You did what this weekend?

 THURSDAY, December 4

The Box Office opens at 11:00 AM.  By noon, the theater is busy with the kitchen, and tech staff preparing for the busy weekend.  THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE has it’s final dress rehearsal before it’s World Premiere.  Five days ago, an actor in the production had to leave the show, due to a family emergency.  Cody Mendonca, an ACE regular, is chosen to fill in.  He’s just one of the many highly qualified volunteers who are always ready to do whatever it takes to make the shows happen.  Thank you Cody!  All is not well however; the sound board for the Annex Theater decides to break down!  A decision is made to purchase a new board first thing in the morning, so it can be programmed and ready for opening night.

FOREVER PLAID: PLAID TIDINGS has a special Thursday night show for the local branch of The Rotary Club.  Bruce Shaw and Sharon Snow, Rotary members, have been long time supporters of ACE, and thanks to them we have been able to share Actors Cabaret with a brand new audience!  Thanks Bruce and Sharon!  By 11:00 PM, the audiences have gone home, the kitchen has closed down and everyone gets some shut eye in order to get ready for Friday.

FRIDAY, December 5

Everyone gets to work a little early today.  The sound board gets installed.  It’s opening night for THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE, and we have a sold out house for PLAID TIDINGS.  PLAID has a large party from The Lighthouse Temple here for dinner tonight, as well as a large party from the Albany Civic Theater, who are producing PLAID TIDINGS next year.  By noon the theater is kicking into high gear.  Actors Cabaret is one of the few theaters in the state that can produce multiple shows simultaneously, and we’re the only theater that does it with a primarily volunteer work force.  At 6:30, our dinner guests begin to arrive, ready to see a show and have a fantastic meal.  Serving a three course meal to over forty guests in an hour and a half is just another day at the office for the ACE servers, all of whom volunteer as actors in addition to performing other tasks for the theater.  At 8:00 PM both shows begin, and the wait staff retreats to the kitchen to prepare the desserts served at intermission.  Both shows go off without a hitch.  Cody Mendonca has learned his part and THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE has a successful World Premiere performance.  After the shows, volunteers remain working into the early hours of the morning in order to get the theater ready for a wedding tomorrow afternoon!

Saturday, December 6

The day begins even earlier than usual.  Last night, the set for PLAID TIDINGS was re-dressed for a special ACE event:  The daughter of one of our long time volunteers is getting married at the theater!  So in the morning the theater is filled with weddings guests.  On the other side of town, another group of volunteers, mostly the cast of A CHRISTMAS CAROL are gathering for the Springfield Christmas Parade.  And the Box Office is open, and the kitchen is cooking!  Busy!  After the wedding guests leave, the theater gets put back together again for PLAID TIDINGS.  The CHRISTMAS CAROL cast returns to change out of their costumes and the tables are set for dinner.  By 6:30 the dinner guests have arrived, by 7:00 most of the casts have arrived and off we go! 

This was a long day!  A parade, a wedding, two shows and dinner for forty! 

SUNDAY, December 7

The weekend isn’t over yet!  It’s matinee day at ACE!  The kitchen wakes up early to cook “Kentucky Hot Browns,” an ACE favorite, as well as our famous Eggs Benedict.  Both shows are enjoying enthusiastic, appreciative audiences.  For once, the day ends before midnight!

“Ace”