Just a quick update – the scenic studio is coming along nicely.  The photo above is from my Scenic Special Effects class.  Students were tasked with prototyping scaled versions of articulated effects (think trap doors, elevators, revolves, etc.).  Our new work surfaces and tools are a pleasure to work with.

Here’s a pic from the introductory Stagecraft course – a class that all Theatre majors are required to take.  They are just beginning to engage in a precision layout exercise with the goal of creating a perfect rectangle (+/-  1/16 of an inch over 8 feet).  It might sound simple, but this is very difficult to achieve and requires patience, care and a good deal of critical thinking problem solving.  Once you master it, though, you can build anything.

Production Shop Supervisor Denis and the student crews have been busy organizing and building support systems.  The students are using their new stagecraft skills to create fabrication shop infrastructure, like shelving and sawhorses.  They are also getting a crash course in hardware and tool specifications.  Replacement equipment, fasteners, actuators, and many other items we use in the creation of our art arrive daily.  Next week we move full bore into construction of the scenic elements for The Feast of Crispian’s upcoming production of OTHELLO: DEPLOYED.  Our other big show of the semester, MAJOR BARBARA, will be close on it’s heels.  Back to business as usual!

In other news, the stage floor installation has begun!  This is the next big step in getting the Mainstage auditorium up and running for next semester.  As soon as it’s complete, the lighting and rigging system re-installs can go ahead.

Production Manager Jessica Berlin-Krivsky, lighting and design faculty Steve White and I spent a few hours at the reclamation companies’ backlot, organizing the return of the remaining items that were packed up and removed from the building.  We opened a couple of hundred of boxes, double checked the contents and prioritized their delivery time/location.  The picture below shows the first batch of items scheduled to return this week.

This is a significant milestone as it gave us a first hand look at the light at the end of the tunnel.  The hard work, nimble actions and out-of-the-box thinking that we’ve been doing since April is paying off in making the restoration process manageable.  Believe me, that’s a good feeling to have.  Much more to do, but we can see the finish line.

Chris