getting ready for big love

Every now and then, I need another healthy dose of something I had loved in the past, something now absent from my life.
I have found that action to be quite helpful for my perspective.
This time, I'm looking to the theatre for new joie de vivre.
I know my recent actions may indicate a desire to trod the boards... but I've had at least three opportunities to audition for parts in plays and have found one reason or another - i.e., some lame excuse - to not go.
Clearly, my residual shyness from my teen years is at play.
(Pun intended! Woohoo!)
I've only been onstage twice in my life.
The first time was in my senior year of high school. My English teacher (Mrs. Thorne) was also the drama coach. She tasked us with selecting a passage in "MacBeth" and bringing it to life for the class. We could work in groups or solo for the project. I chose Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scene, clad in nightgown and carrying a lit candle on an old-fashioned candle holder. My hand trembled so much! But my classmates thought it was part of my act. I was just relieved it was over!
(To this day, I credit my familiarity with that play to my senior English class. My knowledge of "Hamlet", though, is from Dr. Killorin's class at Armstrong, back in 1985.)
There are some who would say that did not count as an "onstage" performance, as it was in a classroom. To them I say, "Bah!"
But those naysayers can have no quarrel with my second time as an actor. Dr. John Suchower was short a person for a performance one night. I was the Prop Mistress for the play and he convinced me to go on as the housemaid for that one show. I relented and did so, but I cannot recall the name of the play nor my two lines - just the fear of letting down the Masquers and the relief when my brief scene was done.
Behind the scenes was where I preferred to be!
I'd first become involved in set work when I was stationed in Okinawa. I was not quite 23, newly divorced and in need of something constructive to do. Janet Leary and Mark Engler put me to work, literally, building and painting for A.C.T.O.R. at the Army Community Theatre. What fun! What a great way to meet new people!
So that's what I did for the two years I was there on the rock.
In 1984, my time in the Navy was up and I started college. I was home again in Savannah, but knew no one except family. The Armstrong Masquers and "Sooch" welcomed my construction enthusiasm and I welcomed the activity. Such fun after two years away from being part of theatre! So many new people to meet! And such a feeling of accomplishment each and every quarter! As I told Abery and Davonte last night, theatre helped me feel like I was progressing at college. Starting a play from scratch at the beginning of the school term, completing the work and showing off the play, then taking the set down to bare stage again - exhilarating it was! Especially when compared to the slow pace of completing a baccalaureate degree, play production flew!
What was I doing last night that I was speaking of such?

Well, flash back to the Bananas game on August 4th.
Eric of Collective Face had posted on their fb 'volunteers' page that folks were needed to wrap boxes for the upcoming show.
Wrapping gifts? I love doing that!
And so I went to the Kennedy Building at SSC to partake of that brand of fun prior to the game.
See that top left one shown here in the promo?
I did that one for sure! That's the "bow" I designed!
(smile)

After that experience, I was hooked.
When the call went out last night for set work, I came and stayed for three hours - and the time flew by!
First, I sanded all the edges of the teeth on these nine wooden "saw blades".
Then a brief break to turn my clothes inside out.
I certainly did not want "flat black" spray paint on them... just on these surfaces!
In between coats is when I had told the two students of my experiences with college theatre.

Tonight, I was back to (w)rapping for Collective Face, this time with Lindsay (TVR friend of my first niece!) and actress Julie (who was practicing lines).
Lots of boxes needed ribbon!
Lots of boxes still needed to have paper!
So, that's what we worked on until David approached with a special task.
Three of the boxes had to be wrapped in such a way that they could be opened during the show.

Could we figure that out and do it?
Why, yes, yes we could... and did!
I took care of the two smaller boxes, one for the toaster, one for the mixer. Lindsay took care of the large box for the flat-screen tv.
Each "gift" had to be capable of being opened quickly and have easy access to the kitchen tool so it could be grabbed and flourished, preferably without a need to rewrap the three boxes each night.

After all, the play would have nine performances, not to mention the action during the remaining rehearsals until opening night on September 7th.
That's a lot of "gift" openings and closings!
I think Lindsay and I did quite well!
My two small boxes needed something to distinguish them from the plethora of others, so I only placed a single ribbon on them for decor.
The tv's huge box needed no such differentiation!

What a successful three hours of work with my hands... and what a satisfying creative outlet for my mind!
Now, I'm off to a rare comedy from Tomasz and CinemaSavannah.
Later, y'all!