The Replacements

This is something I have avoided writing about since April. I probably should have mentioned it in June, but couldn’t bring myself to do it then either. Its almost November, the axe is about to fall, and I can’t put off writing about it anymore.

C is leaving the show.

That in itself is bad enough, but what pushed me over the edge and is really forcing me to write about the situation at hand is that L just announced that she too will need to be replaced. Only, while C gave notice in April and is officially ending her time on the tour next week, L needs a replacement for the next city.

Moreover, one of our technicians (D) is regularly replaced because he also works on another project. But now, Ch has asked to be replaced for some cities as well! D’s replacement is G. But he has (and is currently) subbing for Ch. Come the new year, however, G will be back to replacing D and so we need someone else to replace Ch. So it looks like R, our maintenance manager and former troupe stage manager, will be making his triumphant return to the stage to replace Ch for a couple of cities.

Confused?

How do you think we feel?

It is utter madness here. We’ve been in rehearsal every day since getting to Reze in order to train up C’s replacement. Personally, I feel that a lot of how the actual replacement process has been very poorly managed. I haven’t mentioned the whole replacement thing until now for a number of reasons, and that is why I will refrain from writing about the actual replacement. Not everything belongs in blogs.

But the level of stress is taking its toll. Everyone is in a terrible mood and I swear the director almost died when it was announced that L needed to be replaced. He aged a good 50 years in that moment. And L is totally the workhorse in this show. Replacing her will not be easy. In fact, it looks like they’ll need two people to replace her! If we thought the rehearsal schedule to replace C has been tough, replacing L may well kill us all.

Right now, I feel like the circus is crumbling around my feet. I’m about to lose my closest friend and confidante, and then L. And due to some other fun personal drama, it feels like I’m losing some of my other ties here as well…

I’m just planning on when is the best time to announce my departure*. You know, in order to produce the maximum amount of chaos… sigh…







* I shouldn't even have to post this, but just in case, I'm just joking!