Ellipses...

I have to admit I sort of feel like my government has let me down this week...  Another year at CMU is just about in the books.  Time really flies...  Getting pretty comfortable using the laptop as my primary computer.  Now I have to figure out the NAS thing...  One of our cats is having bathroom problems again...  Is it interesting that many of the people aggravated over Benghazi don't really know where Benghazi is?  Maybe it is just sad...  I may have officially lost a significant portion of my job today.  Time will tell...  After too much consideration I believe that actually Star Trek: First Contact is the best Star Trek film.  Maybe it isn't apples and apples...  I really wish the Roku had a FIOS channel, or maybe a Slingplayer channel...  The Bulls did really well considering three of their five starters weren't starters...  We're having a party Sunday.  Don't know if anyone will be here, but it should be fun... Having the thought we should do a Pittsburgh TD Meetup again - I mean having the thought again...  We did a ton of prelim work on renovations for our property but it looks like we missed the window...  Someday soon I have to move the rest of my stuff into the new desk and maybe organize it some...  Is anyone surprised the people responsible for doing taxes are paying special attention to groups advocating the abolition of taxation?  Not sure anyone should be...  Putzing around with the idea of a "David's Crit" again.  Probably won't come to anything...  Today is was like 90 degrees, two days ago it was like 35 degrees.  Global climate change seems pretty real to me... 

Spring 13 Semester Reviews - Day Last

Thesis Day 2 and Seniors.  I started this format with Seniors in the last session last year because there were wayward souls unable to make it back from LA on time.  I think it works rather nicely.

Morning Session, Thesis Day 2:

First up today we have Grad3TD Matt...

... his photo is staged because I was so enthralled I forgot to take a picture.

Our last thesis this year is Grad3TD Dale...

... next up for him is to find someone to higher him.  True story.

Afternoon Session, Seniors:

First up, senior PM/SM Ariel...

... she was emotional.  Now possibly looking for event work.

Next is senior BSA PM/SM Brian...

... he's become an expert at theatre and math.

And then senior PM/SM Brian...

... he couldn't find his pen.  Two time comment of the week winner!

Next up senior PM/SM Devrie...

... she used the coveted "I've discovered I don't want to do theatre" finish.

Moving along to senior TD Robert...

 ... we're going to miss him when we can't make our winches go.

Next is senior TD Sonia...
 

... I said Sonia had an "infuriating positivity."  Really, I did:

You have this infuriating positivity. #seniorcrits @dboevers
— David Holcomb(@Holcomb_d) May 15, 2013

Last picture this semester, senior TD Tiffany...

... I gave her the worst entertainment rigging presentation topic ever.

I am going to miss this bunch a bunch.

Semester Reviews - Thesis, Day 1

So here we are the fourth day of spring semester reviews.  Two thesis projects today.

We have Grad3TD Jake...

... Jake gave us "The Pencil in the Kingdom of the Touchpad" a discussion of the impact of mode of instruction on learning.

As a side note, that was my junior high science fair experiment.

We also had Grad3 PM/SM Taylor...

... Taylor's thesis was "Game Theroy" and it's utility for theatrical production managers.

My boss thought that sounded unhelpfully competitive.

Semester Reviews Day Three

And so the semester reviewing continues.  Back to the AM/PM schedule today.

Morning Session:

I guess we can start with Grad1TD Andrew...

... his response featured a joke by me that fell nearly totally flat (I'm not sure if Kevin is the only laughter that it can be called successful).

Next on the Grad2 PM/SM Jessica...

... David Holcomb took the hit but actually the smoking thing was me.

Moving along to Sophomore PM/SM Rachel...

... I don't think I was too formidable a lecture presence to the sophomore PM/SMs.

And then Junior PM/SM Shannon...

... she said her most valuable experience was not a class or a production assignment.

The morning rounds out with Junior PM/SM Tim...

... who reminded us, again, that he is fond of Disney.

Afternoon Session:

I don't know who made up these schedules but they aren't very balanced.

Just on PTM person this session.  Grad1TD Joe...

 

... He said he didn't have a tie that matched.

That wraps up the regular sessions.  Tomorrow we have thesis presentations all day long.

Semester Reviews Day Two

I'm a little bit behind, but I think I'll be ok.  Into the second day of semester reviews.  Today we had an early afternoon and a late afternoon session.  Was just like a regular workday for me.

Early Afternoon:

First up is Grad1 PM/SM Christina...

... her session reminded me that everyone has been saying "It's Alive" incorrectly.

And then we have Grad2 PM/SM Jamila...

... who will hopefully nail down the elusive PM/SM Project Thesis.

Late Afternoon Session:

We will start off with Sophomore PM/SM Kassondra...

... I am fairly certain she said my lectures were easy to tune out.

Next up Sophomore TD Sean...

... Sean really liked Welding and Advanced Fabrication.

Moving along to Sophomore TD David...

... I told David I don't care if he is having fun.  Probably I do though.

And rounding out day two is Grad2 PM/SM Cat...

 

... Cat is a two time Comment of the Week winner this semester and frequent Podcast participant.

One more day of standard reviews, then Thesis and Seniors, and then... DONE.

Spring Semester Reviews - Day One

It's that time again (already, the year goes by a little bit faster each time).  So we're back in the Wells for Semester Reviews.  Here's the first day.

Morning Session:

First up, junior PM/SM Zoe...

... She's got some kind of branding thing with frogs going on.

Next up is Grad1 PM/SM Tyler...

...I made him wait until last (it wasn't an intentional slight or anything).

And then we have Grad1 PM/SM Jody...

... She looks a lot like Isaac.

Next up is Junior PM/SM AJ...

... AJ's board was one of the better looking ones all day.

Rounding out the morning session was Grad1 TD Adam...

... He started by quoting us back the last crit.  That sort of ups the ante on what we say (I mean if he's going to remember and everything).

Afternoon Session:

We'll open the afternoon with Junior PM/SM/Sound Designer Becca...

... I think I would have gone for a bigger calendar.

Next up is Grad2 TD Luke...

... I did a crappy job framing his photo this time.

The last PTM Semester Review photo of the day goes to Sophomore BXA PM/SM Rachael...

... I can be absolutely certain this is the first buggy anyone has brought to crits.

More to come tomorrow.

I Was Wondering

just how to go about this, and then they did it for me:

Thanks for that!

Vote for Comment of the Week

Voting open until Friday morning.  Here are this week's contenders:

Comment #1: a new comment on your post "Will 'Spider-Man' Injure More Actors?":

Although I understand that the SPider Man, after long lasted lawsuit; tries to increase its profitability by performing outside the US, it is hard to understand why they are planning this right now. Ithink the most important thing for now is to focus on successful and stable performance in New York. Looking at precedant accidents, I am doubtful that any kind of accident is possible for the actors next time because spider man deals with such aggressive and dangerous actions like flying. However, if the team has to move to another city to perform with completely new theatre that has different system, it can cause another disaster and it should be seriously considered because such accident can be very hazardous for actor's career. Moreover, as the article says, it will be extra charge for them to move around with extra charge for advanced techniques too. I am really glad that they made a settlement for the lawsuit, but I want the producers to take a safer and more precise step before they decide to change things because they will not want to be on news with another negative incidents again, which will only decrease audiences' credibiltiy or support. 

Comment #2: a new comment on your post "Nicholas Hytner: With Shakespeare, the play is jus...":

I love the point that this article makes, and it's one that I don't think I've ever really thought about in those terms: a play, unlike a book, is by definition meant to be performed, and so it make perfect sense that plays are left "incomplete" in a sense, and it is each production's job to fill in the blanks. I think that's what makes theatre so exciting, and especially Shakespeare. Because Shakespeare doesn't provide every single backstory and event, it allows each production to interpret it differently, and basically tell a different story. As the article mentions, if Polonius delivers his famous line as a pompous ass, then it means something COMPLETELY different than if he smirks or if he flinches or if he smiles. I think that's what makes theatre so engaging: no performance is ever the same, and even if you've seen Othello or Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet 100 times, there will always be a different story for you to discover. 

Comment #3: a new comment on your post "Smartphones Acting In Concert, At A Concert":

This is both cool and scary. Like pretty much everyone else who commented, I agree that this is a great development, and could be applied in many very useful ways. It could indeed be great in disaster and war zones; more and more, we are seeing technology allow for better access to humanitarian aid and social change(see: Arab Spring).
It is a bit scary though to think about the potentially malevolent uses of this technology. After all, if someone creates a software that allows to control mobile devices like this WITH THE USER'S CONSENT, you can be sure that soon enough someone will hack it and take advantage of that. And I don't really like the idea of someone getting into my phone via some cool technology I downloaded. But maybe it's not a risk. Maybe I'm just being alarmist.
In the meantime, I still think it's a cool technology. 

Comment #4: a new comment on your post "4 Career Lessons From A Former Design Intern":

First, I'd like to complain about the ads on this page. with that said, I really like this advice.
I love reading advice from someone who can actually back up why these things are important and I just love how relevant it is. I also think that it's very easy for us to roll our eyes at this type of advice but the way this article was written makes it very hard to ignore the fact that a lot of the things we do in our daily lives are advised against for good reason. We shouldn't be competing with each other to be "better" because, not only are we in a collaborative field, but we can make something better together than we every could apart, if only we can just put our egos aside. We shouldn't be designing a project just because we think "Susan will love it." but because we love it. We are all here because we love this art form and the second we start designing for someone else it stops being important. I think that something else we all tend to lose sight of is how to relax. This article is right, work will always be there, but (forgive me for sounding corny) we'll only be this young once. Yes, school and grades are extremely important, but who says we can't do well in school and also have a little fun? Even if that fun is just taking an afternoon off and spending some time in the park with a book, we should still remember to make time for that. I think we should all be remembering this advice and taking it to heart. 

Comment #5:  a new comment on your post "The Right Chair":

THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO READ. This Journalist KNOWS what to say and how to say it.
"Why should lack of resources become an excuse for shoddy craftsmanship, or for compromising the quality of what we are capable as artists?"
I strongly believe that you can achieve an adequate and almost perfect world for a show without the biggest budget. I think it is a matter of knowing where to look for the materials, knowing how to design with a budget in mind, but not letting that stop the way that you envision the show. This journalist knows how to speak on this topic. FOR EXAMPLE... My group (for Susan Tsu's final design project) needed a ton of mirrors. This would have cost us about $500 on a $250 budget. Guess how much it cost? $0. We simply reached out to someone, and they extended a hand to help us.
Design what you want, and make it work.

Worth a Look

Here are a few articles from last week's Greenpage that might be worth your time:

Will 'Spider-Man' Injure More Actors?

www.backstage.com: Broadway’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” has finally disentangled itself from the 17-month legal dispute between former director Julie Taymor and the show’s current producers. With the settlement, 8 Legged Productions—the entity behind the Broadway tuner—can now focus on boosting profitability, potentially through additional productions of the show outside New York. But can a show that gained early notoriety for injuries dealt to its actors in the Foxwoods Theatre’s made-to-order space safely launch in a touring version, or will traveling turn out to be Spider-Man’s kryptonite? (Sorry, wrong superhero.)

Posted by David at 4/26/2013 04:16:00 PM 

The Right Chair

HowlRound: I’m going to take the precarious position that, as designers, what we put on stage in front of an audience should never be an apology. Why should lack of resources become an excuse for shoddy craftsmanship, or for compromising the quality of what we are capable as artists?

Posted by David at 4/26/2013 04:30:00 PM 

Is this the final act for Nigeria's rich theatrical tradition?

BBC News: Theatre attendance in Nigeria's economic capital, Lagos, is dwindling as "Nollywood" - the country's prolific film industry - surges in popularity. This - along with the high cost of renting traditional venues - means that theatre producers may have to find cheaper, alternative venues for their plays.

Posted by David at 4/28/2013 04:33:00 PM 

Supersizing a 'Sunday in the Park'

NYTimes.com: What happens when you take a Stephen Sondheim chamber piece — “Sunday in the Park With George” — and produce it operatically, quadrupling the size of the orchestra?

Posted by David at 4/27/2013 04:30:00 PM 

Why Chicago's Comedy Tradition Is Unlike Any Other

www.backstage.com: Reduce Chicago to its deep-dish core, and you will see it is at once synonymous with blustery winds, baseball futility, and side-splitting comedy of the highest degree. It is not only the birthplace of ensemble comedy but also the breeding ground for generations of comedians since the 1950s. Chicago comedy began at the turn of the 20th century, when the city was a major hub for vaudeville. According to Douglas Gomery, professor emeritus at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland in College Park, “Chicago always trailed only New York in vaudeville stops,” with dozens of theaters, some—like the Academy of Music and the McVickers—with capacities of up to 2,000 seats. But vaudeville didn’t stand a chance against the emergence of the talkies. “By 1930 pure vaudeville had died,” writes Gomery, “crushed by Hollywood.”

Posted by David at 4/26/2013 04:21:00 PM

Ellipses...

Sitting at my new desk at home.  Might need a new chair...  Should I be watching the NBA playoffs?  The Bulls fan in me says I should be...  Only two weeks of class left at work.  Every single year it seems to go that much faster...  Considering retiring my desktop at home.  Thinking about using a laptop as my primary machine for the first time...  The US Senate really never misses a chance to disappoint these days.  Might bee time to change the cloture rules...  Started through the backlog of Orphan Black on the DVR.  So far it seems to be a show about a girl not answering the phone.  A little it reminds me of Dark Angel.  That's not a bad thing...  After due consideration I have decided that #Nerdland - Melissa Harris Perry might be the best news/commentary show on TV.  Clearly I have drunk the MSNBC Kool-Aid...  Went to a retirement celebration for a faculty member that has been here more than 40 years.  If I hang here for 40 years it will be the year 2040 and I will be, I will be old...  Mrs TANBI and I may have shelved our landscaping ambitions in favor of an even crazier real estate scheme.  Keep in mind I had called the landscaping plan "science fiction"...  It is possible I did a lousy job selecting articles for the News From the Real World this week...  I think that maybe June will be a post-a-day month like I did in January.  Writing a blog shouldn't be this hard...  Being in a job 40 years feels like a long, long time.  But FWIW, being in a job for 12 years also feels like a long, long time...  Cartoon Network must have done a deal with Netflix, so now there's JLA, JLU, Batman Beyond, Brave and the Bold.  I have months of teenage television in front of me...  Still not feeling very informed on the Pittsburgh Mayoral election.  Might have to crack a local paper...  Carnival came and went.  They got one really nice day and one really pissy day.  My students basically missed the whole thing working on projects...