GH Set Trip

From: ez011773@dale.ucdavis.edu (Linda Zunas)
Subject: GH: part 1, repost
Date: 12 Oct 1994 16:32:53 GMT

I worked in SoCal this summer, and saw NEddie and Lois at Magic Mountain. 
I went back to work, excitedly relating my story, and a co-worker tole me 
that her dad produces GH (Marty Vagts), so why don't I go with him to 
work on day???
WOW!!!!
I drove down to the ABC studios- GH and the local news are the only 
things that tape there anymore.  I felt very special with my name on all 
the guards' lists. I was directed to the 5th floor, and the door opened 
to GENERAL HOSPITAL on the wall.  It was so exciting!!!!
I walked down the hallway, most of the way down are framed covers of any 
GHer on a magazine. As I was walking, Sean passed me, and of course I 
said HI.
It was the strangest feeling all day, since I knew these people SO well, 
it seemed natural that they should know me... alas, they did not.
I was very excited by the time I got to Marty's office, and sat to wait 
for him.  Kathy W. (I'll check the credits and get back to you. She was 
dating the bassist in Wally's band) turned on the TV which showed what 
they were taping downstairs. Lucy was tormenting Damien in his hospital 
room. 
Marty came and got me, gave me a director's script of that day's episode 
(it will air on OCT 12), and a taping schedule.
We headed back downstairs, and arrived on the sound stage- it was HUGE!!!!
Lucy and Damien were still taping, so we walked through.  The Nurses 
station is permanently set up first, and that day the Lighthouse was 
setup across from it.  Next came the Ward living room, the  Gatehouse, 
and on the other side was the Q's living room (sans gun cabinet) and 
KElly's (see my post about its being remodeled).  We walked though all 
the sets, and then he took me over to the production booth.  Shelly 
Curtis produced this episode, so she was there calling camera angles. 
There were about 9 people in the booth working.  Next door was the sound 
room- they add the music as they tape, and they have A LOT of music in there!
Next we went out back, and saw all the sets- they all fold up and are 
stored in a huge wherehouse.  Behind that is a shop where they build all 
the new sets- they were working on Justice's Firehouse and something 
else.  
They have a greenhouse where they keep all their plants- most of the 
house plants you see are REAL live plants!  We went downstairs to the prop 
dept, where they have a full kitchen.  They also buy a lot of stuff at 
Lucky's.
Next we saw where the dressing rooms were.  Marty was going to take me to 
an empty one, but we saw Sean again, so we got to see his.  He was REALLY 
nice to me (again).  He is a classy, funny gentleman.  We talked about 
his impending trip to Puerto Rico (police commish in PR?)
and hurricanes and Haiti, and how they better be careful-he kidded about 
runnign for the getaway plane, etc.
He was just SO NICE!!!!!!!!!!
We walked around to makeup and the green room where MaeMAe was practicing 
her lines.
Then we headed back upstairs and wathced Lucy finish her scene.
We stopped her on her way out and I told her how much I admired her and 
how awesome a job she was doing. shook her hand and she was gone.
Marty had a meeting, so he left me there with the crew, sitiing in the 
Lighthouse.
BTW, those paintings of Kevins are taken out of a book of Twilight Zone 
paintings or something.  One of the poeple on the show actually paints them.

Luke came in to do some scenes with Damian.  Marty warned me that Luke is 
one of the few people who feels strongly that GH's closed set policy 
should be inforced- so I had to kind of lurk in the shadows while he was 
there.

I wathced them tape: They walk through each scene for lighting and 
blocking, the producer runs back and forth, and then they tape it. Each 
scene is taped individually- that means that each time the show breaks so 
do the actors.  They dont just continue- like "they hug, fade to black, 
keep hugging, fade in , keep acting" they stop and check lights, 
positions, etc each time!
They tape from 8:30 until they get all the scenes done- usually 7 or 8 at 
night!!!!

Anyway, Luke left, and I intercepted Damian as he left.  Looking good in 
PJ's and slippers.  I asked him how it felt to go to work and change for 
bed.  I also asked when he and Lila will be doing wheel chair races- he 
said she is dangerous in that thing.  he'll be getting a cane, soon, he 
said, so then he can be truly wicked and beat people or someting. I 
mentoined that I work with mice (and Rats) and he said that was 
definitely an unforgetable experience.

He was done, and next on the schedule was some scenes in MaeMae's living 
room.  We all walked down the sound stage and situated ourselves in fornt 
of Kelly's.  I sat on the stool by the phone. Let me tell you it was very 
erie sitting there- It was awesome, but strange.  I investigated the 
kitchen, complete with fresh bread, vegetables and pies form Lucky's.. 
there was some plastic food, too.
Jason, Keesha, and MaeMae worked on one scene up until the lunch break.  
Amazing how noe of the staircases go anyhwere, and when someone goes 
upstairs, tehy have to wait until they stop filming to get down

For example, in the recent scene with Kevin and Felicia, when he went 
upstairs to change, they faded out right after he got up there.
did I mention how small the Lighthouse and MaeMae's seemed to me? 

Anyway, Marty (Vagts, producer) came back, and we grabbed Jason just as 
he was leaving for lunch.  We got the lights turned on in the Q liging 
room ,and I got my picture taken with him there. Man is he georgous!!!!!

 Another aside, sorry. I will be making my own WWW page as soon as my 
pictures from this trip come out, so you can all see!!!!!
=) PART 3 of this tale will be my recounting of all I learned from Marty.

So everyone left for lunch, and I went and ate at the cafeteria.  I heard 
some random writers saying something abour Ned and Lois and him pulling 
out an IV and runnign after her- I have NO CLUE what that was about.  I went 
back to the empty stage and wandered around a lot. It was really great to 
see all of the sets so  up close.  Marty told me that he actually takes 
some of the family pictures you see in the houses. Others are just extra 
photos.  
there were three more scenes with MaeMae and Keesha, and then we all 
moves down to the Q living room. Meanwhile, the prop men were preparing 
Kelly's for the conclusion of Ruby's B-Day party.  They brought out cake, 
and I had a piece (part of the show!!!!sort of)
Alan, Reginald and Sean were filming in the living room, so we all sat 
in the gatehouse.  Let me tell you that those leather couches are very 
comfortable!!!
the desk chair is pretty nice, too, although the lumber support is a bit 
overpronounced.  That desk is really cool, except for the dent on the 
edge.  I liked that  set a lot, since it was so cozy and comfortable.
Sean was in a wonderful mood, joking about everything- including how the 
butler did it, and kicking Reginald out - literally. this was all in fun. 
They still dont know who poisoned Katherine.  Alan was being funny, too, 
just not so silly.  Sean is such a NICE Guy (did I mention that already?)
 I found Kathy, and she took me down to  meet REginald and Lila. I got my 
picture taken with the two of them in her dressing room, with her Star in 
the background. She is such an elegant, beautiful, and polite lady!  
Reginald was quite friendly, too.
On our way out, we ran into Luke, who I did not want to meet after 
Marty's warning- I did not want to cause trouble. Kathy introduced me,and 
I sort of shied away. It is so strange how everyone looks identical to 
their characters- I mean there is no camera distortion!  On our way back 
to the set, we passed makeup and ran into Ruby, who is looking much 
better, thinner, and healthier.  She said she is feeling well and much 
better.
I went back upstairs and watched Lila, Edward, Sean and Reg. work their 
magic.  Everyone adores Lila, it is simple to see.  She has got to be 
one of the favorite people there! I snuck a picture of the crew filming, 
but Isince I ddid not use a flash, I do not know if it will come out.
 Sean saw me patiently sitting at the Gatehouse desk, and asked why I was 
still there- I told him I was having an awesome time and did not want 
to leave!  I asked if he would mind when he was done if I could get a 
picture taken with him, and he galdly obliged.  He had another scene to 
tape, and then he was outta there. We walked downstaris to the dressing 
room area, and into makeup.  We got a makeup lady to take our picture, 
and we saw Luke again- imagine my dismay.  Robin was getting made up for 
her scenes, so I talked to her for a while.  I was glad to meet her since 
she has been on the show for so long.  She hopes to go to 
UCLA, or NYU or Yale (or was it princeton?) to study film when her 
college years approach.  I enjoyed talking to her.  We got our pictures 
taken- She is TINY!!!! and then I headed back to Marty's office.

I went back 
upstairs to Marty (Vagts, Assoc. Prod.)'s office, and Kathy Wetherell 
asked if I had seen everything I wanted to.  She made me go down and meet 
stone, although that was not top priority for me...
First, Marty asked if I wanted a t-shirt- so he gets me a hat, shirt, 
pin, and sweatshirt, all with the GH 30th anniversary logo on them.  I 
snagged a bottle of Evian, since there are cases everywhere.  Marty took 
me back ot the sond stage where they were still filming in the Q. Living 
room, and he had them light up the nurses station.  He took 3 pictures of 
me there- it seems so SMALL!!!! I grabbed some cookies fo rthe drive 
home, too.=)
Then I got a picture of us in the reception area, with the big GH sign 
and photos of the cast in the background.  Marty went back to work, and 
Kathy took me down to see Stone- she said that she had told him I was 
coming, for some reason....
I got a picture with him, and then it was time to leave. =(
Before I did, I asked Kathy if any of the GH cast and crew read internet 
postings about the show, and she told me that periodiaclly someone 
collects the Prodigy postings and sends them to one of the producers- so 
head to Prodigy if you want to be heard.  I pulled out a huge 
compillation of Top Ten Lists I got from the WWW page(dont worry, I 
edited out the not-so-nice parts), and asked her if she could give them 
to the relavent actors? I especially hope Reginald gets his lists!
She said she would try, so hopefully they have ahd a chance to read the 
wonderful lists which have been archived here for us by T'N'T!

I forgot to mention that I asked Marty about upcoming storylines, and he 
told me that "If I care, Miguel will be in a big one"- He explained that 
it seemed that Miguel is not a very favorite character with the fans. AT 
LEAST HE KNOWS!!!!!!!! But that does not stop them from keeping him right 
up there. Oh well. In my free time in the offices, I read synopses from 
the not yet written scripts for November- I posted these awhile back.

 That pretty much covers it.
I have had a few requests for reposting the first part of my tale, so I 
will most likely repost all 3 in a few weeks.

I will be putting a ton of stuff about GH, including my pictures in my 
WWW page as soon as I can get it done.  I guess until then, I thank you 
all for reading this lengthy story!

linda Z.