Today was a blur of books followed by media preview night at the theatre. And WOW, the guys knocked it out of the park. I am so dang proud of this whole team. Months of work have culminated in a piece of art. I only wish Annie Baker, the playwright of The Aliens could see how they brought her vision to life. The first audience, albeit a small one can be daunting and they pulled it off. Tomorrow is dark Thursday and then Opening Night on Friday. I admit there is a part of me that wishes I were running the tech for the whole run as I am so enjoying doing it. For the first time tonight after adjusting a few things before the show, I was able to hit all the marks. I guess you can teach an old broad new tricks. It has been decades since I ran lights and sound back on Salt Spring Island. The gear is so much better and the options to create effects are splendid.
Anyway, that’s enough about the show. I need to come down from this happy high, have my tea and get ready for a busy day at the office tomorrow. Good night.
Today was…full. That is not a bad thing, it’s just for this month. There are many deadlines in bookkeeping world this month and I am keeping lists and ticking them off. I definitely don’t want to drop any balls!!
After getting all I could done at work, I headed to pick up the take out meal for the cast and crew and headed to the theatre. I had picked up the programs earlier in the day and they are just as I hoped. Everyone seems really happy with them. We did a full run as if there was an audience and Ashlée was there to take archival photos for us. I had a couple blips to fix as we are still adjusting timings of sunset and moonrise. I believe though that all is ready. Duncan and I have to meet early tomorrow to fix a set piece that needs to be shored up and I will run the tricky cues for a practice before the guests arrive for preview/media night. I think we have a nice group coming that will give the guys a sense of timing with an audience and hopefully they will spread the word that it is a must see.
It was funny as I was hand producing fireworks tonight, I realized I was the Aurora Borealis in the last show I worked on. Seems I have found my niche in sky effects. Now a good rest before another day of crazy concentration and then on with the show!!
I am being surrounded by the generosity of so many people, and today was full. There was a lovely donation from my Oregon friends to the fundraiser to start things off. That is love in action. I see all the time people are giving to the show and it blows me away. Its success is due to every one of them. There was much running around between running payroll and filing T4s. I got to the theatre and calmed myself to ready for another run. There are so many small details that come into play as Preview night approaches. The personalities of most involved are just happy and accepting and ‘let’s get it done’. The set decorator did an amazing job of the finishing touches. Camille says she isn’t an artist but I beg to differ. I love when I can say, this is what we were thinking and Voila!
The run went well. We only had to run one scene over again to get the sunset and moonlight to happen smoothly. Tomorrow will be the test. I kept a couple notes and came home to write out all my cues again. I need them to be good and clear to handover when Pepijn is ready to come back. There were a lot of smiles at the end of the night and that is all we can hope for.
I was in a good mood, up and ready to go to the Tech run-through day. As I was about to leave to go pick up some additional items for the set and the pizza lunch I had ordered, I got a message that Pepijn, our tech guy was really sick. I had no words, and just headed to the theatre after picking things up. I admit I had a wee panic attack processing what I needed to do. Although I am the tech director, I have never set cues or run a show with the new gear. I know what things should look like, how to focus the lights etc. But have not found it necessary to get into the nitty gritty as we have capable techies. I have not used QLab at all…
Duncan, Sandy and Lorraine let me vent my fear so I could let it go and then we went up and talked to the cast while they ate and I asked for their patience as we did a Q2Q for me to learn and write notes. They were so great and after one quick run through, we ran the show. There are two firework scenes that took the most time yesterday to co-ordinate and it turns out they were not set cues but hand created. I messaged with Pepijn and Steph stopped by to call him and confirm our actions and then I took the reins and made them happen. It wasn’t perfect but so great! At the end of the show, me made some notes for adjustments to preset fade in and out times and will test them tomorrow. I had to copy and set a couple cues even. The board does not feel intuitive until suddenly it clicks. I left pretty shaky but sure I can do it for this first week of final rehearsals, previews and three shows. I asked Pepijn to stay home and get well and then come observe and make notes at the matinee to ensure he gets the timing differences we have made as this would have been his rehearsal time.
When I left the theatre it was like I was in aftershock from the Adrenalin of making it happen and reassuring everyone that we could do it. I have everyone taking their temperatures on arrival again and am really going to be extra careful of my own health. Everyone did seem confident and relieved at how quickly I made it happen. It all seems logical now and I sat and took time to write out my notes of all that needs to happen.
I was pleased that the Production Manager and her assistant reached out to say they found someone who could do it as they were concerned with all I have to do as the Producer. The good thing is everything I had to do is almost wrapped up. I just have to pick up the programs from the Printer and the poster being framed for the lobby. I will order food for Tuesday night before the final dress rehearsal and get the gifts ready. I will have time to take care of those as they are for closing night on the 26th. At least it happened when I still have two more rehearsals before a preview audience. I said thank you but no, to someone else as that would make more rehearsal time and I am the best person to do it in this case. If I didn’t know the show so well and hadn’t been there yesterday it may be a different tale.
So now I have puzzled, and had my tea and am sitting in the happy glow of this mornings milestone of 15 pounds gone since Jan 2nd. I posted on Facebook about it and my Dry Feb fundraiser and when I got home saw that my client, Steve from Fruitvale donated $250, adding that to the funds from my friends in the UK and Bella Bella and I am well over my fundraising goal. What a blessing. I will have to send him a thank you in the morning. It was late by the time I saw it.
I gathered myself together, loaded the cooler into the car and headed to superstore to buy water and pop for the day Belford stopping to grab ice and a coffee at the Husky and get tot the theatre. Today was what can be one of the most painful days in the theatre world, the initial tech day. It is the time to move, aim and re-aim the lights and test and set cues. We have Pepijn, the 17 year old tech genius for our show which is a blessing. He is very quiet though and it is not always easy to know where his thoughts are. In the end he comes through though. We were also blessed to have Steph show up for the day and assist as she has a good deal of experience and I enjoy her energy and spirit. I popped out to get sub and cookie platters from Safeway and they were remarkably good. The guys were good sports as there were many lulls, awaiting cues to be programmed. It was fun to chat and get to know them a little better as well. We started at 10 and were done by 6:30 or so. A last tidy to be sure all was set for the church in the morning and we were out of there. It was nice to sit and chat with Steph for a bit before heading to the hockey game. I missed the first period but the game ended in sudden death and a shoot out again. Unfortunately we lost again but I do prefer these close games. When I pulled up, and got out of the car, I heard Missy’s bell behind me and was shocked, wondering how she got out as I always make sure she is in this time of year, when I am going to be gone all day. Over 12 hours after leaving I found my door had come open. I don’t know how as I have a power keyless entry. It must not have locked and I didn’t pay attention that it was because it didn’t click shut. I did enter loud and aware checking the rooms to make sure no one was inside. My spider senses weren’t tingling though so it was just a precaution. I can only imagine how much my gas bill took a hit for my furnace trying to heat up the outdoors all day…. At least it wasn’t deep freeze outside.
Today was draining and filling. Most of the work involved on the phone and online simultaneously training and assisting others with their books. I like doing it, it is draining only that I have to process information quickly to get to the root of and solve issues. It is filling when the conversation ends with gratitude and I feel they are further ahead in knowledge.
After work I headed to the theatre where Duncan and I finished a few tasks involving blocks of wood and medium screws. I had a good laugh when I had commented on his use of the word medium and then I proceeded to ask for a good sized one later. It was nice to discuss the finishing touches and make ready for tomorrows tech day. He and Matt had done a great job with the radio interview this morning, only forgetting to mention Woody and the Playwrights names, lol. Dennis Walker, the host promised me in a message that he would in future mentions of the show. It is only one week to opening night, the programs were sent to the printer today and all is falling into place.
Next was a hockey game against the Vernon Vipers which went through sudden death and into a shootout where the got two and we did not. It was a good game. Not sure if I will make it to tomorrow nights as the tech can sometimes run long. Hopefully we are starting early enough to be out at a decent time. As long as everything is ready for the Q2Q on Sunday, all will be well. This is the stage where there can me stress but I hope to keep it light (and well lit).
It is cool and windy tonight, I was glad to get home and into my jammies. I have a wee list to pick up before the theatre in the morning. Have to keep that crew fed and hydrated.
Spoke to Rosie at the end of the night and they had spent the day burning years of accumulated paperwork including Hydro bills back to the 60s! Finally found the will though. Not sure my kids won’t go through a similar horror, must get sorting through all my ‘treasure’ totes.
I am not feeling stress, just making lists and crossing things off. My head is very clear. It really makes me wonder how much processed food was muddling my brain as much as my health. I am down 12 pounds in one month, feel clear headed and energized. This is also day three of Dry Feb and that hasn’t even been an issue. I didn’t think it would be as it is more of a habit than a need. I do like to do this and check in on that habit though. It is sure to assist in the weight loss, healthy eating lifestyle I am working on as well.
With all of the things going on: work, play, treasurer x 2, and Stage crew coordinator start up, I have found myself not reaching out to friends and family. I know there is much grief in the outer circles but I have not stepped out of my bubble to do much consoling. That is unusual for me but I will, I will ask, ‘how are you doing’. The thing is I want to have the time to hear the answer, to listen attentively and not bring anything of mine into it. The show opens next Friday and then that part of my responsibility will be nearly over, am just putting together the food and gifts for the run, will pay the last bills and report to the Board. I can then focus on work and MusicFest which will let my soul feel for my loved ones again.
I noticed something was wrong as soon as I woke up. My floors were freezing and the air was chill. It was -21 C outside and only +10 C inside. The thermostat was blank and the furnace was blowing recycled air. After a panicked moment I pulled the thermostat off the wall to see it has two AA batteries, of which I had no new ones left. I grabbed two out of one of my remotes and got it running again. I am not sure how many stick bugs I may have lost, and my fish, George would not rise up out of a spot between his house and the bowl. I added some warm water to his tank, got in a hot shower and headed to work.
It was another super concentration day and that was good as it made it go by fast. When I was done the file I was last working on I decided to come home and check on George and work on the file I have at home. George had moved which was a relief but still isn’t up swimming around like usual. I hope he will be fine as I have had him for over 2 years now, a year longer than Missy. I have talked to him a lot, especially in the solitude of those early quarantine days.
I did work on the file for most of the evening, stopping only to eat, fold my laundry and respond to messages including the final program ready for printing. I am so looking forward to sending it off to the printer tomorrow.
The thing that I have had enough of, and that is cramping my enjoyment of social media, is the posting of all the mixed messages about the trucking convoy to Ottawa. I don’t even need to do any research, all sides are being presented and I have grown weary of it all. Until people around me stop dropping out of work due to the virus, until the hospital is back to normal long waits, and until all protocols are dropped, I will obey the mandates. It is in the interest of the greater good and also mine. I believe I have dodged the bullet but won’t push my luck. Just working on the set lately has been more interaction than I have been used to and I am slowly getting used to that. One of the things I am happy about is the number of people I consider ‘my peeps’ that think the convoy is ludicrous and embarrassing as well. No government is perfect, but the number of horrible things that are being spewed at ours is disgusting. I want to be proud to be Canadian again. It has been a long season of Residential school horrors, white supremist looniness and open vile between strangers and kin alike.
Maybe I can Rip Van Winkle to awake in a more pleasant time of harmony and health. Wishing you all the same xo
Today, for at least three quarters of it anyway, I felt like I had the worst hangover I’ve had in years. I woke sometime after 4 in the morning having struggled to get to sleep and my stomach was very upset. I didn’t get on the treadmill as usual but instead made poached eggs on toast and sat in the quiet eating. It is a meal made for visitors in my family. One that I enjoyed on my travels to Auntie Ollies and to her daughters and to my Moms. I sat just trying to get my head straight so I could get to work and do the payroll and other things that were so important today. The feeling lasted until mid afternoon before I was able to eat an apple for lunch. When I first got to work it took me several reads of two different email to understand entirely the message. It wasn’t until much later in the day when I was talking to my Ashlée that she pointed out I was probably dehydrated from the crying and I admit I didn’t drink my new habit of water before bed. I started drinking water while Duncan and I were building props and finishing the trim on the set and began to feel better. When we were done we went to The Heidout for a nice meal. I was proud of me as it is the first day of my Dry February and I was in a brew pub for dinner but I had a lovely Cobb salad and a Diet Pepsi with no feeling of missing out on anything. I think a beer or glass of wine with every meal out is an expensive habit as I always like the good ones. We recruited Steph, the director of the next show who also took the lighting workshop to come and help on Tech Saturday. It will be good to have another set of knowledgeable eyes there. I am looking forward to getting it all done and letting the world around us see the magic that has been made in these Pandemic times. I am really grateful to the guys for looking after themselves, for staying healthy.
I came home from dinner, shoveled my parking area and walk, and enjoyed a pomegranate brownie dessert that I brought home. I may have to walk extra tomorrow but it was deliciously worth it. I am feeling better, calm and sleepy; a good combination. It was definitely nice to sit and chat about MusicFest and other things than the play with Duncan. I miss my son and look forward to him coming to visit on the 11th. I hope he can make time to see the show.
triumphgal 