Chips

The stripping goes on. Even with a lot of spottiness left, the hall is brighter and warmer. Good thing I like it, because this is going to be a very long project. The surface reminds me of theatrical flats, which were always textured, rough paint, shading and variation - never flat gloss color. Looked much better under the lights. This does as well, and although I fully intend to get this to finished finish, the interim has a certain wabi-sabi charm as well.

Thinking of Chekov's Gun, and the sub-rule on stage, that the actors shouldn't ignore what the characters wouldn't, because the audience will focus on obvious errors, often thinking them Important Clues. A dropped piece of paper, a tipped glass, should be simply dealt with, in character, or no one will be listening to the dialogue anyway. Went to a version of Christmas Carol put on by a group that did a lot of improv. A Bratty Kid (a very loose interpretation of Christmas Carol) has a yo-yo, that falls off the string... then rolls aaaaalllllll the way across the stage to where Ebenezer and Ghost are standing, pauses, then rolls nearly aaalll the way back, pauses, then rolls again! The actors reacted to it the whole way, one screaming "IT'S POSSESSED!" Especially since it wasn't supposed to be in that timeline in that part of the stage. Funniest experience ever, to ignore it would have killed the moment. I don't recall how they ended it, I'm sure I was laughing too hard to pay attention, but it worked. Everyone took a few breaths, and continued. That they were all used to improv certainly helped, they had a trained reflex to just go with whatever happened. Still, this was a straight (comedy) play, all memorized lines.


And I think a variation of that rule is what is being broken when a director shows something obviously wrong to anyone who knows. Black Hawk Down, Meg Ryan's character supposed to have maxed her PT test, shown doing push-ups, none of which would have counted*. Let a stunt woman do it, easy fix, but no. Strangely, Lone Star did both. Showed an actual pathologist handling the bones found out in the desert, convincing because it was real, no actor would have done it as well. Later, fluffed it when a PFC with multiple things wrong with her uniform, wears her cap inside and salutes (badly) with it on, and the sergeant not only doesn't correct her, but also doesn't have her doing push-ups until the sergeant gets tired.


Watered the seeds, a few tiny bits of green, that I hope aren't weeds, but I can't tell yet. Must wait. All mud right now, hard to believe it will be all green. This is where a god really would come in handy, so hard to believe those tiny nubbins will be lush plants. The lettuce is showing nicely, though. Planting is such an act of hope, casting my seeds upon the soil. The first areas of digging and planting are reappearing, though, assuring me of life, at least this time.


Also hoping the Electrician (or someone like him) shows up tomorrow afternoon, and puts up the light. My hope is weak/my fears are strong/the darkness blinds our eyes.



*Well, it would have been counted as "One, one, one..." Never advancing until she got one right, then it would be "two, two, two..." until... well, you get the idea.