alrighty- I am scared spitless now!!!

It is 4 am in the am and I am wide awake and quaking in my slippers!! Why, you ask! Because Sound of Music opens a week from Thursday and we are not ready...not even close. I know I say this at about this time every year when I am involved with the play, but this year is especially hard. Community theatre is like a train wreck at the best of times. Trying to get everyone there to every practice and learn their lines is like herding belligerent cats. Cats who think everything just magically comes together but have absolutely no clue what happens behind them or around them and how much stuff has to be done. The 5 youngest kids of the 7 Von Trapp children were double cast. So you double your trouble. They are so cute though, and they are trying so hard but they have the attention span of gnats and they space out and forget stuff. AAAHHHHHH- all the technical stuff like the lights and sound and backstage and set changes- what a total and utter nightmare. And I am only a nun and a Baroness. One of my biggest hurdles is when I am the Baroness, I get off stage, run outside up 3 flights of stairs, throw my nun habit, hat and shoes on over my ball gown and have to be ready to sing going from the top of the theatre to the bottom- this all happens in 2 minutes, tops. Last night I got my habit on- but it was totally backwards.

And I have found that as a waltzing baroness, I have 2 left feet and can't remember when to change my hands and twirl on the right beat. Why is this so hard! I have old lady brain and I am amazed that people can memorize SO many lines. I have one line, and it flies out of my brain every time I have to say it. That line knows it's coming but just eludes me because my brain had to work so darn hard to count the waltz. No staying power in this mentalpausal brain. "Frau Shrader is delightful, Gayorg." How hard is that!! Seriously!!
Right now I am sitting here thinking who is going to fill up the brandy glasses we are supposed to have before my line comes and we never did get it right last night so I really don't know when I am supposed to say my line.. I guess the magic backstage fairy will fill up my brandy glass- with real brandy I hope....maybe she'll say my line too.
I feel sorry for the directer. She must NEVER sleep!! That's why she gets the big bucks...except that you don't get paid anything. Just more headaches and worry than any one person can handle. I know because I directed once. And as I sit here whining, I think I wouldn't mind directing again some time. See- I really am sleep deprived to even entertain that thought.
Why do we do this year after year, you may ask. Because when it comes together it's so amazing, there's nothing like it- it's like an illegal drug high and you can't seem to get enough of it.
But this week...hell week...one week before opening night is hateful and mean and crazy and scary I can't sleep and I am so tired.........thanks for letting me vent, oh blog- us-fear...(heavy on the fear!!!)
Well, having said all that there are some really great things going on- Maria(Carmen Olsen) is FANTASTIC and the nuns sound great when we pull the right starting note out of thin air. Max (Pat Roach) is hilarious and the children are so darn cute they can make you almost jump out of your seat and hug them when they do get things right. Pray for us!! And go get tickets- they are going fast!
Dang, I have to get the keys to Lori and fix the Reverends hat and email Norma and get someone to run the lights and finish painting the stairs, speaking of stairs, where are the railings?? and ......................................