I REALLY DIDN'T SLEEP LAST NIGHT. Like I went to bed at 10:45, woke up at 1:18 when my computer decided to start playing Netflix by itself, and didn't even start to get tired-ish until 5...then 6....then 7...Great, so I'm back to THAT level of fucked up tired again, YAY! That said...um, I have been wide awake all day, go figure. Didn't even do the Dew.

Steve wrote a message to the guy who wrote Urinetown and he wrote a nice message back thanking us for putting on the show. That's sweet.

My boss noted that once again, HR claims they've posted Hope's former position and actually have not! Other than that, our group email box broke today (hahahah) and I met the new coworker, she seems very nice.

Back to theater news:

I got hit up to join Evita! Steve said they need more in the ensemble and are willing to work around my schedule, I said I'll get back to him and then immediately texted Scott, who said they need about 25 and got 16-17 auditioning.

Bye Bye Birdie pros: fun show, later rehearsal schedule is way more convenient to juggle 2 shows at once, people seem nice. Cons: theater has no covid safety protocols going at all, have 4 hour long rehearsals every night, 20 minute drive and gas is ka-ching, people running it seem somewhat scatty. Can't say for sure if I'd get in, won't find out for probably at least 2 weeks.

Evita pros: at my home theater which actually has good covid protocols, 10 minute drive away when gas is ka-ching, one less hour of rehearsal a day, know and like the people involved, and Scott is in it. (Which frankly, may be all the argument here.) Can get in instantly because they need people, said they would let me juggle this one plus the 10 minute play festival. Cons: Rehearsal at the same time as the 10 minute play festival (though see above), and after watching the first act online, I do not love this show. I am baffled as to why "the ensemble" is so important and crucial and that they need 25 of them and why it's supposed to be even harder than my current show because from what I see in the video, they are not super crucial and are mostly just wandering in and milling about a lot.

I watched the first act during work (due to the broken email box, I ran out of stuff to do for awhile) and um...so far I do not love and am kinda stumped as to why Scott does? He called it a "fucking crazy dynamic soundtrack," I guess that's the incentive, I dunno. The production I watched seriously just had the ensemble milling about and not doing much (not even much dancing?) in act 1 and I was thinking, why is the ensemble such a big deal to DMTC? Why is it that important that you get 25 people who aren't even playing part time roles and just...mill about? I do not get it.

Let me quote my therapist's text after I told her about this. I note she was singing Evita lines at me during session yesterday: "Don't cry for me about Scott, Jen. If you choose not to do Evita, it's not strategic, I have no pity, I can't help it, look at the evidence...." followed by the laugh emoji, heart emoji, brain exploding emoji, blowing kiss emoji and another heart.

Winters 10 minute play auditions: Linda, Nancy, Nancy's husband Steve (at the ready to download a fart app, I was all "me too!", but Linda said not to do it during the audition), and Rodney. I only met Rodney once in January 2020 during the previous 10 minute play auditions and frankly, dude was extremely unimpressed by my ass then (also seemed kinda quiet/surly-ish) and when I found out he was directing, I was all "yeah, I'm not getting into anything he's doing." I still suspect this may be the case, but he was a lot friendlier tonight, so that was very nice. I get why all my friends like him now, anyway. Linda is directing a monologue by an older woman and the last director wasn't there but she was casting for him.

Actually auditioning tonight: me, Cameron (also wearing purple and a fancy mask, I applaud the look), Robert who apparently had such a good time he went BOTH nights, and Scott, and everyone's still all OMG NO BEARD on that last one. I asked who auditioned yesterday and Robert said Janene, Bridget, and some guy I don't know named Phil. I know several older ladies were reading for the monologue (Mary from DMTC came in as we were leaving, Gail from Coney Island was briefly there, and some other lady I don't know, they read separately).

Lemme give you a rundown: they had everyone read the entire plays but switched off every few pages as to who read which parts.

(Rodney directing) Dark Matter: two snooty people living out in space somewhere. The wife is depressed, the guy is totally high on a drug and suggests same to his wife. Actually better than it sounds, I didn't like it when I read it at home but it was funnier live. I definitely think it had a certain energy once I started doing it with Scott in particular--his character's rather a pompous snooty jerk (not that Robert can't do that, but he's more gentle sounding and Scott has The Voice for such things). It was actually kinda hot?

Tailwind (Nancy directing). Since I'm told Robert read the principal last night, Scott did it tonight, I did Erica (my usual, I suppose?), Cameron did Joanna (the religious one). I admit I've certainly thought of casting Cameron in this play, but I think of her more as the principal because she is probably more suited to haughty'snooty than drunk/religious. She was still pretty good though, just not as crazeballs as Shanna and Jackie back in the day. That said, she's probably pretty likely to get the part if she wants it, or at least I can't picture anyone else I know getting it? I was pretty crazy.

Now, I've certainly told Scott about "The Farting Play" on occasion, so he's BEEN WARNED, and he did say he hadn't gotten to reading it beforehand, and HAHAHAHAHAH BOY WAS HE SURPRISED. I wish I could have filmed it, he was totally losing it halfway through and I was all, "I told you! I warned you to read it!" Cameron was all "You broke Scott!" I don't think he'd probably want to do that one per se (he put down Dark Matter and Hamlet), but it was a hoot to watch, nevertheless.

Hamlet Investigations (Rodney directing): modern woman hires Hamlet to investigate her dubious fiance. I was hoping Rodney wasn't directing it, and he was, so that means Cameron is definitely getting it, as she got to read more of it than I did. She and Scott were, well...their usual when acting, I'll put it that way. He gives off the hormones and she doesn't...sigh, again, didn't miss that dynamic and I was hoping to have it with him in this part. (Also it's the one where there's THREE kisses. I note that he did very silly hand waving gestures at those bits in the script.) I would have liked to have done that with him and me, but...sigh, the usual. Oh well, I should probably only do one play anyway.

(dude not here tonight directing, Linda doing the casting) Jorge Does Chanukah: Hispanic guy converts to Judaism, marries a Jewish girl, things have been awkward with him and his dad since, Dad drops by unexpectedly for dinner. The wife's part is not that interesting, Cameron did that one. Mostly I think the issue here is um...a lack of guys of color auditioning to do this part. Like Robert's Filipino and that may be as close as we get for casting the dad (I'm told Jorge is pre-cast, I'm assuming the Phil guy is probably a white guy given what last name I was told). Robert and Scott switched up doing the dad and Scott did the accent perfectly, as he always does, but he's hella white, so. Seriously, Rodney should probably be cast, if he wants to act. Oh well, not my problem there.

The older lady monologue (Linda directing)...well, obviously neither Cameron nor I qualify for this, but Linda had us read it anyway. She did the front (the funnier part) and I got the back. It's from the POV of a lady whose husband is apparently still alive but in a home/probably has Alzheimer's and does speed dating and has a fun one night stand with a guy and then feels guilty about it. I got quite choked up reading it, certainly reminded me of my family situation. Not gonna get that part, nor should I, but that went better than expected.

They did not say when decisions would officially be made other than a vague "few days" sort of thing, so we'll see. Scott and I warned everyone that weekends would be best. Rodney said he wanted to borrow the opera house on Mondays/Wednesdays or something like that, Nancy said they'd just do it at her house (sounds fine by me, I liked her house). We'll see. I liked how Rodney was all "You did a lot of Shakespeare!" to me and was curious from both me and Scott as to how musicals go. To Nancy, I was all "who woulda thunk I'd ever do any?"

Afterwards, we all hung around outside talking for a bit, Cameron and I went on about Stitches on different days (she brought a friend, and isn't checking how much she spent either, I flashed a pic), I told everyone about what it's like to audition at Woodland, and gave Scott the little old lady. He called it "magnificent" and laughed his head off at it and flashed the Han Solo birthday card to Cameron. I asked what he was doing for his birthday and he said working and then probably some family dinner. I was all "I think I'm gonna be in a rehearsal one way or another on mine this year :P"

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