"We're from France."--The Coneheads

"Another opening, another show, in Philly, Boston, or Baltimore, a chance for stage folks to say, 'Hello!' Another opening of another show." from Kiss Me Kate

I was recruited as a volunteer Makeup Assistant and Thursday I went to Basel to the Theatre Arlecchino on Amberbachstrasse to apply makeup to the over 30 actors and actresses who were in an evening of short plays.  

The show was called "Duplicity."  It was actually a collection of six mini plays and several vignettes that took place between each show.  There were a lot of actors involved, hence the need for additional hands doing makeup.

And this was opening night!  I know how it feels on opening night when you don't get any flowers.  If you ever know anyone who is in a play and it's opening night, take some flowers and send them backstage before the show, if you can.  If not, give them to the actor after the show.  Have them delivered to their house or their work during the day.  Just don't let an actor have an opening night without some flowers.

My family takes care of me, usually.  Only one time did I not get opening night flowers.  It was when my family came to my show on the second night. They brought flowers that night, but it was  surprising to notice how much it bummed me out to not have opening night flowers.  Silly, but there it is.

Consequently, I thought it would be a really cool idea to take a flower for every cast and crew member for opening night.  Fortunately for me, the local market had a special on mini roses and I was able to find plenty of my favorite color ones (yellow) to make a little memento for the cast.

I made a little note on my computer and printed out enough for everyone.  I also found an inexpensive roll of organza and being hit with some inspiration from my friend and former teaching colleague Lorelei, I thought the organza would add a tiny touch of elegance to the simple note.  Lorelei is the most creative and froufrou person I know.  She would be proud of me. :)

I gathered all my materials but lacked time to assemble them while in my apartment.  I needed to get on the road since I had a 1.5 hour ride to Basel on the train.  I was thinking that it would make the perfect activity to do while on the train. Mate, Howler, and Heinzee promised to help.  Sure enough, as we were pulling into the station at Basel I was tying the last ribbon onto the last rose.

When I got to the theatre, the cast was pleased with their opening night flowers. One gal was ecstatic.  It was her first EVER show and her first opening night. She really wanted flowers and had no idea how that would ever happen in her world. She didn't know anyone that would give her flowers. Her ear to ear smile made all the time and expense worth the effort.  :)

Notice the chocolate ladybugs

Helen and Carol were the lead makeup experts.  I learned quickly.  I have been in MANY shows, but I have always done my own makeup.  It was really different putting makeup on other people and I got better after I had done a few.  lol  I probably needed to apologize to the first one or two that I did...

Anyways, I must not have done too badly, they invited me to return....

I wanted to mention that there is a little chocolate ladybug here in Switzerland that is given to casts for opening night luck.  The ladybug is a symbol of good luck.  Notice the flyer, the ladybugs and the opening night yellow roses.

Carol Rees

Helen Baldomaro

Carol is a 5th grade teacher and she has been working with Helen doing the makeup for several productions up to now.  These two ladies needed more help due to the large number of cast members in this show.  Forgive me, Helen, I have forgotten what work you do during the day....

On the train ride home that night, I was very tired from standing and doing makeup for several cast members.  Consequently, when there was a man on the train snoring loudly, I could not bear to hear it.  I moved a whole train compartment away, but it was so loud I could still hear it.  For the first time, I pulled out the earbuds and plugged in to my iPad to listen to some Chicago 17.  Love that album.  

I used to power walk around the track at the high school to those songs.  It put me in an energized and happy mood.







Ohh-la-la!!!  I got an invitation to visit France! 

The city of Basel is nestled in the corner of CH where France, Germany, and CH meet.  Carol lives over the border in Leymen, France and knew that I had a long journey home after the play each evening.  She invited me to come to her house and spend Saturday night instead of going all the way home on the late train.

Then, surprise, she had invited many of her friends over for a Sunday brunch the next day.  Arriving at her house in the dark I didn't get to see much.  The next morning revealed the beauty that Carol lives in each day.  Her house (which she had built recently) perches on a hill and overlooks a beautiful scene of rolling hills and greenery and pretty French villas.  (I'm going to call them that.)

France on Sunday morning

Saturday riding in to Basel on the train

So all day Saturday it was rainy and dreary.  (Except for me.  I'm a true Arizona desert rat and that means that weather of any kind is cool.  Even rain.)  Don't get me wrong, it's still CH and the scenery is beautiful, but on the train riding in, the clouds were VERY low on the city.  The weather predicted for Sunday was more clouds.  To our huge delight, the sun poked through and dried up all the clouds.  The weather was outstandingly, stunningly beautiful for the Sunday brunch.  

We even put up the shade.  I am shooting this picture from inside the house looking out onto the balcony.  What a lovely gathering.  What a gorgeous day.

Lolling on my bed Saturday night

Even Carol's cats were enjoying the sun.  The big fellow on the left is called Smudge due to the smudge on his nose and the fellow on the right is Pegasus.  I met Pegasus the night before when he jumped up on my bed and played with me a bit.  (Don't tell Dusty.  She will be jealous.  I am sure I will have broken one of her Dusty Rules.)

Speaking of animals....

Hey Bari!  Pepper is in CH too!  This is the dog that hangs out at an eatery close to the theatre.  I bought a takeaway meal there one evening and he barked at me nonstop while I was waiting for the meal to be prepared.  Great.  Pepper, Pepper, Salt. 
 





A totally unrelated topic

I've been wanting to mention this for a while, but didn't have the space in the previous blogs.

When you see "strasse" or "gasse" on the end of a name, it means "street."  It is really cool how the Swiss name their streets the same thing from town to town so that you always know how to locate certain things you might be looking for.

For example, the train station is called the "bahnhof."   So the street the train station is located on is called the Bahnhofstrasse. In every town.  The church is located on Kirchgasse or church street in every town.  The marketplace is located on Martgasse in every town.  And Dorfstrasse is usually the main street in the town or dorf.

It sure makes it easy to locate items when you are in a town you've never been in before.  Way to  go, Swiss! :)