Calm

Photo: Rich Marchewka

I know it's coming.  I tried to ignore it.  Almost completely ignored it through the Christmas holidays.  The last few weeks have been crazy as we prepared for it.  Tomorrow it starts.

Every time Lynn says, "The next play we should do is...," my heart should sink, but it rarely does.  We seem to gather enthusiasm from somewhere and before we know it we're talking about how we can make this the best yet.  Once we're committed, then follows a calm.  A period of reflection I suppose.  Every so often one of us will blurt out another 'great idea.'  The great idea will be discussed for a couple of minutes before the awkward silence appears, and then we watch the TV.

And all the time we are drifting towards the committed dates.  Stuff does happen in this period.  There is a plan.  Really, it's not necessarily written down, but there is a plan.  In that plan is a sketchy idea of how we take care of our boys.  We always plan to spend more relaxation time with them before the shows, but nearly always that's a naive intention.  Apparently, there something called rehearsals and line runs and web sites and designing images and printing and promoting and... you get the picture.

Yesterday my eldest played basketball, and won!!! Then he had a play-date. [Note: A play-date in the US is where your kid goes to a friend's house to play.]   Meanwhile my youngest pretty much did as he always does... whatever he damn well wants to!  There's been a lot of Backyardigans watched.  There's been a lot of play dough shaped and left to dry.  And there's been a lot of toys left out in a specific pattern designed to impale any un-shoed foot.

Now there's no silence in my head at all.  There's just a mush of lists and thoughts and what if's.  Tomorrow's performance will be fun, no doubt, but when planning this event, why did I think starting on a Public Holiday might be good for audience figures?  When I should have been thinking, how will I cope with the kids being off school?



[Go to www.OneHourTheater.com for details of the shows.  Rachel Ogilvey's performance on Wednesday Jan 17 will be filmed for all to watch either live or within 24 hours of the show closing - just register with the website beforehand.]