Category Archives: There’s No Cure like Travel

Put on a happy face

September 16, 2011 By in Life Upon The Wicked Stage, There's No Cure like Travel Leave a comment

So, I bought a ukulele. 

I’ve been learning a song a day – to keep things fresh. So far I know “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, “Let It Be” by The Beatles, and “Creep” by Radiohead. This means that my chord knowledge is expanding as well.

This morning we had a very early start, because we had to drive around the large lake. While the sun was coming up and while Andy was driving through the Cherokee national park, I played ukulele. It was refreshing. It was almost surreal.

It’s the weekend, thank goodness. Doing this show takes a lot out of you every day. Today was especially challenging. We had a long drive to our first school. When we got there, we found out that we had arrived before some of the office staff had – and school wasn’t even going to start until 15 minutes before our show. No big deal, we’re flexible. We did two early morning shows to an attentive audience. However, in the younger children’s show, one little girl in the front row got scared and started crying. Her friend next to her calmed her down and she eventually warmed up to the show. She was in the pre-K class, so the whole experience was probably brand new to her. Also, our volunteer in the second show decided to kick Andy when he was playing the Sneaker.

At lunch, my stomach became very upset and I had to retire to the car to lie down. I’m not sure if it was the germs from kids or the sketchy chinese place we ate at – but something was not right in my stomach. I got over it pretty quickly in time to drive to our afternoon school.

In our afternoon show, we had more challenges. We were only able to be in the space 10 minutes before the show started. It was a race to put up the set. Then the students were under strict instructions to sit in the bleachers, so we had to move the set so they could see the show. No big deal, we’re flexible. The show was kinda twilight-zone. The kids enjoyed it though, and they seemed to learn lots. The volunteer was the tiniest 3rd grader I had ever seen. When I gave her the scroll to hold, she looked like it might tip her over.

Fridays, so far, have been the most strange days of our tours.

Purpose

September 14, 2011 By in Life Upon The Wicked Stage, Soliloquy, There's No Cure like Travel Tags: , , 2 Comments

We had the best show today.

With Andy and the Orange Moose of Wisconsin. Not taken today, but I thought it was too good a photo to pass up.

It all started with a drive up the mountains on windy roads. When we got to the town, I went in to meet Principal Richard. Richard is a kind older gentleman, the kind of man you want your children to know. He treats every single one of the kids as his own. He plays with them, jokes with them, gives them hugs.

We set up for the show and we were finished about 20 minutes before go-time. Richard came in and asked if we wanted to start early. We always say yes to that question. So he started bringing the classes into the gym.

The entire pre-K through 6th grade school came to see the show. They were the best audience we’ve had so far. So attentive and excited. When we got to the ‘volunteer’ section of the show, I say the following.

“Looks like I’m going to need some help to defeat the Sneaker! Who wants to volunteer?”

Before I even said the word help, a young boy in the back with an orange sweatshirt on raised his hand like a shot. I typically pick the first hand that goes up, or the child that looks the most excited about answering questions. This boy beat me to the punch, so I immediately went to him.

“What’s your name, mister?”
“Channing!”
“You need a super-hero name, Channing! How about Super Channing? Sound good!”
“Guess so!”

As Andy and I play our scene, occasionally I turn to the volunteer to ask him or her a question pertaining to the information we learn throughout the show. Things like ‘should we turn off the light when we leave the room?” and “Should we ask our parents to replace old lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs?” They are all “yes” answers, but the kids feel like they are contributing and are very excited to be a part of a show.

Channing was no exception to the rule. In fact, he was the rule.

He expounded on the importance of saving energy, interrupting me several times to tell me why we should save energy and how to do it. Teachers were laughing so hard. One of them wiped tears from her face. Another teacher took out a camera and started snapping pictures. The other students were cheering Channing on. It was a lot of great energy.

At the end of the volunteer section, Channing took his seat and he beamed with pride as the students around him gave him high fives and pats on the back. We wrapped up the show and told them they were our best audience. The principal asked us if we could take a photo with the kids, so we posed with them for one smiling shot, then a silly shot. Then they returned to class.

As we were tearing down the set, Richard came back and asked if we wanted some refreshments. He brought us bottles of water and homemade cupcakes. I think it may have been the best cupcake I have ever had. Then he asked us why we chose Channing. I told him simply that typically the first kid to shoot their hand up was paying the most attention and deserves the shot. Then we learned that Channing was autistic. Richard told us how he really came out of his shell with us and how cool it was to see him do that.

We were thrilled to learn that we made such a difference in this young boys life. Beyond that, it was a thrill to share the stage with him! His knowledge of energy conservation put us to shame! He was the best kid ever.

I love my job.

We all lead such elaborate lives

September 12, 2011 By in There's No Cure like Travel Leave a comment

When last we left our heroes, they were travelling to Reedsburg, WI for the night.

Upon arriving in Reedsburg, we went to check into our accurately named hotel – the Hotel Reedsburg. We pulled up to what Andy accurately described as Sketchburg – and proceeded to be checked into the hotel by a ten year old boy named Ben Patel. (it should be noted that we assumed his name is Ben because the wireless password for the joint was benpatel) We walked into the office, where he was sitting on a couch doing his English homework. He got up, went behind the desk, and confirmed our reservation. He gave us the keys and sent us to our room.

Hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen. It gets weirder.

We opened the door of our hotel room to find a 1970s chic room with a great view of the parking lot. I’ve always wanted my very own bright orange sink. After unloading bags into the room, we went to the picnic area – complete with merry-go-round and slide. We set off to see the sights of humble little Reedsburg. We found a few gems, to say the least.

Bent and Dent Groceries - a family favorite

One of these such gems was the Bent and Dent Grocer, a shabby shack that sold unwanted food items. I picked up a box of Slim Fasts for a mere 1.99, the only thing wrong with them was that the box was, you guessed it, bent and a couple of cans were, right again, dent. All in all, a great deal – and it has saved me mucho dinero in meals.

Upon returning to our palace, we settled in for the night and (except for the paranoid fear of bed bugs, which was unfounded in fact I should add) had a decent first night of tour.

The next morning we packed up and got the hell out of there as fast as possible. We had sights to see. On the way to House on the Rock, I read aloud chapter six of American Gods. Each page was a mouthwatering teaser for the glory that was awaiting us. We pulled up as we read the last sentence of chapter 6.

The Infinity Room, about 8 feet from the tip of it. Prospective is a bitch.

The House on the Rock is a roadside attraction in Spring Green, WI. Basically Alex Jordan built this house in 1950 and started charging admission for people to come inside. It is worth every cent.

I can’t tell you why it’s so awesome. It just is. It is home to the world’s largest carousel, a life-size sculpture of a whale being attacked by a giant octopus, mechanically played orchestras, and a million random trinkets and stuffs. The highlight of the tours (of which there are three sections) is the infinity room, a needle-shaped room that jets out over a valley. It creaks when you walk on it, because it is suspended in mid-air. I’m sure it’s safe and supported, but I wouldn’t want to be in the infinity room with too many people (though it would make an excellent wedding location….)

The ticket taker estimated it take three hours to go through the house. We got to the House on the Rock shortly after they opened at 9 am and left at 3 pm. It was amazing.

The Red Room, it's orchestra, and ourselves

One disturbing part of the House on the Rock is the fortune-teller Esmeralda, who is a mechanical mannequin who dispenses fortune cards. There are two such machines in the exhibits, and they are mentioned in American Gods so we couldn’t resist either of them. Andy’s fortunes were pleasant. Mine, not so much. In fact, they are downright awful. I suppose I should watch my back.

Esmeralda's First Fortune

And the second Esmeralda foretold the following:

Esmeralda's Second Prophecy

It was a good time, regardless of my fortune (or perhaps because of it) and afterwards we set off towards Tennessee. Along the way, I’m reading American Gods aloud to Andy, who prefers to drive. We have many more adventures to cover in the next nine weeks. We arrived here, in Johnson City, TN around 7 and have been prepping for our early morning performances tomorrow. Get ready, TN, because we are ready to rock your world.

Did I mention that I love my job?

It’s bad for me

September 10, 2011 By in There's No Cure like Travel Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Famous last words: “Let’s see what kind of trouble I can get myself into.”

I know I needed to relax a bit, which is why I went out in the first place. I was too nervous to twiddle my thumbs. In hindsight, drinking was a bad idea. I told myself I would just have one. But one turned into “Hey, Becca – let’s chug this water bottle of liquor before we go in to the club!” and “Hey! I get a free drink for checking in on facebook! I might as well,” and then “James bought me this shot and I don’t want to seem ungrateful” and finally “well, I did say I would just have one drink… but I haven’t technically paid for a drink yet tonight. I should buy a round for Koya and James too!” Koya took care of me though. We walked to Jimmy Johns, had a sandwich, then hailed a cab to get back to the hotel. I went upstairs, drank lots of water, and took a bath to calm myself.

I woke at 7 this morning to pack up my life in a duffel bag and nurse a hangover. I’m a champ though, as you very well may know, so I didn’t get sick. At 8 am, I drove to Andy’s apartment to pick him up and start our tour together. We drove to Chaska and arrived just before 9. Our show wasn’t until 10:30, so we made our way to the nearest Caribou coffee to kill some time. When we got to the school, we unloaded the set and made our way to a classroom where we would be performing.

I think this morning’s performances were the most quirky that we will have. The classroom that we were performing in was too small for the set. Which is to say that it was very small because the set isn’t large at all (about 16 feet wide) but we solved that problem by striking one of the flats. Usually we will be performing in cafeterias or gymnasiums. This show is created for audiences of 100+, and we were performing to a group of 30 so they were quieter than I expect a larger crowd to be. In the second show, when I ask for a volunteer from the audience, no one raised their hand. It seemed like forever before a young lad named Caleb timidly raised his hand. What seemed like forever was actually about 5 seconds – but five seconds of silence is a long time in a presentational show like this.

However, the kids enjoyed the show and fun was had by all. In short, our tour has opened and we are on the road. The main purpose of this post it to say I’m alive and in Reedsburg, WI. More on that tomorrow though – I’ve got a good book to read.

Two by two

September 8, 2011 By in There's No Cure like Travel 1 Comment

Andy and I leave for Tennessee tomorrow, right after we open in Chaska, MN to open the show. We have already been warned that the school does not have a cafeteria or gymnasium, so we will be performing instead in their classrooms. This might prove difficult – our set may or may not fit into the space. We’ll see how things go.

I’m nervous. I’m excited. I’m nervous. I’m eager. I’m nervous. Did I mention I’m nervous?

As for my last night in Minneapolis, Koya and James, NTC veteran actors, are taking me out on the town. Let’s see what kind of trouble I can get myself into.

S’wonderful

September 7, 2011 By in There's No Cure like Travel Leave a comment

Well, we made it to the Mall of America today. It was a mall. It was big. It was American. Did not find a coat, but found some other trinkets to purchase.

A Lego R2D2 from the Lego store was too perfect of a present for Max to not buy. I originally picked up a Yoda, but I was afraid of the ears breaking and didn’t want to take the chance. R2 is more than sufficient, I would say – and I think he’ll like it.

Found a green knitted headband that I picked up to keep my ears warm. It was at one of the kiosks that malls have around, you know the type. I am in love with these things. How many knitted headbands does a girl need? This will make my fourth so far, so there’s that.

Lastly, I got to visit the Bare Escentuals store to pick up another vial of matte foundation power. Jeffery, my makeover consultant, made a sale for the exfoliating facial cleanser. I’ve used it twice now, and it’s very good. I’m not trying to make the sale to you, but if you’re in the market for a new cleanser – give it a shot. I can’t use most cleansers or face scrubs because of my Excema, but this one is the perfect balance for my skin.

Nothing more American than buying things. Besides – tomorrow is payday.

New Music

September 4, 2011 By in There's No Cure like Travel Leave a comment

Everything has changed, nothing is the same.

It’s been an exhausting and fantastic journey so far… and we haven’t even gone anywhere! Where should I begin to tell you about it?

Orientation at 9:40 on Saturday went until lunch. We filled out forms (think “Filling out the form” from Title of Show) and met each other. We talked about the job and what was expected of us and what we should expect. We toured the offices and shops. We made coffee and received a sexual harassment in the workplace booklet. You know, general first-day-of work stuff.

After lunch, we started to work. We blocked the entire show in one afternoon rehearsal. We learned how to put together and strike the set.

By the time we got back to the hotel I was tired and ready to decompress. Children’s shows really take a lot out of you – they are generally fast-paced and full of energy just like the kids. Nap time was a go.

When I saw this poster in the window, I knew I were in the right place.

Michael had the brilliant idea to go check out Brave New Workshop‘s new show Obama-mia. John and Michael’s friend Courtney joined us. It was hilarious. Of course, we were all drinking wine and laughing loudly. Too loudly it seems, as we got shushed by an usher… However – the show was very clever and worth it.

Afterwards we walked around the Lake of the Isles and had great times. As you can imagine, the weather is a shock. I’m going to have to get a new jacket to keep warm. All I have right now is a thing black cardigan.

Today’s rehearsal was just a tiring as yesterdays. But tonight – The Mall of America.Michael needs new shoes, and I need a coat!

On the town

September 2, 2011 By in There's No Cure like Travel Tags: , , 1 Comment

Flights were changed this morning (for the better, actually) when I arrived at Tulsa International. Instead of flying to Dallas, Milwaukee, then Minneapolis – I was flown to Chicago then Minneapolis. Instead of arriving at 3:15, I arrived at 12:55. Thanks American Airlines! #thingsIneverexpectedtosay

When I arrived in Minneapolis, the lovely Heather picked me up and drove me past the NTC offices and then to the hotel. I then drove her back to NTC offices and returned to the hotel to rest. I met a fantastic duo who has been rehearsing here for the last week, Carin and John. They truly are some swell cats. They invited me to dinner and I had my first Jucy Lucy.

I met Michael, who rooms with me for the next week here in Minneapolis. I also met another Michael and another John – who will be in rehearsals this week for the same show as well. We drank an entire bottle of Jameson (between the six of us!) and traded war stories. Not a bad night at all.

I have yet to meet the elusive Andy. Tomorrow is the day, at 9:40 am. I’m excited now.

A four or five year old child sat next to me on today’s flight into Chicago O’Hare. She was in good spirits, and excited to ride in an “air-roh-plane” for the first time. During take-off she kept looking out the window and saying “woah” and “neat.” When we arrived she turned to her mom and dad and said “hey, we made it!”

Yes we did, little one. We made it.

If I didn’t believe in you

September 1, 2011 By in Family, Friendship, There's No Cure like Travel Tags: , , Leave a comment
Taken in the Magic Kingdom

Allison is the most awesome cat alive. Can you dig?

I just got a call from my good friend Allison on her acceptance into the University of St. Andrew’s Anthropology Masters Program. This marks the millionth time Allison has had things work out for her, and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer girl! Tony and her move to the cutest little flat in Scotland (Google earth is a gypsy’s best friend) and I’m so happy for them that I could spit.

Of course I was happy for Tony when he got his acceptance too, but I’m ecstatic for Al. Allison and I met in middle school, way back in the day. I went crazy, I punched her in the arm, she got me suspended… lots of time and laughter later, here we are. I don’t know… I know it sounds cheesy, but after all we’ve been through I think it’s appropriate to say: I love this girl. She’s pretty awesome.

So today, as I’m packing my bag for tour, I’m freaking out. I get this call from Alison and suddenly I see a bigger picture.  Things are going to work out after all.

I have pictures to share!

Popping champagne

As you can see the Bye Bye Bash was a success. I had a great time, and I think everyone else did as well. The wine was flowing and the company was fantastic. This may be the last time I get to see some of these cats. I sincerely hope it isn’t. Many thanks to everyone who came out to wish me well. You are appreciated!

Speech! Speech!

I did end up making a speech. I don’t remember much of it. From what I’m told, it was about how supported I felt with you all. That holds true. No matter what happens, you all stay in my life – for better or worse – and I’m happy to find that I have a group of friends who love me no matter what. Either that, or they want a meal ticket. The jury is still out on that one. (I kid!)

Cutting the cake with Jessica

Tomorrow morning at 8:00, I get on a plane. I don’t know what will happen in these next ten weeks, or in the future beyond that, but this bittersweet knot in my throat is a sign that I had a good life here. I’ll see you soon. Take care of yourself. And above all, read my blog!