They Know Not What They Do

Posted on by Thor

Vice President Mike Pence took a trip to Texas where he visited the First Baptist Church in Dallas on Sunday June 28, 2020. A choir of more than 100 people performed without masks spraying each other and the audience with aerosolized droplets which spread COVID-19.  According to organizers, nearly 2,200 people attended the Celebrate Freedom Rally.

Studies have suggested that COVID-19 can spread through respiratory droplets in the air that can linger inside buildings. High-powered vocalizations, for instance loud talking or singing, are particularly efficient in producing these tiny particles. Other choir-linked outbreaks have occurred in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands.

Throughout the service, the members of the choir sang at full volume, behind an orchestra. I really feel bad for the orchestra who would have gotten the full force of the fire hose. Singers were not six feet apart. The audience packed in a few rows back were also not practicing social distancing. Face masks at the event were “strongly encouraged,” with signs posted around the venue signaling the suggestion. Perhaps 50% of the audience took the suggestion while some wore the masks incorrectly. The choir put their masks on between songs which is counter intuitive since the singing is the best way to spray the virus into the venue. Secret Service agents must have known to place the Vice President off to the side rather than being seated front and center. The indoor service lasted for about one and a half hours.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an outbreak in a 122-member choir in Washington state. 86% of singers that attended that one rehearsal contracted the deadly virus. At that 2.5-hour choir practice attended by 61 persons, including an symptomatic patient, there were 32 confirmed and 20 probable secondary COVID-19 cases that occurred. Three patients were hospitalized, and two died.

In an interview Pence said that “people should listen to state and local officials on wearing masks in public, every state has a unique situation.” Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott opened his state early. The state has become a hot spot for the spread of the virus in recent weeks and he has had to reverse his position by requiring bars to close, putting restrictions on outdoor gatherings, and scaling back restaurant dining to help stop the spread.

The CDC initially recommended that churches consider suspending or at least decreasing the use of a choir and congregants singing during services. The CDC asserted that “The act of singing may contribute to transmission of Covid-19, possibly through emission of aerosols.” They have had to soften their language by “suggesting” or asking people to please “consider” life saving measures. Late last month however, the agency quietly removed that guidance from its website. According to The Washington Post, the White House requested that change.

I actually got sick to my stomach working on this illustration. I went into the bathroom and dry heaved. I am being physically affected by blatant the irresponsibility I see all around me. I scrubbed the bowl while kneeling before it. That is when the image of the Exorcist pea soup fire hose effect hit me. It occurred to me that Trump uses the same distraction technique when he doesn’t have an answer to any policy question. Denying reality does not defeat reality.

“Forgive them father for they know not what they do.”

Striking the Trees.

Posted on by Thor

When I went to the opening night of the Singing Christmas Trees, Aradhana, the director, told me that the lighting would not be at its best since the performance was being done for the TV cameras. I was told that if I wanted to see the show with Jeff’s amazing lighting, I should come back one more time. I finally made it back on closing night. I greeted Jeff when I arrived. I was informed that the house was sold out. Seating was assigned so I decided to sit up in the balcony. He had a framed sketch I had done of him leaning up against his lighting console. The director had given him the sketch that night as a present.
People kept filing in even as the show was getting started. I texted the director to let her know I was seeing the show one last time. The pastor joked with the audience saying that on the final night the cast would most certainly get it right. When the music grew louder and the Kabuki curtain dropped I could hear the couple next to me whisper to each other, WOW! Huge snowflake animations on the walls of the worship center bought a similar reaction just as if they were watching fireworks.
Though I loved the show, my reactions were more subdued than the first time. I recognized this quiet, somber, feeling. I suspect I always feel this way on a shows closing night. It is like Christmas came and went to early for me. Having sketched the cast for so long, I identify with their sometimes unsure hearts bolstered by faith. I didn’t want it all to end. I also felt that I might have missed many sketching opportunities. This diamond had so many facets. My humble observations seem to have only scratched the surface of this huge production.
When the show was over a small army of men and women began to crawl all over the Trees like ants, stripping them of their banners and ornaments. The orchestra pit disappeared just as quickly. A few children ran around the huge Worship Center weaving in amongst the pews shouting and laughing. Large wooden storage boxes were rolled down the isles and the trees were quickly disassembled before my eyes. The huge space was filled with the sounds of people yelling orders and the rush of activity. When I finished this sketch I found Jeff again and we talked for a while. The budget for this show had been cut drastically. The director had wanted artificial snow and because of the cuts she didn’t get it. It is possible that the Trees might not go up again next year. The arts are hurting everywhere.
When I got into my truck to leave, I saw a slip of paper shoved into my windshield wiper. Annoyed I stepped out of my truck to get it. It wasn’t an ad but a note that said “The Singing Menorah was here!” I laughed out loud and suddenly felt happy knowing the arts will always shine bright.

The Trees – Main Stage

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This sketch was done on the day the core group of actors and dancers first took to the main stage. The trees structures had not yet been erected. The choreographer is pointing out where people should be to start the dance number so the whole stage area is used. When the performance began, the choreographer was yelling “Shatzi, Shatzi, step out, come in, out, together out!” With all the clutter there was much less room than expected and the dance number ran into some difficulties. Rather than try to iron out the hot spots the director decided to move the rehearsal to the mirrored dance space. There were no complaints and the second half or the rehearsal saw major improvements. Setbacks left room for unexpected and inspired steps forward. Throughout the night things fell into place even when they were not asked for. For instance a microphone was needed and a tech person just happened to wander into the rehearsal space with a microphone. Miracle or coincidence? That depends on your outlook.
Experience the Trees for yourself!
The final showtime for the Singing Christmas Trees is:
December 13, 5:00 PM
Tickets range from $8 to a $42 Dinner package.

The Trees – The Chorus Loads In

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I sat back stage to watch the Chorus load into the trees. The Chorus enters the trees by 2 ramps on either side of each of the 45 foot high structures. Below this level is another staging area where the chorus enters the lowest levels of the tree structures. It sort of reminds me of the opening scenes of “Titanic” with huge crowds going up the gang planks to board the unsinkable ship.
The tree rats enter the structure via two ramps in the center. The rats are on hand to massage legs and place all the wooden boxes that make everyone look 6 feet high. The tree rats entered the tree structure first and they are not in costume. Air conditioning ducts were piped in to supply cool air inside the trees.
In order to capture this sketch I worked diligently on the perspective of the huge space when no one was around. Then when the chorus lined up I had only minutes to capture where they were in that space. I found it interesting that the chorus doesn’t wear long flowing robes but rather only the part of the robe that will be seen by the audience when they are standing in the tree. This must because of the immense heat generated by all the lights on the trees. I was surprised more people didn’t wear shorts. The woman seated on the right was the first chorus member to come out. She had two pillows that she also stood on. She is seated beside a baptism pool which is full of water.
All this backstage activity is hidden from the audience by huge white curtains that are draped behind the trees. I was glad that the fabric is rather sheer which meant that I had plenty of light to work with when the show was going on. The show itself was inspiring, uplifting and fun. I know all the tunes by heart now and I can’t help but sing them as I am working.
Show times are
December 6, 5:00 PM
December 11, 7:30 PM
December 12, 3:00 PM
December 13, 5:00 PM
Tickets range from $8 to a $42 Dinner package.

The Trees – Lighting Booth

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On the final day of rehearsal Jeff Atkisson worked late in the lighting booth. He looks to me like a concert pianist with the way he taps away at the lighting buttons. Just look at the reach he has on that pinky finger. He pointed out to Aradhana, the director, that they needed to get a few last minute cues locked down just before show time. Aradhana walked back and playfully acted jealous like I was paying to much attention to her lighting designer and not enough attention to the hard work being done on stage. As the rehearsal progressed she released groups of actors as they finished with the scenes they were in. Many of the tech people had to stay late for the rehearsal and she offered them Christmas cookies as an added incentive to stay.
The carousel movement in one of the dance numbers was running slow so she was encouraging the actors to pick up the pace. Trusses that represent attic roofing beans were in place and the set was now complete with some decorative woodwork paneling. For this sketch I experimented with using a small book light for the first time. It worked great and I wish I had been using it throughout the process. Jeff had to leave before I finished the sketch. He glanced at the sketch and pointed out that I had gotten the colors wrong on a couple of the console lights. I made corrections but it still isn’t totally accurate. He left the trees lit for the sake of my sketch and he showed me which leaver to pull down in order to turn the lights off when I left. I felt so powerful when I pulled the leaver and the huge 45 foot high trees went dark. After Jeff got home he decorated a small tree with his girl friend and posted a picture on facebook.
The remaining show times are:
December 4th 7:30 PM
December 5th 3:00 PM
December 6th 7:30 PM
December 11th 7:30 PM
December 12th 3:00 PM
December 13th 5:00 PM
Tickets range from $8 to a $42 Dinner package.

Trees – Full Dress Rehearsal

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Back from the Florida Keys I immediately went to see how the Singing Christmas Trees had progressed. This was the first full dress rehearsal and all the elements were in place. For the first time I saw the tress with a full chorus and all the performers had vibrant costumes. The Orchestra was also on hand for the first time instead of the usual recorded click track. A TV cameraman recorded some close ups of isolated lines from the show which slowed things down a bit but overall the show flowed uninterrupted.
There was one major technical glitch when an actor walked off stage and his mic wasn’t turned off. You could hear his heavy breathing and his off stage conversation while the poor actress on stage had no mic and thus couldn’t be heard. The scene fell apart. Thank God it happened in rehearsal so corrections could be made.
This was the first time I got to see the trees light up and let me tell you it is breathtaking. Jeff Atkisson did an amazing job setting up this light show. The huge curtains behind the trees also offer an area for some interesting projections.
After the rehearsal was over I sought out Aradhana Tiwari, the director, to say good by. She was talking to the actor who had been talking off stage. This is of course a major mistake. There were other staging issues that she was quickly working out with him. She grabbed one of the costuming ladies and showed him how he should open up his staging to offer more interaction in the scene. She decided that the whole scene would have to be rehearsed again that night till it became second nature. She said to him they had to get it right or she would have to cut the scene in its entirety from the show. I didn’t stay for this added rehearsal but I am sure that with such high stakes and with show time looming things would get done, and done right. Everything depended on it. The show must go on!
Show times are:
December 3rd 7:30 PM Opening Night tonight!
December 4th 7:30 PM
December 5th 3:00 PM
December 6th 7:30 PM
December 11th 7:30 PM
December 12th 3:00 PM
December 13th 5:00 PM
Tickets range from $8 to a $42 Dinner package.

Trees – Light Programming

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Jeff Atkisson sits for hours in a small room behind the main stage programming the lighting that will appear on the trees. He has 12 songs that he needs to program on a miniature model of the trees, and he started off with “Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” He used an audio editing program called DP6 and instead of editing the audio he uses the programs MIDI files to turn the lights on the trees on and off. When he stacks the bars in the program to look like a staircase in the timeline for instance the lights will sweep on diagonally up the tree. First he places what he calls a blind cue on the timeline which sets the color which will happen with the next fade in or sweep. Other effects he mentioned include pops and gleams. When the light programing is finished he can directly transfer everything right over to the full scale trees.
Huge black boxes called dimmer racks stand next to the tree model with hundreds of wires hanging out of them. Apparently one of these boxes had burnt out earlier that day but that problem was resolved by the time I came in to sketch. At one point the tree just would not light and Jeff was climbing all around in the snake pit of wiring. I don’t know how he did it but after plugging in and unplugging a number of connections, everything started working again.
He took a quick break from the program sent a text message to the director to double check some notes that might be needed. He suspected the director might want less lighting action on the trees and he programmed the lights accordingly. The director called back and they they discussed the trees lighting briefly. After that conversation Jeff proceeded with quick certainty. He started telling me about the directors style which consists of pictures within pictures with very specific shifts of focus. When I thought back to the War of the Worlds, that directing style became very apparent. I also found out the Trees show has a theme which is “Reflections from the attic”. I learn something new about this show every day I come in to do another sketch.

Trees – Set Construction

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Jeff Atkisson directed me to the Madd building where I would find Jon Brandt working on the sets for Trees. The building is across the street from the First Baptist Church. When I entered I expected to see a small crowd of carpenters working but this afternoon I just found Jon working alone on the set. He had no idea who I was when I walked into the warehouse but he was welcoming and accepted the idea of me doing a sketch with no hesitation. He is standing on the side of the set that will face the audience. It looks like he is putting in three tiers and there will be steps in front and in back. A large platform will go between the back steps which is for now resting on the floor. The radio was on a talk radio station about how to handle your finances.
I was fascinated by the things to be found in storage in this warehouse. Two huge Gold Academy Awards were perched on an upper level. There were street lamps and a popcorn billboard cut out. The most prevalent item however were the crosses. There were several dozen smaller crosses and then four very large life sized crosses one being made from thick tree trunks. The large tree trunk cross has two railroad spike sized wooden spikes located where the hands would be nailed up.
Jon said he was working alone because his crew had taken off early. He however was committed to work till 5PM which gave me an hour and a half to sketch. I couldn’t help but think of the idea that Jesus had been a carpenter so he must have been very familiar with the smell of sawdust and the sound of wood boards being dropped into place.

Trees with Panels

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These huge 45 foot high Christmas trees now stand fully assembled and green in the First Baptist Church of Orlando. You might notice that only one panel is missing. This is because it was wired upside down but that will be an easy fix. The two 15 tiered trees were designed by Walt Keller back in 1980. Each will hold 150 Choir members who function as living singing ornaments. Both trees will have to support about 50 thousand pounds of weight when all the singers are lined up inside.
Bill Keller explained that each choir member has initials written on their legs and a yes or no. This leg marking is put in place for the tree rats who are in charge of arranging small wooden boxes which are used to keep all the choir members about 6 feet in height as seen from the audience. The yes or no is an indication as to whether the choir member would like to have their legs massaged since they must stand in one spot for so long. If the choir member snaps his or her fingers a tree rat will climb through the maze of beams and assist them by rubbing their legs. If someone is ticklish then they certainly will have “no” written on their legs. The last thing anyone would want is to have a choir member screaming out in surprise when a tree rat brushes up against their leg.
When the choir isn’t the center of attention, it is also possible for a choir member to quietly sit down to take a rest and have a sip of water. The heat generated by all the Christmas lights can be oppressive. It was estimated that there were 111 miles of Christmas tree light wiring attached to the panels. If someone feels faint and has to leave then the choir members surrounding the spot spread out a bit and the audience never notices the difference.

Tree Structure nears completion

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Jeff Atkisson invited me to climb to the top of the trees if I wanted but I had already started this sketch and I suspect I didn’t have the nerve. The trees have 15 tiers and the workers are working on tier 12 at this point. When this structure is complete railings are added to each row and then panels are hung from those railings which have many strands of Christmas tree lights. Jeff explained that there are about 111 miles of Christmas tree lights that are attached to the panels. All the lights were bought new this year along with tons of replacement bulbs. Previously lights were stripped in as strands died out and this resulted in bulbs of very different colors being mixed together over time. Now all the blue bulbs are very much the same color of blue throughout. Derrick Mckenzie was in charge of assembling all 270 of the new panels and getting all that wiring to work. He had the help of about 70 volunteers and it took them over a month to assemble all the panels. All the panels had colored lights arranged exactly the same so when Jeff programs then the lights can be triggered to that the tree become all one color or multiple colors can be lit at once creating stunning effects. Jeff will be able to make the tree for instance light up all green with those lights sweeping upward in a strong diagonal. This really has to be seen to be believed. I have only seen the effect on the small model tree but it is amazing.