I Will Literally Never Be Able to Face Marion Seldes Again

So last night I worked the Equus party.

How this works for those of you who have just joined us, is that there are promotion companies who'll pay you to work the opening party for a Broadway show (or event) by giving you a ticket or two to the show. It's a pretty cool idea and I've been able to see a bunch of shows that I wouldn't have been able to afford and in a couple cases would not have wanted to pay to see. (no names!)

Anyway, a couple weeks ago I got a ticket to see Equus. That's A ticket. Usually it's two so I invited the BF along with me and there we were waiting for the head of the company to hand us a couple of ticks.. he stopped, dropped one and went to the next person. I was horrified and embarassed about this, I must not have read the deal close enough and here I was with egg on my face.

So, rather than go alone (the thought of sending him home was wrenching) I looked into the crowd for another worker from the events company that might be in the same situation and want to take my ticket. I saw an older, elegantly dressed woman standing near us, she was with another woman and a man and they were dithering with their own tickets. I recognized the woman and got it into my head that it was one of the other people from the events company and that they were trying to figure out who was going to go and who was not going to go to the show. I thought "I'll offer them my ticket and they'll be happy and we'll just go grab dinner and all will be well"... and so I marched up to her and said "hey, how are you doing? Havent seen you in a long time, say, did Michael give you only one ticket too? Well ,here you can have mine and I'll work it out with Rich in the office".

All three of the people looked at me in horror. And it was then that I realized that none of these people were from the events company and I could only imagine who they could be and then they guy said to me in a voice that sounded somewhat helpful, desperate and condescending all at the same time, a weak shock of a voice that this nobody (uhm, me!) would dare approach them because after all, he said, 'this is Marion Seldes" and I looked at the tall elegant woman with wide eyes and was like (in my head) oh crap, it is.

There is no really great way to get out of these kinds of situations and ducking away in silence, shame but with a twitter of gutteral laughter at the sheer horror of it all (although, really, why horror?) and back to the BF where I squeeked out what had happened. Good guy that he is didn't guffaw in my face or roll his eyes, he just smiled and gently laughed and shrugged.

I however, felt horrible.

The BF ended up leaving and I went to the show for a fantastic dress rehearsal and that was the end of it. Or so I thought.

Last night the premiere party happened at Pier 60 and a few of us met outside the theatre where Equus is playing to herd people into big buses that'd take them to the party.

I was in the last of the four buses and once I arrived to the party, there wasn't much more for me to do so I stood outside with a few others and looked important (it's the only job that I have to do at times) while watching an endless parade of guests flow into the party. Towards the end of the flow when things had slowed down to a trickle, a group of people approached us, lead by Marion Seldes. My heart froze, my muscles tensed up... and as she walked through the line she said a bright smiled hello to all the tickettakers standing in front of me and whether she saw me or not, just before she got to me, she turned her head forward and walked directly into the venue. I was sparred an awkward moment, but I realized, ohmy God, I will literally never be able to face Marion Seldes ever again!