"Riders" was a smash hit! Not only did I remember all my lines--and there were whole blocks of them--but I actually felt Maurya's pain. That frail, grieving Irish woman spoke to me from 1904, and I listened. The audience loved it--several said they had tears in their eyes as as I spoke my lament over the corpse of my dead son, Bartley.
I was a bit nervous, but not as much as I thought I'd be. What came first on the program for about a half hour were songs and skits organized by Desi and featuring Jim, Mary, Andrea, Bruce, Christine (who also played the keening woman in our play), and others. We in "Riders" complained about this among ourselves, thinking the ever-so-somber play should have been first so the audience was sent out on a light note. Actually, though, I think it worked out better that way it was.
A. came--so did a lot of my friends--and afterward, they crowded around with congratulations, hugs, and kisses. I introduced A. to Kathy and Lucille, my "daughters" in the play, and to lots of other LETCO members. What meant so much to me was the obviously sincere praise of my theatre colleagues, some of whom are really talented. Geez, I felt like a Broadway chorine being complimented by Meryl Streep for a performance in The Doll House.
A somber real-life (or real-death) note was that I received word that my cousin, Bob F., in California, has died. He was ailing for a long time and spent years grieving for his Karen, who died about 15 years ago. May he rest in peace.
Okay, now that "Riders" has ridden off, I'll turn my attention to Thanksgiving and start preparations for the three pies. Will not try to triple the recipe for the crusts--for some scientific reasons I don't even want to understand, that doesn't work--but will do them one by one. That'll be a piece of cake (or slice of pie--ha!) and a labor of love, of course. I'll sing while I relive in my mind the triumph of my first actual appearance in a real, live, serious play.
What a terrific, great, never-to-be-forgotten day!