Table work, table work – and table work

Days 7 and 8: Wednesday, February 22 and Thursday, February 23

Sorry for the delay, but (at the risk of quoting both Beckett and Sam and Dede, “every day’s been the same").

We’ve spent the last two days in our tiny room on 29^th Street, going over the script with a fine-tooth comb, paying particular attention to the punctuation. Some of it’s been tedious, some of it’s been exhilarating, so in that regard, it’s just like any other rehearsal process. We’ve been finishing at 5:00, rather than the scheduled 6:00, for the dual reasons that we’re done and the room-rental rates going up at 5:00.

After Wednesday’s session, I was going to the theatre (more in a moment), so I had about 2 and a ½ hours to kill. Part of that time was taken in walking up to our theatre on 59^th to pick up some postcards for the show. While we were up there, I decided to get supper, but couldn’t figure out what I wanted. Since we were near the Plaza Hotel, I thought I might try the new food court in its basement. There were plenty of options (mainly coffee- and bread-related, it seemed), but I somehow got my mind set on fried chicken, and a quick glance at Yelp told me about a place that had a fried chicken sandwich. I went and, while expecting an actual sit-down restaurant, got more of an upscale fast food place. The fare—potato tots with a dusting of Parmesan, bottled iced tea, and a chicken breast that had been pounded almost paper-thin—was adequate, but not particularly satisfying. I still had time, so I headed to a Starbucks just north of the Theatre District, and had a small cup of tea, when proceeded to the theatre on 42^nd for Arthur Miller’s The Price. 

The postcard/poster for the show

The show kind of matched the sandwich; kinda dull and drowse-inducing. There were some good moments, some odd moments (most of which involved Danny DeVito, of all people, playing an octogenarian Yiddish furniture appraiser; he had a long bit of business that involved Jerry Lewis-levels of spitting out a hard-boiled egg as he was eating it, but I couldn’t tell if that—or his constant seeming to fumble for lines—was part of the script or an actor’s invention). I struggled to maintain consciousness (don’t know how successful I was), but it eventually ended and I headed home.

Once here, I decided to go to bed early, thinking I could sleep in (9:45!), but somehow woke at 8:00 and couldn’t get back to sleep.

Once I did get up (and the last two days, it’s been overcast, so the morning sun hasn’t gotten to me), it was almost a rerun of yesterday. There’s a snack bar at the rehearsal place, but the prices are ridiculous ($2.50 for a Snickers?), so I planned on bringing fruit today. Since there’s been a farmer’s market in Union Square every day this week, I figured I could get something good there, but they picked today to take the day off, so I bought a flavorless apple and a decent orange at a bodega (a dollar each).

We worked on Scene 5 today (the longest in the play), and got a lot of good work done. Afterward, I walked home, vacillated about having dinner, and, while deciding, stopped at the place I’d read about on Yelp that specialized in foot massages. Having averaged 7 or 8 miles at day this last week, I figured I needed one, so went in, told the receptionist what I needed, and she ushered me into the back, where the masseuse rubbed down my back, arms, neck, and legs, and utterly ignored my feet. It was good work—and something I did need—but not what I wanted. Oh, well.

After that, it was home, a nap, then finally trying a burger place Yelp recommended that was, again, just okay. A so-so patty melt, house-made potato chips, and a beer, followed by a froyo cone at a hole in the wall that specializes in fried foods (especially beignets and Oreos, from the looks of the place) and frozen yogurt.

Then it was back here, a little TV, and catching up here.

My biggest concern right now is that my throat’s felt a little raw most of the evening, so I hope it’s just being tired and not the onset of anything. Thanks to Pidge’s suggestion, I found some zinc lozenges in my suitcase and had one. Since rehearsal is here tomorrow, I can really sleep late and will hopefully be able to this time.

We shall see what tomorrow brings.