A Really Bad Show and How I Escaped During the First Act

The Musical was more than usually miscast. The students hardly looked like High School age students, let alone adults. I know they were making due while their own theatre was being renovated, but this was particularly distracting, they could have put together a more period costume collection. Set pieces kept tipping over and I could see the stage hands struggling with rickety stage braces. The audience space was far too crowded for the cast to come through the house onto the stage, it just wasn't working with the horrid acoustics. I was relieved when they finally got all on the stage. Broken stage equipment and a really poor production prompted me to leave the multi-purpose room to find some tools in the shop to make repairs that could be installed during the intermission. I found the shop unlocked and there were a couple of kids stuffing their pockets with tools. I shooed them away after making them turn out their pockets. I then went to work, frequently being interrupted by other tool-thieving intruders. Finally I managed to fix the door so it could close. Back to work, shortly I was interrupted again. This time I made them show me how they were getting in. There was another door from another classroom, neither one was closed. I got them all sent on their way and was taking a bucket of tools back to the tool crib, which was now completely empty. I stepped into the main shop. There was a night class going on. The teacher was grateful for the rest of the tools. I told him about the other entrances. He promised to talk to the principal about it. The class fixed the stage braces I'd brought over as learning opportunity. I thanked him and his students and took the parts back to the MPR just in time to make intermission. Nan wanted to know where I was. I asked her if it had gotten any better. I could tell from the pained expression on her face that it had not. I braced myself for the second act, after buying Nan several cookies for being such a trooper.