CTC Branding: A History

If you've browsed our website recently, you've probably noticed that CTC has a new logo.

In light of this re-branding I've put together a short history of the CTC logo.

Version 1



This version was created in Photoshop 7 on a dinky little DELL laptop in CTC's inaugural headquarters in 2004. The fonts used are Georgia and Haettenschwieler. The symbol used to personify the 'collision' was pulled from the ranks of PS 7's default shapes. It served us well, but it was put to rest by:

Version 2




While I did not play a part in the second incarnation of CTC's logo, I can assert that it came to be in an effort to more accurately reflect the ethos of the company. We're young. We're hip. Our logo most definitely does not include a stuffy serif font. We also opted, in good judgment, to lose the classy emboss effect.

And the most recent version




The most recent version of the CTC logo was also brought about by the need to more honestly reflect the ethos of the company. As we change so too should the logo. This version is typographically based invoking a sense of directness and simplicity. The font used is Alte Haas Grotesk and draws on the strength of sans serif fonts like ever-popular Helvetica, but is a bit rougher around the edges - literally. The tilt was intended to give the logo a sense of movement inherent in the name of our company. So that's pretty much it.

Please share your thoughts with us on our new logo in the comments.

Final Thoughts on Scab

We put Scab to rest this weekend. It was tough because I felt like the show was just getting legs. After a slow start were starting to fill our houses pretty regularly and I have to believe that if we had two or three more weekends left to run the show that we could have reached a lot more people.

This is one of the key problems with small storefront shows like ours: it takes a few weeks to really build any buzz and by the time word of mouth starts getting around the show needs to close. In our case, we don't have an enormous budget that enables us to rent out a theatre for 8 weeks so we have to deal with a shorter runs, usually 4 or 5 weeks. I would have loved to extend our run, but we couldn't, so we didn't and now I'm living with it.

On a more positive tip, the final weekend of shows was incredible; our closing on Saturday night was sold out to an incredile and emotional audience of friends and family and the whole experience has left me with incredibly fond memories of our wonderful cast and crew.

Someone in the cast (I can't recall who, maybe Casey?) was talking about how of all the shows they have been a part of that there are always those one or two people in every cast whose behavior, personality, acting style or stench makes you want to avoid them like the plague. They then opined that their experience with this cast was unique in that they didn't have those feelings about anyone, that everyone we assembled for our little production was perfectly pleasant; we all got on with one another and everyone's hygiene was impeccable. So, if nothing else, our company knows how to keep the weirdos out. Thank Thespis! (I'm copyrighting that phrase)

And that is what I learned from Scab...

A Personal Reflection on Opening Weekend of SCAB

On the evening of Friday before last I traveled to Chicago from New York to attend the gala performance of SCAB - or SCRB if you will. The flight was relatively uneventful, until something remarkable happened - even if only in my imagination. During our decent from 30,000 feet the sight of Chicago's cityscape - from my tiny oval in the side of the plane - was incredible and held within it's striking aspect the promise of a memorable trip. In the darkness the city lights lay out on a grid - like an army of fireflies marching to the edge of the horizon, where upon arrival, they disappeared and darkness again claimed reign of the night. I fumbled with my digital camera and attempted to catch the glorious view, but the results were blurred and failed to capture the glowing expanse of the city. I touched down just after midnight.



Saturday was a beautiful day. It was one of those days that, for me, captures the quintessence of spring in Chicago - at least as I recall it on blustery days during the winter. I arrived early at the theatre with Seth and Erica and while pouring glasses of Chardonnay into plastic cups and passing out chilled beers it struck me, that in that moment, I would've rather been no place else. It was among audience members shuffling into the unique, recently renovated EP Theater; actors stretching their muscles and preparing their voices before the performance; company members in the lobby just managing to keep the mounting anticipation beneath the skin and behind the voice (except for when it escaped in little, nervous burps of excitement); shoulders sitting in the darkness looking on as my friends took the stage and told their story that I felt sincerely at home.

On Sunday, which was again one of those remarkable spring days, I begrudgingly called a cab to take me to O'Hare in order to board a plane that would whiz me off back to New York. I wished that I could see the show again. I wished that I could, every night, stand behind the bar and hand out beers to those whom made the decision to come see our show.

Congrats to all involved with SCAB. Collision Theatre Rocks. Period. Have a wonderful run!