Recipe for Interesting Times

Ingredients:

1 Church - converted into a theatre
1 stage curtain - rented for $1,200 which sticks in the middle
1 ladder
1 barrel
1 large chair
stairs
a backdrop
1 fog machine
1 Apple ibook containing music for the entire show
2 speakers
10 wireless mics
4 handheld walktalkies with low batteries
music without vocal cues
50 budding actors under the age of 13
2 high school techies (doing sound & lighting)
3 directors with full time jobs
3 stage crew with full time jobs
10 volunteer parents
gallon of hormones
pinch of common sense
a dash of "the director in you"
nerves

For a Friday afternoon School Show -

Remove the two high school techies, two directors, three stage crew, five parents and 45 minutes of the show.

Add 400 audience members under the age of 13, four new parents who have never done behind-the-scenes theatre stuff and 10 bus drivers at the back of the room tapping their toes and looking at their watches.

Stir for three hours at 20 degrees C.

Wear mitts