27 February 2011

Challenges

Yesterday, I was reminded how much I love the theater. It was tech weekend - the last minute scramble to get everything set up in the weekend prior to opening. Because we're doing a smaller show, things were much more laid back than usual. I spent a large part of my day helping set up a huge flat. First, we had to get it off the ground and get sawhorses under it so we could install hardware to hang it over the stage. Then, it got covered with black duvateen, a fabric some people might mistake for velvet, and was eventually hung overhead. The flat in question was taller than the proscenium arch. Huge. It was an interesting job that helped prove a simple fact - work expands to fill time allotted.

Time during tech weekends is always fluid. Sometimes it drags, like when waiting for lunch. Other times, it  moves too fast and a job is finished earlier than you thought or complications have shown up to make the job last longer. During shows, things are more structured and everything moves into a routine. A part of me is looking forward to that routine.

As a change in my own routine, my mom has offered me a challenge. For the entire month of March, I am going to try and blog every day, at least once a day. Mom's incentive is simple: she's threatening to take away my bedroom. I hope everyone will keep reading and see if I can meet this goal! Wish me luck!