One Woman Show

Do not wish to subject anyone else to Libby's show, so go by myself. Bring Sides to pass time while show starts. A very small black box theatre with three rows or chairs on two sides of the room. Look at program and see that the running time is an hour and a half without an intermission. Am seated next to a very young man with a full beard, wild curly hair and hooded eyes. He looks like Raskolnikov at the very end of Crime and Punishment. The Imagination takes over and I have a very involved fantasy about who this young man killed and why. This train of thought oddly comforting. For the first (and only) time think that Libby's show may be fun. The theatre goes dark and the lights come up on Libby, who is sitting in a chair. She starts monologue about washing her hair. It turns out that she is washing her hair on September 11th. In Battery Park City. She has to run out onto the street in wet hair. The day progresses. Think, but am not sure, that the point of the show is that she was inconvenienced by the buildings falling down. She tap dances in between numbers, calling out the steps to the audience, shuffle, ball change, shuffle ball change. Realize with horror that a very bad fit of the giggles is coming on. Pinch thigh Very Hard, but this makes things worse. Only recourse to have laughs sound like choking fit. Do so. Rashkolnikof gives me a sympathetic look, and offers me a lozenge. I whisper to him, god this is bad. When the lights come up, wish to flee the theatre but am afraid that Libby hasn't seen me and I won't get credit for coming. Wait at the front of the house. Libby comes out. She introduces me to Raskolnikov, says, you've met my husband before, haven't you? Shake R's hand. Say to Libby, you have so much energy. Go home on subway.