I kept a low profile today, resting my knee as much as possible.
Tonight was our big fundraiser at Manbites Dog Theater, and as a board member, I dutifully arrived at 6:30 as instructed.
Gregor has donated 100 long-sleeved black t-shirt with the Manbites Dog logo on them and they look stellar! Most of the board members donned one under their sports jacket, and we completed our outfits with shiny red, cardboard cut-out stars with our names on them. Pretty slick.
We had a nice sized crowd tonight, I think in the 50-60 range, and as I always am, I was extremely impressed with this evening’s entertainment. It included once scene from each of the four plays being put on this season, and as she always does, Katja rocked my world with her scene from The Receptionist—now an absolute must-see on my calendar.
The same goes for Dana, I’ve yet to see her do something that wasn’t compelling, and her sneak preview of Age of Arousal resulted in another must-see on my calendar.
I have to admit that I didn’t know who Leonard Cohen was when at a previous board meeting it was announced—to ohs and ahs—that selected works of his were going to be interspersed in tonight’s entertainment. This is one of the pitfalls of being one of the only “non-theater” people on the board. However, after tonight, I’m a fan, and I’ll definitely be purchasing some iTunes offerings of his works. Selections this evening included Bird on a Wire, First we Take Manhattan, Hallelujah, and Chelsea Hotel No. 2.
Suzanne and Sharon came tonight, and it was nice to have a little time to catch up with them. I really enjoyed my “assignment” at the door, both greeting guests upon arrival and bidding them good evening, complete with a cookie in the shape of a dog bone, to send them on their way and thank them for coming.
With tonight out of the way, ticket sales opened for our next performance, which is also a must-see. It’s called Act a Lady, and it’s an uproarious comedy. The manly men of a Prohibition-era town decide to put on a play dressed in “fancy-type, women-type clothes”. Gender lines blur, eyebrows raise, identities explode, and the Elks Club will never be the same. A thoughtful and exuberant Midwestern fable about the man in every woman, the woman in every man, and the power of theater to uncover both. Accompanied by accordion.
Get your tickets now! Please?
I got to Flex at about 11:45, where Beareoke was going strong. However, it wasn’t long before the crowd began to disperse. I stopped over to Legends to see if, perhaps, Kevin and Kurt would be out, but to no avail.