This summer, I had the pleasure of working as a followspot operator for JRJ Productions' "Rock & Roll Man" at New World Stages in Manhattan. Though the show unfortunately closed on September 1, the production had a successful few months starring Constantine Maroulis (American Idol), Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos), and several other lovely cast members that I met during my time there.
Under head electrician Kaia Merrell, I embarked on my first day (with a double-header of shows) on a Wednesday, quite nervous that my hands would slip and cause an uproar. However, I was surprised to find that I was comfortable with the gig by that Friday. Given the repetitiveness of working on a running crew, the show became second-nature to me rather quickly.
While the show may have been repetitive, the machinery was a bit difficult to grasp with the signal delay that inherently occurs with remote followspots. Upon finding out that the operation would be purely digital from backstage, I was both relieved of my strict clothing requirements but also weary of difficult sight lines from the fixture's camera.
Luckily, even the lag became something to overcome, and the show's incredibly infectious music kept a pep in my step daily. Also, with a call time of 1.5 hours (with little pre-show responsibilities) and many breaks during the show, I felt lucky to have time for my hobbies while waiting around at work!
Many thanks to Pam Edington and Jeff Davolt (stage managers), Cullen Chaffin (my followspot trainer), and even Rodrick Covington (cast: Little Richard) for his daily dose of positivity.
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