And So It Begins

Well, I'm here. Two months after sending in the applications and finishing the interviews and signing the contracts, I'm finally here in beautiful Ithaca, NY, ready to start my internship at the Hangar Theatre. For those of you just joining us (or for those of you who don't really care), I am a freshly minted Electrics Intern at the Hangar Theatre, a professional theatre in Ithaca. The stage and house is relatively small, but the production value of these shows is incredible, and the people are some of the best in the world at what they do. I drove up to Ithaca this afternoon and stopped by the theatre to say hello to people and get familiar with the layout of the place. I got my keys and my welcome packet, and drove to my dorm on the Ithaca College campus to unpack. I grabbed some dinner at Subway in the commons, and now I'm just sitting in my room waiting to start work tomorrow morning.

The Electrics department of which I am a part is made up of only five interns and the department head, (called the Master Electrician in the professional theatre world). Note that it's not the LIGHTING department, and there's a good reason for that. Electrics is generally responsible for anything that gets or uses electrical power, such as motors, onstage lamps, signs, and yes, lighting instruments too. A perfect example: most of today (and probably most of tomorrow - uggh), Elecs has been/will be working on a giant sign that's going to light up and flash and change colors during the show. It's gonna look AMAZING. Months ago, the scenic designer drew up very detailed plans for exactly how he wanted the sign to look and be built. He then sent those plans to the lighting designer, who worked with the scenic designer to place the electrical components and make everything work together. And finally, all those plans were sent to the scenic and elecs shops, where they are currently being built and wired.

So anyway - I was sitting here and I suddenly had the idea to start this bloggy thingy. For one, it's a great way for me to record what I'm doing so I can look back and see how things have been going. And maybe more importantly, it's a way for my friends back at home to see what I'm doing, if anyone's interested in reading the boring ramblings of an underpaid electrics intern. :) I can't promise how often I'll update this thing, but I do promise to do it as often as I can. If you have any questions for me, or if you like reading what I write, then please COMMENT because it will make me smile and it will encourage me to write more often!

That's all for now. Stay in touch! :)

R