When we took The
Homecoming to New York
I think of most of us thought
We weren’t coming back
The show was going to play off-Broadway
But people were already saying
Broadway, this is a revelation
Really laying it on us
Hell, a film producer even came by
To talk about, you know, future projects
Or whatever
Either way, we all thought after that
We were going to be New York actors
No more of this small town stuff
And so we went to New York
With a lot of fanfare
And our little production
And, uh, well, it did okay
Got a good write-up
I still have that copy of the New York Times
That mentions my name
And what a good job I did
We did our run
And…that was that
The Broadway talk had been premature, I guess
Although we did bring it to Chicago
For a limited run there
And that was nice
Then we came home
And that was, uh…
Well, it was difficult
Because we thought—
Well, I don’t want to speak for everyone
But, I thought…
I thought that was it
That we had really broken through, you know?
So many people
Making so many promises
And I was stupid
Because I was old enough at the time
To know that you can’t let your head
Get big on promises
But, I…
Damn, you know?
Just damn
One of us stayed, actually
Beth, our fearless leader
Our Artistic Director
She…
She got offered another job out there
And she took it
She left the Orpheus Theater
And the acting company
And I can’t say I blame her
She had a kid
And things at the theater were always rough for her
Always had the good old boys
And the Jesus kooks
Breathing down her neck
Must have been nice
To finally be appreciated
And to move up, you know?
Up
But it was so…unceremonious
We couldn’t even give her a party or anything
Because the Board was so pissed
That she’d take off like that
Without any warning
The actors were upset too
They felt like she deserted them
I guess I sort of felt that way too
And, of course, we were all insanely jealous
But that’s normal
I think we all thought—
What now?
You know?
What now?
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