My first theatre job in Highlands, North Carolina was as volunteer electrician for the Highlands Community Theatre for several summers, becoming light board operator at age thirteen.
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| Courtesy Mike Hall |
At age fifteen (green circle), I apprenticed for Chris Manos' Theatre Under the Stars, star stock presented in Atlanta's 6000-seat Chastain Park amphitheater. Shows included Shirley Jones in "Clear Day," "Kismet" with Gordon MacRae and Ann Corio in "This was Burlesque."
Chastain Park, from the stage at curtain call:
My four high school years were spent in Bingham Auditorium at the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. Bingham was a miniature Movie Palace, fully-equipped and my first real theatre.
I was the first Production Manager at Atlanta's newly-saved Fox Theatre, working for Ted Stevens and Joe Patten.
Here am I giving a backstage tour at the Fox, front page news. To see an index of my articles on the Fox click here.
As Master Electrician in the marionette theatre at Atlanta's The World of Sid and Marty Krofft, the world's largest indoor amusement park which lasted only six months. The puppet theatre included a counterweight fly, an orchestra lift, and I operated the second memory lightboard in Atlanta.
CNN now occupies the space designed for Sid and Marty.
For Ed Bradberry's Augusta Opera Association, I was Production Stage Manager, Lighting Designer or both for two seasons.
The excellent stage at Theatre by-the-Sea in winter hibernation mode.
From Matunuck to Providence, Rhode Island, where I was Production Manager, and Director of Operations and Capital Projects for the 3200-seat Ocean State, now Providence Performing Art Center, formerly Loew's State. We opened with Ethel Merman, whom I stage managed.
Me at OSPAC in 1980:
My first New York job was at BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where I was hired as Assistant Production Manager, working for Taffy Waters and Judy Daykin.
In Manhattan, I worked for Krone Olim as an account executive for the great Dorothy Olim, whose office was in the now gone Loew building at West 45th St.
While in Richmond, I also designed and supervised the installation of a counterweight fly system in the Byrd Theatre.
During 1982 and 1983, I worked in collaboration with architect Joe Booth to restore the New Bedford, Massachusetts Zeiterion Theatre, controlled by John Bullard and the incomparable Sarah Delano. Read about it here.
Me in 2006 with Theatre by the Sea producer Tommy Brent in Newport.
In 1983, I opened the Richmond Virginia, Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts, also a former Loew's. This became my first job as General Manager.
While in Richmond, I also designed and supervised the installation of a counterweight fly system in the Byrd Theatre.
During 1982 and 1983, I worked in collaboration with architect Joe Booth to restore the New Bedford, Massachusetts Zeiterion Theatre, controlled by John Bullard and the incomparable Sarah Delano. Read about it here.
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Me in 1986:
Back in NYC, I was GM/Prod Mgr./Cap Projects for Queens Theatre-in-the-Park, in Flushing Meadows
In 2007, I returned to Atlanta and the Fox. I am a longtime member of IATSE and an ESTA-certified theatrical rigger, the first Atlantan ever to receive ESTA certification.
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| Courtesy Paul Ford |
In 2012, I began to contribute a theatrical column to Atlanta's Ponce News.
I write primarily about technical theatre of old, with emphasis on the Atlanta Fox Theatre, such as this article about the "colored" entrance sign.
This photo-essay is entitled "Backstage at Radio City Music Hall 1932."
April 2013, revised 2020.
