20 Years

Last night our theater company celebrated 20 years of theater seasons with a tribute to our founder, David Schall. In 2003, just an hour or so before he was set to open in Uncle Vanya, David had a massive heart attack and died in his car, on the street in front of the theater. I was there, about to go on in a show in the other theater. I'll never forget M.'s face as she walked down the street after seeing David, non-responsive, in his car. I went back into the dressing room with the cast and waited. Then, right before curtain, M. gathered us onstage and announced that David had died. Gasps and sobs, total disbelief. We were given the option to do the show and we went on and did one for David. It was probably the most visceral, surreal, and heightened acting experience I've ever had.

Anyway, last night we did a little retrospective on the past 20 seasons, so company members performed at least one song or slice of a scene from a show from each year. I have to admit I thought it wouldn't work. I wondered why they just didn't edit a montage of filmed scenes from our shows. But I was wrong. It worked beautifully, went swiftly, and was a true tribute to all of the fruit of David's labors and his vision. I was so proud of my friends and am honored to know such talented people. G. and I were asked to do a scene from the last show I was in there - "Last Train to Nibroc". I can't say I've missed acting much, but being up there fed something in me that's been dormant for a while. I was so relaxed and just plain had fun.

It was a miracle I even made it to the performance last night with the day I had. Non-stop multi-tasking as I tried to tie up loose ends for our fundraiser, stopped to help a choking 2-year-old in our hallway, found out one of our kids was hit by a car (she's okay - a broken clavicle and some other broken bone near her shoulder - but it was a hit and run. Who hits a kid and leaves the scene?!), all while trying to deal with a raging infection.

Today I was gentle with myself and took it easy, but had to go to the Brewery (artists' lofts in an old beer brewery next to a shipping yard) to look at a cut of a video of the kids for our fundraiser at the volunteer filmmaker's place. We took a break so he could show me the sunset over downtown:

My fall travel plans have finally landed! I'm going to Montana to hang with my friend D. He's been in Billings for over a year and I've been meaning to visit and it feels like now is the time. Then I'll go back east for Thanksgiving and a long weekend road trip with my best friend, maybe to West Virginia or PA. New England is so waterlogged at the moment, which may not make for the best foliage season. Plus, a New England autumn trip is something I was to share with someone special. So,Vermont...we shall meet down the line, sweet lady.....