Category Archives: #backstage

You Never Know Until You Go

Hiker by Pavel Pesek on Unsplash

by Pavel Pesek, Unsplash

Last year, in one fell swoop, I lost everything… the love of my life, my family, my home, my cats, my job, and all my savings. I did my best to survive. Then, just as I thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse, the Covid19 pandemic hit us all.
During lockdown, I had time to think about what had happened. As the enormity of it all began to fully sink in, I crashed. I worked through the pain. And I decided to not only survive but to keep remembering fondly, to keep being kind, to keep following my dreams, and to keep making the most of things.

So what do you do when you’ve lost everything and you’ve got nowhere to go? Why not take the time that is given, embrace the homelessness, and get walking?

After some research, I decided on the the E4 European Long Distance Path. I will start my hike in Brugg, Switzerland on 6th of July 2020. And then, we’ll see…
The goal is to enjoy the journey, travel slowly, be aware, and completely open for whatever may come. I am a stage manager by trade. I miss working for shows (a lot!). Getting back to doing what I love is one of two goals. The other goal is to enjoy walking and living on the road for now until I do get that job offer. This may mean walking for one week, or two…. walking for one month, two months, or six months… or even longer. If no job offers are forthcoming this year at all, then in January 2021, I should reach the garden of my good friends in the Quinta do Chocalhinho in Odemira, Portugal. In this case, I might spend the winter in Portugal… and write a book about this journey.
Who knows… these are all just ideas, not definite plans. I’ll take things day by day, step by step. I’ll be super flexible, always ready to continue walking or to, at a moment’s notice, take a bus/train/plane towards my next professional challenge backstage.

I am as curious as you as to how this will unfold!

Through These Doors

theatre stage door

It’s been just three days since I last went through stage door at the Studio City arena in Macau. And I miss being backstage already. Eleven months ago, our show moved into this performance space. Walking into the arena now, you’ll never even know we were there. Yet the time in between was filled with energy, dedication, passion, dreams, intense growth, good days, bad days, misunderstandings, conflicts, good humor, kindness, compassion, joy, and laughter. There’s nothing quite like working with a show family. I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world.

The Life of a Show Diver – Part 2

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Check out my latest article on TheatreArtLife.
If you’ve always wanted to know what it is show divers actually do in their daily work, then this one is for you! Both, Part 2 (and Part 1 I wrote a few months prior) give you unique insight into a world usually hidden from sight – for, like everyone else backstage, our prime goal is to remain invisible at all times, while helping to create magic on stage.

A Moment With…

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Big thanks to Theatre Art Life for featuring me in their “A Moment With” series. How did I start my career? What was the best role/job/gig I have done and why? What advice would I give my 18-year old self? … and many other interesting questions. Read all about it here