Wow, what a night!

We all have those nights to remember. Our first kiss, first dance, Where we were when we first heard that someone important to us died. Last night was definitely one of those nights... It was to be the 2nd performance of the "Barber of Seville". Everything went well, resetting from "Carmen" rehearsals back to "Barber". Then about 10 min before the show, my boss came on the walkie and told us to be prepared that there was a major storm front headed our way, but that it was scheduled to hit about the time the show ended - he was very, very, wrong. It hit about halfway through intermission. First lighting could be seen, then the thunder, then the 70+mph winds. We started getting power surges, and power went out a couple of times, then for good. David, our Technical Director, came in and told us that he literally watched the power go out over the entire county. Maestro Maazel and Nancy, our General Manager, conferred backstage about what to do, fretting about keeping the audience calm. David piped up with, "Hell, you've got a house full of musician, have them play something!" As it turns out, we had 2-3 violin virtuosos in the orchestra, so play they did. Then we got the singers out there, and did everything from arias from other shows to Broadway tunes, to most of the rest of the show! At one point, they offered to let folks leave if they wanted to, but no one left - they were enjoying themselves too much! Behind the scenes, we were trying to figure out ways to keep things safe. I ran out to the dimmer room to turn off the breakers to the lighting rig. When the board operator checked in, I asked if he had unplugged the dmx, and he ran off light the lightning we were afraid could fry the system. We gave everyone flashlights, and wondered how long the emergency lights would last (about an hour, if you were curious - we thought it would be 20 min). Eventually we were able to let folks leave - but it took a while, as trees had been uprooted by the winds and were laying across the road. Crews that included some of our people (my boss is a huge guy, and extremely strong) worked feverishly with chainsaws to clear the way. I finally left around 12:45am - I have no idea when everyone else was able to call it a night. Fortunately, the building I am staying in has a generator, not everyone was so lucky. I chatted with a fellow who was there with his wife. Apparently they had been having marriage issues, and are trying to work it out. This is their first experiene at the Castleton Festival, and they can't wait to come back! In fact, most audience member said that. It was a wonderful crowd, and and incredible night. Oh - and my personal drama for the night. My job during the show is to page the cable that gives power to the set, to make sure no one trips and the set doesn't run over it when it is moved. Last night I looked to make sure that the cart got through okay (last time it was an issue), and I didn't see that the set was already moving and was next to me. My pant leg and the back of my shoe got caught by the set, and dragged under. Fortunately, I was wearing my keens, and was able to pull my foot at least partially out of the shoe - but as it was, I could't release it completely, and was trapped, with my foot pinned against the set, and my shoe cutting off my circulation. It was very scary and painful - fortunately, it wasn't too long until the next transition and I was released. It is still swollen and painful this morning and I'll have it looked at by the local EMT, but I think it will be okay. Wow, what a night - and not one anyone will soon forget!

Working in Paradise

I really, REALLY wish I could post pictures of the place where I am working. Unfortunately, the bandwidth here for internet limits me to pretty much just email, facebook, and updating my blog. Until I can upload, here are some web pics from the past for you: https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=681&q=castleton+music+festival+2012&gbv=2&oq=castleton+musi&aq=3S&aqi=g-S4g-mS1&aql=&gs_l=img.1.3.0i24l4j0i5i24.987.3437.0.6854.14.13.0.1.1.0.146.1161.9j4.13.0...0.0.bAP1K98d-Bg So - I arrived the end of May, and several times thought I had gotten lost, because it really does feel like the middle of nowhere. Not much for signs, many of the roads do not have painted lines, and even fewer streetlights. I was so focused on getting here, that it really wasn't until the next day that I had a chance to take in my surroundings - rolling hills, meadows, trees, and animals. Oh, the animals! I live in the "Barn Apartment", and the other end of the building really is a barn! We have the barn cats and the rooster who live here (complete with kittens), along with two pigs, goats (the babies are beyond adorable!), a zebra, and a zonkey. Yes, a zebra and a zonkey (apparently the donkey is a randy boy and got out!). Down the road a bit are horses, cows, llamas, and emus. Yes, emus. I love being able to say - follow the path down past the donkey (oh - there's a ponkey, too!) and llamas, turn right at the emus, and the trail will take you to the pavilion. About a week after I arrived, I caught a cold (still convinced it is my coworker's fault!), and it has been a struggle getting up every day to work. But working with the group that I do, I look forward to it every day. They are delightful, talented people, who are supportive and patient when I ask a question to make sure I understand clearly, or if it is something I am not completely familiar with. This is a HUGE change from the experiences over the past 2 years, and I am eating it up! It would be a dream come true if I could find a permanent position working with people like I have here. And even on the rare times when it is not as pleasant, we go outside and look around and say, "yeah, too bad it is so ugly here", smile, and walk back in to work. What I've been doing - we've been literally building this theatre from the ground up. The "permanent tent" was erected last year, and this year they installed a permanent grid system with 3 front of house electrics, and 7 over the stage (my tech geek friends will appreciate this info). We have 192 circuits, and have had to run the cable for all of it. I helped solder the connection boxes for the dimmer room, and converted the dimmer boxes from 3-phase to 2-phase power. When we fired everything up for the first time, it was beyond exciting and I literally started dancing. The last 3 days have seen us hanging and circuiting the lights. The challenge is that most of the lifts can't ride on the pit cover, so it is slow going with the front of house 1 and 2 pipes, but we should finish up tomorrow. The designer arrives next week, the second set loads in tomorrow, and all is exciting in our world. Oh - and the master carpenter has dubbed his crew the "yay" team, because everything he asks them to do they say "yay!" - and are a delightful group to work with. Yeah, I'm thinking this is going to be an awesome summer... :)