In some venues – bars come to mind – off stage consists of a cramped space in the stock room. In those instances, you tend to hide your wallet or other valuables under a case of empties and you rely on another performer to apply your makeup, if you happen to use lipstick and eyeliner.
Not so at the local forum. True, the dressing room seemed to shrink once all the performers were in it. But the main question was, and remains: why did the architect not provide better access to the stage? Yes, the access works if you go straight from the dressing room to the wings. However, if you happen to be in the audience, you must migrate from there to the back door through the main exit; race through the rain; down back steps cleverly designed so you must step over a curb, onto a small step, then onto a larger one (no lighting provided); shake the raindrops out of your eyes; file up to the wings; then, begin your performance as if you weren’t winded or dancing in squishy shoes.
If I add that our migration from the audience to the stage reduced the spectators by a good third, I’ve ended the gripes about last night’s show. The performers and the public had a great time. The finale on Riding was a Bic-waving moment. I can barely move this morning because of various muscular aches. No problem: walking down to the market then back up again should set those right. (The same held true in Lisbon: when you think you can’t walk another step? Rest for five minutes, maximum, then walk some more.)
What else? Rap sounds great in Italian. The rapper’s two little girls were in a rapture, the tiniest one dancing in front of the stage and turning to me every so often to say: “c’est mon papa!” and hugging herself from the delight of it all.
I managed to read through part of work-in-progress at some point before trying to get a lift and discovering my phone has died. No phone means no interruptions from people intent on selling security devices to the elderly, right? Oh, this is Easter Sunday, they wouldn’t bother me today.
Allez. I move now or the muscles will lock into the sitting position.