Oops... I did it again

I forgot to list how I basically conned myself into designing the lights for the play at the high school this year. I should probably start at the beginning (though I really do promise to keep it as short and sweet as possible )...

Last year, they did Fiddler On The Roof and Shelby (oldest daughter) was the stage manager. Well, one night, she asks me to drop by after a meeting in the same building and pick up her school books so she doesn't have to drag them home later. So I go into the auditorium and she's nowhere to be found, so I'm watching what's happening on stage during the rehearsal. Big mistake.

See... I've got a degree in theater. Long story how that happened, but I was a techie. I designed lights, built sets and even did a class or two in costumes and make-up. So I'm looking up at the stage and I'm floored by the lack of any coherent light design. So the mouth starts running.

Have I ever been able to keep my mouth shut when it's really crucial? Heck, no, so I start running and asking why there are some specials but there's no design, no color, no direction, etc. Well, my daughter walks up and informs me that the gentleman standing next to me is the Tech Director and he's going to be really upset by all my... er, not-so-nice comments. So I turn to him and apologize and he says that I'm right and did I know how to fix anything?

Mind you, this is less about 10 days before the play is going live in front of an audience.

The next thing I know, I'm crawling across the catwalks and inserting gels into the lights. I'm redirecting some of the lights for better coverage and direction. I'm grabbing people left and right to hang a few more instruments.

The next night, I'm up in the booth and writing some actual cues (beyond lights on and lights off)...

Okay, so Mr. Berry (the TD) tells me that I've basically saved his tushie and saved the production. It actually did turn out pretty nice considering I threw this thing together in about a week prior to an audience in the house.

So he tells me that he really, REALLY needs me for next year. And I tell him that I'll only come back if he also comes back as TD. He tells me that he's expecting another baby and there's no way that he can TD.

Well, guess what? He's back. I went to a meeting of the Drama Mamas & Papas and he tells me that he's only doing it because I said I wouldn't if he didn't. Which means now I have to design the lights.

Hmm... do I know how to step in it or what? Okay, at least they announced the play. (We didn't know last year until January, which is a whole 'nother story because I've done t-shirts for the play for the past two years.) We're doing Once Upon A Mattress and, of course, none of the kids have ever heard of it and half the parents are just as clueless. I've heard of it. It was done at the college I attended the year before I switched into theater for my major. So I've heard the stories. I doubt this production will be like that one, though. The director we had in college had a wicked sense of the absurd, so he'd toss in all kinds of jokes and keep the plays light-hearted.

Now, not to say that this director doesn't have a sense of humor, but she tends to take things a LOT more seriously. I really, really have to write to Kathryn Chaffin-Honda (a friend of mine from my old college days) and see if I can the rights to Cinderella Rock. (Think Cinderella done to 50's music and we used a live band on stage for the music. My first light design and we not only had fun with it, everything I wanted to work actually worked... LOL!) I think I'll search anywho.com to see if I can find Kathryn and see if she still has the rights to the show.

I'll keep you posted on how this whole thing comes together. I'm hoping to find a DVD somewhere with an old production (I know it was done on Broadway back in the 60's, I believe) so I can get some ideas on the play itself before tossing together a design. I did assure Mike Berry that I won't be putting in monster hours for almost two weeks. One week to hang the lights and one week to put together the cues. First week involves other people. The other week involves only me and the running crew. So this should be less hectic...

... I hope.