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“That was about 35 years ago and I was there for about 25 years,” Finnerty said. “Easy to understand as it was an incredible experience working as the Production Manager for a vibrant program that brought in many amazingly talented musicians.”
Looking back over that time it was a daily inspiration in the art of music and performance, he said.
“I was actually hoping that I would absorb some of that musical artistry by osmosis, but it never really happened,” Finnerty said. “I learned there, that practicing a lot is a prerequisite to becoming an accomplished musician – and osmosis doesn’t really come into play – and here I am, still struggling to play the piano. But it was an absolute privilege to have contributed in my own way to those great performances.”
Along the way, he worked on innumerable performances with Pine Tree Players as lighting and sound designer. Each one of those individual plays was an opportunity to explore a different approach to the art of lighting, and theatre in general, he said.
“Although Pine Tree Players never really had an overabundance of lighting and sound equipment and the Union Hall was not what you would call a fully equipped theatre, it is amazing what a talented, creative, and committed group of volunteers can produce,” Finnerty said.
Last year’s Pine Tree Players production of ‘Young Frankenstein’ was a great example of how a complex performance including orchestra, actors, directors, technicians and all sorts of other support can come together to accomplish amazing results, he said.
