The Theatre Course

Don't you think cloudy, old-fashioned lemonade is much nicer than clear, modern lemonade? I think it is.

Moving swiftly on, I have now been doing my theatre course for four days and it's tres tres cool. Because we have the whole theatre to ourselves it makes everything so much more professional, you know, being in an actual working theatre and working alongside professionals. I'm doing stage management and there are six of us (17 technical people in total, and about 50 actors). There are three sections to the production, which is based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe, and each acting group is doing one story. Therefore, if you do the maths, there are two stage management people for each section. One of these is the Deputy Stage Manager (DSM), who goes to rehearsals and takes notes and writes down all the cues and blocking and whatnot, then for the actual performance is at the prompt desk, cueing (sp?) the lighting and sound people, and prompting the actors. The other person is the Assistant Stage Manager (ASM) who is in charge of sorting out all the props. I am a DSM. I'm working with the youngest group (age 11-13) who are doing 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue'. Anybody know the story? I read it (it was very long and with very complicated, unnecessary language) but of course, we're doing a simplified version. Anyway, I am spending my mornings sorting out props and making stuff (today I was painting doors) and my afternoons in rehearsals. At lunchtimes us technical peeps go and buy food at the local shop and then sit by the water in the harbour. It is all very fun, although quite hard work.

In other news, my brother turned 19 yesterday (happy birthday to him) and also moved to Amsterdam. On the same day. We don't know when he'll be back, could be a month, could be a year. No idea. He and his girlfriend haven't even got anywhere to live there. Oh well, I guess it's an adventure.

Toodles,

Tallie xxx