April 2

Everyone is still trying to catch up from the Follies. We are seeking crew people for Tuesdays with Morrie. We need at least one stage person to move furniture on and off the turntable which rotates it on stage. We need a sound person who can click a mouse button to start and stop the sound. Most important we need a stage manager to call the show. Calling the show involves following in the script and telling the lights, sound and stage crew when to do the changes. With sound and lights the computer has really made this a fun easy way to be involved. I program the computer with all of the light and sound changes and the operator just pushes a button to make it run. Gone are the days of reel to reel tape decks and cuing and fading in and out of sounds. Gone are the complicated dimmer setting for each cue to run and counting manually in your head how many seconds a cue should run. Today's digital world has created a way for shows to be much more complex and at the same much easier to run.

I went to see Mannheim Steamroll last night at the Carson Center. It was a great time and the lighting effects were very nice. They used about 10 movable lights that can change patterns and colors all controlled by a computer. I would love to get my hands on those. We have to hang and focus each separate light with its own color to use in an area. Many of the lighting instruments we use today at the Market House were purchased in the 1960's based on a design from the 1950's. Someday when we win the lottery we will hopefully be able to purchase some lighting equipment that will allow us to do more with less instruments.

I've just finished reading an article on how several theatres are going green. This is a very difficult thing for us to do. We use so many materials to make a production. Our carbon foot print is pretty large. We have started recycling in the offices. A great deal of our lights cannot be changed out for the more efficient Compact Florescent Lights because we have to dim them up and down. When they come out with a dimmable florescent light fixture we will be one of the first to jump on it.

Auditions for Anything Goes had a very light turnout. We are hoping that lots of people were just waiting for Wednesday to audition. If we don't get enough people to audition then we start contacting people and trying to get them to audition for specific roles still needed. Our general rule of auditions is that those people who show up to audition are given first priority for all parts. Sometimes you need a great tenor or soprano voice for a part and only alto's or basses show up . Then there is lots of scrambling to try to make things work out. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that we will have a good turnout tonight.