At the Theatre

One of the joys of living in (or near) a theatre town is the chance to make friends with theatre people.

Our friend Martin, one of our favourite theatre people, called us last week to ask if we'd like to see "To Kill a Mockingbird" from a seat in the director's booth.

This show has been sold out all season. It's big. It's huge. Tickets are non-existent. It's also the show I really wanted to see this year.

The only possible problem was that it was a matinee performance, starting at 2:00 and Alan would be at the Grand Bend Farmers Market until 1:00. Scheduling would be tight.

We planned. We synchronized. He called me when he was five minutes from home. He squealed the tires braking beside the house. I leapt in the car and we were off, spraying gravel.

I have never cursed so many drivers in such a short space of time in my life.

Miraculously, we found a parking spot right in front of the stage door. I was half out of the car before Alan had fully stopped.

Martin had the stage door open and we rushed in, apologizing for cutting it so close.

We hurried down corridors and up stairs, as actors seemed to scatter in our path. A voice announced that those in the opening scene should get to their places. I caught a glimpse of Abigail Winter-Culliford (the girl who plays Scout) as she headed for the stage.

What a thrill! What a rush!

Up one last spiral staircase and we arrived, gasping, at the director's booth.

"Here you are. See you at the interval." Martin made sure we were comfortable, pointed out the volume control on our speakers and then went off to do his work.

And we sat. And we watched. And we saw why this show has been such a hit.

At the intermission, we joined the throngs in the lobbby, raced out to feed the parking meter and then headed back to our seats - through the door marked "Authorized Pesonnel Only". Oh, I love that! It feels so wonderfully illicit.

I even have a marked door in my place, just so I can walk through it. And feel priviledged every time I do.

Act two was every bit as good as the first. We sat in the dark and watched the magic happen. I cried a bit. And then a little bit more.

It's a story that bears repeating. And to see a performance from where we were sitting, well, what can I say? My theatre season is complete.