Part of why I love community theater

I have a confession to make. As one of the directors of "Little Old Ladies in Tennis Shoes" at Baytown Little Theater, part of my job is to remind the actors always to check on their props and costumes before the show, so they don't get a surprise during the show. Well, guess, what? I should have heeded my own advise. I've had to take a small on-stage role in the show, in addition to directing. I don't come on until the last few seconds of the first act, so I don't get into makeup and costume until late in the show.

Well, last night I came upon a little surprise. As I was putting on my costume (a blue business suit) I realized that I had left my shoes at home! I had brought them home the prior weekend to wear to church. All I had with me were some very "beachy" looking sandals -- definitely not in keeping with the rest of my costume. I was in a panic, searching frantically for anything that would do as a substitute. Just then, Kim Martin walked back stage, getting ready for his BBQ sale the next day. And he was wearing shoes appropriate to my character!

With utter embarrassment, I asked him if I could borrow his shoes for the evening. Without a moment's hesitation, he took them off and handed them over. "Anything for the show," he said. Where else but in community theater would that be considered a perfectly normal thing to do? I've heard of giving the shirt off your back, but the shoes off your feet?
Thank you, Kim, for saving me the humiliation of walking out on stage with no shoes. Of course, I wear a size 7, and Kim's shoes were size 10 1/2, so it looked a little like I was wearing clown shoes, but I doubt the audience noticed. Besides, the play the BLTeens are working on for the TNT Youth conference is called "Clowns' Play" so it's fitting.

(If you read this in time, head down to the theater today, June 7, and support the BLTeens by buying some BBQ.)