Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Live from Philipsburg, Montana

It's been over a week since I moved to Philipsburg, MT.  Here are a few quick facts about my new home:

It has a population of 914 people.


The town was named after the famous mining engineer Philip Deisdesheimer, who designed and supervised the construction of the ore smelter around which the town originally formed.

There is exactly one stop light.

Businesses here are referred to in the singular such as The Bank, The Bar, The Market, The Store, The Candy Shop, The Ice Cream Parlor.  (As you would guess everything is expensive due to no competition)

The Opera House Theatre Company is the main draw here in this town.  The town doesn't really come alive til we open.


Anyway so that's the short facts about it.  As for the company I work with 5 other actors and live with 6 people here including our playwright and tech crew (our tech crew consists of one person, you're rockin it Amelia).  I usually run in the mornings and find different methods to work out my body then as well.  I won't have enough money to get a gym membership until I get paid which is Sunday.  Praise the Lord.  We open in 10 days but oddly that feels so far away because we have 3 rehearsals a day: one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening.  So each day feels like the equivalent of 3 days since we have 3 days of rehearsal in one day. 


We work on all 3 shows every day.  Usually we rehearse Girl in the Freudian Slip in the mornings, the Vaudeville show in the afternoons (since that's the best time to sing), then Is It Hot! in the evenings.  By the end of the day you are so worn out that you really don't want to do anything but you go over a few lines and memorize as much as you can and repeat the process the next day.  


We're lucky this year because we have the internet.  We're not barred from the outside world which has its advantages and disadvantages.  


Advantages:  You can still hear from me.  You can get caught up with my theatre life.  We can shop online.  I can update my blog.  Facebook.  Get awesome ideas for great sketches.


Disadvantages:  You can still hear from me.  I can shop online.  Facebook.  While getting awesome ideas for great sketches I stumble on completely pointless ones from youtube and waste time.  


As you can see our directors see it as a necessary evil.  I'd say all of us abused it too far the first few days but now it's getting used appropriately.  


Things are going well here.  We're still putting everything together and we still have a lot of work to do but now we're down to crunch time and things will get a lot more hectic.  But in the meantime here are so pretty pictures of the town so far.  :)


 Backside of Theater
Frontside of Theater
Broadway of Philipsburg

My itty bitty room
Fresh Taffy Pull From the Sweet Shoppe

Rehearsal in the cold Theater (Notice Everyone is in Winter Gear, No heating in theater)

View from outside the Theater

3 comments:

  1. I think i had that room when I was there. Glad you're liking it. I'll have to try and make it up to see SOMETHING, even though i don't have any days off when you're up.

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  2. Enjoy my mountains...I loan them to you gladly, but I expect them back in good condition...I love it in Montana, I hope you're enjoying yourself.

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  3. Hannah thinks it's cool that you live in the theater. Just like in Phantom of the Opera. Is there a river and a cave underneath the theater, a man wearing a mask on half his face perhaps? I only have one comment. Your room looks clean.

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