So the electrician discovered it was the low water shut-off valve that triggered the boiler no-more-worky thing. Easy fix. He was done in 35 minute and now there is heat. (There remains the question of why it was triggered. The plumber is supposed to call tomorrow so we can discuss it. The electrician didn't have any clue. It might be nothing. Maybe it is something more. Who knows.) Still cost as much as it always costs to have an electrician show up at 8pm, but a lot less than having to rip out all the wiring. I also got to discover which outlets I have plus a space heater into and not have it trip the circuit breakers. (One answer is the one in the kitchen... until you attempt to microwave some Hot Pockets... but that is kind of a no brainer).But because he was so quick and because sister and her horde decided to pass on the ice house and stay in Jersey until tomorrow morning, I was able to book out of the house and run to UCB to see Gravid Water.
Oh my.
Gravid water is, has the program says:
"a theatrical experiment the uses both actors and improvisers. The actors in tonight's show have memorized and rehearsed their scenes much as they would for a regular play--they will not depart from the script. The improvisers, who have never before scene their script, will be improvising."Oh my god.
I've seen it once before and I worried if that one night had been a fluke. I had loved, adored, melted at it. Tonight was... crying until I couldn't see, almost pee, can't breath type fantastic.
Dan Bakkendahl (The Daily Show) was very good as the improviser in two scenes, but Christina Gausas in her two scene was just amazing! First she was Emily in the "when Emily and George realize they will get married" scene from Our Town. But her scene from Middle of the Night by Paddy Chayefsky... the emotion she allowed her self to show was up their with some of the best performance I have ever seen on stage, scripted or not.
And then Michael Delaney as the improviser with Joel Karrie as the actor in August Wilson's Fences. A particular hard scene since the "actor" had a lot of "response line," lines that are clearly in response to another line. Like "Stop bring your mother into this!" There really was no choice for Delaney but to call it out and make Joel a bit crazy. Which Joel played up so amazingly well. And it was all about heightening. Joel just gets angrier and angrier and Delaney had to just keep playing it real. (In fact there was a bit of subtext in Delaney's words that could be taken as a lesson on why the scene was bad improv... but it was not. It was so the exception that proves the rule.) And watching white Delaney being chased with a baseball bat (real, not "improvised") while being called the N-word by a angry angry black man... okay, that is funny.
I feel bad because I haven't talked about all of the actors, who were all great. But I need to get some sleep now that I can go tourist-ing with family tomorrow.
Oh, I am so happy that I have registered to take level 401 with Delaney. (Must not swoon.)
The next Gravid Water is December 14th.
