Since I last posted a blog update, I’ve had so many crazy things happen that I don’t know where to begin! I’ll try to be brief since no one likes to read long, self-indulgent posts.
First, I’ve spent many days this past month touring various venues in an attempt to find a home for the Cue Zero Theatre Company’s “Project Zero” night of one-acts that will be taking place this summer. This hasn’t been as stressful as anticipated, and I have really enjoyed each venue as they were all uniquely charming. I have sent in an application to my number one choice (fingers crossed) and am eagerly waiting to hear back.
A few months back, I interviewed to direct Oliver! at Windham Actors’ Guild. While they decided to go with someone else, they did offer me the position of lighting designer, which I accepted. I am very excited to be working with such an enthusiastic company on a show that is looking like a very bold and charming night of theatre. The show runs the first weekend in April at the High School in Windham. I hope you will all check it out!
Speaking of adding credits to my resume, shortly after the Super Bowl ended, I received a message from my dear friend Kimberly D’Agnese, who had a crisis she needed me to solve. She was directing the musical [Title of Show] at UNH, and during the week before set load-in and strike, she lost her technical director due to reasons beyond everyone’s control. While I had never served as Technical Director before, I was the most qualified person available. I have always been raised under the principle “take care of your friends,” so I gladly accepted, did some research, made some phone calls, and drove the forty minutes each way to Durham for Saturday and Sunday. It was a great learning experience for myself. I learned that I can drive a U-Haul without mowing down traffic cones, teach basic carpentry skills to most people, and by the magic of theatre, somehow the show (usually) always comes together in the end, despite endless adversity. Kim compensated me with all the free food I could eat, which was delicious, and although it was a very stressful process, I was glad I was able to help such a powerful show come together. When I returned the following weekend to view the show, I was very moved by the musical, and I hope all of my friends are as proud of themselves as I am of them.
The technical “Build Season” has come to a close for FRC Team 3467, but we still have plenty of work to do before we go to competition on the 6th and 7th of March. I am very pleased with all my students have accomplished this year, and I don’t know if they realize just how much they’ve grown since I met them in October. The team is driven and motivated, and filled with the best and the brightest young adults Windham has to offer. The team is going to do great things come competition season, and hopefully will bring home some “hardware” (awards).
The final fun happening was that I got to do a little bit of acting this past week. On Tuesday I got a call from my wonderful friend (and clowning partner) Gabby Archambault asking me if I was free the next day. She was involved with a video shoot for PC Connection for their HR videos, and they needed another guy. I gladly emailed the director all my information and they accepted me. While it’s been a long time since I’ve done any on-camera work, it was lots of fun and a great change of pace. So if any of you ever get a job with PC Connection, be on the lookout for me during your training!
The word training just sparked my memory! I once again attended Open Training with TheatreKAPOW, and I LOVED the work we did. This month’s training gave explored spacial relationships, and really got both my actor-brain and my director-brain churning. I must give them my stamp of approval and highly recommend their work to everyone.
Thus far 2014 has been stressful but fruitful. It’s the moments when I have so much going on that I enjoy a bit more. When I have time to slow down and actually thing about how busy I am, it’s a little overwhelming. But I’m not afraid. I said this was going to be my year, and that’s still the plan. This is the beginning of the rest of my life, and I am running into it full speed. Wish me luck!
