Hello Carol!!!
 
I'm alive and well in Akron!  Missing you and class!  Please say a big hello with lots of hugs to everyone.  I'll try and get an email out to them as well.  God Bless Ben Franklin and the Public Library system. I'm at a library using the internet.  It's still not up at the new place they have me staying now.  Hopefully soon.
 
It's been lots of ups and downs, but all is well.
 
The play.  It's really wonderful.  I cannot send photos since they are on my laptop.  High caliber cast.  Some from the B'way production.  Everyone is wonderful and great to work with.  Production values are amazing.  I am skiddaddling across catwalks above the audience and climbing up ladders everywhere.  Audiences are slimmer than what they usually get.  They expected this because of the subject matter. I would say we have an average of 500-600 a night.  The place seats 1200.  Still a nice crowd and most seem to enjoy it immensely.
 
My first two weeks were very rough.  Six days to mount show!  Then, a couple of tech and on we went.  Great experience, I know.  It was literally,"Ok, here are the steps, now go."  Once through on the music.  And you know what, I did it.  Kept up with everyone and now no longer have the fear that I'm missing something.  There's NOTHING I'm missing.  It is all there.  I was however, feeling very insecure during the process.  Missing Harry one thousand times more than I even thought I would.  There was a time I felt so alienated from everyone and that the director and choreographer hated me, I was a bumbling idiot.  I stopped myself and thought about the alienation and loneliness....it is all Officer Barrel's.  Of course, he would feel alienated and alone.  A bumbling idiot?  Let him have it.  I did.  And on opening night,  I was on cloud nine.  I finally got to speak with the direc
 
Bad news has been the housing.  Very hard.  First week was in a hotel which was fine.  Then, company apartments.  Mine was the worst of the worst.  It smelled like sewage and pretty much everything about the place was disgusting.  Really.  And, I wasn't expecting much.  I was grinning and bearing.  Then, a couple of weeks later, I discovered a gas leak which we had been living with the whole time!  My bedroom had bars on the window that did not open from the inside!  The gas company came and shut it off.  From the beginning I had felt unsafe there and when the gas leak happened I told them I felt unsafe and would not stay there.  I was so afraid to complain before, not wanting to start a reputation, but I really felt I was in danger and very unhappy.  They did respond and moved me to another housing property.  It is a rundown, but interesting old Victorian.  All in all, a much better p
 
Well, that's it in a nutshell.  Can't wait to share more with you.  Lots has happened.  Making some incredible connections.  Wow.  I'm really doing it.  All that you have given me has served me so well, every night.  From the time I'm listening to the overture till I take my bow.  Carol, you have given me such riches.
 
Puppy news!  She's here.  Well, in Woodstock!  Nellie.  An 8 week-old Golden Retriever.  I'm meeting her next Monday on a trip home.  I told Harry to call you and Jerome.  I want Jake to meet the dog so they know eachother from the sart.  Harry is spending the first week with the cat and pup upstate.  Good idea.  He seems a little overhwelmed.  Cat has been fine so far.  He's busy catching mice.  So, he'll be there through this Sunday.  Please give him a buzz if you can.
 
Love, love, love to you and Jerome and Jake!!!!!!!!!!  I will talk soon.  Cannot wait to see you.  Say hello to our beautiful magic mountains!!!
 
Richard