By the time I reached Legazpi St., it felt pretty funny to be walking along that road again, specially at that time of the day. Plus I was walking towards the office in a different direction.
First familiar face was the same manong guard that greeted me every morning. When I was a few steps away from the office, I was surprised that the door was wide open, and Bobby, Ate Sally and Lawyn were all in perfect view. As it turned out, the entire office was being repainted. There were new changes over the past couple of months. They finally got a warehouse where all props and costumes would be stored (no more mountain climbing in the back of the office!), and they got a couple more mobile phones for Cinderella concerns. Then they're purchasing a new desktop computer. Plus I think a new addition will be in for training soon.
I can't believe I spent a good 2 years with Atlantis. I had expected to last for only one production, but I was there not only during Beauty and The Beast, but I also witnessed the progress of Doubt, Avenue Q (including its 2nd run), Dogeaters, and even a bit of Seussical (though I never did get to watch this one), plus the auditions for The King and I Asian Tour. I never really learned the marketing aspect in a production back in school, but I learned a lot about it working there. I learned about persistence and patience. I even learned how to get around the entire Metro Manila, hahaha!
I miss...
... Ate Sally's texts almost every morning, asking me to buy breakfast from Jollibee or Burger King (when it was still open).
... her playful punches whenever she comes across an annoying caller.
... her niece Gen's visits during summer vacations.
... Kuya Boni's "Ako ang bahala" excuses.
... his crazy stories and gossip.
... Bobby's quips and merciless teasing.
... his several one-liner emails of to-do lists per day.
... Lawyn's ADHD moments and Nacho overload cravings.
... the suppressed laughter due to certain phone calls.
... the 3 o'clock merienda that we always have to have, haha.
... cutting up clippings and print ads of our shows off every newspaper we can find.
... printing out and faxing proposal letters to sponsors, and then bugging (or stalking) each contact person endlessly through landline, mobile and email.
... updating directories and list of prospective and official sponsors.
... having to answer both telephones at once during ticket selling.
... having to walk to Shang just to get the office key.
... reminding visitors that they have to turn the doorknob the other way because of the way it was installed.
... having at least 2 different accountants every year.
... Ate Janine's "Wag mong sasaktan ang sarili mo" every time one of us leaves.
... "mountain climbing" in the makeshift stockroom in the back just because someone needs one piece of costume or prop.
... calling Sir Raul at RCBC to check the auditorium's availability.
... still calling Sir Raul for last minute gate passes and faxes.
... finding ways to curb our boredom on slow days.
... the annual Christmas "road trip" with Kuya Boni to deliver mango torts and bread puddings.
... free food and other good stuff from sponsors.
... counting programs and other merchandise sold per show.
... ever reliable ushers from BlueRep (and their appetites, hahaha!)
... the episodes we encounter at the front-of-house.
Oh, the list can go on forever. I miss all the craziness I experienced while working for Atlantis. But of course, certain priorities must come first. Must finish my degree first, then see if I can still act, hahaha.
