Nothing makes any sense here...

I have complained way too much about this show and this tour, the, er, experience that it's been so far, I don't have the negative energy left to expend in doing it again. I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. This is the view from backstage of our shows @ the Playhouse yesterday--the neon rainbow acid trip called The Phantom Tollbooth:


And some shots of what doing this show with an inconsistent and unpredictable schedule, a set that risks our lives (Actually, it doesn't anymore--thank you, CPIP Scene Shop Geniuses!), 90-minute notes sessions and photo calls for a 60-minute children's show, and discussions so in-depth that we have all wondered if Olga, Masha, and Irina will ever make it to Dictionopolis, have done to its actors:And I know you've been waiting for it...the full experience (with pom pom hat and gold pimp glasses) will be posted later, but here is the Spelling Bee Costume in corral mode. Oh, and words spelled so far: "family," "transportation," "tyrannosaurus rex" (almost missed it, it took me about five tries but I finally got it), "stink," and "curiosity" (both shows on Sat, it's the default word if the kids don't yell out something good and the Playhouse kids were not exactly responsive, plus several of them were older and Aaron didn't trust my ability to spell a middle school level word). Liz Helitzer keeps encouraging me to go on stage in only the bee--no pants, no underwear, and the Spelling Bee could teach those kiddies to spell words like labia majora. Somehow, I don't think it would go over with the grades 1-3 set.

I must add that I do enjoy the show itself, and the people with whom I'm sharing the ride. I joke about wishing I'd taken my Equity card back in December and blowing this popstand, but I don't mean it. Just one more due to pay, you know? I'll keep payin' 'em as long as is necessary, I just hope that there won't be too many more productions where the most rehearsed scene (at least 4 full hours of rehearsal time) is a 2-minute one dominated by actors tottering around in beanbag chair fat suits.