Unmitigated

Suffering for One's Art

One of the things theater people like to do at the end of a show besides all the hugging, is to give each other little mementos of the show. On the right, above, is a deck of cards (because half of the play focuses on the poker buddies) that the directors put together with a commemorative cover. And on the left, is the box of Valentine's hugs and kisses that each of the girls in the show got from all the guys in the show. The card (literally!) says To: Mary, From: The Odd Guys.

Husband Styro had a really cool idea, which I would show you, but I think he took his to work! We used retro-shaped coke bottles in the show, bottled in Mexico, and sold at Costco by the case. So we gave each of the cast members one of those, with a tag that read with a line from the show. Also attached was one of these...

...with the actor's name on one side, and their character on the other side, along with the name of the show and the date. It was Husband's idea, and my execution.

Speaking of execution, when I made the tags, I tried very hard to cut the end of my thumb off. Fortunately, I have a very sturdy thumbnail.

There actually is a line on my nail that shows where I brought the blade down on it, rapidly, but it doesn't show up in the photos, so I drew it on for the picture. Then framed the picture in blood red.

You're welcome.

More details about the successful production later in the week, when hopefully my hands are operating more better(er) than they are this morning.

(Ring, Ring)

So, I found myself in the middle of a conversation with Jody, the Odd Couple's producer, during the last rehearsal on Thursday night last week. In the middle of that chat, we heard, "Ring, ring." Not a buzzer or bell. Someone saying, "Ring, ring."

With an alarmed look, Jody said, "Why is someone saying ring-ring?" It was Murray, the cop, who was making his entrance at the door of the set. You see, we have a stage doorbell that runs off a 12-volt battery. And another hookup that makes the old phone we are using actually ring, too. So nobody should be saying "ring-ring."

Jody went to take a look at the doorbell contraption, and it turned out to be a loose contact or something, and he set about repairing it. Meanwhile, the Pigeon sisters, Gwendolyn and Cecily, the English girls who live upstairs, needed to make their entrance.

In a move of sheer brilliance, and quite in keeping with the 1965 setting of the play? They knocked.

Properties

Which one is real liquor? The Jim Beam on the left or the Johnnie Walker on the right?

 And a whole passel of neckties, each for fifty cents...

 

Cigars? Cigarettes? Cigarillos?

From the Library of Congress collection
  via Flickr Commons

 

I don't smoke. Husband doesn't smoke. Children don't smoke (that I am aware of), yet today I found myself in a smoke shop. 

Oscar Madison smokes cigars. Well, A cigar, anyway, and it needs to be wrapped, so he can deposit the wrapper on the floor. 

So I walked into a smoke shop today. A cheesy little one near our home, although at least it's clean. All kinds of cigars and cigarettes, plus chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, and...candy. That will be important in a minute.

"I need half a dozen of the cheapest cigars you got. And they can't be those short ones, I need them for stage props, and they can't look like cigarettes."

"Cheapest?"

"Yup. Nobody is ever gonna smoke 'em, we just need to unwrap 'em. And do you have any empty cigar boxes? I need one of those for a prop, too."

"A cigar box?"

Can you tell what I am up against here? I thought this would be simple.

"Yeah, the box with the flip-up lid that used to have cigars in it. Do you throw them away? Or do you sell them? It just needs to look like something guys would use to keep cash in for poker."

Now, something you need to know about southeast Michigan, is that nearly all liquor, smoke, and automobile fuel vendors are middle-eastern. I don't know why. Now, I know, not all people of middle-eastern backgrounds are Muslim, but the ones that are? Don't play cards. 

Then I started to explain about The Odd Couple, until I realized that this rather young guy had likely come to this country within the last fifteen years, and had NO idea what The Odd Couple is. At least poker is on TV, so maybe he got that part.

We found some long, but skinny cigars with wooden tips that were on sale, 2-for-1. And he was ready to ring it up. 

"What about the cigar box? I'm willing to buy one."

"I'll have to go in back and check that."

Not wanting to be the pain-in-the-a$$ customer, I volunteered to wait until he had taken care of the other two customers.

"I really appreciate your help."

Cha-ching, cha-ching, two smokers customers taken care of, and Mr. Vendor emerges from the back after some rattling noise, during which he obviously dumped some junk out of an old cigar box, bearing a perfect, WOODEN, Macanudo cigar box. The show takes place in the early 60's so wooden makes more sense than cardboard.

"That's $6.75, please...oh...we have a $10 minimum for debit cards."

"No problem, give me a second..." Candy. I had no choice. I bought $4 worth of candy. It is now my painful duty to eat the candy. I may have help.

"Thanks for the cigar box (which he gave me, free of charge). I'll put a "Thank You in the program...do you have a business card?"

"Ummm..."

"That's okay, it's all on the receipt..."

P.S. The candy may be from circa the Clinton administration.

RTT: The Ouch Edition

Keely Keely Keely 

• I used to get these things written the night before, or even on Sunday. Now I feel like it's a major accomplishment if I get it up in time for the east coast lunch-goofing-off-time.
• Have I mentioned that I used to be a morning person? 
• Yeah, that's over.
• Every inch of my body aches like fire in the morning. 
• I still like breakfast.
• As a matter of fact, by three in the afternoon, I am no longer hungry, but if I don't eat something, I sleep even worse than usual.
• I had a total blast at last night's play practice. I think I could be good at being a tech person. Props are fun. Everywhere I look, I'm looking for something we could use for the set. And I love an excuse to go thrifting or to Michael's. 
• The only problem is that it really kicked my ass last night. And there is another rehearsal tonight. I'll just have to insist on a long nap this afternoon. Darn.
• One of the things I played around with was a totally awesome graphic (if I do say so myself) for flyers and posters for the show:

• If you live within 50 miles of metro Detroit (or more, and you're willing to drive) I'd love to send you a PDF of the flyer for you to put up on your local bulletin boards. Click on the e-mail button up above, and I'll be delighted.