Summer Picnic

 

The Navy Seals call it “Hell Week.” It’s six days of cold, wet, brutally difficult training on fewer than four hours of sleep per night. At the end of it, you’re either very committed to staying the course, or very committed to running in the opposite direction. Stage productions have a “Hell Week,” too. It’s the last few days of dress and tech rehearsals and the first few days of performances with live audiences. Tonight’s the end of Hell Week for “The Little Mermaid” at Murray amphitheater. While I can definitely relate to the Navy Seals’ sleep deprivation, the cold and wet part of their training sounds like a dream. We’ve had temperatures in and around the 100’s every day this week. It’s not so bad in the orchestra pit, and the audience is mostly wearing shorts. But I pity the poor actors dancing about in mermaid tails. And Ursula! I wouldn’t wear Ursula's rig for all the tea in China.