It has come to my attention that it has been quite a significant amount of time since my last blog. So here we go…the third instalment.
Let’s see, the date is January 15th. The lush green from the summer has gone away to be replaced with deep snow and cold, cold, cold! I would like to say that it’s unusual, but that might just be me complaining. Well it does mean that I can hole myself up in my house a little longer and I have a little more time to get things done. Having time is nice as I was quite busy this Christmas.
For Christmas I had the pleasure of being assistant stage manager for Christmas on the Air. What a great thing to be a part of! I had the privilege of working with six talented and dear people. I revelled in the colour of the people and all the colours the show offered: Sylvia in snow white blue, Kitty in sultry red, Yolanda in captivating emerald green, Danny in earnest orange and Percival in classy black. During the show the cast would crowd around a microphone and all their costumes would compliment each other in a Christmas version of a rainbow.
It was strange to do the Christmas show right after Halloween; however at the beginning of November Christmas was anticipated with a freshness that is sometimes hard to find when December finally comes around. And that was when I entered into the whirlwind of another show. This time I was on the other side of the lights. I was very, very busy but to be involved was nice and I didn’t mind the busyness.
The last performance (always a bittersweet show) was very touching to me. I felt a such a wonderful closeness with those six people; a thing that was sometimes harder to find in the larger group like the thirty or so people who were in Fiddler on the Roof. The cast stood round the piano and warmed up, the stage management team stood with them. We all just looked at each other and laughed and smiled. I think they felt as endearing towards me as I felt towards them and that is a special feeling.
The Saturday night before the show ended was another memorable time with that group. It was a cast party of sorts, really we were content to sit and hang out. We entertained ourselves with various methods, one of them being throwing boiling water into the air and watching it evaporate before it even hit the ground. Yes it was that cold outside, but it was a very cool effect. We all oohed and aahed. Next we watched the animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. We all huddled on the couch and thoroughly enjoyed the film. We were all so tired but we preferred to just sit rather then leave each others’ company.
And then came a much needed Christmas break which brings me to the present time period. At the moment I am in Limbo. Thankfully I have not entered into the same madhouse that I left on Christmas Eve…I have been given a bit of repose. Troy Women rehearsals as well as a few final projects are in full swing but the marathon doesn’t truly begin for me until February. We are two weeks away from the international theatre trip to London. We are also going to Dublin!!! I have never been to Europe before and I am very excited. So far every theatre trip had been great so I wonder what surprises are waiting for me on this one. And after that, another show: Lettice and Lovage. More rehearsals, more theatre, more life!
Happy 2009!!
Kendra Hutchinson
