Checked the county dashboard and we are at 10%. Definitely going back to purple tier, y'all. 40 new cases yesterday. Not so much my town, but it looks like Woodland and West Sac are the worst. I keep hearing it's outbreaks in Woodland nursing homes that is causing it. Sigh.

In the morning, I watched an online astrology lecture by Alexandra Karacostas in Greece...with a semi-bad Internet connection that keeps cutting out like Jack and Kallie's in the play. Oh well, what can you do. It was on relationships and after she spent an hour saying what everything represented, talked about several people with troubles in relationships, most of whom were Scorpio rising (as am I). Erp.

Charlotte's Web Show #4:
As per usual, Kallie and/or Jack (mostly Kallie) were having sound issues. We were told after the show that their Internet cut out entirely for a bit, forcing the stage manager to fill in before they got back in. Soundwise there were some issues and once again I had the mute on (darn it) at the start, but I fixed the volume and moved on from there. I got complimented for my handling of that the other day again, so....

We only had to stand in boxes for an hour! Huzzah! During which we were given lots of compliments.

Notes and quotes:
"Wilbur has a lot of lines."
Illy at one point tried using a green blanket to deal with lighting issues. "Which is making your face disappear into a ghostly abyss." -Spadoni
"There's gold in them thar lights." "There's spiders in them thar eaves."
"Yesterday's shows were really really wonderful." -Mac
We were complimented for not coming in with ego and making things happen and 'dangit, it's so cool!" We will compliment you every single day because you deserve it.
"This was our first show ever and boy, did we learn a lot."
"Illy, you look much better, you are no longer a ghost."
"Ticket sales have been spectacular." Nice notes were left, and a few international viewers were mentioned, including one of Karen's relatives. 50ish people were supposed to be in today. "You've traveled across the globe, Charlotte's Web!"
Kearsten: "It is I, the bringer of outrageous change!"
"When Neon Spark was created, in the dark ages of a month and a half ago..." -Kearsten.
"We are Houston, and we thank you, astronauts." -Sarah
On the tech: "no one is a giant and no one is tiny."
"Little Jett with his balloon is one of my favorite bits of the show." It's mentioned in the script that Avery has one, but I literally had NO IDEA he had a balloon. This is how much I can't see anything! Later Katherine read the piece of paper where the word "humble" came from and I was all, had no idea that existed!
"Kallie is lying in Karen's lap and it's cute."
"We're getting a lot of butts. When you leave the screen, please invite your butt to go along with you...." -Kearsten

They are planning on having two spring shows in 2021, to be determined.

After the show, they had us strike the sets, i.e. take down the green screens and lights. I cannot fit it all back into the box, which is annoying. They want it back before Thanksgiving, so I told them I was going to try to go to FedEx and see what they could do and they said they'd reimburse me.

Here's how dumb I am: did not realize Lena and Jake are related, did not realize Riley and Natasha are related--like I knew they hung out or something but at the end she was in his room and I was all "ohhhhhhh....having the same last name is not a coincidence, I guess...." I did figure out that Jack and Kallie are and that Stage Director Sarah and Emmeline were, at least. I guess I notice it more with more specific last names...or if I hear the last name of them more often. I forgot what Natasha's last name was :P (Though they ah, don't resemble each other.)

I brought up that it was a shame that we couldn't have a viewing party, so they said they'd throw another Google Meet on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Then we can have Paige greet all the barnyard lunatics one last time...

"Google Meet is definitely the modern seance, you are correct." -Sean.

"It has been a joy to work with each and every one of you. This will not be the end of virtual things entirely." -Kearsten.

After it was all over, I had the last of Jackie's cake and some ice cream, and then some wine, and then a celebratory fancy dinner of butternut squash ravioli. I am trying to not get all down until tomorrow, at least.

Thoughts on the show:
People who especially stand out vocally (since that's about all I could experience of the show):

* Paige as the third chorus member/Uncle the pig/the announcer. Her announcer was my favorite character with her attitude and I was deeply sad when most of her asides and ad-libs got cut.

* I also enjoyed Jett/Avery's asides, especially to stuff I said (like "Thanks!" to my saying he's prominent). Later he started throwing in, "We won't do anything stupid" when he and Fern are about to depart for the fair alone. Which is legit because the list of things not to do that the adults keep throwing out starts to get a bit ridiculous.

* The goose and the gander definitely worked their distinctive repetitive voices. As did the lamb, as Lena has a very odd quality I can't describe all of her own. Slightly snotty, mostly odd, I guess, which works with the character since the sheep/lamb are the bearers of bad news in this.

* Wilbur was especially anxious/emo/angsty in an endearing way. It contrasted with Charlotte's perpetual serenity.

* I enjoyed Homer and John's folksy friendliness. John was always really into the words "marmalade drippings!" somehow. Homer's rousing speech about how everyone should shape up and support Wilbur if he didn't win is always heartening.

* Trinity (first chorus) and Sage are both so serene they definitely seem like daughter and mother.

Plot thoughts:
* What the heck kind of name is "Lurvy?"
* I liked how Homer delivered "Oh, he has a name, doesn't he?" In the script it says he's laughing, in Tom's delivery it's "Oh, he has a NAME, so she's ATTACHED," in a quiet sort of way.
* Why on earth do some animal characters have names and some don't? Templeton is named but the gooose/gander/sheep are not?
* Also, the goose calls the gander "my friend," not "my husband" or "the father of my goslings" or "my mate" or anything?
* The sheep and lamb certainly are kinda obnoxious. I have to say that Lena's delivery fit that.
* Wilbur is SO EMO. By page 17 and less than two months old, he's "already tired of living," which will soon be pretty ....well, not something he'll be saying later.
* Fern definitely hears animals talk. Avery isn't. It was Sean's concept that Lurvy is close to hearing them?
* Chekhov's Rotten Egg, anyone? Templeton claims he won't break it. Well, he doesn't....
* Homer is pretty chill on the pig escape, all things considered.
* One of my favorite lines is "I won't be bacon for anybody!"
* Also funny: after the gander repeats all the letters in terrific multiple times while spelling it, Charlotte is all "What kind of acrobat do you think I am?" I kinda wish Sage delivered it with a bit more 'tude/snickering/something, though. Not her concept of the character, but I kinda wish it came out a little funnier?
* Edith is clearly the smartest one in the family, as she's the only one that figured out it's a special SPIDER. Why does no one else get that?
* Oh, Templeton: only does everyone else's errands when someone points out it's in his own self-interest to keep Wilbur alive.
* I really enjoyed making a bunch of "What the heck.....?" facial expressions after Fern says she picked up the word "conspiracy" from the old sheep....I hope to god that showed up in the actual show, I have no idea.
* I played it throughout the show that Mrs. Arable has a thing for Henry Fussy (a guy Fern rejects as a playmate in the first act but is palling around with at the fair in act 2). As far as I'm concerned, Fern is going to marry him.
* "What kind of acrobat do you think I am?" comes to mind when Charlotte wants Wilbur to do a bunch of flips and prove that he's radiant.
* Ferris wheel rides are ten cents. So why does Fern want 40 cents to ride it later? Double rides, Katherine suggested.
* Avery is so insulting when not only does he want to eat slops, when his dad says he already did, says it looks better in the bucket than on the table. His mom scrubs his ears in retaliation.
* Paige as the announcer has to announce that someone needs to move their car away from the firerworks shed. The ad-lib she did that got cut was that after she said that, she'd mutter, "EVERY TIME!"
* "Don't cross the racetrack when the horses are coming!" is a pretty random one, Edith.
* My favorite scene in in the play is when Templeton breaks the bad news (quite rudely) that Uncle won the blue ribbon and Wilbur does NOT faint or freak out, but instead sucks it up and is brave and isn't going to worry about himself all the time.
* Katherine was told that Templeton knows what it means when Charlotte lays all the eggs (i.e. she's gonna die soon).
* Homer getting everyone to buck up because people are still going to see Wilbur is also a very touching moment.
* I admit the Arable/Zuckermans are not the fastest on the uptake, especially with the foreshadowing of Wilbur getting a special award. They just sit there being all "no clue" until Paige SPELLS IT OUT. In her ad-libs she'd be muttering "I hate my job!" and "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
* I also like how the announcer says, "This miracle has never been fully explained. We simply know that we are dealing with supernatural forces here, and we should all feel proud and grateful."
* Wilbur hasn't done anything for Charlotte, but makes sure he does at the end, and after her life.

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