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Midsummer update
Aug. 24th, 2006 03:26 pmOkay, just awhile ago I got off the phone with Bob Nichols, one of the guys who runs the Roller Disco operation and with whom I spoke last Sunday (he wandered by as I was waiting stage left at the rock during Act 1). The guy was very sympathetic and concerned, and he stayed on the phone a long time trying to work out an arrangement--he remembered immediately who I was when he picked up the phone and he said he'd been thinking about us all week. He also has some background in the arts so he was very supportive of the whole endeavor. I laid it out for him--I said we have two shows per day, from 1-2:45 and then 5-6:45, and then after Sunday we're gone. I said obviously since they have a permit, they have the right to go as far as the permit lets them, but if there's any way they could just try to keep it down for those two segments of the day... He said he would speak to the DJs about the first show on each day to keep it down, that should be quieter. He also apologized several times for the initial burst of loudness during the early show on Saturday (the one that we tolerated for 5 minutes or so until finally Alex went over to kick ass) and said that absolutely would not happen again.
The problem is the second show--since that's their last blowout, it's "climactic" (the word he used) and it's really difficult to keep the DJs back, because they are naturally more pumped at that time of day, right before it ends. We talked a long time about possible solutions, including "lavaliere" mikes (the kind that clip to your lapel), body mikes, BOOM mikes, acoustic boards, etc. etc. etc. My problem with an electronic solution is that I don't have a permit for amplified sound (as well as, that would involve buying or renting the equipment, getting a sound designer, and generally making my life insanely complicated in the next two days). My main problem with an acoustic board is that it really interferes with the whole concept--Shakespeare in this beautiful verdant setting. Who wants to see a frickin' board? We were talking about what we might put up to absorb the sound and he was telling me about his loft bed and he has a fan up there, and when his cat crawls up sto sleep with him, she absorbs the sound of the fan. I said "So what you're saying is, I need a wall of cats to absorb the sound." I told him I have two cats who would love to help Mommy with her show. He said they'd have to be big cats--I said "Oh yes, one of them is pretty big. And the other one is loooong."
Bottom line, he's going to try to get them to pull it back a little bit for the second show. I think if we really project and cheat out (y'know, all that Acting 101 stuff) and consolidate the audience, as well as encouraging them to move closer, we'll be fine. Annoying will turn into Still Audible but Not a Problem. I'm glad we were able to work together toward a solution--the most frustrating thing about Saturday was what seemed like a total lack of accountability--everyone disclaimed responsibility and just kind of shrugged. This conversation made me feel a lot better--he really was trying, I was ready to end the conversation a long time before he was. (Oh, and I encouraged him to come see the show.)
Addendum:
Oh, I almost forgot (good thing I wrote it down). He's also going to angle the speakers differently so they don't leak as much sound. This will also help with the second show.
The problem is the second show--since that's their last blowout, it's "climactic" (the word he used) and it's really difficult to keep the DJs back, because they are naturally more pumped at that time of day, right before it ends. We talked a long time about possible solutions, including "lavaliere" mikes (the kind that clip to your lapel), body mikes, BOOM mikes, acoustic boards, etc. etc. etc. My problem with an electronic solution is that I don't have a permit for amplified sound (as well as, that would involve buying or renting the equipment, getting a sound designer, and generally making my life insanely complicated in the next two days). My main problem with an acoustic board is that it really interferes with the whole concept--Shakespeare in this beautiful verdant setting. Who wants to see a frickin' board? We were talking about what we might put up to absorb the sound and he was telling me about his loft bed and he has a fan up there, and when his cat crawls up sto sleep with him, she absorbs the sound of the fan. I said "So what you're saying is, I need a wall of cats to absorb the sound." I told him I have two cats who would love to help Mommy with her show. He said they'd have to be big cats--I said "Oh yes, one of them is pretty big. And the other one is loooong."
Bottom line, he's going to try to get them to pull it back a little bit for the second show. I think if we really project and cheat out (y'know, all that Acting 101 stuff) and consolidate the audience, as well as encouraging them to move closer, we'll be fine. Annoying will turn into Still Audible but Not a Problem. I'm glad we were able to work together toward a solution--the most frustrating thing about Saturday was what seemed like a total lack of accountability--everyone disclaimed responsibility and just kind of shrugged. This conversation made me feel a lot better--he really was trying, I was ready to end the conversation a long time before he was. (Oh, and I encouraged him to come see the show.)
Addendum:
Oh, I almost forgot (good thing I wrote it down). He's also going to angle the speakers differently so they don't leak as much sound. This will also help with the second show.
