Painted blessings into the set

Built the set all day, rehearsed on it at night. Painted the set all day, rehearsed on it at night. I go back early tomorrow for the third day, to build more set then rehearse all day. I am tired.

I painted blessings into the set today. I know where each name is on the set. I would think the name and the blessing as I drew the brush along, fat swaths of dark green, dark blue, white.

"I love Holly.
I love Keith.
I love PJ.
I love Jeff.
I love Lara.
I love Jeff.
I love Jenni.
I love Lois.
I love Alan Ayckbourn.
I love Ben.
I love Ann and Frank and Rowan.
I love Stanislavski.
I love Chekhov.
I love Eugenio.
I love Leonid.
I love Mark."

Hard rehearsal tonight. Tired sick people, stuff fraying and breaking, one holy breakthrough. But good nonetheless -- there was something nourishing about finally getting to work on the set. Like, "Ah, so THIS is how it will be."

"What a long strange trip it's been," I thought more than once today.