A Rose By Any Other Name
Where the name OrangeMite Studios originated

We had a show, but we didn’t have a name. In the Globe was less than two months away from opening night, and we didn’t have a name for the group that was producing it. Five of us sat around a table, near a glistening swimming pool, in the hot June sun waiting for it to come to us. We were waiting for that brilliant, catchy name for our little production company.

Nothing was clicking, nothing sounded right, and if it did sound right the name was already taken. Frustrated, I dove into the pool, and then swam over to the side. A small fluorescent orange bug, no longer than a sixteenth of an inch, meandered its way precariously above the water, catching my eye. It was a mite.

Mites around these parts are usually red, and I’ve seen many red ones in my day. This one was not red, it was orange, a rare find indeed. Intrigued by its bright color, I announced to my friends that I had a found an orange mite. The indifference was apparent. No one cared; finding a pointless little bug wasn’t helping the cause of naming the organization.

I pointed at the minuscule bug to show another friend who swam over to see it. As I did so, a tiny little drop of water trickled off the end of my index finger and dropped on top of the orange mite. It instantly drowned in the drop. I was disappointed, while everyone else found it comical that the little bug I had made such a big deal about was killed by me, accidentally.

Laughing at the situation I climbed out of the pool and back to the table where, after a few more jokes about the orange mite, we continued on our quest to come up with a name. More time that seemed like hours passed, and finally someone suggested, Orange Mite Studios, poking fun at me and my now deceased bug. We all laughed and were ready to move on when one of our members said, “No, that’s it.” Dumbfounded, we looked at him.

At that moment OrangeMite Studios was born. For quite some time I tried to create parallels between OrangeMite Studios and its namesake. For example, orange mites are rare, unique, and colorful just like the organization, but after realizing the severe tackiness of that statement I now say, “It’s just a name. That’s all, nothing more.”

While that’s probably more than the editor of the website ever wanted me to write, at least you know what’s in the name of an organization that has taken on a life of its own long after many of its founders have moved on. As one of the founders of the organization, I can say I’m very proud of the progress the group has made, and I’m excited to be a part of the art and culture it will continue to cultivate in our community.

William Wolfgang, Founder