getting high in NYC...

As soon as I saw the boys, my terror began to ebb. They all looked just the same as I remembered - I don't know what i thought, that they would have been turned into werewolves or vampires or something by living in the big city for a few months....but, no. Bruce was the same, cute Cali boy, Eric was still prince charming with his big, slow smile, and Chris was still Chris. No horns had sprouted out of their heads, no tails were visible, and they all gave my stinky self a great big hug , and showed me to the shower.
Not long after the shower, we found ourselves all sitting around on the floor of Bruce's apartment, cross legged, and someone brought forth ....THE BONG.

As I looked around my new surroundings, I must tell you, that I was pretty impressed. This WAS a big apartment by NY standards. Even with my complete inexperience, I could feel that. And it WAS cool, too. Exposed brick walls, very open and loft-like - a bit ahead of it's time, I would say.Chris and Eric had fashioned some bunk-bed type of arrangement over against one wall of the open living area, and Bruce (I believe) had his own separate bedroom. with PRIVACY.
To me, it seemed like a real, grown up, New York, boy's lair. And then, this big, glass apparatus appeared out of thin air. I had never seen one, and didn't even know what it was for.The only time I had successfully gotten high before had been at Interlochen. Before rehearsal.

Second semester of my last year at Interlochen, we did 'As You Like It'. I was Rosalind to Stuart Richardson's Orlando.Stuart had given me a tiny kiss on the lips earlier that year, then freaked out and told me he was gay. We've been the best of friends ever since.
Anyway, we were rehearsing a really cool version of 'As You Like It' - true to the play, uncut and in period, but - set outside - with the first half performed in daylight, and the second half lit by torches. Mel Mrochinsky's brilliant idea. Also, we had lots of actors in animal masks that would sneak up and sit by the audience during the show - prompting a few screams of surprize at various random intervals.
And , if you know the play at all - you will know that Rosalind and Orlando have a huge bulk of the lines - many rapid fire dialouges that are almost written as if they are one monolouge split between two actors.
I don't remember who got me high right before that ill fated rehearsal, but I am thinking that it was Barry Fader. (good name for the guy with the pot, yes?)
We went out to the woods, and shared a little joint with 3 or 4 people. And I got SOOOO HIGHHHHHHHHH. It was definitely my first time to feel that way. I had tried to smoke some pot before - but was not successful at inhaling the stuff, so I thought "No big deal. It's either NOT very strong, or maybe it just doesn't work for me"...HA!
I made my way to rehearsal -it was late in the game, so all of our line were meant to be memorized. This day, we were rehearsing inside Grunow theater, with Hilary Aptowitz acting as assistant director. (and thank God she was - she had to take over the whole show days later and whip it into shape while Mel went on a trip somewhere. Probably to get his South Carolina job)

Of COURSE the first thing up was a heavy lifting scene with Orlando (Stuart) and myself! I looked at Stuart, trying to remember my lines desperately, but able ONLY to burst into laughter, and grasp at words or phrases that were so clearly WRONG it sent me into more gales of laughter! I couldn't STOP laughing. I could NOT remember my lines - everything seemed to be morphing around me like a fun house - but a really FUN fun house - not scary at all. It didn't MATTER that I couldn't remember my lines and everyone was staring at me like I'd gone mad! I knew I SHOULD care - but I just couldn't it was all SO FUNNY! Stuart's concerned face was funny, the idea that I could and probably WOULD get kicked out of school right before graduation was funny, it SHOULDN'T be - but it WAS.

Mel called me down from the stage and took me out of earshot from the rest of the students. This was it. I was a goner. I knew it. I deserved it. His face was very stern. But I couldn't stop giggling for the life of me.

"Jennifer", Mel said in his deep, stern voice. "Do you have something you want tell me?"
I just looked up at him and tried REALLY hard not to laugh.
"Did you, perchance, smoke marijuana before today's rehearsal?" (he really spoke like that - said things like "perchance")
I looked up at him and nodded my head as I tried to smother my giggles. Busted.
"Jennifer...." hos voice seemed to grow more stern and deep, "I want you to leave right now. I am VERY disappointed with you. And I don't EVER want you to come to rehearsal or performance in this condition again. Do you understand me?"
I nodded yes. I was trying to look sheepish, but I don't think i managed. It was SOOOO funny!
"Now. Get out of here." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of wrinkly dollars. "Get yourself some ice cream from the Whippy Dip, and when you feel better - WORK ON THOSE LINES. I expect you to know them ALL by tomorrow."
I took the dollars as if in a dream and nodded my head, then got out of there as fast as I could. Ah Lordy!!! That was a close call. What was racing through my head was "I KNOW the lines!!! I DO when I'm not like this!" ...but no matter. I DID get myself some ice cream from the Whippy Dip (our little on-campus snack bar), and eventually I did feel "better",and I did work on my lines, and I have NEVER, EVER showed up for a rehearsal, a performance , or an audition high again. Good advice from Molester Mel.

So....back to NYC, CHris, Bruce, Eric and THE BONG. ( I imagine a GONG sound after you read THE BONG)
They pulled this big glass thing out, and I didn't know what it was. For all I knew - it was for smoking opium! But they all acted so casual about it, and then I recognized the smell of pot filling up the room, and it didn't seem so scary. I was embarrased that I didn't have a clue how to USE it - and I was too embarrased by far to ASK them, so i just passed up my "turn". It didn't matter - I got pretty high just from being in the room. Not crazy laughing high, like before - just a little dreamy and surreal.This is one of the reasons that I mentioned my weight, before. 110 lbs. Didn't take a lot of anything to get me drunk or high.
Those first weeks with the guys, 4 things colored my experience in a major way.
1. the pot haze. It seemed like I was walking around in an art film....just hazy and surreal from all the first and second hand pot smoke. It was great!
2. I was starving ALL the time. I remember being hungry ALL the time that first month.I didn't have any money...and I didn't want to eat Bruce's - or any of their food without contributing something. I was just ALWAYS hungry. Oh , sure - the pot smoking was probably contributing to that - JUST thought of it now, though!!
3. I was constantly aware that I had only 2 weeks to find a job and move out - and it scared the shit out of me more and more every DAY that went by and I DIDN'T find a job...
4. Christopher Earl.