“25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” in the rearview of nostalgia

So yeah, all of our shows are memorable. All are life journeys. All make memories that we keep forever. But this one -- dramatic pause -- this one was something different, something special. The cast was so perfect, the performances all so wonderful. From about the fifth week on, it was clearly a show that everyone was going to have trouble saying good-bye to. We happened onto something truly meaningful to do with our pre-show circle time. One night, we each shared a piece of audience feedback we'd gotten; another evening, we shared our favorite parts of the show; and again, on another night, we went around the circle and shared what line or song lyric was stuck in our heads. It was all wonderful and heartfelt sharing. I woke up in the middle of the night on the Saturday before our closing Sunday thinking about what items from this show should go in the Props Hall of Fame. At the Dungeon where we rehearse, we have the Props Hall of Fame shelves where we display and label memorable stuff from each production we’ve done. I rifled though the list of show props in my head and tried to make decisions about what should go on the shelf for this show; there were just too many. Suddenly, the idea came into my head to create a Time Capsule for this show -- and put many props into it -- to capture the joy and the memories I know we’ll all have. Using the cooler that Mitch Mahoney uses for the juice boxes he gives to spellers who miss their words, we put the following items: • Olive Ostrovksy’s pink headband • The bell from the spelling table • Mitch Mahoney’s home detention ankle bracelet • The Coneybear family phone • Rona Lisa Peretti’s realtor pin • Marcy Park’s yellow beret • Leaf Coneybear’s fanny pack • An empty peanut M & Ms package • Chip Tolentino’s boy scout sash • Olive’s mother’s scarf • One of Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre’s lapel pins • Dan Dad’s hairbrush • Carl Dad’s bow tie • Jesus’ heart patch • A playbill • A ticket • A spelling bee ribbon • A spelling bee number • A copy of the curtain speech And then, everyone signed the cooler with a black marker. It will now go on the top shelf of the Props Hall of Fame, and whenever we need a little dose of 25PCSB, we can open it, and remember our Spelling Bee family.

A Love Letter to the Cast of "Spelling Bee"

It’s just 45 minutes before I need to be at rehearsal. I’m presently working on the costume plot for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” For me, and maybe for others, there’s nothing like making a list or a chart for focusing. It narrows the big picture somewhat; organizes what needs to be done; breaks things down into pieces that can be chewed and swallowed (note to self: don’t forget to grab something to eat before leaving the house). In clicking around, I came across this blogpost. It ends up as a love letter to tech week – um, IS there such a thing – but it starts out in a nightmare scenario. I read it with horror and sympathy. And for the gazillionth time, I reflect on how amazingly lucky I am with CrazyLake. I have the most amazing – hold on – let me check the thesaurus….let’s go with ‘extraordinary’ for this paragraph – group of people surrounding me. This team of actors – all of you so perfect in your parts, your work ethic beyond reproach, the chemistry and companionship between all of you. How, HOW did I get so lucky? I looked around rehearsal last night and saw that most of you were off book – a week ahead of our deadline. We paused very few times during the stop and start rehearsal, and I ended up giving maybe four notes during the run-through. Is the show already THAT perfect? We have never had a tech week on the disastrous scale of the one in the blog post. I firmly believe that you – my cast and crew – are my clients, the ones from whom the feedback truly matters. I want you to have a good time in CrazyLake. As the director, one of my goals is to make SURE that the stress – any stress – falls on me – not on you, the actor. I know I push, and I set deadlines and I give notes and notes and notes – but another one of my goals is to make sure you are ready to perform. When I send you out there in front of god and everyone – your families, your friends and neighbors, the Greenfield dignitaries – that you are ready, that any nervousness is nervous energy you can channel into your performance and not nervousness for lack of preparation. The set is ready; the costumes are complete; props are in place; lights and sound and entrances and exits are all rehearsed – nothing is left to chance. We are all bonded long before Hell Week; we are dark the night before the performance so everyone CAN hit the boards rested and ready to go. Nothing is left to chance. I belong to a Theatre Director/Teacher Facebook group, and the anguished and horrific situations that some of these directors face are jaw-dropping: actors quitting, permission to use performance spaces revoked, equipment breaking down, entire bags of costumes accidentally thrown away. The stress of the one posting is palpable. It’s hard to read their stories. And I know, oh, I KNOW how lucky I am. The planets aligned when my path crossed with Amy Studabaker. The teams of people that I have assembled both for on the stage and behind the scenes, like a giant wad of blue tape pulled from the painted set, these people came to KPCL and just…got stuck to the ball of tape. And I love them for it. You guys are the absolute best. At everything you do. I know we’re only halfway to a show, but man, it is lookin’ good, eh? I love you all and I’ll see you at rehearsal. https://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2015/11/3/an-open-letter-to-tech-week?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR16ipqTopOfnYCco4n-S9kk1Lap0nffCX8mTpqdAhu9_w8wyza3dznftaM_aem_AU8A_vUQ8RqG9m2KI0qUTk3ovYQp4v_9U0XCjNALNKkLOt1bNwYFp-BM2Qw7x1ut_efH8VDc7Ktj82ptgustvs7Y

"What Would You Pay?"

 

We have a tradition at KidsPlay – actually, we have many traditions – this is just one of them. About halfway through our rehearsal process, the kids start asking me, “What would you pay?”

The question refers to the price of our tickets – which are $5 each and have been $5 each since 1997 when we started. 

“What would you pay, Chris,” they ask, “to see this show?”

Early on, my answer is likely to be, “Pay?!!? PAY??? Are you kidding? I wouldn’t pay to see this show! YOU would have to pay ME to see this show!!”

Later on, the answer might be, “$1.75. This show is only worth $1.75.” And the kids understand that they need to step it up.

The kids are happy when things break even at $5. The show is finally worth $5 of entertainment. People will be getting a fair value of what they’re paying to see us.

However, if I may, these kids are good. I know, and they know that the REAL goal is not just to break even, not just to give the audience an average kiddie theatre play, but to go beyond. To surpass “cute” -- which is what most children’s theatre is -- and get to REAL entertainment. REAL authentically entertaining performances. Real laughs. Belly laughs. Not polite applause at the end of the show, but enthusiastic applause for a show that was truly entertaining.

KidsPlay has done a lot of good shows: “Altar Egos,” “Mermaid in Miami,” “Caught in the Act,” “Dr. Evil and the Basket of Kittens,” “Annie Play Will Do.” 

Spoiler: this one – the one we’re in the middle of right now – “Gravestone Manor,” will take its place among the ranks of the best.

Last night’s Dress-to-Impress Dress Rehearsal, in front of the children’s teachers and special guests, was proof of that. Everything that we’ve worked on for WEEKS fell magically into place.

Lines that have long since ceased to be funny (due to continuous repetition in rehearsal) came alive thanks to the excellent comedic timing of Anthony Stunda (Griffin the G-host) and Reese Weitekamp (Luna the Wolf-Girl); the tandem screams of Ellie Stearns and Kyndall Watkins (Stella and Adele trapped in a haunted house); the adorability and facial expressions of Aria Studabaker (Emily interviewing monsters for under her bed); ridiculous songs about werewolves and cookies; precisely timed magical sound effects; Jackson Martinez (Bane the Wolf-Boy) standing on the couch and turning around and around before settling down.

The show fired on all cylinders. Our audience of about 40 laughed and laughed and laughed. 

Every show has its challenges. This one has been scene changes, costume changes and make-up – most of which, are amazingly executed in less than a minute. Standing ovation to the stage crew, the make-up artists and the parents helping backstage. 

Last evening, after the show, the kids greeted their teachers, changed out of their costumes, got a snack and sat down for notes. I often tell them, “It is not my job to tell you how good you are; that is the job of your parents and grandparents. MY job is to tell you what you need to do to get better.” And because of that, performance notes following the rehearsals are typically lists of constructive criticism with very few purely positive comments. 

But last night was different. Oh, sure, this could have been better and that could have been better, but the audience’s laughter said it all. The last question of the night was, as always, “Chris, what would you pay?”

The kids are happy when that price goes above $5. Five dollars is a bargain for what we are putting up there on that stage. They’re happy when it goes to, say, $7.50. Audience members are paying $5, but the entertainment value is worth more than that: $7.50. $9.00, $11.00….

“Chris, what would you pay?” And they hold their breath.

“$15.00.” Yes, it is really THAT good. Come and see for yourself.

All Hearts Come Home at Show Time

 I’m finding that the older I get, the more nostalgic I am. And the more appreciative of those around me. Last evening was the fourth performance (out of six) of our summer musical, “Once Upon a Mattress.” 

I always start out with “I can’t begin to put into words….” And then I go ahead and put into words….what it feels like, what it means to me to do a show, to be the matriarch of this incredible, wonderful, amazing theatre family.

This show has 10, count ‘em, 10 former KidsPlayers in it. Yes, with 25 years under my belt, some of my KidsPlayers are grown. They are in high school, college, young adults, married and some with second generation KidsPlayers of their own. Conversely, there are 10 among us who have never been in a CrazyLake show before and these people grow the CrazyLake family even more.

The marvels of the people I work with. Amy -- my co-director, my choreographer and vocal director, my costumer, the soft voice to my constant barking -- actually records and creates tracks for each vocal part of every song so that the sopranos and the altos and the tenors and (an octave higher) the basses can all learn their parts note for note. She does the choreo, videoing the rehearsals so the cast can rehearse at home. 

Between our two costume collections, we were able to put something on each and every actor. Amy made just three costumes for this entire show: two for the queen and one for Princess Winnifred. The rest were alterations and repairs, done by Amy, Andy and me. 

Over the last 10 years of working together, Amy and I have become like interlocking puzzle pieces, finishing each other sentences, jumping to do something almost before the other realizes it needs to be done. We are two skill sets that match perfectly to do what we do.

Amy is also in the booth, along with Brent on the light board and Jeff upstairs on the spot. Neither of these two guys have a horse in this race, but they are here for the camaraderie and the stories they can tell afterward. Jeff, whose kids are in KidsPlay, stepped up when we needed a spot operator. He, also, is one of those guys who asks what needs to be done, and, however menial the task (“The backstage cooler needs restocked with ice and water….”), he gets it done. And Brent, a KidsPlay parent and occasional CrazyLake actor…I think Brent has a touch of FOMO (fear of missing out). Lol. He wouldn’t have missed this behind-the-scenes experience for the world.

Backstage, we have Blair and Allison -- two of the aforementioned KidsPlay grads – and Andy, moving the set, fixing the occasional prop, taking care of the actors and calling the show. As sure as the sun is going to rise each morning, these three are at their posts, standing guard and always ready with encouragement for everyone.

And then there’s Corey, the hero of tech week. We ended up having seven cases of COVID among the cast, including me. I missed two of the tech rehearsals. All it took was one phone call to Corey and he was there to stand in for me, to give notes and help Amy in the booth. 

Thanks to COVID, I missed the move-in, too, but Jeff and Dennis (the prodigal son returned home) managed to get the set dismantled in the Dungeon, loaded into the KidsPlay trailer, moved and reassembled at the Ricks without Amy or me being present. We were able to assemble the entire set from flats and set pieces we already had. Moral of the story? Never throw anything away!

All of which brings me around to the nostalgia. Actors come and actors go. The younger ones grow up; they go off to college; sometimes they come back to Greenfield, but sometimes not. They have kids. They get busy. For the older ones, there are life changes. Children move away and sometimes they move with them. They, too, get busy. Life moves on. 

But these shows that we do bring everyone home. Last night’s audience brought in the Browns from northern Indiana; Evan from southern Indiana; Nancy from Alexandria; the Roots from Morristown; my former boss from Fishers. The Coles were there and the Gawrys-Strands and the other Browns and the Harts. A good number of these people were there for the second time, thanks to the CrazyLake Groupie Program. And it’s been like this for every performance. I’m surrounded by friends and former actors. They stayed after the curtain call to greet friends and family on stage and to hang out for hugs and congratulations. It’s just wonderful. Warm and wonderful.

And if you look up, where the stage lights are still on, you can see it. You don’t even have to squint. It’s the love, hanging up there in the air like glittery stardust. We are family. Forever and ever. Do a show together and you’ve taken a life journey together. You’ve formed a bond that will never break no matter the life changes, no matter how far away you travel. And in the end, all hearts come home at show time.

An Open Letter to the Cast of "Assassins"

I want to try and say what’s in my heart about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I’ve had to be a part of the “Assassins” team. Heh. That doesn’t sound quite right, but so be it.

At the beginning of this week, I did not know how I was going to survive it. Three to four rehearsals a week suddenly became eight straight days of rehearsals/performances for Buck Creek’s production of “Assassins.” However, as the week progressed, the evenings spent at the Buck Creek Playhouse became the highlight of my day. I think I will never grow tired of watching this incredible show.

Did I mention I was the assistant director for this show? I use that term loosely. I’m the Joe Biden of the team. Scott Robinson is a one-man directing phenomenon, the alpha and the omega of the stage; actors clamber to work with him because he is king. He no more needs me there than Batman needs Robin. But in his graciousness, he took me on as an intern, an apprentice, and gave me the incredible gift of permission to sit at the right hand of the master.

There are not enough words to thank him for this humbling and life-changing experience of being a part of this incomparable show. What he assembled for “Assassins” has to be one of the most gifted collective of actors ever to grace a stage. Truly, after watching these eight weeks, I cannot make up my mind as to who is the strongest performer in the show. 

Is it Scott as Giuseppe Zangara, whose hatred wafts over the audience like a hot desert wind during “How I Saved Roosevelt”? Or is his best moment when he sneers his way through difficult Italian phrases or when he thrusts his gun into the air with the others on “Another National Anthem”?

Is it Trenton as John Hinckley Jr. whose young adult angst is painful to watch? I actually feel sorry for him as he’s mercilessly bullied by the Squeaky Fromme character. He sings a duet with Stacia (Squeaky) which has got to be one of the unsung high points of the performance. His character sings to Jodie Foster and hers sings to Charlie Manson and they have delivered it flawlessly night after night. It has the stuff of a top-40 love ballad and you can get caught up in the pain and yearning of the lyrics, until you remember the creepiness of their fixations.

Stacia as the aforementioned Squeaky:  even as a background character in some of the scenes, her presence on the stage draws your eye. The tension between the conflicted characters is palpable; you can see it and you can smell it; and then you see her inhaling it like secondhand smoke, like an intoxicating gas and then she clearly thrives on it. For Squeaky, if there is strife in the room, all is right with the world.

Cathy as the inept Sarah Jane Moore:  she and Stacia are, yes, the comic relief in a show called “Assassins.” She has an innate understanding of her role in this show. Her Midwestern twang, nuanced line delivery and facial expressions in reaction to Hulen’s Manson-obsessed treatises will steal the show.

Mark IS John Wilkes Booth -- the wig, the ‘stache, the coat, the GLOVES. The resemblance is remarkable. He is capable of taking the audience from disgust to empathy to respect even, for singing out his heartfelt indictment of Abraham Lincoln. His velvety vocals, his rapid-fire delivery, finally, and finally, his smoothly chilling handling of Lee Harvey Oswald in the Book Depository is enough to induce stress dreams.

Luke:  throughout the show, he plays the Balladeer, a calm and reasonable voice to challenge the persuasive Proprietor, played by Steven Linville, as if he were a carnival barker in a Stephen King book. How can this gentle person play this evil person so convincingly? More nightmares.

But back to Luke… When the ensemble parts and exits, you suddenly see the Balladeer, no longer in his good-natured woodsman’s flannel shirt. Suddenly, he is in a vaguely recognizable, plain white t-shirt, in a room surrounded by cardboard boxes. As the location of the scene slowly dawns on the over-50 crowd, you can cut the tension with a knife. Booth and the rest of the assassins sooth Oswald’s conscience and play to his need for recognition – and when Squeaky does the honors (you see on her face that she is VERY honored) of handing over the Mannlicher-Carcano, the audience will hold its breath. It is touch and go for a moment, and when Oswald finally accepts the rifle, we are dismayed, almost as if our silent collective of ‘no…no…don’t’ could actually change history.

Jake’s portrayal of the forgotten Leon Czolgosz and Daniel’s crazed reenactment of Sam Byck:  they both represent the common man in this show, so don’t be shocked when you realize that you totally understand their points of view. McDuffee’s melodic bass voice adds much to the harmonies and you can feel his disappointment in the only life he’ll ever have in his moments of silent brooding. As for Byck, be grossed out all you want by the filthy wife-beater t-shirt he wears under his Santa suit, but he’s right. He’s 100% right. Who DO we believe? And yes, we ARE scared. And what can we do about it? One can’t help but think of the chaos of the 2016 election cycle as bits of greasy French fry particles fly from his mouth during his diatribe and stick to the microphone of his tape recorder. He delivers a magnificently brilliant performance and never once loses the crazed look in his eyes.

One of my favorite parts of the show is watching David, as Charles Guiteau, react to Squeaky’s explanation of why lipstick is red. It’s just a small moment, but it speaks to the dedication of Wood to his craft. Another actor would have pulled a horrified face and gone for the laugh, but I’ve seen the seriousness of Wood’s approach to character as he walks through his part pre-performance every night. As he listens to her rambling about the cancerous guts of mice, his expression changes – without moving his face. No really. I detect no movement, yet his expression before, and then after, is noticeably different. His irrepressible Guiteau is likable to the end, in his dapper hat and suit coat, albeit with no shoes (a factual detail). He tries to woo Sarah Jane Moore, and impress Byck with his toast. He sings and dances to the gallows and we are sad and horrified at the sound of his neck snapping.

Finally, I am even in awe of the ensemble: Michael, Jessica, Logan, Bryan and Mary. Their animated performance as members of the crowd is so wonderful that you truly don’t know whom to watch. The assortment of expressions, gestures and behind the action vignettes is highly entertaining. I’ve taken to smiling throughout their numbers and I’m glad I’ve gotten to see the show so many times because while watching Jessica and Bryan, I miss what Mary, Michael and Logan are doing. If I’m watching Mary, Michael and Logan, then I miss what Jessica and Bryan are doing. I’m just glad I was there when Bryan lifted Jessica into the air so she could more easily see and be seen. Bahahaha!

So. It’s been an incredible ride. And I can’t thank everyone enough for taking me in to the Buck Creek family, talking to me, listening to my small notes, and – tee-hee – Friending me on Facebook. Words can’t express how honored I am to be a part of this production. I can’t wait to watch it again tonight—and eight more times after that. Mostly, I can’t WAIT to see the audience’s reaction.  And I very much hope they understand that they are seeing more than a musical – so much more. Break a leg tonight, guys.

With love and respect---

Chris 

Theatre Magic Can't Be Denied

It has been more than a year since my last post here, but I feel that Friday night's performance of Paranormal High School needs to recognized here in the annals of KidsPlay's history.

KidsPlay, for those of you who are reading here for the first time, has been in existence for 18 years.  In that time, we have done 36 shows:  one in the spring and one in the fall.  Our actors are in the 3rd through 8th grades, after which they "graduate" from KidsPlay and go on to their high school theatre departments.  In the spring of 2014, we lost ten 8th grade graduates; in the spring of 2015, we lost another eight to high school.  That's a lot of talent, so we are definitely in a rebuilding phase.

Oh, make no mistake--the talent is there.  The mantle of leadership has passed to Brynn Elliott and Nolan Espich, Autumn Foster, Grace Kemp and Allison Kirklin, Lainie Lawrence, Luke McCartney and Tyler Pipkin.  These kids carry the show on their shoulders.  They set the example and give guidance and advice to the youngers in the cast.  I count on them for so many things, both spoken and unspoken.  Without them, KidsPlay would be a sad group indeed.

Since the fourth week of rehearsals for Paranormal High School, I have felt a bit discouraged about this show.  It was suffering from the loss of last year's talent.  It lacked the physical comedy and blatant edgy humor of previous KidsPlay shows.  The kids struggled with character, lines, and the sometimes-scary nature of the show. The characters were mostly normal people with only moderately-humorous dialogue.   Rehearsals were fun, but mostly routine.  I felt I hadn't picked a good script for this particular group of actors.  It was just, across the board, a flat show.  Meh.  There's always next show.

*********************

As most of you know, I HATE the phrase "it all come together in the end."  My response?  Well, YES, it does, but not by magic.  A lot of HARD work, preparation and planning, hard work, attention to detail, hard work and communication go into the making of a show.  We want it to LOOK like magic; ergo, most people think it IS magic.  Wrong.  You've got, got, got to lay the all-important groundwork.

H-O-W-E-V-E-R....I can no longer discount the existence of Theatre Magic.

What happened on Friday night, when we put these kids in front of a live, LAUGHING audience, was nothing short of miraculous, undeniable MAGIC.  The audience response to our lively, funny, fast-paced show was phenomenal!  Laughter, applause.  Seriously, what more could you ask?

Our leadership, our star power was out there, delivering lines that had long-since ceased to amuse--  delivering them with comedic timing to die for, timing that would be the envy of any Broadway actor.  And getting laughs!

• Brynn Elliott, previously known for playing mostly 'straight man' parts is suddenly the Queen of Comedy.  
• Luke McCartney has been honing his acting skills since attending the CrazyLake Drama Camp in KINDERGARTEN.  He drew not just a line between his feigned 'bad actor' performance and his 'good actor' performance, he put the Grand Canyon between the two different characters when he threw down his copy of Macbeth (no spoilers; you'll have to seen the show) and delivered some of Shakespeare's most famous dialogue.
• Tyler Pipkin, Allison Kirklin making sure the audience understood not only the plot of the play, but the plot of Macbeth  with LONG paragraphs of dialogue, delivered with enthusiasm, humor and interest.
• Grace Kemp.  Shudder....  Grace Kemp as the ghost of a dead actress still looking to play her most famous role.  If the hair doesn't stand up on the back of  your neck, then you must be Stephen King.

But oh, oh, OH that up-and-coming talent:

• Show-Stealer Olivia Alldredge grabbing the mic from Nolan and pushing Wal-Mart like Flo pushes Progressive Insurance, 
• First-Timer Bailey Chrabascz in her first time on stage and probably the first time she's ever yelled as the frustrated television producer of "Paranormal Discovery" 
• First-Time Ella Kleiman in her possessed performance as Lady Macbeth.  Yes, Ella 'gets' Lady Macbeth and it's chilling.
• Future Character Actor Corbin Elliott and the physical comedy HE-HIMSELF added to the locked-door scene
• the Inimitable Olivia Greer and the Fearless Ashley Pipkin, both students, and both coming up with enough background 'stage business' to entertain the audience AND the stage crew behind the curtain.
• the Incredible Carter Willey and his mannered performance as Principal Wolf brought both laugher AND applause at his entrances and exits.

Yeah, it DID all come together. And I haven't been this excited after an opening night in a long time. 

*******************

PS--Any actors that I didn't hug after last night's show, see me this evening and I'll correct that oversight. <3 div="">

"Live Theatre--Gotta Love It"

So.  Sydera hung her wig on the 'hot lights' (we really should have put tape over that switch) and it melted.  The inside was blackened in several areas.  The blond hair fused together and turned dark brown in places.  When they brought it to me, it was still too hot to touch.  But a serious session with a curling iron, scissors and the addition of a feathered bow made of feathers from her boa and it was passable.  The show moved forward and she went on, just as hilarious as usual.

Trever went to pick up the kitchen chair for his 'lion-tamer bit', and the top of it just popped off.  He took it in stride, waving it about as if he were Charles Atlas himself.  Glad Rachelle wasn't there to see it.  That vintage table and chair kitchen set is a favorite of hers.  Chris entered moments later and point-blank asked him, IN the show, "Did you break this?"  Trever said, "I'm sorry!"  And Chris proceeded to try and put it back together as best she could.

Zane's phone, upside down and tangled in the legs of his ladder; and then, when it came time for him to stand, his foot got caught in the ladder.  Thank goodness he's already playing a doofus....  (<3 p="">
Then, during Trever's frenetic dash to try and get his mother's head out of the oven, the flat rolled a little and the refrigerator door swung open.  Dennis, our Safety Chairman, had us remove the latch so that no kids would ever get locked in accidentally.  The door just very slowly opened all the way up--180 degrees.  Glad I took the time to fill the 'never-seen' inside of it with a painted milk bottle, fruits and vegetables, bowls, and other stuff to give it that 'real fridge' look.  Trever eventually glanced over at it, gave one of his patented Trever-startle jumps, got up and closed it.

It's funny, that in theatre, we strive for the flawless, perfectly-executed performance, yet it's these stories--of which there are many, worse and funnier than these--that live in infamy.

• Geoffrey's inability to 'find Freddie'
• the picture that fell off the wall during 'the chase' and each cast member that ran by stopped and tried to rehang it, but then was forced to resume the chase sequence before the job was completed, until finally 'the mystery hand' appeared through the door and slowly slid it into place
• an orange juice glass that went flying
• Austin stuffing his mouth with the picnic cookies backstage during the final performance, forgetting that he had to come on stage and say a line immediately after
• Jesse forgetting his photographs 'in the bushes'
• pants that fell down during the dance
• a fake cigarette accidentally set on fire
• fog machines that set off the smoke alarm
• An 'F-bomb' dropped by the Catholic school teacher during the Lord's Day matinee 
• a missed entrance, leaving two 6th grade girls to ad-lib ten minutes of dialogue while sitting on a bench at the county fair--until they finally decided to 'call it a day' and go get a lemon shake-up

And many more....  Classics, now.  These are the things we talk about, late into the night at Steak n' Shake, remembering.  Laughing hysterically.  And me, the director, trying to frown, insisting that a mistake-free performance is the bar we're reaching for, but laughing in spite of myself all the same.

Live theatre.  You gotta love it.