SOLD OUT!

SOLD OUT!  I’m just going to keep writing those words, in case it never happens again.  Those are heart warming words to all actors, directors and producers.  I am in the fortunate, deeply angst ridden group of being all three albeit to a 30 seat house.

Oh, I felt such joy as that empty reservations list starting filling up, person by person, phone call by phone call.  I really did attempt to be all professional as I took each person’s reservation, but I loved ’em, each single person who was brave enough to be a pioneer into The Land of Imagination with me.  There were my friends, who brought their kids and their friends’ kids.  There was the grandma, who told me that someone put a flyer through her door with a note on it, saying “Go see this show!”  Then there were some mom’s who were the bravest of the brave.  They did not know who Ms. Bits N’ Bobs was, but they were willing to take a chance on some culture for their kids.

Naturally, as soon as the nagging fear had passed as to whether I would have an audience for this second show, it was followed by the horrible butterflies in my tummy as to whether I would do a decent job performing the show.  Whilst the show had been performed multiple times before, I had added some ideas, that could only be fully realized in a theater space.  There was a giant mirror and instead of just waltzing in as Ms. Bits N’ Bobs in full character, I spent some time as Nicole in the audience, spending time with the kids and their parents.  Then just as though I were playing dress up, I got up and played in front of the mirror, as I transformed into the Ms. Bits N’ Bobs persona.  They laughed, they played, it worked.

The children were electric with energy and filled with ideas on what they saw in the Land of Imagination.  The kids saw rainbows and butterflies, dragons and monsters.  There was one angelic young girl, Mia.  She must have been around 5 years old, with the sweetest lilt in her voice and the eyes of an angel.  She was very wary of me as I sat and chatted with the kids in the audience at the beginning of the show, moving away from me when I said “Hallo!”  Now her hand was insistently raised silently shouting “Pick on me! Pick on me!”  Dutifully I asked “What do you see in the Land of Imagination?”  Straight faced, Mia answers “Zombies.”  Later on in the show…”If you could speak any language other than your own, what would you speak?”  Mia…”Zombie Language.”  The audience cracked up.  Finally, the kids are all telling me their favorite books, stories and nursery rhymes.  “Yes, Mia…and your favorite story is?”  With a smile that filled the room she reacted right on cue “Percy Jackson and the …  Zombies!”

Each show is individual unto itself.  My “SOLD OUT!” audience will always be close to my heart.  Now the question remains, should I try to do this again.  Clearly yes!  I think?  Maybe?  Will I ever get another audience?  Will I ever sell out again?  Perhaps I’ll only ever sell out to Zombies?

Let’s see…