I try to keep this blog fairly crafty, but today I want to share a little bit of my "other" life.
I'm the Artistic Director of The Milk Can Theatre Company here in NYC. It's a job that I love with a company I'm extremely proud of. Before I ever dabbled in visual art, I was immersed in the theatrical world. I think my craftiness is a natural extension of making props, stitching costumes, and building and painting sets.
Right now we're in the midst of hell week: tech and opening two shows. We all put in 12-15 hour days at the theatre, and man can I feel it. Not to whine, but I feel wiped out and it's only Tuesday!! (Well, technically it's Wednesday at 12:29am.) I snapped some iphone photos today and I wanted to share:
We built a house.
Let me say that again, we built a house!
I've never been to a barn raising, but I suspect it might be a little like our day.
Lots of wonderful people work on the shows. This is our set designer, Ann.
Ann is our resident set designer this season, thanks to a very prestigious grant from The Princess Grace Foundation. She's a wonderful designer who really thinks outside of the box (quite literally since most theatres are essentially boxes)!
This is our lighting designer, Wilburn, and his fabulous associate designer, Isabella:
In this photo they're at the tech table working on programming the lights. Most of the time Wil can be found balancing precariously on the top of a ladder or on the edge of a pipe. It makes me very nervous, but he has no fears about being fifteen feet in the air.
This is a picture of our husband-wife duo: Bethany and Chris:
Chris is our sound designer and he's working on his laptop to get the sound cues perfected. Bethany is our Managing Director and she's supervising his work. 😉
Just before I left the theatre tonight, Ann finished hanging the chandelier and it was waiting for electrics to turn it on.
We are opening two plays this weekend – one on Friday night and the other on Saturday night. You can watch the short promos below:
I'm looking forward to the shows opening, and even more to our Spring Fling! It's our annual fundraising party and always involves lots of silly fun — dancing, cavorting, silent auction, and a chocolate fountain! Take a peek at the past six years of good, clean fun:
(That's my Mom in the 2006 photo. She's always a great raffle ticket salesperson!) I think the hardest part of my job is raising money. I fully admit that I am not a good fundraiser. However, anybody who runs a not-for-profit organization will tell you that fundraising is the most important thing we do. One of the reasons I like the Spring Fling is because it allows us to kill two birds with one stone: raise money and celebrate the work we're doing and the artists we support.
I recently had to write a bit about what the Milk Can Theatre Company means to me. This is what I wrote:
You’re either a milk can or a milk can’t! And this company is made up of people who can: artists who say yes. Faced with a dramatic date change – oh yes, ten days before we were scheduled to move into the theatre with these Spring shows, we got the word that the venue had decided to extend their own show and was therefore pushing our dates by a week – we banded together to find a solution. The e-mail went out, “all hands on deck,” and sure enough each of these busy (everyone in the company has a “day job” – Milk Can is their second full-time job) artists dropped everything and leapt into the fray to take care of all the necessary details. From refunding already sold tickets to volunteering to replace the production stage manager who couldn’t do the new schedule, we came together to find a way to make it work. I could use so many metaphors to describe the way I feel about this company – this family, this merry band of brothers, this sisterhood, this clan, this tribe. Maybe I will just say that I am lucky and grateful to be part of such a company.
If you're in NYC, I hope you'll stop by the theatre and check out what we've got to offer. I couldn't be prouder of The Milk Can Theatre Company!
Thanks for stopping by!
darling this is amazing. if i’m ever in NYC, i would love to come see all of you!
darling this is amazing. if i’m ever in NYC, i would love to come see all of you!
darling this is amazing. if i’m ever in NYC, i would love to come see all of you!
darling this is amazing. if i’m ever in NYC, i would love to come see all of you!
How nice to hear of your other life Julie. I went to a HS play of Beauty and the Beast this past weekend and when the chandelier came down it brought me right into the play. Break a leg!
How nice to hear of your other life Julie. I went to a HS play of Beauty and the Beast this past weekend and when the chandelier came down it brought me right into the play. Break a leg!
How nice to hear of your other life Julie. I went to a HS play of Beauty and the Beast this past weekend and when the chandelier came down it brought me right into the play. Break a leg!
How nice to hear of your other life Julie. I went to a HS play of Beauty and the Beast this past weekend and when the chandelier came down it brought me right into the play. Break a leg!
as along time stage manager/actor and arty/crafty/inky person I think all the stuff you is so great!!
YAY for the opening night(s)
from the small world dept… I looked up Milkcan and realized that your office space was very familiar. I spent a week in that building a year or so ago rehearsing a couple kids shows we did in Jersey City. 🙂
as along time stage manager/actor and arty/crafty/inky person I think all the stuff you is so great!!
YAY for the opening night(s)
from the small world dept… I looked up Milkcan and realized that your office space was very familiar. I spent a week in that building a year or so ago rehearsing a couple kids shows we did in Jersey City. 🙂
as along time stage manager/actor and arty/crafty/inky person I think all the stuff you is so great!!
YAY for the opening night(s)
from the small world dept… I looked up Milkcan and realized that your office space was very familiar. I spent a week in that building a year or so ago rehearsing a couple kids shows we did in Jersey City. 🙂
as along time stage manager/actor and arty/crafty/inky person I think all the stuff you is so great!!
YAY for the opening night(s)
from the small world dept… I looked up Milkcan and realized that your office space was very familiar. I spent a week in that building a year or so ago rehearsing a couple kids shows we did in Jersey City. 🙂
what a great insight into your life. sounds like an exciting one too. is your hubby part of the theater as well?
what a great insight into your life. sounds like an exciting one too. is your hubby part of the theater as well?
what a great insight into your life. sounds like an exciting one too. is your hubby part of the theater as well?
what a great insight into your life. sounds like an exciting one too. is your hubby part of the theater as well?
Debbie: Hes a civilian!
Debbie: Hes a civilian!
Debbie: Hes a civilian!
Debbie: Hes a civilian!
So that’s where your screen-name came from :o) I had seen the icon in the left nav but hearing about it in your words gives much more meaningful insight. Thanks for sharing this peek into your life!
So that’s where your screen-name came from :o) I had seen the icon in the left nav but hearing about it in your words gives much more meaningful insight. Thanks for sharing this peek into your life!
So that’s where your screen-name came from :o) I had seen the icon in the left nav but hearing about it in your words gives much more meaningful insight. Thanks for sharing this peek into your life!
So that’s where your screen-name came from :o) I had seen the icon in the left nav but hearing about it in your words gives much more meaningful insight. Thanks for sharing this peek into your life!
Thanks for sharing this. If I am ever in NYC, I will check this out!!
Thanks for sharing this. If I am ever in NYC, I will check this out!!
Thanks for sharing this. If I am ever in NYC, I will check this out!!
Thanks for sharing this. If I am ever in NYC, I will check this out!!
If I ever make it to NYC (I hope one day soon) I am so coming to see one of your shows! I think you are so amazing!
If I ever make it to NYC (I hope one day soon) I am so coming to see one of your shows! I think you are so amazing!
If I ever make it to NYC (I hope one day soon) I am so coming to see one of your shows! I think you are so amazing!
If I ever make it to NYC (I hope one day soon) I am so coming to see one of your shows! I think you are so amazing!
very, very cool. =)
very, very cool. =)
very, very cool. =)
very, very cool. =)
how very cool, what a great job you have 🙂
how very cool, what a great job you have 🙂
how very cool, what a great job you have 🙂
how very cool, what a great job you have 🙂
Wow, that set look like it’s gonna be awesome! You built a freakin’ house! Looks like a wonderful crowd of creative people working together, I’ll definitely have to check that out the next time I’m in New York.
Wow, that set look like it’s gonna be awesome! You built a freakin’ house! Looks like a wonderful crowd of creative people working together, I’ll definitely have to check that out the next time I’m in New York.
Wow, that set look like it’s gonna be awesome! You built a freakin’ house! Looks like a wonderful crowd of creative people working together, I’ll definitely have to check that out the next time I’m in New York.
Wow, that set look like it’s gonna be awesome! You built a freakin’ house! Looks like a wonderful crowd of creative people working together, I’ll definitely have to check that out the next time I’m in New York.