Week One: Tech Week

I have spent the last three weeks building the set for Renaissance Theaterworks' production of Barney and Bee. I am working with Tony Lyons and Amanda Cervenka as their apprentice and all around helper. I constructed many flats made from 2x4s and luan in preperation for the production. Since the play takes place in a dining room of a British flat, walls and doors are the bulk of the set and we spent a lot of time making sure they could hold up enough door slamming they could take for four weeks. On Sunday we loaded in the twenty some platforms that the set will sit on. The set itself is raised about three feet and so it has to sit on twenty some 4x8 platforms. It took all evening to set up the platforms and when we were finally done it was already the wee hours of Monday morning and we called it quits. Early Monday morning we came in and worked a full day installing the rest of the set. I mainly helped put up platforms, walls and their support beams. I left early evening because I still had a full week of tech left. Tuesday Morning I came in and was introduced to all the props I would be looking after. I set up prop tables and the green room. I met the other person that I will be working backstage with and we waited around for the actors to arrive. With tech finally beginning things were going so smoothly, I couldn't believe it! We got through the entire show on Tuesday night! That never happens, and it was infact the start of a easy teach. Wednesday was our full 10/12 day, but being a technician I was there for at least 13 hours. We got through the show once more, worked out some acting that the crew and myself had to do. The arms of the crew members will be visible on stage throughout the show. This is my first ever acting gig, and so I was taking it very seriously. We had to work through out "lines" with the actors and reach a point were we both felt comfortable and could continue on. With two run throughs under our belts we made one final one and called it a night. Thursday was an easy day, we came in and ran through the show and had a preview at night. Friday we didnt have rehearsal and only came in four our opening night call! The show went very well, and it was well recieved by the audience, onto Saturday and Sunday!