— A vehement conversation broke out about Helvetica. Rachel H.: “I cannot STAND Helvetica.” John: “Helvetica is AWESOME.” And so it went.
— There were two Rachels and two John’s at the party. The Rachels are good friends and are known as “the Rachels”.
— Rachel H. kept us well-fed, with knishes, and carrots and Brie and a multitude of snacks.
— We heard about Rachel D’s book tour. We also heard about the whole process of coming up with a book design, which was really fascinating.
— I only mentioned Elvis Presley twice. I think that’s a record.
— Rachel D. and Jon somehow discovered (and I missed the moment) that their handwriting is nearly identical. They both wrote out the same sentence and analyzed the similarities. Rachel D. helpfully circled the words that really stood out. They then both wrote out the Preamble to the Constitution for further comparison. When they got stuck on what came next, everyone broke out into the School of Rock song to help them out. A table of adults singing at the top of their lungs, “Weee the people … in ORDER TO FORM a more perrrfect uuunion …”
— Brooke was talking about raising kids in New York, and Jon, a born and bred New Yorker, was really relating to the stories, of savvy kids navigating the subways. Those who grew up here (a rare breed) have a different perspective on the city. I loved hearing about how much Jon clearly still loved it.
— There was a big conversation about dogs. Rachel H. shared about her dog. She drove cross country with her dog. John and Brooke shared about their psychotic dog.
— Mitchell, Rachel H. and I are still high from seeing Evita on Broadway on Wednesday. We are still talking about it. We refer to one another as “descamisados”.
— I haven’t seen Rachel D. since before she had her baby, so it was so fun to catch up with her about all of the incredible developments in her life.
— I am in the final planning stages now for my New York reading, and was talking about it with my friends, many of whom have seen the play in its other incarnations and are ready to come see the more formal reading. Everyone is very excited for me. I have had so much help, I am so grateful. People getting behind the project, people working to make it happen. Scheduling is a BEAR. Getting four people in the same room at the same time is so difficult. But we’re almost there. I almost have a date. So I was sharing with the table some of the challenges, but it’s all good. Even the setbacks are good. It’s all part of the process.
— The Rachels and I got into a really good conversation about actively avoiding disappointment and how that can hold you back. Rachel H. brought it up. “I just don’t like the fact that instead of enjoying hoping for something good to happen – you try to temper your excitement in case it doesn’t work out. I wish we didn’t do that.” There were many deep things to discuss about this mindset. It was interesting to think about. Yes, I’ve had heartbreak and disappointment over the last couple of months but I haven’t had time to dwell because there’s too much to do. It’s when I only have ONE thing going on – all eggs in one basket – that I stop allowing myself to get excited. Too much pressure placed on the one thing. We all agreed on this. Hitching your cart to only one horse is usually a bad idea. But Rachel H. said, “Even if something doesn’t work out, you at least had a good 3 or 4 weeks of looking forward to it – doesn’t the scale balance out?” I said, “No.” Thanks for the sunshine, Sheila. But it was a good conversation.
— Mitchell told about one of the mothers of the circus kids he used to train. This kid was 15 years old and Mitchell loved him, thought he was awesome. One day, he got a call from the kid’s mother, a no-nonsense terrific lady with a Boston accent. Mitchell was making me and Brooke cry with the imitations of this fabulous woman. So the mother says to Mitchell, “I want you to talk to so-and-so (her son).” Mitchell, who had an idea what it might be about (the kid coming out of the closet), said innocently, “About what?” The mother replied flatly, “I think you know.” (Brooke and I were dying. Brooke kept repeating it. “I think you know.”) Mitchell played innocent, “I’m not sure I do …” (He didn’t just want to blurt out, “Look, your son is gay …” That’s not his place.) And then this fabulous mother said, “I need you to talk to him. He’s so busy being gay that he’s not doing his homework. Tell him he can be gay and ALSO do his homework, please.” We were crying with laughter.
— Soft music played, a special mix Mitchell had made. I went into the other room at one point, and heard Elton John, and the memories bombarded me. I always associate Elton John with Mitchell. Maybe it was because we ran into one another at an Elton John concert in Rhode Island just before we became really good friends. I think it’s because he was the soundtrack of the start of our friendship.
— I miss Rachel H. She used to live in New York, and she now lives in California, but she’s back here for an improv intensive. She’s in town for a month. It was so awesome to see her twice in one week. Felt like old times. And I loved that she decided to throw a “Mitchell is in town” party for all of his friends from different parts of his life.
— It was a great mix: Mitchell, Brooke and I went to college together. Brooke and John, now a couple, were high school sweethearts back in the day and are now together. Rachel D. and Rachel H. go back to Second City together. I know Rachel H. from a couple of shows we did in Chicago, and the same goes for Mitchell. Jon is Jordan’s boyfriend, and poor Jordan was back in Chicago, dying at the fact that we were all meeting up without him. I had never met Jon before. I love Jon now. Instant friendship. So it was a mix of people who were all connected in different ways, but we just sat around the table at the Phillips Club and had a blast. I love my friends.
