2008 - Communication Across the Curriculum (CAC)

D e f i n i t i o n E s s a y
ENGL 1301: Composition and Rhetoric I. Susan
Medeski’s Definition Essay is creatively written to
capture the reader’s attention and keep him guessing
as to what she is defining. Her definition offers clear
detail to her key term, offering a vivid visual image.
Medeski’s ability to define a term in such a visual
manner demonstrates her creativity of thought and
thorough understanding of her term. Defining a term
for a reader who is unfamiliar with it is a complicated
task, but Medeski does it with style and grace
through the use of a creative piece in second person
that places the reader directly in front of the term.
Paullett Golden
Theatre Flies
by Susan Medeski
You enter the theatre and take your seat – row G, center aisle.
You have been looking forward to this show for months. As the
house lights fade, you hear the sound of a lone oboe playing an
eerie but familiar tune. Soon the oboe is joined by a full orchestra
as the music reaches its crescendo and stops. The blue velvet
main drape parts to reveal the stage for the production of Aladdin.
You might not realize it, but by now you have already seen at least
five flies in today’s production. If you just imagined yourself with
a set of high-powered binoculars in search of a small flying insect
dressed in an elaborate genie costume with heavy blue make-up,
you are looking for the wrong kind of fly.
If, however, you were able to stand on the stage in the actor’s
place and look directly overhead, you would see a network of
steel pipes suspended by thick aircraft cable. In theatre, these are
called flies. These pipes are connected to a pulley system on a grid
fifty-two feet above the stage that will eventually run down to the
backstage floor where they can be operated by a crew member.
The pipes are longer than the stage is wide, reaching into the wings
on an average of six feet and are approximately two inches in
diameter. They are spaced anywhere from six inches to a foot apart
from one another.
Each pipe is capable of holding hundreds of pounds of weight.
You might be asking, “But how it is possible for the average man
to pull that kind of weight as quickly as is necessary to make set
changes” (Did you just imagine The Hulk manning the flies) Each
fly is counter weighted so that one crew member, even a youth,
can bring a fly in or take it out quickly. Great care is taken by the
stage manager and crew to maintain a safe environment for actors
and crew alike during rehearsals and performances. Verbal cues
are used during rehearsal and actors must remember the sequence
V o l u m e I V : F a l l 2 0 0 8
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