Focus was a smash hit, the team and I focused about 170 lights in 10 hours, which is roughly 17 an hour. I was rather pleased with the whole process, very quiet, intimate, just what grad school had prepared me for. Not to say there weren’t any snags along the way. When you have a 10+ hour day in a dark theatre with tiny little hieroglyphic focus sheets and people looking to you for guidance you can get run down. Thankfully, the day was full of coffee breaks, and snacks. I prepped the tech table with an assortment of candies to keep blood sugar and moral up through the day.
Post focus a designer usually writes a wish list of things they would like added and house work which needs to get done. As part of this wish list, I had to deal with one let down which, all together was a good character building exercise. I had to show the directors the foot lights, which are large clonking instruments that look as awkward as the dinosaur. As I sat with them in the theatre house I realized that I needed to say goodbye to my beloved front wash. I quietly remind myself there is a silver lining to this experience; I am learning how to make compromises. So I have cut the fat from my design, much like the fat I am cutting from my body.
Robert and I had a wonderful day yesterday followed by a whole foods excursion. Many brands of Tea’s where purchased; so hopefully as I warm my body and mind I can also warm up to the idea of staying healthy. I think it is important to stay moving as an artist. We can be a moody breed, full of dark rooms, and lots of sitting. So it is helpful to get up and shake around once in a while, remove the mental cobwebs from the dark corners of a creatively rich brain. On the note of creativity I still have the bed to look forward too.
Our bed will hopefully be arriving this weekend. Now like a freshly hatched sea turtle I scramble to gather the elements that make up a bed room, the perfect sheets, pillow tops, memory foams, and other accoutrement. What are your favorite bed room items? Perhaps I will feature them in my upcoming bedroom design.
I have a doctor’s appointment coming up, so I will let you know what the bill of health is.
Coming up is designer run through of GREASE, then I will be in my fortress of a theatre designing all weekend.
Looking forward to talking to you again.
Michael