Back for but a moment from a drama-laden end of afternoon. The show went very well, but the audience, with some blatant exceptions, wasn't as much fun as last night's. You'd think with forty high school students it would have been more raucous, but I think they were told to be polite. We had no tech flubs in the first act at all, which was great. Because the plan changed and we were only going to be taping one show, I knew I had a very short window at the end to get any pickups, because we also had a Q&A to do.
Well, then came act two and Alet's song. She completely went up on the second half, repeated her lyrics from the first half which, unfortunately, don't go with the music of the second half, and she couldn't get back on - thus the band was playing different music than was being sung, and none of the moves worked because of it. Then the fellow playing Rod flubbed a line. Then there was a flubbed light cue. Then there was a missing prop and a missing actor at the very end. So, the pressure was on me to get these things AND do the Q&A. Well, even though I'd sent word back at intermission for ALL actors to stay in costume and mics, the word didn't get to Alet and Kevin, who both changed. When I saw that, I freaked out, told them they both had to get back in mic and costume and THEY both freaked out because of the lack of communication. While they angrily went to change, I began the Q&A, which lasted about fifteen minutes. The problem also was that I only had the band for thirty minutes.
The Q&A folks left, and then Alet came out, very emotional (over-emotional) and being very cold and testy. I apologized for the lack of communication, but said again that we weren't taping two shows and I had to get the end of the number. She was still testy, and I just said to do it, which she did. Then she and Kevin left and I got the other little things, none of which involved the band.
It's a shame we didn't tape last night's show, but today's had good energy and I think it will be fine when it's cut together. I have no idea what mood Alet will be in this evening, and frankly, if she's going to go to this place, then she can go to it - if she wants to think of me as a bad guy, oh, well - I've treated her with more love and warmth than anyone in this cast, and I've also been more tolerant with her with her many absences for work and children. Who needs it? I still adore her, and hopefully she'll be a professional and do a great job tonight.
