Today's highlight was the energy of the Laramie Project cast before tonight's show. Everyone was happy, everyone was ready, everyone was feeling that nervous energy. As the assistant stage manager (and Cheez-It supplier, according to my friend Dave [who's on lights]) I don't get to interact with the cast too much off-stage -- though a couple of the ladies have been incredibly sweet and welcoming (the whole cast has been very friendly), and my stage manager Susan is amazing to work for. But tonight there was a stronger sense of... unity, maybe, of community. Or maybe I just felt more included in it. Anyway, before the show I had conversations with at least two more of the cast members in particular -- just the basic stuff, you know, where they're from, what they're doing -- but I like connecting with people like that. I mean, I suppose we're still just acquaintances, for the most part, but nonetheless.

That kind of happened yesterday too. Another cast member and I walk home along the same route for a couple blocks. It gave us a chance to talk last night and tonight (for whatever reason, I guess we'd never left rehearsal at the same time before then). I found out that she's an artist who manages to support herself without a "real job" (though she teaches painting classes from time to time). She lived in MI (where I grew up) for a few years too.

I'm hoping I manage to keep in touch with some of them, somehow, after the show's over.

One night down, two to go.