Officially, it is closing week of Streetcar and we must bid adieu to a summer of joy-filled memories. Each night we celebrate the last performance of each calendar day and matinee, costume change and tossed chicken. Of all the “goodbyes” dolled out, it might seem hard to place which one sits highest in our affections–however it is quite simple in the end.
Although endlessly endearing, it won’t be Danny’s weekly changing backstage game. One week it was pronouncing lines, names, characters or actors names backwards (Natasha’s is “Ah Satan”). Another week it was serenading everyone with cheesy 70’s rock ballades. Currently, we are in the thick of some heated staring contests. It isn’t the charm of Loren Lazerine’s logorian, uncensored internal monologue externalized. It isn’t the utter and complete joy that I receive when squashing Ryan Hallahan in our regular scrimmage of scrabble. Nor is it the consistently cunning, dry wit of our stage manager David Castellanos.
Today we mourn the loss of our greatest source of camaraderie during our run. Every single person in the cast (and some staff) has communed with “Nancy” and yesterday (our last Tuesday performance), she left us. We liked to pass her around–usually with four at a time. I think Matt noticed it first…”does she look down? Looks like she’s lost some air.”
“I don’t know, let’s just keep going.”
So we send her around a little bit more and surely, our lovely lady becomes more and more deflated. *Oh this is so difficult to write about, now. My hands are trembling. Finally Danny comes out to make it official. He steps in, gives her one last good slam and then we had to say goodbye to our best friend in the show.
Our four square ball: Nancy.
The rest of this week is dedicated to you!
(Clockwise from top left) Matt Hawkins, Esteban Cruz, Loren Lazerine, Danny McCarthy, Andrew Burden Swanson and Ryan Hallahan mourn the loss of “Nancy,” their foursquare ball
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