Bus Stop

The big problem was the drinking

Yes, there were drugs

There were drugs everywhere

This was a city

This was 1981, ‘82

But most people just sort of touched down on the drugs

Then went back to their alcohol, you know?

I mean, there was that girl in The Cherry Orchard

Who got so messed up

She started thinking her husband was her brother

And he had to put her away

And sell her farmhouse

But she was kinda messed up anyway

The rest of us weren’t like that

Not at all

But we did drink

Actors, crew

I was crew

Too scared to ever get onstage

Beau drank

Our captain, he drank

The man, the legend

You bet he drank

How could he not?

You try running a theater, okay?

You try it

Without any addictions

To help you out

I loved Beau

Loved him, okay?

And so I didn’t give him shit

About his drinking

I remember when we were doing Bus Stop

This was at the beginning of 1982

And it was snowing out

I used to love doing shows when it snowed

Where you feel like you’re trapped in the theater

So you can just relax

And let the show take care of you

And did I have a crush on Beau?

Yeah, maybe

He was old enough to be my father

But he was handsome

And so passionate

Used to punch walls—BAM

Haha I liked that

My Daddy used to do that too

Punch shit

But not ‘cause he was passionate

Just ‘cause

Anyway, one night Beau offers to give me a ride home

And I say ‘Sure’

Was he drinking?

He was always drinking

He could direct a whole show drunk

From the read-through to the closing night

If he could do that drunk

Why couldn’t he drive from one end of town to the other

Right?

I don’t remember us going into the store

I remember our reflections though

Coming at us from the storefront window

We just missed the corner

That little bench

That little bench at the bus stop haha

Funny, right?

All the coincidences

So many damn coincidences

You think maybe God’s either a comedian

Or a really good writer

Beau walked away from that crash without a scratch on him

I, uh…

Well, I didn’t walk anywhere

Manténgase alejado de los hombres poderosos

That’s what my mother used to say

Stay away from powerful men

But Mama, I’d say, what other kind is there?

She never could answer me, you know

Maybe ‘cause there is no answer, you know?

Maybe there just isn’t