Um...yeah.
All i can say is... I have never been MORE ready for a show to end!
That sounded mean, but i think even my awesome assistant, Emily, will understand where i am coming from! It's just that this has been a little stressful! The rehearsal process was great, tech week went fairly smoothly, but the actual run of the show (which is normally where you just slide into autopilot - if such a thing exits in theatre) has been crazy!
This might be easier to understand in list format.
First, let me say that for most shows, I don't need too many people backstage. I like stage managing plays as opposed to musicals. No music means not as many light & sound cues (and no curtain/turntable ones). UM, except for this show! GEEZ!! It's pretty tech-heavy. VERY tech-heavy. So i NEEDED crew people for this one. I needed 6, MINIMUM. 7 would have been great; 6 was like - "So, you will be killing yourselves to get this to come together, but it's possible". So here's how it all went down...
- Backstage Crew #1 dropped out of show (tech week).
- Backstage Crew #2 (the one who took 1's place) fractured her collarbone (the day of opening night).
- Backstage Crew #3 (who was actually there to do hair & makeup) volunteered to cover crew #2's stuff until she came back.
- Backstage Crew #2 returned but had new conflicts...could only work 3 more days of the run.
- Backstage Crew #3 said she would cover all shows that #2 would not be available for (i do not know what we would have done without #3!).
- Backstage Crew #4 - who had been planning to not be there Friday since the beginning because of a prior commitment - the sub I had for her since the beginning - called to say she had strep throat & couldn't make it.
- I called EIGHT people to sub for Backstage Crew #4 - NONE of them could do it! Backstage Crew #3 assured me she could do #4's stuff AND #2's stuff - with help from the rest of the crew. Yikes, but what else can we do?!
- Backstage Crew #5 - my ASM - called me Thursday to say she would still come but was SICK. VERY SICK. I am not even going to tell you how sick or you may think i'm awful for making her come! But can i just say i am SO THANKFUL she came?! I can't exactly do the show without her! And I had already called everyone i knew to sub, and no one was available (we are in the month of GRADUATION, as it turns out!).
- Sound Guy did not show up on Thursday night. I realized this later than i should have - 15 minutes till show time - & gave him a call. He had a root canal & couldn't make it. I might have had a small panic attack! He thought that this other guy was coming. Um...that guy's CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE so he couldn't make it!
- After a frantic phone call & a few frantic texts, i got an "i'm on my way" from the director. And he ran sound & will continue to for the rest of the run. I really thought I was going to have to run sound in addition to calling cues. I was not really prepared for this with 10 minutes notice! (I would have done it anyway - but i am pretty sure it would have been a disaster!)
Do you see what I mean???
So i love this show. I love sitting in the light booth with Ms. Ellen, and watching the VERY TALENTED cast on stage. I love laughing when crazy things happen! I love hearing the audience crack up! And i have never been MORE PROUD of my crew members who have worked their booties off & who have pulled together & made the magic happen - even when it seemed impossible. They have been EXCELLENT!
But am i ready for this one to be over?
YES.
Yes, indeed.
So. Tonight we have a show! And since i have everything covered now, it will be FINE. :) Tomorrow we have a matinee. Then strike. And then the cast party!
And then a break.
Ahhhhh.
My ASM, Emily - who came sick so that the show wouldn't fall apart. :) She even wore a mask to protect us from germs! HA! (Love you, girl!)
From my view - in the light booth
My script & my cues!
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