Monday, September 13, 2010

Runaround Sue



Aside from my having to stand in for our four missing actors on tech day, making sure our two littlest techies were ready to take on new chores, and settling a cast onstage....

I needed to scurry hither and yon in the role of gopher. Not unlike our William Shakespeare, who began his theatrical career as "waterboy" a.k.a. production assistant a.k.a. gopher. It was his task to run around gathering water, props and Elizabethan sandwiches for the higher-ups. It was ever thus and will remain ever thus in tho-bizneth.

Rachel was trying to jury-rig microphones on to music stands for our narrators and she needed a flathead screwdriver. Where, where?

I ran to the school office and was told that one of our first-grade teachers had just what we needed. Off I skipped to her room and she brought out an entire toolkit, rustled about and handed me the necessary item. This box of hammers and screwdrivers was not what I would have supposed a first-grade teacher would have at her disposal, but that's how much I don't know about the needs of a real classroom.

The sound crew needed an adapter, which meant finding cash and sending one of the gentlemen off to Radio Shack. Someone else needed electrical tape and I burrowed into boxes and closets for a roll of the black sticky stuff. As it turns out, this is my real talent: HELPING.

William Goldman, in his entertaining opus on the film industry, "Adventures in the Screen Trade," writes two words to describe a director's job: They help. I agree with his assessment. I help actors find a character within them and get it out. And I help a crew set up lights and amplify sound on stage. Whatever it takes to inspire others do their jobs to the best of their abilities is my job.

On this day and most days that means running for drinks, snacks and scotch tape. Watergirl: That's me.


CHILDREN'S WRITES: Journal Entries
My future

My future is if I am going to be in the olimpics for ice skating also if I am going to be good on the shakespere acting show.
Page, 3rd grade


My potion would be for use to pass our tests I wald put a test in it.
—Page, 3rd grade

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