I would like to mention a theatre angel who sent me a very unexpected donation a few weeks before we left for Edinburgh. The money was from a fellow actor, and I wanted to make sure that it was spent wisely. The final character in Macaroni on a Hotdog, is a 17-year-old bride named Patty. I had always imagined that Patty would be wearing braces. Armed with some cash and a dream, I contacted Boger Dental in Plymouth, Minnesota. Not only were they willing to help me realize my dream of fake braces, they kept going until they got it right. The first insert was too tight and the metal pieces were prone to breaking off. The lab made the second one just right. I can slip it on my upper teeth very quickly and it fits like a retainer, and looks very real.
Thank you dear friend, for helping me get this show right. It was such a luxury to get exactly what I wanted, instead of skipping the braces because of the expense. Every time I used them, it added to the specificity of Patty, making her real to me, and real to the audience.
In many ways it feels like my time at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival never happened. We're settling in to our pre-Fringe routine. Lots of time is spent on household tasks, and no time is spent going to shows. There's plenty of plays to choose from in Minneapolis. Per capita, we have more theatre here than just about anywhere in the USA, except for New York City. But I can't walk to the theatre, and there's no magic lanyard that gets me free admission. It's a good 20 minute or more drive to any theatre from where I live.
I don't mean to complain, I just want to explain. For a blissful few weeks in Edinburgh, I got to focus my energy on what I love to do. It's not that I dislike my life in Edina, Minnesota... there's just less variety here. And let's face it, no kid on Earth dreams of doing housework when they grow up. They dream of being an astronaut, or a spy or the President. They don't dream of sorting laundry and pre-soaking the stains.
I was in my kitchen after supper tonight, and there was a little bouncy ball on the counter. I started bouncing it on the floor and completely unbidden that theme song from the Great Escape started playing in my head. I hummed it out loud while I bounced that ball on the floor.