{"id":2515,"date":"2015-03-23T10:53:52","date_gmt":"2015-03-23T15:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/ziegelbaur\/?p=2515"},"modified":"2015-03-23T11:19:19","modified_gmt":"2015-03-23T16:19:19","slug":"the-show-must-go-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/ziegelbaur\/?p=2515","title":{"rendered":"The Show Must Go On!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The Council meet New York Director Margo – while rain competes with actors the first night.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A highlight of the school year is when the Drama Class puts on their play. \u00a0They have been learning parts, building stage sets and props for several weeks. \u00a0I’ve been watching their progress with great interest – not just as their Guidance Counselor, but as mother of a couple of the students. \u00a0Click here for a blog post about preparations for the play<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This year the play was “Barbecuing Hamlet” a comedy about a community theater who hires a New York director for their play of Hamlet, set in the Old West! \u00a0Needless to say, zaniness ensues! \u00a0What we were not prepared for was all the extra zaniness this year!<\/p>\n

\"Community<\/a>
Community Theater actors rehearse for Hamlet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For starters, during the final week of preparation before the play, known as “Production Week” when students practice after school each day, both of the teachers for the class – director and set director – became ill.<\/p>\n

Then, on opening night, the first several minutes of the play were drowned out by the sound of rain pounding on the auditorium roof. \u00a0Once that stopped, the rest of the night went smoothly enough. \u00a0It was a full house, and a rousing success!<\/p>\n

That night the rains came again, with strong wind causing a tree to fall on the high tension wires. \u00a0Read all about that fiasco here.<\/a>\u00a0 But Ron wasn’t worried, after all, the generator, our alternative power source, is below the damage from the storm.<\/p>\n

\"Ron<\/a>
Ron trying to get the generator to work for the 2nd night of the play<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, when he tried to start the generator that afternoon for make-up and play preparations, it kept cutting out. \u00a0He could not get it to stay on! \u00a0Meanwhile, our students were flexible, and did make-up outside!<\/p>\n

\"Make-up<\/a>
Make-up outside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eventually Ron set up a small generator just enough to power the stage lights – with several extension cords so the sound of the generator would not drown out the actors.<\/p>\n

However, he didn’t know that the fuel filter needed cleaning, so part way into the play, the generator quit, and cut out part of the lights. \u00a0Thankfully Kristy, the set director, had purchased new LED lights for the stage, and these were powered by a box that held a charge for a little while. \u00a0Ron spent the night running back and forth from auditorium to generator turning it back on when it gave out.<\/p>\n

\"Snacks<\/a>
Snacks served on the Pavilion served by the 9th Grade Class…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During intermission the 9th grade class sold snacks on the Pavilion. \u00a0For lighting there a car was driven up onto the soccer field above to shine headlights onto the Pavilion. \u00a0Audience members generally had flashlights with them — it just added to a more unique atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\"...lighted<\/a>
…lighted by headlights!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Back for the 2nd half of the show, the small generator had had some down time to rest and begin again with full lights… for a while!<\/p>\n

So at times we had full lights.<\/p>\n

\"Full<\/a>
Full lighting on stage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At times there were only colored LED lights.<\/p>\n

\"Partial<\/a>
Partial lighting on the stage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And at times all the lights gave out and people were stationed near the front with flashlights to use for stage lighting!<\/p>\n

\"Flashlights<\/a>
Flashlights lighting the stage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One thing I didn’t even know until it was over — Ben, who had been in charge of the lights, had to do quite a bit of switch flipping to get the pre-programmed lights up to the right place each time the power went out! \u00a0And he handled it very well.<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/a>
Ben in the “lighting booth” — his expression says it all!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This crazy production, made even crazier by the unusual circumstances only proves to us again what amazing students we have at RFIS. \u00a0They had a great time, were not flustered, and were even heard singing during the intermission songs like “Shine Jesus Shine” and “Amazing Grace”.<\/p>\n

In all the power problems over the weekend, and following, there are also evidences that God is in control.<\/p>\n