Last Tuesday, I hopped on a plane for Amsterdam to for two weeks to put up two shows with a couple colleagues from UCI. I flew direct out of LAX, flying overnight. My hair looked good when I left...
... but by the time I landed in Amsterdam, it was...less than.
L and I flew in on the same flight. After we landed Wednesday morning, moved through passport control, and hopped a train into central city, B, R, and H met us to walk us to the theatre. Along the way, we passed over lots of beautiful canals and BOY was it hot! I had been checking the weather for the previous week and the forecast was reasonable (mid-70's), but it was 80F by the time we landed at 9am.
From the train station, we went straight to the theatre for a while to get settled in. The theatre is roughly 50x50', and the grid is a system of trusses that can be raised and lowered individually. Here's a shot of a few of them lowered to the ground.
After a few hours at the theatre, L and I were beat, so we headed to the apartment to get settled in. We're on the 4th and 5th floor of a walk-up with no a/c. L passed out and I went to buy an oscillating fan. We cooked in (and triggered the smoke alarm), and I was passed out by 10.30.
On Thursday morning, I was up at 6 and we were at the theatre by 9.15. L and I walked in to the theatre and kept working on load-in. We took a break mid-afternoon and walked across town (hot! HOT!) to pick up rental bikes. H & S facetimed along the way! Everything you've read about Amsterdammers riding bikes everywhere is 100% true. This city is full of bikes, and the roads are designed to prioritize bikes over motorized vehicles. Plus, it's super fun to ride in Amsterdam!
After rehearsal, L and I had dinner with E, our producer for these two plays. We met at a small pub right next to the theatre for a beer, and then E took us to a chinese restaurant in the Chinatown section of Amsterdam. The dinner was delicious, and on the way, we passed this small castle that used to host a human dissection theatre on the top floor. Today, there's a restaurant on the ground floor.
Back home, I got a chance to check in with S before working on some notes and then blogging. Off to bed soon! Another workday tomorrow!
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