145318&id=18208183&l=e6e4b3f4b0
Hoover Dam & Las Vegas Arrival
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2145319&id=18208183&l=bd73e04a05
Yes, most of them are taken out of the driver's side window...
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Day 3
I should probably come up with more creative titles...
Anyway, day 3. Last night (day 2) I shadowed another SM on the rover track, then tried running the track with her shadowing. It went alright. I was a little confused as to which set of stairs I should go up when, but other than that there's any other major bloopers... in my opinion.
I did the same thing this evening with another SM, and then the GSM (General Stage Manager) shadowing me. Again, not major bloopers for the most part. There is a part of the show when a guest is taken backstage and dressed up (sorry if this is a spoiler!) and then they get sent back onstage, and it's the Rover's job to dress and place that person in time for the next entrance. I'm slow on this right now, but I'm hoping that with practice I'll get it right. Everyone's been really great about having my backstage. I feel comfortable enough in this track that if I HAD to do it by myself (which I won't b/ I'm an intern and it's liability) I feel that I could. I was left alone for a moment when there was an injury backstage and the GSM went to take care of it. Don't worry--this person is fine. So, after 3 days, and shadowing 4 shows, I've learned the Mystère Rover track. Yay.
Tomorrow is office work and projects. I'll again run the rover track and have another SM shadow me. We're dark for three days this week instead of two (part of their vacation rotation), so it's a long weekend. This Friday; however, I'll be going backstage of Zumanity. FABULOUS. From what I know, I'll be attending trainings, and then watching the show with the calling SM and then possibly roving in the back. We'll see!
Anyway, day 3. Last night (day 2) I shadowed another SM on the rover track, then tried running the track with her shadowing. It went alright. I was a little confused as to which set of stairs I should go up when, but other than that there's any other major bloopers... in my opinion.
I did the same thing this evening with another SM, and then the GSM (General Stage Manager) shadowing me. Again, not major bloopers for the most part. There is a part of the show when a guest is taken backstage and dressed up (sorry if this is a spoiler!) and then they get sent back onstage, and it's the Rover's job to dress and place that person in time for the next entrance. I'm slow on this right now, but I'm hoping that with practice I'll get it right. Everyone's been really great about having my backstage. I feel comfortable enough in this track that if I HAD to do it by myself (which I won't b/ I'm an intern and it's liability) I feel that I could. I was left alone for a moment when there was an injury backstage and the GSM went to take care of it. Don't worry--this person is fine. So, after 3 days, and shadowing 4 shows, I've learned the Mystère Rover track. Yay.
Tomorrow is office work and projects. I'll again run the rover track and have another SM shadow me. We're dark for three days this week instead of two (part of their vacation rotation), so it's a long weekend. This Friday; however, I'll be going backstage of Zumanity. FABULOUS. From what I know, I'll be attending trainings, and then watching the show with the calling SM and then possibly roving in the back. We'll see!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
First Day - Official
So, today was my 'official' first day.
I arrived in the afternoon and observed trainings. Trainings are when the artists rehearse their acts onstage during the day--these events are just called trainings rather than rehearsals because of their acrobatic origin (and this was a GREAT opportunity to play the name game... not only are there over 70 people in the cast, but there are multitudes of technicians and other creative personnel. I'm not saying I got very far today, but it's a start). Today we worked 'Planche' which is the 10 minute section in the show that involved the teeter board, the fast track and the trampolines. After Planche was time for the high bar and then time to clean the poles. This act in the show is called 'Chinese Poles' and at the beginning of each week the upstage set of 15 gets cleaned with denatured alcohol, whereas the downstage set gets cleaned before every performance. At 5:10, the stage gets handed over to technicians for pre-show... this is when I went upstairs to the office.
I don't have any official projects yet, so I occupied myself before the show by updating some out-dated paperwork that was in the office. It's been explained to me that as I go through the logs, paper and standards of operation, I should check to see if they're still accurate as well as understandable. These documents are so if the SM team were to 'be hit by a bus,' 'crash on a plane' or 'get stranded in Du Bias' that another person could come in and run the show if needed. Interesting how all us SM's have different scenarios in which we couldn't make it to a show... almost all of them involving death or extreme unfathomable distance.
During this coming week I will be learning the 'Rover SM' track during performances. Today I shadowed the Rover track and began to learn what this is about... whatever else this job may be, this track is cool. It begins in the house with a clown, checks on girls that fly in from the ceiling, catches a snail that's being thrown into a giant pit, opens secret doors for entrances, cues entrances and exits and assists with the movement of on-stage scenery during the show... just to name a few of the tasks to accomplish. The track travels everywhere backstage, from the very bottom of the theater to all the way in the catwalks, and yes--even onstage. I thought this was pretty cool, as I had never noticed a technician onstage before (and I've now seen this show a few times). But yes--there are technicians onstage--Cirque just has you looking in another direction.
So for the next week it's my responsibility to learn this track as best I can (as well as complete my assigned projects and learn other Management responsibilities. By the end of the week I should be able to do this track on my own with one of the SM team shadowing me to make sure I get everything right. FABULOUS.
I arrived in the afternoon and observed trainings. Trainings are when the artists rehearse their acts onstage during the day--these events are just called trainings rather than rehearsals because of their acrobatic origin (and this was a GREAT opportunity to play the name game... not only are there over 70 people in the cast, but there are multitudes of technicians and other creative personnel. I'm not saying I got very far today, but it's a start). Today we worked 'Planche' which is the 10 minute section in the show that involved the teeter board, the fast track and the trampolines. After Planche was time for the high bar and then time to clean the poles. This act in the show is called 'Chinese Poles' and at the beginning of each week the upstage set of 15 gets cleaned with denatured alcohol, whereas the downstage set gets cleaned before every performance. At 5:10, the stage gets handed over to technicians for pre-show... this is when I went upstairs to the office.
I don't have any official projects yet, so I occupied myself before the show by updating some out-dated paperwork that was in the office. It's been explained to me that as I go through the logs, paper and standards of operation, I should check to see if they're still accurate as well as understandable. These documents are so if the SM team were to 'be hit by a bus,' 'crash on a plane' or 'get stranded in Du Bias' that another person could come in and run the show if needed. Interesting how all us SM's have different scenarios in which we couldn't make it to a show... almost all of them involving death or extreme unfathomable distance.
During this coming week I will be learning the 'Rover SM' track during performances. Today I shadowed the Rover track and began to learn what this is about... whatever else this job may be, this track is cool. It begins in the house with a clown, checks on girls that fly in from the ceiling, catches a snail that's being thrown into a giant pit, opens secret doors for entrances, cues entrances and exits and assists with the movement of on-stage scenery during the show... just to name a few of the tasks to accomplish. The track travels everywhere backstage, from the very bottom of the theater to all the way in the catwalks, and yes--even onstage. I thought this was pretty cool, as I had never noticed a technician onstage before (and I've now seen this show a few times). But yes--there are technicians onstage--Cirque just has you looking in another direction.
So for the next week it's my responsibility to learn this track as best I can (as well as complete my assigned projects and learn other Management responsibilities. By the end of the week I should be able to do this track on my own with one of the SM team shadowing me to make sure I get everything right. FABULOUS.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
First Day
So, I'm just going to jump into this as much as I can with the little amount of energy left.
Though my contract begins this Saturday, March 6, I began 'work' today. Last night I contacted my SM to let her know I had gotten my paperwork done and that I was available to do anything if she needed me to. Less than 20 minutes after I sent this e-mail I got a phone call asking if I would be willing to come in today for a tour and to watch the show. OF COURSE, I said yes.
I arrived at 1:45 to get my tour of the facility. My show has 5 levels to it, including the trap room and the grid. There are currently 80 performers in the show right now, with over 60 technicians running the show any day--but this number doesn't include carpenters or costume crew that work during the day but don't run shows. The team I'm working with comes from a variety of backgrounds, though 2 of them have been part of the creation teams for some of Cirque's more recent releases. The daily schedule has training in the afternoons, and then performances at night. There are 4 lifts installed in the stage, and a tun table.
I got to watch my first show from the sound-booth seats in the house. These seats are located directly in the center of the house in-front of the sound booth and next to one of the trap doors for the show. It was great. I was also treated by the sound operator who provided me chocolate for the show (very kind of him) and as several of the dancers danced by my seat during the run they would whisper, "Hey Stu!" or "What's up Stuie?!"
The second show I watched from the booth with the calling SM--this was also pretty cool. The SM calls automation cues, which are similar to lighting cues but instead of calling light changes, these cue any movement onstage. This calling script also notates entrances for some characters and 'clear checks' to make sure things are properly set... the SM also cues camera changes for the dvd recording that is created each evening as well as recording times for each section of the show and filling out show paper work. All of this information is an excel file on the computer in the booth. Each cue is color-coded accordingly. This script is so accurate that there's even a point where the roving SM comes in to give the calling SM a bathroom break. Fabulous.
After work I went out for drinks with the SM team. It was a lot of fun. Today was their "Friday" as this show is dark for the next two days. Each of us had something to drink as we chatted and then went on our merry ways.
Wish I could go on, but alas--it's time for bed. Starting a day earlier was exciting though. I'll start learning one of the Stage Manager's track this Saturday, but until then--it's "the weekend."
Though my contract begins this Saturday, March 6, I began 'work' today. Last night I contacted my SM to let her know I had gotten my paperwork done and that I was available to do anything if she needed me to. Less than 20 minutes after I sent this e-mail I got a phone call asking if I would be willing to come in today for a tour and to watch the show. OF COURSE, I said yes.
I arrived at 1:45 to get my tour of the facility. My show has 5 levels to it, including the trap room and the grid. There are currently 80 performers in the show right now, with over 60 technicians running the show any day--but this number doesn't include carpenters or costume crew that work during the day but don't run shows. The team I'm working with comes from a variety of backgrounds, though 2 of them have been part of the creation teams for some of Cirque's more recent releases. The daily schedule has training in the afternoons, and then performances at night. There are 4 lifts installed in the stage, and a tun table.
I got to watch my first show from the sound-booth seats in the house. These seats are located directly in the center of the house in-front of the sound booth and next to one of the trap doors for the show. It was great. I was also treated by the sound operator who provided me chocolate for the show (very kind of him) and as several of the dancers danced by my seat during the run they would whisper, "Hey Stu!" or "What's up Stuie?!"
The second show I watched from the booth with the calling SM--this was also pretty cool. The SM calls automation cues, which are similar to lighting cues but instead of calling light changes, these cue any movement onstage. This calling script also notates entrances for some characters and 'clear checks' to make sure things are properly set... the SM also cues camera changes for the dvd recording that is created each evening as well as recording times for each section of the show and filling out show paper work. All of this information is an excel file on the computer in the booth. Each cue is color-coded accordingly. This script is so accurate that there's even a point where the roving SM comes in to give the calling SM a bathroom break. Fabulous.
After work I went out for drinks with the SM team. It was a lot of fun. Today was their "Friday" as this show is dark for the next two days. Each of us had something to drink as we chatted and then went on our merry ways.
Wish I could go on, but alas--it's time for bed. Starting a day earlier was exciting though. I'll start learning one of the Stage Manager's track this Saturday, but until then--it's "the weekend."
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sign On
Went to RSD today, which stand for Resident Show Division. It's the headquarters for the Las Vegas Cirque shows, but everyone called it RSD because they don't like to use the word 'headquarters.' :)
While at RSD I filled out my paperwork--W-4, contact sheet, confidentiality waiver, etc., etc.. The office looked like it would belong to the Cirque world. The floor was made of carpet circles of red, green and yellow, and the ceiling was white with corresponding yellow circles to match the floor. The furniture was white, black and silver patterned in geometric shapes. Interesting enough, none of this clashed. I may be biased, however.
After sign-on I worked on getting some errands done around the town--grocery shopping, etc. Not too much exciting there. Came back to the house and had a lovely dinner with the roommates. Before I start on Saturday, I am determined to walk the strip in both daylight and nighttime. I also intend to explore the casinos as much as I can. I'll report on these adventures once completed.
While at RSD I filled out my paperwork--W-4, contact sheet, confidentiality waiver, etc., etc.. The office looked like it would belong to the Cirque world. The floor was made of carpet circles of red, green and yellow, and the ceiling was white with corresponding yellow circles to match the floor. The furniture was white, black and silver patterned in geometric shapes. Interesting enough, none of this clashed. I may be biased, however.
After sign-on I worked on getting some errands done around the town--grocery shopping, etc. Not too much exciting there. Came back to the house and had a lovely dinner with the roommates. Before I start on Saturday, I am determined to walk the strip in both daylight and nighttime. I also intend to explore the casinos as much as I can. I'll report on these adventures once completed.
Figuring it out
Alright, so my first official day in the city. Not working yet, but just *in* the city.
First, let me back-track to last night when I arrived...
I left New Mexico around 8:00a and started the drive to Nevada. Because I had some time to kill, I stopped in the Arizona National State Park for the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert. It was gorgeous. I could have spend an entire day there. Looking out over the Painted Desert you could see for miles. In one direction, you could see the mountain range of San Francisco--which was a whopping 120 miles away from the point I was standing. Also, the painted desert changes colors depending on the time of day, and the weather. The rocks can range from light peach colors, to dark purple to vibrant red according to the current conditions in the desert. The Petrified Forest didn't offer as much as far as view-points over the desert, but has lots of great sites to stop and investigate and explore. In addition to waking through forests of petrified wood, I got to see dozens of unique rock formation, arizona wildlife, newspaper rock with petroglyphs, and a section of the original route 66 path. Pictures of this adventure will be posted to facebook soon.
After leaving the park, I got back onto the road and drove... and drove... and drove. Really this trip wasn't longer than my previous adventures, but I was driving after sun-down, so it felt long. Driving is easier in the daylight.
I passed over the Hoover Dam, which even at night was extraordinary. On a day off I plan to go back and visit the dam. 40 miles after the dam, I come to Las Vegas. Everyone kept saying that, 'there wasn't much outside the strip,' but I still didn't expect to see what I did.
Vegas is located in a Valley, and as almost as far as I could see in either direction there were glittering glimmering lights. Off just slightly to my right I could see 'The Strip.' This site truly was incredible.
...after a few short turns off of highway 15, I found myself at my new home for the next 8 weeks. It's a great house with fabulous people and two very friendly dogs. The place is located on the edge of the desert on the southern edge of the city in a lovely safe neighborhood. The commute to TI won't be bad once I start.
Today--to try to catch up on current events--was just a small introduction to the city. We went to breakfast as 'The Hash House' (apparently a famous Vegas staple featured by Rachel Ray and the Today Show) and then did a short drive through the strip. We stopped at Fashion Show Mall, which is located directly across from TI. This mall is 4 stories high, and features a love fashion show every 1/2 hour Friday-Sunday evenings. After this stop, we drove down the strip and went into Aria.
Aria, I learned, is the newest casino to open on the strip. It is a multi-billion dollar building that MGM just opened this past December. Viva Elvis--the Cirque show in Aria--just opened about a week ago. Aria is gorgeous, and I could tell that every detail was carefully chosen and exactitude. The floors are elegant designs made out of several different types of marbles, and every room, wall chair and decoration was expertly selected. The enameled wood for the proscenium arch in the Viva theater costs $100 per square foot. Wow. I also found out that within each casino you have not only the casino floor, but restaurants, bars, your hotel rooms and shopping areas (almost mall-sized areas in which to walk and shop). Aria had 2 floors of shopping with over 20 different stores--including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Coach and many others. I knew about the casinos and hotels being together, but I was unaware of the shopping situation. I also knew that there would be bars in the casinos, but I don't think I ever pictured them to be as a luxurious as this place. I was spoiled; however, and still need to inspect the other casinos on the strip. Aria is the cream of the crop and one the highest ranked casinos in the world at this moment.
I plan on walking and exploring the trip later this week--I'll report on my findings at that time.
Among the other helpful/interesting things I've learned about Vegas are:
-Don't jog at night. The area isn't dangerous because of crime, but there are coyotes.
-Be careful of your first alcoholic drink in Las Vegas. The elevation is 5,000 ft above sea-level, so one drink may effect you more than you think.
-Vegas population right now is about 2 million people.
And... that's it for today. Sign-on tomorrow morning. Again, thanks for reading!
NV time: 1:40a
NC time: 4:40a -- please forgive me if this post isn't as clear and concise as the others. :)
First, let me back-track to last night when I arrived...
I left New Mexico around 8:00a and started the drive to Nevada. Because I had some time to kill, I stopped in the Arizona National State Park for the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert. It was gorgeous. I could have spend an entire day there. Looking out over the Painted Desert you could see for miles. In one direction, you could see the mountain range of San Francisco--which was a whopping 120 miles away from the point I was standing. Also, the painted desert changes colors depending on the time of day, and the weather. The rocks can range from light peach colors, to dark purple to vibrant red according to the current conditions in the desert. The Petrified Forest didn't offer as much as far as view-points over the desert, but has lots of great sites to stop and investigate and explore. In addition to waking through forests of petrified wood, I got to see dozens of unique rock formation, arizona wildlife, newspaper rock with petroglyphs, and a section of the original route 66 path. Pictures of this adventure will be posted to facebook soon.
After leaving the park, I got back onto the road and drove... and drove... and drove. Really this trip wasn't longer than my previous adventures, but I was driving after sun-down, so it felt long. Driving is easier in the daylight.
I passed over the Hoover Dam, which even at night was extraordinary. On a day off I plan to go back and visit the dam. 40 miles after the dam, I come to Las Vegas. Everyone kept saying that, 'there wasn't much outside the strip,' but I still didn't expect to see what I did.
Vegas is located in a Valley, and as almost as far as I could see in either direction there were glittering glimmering lights. Off just slightly to my right I could see 'The Strip.' This site truly was incredible.
...after a few short turns off of highway 15, I found myself at my new home for the next 8 weeks. It's a great house with fabulous people and two very friendly dogs. The place is located on the edge of the desert on the southern edge of the city in a lovely safe neighborhood. The commute to TI won't be bad once I start.
Today--to try to catch up on current events--was just a small introduction to the city. We went to breakfast as 'The Hash House' (apparently a famous Vegas staple featured by Rachel Ray and the Today Show) and then did a short drive through the strip. We stopped at Fashion Show Mall, which is located directly across from TI. This mall is 4 stories high, and features a love fashion show every 1/2 hour Friday-Sunday evenings. After this stop, we drove down the strip and went into Aria.
Aria, I learned, is the newest casino to open on the strip. It is a multi-billion dollar building that MGM just opened this past December. Viva Elvis--the Cirque show in Aria--just opened about a week ago. Aria is gorgeous, and I could tell that every detail was carefully chosen and exactitude. The floors are elegant designs made out of several different types of marbles, and every room, wall chair and decoration was expertly selected. The enameled wood for the proscenium arch in the Viva theater costs $100 per square foot. Wow. I also found out that within each casino you have not only the casino floor, but restaurants, bars, your hotel rooms and shopping areas (almost mall-sized areas in which to walk and shop). Aria had 2 floors of shopping with over 20 different stores--including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Coach and many others. I knew about the casinos and hotels being together, but I was unaware of the shopping situation. I also knew that there would be bars in the casinos, but I don't think I ever pictured them to be as a luxurious as this place. I was spoiled; however, and still need to inspect the other casinos on the strip. Aria is the cream of the crop and one the highest ranked casinos in the world at this moment.
I plan on walking and exploring the trip later this week--I'll report on my findings at that time.
Among the other helpful/interesting things I've learned about Vegas are:
-Don't jog at night. The area isn't dangerous because of crime, but there are coyotes.
-Be careful of your first alcoholic drink in Las Vegas. The elevation is 5,000 ft above sea-level, so one drink may effect you more than you think.
-Vegas population right now is about 2 million people.
And... that's it for today. Sign-on tomorrow morning. Again, thanks for reading!
NV time: 1:40a
NC time: 4:40a -- please forgive me if this post isn't as clear and concise as the others. :)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Almost there...
Holed up in a little hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico tonight. Not much to report on the day's drive today, and it was too cloudy to see a southwest sunset today--but no worries. Tomorrow I've decided to take a detour and travel through the Petrified Forest in Arizona. It's a 27 mile trail through the 'Painted Desert' and 'Petrified Wood' with overlooking views of 225 million year old petrified stones.
http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/petrified_forest/map.html
8:18 in New Mexico, 7:18 in Vegas, and 10:18 on the east coast... Whew--no matter what time it is, I'm ready to relax and enjoy this room of mine.
http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/petrified_forest/map.html
8:18 in New Mexico, 7:18 in Vegas, and 10:18 on the east coast... Whew--no matter what time it is, I'm ready to relax and enjoy this room of mine.
Friday, February 26, 2010
OK
Oklahoma City tonight--thanks to Caitlin and her family for their hospitality!
So, here are the trends I noticed today:
1. Tennessee had a Cracker Barrel every 10 miles.
2. Between the Cracker Barrels were Adult Super Stores--every 10 miles... My favorite was when I passed one of these stores (this one looked like it resided in a renovated barn) and it was directly located next to "Ye Old South Inn and Suites." I should have taken a picture--it struck me as funny.
3. Arkansas was nice to drive through.
4. Oklahoma is rich in Native American History. It took a lot of effort not to stop and check out some of the sites, but I can't say I'll have the same will-power tomorrow. This state has really struck me as beautiful. I look forward to seeing it in the spring when I come back. Oklahoma City also struck me as beautiful.
Thanks it for tonight. I drove 500+ miles today, and in total have driven over 1,000 miles. Whew... getting closer!
So, here are the trends I noticed today:
1. Tennessee had a Cracker Barrel every 10 miles.
2. Between the Cracker Barrels were Adult Super Stores--every 10 miles... My favorite was when I passed one of these stores (this one looked like it resided in a renovated barn) and it was directly located next to "Ye Old South Inn and Suites." I should have taken a picture--it struck me as funny.
3. Arkansas was nice to drive through.
4. Oklahoma is rich in Native American History. It took a lot of effort not to stop and check out some of the sites, but I can't say I'll have the same will-power tomorrow. This state has really struck me as beautiful. I look forward to seeing it in the spring when I come back. Oklahoma City also struck me as beautiful.
Thanks it for tonight. I drove 500+ miles today, and in total have driven over 1,000 miles. Whew... getting closer!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Angel Faye
To begin, I made it to TN--no worries. First day of driving done and done.
Second, I'd like to start this post with a shout-out to Fred, Bill and Jack. The story that follows explains these honorable mentions...
To re-cap the day, I started my adventure by stopping by the performing arts building to drop some prompt scripts off for my mentee. While there, Fred noticed that my car was 'sitting a bit low' to the ground. Naturally I thought it was because of all the stuff I had packed into my little "sedecreM." I laughed a little and went on my way, wondering how much the added weight would lower my gas mileage.
Well, 215 miles later when I stopped for lunch I noticed my rear passenger tire--was FLAT. Oops, maybe that's why my car was sitting low on that one side... maybe that's why it was a little difficult to drive on the North Carolina highways (not because the roads were bad, but because there legitimately was something wrong with my car). Please--try not to judge, I swear I checked my tires and other automotive car-trip necessities the night before... just not the morning of. Lesson learned.
I was lucky--very lucky--that I didn't blow the tire out. Trying to get back on the road ASAP I went to the nearest gas station to fill my tire (I ended up in a fabulous place called "Food-City" which to me sounds like "Food-Kitty," and so for a short time I expected to see a 'Food Lion...'). When I got to the station my tire was so flat it didn't even have enough pressure for the tire gauge to get a reading. I filled the tire up to 20 psi--and then it stayed there. I sat on the ground--in the falling snow--filling my tire with air, and the pressure wouldn't go above 20. Great. A leak. I checked the tire all-over and didn't see any punctures, and I couldn't hear any air escaping, so I knew the repair was beyond my control. I drove to the nearest tire place and asked them if they could please take a quick look at my tire. The woman at the front desk, Faye, said, "Sure, Honey," and took my keys to the mechanics in the back. While I waited Faye and I chatted about her new 'Pod.' She just got an iTouch and was very excited and pleased with it. After hearing what I was traveling for, she started looking up Cirque information on the web because she had never heard of them before.
Now while this is going on, I'm beginning to think of the dent that this is going to put in my wallet when a conversation from senior sem came to mind...
Bill came to senior sem to discuss taxes for performing artists, and it was mentioned that if you keep track of your miles and/or fuel expenses for work, these may be tax deductible. During this conversation Jack asked if a person got a flat tire while traveling for work if that expense too could potentially be tax-deductible... Hm... sound familiar?
Anyway--back to the tire. Apparently I had hit something (a curb not doubt) and bent my rim so that there was a gap between the tire and the metal for air to escape. An easy fix--kind of. I'm not sure how familiar you are with tires, but on many vehicles there's a medallion in the center of the hubcap that matches the make of the car. These medallions are supposed to be spring-loaded and just pop on and off so that the tires can be easily removed if necessary. On this one particular tire of mine--it was glued. The other tires were normal, but this one has been glued with orange silicone. (Great) The only way to get my tire back on was to break it off. (Even more thrilling...)It came off cleanly, but can't be reattached without gluing it again--which is not something I wanted to do at the risk of losing the piece somewhere in Arkansas. So, I am now driving a dilapidated Mercedes across America. Thank you Germany. The medallion from the tire? It's in my purse. My cousin suggested I put it on a necklace and wear it as an accessory in Vegas.
So, to clarify my shout-out. Fred--thank for noticing my low-riding car. Bill and Jack--thanks for setting the stage, you better believe that receipt will be in my 2010 tax folder.
Other than that adventure, I'm in TN safe and sound--2 hours later than anticipated, but still here in once piece. I'll wake tomorrow at 6:30a to head out to Oklahoma City. Probably no internet for a day or two, so try not to worry--I'll check back soon.
Thanks for reading!
Second, I'd like to start this post with a shout-out to Fred, Bill and Jack. The story that follows explains these honorable mentions...
To re-cap the day, I started my adventure by stopping by the performing arts building to drop some prompt scripts off for my mentee. While there, Fred noticed that my car was 'sitting a bit low' to the ground. Naturally I thought it was because of all the stuff I had packed into my little "sedecreM." I laughed a little and went on my way, wondering how much the added weight would lower my gas mileage.
Well, 215 miles later when I stopped for lunch I noticed my rear passenger tire--was FLAT. Oops, maybe that's why my car was sitting low on that one side... maybe that's why it was a little difficult to drive on the North Carolina highways (not because the roads were bad, but because there legitimately was something wrong with my car). Please--try not to judge, I swear I checked my tires and other automotive car-trip necessities the night before... just not the morning of. Lesson learned.
I was lucky--very lucky--that I didn't blow the tire out. Trying to get back on the road ASAP I went to the nearest gas station to fill my tire (I ended up in a fabulous place called "Food-City" which to me sounds like "Food-Kitty," and so for a short time I expected to see a 'Food Lion...'). When I got to the station my tire was so flat it didn't even have enough pressure for the tire gauge to get a reading. I filled the tire up to 20 psi--and then it stayed there. I sat on the ground--in the falling snow--filling my tire with air, and the pressure wouldn't go above 20. Great. A leak. I checked the tire all-over and didn't see any punctures, and I couldn't hear any air escaping, so I knew the repair was beyond my control. I drove to the nearest tire place and asked them if they could please take a quick look at my tire. The woman at the front desk, Faye, said, "Sure, Honey," and took my keys to the mechanics in the back. While I waited Faye and I chatted about her new 'Pod.' She just got an iTouch and was very excited and pleased with it. After hearing what I was traveling for, she started looking up Cirque information on the web because she had never heard of them before.
Now while this is going on, I'm beginning to think of the dent that this is going to put in my wallet when a conversation from senior sem came to mind...
Bill came to senior sem to discuss taxes for performing artists, and it was mentioned that if you keep track of your miles and/or fuel expenses for work, these may be tax deductible. During this conversation Jack asked if a person got a flat tire while traveling for work if that expense too could potentially be tax-deductible... Hm... sound familiar?
Anyway--back to the tire. Apparently I had hit something (a curb not doubt) and bent my rim so that there was a gap between the tire and the metal for air to escape. An easy fix--kind of. I'm not sure how familiar you are with tires, but on many vehicles there's a medallion in the center of the hubcap that matches the make of the car. These medallions are supposed to be spring-loaded and just pop on and off so that the tires can be easily removed if necessary. On this one particular tire of mine--it was glued. The other tires were normal, but this one has been glued with orange silicone. (Great) The only way to get my tire back on was to break it off. (Even more thrilling...)It came off cleanly, but can't be reattached without gluing it again--which is not something I wanted to do at the risk of losing the piece somewhere in Arkansas. So, I am now driving a dilapidated Mercedes across America. Thank you Germany. The medallion from the tire? It's in my purse. My cousin suggested I put it on a necklace and wear it as an accessory in Vegas.
So, to clarify my shout-out. Fred--thank for noticing my low-riding car. Bill and Jack--thanks for setting the stage, you better believe that receipt will be in my 2010 tax folder.
Other than that adventure, I'm in TN safe and sound--2 hours later than anticipated, but still here in once piece. I'll wake tomorrow at 6:30a to head out to Oklahoma City. Probably no internet for a day or two, so try not to worry--I'll check back soon.
Thanks for reading!
bELONg
Leaving Elon today--but don't worry friends, I'll be back in May.
Current time in North Carolina: 8:00a.
Current time in Nevada: 5:00a.
First stop: Murfreesboro, TN.
Second: Oklahoma City, OK.
Third: Albuquerque, NM.
Final Destination: Yosemite, CA. ...j/k kidding. Vegas or bust!
Alright--2,331 miles, here I come!
Current time in North Carolina: 8:00a.
Current time in Nevada: 5:00a.
First stop: Murfreesboro, TN.
Second: Oklahoma City, OK.
Third: Albuquerque, NM.
Final Destination: Yosemite, CA. ...j/k kidding. Vegas or bust!
Alright--2,331 miles, here I come!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
110 Closes
10 days until I leave for Vegas! 110 in the Shade--a fabulous production--closed this evening, and now I'm on to the APO One-Acts. While working on these projects I'm coordinating my driving route, planning my packing and beginning my training for the Cirque 5k.
Yup... I'm going to run a 5k with Cirque du Soleil. It's a benefit they do every year, and the Mystère SM team invited me to be a part of their 5k team. They've started a facebook group and we're all logging the hours we run to help support one another. It's exciting to be part of this group because I feel like I get to know some of the people I'll be working with before I head out there.
Want to come to Vegas and run with me?
http://www.active.com/running/las-vegas-nv/run-away-with-cirque-du-soleil-2010#Summary
It's 65 degrees there, and 30 degrees here--I think I'll be training in a little different conditions than the others. Good thing Elon has a gym!
Yup... I'm going to run a 5k with Cirque du Soleil. It's a benefit they do every year, and the Mystère SM team invited me to be a part of their 5k team. They've started a facebook group and we're all logging the hours we run to help support one another. It's exciting to be part of this group because I feel like I get to know some of the people I'll be working with before I head out there.
Want to come to Vegas and run with me?
http://www.active.com/running/las-vegas-nv/run-away-with-cirque-du-soleil-2010#Summary
It's 65 degrees there, and 30 degrees here--I think I'll be training in a little different conditions than the others. Good thing Elon has a gym!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Welcome to my Blog!
Howdy everyone! Thanks for checking out my blog! I'll be using this throughout my Cirque du Soleil internship so that anyone interested in my adventure can read about my time in Vegas.
It's just a little over 2 short weeks until I leave. Until then I have 110 in the Shade and APO One-Acts to manage. Make sure to see these two great events (if you're at Elon or close by) and then check back for updates on my Vegas Adventure!
It's just a little over 2 short weeks until I leave. Until then I have 110 in the Shade and APO One-Acts to manage. Make sure to see these two great events (if you're at Elon or close by) and then check back for updates on my Vegas Adventure!
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