A Cry for Help!

Hello Everyone,
As some of you know (and some of you don't) I am in the middle of Custer State Park South Dakota for the summer. I am working for the Black Hills Playhouse. Most of you also know that the economy has not been nice to theatres recently. It is because of this that I write you now. The Black Hills Playhouse, which has been around for 64 years, lease is up in the fall and the state has no intention of renewing it. This means somewhere I will have worked will disappear. I can't stand for that if there is something I can do to help, something you can do to help. All it will take is a little bit of your time, a pencil, a piece of paper, an envelope and a stamp.

Write the Governor of South Dakota and tell him that the Black Hills Playhouse should stay in the park and be allowed to remain open.

It is such a neat place to work I would hate for it to disappear. Here is the address.

Governor Mike Rounds
Office of the Governor
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501


Thanks,
Laura

TECH!

Hello,
Yesterday and today have marked the technical process for Brighton Beach Memoirs and I am glad. Honestly I don't like to sit in a rehearsal hall for very long (which is why I like summer stock) so getting to call cues and watch the show come together in the theater excites me (despite the long days).

I think working at the dinner theatre in Kansas City prepared me for such a short technical process. Two days and call it art. The costumes are lovely, the set will be complete by tomorrow, and we have almost all the props. Let's get this thing moving!

Other then that it's just another day in paradise.

Thanks for dropping by,
Laura

Good News and Bad News

The good news...
Eric the TD gave us the morning block to continue being onstage.

Bad news...
I'm under the thumb of my graduate school's financial aid department. So some words of wisdom from someone who has been there. When you go to school (graduate, undergraduate it doesn't matter) make sure all of your loans go through. Make sure that your financial situation is clear before the end of the semester...ideally it should be cleared up the beginning of the semester. Believe me it will keep you from having to pay $760 out of your own pocket to get them to release the holds from your student account, so you can register for your final class. But I digress...get your loans figured out and hope your financial aid department is worth something.

~Laura

On Stage!

Greetings!
Today is going to be interesting for a number of reasons.

First we get a chance to get onstage tonight. This is good because the rehearsal hall just isn't big enough to block out the entire set.

Second the weather here in SD has changed and it is quite cold. The rehearsal hall has reached a workable temperature thanks to three heaters, but there currently is no heat in the theater. It is going to be chilly when working on stage tonight. Burrrr!

Third in order to work on stage this evening all of the hand props that are currently in my rehearsal hall must be brought to the theater. Were we doing Our Town it would not be a problem, but as it is Bright Beach Memoirs there are many plates, cups, silverware, footballs, grocery bags, tea towels, books, baseballs, etc. to be transported. Luckily Eric the TD has promised me a few extra hands to transport props.

If we were staying in the theater this whole situation would be great, but alas that is not the case. Tomorrow we'll be back in the rehearsal hall. Saturday is our last day in the rehearsal hall, thankfully and tech begins Monday.

Thanks for dropping by,
Laura