Tuesday, September 29, 2009

I'm baaaack.

Greetings, peeps.
I am back, tires and all. Well, technically I was here Saturday and Sunday (house managing for Judas), but I am in the office today. My chief projects today were a) getting rid of some of the older saved phone messages (which drive me insane) and b) finding volunteers to run concessions for the next three weekend of Judas' run.
This second topic is particularly close to my heart as a (now fully trained!) house manager -- there were no volunteers on Sunday (and only our stage manager Shannon as crew), so I conscripted Michael West, who was our lovely videographer for the evening. And now the facebook campaign has started.
I will find volunteers to help.
I will.
I mean, you get to see the show for free! How awesome is that?
So I have spent my day repeatedly updating the City Lights fan page to entice people to a) buy tickets and b) failing that, at least volunteer for one night (or even five!).
On an entirely unrelated note, I am going to link you to the yelp reviews, which are fantastic (the only one star one didn't see the show, and instead chose to rate downtown San Jose...). You can find them here:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/city-lights-theater-company-san-jose
Our artsopolis reviews are even better:
http://www.artsopolis.com/event/detail/50295

Now, dear audience, I know what you are wondering. How, dear, sweet, and beautiful Gilly, did your first solo experience house managing go?
Well, dear, sweet readers, it went just fine. I was very nervous, to be sure, but everything went beautifully, Michael came to help me out with concessions, and the cast and Shannon (I can't just say crew - she deserves to be recognized by name) are lovely. Although I was still too shy to tell them how great they are. Because apparently I am eight years old.
Alright. Hopefully I will have more substance for you soon. Later this week i plan to conquor the prop loft, which shall give me many wonders to tell of.
Ciao
- Me

Friday, September 25, 2009

Reviews are Out!

Hey, check out the review of "Judas" that was in the Eye! (For those of you not from the Bay Area, or living under a rock, that's the entertainment section that comes out once a week from the San Jose Mercury News.) My mom pointed it out to me last night. Not too shabby! It references "City Lights-ness", and I'm gonna take that as a good thing.
Here's the link!
http://www.mercurynews.com/eye-headlines/ci_13394540?nclick_check=1

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Tragic news! Gilly's tires got slashed, so it's just me and Vera in the office today. Since Gilly is basically the queen of Theater Manager (the ticket ordering/printing/whatevering system), it's been a rough and wild ride for me to learn how to take down ticket orders, answer phone calls, and return messages. All that while taking down ticket orders, answering phone calls, and, you guessed it, returning messages. This is not a fun thing. It also doesn't help that I have a gnarly head cold. At least it isn't that hot... And I guess it's better than taking out the trash, sweeping the lobby, and cleaning the bathrooms... Actually, it's a whole lot better than dealing with all that. Especially the bathrooms... In fact, as I'm learning how to do this, it's turning out to be not so bad after all...... Hmmm......... You know what this calls for? REVOLUTION! LET ANARCHY REIGN! HAHAHAHAHAAA!

Yeah, I'll be back to cleaning bathrooms next week.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Air Conditioning is Wonderful

Here is something new and exciting (because that's what City Lights is all about). Currently in the house is a bevy of teenagers in skirts led by the loquacious and impressive Derek McCaw, director of the Notre Dame High School production of... well, I don't actually know what it's called, and he only told me 3 days ago! And I really don't want to interrupt a rehearsal, because that is ruder than rude. I remember directing last year and it sucked getting interrupted. And the website is no help. It just says "Fall Play." I know it's a drama, though! And the dates and times are thus:
Thursday 10/22 7:30:00 PM
Friday 10/23 7:30:00 PM
Saturday 10/24 7:30:00 PM
Sunday10/25 (no time posted)
Thursday 10/29 7:30:00 PM
Friday 10/30 7:30:00 PM
If my memory serves, ND has never had performances that spanned more than one weekend. So this is kind of a big deal. I talked to Derek on Saturday, and said that he would have liked to do this play when I was going there, but the school wouldn't let him. He also said that most of the actresses are very talented sophmores, which is weird because usually seniors (with more experience) are better. Not so this year.
Well, poop. I shall have to leave you in suspense for now.
Peace!
Beth

Saturday, September 19, 2009

And this is my conclusion...

I had been holding off on writing a blog post this week because
a) Theater manager ate my life (ticket orders! Whee!)
and, more impressively sounding
b) I saw the Gala performance of Judas and wanted to give you my immediate response.
Now, I went into the theater having read the play (it was recommended to me by a friend before City Lights had announced their season), and having loved it. I also heard parts of it when I shadow house managed on Friday and Saturday nights (more on that later), but determinedly stopped myself from watching bits because I wanted to wait and see the production as a whole.
And the production as a whole was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC.
I'll say right away that the standout performances for me were those of Isaac (as Judas), Jeff (as the most bewitchingly evil Satan I have ever seen), Robert (who has one of the hardest scenes in the play), Vera (whose opening monologue sets the show off perfectly), John (who is quite simply hilarious) and... you know what. I could very easily just praise the entire cast. And happily would, but I don't want to deprive the dear readers of the chance to enjoy and appreciate the performances with a fresh eye.
I was totally too shy to introduce myself to anyone at the gala (After I see a show which has that talented a cast I tend to feel irrationally intimidated - I know for a fact that the cast is lovely), but I will be around next weekend, as House manager, to enjoy it all over again.

Now, this post is quickly and inadequately written, but the message you should take is this:
Go see The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Because there is something to be learned from it. What specifically that is will be individual to each person, but if you don't, you will never know.
Goodnight.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Odd Job

That's who I would be if I were a James Bond villain crony. Because that's what I do: odd jobs. Like cleaning up the branches on the side alley; sweeping... pretty much everywhere; making stacks of Judas postcards (more on that later); getting together press packets; and so forth. It's all part of keeping a theater running and I like to think I do my part. I am however looking forward to when it is freezing in the office and not boiling. The way I see it, you can always put more layers on than you can take off.
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot opens tonight omgomgomg!!!! Last night was the pay-what-you-can night and it was very well received by the audience. Go see it! I don't know when I will yet, but I will! If I didn't I would be spectacularly shunned, and nobody wants that.
Peace!
Beth

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Dirt.

I know I'm not at the theater, but I thought you should know what I've been up to while Gilly's been working away with tickets.
I've been cleaning.
Everything.
I won't even begin to tell you some of the things I disposed of. Except for the baby car seat. I'll tell you about that.

...

It was a car seat.
The kind that are for babies.

...

It was blue.

...

...

The things I do for you people.

...

...

...

Go see Judas. It opens tomorrow.

-M

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Your friendly theater phone operator.

The nice people took most of the paper away!
Today my day was spent with the computer program theater manager. This program and I have what you might call a love/hate relationship. For example, I love it when it does what I think I told it to do. Other times, not so much. I also dislike it when it mocks me. "Now, Gilly," you are saying reasonably, "it is a computer program. Mocking you is not in its subroutines." Oh, but it is, my friends. It is. One of those little windows will pop up with a smart remark (eg: You have forgotten to fill in the date. Stop being stupid. - I paraphrase) and our relationship gets tested again.
So that is what I did today. I spent about three hours catching up on ticket orders and comps (mostly for this weekend - Judas opens tomorrow!), and generally answering the phones and using my very large sugary and caffeinated drink to keep me chipper.
I'm going to be shadow house managing on Thursday and Friday and hopefully see the show on Saturday. "Shadow house managing" is one of those phrases that sounds inherently cool, doesn't it? What it means is that from next weekend on I will be house managing for real. I'll be all grown up and everything.
Oh, I also wrote a monsterously long facebook message advertising the deals available to facebook fans of City Lights. If you aren't already a fan, you should be. Do it. Go. Now.

....
Now that you have returned from that important mission, it only remains for me to give you the traditional Ghost Update, which will be a regular feature of my column - I mean...blogs. The ghost called several times today, but as of yet contact has not been made.

You should come see Judas. The sets and costumes are looking great, the cast is fabulous, and it's one of the best scripts I have ever read.
And now, back to your regularly scheduled lives.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Jumpin' on the Band Wagon

Okay, okay I'll do an introduction! Jeez, ya don't have to be so pushy about it.
But seriously, hello, all. Beth here, and it's about time our dear readers know a little more about me, since you already know the life stories of both Marty and Gilly. I feel a little left out, I must admit, at not having a convenient nickname ending in -y. Anywho, here is my life story. I went to Notre Dame High School (and now it's funny that I'm working right across the street) and then straight into the Theatre Conservatory at Foothill College. Aside from theater, I enjoy writing (having filled to date 17.5 composition books), doodling (as the margins in my high school notebooks will attest to), singing, walking, artsy-crafty things, drinking tea and coffee, and meeting new people. That's all I can think of at the moment.
Pretty chill work day. Messages to answer, you get the drill. Not much going on, hence the blog update. On Friday I get to go into the ticketing system and check out our sales statistics for data to be put to use sometime in the future. This is how I make a difference. Thrilling.
Interviews are being conducted in the lobby for a new publicist since the lovely Vera Sloan is leaving us at the end of the month (insert Gilly sadface), and so far I've only seen men in suits. Well, it's nice to be taken seriously. It's her birthday today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY VERA!!!) so perhaps it's good that she took the day off so she doesn't have to see her potential replacements. But well all know that Vera can never be replaced in our hearts.
And now back to putting addresses on envelopes, et cetera. Woo!
Bye, guys!
Beth

Friday, September 11, 2009

Paper

So, the paper recycling has not been picked up the last two weeks. This is a problem, seeing as we are disposing of ALL the leftover 08-09 season fliers. We had more than a full load of paper 2 weeks ago, and now we are going to have to make it through at least another week. We'll be calling the people who were supposed to be picking up the paper shortly. Hopefully we can get this worked out and get all this paper off our hands. Hopefully City Lights doesn't drown in the ever growing sea of paper before it's too late. Wish us luck.

-Marty

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The soothing sound of the photocopier...AND GHOSTS!

Guess what, guys? It's board meeting day! And do you, dear readers, know what that means? That means flurries of activity and focus (they would seem to be mutually exclusive, but are not) and, above all lots of photocopies. Amanda Folena (the lovely Executive Artistic Assistant) is, as I type, collating the large pile of packets for the board members who get to learn this afternoon about all of the new exciting ideas that City Lights has to bring yet more high quality theatre to San Jose, and the Bay area in general. I'll keep you posted as new things are announced.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: there are no scissors to be found in the entire city lights office or theatre. Anywhere. I speak with authority.

As Martin did a proper introduction, I kind of feel like I should too. So there you go: My name is Gilly (it's short for Gillian), but, like Martin, I will probably also respond to variations thereof. I grew up in England (having moved there when I was 10 months old from Slidell, Louisiana),a nd moved to California when I was 12. I still go back to England a lot (I have family there. Also, it's England). I trained as a ballet dance before I started acting so my current state is that of an actor/dancer/choreographer/stage manager/costumer. I've done a bit of everything, as it were. I work in several theatre's education programs ( I love teaching), and just graduated from the Foothill Theatre Conservatory (like Beth and Martin). I have a youtube channel, where I am generally rambly and ridiculous for your amusement, and a livejournal, as well as a blogspot (I don't use as often as lj). I have a list of things I want to accomplish in the next year, which includes things like reading 100 books, paintballing, and spending a day at the beach (I just never seem to get around to it).

Alright. enough innanity for now.

UPDATE: There is a ghost that calls City Lights! I just answered the phone to a dial tone and Amanda informed me that a ghost sometimes calls line 2! (I'm not sure she was taking the threat as seriously as it should be taken). I will attempt to make contact with the ghost next time he or she calls. I will, of course, keep you updated.
Oh, also, I went to Ashland last weekend. Awesome shows. More on that next time.

Stay cool, blogland!
- G

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Introducing...

Hello, city lights fans! I'm Marty, more formally known as Martin, more familiarly known as Mar Mar, and also referred to as Marcus on occasion. However, I will respond to any name beginning with "Mar" regardless of whether or not I'm actually the one being referred to. I play Saxophone, sing, dance, act, write, climb, bounce, wander, sprint, fly, sleep, eat, ponder, procrastinate, muse, amuse, bemuse, and such. So... that's me.
So, I don't actually have too much to talk about today (hence the elaborate introduction). I've basically been hanging around, doing odds and ends, and learning how to do things on the fly. That's about all for now. I mostly just wanted to do a more... uh... "Formal" introduction. So, I'll talking to all y'all later! Until then, keep it awesome.

-Martin

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Who are we, anyway?


Greetings, people of the internet. Gilly here!
I know Beth already updated today, but I just sent a message out to the City Lights facebook group telling them to come here, and if you came here, I know you have one burning question.
What to the City lights interns look like?
Now, unless you know us (which most of you probably do), or are friends with us on facebook (which some of you may be) or are proficient at facebook stalking (I think that's just me) you will have no idea. Now, I can't let that stand. Let the facebook rummaging commence.
Photos in which we all look ridiculous for your amusement:


Beth as Lucy in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Martin as Mr. Beaver in the same show, and me being Harley Quinn. Because I am odd.


When we are not other people, we look like this:





So now you know. And now I will go back to tinkering with facebook, in the knowledge that your curiosity is satisfied.

Ciao,
Gilly

Beth's First Day

Hello Blogsphere!
Okay, I guess if I was being picky I would say this is my second day. I was running around doing errands when Gilly and Martin were setting up this lovely blog, but now I'm here, so you can stop wondering "Who is this mysterious Beth person?" That would be me! And my "first" day has so far comprised of cleaning behind the box office and concessions area in the lobby (including a gnarly vase), making some copies, and filling out some scary official-looking forms. At the moment I'm taking a quick break from making a list of our lovely board members (yay!). Woops and it looks like I gotta continue with that--Lisa (nice boss lady :]) is gonna help me out with some files. Back to work with me!
Signing off,
Beth

Friday, September 4, 2009

Martin and Gilly - Creators of Greatness!

Hello, City Lights Fans!
We here at City Lights have created a blog, in the hopes that the masses (that's you!) will finally know what exactly all of those people at the theatre do all day.
There are three interns for the 2009-2010 season. Our names are (in alphabetical order so as to show no preference... Gilly is the best) Beth (the short one) , Gilly (the shorter one) , and Martin (the absurdly tall one). Each of us will be updating several times a week (whenever we work or hear something exciting) so you can find here interesting tidbits and even maybe information that hasn't been released yet! How cool is that? (The answer is very cool). As if that was not fantastic enough, we may occasionally feature guest blogs from other (more important) people at City Lights - Directors, managers... we're going to try and keep it mixed up. Excited yet? We are.
Alright. That's all for now. We're looking forward to this to becoming a place of great intern interaction and expression. Finally, you will hear the real story of what happens at one of the most innovative and respected theatre companies in the Bay Area.
Blog to you soon!
- Gilly and Martin (but mostly Gilly, although Martin did contribute some good words. Sometimes.)