Joseph wrote this back in November: “Loving having a rehearsal studio downstairs. Was able to spend almost 2 hours working on Vanya after the family went to bed. There’s still a lot to do, but it works!”
In November 2013, we began the process of converting the downstairs space of our home into a studio for rehearsals and training. We started by cleaning out all the family living stuff — including six 6-foot bookcases with their nearly 150 boxes worth of books — leaving only items to be used for Uncle Vanya rehearsals.
With the exception of a new paint job over the holidays, the conversion was interrupted for about five months while we rehearsed, produced, and recovered from Uncle Vanya.
But just before Memorial Day, the carpet came out.
Then came the subfloor. We wanted a fully sprung floor because of our physical work and our daughter’s Irish Step dancing, but that plan was stymied by the height of the fireplace threshold. So contrary to conventional technique, we put the moisture barrier on bottom, then installed a floating subfloor on top… onto which a floating finish floor would be added. The old carpet came in handy as impromptu shim and leveler for our wavy floors! Joseph spent a few days working out some over-enthusiastic creaks.
On a whim, we tore out this unnecessarily large platform. C fretted it might hold a dead body. The thing was built like Fort Knox — serious overkill (but no dead body). Before and after, and the day’s total progress: just shy of 3/4 through the subfloor part of the job.
Recognize that bench in front of the fireplace? It’s from our 2003 production, Jeanne the Maid: A Trial & Execution of Jeanne D’Arc.
How are we going to deal with that 9″ edge of concrete circling the room? Or the now garish threshold of the sliding door?! These questions puzzled us for weeks. In vain, we called in experts for professional solutions. We tried a tile application that failed dismally. We decided it would be better to install the floor first than wait until we had a viable solution to the surround, so we moved on.
Joseph put the floor in over the course of a couple evenings — after having already put in a full day at the office. He made it about 1/3 of the way across in the first evening.
As of tonight, the floor is done.
Those boxes along the wall contain the stone that will solve our finish issue. Stay tuned!
