Last Sunday my church wrapped up our 43rd annual dinner theater melodrama. We have been putting on a melodrama play annually since 1978. Originally the production was a way for the parents of children who attended the parochial school at our sister congregation to help defray the cost of tuition.  Several years ago, that focus shifted to supporting our church youth for their annual mission trip.  In 2020, we had just had our dress rehearsal when two days from opening night, the world shut down. Last year after a two-year hiatus, we resumed the play but I was less than thrilled with it (who makes a play about making a church budget?)  This year was different.  It was a murder mystery set in the 1940s in an English manor during a thunderstorm. What could be better than that? I thought the play was so much fun that I bought two tables and invited all my family.

The play’s director, who is also the Director of Christian Education at the church, asked me if I would be willing to get into costume and character and introduce the play to the congregation a week before with the hope of generating additional ticket sales. My first thought was, “oh crap, how can I say no?” And, of course, I couldn’t. I laid awake that night trying to think of what I could say, in character to invite the congregation. I spent a lot of nights in the last couple of weeks laying awake thinking about my lines. I had quite a few but I’m not complaining. I like having larger parts and in this particular play “Alibis” by Peter Kennedy, the lines were fairly evenly divided between the cast members.

I wrote last year about the different plays I’d been in over the years. (You can read about that here.)

I was gone each evening last week except one, leaving the Great Hunter in charge of our new puppy, Dolly. She’s a sweetheart, but the most pooping and peeing puppy I’ve ever had. We can take her outside and she does excellent with going to the bathroom outside, but she’ll come in and a few minutes later, she’ll be squatting taking a tinkle on the floor.  But she’s adorable and Millie tolerates her well. She’s not particularly fond of Dolly latching onto her ears though.