Their trip to New York City had been in the planning stages for a few months and the itinerary was nearly complete as the departure date approached. Then we were asked, “Do you think it would be possible to do a backstage theatre tour on Saturday afternoon?”
Naturally our reflexive reaction was, “Of course!” But the outcome wasn’t necessarily a sure thing: Saturday afternoon is prime matinee time, and backstage tours aren’t available during production. But New York is a big place, with many theatres – surely there would be an option.
Two days later, having made numerous phone calls and sent out just as many emails, and having heard ‘no’ with varying degrees of regret, I wasn’t so sure. Then I found the following message my inbox: “I could arrange that.” That small sentence belied the reality: this was a self-described ‘gritty’ off-off-Broadway venue with a seating capacity of 45 …. Exactly the number of students plus director in our group! (Chaperones were invited to indulge in a bit of retail therapy during the show ….)
Thrilled to work with a group of drama students, The Flea Theatre not only offered a backstage tour but a full performance that afternoon of a unique production. And when the group returned from New York, the trip coordinator pronounced the trip “PERFECT.”
End scene.
