Life is a Cabaret

 (Cast and Production Team of Cabaret.  I'm on the left in menswear and a beret.  Very Marlene Dietrich.)

Tonight is closing night of Cabaret.  As my first experience with GGSS, it has been quite the ride.  I haven't written a lot about it-- mostly because I haven't written a lot at all-- but since September Cabaret has dominated my life.  I rehearsed two to four nights a week for nearly all of September and October, and when I wasn't at a wedding, a conference, or struggling to finish the massive amounts of reading and writing assigned to me for midterms, I spent my weekends at crew call.  Last Friday I spent from 9-5 helping with load-in: I helped hang the backdrop, moved heavy set pieces, made sparkly bow-ties, and used a sewing machine for the first time.  The next day I was back at the costume closet, sewing on snaps, reshaping hats, and hemming.  And Sunday was tech run-- as an ensemble member who rarely leaves the stage, I spent nearly ten hours sitting in the "cabaret" as lights were adjusted and set pieces were spiked.

Then, on Wednesday we opened.  Zan surprised me by coming to the show when I thought he couldn't make it, my friend Pete came to see me (and to see Mike J., Kelsey, and Josh, of course) and on Thursday some members of my cohort came out to see the show, too-- I can't express how moved I am that they came to see me, when I have such a very small part.  On Thursday night I attended a cast party (something I haven't gotten to do enough) and tonight I'm bringing goat cheese and crackers to our final cast party potluck celebration.  Tomorrow is strike, then it's over.

I'm not sure I've made the most of this experience.  I've met some really nice, interesting people, and I hope to continue to build some of these relationships in the coming weeks/months/years.  I've gotten to experience the joy of singing loudly to Kesha, Katy Perry, and Britney Spears as we all put on our costumes and make-up pre-show.  I've gotten to get up onstage to sing (just a tiny little bit) and dance (badly, because I'm me).  But somehow I feel like with all the other things I had going on, especially during the last two-thirds of October, I didn't become as invested as I wanted to become.  I didn't bond with the cast quite as much as I wished/hoped I would.  The long commute to the law center hasn't helped either, and why are parties so hard to get to these days?

But, there's always the next show...

(Which is The Tempest.  And I'm hoping to put on my dramaturgy hat.)