There were 3 perfect days at the Oregon coast this summer. My boss rented a beach house, and Besaw's all played together nicely. Sean and Mary Rose showed up and hung out with us for a few hours - Sean here from Calgary to visit. And we ended up talking not-so-idly about what would be involved in bringing him to Portland to perform Drunken Fucker.
I got shivers, like you do when you know something's going to happen? And it might look just like you imagine it's going to? But in a really really good way?
That's how I felt the night I saw Drunken Fucker for the first time. I knew that I would produce the show, and I knew that I would ask for and receive assistance from one of my regulars at the restaurant. And talking to Sean on the beach this September, I knew it was really going to happen.
You see, we'd teched the show on Wednesday - well, sort of. I am renting the theater by the hour, and had only allotted 4 hours for tech. I figured, tech times for fringe shows are usually 3 hours or less - 4 should be plenty. But I hadn't really considered that tech venues are staffed by people who know the space, the equipment, and are generally trained profesionals.
When I saw Drunken Fucker this summer, Sean played with a live musician. They riffed off each other beautifully, but due to expense and time, he wasn't able to reprise his role in the Portland version. He recorded a soundtrack, and it sounds great, but it means 47 or so sound cues that weren't in the original the stagemanager has to deal with.
More work for the stage manager. Mary Rose, acting as Drunken Fucker's stage manager, is taking on a role she has never played. She is an actress and improv artist, but time behind the scenes is fairly minimal. However, she is game and affordable (much like a volunteer) and god damn if she hasn't put in her whole heart/soul/mind to this project.
Having run out of time on Wednesday, we were back at 5 on Friday, 3 hours before opening, while Alex the lighting designer was trying to build the last few cues, Mary was trying to master running sound and calling light cues for the first time in her entire life. I asked if we had any pre-show music, and learned that Jay, the live musician, used to play something different every night. In other words, no, we didn't.
I drove home at 6:30 to craft a pre-show CD. (Sean nixed my idea of a setlist of inspirational Bruce Springsteen songs - but to me, that's kind of the mood of the show - dark and hopeful). He suggested 80's metal - Black Sabbath, ACDC, etc. Definitely not something I have in my music collection. But that's what itunes is for right? Itunes FAILED me. Got stuck on Highway to Hell and never got over it.
I switched to Eric's computer and was able to pirate the songs much faster (I tried to be a good citizen- I really did), burned my first ever compilation of glamrock metal, and raced by to the theater. The usher was already there (bless you Kay Olsen) and ready to fold programs.
People started to stream in, and I got to greet them all. I love offering theater as Pay What You Can. It makes it so much more satisfying. I feel like people really want to be there somehow. And even when someone offers me a dollar, I am thrilled. Because they showed up. And I removed a barrier for them. Of course, some people paid more than the regular ticket price, and I was delighted to offer that opportunity as well.
The end result being a nearly full house. For a total unknown from Canada, with a show, during the holiday season, called Drunken Fucker. Mary ran the show with almost no missteps. And what an audience. At the end, they stood up and clapped (and I didn't even start it).
Thta feels like a holiday miracle, and i am filled top-full of divinest gratitude.
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