Mouse Tails!

So, the first day of work for a professional theatrical company!!
Not only have they paid us (are paying us), they provide our lodging, AND our food. Seth and I did dances of joy. This is a college kids' dream. Well, okay, it's pretty much anyone's dream, in my book, and we are livin' it.
Monday consisted of helping Ellyn (the costumer) unpack all the boxes and begin to assemble the costumes. Seth started work on a special coat which is supposed to hold mouse traps, and I was working on finishing the mousetails for the children's choir of mice. Hot glue galore.
We met a couple of the singers, one from Sweden, the other from Norway, both very nice. I'm learning SOME Norwegian, although remembering it all is a bit difficult. I'm gradually picking up some phrases, though. The crew very kindly translate for us when it's important, although most of the time, everyone does converse in English.
Everything went very well. The first day was a hit.
On Tuesday morning, very early, something else hit: food poisoning or 24 hour flu, or something unpleasant. I tried going to work, but only lasted three hours, and then ended up puking as soon as Pavel told me to go home, as I was leaving the building. Gross. I slept for the rest of the day, and night, and I'll spare everyone the disgusting details, but needless to say, I was pretty useless from about 1pm onwards.
Today (Wednesday), I was feeling like a million bucks fresh out of the mint, so I went to work. Seth finished the coat, and Schteffi, and Xena (the two German girls volunteering for the show), and I practically finished the mouse tails (there are 2.5 left to go, as of this evening). The rest of the afternoon was spent watching the children's rehearsal and learning from Helge (the technical director), how the backstage scenery works. Seth, Schteffi, Xena, and I also formed our own "Techie mouse gang" and tied pink fabric to ourselves. It was Seth's idea. He is amazingly crazy. I really enjoy working with him, although he keeps saying "You're going to get sick of me."... I highly doubt it. I can't always keep up in conversation, though. But it's fun to listen to him talk.
The first, and only performance in Narvik, the "World Premiere", as they like to call it, happens March 27th.
We're supposed to learn choreography sometime in the coming week, since Seth and I are supposed to be break dancing mice. Or we might not. The dileneation for anything in this project approaches the term "fuzzy" with a determined streak of rebelliousness, and nothing is clear except the tasks given to us by Ellyn or Helge or Pavel at any given minute. In any case, I've got a pretty cool costume (the coolest part is the suspenders).
So far, it has been pretty relaxed. And once we learn the play and the cues, I think the back stage work will be comfortable and doable as well. The most difficult part will be taking down the set on the 16th in the early morning, and then reassembling it later that night (because there is another show playing on that one day).
Anyway, things continue to go swimmingly.
I would go into more detail, but my laundry is in the wash, and it needs to be put in the dryer... so, fare well.

Hannah

P.S. I LOVE NORWAY. I can already tell I'm going to miss it when I leave.