BWW Blog: Meet Ashley Ward of Off-Broadway's 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL - Tech Week Tango
By: Guest Blogger: Ashley Ward Mar. 03, 2014
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Prior to last week, I hadn't really done a tech week since college. I have a BFA in Musical Theater, but most of my time in New York has been spent in the improv and sketch comedy world where tech consists of an hour or two (usually late at night when the theater is finished with shows) doing the best you can to make your show work with the lights that are up. There is usually just one person doing tech and everyone involved is freaking out about how we'll never be ready. Needless to say that is not how tech week for 50 Shades! went down.
There is a village of people with teeny tiny lights out in the audience (and backstage) making sure everyone is lit, miked, clothed, bewigged, bepropped etc. There is a ton of spike marks and glow tape being laid down to make sure the time spent teching isn't a total waste once the blinding lights come on and an audience is upon us! So much stuff that can really be taken for granted but it's what makes the whole thing work as if by magic.
All of this takes time. A LOT of time and a lot of standing around. I counted the standing as exercise on Fit Pal (it was my only entry). During that time actors start to get antsy and bored. Thankfully our cast and crew is full of hilarious, fun people who are also easy on the eyes. So while we were waited to move to the next cue we spent a lot of time laughing, acting like idiots and ogling each other. Thank goodness we all get along like gangbusters! Otherwise this blog post might have taken a far more solemn turn.
That's about it for now. I have to get ready for a two show day! Next time I'll talk a bit about the new character added to our show: the audience! Until then, as Christian Grey would say, "Laters baby!"
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