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."