High Society images
From the very start this project has been about the cast and crew more than the set. In the photo at right, stage manager Steve may appear to be loafing, but he's just spent two days on a ladder renovating part of the lighting system and (with Allen) rebuilding a section of acoustical tile drop ceiling that dropped entirely some years back. As you'll see in the rest of this page, he had plenty to look at once he descended.
When I said that the Clarke Central theater folk came to us with good skills, Nikki's the one I was mostly thinking of. She has proved to be an accurate and careful painter (rather than a fast one, but that's a whole nother issue). At left she rests one foot while explaining something to Hank. By the time we get this job finished and the show up, she will have created half a house plus a veranda. To say she has been a big contributor is not to throw off on Jace, Hank, Lucy or any of the others, but after Andy and Karen, Nikki has the most hours in the set.
You can never see very far into the future. One show, the cast includes people who can do carpentry and painting but don't; another, you have no particular expectations and the people come in force, week after week, and really care about their set. This group has become quite enthusiastic about building the thing; I'd almost bet that means they are having a good time with the singing and dancing as well.
This show closes on April 4, the day of Town & Gown's big golden anniversary party. We'll leave the set standing for the evening; Amy M. plans to run a silent auction onstage among the pterodactyls. That should be something to see. Marie says if you want people to turn in good bids at a silent auction, you position a bartender next to the items. Don't know if that is going to happen, but it will all be quite atmospheric.
Here you can see more people doing more stuff. At left, Amber sweeps a little patch next to the brand-new ghost light that Andy built from a broken office chair and some black iron pipe. (An old theater superstition or tradition, your choice.) We've been without one since The Season of the Four Broken Ghost Lights, and I've been nervous the whole time.
The folks in the image at right are building the French window that opens onto the veranda. Nikki is resting the other foot this time. If you've been following this little history, you're asking "What veranda?" Just part of the routine, pieces of the set mutating as rehearsals show up new needs. We 86'd the South Parlor and added this little outdoor scene.
This is my favorite image from the whole project: John, Joe, Karen and Amber gang-painting the curtains.
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