Okay.  Not just me, but this is an example of the joys of live theater.

When I am (physically) able, I participate in a group of performing senior citizens out of The Midland Center for the Performing Arts called the Golden Guild.

Are we great?  Not even close, but we have so much fun and we go to senior centers and assisted living facilities and perform for folks who are the same age as us and show them that it ain’t over until it’s over.

With my bad knee, I had to drop out for awhile, but I’m back.  Thanks to the director, the wonderful Carol Rumba, who lets me sit down when my pulse rate starts climbing (reason still to be determined – I say POTS, but now I think it could be due to my constant anemia – related to my ITP – I’m just an alphabet soup of health trouble (and don’t forget my SVT)).

Anyhow, we are at the end of our season, and we were at the Coleman Senior Center (and Coleman is a hike, if it’s not one of the cheeks of the butt end of nowhere, it’s within spitting distance).  All set up (and it’s a production – mics, speakers, electric piano, music stands, props, wiring that has to be taped down) and it’s about 15 minutes before go time.  And we have a nice group of people there to see us (presumably).

Suddenly, a VERY furious lady comes to where we’re all seated and yells at somebody behind us about how she’s not afraid of her and something about “Tracey” and she’s never coming back to this “joint”.  And she storms out.

O-kayyyyyy.

Then everybody starts leaving.  Someone is kind enough to let us know that it’s not us, that they appreciate our coming but there is something going on that just isn’t right and they feel they have to leave! 

WTF? 

One of our members goes and talks with one of the very few people still there, and it turns out that the Center had just fired a much beloved employee and nobody is happy about it.  Hence the walkout. 

Fuck me.  (Well, fuck all of us.)

Well, there we were with our combined good looks and education and maybe 4 people (1 of whom was the daughter of one of our peeps) to perform for. 

I was willing to pack it in or perform.  Either way.  So, we did the show, and we had a great time doing it, because:  Why not? 

So that’s live theater my friends. 

I did suggest to Carol that for future gigs she get a rider that says they can’t fire someone immediately before our show.