01:37 am - ORPHEUS DESCENDING: THE FANGIRL-SQUEE-GALE-REPORT
I'm supposed to be packing up all my shit and going to bed so I can get up early and go to the airport, but I'm way too fucking excited to sleep. I'll do a proper review of Orpheus Descending later on, and I'll also post the pictures I got with Gale - I got 1 each night. But for now, I just wanna post the squealy fangirl stuff while it's still all fresh in my mind.

IN ADVANCE I APOLOGIZE FOR HOW LONG AND RANTY AND FUCKING INCOHERENT THIS POST IS. I am so exhausted, but I had to get this stuff down while it's fresh in my mind. x.x

Yesterday I saw Orpheus Descending for the first time. I ran in and grabbed the two best seats in the house for me and Kim, the ones on the left side of the aisle down in front.

After the play Kim and I stood around on the 'stage' area with other fans waiting for the actors to come out. Most of them did, but we waited for Gale, figuring he'd show up from this one hallway where the bathrooms and stuff were. Instead, suddenly, I sensed someone behind me, turned, and THERE HE FUCKING WAS. His head was ducked and he was speed-walking over to his guitar, which was still at its place on the wall from the play. He grabbed it and went back to where he put his guitar case down on the counter right next to us and started putting his guitar away. I took a few very quick steps back and hissed to Kim that we should give him a few minutes. He was clearly in a hurry to get the hell out of there and I wanted him to at least get his shit together and have a minute before we ambushed him. While we were waiting, two fans shoved past us and ran up to him. One of them practically SHOVED a DVD case in his face. I couldn't hear what they said because lots of people were around talking, but he barely looked up, snatched it away, signed it, and shoved it back. They got pictures and then left.

At this point I figured I'd wait because I thought there would be a hoard of fangirls running up. But NO ONE DID. And then he closed his guitar case, turned, and we were like a foot apart and he LOOKED at me. And this is how it went:

Me: *hands totally shaking VISIBLY, shoves little green plastic bag at him* HI GALE. O_O;; Uh... I came from Colorado so... uh... I hope it isn't weird... I brought you chocolates from there, and... there's a card...
Gale: *takes it, small grin* No, that's sweet.
Me: *DID HE SAY SWEET WHAT I CAN'T BREATHE*  YOU WERE REALLY GREAT. THE PLAY WAS GOOD. *internal facepalm*
Gale: *nods* Thanks.
Me: ....CAN I HAVE A PICTURE? *wince*
Gale: .......Sure. *expression reads: SIIIIIIIIIGH. FINE.*
Me: *VERY quickly shoves camera at Kim, stands next to Gale - nervous babbling* It's been kind of bitchy hopefully it works hahaha!
Gale: ....*says nothing, stands next to me - puts his hand on my back VERY VERY lightly, barely touching me*
Me: *puts my hand around his back FIRMLY, leans in closer, SMIIIIIIIIIIIILES as the flash goes off*
Gale: *steps back*
Me: TH-THANKS! THE... THE PLAY WAS GREAT. YOU WERE AWESOME. THANKS!
Gale: Thanks for coming. *doesn't smile, just looks SO TIRED*
Me: *walks away trying to find a way to BREATHE*

At that point I talked to Francesca Casale, who played Vee Talbot. She was definitely my favorite of the actresses for that evening. I thought she played her role really perfectly, and she was just so... fucking genuine and beautiful and amazing. I really love the character she played, but she just played her so WELL. Just... SO perfect. I went up and fangirled at her and she was SUPER sweet. She was like "Awww thank you so much!!" and talked to me for a couple of minutes. I told her how I had read the play and was still sort of confused so it was nice to see it - and I looked forward to seeing it a second time tomorrow (today.) She said how yeah, the play is super complex and even they were all still trying to understand it and she was so happy we liked it. She signed my program and was SOOOOO nice. She also asked me "Are you an actress?" I was like O_O ....No. But uh... I'm a writer.... And she was like "Oh, that's great!"

Then I went up to Denise Crosby, who played Lady - and whom you may know from Star Trek: The Next Generation as Tasha Yar. I told her how I grew up with Star Trek and I really liked her character as a kid, and apologized for being a dork. She was like "Nooo, I love it! I love Trekkies!" Then I was like "Yeah, when I heard about the play it was because of Gale, but then when I saw you were going to be in it, I was really happy!" And she laughed and went "Yeah, I'm the second thought, I know." and I panicked and felt SO BAD and went "NO NO NO NO NO! That's not what I meant~! You were the last straw, I had to see it since you were in it, too!" and she laughed and was obviously joking and gave me a big hug and signed my program. I also mentioned to her about the many levels of the play and how I felt like I had so much more to understand about it and she agreed that it was SUPER complex. Then she goes "So are you an actress, too?" and I'm like WTF second person to ask that... and I told her No, I'm a writer, and she was like "Oh, then you know how it is, you put so much into it and it just keeps evolving" and went on about her creative energy and stuff... so cool. She signed Kim's program too and offered to get a picture with her, which I took. :3

Then on the way out I got a chance to talk to Claudia Mason, who played Carol Cutrere. Carol was the character that confused me the most when I read it, so I hadn't been sure how I was going to feel about her. But she played her REALLY, really well. I was really impressed, I'd just known Claudia was a model, so I was really impressed to see what a good actress she was. I told her she was awesome and I loved her character and how she was the confusing one, blah blah, and she was like "I know, she really is, but she's a lot of fun to get to know as I've played her." and she was SOOOOOOOOOOO nice and signed my program and smiled and thanked me and asked if I was going to come back the next day (today) and I said yes. Then she goes "So, are you an actress?" And at this point I'm like WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK I'M AN ACTRESS. O_o Maybe because I actually talked about the play to them?? I have no idea. I still have no answers. XD;;

So that was yesterday - the last Saturday show.

Today was the last showing. We got there early and got great seats. I purposefully didn't take the two on the left side of the aisle since we had those the days before - even though they're the best seats, because I wanted a slightly different viewpoint. We sat on the right side of the aisle this time, which really did change the way it looked a lot. And let me see more of Gale's chest in all the scenes his shirt was off. Another bonus is that for one kind of long scene Gale is just on the far right side of the stage leaning against the wall with his head ducked while these other characters argue. So I was close enough that I could keep glancing at him without being too obvious, and without missing any of the play during my ogling. XD;;

After the play Kim and I decided that this time we'd hang back and see if we could be some of the last fans to talk to Gale, thinking maybe we'd get a better reaction if we waited until there were less people. There were TONS of people there who wanted to see him - I think some fans even came into the lobby that hadn't been at that showing, but I'm not sure, because we stayed in the audience seats. It just seemed like there were more people in the lobby than were in the theater. XD;; We sat around and I waited for a good chance to talk to the other actresses in the meantime.

I said hi to Francesca again and had her sign my new program because last time she signed the other side of the page that Gale did - and I want to get them all framed side-by-side. (Shut up. I'm cool.) I didn't tell her that was why tho, I just said I smudged the other one. XD;; I felt like a dork. She was totally great again and I told her how I thought they were even better tonight, and she was sooooo sweet. She just seems like the sweetest more genuine, loving person - I can't explain it, she just gives off that vibe. :3 So nice~! She even remembered my name when I went up to her!

We waited around some more while Gale walked around signing autographs and taking pictures and trying to get a chance to get a cup of water and talk to his friends. His girlfriend was there, Yara (I honestly only know this because people pointed her out and then it was obvious she was his girlfriend  when he came over and gave her a big hug - I mean I knew he had one and her name but I didn't really know what she looked like enough to recognize her. XD; They talked together with some men that had been in the audience, friends of theirs and other family members of people on set I think.

Meanwhile I got another chance to say hi to Denise. I asked her if I could get a picture, because I hadn't yet. She was like "OF COURSE!!! " and we got a super cute picture together. We look really sassy. XD;; I told her I thought they did even better this evening and that they were just REALLY solid. She replied "Really?!" like she was shocked. I was like "Yeah!! You were just very intense, the timing was great, it was just totally solid." She thanked me and said how it was because this was a REALLY emotional show for all of them since it was the last one. Then she had to go talk to people and I was like THANKS AGAIN.

And... honestly, I forget what order I talked to her in, but Kelly Ebsary was there and somewhere in there I got to approach her. Not really anyone else was, but I really thought she was GREAT. Her character is mostly funny (well, as funny as this play is, in its weird morbidness XD) and is just FIERCE. So I walked up and was like "Hi! Can I get an autograph?" and she was like "Oh, sure!" She held herself the least like an 'actress' and more like a normal person of all of them that I talked to. And then I blurt out "I loved your character. You were TOTALLY FIERCE." she LOOKED at me and SMILED with this really amused expression, like no one had ever called her fierce before... I guess I talk weird. XD;; Then I complimented her southern accent. I went "I'm from Georgia, originally, so I really loved that everyone's accents were so great, yours especially." She was like "Oh, did you know Gale is from Georgia?" but I mis-heard her, it didn't sound like she said Gale, and went "...No?" and she went "Yeah, he's from Atlanta." and I went "OH. GALE. Yeah, I know, sorry, I didn't hear you right." And she was like "Yeah, and I'm from Florida." and we talked about accents and it was funny. She slipped into her Florida accent and told me what town she was from (I don't remember) and asked where in Georgia I was from. I told her "Savannah" in my own southern accent (which is so much fucking stronger after seeing this play twice XD) and she was like "Oh, Savannah is beautiful!" Then I basically thanked her and went to stand to the side and wait for a good chance to talk to Gale.

Finally most of the fans had filed out, there were still some, but FAR less. Gale was walking by so I walked up really fast and smiled and said "Hey, Gale, could I have a picture? I know I was here yesterday, but..." but before I could say anything else he just said "Yeah," and nodded and stood next to me. He'd already taken what seriously was probably over 100 pictures... there are 99 seats in that theater and at LEAST 75% of them were Gale fans (honestly, maybe more like 99% haha), and many of them tried to take multiple pics. Poor guy looked really tired, but he seemed a lot happier than the night before. Kim got a picture of us. He put his hand on my back pretty firmly this time, and I put mine on his - and slid it across his back and I could feel his muscles and it was so fucking hot. After the picture I smiled and asked "So are you going to do more theater?" and he sort of got this look like I was somehow pressuring him or something, and I quickly said "Haha, or do you not know yet?" in case he didn't want to answer me or something. He said "Well, who knows what the future will bring." and shrugged. It seemed like he wasn't really sure what he was going to be doing next, so I just smiled and said "Well, if you do, I look forward to it! " and he said "Thanks for coming." and went to talk to his friends more.

At this point I was ready to leave (well, okay, I could have stood around and stared at Gale all night, but I try not to be a creeper) and was like Hey, Kim, should we go? And at this point I realize she's holding a card. Which I didn't realize she HAD for him, because so far I had been the one talking to him, and she was being all polite and not forcing him to talk to her. She's not a super rude loud person like me, so she didn't feel like she could go up to him again at this point, because he was just so DONE and tired looking. So she wanted to go, but as a rude, loud person, I got the card from her to give to him for her. XD Because... yes. I am pushy. XD;;;

AND THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET AMAZING, MY FRIENDS. AMAAAAAAZING. The following conversation is very close to the literal words that were spoken. They're burned into my brain. But the bold parts ARE LITERALLY WHAT HE SAID. As soon as I left I texted those words to myself so I wouldn't forget because they were SO AMAZING. Shut up I'm cool.

Gale was in the little alcove of the stage taking down the little picture that was pinned up. I didn't want to seem like I was cornering him in there, haha, so I stood off to the side until he came out.

Oh, and as soon as I spoke to him I realized that he no longer seemed panicked and like he wanted to bail - I'm pretty sure we were the last fans there, maybe one or two were left, but I don't think so - he seemed like now he was happy and enjoying the after-glow of the play now that the fans were gone so there was no more pressure. During this conversation he wasn't acting like Gale-the-actor anymore,  he was just Gale-the-person. His body language was relaxed and he made eye contact and smiled and held his head high.

SO ANYWAY...

Me: *walks over as if Gale is just a totally normal person and not the hottest man alive - at this point I was just too tired and had already talked to him twice so I wasn't even nervous anymore* Hey, Gale, this is from my friend, I told her I'd give it to you. *hands him the card*
Gale: *SMILES* Oh, tell her thanks! *smiles, shakes it* Feels like CDs.
Me: *trying not to stare or act like a total freak* Uh huh... *I had no idea if it was CDs or not*
Gale: *hesitates, looks dooooooown my body, then uuuuuuuuup*
Me: O_O;;;; *just stands there WTF IS HE DOING*
Gale: By the way, it was fun looking at your boots the whole time.
Me: *totally and completely freezes in place - then very loudly* I KNOW RIGHT?! They're so cool! I just got them, I was totally excited. *blink, realizes how dumb I sound*
Gale: *just SMILES, then starts to turn away*
Kelly Ebsary: *sitting in a seat in front of us talking to people - looks up, points to me, says loudly* She's from Savannah.
Gale: *totally stops dead in his tracks as he started to go - turns around and LOOKS at me* Savannah?
Me: O_O Uh. Yep!!!
Gale: Grew up there, or... going to school there? *LOOKING at me really intensely*
Me: O_O;; Uh... whole family's from there. I live in Colorado now, though.
Gale: *SMIIIIIIILES, does that short 'HAH' laugh once, does that slow full body look again* I THOUGHT you looked Irish.
Me: O_______O;;;;; *totally confused now, just stands there frozen in place*
Kelly: Irish?
Gale: There's so many Irish people in Savannah.
Me: *oh yeah duh* Haha yeah, I am, partly. Lots of Irish catholics in my family, haha. Crazy. *nervous laugh*
Gale: I've been to Savannah a lot. It's nice.
Me: Yeah, totally, I'm still a Georgia girl at heart I guess. *nervous laugh*
Kelly: *says something about Savannah being pretty - I forget, Gale is distracting*
Gale: Yeah, and the buildings are beautiful.
Me: *trying so hard not to freak out ARE WE HAVING A CONVERSATION OH SHIT* Yeah, amazing architecture. It's really beautiful. It's just way too hot and humid for me.
Gale: Really? I like it, the food's amazing.
Me:  OH I KNOW! The food is what I miss the most.... *trails off because Gale is now totally wandering away without another word*
Gale: *already going over to his friends to talk*
Me: ...........*stares at him, smiles at Kelly* OKAY! THANKS AGAIN! BYE! =D *flees, before the fangirl squees escape*

GALE SAID HE LOOKED AT MY BOOTS 'THE WHOLE TIME' - HIS WORDS NOT MINE. Haha ok I know, that's a figure of speech BUT STILL HOLY SHIT. I knew getting these awesome white doc martins was worth it but HO-LEE-SHITE. I mean... I WAS in the front row, and they are sort of startlingly bright white, especially in the darker lighting in some of the scenes of the play - and during that scene when his head is ducked, he probably just stared at everyone's feet and my boots were probably really distracting. XD;; BUT THE FACT IS HE SAW MY BOOTS AND HE LIKED THEM AND HE SAID HE STARED AT THEM THE WHOLE TIME AND I DON'T CARE IF HE WASN'T BEING LITERAL GALE LIKED MY BOOTS.

Also... HE SAID HE THOUGHT I LOOKED IRISH. WHICH MEANS HE ACTUALLY HAD A THOUGHT ABOUT ME, AND ACTUALLY NOTICED WHAT I LOOK LIKE. WHICH MEANS HE PAID ATTENTION TO ME. I had sort of assumed he was just looking through everyone when he talked to them and signing things and immediately forgetting who they were, just because he was so exhausted and there were SO MANY of us. BUT NO. APPARENTLY NOT. HE TOTALLY NOTICED WHAT I LOOKED LIKE AND MADE A STATEMENT ABOUT IT. And the way he said it wasn't like "I see you are of Irish descent" in tone, it was more in the tone of it being a compliment, and he said it with a huuuuuuuuuge smile, like he was like "I KNEW IT! =D" XD;; *flail*

And he did sort of just wander off at that, but I think he was really exhausted and there were other people trying to talk to him, so it was totally cool. XD;; I was just... so... fucking... happy. Hell, what am I saying... WAS? I AM. XD;;

Also, I totally owe Kelly the hugest fangirl hug in the world for telling Gale I was from Savannah, therefore getting him to talk to me. I don't know if she was doing that because she knew he would and she knew I WANTED to talk to him, or if she was just telling him without thinking about it, but either way THANK YOU KELLY, WHEREVER YOU ARE!!!!

Also, today there was a group of four ladies from Spain, who were all very friendly. :3 Apparently they were two groups of two who both happened to be coming from Spain (though different parts) and noticed each other. It's a small world! I talked to them about what QaF is like there and how people reacted and such, and they were really really nice.

I THINK I COVERED EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO. I have tons of pictures and Kim and I had a GREAT time and... well... I just have so much more to rant about, but it's already past when I should go to bed, and I still have to get my shit packed up. XD;; I'll do a post reviewing the play itself later, and post the pictures I got - along with all the info of the other stuff I did here in LA. For now, this was the most urgent stuff that I really wanted to put down while it was still fresh in my mind.

And the last thing I wanted to say was it was nice to meet the other fans that were there both nights. :3 There were some of you from LJ, which was great, but to be totally honest I AM SO TERRIBLE WITH NAMES. D: So please comment if you were one of the awesome ladies I met at the play and lemme know which ones you were. XD;;

Okay, I lied, the last thing I want to say is GALE LIKED MY FUCKING BOOTS. I AM THE HOTTEST SHIT EVER. HIGH FIVE TO ME, INTERNET. HIGH. FIVE. TO. ME.

Ugh I don't wanna get up early and get on a plane fuck travel I'm so tired why can't I re-live this whole weekend?! Gaaaaaaale, I miss you already!
Current Location: Los Angeles, CA