I started participating in theatre the summer before my freshmen year when I enrolling in a Drama class at College for Kids, at Cuesta College. Where I was casted in the role of John, in "How to Eat like a Child."
After experiencing what it was like to be in the lights, I went to our High School, and talked to the drama club director about working crew for the play they were auditioning for. I stuck around the auditions because I thought that was what we were suppose to do, being a freshmen and not knowing how things worked. So it turned out he casted me as a character in "The Crucible", I talked to him later, and told him how I did not want the role, and would rather operate the lights for the show. He told me that I would be able to do both. I wasn't quite sure how that would work.
During a rehersal I was talking to somone who was not casted, and wanted to be. We checked with Mr. Richter, the diretor to see if it would be okay if I gave my role to this other kid. He said it was fine so I stepped away from the stage.
I was then able to pursue what I wanted to do in the first places. TECH!
So I went behind the scenes working on "The Crucible" helping with the set, moving the lights from bar to bar, and even operating a few of the performences. The first show that I operated, I was doing the lights, and in the middle of the scene my hand knudged the mouse. Which set off the next cue, which was a black out. The junior who was running the other shows took control of the computer, to back up my mistake. I ran the rest of the show with out any messups however!
I also operated sound one night for that show, only because our sound operator never showed up to the show. That show I was suppose to play the sound of a cow. I messed the cue up twice. Once I left the sound on mute, and the other time I ended up playing one fracction-of-a-second of a sound cue.
So for each of my first attempts at operating tech, I was not very successful. But never the less I continued.
Late that year I volenteered myself the the second drama club show of the year, Sylvia. I was not casted for this show. I ended up operating lights for the majority of the shows. Those shows ran with much fewer mistakes.
I also operated the lights for a talent show at the high school, put on by the drama club, called "Coffee Nite: The Gong Show."
That summer I had nothing planned so I decided to look for places to volenteer. I came across the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre. I sent an email, and they sent one back. Before I knew it I was working the lights for "A Mid Summer's Night Dream."
They then asked if I could help them out with a a few summer camps. It was split into three acts. Each act taking 2 weeks with a show at the end. With a total of 3 different shows. It was my first chance to design the lights on my own.
It was then the end of the summer and time to return to school, and the drama club. Through out that year I designed and operated the sound and lighting for 3 "Coffee Nite's" spread out throughout the year.
We also discovered we had a new Ali Owens. Where she also gave the oppurtunity to design the lighting for both of the two plays.
The first was Brighton Beach Memoirs, and the second was Voices from the High School. Both plays were very different from the other, and were challenges that taught me more about light design. I also operated all of those shows in both light and sound.
In between Brighton Beach Memoirs and Voices from the High School; Mary Meserve, a director I met over the summer, called me and asked if I would operate thie lights for a musical tribute to Johnny Cash, called "CASH:ring of fire."
Later during the following summer I had to quickly fill in for a light operator for "Pinochio" at the SLOLT.
Mary Meserve called me later that summer and told me that due to popular demand the CASH show was coming back for a second run. I again operated the lights for the shows.
That sumer I also designed the lights for the third session of the kid summer camps at the Little Theatre.
After the summer when we came back to school we again had a new director, Victoria Heckman Doust , who selected our first play. Dracula.
Our total rehersal period for the show was 6 weeks which went by just as quick as it sounds. John Battalino came from the Little Theatre to help me out with the lights for the show. And all in all it turned out great.
In the middle of Dracula I was asked if I could design and run the lights for a kid variety show at the little theatre, but put on by the Optimist Club. It was a crazy one day "gig".
Shortly after Dracula, the Reader's Theatre called me, and I volunteered to design, and run lights for their show "Nickle and Dimed", directed by Rae Stone. It was a one show performance, however they did the show again the next year and I designed and operated it again.
The Little Theatre called me one day, and informed me that all of their light designers weren't available to design the next show, and were asking if I could. I was a little hesitent at first becasue this would be my first "major" (starring adults) show that I would design all by myself. I ended up taking the offer and designed their lights. Being the designer however I did not have to stay the run of the show and another "techy" to run the show. So I stayed for opening night, and never saw the show again. It was a big accomplishment for me however, designing a major production for the Little Theatre, by myself.
Once again, it is time for Coffee Nite: it was the Valentines Edition,
directed by Nicole Blume, at SLOHS. I designed and ran tech for tech for
that show.
Then spring came, and the Legend Series, this year Mary Meserve was showing off Roy Orbison: Only the Lonely. For that show I officially, operated, and unoffically designed most of the second act. It was a good run, and like the CASH show broke the box office records.
It was then time to go back to the High School for Mack and Mabel. The High School's first musical in over ten years. For that show I was the tech director, house manager, light designer/operator, and print design. It was a busy show with many challenging technical aspects that we had to conquer. The show was directed by Victoria again. It ran for seven days in April, and then I finally got a break from constant theatre with spring break!
Performances:
Directing:
Coffee Nite: Star Wars
1 Show
Coffee Nite: Cabaret
1 Show
Technical:
The Crucible:
6 Shows
Sylvia:
6 Shows
Coffee Nite:
1 Show
A Mid Summer's Night Dream:
3 Shows
Summer Camps:
Act I- 1 Show
Act II-1 Show
Act III-1 Show
Coffee Nite:
1 Show
Brighton Beach Memoirs:
6 Shows
Coffee Nite:
1 Show
Pinochio:
1 Show(substitute)
CASH: Ring of Fire
20 Shows
Coffee Nite:
1 Show
Voices: From the High School:
6 Shows
CASH:Ring of Fire (2)
15 Shows
Summer Camps:
Act III-1 Show
Optimist Club:
1 Show
Dracula:
6 Shows
Nickle and Dimed:
2 Shows
You Can't Take it With You:
0 Shows
Coffee Nite:
1 Show
Orbison: Only the Lonely:
22 Shows
Mack and Mabel:
7 Shows
Coffee Nite: Auditions
1 Show
Razzle Dazzle:
7 Shows
A Midsummer's Night Dream:
8 Shows
Orbison: Only the Lonely II
8 Shows
Coffee Nite: Star Wars
1 Show
The Miss Firecracker Contest:
7 Shows
Coffee Nite: The Holiday Show
1 Show
The Merry Wives of Windsor:
2 Shows
The Three Musketeers:
7 Shows
Coffee Nite: Cabaret
1 Show
Lost and Foundlings:
0 Shows
Razzle Dazzle 2:
19 Shows
Acting:
How to Eat Like a Child:
2 Shows
Coffee Nite: Cabaret
1 Show
Senior Showcase: Loving Couple
1 Show
Total Productions: 36
Total Shows: 175
Show's where I had multiple duties are only counted once in show/production totals.