Final Dress Day Wednesday June 11

Tonight is the final dress rehearsal for Anything Goes. It has been a lot of long nights this past week to get the show ready. I'm taking a moment to catch my breath before the last push and then the rehearsal. I took several photos of everything that was happening on the last day before opening. Jim Keeney and I stayed after the rehearsal last night until almost midnight painting on the false proscenium (the frame around the opening of the stage) and the brig porthole. To paint the proscenium which is 13 feet in the air is not an easy task. With the orchestra pit uncovered it means that we have to lay 2x4's across the orchestra pit opening and then put a piece of plywood on top. It makes for a precarious perch. (See photos). After we finished painting I came back across the street and worked on finishing up the restaurant discount card and next years season ticket holders.

Alexis is working hard to get the packets ready for season ticket holders who have renewed to pick up during the run of Anything Goes. It will be tight to see if we can get that completed in time for Anything Goes.

Janice Peterson made a couple of last minute black skirts for the angels yesterday when Diane Byrd the director, decided we needed a more unified look than we had for one of the dance numbers.

This morning Jim and I started with cleaning the auditorium and stage area to get it ready. Our housekeeping staff of Mike and Della Schmidt come every Wednesday morning for about 4 hours and clean all the buildings. There is a great deal that has to be picked up and cleaned before Mike and Della arrive.

Jim Keeney built the last rolling prop today- a large mirror with a rolling base. (see photos). I worked on lights and sound as well as doing final touch up painting this morning.

Breandan Frederick who found, built and acquired (beg, borrow, steal) the props for the show and Aaron Spoden, who works on the crew running the digital projections, came in to help paint. (See photos) They painted the stage floor. Breandan took a brush and carefully painted around the spike marks onstage that help the actors know where to place scenery in the scene changes. Aaron used a paint roller to cover large sections with black paint on the floor.

Marsha was busy preparing a lobby display about Cole Porter and a cute ship graphic with the cast members faces and little stick bodies.

We replace some over sized paper towel dispensers back stage which are too large for the small paper towels we use. That required a run to Paper supplies for the dispensers. We haven't had the right size paper towel dispensers for the past couple of years.

Every one is finishing up last minute details in preparation for the final rehearsal tonight and the big opening tomorrow. Programs should arrive tomorrow and we are creating program inserts. Seven weeks of work by the cast crew and production team are all coming together. After Sundays performance most of the cast and crew will collapse for a well deserved couple of days off. For Patt Lynch and I we will be auditioning My Way on Monday and Tuesday evening.