377 days, blog #131 another community theater post

Another night of auditions.  Another night of adrenalin that impedes a reasonable hour of sleep.  Or a reasonable hour to eat dinner.  Because, of course, the theater is an ice box – kept so because it is an empty church and to keep the heat on in the uninsulated (un)sanctuary would be cost prohibitive.  (Although, I have some severe arguments against the logic of oil use or expense that is used without any real concept of an operating budget or how to maintain a building.)  So, as a responsible stage manager, I show up as early as I can to turn on the forced hot air heat.  And even then, the first auditioners still huddled over those very popular ancient vents. 

Yes.  Doing a play is a very easy way to compromise healthy habits.  Like sleep.  Or meals.  Or working out because I don’t get home until ten… or asleep until after midnight… so waking up at 5:30 when the temperature is in the frigid teens is not going to happen.

And this is all worth it because????

Because of the nostalgia of a winter twenty years ago when I stood over those vents.  Or the fun of seeing a pair of actors nail a cold read.  Or the feeling of responsibility for the care of a building that was once a church and is now a church of creativity.  

 

And, of course, cold nights when the hefty door outside won’t exactly shut and the vents go full blast and the swinging doors sway and you think you hear something… but it’s only the heat… or it could be Nellie coming to say hello and welcome home.