- teaches stagecraft, theatre effects, and production management
- freelance project and production manager
- worked with Soulpepper Theatre, Great Lakes Scenic Studios, the Blyth Festival, Huron County Playhouse, Canadian Stage, and the Manitoba Theatre Centre
- has toured extensively throughout Canada and the USA
Ray is this guy who has really helped us out at the Drama School over the last couple of years. Two years ago he was our Production Manager, and last season and this year he's been providing some spot management when we get monumentally busy. Everyone really likes him and he does a fantastic job. He has only one failing...
...he is (shudder) Canadian.
As you can imagine, working in Pittsburgh while residing with his family in Canada has been difficult. He has to maintain a residence out of a hotel here in town, spend big blocks of time away from his family, and make frequent, longish trips between assignments.
This last bit has turned out to be more difficult than one might anticipate. On top of the other difficulties with the job arrangement, Ray has also had to deal with being perceived as some kind of insurgent.
Today, while trying to return to Pittsburgh to help us complete our tech process on the America Play Rep (no irony here) Ray was turned away at the border by US Homeland Security personnel. Seems frequent border crossings are a red flag, and someone at immigration was afraid he was up to no good.
I can not tell you how comforted I am, and how much safer I now feel, just knowing that our government is out there protecting us from foreign production managers.
3 comments:
Oh, I'm comforted too! Those damn Canadians... they're so... un-American.
I would ask "are you serious??" except I'm sure you are. Incredible. So what's next for Mr. Salverda? Is he going to be allowed to continue in his frequent border-crossing for dangerous theatrical purposes?
Did you know that bringing salami into the US and taking used matresses out are both illegal? Doing either of this will land you in a border control interview as a possible suspect in a salami/used matress smuggling ring.
Be very careful.
M
so THAT'S what Ray has been doing with all that salami. he is very dangerous and must be stopped from helping us make theatre at all costs. there is no such thing as being too safe when it comes to our very scary and extremely threatening "neighbours" to the north.
becca
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