Zonk redemption aired today. In case you were wondering, yes, I was invited… but no, I didn’t get on (in case you didn’t see it).
Since that makes this obviously a pretty anti-climatic story, and there is so much still to catch up on the blog, I’m going to save the other 8 parts until… well, whenever it’s time to post them. 😛
But I will tell you about my experience with it. After my Let’s Make a Deal episode, I did start to wonder when they tape Zonk Redemption. I figured it would be the April Fools’ day show again.
Under that assumption, they would almost definitely tape it before my episode even aired. I wondered if I’d still be up for consideration – as someone who’d had a zonk taped but not aired.
I went about my life, and let my wonders about it fly away… until I got an email from the contestant team.
They sent me a “save the date” email that said, “We’d love to invite you to the taping of the show!” But it also said, “Please respond to let us know if you’re interested.”
The way it was worded made me wonder… “They’d love to invite me… if they can?” “I should let them know if I’m interested? Not if I’m coming – if I’m interested.”
I know that’s getting a little persnickety on wording, but I had 3 shows on the 18th! This was my first foray back into theater in almost 3 years. I know it’s practically sacrilegious to miss a day of performances! So, if I was going to bring this to my bosses, I wanted to be sure that I really was being offered the opportunity to go.
The email was sent to me just over a month before zonk redemption happened. I emailed back right away saying I’d love to go. One week later, I checked in to make sure the “save the date” email meant I really was invited, since it was going to be really hard to get the day off work and I had to tell them soon.
Two weeks before the taping, I still hadn’t heard. I couldn’t wait any longer to tell my bosses. So, I did.
Under my Equity contract, I was technically allowed to take one sick day with no penalty. But I know the unspoken rules in regional theater. You never take a sick day! Ever. If you have to throw up in a bucket between scenes, so be it. You do not call out sick.
So, I didn’t want to take my sick day on the basis of a lie. With the mess that was my open-heart surgery stuff, I never wanted to take a sick day again in my life.
So, I chose to go in and tell my bosses the truth. I would say that was possibly the wrong decision. But how can I say it was wrong to tell the truth?
I didn’t want to call out sick at the last minute. I didn’t want the guilt, and I didn’t want to affect the show in any adverse way.
I asked for the day off two weeks before it was to happen. I said I’d help however I could. I could help them find a sub. I’d be happy to train the sub (of course). I even offered to pay the person to come in for me!
I was stage managing, not acting. So basically all someone had to do in my place was say “go” a lot during the show. It was easy to read my script. I knew a sub could come in semi-easily…. Or so I thought.
And this is where we’ll pick up next time.