A Willing Victim to the Whirlpool

Got sucked in again.

Kinda wish I could have spent all week eddying around the Green Room.

Ah, community theater! I love it.

Weeks and weeks back, I was contacted by the costumer for Theatre Huntsville's production of "Arsenic and Old Lace."  She needed some period hats and the "Abby Brewster" actress recommended me.  (Gaylen is such a dear!)  As if I could refuse, even if I wanted to; most of my hat collection is courtesy of TH's rummage sale last fall.  When they need, I gratefully lend!

In between my other obligations and Suzi's schedule, I didn't get my offerings out to her until the first night of tech week.

That's when I got sucked in, so to speak.  Poor Suzi!  A friend of hers had offered to help her sew up vintage-style costumes, but then had her own issues to preempt her time.  Luckily, the woman playing "Elaine" (the delightful Sonja) is a talented seamstress and sewed her own pieces, and Sonja's mom was able to complete a complicated blouse; but, well, otherwise Suzi was alone in her efforts.  When I arrived, I was not just hats and gloves, I was company.  I was an extra pair of eyes to say yes or no if something worked.  I was a receptive set of ears to bounce ideas around.  I was a bonus resource to complete costumes with lace, jewelry, slippers, clutches, notions.  I was a spare pair of hands to pin hems, fit pieces, trim bits, or throw a stitch on the machine (or take one out.)  I was there.

And I liked it.  I like being useful, creative, social.  Suzi believed she was so far behind, but as I helped her tidy up and think out loud, it turns out she was almost there.  It was just a matter of finally getting the costumes on bodies, reviewed and in motion to know exactly what was needed to complete each thing.  And someone who could get in the car & fetch-n-step while she kept her foot to the treadle.

Suzi has been a delight to get to know; an interesting woman with an interesting life; gracious, but no-nonsense.  It's been good to hang out at the Playhouse-- I've been away too long.  It's been good to see so many familiar faces and to be seen.  If my time had been more free this week, I wouldn't have minded spending all of tech week there, helping to tighten things up.  I adore the art of theater; on stage, back stage, audience--- something about it is "home", I guess because it is one of the few things in my life I have sought by myself, for myself and have made my own.

Speaking of making, check out these hat pins to give a "splash" of color to the cream hat Elaine will wear with two different dresses:

Coral Casual

Evening Aquamarine

"Martha Brewster" (Linda) needed her own, distinct, Victorian hat.  I mean DISTINCT. Let my own DLG model:

Oh, my.