Return-Path: X-Processed-By: Virex 7 on prxy.net X-Real-To: stagecraftlist [at] theatrical.net Received: by prxy.net (CommuniGate Pro PIPE 4.2.10) with PIPE id 21881989; Mon, 18 Apr 2005 03:00:56 -0700 X-ListServer: CommuniGate Pro LIST 4.2.10 List-Unsubscribe: List-ID: Message-ID: From: "Stagecraft" Sender: "Stagecraft" To: "Stagecraft" Precedence: list Subject: Stagecraft Digest #367 Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 03:00:42 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Disposition: inline X-Spam-Status: No, score=-5.6 required=5.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.2 X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.2 (2004-11-16) on prxy.net X-TFF-CGPSA-Version: 1.4f2 X-prxy-Spam-Filter: Scanned For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- Stagecraft Digest, Issue #367 1. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by Mike Benonis 2. Re: Wireless Intercom by Jerry Durand 3. Re: A sad end to a long legacy... Bill McManus by Brian Aldous 4. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by Pat Kight 5. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by "Jeffrey E. Salzberg" 6. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by "Tony Deeming" 7. Scrim repair by 8. Re: OT computer question by "Phil Johnson" 9. Radio Frequencies (was Wireless Intercom) by "jsmith at theatrewireless.com" 10. Re: Radio Frequencies (was Wireless Intercom) by Jerry Durand 11. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 12. Re: Radio Frequencies (was Wireless Intercom) by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 13. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by "Tony Deeming" 14. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 15. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by "Stephen E. Rees" 16. Job Opening by Jared Fortney 17. Re: Job Opening by "Jonathan S. Deull" 18. Re: Radio Frequencies (was Wireless Intercom) by "jsmith at theatrewireless.com" 19. Re: OT computer question by Mike Benonis 20. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by Mike Benonis 21. Re: OT computer question by "C. Dopher" 22. Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage by Jacqueline Haney Kidwell 23. Re: OT computer question by Boyd Ostroff 24. Re: OT computer question by Boyd Ostroff 25. Re: OT computer question by Jerry Durand 26. Old Theaters and Electrical Isolation of the Fly System by "Brian D Shipinski" *** Please update the subject line of your reply to use the subject *** line of the message you are replying to! Please only reply to *** one message subject in each reply. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 12:27:23 -0400 Subject: Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage From: Mike Benonis Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Last spring, our high school produced Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate. While some may argue that the entire show was a hilarious performance, being set on Venus and with a giant mushroom set piece (I'm dead serious about this), I thought the funniest moment occurred when Fred was spanking Lilli. Lilli was leaning over a poorly built mushroom table, and in the middle of the spanking, the top of the table broke off of its center pole. Imagine the surprise when stage crew came out to retrieve the table! Best regards, -Mike Benonis Senior and Sound Designer/Technician Stone Bridge High School 43100 Hay Road Ashburn, VA 20147 (703) 779-8900 ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.2.1.2.0.20050417102153.0294cb28 [at] localhost> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 10:26:29 -0700 From: Jerry Durand Subject: Re: Wireless Intercom In-Reply-To: References: At 11:23 AM 4/15/2005, you wrote: >Oh, sweet bleeding Jesus! I'm betting that young Mr. Eddy is correct >about the product being the new (new-ish, anyway) HME DX200...and, >assuming that he is, I have one sitting about 3 feet from me. Pretty >sure it's real...and let's look at the manual...yep, 2.4GHz carrier, >frequency agile, and digitally encrypted. Now let me turn it on and try >to talk to my PM who's on the other side of this warehouse. Yep, all >the little lights came on and I can hear Cynthia just fine. Guess it >must be real. The only problem I'd have with 2.4GHz stuff is everybody is on that frequency, including microwave ovens and WiFi. It sounds like they did a good job of making that work, having designed a 2.5GHz modem, I know it isn't easy. In my home, my old 900MHz cordless phone works great while the newer 2.5GHz ones have a constant ticking on them from my pre-N WiFi. Using the 2.5GHz phones or the microwave would knock my 802.11b WiFi right off the air, at least the pre-N works, it just slows down to around 50M bits/second. ---------- Jerry Durand Durand Interstellar, Inc. 219 Oak Wood Way Los Gatos, California 95032-2523 USA tel: +1 408 356-3886 fax: +1 408 356-4659 web: www.interstellar.com ------------------------------ In-Reply-To: References: Message-Id: <5C3C3E6A-AF69-11D9-8BE7-000A9592AE20 [at] tany.com> From: Brian Aldous Subject: Re: A sad end to a long legacy... Bill McManus Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 13:51:43 -0400 In was there the second day. No serious bargains, except maybe for the guy who bought the whole back corner, which was obviously the "stuff too heavy to throw out easily" pile... it included at least 2 1/2 seriously dismembered carbon-arc follow spots. He got it for $5. BA Brian Aldous Lighting Design brian [at] tany.com On Apr 16, 2005, at 6:01 AM, Stagecraft wrote: Most of the "good" items seemed to be picked through before the auction, and things were placed in odd lots. ... So did anyone on list attend the actions either day? I was just wondering if there were bargains to be had? ... ------------------------------ Message-ID: <4262A430.6070406 [at] peak.org> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 11:00:16 -0700 From: Pat Kight Subject: Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage References: In-Reply-To: Mike Benonis wrote: > Last spring, our high school produced Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate. While > some may argue that the entire show was a hilarious performance, being set > on Venus and with a giant mushroom set piece ... Living proof that not all ideas are good ideas ... -- Pat Kight kightp [at] peak.org ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: "Jeffrey E. Salzberg" Subject: RE: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 14:09:23 -0400 Message-ID: <000401c54378$993326d0$6601a8c0 [at] Dell> In-Reply-To: > From: Pat Kight [mailto:kightp [at] peak.org] > > Last spring, our high school produced Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate. > > While some may argue that the entire show was a hilarious > performance, > > being set on Venus and with a giant mushroom set piece ... > > Living proof that not all ideas are good ideas ... Well, for one thing, everyone knows that "Kiss Me, Kate" is set on Uranus, which is obviously where they pulled that concept from. ------------------------------ From: "Tony Deeming" Subject: RE: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 19:11:45 +0100 Message-ID: In-Reply-To: -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of Pat Kight Sent: April 17, 2005 7:00 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- Mike Benonis wrote: > Last spring, our high school produced Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate. While > some may argue that the entire show was a hilarious performance, being set > on Venus and with a giant mushroom set piece ... Living proof that not all ideas are good ideas ... -- Pat Kight Our local G & S group once did "Iolanthe" with the fairies substituted by aliens...... Was VERY odd, I must say, and the last directed by that team! 8-)) Ynot ------------------------------ Message-ID: <000901c54389$23bf5750$0200a8c0 [at] lpt> From: Subject: Scrim repair Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 15:07:51 -0500 Organization: Minnesota Ballet Alex, I don't believe that scrim re-weaving ever got posted. What did get offered was stories of sewing or using a hoop and gluing scraps. I know the second is listed in the Technical Design Solutions for Theatre (The Technical Brief Collection Volume 2) on page 137, spot welding scrim with Sobo. Ken ------------------------------ Message-Id: Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 15:13:08 -0500 From: "Phil Johnson" Subject: Re: OT computer question Another problem is the drive directory is corrupt. Try running disk first aid and see if it shows up in the window. If it shows up try rebuilding the directory ie scan and repair the drive. This is usually the problem I have when a zip or other disc fails to mount or says it needs to be reformatted. The suggestion of taking the drive to another mac is a good one too. Try that too Philip Johnson Designer/Technical Director Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: "jsmith at theatrewireless.com" Subject: Radio Frequencies (was Wireless Intercom) Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 17:00:05 -0400 Organization: Home of the RC4 Wireless Dimmer System In-Reply-To: Message-Id: <20050417210008.UTSU27245.tomts25-srv.bellnexxia.net [at] p3m866> > The only problem I'd have with 2.4GHz stuff is everybody is > on that frequency, including microwave ovens and WiFi. It > sounds like they did a good job of making that work, having > designed a 2.5GHz modem, I know it isn't easy. > > In my home, my old 900MHz cordless phone works great while > the newer 2.5GHz ones have a constant ticking on them from my > pre-N WiFi. Using the 2.5GHz phones or the microwave would > knock my 802.11b WiFi right off the air, at least the pre-N > works, it just slows down to around 50M bits/second. There is some truth to this, and it's part of the reason we're using 914 - 921 Mhz for our RC4 wireless dimming system (among other technical decisions ensuring reliability). But the swaths (is this a word?) of frequencies from 900 - 999.999Mhz, and similarly from 2.4Ghz to 2.499999Ghz are huge (The latter being extremely huge). It wasn't that long ago that useable rf was limited to the range from supersonic to a hundred Mhz or a bit higher. Just the 2.4Ghz band has more bandwidth than all the history of radio for decades. Jim www.theatrewireless.com ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.2.1.2.0.20050417141504.035dedd8 [at] localhost> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 14:19:36 -0700 From: Jerry Durand Subject: Re: Radio Frequencies (was Wireless Intercom) In-Reply-To: References: At 02:00 PM 4/17/2005, you wrote: But the swaths (is this a word?) of frequencies from 900 - 999.999Mhz, and >similarly from 2.4Ghz to 2.499999Ghz are huge (The latter being extremely >huge). It wasn't that long ago that useable rf was limited to the range >from supersonic to a hundred Mhz or a bit higher. Just the 2.4Ghz band has >more bandwidth than all the history of radio for decades. It's amazing that with all that bandwidth, there's still so much interference. Of course cheap cordless phones don't use any of the "nice" things like spread spectrum so they tend to hog huge chunks of bandwidth. And, a microwave oven makes a REALLY good noise generator. The wireless modem I designed several years ago was bumped up to the 5GHz band to get away from most of the noise. I'm impressed with the progress made that lets the pre-N modems play nice with other gear trying to hog everything. ---------- Jerry Durand Durand Interstellar, Inc. 219 Oak Wood Way Los Gatos, California 95032-2523 USA tel: +1 408 356-3886 fax: +1 408 356-4659 web: www.interstellar.com ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <193.3dffa41b.2f943dd6 [at] aol.com> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 18:31:50 EDT Subject: Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage In a message dated 17/04/05 19:12:37 GMT Daylight Time, deeming.tony [at] btinternet.com writes: > Our local G & S group once did "Iolanthe" with the fairies substituted by > aliens...... > Was VERY odd, I must say, and the last directed by that team! > > 8-)) > > Ynot There are times when I regret the expiry of their copyright. Before then, you knew what you were getting. When you got your licence, you also got Gilbert's own production notes, which were to be followed to the letter. I remember being shocked to see the Grand Inquisitor, in "The Gondoliers" in a purple cassock rather than in the traditional black, with silver trim. This was by the D'Oyley Carte company, as well! There have been good extra-canonical productions. The ENO "Mikado", for example, although their "Princess Ida" was less good. And sometimes Gilbert's words need updated, particularly some of his topical allusions, of for Political Correctness. Some of his lyrics would have the thought police down on you. Even back in the thirties, some changes were made. In 'the punishment fits the crime' from "The Mikado", one verse ran: "The lady who dyes a chemical yellow Or stains her grey hair puce, Or pinches her figure, is blacked like a n****r With permanent walnut juice." I have these very words, unexpurgated, in a 1915 vocal score that I have. The current version, by A. P. Herbert, runs: "The lady who dyes a chemical yellow Or stains her grey hair green, Or pinched her figure, is painted with vigour A permanent ultramarine." Perhaps less emphatic, but more acceptable. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <8.669eee02.2f94413a [at] aol.com> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 18:46:18 EDT Subject: Re: Radio Frequencies (was Wireless Intercom) In a message dated 17/04/05 22:20:30 GMT Daylight Time, jdurand [at] interstellar.com writes: > And, a microwave oven makes a REALLY good noise generator. This surprises me. Magnetrons only work at one frequency, determined by their dimensions. Yes, there will be clicks or worse when they turn on and off. But that is the way their average power output is modulated. They are great for radar, and other pulse transmissions, but you can't modulate them. This is why high-power UHF transmitters still use klystrons, unless there are UHF power semiconductors around, these days. When I say high power, I am speaking of hundreds of kilowatts. Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: "Tony Deeming" Subject: RE: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 23:49:28 +0100 Message-ID: In-Reply-To: -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Sent: April 17, 2005 11:32 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 17/04/05 19:12:37 GMT Daylight Time, deeming.tony [at] btinternet.com writes: > Our local G & S group once did "Iolanthe" with the fairies substituted by > aliens...... > Was VERY odd, I must say, and the last directed by that team! > > 8-)) > > Ynot There are times when I regret the expiry of their copyright. Before then, you knew what you were getting. When you got your licence, you also got Gilbert's own production notes, which were to be followed to the letter. I remember being shocked to see the Grand Inquisitor, in "The Gondoliers" in a purple cassock rather than in the traditional black, with silver trim. This was by the D'Oyley Carte company, as well! There have been good extra-canonical productions. The ENO "Mikado", for example, although their "Princess Ida" was less good. And sometimes Gilbert's words need updated, particularly some of his topical allusions, of for Political Correctness. Some of his lyrics would have the thought police down on you. Even back in the thirties, some changes were made. In 'the punishment fits the crime' from "The Mikado", one verse ran: "The lady who dyes a chemical yellow Or stains her grey hair puce, Or pinches her figure, is blacked like a n****r With permanent walnut juice." I have these very words, unexpurgated, in a 1915 vocal score that I have. The current version, by A. P. Herbert, runs: "The lady who dyes a chemical yellow Or stains her grey hair green, Or pinched her figure, is painted with vigour A permanent ultramarine." Perhaps less emphatic, but more acceptable. Frank Wood Whilst I found the alien invasion a trifle odd (and even less believable perhaps than fairies!) I do firmly feel that G & S is in fact more than ripe in many ways for updating and modification. Gilbert set out to parody and ridicule the various elements of Victorian society, not least of all the aristocracy, so it is endemic, I think, to bring some of the more time served and outdated lines up to a more modern era, using references to more current famous faces/places/events. I am SURE that Gilbert, were he here today, would not only appreciate but support the modifications, and even make such himself (as well as collect the royalties, of course!). Ynot ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <198.3d2188da.2f9448bb [at] aol.com> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 19:18:19 EDT Subject: Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage In a message dated 17/04/05 23:50:38 GMT Daylight Time, deeming.tony [at] btinternet.com writes: > Gilbert set out to parody and ridicule the various elements of Victorian > society, not least of all the aristocracy, so it is endemic, I think, to > bring some of the more time served and outdated lines up to a more modern > era, using references to more current famous faces/places/events. I am SURE > that Gilbert, were he here today, would not only appreciate but support the > modifications, and even make such himself (as well as collect the royalties, > of course!). Parody, yes: ridicule, I think not. For all his acerbity, he was basically a gentle man. I am sure that some of the cartoons in The Guardian, and even in The Independent, would have shocked him by their savagery. Gilbert was never savage. Certainly, he would have found a lot of things out of which to take the mickey. But always with humour. That seems to be a skill we lack, these days. I do what I can, but it's not enough. Little that I read in the papers comes from the pen of a real humourist. Perhaps Bernard Levin was the last. Frank Wood ------------------------------ Message-ID: <4262F789.2070203 [at] fredonia.edu> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 19:55:53 -0400 From: "Stephen E. Rees" Reply-To: Rees [at] fredonia.edu Subject: Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage References: Salzberg shots from outside and SCORES!!!!! :) LMAO-MTMN! Steve Jeffrey E. Salzberg wrote: > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > --------------------------------------------------- > Well, for one thing, everyone knows that "Kiss Me, Kate" is set on > Uranus, which is obviously where they pulled that concept from. > ------------------------------ Message-ID: <45c56d3405041716565fd3fee7 [at] mail.gmail.com> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 19:56:32 -0400 From: Jared Fortney Reply-To: Jared Fortney Subject: Job Opening Hi all, A job opening for a rigger interested in branching out into circus rigging: Circus Smirkus-Head Rigger Duties include overseeing all aspects of acrobatic rigging in our 24-meter Big Top tent. Head Rigger participates in all show calls. Previous acrobatic rigging experience desirable. Position begins in May, 2005 and ends in August, 2005. Four weeks are spent at our headquarters in Greensboro, VT, with the remaining time spent on tour in New England. Salary, room, and board are provided. For more info see www.smirkus.org Ideal for a rigger looking for a short tour. I can answer general questions and point interested parties to those responsible for hiring. Thanks! --=20 Jared Fortney, TD Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour 2005 ------------------------------ From: "Jonathan S. Deull" Cc: jared.fortney [at] gmail.com ('Jared Fortney') Subject: RE: Job Opening Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 20:12:25 -0400 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: ...A job opening for a rigger interested in branching out into circus rigging: Circus Smirkus-Head Rigger... Jared: You should probably post this as well on the aerial riggers listserve: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aerialriggers Lots of good folk there. Jonathan jdeull [at] clarktransfer.com ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: "jsmith at theatrewireless.com" Subject: RE: Radio Frequencies (was Wireless Intercom) Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 20:40:07 -0400 Organization: Home of the RC4 Wireless Dimmer System In-Reply-To: Message-Id: <20050418004007.BFVU25800.tomts13-srv.bellnexxia.net [at] p3m866> > This surprises me. Magnetrons only work at one frequency, > determined by their dimensions. Yes, there will be clicks or > worse when they turn on and off. But that is the way their > average power output is modulated. > > They are great for radar, and other pulse transmissions, but > you can't modulate them. This is why high-power UHF > transmitters still use klystrons, unless there are UHF power > semiconductors around, these days. When I say high power, I > am speaking of hundreds of kilowatts. Perhaps the best book on this subject -- it's real can't-put-it-down-'til-the-end -- is "The Invention That Changed The World". It's all about the huge push to develop radar for WWII. This is definitely among the best books I've read in the last decade. The science is credible but easy to follow, the story telling and readability are superb, complete with suspense, surprise, and humor. My favorite part: British planes are flying over Germany with a somewhat improved ability to find and hit targets, due to early radar. But a rumor was started to divert suspicion: British pilots were said to be "eating a lot of carrots to vastly improve their eyesight." Today, people still think this carrot thing is a "fact". What a GREAT book! Check it out on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0684835290/102-0137455-9686559 ?v=glance Jim www.theatrewireless.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 20:57:15 -0400 Subject: Re: OT computer question From: Mike Benonis Message-ID: In-Reply-To: On 4/16/05 5:48 PM, "Boyd Ostroff" wrote: > On Sat, 16 Apr 2005, Steve Larson wrote: > >> No, no updates. I'm running OS 9.2.2. > > Aaarggh! OS X is so much more robust, but I can appreciate it that some > older machines may not be up to it without costly upgrades. It may be hard > to find software that will work under 9.2 for this. Maybe someone has an > old copy of Norton or DiskWarrior? I'll second this excellent suggestion of purchasing DiskWarrior. I recently had an iMac (running Mac OS X) go wonky and traced it to a damaged directory. I ran DiskWarrior, and in just a few minutes all was well again. FWIW, the current version of DiskWarrior for Mac OS X also comes with a Classic version that works all the way back to Mac OS 7.6, so you're covered no matter what Mac you need to fix. Best regards, -Mike Benonis Senior and Sound Designer/Technician Stone Bridge High School 43100 Hay Road Ashburn, VA 20147 (703) 779-8900 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 21:01:58 -0400 Subject: Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage From: Mike Benonis Message-ID: In-Reply-To: On 4/17/05 2:00 PM, "Pat Kight" wrote: > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > --------------------------------------------------- > > Mike Benonis wrote: > >> Last spring, our high school produced Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate. While >> some may argue that the entire show was a hilarious performance, being set >> on Venus and with a giant mushroom set piece ... > > Living proof that not all ideas are good ideas ... How true. Let's just say that the show and our department became pretty well known around the area, especially within the Cappies program (see http://www.cappies.com/ for more information on this great organization). Best regards, -Mike Benonis Senior and Sound Designer/Technician Stone Bridge High School 43100 Hay Road Ashburn, VA 20147 (703) 779-8900 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 21:11:18 -0400 Subject: Re: OT computer question From: "C. Dopher" Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Boyd: > On Sat, 16 Apr 2005, Steve Larson wrote: > >> No, no updates. I'm running OS 9.2.2. > > Aaarggh! OS X is so much more robust, but I can appreciate it that some > older machines may not be up to it without costly upgrades. *ahem* http://www.apple.com/macmini/ $500 ticket to hardware-recognizing goodness and the shiny, glimmering world of OSX. It is also a licensed psychotherapist and a certified personal trainer who will train you to win the Ironman. That last sentence may not be true. But the first one is. Cris Dopher, LD ------------------------------ Message-ID: <20050418014400.10339.qmail [at] web52003.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 18:44:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Jacqueline Haney Kidwell Subject: Re: Funniest performance you have seen at the theatre or on live stage In-Reply-To: 6667 > deeming.tony [at] btinternet.com writes: > > > Gilbert set out to parody and ridicule the various > elements of Victorian > > society, not least of all the aristocracy, If you're interested in hearing about all the permutations of Gilbert with and without Sullivan, there is a mailing list devoted to them and their works. http://www.cris.com/~oakapple/savoynet/ I'm the producer for the local G&S company (very traditional, for good or ill). Savoynet gets awfully verbose and occaisionally sort of snooty, but it is as wonderful a resource in its field as the stagecraft list. Jacqueline Haney Kidwell __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 21:42:46 -0400 (EDT) From: Boyd Ostroff Subject: Re: OT computer question In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: Heh, DiskWarrior saved my a$$ two years ago. At 3:00 AM the day before piano dress of a big opera with lots of video I had a near death experience! Was backing up about 100GB of DV between an internal and external firewire drive. Something went very wrong and both disks became corrupted. The external drive wouldn't even mount... I thought it was toasted. I didn't get much if any sleep that night. The next day I picked up DiskWarrior and ran it when I got home. It mounted the external drive and repaired it, along with the internal. Everything was fine after that. Boy was I ever relieved.... DiskWarrior definitely gets my vote! :-) | Boyd Ostroff | Director of Design and Technology | Opera Company of Philadelphia | http://tech.operaphilly.com | ostroff [at] operaphilly.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 21:53:18 -0400 (EDT) From: Boyd Ostroff Subject: Re: OT computer question In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: On Sun, 17 Apr 2005, C. Dopher wrote: > http://www.apple.com/macmini/ > $500 ticket to hardware-recognizing goodness and the shiny, glimmering world > of OSX. That certainly would be an inexpensive upgrade path from your old iMac. Or choose an eMac if you like that form factor, and the price is still very reasonable. Every review I've seen of the mini has loved it. However this is at least 3 year old state of the art hardware. In fact, it's not the mini that everyone loves... it's OS X. I have to say that Apple has finally come into its own starting with Jaguar (OS X 10.2), continuing with Panther (10.3) and now Tiger in less than two weeks. I used to be jealous that PC's were so much more responsive than Macs. Not anymore, they have really tuned OS X to work on very modest hardware. I put Panther on my old G4/733 and gave it to a friend recently. It feels more responsive than her 2.4 ghz Win XP laptop... not to mention that the laptop constantly crashes. She loves it. The G4 also runs much better than it ever did under MacOS 9. As comfortable as I was with system 9, it was really a kludge (not unlike MS Windows) and it didn't use the hardware very efficiently. Now Microsoft appears to be delaying the release of their next generation operating system yet again. Apple is finally gaining momentum. Not to mention the fact that I'm a *very* happy AAPL shareholder :-) | Boyd Ostroff | Director of Design and Technology | Opera Company of Philadelphia | http://tech.operaphilly.com | ostroff [at] operaphilly.com ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.2.1.2.0.20050417190101.035aa8e8 [at] localhost> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 19:04:15 -0700 From: Jerry Durand Subject: Re: OT computer question In-Reply-To: References: At 06:53 PM 4/17/2005, you wrote: >>http://www.apple.com/macmini/ >>$500 ticket to hardware-recognizing goodness and the shiny, glimmering world >>of OSX. > >That certainly would be an inexpensive upgrade path from your old iMac. Or >choose an eMac if you like that form factor, and the price is still very >reasonable. We recently got a Mac mini with OS X Server on it and are in the process of moving our web page and e-mail onto it. So far, it works very well, even if the OS X security update from the end of March hosed all the IMAP servers. I just installed 10.3.9 and all seems well. I'd recommend it, good price, small, low power, works. ---------- Jerry Durand Durand Interstellar, Inc. 219 Oak Wood Way Los Gatos, California 95032-2523 USA tel: +1 408 356-3886 fax: +1 408 356-4659 web: www.interstellar.com ------------------------------ Message-ID: <00a001c543d1$fc20efd0$3ce4490c [at] briansbyukf8iv> From: "Brian D Shipinski" References: Subject: Old Theaters and Electrical Isolation of the Fly System Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 23:49:19 -0500 Grounding the fly system and the shame of the roots in theater and classic spaces The shame of having theater as a goal in similar discussions of grounding systems, certifications, and Delrin is that what one dreams early on of in many instances of you controlling other than a theater space but not the production in the classic sense often no longer exists. There is no longer a classic TD position having full charge of a theater in the productions it presents - or rarely above that of a school or very rare theater in a classic sense in presenting it's own on a full classic stage. For years, that dream in trying to follow haunted me in not finding it but wishing for it. A few long years ago I worked in a hemp house that had been converted to Bronze and Iron Sash thru dubious means in safety and use. It like many places over the years had to have extreme effort on the management side to just keep the doors open, but the safety and working sides of it fell to the wayside in lack of budget and staff or making do. This as a given the original staff ever had the qualifications and knowledge as theorized in some romantic sense of them having the answers back than. I remember a photo of Bill Sapsis or Jones in the long past and see a type of theater I would wish to be at in just doing the show of my dreams, yet somehow know what was done in the past could not have been much more than what is in debate now for what's proper. Now this place I worked at is a lot better off than it was as opposed to another even larger theater in the area that still I think has not been touched since the 70's, in the fly system rusting in place and that Bronze Sash cord I once saw while working a show at. Yep, given there was a foot of water in the dressing rooms/dimmer room, we rented a generator because I was not willing to turn on the dimmers even if the water receded in time and I were only other than semi-qualified. This is in Chicago, one should not have to walk on lumber islands in the water to get to 1920s era dimmers and main power tie in's or breakers even if you rented dimmers no matter how romantic and history. There were things that I just did not question sufficiently about the place given the budget in hiring me at the time. It would seem in this place that still rents normally to low budget raves, and they still use the fly system and electrical system at their own risk given no house supervision or care. Sticky floors and all, I have not been back since but am curious in not mentioning names but if anyone knows from where on Milwaukee Ave of that I speak if it has gotten better or if they got the full tour. This given the dressing rooms under the stage were deep enough in water I did not bother with the complete tour, they were a dark zone I did not venture into no matter the curiosity of a classic theater. Given I was only ME for the non-union local presenter in a touring show, my thoughts on not renting there did not go far. As opposed to tales in the city of flash light tours of old boarded up stages go get gear from them, or having to repel down onto the stage between the ancient drapes and drops because the rest of the building had already been torn down and walled up I had been told of in some local other theaters visited, this place is still in operation - sort of in being unsafe but doors open, and in some semblance what was is preserved. Water was still there on the dressing room level during the show thus I never got the full tour. Far too many condos going up and classic theaters going down in the city. Ever so many classic stages and even bath houses in wonder about, now a condo. In seeing the demise of some old theater of the past while on lunch across the street, somehow the face of the building in being left in place does not compensate for the lost history of it's stage no matter it's now Goodman intent. I remember even the old Goodman in being something that was of interest to be at. Some of me wishes I could wind up in a classic theater to be re-opened and do classic theater or TD work, almost got my chance at one theater, but the suburb of Chicago Mayor/President in having been sent to jail for corruption did not get a large enough pay off in re-opening the place at the time I was to be TD of it's re-opening. This classic theater's doors are still closed due to lack of payoff and now lack of investment into it given the deal went south for my last chance at becoming a TD in a classic sense even if more now rave based than theater. Final days there were spent in removing road box after road box worth of lighting equipment we delivered in it being a done deal. The theater if not by now torn down is still dark I expect in also wondering about it. Long story in that primary theater I still consider home, about fixing what I could than walking eventually for tax issues amongst other things. Their pay is on the level of un-skilled people off the street labor and luck that the system has not fallen down because that's what they ended up with in riggers learning as they go or teach themselves. No matter if now using a double purchase system as "saved" from a theater being torn down, it was not installed professionally or by even remotely trained people. While there has been major capital improvements on the space including even digging out a deeper orchestra pit and even an elevator requiring the front of the building to be torn off, none of the work was professionally done as per large scale. Or even when professionally done, done as cheap as possible. Something about an entire wing of the school part of the building now offices, rehearsal halls and studio theaters in being on the same circuit - except the studio theater I wired under the supervision of the real electrician working on the stage for it's new power. While the electric was done well, given my experience, the dead hung grid I wonder about at times. Ever so much I even in the 90's did not know or understand yet in being most qualified. The electricians working on the place just ran two hots and no neutral to each half of each floor initially. The Polish electrician immigrants couldn't read the blue prints or electrical layout I had drawn up, much less did not speak English in being corrected. Wiring having been done while for the most part corrected for 120v I'm sure has constant circuit overload problems. At some point there was nothing to do about lack of conduit and circuit runs, much less the nightmare of the circuit breaker panel in what in wiring was what just put anywhere without labels verses what was designed specifically and expected in a connect A to B type of way as approved in plan by the architect and electrician. Really bad experience in being the house electrician with the remodeling. Both because I was the most qualified on hand but under qualified, and the pro's on hand in doing so as in theory licenced electricians were even less so than I. The real electrician's work or running past stage dimmer power to the front of the school went like clockwork given lots of lube and inspection of the conduit I installed, the simple runs to an Edison outlet once main power was run on the other hand the work by the other contractors went like crap in some things are just not worth the language barriers and screwing up the loading balance I was prepared to deal with. At some point, it became necessary to do one's best to reconcile what was done in making it work after some re-patching - qualified or not. When I got to the theater and long before it's first phase of improvements there was still four 1926 linesets on the pin rail gallery bolted to the back wall. They were donut based counter weight linesets that were without locks on them for some un-used boarder lights in the way and so unsafe nobody dared to touch them in even bringing them out of trim. Didn't even travel all the way out of the way or onto the stage. Just a rope and foot block bolted to the back wall for some banks of 20' lights per pipe one could prospectively wash the stage with and change lamps to in the past. Me going to remove them educated me in really old hand lines breaking. First one I moved had it's hand line end up coiling about my head and the bar crashing once put into motion. Learned a lot from that place and still find it curious when I re-visit. This both in what I did, and what I saw as olden days and not safe in keeping but still in use. Recently on a visit, I recommended reading a copy of The Stage Rigging Handbook I left behind and saw in the Theater Manager's office to the new "Master Rigger" I was introduced to. That type of place where even if the front office was in the origional church school's library and it's filled with books on stagecraft, the paycheck to paycheck working stiffs at a job back stage have no concept of the problems they have as already in some way having an answer by way of books surrounding the theater manager. Nor the concept that they in working on a stage, might just read a few. He was doing his best as an honest effort as no doubt similar to someone from the 20's, but only when given time between mopping the lobby floor and other duties originally hired to do. He was genuinely doing his best but was still not trained above another past employee I had to train in him in helping me than as other than a rigger, now occasionally stopping by to instruct further in the care for the system or it's upgrade. This other guy was not trained sufficiently given even I in teaching him did not know what I do now in now them having someone working on third hand knowledge but being the "Master Rigger." Not that I would pass thefly system rigging course, but experience now verses initially is very useful. There is a TD of sorts to the theater that has been there since the 1960's and before but his role is now more care taker door man and even when I was there he was not likely to climb to the grid or know much about the real rigging beyond what was necessary in the 1970's to convert from hemp to Bronze Sash cord. Asbestos wiring and un-grounded fixtures are still on hand, though the asbestos pipes with holes in them near where you sit on the toilet backstage have a fresh coat of paint on them to help seal them above what was once. Onto the point and sort of question: Somewhere between 1926 and say 1996, some type of electrical isolation balls with attachment loops were installed between the pipe and it's odd non-hemp block damaging bronze wire rope was installed so as to isolate it from the fly system. This given the electrical drop lines were un-grounded in using the original 1926 drop lines for the electrical circuits meant that any short in the lights on a pipe did stay on the pipe for better or worse. My attempts in providing a original drop line with one less circuit ended up with sparks in system that the TD/Care Taker banned after having patched the wrong wires to the patch panel still in use. He banned grounded drop lines other than the otherwise spot lines after that. In some ways I in last visit was glad to see the exposed wiring in the Cypress Creek dimmer bank gone from the other fly rail gallery and wonder at it's demise, in other ways given it's analog dimming curve on working even on neon lights and it's dependability, it outlasted the Kliegl dimmers still there by years or might out last the other bank of theorized ETC dimmers. Think they were ETC but the visit into the past was not long enough. Amazing, double pipes in some cases as opposed to in some cases the original ones the theater was rigged with. It has made some advances, but I did not wander up to the grid. Don't much remember the cross over catwalk between galleries beyond it being very scary but a classic element, but it was also gone in the scrap dealer removing it having some interesting tales related about it's demise. That business manager I once despised in not paying me sufficiently or even taking taxes out now is a good source for tales about the improvements since. While he is the key to this theater's unsafe practices, still while the old TD is the source for the doors staying open during the dark days of the 1970's, this business manager, lawyer by trade is the key to it continuing to be open and expand now still in staying open. Much less in theory following building or electrical code in exit lights being attached before the breakers or other stuff added on later in otherwise it blowing the main. The hack work by the past making do. His efforts as manager are now in saving the classic theater and it's assorted spaces now three studio theater spaces that once were Catholic high school classroom spaces in making them viable is of understanding in some overall sense. Short of both of them, the 1926 German Opera Theater will have been long since closed down. On the other hand, his choices have no doubt been hard ones in keeping the other than IA labor operating costs low enough to keep the most important things done beyond even what is thought to be safe and important by the tech staff. Given what's done has been cheap to get it done and at times other than safe, still the theater has it's doors open as opposed to other spaces that went condo, and it is growing rather than hanging on. With time, even in a fly system, what was at best as safe as possible way back when, when I was the Master Rigger in theory, in having less floor mopping duties than rigging did get it's even if used and improperly supervised upgrade to most of it's linesets. This while still some abortion of wire guided at an angle to fit within the original gallery above grid designed for it's pin-rail system. No doubt the new system hits the above floor just as much as the last one did when weighted unless they removed a major structural member above. One can wonder also if what was romantically done in the past was all that safe in people doing stuff given the texts written on the subject. Even good texts now often seem archaic at times. Argument might be done here in while unsafe to do by today's standards and realization, if this theater manager did not have some merit in fixing what you can and improving as you go while staying alive type of training as similar to theater managers of the past. Tech people might in the past have been more able to make a dime grow in doing the job safely, or even in lack of training but doing the romantic sense of the job, but in keeping the theater viable, while I have defiant differences in safety, his goals seem to have worked out rather than those that see the detail over overall picture. One might expect the next hire to be a real Master Rigger there. This all as opposed to the days when I has plugged the Major Lighting Plano Convex, w/o lens in backwards to some pre-NEMA L1-15 outlet by mistake. Than attempted to bend a piece of small Sch. 40 pipe on the support for the 1960's new location for the pin rail and current location for it on the main stage deck. Such a location for the counter-lock fly system on the deck as opposed to the pin rail gallery above required a definate angle to the wire guide fly system which well loaded and un-spreader plate arbors crashed against the floor of. The index light caused the pipe to spark once it touched the safety pipe above the fly system. Defiant short somewhere in the fixture, but the old TD was satisfied to leave it alone as long as plugged in correctly given warnings to do so but no way of ensuring it. Even given the isolation balls in the fly system of unknown age on those linesets using them, much less bronze and Iron Sash cord in replacing the hemp for those usable linesets, the effects of current in the fly system wire rope given some of it dated back to the 1970's. Such isolation of the pipe from a ground of any type certainly endangered my life though I did not realize it at the time. Than again we had the wooden A-Frame on casters also so I would hopefully also be semi-safe given no fall protection anywhere in the theater but a old boson's chair for use when working on certain elements of the fly system . This above the "Old Man of the Theater" now for the most part door man I learned a lot from but advanced beyond. For hint to those knowing Chicago Theater, "Uncle Fester" would be a hint in him being history but no longer being of value by today's standards. Anyway, in rigging the little balls to the fly system to isolate the pipe, I still in becoming reminded about them wonder about their safety in isolating the fly system in general as opposed to someone sitting above a A-Frame in while it wood still focusing from above it. Much less to the index light at the pin rail. What will have been safer, that fly system isolated - given Bronze or Iron Sash Cord, or someone atop a A-Frame castered ladder in focusing the equipment? Curious as to the use of the isolated fly system balls given they were meant to isolate a un-grounded drop line electrical circuit. Can anyone further lend some history as to what they were or the intent of them were? Sorry if I write too much, but it all I'm sure plays an interesting tale of the past. Brian Shipinski ------------------------------ End of Stagecraft Digest #367 *****************************