Latrobe, PA - Final Two Shows!

Days 24 & 25

(I can NOT get the pics to go where I want them, so it'll be a bit of a scavenger hunt for you!)

You may have noticed that I skipped Day 23. That was Saturday, November 12, and we flew home to Chicago for less than 19 hours. While this was not part of the tour, I did get to visit with my husband Brett, brother Jeff, and sister-in-law Lania, and though I was so sick with such a headcold, we had free tickets to see David Sedaris at the Auditorium Theatre, as Lania had interviewed him once and he knows her; I had to go!

just about 10 rows from the stage at Auditorium Theatre,
seeing David Sedaris

I didn't take as many pictures during this last leg of the trip, just because I had so little energy, fighting my cold.

Sunday, November 13 (Day 24): It was up early to meet at 8 am for the drive to the airport. We took Southwest direct (no layover! first time!) to Pittsburg, and drove about an hour and a half to Latrobe; we ate a late lunch/early dinner at a wonderful little hole-in-the-wall Italian place called Gio's: the servings were HUGE!

We got back to the hotel and rested for about 45 minutes before we had to leave for Greater Latrobe Senior High, to tech for the show. The auditorium was amazing and huge; it seats 1500.

view of the stage from house left

The stage was taped, mics were checked, and lights focused/adjusted.  We got home by about 9:30 and I went to get some cough medicine at Walgreens  :-). Bill wanted to take everyone out for one final-night drink at a bar right next to the hotel. I dropped in for a minute but my aching head and stuffed sinuses didn't allow me to last long; I fell into bed.





Monday, November 14 (day 24): Final day of the tour, and final two performances! We were up early to check out of the hotel by 7 am; we had a show at 8:45 am, and later at 1:45 pm.  The morning show was for the entire senior high student body (grades 10 - 12), about 1100 students; the later show was for the middle schoolers (grades 7 - 9), as well as veterans with whom we had a noon lunch.

View of (most of) the house from stage right

Both audiences were very quiet; I'd almost say nonresponsive, as they gave very little response: But we all still felt that they were with us on this journey. They did not appear to be sleeping, and were very respectful. I'll note that there seemed to be a ton of sick people in the audience, as it was often non-stop coughing; so I felt right at home :-)

After the first show (which I dedicated to my friends John & Jenny Conway, in order to have someone to imagine out there, to keep me going through my runny nose, clogged ears, and sore throat), I thought I'd nap on the floor of our large green room. Although about half my castmates did, I was part of a lengthy and informative tour of the school's art gallery, by the assistant principal, Chad. Damian, Cameron, and I were looking at the art in the hall right outside our green room, and rounded the corner to see more. Chad came up and answered some of our questions, then gave us the history of the huge (about 200 pieces) of art work (of all mediums), which is purchased by the students after they vote on the piece/pieces they want at an art gala. This began in 1937 and features primarily (only?) art by artists from Western PA.  Also, Chad showed us two special displays of two famous graduates: Mr. Rogers, and Arnold Palmer.

Cathy and First Sargeant Russ Quick

PA sky on the way to Pittsburg airport

At noon, we had a nice lunch with local veterans and some students from student council. I got to sit with a retired National Guard, First Sargeant Russ Quick and his wife Cathy. I asked Russ lots of questions, and he loved to talk, so I got very informed! I asked him to explain all the decorations/medals/patches on his uniform, and he explained every one, from his 33 years of service. He traveled internationally in shooting competitions, and also has a type of museum in a nearby town, where he has a collection of at least 120 uniforms from every service branch. He said some soldiers have even "willed" their uniforms to him before they die. He was fascinating.

The veterans with whom we lunched, sat in the first three rows of the center section at the afternoon performance. I dedicated this show to them. I felt quite relaxed during this show.  As we bowed and the audience clapped, the veterans all stood up. And then - and this was completely unexpected and so moving! - they saluted us in unison! Wow.  A number of the veterans came back to the green room to gush about the show, and quite a few were moved to tears; it is so satisfying to be a part of a show that is so meaningful to so many.

After we packed up and loaded out, we rushed back to Pittsburg airport and while we did end up with a few minutes to sit before we boarded, it was quite a rush to get there! (I didn't end up driving at all on this last leg as Bill could see how poorly I felt.)  We did end up sitting on the runway for about 45 minutes, grounded due to severe storms between Pittsburg and Chicago; we got home about an hour later than expected, but just seeing Brett and my own bed were wonderful; it didn't matter how late!

So, the tour is over.

As I said before, this has been an amazing and challenging experience.  I might even do something like this again! If not, I know I've learned a tremendous amount about myself and my craft, and have at least experienced a bit of what touring theatre is like.  In the meantime, I have two upcoming shows in Chicago to concentrate on - one in the spring, and another in the summer; those will keep me busy, and continue to expand my experiences and my craft.

Peace!

Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) display

Damian with the Arnold Palmer display

Jacksonville, FL and Miami Beach FL

a big ol' peach, on our way to the Charlotte airport

Days 20, 21, 22

Wednesday, November 9 (Day 20):  Whew! What a day! THREE shows at the Wilson Center at Florida State College, Jacksonville, FL! It’s midnight as I write this, sitting in the back of the minivan, on the first half of a four drive to Miami Beach after three shows!  The Wyngate Hotel in Jacksonville was beautiful with very comfortable beds, but we did not get to enjoy it much! I got into bed by midnight Tuesday night, and was up at 5:30 am today to tech before the 10 am show. I worked a bit on previous blogs, helped tape the stage, chatted with the costumer, Lee (she was a National Guard, and just the sweetest; very appreciative of our minimal demands of her), and got ready for the show. 

Costumer, Lee, steaming all our costumes

Believe it or not, three of the cast members (who were just in the summer production at Theatre on the Lake in Chicago) actually had to perform before the 10 am show, as they were featured on a local morning news program. Here is the link to Cameron performing his first letter;

Ellie & Sean in the airport, on our layover to Jacksonville

Lucy, Chris, Nick in the airport, resting on our layover
to Jacksonville 

And here is the link to Cameron, Ellie, and Ryan doing a brief but beautiful interview about the show. I am so proud to be represented this way, and proud to be associated with such talent and thoughtful people.

The 10 am show was as hard or harder than the first one the day before: I just had to concentrate soooo hard on not falling out before my first monologue. I dedicated this show to my brother Jeff and his wife, Lania and imagined them out there; I just kept coming back to that, and it helped me focus and perform the best I could. It was a rather small audience of about 70 high school students, and they were highly attentive and respectful. They seemed to be moved by the show. 

Our break before the noon show seemed very short; before we knew it, it was time to do it again. I was still fatigued, and dedicated this show to my inlaws, Craig & Carolyn Thornsberry, again imagining them in the house; having specific people to focus on and “do the show for,” helps so much. This high school audience was even a bit smaller, also very respectful, and seemed to be moved by the show; they gave us a standing ovation. We did not do a talkback after either show, and I miss when we don’t do it now, because there are often such great comments.

Our break after the show included a very short nap, then checking out of the hotel by 3pm, and then...? Well, the minivan I was driving wouldn’t start! So we wasted about an hour and a half of what could have been time on the beach, driving to exchange the vehicle (it eventually started, but groaned while doing it). We drove about 20 minutes to the beach and had dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack; it was windy and cold outside where we sat, but the view of the moon over the water was amazing!

Sean, Nick, Damian, & Chris napping before the 10 am show.

View of the ocean and moon at dinner

The evening show (which I dedicated to my dad, Jim Arrigo), was our first time in nearly a week of doing the full (uncensored), 95 minute version; we hadn’t done this long version since the previous Thursday, at Stockton College in NJ, so doing the missing letters was like greeting old friends after a long absence.  Nick, Kevin, Sean and I had a beautiful warm-up for the Cory Mracek “scene,” and found some wonderful new colors of joy and happiness laced in with the sadness, as we worked together before the show.

View of the seats from stage right at the Wilson Theatre,
Florida State College in Jacksonville, FL

This show included one of the very best audiences of the whole trip; there were maybe 150 people there, and they were the most vocal with their laughter; there is a lot of humor in this show, and it seems that many people either don’t get it, or maybe don’t feel comfortable laughing at what is – on the whole – quite serious material. They also cried a lot. I had two things happen during the show that were new for me: I had to leave the stage after my first monologue to go to the bathroom, as my bowels were not going to make it through the rest of the show (that burger I had for dinner did not do me any favors).  Also, I can pinpoint the beginnings of my current cold, as it happened during this show when swallowing began to hurt. Drat! It had to happen, with all this stress and exhaustion.  I’ve already had three horrid, bold zits, and am on my second canker sore.  The body can only withstand so much stress, and it reacts.  It could be worse, I guess.

For me, the talkback was the most moving we’ve had: There were many people who had served or had children or husbands in the military, and shared their stories:

* There was a mom who had multiple (four?) sons who had served or were serving, and thanked us for giving the mother’s perspective;

* there was a woman who’s niece keeps getting deployed and she and her sister haven’t been able to understand why she wants to keep going back, but she said that, from the letters, she got some insight into the camaraderie her niece must experience with her fellow soldiers;

* there was a woman who’s son had served and she and he came together to see the show; he had never talked to her about any of his experiences, but she said he was definitely having trouble and this gave her some insight into what he might be going through; she felt that them having seen this show together may help them begin a dialogue together;

* there was a teacher who had been at one of the earlier school shows with her class, and came back with her husband who had served prior to these wars; she wanted us to know that she feels it should be mandatory for every high schooler in America to see this show before they graduate, and she also said that the students had gone home and had amazing discussions with their parents after seeing the show;

* and, the capper, there was an older, retired British woman, who ended up having been a teacher to one of the soldiers who's letters are featured in the show, and who was killed in action - Leonard Cowherd! She thought it might be him, and then when she saw his Mother’s Day letter up on the screen, she recognized his handwriting! Talk about moving; I pretty much lost it at that point. Imagine how Nick, the actor playing Leonard, felt. Talk about synchronicity; the Cowherds were from VA; we were in FL!

Damian and Nick with Leonard Cowherd's teacher and her husband

Nick, Leonard Cowherd's teacher, and Bill

We packed up and took the 4 ½ hour drive to Miami Beach; I did not drive as I was just so exhausted. It is hard to sleep in the back (half of a) seat of a minivan with suitcases all around and no pillow; but dangit, I think I got about two hours in! We got into our hotel at 2:45 am, and got just three hours of sleep. (Can I get a grueling, somebody??!!).

Thursday, November 9 (Day 21!):

So. Up at 6 am for a 7 am call; this was a hard day, as we were functioning on so little sleep on the heels of 3 shows, and had 2 to do today. We got through, and ended with a very powerful set of shows. 

First, we all got up earlier than we had to because Bill thought it was a 10 am show, but it was actually 11 am! So, we went to breakfast at I-Hop (Bill’s treat; one of our cast, Damian, actually went to go sleep in the van rather than eat; it says a lot when fatigue trumps hunger!). 

We got to the theatre and did all our regular tech and group warm-up (we did a different warm up, where you send a clap around the circle, incorporating intense eye contact and focus on the person to your right and left, as well as the whole group). We did the shortened, censored show for a very large group (filling the floor section) of what looked like both junior high and high school; some of them were very emotional; they were all very respectful, laughed, listened, and some cried. We got a standing ovation here, too.

View of the Duncan Theatre stage at Palm Beach State College from
House Right; this was the first time we had a hanging screen which
was not all the way against the back wall, so sometimes we were
standing behind the line of the screen.

 After the show, we found lunch waiting in the green room; Bill said the contract always included some sort of food in the green room for us (usually it’s fruit, bagels, coffee, juice, etc., for the morning – which we had – but this also included lunch since we were going to do another show).  We had just an hour and a half before the 3pm show; we three girls went back to the hotel to rest; the guys wolfed down food and I found them sleeping in the green room when we returned; they were OUT!

Ryan, Chris, and Kevin napping it out in the green room

View of the Duncan Theatre house from Stage Left (where I'm located
throughout the show)

So: The 3pm show was our final opportunity to do the full (uncensored), 95 minute show (the two shows on Monday in PA are both the shorter version), and was for the general public. This was my last opportunity on this tour to do the “scene” for the Cory Mracek letter, (and the last opportunity for each other actor to do their one other letter that was not their central, recurring soldier); it was an intense show partially because we were saying good-bye to these people we've portrayed, at least for now. In our group warm-up prior to the show, Bill once again brought in Leonard Cowherd’s uniform (I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this? It was given to him/the tour by Leonard’s family), and in his final speech before the full show, he said that he believes the reason this show and tour continue and have done so well, is because there are angels watching over us; and the angels are those about whom we speak, who were killed, or who lost loved ones; and they sit on our shoulders as we tell their stories. That packed a powerful punch. We all put our hands on Leonard’s uniform in silence as we always do (Nick always takes the uniform for a moment of private preparation). 

Nick, with Leonard's uniform

I dedicated this final long show to my darling, patient, angel-of-a-husband, Brett, but also imagined each of the four mother’s I portray, looking over me, and the two deceased soldiers (their children - Corporal Matthew Commons, Sgt. Cory Mracek) sitting on my left shoulder. 

I must tell you, my show was different tonight: I was more connected to Nancy Dickenson’s and Linda Chapman’s strength than ever before, more relaxed when talking of Myrna Bein’s loss and sadness than ever before, and better able to balance Cory Mracek’s mom’s sadness and strength, than ever before.  What a beautiful experience this show was (despite having to go offstage numerous times to blow my increasingly-runny nose; my cold fully-flowered during the course of this show!).  We got another standing ovation. The talkback included a young veteran from Iraq who said he was moved to tears a number of times in his seat, has lots of friends still deployed, and appreciated our truthful telling of his story and that of his friends.

We packed up, came back to the hotel, I went to CVS and got some cold meds, and we sleeeepppptttt. After a couple hours of rest some went out for food, but I stayed in and noshed on the left-over green room food, talked to Brett, and watched some HBO on my iPad. I took my Nyquil at 11pm, and slept almost 12 hours.

Friday, November 11 (day 22):

See the bride in the background? My room is just behind the trees to the right

Today, it is beautiful and sunny here in West Palm Beach, FL, and I’m looking out over the pool; there is about to be a wedding here, so I look forward to hearing the music and the vows, and then getting into the sun and maybe the pool, when they are finished. Most of the cast (except for three of us), have gone to South Beach an hour away; but I need to get well, so chose to stay behind and have a very quiet day (Lucy and Kevin are here also, and we three plan to have a nice dinner later this afternoon/evening, somewhere close-by). 

Before the group left, Sean and I had a really intense talk about some of our experiences in these three weeks. We discovered that we both experienced many of the same varied emotions - some of the same loneliness and struggle to connect with the cast as a whole. Here I thought I was experiencing so much of this alone, but in the 11th hour, come to find out I wasn't alone at all (and if I could have this same kind of conversation with others, I may find out that many of them felt some of this); and perhaps it is as much I, as anyone else, who contributed to my own feelings of isolation at times. Missing Brett terribly was a large part of it, yes; but withholding what I see as my true self due to group dynamics, may have been part of it, too; this will take some time to process, and I intend to learn from whatever the process brings.

What a learning experience! I will treasure the hard parts and the challenge, the sadness and loneliness, the spirit-soaring heights, and the growth in my own craft. This experience has been immeasurable in all ways; it's not over yet, but the hardest part seems to be over.

We fly into Chicago tomorrow for a short 19 hours, before heading out early on Sunday for the last leg of this tour – two shows in PA on Monday. I’ll post at least once more after that trip.

“What a long, strange trip it’s been.”

Greenville, Pt 2; and Hartwell, GA

Hartwell, GA, looking out onto the lake from Michael & Candace Pufall's lakehouse

Days 18 & 19

Monday, November 6 (Day 18): We had two performances each on both Monday and Tuesday - 10 am and noon - for school groups, although there were some seats available for the public, too. The morning performances are a struggle for everyone, due to fatigue; but we played a good round of Zip-Zap-Zop to warm up before the first show, and got  through it. The kids always start a little unruly; I think the first three actors have it the toughest, due to the kids not being settled. The kids do settle into it, and about halfway through, when they hear, “shit” for the 8^th time or so (we were able to leave “shit” in these shorter shows, although the F-bomb was still censored), they can let it land on them without the laughing or comments which they seem to need to release with the earlier expletives.  I needed some encouragement to get through the first show, so I dedicated this show to my mom, Alice Arrigo, and thought of her whenever the letters mentioned mothers.

Gorgeous evening sky with the wee but waxing moon

We had planned talk-backs after all four of these shows, but because the first kids had to get back on busses before the next group’s busses could deliver them, we could not do it after the 10 am shows. The noon show on Monday was extremely exciting for me, as I knew I had special friends in the audience – my college professors, Michael and Candace Pufall, who live just an hour away in Hartwell, GA, came to the show!  I dedicated my performance to them. It was a stronger show for me, partially because I knew they were out there; but also just being more warmed up helps. There was a talk-back afterwards, and here’s an interesting thing: A student stood up and said that he noticed there was no mention of Jesus Christ in these letters, and there should have been, because people should always have hope and hope is in Jesus Christ.

Well.

(We are in the south, after all).

Bill handled it much better than I could have, saying he picked these letters blindly (I’m not sure the kids always understand or remember the concepts that we are actors, not service personnel, and that these are REAL letters, not a made-up story); Bill said he was not looking for any particular philosophy coming through when he picked the letters; and he said he felt there IS a lot of spirituality in the letters, as many of the letters talk about God, prayer, faith being a vehicle of change, and faith being the only way to have hope; two letters even quote scripture!

Lord help the narrow-minded. My dad always said, “Don’t put God in a box.” We know so little, but some of us think our path is the only path.

Anyhoo…the cast then met briefly in the lobby with Robin Witt and her college class of students; Robin is a Chicago director and Griffin Theatre Co. member, but also teaches at a college in SC.

I then got whisked away by Michael and Candace, spending the night at their lovely home in Hartwell, GA.  

Michael & Candace in their lovely and homey kitchen

We got to talk and reminisce a lot over lunch on the way home, and later in the evening (until midnight – boy was I tired!), but inbetween, I took a quick nap when we got to their place, then we spent from 5:30 until about 9:30 at a “Friendship Force”  dinner and meeting. This is a group – mostly made up of retirees – which I’d never heard of. They meet once a month, and their main focus is hosting foreign visitors in their homes (and likewise American members would be hosted in homes elsewhere). Michael and Candace explained that it’s a more personal way to visit a foreign country, and really get to know the people in the community you are visiting. (Their website can explain it better than I!)

Friendship Force of Lake Hartwell - Candace & Michael on close left

Michael and Candace and two other couples were the hosts for the November meeting, which meant they had to be there early to set up and late to clean up, and help provide desserts. Since I was there early, I got to meet a number of really interesting people – mostly good friends of the Pufalls; I talked for awhile with John & Grace Williamson; John is a Vietnam veteran and he and his bride of (I think they said) 50 years of marriage coming up. He said he thought of his time in the service simply as a job, because “the family needed shoes,” and he knows it was hard on those at home. I met Judy, an OT at the public schools, so we had some things in common to talk about. I met Chuck Thorne, who was so sweet and friendly, and knowing I was coming to visit, said he had already been on my website and reading my blog (Hi, Chuck!).

THE MEAL: It was all potluck, and the theme was Thanksgiving. Lordy, lordy, it was delicious! (wish I'd taken a picture!) Michael’s pumpkin pie and Candace’s pumpkin bars were especially good! Michael also arranged for me to sing a bit of a blessing at the beginning, so with Candace’s guitar, I played and sang two verses of the hymn, “For the Fruit of All Creation.” They were a lovely, gracious, appreciative audience; I had so many people come up to me afterwards, and sweet, tech-savvy Chuck said he would put a link to my website on the Friendship Force website, and would put together an order for my CD’s, for any interested folk.

Chance on left, Sadie on right

Chance (with the tongue action :-), and Sadie

When we got back home, we were (again) greeted by the siblings, Sadie & Chance – they are beautiful and friendly, and it was nice to be around dogs. We had some wine and looked at old pics from my senior year at Coe (my cheeks were so chubby back then! seeing all my friends looking so young - and thin! - was delightful!); we talked about the last 10 years since Michael and Candace had their home built and moved in; we talked about family. It was just so lovely and wonderful, but way too short! I couldn’t keep my eyes open by 11pm, but struggled and made it until about 11:45. It was a short night’s sleep, but the guest room was comfy and I never moved once my head hit the pillow!

Tuesday, November 7 (Day 19): We got up about 5:30 am to shower and have some breakfast together. The sun comes up over the lake over which their home looks, so it was so lovely! We hit the road by 7 am for me to make it to my 8:30 call time at the theatre. It was hard to end the visit, but hopefully it won’t be another 14 years before we see each other again!

Me & Michael

The 10am show on Tuesday was nearly pure torture for me, I was so tired! I really felt like I would fall out multiple times; I had to concentrate so hard on keeping my knees bent when I was standing, and not closing my eyes when I was sitting. My head felt so woozy. I have at least 20 minutes to sit or stand, before my first monologue, and it is a pure test of endurance to stand for even 10 minutes when feeling this much fatigue. Once I go forward for my first monologue, I’m fine while I’m doing it; but get that swaying sensation each time between the monologues. I again needed encouragement, so dedicated the first show to my college friends who are in MN, especially thinking of Shep, Jackie, Amy, and Matt (Brett and I went to Boston with them last summer).  For the noon show, I dedicated it to my brother Greg & his wifey, Candi. The noon show was a really great show for everyone, and the audience – though mostly younger (middle school?) kids – was really rapt in their attention. There were some adults and families. This was was one of the first audiences who clapped before we bowed; the audiences don’t seem to know it’s over most of the time. 

Willie Jennings, III with Ryan and Damian (Ryan and Kevin looking on)

During the talkback, an Iraq vet (he was so young! Maybe under 30?), who had stumbled into the show while there purchasing “Nutcracker” tickets for his wife, spoke up. Willie Jennings III, a marine who was part of a rescue unit, was deployed four times. He said he wished he’d have known about this show prior to coming as he’d have brought his wife and others; “It was the best 8 bucks I’ve ever spent.” He thanked us, and wanted to shake everyone’s hand; he came up afterwards and talked to us all, talking about his PTSD, his difficulty getting work, and again thanked us for telling these stories, saying that now, most people never think about the soldiers who are still fighting. He was a blessing to all of us. He said he brought back a number of American flags from Iraq, which had traveled with him while he was there; he had one left and had been trying to find the right thing to do with it; he said he wanted to give it to us (to Bill and the tour); wow, talk about something to move you and fill your spirit! Bill said we would be honored to have it and that it would travel with us, like Leonard Cowherd’s uniform which Mr. and Mrs. Cowherd gave to Bill (Leonard’s letters are featured in the show). He got Bill’s mailing address, and will send it. 

After that heartwarming meeting with Willie, we were all energized. We ate and drove the hour and a half or so to Charlotte airport, and traveled the rest of the day to get to Jacksonville, FL (with a layover, of course!). We didn’t get to our hotel until about 11:30pm, and knowing we had to get up at 5:30 am and do three shows, and then drive at least four hours to Miami Beach (how will I make it through the next couple days? I guess you’ll find out if you check back!), we fell into bed for a very short night’s sleep.

Sunrise over a misty lake at the Pufalls in Harwell, GA

South Carolina: Charleston, Folly Beach & Greenville

Days 15 – 17

Friday, November 3 (Day 15):  It was a very early morning, leaving Atlantic City.  I got up at 4:30 am to drive my roomie, Ellie, to the Atlantic City airport, as she was going back to Chicago for our two day break in order to not miss another Second City class; Nick and I got lost (of course) coming back from the airport, but found a police officer manning some early morning road construction, so he pointed us in the right general direction, and we got back to the hotel just in time to meet the rest of the cast for our 5:45 call to check out and drive the hour and a half or so, to the Newark airport.

all our bags at the airport

It was another day of a couple flights (layover in Atlanta before arriving at our final destination of the Charlotte, SC airport). I was sooo tired! That early morning really started catching up with me mid-day. We drove about 20 minutes past Charleston to our 2 beach condos on Folly Beach, getting there late afternoon. We were right on the ocean and the sound of the ocean and the view out our balcony door was fantastic! 

Looking right from our balcony

Looking left from our balcony

It was actually a bit chilly in SC while we were there – not beach weather, for sure!  We settled into our rooms, got cleaned up, and then drove back to Charleston for a seafood dinner. We had been recommended to go to Hyman’s Seafood by the sister of our cast member, Kevin. We all had a drink (gin & tonic for me!) at the bar first, and then dinner upstairs: It. Was. So. Delicious! Everyone had mounds of seafood, from my scallop po’ boy to  another’s whole flounder, to another’s shrimp galore, and multiple other things. OH! I tried fried pickles for the first time, and also boiled peanuts, and loved them both!

Hymen’s is known for having had many famous people dine there, so all the tables have little brass plates screwed at each place; mine said, “Adam West sat here.”

Me, Bill, Nick having a drink

The three piece band at The Blind Tiger

After dinner, we made our way to a bar a couple blocks away that someone had recommended, The Blind Tiger; there was a three-piece band with a rockabilly slant; they were really, really good. I kept thinking of my sister-in-law, Lania, and how much she would be loving this music, and how she would be in the middle of the dance floor. I wish she’d’ve been there so I’d’ve had someone to dance with! I made it until about 11:30 but was dead on my feet, so Bill took me home; three of the guys went off with a bunch of girls they met to do more partying, and the others stayed out another couple hours. 

I. 

Slept.

Saturday, November 4 (Day 16):  This was a day for everyone to be on their own; people slept, worked out, went back into Charleston. I have nothing really very exciting to report about this day: I got up round 8:30 and went out for coffee and a bagel (I drove b/c didn’t realize there was a place so close – it’s the cutest little town with a couple coffee shops, restaurants, and touristy-shops). Then, I was basically in all day, listening to the sound of the ocean through the balcony door, while I caught up on work. I finally showered in time to go get some dinner, got locked out of the condo for an hour or so (with only two keys and  five in our condo, it was bound to happen!); after one of my roomies returned a key for me, I did more work into the evening. We all hung out for about an hour before bed, watching part of the movie, "No Country For Old Men."

Sunday, November 5 (Day 17):  I was able to get up early enough (8 am) to finally get out and walk on the beach; this was the nicer of the two days with a lot of sunshine, although it was still chilly when not in the sun. There were so many beautiful homes along the road facing the beach; I just took a picture of a couple.

I walked to get coffee, we checked out by 11 and all had brunch together, then drove about three and a half hours to Greenville. We had a quick dinner at “Sticky Fingers,” then loaded into the Peace Center for Performing Arts, and teched the show. Ellie returned from Chicago and joined us for the tech.

Bill having a bloody mary at brunch before leaving Folly Beach

The PAC house (& Damian)

The crew at the PAC – David and Laura – were really great; professional and so friendly. They have all the tech stuff (lights/sound) working through an iPad – pretty cool. I chatted with Davis for awhile; he used to play in many bands as a bassist. We got back to the hotel about 10:30, and it was lights out for all of us.

David, on lights & sound at PAC in Greenville

Atlantic City & Stockton College, NJ

Atlantic City Boardwalk

Days 13 - 14

Wednesday, Nov 2 (Day 13):

Today was a heavy travel day without our leader, Bill, who left us after the Winona, MN show on Nov 1: We drove back to Minneapolis while he drove to WI, to help tech one of the other touring shows Griffin produces; he met us about 26 hours later in Atlantic City,  NJ.  It was a longer drive back to Minneapolis than we had thought or were expecting; we didn't get into the hotel until midnight, and basically laid down our heads for just 4 1/2 hours (my roommate, Ellie, joked that rather than closing the curtain to the street lights blaring in our window, we should just leave it cracked so that it feels more like a nap, "which is basically what it is").

I found it a little unsettling to travel without someone really designated to be in charge. We all did fine and different people stepped up at different moments (I checked us into the first hotel in MN; Ryan and Chris did this in NJ; Cameron and I drove the two vehicles in MN, then he and Lucy drove the two hours from Newark to Atlantic City), but it was still more of an amorphous blob moving together with different people taking over different positions depending on who might be in front of the blob, rather than a group with one head, leading the way.

Silliness in the Atlanta airport: Cameron wearing Ellie's coat
(do you see her face?! Funny girl!)

 Anyhooooo...

I'd say Ryan and Damian were TIRED on the layover        

As I said, we awoke very early to get to the Minneapolis airport, then had the two flights to get us to Newark at about 2pm, then drive a good two and a half hours to Atlantic City.  In the interest of (nearly) full disclosure, this was not a particularly good day for me: I was sooooo tired, and the aforementioned lack-of-Bill leading us contributed to my feeling out of sorts (anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I function best under an organized plan, and I either want to be leading, or want someone else to be the designated leader; the aforementioned "amorphous blob" just contributes to my anxiety). In addition, I then

had to put a charge on my credit card for the car rental due to some corporate account mess-up that I couldn't straighten it out without Bill. I was just irritable. I slept on the second flight which helped a bit, and then didn't even have to drive since Lucy was added as a second driver.

When we got to our hotel just five miles from the boardwalk in Atlantic City, I decided to stay in while a couple of the guys went out (for most of the night!) with some friends/family in town, and the rest of the group went out for some dinner. They actually weren't gone too long and I ended up having a glass of wine w/them when they came back - but in the interim, I had my second emotional melt-down of the tour (jeez, I didn't even make it a full week since the first melt-down!); luckily it wasn't too late so Brett could talk me down from the ledge. We had a wonderful conversation for about an hour, and we even paid bills online while chatting on Facetime.

Looking down the Atlantic City boardwalk

It's funny that what sent my emotions into a tailspin was getting an unbelievably heartfelt and supportive message from my lovely singer/songwriter friend Jenny B.; I couldn't believe the timing - I felt out of sorts and a bit out of control of my surroundings, and she was telling me how supported and loved and appreciated I was by another group of performers. Timing is everything, as they say! - I completely blubbered my way my thankful reply to her, then blubbered some more with Brett.

I'm learning so much about myself on this tour; this is an amazing experience, but also a difficult one; exhaustion plays a big part in how I'm processing everything (constantly being in a new city is confusing; sometimes I have to actually think about where I'm waking up and have to question exactly what day it is - is it wednesday, thursday, or friday?). In addition, group dynamics are powerful, and can contribute to a feeling of lacking control. Add into the mix my missing Brett so much, and my nerves on stage, and you have a strong crazy-brew.

In any case, I went to bed by about 11 pm, and put that day behind me.

Cool, huh? "Zoltar" from the movie, Big, along the boardwalk

Thursday, Nov 3 (Day 14):

We didn't have to leave for tech at Stockton College's theatre until 1:30, so I went to the gym in the hotel about 8:14, then had their free breakfast before it closed at 9:30; showered; and then four of us (Ellie, Nick, Kevin & I) drove the five miles or so to the boardwalk and took a leisurely walk ocean-side on the boardwalk for about an hour.

Nick, Cutie-pie Ellie, and Kevin (and part of a short older woman)
on the boardwalk

The campus was absolutely beautiful (it reminded me of my alma mater, Coe College, in the fall - but was much larger, about 5000 students). We spent the rest of the day and evening at the college; the theatre was wild and different with a unbelievably steep rake to the seats; it kind of blew all our minds. Tech was smooth, then we had free dinner at one of the college cafeterias (this was NOT like Coe's food, as I recall; what a selection! amazing food).

Stockton College Performing Arts Center

We played a new energizing/focusing game during our warm-ups before this show, called, "Bippity Bippity Bop": I. Loved. It! I hope we do it again soon. This is how it works: One person is in the middle of the circle and he says, "Bippity Bippity Bop" to his chosen victim around him in the circle; that victim must say, "Bop" back before Center Person finishes the phrase, or he is "It." Sounds easy, right? But here are the curves you're thrown:
(1) If Center Person says, "Bop" only, Victim can NOT say "Bop," or he is "It";
(2) Center Person has other options to say, and then count to 5; if "Victim" does not complete the directive before Center Person counts to 5, Victim is "It." Examples of these options are, "Charlie's Angels!" - Victim & each person on his right and left must form the Charlie's Angels picture; or Center Person may say "Toaster!", or "Elephant!", and Victim and those on his right and left must formulate these pictures. It was hilarious and made us have to think fast. I loved it!

rehearsing in one of my spot

The show itself, however, was NOT smooth for me, nor for others, as we all commiserated afterwards; there was something about the really bright lights coming from a hard overhead angle, and the steep rake of the audience - into which I had to look so far UP in order to "see" the audience (which I could not see at ALL) - that made me feel so disoriented, like I was going to fall over; I couldn't stop swaying fore the entire production. It was so distracting to me that I had to work extremely hard to remember all my lines, not just ones I've had difficulty with before (another scary situation for me). It was just such a weird feeling; I was glad to know that it wasn't just me feeling that disorientation.

My costumes

After the show, two men came backstage - one was a Vietnam vet (Bob), and the other a member of Special Forces (Tom), and he is a Dean of Students at Stockton, and in charge of Veteran affairs at the college. They invited us to meet them for a drink and food at a local restaurant (luckily I was able to forego ordering MORE FOOD, and I didn't eat - jeez, I'm going to get fat if I eat every time we're offered food!).

To try to bring a very long blog entry to a close, I'll try to encapsulate my very interesting conversation with Tom O'Donnell. Wow, he had such a fascinating life!  I asked him a ton of questions, and just like Gary in Oregon and James in Texas, he was so willing to share his life with me. Here's a man who came from a military family, was athletic (football player) and went to West Point, graduated as part of the Special Forces in - I think he said -1968, and then was able to avoid actually serving in Vietnam because he went to college in Nebraska. He said he knows he would have been killed had he been sent over.  He had a young wife who died of cancer at age 21; he went to the South  and marched for Civil Rights; he demonstrated against the war (and he was a member of Special Forces!!!); he studied psychology and authored studies about the culture of communes; he developed a program at another college (where he got hired prior to even graduating!) for call-in centers for those who needed support or were depressed; he did many other things that I can't recall now because I couldn't get to this blog until now, but for the last 14 or so years, he has been at Stockton College.

Me and Tom O'Donnell

Tom seemed to me to be an extremely happy, satisfied man; he laughed shyly when I kept asking, "So, what did you do next? And what was that like?" Tom also said that he does not consider himself a veteran, since he never served.  He feels that the training he got through Special Forces helped him in his ability to be focused, but otherwise, the point of Special Forces is to prepare you to die, and to kill, and that is training he has never used. He was fascinating, and I loved having such a focused conversation with just him (The other man, Bob, was talking to the whole group about some of his Vietnam experiences and kept reiterating how important our show was, but I like the one-on-one conversation for finding out about another person).

Tom and some of the cast - Cameron is hidden, as is Bob (the waitress never took
photography class!)

Outside the Performing Arts Center - see the little moon above the gorgeous fall trees?