OMG

Well, it happened. And so suddenly. Late Friday night, I discovered a voicemail on my phone from a guy at University of Oklahoma wanting to set up a phone interview, that I was one of two finalists. I called him back the next day, but he didn't have my file in front of him, he was on the road. We chatted for a bit, then agreed to call again the next evening. Which we did. Then he was going to pass me to the Lighting Prof. who would be my supervisor for a phone conference later, or the next day. It was late the next day that he finally called, and shortly thereafter, about 4 Monday, the director called back, and I was offered, and I accepted, a job as Master Electrician for the University of Oklahoma Department of Theater (and Dance and Musical Theater). The job is basicly the same as the NIU job, but in a bigger department. 4 (and rarely 5) performance spaces!
The kicker is that they want me down there right NOW. Well, they said, two weeks. I'm stretching it to 3. Move date of the 25th, start on the 27th. Wow, what a whirlwind.

I've had to turn down the AE show (that I'd already cashed the first installment of my check for) Laughing Stock. I went to the read thru that night (Monday night, 3 hours after I'd gotten the job) to start saying goodbyes. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. I've grown very attached to these people. I can't even begin to think about S without...
Well, I've got two weeks yet.

This has ended up being a very drawn out post. I started it on Monday night, and now it's crack of dawn on Thursday. Whenever I try to post during the day, Wife is hovering around, wondering why I'm not packing. I can't sleep now so I'll crank it out now. So many things to think of. Gotta find a house/apt. to rent online there. Gotta find a way to transport Wife and Me, and 6 animals down there with a housefull of stuff in a truck and a car, when Wife doesn't drive. Pods may be the answer. Now only to find a house with a fenced yard that we can rent that takes pets... Actually our criteria is house/townhouse/condo that takes pets, that is on the ground floor. We'll refine our search when we get there. Thank gods for short-term leases.

Alright, enough already. Post the damn thing.

Another one down

Well, we just opened another show up in Beloit. The last of their season. Neil Simons Broadway Bound. Great show. And for once, not destroyed by the theater. The cast is all really strong and experienced, and they pull off the dysfunctional family very well. I thought that Charlie Brown was going to be the best of the summer, but this one may just be it. Roddy Mac is the grandfather, and while he's a bit old for the role, he's dead on in his performance. He admitted to me that he's really struggling with it though, and that this would probably be his last show. Well, that's also what he said during Tuesdays With Morrie (though, granted, this was a bit of an emergency situation with the AD being arrested/fired, he kinda felt obligated to help out).
One of the old Stage Managers from NAT is SM'ing BB, so it was a late night drinking and chatting and catching up, she, S and me. We closed up the after-glo reception, went back to KK's hotel bar, only to find it closed, and went to a nearby dive bar that the desk man at the hotel recommended. The Turtle Tap. a bit of a biker/trucker bar, but we were drinking Miller on tap. I think it must have been 3 or 4 each, and the bill came to $10.!! I think we left a 100% tip. My kind of bar.

Rumor has it there's poker on Saturday.
Next week rehearsals start for AE's first show, Laughing Stock. Another backstage at the theater comedy. Funny stuff.