us do.
[The entire house and all of us on stage applaud. Jim gets hit in the face with several pairs
of womenâs underpants . . . and one set of boxers. I whistle innocently.]â
The house begins to empty out and I run at Mach Four to the bathroom. When I come back
into the theatre, I get the most important review of all: Anne walks over, puts her arms
around me and says, âOh puss! You were great. Iâve never laughed so hard in my whole life.
This is one of the best shows youâve ever done! I am so proud of you!â
Truth be told, I am proud of me too. All our hard work has paid off.
I gather the cast. I sit on the edge of the stage, and look into all their faces. During
our months of preparation, we have become a family, and I feel like a proud father.
âWe killed, you guys. They loved us! Thank you all for doing this show. Now, it is time to
party.â
âParty! Woo!â Kevin screams, like a frat guy. We all laugh.
While they pack up the show, I seek out my parents.
My mom waits for me near the back of the theatre, next to my dad. I approach her, she
stands, arms outstretched.
âI am so proud of you! You killed!â She hugs me tightly.
âYou guys are so funny!â My dad says. He then goes on to tell me something that he loved
from each sketch, laughing deeply and warmly with each recollection.
I have never felt such pride from my parents. It comes off of them in waves, it radiates
from their smiles and wraps around me in their hugs. I bask in the warmth.
âDo you guys want to join us for some gambling and stuff?â I ask them, hoping that theyâll
come along and share in our celebration.
âNo, we need to get to bed. Itâs late, and we are driving home in the morning,â my dad
says.
âAre you sure? Please?â
They look at each other. My mom says, âI donât think so, sweetie. You guys have a good
time. Youâve earned it.â
âOkay. Iâll talk to you guys when we get home.â
We head over to The Rio, where gambling, eating, and drinking ensues.
Remember the first time you stayed up all night with your friends, and watched the sun
rise? Remember how cool it was that you were awake that late? Remember how you never wanted
the night to end? Thatâs how we all feel, and it is nearly 3 a.m. before we give in to our
exhaustion.
Some cast members need to fly home early in the morning, and others are just too tired to
stay awake, so we sadly share a tearful farewell.
We all go our Separate Ways, seeking out our own Frontiers, watching the Wheel in the Sky,
knowing that weâll never Stop Believinâ.
It is quite a Journey.
Anne and I return to our hotel, and fall asleep before our heads even hit the pillows.
Sadly, we are too tired for that post-show romp that rock stars always talk about.
Come to think of it, Iâve never had a post-show romp in my life. I think I need to get
into a different line of work.
Morning arrives, surprisingly devoid of hangover. Anne and I are going to stay the rest of
the weekend, so we can attend the party at Star Trek: The Experience on Sunday night, but
weâre not staying at Bellagio any more. Weâre moving to Monte Carlo.
While Anne moves us, I go back to the convention, and spend the day sitting in the
autograph room, so people who missed me the first two days can get their picture or autograph.
After several hours, I decide to call it a day. Two of our best friends, Stephanie (who
introduced us, and was the Best Man in our wedding) and Mykal (who has known Anne forever, and
is one of the most loyal and reliable friends sheâs ever had) are meeting us to spend the
weekend, and Iâm ready for a little break from Star Trek.
I meet them at the Monte Carlo, and we spend the rest of the day at the hotel pool, paying
too much for drinks with umbrellas, laughing at Speedo-clad Euros.
As the
Matthue Roth
Darlene Panzera
Stolen Charms
Richard Parks
Blake Pierce
Johnny O'Brien
Lynn Raye Harris
Bethany-Kris
M. William Phelps
Laury Falter