We’ve spent our lives in theatre, t’was what we loved to do,
But stage life didn’t always work the way we wished it
to.
So here is just a taste of the things ‘to be or not to
be’,
That tell that you belong within the ‘Theatre
Community’!
If your trusty
sofa’s on the stage much more than you, yourself,
You have a ‘Frequent
Shopper’ card for all the Goodwill shelves,
Or can’t find
your own vacuum, but within the Prop Room there
Can easily find
a prop that’s not been used for twenty years!
You've ‘cleaned up’ a tuxedo using black felt
pen.
It’s hot glue
holds your costume on until production ends,
You’ve
seriously considered NOT enacting the murder scene,
Cause a gun
would wake the audience and might make them really mean,
Tech Week finds
you devoting all your troupe’s impressive powers
In getting your
play’s running time to under four long hours,
Your kids have
begged you not to buy them Happy Meals once more,
They’re better
with your lines (and with your cast, better rapport),
Your son just
played your father with his makeup thick and veined,
You race back
to rehearsal ‘cause you forgot your kids—again,
You’re the only
guy auditioned, so you nat’rally got the part,
The cast outstrips
the audience when the play is due to start,
Your gun is
held together with electric tape, quite black,
You've leaned out
through a window ‘fore you thought to fold it back,
The audience recognizes
you in makeup and moustache,
Cause just
before the show they saw you taking out the trash!
The set
designer cautions not to enter from stage left,
(Though you're onstage in five) cause all of that half is still wet,
In dinner gown
and heels, you’ve moved a sofa ‘cross the stage,
Or done the
same (and you’re a guy!) and feeling mighty strange…
All this and
more is just a taste of what it means to be
A member of the
troupe of the ‘Theatre Community’!
Cause Mondays do get knocked a lot,
With poetry, we all besought,
To try to make the week begin
With pleasant thoughts,
Perhaps a grin?
Have crafted poems for you to see.
And now you’ve read what we have
wrought…
Did we help?
Or did we not?
Next week, it won’t be very hard,
We’ll talk about the festive CARD!
That's a great poem - it really captures the ups and downs of Am-Dram productions. I used to play 'bit' parts in my local church productions, and we had lots of fun both during rehearsals and performances. Happy days!
ReplyDeleteThose were the best of times, SBM. 45 years of it. Till Covid shut us down. ...mumble...grumble... :(
DeleteHere's my contribution - a different kind of show!
ReplyDeletePrecious Percy is full of joy
As the girl from ‘Pampered Puss’
Says, “Percy, you are a handsome boy”
And combs his fur up to a ruff
Around his neck. Doesn’t he look swell!
Far smarter than wearing a velvet collar
Is to sport a ruff ‘au naturelle’.
Bathed and combed, claws trimmed and clean,
Percy is looking his best
Now sitting on the window seat
All he has to do is rest.
As the sun shines through the window
Percy dozes in the light
His tail curled neatly around his paws
He is such a charming sight.
He is suddenly awakened
By a rushing to and fro.
Come on, Percy, get into your cage -
We are off to the Autumn Show!
…
Percy is feeling rather bored
Already he has the measure
Of all those prissy lah-di-dahs
Whose eyes are on the treasured
“Best in Class” and “Best in Show” -
He can’t see what the fuss is.
He slyly winks at Moonlight Glow,
The prettiest of the pussies.
Moonlight Glow is not amused
She tilts her queenly head
Disdainfully, and bats her eyes
At the lady judge instead.
Percy takes no interest in all that is going on
He yawns, and flicks his tail, and yawns
As the day drags on and on.
His thoughts are fixed on going home
And wondering what is for dinner …
When a cheer goes up, and he is grabbed and hugged,
As he is proclaimed “Best Moggy” winner!
(Top Notch, Percy!)
Hooray for Percy. And all moggies.
DeleteA cat show! They should all be winners in my book.
DeleteWay to go, Percy!
DeleteThis brings back memories of getting cattle ready to show. All the fussing and primping and preening. Then that final 'clap on the rump' that signalled the winner!
Vastly different in size, but the process is much the same! ;)
And great job on the poem!!!
DeleteI like that. Best Moggi is a fine title :)
DeleteI'd love to see one of your productions. If you didn't live so far away... I would!
ReplyDeleteAnd I would SO love to see you here, Laurie! Maybe someday...
DeleteI loved your poem. Not a reality I ever knew, but you made it sound fascinating. And all consuming.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly consumed us! My kids were all raised 'on the stage'. More than once I can remember saying, "Put your homework away! That was your cue!!!"
DeleteWhat fun it is to be in the limelight, even if you are just in the background. Once in the school play, i won the part of Peter Pan. The principal yelled that it had to be a boy, and i was demoted to understudy. My career ended before it began.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! In my world you would have been front and centre! (Except when that part of the floor was still wet...)
Delete"Did we help?" definitely, you're now on my right-margin blogroll.
ReplyDeleteYay! Our work here is done! ;)
DeleteIf you are looking for more festive themes, how about Festive Traditions?
ReplyDeleteOooh! Good one, SBM! We'll use that one for December 7!
DeleteI could see those scenes in my minds eye. Well written.
ReplyDeleteWhat is a festive card?
Just saw this, Charlotte! Probably too late for this week. I'm so sorry! A festive card is a card for a holiday! Birthday, Christmas, Anniversary...
DeletePerfect poem. You always have the best stories!
ReplyDelete