Theatre Road Trip Across Michigan...

Again I hope you may find another Theatre road trip to be as funny as we did following the passage of time.  That is assuming lawyer fees were finally paid off, the various restitutions made and all that good stuff.😂🎭

As shared in previous blog sometimes a theatre will either offer for sale or even give away items which may be quite useful to Scene Designers, Prop Managers, and even Artistic Directors of other theatres.  Of course these items were far too many or far too large to be shipped by normal means thus necessitating the need for a road trip.  And with the right people the journey could be a blast.🤣

This funny story again unfolded during my stint when I was Scene Designer for the theatre in Michigan where

my young Intern Scott was just beginning his career.

One day our Executive Director Michelle, burst into the Scene Shop so loudly Scott nearly shot a nail from the nail gun into my hand as we two were constructing a new set.

"Michelle!  Please don't burst in on the Scene Shop staff like that again or one of us could get decapitated, lose a hand, or piss all over ourselves!"

"Sorry Adelaide...Scott, but I'm so excited!"

"No shit!"

"You both are going to be so happy when I tell you what we're finally getting!"

"Really?!!  Are we finally getting the new toilet for backstage staff?!!"

"Or the new coffee machine?!! asked Scott.

"Wait a minute!  Are we finally getting the new hydraulic lift we desperately need to do our work?!!"

"Well sort of."

"Uh, what exactly do you mean by, 'sort of?'"

"Here's the news!  That brand new theatre in Madison, Wisconsin has a brand new toilet they don't need, AND a new hydraulic lift, new equipment Sean (our Lighting Designer) needs!  They don't have the new coffee machine though but we're getting one."

"Better add toilet paper to the list while you're at it Michelle, because it will be needed once we finally get the coffee machine and toilet!"

"You're right, Adelaide!"

"So how are we getting the stuff here?"

I should have known a roadtrip was about to happen.

"Well you see Adelaide, in exchange for these items 

we need, they need to borrow the sets you did for 

"Annie," and "Hair," but they can keep the "Children Of A Lesser God," "'Broadway Bound," and the "Romeo And Juliet" sets."

"Michelle, that's a huge amount of theatre sets.  How are we transporting them?"

"We're going to rent a new pickup truck to pull your horse trailer, rent the largest U-Haul truck available, and also rent a huge RV too because you all will need to be in Madison overnight.  Sean is going.  Oh and Scott, can your partner Dustin go too?  We'll pay him."

"I believe so, but I'll have to ask him."

"Oh and Jason (Stage Manager) will be going."

"Oh this is going to be a blast!  Adelaide on the road with four guys..."

"Six!  I forgot, Julien (Box Office Manager) and his partner Bobby are going too!"

"Adelaide on the road AND sleeping with six guys!"

Then Scott and I in unison, "THIS WILL BE A BLAST!"

"Michelle, are you sure this won't need to take TWO nights?!!"🤣

"Actually it will."

"Really?!!"

"Yes, I just realized it will take seven hours besides ferry time crossing Lake Michigan!  Then it will take hours to unload then load what you're bringing back!"

"So TWO nights away!"

Since Scott and I couldn't possibly pull out the sets we needed on our own all hands were there to take this on.

The "Hair" set alone filled the horse trailer, the pickup truck bed, and half the backseat of the truck cab.

Thankfully parts of both "Hair" and "Annie" were shared between the two, so that helped.  The same with the remaining three.  Nevertheless, theatre sets filled the 

U-Haul truck and the roof of the RV.  This was going to be some caravan!

I was driving the pickup truck with Scott and Dustin riding with me.  Jason, Sean and his friend Keith who joined us too were in the U-Haul.  Julien and Bobby, in the RV.

Early on a Wednesday morning The Theatre Caravan set off.  To save money we stocked the RV with a ton of food and drinks.  We also had Walkie Talkies to keep in touch with each vehicle.

To pass time on the road Julien and Bobby in the RV devised a way to play Charades by making use of the RV's large back window.  Bobby first performed a round 

for the U-Haul crew.  Then the same for us in the pickup truck.  Whichever vehicle had the highest score won.

This really did make the hours crossing Michigan fly by, besides causing hysterical laughter listening in on the guessing of Bobby's Charades through a moving window while flying down the interstate.😂

At rest stops we took coffee breaks with the coffee Bobby kept going.  By the time we reached Muskegon where the Lake Express Ferry was located we were tied in Charades.

While waiting for the next ferry to board we ate soup and sandwiches Bobby fixed after Charades.

Of course our caravan began drawing attention.

ESPECIALLY when seeing a Little Person get out of the driver's seat of a large pickup truck pulling a horse van, traveling with SEVEN men!!!  We were really having fun with the obvious reactions we were getting.  For you see I wasn't the only one of the group who had to deal with rudeness.

This was the mid-eighties.  Four of my dear friends and traveling companions were gay.  They no more saw me as a Little Person as I did their sexual preference.  But some of the strangers around us did nothing to hide their rudeness to me or their obvious disgust of my friends.  Some of my guys were ready to tear into them but I quickly reminded them I had dealt with this shit longer than them to learn a few things...and one of the most important is how WE have to be better than they are and stronger than they are because we ARE.  We must not ever allow them to take OUR power away.

My guys listened.  None of our power got taken.

The time came to board the ferry.  The Theatre Caravan had to load last in the rear section out in the open as our vehicles were so large.  No problem.

Seagulls were flying everywhere.  This is when Bobby had the bright idea of putting lunch scraps and other tidbits on the bright roof of the U-Haul.  In a moment it was like a scene from Hitchcock's "The Birds."  Not just a flock folks...more like TEN FLOCKS!😂

Thankfully since we were the rear nobody else was affected but us.  Just before we dived into the RV we could hear the Captain laughing on the intercom as he said NASA was reporting a huge dark spot over Lake Michigan!  Thus it was best not to feed seagulls.🙄

NO SHIT!🤣

Aside from this incident the crossing was uneventful.

We disembarked in Milwaukee, traveling around it heading to Madison for the last leg of our journey.

Though Madison isn't large at all compared to Milwaukee, Chicago, or Detroit, Julien and Bobby leading us all had a hell of a time finding the theatre.  Now you've got to keep in mind we were a huge RV, 

the largest truck U-HAUL carried, followed by this large extended cab pickup truck pulling a large horse van all trying to navigate these narrow streets with trees! 

The walkie-talkies came alive!

"Bobby!  What the hell is going on up there?!!

"I can't find the theatre!"

"NO SHIT!  Why not?!!"

"I think it moved."

"It couldn't have!  You haven't gotten into the Kentucky Bourbon have you?!!" asked Sean.

"Uh Bobby, are you holding the map upside down?!!"

Silence.

"Bobby!  Are you holding the map upside down?!!  It's okay if you're not so please tell us before one of these trees won't let go of us back here!"

"Yes."

"YES WHAT?!!"

"I was holding the map upside down."

"Okaaay, now take a deep breath and figure out where the hell we are so WE CAN GET OUT OF THIS MESS!"

Thankfully The Theatre Caravan finally arrived at the theatre before the staff left.😂

It was decided everything would be unloaded the next day.  Then all the brand new theatre lights with the latest colour frames and colour gels at the time, besides all the vast wiring and electrical components loaded into the U-HAUL.  The wonderful brand new hydraulic lift we so needed and the new toilet would be loaded into my horse van.

The guys brought a large grill for the steaks.  We came prepared you see.  Though it was early spring we sat near the burning coals after dinner sipping whiskey and wine telling theatre stories both funny and sad.  Sean brought his guitar so after we all had a bit of alcohol in us we sang songs...everything from "Imagine" to "Country Roads Take Me Home" to "Teach Your Children to "Everybody's Talkin'" to "My Girl" and on.  Since no one was close to hear us we sang our hearts out and laughed till the fire died.

It had been decided since I took up so little room in the bed, I would sleep with Julien and Bobby.  So there was plenty of room for all.

Because I was so used to getting up early to feed my horses throughout my life I would be the one getting seven guys awake.  I came prepared for I brought a peacock feather with me.🤣

And it worked too.  But first I made the coffee before unleashing my feather upon their dreams.🤩

The new theatre had several showers which helped us tremendously.  And they had a large crew on hand to help with the unloading.  By late afternoon each of the sets were unloaded.  Each section was checked off by me and gone over with their Scene Designer.  The theatre crew were absolutely thrilled because these sets enabled them to kick off their opening season far sooner than expected.

The theatre staff ordered a huge feast of German foods and beer with music provided by local musicians.  We all had a blast!  I was only asked five questions a thousand times:

A.  You have a horse?!!  How DO you get ON it?!!

B.  How did you become a Theatre Scene Designer?!!

C.  What's it like traveling with seven guys?!!

D.  Where are or who are you sleeping with?!!

The next morning for some reason most of the guys woke up early before getting the peacock feather awakening.😂

By mid-morning we were on our way.  Sort of...

"Bobby!  What the hell is going on up there?!!"

"I can't find the way to get on the interstate to Milwaukee!"

"NO SHIT!  Are you holding the map upside down again?!!"

Silence.

"BOBBY!"🤣