We opened!

's funny how doing a show can consume you -- not only the immense number of hours rehearsing, but the hours spent outside of rehearsals just learning lines (and given the kabillion that I have, that was a challenge all by itself)....factor in the emotional investment you make....and you just get owned by a show.

Then add in the hours spent designing and building the set, as I did for this show (a tack I heartily do NOT recommend), and you can end up pretty near the frayed end of exhausted.

Frayed and exhausted R me.

But, no matter how tired, no matter how spent, the show does open when it opens. No puttin' it off, or turning back the clock. Last night we opened to an actual live audience.

Um.

I'm really not an egoist, I don't think. I'm generally pretty humble about my performances, I think -- and it's because I have a pretty good awareness of the size of my axe and the sharpness of my chops. I am not so falsely humble as to say I'm not any good; but generally I'm not very invested in the image of myself as particularly beyond the pale, either.

But.

Um. Last night -- I felt completely in control of the material; I felt that my energy was redlined and that I had the audience with me always.....and, during curtain call (which, generally, I dislike (because it just feels so selfish to stand there and say "applaud me!")), there was at least one shout of "Bravo"...and yeah, that was pretty doggoned nice.