tsewei’s blog

Finally went to watch the opera that I was working on at the college theater. Been working on the electrics crew for the past 3 weeks, hanging and focusing lights, really working hard with my wrench. (Am proud of my wrench-skills. Never use wrench before in my life, k?)

I’m taking theater production as my other elective this semester, and that’s how I ended up with a wrench working on lights for an opera. The theater here’s pretty cool, really professional. And everyone I work with is from the theater school, so everyone knows a lot about what they are doing (and I was totally clueless).

It was really fun, ‘coz I get to climb up to funny corners of the theater to hang lights, carry huge 10-feet ladders, go up and down spiral staircases till I’m dizzy, and of course, use my wrench. The most fun thing is the Genie lift. It’s this machine with a metal box thingy which you can climb in, and then it can elevate u upwards to like almost 20 feet up. You can stare at the ceiling while you go up, and it’s like the world is falling onto you. coolness. heehee.

The Consul is a pretty dark opera. Set in a war era, with lots of secret police (in trench coats) and people fleeing the nation, and people dying, and everyone sings of course. I’m not usually a fan of happy endings, but this time I kinda wished there was one for the story, ‘coz it was really very depressing already without the final death (suicide, in fact).

Lights were cool (of course! LOL). Sets was awesome too. I like the apartment set that the carpenters crew built, filled with little details that made it look real. Love the peeling-paint-on-the-walls look they created. Really portrayed the poverty and the harsh times.

The singing was good too. The entire production and cast are students within the college, and the quality was quite top notch. Wow. Am impressed.

But somehow, I guess I can’t appreciate opera that much. Much prefer plays, and musicals. Opera is a bit too high culture for me (despite classical music education). The only other time I actually really really loved opera singing was the Emma Shapplin concert I went for last year at the Esplanade in Singapore. And it wasn’t really opera. Just that her singing style is opera + infusion with pop/electronica/something. But way cool (Anything with a live band with bass guitars n drums in a classical concert hall backed by orchestra music IS WAY COOL).

Tomorrow’s strike. Means we’re taking down all the lights and sets and everything. Argh. WORK, on a saturday afternoon. I heard there’s gonna be like at least 80 person working on stage. madness.

Must remember to bring my wrench tomorrow.