Hell Weekend

For those of you involved in the theatre you are all too familiar with the concept of Tech Weekend, aka Hell Weekend. It basically involves shutting yourself in a theatre for about 14 hours and trying to muddle through a run of the show as the lighting designer frantically writes in cues as quickly as possible.

I am currently the light board operator for Beggar's Opera at CUA. It is a cast of about 30, a ginormous set, and an all female crew that spent most of the weekend sitting around wondering why we were there in the first place. The dressers, there to help ladies with corsets and those with make up and wigs, sat around mostly since the actors are (*gasp*) self sufficient and didn't need five other people helping them. The spot ops were busy as it is a musical and every time someone sings a solo they get a spot. Beggar's Opera has about 65 musical arias/songs, the spot ops needless to say were busy. Now me, the light board op, ironically was not. Ayun is an amazing designer but since she was writing the cues she was basically at the board the entire time doing it rather than telling me how to change everything....which makes sense as having her just do it is more efficient time wise, but it meant I was bored for a long time.

Friday I was so incredibly sick. Especially in the morning. I went to the gym with Katie as per usual to try and "work through the pain" but ten minutes later I was back in the apartment throwing my guts up. I hate being a female. My needed prescription couldn't be taken as it had to be used with food so I had to wait for my stomach to settle to choke down dry toast before catching the metro. I shuffled through the day in terrible pain and nausea, not feeling better until almost 7pm that night. Friday night rehearsal I sat around and did nothing except the run around things ("Allie, go to the shop and get a cut of this gel." "Allie go find a light bulb for this desk lamp."). Then I crashed at Angelyn and Laura's apartment as I was called a 9:30am Saturday. We watching How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days then I went to sleep.

Saturday, Starbucks run then right to rehearsal. Until noon it was just the tech people, and we actually did stuff. Taping down wires, cutting things, hanging lights....then we had a break for lunch. From lunch until 11pm I sat and read my book, did a crossword puzzle, and then escaped from the house in to the Green Room and colored Halloween coloring books with the offstage actors.

Today I got up, Kathryn drove me to campus early and I went to the Pryz with Angelyn. Then rehearsal. I sat in the Green Room and colored again with actors from 1-5pm. We then had our hour and a half for dinner and then FINALLY after that I got to run the light board!!! We did a run from 7pm on and I got to do my job! After the run they had to redo some lights and the call times for finishing were messed up and long story short Katie and I got to leave a 9:30pm!!

Now I am watching Jurassic Park and panicking about my first math test tomorrow that I am so failing as I have no idea what I am doing. Shit. I tried to study today but it was like Latin to me. Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh.

Two more nights of tech, then previews, then Thursday night opening, shows Friday to Sunday with a strike Sunday. Monday I get my life back.

See you then.

<3 Als