Wow, there's nothing in the world like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival! With 3,000+ shows all vying for the same audiences and the same reviewers, you're in for a rough ride as a new show, trying to get a foothold and notice amidst the whiz-bang of the Festival (now you see why we've been remiss in blogging!). Nevertheless, we've consistently been getting audiences who are touched by the show, and who have been amazing in Tweeting their support and posting reviews on our EdFringe page. We've also been hitting the stages around the Fringe Festival and meeting all kinds of other performers. We're constantly inspired by the determined artists who wend their way to the Fringe and brave the crowds of performers, potential audience members, and reviewers to ply their art and tell their stories. We've found a number of other shows about immigration and identity that really speak to WAITLESS'' themes; we've met comedians in pubs; we've really connected with all our "Greenside Family" -- the other shows playing in Greenside Venues; and we've experienced avant garde theatre, modern dance, butoh, puppetry, opera, musicals, drag shows, and straight theatre. With one week to go, we're tired, but running high on energy and on the amazing support from our audiences!

If there's one thing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival teaches you, it's not to take your audiences for granted. In between meetings, tech, pitching the show, Meet the Media, and numerous other photocopying, postering, and props errands, we've been catching some other shows, and have realized that audiences of 4 - 6 people are all too common. The Fringe has over 3,000 shows all competing for the same audience, in the same city, over the same few hours of the day. Just check out our photo of the Royal Mile and you'll see what we mean! Thus, every day, we're out for three and a half hours before the show "busking": handing out Kevin McBee's beautifully designed postcards, mini bottle of Tabasco sauce (for our spicy couple!), and badges. It's the habitual Fringe fashion of getting butts in the seats. As we set out this morning, we knew we had some seats sold and a reviewer coming, but we didn't know how large our audience would be. Happily, we ended up with 18 people in the house, and a truly excellent opening performance! We're crossing our fingers that we keep doing as well for our entire run!

Another busy day! Here's the team schedule:

11:30am -- Meet at Jade Studio for a walkthrough of the space 
12:30pm -- Meet at Jade Studio Waffle TV interview (Ted & Jessica); Please wear your WAITLESS shirt
2:40pm -- Meet at Jade Studio for tech
2:50 - 4:00pm -- Tech rehearsal (Jesse, Juli, Ted, Andrew, Greenside programmer)
1:00 - 5:00pm -- Meet the Media show pitch event (Kat, Jessica, Andrew, Cailin)
5:00pm - 7:00pm -- Postering around Edinburgh (Cailin, Kat)

Once we got home, Cailin & Andrew H. rushed off to Invisible City, Kat took a well-deserved nap, Andrew B. went to Jurassic Park to chill, and Jessica and Juli narrowly avoided burning down the flat while trying to use a UK oven to make corn muffins! Although we've managed to miss the Tattoo fireworks every night (despite a mad run through the city streets late tonight trying to see them), we're still holding out hope on that front.

And, most importantly, WE OPEN TOMORROW.

We're truly lucky to already have two media appearances booked and two reviewers confirmed to come to the show. Tomorrow is a rest day for our actors while Kat & Juli run errands in preparation for tech on Saturday and opening on Sunday!

Our Executive Producer's long-anticipated BOXER SHORTS have arrived. We convinced actor Andrew Boyle to show off his dancin' legs and do a little modeling. We don't consider it exploitation. It's pure admiration. 

Jessica became a redhead, Andrew tried the neon-shoes-with-suitcoat look (not your best fashion decision, Mr. Boyle, but we still love you!), and Ted Lange sent out the following team email:

Hey gang,
Well, we are on the road to discovery. I thought we had a really wonderful rehearsal today!!!
Thank you for your energy, your chemistry and your willingness to go for it.
I think we made great strides today and we are starting to get this bad boy under our belt.
Thank you. 
I am eager to get to our next rehearsal.


Love you all madly.

see you soon.
Ted L.