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New Kensington Civic theatre |
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" Entertaining the A-K Valley for over 60 years" |
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The Drama Behind the Drama Or Memoirs of a Theatre Group
Most theatre minded people have memories of good times and bad times before, during and after shows. Performers and techies alike recall rehearsals and performances with the great fun they had or humiliation suffered...all great fodder for dinner conversation or libation accompaniment. Of course, time often embellishes the stories, but entertainment is the key purpose anyway. And so we begin with the following “Lights Out” for your amusement only; truth is in the eye of the beholder. |
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“Lights Out”
During the run of CAMELOT (1994) under the direction of Steve Pastrick, Denny and I were called in the last week of production to fill in backstage. I would be handling lights.
The Valley High light board at that time had a huge bank of levers on a wall in a cage. I had a cue sheet and newbie, sophomore Shawn Sadecky to cover the levers that spanned the bank about 8 feet in width and 6 feet in height ( it seemed larger). We used a couple of 2 by 4 boards to handle multiple levers. This was Shawn's first show, and I had once before handled a couple of levers.
Steve, ever the perfectionist, was stage managing and tweaking the light plot nightly. Steve would occasionally direct Shawn and me to "bump up" or "take down" a couple of levers to a different level.
As I watched my cue sheet, I saw my next cue was "lights out" at the end of a scene. Shawn and I were in position for "lights out," which required the use of arms and legs balanced on levers and 2 by 4s. I thought the cue was a couple script pages away, but suddenly I thought I heard Steve shout, "Lights out."
I said, "Go" to Shawn, and the lights went out. However, Steve was shouting, "Knights out" to the group of actors who were lagging in their entrance.
I could see in my peripheral vision about 8 knights banging into each other in single file in the dark, while seeking their positions on stage.
Steve shouted, "Knights out, not lights out."
Shawn and I scrambled to reverse our error. As the saying goes, the show must go on. It did.
I'd like to think that I was responsible for launching Shawn on what is now an accomplished avocation of lighting expert. But, of course, I would be giving myself too much credit.
Shawn as a child had had a great fascination with lighting and lighting effects. He actually would suggest to his parents how to "light" their living room, I had learned.
Shawn still maintains an august position as a consultant to NKCT. As then, he remains the sweetest of souls and one of our most trusted "go to" guys for advice on lighting.
And so goes one of the joys of live theatre at NKCT.
Contributed by Colleen Clark Sulava
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Our First Show
Okay here goes...
Kaylyn was really paying close attention to the actors deliver their lines. All of a sudden, she said really loudly, "That's not what Chris is supposed to say. Mommy he is supposed to say ... "
Well, Sarah Rodites walked by and jokingly said, "What did you do, squirt, go home and memorize the whole script?"
Kaylyn said, "No, I am in kindergarten, and I don't know how to read yet."
Sarah looked at her like, "Are you serious?"
I got my my script, and sure enough Kaylyn was right.
I guess from being at all the rehearsals she really had memorized the whole script, and being so young, she didn't realize that we sometimes don't always say our lines verbatim even though we are supposed to.
To this day my kids come to many rehearsals. Even though they haven't read my script, they are very quick to point out to me when I am saying my lines wrong!! Love, Pam
Contributed by Pam Farneth |