Stage kitten

So all the week I've been helping out backstage for the Wrathskeller, the Boston Babydolls Halloween production at the Cambridge YMCA. It's a really fun show, and I am happy that laurion* asked if I wanted to help with it. He's a very good stage manager, and a fun part of the show itself as well. I am being what is known as the stage kitten, the person who collects all the shed costume pieces between the acts. Though I am enjoying the experience, I have most definitely decided I like being onstage far more than I like teching. Stage crew specifically does not suit my skill set. As an actor, I have developed the tendency to focus strictly on bearing my part of the show, getting my cues right, minding my own timing, doing whatever little responsibilities have been closely assigned to me. If actors worry too much about whether or not other show things are being done, they get distracted and miss their cues, so they are encouraged to just trust the techies and the other actors and do their own parts. But as a techie you have to be aware of everything that's going on in order to time your stuff right, and to be able to provide the most support to everyone else. It's been a tough mentality shift. Also, being slightly nightblind, doing things in the dark isn't my strong suit, and hunting across the stage for lost pieces of clothing and then collecting them all as quickly as is necessary is not the easiest thing in the world for me. I am doing a passable but not great job of it. I probably would be doing better if I'd been able to be there for more rehearsals, but I imagine even with practice I can never be more than a strictly average stage tech.

But I got to wear a neat costume. I wore the neat bodice I found with the red corduroy side out over this gauzy black blouse I have that is a fantastic psuedo-period costume piece because it is ruffly, and a floppy enough fabric that I can get it to drape pretty much however I want, in this case off my shoulders. On the bottom I wore a full black skirt with flounces in it, graciously lent to me by blendedchaitea*. I was pleased because it suited the show's overall aesthetic, but wasn't so flashy that I drew unnecessary attention to myself. I ran into in_water_writ* and bleemoo* afterwards, and had a lovely time chatting with them for a bit. It was nice to see them, it felt like it had been a long time. Jenn was nice enough to snap a couple of pictures of me. Pardon the lousy lighting and low quality, it was just on my iPhone after all.

The show itself is really cool. It has this very 20's aesthetic to it, and tells a creepy story in a seedy cabaret setting with a great gothic atmosphere. The dancing is excellent, and the costumes are really fantastic to look at. And though I confess I personally don't find it all that hot (I've learned I find pasties and g-strings more absurd-looking than sexy, plus none of the ladies are my type) they are certainly experts at the art of burlesque. It's going on now through Halloween, so there's still time to check it out.