TITP

We have finally started focusing even though we are still missing quite a few things that need to be hung.  First focus went well...then we adjusted the FOH truss (to try to cut down on the massive amount of torque it had due to the five cantilevers we had to put on it to try to light the newly covered orchestra pit...ugh) so all of that had to be re-focused.  We then started working on side positions... until the pipe fell out of the concrete wall, anchors and all, so that was exciting.  It was also a wind advisory last night so we couldn't work on much in the air because it was blowing the breeze like a flag.  We lost a ton of gel, so that's being ordered.  Overall it has been quite the exciting the few days.  Also, everyone is throwing a fit about the orchestra pit that has been covered and the ten feet worth of false proscenium that is going up...the designer has been fired but we are still using is outrageous designs why?  Oh, and the stage deck is now blue. Very blue, like the colour of the top of this page kind of blue.  We asked the exec. why blue? He said he had a dream that the standard dark grey it was supposed to painted bored him to tears... so blue it is.  When standing on stage it just looks like a big horrible ocean of smurf.  However, surprisingly enough, from out in the house it is a very flattering look.  Can't wait to see it when we actually have some set pieces.  Hope everyone else is having a great season so far!  We open in two weeks!

Number 2

Another week of building. Just finished up what may be the last steel project of the season... Not sure though. I got the pleasure of fabricating the hinge/ pivot point for a giant birdcage like structure. It is a giant thing and has taken a great deal of time and energy to build. A lot of welding, which is exciting because that is one of the things i wanted to work on more than anything in terms of my fabricating abilities.

Everything is coming together nicely and there is a lot happening.

Beauty Plays 3

Another successful weekend at Stage West. We finished up the furniture and the only thing left to do with that is the detail work. We also set up two more flats. These ones have a 'flip flat' in them. We have a couple ideas of how to build them, but nothing is set in stone. We have one more work weekend in the shop before we move them to the performance area and there is still a lot to do, including building a cabinet. The plays are coming up fast....hold on to your shorts!

PRT

Today had some blocking for Arsenic act 1 so that was fun...other than that we had nothing to do in the shop in the morning in the shop so I took a nap and fit costumes. And we went to the warehouse to pull some things for the first show and it started pouring outside!!!! I love the summer...or end of May...

End Blog: 

PRT Work

So today was my first day of the week of not straight shop work which was nice, blocked the first act of Arsenic and Old Lace and did music work for the second act of Crazy for you. Only two more days til I have two days off, can't wait! Have three shows practically built but we are going to go over to the theater tomorrow and finish setting up the first show.

Over and out!

New Appreciation

I have a New Appreciation for Pella Corp back in my hometown Pella.
I spent all of today at Jenny Wiley theatre building plexglass windows...from scratch, and from scrap. its nuts, I'm caked in sawdust but I love it.

Rain is really becoming a problem here, it seems to rain every night, sometimes the afternoon, and we are chuck between two mountain tops.

I love driving these mountain roads, but I also miss the straight roads of Iowa, a little bit.

ALUMNI NEWS 1

I just passed the one year mark of being an ISU Theatre alum and things are going well. I just signed on for a second season as the Stage Crew Apprentice at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where we're currently running The Madness of George III by Alan Bennett. I work run crew for all shows on our mainstage and train to cover our Props Runner and the ASM. Between shows I'm encouraged to learn from other departments, so I've worked as a carpenter and gone on tour to nearby high schools with a condensed production of Macbeth. The work is a full time commitment, but I'm hoping that with the summer show schedule I can do some more work with smaller theater companies in Chicago and continue to get my name out there. In the meantime, I'm living with former Alum Kim Chelf and loving every minute of living and working in Chicago!
Carrie Taylor


Just wanted to let you know what I've been up to since I graduated in 2008... I spent some time working for Rosie's Broadway Kids in NYC, and shortly after, performed the role of Millie in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" at Bloomington Civic Theatre in Bloomington, MN. I played the role of Sister Leo in the world premier production of Dan Goggin's "Nunset Boulevard" at Chanhassen Dinner Theater, and then starred as Natalie Haller in their production of "All Shook Up" for a 6 month run. I recently earned my Actors' Equity card, and am currently in rehearsal for HMS Pinafore at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

That's what I've been up to!
Hope all is well down there!

Laura
-- Laura RudolphAEABM Vocal Performance


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Jennifer Spinola Kessler
‎'96 graduate - I live in Kansas City and I teach middle school speech and theatre in a really great district. I love giving them, what is for most of them, their first theatre experience.I also have been a director the last few years for Gladstone Theatre in the Park.
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Amanda Mayfield
Finished my first National Tour with THE MUSIC MAN as Production Stage Manager and now have landed myself the job as Production Manager in Sharon, Conneticut at TriArts Sharon Playhouse for the summer. This fall I'll be joining Nebraska Theatre Caravan on one of their tours of A CHRISTMAS CAROL...translation - KEEPING BUSY!

Emily Brainerd
I suppose I'm not technically an alum, but if you are interested I got my MFA last weekend, and just got a job with Auerbach Pollack Friedlander consulting firm in San Francisco. Start mid June. Excited!!

Hairspray

Hey all,

This summer I'm playing Amber in Hairspray at the Des Moines Playhouse. I found out on Friday, started rehearsals Sunday and tonight was our first dance rehearsal. I've had a great time with everything so far - the directors were incredibly accommodating during the audition process; I was in Korea for the second round of auditions and callbacks.

The dance rehearsal tonight was great. I really like working with the choreographer - she's a good teacher and her dances are challenging and fun.

PRT Day something

well another couple days have come and gone again we have basically finished building 3 of the four shows, now it's all of the detail work, and painting. Man I dislike painting...I did happen to cut myself with a handsaw today which was fun and I have helped with a promotional video with the company so that was fun and it's on my facebook if you want to check it out.

TITP

As you may know I work in an OUTDOOR theatre in the Kansas City Metro which was hit by several tornadoes around 11 am today.  Believe me, you have never had a more exciting day at a theatre.  Outdoor theatre in Kansas in the spring, you can expect a fair amount of sirens and panic.  Tornado myth of the day: tornadoes do not hit large cities/downtown areas.  There are a lot of people in Kansas City; Joplin, Kansas; and Sedelia, Missouri that need a lot of help and a lot of prayers.  We were lucky not to have the theatre or our homes flattened today.  As for work, we didn't get much done.  After the storms we rehung lights that got blown off the pipes and circuited what had come undone.  Not the best day, home everyone else is holding up! 

Curtainbox Theatre Co, Second Post

Because it is a relatively new theatre company, the Curtainbox has decided it would be best to cancel their summer production in order to focus on internal issues, especially concerning the conservatory classes that are offered there. Therefore, I will no longer be stage managing this summer, but instead have taken on an administrative position in the theatre office. As this is a new development, I am not yet sure what my responsibilities will be, but will I find out on Monday and will definitely keep you updated!

Kathleen

Musical Premeires

Hi All!

So for the past week, I have gone to many different new musical premieres throughout southern Cali.  Everything from a hip hop musical to an opera.  It has been an such a overwhelmingly great experience.  My favorite musical so far was the hip hop musical called Krunk Fu Battle Battle.  It premiered at the East West Theatre in downtown LA.   It was such a cool experience going to all of these musical premieres.  For this hip hop musical, they served drinks beforehand and then afterwards provided a dinner in the courtyard. 

I think what I have loved the most about my internship so far has been the opportunity to meet and network with so many different people.  I realize just how many talented people there are in so many different fields and I have the privilege of meeting so many great people ( and of course a few not so great ha ha)

Also while I'm out here I decided to enroll in an improv class with The Groundlings School.  I had my first class yesterday and it was AMAZING!  I think I have found my new passion but with that I realize I have a lot to learn and work on.  But I cannot wait until next class!

So that's it for now.  Glad to see everyone else's internship is going so well!

What Stinks?

I'll tell you what...I spent all day cutting Plexiglass for windows and doors in Dixie Swim Club.

I made the front door look really nice, and became friends with the ATD.

Yesterday was a great day off. Loved it. The majority of the Tech crew took a pontoon boat out on the lake next to the theatre and we went swimming and fishing.

More and More Music Man

So much has been going on this past week. It seems like we have been doing this for much more than that and yet its like almost half done. Every night there are new set pieces in place and things are really coming right along. Working with Rod Caspers. He is an amazing director and a really great guy. He had shoulder reconstruction surgery not long before he came up here from Texas for Music Man and so it has been interesting dealing with that. But the man is completely awesome and has so much energy, even with the arm in a sling and such he is still walking through what he is looking for in blocking and running around the stage and climbing on things and then you have the bad looks coming from Pip, Steph, Rachel and I towards him because he is going to hurt himself climbing up on ladders and jumping on chairs and such. But it makes me wonder just how physical of a director this man is when he isn't held back by a brace on this arm.

One of the coolest things about this show is the fact that it is a sing-a-long show. Rod decided that he would go with the idea that is becoming popular with musical movies. So are going to be having the audience sing with us for a lot of the big numbers in the show, during which we will have the words projected up on the wall for audience convenience. I think that it is really awesome that the audience gets to sing with the cast. I know that when ever I see a show I am always at least mouthing the words if not mumbling them under my breath, so the fact that it is being encouraged for this show is great.

Right now we have just almost all of act 1 staged and are getting started on act 2 tonight, which seems like we are really behind since we open in just about 2 1/2 weeks but act 1 is so huge and has almost all of the big numbers that we are going to be fine on time. At least that is what we have decided is going to be the out come. Everyone has been working really hard and people have been really good about just jumping in when and if needed.

When I signed up for this show I knew that I was going to be ASM and I figured that that would be "my" place in the show, but I am also getting to do some work with props as well. The other day I went with Pip, the coordinator of the Orpheum Theatre, to Grinnell College to find and pick up props. We had a really good time and it was great to see props that were actually organized and sorted into different sections. Made me very jealous but when you have lots of money at a school then that would make things easier.

So far, so good

PRT Day 8

Another busy day, got headshots and the company photo taken and I worked on getting 4 platforms 8 feet in the air and bolted together so that people can run on them. That was my day. See ya!

Rehearsal Today

This afternoon was the rehearsal for my character's main scene: Act II, Scene I, which is where Harry views Snape's memories within the Pensieve. Sadly, due to some personal conflicts, I was late to the rehearsal and missed the majority of it. But as I understand it, all we did was just run through the script again. To make up for my lateness, I am finally making the choice to print the script and download all the music (which I should have done a long time ago). I am making sure I am prepared for my part, and this is the next step to that.

Hi All,

So I finally figured how to use this, so here's my first blog from about a week ago.  And here we go....

So I'm out in LA this summer as an intern for The Festival of New American Musicals. I'm working for Mr. Robert Klein, who is the nicest man you will ever meet and very well connected out here in Southern California. He's done it all from being a early morning radio in New York to working for NBC to being the main guy behind the marketing of CNN, Nickoloden, MTV, and more.  Now he has moved on and is one of creators and co-executive producers of The Festival of New American Musicals, a musical theatre festival that encourages the creation of new musicals.  The festival works not only with professionals, but college and high school students to help give them the tools necessary to create a new musical. 

The Festival of New American Musicals also works with the Los Angeles commmunity to help cultivate and bring theatre into schools that not typically exposed to in the theatre world.  One of the current projects is called the East Side Iniative.  The goal of this project is to bring young people and their families from the east side of LA to musical theatre throughout the Southland; and to bring outstanding musical theatre events to the theatres and parks in the east side.  I, along with co-executive producer Linda Shusett, have been assigned to the task of coordinating this, and communicating with the different theatres and The Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation.  I'm so excited for this, as it will be a great experience for me, but for the all of the kids involved!

The second project I am working on as part of the festival, is assisting in the coordination of a nation wide musical theatre contest.  This event would have high school students and college students from across the nation compete in contest in which they create and perform an original one act musical, and finalists would get a chance to come to southern California and compete for a prize. This is still just in the early development stages, but my boss is trying to get a sponsorship from Dreamworks and also trying to work with NBC as the tv network is coming out with their own show about creating a new Broadway musical in January. 

One of the big advantages of working with the festival is the opportunity to see new musicals throughout southern California.  I saw my first one on Sunday called Thank You Mr. Falker, and tonight I am seeing a show called Krunk Fu Battle Battle...looks to be interesting.  There will be many many others premiering this summer, one of the most notable (unless you think Jerry Springer the Opera qualifies) is Stephen Schwartz's latest musical entitled: My Fairtale.  Oh another interesting thing, my boss also knows both Stephen Schwartz and Jason Robert Brown fairly well, in fact just today I was sitting in the office and my boss casually mentions he just receieved an email from JRB asking for his advice!  Insane.

So anyway my experince so far has been wonderful!  The apartment I'm staying in is right across from Sony Studios so every day I bike past their huge billboards advertising their upcoming movies and tv shows. The beach is a 30 minute bike ride away, and for that matter basically anything I could possibly want is within biking distance. 

Anyhoo that's it for now!  I hope everyone is enjoying their first few days of summer! =)

Vicky

Look for Matt Meldrem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnjHJ5qREB4&feature=player_embedded


Check out the Great River Shakespeare Video featuring(OK a cameo) Matt Meldrem

PRT Day 5, 6, 7

Sorry I haven't been on the last couple days been really busy. But the last couple days have just been more shop work, and we are starting rehearsals so I'm getting really excited. I can't wait to start tap dancing in Crazy for You. We have two sets built basically for the first two shows and we are starting on all of the platforms for the third one. Which for that one there is probably 15 bastard flats that will be fun to build...not. More tomorrow!

Sunburn and Cigarettes

Its ain't right unless its done twice.

I spent the majority of today welding header pieces for The Dixie Swim Club, then the TD realized the measurements were wrong. oops. Good thing its bigger than it should be and some creative grinding and re-welding will fix it.

We finished the proscenium build awhile ago. The painters are on that. I helped with the second coat.

Oh BY THE WAY I caught my thumb in the table saw on Wednesday, got 4 stitches, worked the next day. Drugs are great, don't do them. thankfully it was my left hand, and only cut the pad above the top knuckle.

Its finally starting to be sunny and warm again after 5 days of rainy and cold weather.

Its difficult to work with people with no common sense. Thats all I'm saying.

Beauty Plays 2

Well I just got back from Des Moines and had 2 days full of work. Yesterday we ended up constructing 5 of 6 flats for the plays. Today we finished up the one other flat and started working on furniture. There's something like 8 piece of furniture that needs to be put together. We finished up the table/desk and started working on a second table and almost have that one finished. And now its time to relax a little bit before I do again next weekend!

Sound

It is apparently down to myself and one other person to figure out sound for a show with like a sixty-some cast. Wonderful. My first assignment is to find a place to rent two highly specific (and unknown to me) types of recording devices (that I've never heard of). Oh yeah, I need to find a place to rent them IN Orlando, and only for a two-day time period. This is going to be exciting I think: find two unknown devices from unknown companies in an unfamiliar city...

PRT Day 4

So here another day has come and gone. Had 3 more sessions of scene shop (so 9 hours) and unfortunately we took a step back with our afternoon session. Why? Because the wood that was bought by one of the faculty members was really warped. The measurements where right and everything was square but for some reason the bottom of the flats weren't. So we had to scrap that and another funky flat. And it sucked because we only had half our staff, the others where in rehearsals. We got a lot done in the evening, however, so I feel good.

I also had a production meeting for one of the shows that I had to go to, but I had nothing to report because he haven't started building yet for Almost Maine.

Ufftah, it's time for a beer.

Josh, over and out.

Blog 1

Well, I have been at my internship for almost two weeks now... I just got this whole blogging thing straightened out. So far I have cut, bent, ground, and welded steel for approximately a week and a half. We are building a 15 foot tall bird cage for Mid Summer and it has to be structural because the actors will be climbing it... The other few days that I have been working I spent on building the Jig for the giant birdcage. So basically, I built a giant thing that we then used to start building an even more giant thing. It has been pretty stressful but fun at the same time because I am getting to put to work skills that I we don't use in our shop very often, and I am also getting to make a lot of the decisions about how to go about doing the actual construction.

Everyone here is really good at what they do and I am excited to be working with them. The shows are going to be great and the sets will be even better!

TITP

So today we had a ten ton boom lift delivered to the theatre... however they didn't bring it to the theatre, they dropped it off at the police station at the entrance to the park.  So after wondering all morning why it hadn't been dropped off yet we discovered it parked in the police station parking lot on our way to lunch.  So when we returned from lunch, in the rain, we drove it the 3/4 mile to the theatre.  Going ONE mile an hour.  ONE.  It was funny to cruise along behind the lift down a busy street with the hazards on.  Today was an eventful day. Also, a very productive day.  We have until Tuesday off because we are far enough ahead we literally have nothing else to do.  Rockin.

PRT Day 3

So just another day of shop work, rehearsals don't start for me until Friday. We got all the flats built for the first show and started making the flats for the second show. I have been really enjoying being the Master Carpenter, because it fits into my leadership qualities and the shop hands respect me enough to listen to what I have to say. Cory, the designer is telling us that we are getting too much stuff done and that we are giving him a hard time because he is trying to pump out all the drawings to keep up with us :) Overall I am enjoying it. Lets see in a week.

Curtainbox Theatre Co, First Post

This summer, I will be stage managing at the Curtainbox Theatre Company in Davenport, Iowa. The theater is only a few blocks from my house, so it will be lovely to be able to walk there on nice summer nights. This is my second summer working with them, and I am very excited to reunite with the company! Another bonus is that I have been informed that I will get PAID, which I didn't know happened in internships! Basically, I am one happy hamster. The show opens in July, and I won't start rehearsals until late June, so I won't post again for about a month or so.

First post

Hello all!
Sorry it has taken me this long to post but I am currently studying abroad in Greece for the first part of the summer and internet here is not like it is in the United States. But I am posting on the ISU Theatre blog because later in the summer (July) I will be going to Orlando Florda, where I will be working on the crew for the Final Battle (TFB! TFB is a musical that is based on the last 200 pages of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows. I am super excited to get to work on this project! I will keep you all posted!

Taylor

PRT Day 1 and 2

Hey, this is Josh reporting from Brookings, South Dakota. With all the business going on I forgot to post last night about my first day so here it goes. Yesterday was just a big meeting day and orientation to get the low-down on what is going to happen over the next couple of months. We got our schedules and had a picnic to end the day. It was actually pretty cool and everyone seems really nice, can't wait to start.

So the second day involved 9 hours of scene work which was actually sweet!! I'm Master Carpenter for Church Basement Ladies and Almost Main now so it's nice to have that leadership in the shop. We started building the New York Style flats, which I haven't done before. They explained it to me and now I get it lol. Tomorrow will be the same as today, but I'm hoping to get all the flats done and put muslin on them as well.

Start Week Two

We are at the point now that we have to sit and wait on other people to do their jobs before we can continue with ours.  We are waiting on rented inventory, rigging, sets....but we are still ahead.  We also do outside work for production companies in town, such as Harvest Productions or DSS, as needed.  There are a lot of other people that make a living here in KC doing this sort of free-lance rent-yourself-out sort of work.  Last Thursday a 65 year old man we had been doing work with was working for Rockfest.  He fell 40 feet from stage rigging to puncture a lung and break his pelvis... make note people, FOLLOW SAFETY RULES!!  Put on a damn harness and shut up, no need to die for your stubborn stupidity.

Hey Everybody! Amber Here!

Hiya all!  So I have also decided to make my own magical blog... Follow me here: http://stageissetformagic.blogspot.com/  Thanks!!!

Beauty Plays 1

Hey everyone!
So I went down to Des Moines today to work on some stuff for the Beauty Plays. Turned out that we were only going to work on one of the many platforms. We modified one of the platforms so it can flip open and slide a bed in and out of it. We also started working on a set of stairs. They are almost finished. If you ever need a set of stairs, Don't build them yourself! The are a pain. There still a lot to do before opening night, but its coming along very well.

The Theatre in the Park, Shawnee-Mission, Kansas

This will be my second summer with Theatre in the Park in Shawnee-Mission (Kansas City) Kansas. I am working on the light crew and this year by some miracle we are already ahead of schedule.  With three electrics hung and circuited we are feeling pretty good despite our rocky start before we even got to the park.  We have fired an intern, the set designer, and one master electrician (though he has been replaced with Seth, who seems great).  Also, our carps haven't shown up yet, nothing has been built and the stage still needs to be sanded and painted sometime so that will pretty much crush our being ahead of schedule.  But for now, yay! 

I decided to just start a blog page of my own for the summer. Follow me at http://lizrankinthemusicman.blogspot.com/ Its going to be a fun 4 weeks!

I'm Here!

Hey Everybody!
I'll be working at Stage West with the The Beauty Trilogy Repertory Series. I'll be working on sets and lights and sound during the show. It's gonna be a good summer, I can feel it!!

"Check-In Post"

Hello all!

This is just a quick post reminding Jim that I do have an internship this summer. For those of you who don't know what I'm doing: I am performing in The Final Battle, a Harry Potter musical, based off the last 200 pages of the last book, written/directed by Mallory Vance. My role in the production is "Young Snape (Dancer)" where I play the younger version of Snape in the Pensieve scene, but I will also play the role of a Ravenclaw student. This performance will take place down at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the new theme park in Universal Studios in Orlando, FA. I am TOTALLY excited to do this, so keep listening for updates as we rehearse!

Casey's First Post for Summer 2011

Hello all! I went ahead and created a seperate blog where my summer adventures can be followed at http://caseyinflorida.blogspot.com

Prestonsburg Kentucky

Dan Fynaardt has returned to the blogging world in his long absences since closing his Xanga account (anybody remember that?).

He'll be working at Jenny Wiley Theatre is summer http://www.jwtheatre.com/
He's going to be a "Swing Carpenter" so they say.

He leaves tomorrow (Tuesday May 10) starts work Wednesday May 11, and finishes August 16.

Here we go.

Here you go:http://danfyn.blogspot.com/

Much much more personal this way.