In Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire
Hurricanes hardly happen...
This is our first union house with really strict union rules. We knew that going in, but working (or not working) has been a really tricky thing here. With most union houses we've worked as we always do and it just happens that our crew is union and we are a non-union show. Occasionally we've been forbidden to push our gondolas around during load in or load out (because we aren't loaders, we're heads of department therefore, according to the union, we're technically unqualified to load trucks). And I say “whatever.” You want to push this box? Feel free...
But this house is adhering to really strict arcane rules. Since we are a non union show, they require each of us to have a union “shadow” who follows us around and watches us do our jobs. In some houses, they would even do our jobs for us and forbid us to work at all but in this house they are letting us work as long as we are “supervised.” On our own show. It's absurd. Not least because my shadow is a flyman. Working wardrobe. And he can do a better job on my show than I can because he's a union member? Really? I think not.
For load in we were expressly forbidden to pick anything up, do any work, open any boxes or touch anything show related. I spent the morning standing in front of gondolas, gesturing at them and saying things like “Can you open this up and get out the gold shoes that are in the lower right hand corner?” or “Can you make 4 trips up and down the stairs since I'm forbidden to pick up this basket and follow you to help you out?” Ridiculous. But I was allowed to work the show, which I did with someone standing at my shoulder every minute. Technically I can be training my shadow to do my track during the show and then I could just not come to work. At all. I could have a night off. I might even be able to see the show. Can you imagine? So I'm working to that end. I figure if I have to be stalked all week, I'm going to put my stalker to work and I'm taking some time off for the last time until the end of tour. Plus my friend Jenny lives here in Connecticut and it would be so cool to be able to see my show with her.
Other than that nonsense, Hartford is lovely. I get the “what's your favorite city that you've visited on tour?” question a lot. Previous to this I haven't had a good answer though I liked Ft. Collins Colorado, our day in San Jose California visiting the ocean and the redwood forest was amazing and Anchorage was cool because I've always wanted to go to Alaska. But now I think that Hartford is at the top of my list. The hotel is great – and I have a single room, which is so glorious after a week on the bus - the theatre is in walking distance as are restaurants, bars and shops and the town is so beautiful in a very old New England sort of way. Plus there are lots of Irish pubs, how can you not love that? We visited Mark Twain's house today, which was beautiful. I'll post about that later. And we had a really expensive and delicious meal at Max Downtown our first night here. Spent a pile of money and treated ourselves right.
Gonna be a good week, ya'll...
This is our first union house with really strict union rules. We knew that going in, but working (or not working) has been a really tricky thing here. With most union houses we've worked as we always do and it just happens that our crew is union and we are a non-union show. Occasionally we've been forbidden to push our gondolas around during load in or load out (because we aren't loaders, we're heads of department therefore, according to the union, we're technically unqualified to load trucks). And I say “whatever.” You want to push this box? Feel free...
But this house is adhering to really strict arcane rules. Since we are a non union show, they require each of us to have a union “shadow” who follows us around and watches us do our jobs. In some houses, they would even do our jobs for us and forbid us to work at all but in this house they are letting us work as long as we are “supervised.” On our own show. It's absurd. Not least because my shadow is a flyman. Working wardrobe. And he can do a better job on my show than I can because he's a union member? Really? I think not.
For load in we were expressly forbidden to pick anything up, do any work, open any boxes or touch anything show related. I spent the morning standing in front of gondolas, gesturing at them and saying things like “Can you open this up and get out the gold shoes that are in the lower right hand corner?” or “Can you make 4 trips up and down the stairs since I'm forbidden to pick up this basket and follow you to help you out?” Ridiculous. But I was allowed to work the show, which I did with someone standing at my shoulder every minute. Technically I can be training my shadow to do my track during the show and then I could just not come to work. At all. I could have a night off. I might even be able to see the show. Can you imagine? So I'm working to that end. I figure if I have to be stalked all week, I'm going to put my stalker to work and I'm taking some time off for the last time until the end of tour. Plus my friend Jenny lives here in Connecticut and it would be so cool to be able to see my show with her.
Other than that nonsense, Hartford is lovely. I get the “what's your favorite city that you've visited on tour?” question a lot. Previous to this I haven't had a good answer though I liked Ft. Collins Colorado, our day in San Jose California visiting the ocean and the redwood forest was amazing and Anchorage was cool because I've always wanted to go to Alaska. But now I think that Hartford is at the top of my list. The hotel is great – and I have a single room, which is so glorious after a week on the bus - the theatre is in walking distance as are restaurants, bars and shops and the town is so beautiful in a very old New England sort of way. Plus there are lots of Irish pubs, how can you not love that? We visited Mark Twain's house today, which was beautiful. I'll post about that later. And we had a really expensive and delicious meal at Max Downtown our first night here. Spent a pile of money and treated ourselves right.
Gonna be a good week, ya'll...
posted by KBARRETT at 8:41 AM
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