KIDS!!!

I love adults.  A lot.  In fact, right now, most of my close friends are what I would consider "grown ups."  At least in relation to the 200-some munchkins I met today at New Brunswick Charter School.  However, when you get a bunch of kids together in a room, dress up in bunny ears, shake some "scary blue tarantula" puppet legs around and "Cookie" over and over, something magical happens.

We met for our van call at 6am, discovered and fixed some van problems (I was driving the offending Sprinter cargo van), raced out to New Brunswick in morning bumper-to-bumper traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike, discovered that Google Maps isn't always right, called the school, found the location and arrived with absolutely NO TIME to spare.  Collectively, and with the help of our director Jeff, we threw together the set in our multipurpose room, jumped into mics, costumes and ears, warmed up at turbo-speed and started about 20 minutes late.  Amid super-fast prop double checks and last minute scene change adjustments, Michelle (Ruby) turned to me and, with a slight look of terror, said, "I am so nervous to do this show for kids."  I smiled and said something encouraging, but, to tell the truth, I was right there with her.  Yes, we think the show is fun, but your average 7 year-old isn't necessarily going to dig the bunny scouts' hear no/see no/speak no evil moment, Grandma's revelry in the memory of her high school play, or neighbor Mr. Barley's obsession with musical theater.  Was this going to work?

It only took one word: "Dragonfly!"  From the moment Max and Ruby set foot onstage, we had 'em hooked.  They screeched as Max deviously tried to get his way, shouted in delicious terror as the Blue Tarantula puppet grew behind Max's bed and sang along with Ruby as she tried to figure out what to do next.  We even had a few heckers.  As Max galloped around the stage in full cowboy regalia, one little boy over left shouted, "Max, you're a very bad boy!"  When Grandma made her first entrance, a little girl stood up, pointed and shouted, "I don't like you."  And, when Max wondered off at the end of the show, searching for his butterfly and oblivious to Ruby's moment of self-discovery, the kids called him back with so much force that nobody could hear any of own cue lines (and we're mic'd!).  Once we had finished, and the applause settled, a teacher came forward and informed the students that it was time to go back to their classrooms.  In response, a resounding "NO!" echoed across the gymnacafetorium.

THAT's why I love this show!

Call tomorrow: 6AM, Manhattan garage near Columbia.