Faun_Song612 wrote:Theatre IS life.
If you need a life, then so do I... and I guess I don't really want one. I'd rather to another show.
Oh, alright.
You're right. I must have momentarily lost my mind... again.
Just you wait til next monday, when I'm whining about it being over. Then you can say, "I told ya so."
Be sure to let me know about Pan!
I want to hear all about Oliver! I'm so glad the first shows went well.
Thanks!
And ok, don't say I didn't warn you... but if you're sure.
Fagin: "Be sure, be sure!"
Oliver: "Alright, I'm
sure."
Sorry, show on the brain. HAHA!
Anyway...
Dress Rehearsals:These started last sunday (the 19th, I believe). And for once (as I can remember anyway), tech week didn't have to be known as it's other, more informal, name. haha.
It went
that well. Even the first day with lights and orchestra.
Weird. I had wondered if we'd entered the Twilight Zone or somethin...
I mean, I was barely stressed. Anne, our stage manager, wasn't yelling. Everything ran smoothly for the most part. It was... odd. But great, too. (for once, I didn't have my dad saying I was a snowball rolling down the mountain. for once I wasn't crying to him every night, cause I was worried about it coming together. not to say I never whined or cried, but it wasn't every night)
On monday, during a scene change... I had an accident. But for once I, the clumsy person, wasn't at fault. (I swear!!) See, I help with about... 85 or 90% of the scene changes (if not more. I've never really kept track). And during one of them, I had been trying to hold a curtain out of the way so they could get a set piece on stage more easily. But the evil thing ran over my right foot... twice. All that ran through my head was a line one of the characters (Mrs. Sowerberry, to be precise) says early on in the show... "Oh, my. This is what comes of being generous!"
Suffice it to say, I'm scared of that thing now. It's evil, EVIL I SAY!!!! You can see it
here. I told one of my castmates, I would still help move the curtain, cause it gets caught on there VERY easily... but I'm too paranoid it'll run me over again. He joked, "you value your foot more, huh?"
I was really scared I wouldn't be able to manage doing the show on that foot. But I kept going. The very night it happened, in fact... I could have stayed downstairs with the ice pack on it. But noooo.... I went up on stage for my last scene and the curtain call... with my foot wrapped up (and the ice pack still on it. I put the wrap around it. I had had the wrap in my bag, cause as I said... I'm naturally clumsy. I good-naturedly joked "For once, I'm glad I'm clumsy... cause it meant I had this to use"). I must have been a sight, eh?
I felt kinda special, and kinda annoyed (cause I wanted to be treated normal). Because every night since it happened, the first thing anyone would say to me each night was "How's the foot today?" Not "hey!!", but, "how's the foot?"
Showtime!!!Weekend #1Three of the four nights I knew someone in the audience!!!
I can't tell every detail, as I don't remember it. But I will tell you as much as I can about each night. Umm... I think saturday and sunday were sold out (or nearly). I think we might have got a standing ovation one or two of the nights, and that made my jaw drop. (even though I
know the show is phenominal... in my biased opinion, anyway. but everyone that's seen it agrees with the cast and crew on this. so. haha!)
ThursdayFirst thing to note: I was excited that my friend Timmy, and his mom came. (they go to my church) See, most times, my church friends are interested (or say they are)... but NEVER COME. This time, I had some there... and on opening night no less! I was in shock!
(afterwards they went with me and this lady from our church, who is also in the cast, to Steak n Shake. it was fuuunnn!)
Three theatre friends also saw the show!!
The show went very well! Everything went smoothly; our energy on stage and off was intense and contagious; the audience loved it; my foot was mostly alright... yet sore.
FridayThe day I got there at the earliest time. (I had a different ride then normal. This time, Timmy's mom drove me. and she gave me a very sweet card too!!)
My friend (and castmate) Zoe, was in a very good mood... making her normal energy go through the roof. And that was sorta contagious. hehe. (at least, for me it was) I was laughing at her, cause she normally hates chocolate, but couldn't shut up about it that night. (the kids use cocoa to make themselves "dirty", and there were chocolate cookies to eat, so...)
The show, from what I remember, did NOT fall into the "Second night slump". hehe! It went very well, I thought. Not as fun or energetic as the first night, but close.
My foot was... iffy. I'm usually fine(ish), until from "Who will Buy" onwards. See, we stand really still... like statues, for most of that scene. And that is hard and painful on two GOOD feet. But with a bad one... yeah. Normally I could "toughen up" and make it through... barely. But this night, I had to keep shifting my feet... which annoyed me. I wanted to be perfectly still. I got incredibly good at it during
Redhead. (the last show I did with this group, unless you count the annual production of
A Christmas Carol) Oh, well. But yeah, I always joke "The part in that song when we move, is the only time walking doesn't hurt!"
Afterwards we went to this place across the street, to celebrate the birthdays of three of our castmates with cake and sodas and stuff. (the only downer, was that the whole cast wasn't there... but a good portion were)
SaturdayWhat I think will remain my favourite night of all. (backstage-wise, anyway) And you'll soon see why...
But first things first:
The show went very smoothly, I thought. We also had much more energy than night #2. (or was that just me?
) My foot hurt a little more. Umm... ok, enough about that nonsense. Let's get to the GOOD part!!!
1) While I was waiting for Mary (the lady from church who's in the show) to pick me up, I got a text from another church friend.
"we're coming to c your play"
"when?!"
"showtime"
"tonight?"
"yup"
You shoulda heard me squeal! They didn't get to stay afterwards to say hi, as the friend her son brought, had an allergy attack. But, they told me what they thought yesterday.
2) When we were waiting in the wings to go on for "Consider Yourself", I was sitting in this chair, see. And the three year old, Elyse, was standing next to me. (her mom is in the cast, and her grandma does costumes. anyway, tangent over) So, I leaned over and gave her a thumbs up, saying "You're doing a really great job, Elyse.". She looked like she was gonna whisper back, so I turned my head, to hear her better. And she doesn't say a word, just leaned over and kissed my cheek! I thought it was the cutest thing ever!!! I mean, honestly. Who wouldn't want a three year old to kiss them on the cheek?
3) took my most favourite pic this night. (it's of the teens that sit in this one corner downstairs, when they aren't on stage) I loves it. SO VERY MUCH! (if you wanna see it, pm me. and I'll find a way to show it to you. if you have me on facebook, just look in my album for the show)
4) I take forever going up and down the stairs, obviously. I would always pause every five or so steps to rest. At one point in Act 2, I was almost to the top, when I stopped again. I must have had a pained expression on my face. Because, Jordan, who had quietly ran past me a minute before, doubled back and came next to me.
"Are you ok?"
"Stupid foot hurts... BAD."
"Is it broken?"
"Don't know... never got a chance to have it checked."
"Do you need help?"
"
uh-huh"
And he took me by the arm, and helped me up the remaining stairs, and to a place to sit backstage!
I was pleasantly shocked. Most people would ask me how I was, but pass by... this teenager decided that he should help me. Wasn't that just the greatest?! Oh, but it gets BETTER!
Later on, when we were all home? I was talking with him on facebook. (I had written a thank you on his wall, and we had a conversation under it) He basically said, "no problem" and that if, and I quote, "Anytime you need anything... YOU LET ME KNOW!!!". I said that "I must have been around this show too long. The first thing that popped into my head when reading that was the song "I'd do Anything"". (and "are you sure? I might just have to take you up on that
") And he said "Yeah, I like helping people. it makes me feel good", and then followed it with, ""For, you, dear, Anything!" hahaha"
(parts might have been paraphrased... there was much more to the convo, but I forget it all without reading it. ask me about it sometime, if you are really curious. I like talking about it, cause it was the cutest [and sweetest] thing ever!)
5) I wrote a note on Amy's (Mrs. Sowerberry, in the show) wall, and she wrote back THE sweetest thing!!!!!!!!
Andrea, you are such a sweet girl. You did an excellent job as well and I can't tell you how much your work backstage is appreciated. You are always there to help with the kids and to move set pieces and to make sure props go back on the prop table. This takes an amazing type of person, one who thinks of others before herself, and I find that truly inspiring and one of many wonderful things about you. Thank you.
Seriously, what night could compare with all of that?! I had never felt so special and loved by my theatre family!
Sunday (aka yesterday. aka the only night I didn't have people in the audience)First things first: I had ice on my foot all through church. It hurt that bad. Mary and me ran through McDonald's, and ate it at the playhouse so we wouldn't be late for call at 1pm. When I was getting ready to put on my makeup, Jordan walked in. He grinned and came over by me (he was heading that way anyway.. as the spot I was at, was right by the entrance to the boys' dressing room).
"How's the foot today?"
"Jordan? I might need you. A LOT! It's
really bad today."
"haha! Ok, just tell me when"
Anytime I needed to go on the stairs, it was "Jordan? Stairs!" "Ok!"
*once we get to the stairs* He'd whisper, "Let's do this thing!" and offer me his arm! The first time, I was worried he wouldn't reach his place in time (he's in the first scene). But he assured me he had plenty of time, and he actually was right! I don't know what I woulda done without that boy! I told him he was my hero of the week. haha! (I also told him "I think I walk slower every night." To which he just smiled and chuckled) And he practically ordered me (almost nightly), to "See the doctor, and LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU FIND OUT"
How it went:
We didn't match the orchestra on "Oom Pa Pa". I limped the entire time (even though I'm just in three songs, and one brief scene at the end), and missed helping with almost all of the scene changes because I was in too much pain. (I still helped with two, I think) But other than
that, it went very well!
Random other facts-one lady, Michelle, helps me with my eyeshadow every night. (because it's the one thing I never figured out how to do properly)
-one night, I realised I'd lost two of my lipsticks (one of which, of course, was the one I'd been using!!). and one of the adults, had a bag of unopened and unused ones, that his wife had bought him... and he said "here, take two that are the right shade, and keep them"!
-the kids and teens entertain me CONSTANTLY.
-Zoe rubbing my foot yesterday, when it hurt bad.
And I know there is so much more that I'm forgetting. But I've probably bored you long enough. (besides, I still have another weekend to happen yet, and tell you about!) So, I'll let ya go for now.
We must disappear, we'll be back here. Today, perhaps tomorrow! We'll miss you too. It's sad, but true, that parting is such sweet sorrow! And when we're in the distance, you'll hear this whispered tune! So long, fare thee well! Pip, pip, cheerio! WE'LL BE BACK SOON!