Whether your microphone is on or not...

Last week, we (as a cast) had a little...problem. Actually, this problem had been going on since the beginning of our run. The problem was a person. I'm sure this person's a good man, but he had been saying some things that were a little insulting and without tact to our director, who also happens to be my grandpa. He was saying these things in front of a theater full of people, trying to be funny, but they just didn't come across as funny. The comments hurt. But that's kinda beside the point.

We had all been talking about this man in the dressing rooms, saying how much we wished he wouldn't say those things. We just wanted him to shut up, to put it quite bluntly. I know those things weren't good to say, but we still said them to each other. Anyway, a member of our cast, Oscar, went to do mic check on closing night, and he was saying things about this man that were rather rude. The man's son was up in the sound booth, and it made him feel really bad to hear those type of things about his father. Oscar felt bad after he realized what had happened, and I'm sure he regretted those words, but regret is not the point.

None of us girls knew what had happened. We were in the dressing room, talking about this guy, when Ernestine (who had already heard this story) said, "Remember guys, everyone can hear everything you say when your microphone is on." We all sat there and thought, "That's a given, but...most of us don't even have microphones."

When I finally heard what had transpired I realized why Ernestine said what she did. It got me thinking...the point is not that we need to be nice and friendly when everyone can hear what we say, but when no one can hear what we say as well. It made me feel bad that I have this kind of mentality sometimes, and I'm not always as kind as I should be. It made me feel horrible! Even if we're thinking things that might be kind of rude, we definitely don't need to make our feelings known. In fact, we should do all we can to have good feelings and not think negatively. It's hard sometimes. It's hard all of the time, actually. But all I know is that I'm going to try my best to do the right thing....whether or not my mic is on.

Letting go

No matter who we are, no matter what we do in life, there will come a time when we need to let go of something dear to us. It could be a person, an acitvity, or a state of mind. We always know these things need to be let go, it's just hard when it comes right down to it.

One of the hardest things about letting go is the fact that you have been so used to having that thing around. When someone close to us passes away, there is the realization that we will never see that person again in this life. We become so used to having them around, and when they aren't here anymore, it's shocking.

Memories we have of the deceased become the only way to remember them. If we dwell on the fact that they're gone, though, it takes longer to get over the understanding that they are no longer with us. We need to remember them with fondess-remembering fun times that we've shared with them is a good way to keep memories alive, but focusing on their death is not the way to go about things.

It's hard to let go of anything that we're used to, but it needs to be done as soon as possible in order to eliminate alot of pain. I'm not saying we shoudn't mourn, but there is a place and a time for mourning and a time for being happy for what you do have, and what you have been able to have.

Forest Ranger's rules and regulations

“...and Forest Rangers-being the good looking dogs that they are-must necessarily associate with young ladies of comparable appearance. It’s one of the Forest Ranger’s unwritten laws.”

Thank goodness the guys of the latest show know the unwritten laws regarding women and just plain fun. But why can’t the forest rangers study some of the written laws?...like their scripts. Whoever heard of waiting until one week before opening to start memorizing your lines? Or to start learning your blocking and choreography? But the forest ranger’s haven’t been worried about that stuff up until this point. All the guys are into is having fun.

Rehearsal/shows are not about having fun. They're about putting on a show, telling a story. Sometimes a show can be fun, but it isn’t about fun. It’s alright to have a good time while at rehearsal. You should have a good time. Sometimes, it’s even okay to goof off a little bit. You’ve gotta make things interesting. But you’ve also got to know when to work, when to pay attention, when to be serious. It seems our forest rangers are having trouble knowing when to calm down. That is what’s making rehearsals so long and difficult. Anyway, I know that we’ll pull it together soon. (It’s one of the Forest Ranger’s unwritten laws.)