Aye aye, how the time flies. I've been doing pretty good posting every week, or every other week, and yet here it has been a month. Why? Because February was freakin crazy, that's why.
Little Shop of Horrors opened February 24 and ran the 25th, 28th and March 1. Overall, it was a huge success. We received $1,150 in sponsorships and had about 350 people attend during the run. I think overall, we made about $3,100. Except for the canvas that we went over ordered (and hope to sell off to other theater groups), we made a little bit of money -- I'd say about $200. Once we sell some of the canvas, we should be about $400-500 in the good. Not bad considering that musicals never make money. Debbie brought me a check for our share of Will Rogers Follies -- $850!! Eventhough Little Shop was an overall success, it wasn't without problems. It wasn't until dress rehearsal week that we finally got all three Do Wop girls together. Then, on Wednesday, one of our extras called and said she had some form of respiratory illness and that the doctor had put her on bedrest. In the long run, that's not too big of a deal -- she only appeared once and it was in a small song. However, I "begged" her to be in the play. She's a senior and has been complaining that she "couldn't" do any more plays this year because she "hates" Little Shop. I convinced her to be in this one scene. According to the other cast members and the former drama teacher, Mrs. Adams, this is a reoccurring pattern for this girl. She agrees to do something and then flakes. Consequently, she is given small parts, but then does this to "punish" the director for not giving her a bigger part. Luckily, I had another cast member willing to learn her part at the last minute (he got to wear a dress, so he was really exicted). The only problem was that she decided on closing night that she was "well enough" to perform. My dilemma was that I don't think she deserved to perform; I wasn't sure if she was truly "well enough"; and the boy who had filled in had actually done better than she ever could have. On the other hand, I could see the principal siding with her stating that it was her fault she had gotten sick (the flu has been going around) and that since she put in so much practice (yea, right) that it's only fair that she get to perform. The cast wasn't too happy with my but I let her perform. She didn't "suck," but she wasn't very good and it kinda ruined the overall greatness of the song.
We had a great opening night, which in theatre tradition means a not-so-great second night. The second night wasn't horrible, but it wasn't our best performance. We had a great cast party that night here in the arena theatre -- strange for me because my high school's cast parties were always at a student's house without the adults. We had a nice day off (Sunday) and hit the performances again on Monday. I had had 3 Mt. Dews that day, and it wasn't enough. Now, I have to remind myself that the audience wasn't aware of all that went wrong. Some may have known that a few things were "off" but the audience enjoyed it overall. Why did I want to shoot myself? Let me tell you. Monday morning we had the annual 3-screen assembly. They had reserved the auditorium way before I did, so I only had myself to blame. On Saturday night, we moved all of the set/props "back" behind the middle curtain. Monday afternoon, I told my stage manager, my assistant stage manager and my stage techie to make sure all of the set/props were where they needed to be. Here was my first mistake. My "stage manager" is also my "stirling scholar" (a Utah honor). Despite her title stating she is "best of the best" in the drama department, she is THE biggest flake I have ever met. Call time for cast and crew was 5:45, with curtain time at 7. Morgan would routinely show up at about 6:45! It was her responsibility to know what set pieces/props needed to be out when and that everything was in place on the prop tables. So here in Utah, Monday is the biggest night for plays because it's "family night". We had about 150 people (had only ~70 per performance on the other nights). We had a good crowd, I was excited and then I wanted to die. I went inside the doors to watch the beginning and make sure the sound levels were ok -- and then I saw it -- the two garbage cans that should've been next to the proscenium wall were not there!! Ok, no big deal, except that these two cans figure prominently in at least 3 scenes of the first act! (a sandwich gets thrown into one, which a bum then pulls out; my main lead sits on one can after dumping "dirt" into one; and the other main lead puts a sack of garbage into one at the beginning of a song. ARGH!!!!! Luckily, my cast was paying attention and they worked around the missing pieces (the store owner "threw" the sandwich at the bum, for example). But then the big one (at least in my book). In the very last scene before intermission, the dentist uses his "special" gas mask -- which was a canister vacuum borrowed from the custodians. Becca, my student director, was in the booth and walkie talkied down to the stage crew to make sure all was in place for this scene, when the news came that no one knew where the "special" gas mask was. My heart stopped. Ok, the fact that it had disappeared didn't bug me as much as the fact that NO ONE HAD BOTHERED TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THE PROPS WERE IN PLACE BEFORE THE PLAY. You should not find out 5 MINUTES BEFORE a scene that the props are not in place. Yes, I know things had been moved around because of the assembly, but that's no excuse. Again, luckily, my actor covered and improved with something else. Needless to say, during intermission, I made the stage manager and other stage crew wish they had never been born. These kids don't get that I don't have to EVER cast them in anything EVER again. I have enough kids in my department that these kids can be dropped. Argh!!
Luckily for all of us though, closing night was about as perfect as we could get it and we ended on a high note.
Now, we are onto regions and practices for that. And, Zach has decided to do "Rat Mat," a community wrestling program. And, I still have my college class. Yes, I don't know what it means to sit still. ;)
