I had spent
the summer working with some really talented people, and they were all working
at this little melodrama theatre in the basement of a hotel there, and the
theatre had a long and storied history, and I had a long Thanksgiving week, so I
and a charming companion headed west.
That particular adventure is another post
in and of itself; I just wanted to give you some background as to how long I
have been entwined with this little gambling village nestled at the top of a
mountain, 2 miles above sea level.
Fast forward to the year 2000; I was working
in California, recently hitched and ready for a new adventure when one of those
same old friends that I visited in 1992 invited me to perform in a melodrama, in
the newly restored opera house above the fire station in that charming little
gambling village nestled at the top of a mountain, 2 miles above sea level. Good
audiences, good reviews, and some friendships that have lasted over two decades.
And here we are.
I was supposed to direct a play there, for The Thin Air
Theatre, in 2020; but we all know what happened. I was looking forward to it. I
hadn't worked professionally in any theatrical capacity since 2003, and although
in the last few years I had been a part of a great theatrical undertaking in
Bismarck, ND, and had been performing sporadically and directing frequently for
The TruNorth Theatre, I was really enthusiastic about wearing the whistle in the
'big leagues' again. And I thought, with the cancellation of the production, my
chance had past.
Not so.
I've been here for the weekend, more
or less, acclimating to the climate (currently 36 degrees) and the altitude (the
aforementioned 2 miles above sea level). Met the cast for the first time in
person last evening, and the energy to begin is palpable.
As I looked around the
room, listening to the conversations and the physical interactions of the cast,
I realized that I had worked with this cast before....30 years ago. And 20 years
ago. Youth, enthusiasm, great hearted humor.
There are some adjustments, of
course....there was a time I could walk into a room like that and be connected
with these people through mutual friends and acquaintances; this time, only
one...my musical director was prepped for the experience of playing for a
melodrama by an old friend whom I worked with back in the early 00's.
And of
course, in 2003, I was just into my forties, believing I still had the energy of
a 20-year old. Now, I'm nearing 60, thinking I have the energy of a 60-year old.
But I'll make it work.
First rehearsal begins in a hour. All the ducks I can
think of, are in a row.
Hope I break a leg.
