Ready, SET...

            And now for the moment you’ve all been anxiously awaiting…. The set for Pillars of the Community has been moved in to Elements venue! (Paraclete House at Rock Harbor). Wow- it is massive! I had seen the set before, when I actually got to help paint it out in the workshop, but it is entirely different and striking to see it in the actual playing space. I don’t remember a set that we’ve had quite as tall as this one- it was designed even with a balcony! So many hours of work- from the early planning and designing stages to the actual construction and painting- have gone into this set, and it definitely shows.

I love this time in a production when the set comes in, the props are laid out on tables in the back, lights hung, and the Company prepares for tech weeks. The play really begins to take on a life of its own! When I go through that room with the set, I almost feel like I’m passing through the world of the characters.  It’s funny how wood and materials, (if used well:) can transport you to another time and place altogether.

Pieces coming together

The first performance of the Pillars of the Community is coming up in a little over a month, and as always things are starting to really come together. I am always amazed to see the set taking shape, the finishing touches being added to the costumes, and the actual play starting to flow like it should. Sometimes, it seems like there is just too much to get done, but as always it gets finished just in time. I got the pleasure of helping paint the set for this play, which I always love doing because then I get to see the transformation from pieces of plywood to a beautiful creation. The set for this Ibsen play in particular is amazing, in my opinion one of Element's best! I can't wait to see it set up in the venue, which is in a few days since as I mentioned the pieces of the puzzle are being put together. Today, I am helping set up the lights in the venue, which can only mean the next step is tech weeks and then performance. This ball is rolling, and everyone is doing their best to keep up and get this "show on the road!!"

The Joy of Theater

Last week, the 3 younger members of Elements got to put on a little showcase with scenes from Ibsen and monologues from Shakespeare. I am one of these 3 younger members, and I would have to say that it was one "HUGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE!" Everyone kept telling me, "you are learning, and that is what it is all about", but I still found this hard to believe. In my head it was about performing, making a good impression and living up to the name of Elements Theatre Company. But, as we got closer to actually performing the showcase, I realized that what it was really about was sharing what we had learned on our trip to Chicago, and the love of theater. I knew that no one in the audience would be taking notes and critiquing our work, so I just had to do my best for the joy of it. I also am happy to say that as nervous as I felt, it was a lot more fun than I expected. I thought that the butterflies in my stomach would take over, but instead I felt like we fell into a rhythmn and the audience seemed to really enjoy it. I know that I can stand on this experience as one where I learned a lot, but even more importantly, I could really experience the raw joy of theater.