I mentioned in an earlier post that the theatre I am working for here in Droset had racked up a $1,000,000 debt in order to make it the amazing space that it is. For the past three summers DTF has thrown benefits to raise money from all the generous people who love us. After the one thrown this summer we still had a little over $750,000 of debt. However, after 7 years of trying to pay off the debt the president of the board convinced the bank to forgive the whole thing.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How does this happen? I have no idea. All I know is that it is the most amazing thing that could have happened for us this year. Our mission of saving the theatre is over and it changes everything we do here. From now on, all donations made to us actually go to us, and not straight to the bank. We all know that the theatre will be here without a doubt next summer. Maybe our budgets will be even be better.
It's so amazing to me that 7 years after the loan was given, the people here have seen the theatre really is worth saving. It seems that they have enough faith in us and we have proven ourselves enough that the bank made a $750,000 donation to us. Wow.
Thanks Dorset! You won't be sorry.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Yet another wonderful reminder of why I came here this summer.
The sky has just started to clear up in the evenings and we've had a few nights of starry skies. During one of those nights we brought some blankets out back and laid out under the stars. We stayed out there for a long time, just gazing and talking. I rolled myself up into a burrito in the blanket and I could have stayed out there all night. Finally, Slocum, who is always the last to go to bed, gets up and says that he's tired. I hadn't realized how late it was until he had gotten up.
When I was much younger and living on Long Island, I remember a night when my neighbor and I looked up at the stars. I remember trying to count them with her. The night sky out here is infinitely clearer and the stars so much more visible. When I look at the stars here I can't even imagine trying to count them.
The sky has just started to clear up in the evenings and we've had a few nights of starry skies. During one of those nights we brought some blankets out back and laid out under the stars. We stayed out there for a long time, just gazing and talking. I rolled myself up into a burrito in the blanket and I could have stayed out there all night. Finally, Slocum, who is always the last to go to bed, gets up and says that he's tired. I hadn't realized how late it was until he had gotten up.
When I was much younger and living on Long Island, I remember a night when my neighbor and I looked up at the stars. I remember trying to count them with her. The night sky out here is infinitely clearer and the stars so much more visible. When I look at the stars here I can't even imagine trying to count them.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Everyday that I'm here in Dorset I am thankful for changing my mind and deciding to come back this summer. In some ways I am glad for some of the things that happened in my life that led me back here. It's been such a welcome change from what my life has been. I've been given the opportunity to start my life over, and I get to start here. How lucky is that?
The other night it started pouring rain (surprise, surprise) and I was sitting up in my room, thinking about changing into jammies and going to bed. Right as I was about to, the rain picked up and went from pouring to biblical. I immediately ran out onto the lanai to see if anyone out there was as excited as I was. Sadly, they were not. I didn't let that stop me, so I ran out into it. I was soaked in a flash. I ran back onto the lanai to see if my pure glee could rub off on anyone and get them outside. Again, they just looked it me like I was out of my mind.
Luckily, Dibs, Carrie and Frankie were inside the living room and saw me running about, so they came out to join me. We ran over to the house next door, which is also being used by the theatre to house the Stage Manager, Emily, and actor, Mark, and a director Jonathan. Emily was on the phone, but Mark came out when we yelled for him. Cartwheels, puddles, ballet steps, and general giggling took place. Emily eventually joined us, but by then the rain had tapered off.
Alex laughed at us for taking "hippy showers." I laughed at Alex for being too uptight to dance in the rain. No one ever outgrows that kind of fun.
The other night it started pouring rain (surprise, surprise) and I was sitting up in my room, thinking about changing into jammies and going to bed. Right as I was about to, the rain picked up and went from pouring to biblical. I immediately ran out onto the lanai to see if anyone out there was as excited as I was. Sadly, they were not. I didn't let that stop me, so I ran out into it. I was soaked in a flash. I ran back onto the lanai to see if my pure glee could rub off on anyone and get them outside. Again, they just looked it me like I was out of my mind.
Luckily, Dibs, Carrie and Frankie were inside the living room and saw me running about, so they came out to join me. We ran over to the house next door, which is also being used by the theatre to house the Stage Manager, Emily, and actor, Mark, and a director Jonathan. Emily was on the phone, but Mark came out when we yelled for him. Cartwheels, puddles, ballet steps, and general giggling took place. Emily eventually joined us, but by then the rain had tapered off.
Alex laughed at us for taking "hippy showers." I laughed at Alex for being too uptight to dance in the rain. No one ever outgrows that kind of fun.
Friday, July 4, 2008
The first play of the season ended on Saturday and on Sunday we started strike. I was just promoted to Master Electrician so this was my first time in the position. Our original ME didn't work out and I think Josh realized I really could handle the job, so we didn't hire someone new.
I admit that my worst fear during all of this was for Josh to tell me that he made a mistake in hiring me for the position. No matter how many times he tells me how happy he is with the work I am doing, part of me will always be worried that he doesn't think I'm good enough. I guess that's just me. It's probably good because it pushes me to get the job done as well as humanly possible.
The strike went well indeed. We were way ahead of schedule for lights and set the whole time, so we were all able to keep up on sleep. I was a little worried that if this changeover took as long as we thought it would, we'd be in a lot of trouble when it came to changing the bigger shows, but I think we'll be OK. We also have a little extra money for hiring locals to help out of we need to.
The only bad thing I have to say about tech is that the weather just started getting perfect out. The raining has subsided a bit and the sun has been out. It's been perfectly warm, but not too humid. We spend the first days of this weather in the theatre for 18 hours. Every ten minute break was an excuse to go lay out in the sun. I do enjoy my sunshine breaks. There has been no shortage of laying in the grass for me this summer. I'll never be able to get enough though.
I admit that my worst fear during all of this was for Josh to tell me that he made a mistake in hiring me for the position. No matter how many times he tells me how happy he is with the work I am doing, part of me will always be worried that he doesn't think I'm good enough. I guess that's just me. It's probably good because it pushes me to get the job done as well as humanly possible.
The strike went well indeed. We were way ahead of schedule for lights and set the whole time, so we were all able to keep up on sleep. I was a little worried that if this changeover took as long as we thought it would, we'd be in a lot of trouble when it came to changing the bigger shows, but I think we'll be OK. We also have a little extra money for hiring locals to help out of we need to.
The only bad thing I have to say about tech is that the weather just started getting perfect out. The raining has subsided a bit and the sun has been out. It's been perfectly warm, but not too humid. We spend the first days of this weather in the theatre for 18 hours. Every ten minute break was an excuse to go lay out in the sun. I do enjoy my sunshine breaks. There has been no shortage of laying in the grass for me this summer. I'll never be able to get enough though.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Colony House has this amazing side porch, which we lovingly call the lanai. We like to sit out there in the evenings and drink, or smoke, or chat a bit, enjoying each others company. We've gotten a few noise complaints from our neighbors and our artistic director was not happy. Our image in the neighborhood is incredibly important to the theatre. If the locals don't like us here, the chances of us coming back are slim.
We had a little discussion about it and someone thought it would be a good idea to make cookies for the neighbors as an apology. We would also include our phone number in a note with the cookies, so that they could call us directly if we were ever being disturbing and we would go inside or at least quiet down immediately.
Amanda and I went out to deliver these cookies a few days ago. Everyone we talked to said that they loved hearing us outside, or that they never heard us. They also loved the fact that we had made the effort to be good neighbors. Several of them called the theatre to tell Carl how much they loved us coming by. I would say that it was a great idea, except there was some confusion about who had been complaining in the first place and we somehow missed their house. Oops.
One of the people we did deliver to invited us into her house, which she helped design and loved to show off. I get the feeling that if she wasn't about to run out the door she would have made tea. When she asked us what we did at the theatre Amanda said she was the costuming assistant and I explained that I was an electrician. The woman just stared at me as if I had said something in a foreign language. I told her it was for lighting. She replied, "I know what an electrician is, I'm just surprised a female would chose that line of work." I didn't want to be rude, so I laughed it off and said "Hm, I'm not the only one." She was again shocked and then decided to let it go.
Vermonters...
We had a little discussion about it and someone thought it would be a good idea to make cookies for the neighbors as an apology. We would also include our phone number in a note with the cookies, so that they could call us directly if we were ever being disturbing and we would go inside or at least quiet down immediately.
Amanda and I went out to deliver these cookies a few days ago. Everyone we talked to said that they loved hearing us outside, or that they never heard us. They also loved the fact that we had made the effort to be good neighbors. Several of them called the theatre to tell Carl how much they loved us coming by. I would say that it was a great idea, except there was some confusion about who had been complaining in the first place and we somehow missed their house. Oops.
One of the people we did deliver to invited us into her house, which she helped design and loved to show off. I get the feeling that if she wasn't about to run out the door she would have made tea. When she asked us what we did at the theatre Amanda said she was the costuming assistant and I explained that I was an electrician. The woman just stared at me as if I had said something in a foreign language. I told her it was for lighting. She replied, "I know what an electrician is, I'm just surprised a female would chose that line of work." I didn't want to be rude, so I laughed it off and said "Hm, I'm not the only one." She was again shocked and then decided to let it go.
Vermonters...
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