We thought we were supposed to have two shows today, but it turned out they were canceled two weeks ago. Only Theatreworks (the company we work for) failed to inform us of the cancellations. So... we showed up at our venue, only to be turned away.
Anyway, long story short, Ben, Ethan, Michelle and I went to the beach (the rest of the girls went and did... something else), swam in the ocean, flew a kite, built a sandcastle and finished off the day in a seafood restaurant with live music.
It's good to be near the ocean. It makes the fact that I have to be someone else, a lot of the time, slightly more bearable. At the end of the day, the ocean is so much larger than the stupid problems that arise out of being surrounded by the same people day in and day out. Pictures when there's a better internet connection, but for now:
Good Night.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Today, I did...
... pretty much nothing.
Originally, I had planned on going to DisneyWorld with the castees today, but when the alarm clock went off, it occurred to me that six hours was not enough sleep for me to run around a theme-park on. And also, I'm coming back here in June with my baby sister to spend four days running around said theme-park.
Plus, I went to Downtown Disney with the kids last night for dinner (and ate at Wolfgang Puck's, which was t-t-t-tasty tasty) and got a mini-Disney-fix.
So, guilt-free, I rolled over and went back to sleep.
Then I lounged by the pool.
Read my book.
Went to Happy Hour across the street for snacks and a beer.
Got in the hot-tub.
I may get a drink at the little bar that's right next to the pool. I may not
Tomorrow? Searching for 'gators on an air-boat!
Originally, I had planned on going to DisneyWorld with the castees today, but when the alarm clock went off, it occurred to me that six hours was not enough sleep for me to run around a theme-park on. And also, I'm coming back here in June with my baby sister to spend four days running around said theme-park.
Plus, I went to Downtown Disney with the kids last night for dinner (and ate at Wolfgang Puck's, which was t-t-t-tasty tasty) and got a mini-Disney-fix.So, guilt-free, I rolled over and went back to sleep.
Then I lounged by the pool.
Read my book.
Went to Happy Hour across the street for snacks and a beer.
Got in the hot-tub.
I may get a drink at the little bar that's right next to the pool. I may not
Tomorrow? Searching for 'gators on an air-boat!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Celebration! / Show # 32
"Celebration, Florida ... You've got to see this place!"
With a tag-line like that, how could we pass it up? Especially once we did a little research and figured out exactly what it is that makes Celebration, FL such a special place...
"Celebration, FL is census-designated place and an unincorporated master-planned community in Osceola County in the U.S. state of Florida, near Walt Disney World Resort. It was developed by The Walt Disney Company.
Celebration is connected directly to the Walt Disney World parks and resorts by World Drive [ ... ]"
Celebration is connected directly to the Walt Disney World parks and resorts by World Drive [ ... ]"
So, we went. And wouldn't you know, it really does look like someone just transplanted the Mainstreet USA section of Disneyland into the real world! It's got mood-lighting under the trees, a fountain that shoots up over coloured lights and music piping from little hubs in the flowerbeds. All the awnings are striped, all the lawns are perfectly mowed and all of the sidewalks are pristine, neat and polished-looking. It is so perfect and normal that it's actually kind of weird.
Then, today, we rose before the sun did to drive off to the Kissimee School District headquarters and get our finger-prints taken before we drove to our venue (a school, in case you hadn't guessed) to perform. The show itself was fine, I suppose. We're all a little tired right now, which is somewhat counter-intuitive, given that we've had a lot of time to relax during these past few days. Perhaps it's just that we're letting ourselves feel how tired we've been and are still recovering. Whatever it is, I'm either going to have to start drinking more coffee in the morning (a feat that will surely result in my bladder EXPLODING, given how much I'm already downing) or I'm going to have to take up coke. I hear it's good for energy.
I'm totally kidding. I'm not doing coke.
I don't have the money for it.
Anyhow - tomorrow, we're going to DisneyWorld! HURRAY! I love these days off down here, where there's so much touristy stuff to do. The other things we have planned during our days off? Going for an air-boat ride, spending more quality time with that pool and hot-tub and possibly writing a few more postcards.
Maybe I'll send you one.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Shows # 30 & 31, Miami and Fort Lauderdale!
I type this from my hotel room in Orlando - our internet connection hasn't been the best and so it's been a while since I updated.
In Miami, we had our first show with the lovely Ms. Jacobs. For her, it was the first time through the show in its entirety - Hurray for Leah! We were performing in a day school that was attached to a synagogue, had to get security clearance to get into the parking lot (tho nothing like what we have coming tomorrow, but more about that later...) and set up under some of the most beautiful chandeliers I have ever seen. Let me repeat: chandeliers. In a school. These kids are privileged.
They were also a wonderful audience! They absolutely loved the show, although one little boy was so overwhelmed by the Blue Tarantula that he hopped into his teacher's arms and practically wept. He's ok now, though. I think.
Anyway, we had a good show, a quick load-out and then went back to the hotel room for a bit before we all went out to dinner at a place called.. something Opa. Taverna Opa, I think. I could double-check, but I'm too lazy to do that right now. Anyway, it was a fun Greek place, where the music was pumped up, we ground our own humus and the patrons (and waiters) were dancing on the tables.
After dinner, we realized we were just across the street from the beach. So we went for a stroll on the beach, which ended up turning into a night-time dive into the ocean in our underwear - incredible.
After our swimming adventures ended, however, we went back to the hotel and slept as soundly as possible before the hour-long drive to Fort Lauderdale, where our next performance was.
This brings me to yesterday. We drove to Fort Lauderdale and performed in the War Memorial Auditorium, loaded out quickly and went to lunch. During the lunch break, I swept a HEAP of sand out of the vans (which had gotten there after the hijinks of the night before) and stripped the front of all of its garbage. Now it's actually a place we can ride in comfortably, as opposed to being a complete sty.
Anyway, we finished lunch and hit the road to Orlando, where we checked into our La Quinta, ran across the road to get pizza for dinner and then came back. Once at the hotel, the castees and I hopped into the hot-tub, made friends with the bartender and had drinks bought by a new friend at the bar (which is poolside, incidentally). So, now we are caught up to today!
This morning, the girls and I got up for breakfast, where we met the boys, ate enough to tide us through lunch and then I headed out to the pool, where I have just spent the last two hours or so swimming, laying out and reading my book.
It's a hard life, but someone's got to do it.
As for dinner tonight, Ethan and I have been talking about driving out to Celebration (which is the town Disney built) and maybe getting some grub while we're there. Just to say we've been.
In Miami, we had our first show with the lovely Ms. Jacobs. For her, it was the first time through the show in its entirety - Hurray for Leah! We were performing in a day school that was attached to a synagogue, had to get security clearance to get into the parking lot (tho nothing like what we have coming tomorrow, but more about that later...) and set up under some of the most beautiful chandeliers I have ever seen. Let me repeat: chandeliers. In a school. These kids are privileged.
They were also a wonderful audience! They absolutely loved the show, although one little boy was so overwhelmed by the Blue Tarantula that he hopped into his teacher's arms and practically wept. He's ok now, though. I think.
Anyway, we had a good show, a quick load-out and then went back to the hotel room for a bit before we all went out to dinner at a place called.. something Opa. Taverna Opa, I think. I could double-check, but I'm too lazy to do that right now. Anyway, it was a fun Greek place, where the music was pumped up, we ground our own humus and the patrons (and waiters) were dancing on the tables.
- the things that we didn't wear into the ocean
This brings me to yesterday. We drove to Fort Lauderdale and performed in the War Memorial Auditorium, loaded out quickly and went to lunch. During the lunch break, I swept a HEAP of sand out of the vans (which had gotten there after the hijinks of the night before) and stripped the front of all of its garbage. Now it's actually a place we can ride in comfortably, as opposed to being a complete sty.
Anyway, we finished lunch and hit the road to Orlando, where we checked into our La Quinta, ran across the road to get pizza for dinner and then came back. Once at the hotel, the castees and I hopped into the hot-tub, made friends with the bartender and had drinks bought by a new friend at the bar (which is poolside, incidentally). So, now we are caught up to today!
This morning, the girls and I got up for breakfast, where we met the boys, ate enough to tide us through lunch and then I headed out to the pool, where I have just spent the last two hours or so swimming, laying out and reading my book.
It's a hard life, but someone's got to do it.
As for dinner tonight, Ethan and I have been talking about driving out to Celebration (which is the town Disney built) and maybe getting some grub while we're there. Just to say we've been.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
My Rampant Stupidity...
... struck again, this morning, in a flash of fury and fire. Well, so to speak.
What happened is this: in my idiocy, while entering the elevator at the last hotel we were staying in, I tried to take my cell phone out of my bag, fumbled, dropped it and watched it slide towards the elevator door and, to my horror, fall into the crack between the elevator and the wall and heard it bounce and clunk its way down the elevator shaft. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this morning, my phone was at the bottom of an elevator shaft.
S!Q("091N&*%o34~~!!!!!!!!!!
At any rate, after it had been established that the phone could not be retrieved without the help of the company that installed the elevator (and, this being Easter Sunday, they could not be called until tomorrow at the earliest), we hit the road with our sights set on Miami. The drive was mostly beautiful. We noticed palm trees, rivers that snake alongside and underneath the I-95, the fields, the towns we passed through and what at first appeared to be pretty clouds.
However, they soon became threatening clouds and, before we knew it, we were pelted with rain and mist. After what seemed like hours of rain and fog, the weather lightened up and we rolled into our Quality Inn down in Miami. I promptly stripped and changed into a swimsuit, dove in and played Marco Polo with a couple of kids in the cast as well as some kids from Wales and Germany, whose families are staying at the hotel. Our rooms look out onto the pool:
I will definitely be back there tomorrow as well =) As long as there is water, I'm happy.
Anyway, Leah and Ethan and I went out for dinner at a little French bistro place, where we all ate enough salad to feed the 3rd World (and where I nearly left my cardigan, which would have topped the day off very nicely) and now we are back, with a call time of 7.15 am tomorrow morning. Why 7.15? Because the free continental breakfast starts at 7.00. So this way, we can chow down really fast before we drive out to whatever school it is we're performing in tomorrow. Goodnight!
What happened is this: in my idiocy, while entering the elevator at the last hotel we were staying in, I tried to take my cell phone out of my bag, fumbled, dropped it and watched it slide towards the elevator door and, to my horror, fall into the crack between the elevator and the wall and heard it bounce and clunk its way down the elevator shaft. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this morning, my phone was at the bottom of an elevator shaft.
S!Q("091N&*%o34~~!!!!!!!!!!
At any rate, after it had been established that the phone could not be retrieved without the help of the company that installed the elevator (and, this being Easter Sunday, they could not be called until tomorrow at the earliest), we hit the road with our sights set on Miami. The drive was mostly beautiful. We noticed palm trees, rivers that snake alongside and underneath the I-95, the fields, the towns we passed through and what at first appeared to be pretty clouds.
However, they soon became threatening clouds and, before we knew it, we were pelted with rain and mist. After what seemed like hours of rain and fog, the weather lightened up and we rolled into our Quality Inn down in Miami. I promptly stripped and changed into a swimsuit, dove in and played Marco Polo with a couple of kids in the cast as well as some kids from Wales and Germany, whose families are staying at the hotel. Our rooms look out onto the pool:
I will definitely be back there tomorrow as well =) As long as there is water, I'm happy.Anyway, Leah and Ethan and I went out for dinner at a little French bistro place, where we all ate enough salad to feed the 3rd World (and where I nearly left my cardigan, which would have topped the day off very nicely) and now we are back, with a call time of 7.15 am tomorrow morning. Why 7.15? Because the free continental breakfast starts at 7.00. So this way, we can chow down really fast before we drive out to whatever school it is we're performing in tomorrow. Goodnight!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
South of the (North Carolina) Border!
Today's trip from Fayetteville, NC to Jacksonville, FL was delayed by three hours, due to the fact that the red vehicle was indisposed:
Once the tires were rotated and replaced, Ethan and I went to go pick up the glorious passenger van and set forth, this fine day, to the next destination on our quest to Miami.
We also picked up the rest of the cast so they could set forth with us, too.
Anyway - it was a primarily uneventful drive. It's Easter weekend, so the cops are out in full force, pulling over speeders and writing plentiful tickets. We stopped for lunch somewhere off the I-95, just into the Georgia border and ate at a Perkin's. It was a first for me, and I was happily satisfied with my meal of green beans and carrots. Wow, you know the drive was uneventful when I actually detail what I ate for lunch.
"How's touring?" Oh, you know, I eat green beans.
Um Gottes' Willen, how boring.
Anyway, we pulled into our luxurious LaQuinta in Jacksonville, FL about an hour ago, and I'm shacked up with the boys, while the remaining ladies all share a room next door - we've split into two groups on these nights where we literally pull in to the hotel just to go to bed and then get up and go again. So, because we are a total of seven people, - and two divide someone into 0.5s would be painful, not to mention necessitate another replacement cast member - the rooms divvy up into one room of three and one of four. It sort of ends up being randomly assigned, with all of us rotating who we stay with. Tonight we split such that the two girls who are going to church tomorrow morning to observe Easter Sunday are sharing a room, and the rest of us are split off haphazardly. It works.
Our call time tomorrow is 9 am. So, like the little old lady I already am, I'm going to go read some of my pulps and then drift off.
Tomorrow: Miami.
Once the tires were rotated and replaced, Ethan and I went to go pick up the glorious passenger van and set forth, this fine day, to the next destination on our quest to Miami. We also picked up the rest of the cast so they could set forth with us, too.
Anyway - it was a primarily uneventful drive. It's Easter weekend, so the cops are out in full force, pulling over speeders and writing plentiful tickets. We stopped for lunch somewhere off the I-95, just into the Georgia border and ate at a Perkin's. It was a first for me, and I was happily satisfied with my meal of green beans and carrots. Wow, you know the drive was uneventful when I actually detail what I ate for lunch.
"How's touring?" Oh, you know, I eat green beans.
Um Gottes' Willen, how boring.
Anyway, we pulled into our luxurious LaQuinta in Jacksonville, FL about an hour ago, and I'm shacked up with the boys, while the remaining ladies all share a room next door - we've split into two groups on these nights where we literally pull in to the hotel just to go to bed and then get up and go again. So, because we are a total of seven people, - and two divide someone into 0.5s would be painful, not to mention necessitate another replacement cast member - the rooms divvy up into one room of three and one of four. It sort of ends up being randomly assigned, with all of us rotating who we stay with. Tonight we split such that the two girls who are going to church tomorrow morning to observe Easter Sunday are sharing a room, and the rest of us are split off haphazardly. It works.
Our call time tomorrow is 9 am. So, like the little old lady I already am, I'm going to go read some of my pulps and then drift off.
Tomorrow: Miami.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Shows # 28 & 29/ New Friends / Fayetteville
- Leah & Ester - Louise's Present & Past
As of this moment, we are approximately a third of the way there and are spending the night in Fayetteville, N.C. There's all kinds of nifty info about Fayetteville. Apparently, it was named in honour of General LaFayette. Also, the Constitution was ratified here. However, the information most readily available (at least the only landmark that was touted on the billboards we passed on the highway) was about the infamous Cafe Risque - an adult entertainment centre just 20 miles north of our lovely Comfort Inn. Somehow, I don't think we're going to backtrack just to go to a topless bar, but should you ever want to go, there are a bajillion signs all along the I-95 that will point you there.
For now, we are squeezed into two rooms (one of four people and one of three, in there interest of saving our per diem) and looking into
1. dinner options and
2. a place to get new tires for the passenger van, where the tread has worn down all the way to the metal interior part of the tire. The thread? I don't know what it's actually called, but it's exposed and threatening looking, so we're going to get the tires replaced.
Anyway, for now:
I'll let you know what it's like when we get there.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Show # 27 / Italian Eating / Hydro-plane Adventures
Oh. My. Goodness.
For starters, I have about half of a carafe of pinot grigio in my system right now (not a ton, but not a negligible amount either), have just eaten fairly well, nearly laughed myself into oblivion and, most importantly, survived the drive here (Trenton, NJ) from our venue (George Washington University, DC) through the rain and sleet. The show today was wonderful. We all were alive, awake, aware of our surroundings and finding new things that make the show interesting. At a certain point, I think we all start struggling for ways to keep it fresh. Today was a turning point for a lot of us, I feel - a threshold, Leigh says - in how to keep the show alive for ourselves as well as making it engaging for the audiences. It felt like discovery, instead of doing the show by rote. It felt like it's supposed to feel.
Anyway, after a painless load-out, we took lunch in the student centre and then hit the road to drive up to Jersey for our last points north show before we head south. The drive was difficult, in and of itself - the weather is foul these days. It's been raining buckets and the fog crossing the Susquehanna River was so dense that we couldn't see the car in front of us. Yes, I have footage. No, I'm not posting it right now. Suffice it to say that we hydro-planed the whole way down the Delaware Memorial Bridge before the brakes finally kicked in, during which time I really thought I was about to drive the car and all its passengers into sheer oblivion. Obviously, we survived and arrived at our Howard Johnson hotel (or HoJo, as we are calling it) where I'm currently making use of the free wireless.
Another exciting adventure, once we had already arrived here, was that the fire alarm was set off by some unknown factor - someone smoking in their room? - and consequently we met a barrage of firemen running up the stairs to locate the origin of the smoke.
No, we were not in any danger - as far as I can tell, there was no actual fire. For now, I'm back from dinner at some Italian restaurant where the food was passable, the wine was fine and the laughter never really ended. Ethan actually completely lost his composure at one point, although I'm not entirely certain that I even heard the joke that set him off.
At any rate, our call time tomorrow is 7.45.
I could get used to sleeping in that late.
Cheers.
For starters, I have about half of a carafe of pinot grigio in my system right now (not a ton, but not a negligible amount either), have just eaten fairly well, nearly laughed myself into oblivion and, most importantly, survived the drive here (Trenton, NJ) from our venue (George Washington University, DC) through the rain and sleet. The show today was wonderful. We all were alive, awake, aware of our surroundings and finding new things that make the show interesting. At a certain point, I think we all start struggling for ways to keep it fresh. Today was a turning point for a lot of us, I feel - a threshold, Leigh says - in how to keep the show alive for ourselves as well as making it engaging for the audiences. It felt like discovery, instead of doing the show by rote. It felt like it's supposed to feel.
Anyway, after a painless load-out, we took lunch in the student centre and then hit the road to drive up to Jersey for our last points north show before we head south. The drive was difficult, in and of itself - the weather is foul these days. It's been raining buckets and the fog crossing the Susquehanna River was so dense that we couldn't see the car in front of us. Yes, I have footage. No, I'm not posting it right now. Suffice it to say that we hydro-planed the whole way down the Delaware Memorial Bridge before the brakes finally kicked in, during which time I really thought I was about to drive the car and all its passengers into sheer oblivion. Obviously, we survived and arrived at our Howard Johnson hotel (or HoJo, as we are calling it) where I'm currently making use of the free wireless.
Another exciting adventure, once we had already arrived here, was that the fire alarm was set off by some unknown factor - someone smoking in their room? - and consequently we met a barrage of firemen running up the stairs to locate the origin of the smoke.
At any rate, our call time tomorrow is 7.45.
I could get used to sleeping in that late.
Cheers.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Show # 26 / Back in the Saddle
Today was our first performance in a school 'cafetorium' in a long time; lately, all of our performances have been in old Vaudeville houses or performing arts centres, so it was quite the challenge getting back into the old routine. It was also our first day with a load-in and load-out in nearly a week. After all, last week we loaded into Fredonia's venue and then stayed there for three days - it was almost like doing a normal show. I say almost, because we still had to load out the set at the end of our time there. Still, we got spoiled and today was a serious reminder of how good we had it last week.
Anyway, after our performance, lunch and subsequent load-out, we headed back to the hotel only to discover that our rooms were in shambles! The hotel cleaning service had started but not finished our rooms, and so the nap we all felt like taking was put on hold. Never fret, however. I went to Target, which is something akin to therapy for me, and bought another bikini (or... two?) for the beach. BEACH. Oh, it's so close I can taste it.
I also bought Tylenol PM, which I am already making a prominent part of the bed-time routine. And yes, it's way past bed-time for me. But before I forget:
Proof that spring is near.
I think it's officially here in Thursday.
Yay.
Anyway, after our performance, lunch and subsequent load-out, we headed back to the hotel only to discover that our rooms were in shambles! The hotel cleaning service had started but not finished our rooms, and so the nap we all felt like taking was put on hold. Never fret, however. I went to Target, which is something akin to therapy for me, and bought another bikini (or... two?) for the beach. BEACH. Oh, it's so close I can taste it.
I also bought Tylenol PM, which I am already making a prominent part of the bed-time routine. And yes, it's way past bed-time for me. But before I forget:
Proof that spring is near. I think it's officially here in Thursday.
Yay.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Out on the Road Again (I'm on the Road Again)
I have the Canned Heat song "On the Road Again" stuck in my head, but I can't figure out a way to embed it in the blog, so you'll just have to imagine it. Ha.
Today we drove to Alexandria, VA, where we currently reside in the Days Inn. This one, however, has no continental breakfast, so there will be no Waffle Part III. It's ok - we'll manage to amuse ourselves in other ways. Anyway, once we arrived, saw our first rooms and demanded alternative rooms (as the first set had not been cleaned), I lugged my suitcase up to the third floor, got out my running shoes and went for a jog in a nearby residential area. It's nice - woodsy, playgrounds, a park... pleasant scenery, which almost made up for how out-of-shape I feel when I'm running. Almost. Clearly I'm going to have to get serious about it again, especially with the upcoming Florida leg of the trip. Yes, call me vain, call me shallow, but I want to look like a porn star on the beach. Porn. Star. Dead serious. Probably.
At any rate... It's St. Patrick's Day. We're probably not doing a goddamn thing to mark the occasion, on account of being nearly geriatric in our sleep-schedules... when you're called at 6.30 am, you tend to go to bed by 9 pm at the latest. That being said, we're off to dinner. I'll keep you posted.
Today we drove to Alexandria, VA, where we currently reside in the Days Inn. This one, however, has no continental breakfast, so there will be no Waffle Part III. It's ok - we'll manage to amuse ourselves in other ways. Anyway, once we arrived, saw our first rooms and demanded alternative rooms (as the first set had not been cleaned), I lugged my suitcase up to the third floor, got out my running shoes and went for a jog in a nearby residential area. It's nice - woodsy, playgrounds, a park... pleasant scenery, which almost made up for how out-of-shape I feel when I'm running. Almost. Clearly I'm going to have to get serious about it again, especially with the upcoming Florida leg of the trip. Yes, call me vain, call me shallow, but I want to look like a porn star on the beach. Porn. Star. Dead serious. Probably.
At any rate... It's St. Patrick's Day. We're probably not doing a goddamn thing to mark the occasion, on account of being nearly geriatric in our sleep-schedules... when you're called at 6.30 am, you tend to go to bed by 9 pm at the latest. That being said, we're off to dinner. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Shows # 24 & 25 / Leigh and the Waffle
I'd like to start by saying that our stay at the Days Inn was a delight.
Oh, Days Inn of Fredonia, you treated us well.
There was the pool. The free wi-fi. The laundry, vending machines and sundry other comforts. But above all, there was the continental breakfast. It got our day started. For some of us, it even provided lunch. But, most of all, it was a learning experience in the art of waffle-making.
Anyway, back to the shows themselves...
The children on our last day were WONDERFULLY responsive (though, I have to admit, none of them peed themselves, which apparently one frightened child did during Thursday's second show.. yeah, apparently our tarantula scene is piss-inducing. Who knew!?) . They laughed, they chastised Max, they tried to get Ruby's attention. They also figured out the moral of the story; at the end of the show, when Grandma refers to her "two treasures", one of the children yelled out "she means you two!". Tear inducing? Yep, just a little.
Anyway, we loaded out our set, said adieu to Fredonia and climbed in the vans to drive back to NYC. This is our last free weekend before we set out for at least a month, so I'm making the most of these free days - catching up with friends, doing some laundry, shopping and, of course, re-packing for the upcoming haul.
Oh, Days Inn of Fredonia, you treated us well.
There was the pool. The free wi-fi. The laundry, vending machines and sundry other comforts. But above all, there was the continental breakfast. It got our day started. For some of us, it even provided lunch. But, most of all, it was a learning experience in the art of waffle-making.
Anyway, back to the shows themselves...
The children on our last day were WONDERFULLY responsive (though, I have to admit, none of them peed themselves, which apparently one frightened child did during Thursday's second show.. yeah, apparently our tarantula scene is piss-inducing. Who knew!?) . They laughed, they chastised Max, they tried to get Ruby's attention. They also figured out the moral of the story; at the end of the show, when Grandma refers to her "two treasures", one of the children yelled out "she means you two!". Tear inducing? Yep, just a little.
Anyway, we loaded out our set, said adieu to Fredonia and climbed in the vans to drive back to NYC. This is our last free weekend before we set out for at least a month, so I'm making the most of these free days - catching up with friends, doing some laundry, shopping and, of course, re-packing for the upcoming haul.
Right now...
... I'm too tired to write about today.
but it was good. also, there's a new video.
all of that will happen tomorrow, though.
but it was good. also, there's a new video.
all of that will happen tomorrow, though.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Shows # 22 & 23
Today's shows were good. For starters, they both actually happened, which was a step up from the cancellation of yesterday. It helped that today's audiences were both VERY involved and responsive. During the first show, one of the children kept admonishing Max to behave himself and in the final number, when Ruby explains how she kept getting distracted by Max's mischief all day, that same child yelled out "Max, I told you not to do those things!"
Still, this was nothing compared to the child who, during the second show while Max is opening up the Blue Tarantula book (which is, ya know, scary), yelled out "Don't even think about it!" Needless to say, all the children sitting around this particular yeller picked up on the slogan and pretty soon the entire audience was yelling out "Don't even think about it!"
Priceless.
After our second show, we took an hour for lunch and then had a brush-up rehearsal, during which we tightened up the timing and reviewed some of the more important details. It was productive, if exhausting, to run through the show and be able to stop and fix as we went along. Still, now we've essentially had a three-show day. Even if we didn't have an audience on that last one...
Tonight's plans are not entirely clear. We may be bowling. We may go back to Wing City Grill for Trivia night. We may not do anything at all. I could go either way, personally.
For now, I have to make up my mind as to whether or not I want to drive back to NY tomorrow or Saturday. I'm not sure I'll have the energy to drive back tomorrow, after doing two shows and loading out the set. On the other hand, we may not want to stay the extra night in the hotel, especially now that we know this is our last weekend in town for at least a month.
Still, this was nothing compared to the child who, during the second show while Max is opening up the Blue Tarantula book (which is, ya know, scary), yelled out "Don't even think about it!" Needless to say, all the children sitting around this particular yeller picked up on the slogan and pretty soon the entire audience was yelling out "Don't even think about it!"
Priceless.
After our second show, we took an hour for lunch and then had a brush-up rehearsal, during which we tightened up the timing and reviewed some of the more important details. It was productive, if exhausting, to run through the show and be able to stop and fix as we went along. Still, now we've essentially had a three-show day. Even if we didn't have an audience on that last one...
Tonight's plans are not entirely clear. We may be bowling. We may go back to Wing City Grill for Trivia night. We may not do anything at all. I could go either way, personally.
For now, I have to make up my mind as to whether or not I want to drive back to NY tomorrow or Saturday. I'm not sure I'll have the energy to drive back tomorrow, after doing two shows and loading out the set. On the other hand, we may not want to stay the extra night in the hotel, especially now that we know this is our last weekend in town for at least a month.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Show # 21 but not # 22
Picture this:
It's 6.45 am, it's still pitch black outside. The ground is covered in ice, snow, slush and more ice and the van you're driving (which, incidentally is only Front Wheel Drive) gets stuck.
STUCK.
All five passengers had to climb out of the van, while Leigh steered it to safety. We struggled, strained and screamed and eventually got the van rolling - the problem was that we couldn't stop the vehicle for fear of getting stuck again so, as it rolled, we all ran up and jumped in, pulling in the person behind us. It was very Little Miss Sunshine. Oh the glamour of it all.
We arrived at SUNY Fredonia, where we are performing in the Rockefeller Centre, loaded in the show and did the first of what was to be six performances (at two a day). Except, then:
What's nice is that now we have the entire afternoon to ourselves; the vans are being taken to Jamestown to get serviced, there's a bowling alley within walking distance, a movie complex across the road. And there's always Walmart, if we need to stock up on things! Plus I have every intention of returning to the Wing City Grill (where we ate last night... which reminds me, last night was wonderful. We went out as a company to this wonderful little place, ate a great meal, had some decent beer, sang a little too loudly and called it a night). As for right now, I'm planning on getting back into my swimsuit and schlepping down to the pool, swimming a few lengths and then chilling out in the hot-tub.
I love when shows get canceled.
It's 6.45 am, it's still pitch black outside. The ground is covered in ice, snow, slush and more ice and the van you're driving (which, incidentally is only Front Wheel Drive) gets stuck.
STUCK.
All five passengers had to climb out of the van, while Leigh steered it to safety. We struggled, strained and screamed and eventually got the van rolling - the problem was that we couldn't stop the vehicle for fear of getting stuck again so, as it rolled, we all ran up and jumped in, pulling in the person behind us. It was very Little Miss Sunshine. Oh the glamour of it all.
We arrived at SUNY Fredonia, where we are performing in the Rockefeller Centre, loaded in the show and did the first of what was to be six performances (at two a day). Except, then:
And then the second show got canceled!
What's nice is that now we have the entire afternoon to ourselves; the vans are being taken to Jamestown to get serviced, there's a bowling alley within walking distance, a movie complex across the road. And there's always Walmart, if we need to stock up on things! Plus I have every intention of returning to the Wing City Grill (where we ate last night... which reminds me, last night was wonderful. We went out as a company to this wonderful little place, ate a great meal, had some decent beer, sang a little too loudly and called it a night). As for right now, I'm planning on getting back into my swimsuit and schlepping down to the pool, swimming a few lengths and then chilling out in the hot-tub.
I love when shows get canceled.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Show # 20/It's still winter in PA
So last night, we arrived in Erie PA to a hearty foot of snow... and yes, we had to dig the passenger van out of it when we backed onto some ice that we couldn't get any traction on. It's a glamorous life. After a delicious artery-hardening meal at Arby's with Leigh and Ethan, I trudged through the slush back to my room, watched part of a TERRIBLE show called October Road and then called it a night in time for this morning's 7.15 call.
My energy was SO LOW during the show today and though I tried, I could not compensate for it. There was a funny moment when Ester and I fell over back-stage, just as we were prepping for the Blue Tarantula scene (we get sort of tangled up in each other... maybe I'll put up a picture some day, but probably not). Anyway, we lost our balance, toppled over and consequently found the song to be un-singable... at least not when we had the giggles that badly.
I also have to tighten the elastic around my ears; they keep tilting and sliding about so much that I'm worried they're going to fly clean off of my head! So tonight, I'll have some needle/thread time and fix the bastards so that they couldn't budge even if they wanted to. (As long as they move when I want them to... after all, I can't just walk around in bunny ears all the time. I'm not a Playmate.)
For now, though, we've arrived at our first-class Days Inn, where we will be spending the next several nights while we perform in Fredonia. Should be a good time (so long as the snow eases up).
I'm off to spend time in the hot tub - touring makes me sore all over.
My energy was SO LOW during the show today and though I tried, I could not compensate for it. There was a funny moment when Ester and I fell over back-stage, just as we were prepping for the Blue Tarantula scene (we get sort of tangled up in each other... maybe I'll put up a picture some day, but probably not). Anyway, we lost our balance, toppled over and consequently found the song to be un-singable... at least not when we had the giggles that badly.
I also have to tighten the elastic around my ears; they keep tilting and sliding about so much that I'm worried they're going to fly clean off of my head! So tonight, I'll have some needle/thread time and fix the bastards so that they couldn't budge even if they wanted to. (As long as they move when I want them to... after all, I can't just walk around in bunny ears all the time. I'm not a Playmate.)
For now, though, we've arrived at our first-class Days Inn, where we will be spending the next several nights while we perform in Fredonia. Should be a good time (so long as the snow eases up).
I'm off to spend time in the hot tub - touring makes me sore all over.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Show # 19
Oh this past weekend was WONDERFUL.
Friday we drove out to Maryland and spend the night in a lovely Red Roof Inn (after initially checking in to a Motel 6 and then leaving with a combination of horror and shock after discovering the state of our rooms... disgusting!) - before spending the night, however, we had dinner at the lovely Dogfish Head Ale House, where Michelle instructed us a little about comedy:
After that, my uncommonly good friend Alexis called me, pointed out to me that the geographical distance between us was minimal and that after Saturday's show, it would be best if I came and stayed the night in DC with her... Once she pointed out these rather insightful truths, I couldn't help but take her up on it.
The show itself ran smoothly, with no hitches whatsoever, and load-out went quickly, leaving me with an entire day to spend with Ms Alexis. It was the best mini-vacation I've had in quite a while.
Today I took the train back up to the city and re-packed my suitcase for the coming week - tomorrow we depart for a few days, returning to the city on either Friday or Saturday (I'm not completely sure) before heading out again the next week.
I'll let you know how it all goes!
Friday we drove out to Maryland and spend the night in a lovely Red Roof Inn (after initially checking in to a Motel 6 and then leaving with a combination of horror and shock after discovering the state of our rooms... disgusting!) - before spending the night, however, we had dinner at the lovely Dogfish Head Ale House, where Michelle instructed us a little about comedy:
After that, my uncommonly good friend Alexis called me, pointed out to me that the geographical distance between us was minimal and that after Saturday's show, it would be best if I came and stayed the night in DC with her... Once she pointed out these rather insightful truths, I couldn't help but take her up on it.
The show itself ran smoothly, with no hitches whatsoever, and load-out went quickly, leaving me with an entire day to spend with Ms Alexis. It was the best mini-vacation I've had in quite a while.
Today I took the train back up to the city and re-packed my suitcase for the coming week - tomorrow we depart for a few days, returning to the city on either Friday or Saturday (I'm not completely sure) before heading out again the next week.
I'll let you know how it all goes!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Show # 18
This was the morning I was nearly late - I slept in about 20 minutes longer than I usually do and consequently delayed getting out the door just enough to miss the J train. Ben and I waited for another one for an exceptionally long time and when we finally got on the train, decided to see how far we could make it before we ultimately called a cab. It worked out though, because the cabbie drove us up along Central Park West, which meant we could see the sunrise through the trees.
This is what that looked like:
Today we performed just across the Hudson in a vaudeville house that was constructed in 1926. It's a GORGEOUS facility, but the stage itself is falling into slight disrepair - the floor was very uneven and there was paint peeling off of it in large chunks. Still, this is what the house looked like from the front of the stage:
Still, this sort of pales in comparison to the beauty of the house we played in a few days ago, in Tarrytown, where they these sorts of cut-outs all over the walls:
This is what that looked like:
Today we performed just across the Hudson in a vaudeville house that was constructed in 1926. It's a GORGEOUS facility, but the stage itself is falling into slight disrepair - the floor was very uneven and there was paint peeling off of it in large chunks. Still, this is what the house looked like from the front of the stage:
Still, this sort of pales in comparison to the beauty of the house we played in a few days ago, in Tarrytown, where they these sorts of cut-outs all over the walls:
- How romantic!
Anyway, that about does it for today's entry. Tomorrow is a travel day to Maryland and because we don't have a performance tomorrow, we're not called to be at the garage until 10.30! I'm not sure I can handle sleeping in until 8... my body may actually just wake up around 4. Oh, who am I kidding, I will be passed out cold until 8 am - I sleep like a rock these days.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Show # 17
Today was good. I went to bed (no joke) at 6.30 pm last night, felt well rested and made it to the 6 am van call feeling... chipper? Awake, at any rate...
Load-in, performance and load-out all went smoothly, as did the drive home. Honestly, today is the day that ends with "and then I found five dollars"... 'cause it's pretty much an anti-story.
One realization I had today was just how frequently I've seen the sun come up in recent weeks. Fortunately, the sun rising over Manhattan is a beautiful view, so at least I don't resent it! Regardless, these are still brutally early mornings and I'm looking forward to being able to sleep in til, oh, say, 7.
Another realization that I fall upon again and again is my current address-lessness. I'm not homeless, per se. I know too many good people around here and love them all, but I'm not rooted anywhere. It feels a little over-powering at 5 in the morning, sometimes. It's also sort of strange at the end of the day, when I come back to my couch and think to myself "I'm home.. sort of". I know my way around, I never lack for company, but I have no final destination right now. I come back from traveling only to come 'home' to traveling. My suitcases are, for all intents and purposes, my entire world. I've got enough clothes, a hairbrush, this laptop and my bear. I have some shoes, my camera, an iPod and a toothbrush. I have a job that means a lot to me (as trying as it can sometimes be) and I have good, kind people in my life. I just don't have a home, yet. And I'm working on it, I'm getting there. Every day is a day closer to being able to settle down (semi-) permanently. Hell, most of the time I LOVE not having a "home" - it makes the whole thing an extended adventure. Still, sometimes I wish I had a place to go, play some piano, pet my cat, read any of my books.
Adventure can really wear you down.
Still, this is the life I have chosen. I don't complain - I merely grow wistful for the comfort of familiarity.
Tomorrow is a 6.30 van call. Maybe I'll stay up til 7 tonight. Ha.
Load-in, performance and load-out all went smoothly, as did the drive home. Honestly, today is the day that ends with "and then I found five dollars"... 'cause it's pretty much an anti-story.
One realization I had today was just how frequently I've seen the sun come up in recent weeks. Fortunately, the sun rising over Manhattan is a beautiful view, so at least I don't resent it! Regardless, these are still brutally early mornings and I'm looking forward to being able to sleep in til, oh, say, 7.
Another realization that I fall upon again and again is my current address-lessness. I'm not homeless, per se. I know too many good people around here and love them all, but I'm not rooted anywhere. It feels a little over-powering at 5 in the morning, sometimes. It's also sort of strange at the end of the day, when I come back to my couch and think to myself "I'm home.. sort of". I know my way around, I never lack for company, but I have no final destination right now. I come back from traveling only to come 'home' to traveling. My suitcases are, for all intents and purposes, my entire world. I've got enough clothes, a hairbrush, this laptop and my bear. I have some shoes, my camera, an iPod and a toothbrush. I have a job that means a lot to me (as trying as it can sometimes be) and I have good, kind people in my life. I just don't have a home, yet. And I'm working on it, I'm getting there. Every day is a day closer to being able to settle down (semi-) permanently. Hell, most of the time I LOVE not having a "home" - it makes the whole thing an extended adventure. Still, sometimes I wish I had a place to go, play some piano, pet my cat, read any of my books.
Adventure can really wear you down.
Still, this is the life I have chosen. I don't complain - I merely grow wistful for the comfort of familiarity.
Tomorrow is a 6.30 van call. Maybe I'll stay up til 7 tonight. Ha.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Show # 16
Today was better.
Even though an unnamed cast-ie slept through all of their alarms and had to take the train to our performance destination, today was better. The thing is that I think we've all maxed out on what we're allowing ourselves to worry about; so many things have already gone wrong that we've sort of gotten the 'panic' out of our systems and are now able to just rationally work through the problem. Instead of freaking out about our cast-mate's absence, we just went through the show and figured out, scene by scene, who could cover for them and take over their scene changes (we did this in the car on the way to the venue).
Of course, we were about forty-five minutes late (and those forty-five account for the bulk of our build-time). But we pulled it together, planning in the car how we were going to organize load-in and then pulling off the plan when we arrived. It helped that we had an incredible IATSE crew. They were probably the most inviting and friendly crew we've worked with, so far - heck, they offered me a job, "If I ever wanted to make some real money"... actually, money sounds kind of appealing, doesn't it!?
Anyway, we had a really good show, where everyone was on and every mark was hit and nothing went wrong - it was about damn time - and then loaded out, quickly and efficiently, before going to lunch at a diner where we STUFFED ourselves with burgers and fries and cheesecake.
Now I'm in Bushwick, relaxing and watching the Ellen Degeneres show.
Yeah, it's been a good day.
Even though an unnamed cast-ie slept through all of their alarms and had to take the train to our performance destination, today was better. The thing is that I think we've all maxed out on what we're allowing ourselves to worry about; so many things have already gone wrong that we've sort of gotten the 'panic' out of our systems and are now able to just rationally work through the problem. Instead of freaking out about our cast-mate's absence, we just went through the show and figured out, scene by scene, who could cover for them and take over their scene changes (we did this in the car on the way to the venue).
Of course, we were about forty-five minutes late (and those forty-five account for the bulk of our build-time). But we pulled it together, planning in the car how we were going to organize load-in and then pulling off the plan when we arrived. It helped that we had an incredible IATSE crew. They were probably the most inviting and friendly crew we've worked with, so far - heck, they offered me a job, "If I ever wanted to make some real money"... actually, money sounds kind of appealing, doesn't it!?
Anyway, we had a really good show, where everyone was on and every mark was hit and nothing went wrong - it was about damn time - and then loaded out, quickly and efficiently, before going to lunch at a diner where we STUFFED ourselves with burgers and fries and cheesecake.
Now I'm in Bushwick, relaxing and watching the Ellen Degeneres show.
Yeah, it's been a good day.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Show # 15
All I have to say about today is that it started out with me (proverbially) getting out on the wrong side of the bed. Couch. Whatever. I'm about to whine and be not entirely politically correct in this post, so if you can't deal with that, go read some fucking Hallmark cards.
For reasons I cannot fully figure out, I was in a weird mood from the moment I woke up. Then Ben and I had a mishap on the train and went a stop too far. Then, when we were pulling the vans out of the garage, our driver miscalculated the angle (through no fault of his own, I might add) and scraped the side of the van along the edge of the garage. Then there was an argument about music in the van that nearly drove me through the roof. I guess we all got out on the wrong side of our beds, today!
Then we got to the venue for today's performance and the stage was raked. Let me reiterate. Raked. On a slant. An incline. Our set? Is ENTIRELY on WHEELS.
We made it work, though only God knows how.
Then, when I had been given the cue to go ahead with the curtain speech, I went ahead. Only to receive another cue to start over, which I didn't get until I had already finished the speech. So I just repeated myself.
Then Ruby's mic malfunctioned. So, at the first possible opportunity, we stretched out a scene change so that she could run back-stage to have her mic checked out and fixed. However, it still wasn't working in the aftermath of that little incident, so Ester and I invented another scene that took place during the next (and only other) time Ruby was off-stage, during which Ethan frantically fiddled with the mic, the cord, the wind-screen and somehow, magically, fixed it.
Then, naturally, the stage-left side of the house that opens out didn't have a door-stop and kept swinging in to the scene.
Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier that I missed an entrance, what with not being able to hear the cue and running around inventing new scenes in the play. Luckily, it was a one-line cross that ultimately serves no real purpose, so if anything had to be missed, at least it was that.
The thing is that we pulled through pretty well. We improvised a little (ok, a lot) and we got creative with our solutions and things worked. The one thing that didn't work is how frustrated some people got by this course of events and the method they then chose to deal with their frustrations, i.e. taking them out on the rest of us.
That is all I have to say on that topic.
Tomorrow will be a better day. I just know it.
For reasons I cannot fully figure out, I was in a weird mood from the moment I woke up. Then Ben and I had a mishap on the train and went a stop too far. Then, when we were pulling the vans out of the garage, our driver miscalculated the angle (through no fault of his own, I might add) and scraped the side of the van along the edge of the garage. Then there was an argument about music in the van that nearly drove me through the roof. I guess we all got out on the wrong side of our beds, today!
Then we got to the venue for today's performance and the stage was raked. Let me reiterate. Raked. On a slant. An incline. Our set? Is ENTIRELY on WHEELS.
We made it work, though only God knows how.
Then, when I had been given the cue to go ahead with the curtain speech, I went ahead. Only to receive another cue to start over, which I didn't get until I had already finished the speech. So I just repeated myself.
Then Ruby's mic malfunctioned. So, at the first possible opportunity, we stretched out a scene change so that she could run back-stage to have her mic checked out and fixed. However, it still wasn't working in the aftermath of that little incident, so Ester and I invented another scene that took place during the next (and only other) time Ruby was off-stage, during which Ethan frantically fiddled with the mic, the cord, the wind-screen and somehow, magically, fixed it.
Then, naturally, the stage-left side of the house that opens out didn't have a door-stop and kept swinging in to the scene.
Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier that I missed an entrance, what with not being able to hear the cue and running around inventing new scenes in the play. Luckily, it was a one-line cross that ultimately serves no real purpose, so if anything had to be missed, at least it was that.
The thing is that we pulled through pretty well. We improvised a little (ok, a lot) and we got creative with our solutions and things worked. The one thing that didn't work is how frustrated some people got by this course of events and the method they then chose to deal with their frustrations, i.e. taking them out on the rest of us.
That is all I have to say on that topic.
Tomorrow will be a better day. I just know it.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Show # 14
I can't exactly pin the reason why, but though I am exhausted, I was practically euphoric during load-out for today's performance. It could be that we were really on during the performance. It could be that we had that day off. It could be that, slowly but surely, spring is coming around again. I'm not complaining - euphoria's delicious. Plus, you tend to forget how tired you are when you're in such a good mood.
That being said, I am wiped out tired. I definitely didn't get anywhere near enough sleep last night and I drove both ways again today. I'm definitely taking the next two days off from driver-duty!
Today's crowd was very enthusiastic but in a very well-behaved sort of way. I was asked to make extra sure to high-light the fact that there is absolutely no photography or video-taping allowed during the performance, as parents were already taking pictures of the set before the show even started. I said something about cameras that sort of lasted too long and then dwindled into nothingness, but hey, the curtain speech can only get better. We've added fun little sound effects to it (the cast cheers, laughs and claps when I encourage the kids to do all three of these things, just in case they didn't know they were allowed to) and eventually it will all start sounding natural. It's funny because a lot of the venues we visit have their own version of a curtain speech; the problem arises when they don't make strong reminders about photo/video stuff and then we have to reiterate the rules ourselves. Still, it's hard to begrudge these people their photography - I would probably want to document my child's first everything (be it day of school, visit to the theatre, what have you) myself. Anyway, once we had asked them not to take photos, everything worked out quite well.
I think I'm going to make some dinner and then go pass out. Tomorrow's call is 6 am and I'm sleeping in Bushwick tonight, which means I have to roll out the door around 4.30. Oy.
Sleep tight, schnoozies.
-xx
That being said, I am wiped out tired. I definitely didn't get anywhere near enough sleep last night and I drove both ways again today. I'm definitely taking the next two days off from driver-duty!
Today's crowd was very enthusiastic but in a very well-behaved sort of way. I was asked to make extra sure to high-light the fact that there is absolutely no photography or video-taping allowed during the performance, as parents were already taking pictures of the set before the show even started. I said something about cameras that sort of lasted too long and then dwindled into nothingness, but hey, the curtain speech can only get better. We've added fun little sound effects to it (the cast cheers, laughs and claps when I encourage the kids to do all three of these things, just in case they didn't know they were allowed to) and eventually it will all start sounding natural. It's funny because a lot of the venues we visit have their own version of a curtain speech; the problem arises when they don't make strong reminders about photo/video stuff and then we have to reiterate the rules ourselves. Still, it's hard to begrudge these people their photography - I would probably want to document my child's first everything (be it day of school, visit to the theatre, what have you) myself. Anyway, once we had asked them not to take photos, everything worked out quite well.
I think I'm going to make some dinner and then go pass out. Tomorrow's call is 6 am and I'm sleeping in Bushwick tonight, which means I have to roll out the door around 4.30. Oy.
Sleep tight, schnoozies.
-xx
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Show # 13
Oh, yesterday - you seem so far away...
I'm writing this towards the end of a blissful day off, which means I'm somewhat more removed from the obstacles of yesterday and have consequently achieved some measure of objectivity in my observations, I think.
Or maybe I'm just calmer but no less objective than I ever am.
Yesterday's show was in New Paltz, NY (at a SUNY campus). We loaded in in 1 degree weather (read: we were practically frostbitten by the end of load-in) and the stage was approximately five feet up off the floor, which meant once we carried the set in from the van, we had to hoist it up on the stage. Today, my arms ache. The nice thing was that the stage itself, while somewhat narrow, was quite deep. This meant that most of the original staging was actually achieved and that we were able to do our set changes fairly easily.
By the end of this week, we were all tired. Unfortunately, this last week was just a warm-up for the coming week of "local" shows... Tomorrow our call time is 7 am, which is an improvement on 6, but is still quite early in the day. We're going to be called at 6 am most days this week, during which time we will be driving anywhere from fifteen to ninety minutes in order to get to our locations. Honestly, real on-the-road touring is easier, because you have designated travel days, and you stay in a hotel somewhere. What that means is if your call time is 6 am, you're already with everybody at 6 am. Whereas during the "local" leg, it means getting up at 4, leaving Bushwick at 4.30 and then meeting up at 6 to get on the road to drive to wherever we are performing.
Anyway, during this well-earned day off, I went to the theatre, did some laundry and drank some beer. Like you do. Let's see what the coming week has in store for us.
I'm writing this towards the end of a blissful day off, which means I'm somewhat more removed from the obstacles of yesterday and have consequently achieved some measure of objectivity in my observations, I think.
Or maybe I'm just calmer but no less objective than I ever am.
Yesterday's show was in New Paltz, NY (at a SUNY campus). We loaded in in 1 degree weather (read: we were practically frostbitten by the end of load-in) and the stage was approximately five feet up off the floor, which meant once we carried the set in from the van, we had to hoist it up on the stage. Today, my arms ache. The nice thing was that the stage itself, while somewhat narrow, was quite deep. This meant that most of the original staging was actually achieved and that we were able to do our set changes fairly easily.
By the end of this week, we were all tired. Unfortunately, this last week was just a warm-up for the coming week of "local" shows... Tomorrow our call time is 7 am, which is an improvement on 6, but is still quite early in the day. We're going to be called at 6 am most days this week, during which time we will be driving anywhere from fifteen to ninety minutes in order to get to our locations. Honestly, real on-the-road touring is easier, because you have designated travel days, and you stay in a hotel somewhere. What that means is if your call time is 6 am, you're already with everybody at 6 am. Whereas during the "local" leg, it means getting up at 4, leaving Bushwick at 4.30 and then meeting up at 6 to get on the road to drive to wherever we are performing.
Anyway, during this well-earned day off, I went to the theatre, did some laundry and drank some beer. Like you do. Let's see what the coming week has in store for us.
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