9 January
Have I mentioned yet that I am doing another show? Well, I am.
When I was still at home, the day I missed the plane, I called Cynthia up and told her that I wasn't coming home that day, and she asked me if I wanted to direct at the beginning of February, because Le had fallen and hurt himself and would be unable to. I mumbled something about only if it were absolutely necessary, and that was that.
Or that was that until the next day when she picked me up at the Port Authority and told me that I was, in fact, doing another show, and it would be with her and Fran!
It's called The Hot Dog Machine, and Le wrote it thirty years ago when he was a mere slip of a lad, or a mere slip of a stoned hippie, and it is about, well, a bunch of stoned hippies.
There was all kinds of pressure to cast quickly for once, and I did, the very next day, and got my full cast, which not only is Cynthia and Fran, but Sabine, from Pamie's show, and Ronnie and Rolf and Merry Jayne, all of whom I have worked with as actors but never directed. And Sybil, whom I don't know but who seemed very nice.
How strange to find out about the show on Wednesday and have it completely cast on Thursday! This must be what happens to more alert directors all of the time.
I can already see what our big problem will be, though. Schedules. I wanted to rehearse that first weekend, but could not find a single second when the eight of us could get together. So, I got everyone's schedules for this week, and...could not find a single second when the eight of us could get together. On Thursday, I get six of us, and that will have to do.
However, on Monday, Cynthia and Fran and I sat on the sofa and read the play, because they are the leads. Well, Cynthia is the lead, she never shuts up, and Fran plays her boyfriend. They absolutely have the thankless donkey work in the show, because they have all of the serious stuff and everyone else gets to be silly and have fun. Particularly Ronnie, playing the part that is based on Le, and who will handily steal the show out from under everyone's noses without actually trying.
But o Lord, there is so much pot smoking in the play, not to mention all of the rolling of joints. Fran's character is famous for rolling so neatly they look like cigarettes.
"Are you good at rolling?"
"Actually, back when I smoked, I was famous for how badly I rolled."
"Well, I could never roll. Maybe Ronnie can teach you?"
"No, he says that he can't roll either."
"I guess you are just going to have to practice!"
The other funny thing is that Cynthia has never actually been high.
"Is it like being drunk?"
Fran: "When I used to get high, I just thought that everything was hilarious. I just laughed and laughed at everything, traffic light, sidewalk, everything. Of course, I was 13, 14, 15, so that might have had something to do with it."
Me: "Conversely, when I used to get high, if I wasn't in a great mood to start with, I would fall into a black depression. I hope that this is all helpful."
Funnily, I listened to Jette's Christmas present at work before "rehearsal", which was The Asylum Street Spankers' Spanker Madness, and every single song is about smoking pot and getting high. I thought it was all terribly apropos!
Today's horoscope:
Time to get away. If you cannot take an actual trip, plan one for the future. Concentrate on how you can be independent.
One year ago today:
Alan Rickman's innate Alan Rickmanness (Rickmosity?) was an absolute treat.
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Last Updated Wed 10 January 10:10:09 2001