This is my first post, and I'm not sure what should be said. Let me start by telling a little about myself. I am a 67 year old and retired. I volunteer at a community theatre as a master electrician and special effect creator. I started in the theatre when I was 8 years old and with my age, I have seen just about every dimming system and sound system that was ever built. I joined the forum, because I like hearing how high school and college students are learning the trade of technical theatre, and hope that I might be of some assistance to those that are just learning their way.
just a little hello from a new member
- Thread starterdramatech
- Start date
PadawanGeek
Active Member
Hi Dramatech, welcome to CB! Sounds like you have a lot of experience to share! Cya around!
Welcome Dramatech! We would love to have someone like you decide to make this a regular part of your daily routine. The Booth is focused on education and especially on helping out young high school and college students getting started. You'll find some great "regular" young folks around here (like Pete who just greated you). They have been bitten hard and spend hours here every day reading about tech theater (what could be better than that?). There are also teachers here (like myself), people who work in all levels of the industry and people like yourself who mostly play theater for fun.
I'm a huge fan of community theater. We have an outstanding one only a few minutes from the college I work at and I regularly try to push my students to go help out. If you find a good one with good people it can be top notch education for free.
Where in the world are you? Does your community theater have a website? We love to know about people's coming seasons and facilities.
Check out the advanced search feature. The are vast quantities of excellent information in the archives.
I'm a huge fan of community theater. We have an outstanding one only a few minutes from the college I work at and I regularly try to push my students to go help out. If you find a good one with good people it can be top notch education for free.
Where in the world are you? Does your community theater have a website? We love to know about people's coming seasons and facilities.
Check out the advanced search feature. The are vast quantities of excellent information in the archives.
I volunteer at Theatre Winter Haven, in Winter Haven Florida. I am actually paid $400 per show, as was the last master electrician, but I use it to purchase more lighting equipment. If I were to bank it, I would lose about 40% in taxes. I just consider it my green fees, as I don't golf or fish. I have also doubled the number of of dimmers at the theatre, by building my own. Theatre Winter Haven is a cut above the usual community theater. You can visit our website at Theatre Winter Haven We were the first nonprofit theatre in the world with the rights to produce Cats. We fabricated everything in house including wigs, props, special effects and all that goes with a show, nothing was purchased or rented as "Cats" properties. We are just finishing our 38th season and 39 is just being announced. There is a full time staff of 7 plus all of the designers are paid per show. I really enjoy being there and working with some wonderful people and teaching lots of students that come from the local high schools including one of the nations top performing arts high schools. well, that should be enough for this epistle. Tom
Spikesgirl
Active Member
Welcome to the booth, Tom. it's great to have another of the older league here - I've been doing theater since '74. I work in community theater, mostly as a SM, props, or set designer. Also work FoH and in the box office - the nice thing about working with a small theater is that you do get a variety of tasks. We have a paid staff of about ten and a fairly stable group of designers for each show. We are lucky in that we can paid most of our senior tech staff, so there's motivation to stay and learn how to run the light and sound board or working as a ME.
We are the first theater with the non-professional rights to "The Fully Monty" and the tickets have been flying out the door. Very popular show, especially with the older folks - who woulda thunk it? We are not poised to grab the rights to "The Producers" the moment we can (Aug 1 for us).
Rock on!
We are the first theater with the non-professional rights to "The Fully Monty" and the tickets have been flying out the door. Very popular show, especially with the older folks - who woulda thunk it? We are not poised to grab the rights to "The Producers" the moment we can (Aug 1 for us).
Rock on!
