Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Learning The DMTC Light Board

Oh, here's an extra cue! What am I going to do with an extra cue? Is the cue just mislabeled, and so everything will be all right if I go to it next, or do I have to skip past it? And Dannette is on stage right now, so I can't ask anyone any questions. What to do? What to do?

What if this extra cue isn't the only extra cue? What if there are dozens of extra cues in between the valid cues? What if I careen right through them all, and maybe accidentally plunge the theater into darkness as the actors are carrying heavy, bulky things, like tables, down steep steps? Maybe I shouldn't do anything at all, and just keep the lights on this cue. But then people will wonder why the lights aren't changing. That would be embarrassing! But what if I skip past the correct cue? Then I'll have to back up! How far do I back up? I'll have to think on the fly! Marc, he no good when making snap decisions!

I can't see the stage that well: my eyeglasses are slipping down my nose. I can't hear the voices on stage that well: the orchestra isn't in the pit yet, but still out front, and washing out the voices. My finger is trembling. I might bounce on the 'go' button and head off into the light board equivalent of no-man's-land.

What if I lose all bodily control and can't do the job? What if I have a stroke and fall on the light board and push the sliders into crazy positions? Will that be enough to get Dannette off the stage and into the light booth, where I can ask her about the extra cue? What if she freaks out instead, and calls 911, when all I really needed was a little advice? Boy, I'd really look stupid then! People will laugh at me! They'll probably replace me with someone more reliable, like some 11-year-old YPT audition reject.

Well, here goes nothing....

Hmmm. Seamless!

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