Quick, where's the ark?

I've been busy outside of work lately as stage manager for the Borelians' production of Crimes of the Heart, which opened in Port Perry on Feb. 21. It's been a lot of late nights, miles on the car, hard work and great fun with a great group of people. As stage manager, you get called on to do lots of different things - including mopping up after a flood. The director wanted running water in the sink on the set (the play is set in a kitchen) so she got it. And the rest of us got a hose, running from the sink backstage, through the stage door, over a riser, under a flat and over another riser to the taps in the sink on the set. (Lots of duct tape was used in the installation of this hose so that no one would trip over it - so guess who's the only one who has so far? Yeah, the stage manager.) Anyway, opening night came and just over an hour before play time, I hooked up the hose backstage and turned on the water. As I was about to head onto the stage to make sure everything was working, I swore I could hear water running. So I ran too -- only to find two leaks in the hose right inside the stage door. I also found water pooling by the stage door. Sigh. The water got turned off and several of us, including one very helpful actor, got busy with handfuls of paper towels and rags and a mop. It took many minutes to get everything dry. And I decided we'd do without running water for that show. Being stage manager means you get to make decisions like that. (The actors made do with pitchers of water in the working fridge on the set.) The next day, the hose was replaced and the show went on -- with running water. But we check that hose carefully before every show. After all, there's no pool of tears in this play. By the way, why not head up to Port Perry to see the show - Feb. 28, 29 and March 1 at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. March 1? For ticket info, check out www.borelians.org Hope to see you there. I'll be the one in black looking suitably nervous.