Ontario
First off, US Airways sucks. My flight was again late leaving Tucson, but since I had gotten an earlier flight I didn't miss my connection. We were also late leaving Phoenix and got into Toronto over an hour late. Amongst our 50+ company members who mostly flew US Airways, at least 75% had connections that were late or canceled and 5 had luggage that didn't arrive. Not good... I don't think I've had a flight on US Airways in the past 6 months that has left on time. Several company members are now refusing to fly on this airline and I may be among them...
The Toronto airport was fun though. I had to get from one terminal to another to catch my shuttle to the hotel and I'm not saying they made that as difficult as possible, I'm just saying...
The original directions were to go to the ground floor and look for signs for the train that takes you between terminals. Except there weren't any signs. There were, however, little information booths every 500 feet staffed by brusque but helpful Canadians, all of a different ethnic origins and accents. At first I thought this was very convenient, since I had to ask at every single one to make sure I was still going in the right direction. But then I started to think that if they actually need this many information booths, that means a lot of people are lost and maybe it would be cheaper to just put up a few readable signs...
I had to take a total of 4 elevators to get to the train. I had to walk through a hotel. There were elevators that only went up one floor and then 20 feet down the way was another elevator that only went down one floor. It was ridiculous. Plus I had a cart for my luggage that only went forward when the handle was pushed down, otherwise the brake would abruptly activate. So I would stop briefly to try to read the elevator signs in French and the cart would screech to a halt and I would fall into the cart. The cart wouldn't back up or turn corners either unless you were pushing the handle down, you had to simultaneously push down on the handle and try to back up or throw your whole weight at the cart and lean in the opposite direction you wanted to turn. A video of my trek through this airport would probably be worth watching...I would have been amused had I not been so annoyed.
But our run in Kitchener has been without drama. Yesterday was a little crazy, 3 weeks off is just long enough to start forgetting how the show runs and what exactly I do during it. Plus our crew had A LOT of questions at the beginning of the show. So many that for 2 hours I didn't do anything except answer questions and look for misplaced costume pieces (Anchorage, Grrr!). I realize that I haven't written about Alaska. There's not much to write but there are pictures so I'll post them as I get a chance.
We have our last performance in Ontario today and then head out tonight for a brutal string of one nighters. We have 2 matinee load ins this weekend. That means we have a show Friday night, a load out that will go until at least 2AM, a short bus drive and a load in that starts at 5AM followed by a show at 3PM and a show at 8PM on Saturday. The load out will go until at least 2AM, a short bus drive and another load in that starts at 5AM with 2 more shows at 3PM and 8PM on Sunday followed by another short bus drive and a load in on Monday at 8AM. I won't do the math but let's just say that isn't enough sleep to be doing 5 shows in 3 days in 3 different cities...
I'll let you know how that goes.
XOX
k
The Toronto airport was fun though. I had to get from one terminal to another to catch my shuttle to the hotel and I'm not saying they made that as difficult as possible, I'm just saying...
The original directions were to go to the ground floor and look for signs for the train that takes you between terminals. Except there weren't any signs. There were, however, little information booths every 500 feet staffed by brusque but helpful Canadians, all of a different ethnic origins and accents. At first I thought this was very convenient, since I had to ask at every single one to make sure I was still going in the right direction. But then I started to think that if they actually need this many information booths, that means a lot of people are lost and maybe it would be cheaper to just put up a few readable signs...
I had to take a total of 4 elevators to get to the train. I had to walk through a hotel. There were elevators that only went up one floor and then 20 feet down the way was another elevator that only went down one floor. It was ridiculous. Plus I had a cart for my luggage that only went forward when the handle was pushed down, otherwise the brake would abruptly activate. So I would stop briefly to try to read the elevator signs in French and the cart would screech to a halt and I would fall into the cart. The cart wouldn't back up or turn corners either unless you were pushing the handle down, you had to simultaneously push down on the handle and try to back up or throw your whole weight at the cart and lean in the opposite direction you wanted to turn. A video of my trek through this airport would probably be worth watching...I would have been amused had I not been so annoyed.
But our run in Kitchener has been without drama. Yesterday was a little crazy, 3 weeks off is just long enough to start forgetting how the show runs and what exactly I do during it. Plus our crew had A LOT of questions at the beginning of the show. So many that for 2 hours I didn't do anything except answer questions and look for misplaced costume pieces (Anchorage, Grrr!). I realize that I haven't written about Alaska. There's not much to write but there are pictures so I'll post them as I get a chance.
We have our last performance in Ontario today and then head out tonight for a brutal string of one nighters. We have 2 matinee load ins this weekend. That means we have a show Friday night, a load out that will go until at least 2AM, a short bus drive and a load in that starts at 5AM followed by a show at 3PM and a show at 8PM on Saturday. The load out will go until at least 2AM, a short bus drive and another load in that starts at 5AM with 2 more shows at 3PM and 8PM on Sunday followed by another short bus drive and a load in on Monday at 8AM. I won't do the math but let's just say that isn't enough sleep to be doing 5 shows in 3 days in 3 different cities...
I'll let you know how that goes.
XOX
k
posted by KBARRETT at 10:32 AM
1 Comments:
Ah yes life in a traveling theater troupe. I will include the definition as it is so apropos . . .
troupe 1825, "company, band," from Fr. troupe, from M.Fr. troupe "company" (see troop). Trouper is "actor or performer in a theatrical troupe;" transf. sense of "reliable, uncomplaining person" is attested from 1959
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