Yar!

Arrrgh! The bounty o' the sea be one o' me favorite beauties to shovel into me endless mouth-cave. Thar be nothing better for me belly. Yarrr!
Friday, we be having little shelled beauties known as shrimp. We throw it in a pan hotter than a pirate's temper with some butter. The pasta we made fresher than a pirate ashore after months on the raging sea. This be served on a smooth roasted red pepper sauce. Me and me matey enjoyed this bounty before starting the main course.
The hearty trout be breaded as the Miller's Wife. Season, toss with flour and pan sear in raw butter. We serve with a lemon garnish. That be pretty, as well as help protect from th' blasted scurvy. Serve up with green beans and some plain rice pilaf. It be a meal fit for a captain! Yar!

We be seeing ye soon,

The BS Pirate

PS: HAPPY INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY!

Lesson learned!

Last night I had a long day. I've been working a little bit with a local cafe and doing some of their catering deliveries. They had about a bazillion events yesterday, so I got the opportunity to be on the serving staff at a wedding reception. Not only was it amazing money, I learned some things.
First off, setting up a wedding reception for catering can be stressful. Only in the same stressfulness that setting up any special event on the stage was. You have a bunch of crap and a usually hand-drawn sketch of where things go. They never fit because nobody knows how to measure anything. So you have to make everything up as you go. I like that!
Then the food was running a little behind. Then the bartenders were late. Then I found out that the band playing is Hookers and Blow. They fricking rock. http://hookersandblow.org/
I started in the set-up area. We were putting appetizers on plates and walking around, making people eat them. I think I said "shrimp toast" about a bazillion times. Then the buffet had to be set up. The bartenders did arrive and were getting people nice and relaxed. While we set up the buffet, we are also striking (don't know the right word here) glasses and trash from tables, and still walking around with food for people.
Then they eat. We are still striking glasses and dishes, offering more appetizer things (new ones showed up late) and keeping the buffet stocked. We are also trying to keep the back room from being all nasty and the food from getting cold.
Okay...buffet is over and we break most of it down, leaving some nibbles. Now we are cleaning up the back room, keeping the coffee filled and trying to keep tables looking like under dorm room beds. We pack up left-overs, rack the dishes, clear more plates and glasses, repeat.
Eventually, we have most of the non-rental stuff all packed up and we take a load back to the cafe, leaving a few people back to keep clearing those tables. The band winds down at 11, we strip tables and pack up the cupcakes. Gather the rest of the dishes, pack up and bring back the final load. It was about a 10 hour shift of constant walking and lifting. It was awesome.
The other servers were a wee bit more experienced than I. My first few trips out to gather, I managed about 3 plates and some glasses on my wee tray. They had them stacked up 10 high and stuff in their other hand. They were quicker and better at spotting empties. They would just swoop in and take things, while I didn't want to bug people (at first).
Basically, my respect for servers went up about a bazillion-fold. I always knew it was tough work and long hours, but dang. Please remember to tip your servers! Not only are they making sure you get your food, but they keep the place as clean as possible, wipe tables, get drinks, and try to smile.
And if you are in Minnesota, please don't vote for Emmer.

Thanks!

The BS Chef

OD on Eggs

On Wednesday, I missed class. It was one of those days where getting out of bed was a bit more effort than the potential day was really worth. And I figured, "We are cooking eggs. Bah. I can cook eggs." So I slept in.
The next day, I asked my wonderful cooking partner how the egg day was. She looked a little sick and said she would be happy if she didn't eat another egg in a while. They each cooked about a dozen eggs or so. Hard cooked (you shouldn't actually BOIL a hard boiled egg...so call them hard COOKED), fried, omelets, scrambled, poached, etc. I decided I should actually do this homework, so I bought a dozen eggs and a pound of butter on the way home.
The omelet and scrambled eggs, I wasn't too worried about. Good ol' Alton Brown had schooled me in those and I am just not worried about it. I trust his version of Good Eats. So I set up to make fried eggs, hard cooked eggs (soft cooked and medium cooked too!), and poached.
Fried Eggs... I also watched Alton Brown do these, so I tried his technique. Coat the non-stick pan with butter, crack in the egg over low heat and wait for it to set. Then flip it out of the pan and catch it upside down! Count to 10 and flip it back. Perfect over easy. I can actually do this!
Hard cooked eggs are done quite a bit around my home too, so I tried a different technique in the book. Cold (or room temp) eggs in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. 1 minute for soft, 5 minutes for medium and 10 minutes for hard. No problem! I think I could really get into eating soft cooked eggs, if I got one of those fancy cups for eating them.
Poached eggs are still a wonder to me. Slide an egg into simmering water and let it cook for 5 or so minutes. It does hold together and it does cook right. So weird...and tasty! The first poached egg I made wasn't quite done, but the second one was just right. The above photos are pictures of the meduim cooked egg, soft cooked egg and the poached egg. I'll let you brainiacs figure out which is which.

And after all that, I was quite done eating eggs for a while... Until tomorrow, perhaps.

The BS Chef

Where there is fire...

Today was kind of fun. We had to make a cooked vegetable plate. This included grilled eggplant and portobello mushroom, sauted brussel sprouts and green beans and glazed carrots. No problem, right?
It is interesting trying to get everything to finish at the same time. This is the tricky bits so far. Especially when they don't really tell us how long it takes to saute a brussel sprout. We did it just fine, in my opinion. The plating was a little messy, but I will get it down on the final, no problem.
The most exciting part of the day is when the saute pan next to mine decided that the butter was hot enough and burst into flames. Butter is pretty dang combustable, apparently. We had 3 foot flames roaring out of it and a class of 30 staring at it. I stared for a second, expecting it to eventually go down. When it didn't, I grabbed my saute pan filled with rendering bacon and brussel sprouts and slammed it down on top of my classmate's inferno. It was over in a few seconds and we all got back to cooking. Good times!

Thanks for reading,
The BS Chef

Take 2 tbsp of butter and call me in the morning.

Today was fun! We are still working on sauces, so today we made three of the worst sauces for you.
First, we had to make mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce again. Different chef, see. I gotta say, I totally rock those emulsions. I keep getting quicker and quicker at beating all that tasty fat and or oil into those eggs. WOO! And we used dijon mustard instead of dry yellow mustard. Yum!
The other sauce is called a beurre blanc. Basically....butter sauce. You may see it on fish or chicken. Possibly corn or other veggies. White wine, vinegar, shallots...simmer down to almost nothing (au sec), and then add a whole pound of butter. Let it melt. Taste and season and strain.
Now these sauces we were not allowed to keep, since they will probably break when they cool down and get nasty. There are about 30 students in my class. The hollandaise required 8 oz. of clairified butter. This is butter that has had all the water and milk solids removed, leaving just the tasty fat, so we will say that is about 10oz of butter.
Between those 2 sauces, there was about 780 ounces of butter used. Rounding up (because I like to do that), that means we went through 50 pounds of butter in about 3 hours. All this sauce went into the pig bucket. I hope I get to taste the pigs that mow through that bucket someday.

In other news, I got to practice some first aid today. I am still Red Cross certified for a couple more years... My class partner accidentally got her thumb in the way of her knife and sliced it pretty dang good. I noticed she was not at out station and there was a drop of blood on my recipe notes, so I went to find her. She was a bit pale and running it under water. I helped apply pressure and bandage it up. Then she thought she was going to faint or throw up.... I got her some water and a wet towel. Another classmate had the good sense to have her sit on the floor instead of the stool, in case she fainted, ya know. About 20 minutes later, she came back with color in her cheeks. Crisis averted!!

Tomorrow is sauce practical test #1. I'm really not too worried about it. I have to make another mayonnaise and hollandaise solo, and then make a chicken veloute with my partner and turn it into a chicken curry sauce. We also have to make a Chasseur sauce. Kind of a beefy, mushroomy gravy sauce. Delicious!

Tastefully yours,

The BS Chef

Mmmm....chicken....

Today was fun! Now I'm in Culinary Foundations 2, and we are cooking something every day. It is great to get the hands on experience, as I'm much better at that than just sitting...
Today was Roasted Chicken with Chasseur Sauce and a side of Rice. Deeeelish!
I learned something that I do quite well. Time management when cooking. It just makes sense to me how to lay out the order of food prep to make solid use of the time. Like when you are making rice, start the water boiling right away, then work on making the chicken nummy, then worry about making the sauce, since you are waiting for the chicken to cook. It all worked out great and we got to eat too! Yummers!
I also learned that the school has a whole bunch of my favorite bandages! Zee brand. Extreme Length. Oh-Yeah. It seems silly, but it is so annoying when you cut your finger and need to continue working with your hands. You are bleeding a bit and the damn bandage falls off. Grrr....... These Extreme-Length bandages have double the adhesive fabric length on one side, so you can get a double wrap! Man, I was so happy to see them after I reached into the wash sink and grabbed someone's knife. Rule #1. DO NOT LET GO OF YOUR KNIFE WHEN YOU ARE WASHING. I don't care if you are standing right there washing your spoon. You don't drop it in the soapy liquid. Dumbass. I'm fine, but was very annoyed for a bit.
Anyway, tomorrow we are working on tomato sauces. I kind of wish we had red uniforms instead of while...

The BS Chef

Golly....it sure has been a while. Sorry about that!

I have passed the first section of school. Not quite a semester, but close. I haven't gotten my grades yet, but by my estimate, I'm rocking straight A's. Woohoo!
Culinary Foundations 1 was pretty nice. I'm getting my knife cuts more accurate and faster. We were taught 'le cuissons', or the 7 basic cooking styles. Grilling, Braising, Roasting, Poaching (includes boiling ans simmering), Sauteing, Frying and Poeler (the 'special' roasting). Each has their reasons and uses, so that starts me off on being able to cook without a recipe! Woot!
Sanitation sure was interesting. My eyes are now noticing short cuts various restaurants take to make service better and faster. Nothing too severe, but perhaps those servers shouldn't be carrying those glasses like that, and that pop dispenser needs a little cleaning... I am well aware that the FDA makes all these guidelines to make sure that everyone has the same chance of not getting sick. Most of the time, it would be the young, old, sick and preggers that would catch the bacteria, as the rest of us can handle a little bit more. In my kitchen at home, I will gladly pick up that piece of chicken off the floor I dropped and throw it back in the pan for a few seconds before I eat it. (Guests will have some more courtesy...FYI...)
I have been working with a local restaurant doing deliveries for their catering service. When I mentioned that the school is trying to scare us all into sanitizing everything, the owner rolled her eyes a bit and said, "There are a lot more of us without food borne illnesses than have them." She makes a good point. Following all the rules is a good thing, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
I remember one time in high school.... The family was out at a chain sports bar type place and I ordered some chicken breast sandwich. Somehow, the FDA sticker was still on the chicken boob when it arrived in front of me. I didn't think anything of it, but my parents made us report it. The manager took care of it and apologized at least 3 times. If I remember right, my meal was free, and I think there was a brownie to boot. I realize now that they bought us off....

Anyway, this is a little rambling, but too bad. I'm looking forward to Culinary Foundations 2. I hear we actually get to start cooking things!! Yay!

The BS Chef

My arm hurts.

Today, we beat the hell out of eggs. I don't mean we scrambled eggs. I mean that we used a whisk and beat the ever loving hell out of the poor little guys. At lest the yellow parts.
I'm talking about hollandaise and mayonnaise. We were showed how to do it yesterday, so I gave mayonnaise a shot last night, failing miserably. I don't know the exact science about it all (Gotta find that Good Eats episode), but it has something to do with the proteins (?) in the egg yolks binding the water and fats into that lovely schmear. I started off by beating the hell out of the egg yolk. You gotta break up all those chains and get some air in the mix. Then add some mustard powder. Then beat it some more. Then slowly drizzle the oil into the egg while you beat the hell out of it. I think this is where I went wrong last night. I was a little quick on the pour. It 'breaks' and no amount of shaking will bring it back.
Today, we worked with partners, so one person could make their arm numb, beating it like Michael Jackson and the other could slip in the oil like BP. (Too soon?) Then switch! It took us about 25 minutes, but we managed to get the ONE egg yolk and teaspoon of vinegar to absorb and get along with the entire CUP of oil. That's right. One egg yolk to one cup of oil. I don't think I can eat it anymore.
Hollandaise is similar, but instead of oil, we used clarified butter. And instead of simply beating the eggs, we had to heat them too. So, now we are worried about our arms falling off, the building burning down AND the eggs turning from the lovely custard texture into scrambled eggs. Ours was perfect.
And next time, I'm using the damn mixer.

The BS Chef

Pastry

I was walking down the hall after class today and passed by the pastry classes. Man, maybe I should have gone that way. Luckily, I had my camera on my, so you can see what culinary school is like. My classes are kind of like this, only with more knives and fire.

Check out the Pastry Chefs!


The BS Chef

One Week!

Well.... I made it through the first week of school. They warned us that the first six weeks would be the hardest, but I'm pretty dang sure I will make it.
I have only screwed up once too! I missed the shoe delivery, because I wasn't in the general education class when the truck showed up. Then I missed the 411 about the second delivery. So I'm shoeless, but I will get a pass on it.
The knife kit is pretty sweet! I'll try to post pictures when I have a little time to take some good pictures. It is basically a 20 pound kitchen in a bag!
So far, what we have learned (or been taught at least)...

Some basic knife cuts. It is really hard to cut a carrot into 1/16 inch cubes, but apparently it is very important to be able to. We also cut shallots into transparent slices and garlic into paste. I think it is neat that all the stuff we are cutting in our beginning class gets carted away to other classes to use in actual cooking stuff! And the scraps get fed to pigs. It is a circle of life and all that jazz. The biggest problem I'm going to have is all the damn French words for everything. I have enough problem remembering what things are called in English! Sheesh. Julliene this.
Safety and Sanitation class is pretty much a huge Fox News scare tactic class. There are millions of things in food that can kill you or make you poop yourself. Or if you cook them, and someone else poops themselves, they will sue you and you will be mocked by the culinary industry forever. I have discovered that I am a face toucher and need to wash my hands all the freaking time. I rub my eye, wash hands. I scratch my ear, wash hands. Whew. I think all that water saved on organic farms is going to wash my dang hands...
So there we go! I'm remembering how to be in school. I had one minor freak out about homework and papers and research, but got through it just fine. I have almost 100 note cards already and one paper written in my head. And I haven't cut myself. Yet.

Until next time!

The BS Chef

First Day!

Well, today I had my first day of school. I saw the world at 6am, and it actually wasn't too bad. The trees weren't on fire and the monsters must have gone to sleep already. We will see if they keep that up...
Anyway, as with most first days of schools, the first day was a bunch of "HI! Here is what to expect!" I'm sure tomorrow will be a little more interesting.
I'm hoping that having a college degree isn't going to hurt my binding with fellow classmates. I stole a peek at my neighbor's schedule, and she was booked for 2 or 3 more classes, while I left after 2. I'm not complaining, but networking seems to be dang important... I'll just have to hang out in the library more often or something.
I did manage to secure a theatre connection already though. One of the ladies in my classes went to school with one of my fellow backstage crew members way back in the day. She also had worked at the Ren Fest and mentioned not to eat the food there. It can't be THAT bad, right? Er.... One of the Chefs also mentioned that he once worked in a pickle factory and said we should never eat relish. Eat the big pickles, but never, ever eat relish. I may ask him to elaborate on that sometime. Could that be the reason relish and hot dogs go so well together?
Also, we got our other 4 uniforms today and learned how to tie the cravat. We were given every book we will need at once (the bag weighed at least 60 pounds) and were told we will get our knives tomorrow. I am excited for tomorrow!
Until then, I will read my 2 chapters of homework and try to remember how to retain knowledge.

The BS Chef

What I was

In a week, I start school. Last night I tried on my uniform (or at least the parts I have) and it was pretty cool. I looked kinda silly, to be honest, but that could be that I'm used to wearing black. Or I could just look silly.
I've also been having interesting dreams, as of late. Some have been test anxiety
dreams, but there have also been plenty of theatre dreams. Most have been where we have to evacuate the patrons because of severe weather or the like. And my friends have been in them. These photos are a mix of what I was, and who I was with. Because that is what I am leaving behind.

The top photo is the crew from Pippi Longstocking. The shows are always changing, and we are all pretty used to that. Because you never know where you might be tomorrow, or who you'll meet or what you'll see or where you'll go.

The next photo is Seussical, another one of my favorites. I still don't know if the show was that good, or if the experience was merely fun as heck. Regardless, the Whos down in Whoville all turned out all right.

And this 3rd photo is from my last show at the theatre, Mulan. More specifically, Disney's Mulan Jr. We just called it Mulan backstage...



Being backstage, I had a lot of opportunities to work with so much talent. From actors to crew to stage managers to designers and directors and every one else it takes to make a play.
This picture is obviously for bragging rights. I don't have the room to put photos of everyone I worked with, but I did get a chance to shake this dude's hand. And he even remembered my name 5 hours later.

But of all the people I worked with, I have to say I will miss the young ones the most. They (you) keep the magic of life alive. If the world were filled with only adults, there would be no sparkles in eyes. There would be very little jumping in puddles. There would be no hide and seek backstage or random giggles or tears. The world is black and white, and all the children are the crayons (or colored Sharpies) that make it shine. Thank you!

Here we go!

A lot has happened in the last week or so. First off, the basement got quite a bit of water flowing into it from the rain. Of course, the easiest place for the water to flow was right under my computer, so I have been off line for a while.
Now...last Friday was my last day at the theatre. It really wasn't as weird as I thought it would be. I know I will be in contact with all those people and will enjoy going to see all the wonderful plays they will continue making. I turned in my keys, grabbed the rest of my stuff and walked out to my car. That chapter ended and I turned the page to find the next chapter, which starts Monday.
This week, I am working at the local University being a chaperone for an intensive theatre camp. There are 20 students who will be going to college in the next couple years and I have to make sure they are good at night.... So far, so good! It is really great seeing the energy of the next generation of theatre people. They are fresh eyed and have the drive I know they will need. They pace the halls, muttering lines to themselves. Really, it is making me quite happy.
Monday, I have orientation for my new school. I really don't know what to expect. I hope they have decided I don't need to take generals, being that I have a FRICKING DEGREE, but so it goes... I hope I get my knife kit, so I can get to know them all. I also have a large gift card to a nice kitchen store from my friends at the theatre, but I want to see what is in the kit before I go shopping. I'm sure it will be something sharp, and I will post pictures!! Yay!
Nothing deep here. I'm merely floating inbetween gigs, in a near freefall. I know I will land pretty much on my feet, 'cause that is how I roll....but I just don't quite know when or how.

Peace out

The BS Chef

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.