Naples Florida - Week Three

It's not so much that the space here at the Philharmonic is small, which it is, but add on to that, that this is truly my first load in where I am solely responsible for teaching some tracks to the locals, add on to That with the fact that they couldn't find ANYONE to work the show because Lion King is also near by - so we got dressers who are very very very green. Some didn't know stage right from stage left. Well, I still confuse them myself all the time even though I do know what they are, but they didn't understand even the most mundane day to day references. Things like "Repairs" or " 15 Minute Call". Wow.

Sometimes I like to get people like this because you can mold them into the perfect dresser instead of dealing with some wardrobe hag who thinks she/he can improve on a system that my boss likes as is. There are theaters that make it extremely difficult, though, to really spend the time with a newbie that is needed. Trying to create a quick change booth out of an electrics storage office takes some energy.

I was expecting a really bad opening night. Of course that bar was set pretty high by New Orleans when I was on The Producers Tour. Those of you that were reading the travelogue at that time will remember the story of Springtime for Hilter, where all the preset baskets came tumbling down the stairs to land in a jumbled hellish mess right smack dab in the middle of the smallest quick change booth known to man - really a hallway. Then of course me shoving my head into a gondola of shirts, so no one would see me, and crying when it was all over.
This turned out to not even be a close second to that. It still was rough, and my training is laughable at this point. It will get better, but I would listen to myself telling this dresser what do, knowing I was only making it worse. LOL.
It could have been a complete train wreck, but the show only has one 5 minute tough section, the rest is just steady with a lot of traveling costumes (which can really muck things up if the dresser in charge of moving them has trouble.)
Anyway
It was ok. My main girl in charge of taking care of the girls can't really physically do the job. So I spent the night, helping her to keep up. She is a really nice girl. I felt so bad for her at one point. She was really looking like she was going to cry. She just wanted to do a good job. I told her to remember it is just a play and all you can do is your best. It didn't really help, but I tried. I was kinda glad she got a little upset because I was starting to get frustrated and her emotions kept me in check and reminded me that it's just a play too. Course, I will crack the whip over my own back if I screw up so make what you want of that double standard.

I think I am slowly melting the iciness I was feeling from a few people when I arrived. I will conquer them!!!!

So Naples.
Damn there are a lot of white people here. A lot of really really old rich white people.
I am used to looking across a crowd and seeing all kinds of different faces. Down here it is all the same. How boring. When I took this photo, I wanted to send it to Kricka saying that those are the men we would have to date if we lived here. Then I thought that maybe they were a couple, decided I liked them so I didn't want to mock them.

My hotel is boring...except for the shower curtain. I have been contemplating it. That's it right there. White, with a transparent swath running across it right at eye level. My first thought was that the transparent bit was there too keep people from having a Psycho movie panic attack, cuz they can see out. I thought that was very considerate of the Ramada, seeing as I periodically need to peek out from the shower to make sure no one is standing there with a butcher knife ready to send my blood down the drain of the tub.
I thought about it later though, and maybe it is just so you can have a conversation with someone. But do you really need to see someone to chat with them while you are in the shower?
No it has to be so you can see if someone is going to murder you.

I went to see the World's Largest Head of Beethoven today. What a wacky thing. It is at the entrance to this complex called Pyramid Village which seems to be this German vacation rental place. Very strange. It sits in the middle of this standard residential neighborhood. All these shiny pyramid condos.
The Head of Beethoven was kinda funny. No explanation or marker. Just his big ol head.

I drove around a lot looking at houses. I repeat, there a lot of very very old rich white people here. At one point I parked under a tree and walked down the Naples Pier (yawn) and by the time I got back my entire car was plastered with bird poop. I mean covered people. It was so embarrassing driving around. This old man in his hot red Ferrari (erectile dysfunction much?) completely cut me off and I shook my fist at him, swearing a blue streak, and then I realized I was driving a crap Chevy COVERED in seagull shit. LOL. I think that is hilarious. I couldn't take the humilation of it all and went to a car wash. The groovy old school kind where you put quarters in the slot and you move the switch to Brush or Rinse. I remember it being 50 cents. It's up to 2 bucks now. I should have taken photos of it for you. Or at least of the bird poop.

Remember when Perkins was a fine family establishment? They have them down here every ten miles or so. I had a chicken quesadilla. About halfway though the first act of our last performance here in ...( I literally had to look at the name of this post to figure out where the hell I was.) Naples, I puked up that dinner. So that was fun. If you ever come to Naples, I would skip Perkins.

I just got back from load out. All in all this crew kinda blew. We had a dresser come in today completely loaded. Drunky McDrunkerton. What is that? People are so dumb. The lady who was doing the laundry totally decimated the entire system Jaki had going. I mean just ruined it. Everything is labelled and she put #3's stuff in #6's bag. The men had women's fishnets. Jaki happened upon an entire basket of laundry. During load out she found t shirts behind a gondola that the woman had been looking for all week. Most people, even people on tour, don't realize how important the laundry system is on the road. If the laundry gets THAT screwed up it can bring the wheels to a grinding halt. Now Jaki has to spend who knows how long, opening every single bag of laundry to straighten it all out. It is an unbelievable amount of work. 25 actors x 3 bags of laundry each x 2 to 5 items in each bag = Hell.

Even with everything that happened this week with the crew, I can feel Mike, Jaki and I, really starting to create a kick ass team. It's almost like playing doubles in tennis. You have your job on the court, but you always keep your eye on the ball in case your partner needs some back up. You know, that is a perfect analogy. (pats self on back)

So Long Naples, with your crazy drunk dressers. ( I blame Lion King)
Next Stop : Memphis!!!! I am so excited! I am gonna go see Elvis' place, and try to catch some live music. I also think I might be ready to come out of my shell and venture into social situations. I will, of course, let you know how that goes!
love to all

The Pics.

Beethoven's Head...what a bust seeing that was. get it. Bust. Har har. (omg that was a total Mike joke)


This is Elaine and Mitch. They are 2/3rds of the Hair Department and I really like both of them. They have welcomed me so warmly. There is this tradition that Saturday nights after the show is "Shot Night" Anyone can host and I guess you just put them out and everyone who wants to partake does so.
This was their contribution. I believe it is was Southern Comfort/Pineapple/Orange Juice concoction which was quite tastey. Not that I would know. I am taking that from OTHER people's opinions. tee hee.

Mike (my fearless leader) modelling our Leading Lady's armor. He has to fix that thing almost everyday.


The Philharmonic House. It's pretty big and we sold out, but the audience was kinda dead. I am sure they were laughing on the inside.


Maggie - the cutest puppy in all the land. This picture has nothing to do with the tour. My friend Rhonda got her from North Shore at home a few days ago. I just think everyone should see her ridiculous adorable-ness. Admit it, you are all oooing and ahhing.