And it begins...

Every time I start to panic about Shakes this year, I remember last year. I remember the miracles that happened! Here are just a few:

The billy club:
We needed a billy club. Not a fake plastic one, but a wooden one that could actually do some damage if the user wanted it to. It needed to do some serious stage combat and couldn't have that awful, fake, hollow plastic sound. It was a week before the show. We had looked everywhere. Our marvelous intern, Brittany, Shakespeare expert and props mistress, finally found one at a costume supply store for around $20. Kind of pricey if you are doing a show for next-to-no budget. She walks in, looks at it, and the young guy behind the counter (who was previously chatting up a pretty girl, also behind the counter) goes over to her and says, "I'll give it to you for $10 if you leave right now." Done! Brittany buys the billy club and leaves immediately. Thank God for miracles! (and starry-eyed young guys)

The tuxedo:
One of our characters needed a tuxedo. A fancy, high-class, high quality tuxedo. Nobody sells tuxedos. People rent them, they sell tuxedo vests or t-shirts or bowties, but they do not sell a full tuxedo. I was going to one of my (many) estate sales. I had a hard time finding this one, and when I finally did, it was nearly over. I walked into the garage into the furthest back corner and found... not only a tuxedo, a 100% wool, authentic, 1930's tuxedo. In perfect shape. With seams that could be let out and taken in, as only a hand-fitted tuxedo can. I brought it to the front, said, "How much for the tuxedo?" and she looked at it and said, "I don't remember seeing that at all... let's see... how about $15?" Done! Paris had his tuxedo.

The set (now this is a good one):
Eric had designed a beautiful set. He had one corner dedicated to Friar Lawrence, one as Juliet's dressing room (she was, after all, a 1930's movie star), one with a pile of crates for the rag-tag Montagues, and a final corner that had a 2 foot rolling platform that locks in place with a red carpet, a lit marquis and steps on both sides. Well, he hoped to have a 2 foot rolling platform that locks in place with a red carpet, a lit marquis, and steps on both sides. He planned on having one. He had blocked tons of action around it. It was our most necessary set piece. But we didn't know how to build it. We didn't have the tools to build it, either in our heads or in our hands. It's getting down to the wire: 3 weeks before the show opens, 2 weeks until tech week, and we need that platform. We plan a trip to Eric's family's house, hoping to put something together that will function. And three weeks before the show opens, a woman walks into the Urban Impact offices and says, "Hi, my name's Rachel. I don't know if you can use me, but I'm a professional set designer." Done! We had a 2 foot rolling platform that locks in place with a red carpet, a lit marquis, and steps on both sides. And this year we have a set designer named Rachel.

"Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27

That being said... prayer requests:
* Pray that God will prepare and protect the kids in the program this summer.
* Pray for somebody with expert knowledge of theatrical puppets. (Doesn't that make you want to see the show?!)
* Pray for one scene that really knocks it out of the park- we need a 3-minute scene to show to churches that are thinking of supporting Shakes.