Day 1 -- Wednesday, April 18
"I'm working on The Web."
As the words left my mouth, it struck me how long it has been since any similar sentiment had been uttered by me. "I'm working." The end of the curse. The dawn of a new era. The phoenix from the ashes. The re-birth of a career. The glory. The magic. The wonder of it all.
"They're in building R-4." The security guard didn't seem nearly as moved by my employment as I did.
The table read was heavily attended. Lots of network and studio people. And lots of familiar faces, both from ABC and Touchstone Television, plus a handful of crew members whom I have worked with before.
The reading went very well, a bevy of big laughs from start to finish. The EXECUTIVE PRODUCER moments were not the highlight of the show by any means, but they're mostly plot moments anyway.
And so we were launched. The Web is underway. Everyone made the trip from Building R-4 over to Stage 7 and we waited for rehearsal to commence. All of the executives had to have their post-table-read powwows and then deliver their brilliant ideas to the writer and director. That takes a little while. I took it as a lunch break and disappeared for most of it. When we all reconvened, we set about rehearsing a few of the scenes, including one of mine, so I had to wait around.
My partner in crime is a gentleman named Eric. He is the other PRODUCER on our show-within-the-show. He and I were fast friends. The guest stars usually hang out with each other, keeping out of the way of the series regulars.
Eric and I would mostly wait in our dressing rooms and take trips down to the set to see if they were close to our scene. We took one such trip at about 2:15 and found out that our scene would either be next or they weren't going to do it at all, but that they should know in about twenty minutes. We told them we would be upstairs and to let us know.
Now, it's not really our fault that we let twenty minutes go by and didn't think twice. But we really should have been more suspicious as thirty minutes passed, and then forty-five, and then an hour, and still no word came up from the set. I volunteered to go downstairs and investigate. "They probably forgot about us," Eric joked as the door shut behind me. I chuckled to myself at the absurdity of that thought.
I opened the door to Stage 7 and walked quietly in. I didn't want to disturb the rehearsal.
Empty. The entire sound stage was void of any human activity. And yet I still had faith. There is one outdoor scene in the show. They must be outside rehearsing. I found my way to the back corner of the stage and out the side door. Nobody.
Then a car pulled up with the A.D.s in it and I waited for them to unload themselves and walk toward the stage.
"Hi," was all Tommy, the 2nd A.D. had to say to me. "Hi." I'm pretty sure he had no idea who I was.
"Where were you guys?" I asked.
"Scouting locations," came the reply, as plainly as if I had asked what time it was. But I know that nobody takes off to "scout locations" during rehearsal. Something fishy was going on and I was being forced to fish for it.
"So are we done for the day?"
"Yeah, we have been for a while. Didn't you sign out with me?" The end-of-the-day ritual of signing out had not taken place. I knew it. Eric knew it. I think Tommy probably knew it too, and as he opened his little book and revealed a sign-out sheet with two blanks on it, not only did we confirm there had been an oversight, but I think it was the first time Tommy knew whom he was talking to.
I returned upstairs to Eric. Tommy followed close behind and finally apologized for the mix-up. "Too many cooks" was the official party line. Whatever. "Two forgotten extras" was the feeling.
"I'm working on The Web."
I shouldn't worry about telling the guard. I better tell someone else working on the show.
Go on to Day 2