Indianapolis - Week Sixteen

Hmmmm.
Where to begin.
I have been staring at the screen for a spell, trying to come up with a truthful, yet tactful way of describing load in. It is tough sometimes to write this blog. Word has spread and I can't believe the number of hits this silly thing is getting. So I have no real idea anymore about who is reading this. I feel the need to censor myself, which bothers me. There is that part of me that thinks, screw em, if "They" don't like what I am writing they can go to hell anyway. Then there is always that good Catholic girl that wants to please everyone and avoid hurting people, even if they are dumbasses. The feeling that the Spam crew, as a whole, is just not a cohesive unit really disturbs me. People are polite, for the most part, but it is not that united front which I have been spoiled into wanting at every job. When you have it, it is just this awesome thing you are a part of. It rolls into town, takes over the theater and everything is just efficient and organized. When it isn't there, you are disappointed constantly. Thing is, once load is done, and the show is going, everything seems to be fine. So can having one bad day in each new city really constitute a bad crew? I dunno.

Load in sucked. There were weak links in our local crew, one of which had to be replaced. The space was crazy small and there was no room for the boys quick change area on stage right so we had to back one of our trucks up against the loading dock (which opens right on to the stage) and use that. It was hot as hell in there between the lack of air and all the bodies. The first night, the dressers assigned to those tracks were just drenched in sweat and looking pretty miserable. Then, to just add to the situation, a torrential rain came down, - the truck was not water tight- so buckets of rain started coming in. Brilliant. Jaki is over there trying to save our crap as well as deal with the weak link dresser and another dresser who was just terrified...it got ugly. Stage Left, my side, wasn't nearly as helatious, just really cramped. I was dealing with a stitcher who questioned every damn job I gave her. I am normally extremely respectful of the elderly. Most of the time, I really love old people. By the end of the week all I wanted to do was punch that stitcher in the face. Everytime I asked her to do something she would sigh, or question it or even say " Ugh. More work." Then she would fart. It wasn't as if I just happened to walk past her and then smelled some horrible thing. No. I would walk past her and HEAR "pffFFFTTtt". Sometimes it was a series of popcorn like farts, depending on what she ate earlier. The laundry lady was a handful as well. She claimed Jaki didn't tell her anything, which was a load of horseshit. Then she would disappear for a half hour and roll her eyes at Jaki when questioned. I think Jak was ready to take her out when Sunday finally rolled around. Just lazy lazy, gassy people. Hard to tolerate when you really need everyone to just suck it up and get the job done.

Who cares anyway cuz LAURA WAS HERE!!!!! She came down from Chicago to spend the week with me! Well...she also has a brother and a sister who live here too. LOL. We had such a great week together. Like Kricka, she makes me happy just by sitting in the same room with me. Something about her energy makes my soul at peace. We stayed up late almost every night talking and joking around.

The first show was pretty hard, between the tight space and a few of the dressers. By the end of the night, I was beyond exhausted and Laura nursed me back to health. Honestly, I could sit here and try to recount everything Laura and I did together, but all it would look like on paper (screen?) would be sitting around having cocktails most of the time, with a dash of shopping in the mall next to the hotel. It seems that when most of my really close friends come to visit, I have less to write about because we spend more time just hanging out together, rather than running out to see the sights.
Thursday, after I got back from work, we went out to meet up with the ladies of the show at a club called Blu. Yawn. The girls were great but we really didn't dig the bar, so we cut out and walked next door to The Clauddaugh Pub. Our Bartender was Brian. That's him right there. Brian was very cool. He gave us free drinks! I was admiring the aprons everyone was wearing who worked there, and happened to ask if there were any lying around that I could have and there was! So now I have a great backstage apron to replace my ratty St Pauli Girl one! I thought that was so cool. That place closed down, so we went next door to another fine establishment, which was wild. Just a crazy mix of people. 80s music was playing so Laura and I danced ourselves silly, and we even got our sound guy, Cuz, out on the dance floor. Man that was hilarious. We really had an awesome time. Totally worth the headache I had when I woke up.
On Friday we went about 20 miles south of Indy to find the World's Largest Rocking Chair. All of you who have been reading my blogs for a spell, know how much I loooove crazy Americana junk. It was indeed enormous, as you can see from the photo. You know, when I told people I was going out to find it, they looked at me like I was insane. I really think most the people here don't get my humor. I think that crap is funny. Sure I could have gone to the raceway to see the Indy track, I was half tempted to actually, but everyone does that. Why not go see some stupid chair sitting in the middle of nowhere? Whatever. It was fun, we laughed a lot and then had lunch at this hole in the wall, Ma and Pa Kettle eatery, where our waitress was wearing a t-shirt that said, "Polygamy...Why Have Just One?". You can't make this shit up people. Seriously. The place was covered in trucker caps, and all along the wall were scads and scads of boxes full of Easter decorations. So either they haven't put them away yet, or they have put them away and they just leave the boxes lying around until next season. Maybe they leave the Christmas decorations in the bathroom.

Once we got past Opening Night, the deluge on the truck, the crap-ass dresser we had to replace, and all the negativity, the rest of the week was enjoyable and pretty fun. I love the city. Not LUUUV, like Philly, but it's very clean, welcoming, and there is a ton of stuff to do around where our hotel was. Next time, if I don't have one of my people with me, I will explore a bit more. Just driving around I saw all kinds of architecture I wanted to check out. Don't get me wrong though. I will pass up any arty building or wacky thing just to spend a little time with one of my people. Bye Laura. I miss you already.

So Long Indianapolis!!!

The Extra Pics



This show is starting to bring out the freaky dress up people. I found these guys outside the theater.




This is a picture of all the ladies out on Thursday night. Just a gorgeous bunch, no?




Jovon, one of our stage managers, calling the show. Jovon you are more than welcome to steal this one. :)




This is Ken our PSM in one of our Lady Of The Lake headdresses. Jovon I fully expect this one to be on your blog. too funny.




OK. This picture is funny on so many levels. First you need to read the sign. It makes it seem as if our production is being brought to the lovely people of Indy by Pike HIgh School. Then, of course, is the added hilarity of a prom being held in the same building as the show. A whole group of us stood outside and watched everyone going in the building. I can tell you this. The Zoot Suit, complete with Fedora, is dominating the fashion of Indianapolis. I can also report that one lit match could have burned the whole place down for all the flammable fabrics the girls were wearing..not to mention some of them were already limping on the way in from their 5 inch CLEAR HEELS. Hilarious.