Since she knew over a month ago that Kirstin and I would be busy tonight, that she should have planned this for another time, when we were available! For crying out loud, it's a week before opening night!!
Last night was very long and difficult. We ran the same scene about a dozen times, in which basically I come in, spout a short monologue, drag a couple of kids around on my feet, and collapse to the ground. I was pretty tired by the time we were done, and so was Kirstin. She got more work than I did, since she has a lot more to do in that scene. I'm amazed that she is able to keep it all straight, since it just keeps getting more and more complex.
The good news is that rehearsals will not be going as late into the night anymore. The park where we are performing closes at dusk, so we have to be out of there around 9:30. Last night we were only there from 6 until 8! It was great, because Kirstin got to go home and play with Alex for about an hour and a half before bedtime. They had really been missing each other while Kirstin has been so busy.
I, of course, sat like a lump of vegatation on the couch, and watched NYPD Blue until I couldn't stay awake anymore, and went to bed early. I've been sleeping a lot better since I have a definite move-in date, and since I am off book on my lines; but I still feel like I have a month of bad nights to catch up on. I think I could have snoozed another several hours this morning.
I'm really quite proud of my attendance record at work. It's not perfect or anything, but this is my first regular 8:30-5 schedule since high school. In the past my work schedules have had a lot of unpredictable, late hours. I wasn't sure I would be able to handle the routine every single morning, since in college I had such a hard time getting to early morning classes. I guess maybe I would have done better in college if I had gone to bed and gotten up at the same time everyday regardless of my class schedule. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
I miss all of my friends. I wish I didn't have such a hectic schedule. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying Midsummer Night's Dream immensely, and am very glad that I have found a nice house for Kirstin and I to live in. I just feel like I've exiled myself from my life.
On the other hand, it has been kind of fun to make some new friends. I only really know one member of our cast from a previous show, and everyone else is new to me. I really like the guy who's playing Demetrius. He's funny, seems like an interesting person to talk to. One of the directors of the show has been nice to me, if a bit stressed, and I might want to work with him again. The guy playing Oberon and Theseus is great to work with, but we haven't talked about anything that didn't relate to the script, so our relationship is completely professional. The girl who is playing Hippolyta and Titania is also really friendly, and we have lots to talk about, too. The guy playing Lysander is nice, and has a great smile, but I only met him last week. He likes to do martial arts stuff with me! In the show I'm going to throw him, which of course, I enjoy immensely. I hope over the run of the show I get to know him better.
Of course, there are parts of the cast that I don't relate to so well. One of the mechanicals is a younger guy who can't stand still for five seconds without doing that hand-dance thing that the young'uns are apparently into.
The funniest part, though, is the children in the show. The little boy playing the Changeling is only 5 years old. The other day at rehearsal he was climbing all over Lysander, who was trying to study his lines. Lysander asked him to stop, but to no avail. Then the girl who plays Hippolyta very kindly, and gently explained to the 5-year-old that Lysander was studying his lines right now, so this wasn't a good time to play with him. She repeated her soft message about three times. Of course, the five-year-old ignored this. So I walked up to him, did my best firm "mom" voice, and very quietly and seriously said "A grownup just told you to stop. You should stop NOW." Of course he stopped.
Ever since then, though, the kids all keep a respectful distance from me, and refer to me in hushed voices as "Kirstin's MOOOOOOOM." I like that. They also don't disobey adults when I'm nearby. I like that even more.
So I guess my 8 years of experience weren't for naught. If anyone ever needs to work with little kids, all you have to do it talk plainly to them and tell them exactly what you want. If you sugar-coat things too much, the little ones don't understand, and will loose your message in your sticky twinky filling. So in a nutshell, my advice is: be firm and direct.
