News from the Road: The Magnificent Seven

Cincy Fringe.  Day 9 of 10.

So.  No Yul Brenner.  No Steven McQueen.  but there was a battle just the same.  The battle that Mother Nature always wins when it comes to the locals and the theater.  Mother nature is a total "mother". 

Storms raged; thunder boomed; lightening struck; flooding happened in the streets; and as a result: Dawn performed for a small audience of seven people.  Three of whom came late and wet.

She was....super bummed out about it.

I told her: honestly - I wasn't expecting...anyone.  Were we in Pittsburgh, this would have been a dress rehearsal.  LOL.  We knew going into this project that we were the outsiders competing with locals....so I've been excited, honestly, that anyone has come to see the show.  So already, the fact that people have been showing up at all -  in my book, yesterday included, we are winning.

I often think about my craft in these situations and recall Ron Harwood's The Dresser.  Norman states "My friend said:  'I don't care if there is only one person in the audience, I act for him.  Because that person is certain to know and understand'.  That's what my friend said"

Needless to say, we stayed in last night and just chillaxed with the first triumvirate of comfort snacking foods: cheddar cheese nachos, chocolate, and red wine.  We took the time to reflect on our time here and recognized that we needed to hand write thanks yous to those who DID come in the rain and muck and mire who didn't have to.....but did.  We gave ourselves credit for having done this in the first place....from air mattresses on concrete floors to being the New Kids in an eight year old festival in  a local community that is very very tightly woven.

And that these latter few contemplations were indeed why we also wanted to return to the festival and couldn't wait for next year to do it all over again.

That's where we were.  

Today we are inspired to give one final performance of Lydia Etudes at the 2011 Cincinnati Fringe Festival.  See a few more shows and then celebrate en mass with all involved at the closing party tonight.

It's been a wild ride....and....."SCENE".

:)