School Friends Party at the Red Door Playhouse

Well, I am seemed to be six blogs behind. On the 22nd I finished the Ulta one, and so I didn't have to blog that day. Then the next we were really busy and had yet ANOTHER party, and so I was so tired at the end of the day I didn't blog. Of course the next day was Christmas Eve, and who does optional work on Christmas Eve? I thought it highly pardonable, stating that probably no one would be reading it on that span of time, as it is the Christmas Season, and so I didn't write. It was a time to be with family, to relax, to celebrate Jesus's birth. Now, of course I didn't do it the next day either.The day after that I was lazy and we went shopping. No blog.The day after that, too busy. The only consquence of not writing for the six days is that some people have to wait for the next addition, and that I have to write four blogs in a day or two. Well, let's get started, and wish me luck! (Oh, and I hope you had a MERRY CHRISTMAS! I certainly did.)

Long before the party, in the hours of the morning and afternoon, all we did was cook, clean, and get ready the house for the party that was to happen on the NEXT day, where the Bourne Family would come to our house. Brought clothes up and down, made beds, got the drinks ready to get to the RDPH, none of this would seem interesting to you adventure readers, would it? Well, I'll come straight to the part where we drove in the pouring down rain in the suburban and one of Dad's black sports cars. We parked down in the parking lot, and jogged up the walkway with the boxes of soft drinks. The rain came down like the machine guns or the shrapnel in WWII, and hit upon us, trying clearly to get our attention. They competed for it, the little raindrops did, hitting each other of the shoulders or slamming themselves into other drops, in midair. Little rascals. I had a hoody on, and Mom a big bulky jacket, and Dad one with a fedora, and Rebecca with.... well, I don't remember what she had on. Oh well. Anyway, we went inside as we came in with the pop and a little bit of beer for the grownups coming.

We were soaked, on the outside, but we were to be spared better than later guests we would see. Seth and Leah had nice decorations and paper snowflakes on the ceiling, also clearing off the whole counter for the food to get on. Dad pulled up with his car and he and I made numerous trips in the rain getting stuff up. We put all the stuff in their small fridge as I took out a big present, that thing I had gotten at the Antique Market on Canton. The Charlie Chaplin book. At a break in all the go-go, I handed it to him by the sound equipment behind the balcony where the stools are with the couch. He opened it up and was very excited, flipping through the pages and explaining how instead of pulling up a lot of movies from Chaplin on the net (as he did while I was in the class; that's how I learned of his love of Chaplin), he could show him all the pictures in there. He put it on display on a large desk on the way going down from the stairwell. He said he had a present for me from video-taping all those three plays. But just then, Dave Fast, a big guy with a goatee and a Packers hat who owns Phish Food and was going to cater to us came in. I never learned the secret destination of the gift. Would I forget and never receive it, or would I find this very mysterious object? Only time, would tell.

When Mr. Fast, our caterer, asked Seth what was the quickest parking spot which would be the closest to the playhouse, Seth and Leah said it was okay for people to come upon the area of red brick sidewalk and grass, right in front of the playhouse. I didn't get to see him pull up, but I did see the truck there, him taking stuff out of the trunk. Metal plates, flame heaters, and slates, and square bowl things that lasagna, Cesar, and garlic rolls got put into their places. Mr. Dave Fast did that very FAST, if you will. I'm sorry I just had to say that. I had too. Anyway, quickly the tables and benches and chairs were all ready, the food all hot and steaming, and our clothes were dry. As I stood idly upstairs, Lauren Lerma and her daughter Lisney arrived, which big jackets on and an umbrella. Mrs. Lerma talked to Mom as Lisnny went down stairs to keep balloons in the air. Keely came into the building from the upstairs way, and Henry and his family from the bottom part. I told her that her friend was there and she told me Henry was there. We switched friends. I welcomed my friend and his family, and they put away their coats. Henry joined in that balloon thing. One by one friends came, Sara, Alyssa, Jason, and Austin. The Goodloe's came, and were soaking wet, as they didn't bring coats or jackets. Ryan, Mrs. Goodloe's son with blonde hair and being in fifth grade, had a blue and red t-shirt (imagine) with water in his hair, clothes, shoes, and even in his eyes. He looked like a guy who didn't get into the ark before the flood came. Really. I'm serious.

People started arriving not by one by one now, The Gould's, The Singer's (check Sylvia, Jason and Sara Shelton, and the Singer's blog post) and even the Andy Clan, without Andy at first though because he had to work. They came by families, a few families at a time. Libby, May and Will seemed thunderstruck at all the wild kids playing with the balloons and fighting to get them, and stayed in one place idly for a while. They didn't really know anyone here except for us, and so they didn't know what to do. Furthermore, Will got a cold from the rain and sat down for a while, sick. They thought they would leave then and there. But Will still wanted to try to stay for a little, and so they did. Henry, Sara and Alyssa stayed with each other mostly, talking and playing. Then Mary Beth arrived. Brown hair, kind of short, wild but nice too. I hadn't seen her for 6 months, although she didn't exactly say anything the first time she saw me. We then said hello. But it was awkward. Ryan hung with those four as they annoyingly texted on their phones sometimes. I went upstairs and hung with the parents a tiny bit, seeing the different parents and talking of different things. I went back downstairs and saw Austin and Jason talked in a corner, together. A lot of Rebecca's friends got all fine with each other, and most of them played with the balloons. You couldn't take it away from them. They loved it so much. Running, keeping them in the air, fighting with them, it was Heaven to the 9 year olds.

About this time, the Poje's came and Elise and Julia joined Rebecca's group. I hung around with Weston a little, but I went everywhere making sure everyone was content. Mom says that's how you be a good host. Will got better when he ate, and Libby also got to talk to some people. Westin met with Sara Singer and they talked; they were in the same preschool class and so they talked of old times and weird friends they knew. I'm glad Westin had somebody to talk to. It was good. As I was doing something, Seth asked me if I wanted to do a blessing before everyone got their food. Well, he didn't exactly ASK me, it was more saying Mom wanted me to. I was pulled into it, but I'm glad I did it. In the sound booth from a microphone I did a small, but sufficient, prayer about thanking everyone was here and for the food. And then everyone was served up, but some of the sixth graders (sara, alyssa, henry, mary beth) didn't get food yet. They were on their phones (save Henry), not even socializing except for a little. What has this world come to? Really what has it come to? People will have friends they haven't even met but know on texting. There will be no reason to go out to lunch with a friend, you can just face-time him with the push of a button, in the comfort of your home. Don't think I'll go to work today, I can do everything in my office of my house. Robot, walk the dog. Robot, clean the house. Computer, read a book to me. Don't need to exercise, I can just trim off all of the body fat by a special new device. Hmmmmm..... I need to tell my daughter something, instead of going down and telling her, I will send her an email that will speak out of her phone. No need to tell my wife I'm going to work, no need to even talk to any of my family today, I can write it all on tiny keys of a computer or phone, and socializing is no longer needed! Computer, crank up the car, teleport me in, my leg is asleep. Robot, pour me a glass of coffee, my arm is tired. Is this where the world is going to? Let's hope not. Next time at a party, talk to people. Please do. Please.

Changing the subject, people were served as they went in the buffet line, most of Rebecca's friends sat at a big long table with benches on either side. The 6th graders still didn't come, but I was hungry so I sat by one of Rebecca's friends sisters. And oh did she burp. And fart. And breath. And burp. And fart. Burp. Fart. Burp. Fart. It went on and on. I scooted away. Westin came down and I sat next to him, and we talked about some stuff, like a book I read and he's reading, some other things too. I ate a good thing Fast made, a chocolate berry cake thing. Very good actually, although the words probably make some people go away. After eating I went down and talked and hung out and talked and hung out(it's not cool anymore for a 6th grader to say play, although that's what we did, with those balloons.) As people finished their meals, Seth said in 15 minutes the improv show, the entertainment, would begin. I had to answer a lot of people's questions what improv was, saying to them, "It's where people on the stage act out a skit from the audience's suggestions, and we'll do improv games and fun things like that." Libby and her siblings were ready to leave, but wanted to see the show too. They kept asking when it was gonna be, when, when, when! By this time everyone got into the seats, Rebecca's friends on the left side on like the second and third row, and mine all along the back. I sat with the phone four, Westin with me, also Austin and Jason, and Ryan, our parasite. 10 minutes 'til show. All the adults on the right side of the chairs, saying embarrassing things about their over self conscious 6th graders, or pre- teens. The actual 6th graders call themselves tweens, as in twelve. Their were more than 60 people there, all the people swarming into those chairs and on the balcony, it was crazy. 5 minutes 'til show. More explaining. 3 minutes. 2 min. 1. Seth comes on stage with a spinny wheel with words on it. It's kind of little. Then he said that people will come from the audience and spin the wheel, then it will land on something, Seth will explain the game, and pick the people for it, from the crowd. One of Rebecca's friends spun. The game was Props. Leah and an actor at the playhouse named Crystine did an example, the game being two on two, using a prop from a bag and making a scene out of it. Kristin, Rebecca's friend, got on one team and Samantha on the other. Leah's team got a big tube cylinder thing, and Crystine's team got some thermometer. They were more creative, as they had a smaller less easy thing. They won, although Seth said it was a tie, because they were littler kids. The games continued.

I can't tell you EVERY single one, but I will broach you on the highlights. Right after the props game Seth asked Rebecca and I to come down and do "This is a Pen" the world's shortest play. Seth has taught it in classes, thousands of times, and we asked him if we could do it. We got on stage, and were handed a big pen. Seth wanted us to do the basic, boring one, which would not be fun and would not display acting abilities, it needed little to none of them at all. Here it is:

Person 1: This is a pen(presents pen.)

Person 2: A what?(confused.)

Person 1: A pen. (like duh!)

Person 2: A what?(dumbly)

Person 1: A pen!(Clearly annoyed.)

Person 2: A what?!

Person 1: THIS IS A PEN!

Person 2: Oh, it's a pen!

Which is really quick. We wanted to change it around, with characters and emotions. I became a butler presenting to the royal queen a pen, and we also did a pirate version. Laughs were made by the audience. It's fun to think off your head. It was fun there. Other people did cool things, and Will and Austin both spun the wheel. Will felt better. After some people did some funny and cool games, everyone although the things were cheesy laughed and enjoyed the time. Rebecca and I were called up again. Some other people didn't go up yet, and so I protested that some one else should be in the spotlight. Together, Mom and Seth both said, "WAIT, YOU'LL THANK US LATER." Two stools were brought and we sat on them. Blindfolds too. They put them around our necks and shielded our eyes. "Comfortable?" Leah asked. "Oh yes I love the combination of cotton and wool blending on my eyes. Laughs from the audience. Seth explained that friends of mine and friends of Rebecca's would speak into a microphone, using their real voice, and we would have to discover who it would be. The whole back row was brought up, the 6th graders. The first one was the easiest. But the next ones wouldn't be.

"Detective Andrew, come in. We have a base operation in progress."

"Hello Henry." I answered.

"What's up Andrew?"

"Nothing much what about you, Austin?"

"Hey Andrew." I knew it was a girl's voice, but I hadn't heard it for so long. Mary Beth!

"YOU'RE MARY BETH!"

All of these answers were correct. There were more to come.

"Welcome back Andrew."

"Why thank you, Jason."

Laughs erupted from the audience as I improvised, and said some funny things.

"You know what time it is?"

"I can't see any watches, Alyssa." (More laughs.)

"Yo, Andrew."

"Don't try to fool me into thinking your a boy, Sara."

The last happened to be hard. It was a high but clear voice, and I had no idea what friend it was. It could've been Ryan, or somebody doing it again. I asked Seth if people were allowed to go again. I kept asking for the person to repeat themselves. I couldn't get it. Finally Rebecca said "It's Charlie!" after I yelled it was a girl. I felt sad for Charlie, that he thought he had a girl voice. I told him later I was sorry. Poor little dude. Rebecca got most of hers right. Then we went back in the audience and a few of my friends laughed over us and we talked about it a little. A game I liked that later happened was called Emotional Interview, where kids go in line and constantly change emotions in front of a principal at a school they want to go to. Sylvia did a wonderful job, changing from giggly to sad to happy. Henry was hilarious also. Christine, the lady who was the principal, acted along with them. It was a really good. Mom took great pictures of all that happened, but I wanted her to act as Mr. Shelton and Mrs. Towey(Mary Beth's mom) did a funny robot "This is a Pen." I wanted her to do something. I confronted her about it, saying it would be the best Christmas Present ever. The wheel was spun to Word Tennis. I saw her whisper in Seth's ear something. He said in the microphone that I wanted Mom to do it. She got on stage, and Leah faced her off. The way you play is Seth gives them a category and they scream stuff out at each other, and you can't reuse a word or stall without giving one for three seconds. The subject was fruits and vegetables, and it was funny as Mom tried to keep up with the professional actor Leah is. She blundered and gave up, so Leah one. Later in the night, Mary Beth and Alyssa took off their gloves and went toe to toe, and Alyssa valiantly won. It was a fun night.

Everybody (and I mean everybody) lined up to play a game called All in All, where four people start out in a car and a hitchhiker stops them on the road. They are a character, and the other three people copy that character and are those people until they all switch, and so the driver gets out and the passenger becomes the driver, and the hitchhiker in the backseat is a back passenger. This process goes on and on. The line was very long, it going up the stairs. I was at the back. Everybody had a long time to make up their part as the line moved up. I was by Westin and my school mates, some people deciding on Twilight(barf) characters. Westin wanted to be Santa but someone took it. So he did a mime. The cool thing about the game was, the vehicle was an R.V. and I picked it's destination, them going to somewhere in South Dakota. I was supposed to pick a town. There's not many in those states. Leah said Mitchell, where the famous Corn Palace is. A lot of people in line did pirates or country people. Westin was a good mime. I had to think fast, and so I became a journalist. Henry an old man. Alyssa a country person. I don't remember what the others were. That was a fun game.

Next, we did a little sing-a-long as Rebecca sang "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer" and Elise sang "Jingle Bells". I was given a book version of the Night Before Christmas poem; I had practiced it earlier. I was given a microphone, sat on a chair, and started. It was fun to recite it. Here it is, with my ad-lib and changing it around a little.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.(sound effect of mouse) ok maybe a mouse but nothing more.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas(that's Santa Claus for you yanks.) soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.(I don't know what a sugarplum is but they danced.)
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.(10 hrs to be exact)

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.(caused some damage too)

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,(pause for effect)
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.(it was tiny although it had all those toys in it.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,(even though he was little and old)
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.(they took out some shingles, but he's Santa, he's above the law)
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.(And he hurt his butt too.)

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.(looked like a chimney sweep)
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.(creepy guy.)

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.(although it was covered with soot and ashes)

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.(He was a smoker!?)
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!(shake belly for audience)

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!(haha)
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.(I mean, what is he gonna do, toy me to death?)

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,(which side did he do, switch side for audience)
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,(pause, What did he exclaim?)
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

I got a lot of applause, and later grown-ups and kids said I did a very good job. It was very, very fun.

And so ended the improv show and games. Mom made a nice little speech about embracing the times when everybody isn't so busy, and she gave everyone grey blankets with pink lettering saying Embrace the Margins. People started to leave, and we wished them a Merry Christmas and stuff as dance music came on, the Cupid Shuffle and Macarani. Then it became chaos. People dancing, running outside in the rain, hiding behind bushes and scaring kids, going up stairways and looking into windows, waving to people on the road, popping balloons on prickly bushes, doing all sorts of crazy things. I tried to stop them. To no avail. But as I said, people started leaving, and they settled down. I got really tired as I stayed with the grownups, and then collapsed on a chair. I said goodbye to my friends, thanked them for coming, and wished them a Merry Christmas. Pretty soon it was just the Poje's and us. We got the food and stuff to the cars, as I met Henry in the parking lot and said goodbye, I slipped down a hill and got really muddy in the evening rain. I grasped stugglingly a piece of dirt, the rain and mud oozing down my body and back. Materials came into my eyes as I slipped down, down, down. I went inside the playhouse and washed up in their bathroom, remembering the promised present. I asked Seth about it. I opened it, it being in the sound booth. It was a black journal, with a thing on the front saying. THINK. CREATE. RECORD. I thanked Seth for the journal, and he said his best ideas come to him while he's traveling, that if I followed those simple steps I would be great at it. Well, we left after that, and drove away. It was 11:46 before we got to bed (party ended at 11:30 I believe) and 12:04 before I went to bed. Crazy.

That was one of the best nights of my life. Great entertainment, fun time, good food, and it was awesome to see my friends there. Sure, it was crazy and hectic, but it was worth it. Before I end this very long blog, let me thank Seth and Leah for all their hard work and for the journal. You guys are awesome. I have done so much stuff there, and had so many memories. I'll never forget the Red Door Playhouse.

Goodbye for an hour or two. I got a lot of blogs to do so I'll be back after I have breakfast.

So hungry,

Andrew.