Today I had the show at Celebration Arts. It went great! I met everyone-ish (well, some more than others) and at least hung out with about half of them. I talked to Gloria about how she wants to learn to knit a sweater. She's going to be performing in the next event next weekend, so will follow up with her on that then. She told me that she was going to do "Jesus Chair" next weekend, but rewrite it from a different point of view--from the grandmother instead of the veterinarian grandson. Rehearing it again today, I felt like I missed some details and heard new ones, like I hadn't paid much attention to the commentary that the narrator's grandmother had a calling to sing but was instead working as a waitress. I shall be curious to see how she does it next week.

They let us sit backstage if we wanted to hear the show, so I did that. I did not feel so out of place because there were more funny/real life stories going on than what felt like just me during rehearsal. Though there was a fellow talking about people he knew related to Schindler's List/the Holocaust and another lady wrote a story (and had to read it aloud, I'm told) about how she used to be a lawyer and has now come down with dementia.

I myself was quite astonished by a story--I was in rehearsal with this lady but I think she told a different one there because I think I would have remembered this--about as a newlywed, going to meet her husband's family in some rural village in I forget what country. She mentioned being trapped on a bus for 22 hours with random animals including a tied-up turkey next to her and a pig--and how everyone just ah, relieved themselves on the bus, pig and men included. I think everyone must have just been going "daaaaamn" out in front, probably.

Another lady had a spectacular bad boyfriend story about a guy who wouldn't pick her up or do anything for her and of course he turns out to be married. Early in the story though, she asks, "Are you a habitual liar?" (after telling...some story about a Nazi losing an arm? I forget, some crazy) and he was all, "I've been called worse."

The director did not nitpick/time/countdown on anyone when they were telling their stories during the show. The limit was supposed to be 7.5 minutes and a few went over. A few folks were ah, quite annoyed about this backstage, along the lines of "hey, I cut things out I would have liked to have kept, how come so-and-so gets to have it longer, shouldn't they be following the rules?" I felt bad for the first lady in particular on that one for finding out the hard way. The final fellow (Ed again) was doing the same story he did last night, except he definitely went for longer and that was ah, getting some commentary. "I know they do that in (your town)," someone said, and I was all, "to be fair, he does run that show...." Afterwards Ed was all, "last night they were counting me down, so today I got to finish it."

As for me: they said to walk out WHILE your intro was being read, so that you were on the stage by the time it was done. Let me tell you, these folks had impressive bios. Many of them had acted here before, were some kind of activist or lawyer or big shot performer, etc., etc. and/or know the director personally so he was throwing in his own takes on their personalities. And then there's me who doesn't have much in the way of credits yet. So I did not know how to time this and I gather I came out too early, but the director had some fun with it, as he was reading the bit about how I tend to run into weird situations and people..."like me?" Heh heh heh. We did a little amused shoulder rubbing and it was adorable.

Sadly I don't have my performance recorded because he said no recordings (sigh) but I had a very good time doing it and people liked it. Notably, Dawn said she liked how I threw in a line about how I'm perpetually immature. I liked how I threw in how the second bird after me has "distinctive plumage" and then I looked down at today's colorful outfit. It was a blast. I looooooooove the stage.

This theater is so nice, people come up and hug or shake hands with you afterwards and tell you how they liked your work, too. I would totally do this again sometime and said so to the director!

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