Busy-ness

Well, rehearsal turned out better than I had expected--about 90 percent good, I'd say. Unfortunately, Margaret (she had been the nutritionist at SCAN) left a message that she had a family emergency and couldn't be there. I know she didn't just blow off the session--she likes it, is good, and is caring for her 92-year-old mother in L.A.
Anyway, that turned out to be eerily providential: I had accidentally assigned Margaret and somebody else the same part. Luckily, I was able to give it to the person who was there, and slip something else into Margaret's assignments.
Anyway, most the performers were fairly good. I did interrupt in order to direct for most of them. A universal failure is timing: the dialogue in humorous playlets should usually be a rapid back-and-forth (but not so much that the words get lost). These inexperienced actors have a tendency to speak too slowly, giving the impression they're reading the lines. Of course, they are reading, but the audience should be able to ignore that. In the "serious" plays, the players need to speak more slowly and in a more contemplative way, adding pauses or glances to the other person, or whatever, depending on the situation. Anyway, this is called "Acting for Amateurs," so I didn't expect Meryl Streep. My big dilemma is that the other man for "Hell on Wheels," which takes place in hell. Larry has dropped out and T.J. will be away, so that leaves Jim, who plays the devil. I'm going to call Bob, who's in my T.O.P.S. group, to see if he'll fill in.
Got there early, of course, and had a long political discussion with Tony, the SCAN director, beforehand, and that was very enjoyable (for him, too, I know). We're on different--I wouldn't exactly call it opposite--sides of the spectrum, that's a cinch. He's a member of what's now being called the War Party, that is, a democrat and he dotes on Clinton. As for me, I find them all despicable; we agreed that money has thoroughly corrupted D.C. and neither of us see change coming anytime soon.
I stayed after with Carole and Luisa to listen and direct theirs, then discussed Sharon's role for a time. Finally left and went directly to WinCo for salad stuff, and so on. Didn't have lunch until after 2:00, then drove off to town to relax in the fountain park, visit Goodwill (found a nice oblong copper container I'll use for the patio), and stop into the library.
I had gotten an e-mail from son in Tokyo to the effect that the kiddies in grandson, Mr. K., class are asked to bring cancelled stamps into nursery school. Presumably, they talk about them and learn about other places. They now have only Japanese ones, so I sent the precious child two cards. When I got home, I ranged Suzanne's bell to ask her to save stamps, if she gets any; I had called to ask Ellen the same. However, we don't get many such stamps anymore, but they said they'd save when they did.
Suzanne asked me in and we chatted for a bit. She then said she was cooking salmon for dinner and would bring me some. I had some raw shrimp and was sauteing that, but ate only half to save room for the salmon. It was delicious and I'll have the rest of the shrimp for lunch today.