The Pulse in Paris Pt. 1

Well, as many of you may already know I have taken leave of my Theater Manager duties (much thanks to Del and Claire for holding down the fort while I’m away) for a month while I am on tour in France with Word For Word Performing Arts production of Two On A Party by Tennessee Williams.  This is my fourth year on the tour and I am finally feeling comfortable and confident with the process and with working in a foreign country where I still hardly know the language.  This year I am really making the commitment to do some writing and since I have always wanted to see our blog offer some insight into the tech process I thought this might combine both.  So here we go…..

My job always seems to be the toughest at the beginning.  As the Technical Director on tour it is my responsibility to know by heart the maximum size dimensions (62″ when you add height + length + depth) and the maximum weight allowane (50lbs or 23 kilos) for baggage on AirFrance and make sure that all of our show bags fit within those requirements.  There was only one year where I was off and it wasn’t this year.  Fortunately, we prepped the set early enough this year and despite its massive size we were able to have it built to pull apart into sections that fit those requirements.  But despite all our forethought there is always a nervousness when we are checking in, just to make sure that it can all go and of course there is always some last minute rearranging.  This year it was all flowing from our personal belongings which many of us had over-packed into the bags containing the set pieces.  So when the handlers at AirFrance inspected our large duffel containing 1/6th of a bar he got a nice glimpse at my skivvies which I had fortunately just washed.  I arrived at the airport an hour before the cast so I could receive the set and despite having to wait in line for an hour to check in (they literally took a 15 minute break as soon as we got to the front of the line, I think they were on to us) that whole process went swimmingly.

Then, of course, there is the flipside.  Eleven hours of flying, eight hours of time difference, four in-flight movies and no hours of sleep later we have to hope that everything A) arrived and B) arrived in one piece.  We grew a little concerned when the set pieces didn’t come off the conveyor belt but we soon found out that given their size they arrived at the oversized baggage section.  Oh and in case you were wondering I watched 2012 (it was everything I was expecting), G-Force (a terrible Disney flick about Guinea Pigs who become secret agents, not even Will Arnett and Tracy Morgan could save that one), A Serious Man (another stellar film by the Coen Brothers), and Public Enemies (which was a decent depiction of the life of John Dillinger starring Johnny Depp).  I always love that part of the trip because I get to indulge in watching movies that I wouldn’t pay money to see in the U.S. (A Serious Man being the exception not the rule), but trap me in a tin can full of strangers and hurl me through the air at 500km/hr and I’ll watch just about anything.

So the next big adventure was watching the mastermind that is Pascal, our French driver, as he managed to pack 14 large bags, almost as many carryons and 7 passengers into a van that from the outside looked like it could hold maybe a third of that.  Can’t say it was the most comfortable ride into Paris but it all fit and we all got there safe and sound.  We unloaded and forced ourselves to stay awake to get rid of the jetlag.  Being up for 30 straight hours is never a whole lot of fun, but it does make you see a place like Paris in a crazy new way.  After our house meeting and some quick unpacking, we took the long hike up to the Luxembourg Gardens (one of the most beautiful parks in Paris) for some afternoon tea and then we dined at Wadja (our habitual favorite restaurant, and by ‘our’ I mean it is pretty much consensus from everyone I have ever met on this tour).  The duck was simply fantastic, you can’t get duck like that in the U.S.  A few of us stopped off at Le Select on Blvd. Montparnasse on the walk home for a nightcap; it is one of Hemmingway’s old haunts and though I’d eaten at the cafe in front before something about being inside at the bar made me really feel like he was there.  Needless to say I was out like a light by 11pm.

So that was Tuesday 3/23 into Wednesday 3/24.  Today, I woke up (for good at least since last night was the equivalent of going to bed at 3pm) at 10:30am and we had a free day to get acclimated.  There is something indescribable about waking up in the shadow of Le Tour Eiffel and the anticipation on the first day in Paris is always overwhelming.  Despite the drizzle, we hit the markets to buy fresh food for this evening’s group dinner and then trooped around shopping for other essentials.   I doubt I’m going to venture far any more today as when I started to write this the windows blew open in a violent downpour and as I finish this the sun is cutting through the clouds bright and shiny.  So I may venture out or I may just curl up with a nice Pastis and a book, either way it is always an adventure here.  Stay tuned for my next post and if you have questions about anything let me know.