Thrown to the Wolves - Tampa, Florida

An unbelievable day.
I usually wait to write about the events of a city, but I know if I wait the intenseness of this day will be lost. So I have to write it down now.

So I left my home last Saturday. Arrived in Ft lauderdale to start learning my new job. It was like being thrown into a pool of cold water. Shocking, jarring and somewhat overwhelming. I am replacing a woman who was my boss on Hairspray. She has never liked me. I have NO idea why and I am sure the fact that I was hired to replace her, wasn't exactly palatable. I knew this going into the gig and was determined, as I was when we worked together last, to be as respectful as I could and just make it work. I have been thinking I was doing pretty well. I followed her for one show and then on the second show starting doing some cues and assisting during load out.
That was my first 2 days.

She had the day off yesterday (Monday) because there was no show (we had moved on to Tampa) , and I just helped Mike (my boss and friend) and Jaki (my good good buddy, who is his 1st assistant) set up the dressing rooms. No biggie. The biggest day of a new city is Tuesday. Tuesday is when the Quick Change Booths on the stage are set up, we train the dressers, and we actually do the first show. Tuesday, is always the hardest day. Even when you know the show like the back of your hand, when Tuesday is over, your feet ache terribly, and your brain hurts from thinking so hard. As Mike has always said "Tuesdays are hard."

This Tuesday was supposed to be me helping set up the booths, and then following Sue (who I am replacing) watching her train people, and assisting in the running of the show. I was expecting a really valuable day of learning. Well I got it, but not the way it was supposed to have gone down.

I arrived to the theater early, like I do. I was standing outside smoking. YES SMOKING. And Mike comes up to me and asks me how I am feeling. I said fairly well.
"That's good because Sue called in sick today. She won't be in at all."

My jaw hit the pavement. Not in? Sick? I was stunned. She was throwing me to the wolves. She called in on my first Tuesday. That bitch. I don't care how "sick" she was, she knew FULL well that calling in sick was going to put me on a precipice. I have barely been with this show 2 DAYS!!. There is no way for me to express to you what an OBVIOUS show of hate this was. I don't care how much I disliked someone or how sick I was, I would have been there. Period. I have no idea how she can even look herself in the mirror after doing this to me. Flat out evil. I have never in my life had anyone try to sabotage me like that.
Those were all the thoughts running in my head for the first 15 minutes. OK longer than that. But then it was pretty much, That Bitch, up until show time.
Thank God I take notes. Thank God I demanded doing the hardest quick changes myself on Sunday night. I was shitting myself. Mike and Jak were so great. They kept reassuring me it would be fine. THAT BITCH. My eyes could have bleeding and I would have been there.

But I just did what I do. I set up the booth as close as it had been in the last city. I walked though the changes that I knew with the dressers, and just kept rereading my notes.

At lunch, Jaki and I went to go grab something to bring back to the theater to eat. Waiting online at Quizno's I just kept thinking about the show and tried to remember everything I had seen. I got my Honey Chicken Bourbon (not enough Bourbon) and walked back to Jaki's rental car. Still thinking about the show, I crossed the street and saw these little flasher lights on the side mirror on the passenger door. Funny. I didn't remember those being there. I opened the door and went to get in the car and this total stranger is in the driver's seat! She starts shaking her hand "NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!!"
I GOT INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S CAR!!!!!
Humiliation.
"Oh My God. I am sooo sorry!" I quickly shut the door and then I looked up at Jaki standing outside her car, 2 ahead of the one I was next to.
Is it really called laughing when there is no sound coming out of someone's mouth?
She was doubled over, no sound coming out of her mouth, tears streaming down her face. I started to laugh on the way to her car. The kicker: Jaki's car is White. The car I got into was Black. LOLOLOL. Jaki asked me later if she smelled like pee. She literally peed her pants laughing so hard.

The hives started to pop out somewhere around half hour. These little tiny pimples broke out on the nerve lines in my face. I wish I could sit here and give you a blow by blow of what happened during the show. Honestly I can't remember a thing. All I know is it went extremely well. Everyone was so happy with me.

Sue actually did me a great favor. By calling in sick, she paved the way for me to be accepted into this group faster, I learned more doing the show on the fly all by myself than I ever would have trailing along behind her as she fumbled through another Tuesday Night. The actor's were ecstatic, stage management actually came up to me and thanked me for taking the job, Mike was happy, and most importantly, I was able to really see my own value. It is hard after only 2 days to think you are of any use yet.

So I don't have any stories yet of seeing the world's largest chair, or pictures of a Bull Dog Beauty Contest. I only have a classic tale of good conquering evil.