Another Closing of Another Show

Captain’s Log   5,701

Lovely congratulatory orchid from Mage and her darling hub unit, Geezer

It’s over!  We did it!  YAY!  It all worked out the way it was supposed to work out. Commit a huge grammar sin and end a statement with the word “out,” shall we?   I don’t care.  I’m sure you have all heard the old joke about the snobs who corrected a young woman’s grammar.  Read below.

Racine:  Where is your mom at?

Grammar Goddess:  Racine, you never end a sentence with the word “at!”  It is truly bad grammar!  You must think of a way to end your sentence with a noun.  You will appear far more intelligent.

Racine:  (after some thought)  Okay, where is your mom at, bitch?

I love that.  

Grammar aside, it all went off smoother than I anticipated.  Mr. Cannot Remember Lines actually pulled three fairly competent performances from somewhere.  It was impressive.  All the actors made screw ups along the way, but they covered for each other.  Barely noticeable.

Big Sister Mia helped with ticket sales for the matinee and the evening performances.  She was not on top of her game, however.  Must have been the bad chicken she ate on Friday.  Right after intermission last night, I zipped her home and got back just in time for curtain call.

And yes, the infamous watermelon made it to the stage last night!  It’s a long story.  It was a huge joke.  And they got me good!

Bravo!  Well-played cast and crew!

We got the set struck in just over an hour and then we headed off for a cast party at Chili’s close to the theatre.   That was nice, but I was not feeling very well.  I think I was having phantom chicken salmonella poisoning in sympathy with my sister.  I got home and felt even worse.  Fortunately, I got to sleep quickly and woke up feeling fine.  The chicken must have crossed the road.

I handed out paper plate awards at the cast party, and they were a hit.  I personalize something about everyone involved and write it on a paper plate as an “award.”  People love it.  It’s a silly little thing that means so much.    We all had fun (save for one crabby ass who couldn’t have decent fun and be nice if you paid her).  Other than that, it was a smash.   14 of 15 awards were appreciated.  Pretty good odds.  Far better than Vegas.

And now it’s on to another project that requires a ton of research and hours of sensitive and thoughtful writing.  I will be taking a significant hiatus from this group.  It might even be a permanent separation.  Only time will tell.  The only thing I know for sure is that this is the last time I will direct for them.  It’s way too much work and the hassles are intense because everybody is a volunteer.  This may sound snotty, but I am used to working in a professional environment where people are paid for their efforts.  It makes all the difference in the world when that element is present.  People are far less likely to give each other shit when they are practicing a paid craft.  It’s just the way it is.  There is just a lot more respect, and that means a lot to me.

So who really knows what will happen next?  I guess nobody knows.  So it’s important to be kind and attentive at all times.  Be mindful of the path you are walking.