Sense of Loss

Last night was a tough one for me. I knew it would be special, but I really didn't know how.
We often take our senses for granted. Whether you believe you have five or six, they are all integral in our daily lives and we just assume they will be there tomorrow. Theatre relies on two of these pretty heavily. Sight and Hearing. We have been known to incorporate Smell into some plays, but that is probably another story... How do people enjoy the storytelling of theatre if they have lost one of these important, taken for granted abilities?
Deafness is probably most commonly thought of. We have all, or most of us, have seen ASL interpreters at various functions. Graduations, Inaugurations, Other-ations. We have them in plays too! Usually, they stand at the edge of the stage and assist in telling the story. Some merely interpret the words, but usually, they get into it! I find it very fun to watch! I have also seen a Theatre for the Deaf show, where the actors are using ASL and the speaking interpreter is the one dressed in black talking over the play. Also a great experience, if you ever get the chance.
Blind people can also enjoy plays! We have an audio describer come in on a few shows. She sits in the cry room or the light booth and speaks into a microphone, describing what is happening. The blind patrons wear headphones, hearing the actors and the describer. I would love to try this sometime!
After the Audio Described show (some theatres do this before), we have a "Touchy-Feely" tour. We could probably think of a better name, but meh. We set out costumes, props and scenery to let the blind patrons explore and see what was described. Last night, K came to see the show. We met her 2 years ago wen she came on her first touchy tour. She saw the winter show that year, and then lost her eyes to cancer. I have seen her from then a couple times a year. She has gone from bandages to protective glasses to having a beautiful pair of glass eyes. She is fascinated with exploring backstage and always is wearing a grin. Her mom said she talks about these tours for months. She told me last night that pink is her favorite color.
As I am leaving the theatre, I had to say goodbye to her in my mind and soul. It was harder than I thought. Seeing her grow over the last 2 years brought out the uncle in me. I know she will have a wonderful life, and I pray she continues seeing theatre. I hope she always knows that pink is her favorite and that her smile will always bring that sparkle into her eyes.

The BS Chef

PS: I know this is long, but I thought of another touchy-feely tour story. A couple years ago, we were giving a tour to a young boy of maybe 8 or 9. He was exploring some mouse puppets with an intense look on his face. Suddenly, he looked up with the biggest smile and said, "Oh!! So THAT is what a mouse looks like!!"

Curtain Call

Well, it is about a month until I quit my job and move on. I should probably find another job sooner, rather than later...Hmmm...
The actual quitting was easier than I expected. It was more like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I guess I have a good way of leaving places I care about.
In high school and some college I worked at a summer camp. I did it for 7 summers, and each one was certainly a joy! The first couple years, the camp director, Skip, would always end the summer the same way. We would have a staff meal (always delish) and generally have a good time, but I remember his final words. "Goodbye sucks, so we'll see ya later." I have found that I have taken that to heart more than I thought at the time. I try to never say goodbye, because it does suck. It has a final ring to it that I don't really like...
Thinking about goodbye has made me research where it actually came from. Apparently, it is a contraction (since we humans are fricking lazy) of "God be with ye". That has a ring I can get behind. Would this make the even lazier "bye!" short for "Be with ye"? Or just "Be ye!" That is a good message to leave people with. Be You. Good Be You. Now that just sounds like Yoda...Hrm...
Anyway, in about a month, I will be saying "See you later" to a lot of good folks, most of which I have never even met. They are the tens of thousands of people that have sat in those red seats time and time again. As Dorthy said to the Scarecrow, "I will miss you most of all." But she knew it was time to go.
So! As an early parting, I want to say "See you later" to all of my theatre friends. Or, "God be with ye" as I truly believe that It will be. Or for my atheistic friends, "Good be with ye," as I think that is a message we can all get behind.

The BS Chef.

Resignation Letter Draft #1

Dear Theatre,

Hey. We need to talk. I know we have been together for a real long time. Has it only been 10 years?? It seems like so much longer with all the stories and good times we have had! Like remember that time I threw up on stage? Man...that story is still going around. Or all those fire evacuations and random rehearsals. OoOo! And the door frame where we put pieces of tape for how tall the student actors are! Boy...enough good memories to wipe out the bad!
But....I've been doing some thinking. We have both been going through some tough times lately. Some serious changes are happening, ya know? I just...well...I think it might be time for me to start seeing other careers.
Don't look at me like that! We've been through a lot together and we both knew it wouldn't last forever! I still care about you like you wouldn't believe! You were my first serious career and I wouldn't change that for the world, but it is time for both of us to move on. A clean break is way better than slogging through a messy split.
Before you say another word, of course we will still be friends! I'll be coming to booth parties and if you don't invite me to the Cabaret, we will have some issues. I'll be around and I really hope to hear from you as well. We can make it through this just fine.
There, there....we will keep in touch. I'm glad we had this little chat. Take care of yourself, and I'll be seeing you.

Love,

The BS Chef

Prologue (Part 2)

So, that is where I was. I didn't want to be backstage anymore. This left me with some choices. I could stick with it, because it is a stable-ish job and just suffer through until the magic kicked in again. I could go headlong into the IASTE stagehand union and lose my soul that way. Or I could go back to school. I chose school.
One passion I have is food. I like eating. I like cooking. I like seeing groups of people eating. Food brings people together like nothing else. Even sporting events wouldn't be what they are without the Stadium Dog or a pretzel. We all need food. I took a good think about the food industry.
Now, keep in mind that I know absolutely dick about it. I have never worked in a fast food place, coffee house, or anything like that. I cooked hot dogs at camp....but that is a whole different story. A cook is similar to the backstage crew. They make the actors (the food) look good. They dress it up, put it on a plate and keep it hot until it is show time. It sure sounds like something I could do! I know it is kind of a cut throat industry. There are long hours and it can be quite stressful. One needs to keep the customer happy at all costs, and not get sued. There are a lot of guidelines to follow. Again, I can do that....mostly.
Due to my lack of experience, I decided that school (however expensive) would be the right way to go. I have always thought of school as the best jumping off point. It is best to go into something as informed as you can, and in school is where you will meet the people who can get you jobs down the road. Theatre taught me that valuable lesson.
I am applied to school. I have drafted my letter of resignation. I am meeting with the financial aid people next week (this will be the tough part). Let's see what happens. For me, it is nearly Show Time.

Prologue (part 1)

Hey everybody! I thought I would start out this whole blogging thing with a little background. The point of this blog is to track my shift from a career in the theatrical arts to one in the culinary arts. I may fail. I may become even more awesome. Only by reading this will we ever know.
I have worked in theatre professionally for the last 10 years. I went to college for it for 5 years before that and also did theatre in high school. I have nearly 20 years (rounding up) in the biz and, frankly, I'm kind of fried. Let's be clear here...I am not a performer. I am one of the people that helps make the performer look good. In college, I focused on lighting, and my job for the last 10 years has been as a back stagehand. We make the scenery move and keep the props maintained. Sometimes we strip actors down and redress them in less than 30 seconds. We deal with emergencies (fires, sick actors, injuries, stage fright, etc) and generally have a good time.
In the last few years, I secured a place of responsibility as the lead deck crew. Through this, I got to see a little bit more of the nitty gritty of theatre. I got to see why it is called Show Business, and not Show Friendship. This isn't really what I signed up for.
I like to be a part of the story telling. I like to see the smiles of people leaving the theatre, the laughter or sobs during the show. I don't want to lose the magic. So I'm taking a break. It is really a tough decision, but I know it is the right one. I fully expect the bug will eat at me until I find another shop or stage to work with, but until then, I will stick with the memories, photos and scars that I have now.