February 15, 2010

  • Short weekend

    The weekend went by too fast!  Maybe because I was doing so much.

    Friday night's show went well, but near the end of Act II, I come running on for this one long scene and then got the WORST foot cramp I'd had in a while.  I'm trying desperately to remember all of my lines without bending over in extreme pain.  We're wearing sandals and I was stage left and it was my left foot, so I kept turning to Brian, who was on stage with me, but pivoting so that I could bend/stretch my left foot at the same time until the pain went away.  I don't know how I managed to remember all my lines while doing that!  And at the very end, a sound cue for me went "missing", but I just acted as if I'd heard a noise and kept going.

    Slept nice and late on Saturday, got some things done around the house, left early to buy someone's birthday present, then headed off to the theatre.  Very good show, but we ran out of "smoke" at the end for a particular special effect.  No worries, it will be refilled for the remaining two weekends!

    Our biggest house so far was Saturday night - around 88 people.  But in a house that holds 188, it still looks small.  I'm hoping that the crowds get bigger in this house as shows go along - plus maybe the weather is keeping some regulars away.  The one thing I like about this theatre which very few other theatres do in Northeast Ohio is they want you to come out in costume almost right away and talk to the people as they leave.  I love doing that.  I had a couple of other actors blatantly say to me when I complained we weren't doing that at another theatre, "God, your ego that big you need to go out and get your congratulations?"  I said, "Rude much?  No, I believe that in community theatre, most of the patrons want to meet us and they want to see us in costume to remember who we were.  It not only keeps the subscribers coming back, but I always say 'Thank you for coming and PLEASE tell your friends to come see it!'  That way, you are making the regulars happy and you're encouraging them to help you sell more tickets.  Don't you want to play in sold out houses and to help the theatre make money?"  The two actors then became rather sheepish and I walked out since I was back in regular clothes by then. 

    Yesterday, I went to see the matinee of "In The Heights."  It's the musical that won the Tony for Best Musical a year or two ago.  All I've seen or heard of it I saw on the Tonys and I liked what I saw, but I also found out that an actress who I knew from the L.A. company of "Cats" 25 years ago was in this touring production (thank you Facebook!).  So I wanted to see her.  She was in the ensemble and wasn't on very much, but she is also understudying three roles.  The show was terrific - a blend of hip-hop, rap, traditional ballads and LOTS of Latin rhythms.  Some of the most amazing dancing I've seen and the energy was outstanding!  I got a picture of the set with my cell phone about 10 minutes before the show started - it was a gorgeous set.  It came out a little blurry, but I did it in a hurry.  The show takes place in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.

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    I met April after the show and she said there is a possibility she might go on for one of the three roles she understudies.  I told her to please let me know, but because of rehearsals and shows I would only be able to go Tuesday night or to the Saturday matinee.  I would love to see the show again and I'd love to see her in it.  I could not imagine being able to be ready to go on for three entirely different roles all the time!

    Anyway, off to work I run!