Children are drawn to me…

I don’t know why…it may have to do with the fact I have purple hair….that’s probably the exact reason.

Anyways, I can’t remember if I’ve ever mentioned this but I don’t like children…okay, I don’t dislike children, I just…am not 100% comfortable with them. I can communicate with them for short periods of time. I can keep them entertained (if it doesn’t require chasing them around a room…I’m not a runner) and I know enough references on recent children shows to keep up when they talk about them. But I sort of short circuit a little bit when left in a room alone with children. I think it’s because they just understand things in such a different way than adults and sometimes they say things so profound yet they don’t understand that what they said was profound. They’re just so innocent…and I don’t want to ruin that innocence. I remember those adults in my life who ruined it for me.

ANYBUT, I wanted to add this to my rehearsal posts but I didn’t know how to fit them in.

But there are children in our show and they’re very nice, professional, and well-behaved children. BUT boy howdy they ask me questions more than they ask the Stage Manager….who actually has the answers.

There’s also a husband and wife in the show who’s son is in the show and their other son visits rehearsals at times.

Today was one of those times. During my dinner break I was eating alone in the rehearsal hall (sorry, actors, y’all are too loud during dinner) and he was in the room, too. There’s a green drum set in the show and he fell in love with it. It started conversations. And I mean I couldn’t just ignore him.

That’s rude.

So I answered his questions and he began to follow me around as I finished setting up for the Designer Run Through.

I never told him to leave me alone, but I did find little creative ways to keep his hands away from the props or set pieces (such as: the rats need to sleep before the show, the tower isn’t ready for people to stand on it yet…okay not that creative, but it worked, and so on).

Now I do need to mention, I’ve known this particular child for almost 5 years. And by know, I mean seen around the company. He’d always been very quiet. The only words I ever heard him say was “Hi” and “Bye-Bye”. THAT WAS IT!!

Now I was having full conversations about a dragon with him. Times sure change.

I lost track of what I really wanted this post to be about…but yeah. Kids always find a way to cling to me on shows and in life. My friends have always found it funny. They say it’s ironic since I’m the one in our friend group least likely to have children.

I could do without the irony, thanks.