Sustainable Design: Styro Light

This is one of the coolest bits of recycling in the theater I have ever seen. Check out Jim On Light for Styro Light - Apple’s Packaging Put to A Second Use.

Lighting Fixture Made from Styrofoam Packaging Corners (Photo: Jim On Light)

What is Lighting Design in the 21st Century?

Rob Sayer has a new post over at On Stage Lighting: Lighting Designer for the 21st Century.

In this insightful piece, Rob lays out the differences between traditional (theater) lighting design -- you know, the kind you were trained to do -- and everything else (as represented by weekend rock festivals, industry expos, and award ceremonies such as the “UK Sausage Growers Quarterly Awards 2009”). It's not just the scenarios that are different; this bold new area of lighting, ahem, design requires a completely different mindset.

Web Savvy Theater: The diy web hub Interview with Nick Keenan

To paraphrase diy's words: Nick is someone who is really working on something other than the web (i.e., theater) but finds himself learning more and more about web work in order to get things done.

For more on how he balances that, and what he has learned, read the full interview here.

Nick is right on the mark when he indicates how critical it is to maintain a web presence as an alternate way of convincing audiences to come see our work.

Farewell Captain Chaos

Dom DeLuise is gone at age 75
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE5444X920090505

Article: Theaters' worst acts take place in the seats

John Moore, Denver Post theater critic, writes about people who have "lost that synapse that once might have reminded them, 'Psst: You're in public! . . . Put on some pants!'"

Read the sadly humorous gripe yourself: Theaters' worst acts take place in the seats

Five-Armed Turntable

This is a prepared turntable, designed by Yuri Suzuki (2008), that is used to actively compose and play music. The LP, though round, plays music in a linear fashion -- it starts at one point and plays through to another. With five individually controlled arms, you have the possibility for looping and accompaniment within the same set of music. Very interesting! Analog FTW!

Hat tip to Everyday Listening (via twitter).

The Five Hardest Things to Do in Acting

The "5 hardest things to do in acting" are much more difficult on stage than film, where you get multiple takes and put the best one in the can. Unfortunately, this post does not offer much in the way of suggestions for overcoming the difficulties. But the clips are great fun!

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/237852/top_5_hardest_things_to_do_in_acting.html

Montgomery Theater on Facebook

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"Spinning" Preview!

There are still a few seats left for the "Spinning into Butter" preview tonight: http://htxt.it/E0R3

Here is a teaser pic from the recent tech rehearsal: