16 performances, and only 1 true rain day. Amazing.
As I expected, this weekend didn’t come close to approaching the quality of the fifth weekend, or the memorable insanity of last weekend, and so it ended, as these things so often do, with a whimper rather than a bang.
Saturday: Butt-screamin’ cold. (You know, the sort of weather where you walk outside, and your ass goes “Aaaieeee!” and clenches) Lots of folks wearing “weatherproofing”, including
I was still gimping along–the sprain nowhere near healed, which definitely put a damper on the weekend’s proceedings. Allowed myself to be irritated by the lack of recognition from the ED and staff for my soldiering on and performing after the sprain on Monday. I stupidly figured (for a moment) that pulling off a Last Huzzah that people were raving about, while I was obviously injured, would lead to some kind of nod–a “Good Job” or “Thanks.” Alas, I should know better, as
Uh….WHAT?
It was the perfect sucker-punch. The set-up line that made me think that there was a chance, and then the second-starring of someone who didn’t do anything that a couple of dozen other people weren’t doing on the same day.
I should’ve known better.
Other than that, it was a fairly standard day.
Sunday: I continued the weekend’s trend of getting pissed off during morning meetings, by finally letting our relentlessly-negative Court Lady/Violinist have it, verbally. I was making a comment to
As I told
The day was filled with lasts….last time performing this scene, last time going to lunch with
I noticed with a small degree of consternation that I didn’t get the opportunity to go shopping ONCE during this season, due to a combination of a lack of time and a lack of spare cash.
The Last Huzzah got started late. The ED tells me that he wants me to do the “abbreviated ending” that I did on Columbus Day, which I do, although it doesn’t feel the same–the energy in the crowd was different, and it didn’t pop the way it had in the rain. What should’ve been the end gets hijacked by the Lord Mayor, announcing that he’s stepping down. As much as I appreciate the sentiments communicated, and the fact that many people felt very strongly about the pathos displayed, I’m afraid that I found it to be bordering upon selfish grandstanding, which had the effect of ending what has been an amazing season on a down-note. Maybe it wouldn’t have come off that way if we’d had the chance to get back “up” again with the drum jam and “Health to the Company” outside the gates, but we didn’t, and so it felt like the entire season ended being dragged down. Or maybe it’s just because I’ve always gotten the impression that Adrian doesn’t like me that much, and I allowed that to color my impressions. Who knows?
After that it was the expected round of hugs/kisses/accolades. Two things stood out: one–it always amazes me when there are folks who use this opportunity to essentially play grab-ass with folks they barely know. I had no fewer than three encounters involving hugs/kisses/gropes/slaps on the ass/etc. from young ladies that I *barely* remember from my Improv Classes, and whose characters in the lanes I couldn’t even begin to identify. Two: Alice (Princess Jane, and the wife of King Richard) with the make-me-feel-like-shit line of the century. She tells both
For me, when it’s all said and done, this year, despite the amazing amounts of positive feedback we received for the Scenario, despite the success, despite the nearly-perfect weather….this year is about the friendships that were created or made stronger during the past 6-7 months, as clichéd as it sounds. I know it’s hackneyed, and smarmy, and gooshy…but it’s true….and I don’t feel like coding all of those “lj user=” tags, so I’ll just have to say that you all know who you are, and I treasure each and every one of you.
….and….SCENE.
(Now, I get to rest a few weeks before having to kick into high gear on prepping the stage show (we need to send out audition tapes by February at the latest)…oh, and putting together a regular game night! WooT!)
(“Wow. Those are some GREAT sleeves!”)
;D
The sad thing is, I agonized over how to make them for *thinks back* about 16 WEEKS and it took me less than 5 hours to actually put them together. And the dang things WORKED. Color me amazed.
There was no way this weekend wasn’t going to be a letdown for you, as you were working in constant pain.
I would, however, also caution you with regard to comments as to your potential stage show next year. Specifically, it is better for you to look at it as “we’re going to rehearse and audition a stage show for KC and surrounding festivals”, from two perspectives…it’s a long year between this and next, and although a stage show may now be your plan, anything can happen between now and then, and frankly, the eggs in one basket thing has a way of biting people in the ass.
Secondly, our current illustrious Entertainment Director has been known to be quite a capricious bastard when it suits him. I would hate to see the opportunity of work be lost to you and some good people because he got his nose in a snit over you saying that’s what you were going to do…and unfortunately, I would imagine the nasty negative court lady is exactly the sort of person to put a bug in his ear.
That said, I hope your plans come to fruition as you hope or at the very least, you can find a sans bullshit manner in which to be involved with the KC show.
Oh, and The Lord Mayor’s choice…it was to say goodbye to those who had supported him and the work he had done over the years for the Company…he had done many, many things in his tenure to attempt to make the Academy actually viable, to improve the working conditions for the Entertainers, and to put up a good show when special events got dumped on him and the Lady Mayor. His decision to leave the role was the result of one too many sucker punches exactly like the one you received (oh, and I’m sure J. gave that star to the Widow because she was the only one in the cast who joined late enough to never get the “you can come in out of the rain” advice in Apprentice Training), but I know he probably assumed, as we all did, that the rest of the Huzzah would happen normally (like it’s done every year previously, but this year management didn’t want to pay overtime to the security people)…he is not one to want to end things on a down note by any means.
Take care and I hope your sprain heals quickly.
D.
I would, however, also caution you with regard to comments as to your potential stage show next year. Specifically, it is better for you to look at it as “we’re going to rehearse and audition a stage show for KC and surrounding festivals”, from two perspectives…it’s a long year between this and next, and although a stage show may now be your plan, anything can happen between now and then, and frankly, the eggs in one basket thing has a way of biting people in the ass.
Excellent advice. Thanks.
when special events got dumped on him and the Lady Mayor.
It’s always interesting for me to hear things from different perspectives. That tale was communicated to me as the Lord Mayor “politically manuevering” to take over Special Events, so that he could remove himself from being a part of Entertainment, because he didn’t want to have to report to J.
Hmm.
The political maneuvering portion of the tale relates specifically to his work this year to get Special Events as a segment of the festival events taken out from under Entertainment (just as front gate was) to get away from the bullshit with the illustrious Entertainment Management. It was put under, I believe, the Marketing Program/Food Program (hell, whatever program reports to Roger)…
He had been given the responsibility of dealing with Special Events the prior year, in addition to his other duties as a performer…so that someone was there to “run” the various bizarre shows that J.P. believes should be a part of each themed weekend. I think he took the job originally willingly, but anyone who has ever dealt with the Special Events stuff will tell you, it is absolutely the most thankless job out there…anyone who has ever dealt with it has been shit on royally between not being given any budget, but also getting every variation of the short end of the stick from management (which I’ve always thought was completely stupid, as the special events are what they freaking advertize to the public every year)…
D.
For the record the way Denise described how Special Events was shoved under the Marketing depatment is completly accurate. Amazing, some stories do get around with the correct information.
And also for the record, Adrian’s always had this view of the Royal Court being nothing but Royal Ass-Watchers and pretty things for kids to fawn over. Which honestly is in part essentially true but he never seems to see the other things you guys do. So if you got the impression that he doesn’t like you it’s probly more that he lumped you in that “court people” catagory and wrote you off from there. Which still isn’t fair to you but I thought you should know if you’re taking it personally.
And yeah, it’s really amusing how they just pump up games like Grape Stomping and then we get there the first day…and there’s no grapes. Kinda makes you scratch your head…
And also for the record, Adrian’s always had this view of the Royal Court being nothing but Royal Ass-Watchers and pretty things for kids to fawn over. Which honestly is in part essentially true but he never seems to see the other things you guys do. So if you got the impression that he doesn’t like you it’s probly more that he lumped you in that “court people” catagory and wrote you off from there. Which still isn’t fair to you but I thought you should know if you’re taking it personally.
Well, I have to admit that it does bug me…I don’t really know the guy, but from everything said to me by shared friends (Mike, Josh & Beth, etc.), he and I *should* get along famously. Apparently, we’re very similar in a lot of respects. But from the start, I got this vibe from him….and unfortunately, I also posted a couple of things over on VoC that really didn’t help change that for the better.
I guess I’ll have to write it off as a missed opportunity.
Actually, you and Adrian would get along famously, if either of you were to stop being particularly similar form of geeks that you are long enough to actually realize that you are both quite similar.
Bright, opinionated, sarcastic, witty, nth-degree gamers, performers and too damn geeky for your own good…and both quite excellent at digging in your heels over an opinion…often, it has seemed to me that when this sort of thing happens between two people in this particular fashion, it’s because the two people are too alike…
Adrian’s generally gotten his opinion of the whole Royal Court/Scenario crap from his own direct experiences being part of such things (the Lord Mayor’s position has been in and out of a Court/Scenario point position off and on over the years, at the whim of the particular scenario writer or court set up for a particular year, so he’s been in deep, so to speak before his position became what it became)…I would imagine the other reason that opinion stands for so many is that’s the view the management presents to the rest of the cast (but this is the case in just about every faire I’ve ever seen/been a part of over the years).
I would suggest to you, however, that you should not write off the possibilities of future interaction on a more positive level…if for no other reason that he’ll be some booth owner next year (if his plans pan out) and you’ll be some guy in a stage show (if your plans pan out) and this year’s experience will be a past memory…both of your world’s will be looked at from a different point of view and past experience is only hung onto by choice.
Call me a twisted optimist, but one thing I’ve learned is to never say never…but then again, most of the closest friends I have in the world only got there because they choose to step past their initial reactions/beliefs about me…
D.
Consider me a complete anomaly to the normal Rennie cup and string information network. Somehow the truth always seems to come to me…most probabably because if I’m wondering about how something came to pass, I’ll generally ask those directly invovled what the fuck happened…but hey, I’m like that.
I can see how this particular variant was getting passed about, however, in that there is the large germ of truth in it, but the underlying reasoning got missed. The general rule always being, of course, that gossip network loves a juicier version, hence that’s what gets passed about.
D.
the Royal Court being nothing but Royal Ass-Watchers and pretty things for kids to fawn over
Could you explain what you mean by this?
Having been in court both my years as a performer, it’s all I know. I have always had nothing buy positive feedback from Adrian and have never got any inkling he had any disdain for court. On the other hand, I met him before I ever auditioned and have always looked to him as a sort of mentor.
Well, shit. I believe I’ve started something bad. And b/c I don’t know his entire philosophy on the thing, I’d prefer not to, well, put (more) words in his mouth.
My opinion of Adrian is, admittidly, a bit colored as I do not have as high an opinion of him as I once did so some of the things I say about him come out a bit more sharped edged then they are meant.
I’m going to go hide in a corner now…
I’m not offended by the comment. You’re expressing your understanding of someone else’s opinion. Let’s face it. A lot of being court means that you’re eye candy and sometimes the only qualification is the ability to pay for the costume.
I just wondered what you meant by the phrase ‘royal-ass watcher’.
Basically you get to follow the king and queen around. And thus, watch their royal ass all day.