Chris: in charge

Skeleton Life: Originator of the Skeleton Theatre concept. Designer of the arm/servo structures, editor for the audio clips, programmer for the animation, owner of the house where Skeleton Theatre exists.

Real Life: Sound designer and composer for live theatre. Married to Maia.




Dave:

Skeleton Life: Technical Director for Skeleton Theatre. Designed and built the original stage structure with Bill. General manager of the project.

Real Life: After many years as a policeman, Dave has gone back to production full-time. He is now the Production Manager for a company that provides video, audio, and set support for commercial theatrical presentations. He moonlights as a set designer and lighting designer for plays in the Northwest. Dave and Chris know each other from Cornish College of the Arts...way back in the '80s.


Ken:

Skeleton Life: General carpentry and stage work, clean-up pinch hitter. Has been a HUGE work force this year (ST-2009), coming up from LA for 3 weeks of pre-Halloween work. Crowd control on Halloween.

Real Life: Ken is a law enforcement officer (a C.H.iP.) in Los Angeles, California. Married to Tina. Chris, Maia, Ken and Tina know each other from work at The American Repertory Theatre in Boston. Chris helped Ken drive all of his possessions across the country when Ken moved from Boston to LA in 1997.



Jump to: THE CAST of "Pirates Of The Scary Beings"



THE SKELETON CREW: in alphabetical order


Bill:

Skeleton Life: Lighting designer. Designed and built the original stage structure with Dave, designed the light plot and did most of the initial light programming for ST-2006. He's now in New York at Columbia University pursuing an advanced medical degree.

Real Life: Anesthesiologist. Used to be a professional lighting designer and co-wrote a textbook on light design. Knows Dave from working on many plays together in Seattle.


Brooke: (not pictured)

Skeleton Life: Painter, skull finisher, archival photographer. Helped wherever needed in the crucial crunch time as the show loomed in 2006. Painted the "Skeleton Theatre" bone sign on the proscenium arch - while it was hailing! Finished up the outer surface work (drywall mud) for the Peter Graves skull last year. Took some of the photographs seen on this site.

Real Life: High school student. Daughter of Charlie.


Charlie:

Skeleton Life: Animation specialist. Built most of the arms in 2006 with Keith. More involved in 2007, working on stage remount, new 120 amp power drop for more lights, and again, animation.

Real Life: Charlie really is an automation specialist, having designed (among other things) the swinging action of the low bridge to West Seattle. Neighbor. Knows Chris and Maia through Laurie, and got pulled in to the build in 2006 due to a random phone call approximately 1 week before Halloween. Father of Brooke.


Darren:

Skeleton Life: Carpentry, fabricating, heavy tool loaning. Very helpful in 2008 with mast work for The Cursed Rage. Also sings on the "Bottom of The Sea" pirate song.

Real Life: Computer programmer, works for Starbucks. Married to Laurie.


David:

Skeleton Life: Programmer, sensors installer. Single handedly programmed all of the interfaces to take information from the show computer and turn it into real-time position information for the skeletons on stage. Unfortunately, most of this effort in 2006 was in vain, due to lack of reliable control over the pneumatics and sensors in the cold. Re-designed and re-programmed for 2007 for more reliable (read, working) position control. Also programmed the interface for the mini-skeleton programmer for arm movements, new in 2007.

Real Life: Programs for Google. Classic fresh-out-of-school wunderkind programmer. Cousin of Chris, married to Rachel.


Derek:

Skeleton Life: Lighting designer for ST-2009. Also has done carpentry and wiring work this year. His photo shows him striking the new mast for "The Intrepid" with a chain, after which he ground it with an angle grinder and burned it with a torch. Just so it would look convincingly old.

Real Life: Knows Chris and Dave from working around Seattle in the theatre community, including designing sets on a show that Dave worked on and running the sound for the Seattle Children's Theatre in the Alvord Theatre. Plans to attend Tisch next year as a lighting designer, and we get him first!


Jen:

Skeleton Life: ST-2009 is Jen's first year working on Skeleton Theatre. Built the rigs for the Kraken - lots of air movement to inflate cilia and giant teeth. Also soldering some of the many relay boxes used to complete electronic circuits to make things move. Over 60 relays will be used to run the 2009 show, 30 relays in the Intrepid alone.

Real Life: Works for Intel in Oregon. Sister of Chris.


Keith:

Skeleton Life: Animation specialist, pneumatic installer, welder. In 2006 made most of the arms with Charlie, as well as installing the pneumatic ram sensors under the stage to move the skeletons back and forth. Designed the "nod" mechanism for the skeleton heads and welded up the prototype, later copied by Dave for the other skulls. Paint detail, skeleton dresser.

Real Life: Programs for Microsoft. Lives 2 blocks from Chris and Maia and just stopped the car one day to see what was going on. Got sucked in - akin to disappearing down a whirlpool.


Laurie:

Skeleton Life: Carpenter, and excellent cook. In 2006 worked mostly on logistics, getting people where they needed to be when they needed to be there. Ran the Skeleton Theatre household while Maia was outside on crowd control. Helped strike (take down) the stage. In 2007 more involved - putting up the stage and lighting positions and being craft services for build days.

Real Life: Laurie is a local stage and screen actress. Works on school based projects in support of her kids. Knows Maia through elementary school where kids are attending. Married to Darren.


Maia:

Skeleton Life: Site Manager. Makes sure nobody starves and keeps communication lines open. Runs Front-of-House on show nights. Worked with Tina to design and produce the commemorative t-shirts for ST-2006.

Real Life: Designs and builds handbags, wallets, and clutches at glassbeach.etsy.com. Married to Chris.


Marty:

Skeleton Life: Came on strong in 2008, after showing up one day in her car and asking if we needed help. We always need help. Did lots of carpentry, including building one of the crows nests.

Real Life: Drives a mini-cooper, always a good thing.


Rachel:

Skeleton Life: Graphics work. Sketched and painted the comedy and tragedy masks on the proscenium arch for the 2006 show. Helped with general build at crunch time near the end.

Real Life: Freelance graphic designer. Married to David.


Ruth:

Skeleton Life: Lighting Designer, ST-2007. Stepping into the void left by Bill when he went to NYC, Ruth brought her considerable theatre and dance lighting background to the project. Copious notes taken during a listen through of the tracks made for a fantastic design that year.

Real Life: Freelance lighting designer. Runs the technical theatre program at a high school in Redmond. Worked together with Chris and Dave for several years at the Intiman Theatre, ages ago.


Tina:

Skeleton Life: General carpentry and stage work, painter, front of house. Arrived late in the process with Ken, due to having a day job in Los Angeles. Put the deck on the stage with Ken, and built the curtain and back wall. Painted everything. Spearheaded design of the commemorative t-shirt for ST-2006. Worked Front-of-House with Maia on Halloween. Except for when she performed emergency skeleton repair during the show (Boney's arm flew off...twice).

Real Life: Tina works at Dreamworks Animation. Married to Ken. Chris, Maia and family stay at Ken and Tina's house when coming up from San Diego every summer, where Chris designs shows at The Old Globe Theatre. Ken and Tina also flew up to Seattle for three work weekends to help Chris build his recording studio several years ago.


THE CAST of "Pirates Of The Scary Beings":

Real Life: In real life all of these gentlemen are fantastic professional actors whom I've been honored to work with on various stages in Seattle. Most of them have worked at the large theatres in town, as well as in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere. Their roles in Skeleton Theatre are with their pictures. Unfortunately we didn't get pics of Hans and Brad when they were over recording so those pics are from shows they've been in around town.

Brad                                                Connor
Mr. Parker, the Dead Wisdom          Simon Chuckabone
   

Don                                                   Hans
Fricassee                                          Tommy Daggers
   

Peter                                                 Sean
Captain Black                                     Captain Blue
   


Dave, Chris, Charlie