SOOO BUSY!

It has been a while since I have written so there is a lot to write about!
So Sophomore year has begun, and it has made itself clear that this year will be quite busy! This quarter I have been taking the following classes; Costume History, Scenic Painting, Model Making, Script Analysis and Relationships and Dialogues. I was also one of two Assistant Stage Managers for Otterbein's production of The Wild Party! I could not ask for a better cast and crew! They have been sooo wonderful. The Wild Party recently closed. Here is a video of some fun Wild Party Memories!

Something WICKED this way comes.

Tonight, Kyle and I went to a Wicked Benefit for Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS at Axis Nightclub. We had a great time. Kyle was the person there who had seen the show the most amount of times, a total of 11 to be exact. Because of that, he got to sing Popular to someone who had NEVER seen the show and for the National Tour Cast of Wicked. In addition, I got to talk to the Stage Manager and Company Manager about a possible shadowing opportunity this week! I sent them an e-mail and hopefully I will get a chance to get down theree to shadow the Stage Manager.

It's Almost Over

Well it's almost over...but I have had such a wonderful experience at Otterbein Summer Theatre this year! I have met and worked with some of the best people ever! We have one more weekend of performances left, and I will honestly miss it. I am ready for a break, there's no doubt about that, but there has been a wonderful work and social experience here and that is something I will not forget. Here are some pictures from the productions this summer.


The Moustrap. Written By: Agatha Christie. Directed By: Doreen Dunn


The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee. Music and Lyrics By: William Finn. Directed By: David Caldwell


Don't Dress for Dinner. Written By: Marc Camoletti. Directed By: Pamela Hill

One Down, Two to Go!

I have been spending this summer break at Otterbein in order to work on shows. The Mousetrap, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Don't Dress for Dinner. We just closed The Mousetrap this past weekend and today (Monday), we started to tech Spelling Bee. It has been pretty busy around here, but it has been a great deal of fun as well.

Being around here has made me realize that I still love theatre. Sometimes, when people are working on shows all the time, they discover that its a hobby, rather than a profession. I find it to be both. Although it is nice to have a break sometimes. We have few days off, but I enjoy them to the best of my ability. No matter how much you love something, it is always a good idea to take some time off, for yourself and your sanity. I do the best I can, but having the day off sometimes means, having the day to update paperwork, or transport costumes/props/scenery...or just a catch up day.

Through the long days and demanding schedule, keeping calm and relaxed this summer has been fairly easy! I hope the rest of the season continues that way!

Let the Summer Begin!

Well, one year down, three more to go! Freshman year was wonderful! I had such a good time learning so much and getting to know so many people. Otterbein is the right place for me! Here are some fun pictures from the year:






Now that the school year is over, Otterbein Summer Theatre (OST) has begun! We have began rehearsals and production meetings for Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. Everything is going quite well. We have all been busy with rehearsals and moving into our summer housing and sleep will be much appreciated. I cannot wait to begin rehearsals for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Don't Dress for Dinner.

The Final Stretch

So I have about four weeks left of my freshman year! It has been so much fun and a wonderful learning experience. My knowledge of the theatre has grown immensely...in all areas! I must say though that I am quite ready and excited for summer. As you should know, I am working as an Assistant Stage Manager for Otterbein's Summer Theatre season. I cannot wait! I will be living on campus until mid-August, then I get about a 3 week REAL summer!

We just finished Dead Man's Cell Phone this past Saturday, now it's on to Pippin! We start our technical rehearsals tonight. Tech week is known as "Hell Week" to most people. It got that nickname due to the long, extensive rehearsals every night. The Stage Manager and the crew must prepare for the run of the show, getting used to cues, scene changes and costume changes. These next two weeks (tech and dress) will be fun, but also could be stressful. Pippin is full of a crazy amount of cues of all kinds; lights, sound, fly rail, and automation. I will be running the light board for this show! I cannot wait. I will have the stage manager in one ear, and the lighting designer in the other. I will be working on the ETC Ion consule! It will be so fun with 10 moving lights and hundreds of light cues. Well, I just thought I would give an update! Have a good day!

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First Week - Spring Quarter 2010

I just had my first week of classes for Spring Quarter! I can tell it will be a fun one. First of all, I was able to switch to a new room. I did not have any problems with my previous roommate, but a better opportunity came up. I moved from a normal double in my hall to a triple room, that only has one other person. So I now living in a three person room, with only two people! Yay! Extra space for my stuff! So far, so good. Things with my new roommate couldn't be better, especially because I practically lived up there anyways.

As far as classes go, I am so excited for this quarter. I am taking a Props class, which props is my second favorite area of theatre. A Drafting class, which I am having a little bit of trouble, but I will pick it up soon. I am so excited for my Painting class. We are learning painting techniques using watercolors and acrylics. Stress Management is going to be a simple class, considering our last class was just playing outside for 15 minutes. Let's just say, there is a reason we are theatre majors...sports...not so much. I am also taking Western Civilization, which is a required class for all Otterbein students. My professor is a former stand up comedian from England, therefore the class is quite epic.

With all of this nice weather, Otterbein's campus has begun to come alive. People laying out in the sun, playing catch and just having a great time. I will be starting my tours this quarter as well. I have gotten a job as a tour guide for Otterbein. Yes, I am the one who will be giving out random facts about Otterbein that most people wont even care to hear. But I plan on making it fun with my own experiences and little random tid bits that are exciting. I cannot wait!

Overall, I believe that this quarter is going to be a lot of fun!

Pictures!

I haven't posted any pictures of some of the fun stuff that I have worked on, so here are a few!





These are some pictures of the section of a set piece that the freshman class was required to build for Otterbein's production of Rogers and Hart's Babes in Arms.




Pictures of my problem solving project! We were given a set of requirements, a VERY basic over veiw of certain materials, and sent on our way. My partner and I had "Star Trek" Doors. The doors opened and closed with a flip of a switch using both electrical and pneumatic power.

Summer Theatre Crazies!

So I have not been posting too much due to my lack of production work (end of a quarter/spring break). Anyway, I recently found out that I will be and ASM for all three of Otterbein Summer Theatre's productions and I cannot wait!

Every summer, Otterbein has a summer season which allows its students to apply for positions and work throughout the summer. We applied back in January of this year and just found out in the past few weeks. I was offered a position known as a an ASM (Assistant Stage Manager) Apprentice. This position really just means that I will be ASM for the entire summer. The Otterbein Summer Theatre season includes the following three shows: The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by William Finn, and Don't Dress for Dinner by Marc Carmoletti. All three shows are exciting and a great theatre experience.

I cannot express how excited I am for this summer. It will be a wonderful experience I am sure! I will have a great opportunity to work with 3 casts and get to know some people. Due to the demanding schedule, I will be living on campus all summer. I cannot say I am excited to be in the dorms all summer, but it will be nice to have a place to sleep when I have an hour break here and there. I will be getting the chance to do what I love, for pay, with some of my favorite people.

In other news, I will beginning my third quarter next week! I am getting geared up for another set of fun classes. I will be taking courses studying Properties, Drafting, Painting, and Stress Management. I have finished some intro classes in the areas of Lighting, Sound, Scenic Construction, Stage Management, Drawing, Costumes, and Acting! Freshman year has been a wonderful learning experience these past two quarters, and I cannot wait to learn more! Third quarter, here we come!

Let it Begin.

Let me begin my story here...I am a Freshman Theatre Design/Technology major at Otterbein College. I come from a very small theatre program at a small private, Catholic high school. I am currently at the end of my second quarter here and I have learned an incredible amount of information and I am confident that I have made the correct decision. That has not always been the case. Coming from a small program and everything, I have had my doubts and fears throughout this process.

After starting the school year, I immediately began to bond with my fellow classmates. There was some intimidation at first because everyone came from stronger background than I did, but in the end, it didn't matter. We were all there to learn. Everyone had their focus; lighting, sound, scenic design, costume design, stage management. Most had their minds set on that. Many other s of my classmates had great experience with modern theatrical equipment and decent high school theatres. I am not saying that I am not proud of my work, because I most certainly am, but let's just say I had some catching up to do. But because I have been so open about my lack of knowledge in areas, everyone has been there to help and support each other if one of us was lost in a class or crew assignment.

In the end, if it weren't for the support from the faculty and my fellow classmates here, my learning experience would be more difficult and less enjoyable. My level of knowledge has increase an incredible amount since September, and I would not change a thing so far.

Welcome to my Blog

Hey! I am new to this whole "blogging" thing, but hopefully it will work out. Throughout this blog I will mostly be discussing my journey as a Theatre Design/Technology major to become a working professional in the theatre industry. This means I will be discussing how things are working and my challenges and triumphs over the next few years. This blog is not limited to the topic of theatre where as I plan to discuss other aspects of my life as well. I look forward to posting more!