Technician

Our heroine possesses not only innate talent but furthered her gifts at respected institutions of higher learning. For her efforts, the University of Idaho presented her with a B.F.A in technical theatre.

In retrospect, it's a miracle that the subject of this work even entered the performing arts. Her memoirs indicated that the first stage performance she attended was of the august theatrical dinosaur Oklahoma. It proved such a traumatic experience that she was forced to the nearest speakeasy to attempt to purge it from her memory.

But through a series of surprising turns (which is another story that needs to be set to music) I ended up in the scene shop. And the rest as they say, is history. . .

Below are a few of the venues she has toiled at. . .

Our heroine backstage of the venerable Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. She is attended by roustabouts from the E-team.

Digital Imaging, University of Idaho. Currently our subject has left full time work on the boards to work in the new field of micro computer graphics. She still visits the stage on a regular basis as well as penning pieces for it.

Conferences & Events, University of Idaho. From '98-'01, she served as the Lead for the Events Team (Steph says, that a Lead is a necessary peon).

They set up lights, sound & staging for campus concerts, football games and everything in between. From the extremes of building concert stages in football stadiums, RV parks on soccer fields, and ground breaking ceremonies at sites that boasted one power pole when we arrived. We also did easy gigs like weddings, commissionings, basketball games, the plenary & satellite commencement ceremonies. In the main, if there was a microphone there we were part of it.

I facilitated all events at the University Auditorium and am so damn proud of trying to kill myself for these guys, that I have images of some of the gigs we've done.

Stage Ops, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR. Pulled the '96 & '97 seasons at the Festival. If you can imagine working 6 days a weeks for 6 - 10 months with varying hours and actually enjoying it, that's life at the Shake. I like to think of it as Disneyland without the goofy costumes. (whoops! Guess that's a pun, sorry.)

The Shake stages 11 shows over the year in 3 different spaces, and Ops works them all. They break each set down into little pieces and stuff it into a small broom closet. And then they haul out the set for the next show.

The set's assembled in about two hours. This'll include fixing whatever broke during the previous performance. Then they have to get the hell out of the way for sound, and lights, followed by actors wanting to do vocal warm-ups.

A couple stagehands stay behind to finish working. It's "their" show, which means that they'll run props and any scenic mechanizations that need to happen during the performance.

When the curtain comes down, they'll be rejoined by the rest of the crew and the whole thing starts all over again. Oh no! Oh yeah!

Mt. Baker Theatre, Bellingham, WA. My first union gig! Well, I've worked with union people before but this time I was one of them. Most fun.

If you're ever in B-ham, stop by the Baker. It's a lovely 1920s vaudeville/theatre house, that shows movies on the side. It's recently be renovated thanks to a grant.

Events Team, University of Idaho. Oh yeah, I worked Events once before. Back then it was for the Big Kahuna, Nick Nash.

I've also engineered sound for the Laughing Horse Summer Theatre in Ellensburg, WA, Moscow Community Theatre, Moscow, ID, Shade of Difference--A cool little avant garde theatre company that ran for three years in Moscow-- the Idaho Repertory Theatre, Moscow, and the main stage and black box as the University whilst earning my degree.

As Master Electrician, I worked at the Hartung Theatre, University of Idaho for two years and did a season at Idaho Repertory Theatre. Was the Asst Light Designer, for the University productions of Christmas Carol--was responsible for lighting the each ghosts entrance, no less!--, and A View from the Bridge.

I even stage managed two shows, which I swore I would never do again. Wouldn't you know that's I did at the University Auditorium and I became quite adept at it.