…fluttered inside me all day yesterday, but it wasn’t really nerves, as much as queasiness caused by ingesting too much Ora-jel (and similar substances). At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

We left for the theatre early, as we ALWAYS run into serious traffic stoppages where 35 meets 30, and it was weird being there that early and not playing with the inkpad or making sure there was enough chilled water, or vacuuming, or, or, or…. Instead, I hung out with S and D². S joined in the newbie class before ours, and D² and I auditioned in the same group. There was one more woman in our group, but she’s been sucked away by work and life and stuff. I tried to SIP my venti iced nonfat raspberry mocha while chatting with them, but it didn’t work, and I sort of inhaled it. I also tried not to notice that every single table was reserved. No pressure.

J, who was working sound last night, same up to me and handed me her jersey and t-shirt from last night’s game, explaining that she won in it last night, and it would be comfortable without being too revealing – she was right, and that was really sweet of her. She and E, the other woman who played last night, were incredibly supportive and kind, and showed me the two feet of space behind in the bar in the greenroom where you’re not in front of a mirror or visible to the room outside, in which we could change. It should have felt awkward, but somehow it was just amusing. No modesty in theatre, and all that.

Eventually the guys started trickling in, W, who was also in my audition class and had debuted earlier this month, and V, who, like E and J, is a senior player (he’s also seriously tall – J said his jersey number was 67 because he’s 6’7″ – and really good at explaining and guiding. He looks intimidating, but he’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met) were my teammates. J2 (another audition mate – this was his third show), and K were on the other team, with E. Our ref was B, who along with KLAE in CA and V and J here is my improv idol, and he seemed to sort of wander in and out of the periphery of whatever the rest of use were doing, being supportive, but staying a bit outside. I’m not sure if that’s a ref thing, or a B thing. I just thought it was interesting.

We did warmups – Woosh!Bong, and Finish the Word (which I’ve played and am usually better at, but they play it differently here), and something that involved singing (note to self: do vocal warmups in car on way to theatre next time), Everybody, Lets!, which is something I need to get more comfortable with, and beep-out. (Note the lack of BUNNY. Note the happiness of me.)

I’d only really decided on my player moniker when J asked me, and I’m not married to it (Melissa “eight to the” Bartell), but J2 has changed his a couple times in his three shows, so I might also. We shall see.

They mocked me for not knowing how Vending worked, but I’m almost always still stamping hands or working bar during that part of the show – I’ve never actually seen it – my vending item was chopsticks (a toy axe and sticks of wood – cuz I’m all about the weaponry).

We opened with Schoolyard Insults (Perspiring Delicious Manacles – actually the suggestion was Perspirating, not Perspiring) which we lost, but it was fun anyway, and the audience enjoyed it.

Next was Blind Line from the red team (need to learn to write faster) and 3-Headed Broadway Star from us, which we didn’t do very well. In retrospect, I think that will improve when we know each other better, because it really is an exercise in groupthink. V being so tall, and me being so NOT tall, he arranged for himself and W to sit on stools on either side of me, took off his jersey, and reversed it so they were each wearing one arm, and the back of it was across me – I thought this was really clever. Red won that round.

The next round was Interrogation from the red team, and forward and reverse from us – V’s amazingly huge pratfall sold it (it looked painful, actually), but it was fun even so. V made the suggestion that I find a way to do a Canadian Cross to keep the scene from being all “talking heads” – and he was right because it added layering, but also was something linear that was easy to back up and redo. We won that round.

Red got to do Five Things, and we teased the audience that they must’ve been really hungry, because almost every suggestion was candy, and most of the candy was something small and squishy, which made it difficult for the guesser, because it’s hard to distinguish a mimed marshmallow from a mimed gummi bear. Really. (V whispered to me that he thought they’d guess three of the five, and was right.)

At half-time I was presented with an actual manual (B said he’s the official maker of copies), which I’m going out to purchase a binder for today. Yay binders. Yay reading material. I was wired when we got home last night so read through it, but didn’t really do much else, and I crashed pretty early (well, for me).

2nd half we did birthdays, and since my friend/coworker A had come to the show, and was a birthday celebrant, she was invited up on stage for our catch-up game, which was Dance Party (Freeze tag with Dancing) which was fun, and crazy, and I think I’m taking all her calls for a month to make up for it.

After that was Do-Rap, which I blanked on, but it had already gone down the whole line at that point, so it was time for someone to be out, and then 185 with some really good suggestions (sardines). Oh, KLAE: I no longer hate 185.

Notes were good. I got more from them after actually playing.

And then we were done, and did the slap-out line, and Fuzzy and I went to dinner with A and her son A2. (I’d have liked to go out with the troupe, but it was better to go with them, and it was nice and relaxing, and a good wind-down. Also, managed to get home before one.)

I’m psyched about workshop today, and I know I’ll be more confident.