houseboat honeymoon

so i'm working on this play, right? to be fair, i am working not for money, but for class credit...the last theatre class that i need to take before i am done with this major (besides the portfolio class that i'm enrolled in but don't go to because of working at the daily news...) and it's my "capstone" lighting design. somehow, this is supposed to mean that it is not terrible, since i have learned lots of things about theatre and lighting during my byu career. while this may or may not end up being the case with this particular show, the most painful part of my design process finished today -- the lighting focus.

overall, lighting is a multi-part thing. first you gotta do research: about your play, where and when it takes place, etc. then you need to make a light plot and say what lights you want to use and what colors and what designs you want in your templates. then (today) you have to focus them all to the place on the stage where you want them to be and make sure it doesn't look like crap. technically, you have already worked it all out in your mind and it's just a matter of doing it in real life. except for how now there's a massive three-story boat in between you and the lights you're trying to get to. sweet. that was today.

well, now it's over and hopefully it's all downhill from here. we'll set levels on monday and tech week starts tuesday. this show will tech all next week and half of the week after...and then i'm free to do whatever i want besides be required to be at the play. woo. excitement.

it's weird to think this will be my last real theatre thing. i mean, i still work for the theatre department (two departments in the theatre, actually, if you count the fact that i teach a beginning theatre class at byu) and i've promised a few friends to help with lighting for their directing projects. however...i'm basically done.

i was always so proud of myself when i came here because i already KNEW what i wanted to do in college and i wouldn't be switching majors all during it to try to figure out what i wanted to be when i grow up. little did i know, i would stick with theatre and then find something else to do after, thus prolonging my provo experience another year or so. but who's complaining? not me. i love theatre and i love the news. now i can have the option of doing both. simultaneously. yesss.

now that i think about it, it's sort of funny that i picked two occupations that are a total time suck. not in a bad way -- they just both require lots of time and effort and energy. but i like to be busy so it works out.