from Lynn Baber, Artistic Administrator

I have said it before and I’ll say it again, I have a really good job.

It’s an interesting job and I work with fascinating people and all kinds of things are always happening.  One thing is that we are currently in rehearsal for this amazing show. Another thing is, whenever the set for a show is just going up I am always a little in awe.

Just last week our theatre wasn’t a theatre at all. For 3 weeks every summer, the Northlight Theatre space in the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie (NSCPAS) is changed into a big, open “multi-purpose room”. There is an event that takes place in what is usually Northlight, but they take out all the seating, the booth and everything that makes it a theatre in order to use that space for an education showcase sponsored by NSCPAS. Here is apicture I took of it while it was not a theatre. I stood under the archway at the doors, facing what would be the stage if it were there. Crazy, right?

And here’s another photo taken when they were part of the way toward returning it to a theatre.

So NOW that it’s a theatre again, our Production Department (and lots of technicians) start building the set. Well, the set is pretty much built off-site, but they bring it here in pieces and put it together like a puzzle. See what I mean? Something interesting is part of the daily operations of a theatre.The set is almost up in this photo from Wednesday:

Just two days later, the set looked like this:

Meanwhile, in the Artistic Department we are reading plays like crazy and are already beginning to make plans for the 2012-13 season! We are also hiring actors and understudies and a million other things for this season, too. We have 28 roles to cast this season, and we have already cast 25 of them!

I have to run now. There is a stumble-through (aka an early run-through of the show that is in rehearsal) to see. This cast is terrific, and very fun to be around. They are working their butts off.

Last-minute photo of set during tech rehearsals–I’m in awe:

See you at the theatre!