Special Talents: Problem Solving Skills

What should Melody and I put on our acting resumes? PROFESSIONAL PROBLEM SOLVERS

The week in Iowa went well. The kids were good and all of the helpers were amazing. This does not mean, however, that we went without a few glitches. (Which is what makes this job fun and keeps us on our toes). For instance, on show day we call the kids 4 hours before the show so they can get into costume, have a dress rehearsal, put on make-up, and then perform the show. This week we had a Friday and Saturday show. On our Friday night show, Melody was putting on make-up with the help of some of our older cast members and I was keeping the other kids occupied with some theatre games. I glanced over to where Melody was doing make-up and at that very second, the girl who played the mirror that week collapsed. Melody and the older cast members rushed to her aid while I tried to rally all of the others into a big group and get them in lines for the show.

All I could think was, "We have to get her water and help and I need to get these other kids out of here....Am I going to play the mirror this week???"As I was gathering everyone together, I was also trying to go over the lines in my head. Thank goodness, however, she quickly recovered. A case of nerves mixed with extreme heat can do some real harm! She drank lots of water and got on stage. I was so proud of her! She did a wonderful job both Friday and Saturday.

So our week in Iowa was very good. The kids performed very well and the audience was super. It was the best audience we have had so far. They were so responsive to the jokes and clapped after every scene. Watching the kids come back stage with smiles as big as the sky is probably my favorite part of this particular week. We also stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast called "The Inn of the Six-Toed Cat". Kay Boam was our wonderful hostess for the week. Let me tell you, this woman can cook the most wonderful breakfasts you will ever eat! We loved to talk and laugh with her. Saying good bye to Kay was the hardest thing to do this week.

So now we head to Benson, Minnesota. We drove mainly through the country. Nothing but fields of corn and beans. Here is where we ran into our next big problem. Picture this: You are cruising down this country highway and you see a huge sign appear out of nowhere saying BRIDGE CLOSED... You look around... Maybe you can go around. So you get out of your beautiful F150 and start searching for ways to go around the bridge... Then you see there is no bridge... Just a gaping hole that has remnants of what once could have been a bridge but now look like Roman ruins. Now what do you do? Do you go to the scary looking farmhouse a few feet away? Do you get back in the truck and turn around hoping the GPS can find a detour? Or do you take that ominous dirt road that looks like the set of Strangers? TAKE THE DIRT ROAD, OF COURSE. So that's what we did. We ended up driving in the middle of the corn field... I swore I thought someone was going to jump out of the corn at us with a chainsaw or some other such murder weapon. But thankfully, nothing like that happened, and we found a way around the river and the "closed bridge" and still made it in time to Benson to meet our contact.

So now we are in lovely central Minnesota. The people we are staying with are super sweet. This week, Melody and I are staying in two separate homestays. It's different, but both sets of hosts are wonderful people. We are so excited to start working here. I'm already in love with this town. Wish us luck! Our auditions are tomorrow!!!