As I was walking back to the apartment after rehearsal yesterday:
That’s Trumbull Street, by the way, not Bull Street.
It seemed like every few seconds I saw some incredible view of the sunset and whipped out my iPhone to record it.
No one else seemed at all aware of the staggering beauty of the sunset (though I’m sure many were.) But no one else was taking any pictures. End of the work week, tired, on their way home – I’m sure all of those things were at play for the commuters trying to get out of the city and back home again.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It’s all in the timing, isn’t it? I happened to be walking home at the perfect time. Any later, and it would have disappeared.
It’s not the end of the work week for us, of course. Sunday is the end of our week. On any given day lately, I find myself confused as to what day it is. This morning, I slept until 7:15, so it was light when I got out of bed. I looked out the window wondering why the parking lot across the way was empty.
Beat.
Beat.
Oh…it’s Saturday.
Three more weeks after this one. We’re heading into our last week in the rehearsal rooms and then we’ll be moving onstage. Three and a half weeks isn’t a whole lot of time in which to do table work, stage the entire play, work with the actors, and have several run-throughs before hitting the stage. I don’t know how Darko and the cast and stage managers and crew do it. In the old days there was more rehearsal time available. But it’s a costly endeavor, and most non-profit theaters have had to cut back on rehearsal time. Certainly, way back when I was working at the Old Globe, there was more time allotted for the rehearsal room. But every theater I know of has had to cut back.
So, I’d use the word ‘miracle’ but it really isn’t. It’s hard work and planning and dedication and drive and all the things that theater artists do without blinking an eye to create a fully-realized production.
Some of you have recently asked me what I do when I’m working on a play and what ‘coaching’ means (in my case.) I’ve written about it before on the blog and this post (from 2009, when I was working at the Old Globe for 10 weeks) pretty much covers it.
Book review on Just Let Me Finish This Page today.
Happy Saturday.
Beautiful pictures Claudia. Have a good day. Doris
You, too, Doris!
I love the photos of the lovely sunset! Life whirls around us and we have to take the time to stop and enjoy it!
hug,
Linda
Yes, indeed!
I would venture to say that a good sized portion of the population doesn’t even think twice about sunrise or sunset or the other natural wonders of this magnificent world we live in. Most people are walking about in a daze, running from one thing to the next or too engrossed in their phone to really see what’s happening around them. Enjoy your day!
Well, in this case, my phone saved the day!
Incredible skies! xx
Amazing, right?
I love how the sun reflects off that office building! Gorgeous! I also reread your post on what your work entails. I really found that interesting. And it was pretty much what I thought, except I didn’t realize all of the work that entails! I didn’t start following blogs til 2010…..so I had never read that post. I also found it interesting, that I didn’t recognize any of the commenters. I’ll have to go back and see if I can find any new to me blogs, if they are still around. Enjoy your day! ;)
Well, readers come and go – that’s the way of the blog world. Many aren’t blogging anymore. Many have moved on, just as I have moved on from a lot of blogs. And I’d only been blogging for a year then. It’s now seven years later!
Also, people just plain commented more in those days. Too many other social media distractions now.
Great photos!
I went back and read your post from 2009. Your work sounds fascinating to me.
My husband is from Switzerland and has been in the USA for almost 30 years and
still has a fairly strong accent. I really don’t hear it anymore but others do.
I’ve always wondered why the Beatles, for instance, when they sing they do not have an accent. Where does it go?
We are still digging out from the snow here in Metro area. The snow plows seemed to
have left the building when we got several feet of snow last week.
Have a nice day,
Monica
I don’t know the answer to that question, except to say that most singer sing without an accent. I think it has something to do with vowel sounds and the length of musical notes – everything is smoothed out and extended – hence no accent.
Love the sunset reflection off the building in that last photo, Claudia. How exciting to be moving rehearsal and all it entails onto the stage. It’s like watching my new garden emerge, from paper plans to placing the pots of new plants on their new planting spot to actually putting them into the ground. Hope you had a fun day and have an evening of recharging your battery.
Watching a garden grow is one of the best things ever, Wendy. Oh, spring, I’m waiting for you!
Claudia – Beautiful sunset photos! Have guys coming this afternoon to move a few loads of furniture and bins. Getting there!!
Judy
You’re on your way, Judy! Kudos!
Really pretty how the setting sun is reflected on the wall of that one building!
I love when that happens, Vicki.
Claudia, I have read several articles about “the blue hour” of photography. Wondering if your pictures are an example. Beautiful!!
I will read your 2009 post, as I didn’t start reading blogs that early on. I was still working then! And, I can’t imagine going back to the 50+ hour work weeks and all of the stress that accompanied it. ugh. Much happier reading blogs!!
Hope you have a good day at work.
Me too, Chris, though I’m still working – but as we know, it’s only part-time!
Thanks for linking back to your 2009 post – I understand what you do a lot better now [PS – it does NOT sound easy either, so I’m also quite impressed]. Made me think of a question too. Which of today’s actors do you think handle accents and dialects especially well? For example, I’d never seen Kate Winslet in anything and had absolutely no idea she wasn’t American until seeing a TV interview she did after “Titanic.” IMO, she NAILED an American accent in her role as Rose. I like to think I have a pretty good ear, but she had me completely fooled. And are there any American actors who are especially good at foreign accents as well? Just interested in an expert’s opinion… ⭐️
Too tired after a long day of rehearsal to think about it with any depth. But Meryl Streep is probably the best at dialects. She is superb.
The sunsets as well as sunrises have been particularly spectacular lately, the best parts of the day. On a totally unrelated note, I finally got my hands on The Doll’s House magazine and read about Hummingbird Cottage! It is so cute and the photos are just great. It’s hard to choose my favorite part but I think it is the blue and lavender stuffed chair in the living room (one of my favorite color combinations). You’ve done a wonderful job with it and now I can’t wait to see how the little Target house turns out. I checked them out locally last night and they are very clever little houses … a cool opportunity to work up a mid-mod look.
I’m so glad you liked the article, Dana! I took those photos – it isn’t easy getting good photos of a dollhouse.
Yes, I remember your saying that you took the photos, trying to get different perspectives for the article. Of course, I’ve been all over the Dollhouse section of your site, poring over the photos. What kind of camera do you use? My digital Kodak is ancient and the smart phone has no romance to it at all. I really need a good new camera.
I use a Canon Rebel 3ti – it’s a really good camera. Anything in the Rebel line is fairly moderately priced as cameras go and they’re really solid.
I am also the kind of person who would have been stopped in my tracks when seeing that sunset Claudia…the first thought I had was “fire in the sky”…amazing…Thanks for stopping to take pictures and sharing them…
You are most welcome.
Those are some beautiful beautiful pictures you took today Claudia. Here it is 10:30 at night on the West Coast and I’m just now getting a chance to read blogs today. Sorry I’m so late visiting. It’s been one of those days.
Blessings, Betsy
We all have those days, Betsy! I hope all is well.
I think you should print those sky pictures and hang them on the gallery wall. They are truly beautiful.