I have been doing a lot of stuff this week for Rebel and putting in some longer days at work.... which leaves little time for blogging. Sad but true. But busy is good, and everything is amazing. Busy and amazing and exciting. Where shall I begin?
We invited close to 15 people and 6 showed... which was sad. But we had food for a week and I haven't had to go to the market to get anything. Which rules supreme. But I am entirely over the concept of cheeseburgers at this point.
Jess was able to spend a lot of time with each person, like here with Frazier, and really catch up after not seeing people for a month or so. Doug and I sat under the trees and watched the kids play a wicked game of badminton. Geoff was actually an amazing help, serving food and helping make onion dip. He played well with the others, and wasn't his usual horrifying "Little Brother Attention Whore" that he can be. I was quite proud of him.
All told, a good party. And I think we should have one every month to help keep our house clean.
My parents will be coming up to see Geoff in the play, and since they only live 90 minutes away, I kind of demand this of them. Come see the kid in a football game or two, and come see them in plays. You don't have to come to every little last thingie they do... but do come to this kind of stuff please. So my parents will come up on Saturday morning and follow us to the park, because it sure is easy to get lost going to Winter Island if you don't know your way around Salem.
The more fascinating thing to me was we talked to Doug's folks last week and I gave them the update on the kids. They wanted to know when Jess' play was in August, and I told them about how Geoff was doing this too. They thought maybe that had past and were happy to hear they didn't miss it.
They called back the following day and had evaluated schedules and whatnot, and told Doug they were going to come up to see Geoff's play AND then come up in August to see Jess.
I was surpirsed, what with the price of gas and the distance and the fact he has like 4 lines and dies by hanging... it isn't exactly a starring role.
But it totally brought a big smile to my face that they want to come see him. They'll be staying Friday and Saturday night at least, and probably Sunday. I'm not sure yet.
So it is a good thing my house is 90% clean after last week's party. Heh.
The kids' rooms are a disaster, but that is their problem as Jess will need to clean hers to ready it up for them to have a place to sleep. Ha! Clean your room, kid. I don't care about Geoff's room, because it is unlikely they will be hanging out in there at all. I think that the only things I'll need to do are a wipedown and a mopping in the kitchen, and a sweeping/tidy in the livingroom, and a toilet brush applied to the bathroom thrones, and all will be well. Maybe an hour or two worth of work instead of dozens of hours like last weekend.
There were no other adults present, and I didn't feel comfortable leaving the kids where they were alone... especially after someone complained to me the minute I arrived that their behavior was abysmal.
I ended up yelling (kind of) well, being the "heavy" and reading them the riot act after being there only 5 minutes. I felt kind of bad, but they were there to rehearse, not to horse around, jump off cliffs into the ocean and swear at the tops of their lungs. What was terrifying to me was my son was the best behaved kid there. Not sure if it was because I was there, or because he takes the whole "It's time to rehearse" thing incredibly seriously...
So I stuck around and the kids did a good job once they settled down. Geoff's scenes are early in the play and fully blocked and he made me laugh... very overacty and loud. The two kids he's with are perfectly cast. They are the knuckleheads all three together (Pistol, Nym and Bardolph...). And I was impressed with how they've nailed it.
The kid playing Henry is AMAZING. The girl doing the Chorus is ... AMAZING. She really impressed me and gave me chills. And a lot of the other kids were ... a disaster. It was hard to watch at times, and knowing that a week from right now they'll be halfway through the weekend of performing, it terrifies me to ponder whether or not they'll all be able to be "off book."
It always comes together, doesn't it? I'm really excited for the shows. Dress rehearsal is Friday. And there are four total performances. Come if you like. It is free. See the website for details and directions.
And don't forget, there is a fundraiser event BETWEEN the productions, which I kind of accidentally (by offering suggestions and opinions) got involved with. This one is what is keeping me most busy. Seeing as it happens next week and we're still running around like mad.
Yikes.
Wine, Beer, Fun, Foodstuffs, Raffles (and not like STUPID raffles but a good 50/50 and I think someone donated an iPhone...) and performances/vignettes and just plain awesome fun. It's gonna be cool. So think about coming on Saturday to see Henry V and watch Geoff get hanged. It'll be awesome.
Amazing, even.
Jess' cast for Romeo and Juliet is set in place.
We have our sites lined up except for 3 openings and one tentative booking that have yet to be solidified.
They are running two casts so each person has two roles.
Jess is the nurse in one cast, and Peter in the other. So they get a lot of exposure to the roles, the characters, the play. And there is a sinister twist that I bet some of you can figure out, if each person has two roles... But I'll keep that a secret for a bit. Wink. But all y'all are SO SMART I know you'll guess... heh.
This is a "touring" production, so I've been scoping out locations. Right now this is what it looks like, pending massive changes, I can guarantee this lineup:
Friday August 22 1pm: TBD
Friday August 22 5pm: The Athanaeum. Salem MA, outdoors in the garden... Friday nights they do a "speakers series." And we're the speakers...Saturday August 23 1pm: Mary Jane Lee Park, Salem MA.
Saturday August 23 5pm: Open - Possibly Beverly or Marblehead.Sunday August 24 1pm: Open - Possibly Beverly or Marblehead
Sunday August 24 5pm: Derby Square, Old Town Hall steps, Salem MA.Monday -- Day off
Tuesday August 26 1pm: The Senior Center, Salem MA
Tuesday August 26 6pm: Palmer Cove Ballfield. Salem MA. Around the corner from Mary Jane Lee Park, the outfield will be Verona, and the lights will be turned on so everyone can be seen.Wednesday August 27 1pm: Tentative -- Moesley Woods Park, Newburyport MA. A natural wooded amphitheater with a giant rock sculpture/climbing thing that will be good for the balcony scene.
Wednesday August 27, 5pm: Winnekenni Castle, Haverhill MA.
Thursday August 28, Christine is hospitalized with exhaustion. Not to mention, the kids who will also collapse in a heap. Voof.
It will be amazing. Trust me. TRUST me. My favorite one so far and they haven't even done it yet will definately be the one in Mary Jane Lee Park, and I talked about it here a little bit. It still amazes me that this is going to come together in so many locations, and each performance and production will be unique and have really special things about them. The two directors are going to nail this one and it is just going to be stellar.
So, if you're north of Boston, mind that schedule right there. Mark your calendars. Come to some. Come to one.
And on that note -- I'm going to go outside and play. Or garden. Or something. More later. And I promise a whole week will not pass. I'll get in an update before the Henry shows next weekend... I'm sure.
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