The skin of my teeth
Today's adventure happened before the show even started, but not by much. It was hot outside, and hot in the theater as well. A couple of people pointed out during director's call that we needed to make sure we stayed well hydrated -- there was some voice cracking during last night's performance, indicating that there was not enough water being consumed. So we all warmed up and trooped over to the fridge to grab bottles of water.
Um, we're out of water. Crap.
I checked with the assistant stage manager to see if there was somebody we could send out for water, but all of her gophers were covering jobs for regular folks who were running late. Crap again. I checked my watch -- half an our to curtain, and I don't go on until 10 minutes or so into the first act. I think I can make it. I let the ASM and a couple of others know that I'm making a run, and dash the couple of blocks back to the truck and off to Costco I go!
Did I mention it was hot? Did I mention that I was in full stage makeup?
I blasted through the aisles at Costco and bowled over the pokey folks in my way, threw two flats of water into my cart and hustled my way back out again. Mission accomplished: in and out of Costco in 10 minutes. Back to the truck and back to the theater. Rounding the corner of the Tech Museum, I phoned the ASM to let her know I was about to pull up onto the loading dock. Over the phone, I could hear the orchestra starting the overture. She met me at the door and we grabbed the flats and got them inside, and somebody handed me a parking pass so that I wouldn't have to move my truck. The curtain had opened and Phoebe was singing her first song.
I told the ASM that I was going to not worry about trying to make the first chorus number, that I was just going to get changed for my next number and ran downstairs. The girl at the dressing station next to mine was still sitting there, and asked if I wanted some help getting dressed. I started to decline, but we figured what the hell and proceeded to pull of the fastest lightening change in history! Phoebe's song ended and the dialog between Phoebe and Wilfred began as my clothes ended up in a heap on the dressing room floor. I grabbed my shift and threw it on and then the skirt, and wiggled into my bodice while my buddy fastened my waistband. I dug out my shoes and cap while she snugged up my laces. Wilfred was singing -- we're almost on. No time for tights, I'll have to get those later. We went charging through the greenroom, and I was struggling to get my shoes onto bare feet. I heard Wilfred blow through the crowd and make his exit. We ran up the stairs, and the music was starting. I'd missed my entrance, but ducked onto the stage just as the chorus started to sing.
Honestly, I'm surprised I could even make a sound, since I was laughing and trying to catch my breath at the same time. I ended up standing right next to seamoose, who looked a little surprised to see me standing in the wrong spot. As soon as we stopped singing and started background conversation, he asked me where I was supposed to be. "About four people to your right," I said. "And I'm not wearing any underwear."
From that point on, everything seemed to go well. The energy was great, and everyone was just having a wonderful time. One of the really interesting things to watch was the way the show got packed up as we moved along -- props that weren't going to be used again were dropped into boxes instead of being put back on the shelves, and costumes that weren't going to be worn again were sorted into the laundry piles. People spent their offstage time packing up and cleaning their dressing stations and the common rooms.
Everybody was assigned to a team for strike, and at the end of the show they all got quickly to work. My team was (quel surprise!) the kitchen crew. See, late last week our producer started canvassing what people wanted for dinner for the cast party: barbeque, Mexican? I suggested 16th century English, since that was roughly the time period we'd placed the show. Well, turns out many people thought that was a neat idea. So I planned a quick menu, recruited a handful of people to help out and we adjourned to a nearby cast members' home to put dinner together.
It was a total blast. I'm so excited for having done this show, and worked with this group. Since they've been so nice about letting the GSP use their rehearsal space, I'd like to stay in touch and in their good graces. And besides, I had an awful lot of fun. I'm sorry I'm going to miss the next one, but I'll get involved with the production crew and just make sure they don't forget who I am.
Um, we're out of water. Crap.
I checked with the assistant stage manager to see if there was somebody we could send out for water, but all of her gophers were covering jobs for regular folks who were running late. Crap again. I checked my watch -- half an our to curtain, and I don't go on until 10 minutes or so into the first act. I think I can make it. I let the ASM and a couple of others know that I'm making a run, and dash the couple of blocks back to the truck and off to Costco I go!
Did I mention it was hot? Did I mention that I was in full stage makeup?
I blasted through the aisles at Costco and bowled over the pokey folks in my way, threw two flats of water into my cart and hustled my way back out again. Mission accomplished: in and out of Costco in 10 minutes. Back to the truck and back to the theater. Rounding the corner of the Tech Museum, I phoned the ASM to let her know I was about to pull up onto the loading dock. Over the phone, I could hear the orchestra starting the overture. She met me at the door and we grabbed the flats and got them inside, and somebody handed me a parking pass so that I wouldn't have to move my truck. The curtain had opened and Phoebe was singing her first song.
I told the ASM that I was going to not worry about trying to make the first chorus number, that I was just going to get changed for my next number and ran downstairs. The girl at the dressing station next to mine was still sitting there, and asked if I wanted some help getting dressed. I started to decline, but we figured what the hell and proceeded to pull of the fastest lightening change in history! Phoebe's song ended and the dialog between Phoebe and Wilfred began as my clothes ended up in a heap on the dressing room floor. I grabbed my shift and threw it on and then the skirt, and wiggled into my bodice while my buddy fastened my waistband. I dug out my shoes and cap while she snugged up my laces. Wilfred was singing -- we're almost on. No time for tights, I'll have to get those later. We went charging through the greenroom, and I was struggling to get my shoes onto bare feet. I heard Wilfred blow through the crowd and make his exit. We ran up the stairs, and the music was starting. I'd missed my entrance, but ducked onto the stage just as the chorus started to sing.
Honestly, I'm surprised I could even make a sound, since I was laughing and trying to catch my breath at the same time. I ended up standing right next to seamoose, who looked a little surprised to see me standing in the wrong spot. As soon as we stopped singing and started background conversation, he asked me where I was supposed to be. "About four people to your right," I said. "And I'm not wearing any underwear."
From that point on, everything seemed to go well. The energy was great, and everyone was just having a wonderful time. One of the really interesting things to watch was the way the show got packed up as we moved along -- props that weren't going to be used again were dropped into boxes instead of being put back on the shelves, and costumes that weren't going to be worn again were sorted into the laundry piles. People spent their offstage time packing up and cleaning their dressing stations and the common rooms.
Everybody was assigned to a team for strike, and at the end of the show they all got quickly to work. My team was (quel surprise!) the kitchen crew. See, late last week our producer started canvassing what people wanted for dinner for the cast party: barbeque, Mexican? I suggested 16th century English, since that was roughly the time period we'd placed the show. Well, turns out many people thought that was a neat idea. So I planned a quick menu, recruited a handful of people to help out and we adjourned to a nearby cast members' home to put dinner together.
It was a total blast. I'm so excited for having done this show, and worked with this group. Since they've been so nice about letting the GSP use their rehearsal space, I'd like to stay in touch and in their good graces. And besides, I had an awful lot of fun. I'm sorry I'm going to miss the next one, but I'll get involved with the production crew and just make sure they don't forget who I am.