Sky Rappoport is a familiar face to many Monterey Peninsula theatre-goers, primarily because he often is the person who sells tickets to the plays. But he has done a lot more than that. It began in his late teen years.

Sky has always lived on the Peninsula, primarily in Pacific Grove. He graduated from Monterey High School in 1989 and then attended Monterey Peninsula College for four years, earning two associate degrees. Why did he stay at MPC so long? He explains it, "I was waiting for CSUMB to open and didn't want to quit school, because I felt I might not return if I did. When CSUMB began taking applications in late 1994 I applied immediately, and was accepted. I attended from opening day, August 25, 1995 through May 25, 1997, when I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in International Entrepeneurship, with an emphasis in Accounting."

Sky's first experience in theatre was in his early years of high school. He was a light board operator for DUET FOR ONE in 1986 for GroveMont Theatre (now Pacific Repertory Theatre) when it was at the Hoffman Playhouse. From that point he kept getting "shanghaied" into other productions. He has served as light board operator, sound board operator, master electrician, set crew, set manager, woods manager (Forest Theatre), concessions manager, volunteer coordinator, and even did a couple of walk-on roles in various productions.

Then, some time in 1988, he began doubling as house manager/stage manager for the Poetic Drama Institute and the GroveMont Theatre Arts Center. In the summer of 1988 he began working at Center Stage Ticketing as a reservation specialist, and he continued through 1991, serving as Operations Manager during the last two years. He left Center Stage in 1991 to become House Manager with GroveMont when they acquired the Monterey Playhouse and stayed with them only until August. When Center Stage announced they were discontinuing the ticket operation, he left GroveMont to open the Monterey Theatre Alliance Box Office. This operated as a non-profit under the umbrella of the MCTA with one full-time (Sky) and two part-time (Cindy Womack and Kathy Deskin-Jacobs) staff members. The MCTA box office lasted through October of 1993, the same time the Monterey Playhouse closed its doors (the MCTA rented an office in the lobby of the Playhouse).

SKY RAPPOPORT with Julie Hughett and Amy Washburn

The MCTA box office never re-opened, since renting an office at "market rates" was not financially feasible. In 1993 Sky began working at Monterey Peninsula College Theatre Department box office on an "on call" basis and has continued that way to the present. He became self-employed, beginning his own business - S R Management. Primarily he does accounting, property management, operations, promotion, marketing, and staff fulfillment. His clients currently include Center Stage Software (formerly Ticketing) a Monterey Peninsula College Theatre Department, Pacific Repertory Theatre, and Dance Kids Inc.

Sky also is currently involved with the creation of the Lifespan Learning Network which he describes as "a coalition of more than 50 Monterey County non-profits and governmental agencies formed to foster collaboration and networking among those agencies which provide lifelong educational opportunities." He explains that one prime goal of the network is to provide resources for the public to learn about these existing lifespan learning opportunities which range from early childhood to mature adult (which includes all the arts including theatre). This is through the creation and maintenance of an Internet web site (still in its formative stage) and through the periodical publishing of a directory of member providers and their offerings.

Somehow all of Sky's activities seem to tie together. He describes the process, "I continue my involvement in theatre because it really is the nucleus of all my other work. I can trace back my current jobs (yes, all ten of them) to when I was a lowly 'tech.' The networking environment we create in any given 'community,' such as the Monterey County theatre community, is the single most powerful vehicle we have for advancement, not only self-advancement, but the advancement of society and community. The theatre is a living example of Gestalt's Theory: 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts' or as I see it: The Production is far superior to just a room of Actors, Audience, Directors, and Techs."