movin along
So after my first visceral reaction to Joe's new space at Cap Rep (deep misery), I decided that we just had no choice except to make it as wonderful as it could be. The old studio is gone, so there's no point in trying to reclaim it. So we set to work. When we started, the space was piled high with leftover props and set pieces, and lined on all four walls with discarded desks and file cabinets. There was a filthy carpet (well, the whole place was filthy from many years of neglect and disuse) as well as some grim-looking light blue (at one time, at least) verticals on the four windows. The place was painted all over a kind of sick camel color, slopped on all the window frames and dripped everywhere, except for the 14-ft ceiling, which was peeling badly. There were two ancient radiators that were attached to pipes, but no longer connected to a working boiler. So that was the space. It is in one corner of Cap Rep's rehearsal hall, which has a green room and a men's and women's bathroom--each with lovely cold water. Then there is the education office, which is across the rehearsal room on the other side, and off to one end is a hallway which has a few more storerooms and the sound designer's office. We know and love all the people there.
When we started to work, the theater crews had removed all the furniture and props. We ripped up the carpet and removed the verticals on the windows. Also, Chris came and disconnected the radiators, which are beyond heavy. We have gotten them as far out of the room as the outer hallway. We'll get someone to cart them away. Then we scraped the whole room, which took about 8 hours. We painted three of the walls a very light taupe, with all the trim and nice crisp, shiny white--which Joe also painted the ceiling. Then we painted the window wall a gorgeous dark green (sort of sagey green-grey, beautiful!). Set off against this is the lovely white trim on all the windows. Also, there is glass brick above the windows on two walls, which, when cleaned, is really yummy. We painted the doors green, too, and Joe built a wall into the room which now leads to this dinky, depressing closet we get with the space. So it's suddenly self-contained and beautifully painted. Then, we had carpet installed, which is a kind of industrial tweed that brings out all the colors we've used. We had a piece bound which we fitted in the newly painted closet, which now looks much better. We got lovely translucent white pleated shades made, which fit snugly into all the windows. And we washed and scrubbed the windows and glass brick.
You wouldn't believe it! It's cheery, bright, crisp, and by far the best space in the whole 4-story building. We're going to begin bringing stuff from the studio now, and rehearsals start right outside the door next Tuesday. So we'll move in on the following Monday (the dark day) and then be able to work at our own pace within the place. We will then pack up the mountains of stuff that remains, and get a movers to bring it to our house (all the framing materials and print storage). We already painted and set up the basement (mostly taking out Jon's old train set, which took up half the cellar and which never really got used). So that'll be the next step. We're bringing many of the cabinets and counter tops, etc., from the studio renovation we did last summer to the new space, and will also try to have Chris install the hot water heater, etc, from the darkroom into the bathrooms in the rehearsal hall. Good for all of us to have hot running water!
So, in the end, the move is going well, and I am no longer depressed about it.
The gallery opening was a smash, and people love Joe's pix. So I'm pretty glad. I'm almost done with school, since I'll be starting rehearsals at StageWorks--something I've not thought about AT ALL. And Saturday April 8 I have an audition for a theater I've always wanted to work at in Vermont. They contacted me. Amazing.
And Jon has been cleared to GRADUATE (after a month of my pestering them in a variety of ways). So all is well.....
When we started to work, the theater crews had removed all the furniture and props. We ripped up the carpet and removed the verticals on the windows. Also, Chris came and disconnected the radiators, which are beyond heavy. We have gotten them as far out of the room as the outer hallway. We'll get someone to cart them away. Then we scraped the whole room, which took about 8 hours. We painted three of the walls a very light taupe, with all the trim and nice crisp, shiny white--which Joe also painted the ceiling. Then we painted the window wall a gorgeous dark green (sort of sagey green-grey, beautiful!). Set off against this is the lovely white trim on all the windows. Also, there is glass brick above the windows on two walls, which, when cleaned, is really yummy. We painted the doors green, too, and Joe built a wall into the room which now leads to this dinky, depressing closet we get with the space. So it's suddenly self-contained and beautifully painted. Then, we had carpet installed, which is a kind of industrial tweed that brings out all the colors we've used. We had a piece bound which we fitted in the newly painted closet, which now looks much better. We got lovely translucent white pleated shades made, which fit snugly into all the windows. And we washed and scrubbed the windows and glass brick.
You wouldn't believe it! It's cheery, bright, crisp, and by far the best space in the whole 4-story building. We're going to begin bringing stuff from the studio now, and rehearsals start right outside the door next Tuesday. So we'll move in on the following Monday (the dark day) and then be able to work at our own pace within the place. We will then pack up the mountains of stuff that remains, and get a movers to bring it to our house (all the framing materials and print storage). We already painted and set up the basement (mostly taking out Jon's old train set, which took up half the cellar and which never really got used). So that'll be the next step. We're bringing many of the cabinets and counter tops, etc., from the studio renovation we did last summer to the new space, and will also try to have Chris install the hot water heater, etc, from the darkroom into the bathrooms in the rehearsal hall. Good for all of us to have hot running water!
So, in the end, the move is going well, and I am no longer depressed about it.
The gallery opening was a smash, and people love Joe's pix. So I'm pretty glad. I'm almost done with school, since I'll be starting rehearsals at StageWorks--something I've not thought about AT ALL. And Saturday April 8 I have an audition for a theater I've always wanted to work at in Vermont. They contacted me. Amazing.
And Jon has been cleared to GRADUATE (after a month of my pestering them in a variety of ways). So all is well.....