Work: in office day today. Strung out my workload all day, did one mailing (package actually showed up), attempted to find other package, found out from the vendor that UPS "needs a street address" because I guess some vendors are idiots or something, dealt with a few emergencies. But frankly, it was so dead quiet and half the office (such as it is now) was out, so I did some crafting.

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. This was THE best production of this show I've ever seen (my 3rd time). I'm not just saying this because I knew Hugo (playing Chip), Mark (playing the vice principal) and Ed (playing Leaf). They had the stage decorated in uh, supportive posters for people and in-jokes. There's free snacks (Hugo throws them out into the audience at the start of the second act). There's amusing interactivity.

Oh yeah, and I got in as one of the guest spellers. The director (I think that was him) signed me up and spelled my name wrong. I said before he started that the last name is (X # of letters) and he said, "like...."I'm not sure what he said after that, but I'm guessing that was his long Italianish given last name because the director is billed as "Shane Robert" in the program. He then left a few letters out of mine, which I found hilarious at this play since that's written on your name tag.

I got #2, which I was originally happy with (as the last time I did it, I was #1 and got a too hard word and was booted out first) in hopes that I would not be first out, but then I saw I was seated in the front row next to William Barfee and was all "oh crap," and yeah, I was right on getting out as #1 again. I don't EVEN know what it was other than um, some kind of very poisonous plant that started with a W. (I note that some of the words on the randomized list are clearly so hard they are designed to get you out, as the guest spellers gotta get out by the end of act 1.) I did hear that tonight was filming night (I didn't see a camera, but maybe someone had it up in the booth?), so woot for making that.

That said, William glared the hell at me and I glared the hell at him back and kept threatening, "Parking lot." (I told Mark this--while he was in character--at intermission and he was all, "Yeah, I think you should do that.") I wish I'd been last one in! The girl who was last one in, Christina (I note she sat in front of me) got this huuuuuuge production because of that and she got so embarrassed and was all "NEVER AGAIN" when back in her seat. (Mark at intermission: "I tried to warn you. Some of those kids get weird.") Christina got quite intimidated by Marcy snarling at her in the back. "I bet you're a theater person, aren't you?" Yes, yes, I am.

I note that "mansplaining" came up in this one, followed by Mark doing a very patronizing (of course!) explanation of it, lol. Loved it.

I found out the friend next to her is a theater musical director (doing Bright Star, previously mentioned as something I considered auditIoning for) and has done Avenue Q in the past and actually got asked to do this version, but had too many conflicts. She's also done Spelling Bee, so I asked her about how the words were (there's a list, with jokes, they go through), and we talked about Avenue Q and Christina now wants to go. I think the friend was ... Deedee? Deanne? Something like that? Anyway, I would like to run into these people again, but probably not happening. The musical director lady said she's cutting down to a few shows a year so she can have time off, and I was all "yeah, I'm weirded out by time off now."

Anyway, Hugo did a great job on "My Unfortunate Erection" (I'm kind of sad I didn't um, cackle more at that, but it's not like I didn't get opportunities to do it elsewhere), Mark was hilarious as the principal, Ed made a great hippie/aggressive gay dad (he poked me when he sat in the audience later), and I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of this. Too bad I can't pimp it to everyone since it's sold out for the rest of the run. But fucking brilliant! I'm totally jazzed now, not tired...and I have to get up at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning!

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