GREAT NEWS!

Faithie is well. Benign. No yucky BC. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And now we shop.

Okay, so that's the best news I've heard in a while and I needed some good news. Notice my plucky avatar there to the left? How she's underwater and all? Yep. That's me. Drowning in the work way, not the life-in-peril way, hence the natty suit. My coworker quit-her last day is May 1-but she was off yesterday because she had to take daughter to hospital (daughter is fine, just thought she'd be having a baby yesterday and it turned out not so much) and then today she's taking an exam to get into college, so yay her!! But that does leave me with extra work, which I am currently slacking off in order to post here. But I had to post the good news, right? I did. Okay, the guilt has set in. I'm going to work now.

Hilarity (For Me, Anyway)

So the cast of this show I'm stage-managing, while remarkably talented, lacks commitment. By that I mean some of the cast members (this is an important distinction, not all of them are behaving this way) have things they'd much rather do than rehearse. I have felt that way in the past on some shows, but the primary difference between me and a few of the actors in my show, is that I went and rehearsed anyway. I think most shows are good experiences; some are great; some are awful. But agreeing to be in a show is agreeing to the time commitment required to rehearse and stage the show.

This particular show has NOT had a taxing rehearsal schedule for any of the actors. The rehearsals are set up per each scene and actors not in the scene to be rehearsed are not called. So far, no actor has had to attend a rehearsal more than three times in one week--usually for one hour each day, occasionally a bit more. So really. Not taxing at all. And yet...

One particular actor has decided she'd rather not rehearse tonight. She sent an email to my personal account claiming sickness. I was inclined to be sympathetic at first until the director told me this particular actor is "sick" a lot (at least once every show she's in, and if that's the case, WHY cast her, except that she's tremendously talented, and I just answered my own question) and requested I have her come in and rehearse anyway. So I emailed her rehearsal particulars for tonight to her work address. Her outlook email sent a "read" message and then I received an "automatic out-of-office reply." Except it totally wasn't an automatic out of office reply. It was so ridiculously faked that I can't believe she even bothered. I don't know whether I'm offended that she thinks I'm that stupid or just amused at the pathetic-ness of her attempt. I'm wavering between the two.

The thing is, she also asked to be let out of rehearsal a week ago Sunday so she could spend time with her boyfriend and I totally went to bat for her. Director did NOT want to let her off, but finally relented. So this is just kind of induces a great deal of irritation in a show/rehearsal schedule that has already been irritating enough all on it's own.

I didn't realize how much of stage-managing involved baby-sitting. To all stage managers everywhere, I say YOU FRAKKIN RULE.

My Week Or Not

So, it wasn't a great week, actually. I've started to post a few times, but decided not to inflict my negativity and seething anger on the e-world at large. I think that was a wise decision because I'm better now and focused on other things. To wit:

My sister is having a biopsy today. Getting your wallet stolen (which was how my week began) is sort of inconsequential compared to the possibility that my favoritest, most wonderfullest person in my whole world might have the big, yucky BC. Now my gut is positive, no matter the outcome, that she'll ultimately be fine. If cancer, we'll get through it and she'll be a survivor and we celebrate by shopping. If no cancer, we whoop for joy and then celebrate by shopping. Either way we shop together and that sounds pretty fun. But the worrier in me is frightened for her and frankly also pretty damn frightened for me. See, I think everyone has that one friend they can't do without and Faith is mine. When she's down, I'm equally depressed. When she's all happy, well, me too. So, nerves. Just a little nervy today.

Next, I'm happy because Clover sold her first book. I think that's the awesomest thing ever and I'm way excited for her. It reminded me of the day my mom found out she sold her first book. We'd been shopping all day at Trader's Village (North Texas shopping institution). This was before everybody on the entire earth had a cell phone. So when we finally got home around 6:30 or 7:00 p.m., the phone was ringing. Whoever was on the line hung up before we could get there, but no worries, because the phone rang again about 15 minutes later. It was mom's agent, Bart, letting her know that Walker accepted her ms and Mom was now a published mystery author. I'm certain mom's joyful war-cry was heard all over the better part of Fort Worth. That was a good day, one of the best days I think my mom has ever had, and I'm so glad Clover got to have a day like that.

Then there's Momentum. We're working really hard on the Women of Juarez. Right now it's just fragments of thoughts and ideas-the barest whisper of something solid. I've never been a part of creating something like this and it's challenging and interesting, and scary, and wonderful - all pretty much at the same time. Their stories break my heart and a lot of it just makes me wonder how strong I would or could be in the same situation. I take so much in my life for granted and I hate say I'm apathetic, but unlike V and S, I never would have thought of doing something like this. I'm learning a lot from them and learning a lot about myself-some of it, I don't like, but I think recognizing that is a positive sign.

Finally, I'm focused on the play I am stage-managing. The director and cast are all really talented and it is genuinely a really funny show. There have been some bumps along the road, or hiccups, or whatever you want to call them. A couple of actors dropped out because of time commitments and there have been other conflicts, some of which I feel like, while not my fault, I could have said or done something differently that might have helped things a bit. So I feel like I'm a bit ineffective as a stage-manager, but on the other hand, I came into the show after it was cast and after rehearsals had already started, so I hope that gives me a bit of a learning curve.

And that's my week. Or at least the version I feel better about sharing. I hope your week was really good. Hope someone made you laugh and I hope someone made you love, too.

Another 8 Hours Would be Great, Thanks...

I woke up tired this morning. I don't mean that I was still sleepy when I woke up, because that happens all the time to me and most everyone I know. I mean I woke up tired. I woke up feeling like I'd just finished working a full day, including rehearsal and a really good work out. I've had this feeling before, but usually it's because I wasn't able to sleep the night before. But I slept great last night-like a log. Like a hibernating bear. Like before being signed up for that reality show. Kidding. I'm not on a reality show. Sorry, the commercial sort of leaked it's stupid self into my brain. Anyway, I'm tired and there's no good reason for it. I wish you could call into work tired. "I'm sorry, I won't be at work today because I'm sleepy. I'll come in later this afternoon if I feel awake and alert enough." Because that would go over really well. I'm thinking even the super-nice compassionate social workers I work for would have a problem with that. So I'm at work. But I'm tired. And dude, really whiney. Sorry about that.

Yay for Rainy Weather

I'm stage-managing a show for a friend and she just called me and told me to cancel rehearsal for tonight. There were already scheduling conflicts with a couple of our actors, but rainy weather clinched it. The building manager for the location we have been rehearsing in decided to close up tonight because the storms headed our way include baseball sized hail and the possibility of tornadoes. They didn't want any legal liability issues should something happen while we were there, which I totally understand. So rehearsal is cancelled and I have a sudden bonus free night.

My big plan for the evening involves laundry and an early bedtime. I feel really good about that plan.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.