Y'all have heard about that movie, right? With Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman and they make a list of things to do before they kick the bucket?
Well, last week at work, Ken (our hospitality specialist) told us during round-up at the end of the night that there was a lady there a few nights ago who was doing just that. She had a list of things that she wanted to do before she died and seeing TEXAS! was one of them. Ken told us that this woman really enjoyed herself while she was here and everyone was very kind and friendly and made her feel comfortable. It made me feel really good to know that I was a part of fulfilling one of someone's wishes.
Oh, by the way....There was another beautiful rainbow the other day. I took some pictures with my phone because I didn't have my camera. As soon as I figure out how to get them from my phone to my computer, I'll get them uploaded.
In the meantime, look for pictures of the theater soon! I actually had my camera with me one day last week! You'll be able to find them on facebook, but my next post will definitely be pictures of my workplace.
I hope everyone is having a fantastic summer! I will definitely try to blog a bit more often. I know I've been slacking a little.
Y'all have a wonderful day, now!
~Jen
Monday, June 29, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Thunderstorms in the Canyon
It's been a while since I've last posted about my internship in the Palo Duro Canyon, and I apologize for that. I've been staying really busy! There is a dance class every day at 3:30 that I've been trying to go to--it really kicks my ass, but it's totally worth it. Every other day is ballet and on the other days it is modern. Then on Sundays it is something different. This Sunday it was jazz.
I have yet to hear anything about master classes, but I figure a dance class is as good as anything else! A new skill to have, at least.
This past Sunday at work, I had to give my first bus tour by myself. (A bus tour is when one of the trained tour guides hop on the bus with the tour group and give them a tour of the Canyon.) Luckily, I had a book with me that Matt had made so I didn't have to know everything off the top of my head. And I had one other girl with me, but she hadn't even been trained at all yet. It was a bit nerve-racking, but we were giving this tour to a group of jr. high students, so that made it a little less scary.
A fun fact that I learned is that Palo Duro means "hard wood." It's because of all of the mesquite, juniper, and cottonwood trees that inhabit the canyon. Pretty cool, huh?
Well, I do enjoy giving back stage tours a lot more than bus tours. It's not that it's easier or more difficult, I just find it more fun!
It also rained on Sunday. A HUGE thunderstorm rolled in just before intermission. But it was perfect timing on God's part because there is a thunderstorm scene, right before intermission, and Corey and Stephanie (the actors) are meant to be dancing in the rain. It couldn't have started raining at a more perfect moment. Then, as patrons were wandering around during intermission, it POURED. I was soaking wet when I got home on Sunday night. It was a fun time, because Texas rain is for shiz better than Illinois rain. Definitely not as cold, anyway.
That's all I've got for the moment, but I have to get ready for this afternoon. I have CPR/AED training in about an hour and I have no idea how to get to the fire station in town, so I need to make a couple of phone calls.
I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!
~Jen
I have yet to hear anything about master classes, but I figure a dance class is as good as anything else! A new skill to have, at least.
This past Sunday at work, I had to give my first bus tour by myself. (A bus tour is when one of the trained tour guides hop on the bus with the tour group and give them a tour of the Canyon.) Luckily, I had a book with me that Matt had made so I didn't have to know everything off the top of my head. And I had one other girl with me, but she hadn't even been trained at all yet. It was a bit nerve-racking, but we were giving this tour to a group of jr. high students, so that made it a little less scary.
A fun fact that I learned is that Palo Duro means "hard wood." It's because of all of the mesquite, juniper, and cottonwood trees that inhabit the canyon. Pretty cool, huh?
Well, I do enjoy giving back stage tours a lot more than bus tours. It's not that it's easier or more difficult, I just find it more fun!
It also rained on Sunday. A HUGE thunderstorm rolled in just before intermission. But it was perfect timing on God's part because there is a thunderstorm scene, right before intermission, and Corey and Stephanie (the actors) are meant to be dancing in the rain. It couldn't have started raining at a more perfect moment. Then, as patrons were wandering around during intermission, it POURED. I was soaking wet when I got home on Sunday night. It was a fun time, because Texas rain is for shiz better than Illinois rain. Definitely not as cold, anyway.
That's all I've got for the moment, but I have to get ready for this afternoon. I have CPR/AED training in about an hour and I have no idea how to get to the fire station in town, so I need to make a couple of phone calls.
I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!
~Jen
Friday, June 5, 2009
Only The Rain Can Bring A Rainbow
Tonight (Thursday) as I was greeting people and directing them as to where they could sit and answering questions, it was raining. And not only do I mean raining. I mean POURING. So, there I was, standing at the gate to the house, in a WHITE button-up shirt, soaking wet.
When I turned around to answer someone's question, though, I realized that the pouring rain and being soaking wet was well worth it. There, behind where Shian and I were standing, through the trees and across the canyon, was the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. Ever. And there were TWO of them!
The show went well tonight, and everything ran smoothly. We open tomorrow, and I'll update ya'll on how everything in the first week goes. I just HAD to share the marvelousness with everyone! (I wish I had had my camera on me, I would have taken a picture, but I'm sure there will be other moments to get a snapshot of a rainbow over the canyon.)
Have a lovely day!
~Jen
When I turned around to answer someone's question, though, I realized that the pouring rain and being soaking wet was well worth it. There, behind where Shian and I were standing, through the trees and across the canyon, was the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. Ever. And there were TWO of them!
The show went well tonight, and everything ran smoothly. We open tomorrow, and I'll update ya'll on how everything in the first week goes. I just HAD to share the marvelousness with everyone! (I wish I had had my camera on me, I would have taken a picture, but I'm sure there will be other moments to get a snapshot of a rainbow over the canyon.)
Have a lovely day!
~Jen
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Barn Parties and Grunt Work
As everyone already knows, I got to Texas last Tuesday. I'm all settled in now--for the most part anyway--and am still kind of trying to make the apartment feel like a home. I've been able to keep myself busy, which is good. I have a light design that I've started working on and there are a few other random things that I've needed to get done. If you know me, then you know that I enjoy staying busy!
Last Friday night was my first night to really meet anyone else (other than my roommates) who are working on the show. The company threw a barn party at the stables across the street from our apartment complex as a meet and greet with the folks who are on the board of the company. There was dinner, dancing, and a live and silent auction to raise money for the company. I enjoyed meeting everyone and I am so glad that when I'm in a room full of other people now who are part of the company I actually know someone!
ALSO, I absolutely love all of the people I'm working with who are on the hospitality team with me. They are all fabulous people and I'm really looking forward to getting to know all of them. I'll keep you posted on if they all remain fabulous or not....just kidding! I'm sure they will remain fabulous. Everyone is really helpful and ready to jump in and do things. It's really GREAT to work with people who are ready to do anything.
Tuesday night was my first night of job training, and I feel like it went really well. Everyone on the hospitality team broke up into their individual groups and we did training that way for a while then got back together again for some more specific training and recieved information about ushering and grounds work.
I guess this is the part where I tell you what I'm doing for the whole summer....
Bascially.... Everyone is going to be ushering at some point or other throughout the summer. There is a very specific schedule that has been made up (and is also currently being revised, since some people are only working four days a week), so we all usher in shifts.
At the beginning of each night, another girl (Shain) and I will do grounds--which basically means we will walk throughout the entire theater (house, bathrooms, walkways, courtyard, etc.) and pick up any garbage that is lying around. When we open the house, Shain and I will take our places at the gate to greet everyone and tear tickets. It's one of those tedious jobs, it also means that we get to meet lots of people, and I absolutely love working close to people. I feel like I'm a friendly person, and this will give me a chance to work on my people skills! Yay!
After we're done tearing tickets, we head up to usher for half an hour, then do grounds, then usher again. It's basically in half hour segments, and we get one 15 minute break.
BUT, the most exciting part (at least what I think is the most exciting part) is that I get to give tours! I will be giving tours of the theater and of the Palo Duro Canyon (like bus tours). We don't give tours every night, but I'm so excited to be able to tell patrons the history of the theater and the canyon! I'm just excited to learn the history of the canyon. I was reading through the tour guide handbook tonight, and there's some pretty interesting stuff--rock formations and such--in the canyon. Which means I'm also going to have to drive through the canyon--further into it than I have been going. I suppose that means my next day off will have to be devoted to exploring the canyon and learning about it.
Anyway.... Tonight was the first night of real work, although we didn't actually have people coming with paid tickets. It was one of those nights that we theatre-y folk like to call a 'preview.' People who work at the local hotels and restaurants were invited to come for The Big Texan dinner (which I get to try tomorrow night!) and the show.
The 'real' work tonight came before the show started. What I'm referring to as 'grunt work' was having to sit in the hot sun in the house and peel tape off of all of the chairs that are by the aisles. I have blisters on my fingers and my nails are broken, but I can't really complain because it's work that needs to be done.
That's all for now, folks.
I will definitely keep you posted. Opening night is Friday and we're sold out! I'm so excited to see what a regular night is like at "TEXAS!"
I hope ya'll are having a wonderful summer so far, but I can guarantee that it's not as fabulous as mine has been!
Jen
Last Friday night was my first night to really meet anyone else (other than my roommates) who are working on the show. The company threw a barn party at the stables across the street from our apartment complex as a meet and greet with the folks who are on the board of the company. There was dinner, dancing, and a live and silent auction to raise money for the company. I enjoyed meeting everyone and I am so glad that when I'm in a room full of other people now who are part of the company I actually know someone!
ALSO, I absolutely love all of the people I'm working with who are on the hospitality team with me. They are all fabulous people and I'm really looking forward to getting to know all of them. I'll keep you posted on if they all remain fabulous or not....just kidding! I'm sure they will remain fabulous. Everyone is really helpful and ready to jump in and do things. It's really GREAT to work with people who are ready to do anything.
Tuesday night was my first night of job training, and I feel like it went really well. Everyone on the hospitality team broke up into their individual groups and we did training that way for a while then got back together again for some more specific training and recieved information about ushering and grounds work.
I guess this is the part where I tell you what I'm doing for the whole summer....
Bascially.... Everyone is going to be ushering at some point or other throughout the summer. There is a very specific schedule that has been made up (and is also currently being revised, since some people are only working four days a week), so we all usher in shifts.
At the beginning of each night, another girl (Shain) and I will do grounds--which basically means we will walk throughout the entire theater (house, bathrooms, walkways, courtyard, etc.) and pick up any garbage that is lying around. When we open the house, Shain and I will take our places at the gate to greet everyone and tear tickets. It's one of those tedious jobs, it also means that we get to meet lots of people, and I absolutely love working close to people. I feel like I'm a friendly person, and this will give me a chance to work on my people skills! Yay!
After we're done tearing tickets, we head up to usher for half an hour, then do grounds, then usher again. It's basically in half hour segments, and we get one 15 minute break.
BUT, the most exciting part (at least what I think is the most exciting part) is that I get to give tours! I will be giving tours of the theater and of the Palo Duro Canyon (like bus tours). We don't give tours every night, but I'm so excited to be able to tell patrons the history of the theater and the canyon! I'm just excited to learn the history of the canyon. I was reading through the tour guide handbook tonight, and there's some pretty interesting stuff--rock formations and such--in the canyon. Which means I'm also going to have to drive through the canyon--further into it than I have been going. I suppose that means my next day off will have to be devoted to exploring the canyon and learning about it.
Anyway.... Tonight was the first night of real work, although we didn't actually have people coming with paid tickets. It was one of those nights that we theatre-y folk like to call a 'preview.' People who work at the local hotels and restaurants were invited to come for The Big Texan dinner (which I get to try tomorrow night!) and the show.
The 'real' work tonight came before the show started. What I'm referring to as 'grunt work' was having to sit in the hot sun in the house and peel tape off of all of the chairs that are by the aisles. I have blisters on my fingers and my nails are broken, but I can't really complain because it's work that needs to be done.
That's all for now, folks.
I will definitely keep you posted. Opening night is Friday and we're sold out! I'm so excited to see what a regular night is like at "TEXAS!"
I hope ya'll are having a wonderful summer so far, but I can guarantee that it's not as fabulous as mine has been!
Jen
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