Yesterday I was hanging out with Lindsay at work (Center Theatre Group...I'm super proud of her) and as we made our rounds to the different offices to pick up supplies for her interns I heard a familiar tune being rehearsed “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…” Wow! How is it that this is our normal day? How did we get here? Somebody pinch me…I must be dreaming. Linz is working for one of the biggest theatre companies and I’m touring with one of my favorite shows.
As I was laying on Lindsay’s couch this morning I was reflecting on how it was nearly 4 years ago (next month anyway) that I came down to LA to live on Lindsay’s couch and pursue my dream of working in theatre full time. It’s been a whirlwind of 4 years. I could not be here if it wasn’t for Lindsay telling me to "just do it."
It was in January 2006 when I called her up and told her I had to make a decision. I had to either work full time in theatre or give it up entirely and as much as it would break my heart to give it up I was ready to because working full time in an office and then working at 2 theatres as their resident lighting designer was actually killing me. My back was thrashed…I was diagnosed with sciatica because I wasn’t sleeping but maybe 4 hours a night and my body wasn’t able to repair itself at night. Since high school I have worked full time at a “real job” and in theatre part time at night or on the weekends with production companies…for the past 8 years at that point. The first thing out of Lindsay’s mouth was “move to LA and live on my couch, we’ll figure it out once you get here.” She was a couple years in working at CTG and was also involved with the Elephant Theatre Company as a Director.
The next day I went into the best office job I had ever had and told them that I was going to be leaving in month to move to LA and find a full time theatre job. My boss, Susan, was very supportive and told me to go for it! She made sure I felt good about going and said “Kim, anyone can be trained to do your job here…please don’t stay because you think you are leaving us without enough help.” This nearly made me cry because there had been so many jobs I had stayed at because you don’t want to leave your employer short handed…she knew exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you Susan.
My Dad came up to Nor Cal to help me pack up my Ford F150 and a U-haul trailer and we were soon on the road to Sunny Southern California. We drove up to Idyllwild where nearly everyone told me I was crazy for leaving such a good job behind to go after a dream….I just shrugged my shoulders and said…it’s time to see if I can make it. When I pulled up to Lindsay’s in my massive big blue truck I had to chuckle….what was this mountain girl doing in the big city? I met Dave Fofi (Artisic Director of the Elephant and then boyfriend of Lindsay’s) that night and made a date to go into the Elephant the next day to do some tech work…organizing gel and lighting equipment and generally help out at the theatre complex.
Before heading down to LA I had signed on for a lighting designer job at the Little Fish Theatre in San Pedro getting paid a $100 …I’ll take it!!! Within a week of being in LA a job opened up and I nabbed it at CTG as their Master Electrician for their P.L.A.Y. program, which is a high school outreach program. At the same time I went in for an interview with Annmarie Duggan to be her Assistant Lighting Designer for the new American Girl Store opening in The Grove. I had a great interview and was offered the job!!! The ball was rolling and rolling more smoothly and quickly than I could have ever imagined.
As we neared the end of the teching process for the American Girl’s Revue I was offered the position of Lead Lighting Tech…a full time position in theatre!!!!!! 38 hours a week, full medical, dental, vision, 401k, a flexible spending account, and a great pay rate!!!! I had heard that these jobs only existed in fairytales and movies...but it’s my life now! Crazy!
As I worked at American Girl I was asked to work as Child Supervisor and then finally as the Calling Stage Manager for our Bitty Bear Matinee show! I was ecstatic! While working at AGP I also worked at the Elephant as their Resident Lighting Designer and eventually started Stage Managing for them and worked at numerous other theatres in the LA as a lighting designer…which I actually kind of miss….
After a year and a half of American Girl I interviewed with Disney Cruise Line and became their Production Stage Manager/Company Manager for the Disney Wonder. I had always wanted to work for Disney so I considered this another dream come true. Within 3 weeks I had given my notice to the most amazing job I had ever had and taken a job aboard a cruise ship to set sail and live on the ocean for the next 4 months. I missed my AGP friends so much…the stability, the drama free environment, the dry land…. I worked for Disney for 2 contracts and it changed my life and my career. The shows I worked on there were the biggest and craziest shows I have ever come into contact with to date. I was calling lights, sound, automation, pyro, 2 followspots, fireworks, stunts, camera shots, and the kitchen sink…all by mouth…not a cue light in sight. In the Walt Disney Theatre we had 3 lifts in the stage, scenery moving up and down, in and out…and occasionally a very rocky ship with audience members throwing up all over the theatre…FUN!
After my second contract with Disney I told them I was ready to be on solid land again but would consider coming back to work for them if a couple minor changes were to take place. My next venture was working as a Production Manager for the Theatre @ Boston Court in Pasadena. Since the AGP theatre closed Hillary (the AGP Theatre Manager) had moved over there and offered me the gig. Being a PM is a HUGE job and I felt accomplished in the job I did…but I missed Stage Managing.
I had a phone interview with a touring company to go out on the 2nd National Tour of Altar Boyz and I got it! I was finally a touring SM! This was something I had wanted to do since I was in the 8th grade and had a book on “Jobs in Showbiz.” Altar Boyz was a wild ride. Mostly one-nighters and 15 people on a 12 person sleeper bus…it was cozy to say the least. We all made it through the tour with a lot of love, we made friendships that will last a life time, and gained experience on many, many different things some having nothing to do with theatre.
The last week of the Altar Boyz tour I was contacted by the Stage Manager I took Altar Boyz over from and she was seeing if I was available to come fill in for her while she moved into the Production Stage Manager spot on Riverdance. I had a phone interview with the Company Manager Jesse and was offered the job on the spot. I hung up the phone and went into hysterics. I had watched Riverdance over and over as a kid and loved, loved, LOVED the show. I called my Dad and Mom and through sobs told them that I was going to be the Stage Manager for Riverdance. Altar Boyz closed on a Sunday in Milwaukee and the next morning I was on a plane to Saginaw to meet up with Riverdance.
I went to work for Riverdance as a Dep, but it very quickly turned into a longer engagement. Riverdance was such a different experience from Altar Boyz and I was loving every single minute of it. There were ups and downs of learning to work with a new crew and PSM, but all in all I was still doing a job that I had always wanted to do and found much joy in my work.
On our last week of tour in Vienna, VA I was asked if I was interested in coming back out on tour and that they would be making a decision over the next few weeks as to who was coming back out in the fall. I was so excited to have even been spoken to about returning and immediately went to work visualizing myself back out on tour.&
October first we started the beginning of the final leg of the Riverdance Farewell Tour and I was so happy to have returned. The cast and crew on this show are so brilliant and I have learned so many new things in the past few months. Each night I start my show being thankful for being here and living this dream. I hear the audience applauding and see the performers smiling and I am at home. We still have 5 more full months left on this tour and I already get teary eyed thinking about our last show together.
It’s time for another show here at the Pantages in Los Angeles so I just want to say how thankful I am to have a friend who will let me sleep on her couch whether or not I am gainfully employed.
Peace and love, Kim
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