The Long and Winding Road. . .Continues on.

Since July 15th, (my last post) my life has been, how shall I put it, unbelievable.  The book finally hit the shelves and Nooks on August 1st, 2012. (I added the year in case I forget when I am old and stodgy.) Since hitting the shelves it has been one great moment after another. I sent out close to 60 books to many of my closest friends who've supported me through this entire process. I've also learned a great deal about people.  Some individuals who wanted a book from me surprised me in the fact that I had no idea they knew or cared about what I did. Those have been the best! I've also had some unfortunate surprises that, quite honestly, are not worth the blog space to talk about. I'm sure, if given the effort and thought those who've surprised me in an unfortunate manner could figure it out. Sadly, they most likely will not give it that much thought, and so, on to the next fortunate surprise!!

The picture above is from our Faculty Retreat meeting we have prior to each Fall semester. My colleague and friend Morgan purchased a book and the, to my surprise, asked me for a photo with the book! This is one of those fortunate surprises I was talking about. I was so honored that she A, wanted a signed copy, and B, wanted a picture and was kind enough to post it on her Facebook wall!  Thank you Morgan for being such a wonderful, warm, friend.

In the past 3 weeks the book has been previewed on a few websites, and has been reviewed by a Chicago website.  I've posted the link to the review below because if I tried to explain how amazing it was, you may not believe me. Reading it was like having an out of body experience - I just couldn't believe he was talking about me and the book.

Review of Starting Your Career as a Theatrical Designer!!

In other great news, the Drama Book Shop Drama Book Shop has agreed to host a book event at their store on 40th St. in the heart of NEW YORK CITY!!!  I will be doing a Q & A with Scott Pask, Christine Jones, and Kevin Adams along with a signing of the book.  The event will be Friday, November 2nd from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm. and if seeing Scott, Christine and Kevin aren't enough, I also will be providing wine and cheese so there's that!  I really hope all of my NYC friend and colleagues will be able to drop in for a visit and a glass of wine. I will not be having any of the wine as I am running the NYC Marathon on Sunday following the signing! Yeah, busy, fun, bucket list weekend to say the least! In addition to all of this good fortune, I will also be doing a reading, workshop, and signing at a former graduate student's new place of employment in early October.  Life is really, really beautiful right now. 

All in all, on this, the first day of my 46th year on the planet, I couldn't really ask for much. If I did, I would certainly look a little bit greedy! Great life, great wife, great family, great friends, great job, great everything.  I'm truly blessed. . .

Dreams do become realities

It's been quite a while since my last post and needless to say, I've been a bit tied up with a few events that have taken my full attention.  I think my last post came from New York while I was wrapping up work on the Broadway musical, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Since then, quite a bit has changed. For starters, my book, Starting Your Career as a Theatrical Designer: Insights and Advice from Leading Broadway Designers is about to hit the shelves! It's already available in E book form and is sitting in the warehouse in New York as we speak ready to ship to your local book store. If you don't see it on the shelves, ask them to get it for you!!!  In addition to that, I will be in New York the first week of August to hopefully do a signing at the Drama Book Shop on 40th with at least one of the designers featured in the book. Could life be any better?  

My writing continues to expand as I was recently asked to contribute to a new book on teaching theatre design. As of this week I sent off the first draft of an essay on my pedagogical approach to teaching set design. It is slated to be published by USITT and release, hopefully, in time for a February 2013 release. I couldn't be more proud because in addition to my chapter, one of my current graduate students is also going to be included in the book to provide a "student's" perspective on set design training.  It's been an amazing 2 years and things look even brighter as I move forward.

I want to switch gears a bit. A long time ago I told myself that New York wasn't really an important goal of mine. I didn't have to work in New York to validate my worth as a designer. I was happy working in academia with the occasional professional gig out of town. Becoming a member of the Union was enough for me. I was content and more than fulfilled as an artist. That, for the most part is still true today. What has changed is my perspective on what it means to have worked in the greatest theatre city in the United States.  Sure, there are others; Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles (I guess. . .) to name a few, but our roots are in New York - it's sort of undeniable.

Upon returning home in November from working 4 weeks on Clear Day, I had a lot of time to reflect on what it actually meant to me. Not only did I get to work with some amazing individuals, I was able to be surrounded by an atmosphere of creativity and energy unlike anything I had ever experienced before.  It may be strange to say, but pounding the pavement that had also been pounded by some of the greatest designers, directors, actors, choreographers, conductors, musicians, dancers and singers did something to me. I don't know exactly what, but I now somehow feel part of my own industry in a way I hadn't before. It's strange, but it is similar to when, for so long, I had studied paintings by Picasso, and Reubens, and so many others with a great deal of appreciation. It wasn't until I saw them in person, inches from my face that I then began to really understand the importance of what they had done. I didn't fully get it when the information came from a slide, lecture, or text book. After seeing them for myself, I get it.  It's the same with theatre. Having sat in the St. James Theatre adjusting drafting, taking endless notes, discussing prop concerns with actors, and just enjoying a room filled with passion, heart, and love for this amazing art form has changed me forever. I get it.

I've found that, although I have always loved what I do at the University level, I've often wondered what else there was out there - at another level.  Unbelievably, I was able to find out. I am so happy to learn that what is being done on Broadway, at least with the team of artists I had the pleasure to work with, is exactly what we do at the university level - it's just that we don't do it with a 15 million dollar budget or the pressure of the public scrutiny that they do!  What we worry about on our University Theatre stage, is exactly what they worry about on the stage at the St. James. Will the audience take this ride with us?  Will they let go of their day with all of their concerns and problems to join us on this evening of theatre? Is our story being told in a way that will allow the audience the opportunity to escape, for just a couple of hours, into our world? Those were the questions being asked, day after day and night after night as we teched Clear Day.  If those questions can be answered with a "yes", then we've done our job.

I may or may not ever get another chance to work in New York again; I would love to, but if I don't, that's just fine with me. Today I look forward to my teaching and design opportunities with a new found passion and energy and hope that it is as infectious to my students and collegues as what I experienced this past year in New York.  Thank you Michael, Christine, Kevin, Joann and all.  It was a ride I will never, ever forget. . .

Book Publication Timeline

I just got word from my Copy Editor that the timeline for publication of my book has been set. I will be doing final edits through February with a release date of April! I can't believe that just over a year ago I began this whole process-incredible. And I almost forgot that I needed to do an acknowledgement page! Where to start. With so many people to thank I feel like this will be almost more difficult to write than any of the book content. first and foremost, my students, both current and past and to some extent those I've yet to teach are the reason why I felt a need to begin this project. So many others to mention I may have to come up with a clever way to do it so it doesn't become a chapter of its own!

I will keep you posted on the progress!

Final Day: First Preview

This may be my last post from NYC - I really, really, cannot believe, A: I am here doing this, and B: that it is already over.  I will probably post again after tomorrow's first preview performance and if it is possible to be more emotional than tonight's, I may be in for it.  It hit me really hard during the second act that I was sitting in the St. James Theatre, and had been for the past 14 days working on a beautiful show with some of the most talented technicians, performers, designers, directors, musicians, and choreographers there are - and somehow, I was part of it.  If I didn't fully understand what it means to be humbled, I certainly learned it over the course of the past 4 weeks. 
This experience has been nothing short of life changing and how I look at the gifts I have been given to be able to be part of the theatre community - not just here, but at home on a wonderful campus as well. I really began to understand just how blessed we (show folk) are to get to do this for a career and I know there have been, and will probably be in the future, times when I've taken it for granted.  Being here has changed that. I cannot remember the last time I sat through 14 straight days where I was physically in the theatre for over 12 hours each day and really enjoyed my time. It was amazing.
I thanked Christine for allowing me to be a part of her family of creative artists and was barely able to keep my emotions in check - big surprise.  Well, it is almost midnight again and I need to be back at the theatre tomorrow for my official last day of work - it will be bittersweet, to say the least. . .

Official Playbill for First Preview

It may not be on the cover page, but it is in a Playbill!

Long First 10 out of 12

This is just an observation, but if the best smells in the world lie in that of a new born baby's head and fresh baked bread, than the odor and funk of the local A train at midnight is the polar opposite - enough said.  Also, I never thought I would miss the express train as much as I did last night trying to get back to 181st.  Twenty stops and 45 minutes later, I finally got back to the apartment.  I certainly slept well.

The rehearsal went very well again - there seems to be a rhythm that has been established and we've now come to the end of Act I and actually started into Act II.  We hope to have the entire show teched by Monday evening - if so, we may get costumes a day early (Tuesday). 

I was able to speak with a cast member yesterday - Sean Krill - who is another very talented actor who is the stand by for Harry Connick Jr.  We don't necessarily know each other, but I went to college with Guy Adkins, his long time partner who recently lost his battle with cancer at an age that, for lack of a better phrase, was way, way, too young.  I was so happy to finally get a chance to say hello.  This business, even here on Broadway, is so very, very, small and connected that it never ceases to amaze me. From a crew member here at the St. James that I went to college with some 20+ years ago, to a performer who's partner and I shared the stage in a production of A Chorus Line in 1988, I am constantly reminded that we are all part of a very intimate family of artists.

We begin today at 1:30ish with some more Dry Tech as the cast has their sitzbrobe.  They, the cast, will join us after dinner break to hopefully get a good start on Act II tech. 

I can't believe that I will be starting my final week in two days - this first three weeks has simply flown by. I have tried to absorb as much as I can so I can share the many similarities, and unique differences between what we do at the academic level and here at the St. James.  What I will take with me is the wonderful memories of the great people I've gotten to meet and work with. I hope it is not my last time to work in this wonderful city.

First Week of Tech: Coming to a Close

We've been teching for five full days at the close of tonight's rehearsal (at 11:45 pm) and this show is looking absolutely beautiful.  The lighting is incredibly vivid with all of the LEDs being used; and for this show, it is perfect and the sound is noticeably clean and full sounding.
 
The cast is helping out by wearing color coordinated t-shirts in the family of their primary costume colors to help set more accurate lighting levels and colors. Some costume pieces have hit the stage, but for the most part, we will see full costumes on Wednesday - three days before the first invited dress rehearsal!

The cast will have their sitzprobe on Saturday as the orchestra began their rehearsals yesterday.

The automation for all of the moving scenic units has fallen into a wonderful groove and it appears that everything seems to be running as smooth as to be expected with a show as involved (scenically) as this. The crew is amazing and should be commended for all of their work that they do (they all work from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm prior to the arrival of the cast) as without their endless hours, we wouldn't be able to move forward with the afternoon and evenings technical rehearsals.


I was able to meet a former student for dinner (Thanks Suzy!) and let her sit in on some of the rehearsal before she had to head back home.  It never get's boring listening to Harry Connick Jr. and the rest of this incredible cast sing these beautiful songs.  Well, finishing up some errands before heading back into Midtown for the start of rehearsal. 

No Detail Too Small. No Idea Too Large

Yesterday was day 2 of our full day of tech and things really began to go smoothly. There are many, many cues that feature automation, and as many of us know, any time there is moving scenery (or projections!) in a play or musical, those details tend to take time to make right, so patience is certainly a virtue.  Another one of the amazing aspects about a show this scale is the speed with which changes can, and are made.  A decision to alter a prop or a scenic unit can be made at 3:00 pm on day one, and by 12:00 pm on day two, the new item is often there.  There really is no time wasted when it comes to sharing and incorporating new ideas.

I've also noticed something yesterday that may be interesting and worth sharing. No detail is too small to be concerned with, and no idea is too large to consider.  What I mean is this.  We were working on a particularly short scene - 2 lines, in fact - and it featured a couple of chairs, a small cocktail table, two cocktails, and a practical lamp used in the scene. When the wagon carrying all of the set items arrived for the scene, (the first time all of us had seen the set piece) there was a discussion regarding the "look" of the set pieces all the way down to the cocktails that were going to be featured in the scene.

When the prop artist began to talk about the choices she made, they were all based on the dramaturgy of the show - everything discussed was based on the story and made to enhance and support the characters and that particular moment.  Eventually, some minor adjustments (trim details, new cocktails, and scaling down the chairs a bit) were made to help the set pieces "live" in the world of the moment better.  The changes were small, by most accounts, but absolutely necessary to bring them into the vocabulary of the rest of the design.

Seemingly every decision, no matter how big or small, seems to always go back to the script, the story, and the vocabulary that has been established for this exact environment. This may seem absolutely obvious, but all too often, decisions are made that are rooted in reasons other than "the story" or the agreed upon design vocabulary.

The other scary and exciting aspect is time. It may seem like 2 weeks to tech a show is a long time (compared to some regional theatres and most academic situations where one week is the norm) but, with everything that goes on in a show this size, every minute is being used - and used efficiently. 

Day three starts for the crew (who are amazing!) today at 8:00 am and we take the stage for more tech at 1:00 pm.  More to come. . .