Two Weeks Left

Tonight I am skipping an audition in which I had originally had a great deal of interest. Loyal readers may remember the name Matt Thompson or, if not the name, the small world circumstance of our multiple meetings. However, a little reminder never hurts, so here goes.

In July of 2005, I met Matt during a 24-hour theatre project here in San Diego. He was the writer for -- and I one of the actors in -- a play our team of five would write and produce in that short time. In December of 2005, we crossed paths again in Nashville, where he was directing a show my roommate would soon be performing aboard a cruise ship. In September of 2006, back in San Diego, I did not run into Matt directly but it was suspected that my first Blithe Spirit costume mock-up was cut to Matt's measurements, which the costumer had close at hand.

Now, when I met Matt that July in San Diego, we quickly discovered that we had a mutual friend in Nashville. Matt had been hired through a Nashville company (the same which hired my roomie) to act aboard a cruise ship. His acting partner on that ship was my friend and co-worker/actor Richard Daniel. Together, they had performed in a script which Matt had co-written with the fellow who hired him, Nashville actor and Artistic Director Matt Chiorini, who I've also had multiple occasions to meet. That script, If the Shoe Fits, is to be produced at the Coronado Playhouse in March and is auditioning there tonight. To be directed by Matt Thompson.

For the pure lark of the thing, I had every intention to audition for this show until I realized that if I were to be cast it would create two undesirable conflicts. First, rehearsals would begin immediately, while I am committed to two more weeks of Earnest. Though that would make for two rather long weeks, it is the second overlapping conflict that's the clincher. If cast, I would be committed to the final weeks of the Shoe script when a third show of definite interest begins rehearsals. As neither of these shows pay a more than modest stipend, I've chosen to give this one a miss and place my eggs in the third show's basket, hoping very much to be cast. If I'm lucky, I'll be telling you more about that one in months to come.

In the meantime, Earnest continues to be a somewhat surprising success. Audiences aren't as turned-off by the updating as once feared and attendance continues to be good. The audience this Friday, however, may be in for a surprise.

San Diego Gas & Electric is cutting power to some 700 Chula Vista customers, including the theatre, at 10 o'clock Friday night. Our show, which starts at 8, usually runs at least 20 minutes past the hour. In an attempt to avoid a last scene blackout, our producer has chosen to bump the call and the curtain time up 15 minutes, to begin at 7:45. He has also become convinced that SDG&E will postpone the blackout 10 to 15 minutes after 10 on his request. I, on the other hand, am convinced that we have given Murphy an open invitation to visit.

Despite an attempt to bank the show between two 15 minute cushions, potential problems have not been completely eliminated. First, we may have to hold the curtain for a ticket-bearing audience that does not obediently filter through the doors before a revised curtain time. Second, SDG&E may not in actuality postpone their work to accommodate a community theatre show. Together, if we cannot start the show before our advertised curtain time and the blackout occurs promptly at 10, the final scene of the show will go dark, leaving actors and patrons alike caught in a blackened theatre.

There are emergency lights in the house, I have been assured (though none backstage or in the dressing room), but to be safe I will be carrying a flashlight on my person Friday so that no one is left to dodder unaided out of the building.

Driving our patrons home on a Friday night without working traffic lights, however, I'll leave to the producer.