My favorite famous person

For some of us, the closest we'll ever get to fame is to know or be related to someone who has become famous. I feel that way with my connection to my sister RevaBeth Loveridge-Russell who recently won the 2006 Science Educator of the Year given by the Utah Museum of Natural History.

The following article, published in the Provo, Utah "Daily Herald", does a great job of describing what a great job my sister does and why she deserves the recent honors:

Building a learning playground for students
CATHY ALLRED - North County Staff
Wednesday, November 22, 2006

RevaBeth Russell begins teaching first period in Lehi High School classroom #105 at just past Fluorine before Oxygen by her wall clock. Each number, 1 through 12, is covered by its corresponding element from the Periodic Table according to its atomic number. The time spent in her classroom is an academic experience most students will never forget. Russell has won multiple awards for her talent and skill in entertaining, captivating and teaching her students.

"After great, great thought, you know I get some money with this latest award, I thought I would get a hearing aid for you guys, wouldn't that be awesome?" she asks the class. "And by the way I'm wearing a karyotype." A standardized arrangement of all the chromosomes of a cell, her "Designer Genes" T-shirt is part of the lesson on
chromosomes and replication that was being taught in her AP Biology class Friday. Visual and hands-on demonstrations, fun facts, sing-alongs, analogies from her life and mnemonic games are all part of the magical weave of scientific knowledge that Russell has created in her classroom for 24 years.

"Mrs. Russell places high priority on hands-on learning experiences," LHS Principal Chuck Bearce wrote in his recommendation for her latest award. "Students grow plants, hatch butterflies, and care for animals in her classroom." She grabs a large towel having a student hold one end and she the other, both twisting it until it has "condensed" to its smallest shape demonstrating part of the replication process for a chromosome.

"Let me finish this and then I'll get excited about something else," Russell tells the students after getting sidetracked onto telomeres, end caps of chromosomes.

At first glimpse, her classroom is a cluttered disarray of plants, posters, bugs, shells and bones but it is an attention deficit disorder person's learning layground. Long-dead cicadas, large brown bugs, are glued to the ceiling as though they are just crawling out of the air vent. Students have cut, constructed and colored paper into "viruses" and strung them on a continuous cord around the room above their desks. Signs, posters, witty cartoons about sciences abound in the room. "It takes Alkynes to make a world," reads a bumper sticker.

A live and large African turtle, dubbed by Russell as "Turtle," reposes in a backroom corner while the class listens to their teacher tell them when they have spaghetti for dinner at home they can show their families the anaphase process with rigatoni and spaghetti noodles.

"Overheads are so boring, I'm getting bored," she says and asks students to get out their hymnals. They sing "Diploid" by RevaBeth Russell to the tune of the Flintstone's theme song singing about games and chromosomes, ending with a loud "Yabba Dabba Do."

She takes out a box of unmatched socks asking students to find the homologous chromosomes as she pulls socks out and holds them up for the class. Eventually, she ends up with a pair of socks on her head, socks tucked down her Tshirt, her pants, a pair in each hand and a pair in her mouth. Sorting the socks becomes a lesson in genetics.

"What phase is this?" Russell said. "That's right, metaphase."

The bell announces the end of her first class ringing at nearly Beryllium past Fluorine. During the break, she is able to talk about her most recent award - the 2006 Science Educator of the Year given by the Utah Museum of Natural History. Russell remains modest about the attention and positions she has earned. "It's like when an airplane lands on time, it wasn't just the pilot, there are 60 other people that made that landing possible," she said, comparing it to her success in teaching.

Other honors she has won include 1997 Outstanding High School Life Science Educator, 1992 Outstanding Biology Teacher, 1994 Alpine School District Access in Excellence Award, 2006 Environmental Educator, a USA Today US Teacher Third Team 2002 and the 1996 Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation High School Biology Teacher Award.

A self-proclaimed dyslexic, Russell harnesses curiosity and guides creative discovery through the wonders of science. "She teaches and reaches all children regardless of their learning styles," Brenda Peterson, LHS English teacher and department chair, wrote in her recommendation for Russell. "She is also affectionately known by her neighborhood children as 'Miss Wizard.' "

Biology Hymn
By ReveBeth Russell
Here is Mr. Nucleotide
Sung to tune of "If You Chance to Meet a Frown"
Here is Mr. Nucleotide,
Pentose for his nose
One eye is a phosphate,
The other is a nitrogenous base.

Congratulations, RevaBeth!!

First time for service

I'm happy to report that the quality assurance on my Toyota Highlander Hybrid was so well done that I have not had to take it back to the dealers since we bought it over 4 months ago. Although it has its little quirks (such as not cutting out the speed control immediately when I tap the brake), I have not been able to find anything wrong with it.

I was a little worried a week or 10 days ago when a warning light came on and the message "Maintenance Required Soon" appeared on the little display screen. A quick search through the owner's manual explained that that message was to let me know I had reached 90% of the mileage when an oil change is recommended. The message was fleeting, turning off within 10 seconds so I made a mental note to schedule an oil change when I had the time. At 5,000 miles the warning message changed to "Maintenance Required" and it didn't go off.

Yesterday, I managed to get back to the dealer for the oil change (which we had prepaid). I must admit that the service writers were efficient and friendly but the man in charge of driving the cars to the service bays was perplexed. He turned the key in my car but "nothing happened". I guess he had never driven a hybrid before and expected the engine to roar to life.

He wasn't the only person surprised by my car. After the oil change and the other maintenance due at 5,000 miles, my car was promptly returned to me. I turned the key and saw the clear message "Maintenance Required" staring back at me. Mine is likely the first hybrid of that model that mechanic has worked on and he either didn't know how or didn't know it was necessary to reset the warning. Let's hope that was all he missed.

The Frost is on the Pumpkin

Or at least on our lawns and roof. There was some rain yesterday but the skies cleared up in the evening making for a very cold night - for this area and time of year.

When we got up this morning we saw all the lawns covered with sparkling frost.

And little panes of "glass" were in the rain gutters.

Dark evenings

Now that fall is upon us and we're off daylight saving time, it gets dark pretty early. As a public service, I thought I'd let people know about this web site where you can order specialty lighted clothing. Just the thing for dull winter evenings! Sort of reminds me of the "gimmick" that every stripper has to have according to the show "Gypsy".


They even sell somthing they call a "Sit 'n Stare", displays in 6" and 12" squares or panels of 4' by 1'. The display reacts to music or other sounds in the room. Sort of sounds like something my brother Bernell made hundreds of years ago that we had in our family room. We would bring friends over to "watch" music.

Stem Cell Now - book review

Stem Cell Now, From the Experiment That Shook the World to the New Politics of Life by Christopher Thomas Scott is one of those books that should be required reading by anyone who will be called upon to vote on the subject of stem cell research and practices. It is scientific, level-headed, fair, balanced, and extremely informative. It is written in a way that is easy for laymen to understand. It presents a short but complete history leading up to the current situation and it details where we're going depending on the choices that are being made right now.

Scott gives a glowing picture of all the might be possible with stem cell therapies and tried to place the possibilities in a time context that is realistic even though both doctors and patients don't really want to hear that side. We want cures and we want them now. He also describes the failures and the side effects. But all these are routine, like polio and smallpox.

The real issue for stem cell therapy is that it treads on religious issues and causes people to scream ethics when they really mean religion. Some religions dictate that 8-celled blastocysts be treated with the same reverence as children or adults who have Parkinson's or diabetes. Others demand that everything be done to cure diseases. Under some proposed legislation doctors and even patients who use stem cell therapy may be criminalized for using the best that science has to offer. And a whole generation of Americans may find out what it's like to be a developing nation as far as stem cell therapy is concerned as our biologist simply move to countries and institutions where research may be not only funded but legal.

Scott makes it clear - there will be stem cell research, embryonic stem cell research, and there will be major breakthroughs. The horse has left the barn and money will follow success. The question is only how soon and whether America will be a part of the success.

Yuck of makeup

One of the more difficult aspects for me in participating in Oliver! has been the need to wear make-up. Women who wear make-up regularly or even occasionally probably can't relate to the distaste I feel in having to put on make-up. I thought at first that I could get by without it. The first couple of days of Tech Week I did not put any on. Then the director in one of her past-rehearsal briefings asked if someone would volunteer to "help Mr. Brownlow with his make-up". Subtle.

Carolyn volunteered to help me the next evening. We went shopping for appropriate materials keeping it as simple as I could. There was no question that I had to suppress the shininess of my face and bald head, my eyebrows tend to disappear behind my glasses, and my lips need darkening. I observed Carolyn's technique that first night and have been able to reasonably repeat it for subsequent performances. Another actor's wife who continues to apply his make-up even complemented me on my make-up.

But I'll never enjoy it!

The Day after Thanksgiving

There are a lot of traditions that have grown up around Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving. Because so many people travel to spend time with family it has now become a two-day holiday for many employers. However, for one kind of company it is anything but a holiday - retailers. Our paper yesterday was larger than a usual Sunday paper with twice as many advertisements as we usually see on a busy weekend. And many of the stores were advertising sales beginning as early as 5:30 a.m. I guess that's supposed to start the day off with a bang.

Although we often go out sometime for a little shopping, I try to avoid the crowds as much as possible. Our tradition is rather to spend the day getting the house ready for the holidays and putting up Christmas decorations. This year with the whole family visiting, we were able to do in one morning what would have taken 3 or 4 weekends.

While one crew worked outside cleaning gutters, mowing the lawn,

trimming the rosebushes,

and putting up some of the outside lights,

others were working inside putting up the artificial Christmas tree, the several nativity scenes, and the Norman Rockwell village. There was plenty for all to do.

Then, based on their various interests, the families scattered for the afternoon entertainment - Stanford Mansion, Fairy Tale Land, Funderland, the shopping malls, or trying to get some serious homework done. We'll all gather again at the end of the day to eat supper then see Grandpa's performance in "Oliver!"

A Day of Thanksgiving

It was a truly wonderful day. Of course, we started the day a little apprehensive with half our family on the road. As each of them "checked in" we breathed a sigh of relief and were glad to see the last family arrive.

We held most of the festivities over at Ed & Tiffany's place since they have the yard with the play set and lots of room to run around. There house is also a bit more "kid friendly". They also have both picnic tables and an extra refrigerator which helps make the cooking and serving work a little better.

We are so thankful this year that everyone is in tolerably good health; that we are expecting another grandchild next spring (Philip & Jenny); that everyone is employed at something that is honest and rewarding including stay-at-home moms; that the grandkids are growing up and becoming more capable each day.

Like last year we made it a family activity to make gingerbread houses from kits. All the kids (even the adult ones) enjoyed that activity.

We are truly Thankful!

Meals on Wheels - part 2

Several people have expressed interest in my volunteering to deliver meals as part of the Sacramento County's Senior Nutrition program. One of the most frequent questions is "who qualifies to receive such services?" I must admit that I was surprised at the wide range of neighborhoods and homes that we delivered to. I was also a little surprised at how relatively few meals are delivered in a county as large as Sacramento. According to the program's web site, they deliver about 1,200 meals per day in a county that has a population of roughly 1.5 million. That is less than 0.1 percent.

I called the program to verify the qualifications for receiving meals and was informed that it is really quite simple:
1. Be age 60 or older
2. Be medically homebound and frail
3. Live in Sacramento county

A call to the program (916-444-9533) starts the process. After a phone interview, a county human assistance worker will likely visit the home to verify age and medical condition. There does appear to be a waiting list but I was unable to determine how large it is. The reason is partially due to the country's budget limitation and partially due to the number of volunteer drivers available. Until recently, the size of the central food preparation facility was also a significant factor.

The Gathering

It's Thanksgiving time! We have a lot to be thankful for - one of which is that this year we should be able to have all our children and grandchildren gathered together once again. The first ones to arrive (not counting Ed & family who live in Sacramento) were Philip and Jenny who flew in last night. Another family will be coming tomorrow and half the family will be driving in Thursday morning. I actually appreciate some of the early arrivals as it allows us to visit a little more intimately. The big group is fun, too, of course, but conversations are a little more difficult.

We treasure each of these times when the kids can come here. Based on our experience, there comes a time when traveling for the holidays becomes more and more difficult. Traveling, in general, is becoming more difficult. So we appreciate each of the children making the special effort while they can.

Books on tape

One of the blessings I have enjoyed in Sacramento was the general lack of long distance commuting with correspondingly little time in the car. But with all the play rehearsals lately, I've had to spend at least an hour doing the round trip to Davis and back. On Carolyn's advice, I have taken up Books on Tape to make the trip a little less painless. It doesn't take many round trips to Davis to get through a 7 or 8 hour book. Unfortunately, one also gets "hooked" on the book so I listen to it during the 5 or 10 minute runs around town, getting little snippets of the story.

Still, it's not like the time I was commuting from Long Beach to Chatsworth which was often 1.5 to 2 hours each direction. I had to be really careful in selecting my books then so that I wouldn't get even more keyed up by the book than the traffic was making me already.

Critical Review of Oliver!

This review of Oliver! by theater critic Bev Sykes also appeared in the November 14, 2006 edition of the Davis Enterprise. She even took note that

A long-time subscriber who has been watching from the audience for years finally decided to get his feet wet in this production.

The show must go on!

The ticketholders have paid their money. Everyone is starting to come by twos, fours, and other combinations into the theater. From their standpoint it is a normal evening at the theater.

But on the other side of the curtain there is near panic. Noel is sick, Andrew is in the hospital with pneumonia, Brian is feeling very queasy. Quick assessments are being made. Obviously if someone is not feeling well but is physically present and capable of filling their role, they are encouraged to do so. It may not be the best performance of their career but it will be a performance. And we just don't have the luxury of understudies for parts in community theater.

But when the person is out literally or functionally it is a different matter. Even an ensemble part is key since dance pairings, choreography cues, and stage hand responsibilities are assigned to everyone. But missing people with key dialog and musical number roles can be near disasters. Another "less important or visible" part may be "robbed" or borrowed which then creates yet another hole in the lineup. Scripts are furiously studied, songs hastily practiced, and interacting actors are briefed on the changes. Replacement actors sometimes appear on stage still holding their scripts, depending frantically on cues from fellow actors for entrances and exits. The audience may or may not hear the repeated verses of a song or notice the missing parts. Let's hear it for the substitutes! We all pull together and the show goes on!

DMTC - survives because of volunteers

In a good-hearted show of support, Carolyn will be attending at least three of my performances as a ticket holder and several others including a dress rehearsal and as a volunteer usher. I don't think she planned the last one but she found out that community theater is sort of "catching". They catch everybody they can to help out.

The theater is more than just a company that produces plays. It really is a family that allows people to enjoy their talents, develop those talents, and help others develop and enjoy their talents. We used to wonder why we kept seeing the same names appear again and again on programs. But it really is as simple as being part of the family.

Give It Up - book review

Give It Up! My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less by Mary Carlomagno might be likened to "Walden Pond" but Carlomagno is no Thoreau. The premise of the book is certainly captivating - we live in such a super-saturated world with so many THINGS, maybe we would actually be happier with less THINGS in our life. She then goes on to describe how she eliminated one thing from her life each month for a year. The problem I have is with the list of THINGS that she chooses to forgo: alcohol, shopping, elevators, newspapers, cell phones, dining out, televisions, taxis, coffee, cursing, chocolate, and multitasking. Most of those things appear to me to be anything but a necessary part of life and parting with any of them would be about as painful as parting with a toothache.

Now I'll admit that I'm fond of chocolate and cell phones have sometimes made my life easier. My mother-in-law was certain that I couldn't live without newspapers but that probably came from my trying to find something in her house to read that was published after World War II. Television is only as useful to me as it fits my schedule so it was only with the recent gift of a Tivo that I have begun watching TV again.

Carlomagno has much more trouble giving up all these things and that is really the fun of the book. In a vertical world of skyscrapers elevators are important and doing without leads to unexpected workouts. Giving up taxis means taking mass public transportation, a skill many of us don't possess. Likewise eliminating dining out means actually having to use our kitchens for cooking - what a concept. I actually enjoyed the book for what it is, a quick, fun read and a humorous look into the life of a New Yorker.

Meals on Wheels

One of the volunteer opportunities that has interested me since I first saw the article in the paper is that of driver/deliverer for Meals on Wheels. In Sacramento this program is administered by the county Senior Nutrition Services. I began the process of becoming a volunteer a couple of weeks ago when I downloaded, completed, and sent in my application. I suspect it will be at least that much longer before I'm actually in service. The usual red tape.

But this morning I had the opportunity to visit the main facility where the meals are prepared...

and packaged and loaded into insulated bags for delivery.

Some are loaded into large trucks and taken to branch sites where there is both congregate eating and satellite distribution efforts.

Others are taken by employees and volunteers directly to homes of people who can't routinely get out of the house or are too far away to enjoy the congregate meal facilities. Full-time employee Al got the short straw and was rewarded by having me accompany him on his route this morning. During the course of about 2 hours we dropped off 20 hot meals (beef stroganoff), 21 5-pack frozen dinners, and 2 shelf-stable meals. Everyone seemed delighted to see us and several wanted to spend more time talking than we really had available. The meals must be delivered within a two-hour time period. They are also checked to ensure that they are still warm by the time they reach their destination.

By the end of the route, I was pretty certain this would be a nice weekly activity for me. And we didn't even have to use the box of dog treats in the back of the van to pacify any meddlesome dogs on the route.

Tule Fog

Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
.............Carl Sandburg

This is the time of year when fog blankets the Sacramento area at seemingly random times and at random intervals. You sometimes awaken to find your neighborhood in a cloud of mist and other times you find your field of vision shortening in the late afternoon. When it is really thick here, it is called a “tule” fog referring to the tules or reeds of the marshland habitats. The following is from the San Jose Mercury News Weather Corner:

It is commonly known as ""tule fog'' because of its prevalence in marshy areas populated by tule reeds or cattails. Technically it's a radiation fog, which forms as the ground cools off at night and radiates heat into space.

Tule fog usually forms on the first or second clear night after it has rained, skies have cleared, and winds are light. This happens when high pressure returns, creating an inversion with colder air near the earth's surface than aloft. This in turn causes moisture on the ground to condense into a low-lying layer of fog that develops from the ground up. Because the coldest air settles into the lowest elevations, such as along a river or stream, this is where fog is most likely.

Twenty years ago the tule fog would ground all airplanes in the area and prevent landings as well. I’ve flown from Orange County airport to Sacramento and back again without landing because of the fog. Nowadays, the danger is more on the ground with freeway accidents being especially bad. People just can’t believe their visibility range really is less than 100 feet at times. Even with visibility at 1/8 mile, a driver going 65 only has 7.5 seconds after seeing an obstacle to react and avoid it. At 100 feet, a driver has only 1 second.

Jerky time

For the past 5 years I've given out small packets of beef jerky to friends and co-workers. It's become so popular that several people were worried that my retirement might mean an end to the practice. What can I say?

Today I started on the first of many batches by grinding the "special" spices with my mortar & pestle to ensure as even a distribution as I can through the hamburger.

The meat is then extruded through a special press that forms long strips almost like bacon. The strips are laid out on the trays of our dehydrator.

Using three pounds of lean ground beef, I fill up 7 dehydrator trays then turn on the dehydrator for 6 to 7 hours.

The result is a product that isn't as salty or strong as some you find in the stores. And as I said, it will be in high demand this season.

Ahmad's War, Ahmad's Peace - book review

Ahmad's War, Ahmad's Peace by Michael Goldfarb is one of those books which is so interesting and pertinent now but will probably soon be relegated to the back shelves of any library or book store in which it is found.

Michael Goldfard needed an interpreter for his work as a radio correspondent in pre-war Iraq. Ahmad Shawcat was fortunately available and thus a relationship was born that led to this book. Ahmad was an educated man, a man who wss most comfortable among intellectuals and students, sharing with them his experience and knowledge about his ethnic Kurdish culture as well as his beloved Mosul in the greater Iraq which was his home his entire life. Although he survived under the Sadam Hussein regime, he was always looked on with suspicion because he spoke his mind. And because he spoke his mind, he was also arrested and tortured several times under Sadam's authoritarian government.

He lived to see his dream of Sadam Hussein's overthrow only to see his dream vanish in the smoke and gunfire of the uncontrolled aftermath of the U. S. invasion. He saw the worst of the pre-invasion politicians being handed the reigns of the post-invasion government in Iraq. The infighting, both political and physical, made him a suspected stranger in Kurdish territory and led to his assassination in Mosul. No one in Iraq is capable (or very anxious) to solve his murder.

Although primarily a biography of Ahmad, this book gives the reader a real flavor of life in Iraq. It does not give the reader a feeling that things will get better there for a long, long time.

Autograph protocol

Of course, one of the "highs" about performing is hearing the audience reaction - the laughs, the applause, the groans. And, for me, a first request for my autograph. I don't flatter myself, the young girl had a program and was trying to get as many of the cast to sign as she could. But being new to this sort of thing I was puzzled. How does one sign a program - Mr. Brownlow or Arnold Loveridge? I took the easy way out and actually signed both ways. Some day when I'm a rich and famous actor (and hell freezes over) she'll have a very valuable program.

Consider Yourself part of the family

Opening night was a smash hit - at least as far as many of the cast felt. We celebrated with cake and champagne/sparkling cider at the theater then adjourned to Baker's Square in Davis. Some of us had eaten light so that our stomach could enjoy the pre-show butterflies better. So we were pretty hungry. Others just needed a light snack because it had been several hours since we ate and we were too wired to go to sleep. And mostly we just wanted to share each other's company a little longer.

We had an adult table and a young persons table with the noise level considerably less at the adult table.

At the adult table I learned three new "show business" terms:

newborn - Tonight I became a newborn and henceforth in discussions about the DMTC pre-November 10 was "before I was born" and therefore how could I know anything about it.

virgin - before tonight I was also a virgin, unfamiliar with the ways of the show business and therefore not expected to be able to contribute much. Now, I have experience, something to put on my bio.

blah-blah-blah - When I auditioned for, and got, the part of Mr. Brownlow I was a blah-blah-blah, an unknown, untried entity. I could have been the best thing to happen to DMTC or a potential disaster in the making. It was a leap of faith for Jan to cast me. Now, I'm no longer a blah-blah-blah for DMTC. If I ever try out for a part again, I'll be "you know, the guy who played Brownlow in 2006".

Opening night

I guess we're as ready as we're going to be. Here I am in my street vendor costume which I play in the first act.

And here I am as Mr. Brownlow, Oliver's grandfather, in the second act.

Other than a couple of embarrassing lapses of memory on my part and my having no apparent ability to ad lib to cover the lapses, I think the rehearsals have gone very well. The show has come together much better than I could ever have imagined from the earlier sessions. But it will owe any success it has to the very professional-like performances of the key actors and the enthusiasm of the rest of the troupe. All that inspired and directed, of course, by the producers and directors Jan and Steve. And I mustn't forget the very great effort put forth by our accompanist. What a difference she has made to the show!

RSVP - Retired Senior Volunteer Program

My quest for interesting and useful activities to do since retiring has become significantly easier. Sacramento County is one of the agencies which has an agreement with and grant from the Corporation for National Service, an arm of AmeriCorps. RSVP is a national program with some federal funding but it is locally administered. I'll have to say, it appears that at least on first sight it is administered well in Sacramento.

I made an appointment with the Director of Volunteers this morning and was treated to a couple of hours description of the program and several dozen agencies in the area who have need of volunteer assistance. It appears that RSVP is not only a handy central referral agency but they also track to some degree the satisfaction of the volunteers who sign up with each agency. This provides a certain amount of quality control as agencies who don't seem to keep their volunteers don't get any more, at least through RSVP.

The choices I saw were so many and so varied that I decided I needed to do more homework rather than select what I wanted right there. But I suspect I will have a much better chance of finding good opportunities through RSVP than if I had just myself and the phone book.

Election results

No, I'm not going to try to compete with the networks and big-time blogs in reporting who won the election and what it means for our country. I'm just going to make the observation that there will probably be as many opinions as there were votes. One of the problems with our one dimensional voting system (yes/no, up/down, in/out) is that ultimately we don't know what the election means. We only know who won and who lost.

We can't tell all the nuances of choice like whether or not people were voting for the lesser of two evils or voting against the biggest problem rather than the best solution. Nor can we know how much the public debate or the attack ads figured into people's choices. Personally, I put a lot of weight into endorsements but not the way they're usually considered. For example, when considering the California ballot initiative propositions, I look at who is supporting and who is opposing. The organizations I disagree with, suspect, or feel have a major conflict of interest - I vote the opposite of their recommendations.

But in spite of this lack of our ability to quantify voters' intent and reasoning, you'll be hearing politician and pundits alike proclaiming a "repudiation" of this and a "mandate" for that. Maybe we need more choices than just for and against.

Tape Deck

The other day my grandson Tim asked to listen to a record. He must have heard of one at school and thought we were old enough we might actually have some. We did have both records and a record player although the arm skipped badly and the record sounded pretty scratchy. It reminded me of all the media formats that have gone out of use during my lifetime. Vinyl records 10 inch, 78 rpm (revolutions per minute), 7.5 inch 45 rpm, and 12 inch 33 1/3 rpm records each had their moment in the sun and the 12 inch disks lasted through the popularization of cassettes and CDs before they finally disappeared.

But real audiophiles used to have something even better, more "true to life" than vinyl records. This was before cassettes and 8-track. The reel-to-reel tape deck. When we got married, one of my most valuable possessions, in fact, was a tape deck and a collection of a couple dozen 7 and 5 inch tapes. With that collection I could play music for hours and, unlike records, the fidelity remained through scores of playings.

My tape deck still sits in the garage, missing a key pulley belt. But the other day I spotted this deck at a garage sale. Even more surprising, it works. With any luck it will work long enough for me to move all the tape collection to DVD or CD.

Tech week

The final week of rehearsals priot to opening night is called "Tech Week", probably because that's when all the technical details of the play are supposed to be worked out. It started with the marathon "cue to cue tech" session followed by more set building and painting, followed by the first run through the show all the way. Most of us were at the theater just short of 11 hours (and some much longer) interrupted only by a short dinner break. By the end nerves were fraying and tempers were rising.

Today was the first dress rehearsal, the first chance that many of us had to try on all our costumes and certainly the first time we had a chance to see how the costume changes fit in with the scenery changes and the actual running of the show. I found that I had to change earlier than I had originally thought but could still man all my other assignments. Of course I only have one change of costume while some actors have as many as 6 changes or more.

We got the show down to 3 hours and that was still with several interruptions and re-dos. That doesn't count the 1/2 hour post rehearsal briefing and critique. It is exciting to see it all come together.

Cue to Cue tech session

It almost sounds like a billiard term but a cue to cue tech session is vitally important in the production of a play, at least one with several scene changes and lots of stage fixtures. And yet it is deceivingly simple. Each scene is enacted briefly (without all the lines of dialogue, songs, or dance numbers) but with the actors on stage who are on stage during that scene. Then for the change of scene, people are assigned the various stage fixtures that need to be moved on or off stage. For professional playhouses, these assignments would probably go to stagehands but for community theater, the assignments go to actors that can reasonably be expected to be available for the task. A script of the assignments is produced and integrated with the regular script. And you'd better remember your assignment as much as you are expected to remember any of your lines.

Another thing that is done during the cue to cue tech session is "spiking" the fixtures. To ensure that the tables, benches, rolling platforms, etc. are placed in the same place each time, small pieces of tape are placed on the stage floor. In Oliver! many of the set changes are done during blackout so sturdy, phosphorescent tape is used that can be seen in low light conditiongs and will not easily wear off during the performance.

Another work day at the Davis Musical Theater Company

There is so much that goes into making a set for a play, especially one that has so many different scenes and settings. And often what looks good in theory doesn't look good on paper and what looks good on paper doesn't necessarily translate to the three dimensional world. But we carry on, painting and repainting, building and rebuilding.

Sometimes it's enough to make a person scream.

When you need a laugh or a chuckle

I recently came across this site which is aptly named www.funnypicturesandcartoons.com/. Here are some examples below but you'll really want to check out the link yourself.

Interesting design

Gotta work off those pounds

One more step toward better airport security

Politcal activist

Pulling it together

I'll admit that I was (still am) completely new to show business so I really had no idea how the process was supposed to go that ends in a polished performance before an appropriately impressed audience. I had some preconceived notions picked up from reading and from watching "plays of plays" but nothing concrete.

It was therefore somewhat unnerving and disconcerting to me to see bits and pieces of the play (specific scenes or parts of scenes, musical numbers, etc.) being practiced with no particular regard to their sequence in the play. And, of course, for expedience sake, not every actor needs to be at ever rehearsal. That would be a colossal waste of time for most of the cast. In addition to appreciating that time off I also appreciated how much extra time is spent by the director and accompanist. But the drawback is that I had not seen a majority of the play until this week.

For the past four evenings, Jan, the Director, has been taking the troupe through the play from start to finish. We haven't gone at "play speed" but rather taken the time to stop, fix trouble spots, go through a scene more than once if necessary. Musical and dance numbers have been worked on especially hard. But generally everything has been done in sequence this week contrary to previous weeks' rehearsals.

And the results are impressive. One can actually see the pieces coming together. One can see that the things that are right far outnumber the things that aren't quite where they need to be. As a novice, I'm beginning to realize how outclassed I am with actors that have been doing this for years and dancers who actually know their right foot from their left. And I'm wondering more and more whether this was a good idea after all. I don't even know how to interpret stage directions such as "Arnold, you need to act LARGER". What does that mean?

Meanwhile the set and scenery arises around us almost as if by magic. Next week we add lighting and props and costumes. Will we be ready by a week from tomorrow?

Get your flu shot

It's that time of year again. The announcements are hitting the radio and TV. This large banner is hanging across the medical office complex where we see some of our doctors. I understand from NPR that they expect to have plenty of doses on hand this year to avoid the shortages and panic from previous years. There will be about 20% more dosages than the highest number that have ever been given.

Of course it doesn't help if you get your flu shot the day after you come down with the flu. So don't delay. It hurts about as much as catching your arm on grandma's rose bush while trying to adjust the lighting in her garden. I know.