"Great happiness!"

Well, Macbeth has closed. Off comes the makeup, the music slowly dies, the stage is disassembled, and we all have 6 extra hours each night to fill with...something. Homework, perhaps? Here's a little homage to the experience, count-down style, and in no particular order.

10 Things we've "put in" during the Nightly Backstage Pre-Performance King Duncan/Banquo/2 Witches Hokey Pokey (when we run out of appendages, we get creative):
10. Beard point
9. Sword hilt
8. Water holder
7. Liver
6. Clavicles
5. Right lung ("shake it all about" = breathing in and out really fast)
4. Adam's apple
3. Ovaries
2. Tonsils ("shake it all about" = gargling noises)
1. "Bosom interests" (a line from the show, which in this context we just used to signify "bosom")

9 Favorite "backstage" (AKA onstage, before stage, after stage) traditions:
9. After prayer, putting hands in the center and saying a line from the show
8. Neil and Michael's race to get to the green room after curtain call
7. Brandon and Neil's wrestling matches
6. Kissing Jacob between scenes (we're engaged)
5. Wedding planning with Carrie in the green room
4. Jordan Tait's usually inappropriate mumbling during the melee
3. Scott's committed and enthusiastic "Hail! King of Scotland!" at the end of every show.
2. Janelle putting on my mic every night, which usually involved some variation of this conversation: Janelle -- "A witch!" Liz-- "Molest me!"
1. Smacking Jacob's butt at the end of the cauldron scene (and Joe's one night on accident)

8 Memorable Bloopers/Mishaps
8. "No more shall that Thane of Cawdor deceive our bosom...interests." (King Duncan)
7. Julie's trap not going down on closing night, without her jumping on it
6. Nancy's line adventures during the cauldron scene
5. Dropping the "all-seeing eye" and having it roll off the stage and into the audience
4. The night Julie couldn't quite pop the blood capsules in her mouth while kissing Caleb, so she sort of seemed to be chewing on his face.
3. Neil throwing his wooden sword off the stage in his vigor and enthusiasm as Macduff's son.
2. When the trap door didn't work and Brandon's head couldn't be retrieved.
1. The fire alarm going off

7 Favorite lines:
7. "Great happiness!"
6. PORTER: "Knock knock!"
AUDIENCE: "Who's there?"
PORTER: (with a disdainful look at audience) "I'm talking to the door now."
5. "Gentle lady of the hhoooouuuussseee!!!!"
4. "OOoohhhhhhh!!!" (Lady Macbeth's "out, damn'd spot" scene)
3. "What, will these hands ne'er be clean!?" Mostly because "hands" can be replaced with other things in every day situations...dishes, clothes, etc.
2. "Inverness!" (backstage mumbling that became more and more prevalent)
1. "Where gots thou that goose look?"

6 Things I'll Really Miss
6. Doing the cauldron scene
5. Watching the Porter scene
4. Finding fake blood on all my belongings
3. Connecting everything I hear to a line of Shakespeare (I'm still sort of doing this...)
2. Laughing at the things Neil and Maggie say
1. Hanging out with an awesome cast

5 People Who Deserve Accolades
5. Antonia Clifford, for her brilliant sound design
4. Lindsay Lopez, for her blood and gore expertise
3. Amelia Bahr, for her fight choreography, brilliant blocking, and general awesome assistance
2. Brother Ray, for figuring out and constructing non-hydraulic, non-electric trap doors
1. Roger Merrill, for heading this whole thing with brilliance

4 Things I Can Do Now That Macbeth Is Over
4. Sleep
3. Homework
2. Work
1. Wear make up and do my hair during the day

3 Things That Will Forever Remind Me of Macbeth
3. Blood
2. The Hokey Pokey
1. Yarn

2 Things I Did Every Night That I'm Glad I Don't Have to Do Every Night Anymore
2. Eat yarn from my wig.
1. Put on lots and lots of make-up. (How much? See here.)

1 Video clip that says it all:


You all rock my world. Thank you for a beautiful experience. See you at the cast party!

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"Great happiness!"