Volume 1 Book 9 Episode 13
of Living In The Bonus Round
the online diary of Steve Schalchlin
Life's a Beach (and then you open).
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Bob Stillman has a cute butt -- "...just lack Buddy."

An Online Diary of the
1998 Laguna Playhouse Production
of THE LAST SESSION

featuring Jim Brochu, Amy Coleman, P.M. Howard, Michele Mais, Bob Stillman, Joey Traywick, Positoids, NuBiHes and lavish amounts of love.

Part 13.

Laguna Beach.
Backstage.
 

A FUNNY JOEY STORY -- ACTOR'S NIGHTMARE
Jimmy just told me this story. Alice the Stage Manager told him about it.

It happened the other night at the end of Act One. Joey goes over to the stool, picks up the Bible, sits on the stool with his back to the audience, begins to cry and then the lights go down.

In the dark, Joey then has to - as QUIETLY as possible -- exit through the door going into Jim's booth so that when the lights come up, the stage will be empty.

Well, the other night he sat down on the stool, the lights went down and suddenly he realized he had caught his heel on this stool. He was trapped. AND he couldn't make noise. So instead of chancing a big noise with the stool, he picked it up with his foot still locked in it and hobbled off stage hoping against all hope he would get off before the lights came back up.

Can you imagine how naked he would have felt if the lights had come up and he was still standing there with his foot caught in the stool? *LAUGHING*

BACK IN THE REAL WORLD...

I have been neglecting all my stuff at home, you know. It's exhausting bowing and scraping to these idiot actors all the time. (JUST KIDDING). On Tuesday night, after a day off, Bob, Amy, Joey, Maisey and P.M. once again blasted the audience to pieces. And tonight was a special night because the First Angel was here along with Gabi and Alec and Catherine.

So, we all met over at The Cottage and looked through all the old picture albums from our workshop and our New York productions. Gabi showed me a picture of myself from November of '96 that gave me a jolt. God, I don't remember being so frail -- guess it's time to reread Book One. She's gonna scan it and I'll show it to you. It's really frightening. Thank God I'm a hunk now. :-)

I finally got my plane tickets for my November tour. I'm going to Memphis, Cambridge (Boston), Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Dallas and then Denver. I'm singing for universities, rallies, youth groups, doctors, nurses, nightclubs, churches (straight and gay -- affirming and non-affirming), a building dedication, two benefits and a private home concert. Then, I'm home for a week followed by Ann Arbor, Michigan for World AIDS Day, December 1.

What's also cool is that a whole new network of fans is forming right under my feet because of the acclaim we are getting for this new production of TLS -- and okay, because I'm also a blatant self-promoter so sue me. Also, record companies, movie companies and TV companies are descending. All the majors have made reservations to see it.

(Doesn't mean they will come, you know. In Hollywood, it's customary for industry people to book everything and then go to the one they want at the last minute -- or send a flunky.)

After the show last night I sat across from someone and said, "Look, I don't care what it takes to get a recording of this cast, but if someone doesn't do it, I'm going to beg for free studio time and do a 'Quincy Jone' type solo album."

He looked at me strangely and asked, "What does that mean?"

"You know," I said. "On Quincy Jones albums he doesn't do any of the singing. I'll call it a Steve Schalchlin album but these guys will be doing all the vocals!!"

He just sighed and shook his head.

[There are lots of union rules which make cast albums more complicated and expensive than just going down to the studio and laying down tracks. I respect these rules, by the way, because they protect the actors. I was just kidding. Not really.]

The thing is I think we're still unknown enough to attract people who will want to treat it with a loving touch, not just because they think they can make money with it. Who'da thunk this story would start out in a hospital, make it to New York and now Hollywood? How long til your second favorite positoid is riding in a limo hanging out with Heather Locklear?

Speaking of which, I had this great picture of Joey in his dressing room (see his face in the mirror?).

This is Amy and Maisey at Cedar Creek where everyone hangs out after the show.

THE LAST SESSION
LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE 
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Episode 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

The official stills by Still Productions | Pics by Steve | Cast pics by Steve | Fun pics
LA Times Review | TLS fan club page with pictures | L.A. critics quotes page
"From Hate To Humanity" | TLS Fan Chat Room | BennyTour fan pics

All photos and text are © 1998 by Steve Schalchlin.