(Cue the spambots.)

We changed ideas, so sadly I will not be including the phrase "children's theater sexy" in last night's production report.


[I've been to NYC and MO, and through a major storm, and *this* is what brings me back to posting? Sure, why not.]

Also, the Harvey reports have a quote of the day section is really aiding my post-its.

Absolutely crashed last night, and still feel not so great this morning, but I'll take it today if it means I'm recovered by vacation next week.

In other news:
* Hey, remember when I used to routinely post an "in other news" section?

* Ended up with store credit and a free portable hard drive after Amazon said they'd delivered (when they wouldn't for another 36 hours), sent the box to the wrong address, and managed to include the wrong product on top of everything else. I am okay with all of this.

* I teared up at the end of Dunkirk, and then teared up again as I watched the projectionist fuss with the real, live reel of film at the 70mm screening.

* I was (very last minute) pulled into a PR photoshoot project to advertise the new season, so the loopy pigtails and I may end up as the face of one of the upcoming productions. (Or not. I think they scheduled eleven people for ten shows, so we'll see who makes the cut.)

(Well, technically *yesterday* was a bit of a day, as it is freshly Wednesday.)

...And suddenly, my ankle started throbbing for no apparently reason, because today was a bit of a day.

gin, cointreau, rum, syrup, absinthe, lemon

Tonight I went to an escape room/immersive theater hybrid with two people I love dearly ... and five (who turned into six) complete strangers.

Tonight I cracked open a safe (first with tools, then while listening for clicks) ... while absolutely every other person was on the other side of the room, involved in unlocking a cabinet.

Looks like we have an even 1/1 split on outgoing/introvert Hannah.

chips and green sauce for breakfast ... at 10:30a

I didn't plan my mini vacation with this thought in mind, but happy Texas-versary, self. I've had mixed emotions about Houston over the past eleven years, but every time the chance pops up, I continue to stay. (I don't think it's just because I have too many books to move, at least not anymore.)

Is the Deeper Deep Magic that all the ways this show tried to destroy me only made me stronger?

Last show this morning. Super expensive and complicated sound board was not receiving signal from computer and no one could figure out way, so we busted out the touring equipment and started half an hour late. (And, with zero direct booth feed and prep to adjust sound levels on the fly to boot.) But, leaving the booth open to the house meant I could hear the audience reactions, and leaving a headset mic on backstage (for additional onstage pick-up) meant I could hear the actors as they lived their backstage lives, too. Thinking back on it (y'know, ten hours later), it was all my favorite things about Grace and the Rotunda that I don't have in my beautiful soundproof booth now.

Anyway. Nothing like a massive problem to get everyone to focus up and put out a great performance.


[...And then I finally was able to leave the theater, and I slept for 2+ hours. It was glorious.]

(for days when the insecurity tries to burrow in)

It's nice to hear from actors who want to steal me for all their future productions, like some sort of portable, personal stage manager.

I have so many things to do. But also, sleep?

* Four auditions in four days - DONE.

* There's still three performances left this weekend.

* I keep trying to fall asleep with pencils still up in my hair. It doesn't work well.

* Must figure out a way to fall asleep with heat on lower back, but cool everywhere else because this is still Houston in June.

ACTORS!

I wish there was an industry standard number of stupid questions and/or ridiculous emails I could receive from a single actor before I could rescind their audition privileges. "Sorry, Timmy. That's the third time you asked about the audition start time, despite it never changing. I answered the first two instances, but now I'm invoking the 'Stage Manager Ain't Got Time for That' rule, and your slot will now go to someone with reading comprehension skills. You are on six months probation, and we *do* keep a list."

Of all the people who's life you should want to make easier, actors, it should be the stage manager.

the plus of bringing a computer to work is you can answer emails on one while answering other messages on the other - at the same time

Today's rehearsal:

* Actors trying to do the fight choreography in socked feet because they didn't want to wear their shoes. It's okay, they're only wielding a metal dagger and a large wooden dowel rod. (This is maybe why the under 14s shouldn't have been in the big battle.)

* A frantic actor tracking me down in the house, because the large puppet just partially snapped one arm. It's okay, the rig still functions and the other leg can still do the proper movements.

* Loud cracking sound less than an hour later, as same puppet slipped a shoulder strap, causing wearer to awkward try to get free ... and accidentally snap the other puppet arm, nearly all the way. This is less likely to be solved with wood glue and gaff tape.

* Shield is actually injuring actor's hand, because irony is at work in tech week.

* Lamppost is finally pulled from its shipping box to be assembled. It is over-glittered, has a warning sticker that its construction materials have been known to cause cancer, and the globe top is broken.

* Got to buy a back brace for a twenty-something, because it's hard to be a unicorn on stilt legs.

Y'ALL.

Thirty-three has been nothing but stress. [I mean, it's not 33's fault. It's like how 27 was my year of being super awkward. (I look back and cringe about so much that occurred that year.) But still. Anyway. So far, nothing but stress and re-reading favorite books. The one is sadly not helping the other.]

Anyway, back to emails and paperwork. See you at first rehearsal in ... ten hours.

Is it weird to really only listen to Jesus Christ Superstar at Easter?

'Tis the time of year when I'm reminded of the summer of 2005, as people spent multiple weeks calling out a continual stream of "HO-Hannah! HEY-Hannah! Hannah! Hannah! Ho!"

[This joke makes zero sense if you don't know what song I'm referencing. Sorry about that.]

I've had a real desk in my office for about a week, and the only drawer that's actually set-up and full is the snack drawer.

That feels accurate.


Productions I've Worked On During the Past Week, When I Want to Look Back and Remember Why I Was So Tired
* John, His Story / Easter (SM)
* You Can't Take it With You (Production Coordinator / SM that day the SM had the flu)
* Godspell (Auditions Coordinator / Emailer of All The Things)
* Charlotte's Web (moving set pieces)
* Lion, Witch, Wardrobe (SM, preliminary audition emails)

Oh. Um. Hi there, 2017.

A conversation.

CLERK: Do you want sauce with that?
ME: Definitely.
CLERK: What kind?
ME: Chick-fil-a. Of course.
CLERK: How many do you want?
ME: As many as you'll let me have.
CLERK: [pauses] What?
ME: Or as many as your supervisor will let me have.
CLERK: Uh, ten?
ME: Wow, really?
CLERK: The machine lets me go up to fifteen.
ME: Surprise me, then.
CLERK: [Pauses, again.] Okay, twenty.

He was not allowed to give me twenty CFA sauces. I think we both knew how this was going to end.

However, I did walk out with the equivalent of one sauce packet per nugget, so here's to the fancy ramen and improved late-night chicken nuggets in the weeks to come!

(So, no wonder I'm always so tired in January)

You know you work for a repertory theater company - with the same basic schedule every year - whenever several years worth of "On This Day" posts on Facebook suddenly all become about tech week.

Today in "Things I Learned About the New Building" News:

The audio installation guys tape sugar packets inside the cabinets to aware each other (or themselves, if they're feeling sassy) for "sweet cable jobs".

There are two packets inside the booth system.

Other people probably already have one labeled "Hannah being Hannah"

One of these days I'm gonna create an email folder labeled "Being a Busybody" or "Pointing Out Mistakes" or "Asking Leading Questions So Others Make the Same Conclusion" for all the times I see something in an email / webpage / memo / general aura around someone and Stage-Manager-Spidey-Sense kicks in.

I wonder, do the DH shudder when they receive something from me beginning with the usual "I was looking at [ ] when I noticed..."?



(Oh, man. The formatting on this post is *all over the place.* I would probably send myself an email.)

all the/small things

I've just placed an incredibly detailed temporary tattoo of a catfish on my left foot.

- Man! I found some weird things while cleaning out Missouri boxes from my younger years.

- This is not the first time I've pulled from my temporary tattoo collection (or applied a weird color of nail polish or dragged out kiddie-ish jewelry or ...). Sometimes you feel a difficult time coming along, and want to try to get ahead of it psychologically. In my case, that equals sparkles and colors (and, yes, catfish) or anything else that can bring me joy when it pops into my head in the middle of a moment of stress.

So. Catfish on foot. When I flex my toes, it sorta looks like it's swimming - and I'll ride on that joy all first rehearsal.

Future self, just look at the post date on this and you'll remember.

Y'know, eating all that pizza *did* help my mood!