Instead of going home, we four got together at Steak'n'Shake and ran over some lines. Then we got to chatting, and found we had lots to talk about. I had a lot of fun. It's been ages since I have had 5 minutes socially with anybody. And I'm a PEOPLE person!!
By the end of the night, though, we all admitted that we had needed to sit down and chat desperately. We had each thought we were alone in feeling that the show is incredibly disorganized and mismanaged. But it turns out that it's not just one of us getting screwed around, it's all of us. Apparently the directors just aren't good at organizing things. Frankly, if you are doing a five-act Shakespearean play with a cast of over thirty, you really need to have someone around who is good at organization. I feel sure that part of the reason we lost some of our cast members was that they kept being called for these long rehearsals, and then sitting there all night with nothing to do. That's just plain bad management.
And while I believe that a director should be a creative person with lots of talent, the fact is that he needs to be able to effectively utilize the time of his actors. Yes, I can sit there while I'm bored and study my lines, but now that I know them, I shouldn't need to drive a half-hour to the rehearsal site just for them to decide they don't need me that night.
Tonight, for instance, it is supposed to rain. (This is Michigan, so it's really a toss-up whether it really will rain, but I digress.) It's an outdoor venue with no roof. The director's way of notifying the cast if there is a cancellation is to put a message on his answering machine at 5 pm tonight. Problem being: he only informed me and about 3 other people of this plan. So only the 4 of us know to call and check it out. The rest of the cast is screwed.
So anyway, last night four actors bonded together and found support, and all agreed that we thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
I particularly enjoyed it because it's been such a long time since I've made new friends, and these are people that I am forced to instantly trust, at least to some degree. We have a very physical brawl scene in which I'm basically letting them throw me across the stage, and vice versa. There is kicking and hitting and clotheslineing and spitting and scratching and all sorts of stuff. So needless to say I trust them all with my life.
It was fun to find out more about them, though. The guy who plays Lysander works for his family ice cream store, but doesn't seem to like it. He's an LCC grad, and seems to be considering going to MSU. I think he's a very handsome guy, and was suprised that he is only 22 years old. (Listen to me, aren't I ancient?) He is also into Tae Kwon Do, and I'm interested in learning a little about that, too.
The guy who plays Demetrius works full time as a producer for the local township cable TV station. It's a pretty neat sounding job. He's also an Eagle Scout, and has a very silly sense of humor. You know what a sucker I am for guys that make silly faces.
The girl playing Helena is young. YOUNG. I think she is about 21. But she is engaged to be married in the fall. She's a full-time student at Butler University, the kind of student everyone wishes they could be. I don't mean grades or other academic achievements. I mean she stays in the dorm and her dad pays for everything and she comes home during the summer and doesn't have to worry about paying rent. She waits tables a few hours a week at a country club so she can buy extra clothes, nice shoes, and jewelry. A "traditional" student. Of course, like most traditional students, she doesn't understand why I go to bed at 11 at night, own a home, have a child, and drive a minivan. But that's okay. She's at least cool about it.
So those are my new friends.
Of course, all of this makes me miss my old friends all the more. I am ashamed to say that with all that has been going on, I haven't had much time to see them lately. Some of them (Yeffy) have been really far too busy to see me, too, but Andy and Shelly just got done having a week off from things, which they spent at home, just chiling out, and I didn't even call them. I'm a terrible friend. And a lonely one.
So tomorrow I will be the mother of an 8-year-old. Talk about feeling ancient. I think I can suddenly remember the fall of Rome. In the midst of all the craziness today I have to somehow sneak out and buy decorations, get Alex a gift and arrange for tomorrow's pizza. I also have gifts to wrap, which is fun!
See you Monday!
