Closing Weekend of BYE BYE BIRDIE! and Nailed by the Flu...

Okay...today is the first day of actually being "coherent" since the show closed last Sunday.  I was EXHAUSTED by the time Monday rolled around, and Tuesday my throat started to hurt.  By Wednesday, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.  Spent Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at home on the sofa, moaning and sweating, and having chills, and coughing up lots of...well...you get the idea.

ANYHOO...the final weekend of the play went very well!  Friday night my parents were able to come up for the show.  My nieces were there (for the second time), and Duane (for the fourth time).  Dianne, and Paulette and Russell were there from school, and my media assistant Nancy was there with her daughters Stefanie and Allison.  It was a ROUGH run, having been away for four nights, but we managed to get through it.

Mom and me and mama!!!

The family!

Me (looking REALLY "blimpy") with Russell, Paulette, and Dianne

Saturday night went much better, and a bunch of the Ashland crew was there.  Janet and Mallory were there (more Kaposia peeps) as well.

Sunday's final performance was a good one.  Duane came (for the fifth time!).  Ro and Janelle were there.  Emilie and Abigail (for the third time) and Monica were there.  My friend Linda and her nieces came, as did Catherine, Penelope, and Cecelia (Kaposia friends).  It was AWESOME to have so many friends support me by coming to see this show, which I still TRULY think is one of the BEST I've ever been involved in...! 

Linda and me!

Me with Paul, Maddie and Ro

After the show, we had our final cast party at the Barks house, and said our goodbyes.  Final cast parties are always interesting...people are PUMPED from having had a great run, but everyone also realizes that this is the last time that the group will be together in this "mix".  Many of us will cross paths in other shows, but we'll never have "this" again. 

I didn't stay long, as I was REALLY looking forward to an evening lying on the sofa (ooohhh...foreshadowing of the week...!), and the longest "part" of the party was trying to say goodbye to everyone!  It was a very large cast!!!

I DEFINITELY suffered the dreaded "PPD" (post-production depression), but not as badly as usual (perhaps the flu "over ran" the depression, because the last few days have REALLY been about trying to get through the day...).

It was a GREAT time, and I REALLY liked being in a lead role again (as opposed to "chorus"), but I'm SO not going to miss driving to Maplewood every night, or the traffic, or worrying about the roads/weather, or putting on makeup, or trying to get the "man girdle" on for another performance (...don't ask...).

I'm looking forward to some evenings at home that DON'T involved lying on the sofa...or at least not lying on the sofa feeling like CRAP!  I also look forward to the next "acting adventure"...whenever that might be!

Here's hoping YOU are healthy, and enjoying "down time" as well!!!!