Production Process

Although my official role for the 11th grade showcase "Boiling Point" is make up artist, I've also helped Dasha choreograph and teach the final dance, as well as worked on the set. It's been a great experience so far to go out of my comfort zone and work on building the set. Usually, in set strikes, I try to avoid the power tools as much as possible. That doesn't come out of my own laziness so much as out of my desire for the rest of the cast to make it out of the theatre alive. Seriously. I am n0 handy man. That said, learning to *gasp* screw and unscrew holes was pretty earth shattering for me. Using a screw gun is new to me, and so is doing anything with plywood, really. So far I've helped move wood, screw in set pieces, tape over bumps, and helped take down flats. Although I have confirmed that I am not good at that sort of thing, It's been a good learning experience to help with construction. It's all part of the ensemble effort, working together towards the showcase next Friday. Some of the skills you need as a person on set construction are ability to listen and follow directions, focus, strength, and knowing how to use the various tools in the wood room (or whatever that place is called). Although I know that I am not cut out for the real heavy duty stuff, this experience has taught me that even I can pitch in and help with things that I thought I would never be able to do.

Working on choreography has also been really, well, interesting... I'm really impressed with how far we got with teaching the dance to everyone today. Something Dasha and I struggled with was getting everyone to listen. Oh boy, it was impossible! Especially because as soon as we'd get done teaching them a new 8-count, they would start talking and laughing. Now, I completely get that, because it WAS hysterical, but it made it hard to move forward. However, we all got together and focused eventually, and were able to get through several 8-counts of music. Everyone was genuinely putting their best into it, which made me really happy! Also, Dasha and I had fun coming up with the dance. It was difficult to make up the steps, because we had to visualize where everyone would be onstage, but we figured it out.