CMU School of Drama


Sunday, February 24, 2013

The Stagehand Chronicles: Your Love Is On Fire

BAM 150: In honor of Valentine's Day, we met with couple Ginger and Bill Horton, two of BAM's resident stagehands, who are both trained pyrotechnicians. They most recently worked as pyrotechnicians for Sō Percussion's Where (we) Live at the BAM Harvey Theater. Bill began working at BAM in 1982, and Ginger began working here in 1988 (she left a few years later, and returned to BAM in 2003). They met on Ginger's first day working here, and began dating two weeks later. They have been together for 25 years, and have been married for 22.

5 comments:

jgutierrez said...

Well it just goes to show that someone who could turn out to be very important to you could be right under your nose. It kind of reminds me of how theatre brings people together in many different ways - through their love of song, spoken word, technical aesthetic, and the universal themes found in the dialogue. But it's great to see two people being connected in a more permanent way. I didn't know that unions went so far as to have parties to celebrate anniversaries, but it makes me glad to know that our industry is a celebratory and energetic one. I also question how much people still call each other to find jobs as compared to 1988.

april said...

This was a fun little story. Like Jacquelyn I agree its interesting how you never really know who could end up being really important in your life. I remember my mom saying once that she was always nice to any other couple she met, even if she didnt like them, because she never knows if those might be the parents of the person my brother or I will marry. I think its a little funny, but you do never know.
It is interesting that they both do basically the same job at the theatre, I would have thought that that would make them to similar to be able to stay in a romantic relationship for long. Its wonderful when it works out, but it is often playing with fire to get into a relationship on the job, especially one where you would have to work closely together even after it went south.
I also did not realize unions were the sort of group that celebrated things together. i wonder if that was just theirs specifically or if that is the norm.

Devrie Guerrero said...

This story is a nice change of pace. I feel like it also a great story to put on BAM's blog for Valentine's Day. Its good marketing and is a story people would like to relate to. This also prove how important networking is.

Jess Bertollo said...

I agree with Dev. It's nice to hear a story about a successful relationship in the theater. You never know, when you start working in a new place, who will end up becoming some of the most influential people in your life. I do disagree a little bit with what April said, though. Being in the same type of position at the same theater may make it easier for two people in a relationship rather than more difficult. We work such long and crazy hours in our industry that it's difficult to have a relationship with anyone who doesn't understand what we do. Maybe working so closely allows them to have a healthy relationship. If they didn't work together, they may never see each other. It's heart-warming to know that there may be hope for us all, yet!

JamilaCobham said...

Wow a light, romantic article on the Blog?? This doesn't happen often! This was so nice to read especially coming from SM seminar just now where we discussed how some people may retire from the business eventually to have more stable jobs, with regular work hours in order to settle down and be able to spend more time with your family or to even begin a family. Great for them that they found each other and were also able to find work together and be able to work well together. Sometimes couples can't work together, but as Jess stated, this seems to have made their relationship stronger. I also agree with Dev, great story by BAM!