A lot of that perception is actually due to actively *wanting* to perceive the experience as fun. Or due to taking the fun into our own hands. Apart from organising a trip for the fun of seeing LLL, and the pleasure of watching RA act on stage, it was the opportunity of observing him at the SD, that was a big potential for “fan fun”. But damn, our “master of ceremonies” was unable to facilitate SD fun himself after every performance. *aw* Talk about big expectations. What I loved about my own individual experience of travelling to NYC was, that we even had fun on the days when there was *no* SD. We simply created one ourselves. There is a bit of backstory to it which may be interesting to you because it involves some fan interaction with Richard. (You can tune out after the text in the quote box if you are otherwise not interested in fan antics.) In Kathy’s words:
I wanted Richard to sign the back of my shrine. I tried to give him a special sharpie that was for writing on metal. So I said to him, as far as I can remember, “Could you sign this please with this pen. It’s for metal.” So I passed the shrine to him (upside down of course) and he said” Oh, you’re giving me a medal?” Because the shrine box kind of looks like it could be holding a medal. So I replied, “Oh no, not a medal, it’s metal. M E T A L” Then I laughed at how stupid I was, spelling the word to him in a loud voice so he could hear me. I used a tone of voice that was rather chiding. People around me laughed as well. Richard did not laugh I don’t think. I did get direct eye contact when he asked about his medal. He was probably disappointed there was no medal and had to go on down the line.The group had a few laughs about it (at my expense I might add). In honor of that humbling encounter and to make sure Richard was happy (because he was obviously disappointed that there was no medal) Guylty and her accomplice presented me with a medal (pictured here) to give to Richard. I was unable to give it to him that night. My next opportunity was a Sunday matinee. By that time I had found a suitable box to put the medal into, with the inscription “For Meritorious Acting” on the lid. Thanks to Mimi’s silver sharpie. At that time he was still doing the stage door so we waited patiently and hopefully to have another opportunity to have a fan encounter. Eventually, a security guy came out and announced Richard would not appear. Crap. Trying to make lemons out of lemonade, I thought we could have our own stage door encounter, complete with medal presentation. So I pulled a cap down low over my forehead, got on the celebrity side of the barrier with a sharpie, and went down the line impersonating Richard. I was told my “thank you’s” were superb. I was suitably thrilled when the medal was presented to me. By that time we were laughing hysterically. That was my last night in NYC and it was so much fun. I loved the play and of course seeing RA, but hanging out with my fellow fan girls was the best. Love you guys.
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Lest you should think we are criticising the “Stage Door Runner” – we are laughing *at* him not *about* him. But possibly about *ourselves*. Cos hey, fans are fun bunch of people. That’s all I’m saying.
I love the ersatz medal (and the ersatz Richard)!! Brilliant. After all, there is a long tradition of gender-bending on the stage. Why not at the stage door?
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hehe, Ersatz medal indeed. A total cheapskate-makeshift production, assembled from a metal muffin cup, a ribbon, some wash tape and a safety pin. Yes, we invested heavily…
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I was impressed with your craftmanship. I literally spent (almost) hour Sunday night trying to sew a button back on Hub’s pants. He didn’t burst it off or anything, it was falling off and he thought it would eventually fall off while he was wearing them. Stupidly, I said I could fix it, ha. I am better with a hammer than a needle. Had to search high and low to find a needle and thread. None of which I had matched his pants. Normally I take things to a seamstress if it is something I want to keep. If not, I throw it out. The fact that you could make a medal from whatever you could get your hands on is remarkable! I am still impressed! Too bad you live too far away to be of any use to me in a zombie apocalypse tho. 😈
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LOL – I’m afraid I am no MacGyver. And I’d be peeing my pants if I was faced with zombies 😀 .
The hardest thing about making the medal was, that I didn’t have any proper tools. Obscura kindly bought a sewing kit so that we had a tiny pair of scissors – which actually were so flimsy, they broke when I used them :-)) .
And oh no – while I like sewing with a sewing machine, I really hate hand-sewing, too. My hubs is better at it than me
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But it looks great! Cleverly done 🙂
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Thanks for the laugh! Kathy’s odes are so much fun, I’m glad I saw her in the clip. What happened with the medal? Will she send it to The One?
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Since Kathy was unable to bestow the medal upon RA that day, she passed it to me, thinking I might have an opportunity after my remaining Tuesday evening show. Unfortunately the SD was cancelled that night, so I brought the medal home with me. Do you think we should send it to him? 😉🎖
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Of course you should! I bet he’s going home for Christmas. 😉
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Hehe, I think I would have to add a letter explaining the shoddy medal/metal…
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Just send him your post. It explains everything. Of course, you should delete all traces of me. I need to look younger, slimmer, prettier and more fascinating in general to be immortalized in your blog.
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LOL – I will use XXXXXXX over all names and place some black lines on faces… 😉
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Perfect. I could be redacted, like info that is a security risk. Or I could plant the idea that the person in the photo/video is not the real Kathy Jones, but an imposter hired to impersonate her. Or is she really a her? Hmmmm, could it be I have been watching BS a little too much?
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Indeed, I think this is Robert Hermitage’s most perfidious imposition yet… The man is a chameleon. He can even imitate women who imitate men.
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No wonder Robert is so frustrated by his lack of fame. His acting is truly inspiring. Maybe the poor man should receive his own medal, “For meritorious acting without compensation or fame”. He might be offended, though, when his medal reminds him “You are number two”.
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LOL – that would be a harsh setback for Hermitage, indeed. Never remind him that there are other idols beside him…
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Hahahaha. You could print it on official looking letterhead with pieces blacked out. . . Or as surveillance images with post-it notes or black sharpie written on the images explaining your suspicions of how the medal got lost from an unidentified individual sometimes known as Kathy Jones AKA Mimi’s Minion (but only at CCI) 😈
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Next time I will wear a disguise. Just to be on the safe side.
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*giggles* that sounds good. Who knows, maybe I will…
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You look great! Not that I’m asking you out or anything😈
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Aww, fun and funny!! 🙂 🙂
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Exactly. Did you see me quake in awe? I could hardly hold my hands still…
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LOL! And I wonder how the real Richard would look in that cap – I’d love to see him wear that! 😉
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He would look great in it. It has kind of a Hawaiian print, purchased from a surf shop, brand – Volcom. It looks rather incongruous on the streets of NY, that’s why I brought it. And it stays on your head on windy days.
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Sounds excellent! 🙂
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I think I heard you giggling, but that might have been me😈
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No, I definitely giggled, too!
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For those who haven’t seen the movie “Misery”, the ode was referencing excessive fangirling by the main character. Kathy Bates ( who won an Oscar for her role) was very scary, and that is why Richard ran for his life/car. “Misery” is an even scarier book by Steven King.
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Thanks for sharing, Kathy! I couldn’t get the video to play, but the instagram and your running commentary are great! Glad that you and other fans were able to enjoy the play–and get to see him at least once.
I’m still hoping that Love3 will be filmed. Remember how late the final okay for filming The Crucible was announced? Fingers crossed! Cheers!
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The video and the Instagram link are the same, Grati, there was only one video there. So if you saw a video, you saw what happened…
It would be so great if they recorded LLL – even though I saw it, I wouldn’t mind seeing it again…
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Ok, I’ll try the Instagram. Didn’t realize it was a video. Ha! Thanks!
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Ah! V ery nice! Thanks!
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Glad you liked it. 🙂
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The scary side of obsessive fans 😈
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Another one with you on this, Guylty; fan-fuelled activities are half the fun, IMHO. Even when you only get to experience it at a distance, she says wistfully.
Besides, it would be rude to expect Mr. A to do 100% of the entertaining all the time.
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LOL – exactly. As polite as Mr A is, but he’s got a bit of a double load with that little play he features in every night 😉
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That is right, Jenny. I hope he appreciates me standing in for him at the SD medal ceremony. I was happy to take the burden off his shoulders and would be willing to do it again if needed. 🙂 Have sharpie,will travel.
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Forgot to thank Kathy for the masterful Ode.
🙂 at the ‘number one fan’ quote. I loved Misery, in a dark kind of way
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Oh, Kathy. Nobody could have assumed the Stage Door Runner mantle so masterfully! Thanks for the belly laughs!
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I bet you can truly imagine the antics that Kathy gets up to when on tour…
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I would never reveal what happens in our hotel room . . . oh wait, already did! We listen to audiobooks while she patiently watches me perform magic for minor celebrities 😈
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Aren’t you forgetting the times we order room service cocktails and go wild with our Pop Thorins? Those guys are party animals.
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I was trying to be discreet Kathy, PoP Thorins like their privacy 😈 heh
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I can, and then there are the astonishing things that come out of her mouth at signing events. Something about “Could you sign it, ‘I’ll never forget Paris’?” springs to mind. *Snickers*
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He is such a fast moving target at the SD by the time I put my request to him, he would have been far past me in line. I guess I will have to wait until he is sitting down, like at a book-signing. It’s much harder to run away from one of those.
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LOL – we were trying to get Kathy to say that, but alas, she refused… No idea where the sudden bashfulness came from…
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Considering what happened the last time I tried that, I thought there would be no time to give the request, then receive a confused/astonished refusal, then perhaps receive the signature. RA is too much of a moving target. The celebrity I tried this on was trapped at a table, sitting down. He could not get away. Plus, I wasn’t much of a fan and didn’t care too much about the outcome of the encounter. I was rather normal in those days, compared to now. Still, I have the folded paper trick up my sleeve. Maybe next time.
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Sorry, I kind of made a double entry here.
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Sounds legit. I am only hoping that the next opportunity will happen in my presence 😀
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I am the dynamite, you are the fuse. I hope any RA encounter will happen in your presence. You bring out the worst in me. And if I have an encounter without you, rest assured you will hear all about it.
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That’s all I hope for 🙂
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Me too! Would so enjoy being witness to Kathy’s request😈
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You are so welcome, happy I could make you laugh. I was inspired by my silly companions, who brought out the corny humor in me. We were determined to make our own SD experience memorable, Richard or no Richard.
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Sorry, this reply was to JHolland
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Couldn’t have all that fun without you girl!
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You could, the fun would just take longer to arrive.
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I know! I have a premonition that next week, when I no doubt find myself at the SDR performance, I’ll now be thinking something along the lines of “Now that Himself has flashed past at the speed of light, where is the fabulous Act 2 starring the inimitable Kathy Jones?!”
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Awww, you are too kind. It’s possible you can have such a great act 1 you won’t need an act 2. He might slow down to warp speed and give you time to request a personal sentence to go above his signature. Not likely, but it could happen. Or if you get a selfie, hold something in your hand, a small Eiffel tower, for instance, to remind you of your romantic interlude with him in Paris. Or wear a beret. 🙂 Or carry a baguette.
.
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That could be a thing. The baguette. I could be that woman with the baguette forevermore….
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I already imagine another interviewer asking, “So, Mr Armitaaaage, what was the strangest encounter you ever had with a fan?” (Armitage ponders the question, rubs his upper lip absentmindedly with his thumb, starts out) “You know, they are never strange. The fans are all really lovely. I really appreciate that they are coming to the stage door to say hello to me.” (catches breath, suddenly breaks into giggles) “And then there was that woman with the baguette…”
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I can see it now. It would be an unforgettable encounter. Maybe he could sign it for you.
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Well, he will either sign it on autopilot, or demand it as a gift for him 😂
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Because he has to be hungry after performances . . . Right?
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“Would you please sign my crusty baguette, sir?” Imagine thrusting a baguette at him might possibly cause quite a ripple in the SDR performance, should it elicit a hesitation, double take, awkward pause, or (dare I imagine!?) a stumble… =)
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LOL – elicit a stumble… You’d definitely get a “You want me to sigh THAT???” out of him.
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that’s it!!! he might be hungry enough to stay for a chomp down!
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Thanks for the laugh ladies, you were all splendid in the vid’! xx
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I love this ❤ Richard misunderstanding, and then Kathy & company improvising w/the failed appearance. it's supposed to be fun 🙂
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From fangirling to fungirling 🙂 We had a ball even without RA.
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So Kathy Jones is now the understudy of the lead of Stage Door Runner?
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I will take the job after my people talk to the SD Runner people. Of course I need my own set of security guards, sharpies and adoring fans. The last item might be hard to come by.
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I volunteer to be your first adoring fan Kathy! Crap, I really have to get back to work, unpacking comics for new comic day tomorrow and I haven’t finished cleaning up invoices to post. Which is what everyone else thinks I’m doing. But this was a good laugh, love it😈
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🙂
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Are you kidding? I’m pretty sure that any true connoisseur of the poetic arts in this fandom is already an ardent fan of yours. Oh, and the “Mister Man”… brilliant! Pokes a bit of fun at the obsessive side of all of this. The poor hounded man. =)
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Thank you for the kind words. To think my pathetic poetic musings can have fans is as heartwarming as it is unlikely. Thanks for the kind words. I love the “Mister Man” quote too. When she come out with that, trouble is on the way.
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I’m afraid it was a one-day-only show 😉
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Really? I was hoping to propel my career to new heights on the strength of that performance. Successful careers have been built on much less. 😦
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Actually, judging by the fan reaction, you are on to something. Your star power should not go unnoticed. I hope Hollywood calls, soon! ⭐️🌟✨
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I am sure the calls will come pouring in any day now. 🙂
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I hope my responses/comments are not taken as criticism either Guylty. It can be difficult to read a person’s demeanour or intent on line. I have nothing but positive memories from our weekend of LoveLoveLove 💟
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I absolutely did not take any of your comments of criticism! If anything, you were defending the existence of those barriers. As you said, barriers or not, SD appearance of RA or not – we had a great weekend there. I regret nothing 😀
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Agreed, I will die with those words on my lips, ” I regret nothing!”🎭 Hahaha 💖
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This is a riot. I don’t know what your shrine looks like, but I’m sure you noticed what Kenneth used to keep his stash in. Could pass for a Guylty Pleasure tin. (One also popped up in Berlin Station). Has anyone congratulated Kathy on having the mettle to ask him to sign something metal without a medal?
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Hehe, we were all very much in awe of Kathy and her impressive stage door banter. We’re hoping for a repeat of it, another time. Unless we send the metal medal by mail…
And yes, I immediately noticed Kenneth’s little tin, too. They had covered the lid with tape, but I suspect it was an Altoid tin… Those tins are ubiquitous, I guess – BS a case in point… And while it is not the exact same size but smaller, I now have the perfect tin for pothead Ken, too. Only have to make a shrine with it…
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I thought the Berlin Station one looked just like my NY tin. As to the other, too bad it’s a mini, because the worshipper might want a light from a candle.
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My silver shrine is all Porter on the inside and a few discrete jewels on the outside. It is square and almost flat, about 4×4 inches. There was plenty of room for him to sign easily on the back. I didn’t think mettle was required because he had signed Pop Thorin’s head and other odd items in the past. Perry, I think you have some odes inside of you struggling to get out. Metal, medal ,mettle – very promising. All my fan friends were very appreciative of the entertainment my spelling and giggling provided.
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Oh, well, don’t forget, Chop was a pothead, too. But who remembers?
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Chop who?
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LOL – some people in a small place in Somerset might…
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Pingback: The Autumn of #LoveLoveLove – Part 4: Thanks | Guylty Pleasure
No pressure to Shrine Guylty, just remembered I had not sent you any supplies for a long time. Grabbed a bunch of unopened tins full of mints to give you because I forgot the empty ones I’ve saved for you at home.🎀
I’m sure you have not had a chance to go through all the mints in the other tins. I can imagine a huge pile of white mints with an occasional cinnamon pinkish one here and there piled up in your work area.😈
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so much fun!!!! i could feel the giggle all the way here!! and his face of ‘whot not for me?’ priceless! 🙂
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