Dreams

Last night I was tossing and turning. I had a weird dream. A stressful dream:

 I was cast in a murder mystery by Mz Jean Byrne who made me play Maggie Smith from Downton Abby. My favorite character from the show, who reminds me of my mom (though Maggie hasn't had as much botox).

I told Mz Bryne I was a man with a beard so I wasn't the right person for the part. She assured me I was right for it since she casts people based on their ability to become a part. She also added, "Women of a certain age have beards too."


But somewhere in the middle of the two week rehearsals, I took ill. I had to ride my bike through UCSB to get home, which was exhausting. Somewhere in the middle of it I saw a giant dinosaur model/skeleton. But in the end, I got home.

I got home and went to bed early in the evening... Maybe 7, 8 or 9. Then the next day I wake up and it is the day of the play. I had slept a long time. It was 1 pm and the play started at noon.

I race over to Telephone Road where the play is being housed. I find out they still want me to do my part--I am told all this by Cindy Giorgi who has a part as a southern belle. I argue with the group that I'm not confident, I don't know the part. But they say I can do it.


So I agree to do the part. I read through the play... Well, I skim it, and discover my lines are fewer than I thought. But I keep forgetting to mark my lines.

Suddenly, Mz Byrne's stage hand comes calling for me.

This is it.

I walk up the stairs, only to discover we are looking out on a lake. There are 8 people in the room. All of them senior citizens ages 80 and up.

I stare at the room and Mz Byrne says, "What did you think of the murder? Was the man violent to you? Did he beat you?"

I look at her and say, "Preposterous!" with a spitting emphasis on the P's and S's.

She smiles and sits down and lets me do my thing as on old man laughs finally realizing I am a man dressed as an old woman. I wobble around the room, mimicking the walk I had seen in "The Rivals" at PCPA.

I continue on, "Preposterous! He didn't beat me. I beat him with my cane." Lots of laughter. "But he was violent. It's preposterous to think he wouldn't be. You saw him."

I look out the large window behind me, the lake sparkles as the sun starts to set.

I ramble on about Americans and their stupidity and Mz Byrne interviews me in front of the group, then sends me on my way.

I waddle down the stairs and am greeted by laughter from the other actors. Farah shakes her head at me and says, "See. He does this all the time. I knew he'd pull it together. He goes from deathly ill to the star of the show."

I run over, cane still in hand, and give her a kiss. She smiles. Perhaps she's never kissed an old British woman.