About the first one discovers when they bring a group out to the home planetarium is this - what if all the people dont FIT in your little star theater? So as I contemplated this dilemma (which led to endless debates on how to fit them in, on the floor, on short little chairs, on couches, benches, a church pew (yes I have one, dont ask), tall chairs .. eventually I realized I needed a 'holding area' so I could potentially split up big groups into pieces. Since the planetarium was immediately behind a large old barn filled with couches and easy chairs from 30 years of remodeling the main house, it wasn't long before a plan emerged! The Sumner Star Theater was born. Because - if you have people sitting in a place, what ELSE can you do besides have them wait to go into the star theater.
It turned out, I could have them do alot. So much in fact, the tail began wagging the dog, and I spent several years indulging in fantasies, I mean long held dreams, about other things RELATED to the stars at the expense of star shows. But it was all good. A bit unfocused, but some hobbies are tightly focused and some aren't. Home planetariums can be incredibly diverse. So here I brought in every related interest that had occurred. to me. Why not. There was nothing to stop me. I had a large area, a captive audience ..
Stars and history. That I think was the main attraction. The stars as the only thing we can see today that is exactly (well almost) as the ancients saw them. So what is the FIRST thing, well the second thing after Stonehenge, I had that covered in my music The Salisbury Trilogy, one thinks of with the ancients and the stars. Why the pyramids of course. So I built some.
Updated July 2015: The Sumner Star theater as a concept has survived and moved over to a side venue - this has preserved some of that historical flavor thats been so fun. Currently its set up with the Egyptian theme, which coincided with the production of my last 'obscure rock opera', Under Ancient Eygptian Skies (see Obscure Rock Operas blog). The results of this mayhem may be seen here Under Ancient Egyptian Skies. Yes, there was a Khufu Dance. Don't ask. These were the last original songs I've written, in the first 15 foot dome theater in one creative outburst. It is anticipated that this could be part of my live shows, keeping that Jake Jones spirit alive (Jake Jones being the band I remember playing in the Abrahms planetarium in the mid 70s)
So the Sumner Star theater has been and will continue to be a secondary outlet for historical and musical star related creativity! What could be better.
It turned out, I could have them do alot. So much in fact, the tail began wagging the dog, and I spent several years indulging in fantasies, I mean long held dreams, about other things RELATED to the stars at the expense of star shows. But it was all good. A bit unfocused, but some hobbies are tightly focused and some aren't. Home planetariums can be incredibly diverse. So here I brought in every related interest that had occurred. to me. Why not. There was nothing to stop me. I had a large area, a captive audience ..
Stars and history. That I think was the main attraction. The stars as the only thing we can see today that is exactly (well almost) as the ancients saw them. So what is the FIRST thing, well the second thing after Stonehenge, I had that covered in my music The Salisbury Trilogy, one thinks of with the ancients and the stars. Why the pyramids of course. So I built some.
Updated July 2015: The Sumner Star theater as a concept has survived and moved over to a side venue - this has preserved some of that historical flavor thats been so fun. Currently its set up with the Egyptian theme, which coincided with the production of my last 'obscure rock opera', Under Ancient Eygptian Skies (see Obscure Rock Operas blog). The results of this mayhem may be seen here Under Ancient Egyptian Skies. Yes, there was a Khufu Dance. Don't ask. These were the last original songs I've written, in the first 15 foot dome theater in one creative outburst. It is anticipated that this could be part of my live shows, keeping that Jake Jones spirit alive (Jake Jones being the band I remember playing in the Abrahms planetarium in the mid 70s)
So the Sumner Star theater has been and will continue to be a secondary outlet for historical and musical star related creativity! What could be better.
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