So I am in the middle of Technicals for two plays in repertory. Meaning they are playing on alternate nights. So while the directors, actors and such are just doing one show. While have two complete shows to deal with. I’m acting as the Scene designer, Lighting designer and projection designer.

We are in a flexible space so we have to set up the audience seating each time. and we haven’t completed that. It was done when we started and we just haven’t had time to get to it. The set I inherited from the previous designer is so clunky and formulaic. I was able to visually clean it up a little. It also is horribly unsuited as well. There are screen that need to be back lit but there is only 4′ of space to do it in and that is nothing.

Since the playwright is coming we really have to get this right.

One of the directors keeps changing things so we just can’t catch up. He’s unorganized and quite an ass sometimes. And not that I have a big ego or anything , but I don’t like being yell at in front of my students.

So I just keep spending all day and night in both work and rehearsals, not seeing my family enough and getting tired and grumpy. I don’t know what else to do but just keep slogging through it.

What else are you supposed to do when you have bitten of more than you can chew?

You can check out some intial thoughts and sketches for Kiss Me Kate here. I’ll be updating and changing things there so why don’t you check in and see how things are progressing.

I have been busy at work these two weeks or so. I have been painting scenery for pirates of penzance.

So far I have painted 3280 square feet of scenery and have more than 6,000 square feet to go.

boy am i tired.

Here is my beginning work on One Acts 2006 which is our students directed festival of plays. They are virtual models of the different sets. Quicktime is required.

So in the Spring I will be doing the Pirates of Penzance. As a result we are beginning to design the play now. Of course I am right in the middle of being the Technical director and Lighting Designer forThe House of Bernarda Alba. It goes into technical rehearsals this weekend. Also, we just finished doing a dance concert and tomorrow I have a design meeting for our festival of Student-Directed One Acts. For which I am doing the sets and supervising the lights.

I have started to gather research for Pirates. I started with some basic images on the locations mentioned in the play. Using Google Maps I found out that Penzance was in the Cornwall area of England, and guided my search accordingly.

After talking with the director I’ve found some more images. They are starting to reflect the feel of what our production will be. He is seeing the show as a Victorian style Keystone Cops. Playing up what might be seen by some as datedness(is that a word?) as a contrived artifice. So we are looking at Turn of the last century posters and illustrations.

Soon I’ll have some more sketches posted to show you what I mean.