Adding Color

Things are moving on swimmingly here. We finished staging the play today and did a run. Still a lot of finessing and discovery to be had, but we have a shape. And I always work better once something is laid out. I like getting to the details. Still some things to figure out, but I think we are in quite good shape. The playwright will be here starting next Tuesday, which will be a treat as well.

Narrowly missed a small disaster this morning. Last night somewhere between the hours of midnight and 1am I went to take my contacts out and again (yes - twice in three months) rinsed one down the drain. Now, my last stint in Louisville I'd brought several extra pairs thinking, "Now CM, you don't want what happened in Poughkeepsie to happen again right?" But I brought them back to DC last weekend. After packing Monday morning and heading to the airport I thought:

Conscientious voice: "Wow, I don't have any extra contacts this time".

Carefree voice: "But you'll be fine. It's only a week. And when do you ever lose a contact?"

I traveled on.

Never listen to Carefree voice.

So when it happened last night I of course went to all of the dark places. I won't find another contact lens in Louisville. I will have to wear my glasses, which are broken down the middle (see May) and the way wrong prescription anyhow. I will be blind in one eye for the next several days. I will try to direct while blind in one eye.

The scariest thought was that it might not even make a difference.

But since I have been adamant about telling others not to panic (ahem) I talked myself down from my myopic ledge and thought sleep can only help the situation. Tomorrow is another day.

And I did. I did sleep.

At 8:00am in the morning I started sending frantic emails to the theater company manager. Can someone get me to a lenscrafters? Please!? Me with one contact will not be pretty (I am not over-reacting. My vision is really, pretty terrible and I cannot function with only half a correction. My perspective is all off and I can't walk straight. While it may have made my actual directing more, ummm, creative, it will also make me nauseas.)

I started poring over the phone book. If I call a cab from here to take me to this mall here, I can probably make it there and back by my 2:30 rehearsal...

And then, a foggy memory. Louisville Optical, right across from the wonderful Persian restaurant where Ms. Director and I would get cheap greek salads. I called. No answer. I left a rambling message.

After 9am I called again. I explained my situation. I shocked her with my horribly bad prescription (which I had on hand! See, the Conscientious voice had worked her magic at some point!) and she went to check their stock.

"Well, we don't always have such, well, unusual prescriptions on hand but I do have a sample of that right here"

"Oh wonderful" I gush, "I'll be right there. How much will that be?"

"Consider it your gift from the city of Louisville"

Score one more point for the heartland of America.

Laura at Louisville Optical was as sweet as can be. Turns out her daughter works in sales at the theater. She wants to be a make-up artist, maybe for the theater, when she gets out of school.

I told her the real money is in film.

I need to find a way to thank her. But tickets for the really dark urban comedy I assisted on or the really dark suburban sort-of comedy I am directing? Mmmmm. Maybe not. Maybe flowers.

P.S. The lovely blossoms above are courtesy of mom. Perfect selection.