Another First (Whole75, Day 69)

The other night at rehearsal, an actress and director with whom I've worked several times didn't recognize me. It hasn't even been that long since I last saw her (and we're friends on Facebook) so it was really strange and kind of funny.

Limelight has several projects going on at once, so our rehearsal for The MoMologues was booked after a rehearsal he was holding for a special event for a local philanthropy group. I walked in and saw a few people I recognized, including this lady, and smiled and waved at her. She smiled back at me but looked distracted (she was working, obviously.) So I watched their readings and hung out while they got notes and chatted with Kev afterwards. A few others whom I hadn't seen in a while came up to hug me, including the couple I worked with on Weekend Comedy a couple of years ago (I did get a "where did Dana go?!?" which was sweet.) The actress I'd smiled and waved at was working on something at a table by herself, so I waited for her to pack up, then went in for a hug with my arms out to her...and noticed her vaguely terrified and nonplussed expression as I moved in.

There was an awkward pause, and then shock crossed her face and she yelled "Oh. My. GOD" and finally hugged me.

"Did you not know who I was?"
"No!!"
"...then why did you smile when I...were you just tolerantly smiling at the weird stranger waving at you from the audience?..."
"YES!"

This is the one-act play in which she directed me, in March 2011

Granted, I was also wearing my glasses, which are sort of new (when I worked with her I didn't have them.) But yeah, that's the first time anyone I know has straight-up not known it was me, up close. Kinda weird and wonderful.

She was very complimentary and that was another nice thing.

For reference, here is what I looked like in my last production of The MoMologues (in 2011) vs. what I look like now. The later photo was taken on the night I was mistaken for a transient who'd wandered in to wave at people. ;-)

The MoMologues 2011 (I'm in the center)

The MoMologues 2016 (I'm on the right)

I vainly posted the above 2 photos on my Facebook wall as a sneaky "throwback Thursday" way to show off the progress I'm making. It's slower than a tortoise on Qaaludes, but it's happening.

Incidentally, I realized I was telling myself these past few days to simultaneously "just keep swimming" and "just breathe." No wonder I felt like I was drowning. Heh.

Six more days.