The second weekend, while a bit looser than the first, still brought us great full houses for the evening performances and appreciative and receptive matinee groups. (Diplomatic? Of course I'll have some.) Friday night brought on an interesting development. We were hanging around backstage during the third act when Jo, the technical director, had the bright idea to curl my hair to make things more kingly and regal. I balked at first, thinking it a good joke (and just someone's excuse to play with my hair, though who am I to complain about such treatment?) but Saturday night rolled around and Jo had brought the hot curlers. After we all had a good laugh at the king's expense as he waited for the curlers to set ("LYNDA, RUN DOWNNA PACKY AND GETCHER GRANDMA SOME SMOKES, GAWDAMMIT, I'M WATCHIN MY SOAPS HEAH") the curlers went out and the results were quite interesting. Very nice, very regal, and they went with the curly fake beard I'd had to plaster on my face. Elizabeth loved it. Lynda got her hair curled too, which wasn't so much of a surprise since, y'know, she's a girl and all, and I think Jo was tickled to be able to play hairdresser for a good-natured thespian dude. We did the curls again for Sunday's show, though the backstage area was so crowded we went upstairs into the church sanctuary and sat in a little corner and had them done. I'm now able to say I had my hair done while in church, and while I don't think that's a purity point lost, it is something not a lot of people are going to be able to say happened to them as well. All in all, though, I think we agreed it was silly this hadn't been thought of earlier, but good that it had been thought up in the first place. So thanks, Jo. You rock. And thanks to Elizabeth, who got us all together. You rock. And thanks to everybody. You rock a rock that rocks.
The whole experience was just what I needed, I think. I spent too long hermitting it up here and while that's a lot of fun (at least, to a certain segment of the population) it can also be get stifling if left unattended. Getting out, meeting new and weird and wonderful people, walking a few miles each day to rehearsal and back, almost every part of this experience was nothing but good for me (with the financial exception of eating a lot of roast beef sandwiches from Nick's, though to their credit the sandwiches were large and cheap and filling so it wasn't that bad, but still a drain. Also going out several times in two weekends was tough but I stayed well within budget. And it was worth it, really.)
I just so want to do this again and real soon now.
