What a Thrill When Lovebirds Trill

We go on. We do the show again and again. 11 shows a week. 9:30 a.m. shows to school groups, and then 12:30 shows immediately after for more school groups. Sometimes we do evening shows which are at more reasonable hours, but also difficult, because adults don't laugh at the same things kids do.

There are problems. Sometimes I think I don't want to do a particular scene. Sometimes I'm exhausted before we begin. Sometimes things go wrong, like all the lights come up when there is supposed to be an effect and I scream all my lines from backstage while frantically changing. Sometimes we have high school groups who are very polite but don't care about the show or us. There's a lot of grumbling from everyone, especially actors. I catch myself doing it. It hits right before I'm about to start.

It's lot of things all the time. Every show is different and every show is the same. I hate myself and my acting a lot. I guess the trick is to not let that stop you from, on occasion, being brilliant, and, all of the time, doing the job you are paid to do. Because I love the job I get to do. I love that more than I hate myself. I think this is the math that matters.


I'm so lucky to be paid to do this for five weeks.

Even if it's only five weeks. Even if I'm not paid that much.

There's a stamina to doing a show which is different from rehearsing. In a lot of ways it's much easier. You don't have to come up with material with the same rigour, because you have found some things that work, so you can just let those be. You work fewer hours. But you are performing, and that's a different energy. It's also maddening for the few things that don't come out right.


But it's wonderful.

It's worth everything.