School time

     So I have just one more day and I'll be done with my first module of classes.  These last six weeks have been amazing.  We are generally in class from 9am to 6pm Monday through Friday, so it's been fairly packed so far.  One of the fun things about it has been that each day we are learning something different, using different skills.  One day we were working on hanging and focusing lights then the very next day we're learning sound board operation from a guy who is half Eddie Izzard and half Tim Curry.  That last bit was beyond awesome.

     So we've learned about making paper props, both on photoshop and by hand along with distressing.  I made this cool puzzle in that class.  The biggest amount of learning has been about the differences between the US and UK stage management teams.  I guess the job I've been doing is two and a half jobs over here.  The prompt script, the script that has all the cues and tech info, is nearly the same so I only need a slight adjustment there.  We had a class called Sloppy Props where I got to make a copy of my hand in vinyl (super creepy) and we talked about latex molds and plaster and so forth - our teacher reminded me of S.  That week we actually mostly spent down at the workshop, learning about putting up sets and safe manual handling.  Then a few of us went back on a free afternoon so that w could learn welding.  It was amazing, no other word for it.  It was scary the first couple of times but now I want to go back and help out, it turns out I am a natural welder.

     We also have toured some theatres recently.  We went down to Plymouth (south west England) to their Theatre Royal which is a fantastic facility.  Not only is the theatre space great, but the also have TR2 which is a workshop beyond imagining but also thier wardrobe department and these rehearsal spaces that are so large you can set up your set in there and rehearse just like it will be on the stage.  In thier workshop they are currently working on part of the Shrek musical set.  Well worth the three hour drive down in the bus.  We also went to the Riverfront in New Port (Wales) which was fun and we learned about counterweight flying (that's like curtains and set pieces that are attached to bars above the stage that you can  raise and lower).  Then we went to that iconic Welsh building, as seen in Doctor Who, the Welsh Millenium Center.  I'd like to work there sometime, they have a beautiful theater there.  Lastly we went over to Saint David's Hall which has one of the top ten natual acoustics in the world.  They have a lovely organ as well, over 3000 pipes.

     So I got my review of the first module yesterday, letting me know how I've been doing.  I just blushed the whole time.  It turns out that after my interview for the BA program they had a meeting about me and they basically decided last January that they wanted me for the MA program and all the rest was just formalities. *blush*