Journeying homeward

A brief post this morning as we sit in a waiting area at Heathrow, with about 2 hours to go before our gate is posted.  Just enough time to update you on our last day.

Remnants of a hurricane have put all of Scotland in a wet mess and it rained all day yesterday.  That didn't stop the Titans in Tartans from pursuing some last minute pleasures of Edinburgh - there were trips to the castle, shopping excursions and Fringe shows to take in before everyone did their best to turn in early.

A small group ventured into the Edinburgh castle - always a worthwhile visit, but shortened due to the nasty weather.   Even in the rain the views are special.

People who wanted to catch shows had one more day to indulge their whims - my family took in the show NOT called Whose Line is it Anyway (They called it What Does the Title Matter Anyway) - but it was hosted by original British Whose Line host Clive Anderson, and this evening's performance featured mega-popular stars of the American version, Colin Mochrie and Greg Proops.  As longtime fans of the show we really enjoyed seeing them live - no pix of the performers, as photos weren't allowed - but I did manage to sneak a couple of the stage setup.  The room was an enormous lecture or meeting hall at the University of Edinburgh - very Harry Potter-ish!

Closing here since online time at Heathrow is limited - suffice it to say that our trip was all we dreamed of and sometimes more.  The kids were fantastic, no real issues except a couple of late arrivals and some sick days.  More than anything I'm proud of how beautifully they came together as a company, and how admirably they represented Einstein, the theatre program and our county, state and nation.

We are eager to see our loved ones - including the parents, the siblings, and the puppies and kitties we left behind!

Frog and Toad, going into hibernation, over and out!

Edinburgh, the last hurrah

Before going on to today's events, let's revisit yesterdays aftermath of performance 4, where Sarah and company performed an exorcism on the frames - thanks to the Becker-Tunicks for capturing the moment!

Today started out at 4am (for me) with a trip to the airport with David.  He left our company one day early to have his eye surgery tomorrow - we wish him Godspeed on his journey and for his quick healing!

After leaving David in capable hands, I took the express bus back to town.  On the way I glimpsed an interesting sign that gave some indication of my Scottish heritage - of course I wasn't prepared to snap a picture.  Luckily I got a shot off as the bus was puling away from the light - fuzzy but legible!  HAS to br a relative!

Once I was back downtown I decided a walk would do me good, so  instead of taking the #33 bus, I walked by way of the lower section of the Royal Mile and Holyrood  Park.  Found some more lovely architecture and nice views along the 40-minute walk.

The big event for this morning was the Closing Ceremonies.  The multitude was divided into two sessions - we had the first at 10am.   The assembled staff congratulated the troupes on their jobs well done and waxed philosophical about why the work the students have been doing is so important.  The Baby Wants Candy company was present and did a 5-minute improvised musical entertainment for us - and they talked a bit about the shows they'd seen.  One BWC  member came to see our show and he praised our company highly for their professionalism and poise even when faced with surprises (in other words, the drops falling down!)  The tech staff offered awards for each troupe linked to their various triumphs.  We received an award acknowledging our grace under pressure with keeping our drops up and running!

 The rain has been falling steadily all day - it's really the first all-day rain we have experienced.  As I write this, it's close to 11pm and we have to be up and out of the dorms by 4 in prep for a 4:30 bus ride to the airport.  So look for a little update on last day activity tomorrow if I can get some computer time at the London airport!

Frog and Toad Ready for Hibernation

All good things must come to an end, so it's a bittersweet day today as we prepared for our last performance of Frog and Toad.  Our last show was scheduled for 2:25 pm, so we had the whole morning to prepare, or sleep in, as the case may be.

Some folks ventured out to a morning performance of Godspell over at Pilrig, and others caught up on laundry or just relaxed form the crazy pace of the last week.   Many missed breakfast and just waited to show their faces at lunchtime.

Sarah got to work on repairing the frames yet again, and she, Julia and Zoe did some engineering work to improve things.  Mamas Kibbe and Gallagher were there to record the surgery for posterity.

Our last bus ride to Church Hill was precisely on time, as usual  -and very hot, which was not normal.  Luckily the trip was no more than 10 minutes long.

We got in a few minutes early, which gave us an extra bit of time to make sure the frames were holding.  Our building staff Kisha and August have been very impressed with the work of our kids getting things together, especially Sarah's leadership!

Even the bus driver had to get into the act of offloading the frames

Tape tape tape

Note Sarah's at-the-run position

The props table is laden and ready to go

These men are chillin' backstage

These men are relaxed in their dressing space

All is ready 5 minutes ahead

Kisha and August are relaxed, knowing that everything is under control

We had kids again at this performance, so our actors and crew were loose and ready for them!  They turned in a solid performance worthy of a last show! Photos courtesy of Lisa who was able to sit close today.

Afterwards a few folks stayed behind to see an acclaimed and unusual production of  The Wizard of Oz, set in an insane asylum (seems strange but it actually worked pretty well!  Some of the group decided to walk home, and we passed a beautiful neighborhood of stunning churches and stately homes.

Our evening event was our own "celebration dinner", and it was held at a pub/restaurant called Merchants, in the historic Greyfriar's area of Edinburgh.  We had a delicious meal and, as always, good company!  And we said farewell to Davidk who will be flying home one day early in preparation for eye surgery - we wish him well for that and for his return journey!

Merchants Restaurant in the Greyfriar area-get ready for red

Tomorrow - a festival-wide closing ceremony and then one last free day in Edinburgh - hope to get a bunch of people to the castle in the afternoon!