Notes on Camp

We had the first of our three final rehearsals leading up to the big dress rehearsal leading up to the performance on Saturday.

1. It's really too late to change anything now, whether or not I think that maybe the character should have moved to the chair instead of the door. Just rehearse it how we planned it!

2. The stage is way too small. There's no help for that. I'm just sayin'.

3. It worries me when the six-year-old comes on stage to sing his song, and then announces that we have to wait a minute. Why? Because someone in the other room just started a new computer game, and he wants to play. No! We're live now! (Note to self: Breathe. It's just rehearsal.)

4. Tomorrow is the day I go on the search for the Ultimate Love Letter -- pink, frilly, ornate, something that screams from the stage "I LUV YOU". Maybe I can perfume it too...

5. For when only the best will do, choose real stage makeup to create the illusion of a terrible sunburn. Real street blush just isn't gonna cut it. And CoverGirl has a powder compact in a lovely shade of seafoam green that screams "Retro!"

6. A full drum set is just too loud to allow for unamplified singing. On a related note: duct tape down the mike cords before someone trips again.

7. Mrs. Darwin's law of Directing with Children: When you're working on a scene that requires precision timing and lots of directorial input, the baby will demand to be held by you and no one else. And she won't take a teething toy. And the bigger girls will want to run on the stage to show that they too can tap dance.

8. It's mildly depressing to work with girls who are much slimmer than I am, even if they are 13 and 18.

9. Late night rehearsals are suprisingly productive.

10. I'm going to miss working on this when it's all over.