First day... CHECK!

No easy day learning the space for this grrrl!  My boss is a very old pal.  He feels like "getting your feet wet" is for sissies.  I'm no sissy.  Which way to the deep end??

Day = Arrive, Company Meeting, Meeting two (can't spell it yet; something like Taperouge), Get ready for first show, do first show, scarf some dinner, do second show, clean up. Go home like I'm floating on air. Sleeeeeep.

I was so excited for the last week or so that I had been sleeping about 5 hours per night.  This grrrl needs a bit more time to recharge her batteries.  Last night I fell into bed around 2am and didn't get up until noon! Finally a release from all the nervous tension.

I'm still getting my bearings.  I am sure I will be for a while. This job is, in fact, everything I wanted it to be. I feel like I can do this for a while.  I like all the fast-paced, figure it out, DO IT NOW parts. I just need to get the layout of the building in my muscle memory. Lots of running around to be done.  Lots of running up and down stairs.  (Those of you who know me; stop snickering!)

I am starting a new life.  It is happymaking! I seem to be rising to the challenge.  Heh.  One of my pals used the phoenix legend to describe his yesterday.  Yeah.  I think so too.  I was reborn out the ashes of my old life in the past 48 hours.  I like it.

Here is a photo from the Zumanity 7 year Birthday party two nights ago.

(Left to right, back to front) Emily, Angi, Robin, John, Niki, Jess, Jamie

Theses are the characters in my new life Game! Of course there are more.  My Clark is here and was hovering near me when he can...giving me encouragement and silliness.

I am missing some of the old (and not so old) players in my Game.  But I always am. Being a gypsy means leaving people/places/things behind is the norm. Luckily in this age of technology I can reconnect as often as possible.  Skype has been my bestie for a while now.  Even more since I moved to Vegas.

I should go.  Must shower, buy a belt, buy some insoles and run back to the circus! Yay Circus!

xoxo

Settling into my new space

I'm starting my second full day as a Las Vegan today. Time to get my room in order.  Piles of bags and boxes messes with my chi. What a lovely morning it is. Its breezy and cool by the pool as I listen to "A Portrait of You" by Of Porcelain.

Tonight is the dress rehearsal for Zu. They do this after coming back from The Dark (aka vacation) to get back in the groove.  I think I will go, even though I don't start work until tomorrow. Tonight is also the birthday party for my new job.  They are 8 years old...I THINK. Should be fun!

Must buy a floating shelf for my stuff.  Need more surface space in my new digs!

P.S. I love my roomie.  She rocks!

Change it is a'commin'

Well well.  The summer is drawing to a close.  I am putting understudies on for the actors who negotiated to leave before the season is over.  I have had two rehearsals this week and one more tomorrow.  My understudies are doing great! They will be on all next week.  I can't believe the Randall closes tomorrow!  Where did the summer go?

I hope you all had a chance to see shows if you were in Southern Utah.  Even if you aren't, it is worth the trip!

I have just over one more week.  Three more performances of Merchant and five more of Much Ado. I am telling you, I can't believe how fast its gone!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my crews, casts, designers, and fellow stage managers for making this a fantastic summer. The administration rocks, the box office is awesome... I am filled with love for the Utah Shakespearean Festival.

I also have some news....

This will be my final season at the Festival.  I have been here 10 years.  I worked on 13 seasons with over 30 shows!  I can't believe my time here has come to an end.

My new adventure begins on September 10 when I start working as the On Call Assistant Stage Manager for Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity in Las Vegas. This is a permanent position, which has been my dream for many years.  Although I enjoyed my gypsy lifestyle, I'm ready to settle down and live in the same city as my husband.

This blog will need to change a bit.  I'll still talk about my adventures, but I think I need to reevaluate the exact content.

I hope everyone's life is going well.  I'll update you more when I start training for Cirque.

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!


xoxo

Understudy Rehearsals

The excitement of opening has past and now we are in it for the long haul here at the Utah Shakespearean Festival.  The weeks after opening aren't as calm as you might think as we have understudy rehearsals for all of the shows as well as fittings to make sure the understudies have costumes.  

What is an understudy, you ask?  Well each role in each show has to have a person to cover it in case the actual actor gets sick or hurt or has some other emergency that prevents them from being in the show.  Our understudies are (for the most part) already acting at the Festival.  They have to learn these additional parts (usually larger roles OR several smaller roles) in case they are needed to step in. 

We have been rehearsing the understudies for the last two weeks.  My rehearsals are just about done.  I have a couple of music and dance rehearsals left and one more hour of onstage rehearsal for the big court scene in Merchant of Venice. 

Now, one might think "oh this probably goes fast because the actors are already in the show and they know the blocking."  WRONG!  The actors have been concentrating on their OWN blocking while in the shows and may not even be in the scenes with the character they are understudying. 

... Did I mention these same actors are also participating in Camp Shakespeare, doing publicity things, Curtain Call luncheons, etc?  Yeah, we all keep very busy here over the summer.  Needless to say conflicts arise and the ladies who do all of our scheduling have a hard time making it all work.   Luckily for us, our scheduling Stage Managers are super awesome and they make it work.

I am looking forward to being done with understudies.  I know the actors, costumers and crew are ready for this to end too.  But we all recognize the importance of having understudies and understudy rehearsals.  After all, the show must go on.

On a personal note... my hubby and puppy are visiting this week!  It is so nice to have them here when I get home from work. Husband Matt has seen Merchant of Venice and will see Much Ado this week.  Next week we will squeeze in "Mackers" as we USFers affectionately call MacBeth.  We have also been to Zion (we hiked the Narrows), Cedar Breaks, Brian Head, Panguitch Lake and the Petroglyphs.   It's always so much fun to explore out here and even better to do it with someone you love.

We have opened!

I am back at the Utah Shakespearean Festival this summer. Rehearsals/build were very challenging, but we have opened and the shows are getting rave reviews! (Well mostly, and those that aren't are picking up steam and I am confident their critics will be raving soon enough!)

(Emily Trask as Portia, Chelsea Steverson as Nerissa, Tony Amendola as Shylock, Ryan Imhoff as Gratianio, Grant Goodman as Bassanio and Gary Neal Johnson as Antonio - - Photo by Karl Hugh USF 2010 ©)

I have Much Ado about Nothing and The Merchant of Venice. Both shows I have done before, both have their own challenges.  I really like both of my shows.  Really.  I realized over the course of rehearsals that this is my 7th time doing Much Ado!!! Only my second for Merchant.  Yes, I like old Willy (fine, Mr. William Shakespeare if you must)  enough to do his plays over and over and over. I really do!

This summer I have two Shakespeare's.  I have never done this track before and will probably never do again!!! Having two giant shows in the outdoor theater is the hardest thing I have ever done... and I have done quite a bit, thankyouverymuch! I have a cast of 21 and a cast of 24 actors to shepherd through this journey.  It wasn't easy but luckily for me I have great casts and fantastic crews.

For those of you who are new to this blog... (as if anyone reads this - - ok, ok I know at least ONE person reads it AND thank you for that, Mr. Vice President!!)...

I am a Stage Manager.  I make sure the play happens.  I call the light and sound cues as well as keep the actors on track and make sure the artistic vision of the director and designers is maintained. I flip the cue lights that make the actors enter on time and do a lot of other Manager-type stuff to keep my two shows running smoothly.  (Reminder: We have six main stage shows and two Greenshows so I am one of a tribe of Stage Managers) My job is not easy but it is really fun if you like to be organized and in charge.

Ummm... yeah... I like both of those things....

More to come. I was accosted by a "fan" on opening last week for not keeping up the old bloggy so I wanted to bang one out.

Click here to go to the Utah Shakespearean Festival web site

If you have any reason to be in Cedar City, Utah this summer, you will be horribly remiss if you do not at least see one show at the Festival.  HORRIBLY.

 (Matt Tallman as Claudio, David Ivers as Benedick, Gary Neal Johnson as Don Pedro, Robert Ramirez as Leonato - - Photo by Karl Hugh USF 2010 ©)